Away to Disneyland for a week tomorrow with wife and our 3.5 year old boy.

What can you lot recomend that’s worth trying and what rides or shows are not worth the effort.
His grandad left money for this trip before he died so any don’t waste your money coments are not required 😀

Where are you staying?

We found it good to come in & go back to the Davy Crocket Ranch so my daughter could have a swim / chill out, and then go back later if we wanted

Also found a good, cheap pizza place so we didn’t get bummed by the on site catering.

At 3.5 he won’t get to go on too many of the rides, but the train was cool all the way round. Are you going for a full week? We were done for after 2.5 days

Stay off site and drive there to save a fortune.

Take butties or prepare to queue and be ripped off for food

Get them fast pass tickets

Book tickets from outside the UK, it’s cheaper, apparently.

Don’t go at the weekend.

Enjoy.

Have been this summer with a 6 and 3.5year olds plus baby.

Firstly we all had fun, I’ve never been that fussed about the Disney experience, but had a whale of a time. The following advice is based on Disneyland Paris btw.

If you’re at a hotel on site, you get 2hours before the general public are allowed in, this is great with little ones as the rides they are likely to be able to go on are basic but the queues can be mammoth during normal hours. I’m mainly thinking about the Dumbo ride that my daughter loved.

Have to meet Mickey, start queuing for this early. Alternatively you can have meals with the characters, though this is a pricey option. Having said that, it surprising how blase with cash we got…

The Queen of Hearts maze was good, very little queuing first thing.

I my son and I built my his lightsabre

Have a blast – it’s a great experience. Planning on going back in a few years when they’re a bit bigger.

We went when daughter was three and had a great time. Crockett Ranch was nice enough, don’t forget your trunks if you’re going to be swimming.
As said above, get in there early, run around before it gets busy, then chill.

Take your own food. It will save you money and queues. We used to stock up at breakfast at the on site hotel ….

Get fast tickets. Makes it much easier.

Buzz lightyear ride is good, the car thing nearby and Peter Pan.

I was dreading it but it was great fun.

Get on the tower of terror !.. & trip to
Mars if they have it at Paris ,not been for 10 years…nothing compares to Florida tho .. Great place !.

Don’t expect to buy tabs inside like I did.

Last time we went I still smoked, got there the night before and had non with me. Didn’t realise only tobacconists sold them in France.

Had to get my hand stamped to go back out of the park to walk a mile or so to buy some smokes.

Still have a picture somewhere of me on that mountain ride with my hands in the air clutching 197 Embassy No1 in one hand.

Oh and the night parade was ace.

If you’re hoteling on-site be nice to the staff and they won’t charge for food. Go on everything, embrace the queues and most importantly….

…CHILL

don’t forget your trunks if you’re going to be swimming.

Yes, Disney is not the place for naked swimming.

Do the character dining, it was amazing, total rip off… and the food was average.. but worth every penny for the kids!

The park isn’t that big that you won’t figure it all out pretty swiftly, boy will love it, if he is on the border of the height restrictions 102cm I think, maybe 99cm (one of ours was) train him to stand on his tiptoes when he gets measured.

We loved it, a week will be long, but hey you’re not paying.. On balance we probably enjoyed Disney more than Legoland..

Re:food, as above, make food from the breakfast buffet, its not only cheaper, but nicer than what is available in the park

ETA: dont miss the parade!

The new Ratatouille ride is amazing but massive queues so get there bang on 10am or get fast pass
Rest of rides are very average fairground stuff for a 3/4 year old
Make up a packed lunch from hotel breakfast buffet, if you must buy food in the park try to go before 12 or after 2 to avoid queues
Best place for meeting characters is the square outside the Disney Jnr theatre
There are some nice restaurants and a supermarket in the town just outside we ventured there one evening
On site the best restaurant value wise was the American burger diner place with the two American cars outside(can’t recall it’s name but you will see it straight away)

Get there early for the parade, RHS of the main square was a good less crowded position and it’s T the end so you can walk after the floats for a bit

Fireworks at 11pm are amazing well worth trying to get the little one to stay up for

We went with our 11 and 7 year olds this year. I billed it on here as the “holiday from hell” – paid for and accompanied by the outlaws.

I was wrong – apart from the outlaws – it was ace and I’d love to go back and do it again without them!

