Tuesday Tips

Disneyland: Solo Trips

I've been to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World by myself. Sometimes, I actually prefer it. You get to do what you want, when you want. You can eat whatever you want without judgement. Plus, you can take it slow and actually absorb your surroundings. So here are my tips to have a fun-filled day at the Happiest Place on Earth solo!

1) Single Rider. A few of the rides at both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure offer a Single Rider line. At Disneyland, single rider is offered at Indiana Jones and Splash Mountain, and at Disney's California Adventure California Screamin', Grizzly River Run, and Soarin'. Single Rider line is a quicker way to get on the above rides. Even for rides that don't offer Single Rider specified lines, sometimes the Cast Members who ask, "How many?" will ask if there is a party of one and you can jump several people. Also, if it's a ride like Space Mountain where there's two people per seat, you can sit with another single rider instead of watching the single person go and waiting for the next train.

2) Meet the characters. This is your chance to get one-on-one time with the characters. Chances are you have lots of pictures with you and your family with the characters, or your kids with the characters. With going alone, you get to choose which characters you want to see. Don't forget your autograph book. Disney is the place to be a kid and what's more fun as a kid than seeing Mickey and Goofy?

3) Party of one? Some people feel very insecure about eating by themselves, especially at Disney where it's a more of a "family" atmosphere. But never fear! Take this time to grab a churro. And some ice cream. And a turkey leg. Here's the best part: you don't have to share and no one is keeping track of what you're eating! If you're more daring, do what I do: go to a sit down restaurant and enjoy a relaxing meal. You can people watch while you eat! Disney is home to some of the best treats so self-indulge! You're at the Happiest Place on Earth!

4) It's showtime! Take your alone time to see a show, or two, or three! They don't ask, "How many?" so you don't have to worry about being embarrassed. Catch the Aladdin show, It's Tough to Be a Bug!, or Muppet*Vision at Disney's California Adventure and Captain EO at Disneyland. you also get the opportunity to watch World of Color, Fantasmic!, and/or the fireworks without worrying if everyone in your party can see or having little ones on your shoulders so they can see.

5) Explore. Now is the time to do things you always wanted to do that you never get to do. Innoventions, Mark Twain Riverboat/Sailing Ship Columbia, Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes, Tarzan's Treehouse, Main Street vehicles, Main Street Cinema, and The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln are just some of the things at Disneyland that are sometimes skipped over due to the rush of trying to fit in all the popular rides. Disney Animation at Disney's California Adventure is also a good one to do when solo; you can learn to draw a character (and you can keep doing the show twice, three times, etc.), visit the Sorcerer's Workshop, or Turtle Talk with Crush.

6) Take a tour. If you have the money, be sure to call in advance to take one of the tours the Disneyland Resort has to offer. Click here to see all the tours they have to offer. If money's tight, there are a couple of free tours, and they are both inside of Disney's California Adventure. Boudin Bakery and Mission Tortilla Factory both offer short tours of their space and you may even get a little sample at the end!

7) What to bring? Be sure to bring a bottle of water (you can refill it at a water fountain), sunscreen, a jacket/sweatshirt, money/credit/debit cards/AP or ticket, make-up, chap stick, cell phone (fully charged), keys (if driving), camera (a friendly guest or Cast Member can help you document your trip!), and gum or mints (gum is not available anywhere on Disney property), a pen and autograph book, and the most important part: you can't forget about your ears!

Photo credit to darthservo

Tuesday Tips

Useful Tips at the Disneyland Resort

• Snow White Adventure in Fantasyland -- if you touch the brass apple that is at the entrance to the attraction there will be a loud clap of thunder and the witch will cackle with laughter.
• Snow White Wishing Well - such a romantic spot. Every 15-20 minutes or so, the song "I'm Wishing" plays and the well echoes the song -- such a pretty spot. It's off to the right side of the castle if you're coming from Main Street.
• Downtown Disney - Jazz Kitchen is a great spot to have dinner in the evenings. If you eat downstairs, you can watch the jazz band perform - no extra charge.
• There is a rental car agency at Downtown Disney for guests who want to get away for a day and would like their own transportation.
• Here's a good spot to watch the fireworks on a crowded night. Go up on the train station platform and stand behind the preferred seating benches. The people there have to sit, & you'll have a panoramic view of the fireworks show. (Plan on staking your spot early.)
• Mark Twain Steamboat - Ask the captain if you can help steer the ship – If you do you’ll get a souvenir certificate
• For the Aladdin show – sit in the back section of the Orchestra seating -- first row right on the aisle. You get a fantastic view of the show, and the Prince Ali parade passes right in front of you. It's great.
• Jedi Academy -- children who wear something that’s eye-catching or who make a small sign are more likely to get picked.
• Guests can use their FastPass anytime after the return time, so don't get rid of them if you’re running late.
• The rooftop pool at Paradise Pier Hotel offers a nice spot for guests to watch the fireworks, and they pipe the music in.
• Take some time to sit for a while in Downtown Disney and ‘people watch’. The different restaurants sometimes offer samples of a few of their menu items around 4 - 4:30pm on different days.
• There is a great ‘hidden’ area at the Grand Californian Resort. It’s outdoors, has a fire pit and is a great place to relax and escape the craziness of the parks. The fire place in the lobby is also a nice spot, particularly when there’s live piano music in the background.

