“To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past…and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” – Walt Disney

In July 1955 a new theme park opened in Anaheim, California that has become a magical destination for folks of all ages. My first trip to Disneyland was when I was about 3 years old in the early 1970s. At that time, my family lived in Merced, California so trips to Southern California were infrequent and special. I remember going again in 1976 and seeing the special American Bicentennial Parade and the America Sings show in Tomorrowland. In 1978 we moved to Ventura County (north of Los Angeles) and our trips to Disneyland became more frequent, but every trip is still special and memorable.

As an adult, I’ve been a Disneyland Annual Passholder for several years and we enjoy going to “The Happiest Place on Earth” as often as we can. Our most recent trip was this past week for Disneyland’s official 60^th Birthday on July 17^th. This was also the 10 year anniversary of when I met my husband — our Disneyland Destiny story. We dressed up in our 1955 inspired best outfits and enjoyed the fun and festivities.

We celebrated Disneyland’s 60th Birthday on July 17, 2015 at the special 1950s era photo opportunities. Photo credits: Disney PhotoPass photographers. PhotoGrid iPhone collage app.

Disneyland Resort (“DLR”) plans to celebrate their 60^th Diamond Celebration until November 2016 – so if you haven’t had a chance to visit yet, there’s still plenty of time to plan a trip. Here are my top 10 tips for making your day memorable.

•  Decide if you’ll be “park hopping” or not. If you’re going for one day, you may want to focus on one park — Disneyland (“DL”) or Disney California Adventure (“DCA”). If you’re going for two or more days, then a “park hopper” pass is definitely the way to go. If you’ll be visiting only one park, then I would choose Disneyland – it’s the original park.

• Check out the official Disneyland Resort website for the calendar and operating hours.
  • Opening: If you plan on being there when the park(s) open, you’ll want to be there about 30 minutes before the time posted. Keep in mind that Disneyland Resort Hotel guests have access to “Magic Morning Entry” which alternates between the 2 parks daily and may affect the wait times on some attractions at the beginning part of the day. Getting there early is a good tip if you want to avoid some of the crowds and heat of midday.
  • Closing: If you plan on staying until the park(s) close, this is another opportunity to enjoy the park(s) after the temperatures cool down and many of the crowds leave. You’re able to enter attraction lines up until the posted closing time (i.e. if DL closes at midnight, you can enter the line for Space Mountain at 11:59). Also, the shops on Main Street (DL) and Buena Vista Street (DCA) stay open for 1 hour after the posted closing time. However, many of the food places close early near the end of the night, so don’t wait until the very last minute to get a coffee or other snacks for the road.
  • Ride Height Minimums: Some of the rides in both parks have minimum height requirements. For many children, being tall enough to ride these, including the “E Ticket” rides, is a rite of passage. Here are some additional ideas for capturing these memorable milestones.

• Choose your nighttime entertainment/shows. There are 4 nighttime shows at the Disneyland Resort and 3 of them are brand new for the Diamond Celebration. If you’re visiting DL, the choices are: Paint the Night (“PTN”), “Fireworks Forever”, or Fantasmic. Both Paint the Night and Fireworks Forever are new and debuted in May 2015. If you’re visiting DCA, the nighttime entertainment is “World of Color” and a new show was created for the Diamond Celebration and debuted in May 2015.
  • Paint the Night Parade – Two performances nightly on most nights (check schedule). Viewing for the first parade fills up quickly as people stake out their spots along the route on Main Street early (sometimes 2 hours in advance). The first PTN starts at Small World and finishes near the front of DL by the Mad Hatter Shop. The second PTN begins at the front of DL and ends up at Small World. Immediately after the first show of PTN is the Fireworks show, so plan accordingly to have a good view of the parade and then also the skies above the castle.
  • Fireworks Forever – One fireworks show nightly (check schedule if you’ll be visiting during off-peak times/months). New features for this fireworks show are projections on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, the buildings along Main Street, It’s a Small World, and the front side of Matterhorn. If you watched the first PTN parade you’ll be watching the fireworks from the same location. If you just watched “Fantasmic” you’ll be watching the fireworks from Adventureland & Frontierland. My husband and I saw the new fireworks show in May soon after it debuted and we were at the end of Main Street near the train station. We weren’t able to see the projections on the castle, but could see the new effects along Main Street. During our trip in July, we watched the fireworks from our hotel room (Frontierland Tower / Disneyland Hotel) and could see the projections on the front of Matterhorn.
  • Fantasmic – This show debuted over 20 years ago, but it’s still one of my favorites. The Disney Imagineers have made some improvements over the years with the special effects and recently this night show started using the FastPass (“FP”) system for reserved viewing. There are 2 ways to get the FastPasses for Fantasmic. One is to get them upon arriving at DL for the day. The FP distribution site is along the trail between Big Thunder RR roller coaster and the Big Thunder Ranch. The second way is to reserve a “Fantasmic Dining Package” in advance of your trip. Your dining package will include FastPasses for Fantasmic. More details about the Fantasmic Dining Packages can be found here. There are typically 2 Fantasmic show times nightly (check schedule). Having a FP for Fantasmic will not affect your ability to have FastPasses for other attractions during the day.
  • World of Color – This nighttime show is at DCA and there is a new version for the Diamond Celebration. There are typically 2 shows nightly (check schedule). World of Color (“WOC”) debuted in 2010 and utilizes the FastPass (“FP”) system for reserved viewing. There are 2 ways to get the FastPasses for WOC. One is to get them upon arriving at DCA for the day. The FP distribution site is along the trail between Grizzly Run Rapids and Redwood Creek Challenge. The second way is to reserve a “World of Color Dining Package” in advance of your trip. Your dining package will include FastPasses for WOC. More details about the WOC Dining Packages can be found here. There are typically 2 WOC show times nightly (check schedule). Having a FP for WOC will not affect your ability to have FastPasses for other attractions during the day.
  • If you’re only going to be at Disneyland one day, the only way to see all 3 of the DL nighttime shows is to watch the first showing of Fantasmic, stay where you are after Fantasmic and watch Fireworks Forever, then go to Main Street for the second PTN parade. This will only work on nights when there are 2 PTN parades (check the schedule).

