Secret to a Great Disneyland Birthday

Where is a better place to spend your birthday than on a Disneyland vacation? If you're looking to celebrate your birthday or the birthday of a child, Disneyland is a great place to do it. Even better is that the celebration doesn't even have to be done on the exact date of birth! First thing you should do if you want to celebrate someone's birthday in Disneyland is to go to City Hall which is located in the Town Square. That is where you can go to receive your special birthday sticker (or button). This is a special indicator that alerts all the Disneyland characters and other employees of the park that it's your birthday and you deserve extra special treatment... :)

So what should you do when it's your birthday and you're spending it in Disneyland? You have to make sure to stop in at one of the full service restaurants located in the park and make sure you order the Birthday Bucket. It will be loaded with all sorts of Disney treats and comes with a birthday cake - unfortunately it's not free - it costs around twenty dollars, but it's worth it in the end (how man times are you going to spend your birthday in Disneyland???). If twenty dollars seems a bit much, eat breakfast at Goofy's kitchen and you can have a Birthday Bag for five dollars. There you have it.

Spending your birthday in Disneyland is an extra special experience because all of the Disneyland characters will give you that extra special treatment. It will be an experience to remember for you and your family, so make sure you take lots of pictures. Sometimes the people that work at Disneyland might not notice the sticker you or your child is wearing, but don't be shy if they don't notice. You're in for a special treat!

Disneyland Vacation - Package Express

One problem you're sure to encounter on your Disneyland vacation is figuring out what to do with your souvenirs. As you're wandering through the park, you're sure to find a gift or souvenir that you have to have. Unfortunately you're probably seeing it early in the morning, and have a whole day of Disneyland rides and characters to see. Who wants to carry around shopping bags all day? Guess what - you don't have to!

If you're a shopper, the nicest guest service feature at Disneyland has to be Package Express. You can make whatever purchases you want, but you don't have to carry the souvenirs around with you all day! Imagine lugging around bags of merchandies while keeping track of the kids and enjoying all of the attractions. Why bother!

Instead of carrying things around, just send your purchases to the Newsstand which is conveniently located near the exit. When you purchase something using Package Express, it allows you to pick up your packages as you're leaving the park. A word to the wise, however... if you plan to stay until closing time, you're going to find yourself waiting in a very long line as you leave the park. Try getting to the Package Express pickup line at least an hour earlier than you had originally planne on leaving if you have Disneyland vacation packages to pick up.

If you're staying at one of the resort hotels, such as The Disneyland Hotel, you can just have your purchases sent directly to your room. It doesn't get any more convenient than that - you don't have to leave the park early, and you can skip the long lines in Disneyland. If you don't want to opt for the Package Express service, your alternative is to rent a locker, and put your purchases in there until you're ready to leave. The down side is that every Disneyland purchase you make, you'll have to return to the locker. The up side is that you don't have to wait in a long line to open your own locker as you may have to in the Package Express pickup line around closing time.

The Secret to Securing your Disneyland Tickets

In order to enter the Disneyland theme park you will naturally have to have your Disneyland tickets in hand. Not only do you need your ticket to get into the park, you'll also need it to employ the secret to skipping lines in Disneyland. Due to the importance of your Disneyland ticket, you need to ensure that you keep it in a safe place. In addition to your ticket, you'll also need a safe place to store money and credit card.

Lugging around a wallet or purse is not very practical in Disneyland. Do yourself a favor and get a FastPass holder, even if you don't buy yourself a FastPass. What it is is a small plastic pouch that hangs from a cord which you wear around your neck. They are very inexpensive and could mean the difference between an enjoyable Disneyland vacation, and a nightmare! With the pouch hanging in front of you from your neck, it is a very unlikely target for potential pickpockets.

If you don't think you need the FastPass because it'll cost a few extra bucks, consider what a brand new Disneyland ticket will cost you to replace - or all the tickets for a family of four! You will not be allowed to enter Disneyland the next day without your ticket. Looking at it that way, the small cost incurred for the Disneyland FastPass holder, it's a cheap insurance policy to take out on your Disneyland vacation adventure!

The Disneyland Hotel

Let me tell you the secret to having a Disneyland vacation that you and your family will never forget. Embrace the whole Disneyland experience that you're looking for. Don't just stay at any hotels near Disneyland, stay at The Disneyland Resort Hotel. There are 990 rooms in three high rise towers and its located right in the heart of Downtown Disney. If you're looking for the ultimate Disneyland vacation experience, then do yourself a favor and stay at the Disneyland Resort Hotel.

