Top 5 Underrated Things to Do in Disneyland
There’s plenty to do in Disneyland, and everyone has there own way of doing it. Some people are awake at the crack of dawn, ready to rope drop to their favorite rides. Some people sleep in and don’t get to the park until 10am and get in-line for coffee. That’s part of the fun of Disneyland – there’s no right or wrong way to do it. However, there are a few things that I consider most worth your time on the visit. As a regular Disneyland visitor, here are my top 5 things to do in Disneyland every time I go.
#1 Have a Hot Chocolate at Jolly Holiday Cafe
I went to Disneyland twice as a kid, and those two times were enough to make me aware of the magic my whole life. However, I didn’t start going back to Disneyland until the pandemic. During the Pandemic, in some ways, Disneyland was extra magical. It got really quiet there at the end of the day, and you could walk around the place like you owned it, taking in the sights and the sounds. Best of all, you could sit at Jolly Holiday and have a hot chocolate, a treat, and just enjoy the music, the people making their way out of the park (the rides all closed early) and stare at the castle – a view just as iconic as the Eiffel Tower.
To this day, when I go back to Disneyland, I reserve some time at the end of the day to catch the warmth and beauty of this idyllic location that feels like it could be anywhere in the world – least of all in Anaheim!
#2 Visit The Tiki Room
There’s a lot of great stuff to do in Disneyland, and many of those attractions have come around since after Walt Disney’s time running the show. But one of his great inspirations comes in the form of the Tiki Room. Not only is it a fantastic exposition of animatronics, it boasts an original score written by the legendary Sherman Brothers.
The Tiki Room isn’t exactly the busiest place to visit in the park, so you don’t need to include this in your rope drop strategy, but it’s a must-see before you head out of the park.
#3 Get Lost on Tom Sawyer’s Island
Disney is such a cultural juggernaut these days that it can be easy to forget the original vision that created it. Although the park was alway intended to be a home for Walt Disney’s characters, it was also his vision for America. Tom Sawyer’s Island plays a role in that. However, there aren’t any rides there, and it can be easy to forget this magical, comparatively quiet land lost in the heart of Disneyland. If you have a toddler or smaller child, Tom Sawyer’s Island is a great place to let them stretch their legs and get lost in the magic.
#4 Take a Ride on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
One of my favorite rides at Disneyland is none other than the Winnie the Pooh ride. One of the reasons this ride is on this often overlooked list is because Pooh is nestled away in a small land you can easily pass over, and its line is rarely very long. And yet, it’s one of the better dark rides in all of Disneyland. Winnie the Pooh is a great ride to visit in-between those long lines for the “big name” rides people tend to flock to.
#5 Ride the Train!
Although it’s pretty front and center, the Disneyland Railroad isn’t necessarily top of mind when it comes to attractions at Disneyland. However, it’s one of the best ways to get into the original spirit of the park, seeing the masterpiece that Walt Disney created, and how the many different lands join together to share one vision of America that goes well beyond the characters and movies we all grew up with.
Hope you enjoyed this list, and make sure to make these attractions part of your next Disneyland adventure!
