I found out we can check when the rides will be down by clicking on the following link:

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dlr/calendar/

Input your days of visit and you'll get a good idea of what rides are up / down.

Credits to Ms. Minnie17. Thanks again all!

I would be very surprised if Small Worls stays closed. At this time of year they will close it for a couple of weeks in order to get it ready for the Holiday Season.

December is a great time to go.... especially with the "nightly snowfall" and the decorations.

minnie, do you know if the decorations and the snowfall will continue after Christmas? We're now considering a trip to DL after Christmas, before New Years. ***kim***

Hi Kim-
I dont know about the decorations and how long they leave them up...but, if it doesnt rain on this Sunday (11/06), I will be going to Disneyland and I will ask around and see if I can find out for you. Also, I will try to find out when Small World will be open for all of you who have been asking.
minnie.

There is nothing better than the Dumbo ride for a 4 year old. I went on that ride when the park first opened, and I have taken every little kid I can find on that ride (including my own) ever since. If they have a fast pass for that one, get one quick!

thordarson, using fastpass is totally free. You buy your regular Disney admission tickets. You save the admission tickets to get free fast-passes.

As soon as you arrive to disneyland in the morning, walk to the ride where you would like to obtain a fast-pass. (Only certain rides offer fastpasses.) You will find fastpass machines near the ride you have chosen. Stick your admission tickets into the machine, and fastpasses will pop out. Get one for each person. (Always keep your admission ticket too!) Save your fastpass for later when the lines get longer.

On the fastpass it will say something like "Return time: between 9:30 am and 10:30 am". This means you may return to this ride at 9:30 am or later, and GET IN THE FASTPASS LINE...Don't get in the regular line! The fastpass line is usually right next to the regular line. The fastpass line goes much faster. Your fastpass doesn't expire at any particular time; if you don't make it back to the ride between the times suggested, you may use the fast pass any time for the remainder of the day.

Now, remember to collect a second fastpass...you may collect a second fastpass when the earliest time on your previous fastpass has passed. (So if your first fastpass said "Return between 9:30 and 10:30, you may get a second fastpass of your choice any time after 9:30.) You may collect a second fastpass whether or not you have used your previous fastpass. So, by the time the lines get longer at Disneyland, you should have 2 or 3 fastpasses in your pocket for different rides...now you will begin to use them because the lines in Disneyland get longer after about 11:00 am.

Hope this doesn't sound confusing! It's actually easy once you have done it a few times. Ask the attendants working at the rides if you are confused. And remember that the fastpasses don't expire at any particular time.

Plan to arrive when the gates open as lines are shorter first thing in the morning. But do remember to start collecting those fastpasses in the morning so you will have them when the lines get longer later. You can get as many fastpasses as you like, but only one at a time per person (according to the rules explained above.)

I am not sure why lots of people don't use fastpasses. Maybe they don't understand how. Or maybe they thought the short lines of the morning would last all day.

Fastpasses are available for Whinnie the Pooh (near Splash Mountain?); Roger Rabbit's Cartoon spin in Toon-town; Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans square, but save these for later when you are sure they won't scare your daughter; near Christmas-time fastpasses are usually available for It's a Small World; Indiana Jones which might be too rough or too scary for your daughter; Splash Mountain which is lots of fun, has cute singing characters, but has one great big waterfall to drop down which you can see when you walk by...That's all the fastpasses I can remember at the moment...

Rides in fantasyland have terrible long lines all day...try them as soon as you arrive maybe...Peter Pan is the best one...some of the others have scary witches.

If you want to start your day at disney with a ride your 4-year-old will love and it's not scary, try Whinnie the Pooh...my teen girls love it too, it's so cute!

There's a tiny roller coaster in Toon-town your daughter might enjoy, but the line goes very slow because the roller coaster is small and doesn't seat too many people. Try this one during a show or parade maybe when people are elsewhere.

Have a wonderful day.

Disneyland is preparing for their 50th anniversary celebration starting early in 2005 -- approx March ??

Therefore a lot of rides, attractions, and scenery in general is closed or covered up for refurb, maintenance, painting.