How to actually be happy at the 'Happiest Place on Earth'

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

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School is out, the kids are full of energy and expectations and parents across Utah are making summer plans. Gasoline prices have driven many Utahns to choose Disneyland as their summer destination. Here are five tips and little-known secrets for making your Magic Kingdom visit more memorable.

1. Know when to go

The crowds at Disneyland are often a concern for parents. The serious vacationer knows that the best time to go is when other people aren't. This means avoiding weekends, especially long weekends, and holidays whenever possible or going at the beginning or end of the summer.

The least busy dates include May, late-September and October. However, while the lines may be shorter in an off-season month, you may also face shorter park hours, more ride closures, and less shows such as fireworks and parades. Once you have chosen your month, keep in mind that the least busy days are Tuesday through Thursday.

2. Know where to stay

There are dozens of hotels within five miles of Disneyland. Most guests search for a low price, but some may not take into account other factors such as location, free or low-cost breakfast and shuttles to the park.

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Many Anaheim hotel chains are family friendly and entice visitors with fancy pools boasting water slides or child-sized pirate ships. Larger families may also consider accommodations that include multiple bedrooms with bunk beds or sofa beds and a kitchen to minimize dining costs.

Travel websites may be helpful in choosing the right hotel, especially if they list guest ratings of the hotel, websites can often be deceiving. If in doubt, ask around to get opinions on the best Anaheim accommodations.

3. Know how to get passes

Disneyland guests have three options: buy passes at the gate, buy online or buy from a third party. Some Utahns prefer to purchase online because they may get a discount through various companies, and they don't have to stand in line at the gate. However, even the ticket booth gives you a discount per day when you purchase more than two days.

The most important thing is to decide beforehand regarding how many days you want and which parks you want to visit. Disney's California Adventure is a popular option with Disneyland visitors because it is next door and has more adult-oriented rides and attractions. It features the highly rated "World of Color," a colorful water and light show that is said to make the Bellagio's water show in Las Vegas pale in comparison.

Another option is to buy from a third-party, but be aware that Disneyland is strict about their "no sharing" policy on Park-Hopper and other multiple-day passes. Some individuals buy what remains on a previous visitor's multi-day pass only to find out that they have been scammed.

Some third parties advertise tickets as having three days left when they may only have one, and they require cash-only transactions. Perhaps the safest method of saving money is to both purchase online in advance from an authorized Disneyland reseller and to get Park-Hopper passes or the CityPass, which allows visits to other parks such as SeaWorld or the San Diego Zoo for a huge discount.

4. Know the tricks of the park

California residents have their own theories about avoiding the crowds.

One resident advised, "Always go left."

Most guests enter the park and turn right. By the same rule, when choosing which line to enter for a ride, more guests also choose the right. An exception to this rule may be "Pirates of the Caribbean," where the line on the left is slightly longer than the right side.

Disneyland frequents also say to arrive just as the park opens when possible, and ride the "must-dos" first.

"Ride all the kid stuff first thing, especially Peter Pan, because that line is forever long for such a short ride," advises Janet Poulsen, a frequent visitor.

Some visitors, such as those staying at the resort or those who buy certain passes, are lucky enough to have the "Magic Morning" pass that allows them to enter an hour early on certain days. If you arrive late and lines are already long, save the most popular rides for the slower time during the parade or the night show. The lines also get shorter between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. when visitors take a dinner break.

The "FastPass" is a fabulous option that is free with admission, so there is no reason not to use it. Go to the entrance of the most popular rides, and there will be a FastPass kiosk. Slip your day pass into the slot and within seconds you have a FastPass ticket with a time to return.

The FastPass time will get later and later throughout the day, so get your ticket early. When you return after the posted time your line will be much shorter. The two most important rides to use the FastPass option on are "Space Mountain," Disneyland's most popular ride, and "Indiana Jones," which otherwise always has a long wait.

One secret many guests don't know is that your pass is good for anytime after the posted time, so if you arrive later than the time window, it will still be accepted. However, it is only good for that day, and you can have a limited number of FastPasses at once.

Want to steer the steamboat? Few visitors know that they can. Ask the captain and if he allows it, you will receive a designated certificate. Want a great view of the fireworks? Stand behind the preferred seating benches at the train station platform. Just make sure you get there early.

Few guests know that bringing your own food to the park is now permitted. Guests on a budget often buy bread, peanut butter and jelly, apples, and other foods at the grocery store and fill their mini-fridge at the hotel and pack lunches to bring into the park. This not only saves money, but you can eat whenever and wherever you would like. Eating lunch at 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. means that you get shorter lines while everyone else is dining.

5. Remember that it's about the memories

You can plan your day down to the minute, maximizing rides and squeezing every possible attraction into your time, but it will have been for nothing if you don't enjoy it. The magic of Disneyland is alive in the eyes of our children when they meet Peter Pan or Cinderella. If they want to ride "Alice in Wonderland" three times and skip "Nemo's Voyage," it's not the end of the world. As you travel home, what you will treasure is your time together, so be sure to slow down and have your camera ready.

Rebecca is an overachiever who has three children and has previously written for Schooled Magazine. She can usually be found at her computer obsessing over one writing project or another.