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A First Timer’s Guide to Disneyland

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Park Strategies

Updated June 23, 2024

Today, I’m sharing the basics of Disneyland to get you started on planning.

If you haven’t visited in a while, this post will be helpful to you, too. If your last trip was before Covid, buckle up. It’s a whole new world.

MagicBand+, Disney Genie, Early Entry, Park Reservations, and so much more are new or different now.

There’s a lot to know.

Let’s get started.

Who to Book Your Trip With

I recommend booking with Get Away Today .

Park reservations, crowd calendars, dining reservations, MagicBand+, changes since Covid, Disney Genie, etc etc all require a decent amount of familiarity to get it right.

I can help you with many parts of planning, but I recommend booking your trip with an experienced agent who can handle some of these things for you and advise on all of them.

Click here to get started with the only agency I recommend! Consider them for Disneyland, WDW, Disney Cruise Line and more.

An Overview

Disneyland Resort is comprised of 2 theme parks, 3 Disney hotels and Downtown Disney . Disneyland is a fraction of the size of Disney World. Check out the layout of the resort  including details on parking, lockers and more.

Disneyland is the original park and it opened in 1955. In addition to Main Street, it includes 7 lands:

• Adventureland
• Critter Country
• Fantasyland
• Frontierland
• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• New Orleans Square
• Tomorrowland

Recent photos of Disneyland can be found here .

Disney California Adventure or DCA  opened in 2001 and enjoyed a grand “re-opening” in 2012 with a major transformation, which has brought the once troubled park to life.  In addition to Buena Vista Street, it includes 6 lands:

• Grizzly Peak
• Hollywood Land
• San Fransokyo Square
• Avengers Campus

Recent photos of DCA can be found here .

Transportation to the Disneyland Resort is fairly easy if you know what you’re looking for. There are 6 large airports that are all realistic options within 1.5 hours of Disneyland. You can get to the parks via car, shuttle, train, or car service. I highly recommend Lanksy Enterprises for transportation from the airport to your hotel. This post shares all about Lansky.

For Walt Disney World Fans

There’s a lot to know if you’re familiar with WDW, but not Disneyland. Let’s go over a few differences:

• We don’t have a dining plan. We often walk up to counter service restaurants, order food and eat it. Don’t be scared of us. It works. Dining at the Disneyland Resort is fun.
• If you’re looking for Value Resorts at Disneyland, consider staying off-site at a good neighbor hotel . We only have 3 Disney Hotels and 2 of them are 4 Star and all three are $300+ a night.
• We have Early Entry, which allows you into the park before other guests. Read about it here .
• Everything is in walking distance . No one hour trek from park to hotel and park again. You can leave one park and be at the next in 2 minutes because the two park entrances face each other. Most hotels are in walking distance. Downtown Disney is just outside the esplanade between the two parks. You can easily leave the park, run back to your hotel and be back in the park in a short amount of time. IT’S GLORIOUS.
• The weather here is lovely. We rarely see rain. Seriously. And, regardless of when you visit – even if it’s in the summer – you’ll likely need a sweater for early morning or late night. Know how to dress ahead of time. It’s quite different compared to WDW.
• To thoroughly appreciate the history and nostalgia that Disneyland offers, consider taking my one hour scavenger hunt along Main Street to see lots of key Walt-related stops. First time Disney World fans love to see where Walt left his mark on our beloved Disneyland.
• Our characters often roam the park and some do so without handlers. The character experience is so authentic and fun at Disneyland.

This post covers everything you need to know for how to tour each park, allowing you to see and do everything your heart desires during your visit. Follow my plans to ensure you won’t wait more than 20 minutes for any attraction.

I test my strategies monthly – and edit as needed – which provides you the very best plans for your visit.

Disney Genie

All new at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World!

Be sure you know how Genie works, as it’s different from FASTPASS, MaxPass, and FastPass+.

Here’s the scoop on Genie.

You have two options when choosing where to stay at Disneyland:

DLR Hotels – Disneyland hotels have many perks including always-good Disney service, Extra Magic Hours, on-site DLR Hotel dining, and package delivery from the parks to your hotel. One (The Grand Californian) is super close to the entrance of the parks and Paradise Pier and The Disneyland Hotel are a bit further.

Off-Site Hotels – Off-site options are typically much less expensive than DLR Hotels with many averaging around $120 a night.

Attractions

Each park has a different feel to it. I’d simplify it into this:

Disneyland is old school and sweet with lots of history and fairytale-esque rides. Main Street feels like a walk back in time and the entire park has a nostalgic element to it.

Disney California Adventure feels newer and more character focused. Buena Vista is lovely and provides the nod to Americana that Main Street at Disneyland does. You’ll find “bigger” rides that teens will enjoy more at DCA, however, there is still plenty to do for little ones.

Beware: Some attractions are very “dark” (figuratively and literally) and can scare young children. Research those before you visit.

The food at Disneyland is one of my favorite parts of my visit. There’s so much to enjoy! I have compiled every bit of Disneyland Resort dining into one post . This covers both parks, Downtown Disney, character meals, dining in the DLR Hotels, park snacks, off-the-menu options, cocktails, DLR recipes, my recommendations, and a mock budget so you can estimate your costs. Check that out for all things dining.

Disneyland Dining has several yummy options including Jolly Holiday Bakery , Hungry Bear Restaurant, The Plaza Inn, Blue Bayou and more. The park includes several table service options and many counter service ones, too. Character dining can be found at breakfast at The Plaza Inn.

California Adventure Dining feels a little more adventurous to me food-wise with options like Asian fare, high end Carthay Circle and delicious smoothies. California Adventure also serves a wide range of alcohol compared to Disneyland.

Character dining can be found at Disneyland and each of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. In addition to the expected Disney service at each of these experiences, you can also:

• Interact with characters up close for more time than at the parks.
• Take fun photos with the characters.
• Gather autographs.

I encourage you to enjoy one (or more) character dining experiences during your visit.

Halloween Time and Holidays at Disneyland are two big seasons that take over the parks from the beginning of September until the beginning of January.

A few quick notes on these seasons:

• Halloween Time is just as popular as Christmas is now at the Disneyland Resort.
• We have a Halloween Party called Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure. It’s the best after hours event I’ve ever attended at a Disney Park. Don’t miss it.
• Each September brings an overlay to the Haunted Mansion, transforming it into a Jack Skellington’s Nightmare Before Christmas theme, where “two holidays collide”. This overlay lasts through the end of Holidays at Disneyland in early January of the following year. The Haunted Mansion typically takes up to 3 weeks to change from one theme to the other, so account for that timing when scheduling your trip. Mid-August is typically when the attraction closes for the changeover.
• “it’s a small world” changes into “it’s a small world” Holiday during Holidays at Disneyland. That transformation takes 2-3 weeks, so account for it, too, during your planning. Look for it’s a small world to go down the second half of October in preparation for Holidays.
• Halloween Time typically starts the second week of September and lasts through Halloween night, October 31.
• Holidays at Disneyland typically starts the second week of November and lasts through the first week of January.

Visit these posts, which are updated each season, as soon as Disney releases information.

Halloween Time

Holidays at Disneyland

What does it do, do you need it, and why?

Lots to learn about MagicBand+ at Disneyland. Start here .

