adminDisneyland is back, baby. The pandemic is over, and the classic theme park is seeing record numbers again. By record, we mean sometimes as many as 51,000 people per day.
Disneyland is a notoriously crowded place, and visitors are used to waiting sometimes hours just for a single ride. With ticket prices being what they are, it’s not encouraging knowing you can spend half the day waiting behind the stanchions with a cranky, loud, sweat horde. What are some Disney experiences to book in advance?
Today, let’s take a look at six particular Disney experiences you should book long before your trip.
1. Disney Hotels
On your Disney trip, the best way to experience Mickey Mouse and company is in a Disney hotel. Think of this as a Disney experience outside the park.
Disney hotels are one of a kind, and not just because they offer Disney-centric amenities. There are miniature theme parks inside with Disney-themed pools, spa amenities, and more.
You get to stay in a hotel that looks like your favorite Disney cartoon or movie. Themed characters walk the halls, and the hotel staff participates in the charade.
These sell out like hotcakes, and last-minute vacancies are exceedingly rare. You must book at least six months in advance if you want a good spread of choices. Ideally, book a year or even longer in advance if you want the best prices and your room of choice.
2. Dining Reservation
You will have to eat inside the park unless you plan on going in and out to save money on outside restaurants. With how much traffic there is and a steady influx of people, this could take a long time. Not to mention, many of the local restaurants in the area are not that much cheaper.
There is a wide spread of restaurants inside the park that cater to all sorts of people. Big food courts offer a lot of variety and focus on a comfortable place to eat. Then there are themed cafés and restaurants that emulate places you’ve seen in the films, with Disney characters walking around for the kids.
So, if you plan to eat with the Mouse, reserve your dining well ahead of time. This will help you avoid long lines, secure yourself a seat, and get your food of choice when it’s your time slot.
3. Meet and Greet Events
Do you want to spend time with your favorite Disney characters? We are not talking about spotting them on the street and taking a picture. We are talking about a bespoke, face-to-face experience with classics.
Some of these provide a really unique way to experience the Disney Pantheon. Take, for example, the Royal Table in the Kingdom Castle with Cinderella. Sit at a high table like the princess herself and take a bite out of some mutton.
Some of the dining experiences even include a storybook hour. Some include a dinnertime performance. These are family-oriented experiences with tons of kids running around, so they’re hugely popular.
If you want a good spot (and a good price), book way ahead of time. You’ll see what we mean when you see those lines of hungry people!
4. Princess Treatment
Everyone usually gets a chance to meet a princess at Disneyland. But you can also enjoy the “princess treatment” that Disney offers for a fee.
This is better known as the “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique” and offers a mini makeover for aspiring princesses and princes. They all do your hair, dress you up, and treat you like royalty in the process. It’s both a spa day and a Disney experience in one.
This is highly sought-after, so book long before you go. They work by appointment, and walk-ins are almost always a no-go. Plus, they gather some important information in advance to customize your experience.
5. Backstage Tours
Disneyland is almost like a city, so there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. Disney has a massive surveillance network, hundreds of managers, and employees in plain clothes keeping the place in check.
You may have noticed that the place always seems so clean, so organized, and so chaos-free. This is thanks to the aforementioned backstage staff.
You can see how the “sausage is made” with your own eyes, but it’s not free, and it books up fast. Get a peek at how the rides work behind the scenes where the characters doll up in their costumes. Some of the stuff going on behind doors is only available to see on these tours.
Many people would love the chance to witness for themselves how it operates on the backend, but it is something worth reserving. Contact your Disney travel agents in Florida way before your trip to secure your tour spot.
6. Photo Packages
A lot of things in Disneyland, like other places, are more expensive if you wait until the day of your trip to pay for them. Photo packages are no different.
If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you know this is one of their biggest selling points. Photo booths sit at the back end of every ride. Every ride snaps shots of you as you scream, laugh, or smile your way through.
This is perhaps the best way to remember your trip since they won’t allow you to take a picture-of-a-picture with your phone. Cost aside, who doesn’t want a framed bit of remembrance from the trip?
If you want to get a hilarious shot of the family screaming while they go down the gorge, lines at those photo booths could be long, especially on busy days- which is every day these days. Skip that – and save some money – by getting those photo packages in advance.
Find More Disney Experiences to Book in Advance
There are tons of Disney experiences to book in advance if you want to secure the things you desire and possibly get a small discount at the same time. Dining reservations, backstage tours, and photo packages require booking well ahead of time. Disneyland’s many amenities and experiences fill up fast, so waiting until the last moment will leave you out of options.
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