Developing a Daily Gameplan
Hot Tip:
Don't plan your day(s) at Disneyland like the D-Day invasion, but be
familiar with the park layouts and the attractions that you and your
group want to enjoy during your visit.
Since Disneyland has only two parks, versus the huge, multiple-park scope of WDW,
most people don't plan as carefully to visit there as they might for the Florida
complex. If you've never been to Disneyland, though, you'll want to lay out a
rough schedule so that you have an idea of how you will cover all of the major
attractions that you'd like to see. Keep in mind too, that Disneyland proper is just
similar enough to the Magic Kingdom in Florida to cause severe disorientation to
the Florida veteran. More than once I've heard (on one coast or the other)
something like, "I'm sure that's the way to Big Thunder Mountain...at least
it is at our park."
Developing a game plan (for a single day or even over a couple of days) helps
make your touring go well...but it does not mean that every item in the plan
must be rigidly adhered to. Quite to the contrary, the plan is a starting point
or framework. After you've gotten started, you can adjust your game plan
"on the fly" to make sure that you do what you want, but at a
reasonable pace.
More important, though, I urge you to allow yourself the blessings of
spontaneity. Be willing to change everything at a whim. If you see a parade
coming that you didn't notice on the schedule, sit down at watch it! If a group
of musicians is playing some ragtime or blues in New Orleans Square, walk over
and listen. If you happen to walk by a favorite attraction and the line seems
shorter than normal, jump in! Tired feet? Take a seat in one of the benches in
the drawbridge to Sleeping Beauty's Castle and just watch the people go by for
awhile. Memories like that will be thought of more fondly than the fact that you
set a world speed record for hitting every attraction in the park.
If you're going to be in the park for only a day, you might want to plan a
bit more carefully. For example, you might want to consider writing a list of
attractions and restaurants that you really want to catch. Each person that is
going on the trip should have input to the list. Since everyone's taste will
vary, the list will include a wide variety of things. During your trip, make
every effort to hit everyone's high priority wishes. Lesser desires can be done
too, as long as the biggies are covered first.
Another important part of planning any day at Disneyland is deciding what
restaurants you'll visit for your meals. Disneyland offers several wonderful
full-service restaurants, and there are more over at the Hotels. There are also
several very good "buffeteria" service restaurants, such as the French
Market, that serve very good food at more reasonable prices. If you'd like
to read more about the wonderful restaurants of the Disneyland Resort, check out
MousePlanet's Disneyland Restaurant Resource!
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