Hi there, laBrea,
Welcome to planDisney! I'm so excited for you to visit Disneyland Resort next year. First and foremost, I want to make sure you are aware that
theme park reservations are required in addition to valid admission. Be sure to review the
availability calendars and secure the appropriate reservations prior to your arrival.
Now, it sounds like you might need some suggestions on how to best enjoy your time with a three-year-old in tow. My family's first visit was back in 2015 when my daughter was 2 and my son was 5. I'd say they both enjoyed their time at
Disneyland Park and
Disney California Adventure Park equally, especially since my son was a huge
Cars fan at the time (and still is to this day).
In my opinion, the classic attractions at Disneyland Park are a must not miss, particularly with little ones, so if you had to choose between the two I'd probably opt to spend time there with your little Mouseketeer. However, you'll enjoy
holiday decor at both parks through January 7th and have the chance to meet characters in both locations as well.
If your child is a fan of
Frozen, they'll be able to meet Anna and Elsa at the Disney Animation building at Disney California Adventure Park, in addition to some other pals at
Avengers Campus and Cars Land. If they prefer Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and the gang you'll want to spend time at
Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland Park. I'd recommend downloading the
Disneyland Mobile App to review which Character Greetings are scheduled in each location. You can find this by selecting the map icon (second from left) at the bottom of your Disneyland App, and then choosing "Characters" from the down-down list at the top of the screen. I like clicking "Show List" for an alphabetized list of the whole crew and you can even use the Filter button to narrow down the options in each park.
You'll also have the chance to hang with Goofy and friends without a park ticket by reserving a Character Dining experience at
Goofy's Kitchen at Disneyland Hotel. The menu is just as fun as the character interactions, and you don't want to miss Goofy's Famous Peanut Butter Pizza!
I hope this was helpful, laBrea. If you have additional planning questions please come back and ask us! We're always glad to help.
Magic and memories,
Amy