Disneyland Bachelorette Party: Lodging, Line-Skipping & More

Pack your Minnie ears and prepare for a trip down nostalgia lane for your Disneyland bachelorette party. Disneyland in Anaheim, California is a sunny, gorgeous place to spend a weekend with your girls 💃.

From fun-filled rides, Mickey-themed brunches, and more than enough Instagram-worthy shots with your favorite Disney characters, Disneyland is the happiest place to spend your bridal bash. Below, we share a number of batch party ideas, including what to do, where to stay, and how to skip those dreaded lines.

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Where to Stay for Your Disneyland Bachelorette Party

Okay, first things first: Where do you and your girls plan to bunk?

When planning a weekend trip to Disneyland, you essentially have three options for lodging: staying on property, staying at a neighboring hotel, or booking on Airbnb. Here's what you need to know.

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Staying at the Theme Park

While staying on-location at Walt Disney World in Florida comes highly recommended, you won't find the same you-don't-want-miss-this resort reviews for Disneyland. This is mainly due to limited options — Disneyland has just three onsite resorts, including The Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. 

The Grand Californian is by far the most luxurious, with five restaurants, a fitness center, and pools with cabanas — buttttt it will run you $470+ a night 🙈. Paradise Pier is the most affordable option, running at roughly $270 a night with a rooftop pool and water slide.

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Staying at a Hotel or Airbnb

To stay outside the park, you can book a hotel or Airbnb around Anaheim. Disneyland publishes a list of 52 "Good Neighbor" hotels they recommend, with some located just across the street. (Pro tip: Even if you can't book a room across the street, check out these three hotels, which come with free transportation to the theme park). 

An Airbnb close to the park will run roughly $400-$900 a night for eight guests (which, if you're looking to save money, is far less than the price of 3-4 hotel rooms). Check out these Airbnb finds close to the park.

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Where to Eat and Drink With Your Bride Squad

Reservations are booked, now where do you plan to wine and dine 🍷?

Since this is a bachelorette party and your fairytale-themed girl's trip probably needs some adult beverages, allow us to make one disclaimer. Finding alcohol in Disneyland is right up there with Finding Nemo — it's not easily done, and can probably take you an hour and forty minutes. 

At one point, there was no place that served alcohol in Disneyland except Club 33, an overly exclusive club with a $25,000 initiation fee and 10-year waiting list (hard pass 🚫). Fortunately, the Mouse House is loosening the reins, and there are several places that serve alcoholic drinks (sure, it's no drinking around the world at Epcot, but we're not complaining). These spots are located in Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney.

Please note: Disneyland has limited some menu options since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, so be sure to check menus before going.

Here are some iconic spots to eat:

• Blue Bayou: Located in New Orleans Square, this restaurant serves Cajun-slash-Creole fare (order the Monte Cristo or seafood jambalaya) while Pirates of the Caribbean boats sail past. Plus, they recently added an alcoholic menu (win win).
• Carnation Cafe: If the bride-to-be asks for a brunch with her girls, you have to hit this cafe tucked near Main Street. Carnation Cafe does all your favorite breakfast options, including Mickey-shaped waffles with apples and strawberry toppings. (There's no booze, so no mimosas, sorry ladies.) 
• Carthay Circle Lounge: If you're feeling classy, you may want to march your Disney bride and bridesmaids to Carthay Circle Lounge in California Adventure to enjoy some Mediterranean fare. Plus, this fine-dining option serves excellent Manhattans and martinis.
• Oga's Cantina: Seated in the heart of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, this fun watering hole was the first place that served alcohol in Disneyland outside Club 33. You'll find incredible cocktails for your bride squad, including Fuzzy Tauntauns (made with Peach Schnapps) and Yub Nub (a Disney take on a pina colada) 🍹.
• Wine Country Trattoria: For a nice dinner out with your squad, you have to visit this restaurant, making you feel like you're in the heart of Napa Valley. They serve Italian favorites like spaghetti aglio olio and linguine alla vongole, alongside a glass of wine or sangria (score). 
• Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar: This bewitching tiki bar is inspired by Trader Sam's jungle cruise and sits inside the Disneyland Hotel. Enjoy 21+ libations include Uh Oa (a Polynesian cocktail) or Pago Pago (with rum, pineapple, and lime).
• Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe: If you and your best friends are craving something sweet, Disneyland is filled with options (soft serve ice cream, Mickey beignets, churros, Dole whip ice cream … shall we go on?). But the top of the treat list resides the Jolly Holiday Bakery, serving iconic Matterhorn Macaroons, Mickey Macarons, cinnamon rolls, and cupcakes.

