Coates Family Disneyland Rules

Now that we have been to Disneyland a number of times, we have a few rules that we live time each time we visit "The Happiest Place on Earth". Following these rules can save you alot of time and money, as well as make your trip more enjoyable. Enjoy!

1. Before you plan your vacation, check the Disneyland website to see what big events are going on during that time. Avoid Disneyland when any new shows or attractions are opening. Also, travel to Disneyland only when the California schools are in session. You can also find this information out online.

2. Have a plan. Before going each day, sit down with your family and decide which parks you are going to enjoy that day, when you will take breaks, etc. Failure to do this wastes a ton of riding time.

3. Park at Disneyland. If you have a car while you are there, we find it to be much better to just pay the parking fee there at the park. It gives you the freedom to come and go, and is not as slow and tedious as the trollies that travel from the hotels.

4. Go where everyone else is NOT going. Look for the shortest lines getting onto trams, into the park, and at attractions. For some reason, people at Disneyland seem to travel in herds. STRAY FROM THE HERD I'M TELLIN' YA! Some of our favorite times to go on rides are during Fantasmic and the fireworks show. Then most people are doing that, and we enjoy the rides more.

5. Don't eat meals in the park. You can eat at McDonald's in Disneyland for the same price as Cheesecake Factory accross the street. We eat breakfast before we go, bring in snacks, leave for a late lunch or dinner and a break, and then come back in to close the park down. Some of our favorites near Disneyland are Mimi's Cafe, Subway, Wendy's, and Sweet Tomatoes.

6. Buy Fastpasses, or learn how to use the Fastpass and Switchpass system.

7. The least busy months of the year to travel to Disneyland are September and February. They guy at Subway told me this, and when I looked it up, he was right on!

8. Never buy tickets at the gate. They are ALWAYS cheaper online. We also use a site called Getaway Today online. If you book your hotel there, you will almost always get free park hopper tickets. We haven't found a better deal yet.

9. So far, we have found the Marriot and Hilton hotels to have the largest rooms, nicest breakfasts, and best service. We also find awesome deals for these hotels at Get Away Today.

10. Don't miss some of the smaller shows or attractions. Sometimes the smaller shows become family favorites. If you have boys and haven't experienced "Jedi Training", you must! Also the "Crush" show and "It's Tough To Be a Bug" in California Adventures are also a must.

Have Fun!