13 Things I Will NEVER Do at Disneyland Ever Again

[@Michelle-z5i5r]

We were just there last week and we took your advice and did not rope drop Rise and Radiator Springs. Instead we rope dropped Space Mountain and Pixar Pier. Thank you for the advice because we had such success with getting on so many big attraction rides during the golden hour and at a very minimal wait.

[@Coast2Coast88]

I love the train ride. There’s just something about seeing the park from a different angle that is heart warming ❤ Another thing I don’t do at Disneyland is try to force a schedule. By doing that we always ruin the magic and end up frustrated. That’s not always easy if you don’t have a pass to go often but it can still be done. It’s really nice when you let go of expectations and allow the Disney days to happen organically.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Yes! I always say to have a plan, but don’t let it dictate your schedule to the point of stressing. It’s good to know what rides everyone prioritizes so that if you do nothing else, everyone got to ride the one ride they were most looking forward to. Then take it from there.

[@garrettsaathoff1008]

“This ride has no hidden Mickeys” while one it almost center frame is so funny.

[@MelissaHash]

Can i just say that y'all are like the most family friendly Disney vlog series here on KZbin!

[@MichaelSchwartz250]

I don’t know if I’m tripping or not but I swear I see a hidden Mickey at @16.44 on the postcard in it’s a small world where the giraffe head is

[@Neon_Medusa]

That's totally one!!

[@Laura_G]

Thank you for advising not to get the commonplace eats like hot dogs and chicken tenders! I've watched some WDW vloggers who visit Disneyland and eat all those basic items because that's what they get at WDW. Disneyland/DCA has so many great and tasty food options! Why eat chicken tenders and fries while at either park? Those are food options for fussy children.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

I can’t tell you the number of times people tell us Disney parks don’t have good food. And then we ask what they’re eating and they list a restaurant that just sells burgers or chicken tenders. 😂

[@3drage]

I went the week before Splash Mountain closed, rope dropped and was on the ride in less than 10 minutes. That long only because of how long the walk was. Barely anyone there, I took several pictures, thought about when I first came there with my parents, and said good bye. Although the hype and energy looked huge closing night, I was happy not to have had to wait 3 hours for my last ride. In the span of 45 minutes, I rode Pirates twice and Haunted Mansion three times. My favorite rides of the park, and the first time ever I got the little red card to help them measure wait times, that was pretty cool.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

The lead up to the last day of Splash wasn’t too bad. We rode it maybe 2 weeks prior and it was a walk on. The weather lately hasn’t been very “water ride” weather. But that last day, the line was like 3-4 hours long at one point. Getting a red card is always fun!

[@jacobwells2888]

I think I saw a hidden Mickey just as you were saying there were none, on the small world ride (around 16:30). Check out the giraffe head What do you think?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Yes! Multiple people pointed this out. I had never known about it, clearly didn't see it as I said it. But now I do!

[@roydelahanty5200]

Again, another great video and informative. I like it when you include your wife and sons in your vlogs; it makes it so much family oriented when talking about Disneyland. We are heading there the last week in September and can’t wait to enjoy what you have described! BTW, because I like your videos with your family, how can I make a one time gift?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy them. If you’d like to provide a monetary gift, the button that says “Thanks” and has a heart with a “$” in it next to the Thumbs Up, Share, and Remix options on the KZbin watch page allows you to leave something called a “Super Thanks”. This goes directly into our account.

[@amyrogalsky6983]

I have to put my plug in for character breakfasts because I love them 😂 I do agree with pretty much all the other never’s, but we did Goofy’s kitchen last week for our trip and it was amazing. It’s true you can find characters for free, but the one on one time my kiddos got with their favorite characters and not having to rush was soooo nice. Plus the food wasn’t half bad! We look at the price tag more for the experience, plus we have to eat anyway might as well have fun while we’re at it 😂 also it looks like you were in DCA same time as us and we’re so bummed we didn’t see you! Our whole family loves watching your videos

[@stephryanvids]

There’s a hidden Mickey on the ceiling at It’s A Small World that’s made by some balloons or maybe one of the hot air balloons.