• Understand the DLR FastPass system. At the more popular attractions, DLR offers Fastpass (FP) as a way of reserving a time window to return and enjoy the attraction. Many rides (and shows as described above) offer FP and are indicated on the park maps.
  • • The FP system is included in the admission price – no extra fees to participate. With the exception of the Dining Packages that include FP, all FastPasses are given out on the same day of your visit on a first-come, first-served basis. Some attractions run out of their allotted FastPasses within hours of the park opening, while other attractions will have FPs available throughout the day. For example, it’s common for Radiator Springs Racers (in DCA) to run out of FPs for the day by mid-morning.
    • For ride attractions, once you have a FP, you’re able to get another FP in 2 hours or when the FP window begins, whichever comes first. It is possible to have multiple FPs at one time. Here’s how — DL and DCA have 2 separate FP systems. Also, the shows (like Fantasmic and WOC) are on a separate system and Character Meet-n-Greets (i.e. Elsa & Anna in DCA) are on yet another system. It can be a bit confusing at first, but you’ll quickly get the hang of it.
    • Please note: The time windows on the FPs for rides are now being enforced (and have been for the past year approximately) so be sure to return within your allotted time frame.

•  Capture some fun photos throughout both parks. A trip to the Disneyland Resort is great time to take some memorable photos that will become cherished reminders of your magical day. Both parks have “Nikon Photo Spots” that are locations marked by a small sign and an example of an iconic photo you may want to capture. There are also PhotoPass photographers located throughout the parks to assist you with taking photos. Some of these locations offer “magic shots” so be sure to ask your photographer.
  • PhotoPass and PhotoPass+ cards – The PhotoPass cards are free to have and add photos to them at the locations where there are PhotoPass photographers. At the end of your visit, you can choose to print some of the pictures or load them all on to a photo CD. Your photos are also available for 30 days to view/order/download online through the PhotoPass website. If you plan on purchasing the ride photos (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, California Screamin’, etc.) or if you will be dining at a Character Meal, then you may want to purchase the PhotoPass+ card. All of your photos taken by the PhotoPass photographers, on rides (with photos) and at Character Meals will be included on a photo CD (included in the purchase price) and you can order prints of photos at an additional cost. If you have any questions about PhotoPass or PhotoPass+, check out the official website or ask at the PhotoPass shops inside DL or DCA.
  • Special Diamond Days Photo Locations – New for the 60^th Birthday, special “Diamond Days Photo Locations” have been added in both parks. There is typically a PhotoPass photographer there to help take pictures or you can take them yourself. At DL, the current locations are: Big Thunder Railroad (near the Big Thunder BBQ entrance), Matterhorn (between the entrance and the submarine lagoon), and Haunted Mansion (next to the exit). At DCA, the current locations are: California Screamin’ (near the exit) and Grizzly Peak (on the path near the Little Mermaid ride as you’re walking toward Redwood Creek Challenge). In the near future, they are going to add a location at/near Bug’s Land, but no official date has been set as of the time of this post.
  • Characters in special Diamond Celebration outfits – Mickey & Minnie and many of their friends have gotten all dressed up for the Diamond Celebration with new outfits that are quite dazzling. At many of the character locations, PhotoPass photographers are there to assist with pictures and if not the cast member who is traveling with the character will help take photos with your camera or phone.
  • PhotoPass photographers will use your camera too – In addition to snapping some pictures with their camera and putting them on your PhotoPass card, the Disney PhotoPass photographers are happy to take a couple of pictures with your camera or phone. Just have your camera or phone ready and hand it to them when it’s your turn – this helps keep the line moving.
  • “Selfie Sticks” are no longer allowed inside any Disney theme park – For a while, selfie sticks were only prohibited on rides. However, as of July 1, 2015 they are banned completely from all Disney parks. There are numerous signs clearly stating this so just leave them at home or in your car. If you try to bring one in, the bag checkers will collect it from you and give you a claim ticket to retrieve it at the end of the day.

