Hi Jennifer!
Thanks for visiting planDisney! Your group is in for a treat if your trip falls on July 17, as that will mark the exact day that Disneyland opened 70 years ago!! If any member of your group needs to head back to your hotel for a rest, you can definitely re-enter the park! Be sure to have your ticket on hand to re-enter the park. Tickets can be linked on the Disneyland app or linked to a
MagicBand+.
I understand the need to head back to the hotel. When I started going to the parks with my daughter, we had to head back to our room for nap time (yes we both needed a nap). However, I soon learned that I did not always have to head all the way back to my room to get the break I needed. Disney has some great options for rest and quiet that don’t require you to leave.
If your group includes any babies, you can always take a break at the parks’
Baby Care Center. I loved going here because I could change my baby at one of the many changing stations in the center. I could also go in there for my daughter to take a quick nap, have a bottle, or just get out of the heat. The Baby Care Centers are cool, quiet(er), and designed with baby in mind.
If you have any toddlers or young kids in your group who may need to get their wiggles, head over to
Goofy’s How-To-Play yard in Disneyland’s Toontown or the
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in California Adventure Grizzly Peak. These areas allow little ones to run, climb, jump, and explore. Often times heading here has helped me avoid a total meltdown from my 3-year-old and made transitioning to nap time a breeze.
Rest Tip: On a park day, I could easily get in 14,000 steps. My feet were happiest when I snuck in some "rest." My favorite rest spots are the
Disneyland Railroad and the
Mark Twain Riverboat. The train stops around the park and arrives every 5 to 10 minutes. The Mark Twain Riverboat docks in Frontierland and takes a 14-minute trip around Tom Sawyer Island. The Mark Twain has benches and tables on the upper decks for you to sit as the boat takes a lap on the river. My sister has definitely fallen asleep there as I munched on my popcorn!
Wishing you a magical trip!
-Melinda