Guide to Visiting Disneyland with Older Guests

Disneyland was meant to be enjoyed by guests of all ages. Disneyland was even borne out of an idea Walt Disney had for a place where parents and children could have fun together. Disneyland prides itself with being one of the most inclusive places on earth. You can take anyone to Disneyland and they are sure to have an amazing time. However, this article focuses on bringing a certain group of people to Disneyland: older guests.

They say age is just a number, and throughout my visits to Disneyland I’ve seen countless older guests smiling from ear to ear as they go on rides, watch shows, and enjoy the park with their friends and families. Of course, if you’re planning on going to Disneyland with older guests, you’re going to need to be prepared and plan aspects of your visit beforehand. That’s what this article is for! Hopefully by the end of this article you will feel more prepared to tackle Disneyland with your older party members.

Let’s dive in!

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Background of Disneyland

Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. The park’s influence on pop culture since its opening cannot be overstated, and more than a billion guests have visited the park since it opened. It has since spawned 11 other Disney Parks around the world, including a second park in Anaheim: Disney California Adventure. Disneyland is the second most visited theme park in the world, with California Adventure being a Top 15 most visited park.

Change is the only thing that has stayed constant at Disneyland, with rides and experiences coming and going over the years. This has turned Disneyland, and by extension the Disneyland Resort, into the resort with the most eclectic and varied ride lineup of any Disney Park. It also has the most attractions of any Disney resort. Yes, even more than Walt Disney World. A fact I always like to bring up is that Fantasyland at Disneyland has more rides than Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

Many classic attractions were born at Disneyland such as Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion. Modern marvels such as Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin, and Toy Story Mania also debuted at the resort. The resort has also seen the best entertainment in any Disney Park with the likes of the Main Street Electrical Parade, World of Color, and Remember…Dreams Come True.

Millions of guests from all walks of life have enjoyed the happiness of a Disneyland vacation. There really is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. This place can be especially magical for older guests, who bring their own kind of fun to the experience of Disneyland. But you may be wondering now if it’s worth going to Disneyland with older guests given that Disneyland is a hot and very crowded theme park. Well, subject to the absence of activity limitations, I would personally recommend that older guests visit Disneyland, and I’ll explain why in the next section.

Is Disneyland Recommended for Older Guests

I would say that Disneyland is a great place to take older guests. I know it may not seem like it given the nature of theme parks, but Disney theme parks are different from other theme parks. There are three specific reasons why I think it’s a great place to take older guests: the resort’s accessibility, its attraction lineup, and its atmosphere and entertainment. Let me get into each of the three reasons.

Disney theme parks pride themselves on being accessible to every guest. From accessibility options for accessing certain queues for attractions to assistive listening, handheld captioning, and audio description devices for those with visual and hearing disabilities, Disneyland will go out of their way to make sure that every guest is accommodated within the Disneyland Resort. This extends to older guests, who may ask Disney cast members for assistance with things like a DAS pass to make their visit to the Disneyland Resort easier.

The attractions at Disneyland are also a lot milder and tamer than rides in other theme parks. Disney has a plethora of rides that shouldn’t aggravate health conditions. Rides like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan’s Flight, and It’s a Small World were meant to be experienced by anyone of any age. This means that older guests will have things to do in the park and won’t be relegated to watching over the kids who can’t ride.

Finally, the atmosphere, entertainment, and food of the parks are perfect for older guests who may not want to ride rides at all. Disneyland has a lot of experiences you can partake in if rides are not your thing. Shows and experiences like parades, fireworks shows, World of Color, Animation Academy, Enchanted Tiki Room, Walt Disney – A Magical Life, and all the different food options makes Disneyland a fun place to visit even if you don’t ride a single ride.

Now that you know why Disneyland is perfect for older guests, it’s time to get into the different services and tips that you should know before visiting Disneyland with older guests.

Disneyland Hotels for Older Guests

All three Disneyland Resort hotels have accessible amenities, services, and rooms for guests with disabilities. In case your older guests need extra amenities to assist them during their stay, each Disneyland Resort hotel offers the following: wheelchair accessible rooms, hearing accessible rooms, as well as TTY equipment, which is available upon request at check-in.

In addition, all the guest walkways and paths are accessible pathways that you can take to get to different resort amenities, meaning it is easy for most people to get to the different areas on property. This should make it easy even for older guests to get to where they need to go.

