Disneyland is my favorite place in the world! Most things are magical and fun, but there are things about Disneyland that I do not recommend. If you are interested to know things NOT to do at Disneyland, then keep reading.
DON’T BUY THE TOYS: I am putting this as number ONE. I can’t stress this enough. I recently went to Disneyland with my 3 year old daughter. She of course wanted all the toys! Now the plush toys are amazing. Although, expensive, they are worth the money to me. My daughter loves them and they last. What I am referring to are the plastic toys, in boxes, type of deal. The first toy mistake I made was getting off the ride Small World. if you know…you know. The exit goes right into a gift shop. How convenient. I purchased a toy set of Mickey and friends figurines. I knew we would likely lose these items along the way but I didn’t expect them to break. The first toy she took out of the box broke. I should have returned it, and I am sure Disney would have taken it back. But we kept going and eventually more broke and I ended up throwing the pieces away. You can view the main image on this post for that toy! I made a few more mistakes after this…yes all within the same week. Ha. I won’t bore you with the details but don’t buy the toys! Go to target and buy Disney toys there. They are great quality and less expensive! My daughter did have a happy moment though for $20, ha!
DON’T BUY WATER (BRING YOUR OWN): Another rookie mistake I made this year was not bringing my own water into the park. I usually do this! Disney is great about allowing snacks and drinks from the outside on the inside. I say utilize this and bring your own water! I spent 3.99 a bottle because I was thirsty and hot. When you realize you can buy an entire case of water for 2.99, that 3.99 per bottle price is painful. If you forget the water before you go…then stop by a little convenience store near your hotel. Even though it’s more expensive than the store, it’s less expensive than inside Disney. Trust me on this one.
DON’T BUY EVERY MEAL (BRING SNACKS): Same as above. Things are expensive at Disney. We understand this. But bring some snacks inside for yourself and the littles. I say this but I love eating at Disneyland. I can’t resist a Mickey shaped snack. While I do splurge on Disney snacks, it’s nice to have a snack on hand for emergencies!
DON’T RUSH: There is a lot to do at Disneyland! I would say take some time before you go and really decide what is most important for you to do. Then plan your days accordingly. I don’t plan every detail but I do like to plan out a few dining experiences and make sure I hit the rides and shops that are my favs. If you think you can do it all, you can’t. Which just means you have to go back. It also means you may sit down and let your child feed you Dole Whip, ha. See pic below for what I mean. One of my favorite memories!
DON’T FORGET TO MAKE RESERVATIONS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE: The Disney app has become an essential to any Disney experience these days. All reservations are now made through the app. So log in and make those reservations. If you want to do a character dining experience or any type of special experience you should secure a reservation before you go. You can make a reservation 60 days in advance. I always make my dining reservations first and then plan around that! If you wait until you get to Disneyland you likely won’t get a reservation, unless you get lucky. But why take that chance? Reserve your spot! My favorite spot is at the Plaza Inn. Breakfast is reservation but dinner you can walk right in! Also good to know, you can cancel a dining reservation just be sure to pay attention to the timelines. So, it’s better to make the reservation and cancel than to not get one at all.
DON’T SKIP THE PHOTO OPS: There are so many cute places in Disneyland to take photos. I follow so many Disney Instagram influencers who have identified the best spots. I also located a few of my own. The key is to look for the spots and take the photo! You will enjoy the photos after you get home and trust me it’s easy to get caught up in your day and not get the good pic. Also take the family pics at the beginning of your trip. Everybody is fresh, happy and by the end you may not get those same cute smiles. I mostly use my phone for pics but I do pick one day and take advantage of the Photo Pass photographers. The way this works is the professional Disney photographer will take your photo and they can add in special effects like holding Tinkerbell. If you are not a passholder then you have to pay for these experiences. BUT the cost is per day! So I get as many photos as I can and buy the photos for that day. Then I get all the good pics at one price. *Hint: bring a change of clothes if you want to mix it up for your photos once you are home.
What DON’TS do you have at Disney? I am interested to add to the list. Comment below.
Hope you have a magical time on your next Disney visit.
Follow me on instagram MommyTracerQ
MommyTracerQ Fashion.Lifestyle.Mommyhood. 