If you’re near Disneyland without theme park tickets, there is still so much magic to be had. These are the best things you can do at Disneyland without a park ticket.
Shop In Downtown Disney
In Downtown Disney there’s a store called World of Disney that you have to shop at. It’s a massive Disney store full of plushes, shirts, other clothing, mugs, toys, candy, and more.
Spa Treatments
The Grand Californian Hotel has a spa called Tenaya Stone Spa. You do not need to stay at this hotel to book spa services.
Goofy’s Kitchen
Goofy’s Kitchen is a character dining restaurant in the Disneyland Hotel. You’ll need reservations to dine here. They have a buffet with food and characters that walk around and meet you.
Storyteller’s Cafe
Storyteller’s Cafe is another character dining restaurant. It’s located in the Grand Californian Hotel. You’ll also need a reservation for here. This is a fun way to meet characters without going into the parks.
Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure
The Disney Princess Breakfast is at Napa Rose in the Grand Californian Hotel. It’s expensive and a splurge to do this fancy character dining with Disney Princesses. See more Disneyland splurges here.
Learn To Draw
You can learn to draw in California Adventure, but you can also learn to draw at Pixar Place Hotel without a theme park ticket. This is at Sketch Pad Cafe on Wednesdays at 1:30pm and 2:30pm. This is one of the more unique things you can do at Disneyland. See more unique things to do in Disneyland here.
Meet Bing Bong
One perk of going to Disneyland is meeting characters, but you can meet some at the hotels too. At Pixar Place Hotel you can meet Bing Bong, Riley’s imaginary friend from Inside Out.
Eat In Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney has a lot of restaurant options where you can dine at. Some popular ones are Earl of Sandwich, Ballast Point, and Naples Ristorante.
Listen to Live Music
Downtown Disney frequently has live music performances that you can watch and listen to. This is a free area to enter, but to go to Downtown Disney you will still need to go through Disney security.
Pin Trading
Pin Trading is a big thing to do in the parks, but you can also do some Disney pin trading in Downtown Disney at the pin trading stands.
View The Fireworks
The Disneyland fireworks are done in the park and that is where you’ll have to best view, but you can still view them from the Esplanade (the area between Disneyland and California Adventure) and there are some good viewing spots in the Disneyland hotels.
Eat A Dole Whip
You can get a Dole Whip from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar in the Disneyland Hotel. Dole Whips are only available if you’re eating at the patio bar.