Top 5 Tips for a Disneyland Trip with Young Kids

Considering a trip to Disneyland but wondering how to make it easier with young kids in tow?  Read on for 5 tips for a better Disneyland vacation!

1. A stroller works wonders. Maybe your 3 year old doesn’t use a stroller anymore at home, but Disneyland is a whole different animal.  For one, it’s big and there’s a LOT of walking.  Even grown up feet get tired!  Add to that the heat (if traveling during a warm time of year) and all the excitement and little ones wear out easily.   To be honest, even a  4 year old can use a ride now and then, and it sure saves your back when you don’t have to piggy back them when they get too tired!
2. Proximity: There are about a zillion hotels in the area, but that doesn’t mean they are all created equal. When traveling with young kids, the closer you are, the better!  Spending 20 minutes walking each way or trying to catch the ART shuttle that wanders all over town making multiple stops can be a real pain.  Save your sanity and stay really close to the parks.  Plus, it really helps with number 3…
3. Take a break! Yes, you paid good money for those park tickets, but with a good plan you can get to everything you want to while still having time for a mid-day break.  There are several reasons for this, including that the parks are busiest in the afternoon and that children are much more likely to make it happily into the evening (and to fireworks) if they’ve had a chance to rest and rejuvenate mid day.  Kick up your feet, cool down, take a dip in the pool, then head back later in the afternoon or evening!
4. Take advantage of Extra Magic Hours. If you stay at a Disney hotel, you get to enter one of the parks an hour early each day.  If your kids are early risers anyway, as many young kids are, this makes it even easier to take advantage of this perk.  Getting into the parks a full hour before all the offsite guests gives you a head start on the rides, meaning less lines for you!
5. Have a plan. There are times when vacations can be completely go with the flow, with no plan in hand.  This is not one of them, unless you find waiting in long lines and finding restaurants full to be your ideal experience while on vacation.  A good plan, with dining reservations and a strategy for avoiding long lines can make a huge difference in your Disneyland experience.  Escape the whining children in hour long lines and see how freeing it can be to bounce from ride to ride with joy, waiting 15 minutes or less as you go!  And that, of course, is what The Enchanted Traveler does for our clients: completely customized, personalized vacation plans that take all of the above and so much more into account when planning your Disneyland vacation: from the very start where we help you decide where to stay, to your custom travel guide in your hands as you arrive at the parks!