Disneyland Park, Anaheim

There's an undeniable magic to Disneyland. I mean, they literally infuse the smell of homemade cookies on Main Street. There's an atmosphere and vibe that is difficult to replicate anywhere else, especially if you are a fan of Disney's entertainment. Some personalities may not enjoy the long-line waiting, buying tons of merchandise, and the exorbitant prices of tickets (or food inside the park). Price is a huge thing. Is it worth it? That will be up to the individual to decide. I think if you are going with children aged 6-12 it could be incredibly "magical" to watch them experience Disneyland, enjoy the rides, meet some of their favorite characters, etc. If you are going with only other adults, it may be best to make sure that everybody is a fan of Disney - because otherwise it may provide a lackluster experience and it may be better to go to a roller-coaster focused theme park. If you are going with extended family, hope to the universe that whoever is getting fast-passes for you gets it for a ride you like because you likely don't have much of a say in anything. Overall, you are going to get your money's worth and have an enjoyable time, for sure. This is Disney's biggest money maker. It brings in more money (the theme parks in general) than basically any other portion of their business, and they own a ton. If you want to go and can afford it, it's worth experiencing at least once in your life - possibly more if you fall in love with it.

We went for one day and tickets cost $164 each. Parking was $30, in which we also purchased ahead of time. Definitely plan ahead. We purchased a week and a half before our trip and although it wasn't the day we originally planned, everything worked out. My teens first Disneyland visit and they had fun. The only downside was waiting in line for the rides. Definitely get the Genie Service, it's only $20 per ticket, which I somehow mistaken the price. We arrived by 9am and waited for parking for about 15 minutes. Then walked towards the tram and did the security clearance [bag check, metal detector]. The tram was quick and they had multiple going at a time, back and forth, so the wait was less than 10 minutes. We were on the Disneyland Park side, so we walked and enjoyed the day there [was there for about 9 hours]. We didn't stay for the parade or fireworks. By the end of the day, the sun was too much. After being there all day, we realized it's better to go just before the sun sets, less sun exposure, shorter lines. Merchandise and food was definitely pricey. We will be back but for California's Adventure.