For our annual joint birthday trip in April 2015, we celebrated with two unforgettable days at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, while also checking Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium off our ballpark tour. We hit all the big rides right at rope drop, indulged in Dole Whips and turkey legs, and admired the sparkle of Sleeping Beauty Castle ahead of Disneyland’s 60th anniversary. Highlights included Cars Land, a hilarious Frozen show, the spectacular Aladdin stage production, and an unexpected Tower of Terror breakdown to end it all. We returned in 2019 during the Adobe MAX conference for a one-day Disneyland adventure – this time squeezing in even more magic with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge including blue milk and cocktails at Oga’s Cantina.
💡 Tips & Tricks
- 🎟️ Park-hop with ease – Unlike Orlando, everything is very compact! You can easily walk between both parks and Downtown Disney at will, making a park-hopper ticket a great investment.
- 🏨 Stay nearby for cheap – Save time and money by staying at a non-Disney hotel that’s walking distance to the park entrance.
- 🎢 Start with thrill rides early – Knock out headliners like Radiator Springs Racers, Web Slingers, or Indiana Jones Adventure first thing in the morning before lines build.
- 🎠 Embrace the nostalgia – Classic Disneyland rides like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Alice in Wonderland, and Matterhorn Bobsleds don’t exist in Florida – don’t skip them! Similar rides aren’t always the same, either – Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean clocks in at 15 minutes vs. just 8 at Disney World!
- 🍋 Try the unique snacks – From lemon soft serve at the Abominable Snowman Frosted Treats to churro toffee at Candy Palace, Disneyland has its own foodie vibe.
- 📲 Mobile order is your best friend – Grab Dole Whip, Ronto Wraps, or Pym Test Kitchen goodies with minimal waiting using the Disneyland app.
- 🧞♂️ Use Genie+ and park hopping – Disneyland makes it super easy to hop between parks starting at 11 AM, and Genie+ includes free ride photos – a bonus!
- 🏰 Reserve time to explore the park details – Disneyland is full of hidden gems: walk through Sleeping Beauty Castle, visit Snow White’s Grotto, or watch the Evil Queen peer from her window.
- 🍷 Take a break at the Wine Country Trattoria or Lamplight Lounge – Great food, awesome views, and the perfect reset before catching a nighttime show like World of Color.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (April 2015)
For our joint birthday trip in April 2015, we visited Disneyland and Disney California Adventure and knocked Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium off our ballpark bucket list along the way. From a perfectly timed rope drop that let us ride all the major attractions – Jones Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain – in the first hour with no wait, to Dole Whips, turkey legs, and a Scotch Mist at Carthay Circle, we truly embraced the magic. We stayed just a five-minute walk from the gates at a non-Disney hotel with an unbeatable view, and soaked in the sparkle of Sleeping Beauty Castle, dazzling ahead of Disneyland’s upcoming 60th anniversary. Highlights included a vaudeville-style Frozen show, a surprise moment with Sleeping Beauty, and a rocking Beatles tribute band at Tomorrowland Terrace. Over at DCA, Cars Land amazed us with its detail, we drew Mickey with a real Disney artist, and were completely wowed by the Aladdin stage show – one of the best we’ve seen anywhere. We capped it off with a wine flight and Mickey Mousse birthday cake at Wine Country Trattoria. The trip ended in dramatic fashion – getting stuck on the Tower of Terror, which earned us a FastPass… but by then, we were happily spent.
Two Day Itinerary: Disneyland and California Adventure
🎟️ 2-Day, 2 Parks Ticket: $370
April 12 – Disneyland 🏰 + Baseball ⚾
🏨 Hotel: Best Western Plus Park Place Inn
- 🚶♂️ 7:20 AM – 7:40 AM – Walk to Disneyland
- 🎢 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Disneyland
- 🎂 Pick up birthday button at City Hall
- Enjoy Main Street
- Follow Disneyland Touring Plan (Create a customized plan for rides, meals, etc. Subscription required)
- Ride busier rides: Indiana Jones Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain.
- ⚾ 12:35 PM – 3:35 PM – Royals vs. Angels at Angel Stadium
- 🎢 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM – Return to Disneyland
- 🧞♂️ Aladdin show
- ❄️ Frozen show
- 🎶 Beatles Tribute at Tomorrowland Terrace
- Ride less popular rides
- 🍍 Snack – Dole Whip at Tiki Juice Bar
- 🍽️ 7:00 PM – Dinner @ Big Thunder Ranch BBQ (🎟️ Reservation recommended)
- 🎆 9:00 PM or 10:45 PM – Fantasmic! (go later for fewer crowds)
April 14 – Disney California Adventure
🏨 Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Encinitas, Cardiff Beach
- 🚶♂️ 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM – Walk to Disneyland
- 🎢 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM – Disney California Adventure
- 🎂 Pick up birthday button at Guest Services
- Follow Disney CA Adventure Touring Plan (Create a customize plan for rides, meals, etc. Subscription required)
- 🍔 Lunch – Grab a cart or counter service meal
- 🍹 Drink @ Carthay Lounge (Pimm’s Punch & Scotch Mist)
- 🍝 6:00 PM – Dinner @ Wine Country Trattoria
Here’s the full itinerary including our baseball stadium visits.
Disneyland (November 2019)
During the 2019 Adobe MAX conference, we squeezed in a one-day adventure to Disneyland, along with visits to Universal Studios Hollywood and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour – packing in plenty of movie magic between sessions including checking out Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for the first time.
🏰 One Day Disneyland Itinerary
🎟️ 1-Day, 1-Park Ticket: $129
👉 TIP: Prioritize major attractions early, hit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge mid-morning, and enjoy snacks and shows throughout.
- 🚗 Uber to Disneyland (open 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM)
- Follow Disneyland Touring Plan (Create a customized plan for rides, meals, etc. Subscription required)
- Ride busier rides first: Indiana Jones Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain
- Visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- 🍽️ Concessions to Try:
- 🌭 Snack @ Hand-dipped Corn Dog – Little Red Wagon (Main Street USA)
- 🍗 Lunch @ Fried Endorian Tip-yip – Docking Bay 7 (Galaxy’s Edge)
- 🍹 Drink @ Fuzzy Tauntaun – Oga’s Cantina (🎟️ Reservation recommended)
- 🥛 Batuu’s blue milk @ Milk Stand in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- 🌯 Snack @ Ronto Wrap – Ronto Roasters
- 🥨 Snack @ Giant Bavarian Pretzel – Troubadour Tavern
- 🚝 Take Disneyland Monorail from Tomorrowland to Downtown Disney
- 🍕 Dinner @ Naples Ristorante – Downtown Disney
- 9:00 PM – Fantasmic! (Rivers of America – arrive early for a good spot)
- 🚗 Uber to Hotel
Here’s the full itinerary. See Universal Studios for tips and itineraries.
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