Welcome to planDisney, Roya! This has to be my very favorite question among those we receive here - it's such an honor to help Guests plan their FIRST vacation to Disneyland Resort! It's definitely 'the Happiest Place on Earth' and I'm so excited for you to experience all the magic with your little one! I'll be happy to share some advice as you continue preparing for your upcoming visit.
First, you'll want to make sure that you have your
valid admission ticket and park reservations secured for the dates of your visit. If you have already purchased tickets for yourself and your daughter, you likely completed the process to make your park reservations when you chose your dates on the calendar and the theme park in which you would like to start each day. If you still need to complete this, no worries! The process is easy to do by following the prompts on the
ticket purchase page. Since your little Mouseketeer is 4 years old, you can select a Child's ticket for Guests between the ages of 3 and 9 years.
Once your tickets and park reservations are confirmed, you might also consider making any
table service dining reservations up to 60 days before your visit. This is a nice way to have a sit-down meal and rest your feet as you fuel up for the rest of your magical day in the theme parks.
Character dining experiences are also a wonderful way for your little one to interact with their beloved Disney characters while having a nice meal. These dining reservations can be made online or through the Disneyland mobile app. However, you'll also find many wonderful
quick service restaurants and
mobile order options for which no dining reservations are required!
Speaking of the
Disneyland mobile app, this is my best tip for preparing for your visit. I highly recommend downloading it in advance and becoming familiar with all the amazing features before you travel. I typically use the map and the search functions the most (both of which can be found as tab options in the lower menu). You'll also find all your Tickets & Passes by tapping the '☰' icon and viewing any tickets currently linked to your account. If you see the barcodes for your and your daughter's tickets there, you can scan them at the turnstiles to enter the theme parks! If not, you can follow the steps to link your tickets online.
If I can make some suggestions on amazing play areas for your little one, I'd recommend checking out Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland Park and Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure Park. Both have interactive play spaces to run, jump, climb, and swing as a family! Sometimes little ones just need to get the wiggles out and these are great places to do it!
Roya, I hope these are some helpful tips to get you started, but I welcome you to come back to
planDisney anytime we can share other recommendations for how to make the most of your visit! I'm also going to link an episode of the planDisney podcast here that was created exactly for Guests like you who might be visiting Disneyland Resort for the first time! I'm wishing you and your little one the most magical visit imaginable, full of the kind of memories that fill your heart for a lifetime!
Blue Skies and Sushine,
Tishra