Logistics Inside Disneyland

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions

Double stroller in Disneyland?

Oct 2008

We are headed down to Disneyland with our 18 month old and 3 year old for the first time. Can I bring my Phil & Ted's double stroller into the park or is it going to get swiped while we are on a ride?! I am already bringing it for the convenience in the airport and getting around the hotel area, etc. But should I leave it at the hotel for the Disneyland day and rent one of theirs? I read from a past post that it's kind of hard to get a double stroller there. Please help!! Can't afford to buy another double!

I've never been to Disneyland, but what about getting a bike lock and locking the stroller up to something while you are on the ride? Disneyland might have some prohibitions against that, though. bike lock?

I don't think it will get swiped. There are millions and millions of strollers all over Disneyland, parked and mostly unattended all over the place, the security is also pretty tight. When Disneyland is more crowded, however, it will be hard to manuever a double-stroller, especially if your 3 year old wants to get out. Have you talked to anyone who has taken kids the ages of yours to Disneyland? It might be more trouble than it is worth -- I recommend not taking kids there until they are 5, when they enjoy the rides more, have more stamina, don't need a stroller or tons of paraphenalia. -- been a few times

I can't really recall your exact query, but we took our stroller to Disneyland when our daughter was 3. People leave their strollers all over the place. I would say there is a much greater risk that someone will mistake your stroller for their own than that someone would steal your stroller. Tie a bright ribbon to it or attach a bright name tag. Contrary to what another post said, we thought Disneyland was fantastic with a 3-year-old. She loved it! I would never try to go there without a stroller. I think you said something about a double-stroller -- it may be worthwhile to buy two cheapo umbrella strollers instead. Disneyland veteran

Bring your stroller. It's totally worth it, it's a pain in the butt to rent one (you can't take it outside the bounds of the park), and it's not difficult to maneuver. Just practice obvious safety precautions (don't leave your purse or merchandise in the bottom) and you'll be fine. You'll be glad you have your own stroller and your kids will be more comfortable in their own stuff! Chris

I went to Disneyland recently with a 2 year old, a 4 year old and 6 year old. Although I did not see your original post by the responses I'd like to volunteer that no one will steal your stroller. People pay alot of money to get into Disneyland and are very middle class due to the high cost of tickets. The biggest problem for us was finding our stroller in the sea of strollers outside popular rides. I ended up tying a big red scarf on to the handles, not only to make it easier to see after getting off the ride some 45 minutes later, also so someone would not accidentally take the wrong stroller, which is the bigger risk.

Of course, you wouldn't do something ill advised like leaving a purse or an expensive camera/case in the stroller, so I am confident in saying stroller theft will not be a problem.

During peak attendance times, a double stroller will be very painful.....it will really slow you down navigating the substantial crowds getting from ride to ride. Do you have a friend who would loan you a ''Sit and Stroll'' or other narrow profile double?

Many, many people take children under age 5 to Disneyland. But like any other outing with that age group, you'll have to head back for naps, which makes a hotel either on property (one of the Disney properties) or at least one of the local hotels with a free shuttle very attractive or parking and reparking will make re-entry pretty miserable, if not impossible. Disney veteran

Disneyland Logistics

April 2006

We are finally getting around to a Disneyland trip and would like some more specifics / any updates on the great info already posted on the web.
1. Does the Character breakfast allow us to meet Buzz Lightyear? If not, how can we arrange for breakfast with Buzz?
2. The Portofino Inn and the Fairfield Inn by Marriott are mentioned as being across the street from DL. Are there others, and are they actually across the street from the entrance? How long a walk is it with a 4.5 year old? (we can bring the stroller) Are they reasonably close to go back for an afternoon rest and then return? Do they have free shuttles or do we pay for those?
3. How are ways we can make it more affordable - in terms of food, etc.? We are planning our trip for june, and frankly the ''packages'' offered online are daunting in terms of price, so I am trying to put it together by ourselves so that we can have a reasonable price to save for.
4. Is it ridiculous to try and tack on a day trip to Legoland as well?
Thanks for your help! We want to go to ''Buzz's house'' but need to start saving now. Shahana

