By: Neverland Diva
Taking a trip to Disneyland is always fun, but knowing how to handle the park is an important skill to have. There’s a whole lot to do in Disneyland. From the moment you walk through the gate you’re trying to figure out where to go, what rides to hit, where to eat… it’s a lot to do. These are the tips I have for making your trip as enjoyable as possible, especially as a teenager trying to have fun.
1. Take your time
Disneyland is a magical place, packed full of all sorts of interesting and wonderful things. Things you will miss if you try to make a mad dash through the park, doing as many things as possible in a short amount of time. Instead try to pace yourself, exploring the different areas of the park and enjoying things as you go along. Rushing tends to stress people out (I definitely get stressed when I’m rushing through anything) and Disneyland is supposed to be a vacation! Relax and enjoy yourself, slowly. Or at least at a pace that isn’t lighting flames beneath your sneakers.
2. Get your fastpasses first
I cannot stress this enough. If you go and grab a fastpass first thing, then you have time to go and do whatever you want until the time slot comes up. That way you have an idea of when you need to do some more time consuming things, such as eating. You wouldn’t want to have to rush through lunch at the Plaza Inn because of some poor planning! Also, fastpasses do run out, so it’s always better to get them early. Once you’ve used one, go and get another one for a different (or the same) ride you’d like to hit without waiting in the entirety of the line.
3. Stop to smell the roses
I don’t mean this literally of course, unless you really want to stop and stiff the various flowers growing around Disneyland. What I do mean is, if you see something you want to check out, such as a store or maybe a character, then go and check it out! Who cares if you were heading to Space Mountain? It will still be there after you’ve wandered through that store, or gotten a picture with that character. Just go with the flow.
4. You do not have to ride every ride
The park has A LOT to offer, and getting around to all of those things is going to be very time consuming, if not impossible. Instead, focus on what you enjoy. Ride your favorite rides. Ride them multiple times. You’re at Disneyland, so you should enjoy yourself! Don’t force yourself into trying to cram everything into the trip.
5. Browse!
While Disneyland is full of rides, it’s also full of shops of every sort. You can find nearly anything at the park. There is a plethora of Disney-themed clothing, along with toys galore and small gadgets and souvenirs (magnets, key-chains, and of course the beautiful trading pins). There are also candy shops that smell as good as the food they sell tastes. You can even find Christmas ornaments and collectibles in the shops along Main Street. Even if you can’t afford to buy anything, just looking at everything the various shops have to offer is always an adventure. Who knows what you could find? Whether you’re in Disney;and, or Downtown Disney there’s plenty to look at.
Being at Disneyland can mean many things, from escaping school to just enjoying your break at the happiest place on Earth. No matter what though, Disneyland is a place of fun and magic, and it’s important to make the absolute most of that. Enjoy yourself and do what you want to do, there’s absolutely no need to force yourself to do everything the park has to offer. Do what you love to do.
