There is something incredibly special about walking into a Disney park for the first time. Even if you have visited Disney World more times than you can count, there is still that familiar feeling of excitement when you step onto Main Street, U.S.A. and see a castle waiting at the end. But visiting Disneyland in California for the first time was a whole different kind of magic.
As a lifelong Disney World fan, I have always had a soft spot for Cinderella Castle and the familiar feeling of walking into Magic Kingdom. So when we finally had the opportunity to visit Disneyland during a stopover on our way to Hawaii, I was excited to experience the original Disney park for myself and with my family.
We only had one day, but we made the most of every minute. From surprisingly short ride queues to unexpected character encounters, there were so many things that made our first Disneyland visit memorable. And the best part was that we managed to cover nearly every major expense of this bucket-list trip using points, miles, and travel credits!
Our First Look at Sleeping Beauty Castle
One of the very first things that surprised us was just how small Sleeping Beauty Castle is compared to Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom! I always heard how jarring it is to see if you are used to Cinderella Castle, but in person it is comical.
Having grown up with Disney World as my home park, I am so accustomed to the grand scale of Cinderella Castle. Seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle for the first time was almost a little surreal.
But the more time we spent there, the more I appreciated it. There is something charming about its smaller scale. It feels intimate, almost like stepping into a storybook rather than entering a sprawling theme park.
And knowing that this is the original Disney castle, the one Walt Disney himself saw during his lifetime, made it feel even more meaningful. I won’t lie. I looked at Justin and choked up because I couldn’t believe we were actually there.
Disneyland Feels Like a Cozy Little Disney World
If I had to pick one of the biggest differences between Disneyland and Disney World, it would be the layout.
Disneyland feels so much more compact and connected. The lands are close together, the walking distances are shorter, and everything feels a little more cozy and tucked in.
At Disney World, I am used to planning our day around long walks, transportation, and the sheer size of the parks. At Disneyland, we could move from one experience to another so easily.
And the ride wait times? We were genuinely shocked.
We managed to ride SEVEN attractions within our first hour in the park!
We were also able to experience all of Fantasyland in under an hour and a half, which was incredible. Being able to enjoy so many classic attractions without spending most of our day standing in queues was such a refreshing change.
It made the entire day feel relaxed and spontaneous rather than constantly checking wait times and rushing to the next attraction.
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: A Must-Do for East Coast Disney Fans
One of the attractions we were most excited about was Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
This is one of those classic Disneyland experiences that Disney World fans simply don’t have access to in Florida anymore, making it a must-do for us.
Not only is it a nostalgic opening day attraction from Disneyland’s original 1955 lineup, but it also has such a wonderfully quirky, old-school Disney feel.
There is something special about experiencing an attraction that has been entertaining guests since the very beginning of the park. We were sure to do this one and Snow White’s Enchanted Wish since they are two we do not have on the East coast.
Churros, Cold Brew, and Unexpected Character Encounters
Of course, no Disney day is complete without a few snacks.
We made sure to stop for Disneyland churros, which absolutely lived up to the hype, and the Red Rose Taverne cold brew was another favorite that I was so excited to try first-land. I love my Joffrey’s at WDW, so I had high expectations and it did not disappoint.
Sometimes it is the little things that make a Disney day feel complete: taking a break with a fun drink, enjoying a classic snack, and soaking in the atmosphere around you.
One of our favorite unexpected experiences was seeing characters simply walking around Disneyland rather than being confined to designated meet-and-greet locations with long queues. We saw Pinocchio and Geppetto while we were waiting in the Dumbo queue and we even had a really fun interaction with Genie without waiting in a single line on our walk to It’s a Small World!
There was something so charming about seeing characters pop up throughout the park, interacting with guests and adding little surprises to the day. Truly just like walking through a storybook.
Comparing Disneyland’s Attractions to Disney World’s Versions
As a Disney World family, one of the most fun parts of visiting Disneyland was experiencing familiar attractions with a West Coast twist.
We loved seeing Disneyland’s version of It’s a Small World, especially because part of the attraction is actually outdoors! It was so fun to experience a ride we know so well in a completely different setting.
We also loved comparing Disneyland’s Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway to the version at Hollywood Studios. While the attraction itself shares the same playful story, the setting gives it a completely different personality. At Hollywood Studios, the ride is housed inside the Chinese Theatre, which has such a classic Hollywood feel. Disneyland’s version has an entirely different vibe as it is in Toon Town.
