12 Mistakes Rookies Make in Disneyland

Don’t make these mistakes the next time you visit Disneyland!!!

Whether it’s your first time visiting the Disneyland Resort or your 100th, everyone is susceptible to making some mistakes. Fortunately, we go so often that we’ve noticed a whole bunch and can warn you before your next trip!

Take on Disneyland like a pro and avoid these 12 possible mistakes during your next trip!

Single Rider Isn’t Always Faster

As a general rule of thumb, Single Rider lines are generally a fast option to get on an attraction. These lines do break you up from your party, and you’ll likely ride with strangers, but you can save a huge chunk of time. With that said, we have experienced problems.

It’s a math game. If party numbers often leave ride vehicles with one or more empty seats, Single Rider lines could move faster. However, if the ride is situated as such that Single Riders aren’t needed as much to fill space, you could find yourself wasting time.

For example, we’ve ridden Soarin’ Around the World over at Disney California Adventure plenty of times and tried the Single Rider line on a few occasions. Each time, the Single Rider line took longer than the standby line, and we’ve even hopped out of line before since it was taking so long just to get placed with a group.

Rope-Dropping the Wrong Rides

You’ve gotta do a little bit of homework before your Disneyland trip. Know which rides are more popular and demand longer waits. All you really need to do is periodically check the Disneyland App a week before your trip to pick up a couple trends via the wait times lists, and BAM — you’ll know which rides will likely have longer waits during your trip.

Don’t waste your time rope-dropping attractions that won’t have long waits all day. Getting to the parks early and heading over to Rise of the Resistance first makes sense. Bypassing the more popular rides for favorites like Pirates of the Caribbean or the non-Peter Pan’s Flight rides in Fantasyland doesn’t make much sense.

Yes, these rides can have long-ish lines during the day, but they’ll almost always be shorter than the more popular rides, and they can be notoriously empty when it gets late if you plan to do a full park day. Seriously, you may wait less than 5 minutes to board some of these rides after the fireworks show.

Waiting Too Long To Mobile Order Food

Disneyland has a reputation for being more lax when it comes to planning versus its Florida counterpart. There’s truth to that rumor, but that doesn’t mean you can wing everything.

The lunch and dinner rushes at Disneyland are very real, and because the eateries can be limited at times, it can be tough to snag food when and where you want it. Mobile ordering food well in advance is typically recommended if you want a true pick of the litter. When in doubt, restaurants on the Disneyland App have a mobile order window available, and you can alter that to your preferred time. It never hurts to order early and select a later time to pick up. It beats the alternative…

Prioritizing Cute Over Comfortable

We get it. You’ve got a really cute pair of shoes or an adorable outfit that you want to show off at Disneyland. Just make sure what you’re wearing is comfy.

You may not be covering as much ground at Disneyland as you would at Disney World, but you’ll still be walking a lot, and there aren’t a ton of practical transportation options once you’re inside the theme parks. Prioritize comfort, always.

Driving From Your Hotel To The Parks

If you aren’t staying at a Disney-owned hotel at Disneyland, chances are the hotel you are staying at won’t be within walking distance to the theme parks. If you brought a car with you or are renting a vehicle, you might opt to use a Disneyland parking lot. Big mistake.

The parking pricing is as follows:

• $35 per car or motorcycle
• $40 per oversized vehicle, motor home, or tractor (without trailer) (Toy Story Parking Area only)
• $45 per bus or tractor (with extended trailer) (Toy Story Parking Area only)
• $55 for Preferred Parking

You could pay those fees on top of the parking fees you’re already paying at your hotel, or you could use the COMPLIMENTARY shuttle services many Good Neighbor hotels have to offer. Even if you want to take a rideshare over, there are cheaper ways to get from your hotel to Disneyland versus driving and parking.

Not Making Advanced Dining Reservations 60 Days Out

We sort of already touched upon this, but Disneyland’s sit-down restaurants are a bit limited — at least the ones that actually take reservations. If you don’t make your dining reservations 60 days out, you’re taking a big risk.

Disneyland’s most popular restaurants like Blue Bayou fill up reservations FAST, and if you want to guarantee seating, you need to be on top of that 60-day window. Many restaurants offer virtual queues and standby lines, but like we just said, you’re taking a risk by banking on those being available.

Same-day reservations are also hard to come by at the Disneyland Resort. They definitely exist, but be prepared to only be able to choose from three or four restaurants.

Not Staying Hydrated

If you’re not from California, you might just picture the area as a giant beach with perfect weather year-round. While the Mediterranean climate is certainly pleasant out here, Southern California still exhibits plenty of desert-like weather. It can get very hot and very sunny.

Heat stroke during the Spring, Summer, and Fall months is a VERY real concern in Southern California, so remember to stay hydrated during your visit!

Not Using The Disneyland App

We’ve already mentioned how important the Disneyland App can be, and we’re going to stress its importance again.

Showtimes, wait times, dining reservations, park tickets, room keys, important updates, park hours, Lightning Lane reservations, mobile purchases — you name it, the Disneyland App serves as a central hub for it all. Take advantage of that and don’t go into Disneyland without being somewhat familiar with the app first.

Planning A Disneyland Trip The Same Way You Would A Disney World One

Disneyland may have more attractions than Disney World, but it’s generally considered an easier trip to manage thanks to its MUCH smaller size and less annual crowd attendance.

It’s also a more forgiving theme park resort. You can meander a bit more and act on impulse sometimes to some pretty great results. You still need to get your reservations in order and should always prioritize your must-do activities, but keep in mind that Disneyland vacations offer more flexibility.

Adopt a little bit of that famous laid-back California attitude while you’re out here. Maybe you’ll accidentally experience your new favorite thing!

Don’t Buy The Wrong Tickets

We’re sad this has to be said, but it happens frequently enough that saying something has become mandatory.

Before you purchase your tickets, make sure you’re about to buy Disneyland tickets and not Disney World tickets. We’ve seen this happen both ways, and this is one big costly mistake that can quickly ruin a vacation.

Not Exploring The Surrounding Area

The Disneyland Resort is amazing — don’t get us wrong. But a perk of this incredible theme park area being where it is includes the surrounding area.

Southern California is rich with things to see and do. Nearby sports teams, concert venues, sandy beaches, historical landmarks, and so much more are just minutes away and definitely worth checking out during your trip!

Los Angeles is also around a 45-minute drive away, making for a perfect day trip as well.

Not Preparing For Changing Weather

We’ve mentioned that Southern California gets hot, but it can also get a bit chilly as well.

If you plan to wander the parks during the evenings, be advised that it can be a bit brisk — even if it was warm during the day! We’re not talking freezing cold temperatures, but it can still be a bit cold. Packing a light sweatshirt is never a bad idea unless you want to buy one at Disneyland. Just be prepared for contrasting temperatures throughout an entire park day.

Not only do we visit every week, but our reporters have grown up going to the parks and have decades of experience. We’ve all made these mistakes before, and we’re sharing them with you so you don’t make the same ones!

Stay tuned right here at AllEars for all the latest Disneyland tips, tricks, updates, reviews, and more!

Disneyland Has a New PROBLEM — Here’s How to Solve It

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

What are some Disneyland mistakes you’ve made in the past? Let us know in the comments!

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