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Ditching School and Work for Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure in 2026

By Zonk 2 min read

Summary

We took a day off from work and school and headed to Disneyland, leaving early enough to be in Anaheim by about 6:20 for breakfast at Denny’s, which used to be fast and cheap and is now fast and expensive. We still missed rope drop, and the park was already packed. February used to be the quiet time of year, but not anymore. The reservation system seems to create this artificial demand, so it’s just always busy now.

The kids and I rode Autopia (my son Dylan kept threatening to bump me but never caught up), then Splash Mountain, which is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure now. I’m a big fan of the old Splash Mountain and was sad to see it go, but the visuals are spectacular and I was surprisingly delighted. We also hit It’s a Small World, which we never skip. Dylan says it’s his favorite ride, and it makes sense for a kid who gets motion sickness and loves the Disneyland vibes.

The sad part for me came in the afternoon. We used to have annual passes and went pretty much every other weekend, but the kids got worn out and headed home after one more ride on Big Thunder Mountain. That left Rachel and me with their Lightning Passes, so we tried to use them on Space Mountain and Star Tours, and of course the rides kept breaking down, which felt like karma. We finished the night with The Little Mermaid ride, which I wanted to record because it’s going away. I’m not a Disney parks vlogger, but I’m glad I brought my camera.

Key Points

  • We left early for Anaheim and had breakfast at Denny’s, but still missed rope drop and found the park crowded even in February.
  • I think the reservation system creates artificial demand, so the park is always busy now.
  • I loved the old Splash Mountain, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good Tiana’s Bayou Adventure looks.
  • We always ride It’s a Small World, which is my son Dylan’s favorite.
  • The kids headed home early, so Rachel and I used their Lightning Passes and the rides kept breaking down.
  • I recorded The Little Mermaid ride because it’s going away, and it brought back memories of bringing our babies here.

This post was automatically generated from my YouTube video. Watch above or view directly on YouTube.

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