Additional Info

• Many people talk about Disneyland at “capacity”. The truth is that this rarely happens. A few days a year – usually around the holidays – Disneyland Park will close due to “capacity restraints”. This means there’s too many people in the park to allow more in. When it happens, it’s usually around 1:00pm and will last until around 5:00pm. When it does, you’re welcome to visit DCA if you have a park hopper. If you do not, you can wander Downtown Disney.
• Need info in Spanish? I recommend this site . Liz is super helpful.
• Venturing outside of Disneyland? There is SO MUCH to do in Southern California. Take a look at all of your options in this post .
• Know how to meet characters and how a character meal can add to your experience.
• Know all about World of Color and what your options are for seeing this unique show, only available at DCA.
• Know all about parades and fireworks , too. And, Fantasmic!
• The Disneyland Resort is very accommodating for guests with disabilities. Visit this post for so much information on this including mobility devices, how to work with each attraction, where to find alternate attractions, and so much more.
• Be prepared for crowds . You have many options when the parks become overwhelming.
• Toddlers and princess fans require extra planning.
• Bringing a baby to the parks? Are you expecting during your visit? Check out this post for lots to know including where the baby centers are, how to find a quiet place to nap, where to nurse, and more. Know where to rent a stroller off-site , too if you choose not to bring your own.
• Know what to expect with your visit to  Downtown Disney .

Relax and have fun. Disneyland is such a magical place! Let me know how I can help you plan.

WDW Park Strategies for Days without Disney Genie+

Disney Genie and Lightning Lane Entry at Disneyland and Walt Disney World

2-Day Disneyland Itinerary

Disneyland has tons of rides and entertainment, and doing everything at a comfortable pace requires a 2-day touring plan. Our time-saving Disneyland offers step-by-step strategy for park’s most popular attractions and experiences, including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! In so doing, this offers suggestions for leisurely ways to “stop and smell the roses” and enjoy the exceptional Disney theming. ( Updated February 18, 2024 .)

With the highest attraction count of any Disney theme park in the United States, dedicating two days to Disneyland is a good idea. Although it’s the smallest park in square footage, Disneyland’s attraction density is impressive, making it akin to Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (if you’re looking for a Florida comparison). Quite simply, the vast majority of guests who are going to spend 3 days or more at Disneyland Resort should spend their “bonus” day in Disneyland (Park).

We’ve already shared our 1-Day Disneyland Itinerary , but this post is not simply “Day 2” of that. Rather, this is a stand-alone touring plan that reevaluates what your priorities and pace should be if you’re spending a second day in Disneyland. You could say this “plan of attack” is more like a “foray of fun,” as it takes a slightly more leisurely pace than our 1-day Disneyland itinerary…

Additionally, we offer minimal Genie+ guidance. This is not because you shouldn’t use these–you should buy it for at least one day–but because it’s difficult to recommend specific times to get a Lightning Lane ride reservation since it’ll differ depending upon crowds and return times. Suffice to say, consult our Guide to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Disneyland & DCA for everything you need to know about that. While this itinerary will be helpful in beating the crowds, you really  want might to consider paid FastPass to reduce your wait times significantly.

Note that this 2-day Disneyland itinerary is not a thorough listing of every attraction in the park. Even in 2 full days, you might end up skipping some stuff. For our ride ratings and reviews of each attractions, read our Best Disneyland Attractions & Ride Guide post.

If you need comprehensive assistance planning every aspect of your trip to Disneyland Resort, from where to purchase discount tickets to transportation from the airport, etc., read our Disneyland Resort Trip Planning Guide . That covers all facets of your vacation–this just covers how to spend your park time at Disneyland. There’s so much more to know, from Disney California Adventure to hotels, and more!

What this Disneyland itinerary provides is a rough blueprint for experiencing our favorite things to do in an “ideal day” at Disneyland. This touring plan assumes moderate crowd levels (see our Disneyland Crowd Calendar ); actual attendance levels and wait times will vary depending upon when you visit.

Rope Drop Arrival  – If you can, we recommend arriving at Disneyland’s security checkpoints about 45 minutes before official park opening time or earlier during peak seasons. (If you’re eligible for Early Entry at Disneyland , be sure to arrive even earlier and take advantage of that!)

As covered in  Disneyland Park Opening & Rope Drop Tips , Disneyland’s turnstiles typically open 30-45 minutes before park opening, at which time guests are allowed onto Main Street. We recommend heading immediately for the Central Plaza, in front of the Partners statue of Walt Disney & Mickey Mouse.

Early Morning Attractions: Fantasyland — Without question, you should start the morning of the first day in Fantasyland. We highly recommend starting with Peter Pan’s Flight, which gets the longest line the quickest.

Follow that with the following attractions in order: Alice in Wonderland, Casey Junior, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. If the posted wait time is over 20 minutes for any of the attractions after Peter Pan’s Flight, skip it. We’ll come back later to hit the rest of Fantasyland.

Head West  – At that point, bounce to the west side of the park, which should still be relatively quiet.

Our advice would be to bounce around a little, starting with Indiana Jones Adventure followed by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, then Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Critter Country. Skip anything with over a 20 minute posted wait–don’t expect to do all of this.

When wait times start to get longer, slow down for a snack. You can head to the nearby Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for a Ronto Wrap if you’re trying to minimize your steps, or you can try one of the following options…

Morning Snack Session — With a lot already crossed off your list, it’s time to slow down and have a snack break (a big part of our days in the parks is eating!).

Head down to Jolly Holiday Bakery at the edge of Main Street and grab a Matterhorn Macaroon, try one of the twists at Maurice’s Treats in Fantasy Faire, or venture around the corner into Adventureland’s secluded hideaway for a Loaded Dole Whip. Consult our Top 10 Delicious Disneyland Desserts for where to find the best snacks at Disneyland!

Late Morning Attractions: Disneyland Classics — After the snack break, round out your morning with a trio of Disneyland’s iconic, flagship attractions. Start with Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, which can get longer lines in the afternoon due to its lack of Lightning Lane.

Then, head to New Orleans Square where you’ll do the best one-two punch of any theme park in the world: Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. After that high-powered dose of concentrated awesomeness, you’ll need to take an hour or so to collect yourself, so it’s the perfect time for lunch in New Orleans Square.

Lunch: Creole Cooking — In New Orleans Square, you’ll find two of our favorite Disneyland restaurants: Cafe Orleans and French Market. However, our top recommendation is  Blue Bayou , Disneyland’s most popular restaurant due to its location along the water in Pirates of the Caribbean . If it’s your first visit to Disneyland, Blue Bayou is a must-do rite of passage restaurant.

After you’re done eating, take a few minutes to explore the nooks, crannies, and shops of New Orleans Square. It’s one of Disney’s best theme park lands in the world, and you could spend hours wandering around. We prefer this romanticized version of New Orleans to the real thing.

Riverside Recovery – There are two options here if you want to recover from your big lunch. If you’re the kind who counts every calorie and is a bit sick to your stomach over the fat content of the Monte Cristo you just had, head to the Rivers of America for the only Disneyland attraction that doubles as a good workout: Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes. Then, follow that up with a stroll around Tom Sawyer Island.

If you’re the type who believes calories don’t count on vacation, head to the Disneyland Railroad Station in New Orleans Square, and do a grand circle tour of Disneyland in style, enjoying beautiful views of the Rivers of America without the pesky exercise. Personally, we far prefer the latter approach.

Afternoon Attractions: Relaxing Disney Originals —  Once you’ve finished that, the middle of the afternoon is when Disneyland sees its longest lines, making this a great time to enjoy some of the gems of Disneyland that go unnoticed by most guests.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the adjacent Disney Gallery, Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-Through, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room are all highly recommended.

