New Tips For Disneyland

We have come SO far since November.  This was our third trip in three months, and we get better every time.  This trip I was able to find a Disney shirt ahead of time at Wal-Mart for $7.50!  I was stoked.  You can't really see it because of my awesome lanyard, but it's Ariel and it says:  "Go on and kiss the girl!"  My friend and fellow APH, Yasmin, told me that the Wal-Mart off the exit past Disneyland has THE BEST clothing selection.  I'm going to try and hit it up next time.  Clothes in the park are very expensive.  Honestly, I didn't see a cuter shirt there for sale than mine.  ;-)

(And yes, Jason has many sets of ears, but they are all beanies and are very warm.  So they only come out at night.)  ;-)

I mentioned this in my first post, but this time we really got to prove it.  Even though it was a Monday and Tuesday, the line for The Matterhorn wrapped halfway around the mountain all day.  We waited each night until 7:00ish when people were lining up for the parade and managed to get in 3 or 4 runs in an hour!  It's awesome, you also get a fairly good view of the parade while you're in line for 5 minutes.

FastPass:
I learned a bit more about how to utilize the FastPass.  At the bottom of the pass it will tell you when you can get another one.  We got in the habit of getting another FastPass before using the first one, so that the clock starts ticking on the second one at once.

Water:
I keep trying to pack as lite as possible.  Water is the heaviest thing we carry.  Not again, Mom is not a pack mule.  And even though my husband shares the brunt of the bag carrying, I end up with it most of the day.  We are each going to carry our own water bottle and refill them in the park for free from the restaurants.  I found these cute ones on sale right now at the Disney Store for $7.00.  These are perfect because they have the shoulder strap. They also have a Minnie, Grumpy and Tink.  Guess which one of us will get Grumpy?

Slow Days:
We also learned that even though Monday is slow, Tuesday and Wednesday are even slower.  Those are our goal days from now on.

Photo Discs:
This might be the best thing I learned.  First, I misquoted the price for the PhotoPass CD in my first post, and I have corrected it.   It is only $69.95 and you get 30 days to view your photos, you can also add on another 15 days for $20.  Here is the cool part.  The cost is the same no matter the number of photos.  For APHs that visit a lot, this can really add up.  I plan to add on the extension to this group of photos from January, and then after our February trip order the disc with photos from BOTH trips!

Family Restroom Locations:
This is the essential tip for parents traveling alone with opposite sex children.  I will be taking my son alone in February and I have been worried about what to do in regards to restroom breaks.  I don't feel comfortable separating and having him go in the men's alone, and he's at that age where he does not want to go into the women's.  Not to mention, I have no idea what the dads alone with daughters do.  At least Gabriel isn't going to see anything in a women's restroom.  I contacted Disney, which is very easy via their web site, and they responded within 3 days with a list of locations of "Family/Companion Restrooms" at both parks.  I made sure to scope out a few on this trip, so that I would know where they were for next time. 

 Disneyland:

• Main Street, USA:  First Aid
• Frontierland:  Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante
• Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
• Adventureland:  Aladdin's Oasis 

California Adventure:

• Golden State: First Aid Facility
• Golden State located across from The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure
• A Bug's Land - Flik's Fun Fair
• Cars Land - Flo's V8 Cafe 

Pick Up A Newspaper On Buena Vista Street In California Adventure: 
While on Buena Vista Street, make sure to pick up a free copy of the Buena Vista Bugle.  I can't believe I've been to California Adventure this many times and have JUST heard about this.  So I have actually not looked for these papers myself, but this awesome web site says they were there in 2012, so I would assume the information is current.  You can also stop by the Chamber of Commerce and have the paper stamped with any date you like.  Might be fun for an engagement, wedding, birthday, or anniversary.


Jungle Cruise Map:
After your trip down the waters of The Jungle Cruise, ask the Cast Member for a free map of the attraction.  They should have them to hand out.  I haven't done this either, and it's on my list!  ;-)

More Free Food In Downtown Disney!:
In my first post I told you how you could get a free dinner for your birthday at Tortilla Joe's.  Well here is your free lunch!  Sign up for The Earl of Sandwich E Club and you will receive a free brownie for signing up and a free sandwich for your birthday!  Between the two restaurants, you're covered on your special day.  ;-)

Stay tuned for my next post on tips for meeting the characters, I've got some good ones.  And if you liked this post, you MUST read my Disneyland Tips!