My husband and I have been married nearly four years, and apart
from our honeymoon, we hadn’t taken a vacation. The plan was to take a trip to
the Czech Republic, where my husband spent two years on a church mission, until
I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. Surgery and doctor’s visits clouded the
vision. Needless to say, we scaled back
our plans and gleefully settled on a trip to Disneyland. This post is for the
young-at-heart Utah couple seeking tips on a successful Disney adventure.
Cuteness!
Let's look at that a little closer.
Even closer... photobomb gold.
Tip #1-The Drive:
If you plan to drive to California, here
are a few things we learned. First, you
will need to have some road trip entertainment. Pick up an audiobook from the
library and make a playlist of upbeat songs. (This trip we enjoyed Jim Gaffigan’s
book Food: a Love Story. Hilarious.)
A
Cautionary Tale:
On
our honeymoon, we drove through Las Vegas on I-15 on Sunday. We were stuck in
traffic for hours! I think we left Salt Lake City at 7:30 am and didn’t get to
Los Angeles until 10:00 pm (14.5 hours). Good thing we were so twitterpated, we didn’t
mind too much, right?
This time we did a little research. Las
Vegas traffic is really bad on Friday and Sunday. Most people go to Vegas for
the weekend and need to get back before the work week. Unfortunately, we had
planned our trip to leave from Utah on Sunday.
After reading up more on Vegas traffic, we learned it doesn’t really
pick-up until around 10:30 a.m. We left from Tooele (near Salt Lake City)
around 3 am and arrived in Anaheim at 2:00 p.m.
(11 hours including gas and lunch breaks). Waking up early was rough,
but it gave us enough time to nap when we got to our hotel, check out the local
mall, get dinner, and take a dip in the pool. Getting up those extra few hours
early can really set the tone for your whole trip.
Tip #2-Getting
Gas:
Filling up on gas can be a pricey part of
your trip! If you plan ahead to save a few dollars here and there, you won’t
feel so guilty splurging on some delightful Disney treats like Cozy Cone Churro
Bites. So helpful when you are on a road trip!
First off, I would recommend downloading the app Gas Guru. This app will tell you where the cheapest gas is in comparison to your current location.
First off, I would recommend downloading the app Gas Guru. This app will tell you where the cheapest gas is in comparison to your current location.
I
would recommend filling up on gas in St. George before you hit the Arizona and
Nevada borders. Gas prices skyrocket in the desert. Supply and demand, it is a
thing! If you fill up in St. George, you
should be able to make it through the terribly priced gas stops. If you can
make it to Barstow, you will save almost a dollar off of every gallon of gas
you purchase, even more if you are paying for gas with cash. I will warn you,
some of those outlier California cities have the scariest, most disgusting
bathrooms, I have ever been in. Bring hand sanitizer and a lot of courage.
Tip #3-Hotel Recommendation:
While we were in Anaheim we stayed in two
hotels, Hotel Pepper Tree and the Clarion on Harbour Blvd. Hotel Pepper Tree
was a boutique style hotel, some rooms have a full kitchen, some have a fridge
and microwave. I think all rooms had a step-out balcony, complete with adorable fountain.
The room was affordable at around $90 including all the fees, and very close to local amenities. There was a Savers across the street. Walmart, Ross and TJ Maxx were just a couple exits away. Just an exit or two further, was the Main Place Mall complete with a movie theater and the most amazing grilled cheese I have ever had at Boudin.
The room was affordable at around $90 including all the fees, and very close to local amenities. There was a Savers across the street. Walmart, Ross and TJ Maxx were just a couple exits away. Just an exit or two further, was the Main Place Mall complete with a movie theater and the most amazing grilled cheese I have ever had at Boudin.
The next two nights we stayed at the Clarion on Harbour Blvd. Clarion wasn’t as well kept or fresh as
the Hotel Pepper Tree. However, it was just a few blocks from Disneyland and the sheer
convenience factor made-up for its shortcomings. We just walked to the park both days we were
there. If you are feeling brave, you can walk across the street to the Toy Story parking lots and have one of the buses shuttle you over for free to avoid paying for the hotel transit. We did this our last night with no trouble.
