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Mom And Daughter; Mad Tea Party; Alice; girl in costume as Alice
  • On Apr 1, 2013
    Diana Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Which park would you recommend touring first? Also, how much time would you suggest in each park? I am a single mom with a 4-year-old boy. We have 3 ½ days of free time in May (on top of traveling time).

    Nice to hear from you again, Diana!  

    I always like to recommend starting your magical vacation in the park that started it all... Disneyland!  Nothing can quite compare to that feeling you'll get as Sleeping Beauty Castle first comes into view as you make your way down Main Street USA!  You'll hear the music, smell the popcorn... and then you'll see it!  It's the WOW factor, especially considering your son's age.

    If you have added the Park Hopper option to your tickets, you can bounce between the two parks as you wish.  I usually start in one park early in the morning and head either back to my hotel or to Downtown Disney for a break midday before returning to the other park late afternoon into evening!  I think you should wait until dusk to visit Cars Land at Disney California Adventure for the first time because this is when it's most stunning, as the neon lights will be all aglow on Route 66 in Radiator Springs and the mountains of Ornament Valley will be all lit up against the night's sky!  It's truly such an amazing sight to behold no matter your age, but especially for your son, who I'm sure is a Cars fan!

    I would recommend spending a half day in each park on Day 1, a full day in Disneyland on Day 2, a full day in California Adventure on Day 3, while heading back to the park of your choice to revisit any favorites on that last half day.  On day 2 and 3, for downtime, I recommend exploring Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Resort hotels!  I find it nice to take time to decompress but I like to stay on property when doing so.  Sometimes just sitting by the fireplace in the Grand Californian Lobby while my daughter watches "old mickey" on the miniature tv, makes me feel like a million bucks! Everything at Disneyland is located extremely close together, so escaping to the resorts for a nap or some pool time is no problem at all!

    Best Wishes,

    Amanda F.
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Meet the Panelist: Amanda, California

Greetings from California! I am here to help make your visit to the Disney Parks as pixie-dusted as possible! As a regular to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, I am ready to put my coast-to-coast Disney Parks knowledge to work for YOU! Learn More About Amanda

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