The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (226 page)

Water

It’s crucial to stay hydrated during your busy day or night at
Disneyland
.  Bottled water can be purchased at most restaurants and snack carts in the park for about $3. At some venues you can request a complimentary cup of water.  Water is also provided for free via water fountains near park Rest Rooms.  Great budget saving tip if pennies are tight:  You and your kids can save your water bottles when you’ve emptied them, and re-fill them for free from the resort water fountains.

Weddings

Some people love
Disneyland
–and each other!–so much that they get hitched at the resort.  If you’re interested in planning one of
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings and Honeymoons
, visit the wedding planning site online via the
Disneyland
website (
http://disneyweddings.disney.go.com
), or
call
Disney’s Wedding Team
at (321) 939-4160 to speak to a
Disney Wedding Sales Consultant
.  You can hold your wedding, vow renewal, or commitment ceremony at one of the three
Disneyland Resort Hotels
, or even arrange to be married within one of the
Disneyland Resort Theme Parks
after hours.  Your assigned
Disney Wedding Planner
will walk you through all the details, from event planning to food, beverages, Guest accommodations, and parking.  They sky–and your bank book–are the limit.  You can even dance with
Mickey
and
Minnie
at your reception, if you can afford the fee.  The charming gazebos on the grounds of the
Disneyland Hotel
are dream-come-true settings for a wedding or commitment ceremony!

Wheelchairs

If you or someone in your party has mobility challenges, r
ent a wheelchair for $12 per day plus refundable $20 deposit.  Wheelchairs are available for rental east of the
Main Turnstiles
of
Disneyland Park
.  They can be utilized in both parks, but not in
Downtown Disney
.  Disabled Guests and their companions can usually enter park attractions via the attraction exits, and enjoy much shorter lines, but beginning in October 23, 2013 disabled Guests need to obtain boarding passes from Cast Members before they can ride.  There are a limited number of wheelchairs available; unfortunately, some Guests who do
not
have mobility challenges rent wheelchairs so that they and their party can use the disability entrances at the attractions.  This reduces the number of wheelchairs available for Guests who really do have challenges and actually do need to use a wheelchair.

Zebra Cocoa

A decadently delicious blend of c
ocoa and white chocolate, served up in mere seconds at the
Market House
on
Main Street
in
Disneyland
.  The perfect pick-me-up on a misty summer morning, or perfect night cap as you wend your way out of the park on a cold winter night!  But since
Starbucks
moved into the
Market House
in fall 2013, this became one of
Disneyland
’s “lost treats”.  The closest
Starbucks
equivalent might be a white-chocolate mocha.

Appendic
es

Disneyland
Resort on a Budget

It’s possible to enjoy
Disneyland
on a relatively tight budget, provided you do your research, plan well, and stick to your plan.  It’s far easier, of course, if you live in So Cal; Southern Californians with
Annual Passports
can enjoy the resort all year long practically for free.  Some tips that might help locals or visitors from afar:

Beverages: 
The best way to save money on beverages is to avoid purchasing juices or sodas at park snack carts, as some are prohibitively expensive (over $4, e.g. for a certain brand of juice).  If you must purchase juice or soda, and especially if you have tiny ones, get the small juice box, or purchase the large fountain drink and have members of your party share it.  Scan the snack cart and restaurant menus for the least expensive beverages, which are likely to be coffee or water.  You can no longer get free refills on coffee all day at the
Market House
on
Main Street
, but you can still buy bottles of water for about $3, and then re-fill them the rest of the day at the park drinking fountains, or request complimentary cups of water. See also “Water”.

Hotel
:
  The key to minimizing your hotel expenses is to do the up-front work to find a deal.  Call
Disneyland Vacation Planners
, drop into your local travel agent’s office, or surf the Internet.  Off-season you can find amazing deals at the
Disneyland Resort
Hotels
, especially if you’re an
Annual Passholder
.  If you’re going to pay $150 or more per night for a hotel room, it might as well be at the
Resort
, where hotel stays truly are
magical
, pampering experiences, rather than a non-
Disney
hotel.  However, don’t get pulled into package deals with extras that you don’t really need.  Take your time and don’t be shy about asking questions if you’re being assisted by a
Disneyland Vacation Planner
or a travel agent.  They’re there to help you, so be sure you understand your vacation package, and aren’t paying for anything you don’t need or won’t use.  If your budget is too limited for a
Disneyland Resort
stay, find the best possible deal at a budget or family motel/hotel near the park entrances.  Off season you can pay as little as $69 per night at a nice family-focused hotel minutes from the resort.  Don’t stay anywhere more than a 10 or 15-minute walk from the resort; whatever you seem to be saving on the hotel bill will be erased in taxi or parking fees, stress, and lost time, especially if you have small children.  Solid bets include the
Anaheim Desert Inn & Suites
((800) 433-5270) across
Harbor Boulevard
and a mere five-minute walk from both park entrances; depending on the season, you can book suites that sleep six to eight Guests for around $80 to $130 per night. If you’re a tight-knit family, split the suite and the cost with family members.  Another good choice for adults or families with older children that don’t mind a 15-minute walk to and from the park is the
Holiday Inn Express
on
Katella
((800) 315-2621).  It’s more expensive than the
Anaheim Desert Inn
but with fancier rooms and still an outstanding bargain for the quality.  Their free breakfast includes scrambled eggs, piping hot sausage or bacon, cold cereal, pastries, coffees, and juices–the works.  You won’t believe it’s complimentary!  The staff is tremendously friendly to everyone and management is always asking Guests for input on their customer service.  Bonus:  the
Holiday Inn Express
location is perfect for stocking up on inexpensive beverages and grub, since it’s only half a block from the 7-Eleven on the corner of
Katella
and
Harbor
, and also close to eateries like a Chinese food restaurant, a Subway restaurant, and a donut shop.  For other solid but inexpensive hotel choices, contact your travel agent or surf the Internet for the most up-to-date information.  Reviews in travel books can be good general guides, but when booking a hotel or motel that will be right for you, you want the freshest information.  You can also read the “Harbor Boulevard Hotels” essay in these appendices.