The guest rooms in the Disneyland Hotel are exquisite. They have offerings for both standard rooms and suites outfitted with either a king size bed or two queen size beds, plus all of the amenities you'd expect from the Disneyland hotel located in the heart of the happiest place on earth. If you're keeping track those amenities include room service, phones with voicemail, irons and ironing boards, refrigerators, hairdryers, make up mirrors, and safes to hold all of your valuables while you're out enjoying the theme park. For those with the newborn, you have the option to have cribs in your room or even rollaway beds if you're a family of 5 and can't squeeze on two beds. Just to make that experience a bit more magical, the rooms are sprinkled with Pixie Dust! If you're traveling as a family with the kids, I would highly encourage you look at one of the suite options. The suites in the Disneyland Hotel contain either one, two, or three bedrooms and include all the amenities of the standard room I mentioned above.

The Concierge service at the Disneyland Hotel cannot be compared to any other hotel like it. The service entitles you to priority check-in, admission to an exclusive Disneyland lounge, a continental breakfast in the morning, and an evening of wine and cheese - the perfect romantic reception for a honeymoon in Disneyland. The service includes a nightly turn-down as well as DVD players and complimentary movies. Hate that at other hotels near Disneyland, they'll only leave you one bottle of water (or just a glass for the tap water)? Not at the Disneyland Hotel! Here you will enjoy an unlimited supply of bottled water and soft drinks. The Concierge service at the Disneyland hotel exists to make your vacation both enjoyable and stress free.

As you would expect from The Disneyland Resort Hotel, the Disney touch is everywhere. If you always anted to live in Never Land, this is as close as you'll ever get. The swimming pool even has a Never Land theme, outfitted with a sandy beach and several cove pools for the ultimate day of relaxation by the pool side. There is also fun for the kids in its children's playground, volleyball court, and some Koi fish ponds. Peter Pan is the inspiration for a recreational center that is 5000 square feet in size - huge! All throughout the hotel you will be dazzled by scenic waterfalls, tropical foliage, and mysterious caves that beg for you to explore. Oh, and for those of you who actually like to work out on your vacation (to me it defeats the purpose of "vacation," but just in case), you have access to a state-of-the-art gym at the Team Mickey workout room. Now go pump some iron!

There's nothing worse than getting to your vacation destination to find yourself in an old musty hotel near Disneyland. Start your Disney experience the moment you walk into the door of your Disneyland Hotel. Enjoy the experience of dining with the Disneyland characters at Goofy's Kitchen located within your very own hotel. Other restaurants or cafes of interest in the Disneyland Hotel include The Coffee House, Granville's Steak House, Hook's Pointe, Crocs Bits 'n' Bites, The Lost Bar, and The Wine Cellar.

If you're looking for the ultimate Disneyland vacation experience, do yourself a favor and book a room at the Disneyland Hotel. Your vacation continues even after you've spent the day seeing all of the rides and attractions in the park. The Disneyland experience doesn't end when you get to the hotel, in fact it begins from the moment you wake up every morning in the Magical Kingdom that The Disneyland Resort Hotel represents.

Where Are the Disneyland Characters?

What would a Disneyland vacation be without the characters you've grown to love over the years? Your vacation just wouldn't be complete. It's an unfortunate fact that there are some visitors who leave Disneyland disappointed because of the simple fact that they never found their favorite character. Don't let that happen to you. The Disneyland secret to finding your favorite Disneyland characters you love is knowing where to look for them in the first place!

This may seem obvious, but get the trip started right with a Disney character breakfast. This will give you the opportunity to see all sorts of Disneyland characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, Mary Poppins, Minnie and Mickie Mouse, and probably a bunch of others will pop in and out. Didn't see the character you were looking for? No worries, just go looking for them... Many of the Disneyland characters will be standing right inside the gates to greet you as you arrive in the morning.

Next stop to finding your favorite Disneyland characters - Toon Town. This is where all of the Disney characters live. You can go visit their homes and perhaps catch them while they're around. Your best bet is to go early otherwise they may retire for the day. Next best bet - visit Goofy's Kitchen - many Disneyland characters visit throughout the day.

Finally, if you still haven't found your favorite Disney character, head over to Fantasyland. You'll often times find various characters telling stories all throughout Fantasyland. Give your children a
Disneyland vacation to remember by introducing them to their favorite Disneyland character. It will be a magical moment for your kids and an equally magical moment for you when you see their faces light up with joy and delight.

