Trip Report My First Trip to Disneyland! - Spring Break 2026

Hello everyone! Welcome back to what I believe is my third trip report. However, this is my first for Disneyland! As you can tell by the title, this was my first ever trip to the parks in California. Actually, it's my first ever time to California. I have been to WDW 25+ times, but never made the trip out west. So let me get started with the basics...

When: March 23rd-27th
Who: My dad and I
Where: Fairfield Inn (across the street from Disneyland)
Why: My dad and I have been talking about this for a couple years, and we decided 2026 was our time.

Let's get started!

 

[Figgy1]

Howdy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Awesome, and lookin’ forward to more…!!!!!!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

 

[PUSH]

Just a fair warning that I will likely be making many comparison to WDW in this TR. It's very hard not to when that's what you know. Once I'm finished, I will likely do a more organized rundown of my thoughts between the two locations.

Day 1, Part 1 - Travel Day

We live in Southwest Wisconsin, and we prefer direct flights. Well, if you're ever been to Southwest Wisconsin, you know that there aren't many options nearby for airports. The closest to us is Madison, but they don't have direct to the SoCal area. We were looking around and found that they flew direct to John Wayne Aiport out of Des Moines, IA. Even though it's a 3.5 hour drive, we chose that option for the smaller airports and it being direct. Our flight was at 7am on Monday the 23rd, so we stayed at a Holiday Inn across the street from the airport the night before. Nothing to really write about there... it was an older convention-style hotel that had some cosmetic upgrades. It got the job done.

The next morning, we headed over to the airport around 5:00. We got through the check-in line and TSA in about 10 minutes. I love small airports, and Des Moines was really nice. We flew Allegiant, and it was the nicest plane I've been on with them. The flight was uneventful. Nothing to really talk about. The only thing that might be something was I believe we flew over Palm Springs and specifically the location of the golf course scene from Soarin' Over California. I cannot confirm, but it looked very, very similar.

We landed a little after 9:00am PT, grabbed our suitcases from baggage claim and got a Lyft to the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, which was right across the street from Disneyland. When we arrived, our room wasn't ready. I wasn't surprised since it was so early, but we were able to leave our bags with them. I changed into shorts and grabbed a couple things out of my bag, then we headed over to Disneyland!

The walk was very short. Once we left the lobby, we just had to walk across a parking lot, then about half a block down the street, and we were at the crosswalk to Disney property.

We got through security and arrived at the front gates. The entry system is a bit different than we were used to at WDW, but once we knew what to do, it was extremely easy. We had also used a couple of our WDW MagicBands, so that made it even easier. After flying out at 7:00am CT, we were in the gates at 9:50 PT. We made a lot better time that I had expected! I was assuming we'd be there by 11am at the very earliest. The fact that we had almost an entire full day was a great bonus.

We spent a little time looking at the sights and taking in the ambience in front of the train station and on Main Street. I got a little chill when walking through the tunnel and into Town Square. As a huge fan of Disney parks, it was really cool to finally be in the one that started it all. I got the feeling that Walt had actually worked on the park personally, and he had walked through those tunnels and streets. One of the first things I looked for was the lamp in Walt's apartment above the fire station.

After taking in the ambience down there, we headed up to the castle area and soaked that in. My first impression of the castle was it's actually bigger than I expected. Everyone has said it's so much smaller than Cinderella Castle, and it is, but I think in my mind people made it seem much smaller.

Once we had taken in that area, I checked wait times, and Pirates wasn't too long. If my memory serves right, that was my first ever ride at WDW when I was 7 years old. It's only fitting that it's my first at DL.

I knew the general area it would be in, but it definitely took a little bit to figure out the layout of the park. I'm so used to knowing every little nook and cranny at WDW, so it was a new experience of having to look at the maps for different locations. We walked through Adventureland and then into New Orleans Square, eventually finding the entrance below the bridge.

One thing I noticed with the ride, and I would notice throughout all of DL is that the queues are not nearly as elaborate at WDW. I know they have less space, and the weather is better in California for outdoor queues, but it was a difference that I hadn't really thought about.

Once we got on the ride, it was so cool to see the differences from WDW. Probably as no surprise to everyone, but the ride was leaps and bounds better than WDW. I will say now that I will always love WDW's versions, but in general the duplicate rides are better at DL. There are a couple of exceptions, but overall I'd say it's true. The bayou and cave scenes are much longer and have way more detail and scenes to them. I will say the ending scene at WDW is better, with Jack in the treasure room.

Up next: Day 1, Part 2 - More Disneyland!

 

[Minnie1986]

Very excited to see how you like the parks out here!