[@blackknight9558]

5:34 Love the face you made when you tried the Wagonade 😂

[@fionapaterson3747]

AWESOME tips about Rise and not waiting if it breaks down 👌👌👌, this is our number one ride to do, so we’re gathering as many tips as poss. Thanks traver you’re awesome 🌈

[@danielguizar360]

Toontown is less busy after 10pm lol 😂. Not to mention Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has a shorter wait

[@blackknight9558]

Agreed, it was empty close to midnight 🕛

[@patooykaas3544]

we love the Aulani and we are going back in January with our kids and grandkids this time! So excited. Ive been binge watching your videos as we will be stopping at Disneyland for one day before flying to Hawaii. Thank you for all the info. Your family is so cute, they make this grandma laugh!

[@tracydobbs6173]

We are headed there in August and I am so appreciative of the tips

[@Moonlit.22]

Thank you for these videos! You’ve been so helpful I’m taking my kids next week. It’s our first time! So I’ve been watching some of your videos to have some prep lol

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

First times are always special! Have a great visit.

[@carlrasmussen1282]

16:40 right above your hidden Charlie Brown is the Giraffe with a mickey head?

[@camjk007]

Great video! Going to disneyland/dca with a park hopper with 2 of my friends for my birthday and I've been watching all of your videos for tips!

[@cklo8799]

The idea for a breakfast vlog is a great idea! Those tacos looked amazing!!

[@almostfiction]

19:46 I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but you remind me so much of the Disney character Fife.

[@MP-cr7uf]

Great tips and ones I mostly use as well. We have never done a character meal (even though my relatives swear by them), but my daughter has lots of pictures with characters (and some signatures in her autograph book) from both Disney and Universal parks without going to a character meal. The character meals are so expensive (especially for the food you get) and take a good chunk of time. I don’t enjoy huge crowds and staying late at the parks, so we don’t stay for projection and/or fireworks shows. We would rather leave (preferably right before dinner time) after a fun filled day-especially if planning to go back the next morning. We sleep better if we are not exhausted and get the much needed rest for feet as well. The only exception was the evening “Magic Happens” parade, which was great and not late at night (and as long as you avoided Main Street-was not that crowded). We usually do try to conquer rides land by land though. However, we split the park in half over 2 days and use Genie + to do so. On our last trip we started out in Galaxy’s Edge (we didn’t rope drop Rise, but went to Smugglers Run first and then did Rise after when the stand by wait dropped to 25 minutes), we then went to New Orleans Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland. The next day we did everything we wanted to in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. All with less than 30 minute waits for every ride and without paying for the premium lighting lanes that are not included with Genie +. The only exception was we did get over to Mickey and Minnie’s RR ride the first day when the wait dropped to a 20 minute standby, but otherwise stayed out of that half of the park that day. When we went to DCA, we rope dropped Guardians of the Galaxy and then went to Radiator Springs Racers when stand by was a 25 minute standby. We then rode Mater’s and went back to Avengers campus to finish the remaining rides, eat lunch, and then continue around the rest of the park land by land (again using Genie + whenever we could) and all waits were less than 25 minutes. We avoid zig zagging whenever possible, which avoids frustration for all (my daughter does not enjoy more walking than necessary). Whatever works for each family is great, but we find this is what works for us. Kudos for those that love zig zagging, character meals, late night time entertainment, and all the other “never again” tips though.

[@jeaniejohnston8295]

We love staying onsite. Arrive in the afternoon, hang out at the Grand California pool all evening. Get early entry the next day. It's amazing. And wonderful!! Try it, you'll like it.

[@mannyrjon]

25:55 omg!!! I feel the same way. The hotel prices are a bit high.

