Hello there,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you so much for your question! I'm happy to hear you and your family have a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth coming up in just a few short weeks. Have you started counting down the days, yet?
It sounds like you arranged your trip in a similar way that I have with some of my family's previous visits. We like to get all the traveling out of the way with a travel day - though you have a bit further to travel than we do! We usually arrive mid-late afternoon, but don't enter the parks until the following day.
Luckily, you'll have full access to everything at the
Disneyland Resort besides the parks! That means you can venture into
Downtown Disney District to look around, shop, and get a bite to eat when you arrive. Since it sounds like you're staying at one of the
hotels of the Disneyland Resort, you also will have access to their pool area! This could be a good way to get energy out after a long day of travel.
Alternatively, you could also consider upgrading your
theme park tickets from 2- to 3-day tickets. I did this for our family when we last visited as I realized the price difference between these two tiers was much lower than I had anticipated, and we were able to spend the afternoon and evening of that first day in the parks. If you're interested in this option, I would recommend
calling a Cast Member at the Tickets line to discuss if this might be an option for you.
Whichever option you decide, there are plenty of fun things to do on this first day of your holiday. Thank you again for your question! Please feel free to come back and see us if you think of any follow-ups. We'd love to help!
Have a Magical Day,
Greg