Disneyland is divided into themed worlds:

Main Street USA is at the entrance. It contains the cinema, a railroad station, and a variety of restaurants and café’s. This would be your best place to head to for a variety of dining choices. This is also where the nighttime parade finishes up. You will need to find a seat 30 to 45 minutes before the parade starts for the best view of the parade. Other important facilities located in Main Street USA include an ATM, public telephones, lockers, first aid, a baby-care center, and the information center.

Adventureland is a small area that includes the Enchanted Tiki Room (currently under construction), the Indiana Jones Adventure (!!!!!) FP, Jungle Cruise (!), and Tarzan’s Tree house (!). Indiana Jones has a fast pass lane, which I have explained in the Quick Tips/Suggestions. For those with little ones, both the Jungle Cruise and Tarzan’s Tree house will be a fun experience.

New Orleans Square comes next and has another Disneyland Railroad stop. There is the Haunted Mansion (!!!) FP, Pirates of the Caribbean (!! ) FP, and The Disney Gallery.

Critter Country has the infamous Splash Mountain (!!!!!) FP, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes (!), and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (!) FP. Also in Critter Country you can have your photo taken with Winnie, Tigger, and Eeyore.

Frontier land has the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (currently under construction), Tom Sawyer Island (!), and Mark Twain Riverboat (!), as well as the Golden Horseshoe Stage.

Mickey’s Toon Town is right up the back of the park and a mecca for the little ones. It has lots of attractions, including the Chip’n’Dale Treehouse, Donald’s Boat, Gadget’s Go Coaster, Goofy’s Bounce House, Mickey’s House, and of course, Minnie’s house. All of these are very sedate, and we didn’t even venture into this land, as we had no little kids with us. You can also meet and get a photo with Mickey and Minnie here.

Fantasyland is again an area for the little ones, with Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, It’s a Small World, King Arthur Carousel, Mad Tea Party, Peter Pan, and many more.

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Quick Tips:

Tips:

Both Mickey’s Toon Town and Fantasyland will keep you going all day with the kids, but if you are only travelling with grown-ups, you can cross these off your must-see list.

One must-see area in Fantasyland for all ages is the Snow White Musical. This was a fabulous show. I suggest putting the little kids right down in front to keep them occupied for the 1-hour show.

If you want to meet those lovable Disney Characters, then keep watch in Mickey’s Toon town, Fantasyland, Critter Country, Adventureland, and Main Street USA.

Best Way To Get Around:

Once in the park, you can catch the Disney Railroad, which navigates the park, or hop on one of the Main Street Vehicles (Fire Engine, horse-drawn Streetcars, Horseless Carriage, or Omnibus).

If money is not a problem, I recommend that you stay at the Grand Californian Hotel. It has its own entrance into Disney's California Adventure Park, and the reception area is fantastic to check out.

I highly suggest staying at one of the Disney hotels, as this gives you an exclusive Monorail ride into the park, with no waiting at the front gate, and lets you fully experience Mickey from start to finish.

Be sure to pick up a park guide with the current week’s show times the night before your big day so you can plan your day. If you plan carefully, your feet will thank you that night.

You can return anytime between 1:30 and 2:30pm, and even a little later, as the staff is pretty flexible. Once there, you get the VIP entrance to the ride, walking past 50 to 100 other poor souls waiting patiently in line. It is like turning up to a VIP club, and you flash your pass to get in ahead of the queue.

Another good tip! At 1:30pm (or the start time of your boarding pass), you can then swipe your next ride, and get another boarding pass, even though you haven't yet gone on the first ride.

The catch is that only about 15% of rides have this facility, but it does seem to be at all of the "good" adult rides.

Mark off the rides you definitely want to see. If any of them have Fast Pass marked on them, then you can leave those till halfway through the day. If they don’t have this FP service, go there as soon as the park opens to avoid those 1 to 2 hour waits. Another way to avoid the longs queues is to visit outside of the U.S. school holidays. We went in the middle of September, and all five--Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure Park, Universal Studios, the San Diego Zoo, and The Wild Animal Park had short waits, if any.