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Wondering what to pack for Disneyland? You’re in luck because I grew up in Los Angeles and went to Disney annually year growing up. While comfort might be your main concern but there’s one thing that’s more important and it may surprise you. Keep reading to find out what it is!
How to Pack for Disneyland
Reader Asks:
My family and I (husband and three young sons) are traveling to LA Disneyland, Lego Land San Diego in April-May. I do not know what the weather is going to be like. For most of the trip, we will be going to Disneyland and Lego Land. We may go out a couple of nights but the majority is casual.
I would greatly appreciate your help. I’m not a good packer when it comes to holidays. Your website has given be a lot of ideas and inspiration, thank you!
Sounds like a fun trip! My best suggestions to help you pack light and stylishly comfortable are:
Jeans | Leggings | Shorts |Bermuda Shorts
Choose a pair of comfortable and tailored (1) jeans and (1) shorts (capris, bermudas, etc). and use a variety of bright and colorful tops to cheer up your outfits.
Woven Top | Aztec Top | Character Top | Beach Top
Choose classic styles in soft hues so your pictures will look good and memorable.
I’ve chosen a few packing lists that look like they have some good clothing selections for amusement parks. Stick to shirts + bottoms as they’re good for layering this time of year but summer dresses would be comfortable on hot days. I like the tops+bottoms found here: What to Pack for Hawaii Vacations or Classic Packing List 2013
Since you’ll be going to several amusement parks, which means countless days on your feet, please take more than 1 pair of shoes! You may want to add some gel inserts into your shoes for added comfort. Your feet will thank you 🙂
For comfortable and stylish shoes it seems that many travelers recommend include Toms, Birkenstocks and the new Crocs styles.
Check out these posts for more info: The Most Comfortable Walking Shoes or 13 Comfortable Walking Sandals that Don’t Sacrifice Style
Click here to find the items.
Also, LA and Southern California temps can be very hot in the day and drop at night so make sure to take your hoodie or jacket and pack it away or store in a locker or backpack until night time. Bring layers!
You can also use a button up shirt or denim long sleeve to act as layers, shields from the sun, and as a light jacket if needed.
WEATHER
The weather here can be blazing hot for weeks and suddenly have a weekend of downpours and pack to blazing hot temperatures again – remember to watch the weather forecast a month to a weekend before your trip!
It’s usually sunny in Southern California even in the winter (unless you happen to come during the two entire weeks of cold winter we experience). 65F is the winter average, possibly 55F and then everyone freezes.
However, at night it always gets cold in comparison to daytime even in the summer. Warmer clothing for the evening is a must! They have lockers you can rent to store your larger items in a backpack and leave it in a locker then just carry your essentials in a crossbody.
My favorite time to go to Disneyland is during the holidays because the lights and decorations make it look extra magical! My very favorite day to visit is Thanksgiving Day. The lines are short and the weather is good!
TRAVEL TIPS
There are several ways to get to Disneyland from LAX including shuttles, public transportation, taxis/Uber, and rental cars. Unless you’re planning to stay at Disneyland throughout your entire stay in Southern California, I’d recommend you book a rental car to make the most of your vacation.
I love renting a car with Alamo out of LAX airport, especially because they have a super easy self check-in and free shuttle at the airport. I can’t recommend them enough. Book here!
Do you have any tips on what to pack for Disneyland? Share it with us!
To learn more, please read the following:
- What to Wear in Los Angeles
- What to Wear in San Diego
- Disney World Packing List
- What to Pack for California
Suggested travel resources:
We went to DL for the first time in December and we were so cold! Being from Michigan, we didn’t think that was possible. I packed summer clothes for the most part, but threw in a few “just-in-case” items, which I try not to do, but was glad that I did this time – and was still able to carry on my luggage. I was so glad that I had packed a couple of pairs of leggings, a denim vest, a kimono, a scarf and a pair of jeans. Coupled with the hoodie I wore on the plane, I was able to be comfortable despite the cooler than anticipated temps.
Hi Lu, thank you so much for sharing your travel experiences! Hope you had a great time 🙂
Great post, thank you! We just came back from Disneyland (I am From Toronto) and I would suggest adding sundresses. It was hot and sundresses were cool and cute in photos. Also, we girls all wore Minnie ears every day, and I wish we had bought custom ones from etsy beforehand!
I’m going on holiday for 3 weeks to California. But being British I’m clueless in what to pack! The first section of our holiday will be on the beach in San Clemente, then we will be shopping in LA then to lad Vegas and then to Yellowstone so I need to pack wisely !! Any help will be brilliant
Hey Becky! This sounds like an awesome trip 🙂 Check out our article on what to wear in California for some tips http://bit.ly/1KcVGEg as well as our Vegas article http://bit.ly/1pgTM04. For some help on what to take to Yellowstone, take a look at some of our outdoor/adventure posts for some great tips http://bit.ly/1NPoHvn
Late April – early May at the parks it will just be hot during the day. Rain is very unlikely. Evenings can get crisp. Personally I love my Teva Olowahu sandals for parks because they’re comfortable, stay on and can get wet (Splash Mountain!). A good pair of athleisure kicks would be perfect for LEGOland.
Thanks for the tips Melissa!