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What to Do: Shows, Spas, and Rides With Your Girls

Clearly, one of the main reasons to visit Disneyland is the rides. But as every Disneyland lover knows, there is so much more to the park than rides. Here are just a few ways to enjoy your Disneyland bachelorette party: 

• Enjoy a spa day: After just a day at Disney, you’ll have sore feet and tense muscles from tons of walking. Head to the Tenaya Stone Spa (replacing the former Mandara Spa), located in the Grand Californian. It was set to open in spring of 2020, but the pandemic delayed construction. Once it opens, it will be a wonderful way to enjoy an afternoon of massages and facials with your maid of honor and other besties.
• Attend a show: There are free shows everyday at Disneyland (full calendar here), with fireworks displays at the castle, parades through Fantasyland and Main Street, and Nighttime Spectaculars, which are typically offered twice daily. You can also attend a show like Frozen — Live at the Hyperion, Mickey and the Magical Map, and Storytelling at the Royal Theatre (showing scenes from Beauty and the Beast). These are a perfect break in a jam-packed day and an opportunity to sit and rest for a bit.
• Enjoy the rides: Okay, we’ve gotta list some must-ride attractions so you can get the most out of your trip. Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, the Incredicoaster, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, and Indiana Jones Adventure are some fan favorites (and also have the longest lines — more on that below). However, you and your Disney bachelorette party crew may enjoy Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan's Flight, and other nostalgic rides.

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How to Avoid the Lines: Making the Most of Your Weekend

Alright, even the Happiest Place on Earth won't be too fun if you spend all day in line. Therefore, ensure your bachelorette weekend stays on a high note by planning around the lines. Luckily, there are a few tricks to avoiding lines:

• Purchase Disney MaxPass: MaxPass combines a Disney FASTPASS ticket with unlimited PhotoPass downloads for just $20 per day, per ticket 💰. You can skip to the front of the line, plus get plenty professional photos with your fellow Disney princesses.
• Take advantage of single rider lines: We know, we know — you don't want to split up the bridal party. However, many rides offer single rider options, where a cast member will move you to otherwise empty seats (and can often be faster than a FASTPASS). You’ll still wait in most of the line together — you’ll just be split up for the duration of the ride. We promise, the rush of skipping past that 120-minute wait is worth the temporary separation.
• Get started early (or stay late): Disneyland offers Magic Mornings on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays where you can enter some attractions (mostly in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland) a full hour before the park opens. Since many people traveling to Disneyland Resort are families, the park tends to clear out in the evenings (plus, sometimes Disney has special ticket rates after 4 p.m.).

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Where to Take Photos: Remembering Your Disneyland Bachelorette Party 

When you reach your happily ever after on your wedding day, you'll want to look back at all the fun times leading up to it. Your getaway to Disneyland is one memory you won't want to forget, so don't miss out on these fun photo ops with your girls 📷: 

• The castle: Sleeping Beauty Castle is the most iconic photo opp in Disneyland park (similar to Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World). Have everyone wear their bride tanks or bride squad hats and stake out a good spot. You don’t have to wait in the line that tends to form to get a shot smack dab in the middle of the castle entrance with a Disney photographer. Just find an open spot out of the way of foot traffic, grab a willing bystander to take it, and get posing!
• It's a Small World: Small World at Disneyland is gorgeous, lit up with thousands of lights all year round. Wear the bridesmaid shirts you ordered off Etsy and strike a pose.
• The Mad Tea Party: Located in Fantasyland, the Mad Tea Party is decorated with hanging lanterns and bright teacups. You can take cute Boomerangs while you’re on the ride — it’s especially magical at night when it’s all lit up. Afterwards, take a group photo in the stationary pink teacup located right in front of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The way it’s positioned means there will be no crowds in the shot!
• Mickey's Toontown: The topsy-turvy, quirky world of Mickey's hometown is filled with adorable scenes from your favorite movies. Put your Minnie ear party favors on and climb inside Mickey Mouse's car or take a photo outside Minnie’s adorable house.
• With your favorite characters: You can't visit Disneyland without meeting one of your childhood idols. You can find your favorite characters by downloading the Disneyland Mobile App and clicking the Characters tab.
• On the carousel: Sure, the carousel might not offer the thrill of Space Mountain, but it makes for adorable photos. Put on your bachelorette tank tops and mouse ears, ride the ride, and take selfies with the whole hen party on the rose gold seats.
• Flo's V8 Cafe: Based on the movie “Cars,” this retro, Route 66-inspired cafe is a great photo opp spot. Plus, it serves beer, so snap some photos in your bachelorette party shirts, then enjoy a drink afterward.

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Enjoy Your Disneyland Bachelorette Party 

Ready for your magical weekend at Disney? Before you book your dinner at the Blue Bayou or make a reservation at Oga's Cantina, download the BATCH app to your phone.

The free BATCH app makes it easy to plan a bachelorette weekend with your girls. BATCH makes it easy to set an itinerary, split expenses (Disney MaxPasses all around!), launch a poll (where to stay — at the resort, an Airbnb, or a nearby hotel?), and create a group chat with the attendees (you know, in case you get lost in the park). 

The BATCH app makes planning a bachelorette weekend easy so you can spend more time with each other (and Mickey, of course).