•   Enjoy special food & beverage offerings for the Diamond Celebration.
  • On the original advertisements for Disneyland in 1955 it said: “Restaurants for every taste and purse.” This is still true today with a variety of food options (including vegetarian and gluten-free) at a range of prices.
  • Special desserts are being offered at many locations in both parks.Souvenir popcorn buckets shaped like an iconic Mickey balloon available in blue, red, and purple (popcorn included).
  • Other special food and beverage items being offered at many places for the Diamond Celebration.

• Check out newly renovated attractions. In the past couple of years a few of the DL attractions have been improved and enhanced. These include: Haunted Mansion (Hat Box Ghost returns), Matterhorn (Abominable Snowman animatronics improved), Peter Pan’s Flight, and Alice in Wonderland.

•  Bring some of the magic home with souvenirs.
  • Special 60^th Birthday/Diamond Celebration souvenirs are available for purchase at a variety of price points. Some of them are limited editions or of limited quantity.
  • Our “Disney shopping” rule = if you see it and want it, you better buy it because it may not be at other shops in the resort or you won’t remember where you saw it later. If you change your mind, you can return it before you leave the resort.
  • Pressed Pennies & Coins are a fun way to bring home the magic. Special 60^th pressed pennies/coins are available at both parks. There’s a special brochure that shows all of the pressed coin locations for keeping track and the new Diamond ones are labeled. The gift shops also sell keepsake portfolios to save/display your pressed coins.
  • Bring home some extra copies of the park maps and schedules – they’re free! Also, there’s a quarterly newspaper available The Buena Vista Bugle at DCA (free) that is a unique keepsake. These make fun additions for your scrapbook and/or there are several craft projects you can make with them when you return home (check Pinterest for ideas).

• Show off your DisneySide!
  • If you’re celebrating something special, pick up a free button and wear it while you’re at the park(s). There are free buttons for many celebrations – Birthday, Anniversary, 1^st Visit, Just Graduated, Just Engaged, Just Married, etc. They are available at City Hall on Main Street or at the Guest Relations kiosks.
  • Consider “Disneybounding” or wearing matching shirts/colors during your visit to the park(s).
    • If you’re going with a large group, you may want to coordinate with matching shirts. There are many places to buy these in advance of your trip if you check out different shops on etsy.com (search “custom Disney vacation shirts”) or create your own at a local silkscreen/t-shirt shop.
    • Another option is to “Disneybound” as your favorite Disney character, ride, movie, land, etc. For our recent trip, I dressed as “Dole Whip” and my husband was “Tiki Room”. This is an entire blog post on its own, but in the meantime simply search “Disneybounding” on Pinterest or Google/Bing and you should get some fun ideas until I post more about this.

Showing our DisneySide on July 17, 2015. Krista Disneybounding as Dole Whip and Lloyd as Tiki Room. Photo credits: Krista & Lloyd. PhotoGrid iPhone collage app.

•  Pace yourself if you’ll be at the park(s) all day.
  • Stay hydrated! Free H2O is available at many places if you ask.
  • Seek shade & cooler spots mid-day.
  • Wear comfortable shoes. I wear a pedometer every day and on our trips to DL and DCA I average between 13,000 steps (6 miles) to 18,000 steps (8 miles) and we don’t typically stay for the full day.
  • Dress in layers or bring a light jacket for evening, wear sunscreen, bring sunglasses, wear a hat.
  • Pack your patience. Disneyland Resort is often very crowded and you may not be able to accomplish everything you had planned.
  • Take breaks to keep your energy up. Standing in lines and the constant walking can be tiring even if you’re normally active. We like to get a snack, sit in the shade, and enjoy the ambience/atmosphere of this magical place.

I hope you’ve found this list of tips helpful as you plan your trips to The Happiest Place on Earth! If you have questions or something you’d like for me to help you with while you’re planning your visit, please let me know in the comments section or on my blog’s Facebook page. Have a magical time!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”