My Fall Disneyland Trip Report

We took a quick trip to Disneyland September 5–8 to celebrate my husband’s birthday over the long weekend and enjoy all the fall festivities.

Getting There and Where We Stayed We flew into Long Beach Airport and flew home from John Wayne Airport.

My biggest flight tip for Disneyland is to always check SNA, LGB and LAX, then mix and match your arrival and departure airports to find the best combination of price and flight times. We prefer SNA and LGB because they are closer to Disneyland, easier to navigate and usually mean a less expensive rideshare.

We stayed at the Fairfield Inn Anaheim Resort and took an inexpensive rideshare from LGB. I have a full hotel review coming soon on Instagram at @chelseaunpacked. Our Arrival Day I love an arrival day because all the excitement is still ahead of you, and you can start enjoying Disneyland without using a park ticket.

We arrived at our hotel around 10 a.m. planning to drop off our luggage, but our room was shockingly already ready. After getting settled, we headed straight to Downtown Disney.

My first stop had to be Parkside Market for a cold brew. We also grabbed some snacks from Tiendita before starting Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit, the seasonal scavenger hunt throughout Downtown Disney.

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My husband and daughter created Galactic IDs at Star Wars Trading Post, and we finished our Downtown Disney time with Salt & Straw. I was especially excited that the fall ice cream flavors had arrived.

Afterward, we headed back to the hotel to rest and spend some time at the pool before dinner.

That evening, we celebrated my husband’s birthday at Goofy’s Kitchen. Dinner was delicious as always, and it was such a fun way to celebrate without needing a park ticket. We ended the night back in our room, getting ready for our first park day and watching the Disneyland fireworks from our window.

Our California Adventure Strategy We had Park Hopper tickets and intentionally started at California Adventure on an Oogie Boogie Bash day.

Some people avoid California Adventure on party days because the park closes early for regular guests. I like to do the opposite. The morning crowds can be lighter, so we started there and planned to hop to Disneyland later.

The lower crowds combined with my newest rope drop strategy were chef’s kiss.

Here is the move:

Arrive early enough to be through security and ready to enter the park when the gates begin opening around 7:30 a.m. Once inside, head directly to Soarin’.

They may begin lining guests up inside the actual queue before the park officially opens at 8 a.m. We were able to ride Soarin’ and get off in time to rope drop a second area of California Adventure.

We chose Pixar Pier and were getting on Toy Story Midway Mania by 8:05 a.m.

Two rope drops in one morning! Our Disneyland Strategy On our Disneyland morning, we used our usual Peter Pan rope drop strategy and were successful once again.

Peter Pan’s Flight builds a long wait almost immediately, so positioning yourself correctly before rope drop makes a big difference. I have a reel pinned on @chelseaunpacked showing exactly how we get it done. What We Ate My favorite item from the entire trip was easily the French Toast Cold Brew from Red Rose Taverne.

If you are visiting before January 7, get it on your first day so you have time to order it again. I already wish I had.

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I also loved the Birria Potato. My husband and I made sure to get several of our regular favorites too:

• Cheese stick from Corn Dog Castle

• Fried pickles from Smokejumpers Grill

• Garlic Cheesy Pretzel Bread from Maurice’s Treats
  

We were really excited to try the new menu at Rancho del Zócalo. I ordered the nachos, and my husband tried the shrimp cocktail, but neither of us was overly impressed. Coming from the mecca of Mexican food in El Paso, Texas, we probably should have known better. Our Biggest Strategy Win

It was incredibly hot on our second park day. Anaheim is often hotter in August and September than it is during June and July, so this is something I always consider when planning a fall trip.

The best strategy was doing as much as possible early, returning to the hotel for a break and then heading back to the parks later.

Take the break. I promise you will return feeling like a new person and be able to enjoy the cooler evening hours instead of struggling through the hottest part of the afternoon.

My favorite Disneyland schedule continues to be:

• Rope drop

• Midday break

• Stay late
  

What I Would Change

It rained much more than I expected on our first park day, and I underestimated California rain. I wish I had packed better ponchos for all three of us.

Note to self: Pack real ponchos next time, even if the forecast does not look too intimidating.

My Final Thoughts

A short Disneyland trip can still include plenty of park time, seasonal experiences and favorite foods when you have a plan.

Starting at California Adventure on an Oogie Boogie Bash day worked exactly as I hoped. Our two-rope-drop morning gave us an incredible start, and taking a midday break helped us manage the September heat.

Between Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit, Goofy’s Kitchen, the fall food and the Halloween atmosphere throughout the resort, I am so glad we took this last-minute trip.

Fall at Disneyland can be crowded, hot and occasionally much rainier than expected, but with the right structure, it is one of the most fun times to visit.