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I gave these tips in a reel on my Instagram, so I’ll link the products that I mentioned in the reel, and give a brief rundown of the tips.
What to do BEFORE your trip to Disneyland to help manage your kids’ expectations:
- Make a countdown chain to count you down to the trip. I usually do these as soon as I notice my kids asking multiple times per day “when are we going to Disneyland?” They don’t have the same concept of time as adults do, so if you say “soon” they may understand that as TOMORROW. The paper chain helps kids see the time in a physical form and increases the excitement for the trip. (P.S. we use countdown chains for everything- holidays, birthdays, trips, baby due date… we love them)
- Check the Daily Events Schedule for the dates you’ll be there. You’ll want to know the opening hours, the events going on during your visit, the possibility of seeing fireworks, and the ride closures. You don’t want to promise your kids fireworks when they were never even on the schedule!
- Measure the heights of your kids so you know which rides they will be able to do. I use this ride height ruler and highly recommend it, but you can use measuring tape and check the height requirements. My kids love Indiana Jones, but neither of them will be able to ride it for a while (it has a 46″ height minimum) so I’ve told them that for a long time.
- Add a little magic! Read the book “The Little Man of Disneyland” before you go then look for the little man’s house hidden at the bottom of a large tree near the entrance of Indiana Jones.
5. Get ready for autographs! If you plan to meet characters, it’s so fun to get their autograph. Disney sells autograph books, but they are pricey and you end up tucking them away somewhere and never seeing them again. Instead, make a souvenir with the autographs you collect. We have taken this tote bag on our last 2 trips with some fabric markers and now we have a bag full of signatures that we use for outings. Here are some other unique autograph ideas:
- Water Bottle with permanent marker
- Picture frame : have characters sign on the white mat and put a photo from the trip in the frame.
- T-shirt: but they won’t write on a t-shirt while you are wearing it.
- Hat
- Backpack : Here’s a white one that would look so cute with coloring signatures all over it.
Just make sure you have a way to make your item flat and solid so the characters can write on it easily. I took a piece of cardboard and stuck it inside the tote so it made a solid surface for writing.
6. Get to know the Disneyland app. Click around it and get comfortable with where to find everything. Learning the app is always my #1 tip for a good trip, so I am in the process of creating a guide to help you learn Genie+, itinerary strategies, and how to use the Disneyland app to make the most of your precious Disneyland time.
7. Make a list on your phone of the foods you would like to try while you are there. Then, when you get hungry, just choose from your list instead of feeling overwhelmed by the decision fatigue of a busy Disney day. Trust me, there are sooo many great foods to try.
8. Follow me on instagram for Disney help as I try to help you and your kids have a magical Disney trip.
In All Places 
grand!
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