Sunset in Star Wars Land — We recommend visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge around sunset on your first day in large part so you can gauge how much time you’ll want to spend in the new land. For some people, it’ll be a multi-hour, or perhaps even multi-day, affair. For others, it’s a matter of doing Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and bouncing.

No matter how much time you end up wanting to spend on Batuu, we recommend doing it later in the day rather than first thing in the morning for a couple of reasons. First, crowds are actually worst in the morning and get progressively better as the day wears on.

Second, because Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is better at night. The lighting adds a lot to the moody off-planet atmosphere, and makes the experience even more immersive. Be sure to check out the Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities and have dinner at Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo in addition to the ride. From the area in front of the Millennium Falcon, you’ll also have a perfect view of Disneyland’s fireworks.

Ride with the Resistance – Knock out both Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance via the standby line at some point during your evening on Batuu. Do the attractions in that order, and expect Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to take less than an hour, even if the posted wait time for the standby line is 90 minutes or longer. (Barring a breakdown, it’ll take far less time than the posted wait time suggests.)

Be aware that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance typically closes  before  Disneyland. If it’s open until 9 pm, we’d recommend queueing up at around 7:45 pm or so. (Perhaps slightly earlier if you’re wanting a good spot for the fireworks.) Note that if you are eligible for Early Entry, you should do Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance after Fantasyland. If you’re doing traditional rope drop, do not prioritize Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance–you’ll wait longer and the opportunity cost is too high.

Nighttime Spectacular: Fireworks – Disneyland rotates through an assortment of fireworks shows, with the normal version (at least as of right now) being Mickey’s Mix Magic. Wondrous Journeys, Together Forever Pixar Fireworks, Halloween Screams, Believe in Holiday Magic, Remember Dreams Come True or Disneyland Forever could be shown when you visit, though.

Of those, Mickey’s Mix Magic is the worst (ironic since it’s the main one). Note that these “fireworks shows” are sometimes “projections shows” as pyro is only added on select nights–usually Fridays through Sundays and during peak weekdays when school is out of session (holidays, spring & summer breaks, etc).

Regardless of the fireworks/non-fireworks show, we recommend following these viewing location tips for Disneyland’s fireworks . Currently, there is no nighttime parade at Disneyland, and you’ll see Fantasmic on the second night of this itinerary–unless you book the Fantasmic Dining Package. If you’re a big nighttime spectaculars person, you might consider watching Fantasmic both nights regardless ( entertainment schedule dependent ). We love it.

Last Call for the Train – While it might be tempting to run(away) to the newest headliner attraction at Disneyland to start your day, the better option is doing Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in the evening, after Toontown reopens following the fireworks.

Like most family-friendly attractions, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has shorter lines late at night. The other upside of waiting to do it is experiencing shorter lines in Fantasyland and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, earlier in the day–especially as those lands tend to be busier in the evening.

Evening Attractions: Better at Night — Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the Matterhorn are four attractions that are better at night. We have a full list of the 10 Best Disneyland Attractions at Night , in case you have time for more than these four.

You won’t have time for all of them before the fireworks–or even on day one–but do what you can. After the fireworks, depending upon how long Disneyland is open, continue working your way through the attractions on that list. You can also take advantage of attractions that have Single Rider lines, making it easier to do more if the park is still crowded.

Race for Tomorrow(land): Head to Tomorrowland and do Space Mountain.

Regardless of whether it’s the classic Space Mountain, Ghost Galaxy at Halloween, or Hyperspace Mountain to promote all things Star Wars, Space Mountain is a blast.

Matterhorn Mornings: Continue the thrill-ride fun by heading over to the edge of Fantasyland and riding the Matterhorn, the highest peak in the park. The peeks you see of Disneyland while racing around on your bobsled as the morning light illuminates the park will start your day out right. If the line is already over 30 minutes for the Matterhorn, skip it and return later.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: Two words: outdoor queue. Not only is this unthemed, outdoor queue unpleasant during the middle of the day when the sun is overhead, but it’s unthemed and the attraction loads incredibly slowly, making this really unpleasant later in the day.

Guest reaction to this attraction is a bit mixed, but we love the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. It takes guests aboard actual submarines to get under Tomorowland’s mermaid lagoon. It’s a relatively long attraction with some pretty scenes and fun detail. You can also take a spin on the monorail if you’re already ready to relax.

Morning Snack: Dole Whip – This is one Disney snack that needs no introduction . Located at a stand outside Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (near the entrance to Adventureland), the Dole Whip is Disneyland’s most iconic and popular snack.

With that popularity comes lines that rival some of the park’s biggest rides. There are two lines for this stand, and the one inside the Tiki Room waiting area is almost always shorter.

Magic Mountain(s) – Not the Six Flags version north of Los Angeles, but two-thirds of Disneyland’s “mountain range.” Even though you might’ve already done Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain the previous day, consider doing them again.

The experiences are very different during the day, and it’s still early enough that you should be able to beat the crowds back to Frontierland and Critter Country. (Depending upon the season.)

Lunch: Carnation Cafe – Our favorite restaurant in Disneyland for an inexpensive, table service meal. We love Carnation Cafe both for its menu and the quaint charm it exudes. It’s hard to describe, but it feels like what you’d expect of a Walt-era restaurant at Disneyland.

We really like the outdoor seating area, and the Sourdough Bacon-Cheese Melt is my favorite thing on the menu. The Meatloaf is shockingly good, too. Also, the Classic Malts are delicious.

Return to Tomorrow(land) – Early afternoon is a good time to hit other Tomorrowland attractions that you’ve missed, including Star Tours: the Adventures Continue, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, and the Disneyland Monorail (if you didn’t do it earlier).

Skip Autopia unless you have small children who really want to drive. Otherwise, it’s nothing special.

Disneyland Classics: Take Two – As with the first day’s “Relaxing Disneyland Originals” section, post-lunch is the perfect time to do classic Disneyland attractions that either are high capacity or are less popular than “sexy” thrill rides. Attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion are certainly worth revisiting, and you should likewise do any classic rides or shows you missed on day one.

Late afternoon is also a great time of day to do ‘it’s a small world.’ The sun is low in the sky, making the open-air outdoor queue more pleasant, and the clean white facade really shines against the crisp blue sky.

Tale of the Lion King – Depending upon how much spare time you have, and your fondness for stage shows, you might consider seeing a late afternoon showing of Tale of the Lion King in Fantasyland Theatre near it’s a small world.

Tale of the Lion King has a cast of around 20 performers, including incredibly talented singers, dancers, and drummers. It’s a reinterpretation of the Lion King, with a story-theatre approach using dialogue, song, dance and live percussion to tell the story of Simba’s journey.

It features unique arrangements of “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Tale of the Lion King uses colorful costume designs, scenery, dancing, and Swahili to present a culturally-rooted twist on the story. We love Tale of the Lion King. It’s incredibly well done–a high energy change of pace from montage shows that keeps the whole family engaged.

Sleeping Beauty Sunset – The best time for photos at Disneyland is sunset. The best spot for these sunset photos is Snow White Grotto, on the right side of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Not only can you get photos of the castle and grotto, but also the Wishing Well and Fantasyland by peaking through the castle archway.

After this, head to Tomorrowland. The two best options for stunning sunset and dusk photos are the monorail platform (go up through the exit) and second floor of Star Wars Launch Bay. Both of these locations will offer panoramic views of Tomorrowland and beyond.

