Disneyland Resort in California
I have been to Disneyland in California several times – when I lived in California and again in September 2016 when I participated in the runDisney Coast-to-Coast Half Marathon – I didn’t know at the time, but this was the last year for this runDisney experience in California. However, a lot has changed even since 2016 so I was very excited to be chosen to participate in a Travel Agent learning experience at this Disney Destination!
While we toured all 3 of the Disneyland property hotels, we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. Even though you are in the heart of Anaheim, this is still a very large property with 3 towers for rooms. We stayed in standard rooms that all had magical Disney touches from the light fixtures to the headboards to the faucets! Everything was so “Disney”.
And we toured a themed signature suite at this hotel – Adventureland Suite – which was AMAZING! This suite takes guests on the most luxurious safari ever. With the feel of an explorers’ camp from the 1930s, the Adventureland Suite features a master bedroom fashioned as a safari lodge with a claw-foot bathtub in the living area. In the master bathroom there is a grotto with a foot spa, steam and rain showers, and lighting and sound effects that make you feel like you’re in a rain forest or savanna. There is also a second bedroom, which makes you feel like you’re sleeping in a safari tent. The Asian/Indian-inspired main living area includes a wet bar, a flat-screen TV hidden behind artwork above the faux fireplace, and a “hidden” closet (hint: try the bookcase). When you’re in this suite, it even sounds like you’re in the jungle: the doorbell “rings” with tiki gods playing drums, and – for the first time in a Disneyland Hotel suite – themed background music plays three separate tracks inspired by the Jungle Cruise, Disney adventure-themed movies and music first created for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.
There are also 3 other signature suites at the Disneyland Hotel – Fairy Tale, Big Thunder, Mickey Mouse Penthouse and Pirates of the Caribbean. All signature suites include concierge level access.
All of the property hotels have signature suites and concierge level service. The concierge service is different than Walt Disney World where you book the Club Level room type for concierge level services. At Disneyland Resort you book any room type and then pay additional to add on the concierge services per person per night. And, unlike Walt Disney World, you are encouraged to take food and beverage from the concierge offerings to enjoy when in the parks.
During our resort tours we also enjoyed Brunch at Storyteller’s Café with Mickey and Friends! This character dining experience offers a delicious buffet with great character interaction for Breakfast and Brunch. It was a fun experience and I would definitely recommend it for your Disneyland vacation!
Dining reservations open 60 days in advance and walk-ins are typically not available.
There are 5 locations for character dining:
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures (Napa Rose) – Breakfast with Disney Princesses
- Disneyland Park – Breakfast with Minnie & Friends at Plaza Inn – 7 -11 am *Park ticket required
- Disneyland Hotel – Goofy’s Kitchen – Breakfast & Dinner
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – Mickey’s Tales of Adventure (Storyteller’s Café) – Breakfast and Brunch – after 2:30 pm there are no characters
- Paradise Pier – Donald’s Seaside Buffet – PCH Grill is a small venue and characters are only at Breakfast – this dining experience is known for the best character interaction.
There are 2 parks at Disneyland Resort – Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park – and they are only separated by a small courtyard-like area so park hoppers are definitely the way to go with tickets at Disneyland. Disneyland Park is very similar to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort except it’s a bit smaller – or at least seems smaller. This is where the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open Summer 2019.
Note: With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge scheduled to open Summer 2019, non-Star Wars fans should plan to visit NOW before opening date.
Disney California Adventure is similar to Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. The two new attractions, Incredicoaster and Guardian’s of the Galaxy, were definitely on my “to-do” list as they were not open yet during my 2016 trip! Neither disappointed but Guardian’s of the Galaxy was my favorite – but one of my favorite rides at Walt Disney World is Tower of Terror and Guardian’s is a similar experience with different theming and a bit different experience but close.
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa also offers a secret entrance for guests staying at that hotel. This hotel sits “inside” Disney’s California Adventure and offers great views of the park.
And, if you are looking for a quiet spot to get away from it all – the Alfresco Tasting Terrace is the perfect little spot!
The Downtown Disney area offers shopping, dining and entertainment with many outdoor areas to enjoy during the day and at night. Splitsville is new to Disneyland and more new venues will be opening soon!
