My family and I visited the Disneyland Resort in late February-early March to enjoy all things Disneyland turning 70. Highlights of the trip included: staying at the Disneyland Hotel and enjoying the High Key Club, running around Disneyland Park to complete the Disneyland 70th Magic Key experience (x2), enjoying a character meal brunch at Storyteller’s Cafe, enjoying the classic transportation on Main Street U.S.A. and getting our first view of Paint the Night parade. Needless to say, it was an absolutely PACKED trip— in the best way!
Our family absolutely loves the Disneyland Hotel. It has the class Disney vibe, the rooms are spacious and comfortable, pools and food are great and the view and walk to the parks make it a great choice for staying in the Disney bubble experience.
If you are a frequent Walt Disney World resort guest or more familiar with WDW, the Disneyland Hotel will remind you a lot of what it is like to stay at a Magic Kingdom or EPCOT area resort with the bonus of being connected to Downtown Disney aka a smaller version of Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs.
We choose to stay Premium/Theme Park view Club Level at the Disneyland Hotel. It’s quite the haul getting out to California from the Midwest, so when we travel as a family, we try to stay with convenience and comfort as top priorities. We try to maximize our resort and our park times and not feel scrambling for food decisions or commutes to/from hotels.
Obviously, all things 70th were must dos. My daughters really enjoyed playing with the Key to Disneyland. They each got a key, completed the challenge over two days. They were lucky in that they got different pins at the end of the challenge and bonus, they were ones that they really wanted!
We always really enjoy Brunch at Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. It offers a variety of food options that are all you care to enjoy alongside meeting our favorite Disney friends, making it a splurge but fun experience as a family.
Must do’s in Disneyland for my family are always: Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain and the submarines. My kids also are big fans of the Matterhorn! Any ride that is uniquely Disneyland is on our list (basically everything in Fantasyland and Toontown!). In Disney California Adventure, Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! — Are all MUSTS!!! I can write an entirely separate post on rides (and maybe I will do that soon!:) )
I have documented a few of our experiences for you to enjoy via TikTok, which are are shared below!
Check out Snaps of Paint the Night
Check out our interaction with Chip at Storytellers Cafe!
Check out out interaction with Dale and Storytellers Cafe!
Probably my most favorite thing about the Disneyland Resort is it’s vibe. It’s uniquely Disney and California all at the same time. While Walt Disney World and Disneyland feel cohesive in their overall appearance and offerings, they most definitely have their own unique character. Also, one of the biggest takeaways for a first timer to Disneyland who is used to going to Walt Disney World is that you should NOT underestimate the size of Disneyland. There is a lot to do in a compact area but you will still do a significant amount of walking. We easily average 15-20K steps a day doing Disneyland Resort, even at a casual pace.
Crush on the Magic 
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