Am I the only one who hasn’t been to Disneyland? It certainly felt like it for so long! I’ve successfully avoided Disneyland despite my husband’s incessant plea! Though a big fan of so many Disney films, I just wasn’t interested in going to the theme park! Probably because my idea of a vacation is relaxing beach-side or spending time in nature and the idea of hundreds of kids running around me instead is just not appealing not to mention, I’m scared of roller coasters! But… my cousin’s 50th birthday is definitely a reason to finally make my first Disneyland visit! Now I wonder what was I thinking?! Our 1-day visit to Disneyland was fun and something I look forward to doing again in the future!

Though not quite spontaneous, this trip had very little planning! A week before my cousin’s 50th birthday, we’ve decided to go to Disneyland to celebrate. Much of the details of this trip was decided on the road heading south to Anaheim. As a first-timer, I’m obviously not qualified to make a Disneyland travel guide, however, I’ve learned valuable lessons on this first trip! Here I’m sharing the 10 mistakes to make in Disneyland for first-timers!

10 Disneyland Mistakes for First-Timers

Not Planning.
While spontaneity can be fun and memorable, a trip to Disneyland is best enjoyed when planned! And that’s exactly what we didn’t do! We had 1 week to plan this trip but in a true procrastinator fashion, most of it was planned on the road heading there i.e. hotel, ticket prices, parking, other attractions in the area, restaurants, etc.
Not Downloading the Disneyland App.
We ended up buying a Fast Pass a few rides after our first and the best way to use it is through the app. Aside from Fast Pass, the Disneyland app provides a lot of useful information such as maps with wait times on each attraction, schedules of shows, ordering food and making reservations among others.
Not Getting a Fast Pass.
When we bought our tickets, we paid no attention to Fast Pass until getting in line on our first few rides and seeing others pass through quickly. We ended up purchasing the Fast Pass in our apps later on and it proved to be a valuable purchase. Though Fast Pass can’t be used in all rides, being able to skip through a 40-minute long wait on a pre-scheduled attraction is an excellent option.
Not Creating an Itinerary.
We were only at Disneyland for 1 day and an itinerary would’ve really helped us maximize our visit. We just relied on the available Fast Pass rides schedule but having a list of attractions we wanted to visit would’ve helped us stay organized.
Purchasing a Hopper Ticket.
For $50 more, a Hopper ticket allows you to go to both Disneyland and California Adventure (right across Disneyland). For multi-day park visits, I would definitely suggest getting the Hopper Ticket, however, for a 1-day visit like ours, it was a waste. There are so many attractions to visit in Disneyland alone and 1 day is not enough. With the limited time we had, we were only able to go to Little Mermaid in California Adventure.
Not Taking the Railroad Train.
Disneyland is massive so expect to walk all day! The Disneyland Railroad is an easy way to get around the park with a train arriving at each stop every 5 minutes. We decided to take a train ride in between our Fast Pass schedule later that day and instantly regretted not taking the train to get to other theme parks instead of walking all day. Our visit was the first day of “Believe in Holiday Magic” and walking through the crowd during the parade was terrible. The train was an excellent way to get around and skip the crowds during the parade.
Not Bringing a Power Bank.
A rookie mistake! Even with a fully charged phone, with all pictures/videos taken and Fast Pass usage, our phone battery was almost drained in the afternoon. We asked around for a charging station but was told our best option was to buy a pre-charged small power bank for $30. So instead, we turned off our phones and only turning it on for the Fast Pass. We skipped on many photo opportunities especially with the many characters around. There were plugs in some of the restrooms but they charged slow and who wants to hang out in the restrooms anyway!
Not Bringing Enough Water and Snacks.
The 3 of us brought 2 bottles of water each and a few packs of fruit snacks but that didn’t even make it through lunchtime. The heat and the amount of walking will keep you constantly thirsty and hungry. While there are plenty of snacks and drinks available to purchase, bringing enough will help save you at the end of the day.
Not Dressed for Cool and Warm Weather.
We stayed from 8 AM through 11 PM and surprisingly for the month of November, the weather ranged from the mid 60°F to the mid 80°F. I wore jeans and wished I brought a pair of shorts with me to change in the afternoon.
Not Bringing Extra Clothes for the Water Attractions.
Water attractions like the “Grizzly River Run” will get you soaked and if you didn’t bring any change of clothing, be prepared to walk around the park with wet clothes! Extra clothes are always a great idea to bring not just for water attractions but for warm weather as well!