Back in July of this year, my wife Jayme and I decided to surprise our children with a trip to Disneyland. Boy were we thrilled with the idea, but at the same time, a little overwhelmed with the process of getting everything planned and mapped out for a great time.

Things we Learned from our Trip:

(Scroll down for all the details on each of the 10 tips)

1. Use a travel agent
2. Get Genie Plus
3. Strollers are a lifesaver
4. Rent a Large Storage Locker for $10 a Day
5. Download the Disneyland App and PhotoPass
6. Use Apple Air Tags to keep track of your kids
7. If doing a 2 day trip (1 day in each park) start with Disneyland
8. Pack snacks and water for the family
9. Timing is everything (Winter is best time to go)
10. Make as many memories as you can and don’t sweat the small stuff!

Also, Scroll down to check out how we told our kids about the Disney trip on Christmas Day!

1. Use a Travel Agent:

Jayme found a travel agent on Instagram. We used Adrienne Bacues at “letsplanthemagic.” You can find her on Instagram Clicking Here.

Deciding to use a travel agent was the best thing we could have done! Adrienne asked Jayme a lot of questions to find out what we wanted the trip to include. She was so accommodating and helpful. She booked us an amazing hotel just 8 minutes walking to the park entrance. It was fabulous. We even had a room with a view of the fireworks from the Disneyland Castle on the nights we weren’t in the park. She also helped us realize that we needed to get reservations as well as tickets. Disneyland sells tickets, but you also have to book a reservation for the days you wish to be there. We got up to the gates at California Adventure and the couple in front of us was turned away because they didn’t have a reservation. We had peace of mind knowing that Adrienne took care of us. She also provided tips of how to use the Genie Plus and how to get to Huntington Beach etc. She was helping us all the way up to AND during the trip. Seriously, anyone booking anything with Disney should use Adrienne.

2. Get Genie Plus:

Using Genie Plus is the equivalent to using the old system of a “Fast Pass.” For those of you who remember using Fast Passes, you went to the ride and scanned your tickets to pop out a return time ticket for the Fast Pass. It works similar, only everything is done in the Disneyland App. The app uses a lot of your phone battery, so bring some extra portable chargers. We got these chargers HERE and they are magnetic to the back of your phone, no cord needed. It saved me with easily charging my phone that almost died in the park. With the Genie Plus, we were able to ride 19 rides on our first day at Disneyland. Not all rides have Genie Plus, but the ones you would want to go on do, so it is definitely worth it. Especially with small children waiting in long lines can be super tough. Graham is 4 and did fairly well with waiting, but the shorter lines were definitely easier! The only drawback to Genie Plus is it doesn’t work on Radiator Springs Racers. Well, you can buy for $22 a ticket a single rider. This is lame because single riders doesn’t work with families. So, we braved the 2 hour wait to get on the ride. It went by quickly, but it’s a bummer that this ride doesn’t utilize the Genie Plus like the other rides do. It might seem like a lot to add it to your family ticket prices, but trust me, it is 100% worth every penny!

3. Strollers are a Lifesaver:

Our travel agent told us about a stroller rental place that was in walking distance and on our way to the Disneyland parks from our hotel. We used One Stop Mobility. They were so easy to use and had an amazing stroller for us to rent and the price was so reasonable. Getting the stroller was amazing because we picked it up the day we got into Anaheim, and took it with us to the hotel. The next day when we went to Disneyland, we truly understood how amazing it was. There was a HUGE line inside the park for people who wished to rent strollers from the park. Not only was the line long, it was a lot more expensive to rent from Dinseyland. The other great thing about renting a stroller is you don’t have to pack your own stroller and take up precious car space for your trip. Packing things you don’t want to carry under the stroller was a huge help too. Travelling with a 4 year old, we needed a stroller. His poor little legs worked so hard each day to get around the parks and he truly needed a rest several times throughout the day. On the way home after midnight on the first day, Graham fell asleep in the stroller he was so tired. I am so grateful I didn’t have to carry him all the way to the hotel, especially with the heaviness of a sleeping child. Thank you to One Stop Mobility your stroller was amazing!

4. Rent a Large Storage Locker for $10 a Day

Disneyland has several storage lockers for rent for the day. The largest one they have is only $10 for the whole day. You buy access to it and then create your own pin. It was so amazing. It is centrally located on Main Street in Disneyland. It’s just on the right side facing the castle. Just turn right after Market House (where they sell Starbucks Coffee) and in the corner on the right is the locker space. We stored sweaters, backpacks and extra water there so we didn’t have to carry them around with us. The girls also bought mini Disneyland backpacks and we put them both in there since we didn’t want to put them under the stroller for safety. At the end of the day, you just close out the locker and reset the pin and you are done. So easy and brought a lot of peace of mind for our time at Disneyland. We didn’t get a locker in California Adventure. We didn’t really buy big merchandise or products til the very end of the day so we didn’t need it as much. For more information on locker rentals at Disneyland and California Adventure read more HERE

5. Download the Disneyland App and use PhotoPass

The Disneyland App is actually really amazing! You can do everything with it. Your tickets are there, you reserve all your Lightning Lanes with Genie Plus there, you order food through the app, and even link your photos from the rides on it. The lines are pretty long for food, but when you order through the app, you just go right up to the mobile order counter and your food is ready in just a few minutes. It really is a time saver.

