#1 – They can go for Free!
When you visit Disneyland and California Adventure with a child under 3 years old, your toddler can get into Disneyland for free and don’t need a ticket or ticket reservation for them (if you’re making dining reservations, include them in the headcount though). Also, a part of this free-entrance perk is that if you purchase Lightning Lane (Disney’s paid skip-the-line program), your toddler can join you on any of your Lightning Lanes if they meet the height requirements without purchasing their own Lightning Lane (everyone with a ticket must purchase a lightning lane in order to utilize this, but because the toddler doesn’t have a ticket they also don’t need a lightning lane). Some visits, my toddlers also eat for free because we just share my meal or eat the snacks we bring from home. If you want to see what else I bring to Disneyland for my toddlers, see my packing list here.
#2 – You can see the magic in their eyes
They believe the characters, are enthralled by the rides (some may be too scary, and I have a list of dark rides if your toddler is scared of the dark), can watch the parades, and it’s a fun place to just run around (click here for my favorite toddler-running spots.) Bubble wands are also popular and you can bring your own if you’re looking to save a little money (also pack lots of snacks!)
#3 – Low Pressure Visit
When you take toddlers to Disneyland, I definitely recommend following their lead. This may mean you don’t go on as many rides as you wanted, taking naps (or not) and meeting characters only during certain moods. However, they have low expectations and are enthralled and mesmerized by the simplest things – bubbles, Mickey, or a train ride.
If you need help planning your Disneyland trip, I can help! I have created a free spreadsheet in Google Sheets to help my email subscribers maximize their magical trip to Disneyland. Once you become an email subscriber (use the handy box on the right), you will receive an email with a link to my resource library with various Disneyland resources, including my PDF of tips, downloadable Google planning sheets, Disneyland scavenger hunts, and more! For a sneak peek and more info on my planning sheets, click here. You may also be interested in my posts on taking a toddler to Disneyland, packing a diaper bag for Disneyland, or my other Disneyland posts.
