Disneyland...the music is still in my head!

Disneyland may not compare to Disneyworld, but I had an amazing time! And it was pointed out to me that Disneyland is the Original. It was well worth the discounted tickets! I don't think I would have enjoyed it half as much without the guidance of my friends-who have season passes and know all the best-kept secrets of the park. They made sure I had the opportunity to ride all the big rides and still allow for plenty of activities for my kids. In addition, we had the best seats for both the fireworks show and the Fantasmic show. The fireworks celebration for the 50th anniversary is the BEST fireworks extravaganza I've ever seen. Absolutely breath-taking. My 3-year-old actually stood still the entire show just in awe of it all-well she did jump up and down when Tinkerbelle flew across the sky. And I'm glad I stayed late to see Fantasmic. The scope of the show was just enormous and put together so flawlessly. My 7-month-old son, who slept through the fireworks show, soaked in the entire Fantasmic spectacular and was cooing along with the music. My worn-out daughter fell asleep and missed most of the show. But, she managed a glimpse at Mickey Mouse and her eyes went to the size of silver dollars and then she fell sound asleep again. If you can manage a long day with kids, I highly recommend staying for both shows. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them downloaded-here's one the park took of Dawson & I on the Buzz Lighyear ride (I'm so focused on the target & Dawson's little head is barely seen-I wonder what she was aiming at with her lazor gun?)

Here are some tips I learned to make for an enjoyable and less stressful trip to Disneyland:
1. Get to the park when it opens (if not before)
2. Take water bottles and snacks for the kids-the park snacks are expensive (I splurged on a nice lunch and bought one treat)
3. Write down the parking area-you might forget after such a full day.
4. Rent a locker. It's only $5 for all day use. (I put my giant diaper bag in the locker and kept the essentials in the bottom of the stroller)
5. Ride most of the big rides first thing.
6. For big rides with long lines already, get FAST PASSES. An attendant will print out a ticket for you with a time to return to the ride and you'll be able to cut right in!
7. Stick with one area and do as much as you can there.
8. Make reservations for a character breakfast or lunch or dinner at a nice restaurant as they get packed. (We went to Blue Bayou-you sit right next the Pirates ride and see the boats go by)
9. Take a blanket if you plan to see the fireworks and/or Fantasmic show-you'll need it for sitting on and saving a spot.
10. To guarantee good seats, save a spot in front of the Magic Castle for the fireworks show or in front of the stage in Frontier Land for the Fantasmic show at least an hour before the show starts. If you have a group of people, it's a good time to take bathroom breaks, grab a bite or shop while others are saving spots.