Aye, Captain!

Many many years ago, right before my first trip to Disney World, my mom bought me an unofficial guide to Disney. It was full of colorful photos and detailed descriptions on all the rides. I absolutely loved it, and it got me pumped for the trip. However, once we arrived at the parks, we found that it wasn’t that useful. It contained simple, blanket ideas that didn’t really work well. For example, the book didn’t have any tips on when the best time to ride CERTAIN rides were. It just said “The morning is the best time to avoid lines.” That’s nice and all, so what are you suppose to do after lunch? Take a nap? After you paid the same amount for your monthly car payment just to get in? No thank you.

Of course we still had an amazing time, and everyone loved it. We averaged 7 rides a day (that WAS before fast pass, though). You can have an enjoyable time even by not following our guides. We just are explaining our secrets on how to get more out of your day. Maybe you don’t want to ride every ride in the park in one day. That’s fine. We can tell you what rides you can’t miss, and other information that you will find helpful when you make your Disneyland trip.

If you notice, I said that as a kid we went to Disney World, and the guide is for Disneyland. They are different. Waaaaaay different. However, many of the principles are the same. We went to Disney World last year (5 years after we worked for them), and still rocked the parks.

The best thing to keep in mind, is how YOU want to spend your vacation. You may want to hit all the biggest, fastest rides and still have time to do Peter Pan for the kids. Or maybe you want to keep your motion sickness in check. Or perhaps you want to go on a crazy ‘find all the hidden Mickeys!’ quest. Good luck on the last one.

So first and foremost, what you do before ANY trip - pack.
•Clothes - This depends on the time of year, of course, but even this can be deceiving. If it rains, or if you are crazy enough to do a water ride right as it starts to get dark, you can find yourself wishing for a coat. A simple hoodie or light jacket will work. I know it takes up room in your bag, but you’ll thank yourself if you ever need it. If you didn’t use it for keeping yourself warm, you can use it to keep your ankles from hurting you when waiting for Fantasmic or the fireworks. As to whether you bring shorts or pants, be sure to check the weather. Disneyland posts the current and upcoming weather on their website, or you can go to weather.com as well. This is important to double check again the day before you leave. You never know when the weather man could change his mind.

Something that I find helpful is to assume that whatever you wear will get wet. Jeans are only comfortable when they are dry :). I wear canvas or kakky shorts whenever I can. Girls, you may want to re-think the white t-shirt. 

•Sunscreen - This is essential. There is nothing worse than getting a horrible sunburn on your first day and living with it the rest of the trip. If you are from anywhere North of Anaheim, the sun is stronger and even if you think you don’t need it, you will.

• Sunglasses - I wear glasses, and they aren’t the fancy ones that turn into sunglasses when you go outside. It’s a pain to keep switching between the two pairs, but it’s better than being blind. Many of the rides are outside, and tend to go straight into the scorching sun. So bring a pair, or you just might end up buying a pair in the park. Those aren’t cheap.

Also, you get blinded when you go from an indoor attraction to the sunny out of doors.

• Snacks - Food inside the parks are expensive, and Disney lets you bring your own food into the park. Take advantage of this. You can’t bring alcohol or glass containers (like Sobe bottles), so avoid those. One of my favorite snacks is beef jerky. It’s substantial, and doesn’t need to stay hot/cold. Cheese crackers are also a great thing to bring, however we have had issues with fitting the box. Not to mention the one time we put the box in upside down. We were cleaning crackers out of the bag for a month.

Lots of people say that kids are a pain at Disneyland. I find that 99% of the time, the reason kids get grouchy and nasty is because their parents aren’t taking care of them. Food is a big deal with this. When we go with kids, they get little snacks after nearly every ride. A constant trickle of nutrition and energy keeps them happy and going.

• Water - If you are lucky enough to own a Camelbak, these are GREAT! If not, bring a plastic water bottle. You can even stop at a gas station the day before and buy a cheap water bottle and use that. You may not realize how much water you are losing, but it’s more than a normal day at the office. Drink often. Disneyland has lots of water fountains to fill up your bottles (the BEST place with the coldest water is in the First Aid Station in Disneyland. They are more than happy to let you fill up your bottle. It’s right inside the door on the left, can’t miss it.). If you can’t stand plain water, swing by your grocery store. They have lots of water  drink mixes. Everything from kool-aid like mixes, to caffeinated mixes, to even Ocean Spray fruit juice mixes. In addition to keeping you hydrated, it saves you money. When you sit down for lunch or dinner, a soda can cost you $2 a person, per meal. That adds up.

There is an ailment we call the “Disneyland Hangover” where the morning after you go all day at Disneyland, you feel sick, have a headache, and just want to stay in bed. This is 100% dehydration. If you drink enough water, you will have clear urine. If you don’t drink enough water, the next morning you’ll feel awful. Drink lots. Drink lots. Drink lots. 

• Camera - Who doesn’t want to document their vacation? But it’s also needed for another reason that just little Jimmy sitting on Ariel’s lap. As soon as you get your tickets (the real ones, not the print out for will call), take a picture of them!!!! If you lose your tickets, Disney can’t do anything for you. However, if you have a picture of your ticket, at the bottom of it there is a number. If they have that number, they can print you out a new ticket. It’s a real killer if you lose your ticket on the first day. This can be a life saver.  Don’t forget to sign your ticket, too. If you lost it, but you know where you lost it, many times a cast member will find it and hang onto it. If there’s no signature ANYONE can claim it.

• Good Shoes - Walking all day really takes it’s toll on you. My husband prefers Crocs. You can buy them at the park for alot of money, or get them cheap somewhere before hand. Personally, I don’t like them. They rub my feet too much. I wear comfortable sandals (Merrells are my favorite). The best way to find out what is best for you is to find shoes you think will work, and wear them for a day that you spend most of the time on your feet. If they hurt at all, they won’t work. Also, keep in mind there are water rides. For this reason, I prefer not to wear socks and shoes. Sometimes these kinds of shoes are the only ones comfortable, and if that is the case, bring an extra pair of socks to change into when you get off a water ride. A good thing to also bring along is a bottle of pain meds. If your feet start to hurt, take a couple of pills. It will help. And keep drinking water!

I have bad feet and tendinitis and the only shoes I find that keep my feet from killing are Crocs. Yes, they are ugly, but I don’t care. Watch out for blisters and treat them as soon as you feel them starting, otherwise you’ll be hating life. If it gets too bad, don’t be afraid to rent a wheelchair.   

That’s the basics! Of course you’ll bring more than that, but including these will make your trip that much easier. Stay tuned tomorrow for a breakdown of the attractions!

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