Welcome to planDisney, Ashley!
A trip to the
Disneyland Resort with your little Mouseketeer sounds wonderful! There's nothing like experiencing the magic through their eyes.
Personally, I would always start at
Disneyland Park. You're going to want to get pictures of your little one in front of
Sleeping Beauty Castle. There are also many kid-friendly attractions with no height restrictions. I would particularly recommend the following:
- Alice in Wonderland
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- "it’s a small world"
- King Arthur Carrousel
- Mad Tea Party
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Storybook Land Canal Boats
- Jungle Cruise
- Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Disneyland Railroad
If you purchase
Disney Genie+ and get to the park for opening then you'll have a good chance of doing most of these rides. I would begin at Fantasyland (go to Peter Pan's Flight first) as there are lots of rides in close proximity that won't have long wait times first thing in the morning. If you get to the park for opening, you can literally do all the rides in Fantasyland in a few hours.
No matter what their age, my kids have always enjoyed Disney parades. Therefore, you might want to check out the
"Magic Happens" Parade too. And, of course, you'll want to check out the various character greetings. If you download the
Disneyland mobile app, you can filter the map by "characters" and see where and when you can meet your favorite characters that particular day.
Traveling to the Disneyland Resort is magical, however, it can be challenging (like literally every part of life as a parent!). Therefore, here are some extra tips for you, Ashley.
- Make sure you take advantage of the Baby Care Centers located at each theme park. These are convenient places to change diapers, feed your child, or simply take a break from all the stimulation.
- Bring a stroller.
- Bring plenty of snacks and water.
- Lower your expectations. You're not going to be able to do everything you want to do. Your child will likely need to nap during the day (either in the stroller or back at the hotel). There will likely be a meltdown or two (possibly from the child and the parent). Therefore, go into your Disney day knowing that there will be lots of ups and downs. However, the ups will make it more than worth it.
I hope that's helpful, Ashley. Please stop by planDisney again if you have any further questions.
Mike