<p>Next month for spring break, we’re going to SoCal to visit a few schools, and go to Universal Studios and Disneyland. We haven’t been to Disneyland in 11 years (before California Adventures was completed, I think - we didn’t go there). Is there an advantage to buying our park tickets online before we go? They’re having a everyone-gets-in-for-the-kids-price through April. Also, can someone explain to me about the quick pass or whatever it’s called where you can get your name in line for a certain time frame, go do some other ride, and then come back and not have to wait in line?</p>
<p>Any other suggestions? We’re staying at a hotel next door, and we plan on spending two days at Disneyland and one day at California Adventures.</p>
<p>Lucky you!!! My DD and I love going to Disneyland - and try to make it at least once a year. </p>
<p>First stop should be the book store - buy a copy of the “Unofficial Guide to Disneyland”. This book is written by people who really study the park and is great for maximizing the experience. </p>
<p>I would not plan on dedicating days to one park or the other - it is about a 100 yard walk from one park to the other - and Disney sells what they call “Park Hopper” passes which allow you to go back and forth between the two parks. </p>
<p>California Adventure has a few great rides - Grizzly Peak (water ride), Soaring over California (you are flying a hang glider into the biggest movie screen ever - NOT TO BE MISSED), California Screaming (Roller Coaster) and Tower of Terror (huge drop). It also has better food options and a few good shows that are good when the parks are crowded. </p>
<p>I would recommend the Warner Bros Studio tour. You can make reservations online before you go. Whenever I have out of town guests, this is one of their favorite experiences. Its a small tour conducted with a guide and 5-10 people at a time at the working studio. I live in So Cal, but my last Disneyland experience was 10 years ago
SORRY</p>
<p>We also enjoy Disneyland, and like California Adventure a lot, though if I recall correctly it’s being revamped quite a bit. As a previous poster said, Soarin’ should not be missed! Screamin’ is way too much fun, and I’ve even been on the Maliboomer once or twice (scared me so much but the view is fantastic from up there).</p>
<p>We like how compact and easy it is to go between the two parks and Downtown Disney as compared to WDW (not putting down WDW, but sometimes it’s nice to have everything RIGHT there and not have to wait for a bus to get where you’re going).</p>
<p>Here’s a description of how to use Fast Pass from the Disney website:</p>
<p>Take advantage of Disney’s FASTPASS® service. You can enjoy the rest of the park while FASTPASS® saves your place in line.</p>
<p>To use Disney’s FASTPASS® service:</p>
<pre><code>* Look for the FASTPASS® distribution area near the entrance of an attraction (check the complete list of attractions that accept FASTPASS® below)
Check the FASTPASS® “Return Time” display which gives you a span of time during which you can explore the Park before returning to board the attraction.
If the Return Time is sufficient for your plans, just insert your Disneyland® Resort admission ticket, readmission ticket or Annual Passport into the machine.
A FASTPASS® ticket will emerge with your Return Time printed on it. Now you’re free to go and enjoy the rest of the Park.
Go back to the FASTPASS® Return queue when your return time rolls around, show your FASTPASS® ticket to Cast Member at the entrance, and enjoy the attraction with a minimal wait.
