Make sure to keep your ticket stub AND get your hand stamped if you want to exit and then return to the park same day. (Likewise if you want to wander around at the hotel.) If you want to leave the parking lot with your car and return, hold on to your parking stub and you won't have to pay again.

STROLLERS:

They are available at the Main Gate, on the east [right hand side as you face the entrance] of the park. Below is a picture of the new strollers the park now has, much better than the ones in the past.

Adrienne Krock's Parenting in the Parks column here on MousePlanet has detailed what to expect when you rent / use a stroller - her useful advice is available ON THIS PAGE.

You can save time by buying your stroller ticket at the admission windows when you buy your tickets - and then just showing your ticket to the attendant to pick one up at the main gate.  If your stroller gets stolen, just head back to the rental location and explain what happened, along with a ticket, you get a new one.

MUCH nicer than the old models.

PICNIC AREA:

Food tends towards the expensive at the park, so if you decide to pack your own meal you can enjoy it at the newly expanded picnic area near the entrance gate.

TIP: Avoid the picnic area by bringing your food in via knapsacks. They may ask to search them (which they do not for food, but for security's sake). Just tell them you need to have the food with you due to allergies and such for particular members of your party. If you are bringing lots of it in via several packs - spread your group across several entry turnstiles so it doesn't look like an invasion. Once in, no one will question you, they don't want to make your visit unpleasant.

There are lockers outside the park near the picnic area, in the park to keep it in on MAIN ST. or there are some next to the FANTASYLAND THEATER. When you do gather up to eat, head out to a back of the park eating area, so you don't flaunt the rules. An excellent place is the rear seating area of Critter Country's HUNGRY BEAR RESTAURANT - on the upper or lower levels towards the back next to the train tracks. You have a lovely view of the river (and usually no crowds) with trees (or the upper deck) shading you and no Disney CM's hovering around cleaning every few seconds while you eat.

TIP: The picnic area also has some lockers right in the area where the tables are at - avoid these since they are out in the sun and your food may spoil.

Another alternative is out at the DISNEYLAND HOTEL, which you can reach via a quick ride via the Lion King parking tram. There's a small non-gated area with a few tables outside on the edge of the pool area between GOOFY'S KITCHEN and the Coffee / Muffin shop. The purchase of a cup of coffee or a drink will make you feel as if you own the table, although no one will bother you about it. Shade is provided by umbrellas and / or the building.

LOCKERS:

Lockers are also available inside the park right between the bathrooms and the snack stand adjacent to the Fantasyland "WonderBra" Theater.  The lockers available on Main St. fill up pretty fast on busy days, but there is another location available - next to the new picnic area [alongside the bathrooms, adjacent to the Pinocchio tram loading] before you enter the park. 

Lockers in the park (at the Main Street location) are now "all day" lockers just like the ones they've just put in between the new picnic area and the Group Sales windows [outside of the park between the Pinocchio tram area and the entrance].  

The new lockers are either $3, $4, or $5 depending on the size, but they will save you some money since they are now all day. The only problem is that they require you to remember a code to use them - I can just see frazzled visitors forgetting their numbers at the end of the day.

Lockers in the park generally are smaller, the outside ones are larger.

HEADACHE?:

Wanna save the couple of dollars a tin of aspirin costs? Get a free pair of tablets by going to the FIRST AID station, (between the Plaza restaurant and the Baby Station at the hub end of Main St.) and asking the nurse. You'll sign your name, and will get a cup for water.

PETS

...may be boarded for the day at the kennel east of the main entrance, (for a $10 fee) but no overnight accommodations are available. Please note that park cast members [employees] will not walk your pet for you, you will have to make trips to do so during the day.

REGISTERED NURSE

...is available at the First Aid station next to the Plaza Inn at the hub end of Main St. at all times.

LOST CHILDREN CENTER

...is located next to the First Aid station.

Next door is the Gerber Baby Care Center, which provides areas for preparing formulas, warming bottles, nursing, and changing diapers. Inquire here about availability of baby food and disposable diapers throughout the park. And yes, that's Walt's baby picture on the wall.

Adrienne Krock who maintains the Parenting in the Parks section here on MousePlanet has written an excellent column detailing the baby center and what to expect there. You can access it on THIS PAGE.

2 HOUR OR NEXT DAY PHOTO PROCESSING

...is available in the park, (also at the Disney hotels), inquire at the Kodak Camera Corner on Main St.

DISNEY HOTEL RESERVATIONS

...may be made free of charge from the phones in CITY HALL and at LOST & FOUND on Main St.

POSTAGE STAMPS

...are available from U.S. Postal Service machines (at face value!) which are located in the exit lobby for MR. LINCOLN on Main St..

DISABLED VISITOR INFORMATION:

DL is one of the more accessible attractions for special needs guests in the Southern California area. Disabled guests should request the special DL GUIDEBOOK FOR GUESTS WITH DISABILITIES detailing park and attraction special boarding instructions at City Hall as they enter. A guide will also be sent in advance free-of-charge - call the live operators at the number listed in the PHONE NUMBERS page.

TONY PHOENIX has written his own very detailed and informative FAQ about access at DL and it is a wonderful additional and more complete source of information. It's available at this LINK.

Recently the park added a no cost handicapped van service from all the outlying parking lots instead of just trying to strap wheelchairs on a tram. A CM in the area will assist you when you arrive to take advantage of this service.