Dining for Older Guests

All restaurants are accessible, but only some restaurants have indoor, air-conditioned seating. If you’re visiting during the summer with older guests who don’t like or can’t stay in the heat for too long, your best bet is to head for a restaurant with indoor seating. For quick service restaurants, be sure to eat meals early or late in order to successfully get a table in these restaurants. For table service restaurants, be sure to mention that you would like an indoor table.

Restaurants at Disneyland with indoor seating are as follows:

Carnation Cafe
Plaza Inn
Bengal Barbecue
Blue Bayou
Cafe Orleans
Docking Bay 7
Oga’s Cantina
Red Rose Taverne
The Golden Horseshow
Alien Pizza Planet

Restaurants at Disney California Adventure with indoor seating are as follows:

Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical Cafe
Carthay Circle Restaurant
Smokejumpers Grill
Flo’s V8 Cafe
Lamplight Lounge

Also, to avoid standing in line and to avoid long waits for food, be sure to use the Mobile Order feature on the Disneyland app. Mobile Order allows you to place orders for food at participating quick service restaurants ahead of time, allowing you to skip the queue line for ordering food and instead go straight to picking up your food at the designated pick up time. If you’d like a guide on how to Mobile Order, click here.

First Aid

In case the older guests in your party start to feel unwell, First Aid locations are present in both parks. Nurses are on staff during normal park operating hours, and they can offer you over-the-counter medications, bandages, and other simple remedies. They can keep any medication that needs refrigeration for you during your visit, and they have special containers for the disposal of hypodermic needles. Adult changing tables are also present in each First Aid location if you need to use such facilities.

First Aid stations are located in the following places:

Disneyland: Next to the Baby Care Center at the end of Main Street near the Little Red Wagon and Plaza Inn.
Disney California Adventure: Located next to the Chamber of Commerce on Buena Vista Street, near Oswald’s.

First Aid services are also available at the three onsite hotels. Contact the Front Desk for more information.

Bathrooms for Older Guests

Bathrooms are located throughout the Disneyland Resort. In addition to regular restrooms, Disneyland also offers Companion Restrooms. Companion restrooms are single stall, gender neutral bathrooms designed to offer additional space and privacy for guests with a companion or caregiver. Some of them include manual flush toilets for guests with sensory needs. You can find these toilets in the Disneyland App, but here’s a list of them in case you need them.

DISNEYLAND PARK:

Manual Flush Companion Restrooms:

City Hall – Behind the Tour Gardens kiosk
First Aid – Next to Plaza Point
Tomorrowland Station – Near Autopia
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room – Accessed beside the entrance to the attraction
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree – In the first floor seating area of Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree
Fantasyland Theatre – Near Troubadour Tavern

Automatic Flush Companion Restrooms

Tom Sawyer Island – By the Fort
Black Spire Outfitters Courtyard – Near the Milk Stand
Black Spire Outpost Market – Across from the Creature Stall
Mickey’s Toontown – Next to the men’s restroom

DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK

Manual Flush Companion Restrooms:

Bay Area – Next to The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Buena Vista Street – Inside First Aid

Automatic Flush Companion Restrooms

Avengers Campus – Next to the Campus Supply Pod
Baby Care Center – Inside San Fransokyo Square
Bay Area – Next to The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Wheelchair and ECV Rentals

Guests are invited to bring their own manual wheelchairs, power assisted wheelchairs, and ECVs to the parks. Wheeled mobility devices that have less than 3 wheels or cannot maintain stability and balance when stopped, unoccupied, or unpowered are prohibited.

Modifications such as training wheels are not permitted. Devices must be manually or electrically powered and operated at a walking pace. Devices should only accommodate a single user and its dimensions should not exceed 36″ (91 cm) in width and 52″ (132 cm) in length.

ECVs, which are single-rider, 3-wheel vehicles for Guests with mobility challenges, along with manual wheelchairs are available for rent. You can rent them at the stroller shop outside the theme parks near the east entrances of Disneyland.

They cost as follows:

$15.00 for manual wheelchair rentals

$60.00 for ECV rentals—sales tax applies to ECV rental fee

Rentals require a refundable deposit of $20. Sales tax does not apply to ECV deposits. Please note that ECVs and wheelchairs may be reserved on a first come first serve basis. Please plan to arrive early as devices are available in a limited number. They may be used in both Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Park and Downtown Disney District.

The maximum weight for an ECV is 450 pounds, while the maximum weight for a manual wheelchair is 350 pounds. Be sure that only one person operates each wheelchair and ECV. You must be 18 years or older to operate an ECV.

