Welcome back to Part Two of Disneyland Vacation Planning! Once you’ve chosen your travel dates and accommodations, and booked your resort and theme park tickets, it’s time to dive into the next phase of planning and continue building upon those arrangements. In this stage, we’ll focus on:
- How will you get to the Disneyland Resort?
- Which theme park will you visit to begin each of your vacation days?
- Can you imagine how you’d like to spend each day of your vacation?
Let’s get started!
ARRANGING TRAVEL PLANS
Now that you’ve decided when to visit Disneyland and secured your hotel and theme park tickets, it’s time to decide how you’ll get there. If you’re on the West Coast, driving to Anaheim can be a convenient and budget-friendly alternative to flying. If you prefer, instead, to fly to Southern California for your Disneyland trip, there are a few airport options to choose from. The closest and most convenient is John Wayne Airport, just 14 miles away. Long Beach Airport is another nearby choice at 18 miles. If you’re open to a bit more travel time, both Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario International Airport are about 35 miles from Disneyland. After booking your airfare, reserve a shuttle, rental car, or private car service to get from the airport to your resort. (Rideshare services like Uber or Lyft are also available to transport you from the airport if you prefer some added flexibility.)
PARK RESERVATIONS
In addition to purchasing tickets for your visit to the Disneyland Resort theme parks, you’ll also need to make park reservations for each day of your trip. Your reservations will designate which park you will start in each morning. (Guests with Park Hopper tickets will be able to go back and forth between parks beginning at 11:00 AM each day.)
When purchasing tickets through Disneyland’s website, you’ll be prompted to select your park reservations at checkout. However, if you bought tickets separately or are staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel and purchasing a vacation package, you can book your reservations via the Disneyland website or app. Park reservations are available up to 180 days in advance and are subject to availability. Once you’ve locked in your park reservations, you’ll know which park you’ll be starting in each day – setting the foundation for the more detailed itineraries you’ll eventually create!
CREATING YOUR INITIAL VACATION PLAN OUTLINE
Now comes one of my favorite parts of the planning process – mapping out the initial details of each vacation day. This step always fills me with so much joy! There’s just something so exciting about imagining where you’ll be, what you’ll do, and how you’ll make the most of your time with Mickey and his friends. And aside from actually being at Disney, few things compare to the thrill of dreaming up your perfect vacation days! Now, I know you might wonder, do I really need to plan this much? The truth is, it’s pretty hard not to have a magical time at Disneyland. Just stepping into the parks, surrounded by the incredible details Imagineers have created, is enough to bring a smile to your face. But Disneyland can get busy, and with so many must-do attractions, entertainment, and experiences, having a solid game plan can make all the difference. My best advice? Prepare as much as you can ahead of time so your trip is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
To get started with this part of planning, I like to grab a blank sheet of paper, turn it horizontally, and jot down our vacation dates evenly across the top. I then lightly draw a line across the middle of the page so that I have space to sketch out what the first half of our days will look like and a separate area to outline our afternoons and evenings. From there, I pencil in our ideas for where we’d like to spend our time each day of the vacation. This is a great time to consider the time of year you’ll be traveling and whether or not you’d like to take advantage of any special events that may be taking place, like Oogie Boogie Bash or Disneyland After Dark.
And, voila – you now have the basic framework of your vacation! Of course, there is always the possibility that your plans may change along the way, but nothing is set in stone and you at least have a starting point to guide you through your next steps in planning.
WHAT’S NEXT?
With your park reservations made, travel plans arranged, and a basic vacation outline in place, you’re well on your way to an amazing Disneyland trip! Next up, we’ll dive into more fun, including dining reservations and Enchanting Extras! Stay tuned for Part Three of Disneyland vacation planning!
