As an Orange County native, I grew up frequenting the Disneyland Resort. Before having babies, I wondered aloud why anyone would want to bring their small child to the Disneyland theme park. Trying to navigate a stroller with a baby who may or may not be aware of the magic made no sense to me. However, I have since learned to eat my words, and guess what? They taste like a churro! Now, having been many times with my child, I’ve come up with these 5 extremely helpful Disneyland Resort tips for moms that have never visited before!
Going to the Disneyland Resort with my 18-month-old daughter is one of my absolute favorite things: both theme parks there are extremely baby and kid-friendly, and even if we only walk around to take in the sights and sounds, a day at Disney is always a day well-spent. Not to mention, admission for guests under 3 years old is free!
Here are five of my best Disneyland Resort tips for moms if you are visiting Disneyland theme park or Disney’s California Adventure theme park for the first time with little ones:
#1 – Use the car locator feature
You likely already have the Disneyland app downloaded to your phone for your park tickets. Once you arrive, I recommend using the car locator feature built into the app. This will give you one less thing to remember at the end of a long day. Once you park, open the Car Locator and save your car’s location for easy access when you return!
#2 – Walk, don’t take the tram
While the tram to the theme park entrances may save you some steps, it ultimately saves little time. And if you are alone with your kids, it can be tough to break down your stroller to fit in the tram and hold everything you need while keeping the little ones safe and contained during the ride. I recommend walking over the bridge from the Pixar Pals parking structure through Downtown Disney to get into the parks instead. It definitely will increase your step count for the day. But in the end, this will decrease your stress levels and you can avoid breaking down the stroller unnecessarily.
To get there, drive into the Mickey & Friends parking structure as usual and, if it’s open for cars, crossover to Pixar Pals inside the structure. OR once you park, take the elevator down to the second floor and crossover to the Pixar Pals section and take the footbridge from there.
#3 – Mark your stroller
Here’s a hot Disneyland Resort tip for moms. While you cannot bring your stroller in line for any of the rides, there is ample stroller parking around both theme parks. However, when you return, prepare to search in a sea of identical strollers! Cast members often move strollers around to make space for others, so I highly recommend putting something unique and easily-identifiable on your stroller. That way you can find it easily, even if it isn’t in the same spot you left it!
#4 – Wear comfortable shoes
As much as we all want a cute and coordinated outfit for Disney photos, please do your future self a favor and choose comfortable shoes for your Disney day (not your Converse…trust me!) You will be walking thousands of steps while pushing strollers or carrying babies in tow – be kind and sensible to your feet! I recommend anything with lots of padding like a running shoe.
And be sure to read this post with advice for how to avoid the dreaded Minnie Mouse ears headache (it can be done, we promise)!
#5 – Mobile order your food and drinks
If you haven’t visited the Disneyland Resort theme parks in a while, things are a bit different now; Almost everything is app-based! While this takes some getting used to if you’re used to the old way, lean into the convenience and save time and stress! Skip as many lines as possible and order your food on the Disneyland app. You will be notified when your meal is ready, and instead of waiting in line to order, you will go directly to the counter to pick up your order.
And one bonus Disneyland Resort tip for moms when it comes to packing that stroller bag – don’t overthink it! Chances are, if you forgot something, you can find it there. Have a magical time!
