10 Things You Need To Know Before You Take The Kiddos To Disneyland

As a parent of four children involved in every activity, you can think of it’s hard to squeeze money out of our wallets. With Disney prices on the rise and lots of little children, I’m always on the lookout on how to save money and make the most of our visits to the happiest place on Earth. Here are 10 things to help you plan for a wonderful time and priceless memories.

1. Buy Souvenirs Beforehand

I am all for getting your ears on at the park, and we always buy a single souvenir from one park or the other, but we also purchase lots of our Disney gear beforehand.

Dollar Tree has excellent Disney autograph books with matching pens, glow sticks, and other fun Disney treats. Target near Disneyland has bags, hats, ponchos, tees, and everything in between and if you use your Target Redcard you can even save another 5% off your purchase. By the way, the ponchos are a must if waterworks are in the weather forecast.

Instead of buying a stock shirt at the park for $24.99 and up that everyone else has, you can save money and order them custom made. I like Mexipinommy on Instagram, she always has awesome work. She can customize cups, shirts, bags, you name it, she’s got it!

So remember to buy beforehand to save on the little things and then splurge at the park for food, ears, and one park souvenir purchase.

2. Pack Pack

When my daughter was little she liked to say it twice… pack pack. Take a stroller. To be more exact take your own stroller to save on money because little feet get tired fast. Even if your toddler doesn’t usually ride in a stroller, they will want to rest their feet on this trip. If you don’t have room in the car to bring one with you, you can pick one up from a Target near the park, or as a last resort, you can rent one from the park. 

Sunscreen is a must! And bring enough to reapply and then reapply some more. Wipes go a long way at Disneyland, so don’t forget those too, and take lots of snacks. Snacks will keep everyone fueled for the day, and work wonders when you’re standing in long lines and they are an absolute must for those moments of rest, so be sure to pack your favorites and lots of them.

Instead of paying $4.00 for a bottle of water at the kiosks, Disneyland will gladly refill your reusable water bottle for free at any location where they sell fountain drinks. Stay hydrated. Bringing your own water bottle will help make healthier choices, save money, and save the planet.

Take an extra set of clothes for changes after water rides and pack ponchos from the rain. Sweaters and even pajamas are especially useful for the evening and help when the littles pass out and are carried off straight to bed.

3. Download the Disneyland App

The Disneyland App has so many perks! Skip the line when using the app is another perk! The app allows a mobile ordering option for most quick-service restaurants. Order your food in advance; this way, when you arrive at the restaurant, you just have to tap to indicate your arrival, and your food is ready in minutes. This will help avoid munchie meltdowns and hangry parents!

Once you’re in the app, definitely splurge and grab the $15.00 a day Disney MaxPass to save time and help avoid crying children in long lines. As soon as you get into the park, link the Disney MaxPass and with your tickets so you can make reservations using FastPass for popular attractions in one place while you’re waiting in line for another.

The MaxPass also lets you link your PhotoPass so you can have all the photos from your rides, and Disney Photographers in one place. The images are saved in the cloud, and you have a few days to purchase or download for free when you get home.

4. Arrive Early! 

Kiddos are usually up with the first break of sunlight, so take advantage of their early wakeup times to experience shorter lines. If your plan includes a visit to Fantasyland, you‘ll want to head there first and get to Peter Pan to avoid the long lines. While you’re on the way, use the Disney MaxPass to reserve your seat in line at your next attraction.     

If Peter Pan is not your thing you can head straight to City Hall to grab your 1St-time visitor button, or It’s My Birthday button. They also have other buttons to mark momentous occasions.

Our favorite was booking a character breakfast. The price was well worth the buffet, and the number of characters we saw was beyond our expectations. We didn’t have to wait in line to see characters later in the day since we had so many pictures from the morning. The kids loved it and so did I.

