To all who come to this happy place, welcome!

I’m only a morning person at a Disney park and this past trip to Disneyland was no exception. I managed to snag us reservations at Plaza Inn and was happy to be up early for breakfast with Minnie and her friends. And I can confirm, Minnie Mouse waffles are just as good as Mickey waffles!

We spent the whole day (8:30am - 12am) at the park and really filled our day with rides, character meet-and-greets, yummy food, and lots of magic. We traveled through every land and were able to experience the holiday season at Disneyland for the first time!

Attractions

Here’s the list of attractions we checked off and how we experienced them in both in a pooh-sized body and using an ECV.

Big Thunder - The wildest ride in the wilderness has a line that is not accessible for ECVs and wheelchairs. The cast member at the front of the queue gave us a time to return that was about equal to the current wait time. When we went back we entered through the exit. They did give us an option to walk a small distance to get on ride or take our ECV to the ride vehicle. For this ride, guests must transfer from their ECV/wheelchair to the ride vehicle. When we spoke to the cast member at the loading area they said two Pooh-size friends would fit in the train cars but we opted for separate seats. The ride vehicle does have a lap bar that comes down so it may not be safe for Pooh-sized guests to ride with smaller guests as it may not reach their lap. The ride vehicles are not very deep so there is limited leg room. 

Haunted Mansion Holiday - We were so excited that we were able to experience the Haunted Mansion during the holiday season and it did NOT disappoint! The line is not accessible for ECVs/wheelchairs and we needed to get a return time from the cast member at the front of the queue. This was another “enter through the exit” situation. We needed to transfer to the ride vehicle and the moving walkway that carries guests to their “Doom Buggy” was required to stop for the transfer. Two Pooh-sized guests will fit in the ride vehicle. There is a lap bar but it isn’t a fast moving ride so a smaller friend can join you. There is limited leg room in the ride vehicle. 

It’s a Small World - This is my favorite version of my favorite ride in all of the Disney parks I’ve visited. I just love it so much! And as a special bonus, it was the holiday version! There is a special line for ECVs/wheelchairs. You have the option to transfer from ECV to a wheelchair and ride on a special ride vehicle or just transfer directly to a ride vehicle. The boats have bench style seating with limited leg room. We were able to be in our own row and sat towards the middle of the boat. (I always find it nerve wracking to sit on the ends of the rows because I feel like I’m tipping the boat.)

Indiana Jones Adventure - The whole time we were heading towards this ride I was trying to remember if I had liked it when I went on it 3 years prior. This is one of the rides in Disneyland that has a queue that is accessible for wheelchair and ECV however you still need to transfer to ride vehicle. The ride vehicle is an open top Jeep-style car with individual seats in a row of 4. The seats are a snug fit because not only are they molded seats but they also have a metal bar in between each seat. Because of this all the dramatic twists and turns hurt my hips. Each seat has a seat belt that did fit me. It was just my spouse and I in our row and that was both a blessing and a curse. It was nice to not have to squeeze next to strangers and we ended up with a seat between us. Unfortunately, having no one directly next to me made it hard to keep by body from swaying dramatically with the movement of the vehicle. I tried to hold on to the bar in front of me to keep myself from being thrown around but it didn’t help. By the end of the ride I was sore and ready to get off.  

Jungle Cruise - This is such a classic ride and we love going on it. The line is not accessible for ECVs and wheelchairs. For folks who may have mobility issues that don’t use an ECV/wheelchair, I want to note that there are stairs in the queue. Much like Big Thunder and Haunted Mansion we needed to get a return time and enter through exit. There are ride vehicles that can accommodate ECVs and wheelchairs so you can remain in them if you prefer. If you decide to transfer (which we did) there are a few big steps to get in and out of the ride vehicle. Once in the boat there is long bench style seating. There isn’t a lot of leg room but you aren’t really focused on that. You’re more focused on the terrible puns!

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway - We didn’t get on this ride in Disney World when we were there in January 2023 so we were really excited to get on in Disneyland. The line was accessible for ECVs/wheelchairs. The queue does snake a fair amount so you need to be confident in your driving skills. When you get to the loading area you must transfer to the ride vehicle. There is a long walk to transfer to the ride vehicle, at least with the option I was given. The ride vehicle has shallow, bench-style seats with limited leg room. Two Pooh-sized guests do fit side by side. The ride vehicle makes some erratic movements as part of the attraction. There is a lap bar type of restraint but, like in Big Thunder, would not be helpful when having a smaller rider ride with a Pooh-sized rider. 

Mickey’s House - This is a self-guided tour of Mickey’s house that ends in meeting the “big cheese” himself! The line/path is accessible but some parts are hard to maneuver. I was concentrating so much on trying not to hit things that I missed a lot of the sights of the house. One thing to note: there is no Photo Pass here. I found this really bizarre seeing as Mickey is the main symbol of Disney. The character handler was able to take photos on our phone (and obviously we snagged a selfie) but it would have been better to have the professional photos when meeting such a celebrity!

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - This is another ride that I’ve been wanting to try but didn’t have a chance until this trip. The queue is accessible for ECVs/wheelchairs but you must transfer to the ride “vehicle”. Once in the cockpit, there are four individual seats each with a buckle restraint. The seats were a fine fit for me and the seatbelt also fastened. The ride itself was cool but would have been much better if we were in the cockpit with people we knew.  