[@soniaz1487]

Great tips. Very helpful info as usual. Definitely interested in the best value meals like the taco dish that are unique to Disneyland. Also, more options for Rise of the Resistance. There is going to be a lot of pressure to get on that ride if we are visiting and can't get back to the park for years if we miss out. Also, would definitely want to get into the Cantina too. Never been to either.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

I’ll bring up the cantina in my next video. I went there earlier this week. For Rise you really only have a few options. Rope drop it (not advisable because it wastes the Golden Hour from 8-9), ride it between 9-10 AM (recommended), buy individual lightning lanes (also recommended, because if it breaks down, you get a multi experience pass to come back later), or you standby it sometime throughout the day and potentially wait an hour and a half or more.

[@soniaz1487]

@@SoCalDisneyDad Those sound like good options. Thanks! We are willing to pay extra for that ride. 👍

[@savannah4439]

Benjamin’s hidden Mickey 😂😂 made my day

[@citticat2]

We just stayed at the Pixar Place and I loved it. The staff is wonderful, the rooms are new, clean, the shower water is hot, and the room was warm and comfortable plus the beds and pillows are so new too and comfy. The CM fixed my phone so I could tap into their wifi. Returning we were able to walk through the Grand - so convenient. The best part - I just feel safe staying there with my granddaughters. Before leaving we dinned at The Great Maple. Expensive yes but to me spending the extra money is worth it. Actually I would like to stay at the Grand again next time because it is so much easier and safer with a scooter. There is a path that leads right into the Downtown Disney and into DCA. So convenient when returning to the Hotel. You can stay right on the Disney grounds. And you can catch the monorail that leads into Tomorrowland..🤩

[@misterA2Z]

The hotline corn dog might be one of my favorite “simple” foods in the park!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

The esquite corn hot dog is actually pretty decent (and I don’t like most of their hot dogs, I’ve tried several). The specialty hot dogs aren’t bad options simply because they ARE things you can’t necessarily get anywhere else. Like I can’t think of a single place that sells Mac and Cheese hot dogs.

[@Tracy.Leavitt.007]

Rope drop for rise is BEST!! We have teenagers and ALWAYS walk right on. You just have to be super FAST

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@Tracy.Leavitt.007I find that more often than not it’s not even open right at 8 AM. And then you spend a half hour standing around waiting for it to open. At least every time I’ve tried to go film rope drop it’s never been open at 8 AM.

[@thomasj.3642]

Isn’t the giraffe head at 16:45 a hidden mickey?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

😮😮😮😱😱😱 How did I miss that!!! Thank you!!! 😂 Now I know.

[@brucesorensen]

When we lived in OC we could watch the fireworks show from our house. The best way to watch.

[@danielguizar360]

Like u I don’t wait for the fireworks instead I find a spot near the Zocalo Ranch right behind Mirabel’s meet and Greet and u get a good viewing of the fireworks with not many guests in the way. And u can see them clearly right towards the direction of Big Thunder Mountain

[@minimalka5711]

We did storytellers because we only had one day in Disneyland (and only got to meet a few characters). I do recommend it for that reason my girls were over joyed to have the characters come to them. We ended up going to going to DCA and met all the characters so that was great !!!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Makes sense if you’re trying to pack it all in and it’s a guaranteed way to see characters.

[@AlanaEshpeter]

I don’t even really like hotdogs or corn dogs, but there is something about the Disneyland corn dog that imho *is* special.

[@Michiko.8o8]

I'm from Oahu, Makahiki uses to be a buffet precovid. I really miss it!

[@danielguizar360]

About the land by land. I do it to some extent. For example if I did Space Mountain first which is what I normally do then I head over to either Matterhorn or Indiana Jones

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

When folks talk about going land by land, they mean if they start at Space Mountain, they don’t move on until they do Astro Orbiter, Buzz, Star Tours, Autopia, and Nemo. Then they can move on to Matterhorn.

[@SuperBlockyBurger]

16.43 look at the giraffes head that’s a Mickey right as u were saying it lol

[@krsncrs821]

OMG I WAS THINKING THE EXACT SAME THING! LOL!!!

[@natashavelasquez1841]

I was there I think a week after Toon Town opened and it was great. It was busy, but honestly not bad.