5. Stay Charged

Take a battery charger for your phone. You’ll want to keep your phone charged and ready for photos, videos, and of course, the Disneyland App. The Disney MaxPass will use up your phone’s battery quickly, but there are a few places to recharge your phone in the park, or you can buy a battery charging system for $30.00 that gives 4 hours of tablet usage or 8 hours of talk time, or you can choose to leave your old battery and then swap it for a fully charged replacement at any kiosk. Just insert your used battery and take a fresh one and head out to your next attraction.

6. Plan Ahead

Check out the daily schedule to plan out your day. Knowing what time shows are and what rides are on your must-do list will help plan for lunch, naps and be sure your kiddos see everything they get excited about.

Some rides at Disneyland have height restrictions, so be sure to measure your children in advance to avoid disappointment. If there is something they can’t ride, you can prepare them for the long line and distract with the snacks you packed or a new toy from Dollar Tree. Then everyone else who plans to ride can use Rider Switch.

Some rides require an adult for children that are too young or don’t meet height requirements. It’s nice to let the children choose which parent they want to sit with if it’s only a two-seater.

Check out the Disneyland Map so you can plan your route, and know where your favorite rides are so you won’t miss out. the map also has height requirements and a quick description. You can access the map online from home, pick up a paper copy at the entrance, or use the app on your smartphone.

Visit both parks to maximize your experience. Both are absolutely fantastic and make their own magical memories.

7. Take Turns

Don’t forget about Rider Switch. If someone doesn’t meet the required criteria to get on a ride or just wants to skip the attraction altogether, then this might be exactly what you need. Here’s how it works: As you walk up to the line, let a cast member know you’d like to do a Rider Switch. Both adults and children will then stand in line together until it’s your turn. One adult will ride with an eligible child, and the other adult will stay with the remaining child or children. Then, the other adult will get a turn to ride without having to wait in line all over again. If it’s just one eligible child, they ride twice!

Rider Switch is available at these attractions in Disneyland:

• Autopia (Tomorrowland)
• Space Mountain (Tomorrowland)
• Star Tours (Tomorrowland)
• Big Thunder Mountain (Frontierland)
• Gadget’s Go Coaster (Toontown)
• Indiana Jones (Adventureland)
• Matterhorn (Fantasyland)
• Splash Mountain (Critter Country)

Rider Switch is available at these attractions in California Adventure:

• Incredicoaster (Pixar Pier)
• Goofy’s Sky Skool (Paradise Pier)
• Silly Symphony Swings – tandem or single (Paradise Pier)
• Grizzly River Run (Grizzly Peak)
• Soarin’ Around the World (Grizzly Peak)
• Radiator Springs Racers (Cars Land)
•  Guardians of the Galaxy (Hollywood Land)

8. Take 5!

 Kids need breaks. If they need to let go of some energy, they can have free play in Toon Town at Minnie’s house. If you were lucky enough to find a close hotel, you could return for a quick nap. It’s better to let everyone rest and return happy than deal with meltdowns at the park.

If you’re kids just need to rejuvenate, then take advantage of performances or productions around the park. such as Disney Jr. Live on stage to rest your feet, refuel with snacks, water and get ready for round two.

9. Plan For The Unthinkable

You never plan to lose a child in Disneyland, but it does happen. (Guilty! But for the record, she was only a few steps away, but it was still scary.) For children too young to memorize names and phone numbers, or maybe just too shy or scared, it’s a good idea to use a sharpie or label to mark contact information in your child’s clothing or use a child ID bracelet to ID temporary tattoo. This just gives you peace of mind.

It also helps if everyone wears the same color shirts, so everyone’s easy to spot, and you don’t have to try to remember what everyone was wearing. When you have free play in Toon Town, you just spot whatever color shirt the crew is wearing, and it’s easy to see all of your kiddos.

10. Smart Pin Trading

Pin trading is a popular and fun thing to do at Disneyland. You can trade pins with cast members. Not sure how it works? Click here to learn the rules. Buying Pins in bulk with eBay or Amazon is the most cost-effective way to acquire pins because it is much cheaper than buying pins in the park. You can keep the ones you love and trade the ones you love a little less.