Dinner: Plaza Inn — The fried chicken at Plaza Inn ( read our full review ) is the stuff dreams are made of. To quote Kramer, “I need that chicken, I gotta have that chicken, you leave those roasters alone, Kenny never hurt anybody.” (Just pretend that Plaza Inn is managed by a dude named Kenny.)

If you had a big lunch and another hearty meal is too much, stop at Disneyland’s Beauty and the Beast restaurant, Red Rose Taverne ( read our full Red Rose Taverne Review for what we recommend ordering ). The food is pretty good and there’s something for everything. We recommend dining in the outdoor seating area to enjoy the ambiance of Fantasyland.

Fantasyland Cleanup – Depending upon when you visit, you may have anywhere from no time after the fireworks (in which case, move this forward) to 2 full hours. Time allowing, plan to do some attractions in Fantasyland both before and after Fantasmic and the fireworks.

From the beginning of the first day until the very end of the second day, it’s taken us a while to come full circle on Fantasyland. However, the end of the night is the second-best time to hit Fantasyland attractions, and the first night was better spent on Disneyland’s stellar night rides.

Hopefully, you only have a handful of attractions left to do this evening. Perhaps Mad Tea Party and Pinocchio? Even if you already did them the first morning, Casey Jr. and Storybook Land Canal Boats could be worth revisiting at night. They’re relaxing, whimsical ways to ‘put a cherry’ on top of your visit to Disneyland, so to speak. (Alternatively, we’re not averse to racing to Adventureland for one last ride on Indiana Jones Adventure, if that’s more your style.)

Nighttime Spectacular: Fantasmic & Fireworks – Fantasmic is Disneyland’s best nighttime entertainment, far superior to its Florida cousin. You’ll want to head to the Rivers of America about 45 to 60 minutes before showtime, where you’ll prepare yourself to enter Mickey Mouse’s imagination.

As the masses slowly leave after Fantasmic, start edging your way closer to the waterfront. Trying to run with the bulls (more like inch with the sloths given the pace) and exit as everyone else does is frustrating, so waiting here to watch Disneyland’s fireworks is your best option. Plus, there are projections on the Rivers of America, so it’s actually a pretty good spot.

After the fireworks end, you’ll either continue crossing Fantasyland attractions off your list, revisit some nighttime favorites or, if it’s closing time, slowly make your way towards the exit. Hopefully with a smile on your face, having enjoyed a relaxed-but-fulfilling two days at Disneyland.

Note: Fantasmic is currently on hiatus until Summer 2024. See the  full 2024 calendar of events at Disneyland  and the  entertainment schedule for 2024 for other updates on seasonal offerings.

Nightcap: Trader Sam’s — If you just haven’t had enough, head to Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland Hotel after Disneyland closes for drinks and uniquely Disney fun. Trader Sam’s is more fun than a barrel of drunken monkeys. Even if you’re not a drinker, it’s a blast.

Plus, it’s a great place to do so more eating…you know, if you weren’t already waddling from all the eating “demanded” of you in this Disneyland itinerary! The convenient location of both Tangaroa Terrace and Trader Sam’s are why we consider Disneyland Hotel an ideal location for a Disneyland vacation.

Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets . Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings . For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews . For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney . For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide . Finally, for guides  beyond Disney , check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!

Your Thoughts

Disneyland veterans: what do you think of our 2-day itinerary? Do you agree or disagree with our approach? Any attractions, restaurants, or other things you’d emphasize? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

How do you incorporate Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in this plan? Love this itinerary. As international guests having advice on how to navigate, restaurant suggestions and the like is indispensable. Thank you

Do you have a two day touring plan of Disneyland that includes Toontown with Runaway Railway? All of your plans look awesome and are so much help planning our first trip to Disneyland after numerous at Disney World.

Due for an update after 3+ years possibly? The lack of Rise of the Resistance is disturbing.

Really appreciate your itineraries. I’m planning to use your 2-day Disneyland and 1-day DCA guides when we go next week. Any suggestions for how to incorporate these guides with park hopping?

I would love to see an updated version to this that incorporates Genie+ on one day and then allows for a Genie less second day. Just tgrowin it out there.

We are planning on buying a 4 day one park per day pass with maxpass. Would you recommend 3 days at Disneyland and 1 day at DCA? Or would you recommend 2 days at each park?

Hi Tom- Planning to go 2 days and cover both Disneyland and California Adventure during our spring break. We’ve been to Disneyworld multiple times (DH doesn’t think we even need to go to Disneyland). Can you recommend what the must rides in CA are, or what we could skip (having been on all the rides in FL). Don’t think 2 days will be enough to make a dent in the rides (especially on a Thursday and Friday in March) but it’s all time we have before going to San Diego.

Many thanks for this awesome guide!! Couple of Q’S: 1. Is this 2-day itinerary accessible w/ a 1 park per day ticket, or solely geared toward park-hoppers? 2. Is this itinerary still doable with kid multi-aged kids (2,4,10)?

This 2-day Disneyland plan is now updated with advice for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!

Fantastic! We’re headed there in a few weeks. Looking forward to staying in a studio at the Grand Californian. Would love some additional suggestions for 2-3 day itineraries for San Diego, as well as Universal in California. Also, I wanted to email you privately, to let you know that I included your awesome website, in an info graphic that I created regarding the best Disney planning sites. Will upload to my blog posts, as soon as these severe t-storms pass! Thanks for your terrific site – I read daily, and appreciate your insights and gorgeous photography.

When are you going to update the 2 day Disneyland plan to include the new Star Wars land?

What are the conditions for handicapped now? I ride a scooter but can move from scooter onto most rides. Is there still a handicapped entrance for all rides and can my family go with me?

Does anyone else love Autopia and want to take their kids on that ride? That is one ride I didn’t see on this itinerary that I will make sure to take my kids on. I’m thinking right in the morning will be best.

I really appreciate you sprinkling in photography tips throughout your posts. Your blog was my inspiration for lugging my DSLR around the parks and taking “postcard pics” of Disneyland! Also, Carnation Cafe is always my must-do lunch spot at Disneyland. It’s hard for me to branch out to many others because, ugh, those fried pickles are incredible.

We did DL and DCA in three days with two young kids. Granted, we definitely didn’t see/do everything, but we hit most of the stuff on this itinerary. The only thing that haunts me is that we missed having a Dole Whip, but we did have a corn dog at the Little Red Wagon. The big thing for us was knowing when to switch parks. We used one of the Disney apps and that helped.

Honestly, I find Disneyland more magical since it seems much more manageable. We’re doing WDW in a few weeks and the preparation/anxiety is much different.

If u have any questions feel free myself and other people here are very knowledgeable about Disneyworld

Also along with Tom another good itenarary to go by is on easywdw. If you don’t mind putting a little money on learning buy their book it is chock full of info on everything disney

Is disney California adventure too small for a 2 day itenarary. If so would you recommend3 days at disneyland or 2 each at dl and dca. Anyone that’s been there recently please as I have never been there

Yes, it’s too small to need more than a one-day itinerary. 3 or 4 days are both workable, but i would go for 4 days if you’ve never been. I would get park hoppers because it takes less than five minutes to move from park to park, and you can use your park days however you want.

Thanks for the info know a ton about wdw but nothing about dl

Really good job ! But what about the daily parade ? Do you recommend it ?

I recommend Paint the Night (now at California Adventure) and the normal Disneyland Parade, Soundsational, which is not running during Pixar Fest. Playing instead is the far inferior Pixar Play Parade, which I think is definitely skippable.