[@andreahawkins5890]

There's a Del Taco on Harbor Blvd and Chapman southbound down Harbor if you're looking for a budget family meal/snack just saying lol

[@danielguizar360]

Interesting on Rise of the Resistance. When I went last year it was about 11 am almost noon and It broke down. I was on Splash Mountain at the time and then we ate lunch at the Plaza Inn. As soon as we finished our lunch we headed directly to Rise to see how long the line was and it was 45 minutes. It was exactly as it stated and didn’t break down. Got really lucky that time. Hopefully I can wait the same amount when I go in July

[@BWA678]

We went to Disneyland last week, 6/9/2023 we spent 16 hours there from rope drop to close non stop. I would say hardest rides to get on were Matterhorn bobsled and space mountain over a hour wait

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Space Mountain is my usual recommendation for rope drop. You can usually ride it within 10 minutes if it’s the first ride you go to. They also have single rider. So does Matterhorn for that matter. Once my youngest son is 7 years old it will probably be the only way we ride Matterhorn.

[@SaraC91]

Where do you leave your stroller while on the train? Going in October and soo happy to watch all your videos! Making playlists to rewatch prior to going lol

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

There is stroller parking around the area. You can also fold the stroller up and take it with you, but that might be a pain if it’s full of stuff.

[@lisabostrack24]

I agree with your 13 never will do again. Never have I eaten at Smoozies, but I trust your judgment. They are all helpful tips.

[@kevinclark7773]

My family and I were just there over Easter weekend and we found toon town cleared out around 6pm, dinner time.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We were there yesterday and Toontown was pretty empty the whole first hour. Rode Mickey and Minnie’s with a 5 minute wait. I feel like even 2-3 months ago it was still pretty popular, but we are officially a year past Toontown’s full opening date (3/19/23). So everyone who makes yearly trips has likely been now, so the rush is dying off.

[@msliz1029]

Our weather was crazy this summer. It did t start till like august 😂. I loooved It! I swore our summer was going to be brutal and long but we’re back to cool days ❤. Tip for people is weather apps are pretty accurate. We don’t have minute to minute changes like Florida 👍🏼

[@sillybillynilly001]

At 17:23 someone is pushing one of those wagon strollers. It was my understanding that wagons are not allowed. Are the stroller wagons accepted? Heading in May and would love to know!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

So if you look closely you’ll see a red tag on the handle. That is a disability tag that means it is functioning as the child’s wheelchair. Disney does allow this, but only for disability purposes.

[@sillybillynilly001]

@@SoCalDisneyDadThank you so much! I’m appreciating all of your knowledge!

[@ruthosuna5289]

I'm hoping we get to go within the next year or so and all of your videos are so helpful! The only point I would not follow is staying at one of the Disney hotels only because our "kids" are now adult sized and researching hotels in the area we would need 2 rooms at places like Candy Cane inn, etc. I did the math and we can book through Costco for a club level room at the Disneyland hotel that has the pull out couch and 2 queens and it is almost the same price. Other than that I will keep watching your videos for more great tips and just subscribed! I have also watched your videos on the zoos in San Diego and they were super helpful too. Keep up the great content!

[@Vanessarose00]

Hidden Mickey at 16:39 !! The giraffe head? Maybe?

[@jillflorio5635]

Nice info, thank you

[@danielguizar360]

See the earlier u go into Disneyland or DCA the more u have stuff to do. The most I wait for a line is 45 minutes

[@jennifergonzalez6236]

As always a great video...I was thinking of getting the magic bands. I have seen all your videos and I'm still on the fence 🤔 gonna have to re watch your videos 😂😊❤

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We love them. But we visit often enough to utilize them. We always got them at WDW too, but again, we’d usually go for 7-10 days. So we got our use out of them.

[@joshuadavis2175]

Agree with all except the fireworks. I would also accept the character breakfast inside Disneyland at the Plaza inn is fantastic

[@ccccccchhhhhh808]

The Rise tip is helpful cuz I wouldve gone straight there for rope drop. Going to DL soon and the last time I went, Rise and the rest of Star Wars area hadn't opened so its really the main attractor of my trip lol! How about riding it at night?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

It closes at 9 PM, so keep that in mind. The best time to ride it is before 10 AM if possible. Just not right at 8.