A limited number of wheelchairs (manual and powered) are available for rental at the stroller booth, located to the RIGHT of the floral Mickey Mouse before entering Main St. There is an 18 year old age limit on powered vehicle rental. All wheelchairs and powered vehicles may not be wider than 26 inches in order to use the monorail between the park and the DL Hotel. If a DL Hotel wheelchair guest would like to attend a Magic Morning event (when the Monorail is not operating) they may request either a lift equipped courtesy van or tram to the park main entrance.

Service Animals are welcome in select locations throughout the park, they must remain on a leash or in a harness at all times. Due to the nature of some attractions, they may have to wait in a designated area while the guest rides.

All parade routes and shows have areas designated for wheelchair guests, inquire at each location and take into account that these areas may fill up quickly.

CM's [cast members, employees] will always be happy to assist disabled guests with food orders, or with reaching merchandise and reading price tags.

Recently someone at the park was kind enough to fill me in on how a disabled person traveling alone can do so at Disneyland so that I could answer an e-mail that was sent to me. Here for everyone to read is their very helpful response:

CMs may not pick up disabled Guests who are traveling alone because Disney does not want to be liable, either if the Guest gets dropped, or if the CM throws out their back doing the picking-up.

The Disabled Guest Information Guide is a pamphlet available at the Stroller Rental area, City Hall and some merchandise locations. In it are listings of all the attractions that can be utilized by those in wheelchairs, with descriptions of how much movement is required.

For instance, Enchanted Tiki Room has a lift in the Preshow area that can take a Guest in a wheelchair up to the exit level and in the building. The Guest does not have to even leave their chair. Haunted Mansion can stop their Doom Buggies for a few minutes to allow the Guests to pull themselves into the vehicles. But the Guest has to be able to move themselves.

Same for Star Tours. There is usually plenty of time to get into and out of the vehicle. At most of the attractions, there are grab-rails and places to hold onto while pulling ones' self into the vehicle.

On the high-speed attractions like Space Mountain and Matterhorn, it is important that the Guest can get into and out of the rocket very quickly, within about 30 seconds. (A person may try practicing this at home and timing themselves.) Otherwise the rockets begin stacking up behind, and will soon cause the attraction to Emergency Stop. This is very upsetting to both the other Guests and the CM working there, since it takes time to evacuate and restart the attraction.

There are downtimes often on the attractions due to Guests stumbling or taking too long to get in or out, or being confused about where to sit, and they are not necessarily wheelchair bound!

It is extremely difficult for a chair-bound Guest to get into or out of boats such as Pirates, Small World and Jungle Cruise. They can take plenty of time, since the attraction will not break down. But they have difficulty climbing down the steps into the boats.

DL engineers are working right now to equip one or more boats in each of those 3 attractions with a hydraulic lift, so the chair can just roll out and be lowered in. Easy! This may be a while in the future, but they are quite aware of the problems and are working towards it. The Monorail has a special ramp they bring out to roll the chairs in with.

And finally a door has been cut in the side of City Hall near the Women's restroom so wheelchair Guests can roll in to complain about the problems of being a Guest in a wheelchair!

One good tip might be to approach the CM at the special place in each attraction where wheelchair Guests are allowed to go to the front of the line. This is usually in the exit, and the pamphlet lists where for each. Talk to the CM and explain the level of disability, i.e. can walk a little; can lift one's self up into the vehicle; or cannot be removed from the chair. Whatever it is, talk to them and find out if it is possible and how best to do it.

All the CMs should be helpful and courteous, offering suggestions on the best maneuvers. If they are not, speak to City Hall!

More tips: All of the live shows have special areas set aside for wheelchairs. For Fantasmic, go to the Raft Dock in front of the Haunted Mansion well before the show. Ask the CM where wheelchair viewing is.

For any shows go in through the exit or approach one of the CMs there, they will put you in the right places.

Along the Parade route, there is the area in front of the Prince and Princess bathrooms between Alice in Wonderland and the Matterhorn, as well as in front of the Camera Shop on Main Street. This should help you better enjoy DL!

TDD - Telecommunications Device for the Deaf are available for use at the Main St. Lockers / Lost & Found and in City Hall.

All telephones at the park can be amplified by pushing the "#" sign or by using a separate volume button found on the phone.

VirgCA@aol.com was kind enough to contribute the following:

A SPECIAL ASSISTANCE PASS is available at either City Hall or First Aid (located beside the Baby Center off the hub between Main St. and the Plaza Inn) for individuals who do not need a wheelchair (or won't use one-like my father!) yet have difficulty standing for long periods of time. While he can handle the rides, he couldn't handle the stairs (Splash Mtn., Indy), or the long standing.

With this pass, he and his party (of no more than 6) were allowed to enter thru the disabled entrances. One thing that is nice and protects against misuse, is some type of proof is required... for my father it was the card he carries in his wallet stating his knees are made of titanium - mostly for use in airport security areas, since he sets the bells off! He is "on file" for one year and only needs to go to the First Aid or City Hall at each visit to pick up his pass.

WANT TO GET MARRIED AT THE PARK?

You can call DISNEY'S FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS directly at (714) 956-6527 to inquire about this service - they also now arrange for proposals too.

EXIT & RE ENTRY

STROLLERS

PICNIC AREA

LOCKERS

HEADACHE

PETS

REGISTERED NURSE

LOST CHILDREN CENTER

2 HOUR PHOTOS

DL HOTEL RESERVATIONS

POSTAGE STAMPS

DISABLED VISITOR INFORMATION

WANT TO GET MARRIED?