If you’re a teen and your family is planning a vacation to the Disneyland Resort, and it’s got you thinking how the Disneyland Resort is just for kids. I’m here to tell you that the Disneyland Resort offers so many cool things for visitors of all ages – including teens! I have two teen daughters who have a blast every time they visit the Disneyland Resort.
Read our exclusive guide tailored just for Disneyland teens filled with tips to ensure you have the best experience the Disneyland Resort has to offer!
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Help Plan Your Disney Vacation
Take it from me… a Disney vacation starts right when the planning begins. It’s half the fun! Scope out all the fun teen-geared attractions; themed restaurants; and cool shops through the Disney App or the Disneyland website. Make every minute count while at the Disneyland Resort by helping to plan your vacation strategy. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
Immerse Yourself in Everything Disney
Disneyland is all about the fun! So, why not dress the part? Ever hear of DisneyBounding? Take your favorite Disney character and color scheme your attire to resemble your chosen character. My daughters and I do our own Disney-themed nails customized with our own hidden Mickey’s. Lastly, customizing your own Mickey Ears with supplies from the craft store is a fun, unique way to express yourself while at the Disney Parks.
Stay Late into the Night!
Although I can’t stress enough the importance of getting into the Parks super early to experience less crowds, waking up early can be difficult when you want to sleep in! No worries! Get enough sleep that will catapult you into the night. The Disneyland Resort offers so many unique night experiences, like World of Color and Fantasmic! Not only that, staying late into the night allows for less crowds, short wait times, and night attractions (okay, they are the same attractions as they are during the day, but all lit up at night make them feel even more special).
Experience Late Night Entertainment
Staying late into the night has some major advantages! Witness the night light up with magic with must-see night shows! If you are closing the Park at Disney California Adventure, finish the night with World of Color where you can experience mist on your face as you watch fantastic Disney and Pixar stories unfold on veils of water.
If you are ending your night at Disneyland, head over to the Rivers of America to see Mickey fight evil (and win!) in Fantasmic! A must-see show occurs high in the night sky over the Disneyland Resort: Disneyland Forever Fireworks. Main Street, U.S.A. is the best place to watch the show because not only can you watch Sleeping Beauty's castle transform into part of the story, but the entire street is a Disney immersion of sight, sound, and magic.
Download the Play Disney App
The hardest part of visiting the Disneyland Resort is waiting in long queues. Pass the time with interactive experiences when you download the Play Disney app. Awesome features include Disney-themed trivia, playlists inspired by Disney Parks and attractions, fun surprises to unlock throughout the Park, and much more!
Experience Thrill Rides
If you are into high-speed roller coasters then you are in for some hair-raising, heart-pounding thrills! The Disneyland Resort has just the adrenaline booster for you! Here is a list of must-experience thrill rides that are popular with teens.
Disneyland
- Space Mountain – Blast off into the outer limits of space aboard a rocket ship where you will whip around the dark galaxy at lightening speeds.
- Big Thunder Mountain – Ride the rails on a rustic runaway train that has you blazing through haunted mines, explosive caverns, and desolate mountains.
- Matterhorn Bobsleds – Embark on a cool high-speed adventure through twists and turns on a sleek bobsled that takes riders into the depth of an ice-capped mountain where you never know who you may run into.
Disney California Adventure
- Incredicoaster – Join the Incredibles on a high-speed chase to catch Jack Jack as he wreaks havoc around Pixar Pier.
Attraction Favorites for Teens
What makes the Disneyland Resort so magical is the variety of attractions that are for all ages, including teens.
Here are some attractions that are popular with teens:
Disneyland
- Star Tours
- Autopia
- Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- Splash Mountain
- Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Disney California Adventure
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: OUTBREAK!
- Webslingers: A Spiderman Adventure
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Grizzly River Run
Marvel-ous Adventures Await in this Galaxy Favorite for Teens
You don't have to space travel to another galaxy to visit a teen-favorite hotspot at Disneyland – Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Be transported to an out-of-this-world Star Wars experience where you can wander the cryptic planet of Batuu where adventure is around every corner. In preparation to restore balance to the universe, stop by Savi's Workshop and create your very own lightsaber or make your own little droid friend at Droid Depot before taking flight on the Millennium Falcon on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. And no trip to Batuu is complete without joining the Resistance on their battle against the First Order on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. All the battling can get you a little hungry and thirsty and boy does Batuu deliver on scrumptious food! And keep an eye out for some Star Wars characters like Storm Troopers, Chewbacca, Darth Vadar, Kylo Ren and even Rey who may pose for a picture or two with you!
Another teen-favorite place to visit is the Avengers Campus, located in Disney California Adventure! There is so many exciting things to experience, such as Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Experience where you can help collect spider bots with your own spidey power! And if that isn't enough for a high-seeking adventure, head over to Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission – Outbreak! And a visit to the Avengers Campus is not complete without photo opps taken with your favorite characters such as Dr. Strange (found in The Santrum) and those colorful characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Star-Lord and Gamora, doing their galactic dance-off.
A World of Shopping
Visit the Downtown Disney District to experience a shopping experience like no other. The Downtown Disney District has something for everyone’s taste. Dress the part for a radical California vacation by visiting Curl Surf, Sunglass Icon, or California Sole. Love sparkly things? The Downtown Disney District houses Pandora where you are sure to find some bling. A trip here wouldn’t be complete without experiencing World of Disney where you will find so many fun must-have Disney merchandise including apparel, jewelry, Mickey Ears, toys, Star Wars merch, and much more.
Indulge on Tasty Snacks
There are oodles of restaurants to have a grand fest, but snacking is by far an experience in and of itself. Don’t pass by a churro stand, located throughout both Parks, without indulging on one of these warm, delectable cinnamon and sugar treats. A family favorite in my household are the pickles located at the fruit carts in both Parks. Sprinkle some Tajin on each and every bit to bring that flavor to the next level.
Here are some must-try teen-favorite snack foods found at the Disneyland Resort:
- Dole Whip (Tiki Juice Bar, Disneyland, Adventureland)
- Mickey Beignets (Mint Julep Bar, Disneyland, New Orleans’s Square)
- Corn Dog (Little Red Wagon on Main Street, U.S.A., Disneyland)
- Mickey Pretzel (Pretzel Carts, Disneyland and DCA)
- It’s Snow-Capped Lemon! (Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, DCA, Pixar Pier)
- Jack-Jack Cookie Num Num (Cookie Cart, DCA, Pixar Pier)
- Sweet Treats (Caramel Apples, Cookies, Cakepops) (Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen – Disneyland, Trolley Treats – DCA, Marceline’s Confectionery, Downtown Disney)
Downtime Must-Experience Activities
You’ve ridden all the thrill rides your stomach can handle and need some downtime. What can you do to rest your nerves?
- Animation Academy (DCA) – Learn to draw Disney characters with step-by-step instructions from an animator!
- Frontierland Shootin Exposition (Disneyland, Frontierland) – Go shooting like a real cowboy in this Wild West setting with close to 100 targets to choose from!
- Splitsville Luxury Lanes (Downtown Disney District) – Bowling never gets boring! Reserve a lane and have a ball!
Start Planning Your Awesome Disney Vacation Today!
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