Hi Amanda, and thanks for bringing your question to planDisney. With just a few weeks to go, you’ll be eating churros and riding
Haunted Mansion before you know it! I’m excited to hear that you’ll be staying at the Disneyland Hotel for the first time. I love all of the pixie-dusted details, from the Mary Blair artwork in the lobby to the monorail slides at the pool.
Speaking of the
monorail, let’s talk about how to get to the parks! The monorail is certainly the way to arrive to
Disneyland Park in style (it doesn't go to
Disney California Adventure Park), but I really like to walk through
Downtown Disney. It’s about a 10-minute walk (0.5 mile) that takes you by all of the stores and eateries, with Disney music playing in the background! My family usually stops at
Starbucks to get coffee in the morning. And after a long park day, we’ll pick up a treat on the way back to the hotel. We love the unique ice cream flavors at
Salt & Straw and not a day goes by that I’m not dreaming about the Ice Cream Taco from
Tiendita!
But yummy snacks aside, the real reason I love going through Downtown Disney is because you enter Disneyland Park through the front entrance. There’s just something extra magical about walking down
Main Street, U.S.A. when you’re starting your day at the Happiest Place on Earth! And you might even catch a ride on the
Main Street Vehicles for a nostalgic ride to the castle. The monorail takes you directly inside Disneyland Park and lets you out in Tomorrowland, which is pretty cool, but seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle on the way in just feels iconic!
While you’re at Disneyland in March, don’t miss the
Food & Wine Festival over at Disney California Adventure. There will be delicious small plates at the
Festival Marketplaces, but also unique happenings like
culinary demonstrations and
seminars on mixology, wine pairing, and more!
One last thing I wanted to mention about the beds in the Disneyland Hotel rooms. If you're staying in the standard hotel rooms (not in the
DVC villas), keep an eye out for a switch that activates a pixie-dusted surprise on the headboards! It’s my favorite part about staying at the Disneyland Hotel and I so wish I had one in my bedroom at home.
I hope you have a magical stay at the Disneyland Hotel next month! And if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to visit us again at planDisney.
JoAnna