East Coast Residents – 5 Reasons Why Your Next Disney Trip Should Be To Disneyland!

If you’re reading this blog, you’re most likely a big fan of Disney. Odds are, you’re an East
Coast resident who has visited the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. However, have you
ever considered visiting the Disneyland Resort in California for your next Disney vacation?

My family made our first trip to Disneyland last fall, and today I’m here to give you 5 reasons why
you should travel west to experience all the magical things that Disneyland has to offer!

Getting There:

If you’re flying to the West Coast, Los Angeles International Airport is probably your first choice when choosing your flights. However, there are three other smaller airports in the Anaheim area that are much closer to the theme parks that could be potential options for your travels. Look into flights that land at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana (SNA), Long Beach (LGB), or Ontario (ONT) for a travel experience that can be less hectic (and much closer) than Los Angeles (LAX). Depending on traffic, you could potentially get from the airport in Santa Ana to the Disneyland property in as little as 20 minutes!

Places to Stay:

There are three amazing hotels that are “on property” at the Disneyland Resort (Pixar Place Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa). These properties come with their own amazing benefits such as early entry to the parks and dedicated entrances to Disney California Adventure Park. Did you know that there are also a number of great properties located just outside the Disney gates that are
within walking distance to the parks? Our family stayed at a property on Harbor Blvd that was less than a 10 minute walk to the Esplanade which is the site between the Disneyland Resort and California Adventure Park!

Exclusive Rides:

Each of the theme parks at the Disneyland resorts have rides and attractions that can’t be found at other Disney theme parks. Whether it’s classic attractions like the Matterhorn Bobsleds or any of the unique rides in Fantasyland like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, or Pinocchio’s Daring Journey you’re sure to find new Disney experiences all over the place. There’s also tons of rides
that are newer to the parks like the Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland Park, along with attractions like Radiator Springs Racers, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!, or the Incredicoaster in California Adventure Park; you’ll have plenty of unique adventures throughout your visits to the parks. Our son rode the Incredicoaster at least 10 times, it was by far his favorite ride!

Things to Eat:

Who doesn’t love to indulge in some treats when they’re on vacation? At the Disneyland Resort you’ll find plenty of unique treats that aren’t offered at any of the other Disney parks. If you’re in the mood for a snack you can sample items such as corn dogs, churros, and even churro flavored toffee that are sold at both parks (as well as Downtown Disney locations). If you’re in the mood for a sit down meal you can have fried chicken at the Plaza Inn, gumbo at Blue Bayou, or Walt’s Chili at Carnation Cafe. We ate at each of these locations during our recent trip….did you know that they both trace back to the opening days of Disneyland back in 1955?

Disneyland Resort 70th Anniversary:

I’ve told you about the amazing things that make a trip to the Disneyland Resort such a fun time for your family. Now’s the perfect time to start thinking about your own trip out to California – having started on May 16th, 2025 and lasting through the summer of 2026 Disneyland will “Celebrate Happy” with all new shows, parades and fireworks shows that will make the experience of a Disneyland vacation even more memorable. We’re already thinking about our next trip to California to take part in this very special event. If there’s one thing that Disney knows how to do, that’s throwing a party to celebrate special occasions such as this!