I look forward to hearing the answers you get as we're going for the first time next month with a five year old and a 1 1/2 year old. Along with all the good tips we'll get from folks here, I'd suggest a trip to your local AAA office - if you're a member. I hear they have a wealth of Disney info/discounts, etc. Haven't gone yet myself, so I'm not certain. -Disney bound

We spent 3 days in Disneyland in Feb. with our 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 year olds. We stayed at the Portofino Inn and Suites. It is not exactly across the street from the entrance, but it is kind of around the corner. It really isn't far-- it was about a 10 minute walk with the kids walking. A couple days we did walk back to the hotel for a swimming break in the late afternoon and then walked back to Disneyland in the evening, and our kids did fine. They walked all day all around the park too. We had no strollers with us, and we never needed one. Sometimes we had to give shoulder rides for the last couple of blocks on the last trip home. But it was amazing to me how much they walked without complaining! I know if we were hiking that same distance in a park, they wouldn't have it. They were so excited about the whole experience that they didn't even think about it. The hotel does offer shuttles-- they cost something, I'm not sure what. But we didn't use them at all. The hotel worked out nicely because there was a sliding door between their part of the room (which had bunk beds) and our part. So at night we could put them to bed and have our own space. The pool was not huge, but it was fine, and it felt great to rejuvenate there. One thing I would recommend if you're trying to save money (and be more health conscious) is to bring your own food into the park. Signs say you can't, but everyone does. Tammy

We just spent spring break at Disneyland. I will try to answer as many of your questions as I can.

1) Meeting Buzz- Buzz hangs out at Club Buzz which is in the restaurant closest to Autopia in Tomorrowland. We bought breakfast (French toast sticks and fruit and yogurt cups as well as other fastfood breakfast sandwiches were available) there two mornings and he was there pretty much full time. (I think he had a 10 minute break during the 45 minutes we were there.) He stands in the dance floor and kids line up to get autographs and photos.

2) Closest Motels - The closest two are the ParkVue Inn and the Best Western Park Inn and Suites. The second closest two are the Desert Inn & Suites and the Tropicana Inn. All of these are motels and are across S. Harbor Drive from Disneyland. Having walked the whole area we believe they are closer than the Disneyland Hotel.

3) We were in the Disney area from Monday afternoon through Saturday morning. We had a 4 day park hopper and were able to ride everything we wanted in CA Adventure once and Disneyland one to two times with long nap breaks as well as hours of sitting to get good viewing for the fireworks and parades. In addition we spent one day at Legoland. It was enough time to ride what we wanted, and we were only there from 10:30 to 4. Legoland is kind of like Bonfante Gardens... lost of rides for the 40 in set. There is a lot of Lego merchandise being sold all over, and the prices aren't discounted. Legoland is about 60 miles from Disneyland... that took us two hours of driving each way.

4)Cutting food costs - Here is what we did. I like to get in line 30-45 minutes before the park opens so that you get right on the rides during the first two hours when the park is the least crowded. I bring food from home for my kids to eat while they are waiting in line (fruit and muffins). At 10:30-11 we give them a meal, ie: split the breakfast item at Club Buzz... Ride a couple more rides and head back to the hotel. I give them a little snack we nap and do the pool, and then eat an early dinner around 4 at one of the restaurants outside of the park, (IHOP, Denny's, Tony Roma's, Mimi's Cafe are all in walking distance on S. Harboard. There are other more expensive but good restaurants in the Downtown Disney Mall... we did one dinner at the RainForest Cafe. I then brought in or bought a snack for them in the park (popcorn for the whole family to share) while we watched the parade or fireworks. It kept the cost down quite a bit.

5) Character dining - The all you can eat breakfast buffet at the Plaza Inn on main street is the best. We had about 10 characters stop by our table and visit with the kids, plus we got to eat so much we were all able to skip lunch. All of the princesses are supposed to be in Ariel's Grotto in CA Adventure this year, but we didn't go as we were not impressed with the fix-price-menu offered.

