Disneyland:
*Fireworks: If you like fireworks, you should check out the entertainment schedule and see what time they are the night which you are visiting.
*Fantasmic!: A show on the Rivers of America at night with various floats, clips projected onto water, and a huge fire breathing dragon. Try to arrive early for a decent spot. If there's a second show, see that one. Arrive during the fireworks, and when everyone clears out after the fireworks show, dash to the edge of the water. Perfect seat without waiting all day.
*Soundsational Parade: A parade featuring floats and performers from favorite Disney films. It's really a great parade. Don't be afraid to really get into the spirit. My sister and I sing along with the songs, smile, laugh, and cheer on the Cast Members, and the Cast Members notice that. They'll go up and high-five you or smile at you. It really makes the experience much more memorable.
*Sleeping Beauty's Castle: walk-through Sleeping Beauty's castle.
*Toon Town houses: have you visiting all the houses in Toon Town? This is always fun!
*Captain EO: 3D film with Michael Jackson and aliens!
*Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island: I love adventuring around on this island. Tree houses, caves, rope bridges, what's not to love?
*Tarzan's Tree House: a tree house themed after the movie Tarzan.
*Billy Hill and the Hill Billies: hilarious show in The Golden Horseshoe with lots of fiddling'.
*Big Thunder Ranch: I don't care what anyone says, petting zoos aren't just for kids.
*The Blue Bayou: for a unique dining experience, this restaurant is actually located inside Pirates of the Carribean. Reservations should be made in advance. But really, any dining experience in Disney can be magical. It's what you make of it. I've never had a meal/snack that I haven't liked. I would suggest browsing Disneyland Resort's website and seeing what dining locatiosn look best to you! Here's the link to the list of dining locations: (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/)
*Main Street Vehicles: I love the horsedrawn carriages.
*Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: Learn more about one of this nation's most famous presidents and watch him deliver lines from his most famous speeches.
*Main Street Cinema: See old Mickey Mouse cartoons like you would have in back in the day!
Window shop! There's lots of interesting stores around the park. Main Street is one of the best shopping locations. There's a magic shop, a candy shop where you can actually see the candy being made, a bakery, and surpises around every bend. Go into some of the alleys and see if you can hear conversations coming from the windows of Main Street. There's a lot going on!
California Adventure:
*World of Color: An amazing night time water spectacular! Colorful fountains and projections of Disney clips with other special effects flow beautifully together. I would plan on making reservations for a preferred dining plan. Though it's expensive, the food is absolutely delicious, the best viewing spots are reserved for you, so you don't have to worry about the crowds. It's worth the extra money. If not, there's also the picnic lunch option, but the portions are rather small and you don't get the preferred dining section, just a fastpass. Lastly, you could wait to get a fastpass in the morning. Free, but you have to wait.
*Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular: A Broadway-style musical based on the classic animated Disney film, Aladdin! I would pay extra just to see this show. It's extremely well-done!
*Muppet*Vision 3D: Pretty entertaining show in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, by the Monsters Inc. ride.
*Disney Animation building: I love this place. It's a building on the Hollywood Pictures Backlot with various rooms with various activities celebrating animation. My two favorite things to do here are the Sorcerer's Workshop, with three interactive rooms, my favorite being Ursula's Grotto, where you can voice a scene or a song from a Disney movie with your friends. My other favorite thing in this building is Turtle Talk with Crush. I never get tired of this, I could see the show again and again because it's always different. Crush interacts with the audiences and asks different questions about human life, and you can ask Crush questions about turtle life.
*Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: Complete the challenges on the official guide, or just explore this area by your own, savoring the amazing spirit of the outdoors. It's hard to believe you're actually in Aneheim, California when you're walking around in here!
*It's Tough to be a Bug: 3D show based on Pixar's It's a Bugs Life.