A Day at Disneyland | First time since I was a kid
We spent one day at Disneyland and one day exploring Disney California Adventure, which is right next door. This post has a ton of photos of the attractions and a few snacks we had. Check out my last post Where I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Disneyland to see where we ate during our day.
To get the full experience, its best to Rope Drop early in the morning. That means arriving at the park before they open, then going straight to the rides of your choice before a long line develops. We did not do this, so the waits for most rides for around 45 minutes each. With wait times this long, you can't expect to ride too many rides. You can pay more money to not wait in line by using Lighting Lanes, and skip the lines, but I wasn't trying to spend even more $.
Pick a few you must go on, lower your expectations, and then go have fun. You must have a plan at Disneyland. Know what rides you want to go on, where they're located, what snacks and meals you want, and how long you plan on staying in the park. A break in the middle of the afternoon is a must. That way you can stay later into the evening. We actually took breaks on both Disney days, leaving the park around 2 pm and coming back around 4 pm.
The first thing you see when you walk into Disneyland is Main Street USA. It feels like you've entered a fairy tale. The last time I visited I was only seven, and I'd been dreaming of going back with my own family ever since. We loved seeing the pretty Disney100 Celebration banners. Seeing the Sleeping Beauty castle was fun! I definitely took too many photos of it!
Some of our favorite rides were Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, It's a Small World, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean. For an afternoon snack after our mid-day break, we shared a Pineapple Dole Whip Float at the Tiki Juice Bar near the Jungle Cruise area in Adventureland.
We made the mistake of not going to Star Wars Galaxy's Edge until after dinner when it was dark. The attractions were nicely lit and still looked awesome, but it was harder to see everything. After our last ride of the day, Pirates, we stopped into the Candy Palace on Main Street USA. This candy store is huge and full of Disney candy and desserts. I purchased a really cute Mickey Sugar cookie. My son got a Cars lollipop, and my other son chose a chocolate covered marshmallow with caramel on a stick.
Then it was time to go back to our hotel and rest up for our DCA day. It was such a magical day at the Happiest Place on Earth!
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