Disneyland (CA) - Advice for a 1 day visit with a 5 & 2 yr old
 

Looking for advice on what to do in disneyland with a 5 and 2 yr old? Would love to pick out specific rides and areas to visit ahead of time so we can see and do as much as possible without too much extra walking with young kids. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Of course the main thing to do is get there when they open. That may difficult with the younger children but it will be well worth it & save you a lot of waiting in long lines. For most people they head to the big rides like Indiana Jones or Space Mountain.

But for you it will be different. Just go straight down Main Street & thru the castle & you will be in Fantasyland. There are many rides for the young kids there. The one to go on first would be Peter Pan because that line gets the longest. Then next door or across the street you have Mr. Toad, Snow White & Pinnochio. And near Pinnochio is the Casey Jr. Train. Also close would be Storybook Land & Alice In Wonderland. Two rides that I did not include are the carousel & Dumbo. These are also fun if they do not make you dizzy.

Besides the rides in Fantasyland they would enjoy the rides in Toontown. This land is not as popular & is not as crowded. In Tomorrowland they might like the Toy Story ride where they get to shoot the evil guys & run up a score. (The 5 yr. old would like it). And on the opposite end the Jungle Boat Ride would be fun as well as the tree house. And of course the Pirate ride if they are not afraid of the dark. Continue on to Critter Country & the little one will like the Winnie The Pooh ride. The boat rides there on the river can be fun also. And don't forget to meet the characters who are located throughout the park & are listed in the guide you will get when you arrive. Also the monorail ride around the park may be fun for them & a chance for you to sit & rest.

There really is no way to cut down on the walking as there is a central hub & lands off to all sides. So you will be backtracking & criss crossing most of the day. Have fun.

Thank you so much for this great info. SO helpful!!

Yes,do go as early as you can,you will own the place until about 11am.
Don't forget "It's A Small World".
Some of the rides in Fantasyland can be a little scary,Snow White and Pinnochio have some dark scenes.

Logan makes a GREAT point. My 3 year old granddaughter is very scared of Snowwhite.... I made the mistake of taking her on that.

Are you spending the night or just "one day"? I do recommend if you can swing it budget wise to stay the night at a DL hotel. It really is special imo. We have stayed at the California Grand, DL hotel and Paradise Pier and I like the California Grand best but think that the DL has the best "wow" factor for small children. Having said that, the DL is under a lot of construction right now... If you stay at one of them, you do get early entrance on certain days - so do ask - and maybe go down the night before, spend the night, and head in early - Also if avoidable - certain days are just busier - we were just there over spring break on a Friday night and it was as crowded as I have ever seen it.

We are staying about 1/2 hr away so just planning on going for the day.

Get there early JAS and enjoy the day!

Recommend taking the fire engine from the entrance down Main Street. They should give the children a sticker.

Also take advantage of the train that loops around Disneyland, will save some walking. The monorail won't help.

Honestly I wouldn't bother walking all the way to go to Critter Country unless someone just loooooves Winnie the Pooh. Haunted Mansion had a mixed reaction..one said it was his favorite and one screamed the whole time. They both liked Dumbo, though. Autopia might also be worthwhile and should have a fastpass.

If at all possible, leave the park in the afternoon, returning to where you'll be staying, and let (or MAKE) the kids have a nap. Get your hands stamped before leaving the park and don't let them wash the back of the hand that's been stamped.
After the nap you can return to the park and enjoy the evening, including the parade, without a crying meltdown.
Disneyland is a visual and auditory overload for little ones. They are seeing all the characters they've only seen on TV, but live; there are good smells and interesting things everywhere. It's easy to forget this and tire them out. Take a break in the middle of the day when the crowds are at their largest and you'll have a much better day. A little quiet time will do wonders.