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride - Another classic, original ride at Disneyland. This attraction doesn’t exist at Walt Disney World anymore so I always like to ride it when we’re in California. I noticed that most of the original attractions do not have accessible queues and this ride is no exception. Typically you need to get a return time but we went on so close to park close we were able to get right on. The ride vehicle has a lap bar restraint and is small so only one Pooh-sized guest could ride. I loved the nostalgia of the attraction but it made for a lonely ride.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Did you know that Pirates is NOT an original attraction to Disneyland? Even though it’s not one of the OG attractions, it is old enough that the queue is not accessible for ECVs or wheelchairs. And like the other attractions, we needed to get a return time from a cast member and enter through the exit. The ride vehicle boat has a long bench seat with no restraints and limited leg room much like the boats in It’s a Small World. 

Star Tours - This is another of my favorite rides but we ended up having the worst experience getting on. The cast member at the front of the queue was not very helpful at all. The line is not accessible for ECVs. We were given an option to walk a “short” distance to get on ride or transfer to a wheelchair. I opted to walk the short distance that didn’t end up being very short. It was down a long hall, up an elevator, and into the attraction loading area. Had I known how long it was I would have chosen to transfer to a wheelchair. The ride vehicle is made up of four rows of long benches with individual seats that have arm rests and a buckle restraint. These seats were snug, especially with two Pooh-sized guests next to each other. It’s also important to note that this attraction uses 3D glasses. I’m a glasses wearer and these never seem to sit right over my own specs.

Restaurants & Food

I love the food at Disney. It’s not the best food I’ve ever had but it IS in the most magical place I’ve ever been. That makes a difference. On this trip we tried two new restaurants and one tried and true fave. 

Plaza Inn - I love a character breakfast and was so excited to get reservations at Plaza Inn to have breakfast with Minnie and friends! Character dining is a great way to enjoy a yummy meal while being guaranteed to meet characters! Win-win! After we checked in, we got in line to get pictures with Minnie Mouse. She was adorable as always and I showed her how I had a decal of her on my nails. She loved it! Breakfast at the Plaza Inn is a buffet. The restaurant isn’t accessible for ECVs and after waiting in line to meet Minnie it was hard for me to walk around the buffet. I did manage to grab myself a plate of Minnie waffles though. These are just like the famous Mickey waffles (my favorite Disney meal) but shaped like Minnie Mouse! In between bites of waffle and sips of Joffrey’s coffee we met Pluto, Pooh, Chip, Dale, and Cinderella’s mice Perla and Suzy. My spouse and I had Jaq and Gus Gus shirts on and the the girls really loved that! We were seated at an outside table so we were able to take in the ambience of the hub area of the park. The chairs for the outside chairs are wrought iron garden chairs and while they weren’t the most comfortable to sit in, I didn’t feel like they were going to break under me. I was grateful to not be seated in a booth because that is often hard for me and my Pooh belly.

Red Rose Taverne - This was the other new restaurant we tried that day. We ended up here for dinner. For those of you who are familiar with Walt Disney World restaurants, it is very similar to Pincchio Village Haus in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom but Red Rose is themed to Beauty and the Beast. We ended up having chicken fingers and fries for dinner. I didn’t want to risk getting an upset belly when we only had a few more hours left in the park. We did get crazy and for dessert got the holiday version of the Grey Stuff… it was delicious! We sat at a table in the outside patio area. The seats were similar to the ones at Plaza Inn, wrought iron garden-style chairs. There are rest rooms next door that were not very busy as they are located in a set back portion of Fantasyland.

Tropical Hideaway - Lots of folks visit this tucked back, quick service spot for the Dole Whips but for me, this is the home of my favorite Disney snack: the Char Siu Bao. These perfectly steamed buns are filled with “sweet sticky roasted pork, in a sweet BBQ sauce dusted with paprika.” I typically get two and am always sad once I finish my second one. The seating here is all outside and the chairs are made in a bamboo-style. They aren’t as sturdy as the ones at the Plaza or Red Rose. There weren’t a lot of people in the restaurant when we were there so I was able to pull my ECV right up next to the table and use it as my seat. If the restaurant was busy this wouldn’t have been as feasible because the tables are kind of close together. 

It wouldn’t be a trip to a Disney park without grabbing some delicious snacks from the various carts around the park. 

Popcorn in this sweet, Christmas popcorn tin that plays music.

Mickey pretzels, of course. I would prefer all my food Mickey shaped.

Pridelands Potatoes from the Troubador Tavern over by the entrance to ToonTown is a giant baked potato with all the fixings! 

We ended our day strolling down Main Street and taking in all the beautiful Christmas lights. It was so magical! And, just like every other time I’ve said goodbye to a Disney park, I cried as we walked out the main gates. I truly can’t wait to get back to Disneyland. The flight is a killer (I’ll be posting my air travel tips next month) but it is such a different experience to Walt Disney World in Florida. Disneyland is much smaller. This allows guests to take in more in a day and allows for some more magical experiences. Unlike Disney World, the characters at Disneyland tend to roam more freely. When we were in Disneyland in February 2020, I had the most magical experience walking through a garden area with the Fairy Godmother and we walked right up to Mickey Mouse himself on Main Street. This would be next to impossible at Walt Disney World. 

The other part about being at Disneyland that I love is feeling closer to Walt. This park was his dream and he spent much of the end of his life here. He loved this park so much he had an apartment built over the firehouse on Main Street so he could spend the night in his beloved Disneyland. Even though he valued his privacy, Walt decided to turn on a lap in the window just above the fire house as a signal to let folks know he was in the park. On the day he died, they turned off the lamp. The next day, the lamp was turned back on as a symbol that Walt is always at the park. At Christmas time, the lamp is moved to a side window and a Christmas tree is placed in the center window. I love this piece of trivia and it fills me with joy every time I enter the park and look over at the firehouse.