Attractions and Entertainment for Older Guests

Some attractions and entertainment offerings can be experienced from an ECV or a wheelchair. Other attractions will require you to transfer from your wheelchair or ECV into the attraction vehicle. Please note that guests must be able to transfer themselves into the ride vehicles. Cast members are not allowed to help guests into ride vehicles.

Here are the attractions at the Disneyland Resort where you may remain in a wheelchair or ECV:

Animation Academy
Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome
The Bakery Tour
Bluey’s Best Day Ever
CenTOONial Park
Disneyland Parades
Disneyland Fireworks
The Disney Gallery
Disneyland Monorail
Disneyland Railroad
Donald Duck’s Pond
Fantasmic
Fantasy Faire
Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition
Games of Pixar Pier
Goofy’s How to Play Yard
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
Jessie’s Critter Carousel
Jungle Cruise
King Arthur Carousel
Main Street Cinema
Mark Twain Riverboat
Mickey’s Philharmagic
Minnie’s House
Pixar Short Film Spotlight
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
Sorcerer’s Workshop
Storytelling at Royal Theatre
Tom Sawyer Island
Turtle Talk with Crush
Walt Disney – A Magical Life
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
World of Color

Here are the attractions where you must transfer from an ECV to a wheelchair:

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
It’s a Small World
Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue
Pixar Pal Around
Toy Story Midway Mania
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

Here are the attractions where you must transfer from ECV or a wheelchair to a ride vehicle:

Alice in Wonderland
Astro Orbiter
Autopia
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Cip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster
Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Golden Zephyr
Goofy’s Sky School
Grizzly River Run
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT
Haunted Mansion
Incredicoaster
Indiana Jones Adventure
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Luigi’s Rollickin Roadsters
Mad Tea Party
Main Street Vehicles
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Pirates of the Caribbean
Radiator Springs Racers
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Silly Symphony Swings
Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
Soarin’
Space Mountain
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Storybookland Canal Boats
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Here are the attractions where you must be ambulatory:

Adventureland Treehouse (has non-ambulatory option)
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (has non-ambulatory option)
Tom Sawyer Island
Sailing Ship Columbia
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough (has non-ambulatory option)

If you’d like to learn about the different attractions and entertainment offerings at the Disneyland Resort, consult my Disneyland Ride Ranking, my DCA Ride Ranking, my Disneyland Attraction Guide, and my DCA Attraction Guide.

Park Touring Strategies and Tips for Older Guests

Many Disneyland attractions are designed to be friendly to older guests. I would say a majority of Disneyland rides are gentle, with only a handful of them being thrilling, jarring, or otherwise uncomfortable for older guests. If you’d like an air-conditioned break from the parks, shows like Walt Disney – A Magical Life, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, The Enchanted Tiki Room, The Animation Building with Turtle Talk with Crush and Animation Academy, and Mickey’s Philharmagic are good options to do during the height of the day.

Meanwhile, the following rides have health and safety warnings attached to them. This means that the rides on this list are the most thrilling rides in the parks, or are the rides that jostle you around a lot. The list includes Autopia, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster, Goofy’s Sky School, Grizzly River Run, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT, Incredicoaster, Indiana Jones Adventure, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Radiator Springs Racers, Space Mountain, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

I would recommend older guests experience any other attraction not listed above. Older guests can also take advantage of services like the DAS pass if they have a condition that makes it hard for them to stand in line for long periods of time. Consult the Disneyland Website for the most up to date information on the DAS pass to see if you qualify and what needs to be done to be able to use the DAS pass in the park.

Fireworks and parades viewing may require you to stand for a long period of time. If you want to get a seated spot by the curb or on benches, be at least 30 minutes early to parades. Fireworks will most likely require you to be standing for the entire duration of the show, so just keep that in mind. Same goes for World of Color unless you avail of the World of Color Dessert Party, which you can find more information about here.

Remember to take frequent breaks and to pace yourselves when visiting the parks. If necessary, head back to your nearby hotel for a midday break. Be sure to pack cooling towels, fans, and anything else you might need if you’re visiting during the summer. And finally, I always recommend checking with your doctor to see if a Disneyland vacation is recommended for the older guests in your party.

Guide to Disneyland with Older Guests Conclusion

And that’s everything you need to know about bringing older guests to the Disneyland Resort! I hope I was able to explain everything well and give you the information you need to have a great time at Disneyland! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out on my socials.

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