 

[PUSH]

Day 1, Part 2 - Haunted Mansion & Fantasyland!

After riding Pirates, I checked the wait times and found that Haunted Mansion wasn't too long, so we headed over. Much like Pirates, I found the queue to be less exciting than it's counterpart at WDW, but it wasn't a bad queue by any means. The loading area before the stretching room was much smaller. The stretching room itself was better. You could tell it was an actual elevator, and the room "stretched" higher. The scene with the man hanging was much clearer than WDW.

This is one of the few duplicate rides I actually prefer at WDW. The stair scene and the scene with the piano were missing, or integrated into other scenes at DL. The bride is also better at WDW. However, I liked the hitchhiking ghosts at DL better. I'm not a fan of how they interact with you at WDW, partially because they are never fully lined up properly. I also prefer the unloading area at WDW. All that said, it's still a fun ride, and I always like the classics!

After Haunted, we were getting hungry. We decided to eat at the nearby Hungry Bear Barbeque. I just got the chicken strips, because you can't go wrong with Disney chicken strips. The wait was pretty long, as they weren't cranking out the food very quickly. The chicken strips were good, but honestly a little tougher than what I've had at WDW. The fries were really good, though.

After lunch, we headed over to Fantasyland since the waits were ranging between 15-25 minutes. We were able to check a lot off here. Our first stop was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I liked this one. I had seen this ride on livestreams before, and it was fun to see in person. I'm a sucker for dark rides, though.

After Mr. Toad, we headed over to Snow White. This was one of my favorites, surprisingly. I think it was a combination of it being one of my first, as well as a classic dark ride that really gives the "Disneyland" feel.

Next, we rode the Storybook Land Canals. This was a fun little ride, but at this point I started to regret not putting on sunscreen before coming to the park. It was buried in my suitcase, and because the room wasn't ready, I didn't want to dig it out before heading over to the parks. I burn really easily, and it wasn't the smartest decision of my life. So riding around in the direct sun in the hottest hours of the day was not great.

While on the ride, I got a text saying our room was ready. We had originally planned to head back after this ride, but based on some Lightning Lanes, we didn't think we'd had any time to rest a little when we got back. We decided to stay in the park a little longer through our lightning lanes, then head to the hotel after that.

Up next: Day 1, Part 3 - More Disneyland!

 

[PUSH]

Day 1, Part 3 - Mr. Lincoln & Small World!

After the Canals, we had a little bit of time to kill before our first LL for Space. We decided to sit for a little bit and watch Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. I didn't realize that some of this overlapped with The American Adventure in Epcot. Seeing the animatronic was cool, though, knowing there's a lot of history behind it.

We still had some time before our LL, and we saw that Small World had a low wait, so we went to check that off. Again, the queue isn't anything special, but the facade was much better than WDW. We got to see the people come out and move around, which was neat. The downside to this line was the family behind us... they had a young kid who kept running ahead of us. The mom kept telling him to get back, he said no, and she did nothing around it. He was multiple groups ahead, and she just let him wait there. He was bumping into everybody, and she just kept telling him to come back, but he never did. It was pretty annoying.

The ride itself was fun. I liked seeing all the characters, but it was done in a subtle way that didn't seem like they forced an IP down your throat. I would say the scenes are better at DL, but I like how the water goes right up to the scenes in WDW. If I was ranking them, I'd probably lean in favor of DL, but WDW isn't too far behind.

Up next: Day 1, Part 4 - Tomorrowland!

 

[PUSH]

Day 1, Part 5 - Tomorrowland!

After our ride on Small World, it was finally time for our first LL of the trip... Space Mountain! We trotted on over through Tomorrowland. My overall impression of Tomorrowland is that it is not as good as WDW's. The theming isn't as good, and it doesn't feel futuristic. I love the look of the submarine area, but if you were to just give me a list of rides without any knowledge of the land, I'm not sure I'd be able to guess the theme. I also felt like it was crowded and cluttered. Again, I know DL has issues of space that WDW does not, but I thought it was noticeable. I feel like the old Peoplemover track makes it seem more cluttered, too. The lack of a Peoplemover in general is a knock on the land. All that said, there are still lots of fun things to do in Tomorrowland. I just noticed in general, the park isn't as easy to navigate at Magic Kingdom in WDW. But again, I know that's due to using the small amount of land they have available to them. It's quite amazing how they've fit so much in such a small area.

Anyway, onto Space Mountain. As usual, the queue is vastly superior in MK, but the ride was much better in DL. The track is so much smoother, and it felt faster. I was surprised by how big the tunnel was when we first start, since I'm used to being so close that I could touch the ceiling at WDW. The DL version gave me some Cosmic Rewind vibes on the lift hill, too.