The 4 Secrets to Avoiding Long Lines at Disneyland

The biggest source of frustration for many visitors to the Disneyland theme parks is the long lines they run into for all of the Disneyland rides and attractions. You're spending a lot of money and investing a lot of time in this Disneyland vacation... you don't want the most memorable moment to be standing in line. The Disneyland planners did a good job to try and entertain you with themed televisions per ride, but let's be real - you're there to ride the rides, not watch TV!

The first of the three Disneyland secrets to avoiding the long lines is to get to the park early. It may seem like common sense, but when the park first opens, the lines are a heck of a lot shorter than during the mid summer day. Instead of going to the first ride you see at the park, go straight to the Disneyland rides you want to ride most which of course are the most popular rides that everyone else wants to ride - (you did get a map and plan ahead, right?).

The next of the secrets is to plan your riding experience during the weekdays. The parks are the least crowded during the week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Plan your to ride the Disneyland attractions on these days and you'll have a leg up especially if it's during the off-season.

The third option to avoiding the longs lines is to plan to ride the popular rides late in the evening. By the end of the day, most people are getting tired and are winding down. Instead they will start shifting their attention towards the entertainment that starts becoming more prevalent during the evening hours. Disneyland has entertainment nightly (of course, some nights are better than others), but this is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of shorter lines. The down side of this option is that you're going to miss the entertainment, so this may not be your best choice if you want to experience both the Disneyland rides and entertainment on your trip. It all depends on what is more important to you. There is a Disneyland secret that will give you the opportunity to both while avoiding the long lines.

The final secret and this is the ultimate secret to avoiding long lines... As a matter of fact this will take you right to the front of the line and bypass all the poor souls who didn't plan ahead. These special Disneyland tickets are the secret to walking to the front of the line every time. They are called FastPass tickets and are available for select rides in the park - usually the most popular with the longest lines. Funny how that works out, huh? How they work is that you have a scheduled period of time to show up at the ride and move straight to the front of the line. Usually the window of opportunity is an hour, so if you plan appropriately rides that our near each other in proximity and time, you can get the ultimate riding experience. Disneyland generally restricts the number of FastPass tickets per time in order to prevent overcrowding of the FastPass line, so be sure to get these tickets early. These FastPass tickets come at an added cost, but what's worth more to you - a few bucks or a few hours of waiting in line.

Don't make waiting in lines your most memorable experience, use these secrets to avoid the lines and enjoy as much of the Disneyland attractions that you possibly can. Get the FastPass!!

The Secret to Dining with Disneyland Characters

If you're looking to give your child - or yourself - the experience of a lifetime, you must arrange to dine out with the Disneyland Characters. When walking through the parks, you're competing with hundreds (thousands) of other families to get the attention of the characters. Dining out with the Disneyland characters gives you and your family the opportunity to spend quality time with one or more your favorite characters. As a matter of fact, this is the best way to actually interact with them for more than a few seconds at a time. When the characters are out walking the parks their primary goal is to see as many people as possible. When the Disneyland characters are dining with you, their primary goal is to interact and spend quality time with YOU!

How do you do it? Make a reservation! This is done by getting in touch with the Disneyland Vacation Planning Services department. Don't wait until you show up at the park to do it! Make sure you've secured your spot in this ultimate dining experience. You can make reservations up to sixty days in advance. While you're in the planning phase of your Disneyland vacation, you should make these plans. If you're leaving next week, you can still call and see if you can get yourself a reservation. Don't miss out on this - your family will thank you later.

Breakfast with Disneyland characters takes place every morning at the park. This is one meal you do not need a reservation for, so if you slacked off on your other dining with the Disneyland characters opportunities, you still have a chance. These breakfasts actually take place in many of the park restaurants, but I recommend trying Goofy's Kitchen (very popular, though you might not need a reservation I would highly recommend making one). This is a great place to start as it's located in the Disneyland Hotel, and there are meals for everyone there. Even better is that children under the age of three get to eat for free, so if keep this in mind when you're planning your budget. As you'd imagine, Goofy is always at his restaurant with Pluto, but other characters filter in and out throughout the day. I've already said it once, but I'll say it again... Goofy's Kitchen is popular and the wait can be very long without a reservation, so do yourself and your family a favor - plan ahead and reserve a table time.

