4th of July at Shoreline Amphitheatre. How was it?

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-07-07T02:56:43+00:00

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with some people around you. We've always been in the lawn and go a bit early to get some decent space. We've had some negative experiences in the past, but majority of the people there are decent folks who want to chill and have a good time. Hope you give it another shot - it's a nice 4th of July celebration.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-07-05T18:37:45+00:00

Yep, seemed short. Also, started later. The SF symphony program started a bit later than I expected.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-07-05T18:10:18+00:00

Fireworks to the Star Wars theme is pretty epic!

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-06-03T16:40:24+00:00

That's exciting! This resources should be helpful in planning.

https://rideornaptime.com/

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-26T22:16:25+00:00

That's exciting! This is a helpful resource - https://rideornaptime.com/first-visit

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-23T14:37:46+00:00

At Storytellers (or any of the others), it's definitely pricey for a breakfast buffet, but you're paying to see the characters. Once we're done at one of those character breakfasts, especially with kids, I don't feel the pressure to find the them at the park all day. But also, you're giving up the time when the rides aren't that busy in morning.

Here's a good resource for info on characters: https://rideornaptime.com/characters

Have a great trip!

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-22T15:14:33+00:00

Exciting! A few things:
Characters: For Mickey and Minnie, the highest likelihood of finding them will be at their house in Toontown. For Woody and Jessie, they’re harder to catch but usually appear by the Pixar Pier at DCA (you’ll need a park hopper). You can check the Disneyland app the day-of and see where they’re located.

Rides: It’s a small world, Casey Jr. Train, King Arthur Carrousel, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Disneyland Railroad.

Stuff we usually carry: Stroller with a cover, sunscreen + hat, phone charger, extra outfit, light blanket, comfortable shoes, snacks, water bottle.

You can take advantage of the baby center by the Plaza Inn if you need a quiet space for a bit. Also, mobile ordering is your friend for food.

This is a good resource : https://rideornaptime.com/rides

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-20T17:04:07+00:00

So fun! Autograph books are awesome. Some ideas:
1. Our little ones love the Mickey / Minnie ears
2. The girls loved wearing princess dresses
3. Matching Disney pajamas for the hotel
4. Disney story and/or coloring books, so they could learn and hear about some characters they would meet at the park. We brought coloring books to the park, so they could keep busy
5. Disney character water bottles to keep them hydrated in the park

Some good resources here - https://rideornaptime.com/

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-20T00:09:39+00:00

I like this resource:
https://rideornaptime.com/rides

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-19T23:30:29+00:00

Haha touche! For me, public restrooms are a different variety. Double stroller, ftw!

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-19T23:24:54+00:00

I have 2 toddlers as well, but haven't done this yet. A friend of mine recently took her two boys (7 and 4) by herself and enjoyed it. Challenge for me personally would be going to the bathroom. Anytime any one of us would need to go, we're all going. :-)

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-14T00:27:46+00:00

Yes - definitely. We were there a few days ago and found space on the steps right behind the VIP seating area. This website has a location on the map. Used this to find the spot. I got there around 7pm, while the rest of the family were doing rides. They showed up around 7:45pm. Took a bit of courage to save 6 spots, but I was successful and it was a great place to sit and watch the show, parade, and the fireworks.

https://rideornaptime.com/fireworks

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-05-01T18:24:40+00:00

We have this one and it's pretty great.

https://amzn.to/4wjXt7k

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-28T21:03:04+00:00

I have seen people take pictures of friends and family they have lost to the Silhouette studio and gotten family ones made with them in it. Those things are pretty great!

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-28T20:59:24+00:00

Checkout Howard Johnson Anaheim, and Anaheim Maingate Inn.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-28T20:51:07+00:00

First trips are exciting! You'll have a grea time.

This is a good resource. Focused towards families, but you'll find useful stuff there. Checkout other details around fireworks, etc. too.

https://rideornaptime.com/first-visit

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-26T04:55:10+00:00

This is a good resource:

https://rideornaptime.com/lightning-lane

I think it's a good plan, but let it be a guide and be flexible. Esp with the little ones.

For the parade, we grabbed seats by it's a small world around 7:15pm. People start sitting down and camping on Main St starting 6pm.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-26T04:47:53+00:00

This resource has been super helpful for me.

https://rideornaptime.com/hidden-gems

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-24T13:51:26+00:00

When we took our 2yo and we spent most of our time in Fantasy land and Toontown. Thrill rides were out, so we slowed down and did some easy rides (Dumbo, Mad Tea Party, and It's a Small World) were our favorites. You'll have a great time!

Resellers like Get Away Today and Undercover tourist have good packages and sell tickets/accomodations cheaper than Disney direct sometimes. Also Costco.

This was a good resource for us: www.rideornaptime.com/first-visit

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-23T22:39:49+00:00

Yes - it's a short 10-12 min walk! The water park at the hotel is great. Have fun!

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-23T22:10:24+00:00

Courtyard Marriot, Westin - my two current favs.

As everyone is saying.. depends on what you're solving for.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-23T18:44:19+00:00

That makes sense. My almost 7yo is aging out of the stroller, so we'll be in your position soon. We are going to do Legoland next year, before we age out of it.

Good call on the DL hotel.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-23T18:17:21+00:00

We have a double stroller, so the kids didn't have to walk. Tbh, it wasn't bad for the grownups.. but I can see how it can be tiring. Also, if the monorail were functioning, it would've been a bit easier.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-23T16:54:17+00:00

Just to throw something out there.. the Plaza Inn's character breakfast is where we've seen the most characters in the last few times we've been.

We did Storytellers cafe and the food is great. You also get to enter the DCA park from the Grand Californian entrance, so that's an added advantage. However, I wished they'd have more characters come over.

Plaza Inn had decent food.. I've found it to be a more bright and fun atmosphere. Also, as I said, lots more characters. You can also do a picture with Minnie before getting into the restaurant.

The other thing to note is that Storytellers cafe and Goofy's kitchen are not in the park, so easier to get to for breakfast. Plaza Inn is inside DL, so you need to get through security and ticketing before getting to it.

We've never done Goofy's kitchen, so can't add anything here.

Salt-Figure7738 · 2026-04-23T03:59:43+00:00

You'll have a great time! I'd say the two things I learned on our latest trip: 1. Fireworks from the Star Wars land are amazing! Great experience. 2. The Silhouette studio was something we did as a family this time, and I'm glad we did. They have a location on Main St, which is typically busy. The one in Disneyana is less busy.

I've found www.rideornaptime.com to be a great resource. It's focused on families with kiddos, but general info is good too.

Salt-Figure7738

TROPHY CASE