[@ccccccchhhhhh808]

@@SoCalDisneyDad thats also good to know because my next tactic was to ride it last. thanks so much this has been so helpful!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@ccccccchhhhhh808 Alternative times would be right before it closes (you could hop in line at 8:55 PM) and during parades. Basically whenever the most number of people will be lined up for parades or fireworks.

[@leonkennedy3398]

​@SoCalDisneyDad so do space mountain, matter horn, then rise of resistance in that order ar rope drop?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@leonkennedy3398 That’s a decent plan. Yes

[@TheRickRatedShow]

Pro Tip for best of both worlds (hot tub + fireworks): Stay at the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel on Ball Road, then position yourself in the hot tub just prior to the fireworks. You'll be treated to the best version of the show you'll ever see, and be closer to them than you would be in the park. Car alarms going off! Ash falling everywhere! Cats and dogs living together! Oh, the humanity! 😀

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We’re staying there in December. We might just try to do this!

[@roseNthorn]

That place is such a dump!

[@amberw5605]

@@SoCalDisneyDadwould love to hear how your stay was there as I’m seeing very mixed reviews and have it booked for a trip for me/my mum/my uncle this November 😩

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@amberw5605 Here is the first time we stayed: Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel Review & Room Tour | Disneyland Area kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJqrl62FrN9-pdU Here is the second time: Anaheim Majestic's Enchanted Knight Jr Suite Room Tour + Hotel Review kzbin.info/www/bejne/pamxl3ZsoteLgcU

[@amberw5605]

@@SoCalDisneyDad wow I did not actually expect to get a response, you are a gem, ty. Watching your videos has really helped me feel prepped for my fams first Disney trip in decades. Thank you and your family for all you do!

[@cajayson8301]

I like to do that as well, as in time it out to see if the wait time is what it says. Sometimes it is longer, others it is the same, sometimes is shorter (usually the case with Space Mountain) Also, good advice on ride breakdowns. I was on Indiana Jones when it broke down and we had to wait 35 minutes until they got us out. Once it was an hour when Soarin broke down. Also, I have never done standby Radiator Springs Racers and never will do it

[@natashavelasquez1841]

I recommened having your kids dress up. It just puts some extra attention on them from the characters. My son was a pirate and Peter Pan ran up to him 😂

[@ArcadeJackpotMaster]

I went on splash twice on the last day once in single rider which was about an hour, and then one with a multi experience pass. But I would never wait in stand by for over an hour or so.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Single rider was an hour? Wow! Definitely beat the standby line. We rode it two weeks before closing and walked right on thanks to it being like 65 degrees and cloudy. 😂

[@ArcadeJackpotMaster]

@@SoCalDisneyDad ya it was crazy single rider was an hour but that's better than 4 hours. we had a multi-experience from being evacuated from Indy

[@elinorzollweg]

When I went to DCA for the first time, the cast members let us know that Radiator Springs Racers was gonna be down until early afternoon and it threw me off. One, because way more people went to the Pier than expected and two, the single rider line was over 30 minutes long later in the day!!

[@rienailo]

My kids LOVE Radiator Springs Racers, but are too young (3 & 6) to do single rider alone so we end up rope dropping or forking out the cash for lightning lane (if not both). We often do the character breakfast so the kids can meet characters without standing in lines. I agree the food isn't great and it's super expensive, but when you think of it as food plus the cost of a lightning lane to meet characters then it's not so bad. Last time we did Minnie's breakfast we got to meet Minnie, Pooh, Tigger, Chip, Dale, Daisy, Pluto and Perla plus eat in about an hour. In my head that's worth the time saving alone from needing to wait to meet Pooh & Tigger. Plus I felt like they got more time with each character than when we stood in line to meet Pooh, Tigger & Eeyore.

[@deluxeddelirium]

never standy... haha love your videos Trevor!

[@TrojTV]

Had the trio of taco's, would choose a hotdog or chicken tenders ANY day over those taco's... They weren't bad or anything, I just really didn't like 'm. I would sooner go for a breadbowl with cheesesoup or a Monte Cristo sandwich... Or even a ronto wrap.

