Fantasyland is the "central" land at Disneyland Park (Disneyland). Right through Sleeping Beauty's Castle, you will find some of the most iconic attractions in the park. These rides also happen to be some of the most kid-friendly rides in the park, so this is the land where most families focus on. Even if you are not visiting with children, no visit to Disneyland is complete without a trip to Fantasyland!
Two more rides in Fantasyland are Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. Both of these rides are dark rides with wait times typically between 5-25 minutes, and both are generally enjoyable and fun rides for the whole family, though they do have some effects that will scare the most timid of children. Additionally, Snow White's Scary Adventures sits right next to Pinocchio's Daring Journey. This ride is aptly named - though it is a dark ride in Fantasyland just like its peers, it can be absolutely terrifying for kids. I would not recommend this ride if you are traveling with small children, but there is a rehab going on during the COVID-19 Pandemic that is expected to make it slightly less "scary."
The next two rides in Fantasyland deserve to be mentioned together because both are meant for the young and young at heart. Casey Jr. Circus Train is a cute little train around Storybook Land and is a great ride for kids who will not yet ride their first roller coaster. Storybook Land Canal Boats takes you through miniature replicas of classic Disney stories and can be enjoyed by the whole family. Neither of these rides will ever have a line longer than 30 minutes, so you can plan on riding any time of the day easily. On the flip side, Dumbo the Flying Elephant will get extremely long waits, and although it is a classic, it is also just a themed "spinning flyer" ride, so it is possible to skip it and be just fine.
That leaves us with two classic Disneyland attractions. It's a Small World divides opinions - I think it is an iconic must for every Disneyland trip, but some will find it annoying and unable to get the song out of their head. I love it, and I think it a must-ride for every Disneyland trip. Unless the day is extremely crowded, waits will never exceed 25 minutes. Finally, Matterhorn Bobsleds is a great "alpine coaster"-style ride for those seeking some sort of thrill and a ride that I thoroughly recommend. Note that Matterhorn has Single Rider, so if you are willing to break up your party, you should not have to wait more than 15 minutes. Otherwise, waits can routinely reach 60-90 minutes, so getting a Fastpass might be a good option (though there are rides that are more important to Fastpass).
Fantasyland has four quick-service food options (no table service here!) - Troubador Tavern, Maurice's Treats, Red Rose Taverne, and Edelweiss Snacks. Maurice's Treats and Edelweiss Snacks offer variations on theme park snacks and are an easy stop if you are very hungry, but there are far better options. Red Rose Taverne is home to the "Grey Stuff" made famous by "Beauty and the Beast." I personally do not love it, but many people recommend it! Lastly, Troubador Tavern offers basic theme park fare. There are so many better places to grab a quick-service bite that I would advise against eating here.
The biggest tip with Fantasyland is to use Single Rider on Matterhorn. I know it means breaking up your party, but it can genuinely save you hours that you can use on other attractions. Also, Matterhorn has two tracks. One side is smoother and slower, and one side is rougher and faster. The rough side can and will hurt your back. Be careful! As I mentioned earlier, Snow White's Scary Adventures is actually quite scary - it can and will give kids nightmares! If you have very small kids, it is best to start your day with a ride on Peter Pan's Flight as they might not be patient enough to wait in that 45 minute line at 2PM in the Anaheim heat!
