Going to Disneyland this weekend for one day.

billwill

We should be there from open to close.

I haven't been there since I was seven years old so I remember next to nothing.

Any tips? Cool things to check out or whatever? Any little suggestions would be great.

Melinoe

Are you just doing Disneyland or Disneyland and California Adventure?

billwill

It will be just Disneyland.

GreasyKidsStuff

I was there about seven years ago, and I can't seem to remember Disneyland having much to really keep me entertained for a full day. YMMV, but is California Adventure out of the question? Who are you going with?

nakirush

Hit the rides you want to see most early in the morning when crowds are light. Take advantage of Fast Passes to revisit rides you'd like to see twice, or to visit later in the day. If you don't mind having your party separated, many rides have single rider lines that can significantly cut your wait time (for example the main attraction in Carsland in DCA is a 2-3 hour wait time in the main line, or a 45 minute wait in the single rider line. Grizzly Rapids, again in DCA, is roughly an hour and a half wait or 10-15 minutes in single rider). The overall rule is to save the classic, less shiny rides for later in the day (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Astro Blasters, etc.) The local passholders get out of work at about 5 and storm the park - so expect lines to grow drastically at about this time.

Since you're going in the summer, you have plenty of neat attractions to look into. The canoes are a fun experience, but you do actually have to row. Make sure to catch a viewing of Fantasmic and the fireworks display (which is now synced into a show that's projected on the castle - it features pictures taken throughout the day and it's cool if you get to see yourself in the show). The main parade right now is Mickey's Soundsational Parade - it's quite a spectacle and may be worth your time, especially if attending with children. Even as an adult I like to stop and take it in when I visit.

Also, a game like Catch Phrase or something you can play standing in line is a great way to kill the time on longer waits.

Remember common sense things - a water bottle you can refill at water fountains will save you a ton on beverages, bring snacks to munch on in line, sun block, etc. If you have a spare cell battery, bring that too. Cell service in Disneyland can be atrocious and outside of a couple (CROWDED) electrical outlets in Frontierland, the only place to recharge is in special lockers you can rent.

But above all else....

Stay away from Small Small World!

IT WILL EAT YOUR SOUL!

I hope this helps a little! Have a great time at Disneyland!

Agahnim

Fast Passes are amazing. Use them as much as you can. Basically show up to the ride you want, insert your park ticket and it will give you a "fast pass" that says to come back in two hours. When you come back you get to go through the fast lane which is maybe 5 mins of waiting.

Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Matterhorn, Star Tours are all popular attractions that you'll want to hit early to avoid the three hour waits later in the day. Star Tours has multiple "tracks" so go more than once if you can.

If you have an iphone, you can download an app called "Mouse Wait" (I think that's what it's called) which is updated realtime with the wait times for the rides.

You will see a TON of people with $5 ankle braces in wheelchairs gaming the system and getting moved to the front of the line. It sucks but keep your cool, or sprain your ankle before hand.

Make sure to check out the Castle both inside and around the drawbridge. There's a small wishing well to the right of the bridge that is pretty fantastic for taking pictures. Have fun!

Carpy

The pirates of the carribean ride gets super jammed as well, I would add that to the list of ones to hit early.