"Don't take them when they're little. They won't remember."
"Don't take them when they're older. They won't enjoy it."
I've heard both of these more times than I can count. And after 15+ trips to Disneyland and California Adventure, from baby carriers to teenagers throwing their hands up on Big Thunder, I can tell you with full confidence: neither one is true. Not even a little bit.
Every single year has been just as special as the one before. Different, sure! The strollers turned into backpacks and the stuffies turned into Star Wars dice. But the magic? Still there, every single time.
They might not remember every trip. But I do. So grab a churro (or a Dole Whip, no judgment) and let me share everything we've learned along the way.
Family tradition to go to Disneyland once a year.
How Disney Became A Tradition
I grew up with a few trips to Disney World, so the nostalgia was always tucked away somewhere. But if I'm being honest, the real reason we go every year is my husband. We went to Disneyland for his first time at 30 (yes, thirty!) and he was like a kid in a candy store. His love for it is contagious, and little by little it became our family tradition.
Now it's how we celebrate three family birthdays, all packed into November and December. One trip, three celebrations, and a whole lot of Mickey ears.
Our son's very first Disney trip was at just over a year old. We waited to meet Donald Duck, and right before it was our turn... he fell sound asleep in my baby carrier. Did we take the picture anyway? Absolutely. It's still one of my all-time favorites, and proof that the little years count, even when they sleep through them.
Bringing the kids starting when they were young.
The Little Years: Go Anyway
When our son was a year and a half, Disney still had a deal where you could get in free on your birthday. We were visiting from Indiana, I was pregnant with our daughter, and since he was under two and it was my birthday, we both spent the entire day at Disneyland for free. FREE! I still can't believe it. And because so many Disneyland rides have no height requirement, even at that age he got to ride almost everything.
Then our daughter came along. Just after she turned one, we brought the whole family, and she could not get over the parade. Every character that went by got a squeal, a wave and a look of pure wonder. Her little face that day is one of my favorite Disney memories, ever.
Here's what made the little years so much easier:
Bring your own stroller. We've done both, and bringing our own wins every time. Rental strollers have zero storage, and trust me, you'll want that basket underneath. Add a light-up flag or something fun and unique, because you'll be trying to find yours in a sea of about a thousand strollers that all look exactly the same. Just know you'll need to fold it for the parking tram and the Disneyland Railroad.
Plan around the parades. Our kids loved them, so we got there early. Disneyland has cracked down on saving spots, but arriving early still gives everyone a built-in rest before the parade starts. This is a good place to bring out something fun: glow sticks, light wands, anything that lights up, really. I bring extras to pass around to the kids near us as a little kindness. Let's all be patient, squeeze into this space together and make it about the kids!
Ask about being a walk-away buddy. When you see a character line, ask the character's handler if your kids can walk the character to their next spot as a "walk-away buddy." It's up to the handler, so ask nicely. We have several videos of this (so precious!), and the kids felt so important and very VIP.
The epic Disney character walkways.
Know where the family restrooms are. When the kids were younger, I'd take both of them into a family restroom, and we'd try to have everyone go at the same time. Look up where they are before you go, because "I have to go NOW" waits for no one.
Start a one-new-ride rule. Both of my kids were cautious, so our rule was to try one new ride every trip. It was a goal they could actually hit, and they loved picking which ride it would be. Trying new things can be scary, but they were really good about trying something (which, for them, was big!). First the teacups, then the year they were finally brave enough for Space Mountain, then Big Thunder... until eventually, there was nothing left to try. Last year was the first year they rode everything!
Divide and conquer. When the kids were younger Clay was able to ride a little bit more rides than Lilah and so we would divide and conquer. Each parent would take a kid and go off for a little bit-it allowed for Clay to experience Indiana Jones for the first time while Lilah and I hit the carousel.
Let them pick one souvenir. For our kids, they absolutely love picking out one souvenir to remember the day or the experience. Admittedly, we are kind of suckers for always saying yes to that. It's another fun tradition for them to pick out their special item. (We aim for something between $25-$40 each.)