[@mzfyt1031]

I get moving to a shorter wait and then coming back to the one that had a long wait… But also wouldn’t walking to the shorter wait eat up some of that time if you would have stayed at the longer wait? I haven’t been to Disneyland yet, so maybe the distance between the attractions isn’t too bad. We go to Cedar Point a lot and it seems like a lot of distance between coasters (luckily we always do the Fast Lane though - life saver!).

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Disneyland isn’t too bad to walk around. Haven’t been to Cedar Point in ages to compare, but Disneyland is smaller than it’s Florida counterparts if you’ve ever been there.

[@andrewjenkins9965]

"Speaking of catchy tunes..." 🤣 Thanks for this. I plan to go sometime within the next year for the first time, and it feels like remembering these will reduce a lot of stress. Especially the parts about the lines. EDIT: Okay, and now I have a new reason to get the MagicBand+

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

MagicBand+ is so fun, especially if you’re staying for nighttime spectaculars.

[@srayj]

My family and I were heading to Downtown Disney on the evening of the sixth and we actually saw you leaving when we were walking in. I was a bit obnoxious and yelled my thanks to you, but I really appreciate your tips and tricks and used a lot of them.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Thank you for sharing! I always love hearing that we’ve been able to help people have magical trips. That’s why we do it.

[@carolynanderson2689]

I wish they would add Radiator Springs Racers to Genie +! We NEVER wait in standby either for this ride, so we actually haven’t even been able to ride it our last two trips to Disney. 😞 Single rider doesn’t really let you enjoy the ride as a family - which is our whole reason for going to Disneyland! Love all your tips and tricks! I just wish they’d add more rides to Genie+ like Peter Pan and RSR. You are SPOT ON about Monsters Inc - the standby line is so slow. Excited to try the buddy pass trick on our next trip! 🤩

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

My son and I have fun with single rider on RSR because if we are lucky (which is most of the time) we will either be in the same car, or we will be in opposite cars on the race sequence. Single rider at Smuggler’s is also almost a guarantee to stay together if it’s just two people or groups divisible by two because the average party size is 4. So they’ll take two singles for the same group. The only single rider we usually do where the party is completely split is Matterhorn. There are other single rider rides, but we never seem to ride them.

[@christinaa6129]

Yeah it rains in June

[@mistanightmare]

When is the best time for Radiator Springs (not single rider) then? Every plan/strategy I see is to rope-drop it to get it out of the way.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

If you have to rope drop it, I’d make sure you’re at the front of the line. Which means showing up at the park around 7:20-7:30 AM. Alternatively, I usually just tell people to pay for the Individual Lightning Lane if it’s not going to kill the budget. Trouble with rope dropping it is you lose the whole first hour, which you could use to ride Spider Man, Toy Story, and Incredicoaster in that same time frame all with really low waits. But if you DON’T rope drop it, the wait jumps up to 100+ minutes later in the day and never really goes down.

[@rvmush3883]

I prefer to ride at the end of the day. Preferably when everyone is lining up for world of color

[@breemcbride8988]

Random question? Would you recommend Pirates of the Caribbean for a 1 year old? Always love your videos!!!!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Some young kids might not like it being dark, but we’ve been taking our kids on the ride since they were babies. There is no height requirement for it.

[@gracepei356]

Hi which hotel you were staying please? Alony?

[@hannahperez6084]

How do the Buddy Passes work?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Just like single rider, except it allows 2 people instead of 1.

[@LisaKok29]

Maybe a stupid question but do you have to pay for single rider?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

No question is stupid. I’m happy to answer anything. Nope, single rider is just a free standby line, but they will separate your party. It’s a lot faster though than regular standby.

[@ThirdEyeThriving]

Goofy's Kitchen is my favortie part about Disneyland.

