5 Tips to Make Your Disney Trip a Magical Success
What to Know When Planning Your Trip to the Happiest Place on Earth
With summer right around the corner, people all over the world are planning their next Disney vacation. Growing up in San Diego, Disneyland was a frequent trip for me with my parents, friends and out-of-town family. Since moving to Nashville, my best friend and I plan a Disney trip just about yearly, and we have our packing list, strategy and itinerary down to a science.
Here are five tips to help make your next trip to Disneyland (or Disney World) a magical success!
1. Disney Genie+ is a MUST
We all know how expensive Disneyland has gotten over the years, but trust me, adding the Disney Genie+ to your ticket is an absolute must to ensure you get your money’s worth. With the Disney Genie+, you can reserve a timed spot in line for the most popular rides without having to run over to grab a Fast Pass like the old days (although I miss the printed tickets, as they made for great souvenirs!). This can also save major time and effort if you are visiting two parks in one day — which is completely doable, but if you have the time, I recommend one park per day. Another INCREDIBLE bonus — with the Disney Genie, you are able to utilize the professional Disney photographers positioned throughout the parks at key photo spots. My husband used this to his advantage, and proposed to me in front of the Partner’s statue, and we have so many beautiful high quality photos capturing one of the most important moments for us. It was the best plan, and one of the happiest days of our lives!! As an additional bonus, you can now save all your ride photos on the Disney app, so they will be loaded right to your phone to share and print to your heart’s delight. Bottom line — GET THE GENIE+ PASS!!
2. Come Prepared with This Packing List
While some of these items may be obvious, they can often be overlooked. First off, bring throwaway ponchos. You can buy them on Amazon, or even at a Dollar Tree. While part of the thrill is wondering if you’ll get soaked on Splash Mountain (Tiana’s Bayou Adventure later this year!) or the Grizzly Water Run, it’s not thrilling when you have to walk for miles (and hours) in waterlogged shoes and soaking clothes on a cloudy day (trust me, I’ve been there). Spare yourself, and bring ponchos along. In tandem with ponchos, bring a few Ziplock baggies along too. You can throw your phone and any other items you want to ensure don’t get wet, and they don’t take up any extra space in your bag! Another key item, make sure to bring a portable phone charger. By using the Disney app to secure your rides all day, taking photos and videos and calling your crew to coordinate your next meeting point, your battery will drain quickly. By having a portable phone charger handy, you won’t have to worry about a dead phone! I also recommend coming prepared with band-aids in case of blisters or falls, and Tylenol to ward off any headaches. Pack snacks to curb your hunger when you’re in line too! Lastly, be sure to bring a reusable water bottle that you can fill up throughout the day. It’s one way you can save money, so you feel better about splurging on that churro or another pair of adorable mouse ears!
3. Opt for a Locker
When my best friend and I make our yearly trip, we are in the parks from 8am – 12am, no exceptions! Whether you’re at Disneyland six hours or sixteen hours, a locker, available both inside and outside the park gates, will be your best friend. Extremely reasonable ($7-$15), they offer two sized lockers that are perfect for holding your extra outfits (warmer clothes for nighttime), umbrellas, souvenirs, sweatshirts, shoes, snacks or anything else you don’t want to lug around all day hitting the rides. I can’t emphasize how handy they are!
4. Wear Comfy Shoes & Clothes
This might be extremely obvious, but I’ve also seen girls in wedges and heels at Disneyland, so it must be said. While Disneyland is the most magically ideal place for photo opps, you can still dress cute but also comfortably! Bring your comfiest sneakers, because you can easily walk 25K steps in one day, especially if you have a park hopper. We broke 35K our last Disney trip! Your feet will thank you, and once again you’ll get your money’s worth being able to walk around from morning til night! Leggings and a hoodie is my go-to outfit in the morning and evening, and I bring shorts and a tee for the afternoon (depending on the time of year). My go-to shoe to support 16 hours of walking? Brooks!
5. Plan Your Trip & Rides Strategically
If you don’t have a specific date in mind, I suggest visiting isitpacked.com, which has an extremely accurate meter of the crowds throughout the year. It might help sway you toward one date over the other! While sometimes unavoidable, try to avoid weekends, summer months, holiday breaks to explore Disneyland or Disney World with smaller crowds.
My best friend and I get to the park right when it opens, and strategically hit the biggest rides first. Why? First, since you can only use Genie+ to reserve each ride once per day, by hitting Space Mountain first thing in the morning, you might not need to utilize Genie+, saving your coveted Genie+ pass to Space Mountain for a second ride later in the day. Secondly, some of the big rides (including Radiator Springs Racers at California Adventure, my absolute FAVORITE ride) can “sell out” quickly, so by hitting the big rides first, we ensure we will ride them at least once in the day!
Trying to beat the heat or take a load off in the middle of the day? Head to Pirates of the Caribbean (16-minutes ride), It’s a Small World (15-minute ride) or the Haunted Mansion (8-minute ride) for some time out of the sun. While you might hit a wall during the middle of the day (at least I always do!) Disney parks are most magical at night, with the glowing neon, bright lights and cooler weather. Parade times are prime times to hit rides. Event times also play a major part in the park strategy. While a lot of the crowd lines Main Street and the rest of the parade path, we hit Adventure Land and New Orleans Square, when the ride lines are typically shorter. Another tip, hit the rides during the fireworks show! We like to go on Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad during the fireworks show to see a spectacular view from the ride!
By having the right items on hand, strategically planning your visit and itinerary, and going with Genie+, I can assure you will have a magical time at the Happiest Place on Earth!