Tips courtesy of wdwinfo

Tuesday Tips

Using FASTPASS

FASTPASS is available for several of Disneyland's more popular attractions, and is basically an advance reservation system which gives you a ticket to ride an attraction at a specific time. For example, you show up at Splash Mountain and obtain a paper FASTPASS ticket to come back during a one hour window later that day. The time of your ride "window" is printed on the FASTPASS itself, and may begin 35 minutes to several hours after you obtained the FASTPASS, depending on the crowds on the specific date of your visit. When you return at the specified time and present your FASTPASS ticket to the Disney personnel staffing the attraction, you will be allowed to enter a special line reserved for FASTPASS holders which allows you to board the attraction with minimal waiting.

There is no cost for FASTPASS, but in order to obtain one you have to walk to the attraction you wish to ride and insert the park admission ticket for each member of your group into the FASTPASS machine. At this point the machine will issue you the FASTPASS ticket(s). The system is set up so that you can normally only have one FASTPASS active at a time, unless the "return window" is more than two hours away. For example, you wouldn't be able to go to Splash Mountain and obtain a FASTPASS there, then immediately run to Space Mountain and obtain one there too. You would either need to wait until the "ride window" had begun at Splash Mountain before you could obtain the Space Mountain FASTPASS, or until two hours after you received your Splash Mountain FASTPASS, whichever comes first.

Note that you don't need to actually use the first FASTPASS before you obtain the second one. The "ride window" for the first FASTPASS just needs to have arrived, or two hours need to have passed, before you can obtain the second FASTPASS. Despite this rule, one "quirk" in the FASTPASS allows you to obtain a FASTPASS for one specific attraction even if you already hold an "active" FASTPASS elsewhere. This "FASTPASS-favored" attraction is Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin at Disneyland. Due to this quirk, you would be allowed to obtain a FASTPASS for Indiana Jones, for example, and then immediately obtain another one for Roger Rabbit.

The other important thing to note is that the FASTPASS systems between Disneyland and DCA are "disconnected" from one another. This allows you to obtain a FASTPASS at Disneyland, for example, and then walk over to DCA and immediately obtain another one there as well. Disney rarely, if ever, enforces the ending time printed on the FASTPASS. This allows you to use the FASTPASS at anytime after the printed beginning time as long as it's the same day.

Photo credit to partyhare

Tuesday Tips

Do you hate waiting in lines? Do you wish there was some way to map out your day at the parks that gave you a guideline on which rides to go on first, when to ride certain rides, and which rides you benefit from getting a fastpass? Well I was in the same boat as you. I recently downloaded Ridemax, a software program, created by Disneyland fan Mark Winters, that calculates the best time to ride each ride at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure for the least amount of waiting and walking time and then creates an itinerary to fit your schedule.

How do you use Ridemax?

1. Upon opening the program, you select which park and the date. Data is usually available up to eight weeks ahead,
2. Then you select the rides you want. It helps if you prepare this in advance, but a description of each ride appears at the bottom of the page when you click on it.
3. In the Plan Options, you choose what time you will start and end your day. You can also schedule two breaks (for eating or popping over to the other park).
4. Additionally, you can select whether your group will be walking at a normal or slow pace and whether you have someone in your group willing to act as a "runner" to go get FASTPASSES for the group.
5. Another variable is whether you are willing to allow late FASTPASS scheduling. This means you could be scheduled to use a FASTPASS after the hour-long window printed on the PASS has expired.
6. You can also schedule water rides during the warmer hours between 10A-4P.
7. When the program has finished its calculations, a web page will appear with a timed itinerary telling you when to show up for each ride, how long the wait should be, how many minutes the ride will take and the time you need to walk to the next attraction.