Hope that helps. Rose

We just took a trip to Disneyland with our 2.5 and 4.5 girls and had the same questions as you, which I wish I would have asked before I went. The Portofino and Fairfield are the closest and I would probably stay there next time. They would be close enough to come home for a rest mid-day. We stayed down the street at the Holiday Inn and it really was too far to walk for little legs and the shuttle was very inconvenient and adds up in cost. Although the two hotels you mention are across the street, it is still a long walk to the park entrance, especially after a long day at Disneyland, but the shuttles won't do you any good. We ended up renting strollers at Disneyland (they have great comfortable strollers that you don't have to worry about being taken or losing when you're on rides) and just carrying our kids on our shoulders to and from Disneyland. The other option would be to bring your own stroller, but I would make sure it's an old one that you wouldn't be sad to lose, just in case. Food is very expensive and not that great, so bringing your own is a good option. Also, take advantage of the Fast pass and the parent swap passes to get on the best rides. We had an awesome time and can't wait to go again. Have fun! loves Disneyland

We just took our kids to Disneyland a few months ago and here are my responses to some of your questions:

3) lowering costs: I brought groceries and bottled water from home! We had a refrig in our room so we had bagels and cream cheese or cereal for breakfast, and I made sandwiches and fruit to take for lunch every day. It was really a great thing to have a bag lunch because the food in the park is really expensive, junky, and you have to wait in long lines. 4) San Diego is not close, especially in traffic. It might be doable but it would be a LONG day, and many hours in the car.

You didn't specifically ask this, but we stayed in the Paradise Pier hotel (we got a package at AAA). At first I thought we should look for something cheaper outside the park complex, but I actually appreciated the following things about the Paradise Pier: a) hotel access to the CA Adventure Park. You can enter into a side of the park (through one of the other hotels) where lots of rides are and you can get there early, ride lots of rides and then see the other end of the park later.

b) I really liked being able to walk back to the hotel. It was so nice to NOT have to pack the kids back into a car after a long day at the park.

c) This sounds really silly, but at night we had a view of the CA Adventure park and it was really beautiful all lit up. After the kids were asleep and my husband and I were stuck in the dark hotel room, we opened the curtains and had the park lights as a background. Very nice. We could also see the Disneyland fireworks from the hotel balcony. Have fun! Did Disneyland and loved it

We just returned from Disneyland. 6 adults & 2 kids. Our daughter is 4 3/4 & our niece is 4. We purchased thru AAA, stayed at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. The AAA brochure has many hotels & packages to choose from. We wanted to walk to the Disneyland (5 minute walk), heated pool, mini refrig without paying too much. The price included hotel & taxes, 3 day park hopper ticket, early entry to Toontown & Fantasyland. For my husband, daughter & myself $624. I believe April is considered off season.We would all stay at the Fairfield again. There are a couple hotels closer Carousel Inn, ParkVue. I suggest reading the reviews of the hotels on Hotel.com or like website.

You would think 8+ hours in the park you can see everything & then some, but with waiting in line, bathroom breaks & eating, we didn't get to do everything in both parks. We were pretty efficient using the FasPas & while kids were riding on one ride with parent & grandparents, another adult in another line. Except on the early entry days, you really wait about 1/2 hr to 40 min a ride.

Disneyland is great. You can rent a stroller or locker. You can bring in your own water, snacks, lunch to save some money. Downtown Disney has a lot of ''fancier'' restaurants.

Eventhough our walk was only 5 minutes from the park, if you go to Downtown Disney the walk is father. (where the Character Breakfast, shops and other restaurants are) after an 8 hr day in the park, adults & kids are exhausted.

