A TPG Reader's Top Tips for Navigating Disneyland
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Here at TPG, we spotlight stories from our readers — fantastic travel made possible with some savvy tips and tricks. In our new lounge on Facebook, TPG Lounge member Serenity Forbes shared some insights on navigating Disneyland in California. Do you have any tips to share? If your story catches TPG’s eye and we publish it, we’ll send you a gift to jump-start your next adventure.
Planning Your Visit
Get there early — as close to opening time as possible. It sucks, but when you walk into Tomorrowland and no one is there, it's pretty amazing. Some parts of the park are empty for the first few hours — mainly Critter Country and the It's a Small World ride. Toon Town is also empty, usually an hour after the park opens. The Disneyland app is shockingly accurate and helpful, but I also use an app called Mousewait that gives better info for stuff like parade times as well as when rides will be shut down for maintenance, and for how long.
Where to Park
Toy Story continues to be our preferred parking lot and from there, you take the shuttle to the park. There is less hassle than using the parking structure and tram and the parking folks there are much friendlier. On a good day, the buses are in a single line instead of the crowds waiting in an amorphous blob near the Disneyland tram stop. No one really cuts in line [by the shuttles] and it's a much fairer system.
Dining at Disneyland
There are no restrictions for bringing in food, though the parks don't allow glass containers or alcohol. We always pack a lunchbox full of sandwiches, fruit and hearty snacks to keep us full throughout the day. It saves so much money. You can also bring in empty water bottles and fill them up at drinking fountains all day.
There is a Starbucks on Main Street and while it doesn't have a sign out front, if you go in — on the right side, halfway down toward the castle — you'll find a full Starbucks menu.
If you know you will be at the park on a certain day, you should make a dining reservation somewhere like Blue Bayou. Dining reservations can be made six weeks in advance online and you can cancel up to one day before without being charged. If you do eat at Blue Bayou, request a table by the water.
Using FastPass and Parent Swaps
Map out what rides you want to hit; if they're popular ones, you need to grab those FastPasses ASAP and/or ride them first. On a typical Sunday morning at 8:15am, you can walk onto Space Mountain in just a few minutes — within an hour, though, the line is at least 45 minutes long.
If you have small children or any who simply don't want to go on one of the big kid rides, you can ask for a parent swap pass, or what Disney calls "Rider Switch," which enables one parent to stay and wait with that child while the other parent rides. These swap passes are good all day — we like to save them for the afternoon when the lines are longest. For almost every ride, swap passes can be used like a FastPass. They are available on any ride where there is a height requirement.
Meeting the Characters
We always stop by Pixie Hollow first thing in the morning, as the lines tend to be very long in the middle of the day. At 9:00am on a Sunday, you maybe only have to wait 5-10 minutes.
There are a handful of cast member entrances/exits at the park, and one is located by the bathrooms near the rocket ships in Tomorrowland. If you hang out there, you're guaranteed to see characters like Peter Pan, the Evil Queen, any of the princesses and Mary Poppins. There's also one at the very end of Critter Country near the Splash Mountain exit, and you'll often seen Winnie the Pooh characters rotating in and out of it. Another character hotspot is by the bathrooms next to the Disney Junior show at Disney California Adventure, but the only characters you'll see there are the Disney Junior folks.
Working With the Weather
Rainy days aren't what they used to be and I've seen rainy Sundays be as busy as any other weekend. People assume rainy days and holidays — or even Super Bowl Sunday — would be a great time to visit, but they're just as bad or worse than other days. Check the isitpacked crowd forecaster for an idea of what the crowd levels will be like once you get there. It might help you plan your day better so you can get there early, go on rides all morning and by late morning or early afternoon do all the stuff you don't really need to worry about lines for, like Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and the Magical Map shows.
There are a handful of places with reliable air conditioning to relax and beat the heat in at Disneyland — in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, Main Street Cinema, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Star Wars Launch Bay — as well as the Animation Academy at Disney California Adventure. There are also water play areas in Bug's Land; kids have to wear their shoes but there are family bathrooms nearby to change into and out of swimsuits.
Best Views of Parades — and Fireworks
If you plan on waiting for a parade, it is important to ask which direction it's coming from — that will determine the best place to sit for the view. If you don't care about the fireworks show, one of the best places for parade watching is in front of the It's a Small World ride; there's no foot traffic so kids can run around in the parade area — and less people camp out there — making for good views in either direction.
The best place to watch the nighttime parade and have a great view of the fireworks is slightly to the right in front of the castle, at the junction of the road that heads up to the Matterhorn and the island where the Disney statue is. If the parade is coming from the It's a Small World side, you'll have an unobstructed view of the floats as they come down the road from the Matterhorn. After the parade, immediately look toward the castle and you should have a perfect view of it with the fireworks.
What are your top tips for navigating Disneyland? Let us know in the comments, below.
Images courtesy of Disneyland California/Facebook.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.