After Space, we used our next LL for Matterhorn. This was a fun, but quite rough, ride. It was obviously an older coaster, but I enjoyed it.

After using those LLs, we finally had enough time to go get into our room at the hotel. Again, we stayed at the Fairfield Inn across the street. It was about a ten minute walk from the park entrance to the lobby. We were assigned a room on the 7th floor, but not facing the park. We did have a partial view of the mountains, but we really only saw them on the first day due to the haze.

The room was nice, but nothing to write home about. This is my single biggest "complaint" with Disneyland. Complaint isn't even the right word, because I fully knew it was going to be like this and was expecting it. I guess a better word is the biggest "difference" that I didn't prefer... WDW has a true resort/vacation/escape feel. DL is great, but I very much missed being in the Disney "bubble" 24/7. I know that was something Walt took issue with, too, which is a reason for creating WDW in the first place. I know you can stay at a Disney resort in DL, but it's far too expensive. And really only the Grand Californian gives the same feel that the WDW resorts have.

We got unpacked and eventually made our way back to DL. By that time, it was about time for supper. We went to the Plaza Inn and each got the fried chicken. It was tasty, but also a lot of food. I wish it would have been two pieces. I also got the cookies and cream cake, which was also delicious. I also really liked the ambiance of the place. The stained glass ceiling was really nice, and we were able to sit right by the window.

After supper, we headed back to Fantasyland to continue with some of the attractions we didn't get on earlier. We cut through the castle, and that's when it felt a lot smaller than Cinderella Castle at MK. If you blink, you'll miss walking through it.

Up next: Day 1, Part 6 - More Fantasyland and Frontierland!

 

[PUSH]

Day 1, Part 6 - More Fantasyland & Frontierland!

We got in line for Pinocchio's Daring Journey. It was a fun little ride, but probably my least favorite of the dark rides in Fantasyland. Worth going on once, I'd say.

After Pinocchio, we headed over to use a LL on Big Thunder Mountain. I enjoyed this queue better than WDW's, but I really dislike their queue. It's a lot of switchbacks, and it's always hot. The ride itself was much better at DL. The track was smoother, it was longer, and the scenes and effects we better, especially in the mine with the explosions. I hope the refurb in WDW will address some of these things.

By the time we got off, we were able to use a LL for another ride on Haunted Mansion.

When we got off, we walked past Tiana's Palace. The lighting was pretty at night.

Up next: Day 1, Part 7 - Paint the Night Parade!

 

[PUSH]

Day 1, Part 8 - Paint the Night Parade!

We were getting tired, but we decided to watch the first Paint the Night parade before heading out. We found a spot on Main Street behind some trash cans, right across from the Emporium. I have to say, Paint the Night might be my favorite nighttime show/production Disney has ever put out. It's up there with Illuminations. The music was great, and the floats were amazing, too. My favorites were Slinky Dog, Monsters Inc, Mack from Cars, and the Sorcerer's Apprentice. I liked it so much that this would be only my first of three times seeing it.

After the parade, we walked back to our hotel for the night. The next morning we'd be rope dropping Disneyland again!

Up next: Day 2, Part 1 - Disneyland Rope Drop!

 

[MinnieM123]

By the time we got off, we were able to use a LL for another ride on Haunted Mansion.

PUSH, I'm just curious -- how did the DL version of Haunted Mansion compare with the one at WDW? Are they both equally fun, or do you have a favorite?

 

[PUSH]

I prefer the WDW version. It has a couple extra scenes, like the staircase and the piano player. The piano player is incorporated into the attic scene in DL. I also think the bride is better at WDW. HM is one of the few duplicates that's actually better at WDW, but DL is still fun.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I prefer the WDW version. It has a couple extra scenes, like the staircase and the piano player. The piano player is incorporated into the attic scene in DL. I also think the bride is better at WDW. HM is one of the few duplicates that's actually better at WDW, but DL is still fun.

I think the WDW version is better too, although I do like the stretching room at DL better. I also like that DL has the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay for Halloween/Christmas. But for classic Haunted Mansion WDW is the winner.

 

[Swissmiss]

I haven’t been to DL in decades so I don’t remember many details; I love that all the cantonal (and national) flags are at the Matterhorn.

And I agree how it is "confusing" to navigate in another park which is the "same but different". Each time I go to WDW I have to reset my internal GPS . I especially miss the arcade passageways on either side of Main Street when I am in Florida, as it makes getting in and out of the parks so much easier in DLP.

 

[Minnie1986]

Day 1, Part 2 - Haunted Mansion & Fantasyland!