I don’t suppose you’re planning a 3-day Disneyland/California Adventure itinerary? I’ve got two years until we make the trip to California (this year is Disney World/Universal) but I’m trying to gain all the Disneyland knowledge I can in the meantime (only been out west once, before CA opened, but did manage to get on the Rocket Rods).

You would want to do of the days in Disneyland. So I would imagine you could go off of this 2 day plan, and then find info for one day in DCA.

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Must-Do Disneyland Perfect Itinerary for First Timers (2024)

If it’s your first time visiting Disneyland, what makes the park so magical? What are the must-do Disneyland things to experience? If you only have one day to tour this California theme park, how do you know where to start? I’ve included my definitive list of “must do Disneyland” attractions and rides, in a one day Disneyland itinerary.

Mom Rewritten uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through the links in these posts. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see the Privacy Policy and Disclosures tab.

This article was originally published February 23rd, 2015 and has been updated and republished with a new date.

Must-Do Disneyland List of Attractions

As a first time Disneyland visitor, you’ll want to get the best feel of what makes this Disney park the “Happiest Place on Earth”. The recommended attractions and rides will give you the best experience for a single day at Disneyland.

You’ve never been to Disneyland before but wondering how to do Disneyland in one day? I’m sharing my insider tips in this ultimate guide on the must-do Disneyland attractions for a first time visitor. These ideas will give you a great feel of the park and allow room for plenty of magic.

Be sure to read this planning guide for tips on taking a first Disneyland vacation . The following article offers my suggestion of a one day Disneyland itinerary. After you’ve experienced these things, everything else is just a Disney bonus!

Disneyland in a Day

Can you do everything at Disneyland in one day? Nope, not by a longshot. Rides, attractions, and shows will keep you busy. You’ll want to mix in character greetings and dining. Add live entertainment including parades and nighttime spectaculars and that’s a jam-packed day.

This Disneyland itinerary doesn’t include everything, of course. You’d need a lot more than one day at Disneyland to experience it all.  Each guest will have to pick and choose carefully which of the items on this single day must-do Disneyland list you’ll want to experience.

I’ve served up suggestions for families with younger kids including Disneyland with babies and toddlers. There are tips here for thrill ride fans and foodies.

Please note that some attractions or rides may not be open or operational during your visit. Always check the Disneyland calendar ahead for your date.

Choosing the Best Day for Your Vacation

Disneyland fluctuates the hours their park remains open throughout the year. Before you book your reservation, check the Disneyland calendar to ensure you’ll have a full day in the park. Often times the parks close early due to special events or during off-peak seasons. Fireworks, parades and some shows may not operate during weekdays.

The other thing you’ll want to be aware of is the refurbishment calendar. Disneyland lists on their website which rides will be closed on certain dates. Double-check ahead of time to see what attractions will not be operating during your visit.

If it’s expected to be a crowded day at Disneyland , use this itinerary to plot out your day ahead of time. Figure out a loose plan on where you’ll eat and view menus online before your trip to speed things along.

DISCOUNT DISNEYLAND TICKETS – My travel partners at Get Away Today offer both discounted Disneyland tickets and Anaheim-area hotels to fit any budget! Many hotels include exclusive discounts like free parking, complimentary breakfast or even free nights, just for booking through Get Away Today.

Disneyland tickets purchased now are good through January 12th, 2025 . Purchase your multi-day tickets through Get Away Today today and lock in the best pricing of the year.

When you’re ready to book your Disneyland vacation, my friends at Get Away Today are ready to help! Mention code REWRITTEN to receive an extra discount off your SoCal vacation package (when booking 2+ nights with two or more tickets).

Maximizing One Day at Disneyland

When planning a first Disneyland vacation, it’s important to know how to best stretch out the day. There are ways to maximize your time in the parks, which is especially important when you only have a single day at Disneyland.

To squeeze in as much Disney fun as possible, you’ll want to arrive to the park before opening and stay until they close. These are a few more thoughts on boosting a one day visit to the parks!

Disney Genie+

The complimentary FASTPASS service is gone and Maxpass is no longer. Take advantage of the line cutting Disney Genie+ for around $30 per person, per day.

Guests can book their return times online. If trying to maximize time in the parks, purchase a Disneyland ticket with Disney Genie+ bundled in.

As a bonus of purchasing Disney Genie+, you’ll also receive unlimited Photopass and ride photo downloads!

Need more help with using this new line cutting system? Read these beginning tips for using Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane from my friend Leslie at Trips with Tykes .

Individual Attraction Selections

With time constraints, you won’t want to waste a moment waiting in unnecessary lines. Consider booking “individual Lightning Lane” for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland. Radiator Springs Racers is available at Disney California Adventure.

The cost per ride for the “Individual Attraction Selection” is between $7-25 per person. This can be done on the “Tip Board” through the Disneyland app upon entry into the parks. On a day when you’re trying to see and do as much as you can, this extra charge is worth the cost.

Carry a Full Charge

Frequent use of your smart phone to access the Disneyland app is going to drain your battery…FAST! You’ll be using your device for Disney Genie+, scheduling Lightning Lane attractions, mobile ordering and more.

Purchase a Fuel Rod in advance then swap it out for a full battery inside the park. There are kiosks all over (locations found on the Disneyland app).

Single Rider Lines

Certain attractions feature a separate entrance line for those riding individually. This can save an exceptional amount of time versus the usual stand-by line. Guests using the Single Rider line essentially fill in empty space on ride vehicles. This means, the Cast Members will seat you with other guests that are not in your own party.

Single Rider is best used with older kids and adults, who don’t mind not riding with their own group. You cannot request to sit with your family if using the Single Rider option.

I’ve mentioned in each section below which rides offer Single Rider. Take note that the Single Rider lines aren’t always in operation, so just ask a Cast Member at the entrance.

Dining is a Must-Do Disneyland Activity – But Where to Eat?

Of course, eating at Disneyland is a must. But where are the best places to eat in Disneyland, especially when on a time constraint? Keep reading through each section in which I cover the top dining spots within the individual Lands. These are extra tips:

Full Service Dining

I’ve made a few suggestions in each section for a full table service meal. At most, choose just one of these for the day, then mobile order the rest of your food. Or save your full service meal for another day outside of the parks and dine at one of the hotels of the Disneyland Resort.

Mobile Order

Mobile ordering is a must. If you’re trying to squeeze as many attractions into your single park day, quick service dining is where it’s at. Mobile ordering is done via the Disneyland app on your smart device. It’s an easy process in which you purchase and pay for food online. Then you’ll bypass the stand-by queue to pick up at designated restaurant windows.

Character Dining

If you only have one day in the parks, is character dining a must-do Disneyland activity? Honestly, no. Character dining combines character greetings with a meal but the process is generally much more drawn out than a regular meal.

If you’re tight on time, you’ll want to skip the only in-park character dining, Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park (located at the Plaza Inn restaurant).

Consider instead to book your character meal on an off-park day. There are several character dining locations inside the hotels of the Disneyland Resort that are a better option.

• Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast/Brunch – Storytellers Café inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Goofy’s Kitchen – inside the Disneyland Hotel

READ MORE: Are you on a restricted diet or have special dietary needs? Get the tips on where to find healthy food at Disneyland .

What to Skip at Disneyland

As I mentioned earlier, if you only have a single day, you’ll need to be selective on the attractions you visit. Naturally, everything at Disneyland is wonderful. But when it comes down to it, you can’t do it ALL in one day!

