My husband and I have been wanting to take our daughter to Disneyland and we figured now was the perfect time! She turns three in a month so she’s still free to get in, she loves going fast and spinning and we knew it would be a fun adventure for all of us.

So we made a plan and decided to head down to Anaheim last Tuesday. We went into the day with zero expectations. I did a minimal amount of research ahead of time and while I did find some really great tips, I didn’t find a basic Disney 101 post for first timers, so here it is! Most of the guides I looked at were written by pros and lacked some of the very basic intro info I was looking for. This is how we did Disney with an almost three year-old, including which rides, what we ate, did we get a fast pass, how much we spent and the biggest question of all: Was it worth it?

Before we dive in, here’s some basic info about us for context. We live in LA so we knew we were only going down for the day, as I mentioned our daughter is almost three, she’s over 36” and rarely naps these day. We had zero plans or expectations for the day. If we weren’t having fun or it was too much we would leave in the afternoon and if it was amazing and we wanted to stay past bedtime that worked for us too.

We made our way down to Disney on a Tuesday morning knowing that Tuesday would likely have lighter crowds. Since we needed to drop off our ballots (it was Super Tuesday) and have breakfast before the journey we didn’t get on the road until 8:30-ish. Most people recommend getting there before the park opens which I totally understand, but sometimes that just doesn’t happen and for us it was totally okay. With heavy traffic it took about an hour to get there. When we arrived, luck was on our side and a new parking garage level opened up so we were able to park right by the escalators.

We kept our stroller folded up so we could take the escalator (and not wait for the elevator which had a crazy line) so we were ready to board the tram to get to the park less than five minutes after parking. Once in the park proper we quickly learned some valuable lessons that will help us if we decide to go again in the future and will hopefully help any other first-timers out there.

Here is a list (in order) of everything we did to help you plan your day.

1. Finding Nemo - This was the first ride we went on. It was also here that we learned that the Disney app should be used as a general estimate of wait times but should not be considered 100% accurate. The app told us the line was five minutes and it took closer to 15-20. We asked someone in line and we were told you need to update the app frequently to have the most accurate times. Even after he told me that my app did not update from the five minute estimate, so I don’t really know what to say about that other than exercise caution if timing is important to you.

Verdict: Thumbs up

2. Mad Hatter Tea Party - Next we made our way to the iconic teacups. The wait was around 10 minutes and luckily wasn’t in the full sun. If you want to spin really fast make sure to read the directions. We initially spun the wrong way but were able to course correct with plenty of time to spare. The three of us all fit in one tea cup.

Verdict: Loved it!

3. Alice in Wonderland - Located right next to the tea cups, this ride has a nice outdoor line with lots to look at and some prime people-watching. Wait was around 15 minutes. We sat in two separate cars.

Verdict: Loved it!

Snack time - We stopped for churros as churro stands are everywhere and the quickest snack to find.

Verdict: Always worth it.

4. Dumbo - One of the longer lines of the day, it was around 20 minutes and part of the line is under the very hot, bright sun. By the end of the line we were getting warm and squirmy but the ride goes fast and the breeze felt great. We squished all three of us into one row.

Verdict: Loved it!

5. It’s a Small World - After Dumbo we were pretty overheated so we decided to make our way to It’s a Small World. The line took 10-15 minutes and the best part is the ride is LONG and the AC is strong! Seriously this ride is a parent’s savior.

Verdict: Hallelujah praise the Disney gods for giving us shelter from the sun! Recommend.

6. Toon Town - We took a stroll through Toon Town to give our little one a break from waiting in lines. We hung here for maybe 15 minutes while she played on the cars.

Verdict: Not a must see but a nice place to walk around and take a break.

Lunch time! We walked around the Galaxy’s Edge Star Wars area and ate the “Ronto-less Garden Wrap” from Ronto Roasters. It was actually really delicious and high quality fake meat, perf for any vegetarians out there. We used this recent list from Infatuation LA to research the best food at Disneyland and were very pleased with the results.

7. Storybook Canal - This ride ended up being a highlight. We were at the front of the boat so our ride operator let our daughter and another little girl sit on top of the boat in the front which they both loved. Very short line, too.

Verdict: Highly recommend and make sure to sit in the front!

