Tips & Other Information


Before You Travel to Disneyland

Before your vacation to Disneyland, take a look at these helpful tips.  These are the things you'll want to know before your trip to Disneyland 
  • Rides may be closed for maintenance, so be prepared ahead of time.  Or you can even change your travel dates if your favorite ride will be closed. To view a list, go to http://www.disneyland.com and click on Park Hours.  Select the dates of your visit and at the top of the schedule is a list of rides that are closed.  Or call (714) 781-4565.  Or you can...
  • ASK OTTO! Guests can call (714) 520-7090 and ask any question you want about the parks, characters, rides, etc.  For example, if you want to know how long the wait is for the Luigi’s Flying Tires, call the number and ask.   It will give you the wait time as well as the current fast pass return time. It is an automated phone guy that can answer just about anything.  If you pre-program this number into your phone, you can have it ready at all times.
  • Pre-program local numbers in your cell phone such as your hotel, taxi, Disneyland's lost and found (714- 817-2166), etc. 
  • Only children under 9 can wear costumes into the park. 
  • Birthday guests can get a phone call from Goofy at City Hall and a birthday button so everyone knows it's their special day. (After you enter the park, go through the left tunnel and it will be the first building on the left.)
  • Shop at the local Target on Harbor Blvd. for snacks and bottled water before your vacation to Disneyland. You'll save space in your car or suitcase. It's about 1 mile down Harbor Blvd from Disneyland.  Parents of toddlers may even want to pick up an inexpensive umbrella stroller: If you're going to be at the park a couple days, it's cheaper than renting. You can pass it off to a stranger at the end of your trip and make someone's day. :)
  • Rent the Disney classics for young children before your trip. The park is even more fun if kids are familiar with important Disney characters. 
  • Bring a sweater and extra socks. Even if the weather is warm, a wet ride and/or early evening can make you cold. You can put them in the lockers outside the entrance. (Lockers cost between $7 and $15 per day, depending on the locker's size.)  
  • Take it one step further with this tip: stash Uggs in a locker.  After a whole day of walking, slip them on and you’re ready to enjoy the evening with cozy warm feet!
  • Bring bottled water. Vending machine water and soft drinks are expensive!
  • Bring healthy snacks for your kids and have them carry them in their own back packs.


Attendance

The days with heaviest attendance at Disneyland are:
  • Martin Luther King Jr weekend
  • President’s Day weekend (some schools now have President’s WEEK off)
  • April Spring Break for the local schools
  • Easter weekend 
  • In May is Bats Day (aka Goth Day) – Goth dressed people may scare the little kids.
  • The 4th of July weekend
  • Labor Day weekend
  • The first weekend in October – Gay Days Disneyland
  • Columbus Day weekend 
  • Veteran’s Day weekend
  • Thanksgiving Day / weekend
  • Christmas day through New Year’s Day

The days with lightest attendance are:
  • The first week in January until the President’s Day weekend in February
  • After Labor Day weekend to the week before Halloween. (Except for those half school days)
  • After Thanksgiving weekend until the week before Christmas
  • Some say Super Bowl Sunday is light but others say it's the same as any other Sunday.
  • In general, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the least busy days.

Important Disneyland Attendance Tip: 
If you go when Disneyland is less busy, be aware that
  • The park hours are shorter
  • More rides may be closed for maintenance
  • FastPasses may not be offered

Weekends are about twice as busy as weekdays, and 3-day weekends are 3 times as busy

Saturdays are busier than Sundays
Links to other tips: