5 Things to do in the Disneyland Resort with Toddlers
I’ve started to realize that every week is so different for my kids and I at the Disney parks! Some weeks we do both the Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure and then some weeks we do only one park! I also realized that those who aren’t pass holders sometimes have to choose a single park ticket to visit so I want to give them a good list to do and still get their monies worth!
We felt very accomplished and did so much during our trip to the one park starting from shows to what rides toddlers can ride and the extra hidden treasures! The list I have put together is what I’ve personally done inside the Disneyland Resort with Toddlers and MY TODDLERS LOVED it.
Shows
Rides
Character Meets
Meet up with Friends
Search for Hidden Treasures
Let’s start! P.S. This blog post was done in numerical bullet points so the photos would have messed up the entire format if placed in between. Please scroll all the way to the bottom of the blog for the rest of the beautiful photos!
Our favorite SHOWS (break time for Mom and Dad) - Disneyland does such a great job at having so many shows going on during the day for EVERYONE! This is usually when I give my kids their snacks. It gives me a quick breather and a chance to sit down. The shows are always so fun for adults and the kids to get their attention and KEEP their attention until it’s over - which to me, is always important to my own little break. Here is a list of shows and times that WE enjoy inside the Disneyland Resort.
ADVENTURELAND SHOWS -
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room - I believe the shows play every hour and 20 of the day from 8am to when they close the parks. So, 8:20am, 9:20am, and so forth. (I asked the cast member but I could be wrong because he said it changes daily. It’s the first building as you enter Adventureland so just ask). My kids love this show and sing along to the songs!
FANTASYLAND SHOWS - this is probably the land we spend most of our day in.
Mickey and the Magical Map located by Small World - Our favorite show yet! It is SO FUN. Times - 12pm, 1:05pm, 2:15pm, 4:15pm, and 5:20pm.
Storytelling at the Royal Theater just to the left of the Sleeping Beauty Castle! Times - 10:45am, 12pm, 1:15pm, 3pm, 4:15pm, 5:30pm.
Disneyland Band - This starts at the Castle and ends at the end of Main Street by the railroad. Times - 12:30pm.
TOMORROWLAND SHOWS - they don’t have any that I’ve actually ever attended but they do have the dance party in the evenings for kids and adults! It usually has characters! This is located at Galactic Grill! During the summer time they have it every night but during the other seasons I believe it is only during the weekends!
RIDES - that MY toddlers like to ride while being under the 40” height requirement in the Disneyland Resort. There are more rides however, MY KIDS enjoy riding these rides the most!
Jungle Cruise - Adventureland
Tarzan’s Treehouse - Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean - New Orleans Square
The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh - Critter Country
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough - Fantasyland
Small World - Fantasyland
Casey Jr. Train - Fantasyland
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey - Fantasyland
Snow White’s Scary Adventure - Fantasyland
Dumbo the Flying Elephant - Fantasyland
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride - Fantasyland
Peter Pan’s Flight - Fantasyland
Alice in Wonderland - Fantasyland
Mad Tea Party - Fantasyland
Storybook land Canal Boats - Fantasyland
Tinkerbell - Pixie Hollow
CHARACTER MEETS - This one is always a tough one for me to determine because the majority of the time, the FAB 5 are around Main Street and ToonTown at different times. HOWEVER, if you have the Disneyland App and go to the LOCATION option and at the top select CHARACTERS, it will show you the time and location the character will come out on Main Street! ***GO TO MY HIGHLIGHTS >BLOG< FOR A SHORT VIDEO ON HOW TO DO THIS***. As far as princesses and other Disney characters go, I too am learning when they come out and where they usually are. From MY experience and where I have seen characters, you can find the following characters in select locations throughout the Disneyland Resort Park:
Princess Tiana - New Orleans Square
Captain Jack Sparrow - New Orleans Square
Entering the parks, there are usually Princesses by the front gate with lines to get pictures with.
Rapunzel - The Royal Theater
Princesses - The Royal Hall (There is usually a sign on who is in the hall to be visited).
Belle and the Beast are usually roaming around Fantasyland.
Jasmine and Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, Ariel and Prince Eric, Villains, and Princesses I have seen around the wishing well by the Sleeping beauty castle.
I have seen Captain Hook and Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and others also roaming around the same areas BUT I also catch them throughout Fantasyland!
The dance party in the evenings at Galactic Grill also has characters for the kids to dance and have fun with!
MEET UP WITH FRIENDS - Meeting up and finding friends has been one of the best experiences for my kids and I. Sometimes, the kids are throwing more tantrums than usual or sometimes I just need some adult interaction and finding friends helps with that so much. I’ve also started to realize that keeping my kids social during the hectic environment of the parks has started to calm down the social anxiety they once had. It’s also fun when unplanned meetings happen! Don’t be afraid to post when you’re in the park or don’t be afraid to message someone and ask if they want to hangout! It’s a safe place to meet people and enjoy time!
SEARCH FOR HIDDEN TREASURES - I started doing this with my daughter because (I may be biased but if you met my 4 year old she’s a freaking genius) the older she gets, the more she wants to learn and loves seeing and finding new things. I started searching facts about the Disneyland Resort on Pinterest and on Google and it was so fun to find these things with my daughter. Here are some hidden treasure we have found that I will NOT include photos of because I want you to go and find them for yourself ;) HAHAHA
In Fantasyland, on the Alice and Wonderland Ride Mushroom and now BOOK stand, there are feet where the caterpillar was and have not been removed. Some tall enough can see them from the ground but Melanie could only see it from actually riding the ride and she LOVED seeing the little feet.
The Alice and Wonderland little door in Fantasyland. Melanie loved feeling “big” like Alice.
Melanie loved finding all of the characters from other Disney movies on It’s a Small World.
Melanie loved finding Mrs. Potts and Chip on the Tarzan’s Treehouse attraction.
Melanie laughed after she got freaked out in where Tarzan is staring at her through a mirror in Tarzan’s Treehouse.
I LOVED putting this blog together about OUR favorite things to do in the Disneyland Resort with MY Toddlers. I left some things out because those are just things my kids don’t like to do but be more than welcome to check them out for yourselves and what your kids like! Every kid is different. Kai used to get very sick and has vomited on a ride and after a ride before. He’s not even 2.5 years old yet. He has gotten so much better overtime but it has taken practice from going on these attractions to start warming him up to the bigger ones. Melanie LOVES bumpy rides and big drops!
I genuinely hope you enjoyed reading this and can tell that I enjoyed putting it together for you! I will be doing the same blog post for Disney California Adventure SOON! Stay Tuned!
We love you guys so much!
Alofa Atu, Con Amor
The Faafetai’s
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