It was a truly magical experience – 8 amazing hours filled with non-stop go, go, go and gape, gape, gape. We’ll be going back soon. This time, however, I might prep a little more before we head south. It kills me to browse the Disney Findery posts and see all the things that we missed.

We ate when we were hungry rather than according to a carefully thought out plan so we missed some seriously delicious treats.

I would have loved to get my hands on some of these awesome Tigger tails!

Or these Mickey shaped beignets:

And considering that we walked for 12 straight hours, we could definitely have justified indulging in at least one of these Monte Cristo sandwiches:

Despite filling our day with endless wonders, we managed to still miss some secret attractions that I really wish we’d seen.

The shows are a great way to relax and cool off, so we squeezed in a few. I thought they’d just be a nice place to rest, but they turned out to be amazing and entertaining in their own right!

I also wish we’d know where we could spot the elusive Tinkerbell by simply wandering into Pixie Hollow.

Some things we did, of course, do, like make ourselves slightly nauseous and delirious with laughter on the spinning tea cups. Little did I realize though, just how much more magical the experience would have been in the dark. So much of Disney is transformed as soon as the sun goes down. Definitely worth staying late!

Knowing that all of these little tips and secrets exist just reinforces my desire to take the kids back. This time for a longer, more in depth visit. Maybe I’ll get to fulfill one of my longtime dreams – to see Disney in all its full holiday glory. Right now the whole place has been transformed for Halloween, soon, it’ll get a winter wonderland makeover. It’s like layering even more magic on the existing magic.

Do you have any secret Disneyland tips? Have you ever been during the holidays? Visit us on Findery and let us know!

Many of these photos link to notes written byFindery user Cam Bowmanwho specializes in all things Disney. She’s evenwritten a book on the subject!Be sure to visit herFindery profilefor more tips and tricks to make your experience extra magical.