The parks are busiest during the summer, around Easter and Thanksgiving, and again between Christmas and New Year. Crowds thin out from January to March and November to mid-December.
If you're visiting during peak periods, try to visit midweek instead of weekends and aim to arrive at least half an hour before the gates open, then head for your favorite rides first. Lines are usually shorter at lunchtime and during the parades.
If you don't mind riding alone or with a stranger, several attractions in both parks have “single lines” to fill any gaps. Usually these lines are much shorter.
Each park has baby care centers, boutiques and baby stroller rental stations. Some rides have minimum height requirements.
Ideal for those travelling with young children. One of your party can wait with the kids while the other rides, and then you can swap, without having to wait in line again.
Try not to stock up too early to avoid carrying souvenirs around all day. World of Disney at Downtown Disney® has the best selection.
Staying at one of the three official Disney hotels is not cheap, but they are convenient for access. Disney’s Grand Californian even has a direct entrance to Disney California Adventure Park®.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothes and bring a hat, sunscreen, and a sweater for the evening, even during the summer. It’s all available in the park, but at inflated prices.
These can be found hidden throughout the park. People make a game of spotting them.
Insert your admission ticket into machines by select attractions to receive a one-hour time slot for boarding. It’s free, but you can only have one FASTPASS active at a time.
Walt Disney (1901–66), creator of Mickey Mouse, was a pioneer in the field of animation. A relentlessly driven and inventive man, he wished to share his brilliant imagination with families in a non-cinematic way. Watching his own children at play in an ordinary amusement park, Disney was inspired to build a place that was clean and filled with attractions for both parents and kids. Walt Disney envisioned a theme park with five lands: Main Street, a setting plucked from late 19th- and early 20th-century America; exotic Adventureland; Frontierland, paying homage to the Wild West; futuristic Tomorrowland; and Fantasyland, inspired by the song When You Wish Upon a Star. Disney picked a 160-acre (65-ha) site in Anaheim and oversaw every aspect of the planning and construction of Disneyland®. When the Magic Kingdom opened its gates in 1955, and 28,000 people stormed in, tears reportedly streamed down Walt Disney’s cheeks – his great dream had finally become a reality.
1. 750 million guests since opening
2. 1.1 million plants planted every year
3. Nine US presidents have visited
4. 1.2 million gallons of soft drinks sold annually
5. 5,000 gallons of paint used each year
6. 800 species of saplings throughout the resort
7. 30,000 employees (“cast members”)
8. 4 million hamburgers consumed annually
9. 30 tons of trash collected every day
10. 100,000 light bulbs illuminate the resort
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