[@hollybabyyy]

From ur vids im always gona assume wait times are 5-10 mins longer then they really are

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

That’s a good assumption to have. When it ends up being less you’ll be pleasantly surprised, but you won’t ever be disappointed. I’ve had it go either way, but more often than not it’s fairly accurate. At WDW, the wait times are almost always blown way out of proportion to where they are usually about half of whatever the posted time is. But even knowing that, I still don’t ever expect that. And oftentimes I avoid lines because of scary wait times. That’s part strategy on Disney’s end, as well as part Public Relations to keep guests happy. But that doesn’t happen at Disneyland all that often.

[@hollybabyyy]

@@SoCalDisneyDad they defo lie about wait times in wdw like crazy to get people to buy genie plus!

[@davidc103]

Sir, how are you. Which is the best parking to park closest to the park?? Thanks in advance.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We usually park at the Mickey and Friends or Pixar Pals Garage. That location you can take a tram or walk to the park. The other option is the Toy Story Lot which has busses that drop you off at the park. Either one works.

[@Matterhorny]

One thing I love but can’t really do anymore is the Matterhorn. It’s just hell on my 53 year old back👎🤓👎. I have heard the right side is smoother than the left but I’ve never tested out that theory😁

[@ZannaRussell]

55. We did Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Bobsled. I needed a few minutes afterward - my poor aging body!

[@synthiaramos1629]

For the buddy pass on monsters inc is it for any age? Do you just ask the worker for you and another person?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Yes. Any age can use it. Though I’d imagine at least one person needs to be over the age of 14 if the other party member is under the age of 7.

[@Sean-uh6te]

How was the cauliflower taco?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Amy said it was pretty good. It was less greasy than the rest. You couldn’t really tell it was cauliflower as it was seasoned well.

[@AlexandraUtschig]

What happened with Fantasmic? Is it still closed/not playing? Our dinner package got randomly cancelled without much explanation.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

The dragon caught fire due to malfunction two months ago and the most recent news from Disney is that it won’t open any earlier than September. But it wasn’t a firm reopening date.

[@AlexandraUtschig]

Aw, bummer. Still excited to go, but probably won't bother with trying hard to see the fireworks then.

[@WWFsuperfan2000]

Anyone else notice the redhead was behind him at 7:07 or just me

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@WWFsuperfan2000 That’s Red! From Pirates of the Caribbean. She does meet and greets just like Jack Sparrow. It’s always fun to interact with her. She does a great job.

[@jeanh9321]

Monsters inc ride isn’t worth any wait. Love you video!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We like it. We just liked it better when the standby maxed out at around 20 minutes. Now, it’s unlikely to find it less than 30 unless it’s just after park opening.

[@debbiewilson8993]

Ya know I've never ridden the train. Is that dinosaur thing still there? Were going again in October so I'll definitely put that on our list.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Yes! It’s the stretch between Tomorrowland and Main Street.

[@hexZ06]

Hey I’m confused, is this video from Disneyland in Anaheim? Because you said you like the hotel in Aulani which is in Hawaii.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

I was just commenting on the difference between Disney owned hotels. There is no theme park in Hawaii.

[@kayjones6498]

4 words: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride😩 Just skip it folks😂

[@CourageToLiveTrue]

FAVE

[@herringtonoso4064]

People waiting 120 minutes for radiator springs racers is insane. It's a good ride, but it's not that good.

[@racheldavis5114]

Can you recommend what to eat other than the norm?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

It’s easier to tell you what restaurants to avoid. Golden Horseshoe, Stage Door Cafe, Alien Pizza Planet, Refreshment Corner, Galactic Grill, and Little Red Wagon all serve mostly “comfort” foods for picky eaters. Outside of those restaurants, you really can’t go wrong anywhere else in the park. Bengal BBQ and Docking Bay 7 are some of my favorites in the park if you love meat. Red Rose Tavern and Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe are two other solid options. Once French Market reopens as Tiana’s Palace, that one has always been a top 5 of mine. Here’s a playlist for all of my food videos if you want a closer look. The Disneyland Food Guide gives you an overview of every location in the park: kzbin.info/aero/PL_0Qje8SjlSCQQ7JFkPqItRDjWyuIi7oe

[@tiffanycarlen4261]

Can you get the buddy pass for Monsters Inc if it's 1 adult w/2 kids??

