Disneyland in 2 Days
For Spring Break 2025, our family of six headed to Southern California for a much-anticipated return to the Disneyland Resort. We had last been in Fall 2022. With two full days in Disneyland, we didn’t feel rushed and had time to re-ride favorites. Here’s how we spent our time at the happiest place on earth.
Day 1
We stayed at the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance, which is absolutely perfect for our family. With two queen beds and a twin-over-twin bunk bed, it gives everyone plenty of space to sleep without playing sleeping Jenga. The hotel even has a small water park, which is a huge bonus for the kids. Best of all, it’s just a 10–15 minute walk to the parks. We left the hotel about 7:00 AM and our walk took us right past McDonald's and Panera, where we mobile ordered breakfast. It is our kids’ favorite spots to grab breakfast, especially on an early morning rope drop. After eating breakfast, we arrived in the esplanade about 7:30 AM and we were able to head into Disneyland since it was 30 mins before opening. We joined the crowd near the Partners Statue because we like to rope drop Fantasyland. On our way over to Toontown, we met Geppetto, the Mad Hatter, and Alice roaming around the area.
Storybook Start
We entered through Sleeping Beauty Castle heading straight to the magic of Fantasyland. It’s a tradition for us at Disneyland to start with the family favorite, Dumbo. From there, we packed a ton into the first hour with King Arthur Carousel, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Mad Tea Party, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan’s Flight. One of the thing we love about Fantasyland and Disneyland in general is all of the characters walking around. We spotted Merida, Pinocchio, and Mary Poppins strolling through the crowds, and we even saw Peter Pan himself hop on the Carousel for a spin.
Next up, we knocked out Casey Jr, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and Snow White. It was a little after 10:00, so we stopped by the Red Rose Tavern to get a snack. Try the Grey Stuff, it’s delicious.
Then came a big moment: The two older kids and I finally got to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds. This was a major goal because we missed out on our last visit. We took on the Fantasyland side, and the girls loved the thrill.
Nothing Can Stop Us Now
By mid-morning, we made our way into Toontown, which was undergoing a major reimaging on our last visit. The girls loved playing with the interactive town and Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard. At Goofy’s, you can explore the inside of the house and play with all sorts of gadgets and gizmos in the kitchen. Additionally, you can play in the yard which some colorful slides. We had to pry the kids off the slides after a while. Goofy’s can get crowded, making it difficult to keep track of all four kids who wanted to do completely separate activities. The area is gated with limited entrance/exit, which helps keep everyone in the same area. We explored Minnie’s House and got to meet Minnie herself!
The oldest two girls and I jumped into acorn seats and rode Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Gadget Coaster. It’s a fun introductory coaster, and the girls really enjoyed it. I wouldn’t stand in line for this one for a long time. The ride only takes about 30 seconds from start to finish.
When we first entered Toontown, we had planned to ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, but it was temporarily down. We were regularly keeping an eye on it and waiting for it to open back up. We were lucky to see the cast members reopen the ride, and we were able to walk right onto it. Don’t fret too much if you do have to wait in the queue because it is full of Mickey memorabilia and cool easter eggs. The ride is incredible and a family favorite. The girls love the scene where you dance with Daisy and seeing Chuuby at the end.
We also rode Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Amanda was a little nervous about how much the ride might spin but it seemed fairly tame. The girls haven’t seen the Roger Rabbit movie, so they don’t have any connection to this ride. Afterwards, we grabbed a table at Cafe Daisy. The menu is simple with traditional kid staples like pizza, corn dogs, and mac ‘n’ cheese. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done. The middles love frozen Coke, which you can pick up at the neighboring Good Boy! Grocers.
Unfortunately, It’s a Small World was closed for a major refurbishment on this visit. We love this version of the ride because the kids like finding the Disney and Pixar characters in the various countries. We walked back through Fantasyland, stopping to take a relaxing ride on the Storybook Land Canal Boats, which pass by models of Disney's fairytale scenes.
Wild West & The High Seas
One of my favorite Disney rollercoasters is Big Thunder Mountain. Not only is it an exceptional ride but it’s also special to me for a more personal reason. It was the very first rollercoaster I ever rode with our two oldest girls. On this trip, our 6-year-old got to ride it for the very first time. The wildest ride in the West might’ve shaken her up a bit, but she did great.
We arrived in New Orleans Square feeling a little snacky. Amanda and I split the “snack” size Monte Cristo from Royal Street Veranda and the kids enjoyed Mickey beignets from Mint Julep Bar. Absolutely delicious, no notes.
Then we set sail on Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s a classic, and we all enjoy soaking in the eerie pirate vibes. Johnny Depp didn’t surprise us on our ride but we were surprised that one of our favorite scenes was different. We really like when the three pirates in prison are whistling at a dog who is holding keys to the jail. This time, there were only two pirates. We assumed the third one either escaped or was being refurbished.
We explored the Adventureland Treehouse, and the kids fell in love with Jane the Ostrich. Then we chilled out in the Tiki Room with the birds, Dole whip, and catchy music.