If you want to reduce some stress about making sure you get to ride certain rides, then Ridemax is the program for you. It's $14.95 for 90 days and $24.95 for a year for Disneyland/Disney's California Adventure. They also have it for Walt Disney World. Go ahead and try it! Download it here.

Tuesday Tips

Celebrating a Birthday at Disneyland Resort

• Happy Birthday button. Don't forget to grab a birthday button at your Disney Resort Hotel or at City Hall in Disneyland Park! It adds that special little touch!
• A Birthday with the Mouse. If you’re looking for a little something extra, extra special, you can always do the “My Disneyland Birthday Party” lunch/dinner with Mickey and Minnie at the Plaza Pavilion on Main Street. It pretty much guarantees a good time.
• Order a cake. Celebrate your birthday with a meal at a full-service restaurant in Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park or the Disneyland Resort Hotels, and add to the fun with a Disney Princess Jewelry Box or Disney Pirate Treasure Chest! Each comes with a special surprise and an individual cake! The Princess Jewelry Box and the Disney Pirate Treasure Chest are available at full-service restaurants, Character dining locations, and through Disney Hotel Room Service.
• Give a magical experience. Let the Dream Makers create a memorable gift experience. You can choose from personalized surprise gifts delivered to your Disneyland Resort Hotel room, a sensational celebration that takes over that special someone's Disneyland Resort Hotel room, and/or a gift card for the experience of your choice. Click here for more information.

Photo credit to DanMcNeely

Tuesday Tips

How to have fun at Disneyland in the rain.

1) Wear a poncho. This is key. Sure you'll look extra touristy but hey, ponchos are a life-saver when walking around the park in the rain. You could bring your own or purchase one in the parks. You can buy the traditional Disney Parks one with Mickey Mouse or splurge on a more fashionable one that gives you the appearance of everyone's favorite mouse or his girlfriend.

2) See a show. Captain EO is back and playing in Tomorrowland, and the broadway-style performance of Aladdin runs up to four times a day in California Adventure. That’s four opportunities to enjoy 40 minutes of rain-free, indoor Disney fun. Take advantage!

3) Stick to indoor rides. Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Enchanted Tiki Room, the Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and Tower of Terror are just a handful of the rides the Disneyland Resort has to offer.

4) Enjoy a sit down meal. We're always on the go trying to fit in as many rides as possible and tend to grab a turkey leg or churro to satisfy our growling tummies. Take the time to head on in to one of the many inside locations to sit and enjoy some good food.

5) Shop til you drop! Go ahead and linger in the many shops of the Disneyland Resort. World of Disney in Downtown Disney, Emporium at Disneyland, and Greetings from California at Disney's California Adventure are just some of the shops the grace the resort. Go ahead and shop til you drop!

Tuesday Tips

A lot of people wonder where the prime photo spots are around Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Here are the best spots, in my opinion, to take pictures. (This also includes "on ride photo ops.)

MAINSTREET U.S.A./HUB/SLEEPING BEAUTY CASTLE

• in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle
• in front of the entrance of Disneyland
• in front of the Partner's statue
• in Snow White's Grotto
• on Main Street

MICKEY'S TOONTOWN

• absolutely everywhere in Toontown is a good photo op!

FANTASYLAND

• around Wonderland
• in front of "it's a small world"
• with Monstro
• in a teacup
• around Pixie Hollow
• flying on top of Dumbo
• in Mr. Toad's car
• pulling the sword from the stone
• riding a horse on the carousel
• in front of the Matterhorn

NEW ORLEANS SQUARE

• in the Court of Angels
• anywhere among the buildings
• in front of the Rivers of American and/or the Mark Twain

TOMORROWLAND

• in a ride vehicle from Autopia
• fighting alongside Jedis
• helping Buzz defeat the evil Emperor Zurg
• in a rocketship traversing the galaxy

ADVENTURELAND

• on a boat riding down the rivers of the world
• rubbing a magic lamp

FRONTIERLAND

• with a Native American

CRITTER COUNTRY

• being thrown into the Briar Patch on Splash Mountain

MOUSELLANEOUS

• in the Lilly Belle on Disneyland Railroad
• eating a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar

DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

• with Hopper from "A Bug's Life"
• all around "A Bug's Land"
• after entering the Twilight Zone
• in front of a plane
• with Paradise Pier in the background