Tip #4- Time, Your Most Valuable Asset:
The most important tip I could give you
regarding a successful trip would be to value your time in Disneyland. Get to
the park around 30 minutes before it opens. Most people don’t get to Disneyland
or California Adventure until mid-morning. This means shorter lines and more
adventures in your day. Same thing goes with staying until closing; many
families with young children will leave after the parade or the fireworks. Again,
shorter lines!
I
would recommend getting a few Fast Passes first thing. If you plan on riding
Cars or Indiana Jones, those lines can be an hour and a half long or more. On
our way out of the park, one lady on the train said she spent three and a half
hours in line for it. We grabbed a Fast Pass for Cars as soon as the park
opened and came back to ride it around
10:30, when we were done riding, we were able to get another Fast Pass and ride
it again at 4:30. Both times, we were only waiting in line for five minutes, and we rode all sorts of rides in between. Fast Passes will make your day, use them. You can get a new Fast Pass every two
hours. But, remember, you can only hold one Fast Pass per attraction at a time. P.S. Wearing a lanyard with your day pass and Fast Pass tickets makes keeping track of them super convenient.
Tip #5- Ride Recommendations:
There are attractions that everyone loves
and enjoys at Disneyland and California Adventure, and there are some that seem
to go un-noticed. Here is my list of must
sees and stunning pictures of me, the most photogenic human being there ever was, enjoying said rides.
The Classics-Disneyland
· Indiana Jones- Such
an experience, even waiting in line is a
fun part of this ride
· Jungle
Cruise- The tour guides are hilarious. Maybe more hilarious is watching people take pictures of the animatronics thinking that they are real. (Seriously though, we still don't know if the lady enthusiastically taking pictures of them knew they were fake...)
· Haunted
Mansion- This is a favorite, we rode it 3-4 times in two days.
· Pirates of
the Caribbean- Another favorite, such amazing attention to detail.
· Splash
Mountain- Lines are shorter in the morning, be ready to get a little wet.
· Peter Pan’s
Flight- Such a delightful ride, sad it was closed when we went.
· Enchanted Tiki Room- Fun place to cool down, pick up a Dole Whip on your way in to complete the experience.
· Space
Mountain- Roller Coaster in the dark, best idea ever, so much fun.
· It’s a Small
World- For nostalgia…and happy, joyful feelings. (Challenge mode: somehow get the song out of your head that day)
· Matterhorn-
This is newly renovated with a more realistic Yeti and Longer line.
The Creepy Ones-
· Snow White’s Scary Adventure-The evil queen chases you down the whole ride leading up to a happily ever after?
· Pinocchio’s Daring Journey- A stay-in-school, Pleasure Island cautionary tale.
· Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride- Basically, this ride takes you to Hell.
Fun in California Adventure
· Tower of
Terror- This is a sudden drop style ride, use Fast Passes to ride it over and
over.
· Cars: Radiator Springs Racers- Fun ride in high demand, use Fast Passes so you can catch both alternate endings.
· Ariel’s
Undersea Adventure-Featuring beautiful new animatronics. Very short lines in the morning.
· Monster’s
Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue- The door sorting room is pretty fabulous.
· Soarin' Over
California- Feels like you are flying over California, complete with yummy smells.
· California
Screamin’- Most intense roller coaster out of both parks, it has one upside down loop.
· Hyperion
Theater- Amazing Aladdin Show, Genie is hilarious.
· Animation
Studio- Drawing tutorial with a Disney Animator, new character each half hour
· Turtle Talk
with Crush- Honestly thought this would be lame, but it was super funny.
Well, that's it folks! Hopefully, something in here was useful for you! Have fun on your trip. Be sure to comment if you have any tips to add!
Well, that's it folks! Hopefully, something in here was useful for you! Have fun on your trip. Be sure to comment if you have any tips to add!