Then we set out on the Jungle Cruise, where the real adventure was... hearing our skipper through a sketchy mic. Let’s just say the jokes may have gotten lost in the jungle. But we all still celebrated the 8th wonder of the world, the back side of water. O2H, O2H!!!
We had dinner reservations for Cafe Orleans at 6:30 PM. We got there a little early and our 6-year-old entertained everyone with a “Dance Go Party” a family tradition dating back to our 2022 visit. We really enjoy the food at this table-service restaurant plus it offers one of the better Fantasmic dining packages. Unfortunately, they were only doing Fantasmic on weekends in April and we were there during the week. I started with a cup of gumbo, which is a classic and really flavorful. Their Mint Juleps are refreshing after a long day at the park. Amanda and I got the Cajun Butter Roasted Chicken and Blackened Shrimp Alfredo Pasta for our main dishes. The kids, naturally, stuck with their usuals: one went for the steak kids’ meal, while the other added to our running tally of approximately 7 billion mac & cheese orders at Disney.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
As a kid, I dreamed about building my own lightsaber. I finally got the chance to build that lightsaber with an 8:00 PM reservation at Savi’s Workshop. I chose Elemental Nature. The theme embodies the Force because it connects your lightsaber to the energy created by all living things through incorporating natural items like wood, bone, and leather. One of the coolest Disney experiences ever.
The littles fell asleep in the stroller, completely wiped from the day’s adventure. But some of us still had a bit more magic left. Our 10-year-old had her heart set on riding Space Mountain. I grabbed some ice cream from Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor for Amanda and our 12-year-old. Then the 10-year-old and I took on Hyperspace Mountain, where we blasted off into lightspeed on the Star Wars-themed overlay of Space Mountain. The last ride of the night was Astro Orbitor with the two older kids. There’s just something special about ending the night with some out-of-this-world nighttime views.
Day 2
We packed a lot into our first day but you really need at least two days to experience everything the park has to offer. Since we accomplished so much on day 1, we took the day at a slower pace arriving around 9:30 AM. We kicked things off with a classic with pictures at the front of the park by the train station. Walking onto Main Street, we met Mickey and Pluto before launching into Tomorrowland.
To Infinity and Beyond
Stopped by Star Command for a round on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters to defeat the Evil Emperor Zurg! Then Star Tours took us to a galaxy far, far away. We were able to get three cars on Autopia. Amanda drove with the 3-year-old and the 12-year-old drove me and the 6-year-old around the track. Our 10-year-old got the rare privilege to drive a car by herself. Then we explored the deep with the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Before leaving Tomorrowland, we went for another spin on Astro Blasters.
Main Street USA
We made our way down Main Street for a 1:00 PM lunch reservation at Carnation Cafe. We arrived a little early, and while we waited, we were able to catch the Mickey and Friends cavalcade. I enjoyed the Braised Short Rib and Amanda got the Parmesan Toasted Patty Melt. The kids had more mac and cheese.
While we were shopping, I placed a mobile order for caffeine and sugar from Jolly Holiday. Got a toffee-nut cold brew, the Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron, and the adorable Donald Macaron filled with cherry buttercream and vanilla bean crème. The Donald Macaron looked adorable but didn’t have as strong of flavors compared to the raspberry macaron.
From Boo to Bayou to Batuu
We visited the home of 999 happy haunts, the Haunted Mansion. After our spooky ride in the gloomy doom buggies, we headed over to Bayou Country. The kids got to meet their Hundred Acre Wood favorites, including Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore. Thanks to rider switch, we split up to let the big kids ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure twice while the littles doubled down on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
We landed in Batuu around 5:30 PM. We ran into Rey who was checking up on the First Order. We also got to meet Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka. Our 10-year-old fan girled over Ashoka and I fan girled over meeting Luke! Resistance for the full Rise of the Resistance experience. Then the whole crew joined the Resistance for an epic mission on Rise of the Resistance. We were captured by the First Order, rescued by the Resistance, and dodging AT-ATs along the way. This ride is an epic Star Wars adventure!
We couldn’t resist a second trip down the Jungle Cruise river because the backside of water is that iconic. Our skipper’s jokes were a boatload of fun. After disembarking, we snacked on Bengal BBQ while we sat down to map out everyone’s one final ride or snack. Here was the list:
12-year-old: Fly the Millennium Falcon
10-year-old: Ride the Matterhorn
6-year-old: Dumbo and Dole Whip (not at the same time)
3-year-old: Carousel
Amanda: Beef Birria Toasted Cheese from Jolly Holiday
We spent the rest of the night completing this list. We started with a spin on Dumbo, followed by a ride on the carousel, and the Tomorrowland side of the Matterhorn Bobsleds. We mobile-ordered a late dinner of toasted cheese with tomato basil soup and beef birria toast from Jolly Holiday. As we headed back into Batuu, we picked up a Dole Whip from Tropical Hideaway. Last but not least, we hopped on Smuggler’s Run to pilot the Millennium Falcon. That was a wrap on our two days at Disneyland!