8. Winnie the Pooh - Our daughter loves all things 100 Acre Woods so this ride was our leverage for everything for weeks. “Sleep through the night and you can go on the Winnie ride”, “eat your food and you can go on the Winnie ride…” You get the point. I’m happy to report it lived up to the hype. The wait was less than five minutes and the whole area is a Winnie the Pooh-themed dream world for kids.

Verdict: Highly recommend (for the short line if nothing else)

9. Meeting the Winnie characters - Next we waiting in line to meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Eyore. The line was pretty short but then the characters all took a break so we ended up waiting for closer to 20-30 minutes but it was worth it and the highlight of our little 100 Acre Wood superfan.

Verdict: Amazing! Our daughter got to hug and take pictures with her favorite characters which made her as happy as can be. I would definitely do this again in the future (if she still likes Winnie at that point).

10. Pirates of the Caribbean: Next up was Pirates of the Caribbean. The line looked pretty overwhelming but ended up being under 20 minutes and the ride itself is pretty long. We got temporarily stuck in pitch black while listening to pirates sing which nearly led me to a complete meltdown but overall it was a good ride.

Verdict: If your kid scares easily maybe skip this one. If not, then I recommend.

11. Tiki Room (and Dole whip) - By this point we needed another snack so I pre-ordered a Dole Whip on the app and it was ready for us when we arrived. When we got there they were starting another Tiki Room show so we went in with our Dole Whips. We ended up loving the show and our daughter was totally blown away by all the animatronic birds/plants/etc. Plus ordering the Dole Whips ahead of time allowed us to bypass the line of folks waiting in the sun.

Verdict: Recommend! (Both the show and the food)

12. Peter Pan - We were starting to feel kind of cocky by this point about how fast everything was moving so we decided to do a few more rides before the end of the day. This line ended up being crazy (at least 30 minutes), in tight quarters and all for a very short ride.

Verdict: The ride itself was cool but the experience puts it on my skip list.

13. Pinocchio: We were right next to the ride so we decided we may as well hop on. There was no line and I can see why. It was pretty dark (the tone, not the light) and not especially fun.

Verdict: Skip unless you’re so desperate to do an actual ride without having to wait.

14. Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters: By this point the parade was almost starting so we thought it might be a good time to hop on a few more popular rides without a wait. This one ended up being super fun! We sat in superate cars and our daughter didn’t totally get how to shoot the aliens with the laser tag-style guns but we all had a ton of fun and there was no wait.

Verdict: Would definitely do this again! Probably one of the more entertaining rides for the adults who are primarily doing toddler rides.

15. Astro Orbiter - We pushed it and decided to do one last ride. We went in two separate rocket ships and by this point my daughter was totally done and getting tired but I enjoyed it and we had a great view of the parade.

Verdict: Super fun!

Key takeaways from the day:

When surfing Instagram and looking at your favorite bloggers Disney pics, keep this in mind - Disneyland and California Adventure are not the same! I looked at pics of some Disney pros I follow and I realized a lot of pictures that were posted talked about going to Disneyland and then showed pictures of rides that are actually at California Adventure. I definitely didn’t understand this and initially assumed that the Pixar rides were at Disneyland.
Download the app but know the wait times are not 100% accurate.
Preorder food on the app. It’s super convenient!
Don’t feel like you need a fast pass. A friend went a few weeks before me and said they did not recommend fast pass and found it very stressful because you had to build your day around what time you had to be in specific areas. We did not do fast pass, only had to wait more than 20 minutes for two rides and wouldn’t do it next time either. However, if you go on a weekend or you have an older kid that can do rollercoasters maybe it’s worth it to consider.
Disney doesn’t have to be outrageously expensive (other than the tickets) - Okay, hear me out on this one. The tickets are expensive and there is no getting around that. But, you don’t have to buy a ton of food, treats, etc because you are allowed to bring drinks and food in (we brought yogurt and applesauce pouches, goldfish and fruit for all of us). So prepare to spend money getting there but once you arrive you can have a great day no matter what your budget is.

So am I “a Disney person” now? No. I’m definitely not going to rush out and spend all of my money on an annual pass but I had a great time and would go again in the future! Next time I will probably go to California Adventure instead to compare.

Any tips I’m missing? Add them in the comments is you have any!