Within each section of this article, I’ve included attractions you’ll likely want to skip. Save the list for your next multi-day vacation.

These are the Disneyland must-do rides and attractions for anyone that has just one day in the parks. In each section, I share Disneyland tips and tricks for going to Disneyland this year.

This itinerary only covers Disneyland park itself, not Disney California Adventure. To follow this itinerary best, purchase a Disneyland One-Park Per Day Ticket and not a Parkhopper!

Start Your Day on Main Street U.S.A

When you enter Disneyland Park you’ll pass through the tunnels (there’s one on each side of the entrance) and be deposited into the hub. Follow Main Street U.S.A towards Sleeping Beauty Castle and the various Lands will branch out from here.

I MPORTANT!! While I do mention Main Street USA first in this article, I do NOT recommend that you do these attractions first thing in the morning. I’d suggest visiting Fantasyland first, then returning to Main Street later in the day.

Arrive at “rope drop” before the Park actually opens. The first two hours at Disneyland are very important when it comes to lighter crowds. At rope drop, you’ll be able to enter Main Street U.S.A. and visit some of the shops.

Must-Do Disneyland Attractions on Main Street USA

Disneyland Railroad – Hop aboard on Main Street U.S.A. and take the grand circle tour around the Park, a total of 1.2 miles. Not to be missed is Primeval World, a large diorama that takes you back to the prehistoric times and features dinosaurs and volcanoes!

Main Street Window Displays – Take a peek at these at the very end of the day, just before leaving the park. These charming scenes are reflective of classic Disney films. You’ll find them in the outside windows around the Emporium.

Main Street Vehicles – No thrill rides here, just a good ol’ fashioned ride down Main Street U.S.A. to get you in the mood of the Park. Take a ride in a horse-drawn car, jitney, fire engine or omnibus.

There’s rarely a line for the Main Street Vehicles, making them a fun option to hitch a ride (ideal for guests without strollers). The Main Street Vehicles don’t run in the evening or nighttime hours.

Best Souvenir Shops on Main Street

Silhouette Studio – Get into the vintage Victorian vibe by having the artists hand cut your silhouette out of paper for the perfect souvenir.

The Mad Hatter – It’s the place to find a hat for every occasion! What better way to start your Disney vacation than with a pair of Mouse Ears that reflects your personality? We bought my son’s Pluto hat here. He continued to wear it on nearly ever Disneyland trip for the next 6 years.

Top Places for Character Greets on Main Street

With the changes at Disneyland since reopening, character locations have shifted. The best way to find character meet ‘n greets is through the Disneyland app.

Simply press the navigation icon, then click the dropdown arrow at the top of the screen. Find “Entertainment” to see which characters are meeting where during specific times throughout the day.

Characters meet ‘n greet at various locations just inside the parks, on Main Street U.S.A. Occasionally, characters will greet on Main Street from the stairs at the railroad station.

Here, you’ll find popular favorites including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Donald, and Chip ‘n Dale. Other characters also appear here throughout the year.

Best Places to Eat on Disneyland Main Street U.S.A.

Jolly Holiday (quick service) – If you only have one day to spend in the park but still need breakfast or lunch, grab something quick. The Jolly Holiday offers mobile ordering for pastries, cinnamon rolls and sandwiches.

Carnation Cafe (full service) – Serving up classic American comfort food, this is where Walt used to eat. In fact they still serve his favorite chili. Time it right and you can sit outside on the patio and catch the parade going by!

Gibson Girl (snack) – The perfect spot for ice cream, use mobile ordering here to get a waffle cone sundae.

What to Skip on Main Street When Time is Tight

If you only have one day to see Disneyland, these are the things you’ll need to skip on Main Street USA.

Emporium – This expansive souvenir shop has a lot of great goodies. But many can be found in World of Disney at Downtown Disney. I highly suggest saving your shopping for a day when you aren’t inside the theme park.

The Disney Gallery

Parades – I do love the parades, but if you’re trying to see and do more things you’ll need to skip. In fact, I recommend avoiding Main Street and Fantasyland completely when parades are taking place. The walkways and shops will be heavily congested during those times.

The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln

Market House (aka: Starbucks) – There’s no mobile ordering here and the line is always lengthy. If you must get your coffee fix, consider the Downtown Disney Starbucks location which offers mobile ordering through the Starbucks app.

Main Street Cinema

Fantasyland at Disneyland

Head straight across the drawbridge and into the most whimsical Land in the entire Park! Or take one of the two side pathways that lead into Fantasyland on each side of the Castle. There’s a lot packed into this small area but I’m including the top must-do Disneyland attractions.

I suggest visiting Fantasyland either first thing in the morning or late at night after the fireworks spectacular. This is when crowds will be the most reasonable.

I’ve made suggestions in this section based on whether you have young kids in your group. If visiting with babies, toddlers and preschoolers, you’ll want to reserve a large amount of time to touring Fantasyland.

For families with older kids or adult-only vacations, save some of your day for thrill rides in other Lands.

Fantasyland Attractions Not to Miss at Disneyland

Peter Pan’s Flight – Arguably the best Disneyland dark ride but I add to this list with a caveat. The line for Peter Pan’s Flight is always 30+ minutes. If you’re pressed for time, consider skipping this one.

Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough – The story behind the iconic castle comes to life with three-dimensional displays. The attraction is beautiful done and guests move at their own pace to view the dioramas inside the castle.

Mad Tea Party – From the festive lanterns hanging over head to the bright colors and patterns of the twirling teacups, this is one bright spot in Disneyland that can’t be missed! If you suffer from motion sickness at theme parks on spinning rides, add to the list of attractions to skip.

Matterhorn Bobsleds – This is the only roller coaster in Fantasyland. Guests zip inside fast moving bobsled-type cars through the mountain, past a frightening Yeti! This ride is offered on Disney Genie+ and Single Rider option, to save you time.

Fantasyland Must Do Disneyland Attractions with Young Kids

Dumbo the Flying Elephant – If you have little ones with you, this is a must do Disneyland classic attraction. Kids can maneuver up and down with a knob inside the vehicle.

Snow White’s Enchanted Wish – Newly refurbished and with a happier ending, this dark ride is delightful.

“it’s a small world” – This happy and colorful attraction carries a message that simply uplifts your heart. Curmudgeons give this one a bad rap because the song by the Sherman brothers is slightly catchy. Younger kids will love it’s a small world , but everyone should aim to ride it. Take advantage of shorter lines with Disney Genie+.

Dining in Fantasyland

Red Rose Taverne (quick service) – This Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant offers up a wide variety of meals, including burgers and salads. The Grey Stuff Gâteau is the well-known dessert served up here. Use mobile order to avoid wait times in line!

Best Places to See Characters in Fantasyland

There are several locations in which characters meet inside Fantasyland. The mall in front of “it’s a small world” hosts a variety of popular Disney characters, including Bert and Mary from Mary Poppins .

Fantasy Faire is the place for classic Disney princesses including Cinderella, Aurora and Rapunzel. Guests can pass through the Royal Hall for personal photos with princesses.

There is also a live princess character show outdoors at the Royal Theatre. Guests may meet and greet with them after the presentation.

Fantasyland Attractions to Skip

I have a hard time suggesting that you skip some of these rides because they are iconic! However because of time constraints and the lack of Disney Genie+ to line skip, you may need to miss them on this trip.

Alice in Wonderland – If you can make one extra Fantasyland ride happen, choose this one. It’s charming and well done, with excellent effects. But the line is usually long so only ride when the queue is short.

