Day at Disneyland

I recently spent a day at Disneyland and had the most magical time! I hadn’t been in about three years so I wanted to be sure that I made the most out of this trip and fit in as much fun and excitement as I could!

One of my favorite things to do at Disneyland is explore Fanstayland and Toon Town. You really feel like you’re in a fairy tale in these two lands and there are so many hidden gems, secrets and magic in these two areas of the park!

 When going to Disneyland, I love being able to just take in the magic of it all. Every detail of every building and attraction is just perfect and I love exploring the castle or even just admiring the atmosphere of each incredible land of Disneyland. It can be tough to do Disneyland in one day and be able to enjoy every aspect of it. You want to be able to go on your favorite rides, see the parades, gaze at the fireworks display while also taking time to leisurely explore all of the magic the park offers. 

Before heading up for my trip, I did all the research possible to find the best hacks, tips, tricks and secrets to save time, money and explore all the hidden gems of Disneyland. I’ve been to Disneyland many times throughout my life so I already knew many of these tips but I tested out some new ones myself this past trip and have put together my ultimate Disneyland hacks for you guys so you can enjoy every second at Disneyland!

1. FastPasses: Use fast passes as often as possible! Getting a fastpass for a busy ride as soon as you enter the park is essential. My absolute best tip for using fast passes is to get your next fastpass right when the time slot for your current fast pass starts before going on the ride. You’ll make the best use of your time this way!
2. Parade spot: I had read that there was one spot between the matterhorn and castle that isn’t roped off until 30 minutes before the parade. I was standing somewhere between the two and trying to bring up the video on my phone that I had watched that mentioned the hack. While frantically trying to do this, a Disney cast member suddenly clings a rope from one pole to the pole I was leaning against. I was next to the secret section the whole time but was on the wrong side of the pole! Once the rope is put up they do not let you climb under it, you have to go all the way around and it was already full by the time we tried! So to be sure you get the secret viewing spot for the parade, look for the popcorn cart to the right of the castle (between the matterhorn and castle) and stand to the left of the popcorn cart (if you are looking at the castle) ensuring you are in between two poles which the rope will be tied across!
3. Getting a cute castle picture free of the crowds: Even on a not so busy day this can be impossible to achieve! The castle can be pretty difficult to get a photo in front of without any other people in it but if you have someone hold the camera low (angling the lens up to get as much of the top of the castle as possible) and don’t mind not getting a full body shot, you can get a photo like the one of me below! There were actually hoards of people around me but you would never know.
4. Beating the Fantasyland ride waits: Ride the Fantasyland rides first! After getting your first fast pass, get on Peter Pan (which gets unbearably long waits throughout the entire day) and then ride any other Fantasyland ride you want. These rides have the shortest waits in the morning and really don’t die down after the first hour the park opens.
5. Finding characters and checking wait times: The best thing you can do for your Disney trip is to download the official Disneyland app! The app not only shows you the map but shows the current wait time of each ride, the fastpass return times and now shows which characters are going to be where and at what times! You can also set filters to search just for a certain character or go to the dining filter to see where each restaurant is on the map and bring up its menu!

 I hope these tips help you have the most magical time on your next trip to Disneyland!