Disneyland is certainly a happy place to be, but I'm not sure that it is the happiest place on Earth. Prior to this trip, I had visited Disney World four times. I must say that Disneyland pales in comparison. It is charming, cute, and classic, but it just does not have nearly as many attractions, hotels, and restaurants to offer. Nevertheless, it amounts to a good time, especially if you have kids.

Disneyland can easily be done in a single day. The best piece of advice I can give is to arrive at park opening. The park is small, so it gets very crowded by the afternoon and the waits for many attractions become unbearable. Hit Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad first. After that, visit the outdoor attractions like the Jungle Cruise. Save the indoor shows, like "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" for later, so you can spend the hottest part of the day inside.

Overall, the Disneyland experience varies greatly. It is not nearly as overwhelming as Disney World, so take the time to browse the shops, mingle with the characters, and enjoy your day. Be sure to take lots of pictures and enjoy yourself!

If my memory serves, Disneyland won several awards for its Fastpass system. This ingenious invention allows guests to obtain a ticket with a printed time on it. Later, when the guest returns to the attraction during the one-hour window, they can bypass the majority of the queue and proceed to almost the front of the line.

This process allows guests to more thoroughly enjoy their visit to Disneyland in that one does not need to stand in line for hours, waiting to board their favorite attraction. While the computer saves the guest’s place in line, the guest can explore other attractions. This allows guests to discover attractions, which would not normally get as much traffic.

Keep in mind a few reminders when using Fastpass:

1) Don’t lose your admission passport. Your passport is the only way you can get a Fastpass for your favorite attractions.

2) You can only get one Fastpass at a time. When the Fastpass ticket dispenses, check the bottom of the ticket to see when you can obtain another one. Usually, it is around the time you are supposed to board your attraction.

3) If you miss the window printed on your Fastpass, don’t worry. Cast Members will still accept expired Fastpasses.

4) Seasonal attractions such as the Small World Holiday and the Haunted Mansion Holiday, which operate during the Christmas season, will offer Fastpass service. However, when these attractions return to their original state in January, they no longer provide Fastpasses.

5) Fastpasses do run out. On very crowded days such as New Year’s Eve or Independence Day, popular attractions such as Space Mountain and Splash Mountain will run out of Fastpasses as early as noon (as we have experienced first-hand).

6) Check your guidemap to see which attractions offer Fastpass to make the most of your visit.

Being a Disney fan I could not pass up visiting the park at least one day while visiting the LA area. Since we were only here one day we decided not to upgrade to the one-day park hopper, although in the end we probably should have. If you just go to Disneyland for one day with someone in a wheelchair it can get boring because you easily get on every ride you want and have you list done by noon. The only ride that we waited forever was Pirates of the Caribbean, which recently reopened with Jack Sparrow animatronics. That wheelchair line took us almost two hours, but it was worth it and I have no problem waiting the same amount of time every one in the regular line was waiting.

The first thing we did at the park was head to the VMK booth in Tomorrowland to turn in some quests I printed off at home and found the answers to online and do the ones that are handed out in the park, which I also had brought the answers from online with for. By doing any quest you get a glow-in-the-dark wristband and depending on the quest you get different cards that have codes that can be redeemed online for virtual items in www.vmk.com For each quest the prizes are awarded to every one in your party, as long as you have their park tickets with you, so do not worry about filling out five of the same pamphlet for you party unless the kids each want to have their own then definitely let each have their own fun finding the answers.

For most visitors one day in Disneyland is enough, especially if you stay from 8am to 11pm like we did. It really depends on the age group you go with. Some young kids can enjoy going on all the rides in Fantasyland over and over, but parents may get tired of that and sometimes the lines can be really long. Older kids may get bored if they are only into the thrill rides. If you park hop and are visiting during peak times than several days in Disneyland is necessary to do everything without becoming bored. Do not just ride the rides, but also enjoy the great parades, shows, and fireworks.

Looking for a magical place to have some fun at? Well, then Disneyland is your spot!! This magical place puts together all those things that make you smile: cute Disney characters, rides, and fun shows.

They have a bunch of fun rides here. My absolute favorite was the It's a Small World ride which featured so many different cultures. You will also find Disney characters signing autographs and taking pics with park-goers all around the park. Also, watch out for the Disney parade, featuring all of your favorite Disney characters.

This park will cost you, but I think it is worth the money spent because it is so much fun. Food and drinks can run pretty expensive inside the park, so try to bring some of your own!

The Happiest Place on Earth! I LOVED Disneyland.

I went to Disneyland with a group of 4 adults (people over 18) and had a blast! The park wasn't too crowded and the overall experience was wonderful. Here are some of the recommendations I have for making the trip out to the park, for a similar group:

>Tickets- buy them in advance. In the morning, the lines are much longer for getting tickets than they are to get in the park. Also, get a 1 or 2 day park hopper ticket. You can easily do both in 1 or 2 days and its great to be able to switch between the two during the day.

>Parking- Even if you are staying in the area, park in the garage. There's a shuttle bus that takes you directly to the gate and they run frequently-as one leaves another pulls up. Parking permits are good all day so you can leave for lunch and come back.

>Accommodations- stay in the area. This makes it easy to go between the park and hotel during the day to rest. We stayed at the park for most of the day then left around dinner to just relax, and returned for the parade and fireworks at night. Unless you have kids, don't expect to spend longer than a day (maybe 2) here. It is a great time, but the parks are small enough to do quickly.

I can't say enough great things about this place. The staff was kind, and most of the patrons were just as nice. There is just something different about the atmosphere at Disneyland.