So you have a little princess daughter of your own... maybe dining with the Princesses is something you can't miss. Ariel's Grotto is where you want to be. At this restaurant, you will be served a three course meal - an elegant dining experience that the kids will enjoy as well as mom and dad. Throughout your dining experience, each princess will come and spend some time at your table, one at a time in order to extend the Disneyland character experience as long as possible. I'll say it again in case you haven't noticed the theme - make reservations. You're in Disneyland to experience the magic, not sit around and wait. This is one of the places in the park where you can get both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Another option that comes highly recommended for dining with Disneyland characters is the Storyteller's Cafe. Note that characters are only around at breakfast time, so keep that in mind for planning purposes. Something else to note is that the characters do not spend time at each individual but instead interact with the children as a group. There is both a buffet option as well as a menu option, and as usually reservations are recommended.

Look around for the characters that you're interested in having a meal with... Lilo and Stitch have a Character Breakfast, as well as Minnie Mouse. As you might imagine, Breakfast with Minnie and Friends is extremely popular, so make reservations!!

After all that I have to say speaking from experience... you should definitely make a Disneyland Character meal a part of your Disneyland vacation plans. This is an experience your children will never forget as they are getting the opportunity to interact with their favorite Disney characters. These are the characters that we all know and have come to love - it's what makes the Disneyland experience so magical.

Don't Forget... MAKE RESERVATIONS! :)

You knew it was coming...

Christmas in Disneyland Secrets

Christmas - It's the most wonderful time of the year... Why not spend it at the happiest place on earth? It's the ultimate in holiday cheer, a Christmas euphoria: vacation in Disneyland! I guarantee that this will be a Christmas you and your family will never forget if you spend Christmas in Disneyland.

It's a special time of year no matter where you're at, but the folks at Disneyland work to make Christmas extra special. Give your children the opportunity to decorate Christmas cookies with Mrs. Clause at Santa's Reindeer Roundup. It's an experience your little ones will never forget while they're playing Reindeer Games and bringing home holiday souvenirs to give them a lasting memory. You'll see all the Disneyland characters dressed up in their holiday costumes as they are frolicking in the "snow" - Disneyland Florida, Disneyland California - yes, snow.

One must do experience is to visit the Christmas Shoppe and purchase yourself a lasting memory with the special Disneyland holiday ornament. Don't forget to participate in the special holiday themed rides. If you've been to Disneyland at times other than the Christmas holiday period, and are trying to decide whether it's worth going back during the holiday season. It's worth it, believe me. Disneyland in Christmas is unlike any other Disneyland vacation you have taken or ever will take. Don't forget to get a picture of the famous Disneyland Christmas tree!

Theoretically speaking, Christmas in Disneyland is considered to be off-season. That being said, be prepared for the crowds. If you're thinking you're the only family planning a Disneyland vacation over the kids’ winter break, let me tell you... you're not the only one who thinks this is a good time to go Disneyland. Christmas is a very popular time of the year to visit Disneyland, so don't be fooled. As in planning any other time of the year, make your reservations well in advance to make sure you have that magical Disneyland vacation experience.

The Best Time to Take a Disneyland Vacation

When planning your Disneyland vacation, one of the most important decisions you will have to make is deciding the dates. It may be the happiest place on earth, but some days are better than others depending on what your goal is. Whether you are interested in Disneyland attractions or if you're merely there for the entertainment, or both - the days you choose will significantly impact your success.

If you're looking more towards taking advantage of the Disneyland rides, you'll want to go on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday because there were be fewer people at the parks - fewer people = shorter lines for all of your Disneyland rides. Like everything in life there is a tradeoff though... The entertainment during these week days doesn't even compare to the exciting entertainment opportunities available on the weekends. If you're looking for entertainment, you'll definitely want to make sure that you spend at least one weekend in Disneyland.

The fact that some days are better for the Disneyland rides and attractions and other days are better for entertainment, you definitely need to take that into consideration for planning purposes. If you're there for an entire week, plan to ride the attractions Tuesday through Thursday and then enjoy all of the entertainment Disneyland has to offer on the other days.

Another key thing to remember is that if you're planning to visit during the off season, the entertainment is often times not even offered during the week days! Keep this in mind to avoid disappointment if you're traveling during this period. If entertainment is what you're after, make sure you're there on the weekend - you may get cheap Disneyland tickets for visiting during the off season, but there is a tradeoff on the entertainment choices. If you're looking to ride the Disneyland attractions, however - who cares?! Save yourself some money and avoid the long lines - travel during the off season.

One last thing to remember... Time of day also plays an important factor in your success at avoiding lines for the Disneyland rides. The earlier you arrive, the fewer people will be at the parks. As the day wears on, the park continues to fill up so ride as many attractions as you can in the morning - ride quick, and ride often!