Food:
  Food
can be a substantial resort expense, especially if you’re visiting with your family.  If you need to stretch that food dollar, fancy and expensive venues like
Napa Rose
at the
Grand Californian Hotel,
Blue Bayou
in
Disneyland
, or
Carthay Circle Restaurant
in
DCA
are out of the question.  On the other hand, be careful not to nickel-and-dime yourself; just because it
seems
like something should be less expensive, doesn’t mean it is.  It can end up costing more to buy juices and snacks at one of the park snack carts than it would cost your party to purchase and share a couple of dishes and big fountain drinks at a park restaurant.  Study the menus that are posted at each restaurant; if you have Internet access, either at home or your local library, you can crunch the numbers and plan your meals and restaurants
before
you even go to the park.  Some counter-service restaurants like the
Golden Horseshoe
or
Stage Door Café
in
Disneyland
sell large portions and combo meals that can be shared.  You can also go the hot dogs-and-chips-and beverage route for about $10 each at
Pluto’s Dog House
and
Refreshment Corner
in
Disneyland
and the
Hot Dog Hut
in
DCA
. Check current
Disneyland Park
and
DCA Park
restaurant menu choices and prices online at unofficial but accurate website
http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm#dl
.
Off resort property,
Harbor Boulevard
offers a plethora of fast-food and family-dining choices, including a McDonald’s two blocks from the park entrance, but, again, do the math.  A family lunch at IHOP or Denny’s could sometimes run about the same price as lunch at one of the less expensive resort restaurants, and you won’t have to leave the property to enjoy the
Disney
venues.  If money is
very
tight and you’ll be staying for several days to a week, consider bringing your own grub and keeping it in your hotel room.  Most hotels in the area include small refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms for no additional charge.  There is also a 7-Eleven at the corner of
Harbor
and
Katella
that sells inexpensive microwave meals, pastries, snacks, beverages, and so forth.  Avoid buying food at the expensive little gift shops that surround the resort.

Gifts:
  In this economic climate, most people are not expecting friends and relatives to bring back fancy gifts purchased during their
Disneyland Resort
stay. 
Disney
-themed pens, keychains, cookies, and candies, and other knick-knacks make very nice gifts, are inexpensive (mostly under $10 each), and are small and light enough to fit comfortably in your luggage.  Better yet, and more meaningfully, why not burn a DVD copy of your
Disneyland
trip photos or videos and send them to friends and loved ones?  See also “Souvenirs / Shopping” below.

Souvenirs / Shopping:
Disneyland Resort
offers a vast range of souvenirs and merchandise at all price points.  You can purchase fine makeup and fragrances at Sephora or surfer fashions at
Quiksilver
, both in
Downtown Disney
.  You can spend hundreds of dollars on
Disney
collectibles from the
Main Street
shops in
Disneyland
.  At the other end of the spectrum, you can buy a
Disney
pen or keychain for several dollars.  While it’s fun to browse in lovely shops like the
China Closet
,
Crystal Arts
, or the
Fortuosity Shop
on
Main Street
, or
Cristal d’Orleans
in
New Orleans Square
, many Guests, particularly since the pervasive economic meltdown of 2008, from which we’re still bouncing back, simply can’t afford the merchandise at those boutiques.  Even the silver-spoon set is thinking long and hard before reaching for the charge card or check book.  To avoid disappointments and tantrums (or at lease reduce their likelihood!), talk to group members (especially children) prior to your visit and set souvenir and shopping expenditure expectations.  If there are little ones or shopaholics (or both!) in your party, it’s a must to set realistic ground rules in advance.  It sounds corny, but anyone who’s visited
Disneyland
knows it’s the truth:  The “souvenirs” that really matter are the times that you spend with friends and loved ones, the experiences you have while at the resort, the inspirations that you receive, and the memories that you forge.  Those are the precious and priceless thing you carry home and carry within yourself forever.  Of course, the toddlers and shopaholics in your group might be a tough audience for
that
message!  If you want a concrete keepsake of the visit, visit the
Main Street
Silhouette Studio
in
Disneyland
for an affordable and personal souvenir that your family can frame and even pass down to the next generation.  Save park tickets,
FastPasses
, and maps and use them to make a scrap book—or make a digital scrap book from the photos you took during your trip.  Save the park’s colorful plastic popcorn buckets; wash them out and take them home as souvenirs.  Attend
DCA
’s
Animation Academy
; the sketches you draw make wonderful souvenirs or gifts for gramma and grandpa!  For
Disney
-themed keepsakes of $10 or less, peruse shelves and bins near the check-out counters.  There are many terrific bargains that will make friends and family at the park and back home very happy.  It’s not a bad idea to give older children and teens a souvenir allowance for which they’re responsible, be it $2 or $200, depending on your means.  If they have the money in advance, they can combine it with any birthday or mad money they already have.  Suggest they visit a few shops before making a final decision.  Let them do the comparison shopping and make the selection.  They’ll know from the outset what they’re budget is; they’ll like being in charge of their own souvenir purchases; and ultimately they’re more likely to be happy with whatever they buy.