I also highly recommend adding MaxPass to your resort package. MaxPass will allow you to make advance FASTPASS selections the day of your visit and also includes PhotoPass. If you aren’t heading in to the parks first thing in the morning, be sure to walk over to the Monorail entrance to activate your park tickets – just enter the Monorail area, scan your ticket and exit – you can then make FASTPASS selections if you have MaxPass. Without MaxPass you will only be able to use the paper FASTPASS system once inside the parks. With MaxPass you can have mobile FASTPASS selections and also paper FASTPASS selections for the same or overlapping times.
The PhotoPass system is a bit different at Disneyland than Walt Disney World… for ride photos you will want to take a screenshot of your photo code and enter it into your Disneyland Mobile App as the photos do not automatically capture to your account like they do with your My Disney Experience (MDE) account at Walt Disney World.
And, once you link your park ticket to your mobile app, take a photo of it to save to your phone in case your internet is not working once at or in the parks. They can scan the photo of your park ticket instead of needing to open your mobile app.
Disneyland Resort is a great way to kick off a Southern California vacation – Disney/San Diego/Hollywood – and I can book it all for you!
At Paradise Pier there is an Alamo Car Rental office which offers no drop fee to pick up at one location and return to another. So, for example, you could rent a car at Disneyland and drop it in San Diego for your return flight home without any additional drop fees.
If you are looking for a laid back, more spontaneous Disney vacation experience, where you will often see the characters roaming around and interacting with Guests, then Disneyland is for you! Contact me to help you book and plan your Disneyland Resort vacation!!
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The Disneyland Resort has 2 parks; the original Disneyland and California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney District and 3 resorts on property – Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Disneyland’s Grand Californian. It is an easy resort to walk and explore and the weather is always beautiful in Southern California. And both Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park still use the paper FastPass system for “skip the line” access to many attractions.
Disneyland, the original Disney park, offers many magical attractions and experiences – some of which you can also find at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean) and some experiences only offered at Disneyland (such as Alice in Wonderland, Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse, Finding Nemo Submarine voyage and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride). The castle at Disneyland is Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and, of course, there are many Character Meet & Greets as well as nighttime fireworks, including select nights for Fantasmic!, and the Disneyland Monorail which will transport you around the parks and Downtown Disney District area. 
And don’t miss Star Wars Launch Bay if you have a Star Wars fan in your party! 
There are many great dining venues at Disneyland too, both quick service and table service. We chose table service dining at Blue Bayou where your experience includes a view of the boats passing through on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Blue Bayou was a magical dining experience with delicious food and exceptional service.
California Adventure Park was added as a second park at Disneyland in 2001. This park is a little more spacious, also offering many magical attractions and experiences – some of which you can also find at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (such as It’s Tough to be a Bug, Monster’s Inc., Soarin’ Around the World and Toy Story Midway Mania!) and some experiences only offered at California Adventure (such as Radiator Springs Racers, Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and California Screamin’). You can also find a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
The highlight of your experience at California Adventure Park is Cars Land! In Cars Land you will find meet & greets with Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen and you can dine at Flo’s V8 Café. In addition to Flo’s v8 Café, there are many quick service and table service dining experiences at California Adventure Park, all with a little something different to offer.
We reserved the World of Color Dining Package. I highly recommend the dining package for World of Color and you can choose from three restaurants for this experience; Wine Country Trattoria, Carthay Circle Restaurant – both offer lunch or dinner for the World of Color Dining Package – and Ariel’s Grotto for dinner only. Ariel’s Grotto also offers breakfast and lunch but both dining times are character dining experiences and do not include the World of Color Dining Package.
And if you want a quiet place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks, but still enjoy the magic of Disney, be sure to check out the Alfresco Tasting Terrace at California Adventure Park, where you can relax on the patio overlooking Radiator Springs as you tour the wine country with an expertly chosen flight. Or pair a glass with an assortment of delicious Italian-inspired appetizers. They also offer beer tastings for those who prefer beer over wine – or try both!
During our Disneyland Resort vacation, we also explored the Downtown Disney District area which offers shopping and dining as well as fun entertainment. The Downtown Disney District is free to enter with a parking fee, but if you dine at one of the participating restaurants you can get your parking pass validated for free parking.
There are many dining experiences and it was hard to choose but we narrowed it down and experienced lunch at ESPN Zone with dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen where we dined New Orleans style on the balcony. The food was delicious and I would recommend both for your visit.
If you are planning to experience Disneyland Resort in California for your next vacation I recommend at least 3 days so that you can experience all of the magic!!
