Disney Parks

The Ultimate Disneyland Bucket List

To All Who Come To This Happy Place, Welcome. If you’ve been here awhile, you know I love making ultimate bucket lists for each of Disney’s parks. In the past I’ve made them for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. With the recent announcement of Disneyland’s reopening date, I thought there was no better time to finally dive into all the fun of Walt’s first theme park!

*Due to new safety measures and physical distancing requirements, not all of these experiences will be available when Disneyland reopens on April 30, 2021. Hopefully as things start to reopen, you’ll be able to complete everything on this list someday!*

  1. Take your picture in front of Disneyland before you enter the park.
  2. Check out the vintage posters as you enter the park under the train station.
  3. Stop by City Hall to grab a celebration button. (Birthday, Anniversary, Honeymoon, etc!)
  4. Sign up for the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour.
  5. Look up to Walt’s apartment above Fire Station.
  6. Step inside the first building built at Disneyland, the Opera House
  7. Visit the bench where Walt Disney dreamed up the idea of Disneyland while you’re there.
  8. Experience a part of history at The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
  9. View some Disney art in the Disney Gallery.
  10. Hop on the Disneyland Railroad at the Main Street Station.
  11. Keep an eye out for the Grand Canyon and Dinosaur Scenes on the Disneyland Railroad between Main Street and Tomorrowland.
  12. Stop by the flag pole on Main Street and stand where Walt gave his famous speech on opening day back in 1955.
  13. Take a trip back in time on some of Main Street, U.S.A.’s modes of transportation: Fire Engine, Horse-drawn Streetcars, and Omnibus.
  14. Ride on the second level of the Omnibus for a spectacular view.
  15. Stop in the Main Street Cinema to watch old Mickey Mouse cartoons. 
  16. Meet some of your favorite characters as they appear on Main Street U.S.A.
  17. Marvel at the interactive window displays outside of the Emporium.
  18. Do some light shopping in the shops on Main Street U.S.A.
  19. Order Walt’s favorite meal at Carnation Cafe. (He loved to order a grilled cheese, chili, and a cherry shake.)
  20. Enjoy a famous hand-dipped corn dog from Little Red Wagon.
  21. Stop inside Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe to check out all of the Mary Poppins details.
  22. Get your Starbucks fix at the Market House. (Be prepared for a line!)
  23. Grab a scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor at Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor.
  24. Chow down on a hot dog and an ice cold Coca-Cola at the Refreshment Corner.
  25. Take a picture with and visit Walt & Mickey’s Partners Statue.
  26. Snag a photo by Sleeping Beauty Castle.
  27. Experience the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough.
  28. Ride all original opening day attractions.
  29. Look up on your way through Tomorrowland to spot the old Peoplemover and Rocket Rods track.
  30. Explore a big blue world with Nemo and friends on Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
  31. Take a ride on the Disneyland Monorail and get a new fantastic point of view of Disneyland Resort.
  32. Experience Star Tours — The Adventures Continue.
  33. Help Buzz defeat Zurg on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
  34. Ride high in the sky on Astro Orbitor
  35. Cruise around in a car of your own on Autopia.
  36. Dive even deeper into the Star Wars fandom at Star Wars Launch Bay.
  37. Blast off into outer space on Space Mountain.
  38. Conquer all of the Disneyland Mountains in one day.
  39. Grab some pizza at Alien Pizza Planet.
  40. Stop by Snow White’s Wishing Well and make a wish.
  41. Ride on both side of the Matterhorn Bobsleds. (The Fantasyland side is much smoother!)
  42. Take a ride on Julie Andrews’ horse on King Arthur’s Carrousel, Jingles.
  43. Try to spot Figaro up high in the Fantasy Faire area.
  44. Go down the track on the Casey Jr. Circus Train.
  45. Stop for something sweet at Maurice’s Treats.
  46. Take a journey on a pirate ship in Peter Pan’s Flight
  47. Snap a pic by the sword and the stone.
  48. Look for remnants of the old skyway stations in both Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
  49. Experience Pinocchio’s Daring Journey on one of Disneyland’s classic dark rides.
  50. Strap in for a crazy drive on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
  51. Take flight on Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
  52. Have a spin on the Mad Tea Party
  53. Travel through the story of one of Disney’s classic films on Alice in Wonderland.
  54. Take another spin on all of Fantasyland’s outdoor attractions at night for an even more magical experience.
  55. Ride on the original it’s a small world attraction, from the 1964 World’s Fair.
