Stress-Free Disneyland Vacations - Tip 2

This is the second in a series of posts about how to actually enjoy yourself at Disneyland and Disneyland California Adventure.

Tip 2: Enjoy the Moment, Even if it kills you

It's very easy to get caught up in all of the lines, vendors, crowds, and screaming children at Disneyland and turn an otherwise great trip into a disaster.  There are some ways, however, to reduce the stress on yourself and your kids, and end the trip happier than when you started it.

First, plan on going for multiple days.  If you buy a 3-day pass, you can use those in non-sequential days.  This allows you to go one day, then take a day off, then go one day, then take a day off.  This will allow your feet to heal and your body to rehydrate.  It also allows for some fun time to go swimming and relax.

It has the added benefit of spreading your weekend-vs-weekday experience around.  You see, the park is a different beast Monday-Thursday than it is Friday-Sunday.  On M-T, the park closes early and has less shows, but generally has much shorter queue times for rides.  On F-S, the park is open until midnight and has all the shows running (including fireworks and the Aladdin musical), but ride queues are terrible!

If you leave a day in between, you can hit at least one day of each type, focusing on rides Monday through Thursday and shows Friday through Sunday.

Second, put on sunblock.  I can't tell you how many people I see in Disneyland wearing tank tops without the tell-tale shimmer of sunscreen.  Oh, I'm sure it's nice and cool, but you see those same people at sundown and they're red and dehydrated.  If you plan on going more than one day, hats are also a must.  Nothing stings the same way combing your hair does on a sunburned scalp.

Lastly, take a break every day from about 1:00 to 4:00.  If you are smart and use the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) Shuttles, just hop on one and head back to your hotel.  Then, make everyone take a nap or watch TV, get some lunch, or soak in the pool.  On really warm days, hit up Splash Mountain or the rapids ride in California Adventure to cool off before heading back to the hotel.

If you only have one or two days in the park, go to shows during this time.  You won't be as recharged, but you'll be doing better than you would have.

When you head back to the park at 3:30 or 4, you'll notice that your group is raring to go, alive and voracious for some Disney fun.  You'll also be keenly aware of everyone else in the park.  They're all moving slowly, tired from the sun, and grumpy as a dwarf of the same name.

You'll never go back to staying in the park during the hot hours of the day again.