Getting autographs from the different characters is great & the kids love it, but you can be in line a long time and sometimes they take a break right before you get there. Get a Time Schedule to see when they are going to be at their designated spot & have someone stand in line. All the stores there have autograph books. All in All we loved it. Ali

We've been to Disneyland twice - the first time we stayed ''on property'' and last month, we stayed at the Embassy Suites in Anaheim. It's about a 20 min. drive to the park, but there's a free shuttle that takes you right to the gate. When we stayed on property (much more expensive) it was a 20 min. WALK(easily) to get to the gate. Not only was the room at the E.S. much larger than the Disneyland Hotel (a true suite, with a door between the living room and bedroom), and MUCH less expensive, the E.S. including a free cooked-to-order breakfast & buffet (saving us at least $40) AND --- happy hour with free yes FREE cocktails, beer/wine, soda, and appetizers. Did I say there were FREE drinks? There's an indoor pool and the typical Embassy Suites atrium with koi pond, which included turtles and ducks. My son (7) reported that it was the nicest hotel he's ever stayed at. Only caveat- lots of families, and pretty noisy and chaotic (the atrium channels sound) although we had no trouble sleeping at night because the bedrooms are away from the hallway. Fran

Disneyland using RideMax software

April 2006

I am taking my 4-yr-old to Disneyland on Saturday in early May. I bought the RideMax software package online, which lets you input the rides you want, the day and hours you'll be there, and it gives you a realistic, supposedly well-planned itinerary for the rides we think we want to go on. Can anyone tell me if they have used RideMax and whether it was accurate and reduced waiting times? Any tips? Karen

I have used Ridemax the last three times I have gone to Disneyland and will never go without it again. When using the software my family has never had to wait in a line for longer than 20 minutes. I am not kidding.

We just got back from springbreak at Disneyland and used ridemax, again. This time I found that it wasn't as accurate with the wait times as it has been over the past two summers. I believe this is because the weather for the prior month was so bad that the stats weren't accurate. However, we were still able to stick to the schedule and moved only a few things around due to ride closures.

While it is possible to just punch in rides and go with the first schedule that comes up, I would definitely play with it until you get a configuration that you like with breaks in the best places. I have played with it a LOT and got so comfortable that I could get our family around off schedule when we showed up at the park a day early.

Here is the one warning... to make best use of Ridemax you need to be realistic about your start times. We always get in line 30- 45 minutes before the park opens to really maximize the number of rides we can get through before the park gets crowded. If you can't do that, you will need a totally different schedule. Print schedules with different start times if you aren't sure if you can make it in at openning.

OK, well here is a second warning. Make sure that everyone you are travelling with is willing to follow the schedule. My husband and kids have totally bought into it because they love the short lines. However, when we travel with other people they don't seem to ''get it'' and don't stick to the schedule as well which causes problems and means you have to skip over stuff to get back on schedule. Rose

Disneyland Lines

Sept 2003

My husband and I will be taking our very active, won't-stay- still 23-month old daughter to Disneyworld in about two months. I'm sure many of you have done the Mouse House with little ones like this. What worked for you in keeping your toddler occupied while waiting in line? Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can carry her without straining ourselves too much while waiting in the lines (I'm sure she won't stand for any length of time)? We don't have an umbrella stroller which I understand can fit in the queues? Thanks, Linda

We just recently returned from the House of Mouse. We deliberately waited until school started and found that Tues, Wednesday and Thursday are the least crowded. The lines were very short, no more than a couple of minute wait and in some cases no wait. You can rent a stroller there, you see them parked just outside every ride entrance. I have a 3.5 year old who I thought would never make it standing in line, but he surprised us and was fairly calm and patient. I think he was taking it all in while we were in line. I think seeing other kids waiting their turn helped too. You may be surprised, you child may do better than your anticipating. Good Luck! Sharon

You would be amazed at how many toddlers are patient and willing to wait and hour for a 90 second ride on Dumbo. They know the waiting is for something they want. With kids and cousins and yearly trips to Disneyworld while visiting Grandpa, I've yet to see a 2-3 y.o. demand to leave a line for a ride they want to go on. My kids have a hard time waiting 10 min. on line at the grocery store, but even at 2 they definitely seemed to understand the difference. (But once they are potty-trianed long line do represent another issue- you have to insist on going to potty every chance you can.) A little fanny pack with a few small toys and treats is great, too, but doesn't seem to be necessary. My kids hadn't seen alot of Disney when they first started going, but still understood that Mickey must be something worth waiting for if all the other kids were doing it too. I've seen more rude adults in line than screaming kids! Anon