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

Casey Jr. Circus Train

King Arthur Carrousel – Young kids in particular will want to ride the merry-go-round. Do it if you have the time!

Fireworks spectaculars – No need to stop and watch the fireworks. You can catch the overhead show most anywhere in the parks. There are projections shown on both Sleeping Beauty Castle and “it’s a small world” façade, but I recommend not stopping to watch as the crowds will make it difficult.

Important to note that the Fantasyland rides close down when fireworks are taking place. Aim to be elsewhere in the park when fireworks are happening.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – This in-park “salon” offers make-overs for princesses and princes, complete with hair-dos and nail polish. The process can be time consuming so consider a DIY Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the hotel room.

Storybook Land Canal Boats – Guided boats glide past the royal city of Agrabah from Aladdin , King Triton’s underwater oasis from The Little Mermaid and even the land of Arendelle from Frozen . But the wait time is often lengthy, so it’s best to skip on this visit.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

This newest Land takes guests to the edge of the galaxy and beyond. For adults or families of older children (who meet the height requirements), Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge should be your first stop of the day.

If you have a very young kids in your group, read this article about doing Star Wars land with preschoolers and toddlers . Lots of tips on how to fit this area into your one day itinerary when traveling with youngsters.

Must-Ride in Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Like nothing you’ve ever experienced in a Disneyland theme park, this ride/experience is a must-do Disneyland attraction. This ride is NOT part of the Disney Genie+ service.

There is a stand-by line for this attraction that is generally the lengthiest wait time in the park. The only way to skip the regular queue is to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane, highly recommended when you only have one day to experience.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – Always wanted to fly Han Solo’s “hunk of junk”? This interactive attraction lets guests participate as either a pilot, gunner or engineer on the Millennium Falcon.

Use Disney Genie+ to shorten your wait time in line. The Single Rider line option is another good choice, though you will miss part of the important pre-ride sections.

Where to Eat in Star Wars Land

Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo (quick service) – Indoor and outdoor dining at this lunch and dinner location. Unique dining that’s more upscale than the typical fast food restaurant. The Batuu-bon dessert is both creative and delicious. Definitely use mobile ordering here for quick dining.

Milk Stand (snack) – Want to try Blue Milk and Green Milk just like Luke in the Star Wars movies? Try the plant-based drink, only available in Galaxy’s Edge. Get one of each and share (they both taste different). Mobile ordering is available for very fast service.

What to Skip in Galaxy’s Edge

Oga’s Cantina – Yes, sipping cocktails at the Galaxy’s Edge is pretty cool. But it’s also a more leisurely experience that you don’t want to rush. And while it is a “kid-friendly bar”, you don’t get to pick and choose where you want to sit. So you might end up standing at a counter-height table instead.

Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities , Black Spire Outfitters , Toydarian Toymaker and Creature Stall – I’m recommending you skip all the souvenir shops within Galaxy’s Edge. The reason being is that you can visit the Star Wars Trading Post in Downtown Disney, which has most, if not all, of the same items.

Savi’s Workshop and Droid Depot – While these high-end Star Wars souvenirs are awesome, they’re also time consuming activities. Guests can build a custom lightsaber in Savi’s or a droid at the depot. Best for only the most die-hard fans.

Tomorrowland at Disneyland

This “Land of the Future” at Disneyland is popular and often crowded. Fortunately many of the attractions in Tomorrowland offer Disney Genie+ so you can line-skip and get to most of them in one day. Before you blast off, check out these must-do attractions and what you should avoid during this single day visit.

Tomorrowland Must Do Disneyland Attractions

Space Mountain – This is the fastest coaster in Disneyland Park. It’s also completely indoors and in almost total darkness! Lots of sharp twists and turns, this one will make you feel like you’re riding a rocket through the stars. This ride also offers Disney Genie+ to save time.

Star Tours – The Adventure Continues – A 3D motion simulator that takes guests on an adventurous ride through the galaxy. C-3PO mans the controls of the Starspeeder in this Star Wars ride that mixes the classic with the new. Use Disney Genie+ and your wait time will be faster.

READ MORE: Concerned that your child might be nervous on the Disneyland roller coasters? Read this Complete Guide to Everything Scary at Disneyland .

Best Rides for Young Kids in Tomorrowland

Autopia – Though you’re only driving about 7 miles per hour, you’ll feel the freedom of the open road! This attraction dates back to opening day in 1955, before there was a center guide rail keeping your car on the road. If your child meets the height requirement, this is a must-do Disneyland classic. Plus it offers Disney Genie+ so your wait time should be minimal!

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters – Guests of all ages can wield a laser to hit moving targets inside the attraction. The quirky music, flashing lights and spinning vehicle (that you control) add to the competitive fun of scoring points. Disney Genie+ available so you don’t have to wait in the long line-up.

Places to Eat in Tomorrowland

Alien Pizza Planet – Tomorrowland isn’t my first choice for dining but if you’re here, this is what’s available. Indoor dining and the place to grab those adorable Toy Story Alien macarons. The pizza here isn’t the greatest, but the pasta and salad options are decent.

Galactic Grill – All outdoor dining with burgers, fries and veggie wraps. Look for seasonal offerings here throughout the year.

What to Skip in Tomorrowland

Disneyland Monorail – This 2.5 mile loop offers an unique aerial view that can save time walking. Use this only if you need to get to and from the Disneyland Hotel or deep into the Downtown Disney District. You’ll need a valid ticket to get back inside the Park.

Star Wars Launch Bay

Astro Orbitor – Similar to Dumbo, with a spinning “rocket ship” that goes up and down. The line is usually long and best to be skipped.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage – It’s a charming trip under the sea to see characters from the film series. However without any line cutting strategy, this ride is slow to load and best to skip.

Churro carts – The churro cart in Tomorrowland often sells the best specialty treats. But the seemingly mile-long wait times are a hindrance on your schedule…mobile order your dessert instead!

Frontierland

Get ready for the “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness”! Frontierland is a sprawling land that includes the Rivers of America and its own island. There are two grand attractions, and several other things to add in if you have the time.

Don’t Miss These Rides in Frontierland

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – When this first opened, my parents literally dragged my brother and I to get on the ride! We were scared of what looked like a runaway train. Of course, we’ve come to love it. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is my favorite Disneyland Mountain and a must-do Disneyland ride!

Mark Twain Riverboat – If you need to sit and rest your legs at this point in the day, add in this river boat tour that takes you around the Rivers of America.

The ride features narration by an actor reading as the author Mark Twain, whom this paddle wheel steam engine riverboat is named after. The line to get on is generally short.

Disneyland Dining in Frontierland

Rancho Del Zocalo (quick service) – The Mexican food platters here are large enough to share and offer a nice variety. The bonus is its beautiful outdoor seating under the glow of the glass lanterns, especially pretty at night.

River Belle Terrace (full service) – Make the advance dining reservation for this restaurant if you’re able to coordinate dinner with a nighttime viewing of Fantasmic! .

The River Belle Terrace has an outdoor patio that overlooks the Rivers of America, where Fantasmic! takes place. Consider purchasing the special dining package to ensure a front row seat.

Golden Horseshoe (snack) – Yes, you can order the usual theme park fare here (chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks). But the highlight of the menu is the sundae. Mobile order the Chocolate-Chunk Cookie Sundae, which is large enough for two.