</code></pre>
<p>You can only have one FastPass reservation going at a time. Once you have completed the ride you have reserved on FastPass, you can get another FastPass time reservation.</p>
<p>You can actually get another FastPass either (1) after the return time on your current FastPass, whether you’ve already used it or not, or (2) two hours after you got your current FastPass, whcihever comes first.</p>
<p>The FastPass will list the time at which you can go get another FastPass.</p>
<p>When we went to Disney World five years ago, I discovered online Disney communities populated by Disney fanatics who seem to head to WDW or Disneyland for every vacation. I wish I could remember what they were, but it was too long ago; some Googling should help. I got some ridiculously simple but really, really useful tips for visiting that saved us time and aggravation. I agree with scualum that the “Unofficial Guide” is the best guidebook.</p>
<p>We had ParkHopper passes. In the park, FastPasses are good. Deciding ahead of time what rides are absolute musts for different family members is also a good idea and helps keep the peace! Go early and stay late. My first and only visit to Disneyland was when I was in my 30s, and I had a blast. I went with a friend who was living in LA at the time, and we were there from the minute it opened until the minute it closed. I lived my childhood dream of riding the teacups–and then repeated it another year at Disney World. Have fun!</p>
<p>We always bought our ParkHopper tickets at the AAA. They come with a free parking pass. I’m not sure if that’s just a special perk added to tickets purchased through the AAA, or all multi-day ticket holders get to park for free.</p>
<p>Feeling nostalgic, I remember the days of A,B,C,D, and the ultimate E tickets. Sally Ride said that blasting off in the space shuttle was “a definite E ticket”. Grandma lived near Disneyland and we went every summer when we visited. For years we had the left-over A - C tickets stacked up in case someone wanted to go to Disneyland and not do any of the good rides!</p>
<p>I don’t know how much you save or if it has any zip code restrictions but Southern Ca Costco’s sell Disneyland tickets. Also the grocery stores sell them. I know you save something just not sure how much.</p>
<p>The main advantage to buying your tickets online ahead of time is that you don’t have to wait in line to buy tickets on the morning that you go. Also, if you’re into delicious Neopolitan-style pizza, have a go at Napoli, outside the park in Downtown Disney. It’s the second-best Margherita I’ve found in the States so far. Downtown Disney is worth a stroll, particularly if you’ve never been to a Lego store. Don’t ride Grizzly River Run or Splash Mountain if it’s unseasonably cold, unless you’ve got a change of clothes… GRR, you might get completely drenched, and Splash Mountain might soak you, too.</p>
<p>Have a good time! I miss Disneyland terribly… We used to have season tickets when we lived in LA. My husband proposed there, next to the castle, on a little wooden bridge under a willow, right by the pond with the swans… <em>sigh</em>!</p>
<p>You can also buy discount tickets from [Disney</a> tickets, free shipping, discount prices, best refund policy - Undercover Tourist](<a href=“http://www.undercovertourist.com%5DDisney”>http://www.undercovertourist.com). It’s not a big discount, but it’s something, and the service is great - tax and shipping are included (they’re not if you look at Disney’s prices), and you generally get them within 5 days or so. Oh, and if you subscribe to the free newsletter at [MouseSavers.com</a> - Disney Discount Source - Disney World Discounts, Disneyland Discounts, Disney Cruise Discounts](<a href=“http://www.mousesavers.com%5DMouseSavers.com”>http://www.mousesavers.com), you get a link to an additional discount from Undercover Tourist. The newsletter comes out on the 15th of each month, so you could still get February’s if you sign up today.</p>
<p>And yes, the AAA free parking is a AAA perk, not a perk of a multi-day ticket.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Buy the “Unofficial Guide” and follow it to the letter.</p></li>
<li><p>Always have a Fast Pass going.</p></li>
<li><p>California Screamin’ is my favorite roller coaster ever - smooooth, not jerky or bumpy.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>OK - I am definitely buying the Unofficial Guide! We were there 11 years ago, and a couple of years before that. But I think enough has changed and it’s been so long that a guidebook will be helpful.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I can’t eat flour tortillas or pizza, but I know Disneyland has great gluten-free food offerings, so I’m lucky there. Also, we have to go over a weekend because we’ll be doing college visits & Universal Studios the first part of the week (staying in LA for those days). We’ll just have to be patient with the crowds at Disneyland. We’re staying at a hotel just a few minutes’ walk away, so we don’t need to worry about parking. I’ll check into some of the discounted tickets and see what I find. Thanks for all of your suggestions!</p>
<p>I’m not an ‘Unofficial Guide’ fan. They are a little too regimented. However, there is some good advice to take away from the books.</p>
<ol>
<li>Get there half an hour before they ‘officially’ open.</li>
<li>Proceed immediately to the “Big Rides” like Space Mountain and Indiana Jones.</li>
<li>Use the Fastpass System. Whoever came up with it should get the Nobel Prize.</li>
<li>Any rides that you don’t experience in the first 2 hours of the morning can be done during the parades/fireworks.</li>
<li>Don’t eat during ‘normal’ eating times. Have snacks with you and eat lunch at 2. Avoid noon and 6 pm meals!</li>
</ol>
<p>And, as a personal note, I’ve been to both D’land and D’world many, many times and my favorite restaurant is the Blue Bayou restaurant which is <em>inside</em> the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (a much better ride at D’land than D’world). Try to get a table right at the edge of the plaza so you can watch the boats go through the bayou. Very romantic!</p>
<p>P.S. I see you are a gluten-free person. So is my dh! When we went to D’World last year, we never met so many chefs in our life. Every time we went to a sit-down place, my dh would tell the server about his dietary restriction. Immediately, the chef would come out and discuss the menu with him and they would create things just for him. They had some of the best GF rolls he’s ever tasted as well.</p>