Dumbo never disappoints.
The Teen Years: Still Magic, Just Different
Now my kids carry their own backpacks and manage their own things, use parade time to ride with shorter lines, and are in on the "happiest place on Earth" joke every time we see a toddler meltdown or a couple arguing. But man, what's still there? The nostalgia, the magic and so much fun!
Skip the parade days. Parades were everything when they were little. Now? We pick the prescheduled days that don’t have parades to purposefully skip the crowd shuffle altogether.
Sit in the front rows. This may take a little bit of strategy or a simple ask but riding in the front seat of the rides can give the teens a whole new experience- one that’s a little more exciting.
Let them have some agency throughout the day. We went through all of our first priorities and then put it back on the teens- what do you want to do next? Include them on the decision-making process and let them work through some of the ride/route strategy.
Don’t assume they are too old for anything. Think teacups are for little kids? Think again (and it’s my personal favorite ride, although I don’t spin the teacup- which makes my cool factor go down even more.) We love Fantasyland because it gives us all that nostalgia and classic Disney in one place. Teens will also want to do more, but they will love this too.
They will still wear the ears and the gear. That's the fun thing about Disney, everyone gets fully into it. Disney has normalized everyone dressing up and so no one feels out of place to have a little character influence. Teens work really hard to be cool, but at Disney they let their guard down a little, because somehow Disney has made it cool to dress up.
Star Wars Land is the teen favorite.
Before You Go: Planning the Day
Fair warning: Disneyland changes things constantly, so whatever you read (including this!), double-check what's current before you book. Here's how we plan ours.
Pick your day by price. Tickets are priced by the day now, and that has completely changed how we plan. We used to wait until the holiday decorations went up, but now we go in that sweet little gap after Halloween and before the Christmas decor. This year, that saved our family $400. Four hundred dollars! That's a lot of Dole Whip.
Compare Park Hopper and one-park tickets. Price out both for your dates. Depending on how your family likes to do the day, hopping between Disneyland and California Adventure might be worth it, or it might not. Run the numbers before you buy.
Go on a weekday. We pull the kids out of school (shh) and go midweek, usually on a Wednesday, since it isn't attached to a weekend. It'll be crowded no matter what, but it makes a big difference in wait times.
Watch the forecast, and skip the rain. We pick a tentative date, then keep an eye on the long-range forecast. If there's rain anywhere near it, we move it. Last year it rained on our trip, and we thought, "Great, it'll clear out the park!" Nope. It was just as crowded, getting around was harder, we were soggy all day and a bunch of rides shut down. Southern California has way too many sunny days to waste a trip on a rainy one.
Book dinner as soon as you pick your day. Dinner reservations go fast, and finding a good sit-down dinner without one is tough.
Stay the night before. We drive down the night before and stay at the Viv Hotel. It's newer and reasonably priced, every room has bunk beds plus two queens, and there's a kids' pool and a separate adults' pool. That night we have a nice dinner at Downtown Disney and get excited for the big day. In the morning, we grab breakfast at the hotel market, and we're at the park in a 5 to 8 minute drive.
Buy your merch before you go. Park prices are no joke, so we buy our ears, themed shirts and sweatshirts ahead of time. We love going all out with a theme, and a new piece to wear on the day has become its own little tradition.
I always buy my ears ahead of time to save some money.
Get free planning help if you want it. If planning feels overwhelming, look into an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner (often called a "pixie"). Disney pays them, so their help doesn't cost you anything extra. Or ask AI to help plan your trip. (I have my own version of this which is my husband who now knows all the ins and outs of the park and has some serious real-time route insight.)
Game Day: Our Strategy in the Park
Handle the logistics before the gates open. Tickets, stroller or locker rentals, Disability Access Service, Lightning Lane... whatever your family needs, take care of it before the gates open. Your first minutes in the park should go to rides, not lines.
