If there were ever a golden (or in honor of Disney100, platinum) opportunity to visit Disneyland, this is it.
Not only is the Southern California resort celebrating 100years of the Walt Disney Co. with two new nighttime spectacular shows and other special offerings,but Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway just opened, the beloved "Magic Happens" parade just returned,Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festivalrunsthrough April 15,and Mickey's Toontown is reopening March 19 after a major overhaul.
To make the most of a trip to the"Happiest Place on Earth," we turned to three peoplewho know Disneylandinside and out:cast members who grew up asannualpassholders.
From what to avoid to what not to miss, here are their protips.
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Like many Disneycast members, Michael Parisifell in love with the parksas a kid.
"Specificallyit was the Haunted Mansionstretching rooms that would always really get me excited. It set up the story for the attraction, and it involves the cast member," he smiled. "Iloved watching them perform that roleand so ever since I was little, I always specifically wanted to work the Haunted Mansion."
He got his wish,then did some working in attractions before shifting into a maintenance response specialist role at the resort.
Ride theattractions
He still loves Haunted Mansion andRise of the Resistance,which herides regularly andhighly recommends to guests. "There's just so many details and so many things to look at that you can go on itdozens of times and you may notice something you didn't notice the time before," he said."It just never gets old."
He also recommends Indiana Jones Adventure, which isn't available at Walt Disney World."That is another just incredibly immersive attraction that just tells the story so clearly and really makes you feel like you're actually part of the world," Parisisaid.
Nostalgicfans may also appreciate another of his favorites,Mr. Toad's WildRide, one of the original opening-day rides at Disneyland. Itclosedin Floridadecades ago.
"Ithas the charm of classic Disney," Parisisaid. "You can feel a lot of Walt's hand inthe storytelling and just progression of the attraction and how much love and attention to detail it has. ... And luckily it never has too long of a wait."
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Use the Disneyland app
Parisi's go-to tip for first-time guests is to use Disneyland's freeapp to check wait times at attractions. "That's generally how Istrategize my day," he said. "Also the very first thing in the morning or the very last thing at night, generally those are shorter wait times, so you can kind of prioritizethe attractions that are a little bit more popular."
Be strategic with steps
He tackles the parks section by section, hitting up everything he wants to do in onebefore moving on to the next, instead of traversingback and forth all day.
"The more amount of time that you're walking from area to area, that's just not wasted time, but that's essentially time you can utilize for other things," he said, adding one caveat. "If an attraction has a shorter wait time than it normally does, that's usually when I just book it over there as fast as I can."
Interact with cast members
Another tip he shares is to engage with cast members throughout the day."A lot of the cast members that work in the resort are extremely passionate about the company, the job, their role in everything, and so they're always really excited to talk about it," he said. "They always have some of the best tips possible, especially over at Galaxy's Edge.... All the cast members on Batuuhave their own stories that they've incorporated with their show, and so you're able to havethese really unique, fun interactions."
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What to see at Disneyland
When Esteban Valerioisn't working, he likes to sit in theparksand soak everythingin.
"Just immerse yourself. Focus on the small things," the guest relations managersaid. "There's something so incredible to me when it comes to just relaxing on a park bench on Main Streetor on the Hub, looking at Sleeping Beauty Castle."
Hislove for Disney "goes back really all the way to the '90s, growing up with Disney on VHS tapes" and visiting the parks."I've always considered Disneyland to be my home."
He knows many guests come with a long checklist of things to do.
Slow down and savor
"My tip for people who have the checklist: Study the checklist at home, but when you're at Disneyland, stop and smell the roses. Stop and smell the churros," he laughed. "Andjust appreciate that you're here because for some of those families, they may have saved for five years to visit our parks and that moment when they're finally here, appreciate that moment."
One of Valerio's favorite ways to slow down is to savortheentertainment offerings across the resort.
See a show
"Obviously I didn't design any of the shows, but there's a huge joy that I get when I hear people react," he said."I don't think anyone, including myself, ever gets tired of watching Fantasmic!"
During the holidays, he enjoys the live performances ofDisney California Adventure'sDisney ¡Viva Navidad!Right now, he'sintothe new nighttime spectacular Wondrous Journeys."I want to be able to watch it from all thelittle different vantage pointsand just beable to see all the hidden Easter eggs and all the tributes to all of our films that are in the show."
All showtimes can be found under the Entertainment tab of themap onDisneyland's app. "It'll show you where all these shows are going to be, whether it's a big nighttime spectacularlike World of Color – Oneor the Dapper Dans(barbershop quartet) on Main Street, U.S.A.," he said.
Don't watch spoilers
There are two things he advises against:watching spoiler videos before your visit and getting disappointed if you don't get to everything while you're there.
"One of my philosophies when it comes to traveling, in general, is if I don't see it,I'm able to enjoy this (now), and it gives me a reason to hopefully come back one day," he said.
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What to eat at Disneyland
Aprille Hwang tries to eat everything she can when she visitsthe parks as a guest.
"Ialways try to plan what I'm going to eat before I go," shesaid, reading up onfoodie guides and blogs. "Gotta optimize my trip, get as much food in my belly as possible."
The marketing strategy manageralways knew she wanted to work at Disneyland and says she still has to pinchherself sometimesworking behind "it's a small world."
Before beginning her career at the resort, she always gotthree staples during visits: clam chowder in a bread bowl,Plaza Inn'sfamous fried chicken, and "obviously churros," which she's convinced are "magically dusted" and come in a rainbow offlavors likesweet and sourand lemon raspberry pie.
Try new foods
"I love that Disneyland continues to cycle out new flavors and offerings and takes new takes on classic items," she said. "For example, there's this really good toasted birria sandwich at Jolly Holiday....I actually didn'thave birriaprior tobirria being brought into Disneyland. I don't know if that negates me from being a foodie by saying that."
She encourages guests to beopen to unfamiliar cuisines. Guests can try eightdishes with a shareableSip and Savor Passduring Disney California AdventureFood&WineFestival.Hwang likes tosharewith friends to be able totrymore flavors.
Mobile order to save time
Shealso mobile orders,when possible. "I'm a big fan of not waiting in line so that I can maximize my foodie adventure."
Reserve dining early orwalk up last minute
For table-service meals,particularly at high-demand restaurants like Blue Bayou, Hwangrecommends booking reservations as soon as possible, up to 60 days in advance,and considering dining packages that guarantee reserved viewing of parades and nighttime spectaculars.If you can't get advancereservations, she advisesjoining walk-up lists for restaurants once inside the park.
"There's so much opportunity to explore through taste," she said. "I think that's what makes us such a unique place."
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