For many people, a family vacation is defined as a trip to Disneyland or Disney World. Nowadays you can plan your trip, and get lots of great tips, at home with your mouse (--not the one with ears.)
All Disney theme parks have official websites. But in addition, dedicated fans maintain high-quality "unofficial" websites which are great sources for practical tips and advice.
Though much smaller than Orlando's Walt Disney World, Disneyland California holds a special place in the Disney pantheon as the home of the original "Magic Kingdom" classic theme park (with Adventureland, Fantasyland, etc.) that appears also at Disney World in Orlando, and at other Disneylands around the world. This theme park -- called the Disneyland® Park-- is today only half of the Disneyland Resort; in 2001, a second theme park opened, the 55-acre Disney's California Adventure Park, which is undergoing a huge renovation. Families should plan a trip of at least two days, to visit both parks.
California Disneyland: official site
Naturally, the official Disneyland Web site covers park hours, ticketing, etc., park overviews, Live Shows, Parades, and Character "Meet and Greets", and more.
About.com
About.com has resources about Disneyland California at the
Theme Parks site, and at
California for Visitors site, which includes a Disneyland Vacation Planner, tips to avoid standing in lines, visitor's guide with cost estimator, and lots more. Check out an interesting article on
RideMax,
a clever system for reducing time in line-ups.
Unofficial Disneyland Web sites
One of the most polished of the
"unofficial" Disneyland fan sites is
Disneyland Inside and Out,
which covers the gamut, with tips about various attractions, how to avoid crowds, etc.
Meanwhile, Babes in Disneyland covers the Disneyland theme park for parents of babies and toddlers: best things to see in each part of the theme park; diaper changing, breastfeeding, Baby Center, more.