The Secret Disneyland Ticket to Skip Lines

You didn't go half way across the country for a magical Disneyland vacation to stand in a long line while mist fans try to keep you cool in the 90 degree heat. You can avoid all the hassles of standing in line for the Disneyland rides with this special Disneyland ticket. It's called the Disneyland FastPass. These tickets can be obtained from vending machines located near each of the rides that accept FastPass. Sorry, just because you have the FastPass doesn't mean you get to move straight up to the front of the line... you still have to wait your turn. The FastPass is more like scheduling an appointment or reserving a timeframe during which you can ride later in the day - during that scheduled time, you actually move to the front of the line. While you're waiting, you don't have to stand in line by the ride - you are free to go about and enjoy the other Disneyland ride and attractions.

When you obtain the Disneyland FastPass ticket, you will be schedling a one hour window in which you can ride the attraction. For example, your window of opportunity may be between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. What this means is that you actually can move to the front of the line during that time period. In order to obtain a FastPass ticket though, you must have your Disneyland ticket handy.

At Disneyland, FastPasses are available for Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin, Space Mount, Autopia, and Buzz Lightyear. Stop waiting in lines and plan to get the Disneyland FastPass. There really is no other way to do a Disneyland vacation!

Planning a Disneyland Vacation to Remember

For many folks, the planning phase of their Disneyland vacation is one of the highlights of the trip. It builds up the excitement and anticipation - what Disneyland rides and attractions are we going to do Thursday, oooh that's fun - how about on Friday? On the other hand, it can be a pain in the neck - there's so much to choose from and it's all so expensive what can I do to have fun and be economical at the same time by scoring some cheap Disneyland tickets? Regardless of what camp you fall in (maybe it's both!), help is on the way - there are ways to make your Disneyland vacation planning simple and stress free.

There are several options for those not wanting to plan their own trip - whether it's Disneyland Florida, Disneyland California, or Disneyland Paris!! Yes, there is a Disneyland in Paris. You could have a travel agent make all of the arrangements for you. They will solicit your feedback and try to plan the best vacation given your requirements. This could get a bit pricey, especially if everything is done a la carte. You might be better off using the Disneyland Vacation Planning Services. Whereas a travel agent has no specific focus other than "the world," the Disneyland Vacation Planning Services do this sort of planning, all day every day which may lead to a better overall vacation experience. Whichever route you choose, every aspect of the trip would be planned for you. Better yet, call both to see which can get you a better deal on what you're trying to do. In the end, with these routes all you'll have to do is show up and follow the itinerary.

On the other hand, if you like to get your hands dirty and plan the Disneyland vacation yourself there are some things you absolutely cannot forget in the planning phase. The number one decision you'll have to make are the dates of your Disneyland vacation. Depending on the time of year, the parks offer different themes or entertainment at the different times of year. If you're looking have Christmas in Disneyland, you probably guessed it - you're going to have a winter wonderland Christmas sort of theme.

Once you've identified when you'll be in Disneyland, the next thing you'll have to figure out what you want to do each day. There are a multitude of theme parks to choose from. There's a lot to choose from - there's no way you'll get to do it all, so prioritize your favorites and take into consideration what your kids will find enjoyable. Depending on their age, they may enjoy a meal with their favorite Disneyland characters. Or maybe they want to get on their favorite Disneyland rides like Space Mountain. There are other things you may want to consider during the planning process.

Food is something you may wish to make reservations for in advance. You probably guessed it, but Disneyland is a pretty popular place, so don't expect to walk in and get a seat to some of their premiere restaurants - they are usually booked well in advance so do your homework if there are special venues other than the park concessions where you'd like to eat. Make these reservations before you even leave home!

When planning what Disneyland attractions you'll want to visit, get a map of the parks as a guide. Armed with this information you'll be able to schedule time for the attractions that are closer to each other. You're spending a lot of time and money for this vacation, so you'll want to see and do as much as possible - minimize your walking and travel time when possible. You didn't pay to drive by or stand in line... plan ahead! In another article I will reveal the Disneyland secret that will allow you to bypass all the poor souls stuck in line instantly!

Lastly, when planning your Disneyland vacation you'll want to keep your budget in mind. You can plan your Disneyland vacation yourself, but if you make the arrangements through a travel agent or the Disneyland Vacation Planning services, you'll likely be able to get a much better deal by purchasing Disneyland vacation packages. This will save you $$$$ money!! Keep an eye out for these deals and you can save a pretty penny on your Disneyland hotel and food. Remember what you're there for (or what your children are there for) - they care less about where they sleep or the food that they eat - what they really care about is what they get to see and do!

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