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

It might be possible if you all could fit a single row. The idea is that you use the third row or the ride vehicle only.

[@gabyrangel3175]

As you can know... I'm watching your videos as much as possible, their are very helpfull... I have a new question: How can I know if a character is available for photography?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Unfortunately, Disney doesn’t have this posted anywhere. What character are you looking for?

[@gabyrangel3175]

@@SoCalDisneyDad Mainly Mickey mouse and princess

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@gabyrangel3175 Mickey has a guaranteed Meet and Greet in Toontown at Mickey’s House. There’s usually a 30 minute line. And there’s a spot for princesses to the left of the castle in the Fantasy Faire area from 10 to 5. Not sure which princesses. I think they rotate. Anna and Elsa are over in DCA from 9 to 4 every day at the Animation Building

[@gabyrangel3175]

@@SoCalDisneyDad That's great! Thanks again... You are a beautiful family!

[@islaciruelaa]

i waited in line when it broke down at rise (i had just joined the line) and maybe it was a miracle but it reopened in 20 minutes lol

[@WatchBurnGo]

Never will I ever ride the Swinging Pixar-Pal-Around 😅

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

😂🤣

[@breemcbride8988]

Seriously!!! I lost my cool on that ride and my kids thought it was the funniest thing in the whole world lol I wasn’t expecting it to be so wild I held the throw up bag the entire time lol

[@kirstyleslie-mccran195]

Hey, random but did the tater tots in your breakfast have onion / flavouring, or were they pure potato?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

That’s a really good question. Pretty sure they are just straight up potato. But I don’t remember 100%

[@carsonmitchell1561]

Great vid

[@forshootsandgiggles]

Not waiting more than 30 minutes in line is crazy. Unless you only ride after rope drop or closing time. You'll have a boring day

[@Neon_Medusa]

I've never waited longer than 30 minutes and I'm a late start girl, still haven't had a trip where I didn't hit all my desired rides. That's why I watch these strategy videos, they really help!

[@meghanlynch8315]

Question. What is your spring break? We are thinking of coming next March…the week of the 18th. We are disneyworld pass holders so we are used to busy…but just wondering

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Mid-March through Mid-April is Spring Break in SoCal in terms of tourism. The actual week my kids are off is the week leading up to Easter. This year that was the first week of April.

[@meghanlynch8315]

@@SoCalDisneyDad thanks for the info!! Which offsite walkable hotel do you recommend?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@meghanlynch8315 I prefer Candy Cane Inn. The Howard Johnson is another solid option.

[@meghanlynch8315]

@@SoCalDisneyDad thanks!!

[@giannidags]

I understand all the examples of food you get except corn dogs lol, disneyland is literally the only place ill buy a corndog cause they do it so well

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Fair enough. I really like the Hot Link Corn Dog over at Corn Dog Castle. That one is my favorite.

[@rvmush3883]

Disney corn dogs are the only ones I will eat. But I do prefer the ones at DCA

[@donnako2530]

Hidden Mickey on IASW under the bird that rocks back and forth on the way out

[@natashavelasquez1841]

I waited standby 3 hours for that cars ride… literally never again 😂

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Yeah, that one’s rough because of the lightning lane.

[@ketonesandstuff2989]

If you get the corndog without a side ie your cutie, your corndog will be cheaper by about 1.25.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

It used to be this way, but recently we have never been able to purchase it without a side.

[@msliz1029]

35 for Indy is great 😂!im CONVINCED they pad their times

[@bigboythatonefooljoe.3531]

Lol you said there was no hidden mickys at its a small world when you literally filmed one 16:39

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

I never knew it was there until someone else pointed it out too. 😂

[@Lilgumdropz17]

I've been trying to go onto mouse dining and it won't work.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Their website appears to be running slowly at the moment. Perhaps try again a little later. I don't have any particular allegiance to MouseDining, you could try MouseWatcher as well. Same type of service.

[@Lilgumdropz17]

@@SoCalDisneyDad Thank you so much! Love you videos!