Nielsen's Take Anaheim Part 3 (My Do's and Don'ts)

Do use the rider switch system. I was a little hesitant at first, since I'd never done it before and was unsure of what to do, but it was easy and so nice! All you have to do is take your whole group up to the line entrance, where they cast members are standing. You tell them you want to do rider switch, and they give you a few lanyards with passes on them. We had four adults in our group, so we got three passes. One or two of us waited out with the baby while the rest went on the ride, then three of us got to ride again! You just take the passes to the Fast Pass Return line, and you're on your way.

Do stay close to the park. We were working around naps and a strict bedtime schedule, so we stayed right across from the main gates at the Anaheim Desert Inn. We were able to walk to the park in minutes, and even watched the fireworks show from our roof. We avoided paying for parking, and didn't have to take the time to catch the tram and drive from hotel to park. The hotel itself was ok. Free breakfast, but nothing to write home about. If you like oatmeal and hard boiled eggs, you'd love it. We actually do like oatmeal, and have had far worse hotel breakfasts (day old donuts and tang, to be specific).

Do use fast passes, and be strategic. Of course, the newest rides will have the longest lines. At California Adventure, we got in line for Radiator Springs Racers fast passes first thing, and our time to return was in the early afternoon. We then headed to the Bug's Life area, and walked onto every ride there with no lines. It was awesome! 

Do visit  the Disney Animation Building in California Adventure. It's big and open inside, and they play music along with video clips from classic movies. Evie had a great time running around, dancing, and meeting other kids. The zoetrope there is one of my favorites, and Turtle Talk with Crush is a lot of fun. Evie also liked playing outside of Soaring California, where there is a water/bubble tube thing. I really don't know how to explain it, but she liked it.

Do stop by the snack cones in Cars Land. We tried the chili cones, and they did not disappoint! Perfect dinner for parade viewing. Skip the Red's Apple Freeze. It sounded good, apple slush with caramel syrup and whipped cream on top, but the syrup didn't mix in, so it was like drinking straight syrup for the first 1/3. We also like the food from Lucky Fortune Cookery, it is fast and the portions are generous, so we usually split one.


The biggest disappointment was that the Mission tortilla factory had been replaced with a Giradhelli Fountain. But still stop in there for free chocolate! The new ride to try there is the Arial ride, where the theater used to be across the lake from Screaming California. 

At Magic Kingdom, do take a turn on It's A Small World,  and visit Toon Town. Evie especially liked Donald's house boat. We were able to walk onto Winnie the Poo, which was great, and the gift shop near there had a lot of adorable stuffed animals that baby girl enjoyed playing with.

Don't go to the Rainforest Cafe. The food was good, but overpriced. The waiter was the best part of the experience, as he spent a good amount of time talking with us about the best times to visit the park, etc. The aquarium was great. We sat right by it, and Evie was enthralled with the fishies. We visited the elephants upstairs, which I thought she would like, and she was terrified by their abrupt display of animation. Plus, it took a lot of time to get all the way into Downtown Disney where the restaurant was located,  so in the future I think I'd rather eat in the park.

Coming up next: Packing a Disneyland Survival Kit