  56. Come back to experience it at Christmastime too!
  57. Take some pictures by the Small World Wall.
  58. Run through the gates of Mickey’s Toontown.
  59. Visit Goofy’s Playhouse.
  60. Meet Mickey and get a tour of Mickey’s House. (This is the only place in the US that you can meet him in his Steamboat Willie outfit!)
  61. Cook up some fun in Minnie’s House.
  62. Take a spin on Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.
  63. Snap a picture by the Roger Rabbit fountain.
  64. Ride Gadget’s Go Coaster with the little ones.
  65. Visit Donald’s Boat House.
  66. Climb inside Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse.
  67. Take pictures around Mickey’s Toontown.
  68. Grab a snapshot in from the the Toontown sign.
  69. Strike a pose in the Toontown gazebo.
  70. Ride the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
  71. Time up your ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with the nighttime fireworks for an even better view of Disneyland.
  72. Pick out a great spot to watch Fantasmic!
  73. Ride over to Tom Sawyer Island and experience the Pirates Lair.
  74. Take a ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat.
  75. Get your Pilot’s License on the Mark Twain Riverboat.
  76. Order the Ice Cream Nachos at The Golden Horseshoe.
  77. Board the Sailing Ship Columbia.
  78. Grab something to eat a Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante.
  79. Secure a Boarding Pass for Rise of the Resistance.
  80. Take a ride in the Millennium Falcon on Smuggler’s Run.
  81. Build your very own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop.
  82. Join Team Blue Milk or Team Green Milk! (Try both)
  83. Grab grub from a galaxy far far away at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo.
  84. Try out of this word cocktail concoctions at Oga’s Cantina.
  85. Order a wrap from Ronto Roasters.
  86. Build your own droid at the Droid Depot.
  87. Grab a bite at Hungry Bear Restaurant.
  88. Hop on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
  89. Spot Max, Buff, and Melvin from the defunct Country Bear Jamboree attraction on Winnie the Pooh.
  90. Take a ride on a log into the Briar Patch on Splash Mountain.
  91. Marvel at the animatronics from the defunct America Sings attraction in the final scene of Splash Mountain and throughout the attraction.
  92. Go rowing in Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes.
  93. Grab a bread bowl of soup at Harbour Galley.
  94. Look for all of the “critter” houses around Critter Country.
  95. Join 999 happy haunts on the Haunted Mansion.
  96. Ride a Haunted Mansion Holiday during the holiday season.
  97. Keep an eye out for the Hatbox Ghost on Haunted Mansion too!
  98. Grab a New Orleans-inspired meal at Cafe Orleans.
  99. Spend Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans Square.
  100. Get invited to Club 33 in Disneyland.
  101. Try the Mickey-shaped beignets at Mint Julep Bar.
  102. Ride the last attraction that Walt Disney worked on, Pirates of the Caribbean.
  103. Ask to sit near the Pirates of the Caribbean boat launch when you eat at Blue Bayou.
  104. Plan a Disneyland Photoshoot with Katherine Rose Photography or your other favorite Disneyland are photographer.
  105. Grab a bite in the French Market.
  106. Meet Princess Tiana in New Orleans Square.
  107. Experience the original Enchanted Tiki Room, where animatronics were born!
  108. Find legendary Cast Member, Maynard. (He’s usually at the Enchanted Tiki Room)
  109. Grab a Dole Whip from the original Dole Whip Cart, Tiki Juice Bar.Sleeping Beauty Castle
  110. Ride Indiana Jones Adventure
  111. Ride it again, but try to imagine being on DINOSAUR from Disney’s Animal Kingdom (it’s the same track!)
  112. Find Rosita from Tiki Room at Tropical Hideaway.
  113. Try every flavor of Dole Whip at Tropical Hideaway.
  114. Take a climb in Tarzan’s Treehouse.
  115. Keep an eye out for some Beauty and the Beast Easter eggs in Tarzan’s Treehouse too!
  116. Board the original Jungle Cruise.
  117. View the backside of water!
  118. Grab some barbecue skewers at Bengal Barbecue.
  119. Visit Disneyland for Halloween.
  120. Visit Disneyland at Christmastime.
  121. Visit Disneyland for an anniversary celebration. (They celebrate 70 years in 2025!)

As you can see, there’s so much to do at Walt Disney’s original theme park! I’m so excited that it’s finally reopening after over a year of having its gates closed to the public. Read all about Disneyland reopening HERE.

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Did you know I have a D*sney-inspired jewelry brand? My company is called Spinning Carousel Company and we have necklaces inspired by all six of the US parks with plenty more magical jewelry pieces to come. If you decide to shop, use code KAIT10 to save at checkout!

What have you completed on this Ultimate Disneyland Bucket List so far?