After riding Pirates, I checked the wait times and found that Haunted Mansion wasn't too long, so we headed over. Much like Pirates, I found the queue to be less exciting than it's counterpart at WDW, but it wasn't a bad queue by any means. The loading area before the stretching room was much smaller. The stretching room itself was better. You could tell it was an actual elevator, and the room "stretched" higher. The scene with the man hanging was much clearer than WDW.

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This is one of the few duplicate rides I actually prefer at WDW. The stair scene and the scene with the piano were missing, or integrated into other scenes at DL. The bride is also better at WDW. However, I liked the hitchhiking ghosts at DL better. I'm not a fan of how they interact with you at WDW, partially because they are never fully lined up properly. I also prefer the unloading area at WDW. All that said, it's still a fun ride, and I always like the classics!

After Haunted, we were getting hungry. We decided to eat at the nearby Hungry Bear Barbeque. I just got the chicken strips, because you can't go wrong with Disney chicken strips. The wait was pretty long, as they weren't cranking out the food very quickly. The chicken strips were good, but honestly a little tougher than what I've had at WDW. The fries were really good, though.

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After lunch, we headed over to Fantasyland since the waits were ranging between 15-25 minutes. We were able to check a lot off here. Our first stop was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I liked this one. I had seen this ride on livestreams before, and it was fun to see in person. I'm a sucker for dark rides, though.

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After Mr. Toad, we headed over to Snow White. This was one of my favorites, surprisingly. I think it was a combination of it being one of my first, as well as a classic dark ride that really gives the "Disneyland" feel.

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Next, we rode the Storybook Land Canals. This was a fun little ride, but at this point I started to regret not putting on sunscreen before coming to the park. It was buried in my suitcase, and because the room wasn't ready, I didn't want to dig it out before heading over to the parks. I burn really easily, and it wasn't the smartest decision of my life. So riding around in the direct sun in the hottest hours of the day was not great.

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While on the ride, I got a text saying our room was ready. We had originally planned to head back after this ride, but based on some Lightning Lanes, we didn't think we'd had any time to rest a little when we got back. We decided to stay in the park a little longer through our lightning lanes, then head to the hotel after that.

Up next: Day 1, Part 3 - More Disneyland!

The chicken strips were good, but honestly a little tougher than what I've had at WDW. The fries were really good, though.

I noticed this as well when I had them in Tomorrowland during my last DL trip. For whatever reason, the ones is DL don't hit the same as the ones in WDW.

 

[Minnie1986]

Day 1, Part 8 - Paint the Night Parade!

We were getting tired, but we decided to watch the first Paint the Night parade before heading out. We found a spot on Main Street behind some trash cans, right across from the Emporium. I have to say, Paint the Night might be my favorite nighttime show/production Disney has ever put out. It's up there with Illuminations. The music was great, and the floats were amazing, too. My favorites were Slinky Dog, Monsters Inc, Mack from Cars, and the Sorcerer's Apprentice. I liked it so much that this would be only my first of three times seeing it.

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After the parade, we walked back to our hotel for the night. The next morning we'd be rope dropping Disneyland again!

Up next: Day 2, Part 1 - Disneyland Rope Drop!

Paint the Night is magical, and I'm so happy that both resorts have brought back Nighttime parades.

 

[JenniferS]

I think the WDW version is better too, although I do like the stretching room at DL better. I also like that DL has the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay for Halloween/Christmas. But for classic Haunted Mansion WDW is the winner.

I’m the outlier here. I’d give a tiny nudge to DL. The graveyard scene had a definitive comical motif (drinking tea) vs random basic pop-up ghosts.

Again, tiny nudge.

 

[parksandtravel]

The room was nice, but nothing to write home about. This is my single biggest "complaint" with Disneyland. Complaint isn't even the right word, because I fully knew it was going to be like this and was expecting it. I guess a better word is the biggest "difference" that I didn't prefer... WDW has a true resort/vacation/escape feel. DL is great, but I very much missed being in the Disney "bubble" 24/7. I know that was something Walt took issue with, too, which is a reason for creating WDW in the first place. I know you can stay at a Disney resort in DL, but it's far too expensive. And really only the Grand Californian gives the same feel that the WDW resorts have.

Oh I agree! I do love how close everything is at Disneyland and that we can walk straight to the park. The restaurants across the street are also convenient. But it doesn't have the vast resorts to explore. We tend to pair our Disneyland trips with an R&R escape along the coast or an adventure in other parts of the state. We love exploring new parts when we can.

 

[PUSH]

Sorry for the delay in posting! I'm hoping to continue the TR tomorrow. This past week has been busy at work, and when I've gotten home, I've just wanted to come home and do nothing. I need another vacation.