Food and Lodging

• The Disney company owns several "official" hotels at Disneyland, but don't feel obligated to stay there if money is tight. Anaheim is host to a huge number of hotels, many of them much less expensive than Disney's hotels and within a short drive of the park. Some of them are just across the street, meaning you can walk to the ticket booth if you like. Similarly, while the park has dozens of restaurants and kiosks, there's nothing preventing you from bringing your own food into the park. Sandwich lunches and plenty of snacks save you money if you're on a budget, as well as sparing you a wait in line for food. Be sure to bring water as well; summers can get hot in California.
  
  

Time of Year

• Like Walt Disney World in Florida, crowds at Disneyland vary widely depending upon the time of year. June, July and August are crowded. The last two weeks of December can be pretty grim as well, since the Christmas holidays mean visiting relatives and kids in need of diversion. Spring break, from mid-March to late April, also brings long lines, as do holiday weekends such as Presidents Day. If you can, try to go during the first two months of the year, or during September and October, when school starts up again. Lines will be short, and crowds will be under control. If you do go during the peak season, prioritize the rides you want to go on in case you can't get to everything. An excellent software package called RideMax helps plan a schedule based on projected crowd sizes during a given day.
  
  

Two Parks

• Disneyland resort consists of two separate parks: Disneyland itself and Disney's California Adventure next door. You may need to pay a separate admission for each park, though Disney often offers deals allowing guests to visit each park on different days or the same day for a single price. If you have to choose between parks, Disneyland is most commonly the preferred option. Otherwise, plan on setting aside at least one day for each park.
  
  

Rides

• Rides tend to vary by individual taste, but a few are absolute musts when visiting Disneyland. The Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and the various rides at Fantasyland are unforgettable, as is the newer Indiana Jones ride in Adventureland. Faster rides include the Matterhorn bobsleds, Space Mountain roller coaster and Big Thunder Mountain railroad. Other great rides include Star Tours (based on the "Star Wars" movies) and the Splash Mountain flume ride. If you like fast rides, plan to visit California Adventure. It features a wooden roller coaster, California Screamin', as well as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Quieter rides include the Soarin' Over California hang glider simulation and MuppetVision, which combines a 3D movie and animatronic puppets to present a very funny stage show.