All throughout the park, there are professional photographers ready to take your picture. They are even at some of the character meet and greets too. This is amaing because with Genie Plus, you get ALL of the photos free. You can dowload them right to your phone from the app. At the end of some rides like Space Mountain where they take your picture on the ride, you can link your photos in the app too so you have that picture too.

Pro tip…like I said earlier…The Disneyland app uses a lot of your phone battery, so bring some extra portable chargers. We got these chargers HERE and they are magnetic to the back of your phone, no cord needed. It saved me with easily charging my phone that almost died in the park. They are the width of the phone so it really didn’t add too much bulkiness to my pocket with my phone while it charged. Using the app is really the only way to go. It is free to download and you just log in with your Disney account that you used to book your tickets etc. Couldn’t recommend using it more!

Here are some of the fun pictures that were taken from Photo Pass and using the filters provided in the app.

6. Use Apple Air Tags to keep track of your kids

Disneyland especially the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is super busy. I wouldn’t say wall to wall people, but there are a lot of people. Keeping track of your children is a big task especailly at night. My wife Jayme took a few precuations to enusre we would know how to find our kids if we lost one of them. First, we practiced with each kid (Graham took many practices to get it right) where we asked them what they would do if they got lost. We told them to stay where they are, and to look for a mom with kids and tell her you are lost. But, that wasn’t good enough for my wife, so she purchased air tags for each of our kids, and one for the stroller. We purchased air tags HERE. Jayme also bought these Apple Air Tag Holders for Kids HERE. These holders are amazing because we put them on the inside of their pants so you didn’t even know they were wearing them. You can then hook up all the air tags to your phone and see where all of them are. You can even make it ping a sound so you can find them. Luckily, we didn’t need to use them, but we did use it to find the stroller one time. Sometimes when you park your stroller, the Disneyland workers move your stroller to keep things organized so you need to be able to look for your stroller in various places. The air tag on the stoller was a genius idea Jayme had.

7. If doing a 2 day trip (1 day in each park) start with Disneyland

Disneyland is open longer than California Adventure. For example, Disneyland closed at Midnight whereas California Adventure closed at 11pm. Disneyland is much more geared toward little kids and there are more rides the whole family can do. Graham is 42″ and so he could ride all the rides in disneyland except for Indiana Jones and the Matterhorn (Which I hate that ride because it is so rickety so no love lost there). We rode 19 rides (some rides twice) but we utilized the whole day and boy were we exhausted! Graham even fell asleep on the way home in the stroller. We did find that getting to the gates at opening was tough because it took 30 minutes or more to get through the security check point. So we decided on day 2 in California Adventure, we started around 9:30am and that helped a lot. We were able to sleep in a bit (our young kids are not used to 1am bedtimes haha) which was really nice. California adventure has a few rides Graham couldn’t ride, even Sophia was too little for the Incredicoaster. We still were able to ride 16 rides, but definitely didn’t need as long in that park as Disneyland. Doing California Adventure after a longer day at Disneyland was the best decision for our little family.

8. Pack snacks and water for the family

Food in Disneyland is amazing. And you should definitely endulge in a churro and a corn dog among other things. However, throughout the day, you may need a little snack or something like chips, cheese-itz or even a peanut butter sandwich. You can pack any food or dring you want into the park. This is where the stroller and the storage locker really come in handy, so you don’t have to carry them around with you the whole day. We also packed some hydroflasks of water and ice which helped keep us hydrated. We purchased Diet Cokes and other fun drinks in the park too, but having water on hand was amazing. There are also water stations you can refill your water if you need to do that for free. Just rememeber that small children are most likely picky eaters so bringing food you know they will eat is a good idea too so you don’t spend money on food they won’t eat.

9. Timing is everything (Winter is best time to go)

Disneyland is always fun no matter what time you go. However, going in the months of October thru March is the better time to go. During December was amazing because it was cool in the mornings and at night, but perfect during the day. We got by with just a hoodie for the evening to keep us warm. We have gone in the middle of July before and it was super hot. Standing in lines when it is so hot is really challenging especially with small children. Sweating and risk of being sunburned is an added worry for parents. Again, going any time is really fun, but I will always being going in the cooler months because it is just so much better! And, if you go in the months between October and December it is decorated for the holiday which is even more added fun! I mean look how fun the castle looks at night!

10. Make as many memories as you can and don’t sweat the small stuff!

Travelling with small children to such a fun and overwhelming place is so fun, but it also is a lot for these little humans. They have sensory overload and get super tired, so emotions can be high. Try to remember all kids have their good moments and tough moments. During the tough moments, just stop and take a breath and realize it will only be for a moment. Overall, it was our experience that children will be pretty happy at Disneyland no matter what. The hardest part we had with Graham was when the lines were a little too long for him to wait in. He got a little cranky, but that also meant he needed a rest so he fell asleep on my shoulder in the line for Goofy’s Flight School. Going to Disneyland is something my family will remember forever. It was physically demanding and took a lot of effort to make it magical, but it was totally worth it all, including the money. So if anyone is thinking of making a Disney trip with their family, stop thinking and just do it. It is easier and will be better than you think!

Share in the comments what you think of the tips or if you have any other tips for a successful Disneyland Trip with families.

Check out How we Told our Kids about the Trip on Christmas Day