These little differences made the day feel like a Disney scavenger hunt for someone who already knows the East Coast parks so well.
Main Street Still Feels Like Coming Home
Even though Disneyland was a place we had never visited before, walking down Main Street, U.S.A. felt instantly familiar.
That is one of the things I love most about Disney. No matter which park you visit (even in Paris!), there is a certain feeling that is difficult to explain unless you have experienced it yourself.
The music, the architecture, the shops, the smells, the castle at the end of the street. It all feels like coming home.
And experiencing that feeling in the original Disney park made it even more special.
We were especially excited that our first visit happened during Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration! As a major Disney history nerd, there was something incredibly meaningful about being in the park that started it all. I made sure to pick up a 70th anniversary sweatshirt to remember the occasion, and it is something I know we will always associate with our first visit. These little merchandise purchases always remind me of my late grandmother. She had the best Disney collection and was always sporting something Disney related in her attire.
How We Took Our Family of Six to Disneyland Almost for Free
One of my favorite parts of this entire trip? We essentially took our family of six across the country to Disneyland for almost nothing out of pocket. It still blows my mind that it is possible if you plan carefully.
We used a combination of points, miles, travel credits, and our Southwest Companion Pass to make this bucket-list trip happen.
Here is how we did it:
- Flights: We flew Southwest using 66k SW points and our two Companion Passes and paid only $5.60 per person in taxes and fees for our flight to California.
- Airport transportation: We used a Capital One travel credit to cover our private transfer from the airport to the Hyatt Regency Orange County.
- Hotel: We stayed two nights at Hyatt Regency Orange County in a suite that slept all six of us, completely covered by 51k Hyatt points transfered from Chase Ultimate Rewards. The hotel also provided complimentary shuttle passes to Disneyland for our family.
- Park tickets: I purchased our six Disneyland tickets plus Lightning Lanes through Undercover Tourist for $1390. The purchase coded as travel on my Capital One card, allowing me to use the travel purchase eraser to completely cover the cost with Venture miles.
Our flights, hotel, airport transfer, transportation to the parks, and Disneyland tickets were all covered!
Our only out-of-pocket spending while visiting Disneyland was food and merchandise.
For a family of six, that is a pretty incredible way to experience a bucket-list destination.
This is exactly why I love points and miles. It isn’t about traveling without spending a single dollar. It is about being intentional with the money and rewards you already have so that you can experience more without sacrificing the things that matter.
It really is possible to take a large family across the country for a bucket-list Disney vacation without spending thousands of dollars on travel expenses. It takes planning, a little creativity, and knowing how to maximize the rewards available to you.
Downtown Disney: Our First Stop in California
Before even entering the parks, we made our way to Downtown Disney for a late lunch at Naples Ristorante after arriving in California. Highly recommend the Prosciutto Elena Melone pizza- it was *chef’s kiss!
It was such a fun way to kick off our Disneyland experience. We explored the shops, stopped into World of Disney, and started soaking up all the excitement of finally being there.
If you’re arriving later in the day or have some time before your park day, Downtown Disney is a fun way to ease into the Disney bubble without needing a park ticket.
It was the perfect first taste of Disneyland before our big day in the parks and we ended it crashing HARD in our hotel after the long day of travel and time change.
Is Disneyland Worth Visiting If You’re a Disney World Regular?
Absolutely. Disney World will always have my heart. It is where I grew up, and it holds so many nostalgic memories for me. There is something about Magic Kingdom and Cinderella Castle that will always feel like home, but Disneyland is special in its own completely different way.
It feels more intimate, more connected to Disney history, and full of little surprises that you simply won’t find on the East Coast.
For Disney World fans, it is so much fun to discover the original versions of attractions, experience rides that no longer exist in Florida, and see how Walt’s original vision has evolved over the decades.
We only had one day at Disneyland because we were passing through on our way to Hawaii, so we didn’t have time to visit Disney California Adventure. But that just gives us another reason to return.
California Adventure is officially on our family bucket list, and I would love to have a few more days to explore both parks at a slower pace.
Our first visit to Disneyland was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It reminded me that even when you think you know Disney inside and out, there is always something new to discover.
And for this Disney World girl, finally visiting the park where it all began was a memory I will treasure forever.
