5 Resources I Use to Plan My Disneyland Vacation

Most of my posts are generic enough to be useful at any Disney park. I am running the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 2, 2012 and will be spending several days at the Disneyland Resort. Between now and them I am going to dedicate each Friday’s post to uniquely Disneyland information. Today I am discussing the research I do when planning a trip to Disneyland.

I love to plan trips. Besides just organizing the big issues, like hotels and restaurant reservations, I love to uncover the details that will improve my trip. I find that it is the small things that make a vacation special. There are a ton a Disney websites and guidebooks out there and most of them give good information. I cannot possibly read them all so I have picked 5 that provide me the best details in a simple and readable fashion. I hope these resources help you on your next Disney vacation.

5 helpful resources for planning a Disneyland vacation:

1) The official Disneyland website. I have heard many opinions on whether this website is helpful or not. It is huge and has lots of images so it may be slow to load. But if you want specific advice about the day you are visiting this is the place to go. The calendar is very useful for deciding which day you should visit Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure. It is also a good resource for learning about the extra activities and special events that the Disneyland Resort has to offer.

2) Birnbaum’s Disneyland 2012. There are a ton of guidebooks out there, but Birnbaum’s is my favorite. This book is filled with color photos which builds my excitement more than just text would do. Plus it is well organized with rides, shopping, and restaurants in different sections so you can compare like with like. This book comes out once a year so it may not have the most up-to-date information (for example, it mentions that Cars Land is coming, but doesn’t describe the rides or restaurants), but it brings up a lot of issues that I then research further.

3) Disney Parks Blog. Nothing makes me happier each morning than to open my e-mail and read the Disney Parks Blog. I am always learning about the details that make a Disney vacation extra-special. Plus they have great videos that give you a behind-the-scenes look at the park. They posted a video of a chef at Steakhouse 55 (located at the Disneyland Hotel) creating a 24 layer chocolate cake. Boy, do I want one now. Without this fun blog I would have never known it existed.

4) The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland. The Imagineering Guide series is a great way to learn about the details found in the parks. From the backstory of a restaurant or building, to trivia about the height, speed or history of an attraction this book provides lots to talk about while standing in line for your favorite ride.

5) TouringPlans.com. There are a ton of unofficial Disney websites out there, but this one is my top pick. This site has a team of people who are constantly visiting the parks and providing the most up-to-date information. I often learn about a change to the parks on this site before I read about it on the official Disney site. They have touring plans and crowd calendars to help you ride more attractions and stand in line less. Their blog is filled with great reviews, tips for enjoying the attractions, and advice that any Guest can use.

I hope you get to visit the Disneyland Resort someday and the when you do you have as much fun planning your trip as you do taking it. These resources are sure to help.

Goofy Tip: I am known for filling my small suitcase with a ton of Disney books so that I have them at my fingertips on the trip. Over the years I have noticed that I don’t use most of them because I am too busy to flip through them while at the parks. This trip I am trying something new. I have bought a small notebook that fits in my back pocket. I am filling it with all the tips I want to remember. When I am in the parks I can glance through and not miss anything. Hopefully this will increase the amount of cool things I see and do and lighten my suitcase.