Ride your must-dos first. Every family has a few rides they just can't leave without. Knock those out first, instead of assuming you'll get to them later. We learned this one the hard way: we've had favorites open in the morning and then close for the rest of the day.
Mobile Orders: I would take advantage of the mobile orders-this can save you a lot of time and headache. It makes sense to be familar with different items from different places. If you are feeling like a snack and also ready to move in between lands, order before you leave one land so it will be ready by the time you get there.
Have one person run the app. Pick one planner to track wait times, map the route and keep everyone updated. I would choose another person to handle the mobile food orders and meal plans/locations.
Pick a pace that fits your family. We go at a breakneck pace: in at 8 a.m., and we don't leave until 9 or 10 at night. When the kids were little, they napped in the stroller or just rallied. But if breaks or spreading the trip over more than one day works better for your crew, I highly recommend it. There's no wrong way to do Disney.
Autotopia through the years.
What We Wear and Pack
Comfortable shoes. Always. It's the most obvious tip out there, and yet I saw so many people on our last trip in the wrong footwear. We walked 24,000 steps that day! Comfort over fashion, every single time.
Pack less than you think. We are overprepared people, and we used to haul so much stuff around that we were basically pack mules for the day. Now the kids carry their own backpacks, and I only carry what I need in a tiny backpack that slips on and off easily for rides. Make sure you can grab your phone fast, because you'll either be on the app or taking photos/videos all day. My sweatshirt gets tied around my waist for later. My short list: a power bank, sunglasses, mini sunscreen, chapstick, mini hand sanitizer and tissues. Anything else, you can get there.
Know there are lockers. There are lockers to rent at the park entrance. It's not an every-time thing, but it was huge on that rainy day when we stashed our rain gear for later (and we needed it!). It's just nice to know they're there.
A quick note on getting around: inside Disneyland, our daughter rides the Dream On Me Coast Rider so she doesn't have to walk so far, and it has truly saved us. We take off the seat back, so she just sits on it like a stool. It works for kids with or without disabilities, and it folds down really small, which is super helpful. Just know it has no storage.
The Things We Never Skip
Every family has their non-negotiables. Here are ours:
The castle photo. Obligatory! We take ours from the side, so there's no crowd photobombing behind us.
Dole Whip, our old faithful.
Mickey beignets at the Mint Julep Bar, our newer obsession.
A vanilla soft-serve cone on Main Street for my son. Every. Single. Time.
Mickey's House in Toontown. The kids have never outgrown it.
Our all-time favorite rides: Mad Tea Party, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mountain, Millennium Falcon, Rise of the Resistance, “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Star Tours, Autotopia, Space Mountain, Alice in Wonderland, Chip ’n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster.
Dole Whip is a must for us.
Point the Camera at Your People
When my kids were little, I filmed the place: the parades, the shows, the rides. Then somewhere along the way, I realized their faces in that exact moment mattered so much more than the characters. Those reactions are what I go back and watch, over and over. So take all the photos and videos (and bring that power bank!), but turn the camera around.
One of my favorite videos is Lilah coming down the Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse (no longer there) announcing that it was “a-credible!” and then running off to the next thing.
At the end of the day, Disneyland isn't really about the rides, the churros or even the castle photo (okay, maybe a little about the castle photo). It's about the memories. It's about passing down a love for the magic, watching your kids be brave and try something new, and getting a whole day to set the to-do list aside and just be together. The lines will be long and your feet will hurt, but years from now, you won't remember the wait times. You'll remember the squeals, the first brave rides and the "a-credible!" moments. So be present, soak it all in and enjoy every version of your kids. Little or grown, there's no wrong age. Just go.
I have created this printable as an easy free resource for your trip! Have the best time at the “happiest place on Earth.”
DISNEYLAND CHECKLIST PRINTABLE
~Leslie
For more real-life mom systems and tips, follow along at @themodernmomlife.