A week gives you lots of time to pace it for the little fella, and for the two of you to split up so you can take turns to do grown up rides without him. It’s not huge, you’ll soon find your way around. There is less for little people to do in the Studio as opposed to the main park.

Our two weren’t into Disney films or the characters so we didn’t bother with meeting them, though you do bump into them as you wander about. They loved the parade – queue early for the parade to get close enough for him to see.

Depending on what he likes, the Buzz Lightyear ride was good, the Studio Tram Tour, the new Ratatuille ride was great but maybe a bit big for him. The little runaway train ride and slinky dog “rollercoasters” are small child friendly. Use the Fast Pass system if you can. Only you will know how long it is worth him queuing for. And go to the Lego shop in the village – amazing statue of Mickey in Fantasia in the window, all made of Lego.

We stayed at the Santa Fe – furthest from the park but still only an easy 15 minute stroll along the canal. We went half board with the “buffets” though breakfast was more like international rugby sevens in August! Fill up on croissants and pain au chocolate. Get some rolls, cheese and ham to make up some sandwiches for lunch. We had free vouchers for cakes and a drink in the afternoon. Then buffets for evening meals at various of the hotels and restaurants. We didn’t pay for any food apart from drinks and ice creams all stay. There is McDonalds and Starbucks in the village if you get desperate as well.

It may be chilly this time of year, especially first thing in the morning or in the evenings.

If anyone else is thinking of going my other suggestion is to get the Eurostar from St Pancras to the park itself – only one a day but so easy. Upgrade to the middle “class” so you get a light meal on the train, but book kids meals in advance. Get the luggage service so your stuff goes straight from the station to the hotel for you – get off the train, drop off the bags, 5 minutes and you are in!

Thanks for all the posts

Sequoia Lodge is where we will be sleeping and eating

Not there for a full week, we return home on Thursday.

Smoking not an issue any more, but it was weird when I first visited France when I smoked going to the only shop in the shopping centre that sold tobacco. 😀

We have a character dining booked. But wife has didn’t tell me the price

Sequoia was the next one in to us – if you fancy a change try eating at Santa Fe or the Western themed one on the other side of the canal, they are all slightly different menus and themes, fun to explore

We stayed at the Sequioa Lodge, better than I expected, we mainly ate around the park, breakfasts were okay. Walk slightly longer back at the start of August as they were working on the bridge that takes you past new York, hopefully should be finished for your trip, though walking past the Newport lodge was hardly difficult.

Good thread this, storing tips for next time 🙂

Not much to add.
Went Easter with 2 4yo’s
Davy Crockett and cooking own food/packed lunch worked well
Have a chilled morning on site if planning on staying up for eve show (worth it!)
Take water bottles in
There are some golden arches tucked away for a cheaper meal in the complex
Look out for Lego shop too for a bit of chill/daddy play time!
Buzz lightyear ride was fun…

As above; use the early hours to do some rides and then leave the park for bacon at Annettes. Use Fastpass to get on the good stuff (Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones)

Go back to your accom in the afternoon for a rest and recharge. Go back and stay til the fireworks are done.

Expect to queue, and embrace the cheese. My 10-year old was very blase about Disney, but was delighted to meet Goofy strolling around Davy Crockett.

No one will think you’re too cool for it, you’ll just look like a miserable git.

Don’t go on the ‘It’s a small world’ ride, it will haunt you until you die.

grilla – bastard!

“It’s a small world after all……”

Even more great tips, more thanks.

Despite an almost disastrous start.
We had 15 mins to spare when train was leaving and like a total bellend I wanted a half decent coffee from Cafe Nero. I jumped of the train went down the escalator and had to go through the exit with others getting off other trains. I was now back by Cafe Nero with a train ticket but no passport.

Mad panic to get back through security, overheard security saying they had a trespasser and was marched towards the passport booths and asked which officer I went through with. The guy who checked ours didn’t recognise me until I mentioned my wife asked him to stamp sons passport. Let on with a telling off about the not being worth missing a holiday.

What an amazing place. Will post more later

Outside the park there is a shopping/food centre. Opposite the Rainforest Cafe there is a diner where they bring out the characters every thirty minutes (IIRC). You still have to book but it is much easier to get in and food is much more reasonably priced.

Ohh, and tell them it is the young ‘uns’ birthday and the characters come to your table, sing happy birthday and give you free cake 🙂