The Golden Horseshoe is one of the original buildings from 1955. Aim to sit in the upper right reserved box, where Walt Disney used to sit himself!

Best Souvenir Shopping in Frontierland

The Westward Ho Trading Company is the place for all things trading pins. This extensive shop offers up lots of selection. A Cast Member has an outdoor table set up for trading here as well. Get a head-start on your collection by purchasing a lanyard ahead of your trip.

Frontierland Seasonal Can’t Miss Attractions

If you’re visiting Disneyland during Halloween Time, stop in Frontierland to see the decorations. First, you’ll see the Halloween Tree, dedicated to sci-fi author Ray Bradbury. This is best viewed at night, when the tree glows orange with lights and tiny jack o’ lanterns.

The second fall seasonal feature here is the Dia de los Muertos area in El Zócalo Park. This photo worthy location features traditional Day of the Dead spirit with skeletons, overhead flags and brightly colored flowers.

Things to Skip in Frontierland

Shootin’ Exposition

Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer’s Island – If you have little kids that need to burn off excess energy, this is a great place to climb and play. However, expect to add at least an hour to your schedule getting across the water and exploring the island.

Sailing Ship Columbia

Fantasmic! – This nighttime show on the Rivers of America combines water feature, character interaction and daring special effects. Fantasmic! is also crowded and time consuming. If possible, plan to visit another area of the park when this show takes place.

Adventureland at Disneyland

This jungle-themed area is always jam-packed. And with reason: there’s a lot to experience in Adventureland! The pathways are narrow here as well. Use Disney Genie+ when you can to help speed things along.

What to Do in Adventureland

Indiana Jones Adventure – Experience the Temple of the Forbidden Eye just like Indy in this rugged, action-filled trip. For guests that meet the height requirement and aren’t scared of a few thrills, this is a must-do Disneyland ride. Use Disney Genie+ for this popular attraction.

The Enchanted Tiki Room – “Let’s all sing like the birdies sing!” 200+ Audio-animatronics perform before your eyes in this tropical paradise. The show is lively, the music is charming and you may find yourself singing along (go ahead, everyone else will be singing too!).

Jungle Cruise – Another 1955 original, this one evolved over the years from a serious African jungle tour into a slightly silly romp through the rain forest, complete with jokes from the skippers.

Each skipper puts their own spin on the tour along with incorporating classic gags from years’ past. There’s no way to skip the queue here. Try some of these tips for things to do while waiting in line at Disney .

Where to Grab Snacks in Adventureland

Tiki Juice Bar (snack) – Dole Whip, Dole Whip Floats and Pineapple Juice! Get this classic Disneyland treat and use mobile ordering to grab your treats to go.

Bengal Barbeque (snack) – If you’re looking for healthy food at Disneyland , the proteins and veggies skewers here offer a hearty bite. Use mobile ordering to get in and out.

What to Skip in Adventureland

Adventureland Treehouse (formerly Tarzan’s Treehouse) . If you’re particularly fit and can get up and down the stairs quickly with ease, add in this attraction. The view at the top overlooking Disneyland is pretty nice.

Tropical Hideaway (quick service) – I adore this dining oasis alongside the Jungle Cruise. Yummy bao and lumpia snacks with specialty Dole Whips with beautiful waterside seating.

The downside is there’s no mobile ordering, the line is often long and it can be hard to find a table. Use the Tiki Juice Bar to get a Dole Whip fix instead.

New Orleans Square at Disneyland

Wander through the streets of New Orleans Square to get a charming glimpse at the Disney details. It’s Mardi Gras all the time in this quaint area of the park.

As you stroll through, look for the entrance to Club 33 , Disneyland’s exclusive members-only restaurant and lounge. Here’s what not to miss in New Orleans Square!

Can’t Miss Rides in New Orleans Square

Pirates of the Caribbean – Truly one of the best amusement park rides, the detail and special effects are incredible. New additions based on the movies have been added to enhance the story line. Floating through the foggy battle scene, you will feel completely transported. It’s a must-do at Disneyland!

Haunted Mansion – Appropriately spooky, the Haunted Mansion has just the right amount of fright and fun.

From around mid-September to early-January you can see the Haunted Mansion Holiday version, inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas . Use Disney Genie+ year-round for this ride.

Where to Dine in New Orleans Square, Disneyland-Style

Tiana’s Palace Restaurant (quick service) – The New Orleans feeling is alive here! After choosing your meal, take a seat outside to enjoy the live music of a Dixieland Band. Gumbo is on the menu, along with other Creole favorites. Mobile ordering is available here for fast service.

Mint Julep Bar (snack) – Treat yourself to Mickey Mouse shaped beignets and a mint julep from the Mint Julep Bar. Use mobile order and choose the seasonal treats.

Top New Orleans Square Souvenirs

There are two unique Disneyland souvenirs, found only in the New Orleans Square area. There are other shops here including the Cristal d’Orleans and Pandora. But aim not to use your time shopping when you only have one day to experience the theme park.

Take a seat in one of the chairs across from the Blue Bayou entrance and have your portrait drawn by a street artist. There are several versions including caricature or a more realistic pastel artist’s rendering.

Choose one of the hand painted parasols from the cart in front of Café Orleans. These personalized sun umbrellas are a Southern tradition, recreated here in California.

You Might Want to Skip This in New Orleans Square

Blue Bayou – While this is Disneyland’s signature restaurant, it’s also a more leisurely meal. Situated inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, this dining location is a challenging reservation to snag. If you have the time to do one sit-down meal, this could be the one.

Consider MouseDining to help you secure Disney park advance dining reservations. This free service will notify you when coveted ADR become available in Disney’s system.

Critter Country

A little slice of the country, right here at Disneyland! There are several spots you don’t want to miss here including rides and quick dining restaurants. Critter Country is a bit out of the way, but can be reached by two directions – through New Orleans Square or via Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Character greeting – Guests can usually meet ‘n greet with Winnie The Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger in the area just outside of the ride.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Lighthearted, bouncing fun featuring Pooh Bear, Tigger and their friends. Take this whimsical dark ride only if you have babies, toddlers or preschoolers in your group.

Eating in Critter Country

Harbour Galley (quick service) – This waterfront dining spot is oft overlooked. But with mobile ordering for seafood favorites like the famous Lobster Roll, you might reconsider. Walk around the backside to dine alongside the Rivers of America and catch a fun peek at riders coming down Splash Mountain.

Hungry Bear (quick service) – It’s burgers and funnel cakes on the menu at this dining location. Choose to sit on either the upper or lower patios with a pretty view of the Rivers of America. Definitely use mobile ordering for this popular restaurant.

What to Skip in Critter Country

Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes – Hop aboard one of these free-floating canoes (no track!) as you and other guests paddle around the Rivers of America. It’s a unique way to get in your workout and the lines to get onboard are usually short.

However, the activity takes about 15 minutes total and if it’s hot weather at Disneyland , you’re going to be super sweaty afterwards!

Mickey’s Toontown

Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland has reopened after a major overhaul. There are tons of new spaces for children and families to play and relax together, including grassy lawns and play areas.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – This newest Disneyland attraction is a gem! Arrive just after rope drop to minimize your wait time.

Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – A wacky dark ride based upon the film that combines a spinning vehicle that you control yourself. Use Disney Genie+ if the lines are long. You’ll skip the fun queue that sets up the attraction but necessary if time is tight.

Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GadgetCoaster – The ideal first coaster for young kids at just one minute long. Skip this brief thrill unless you have preschoolers in your group.

Where to Eat in Toontown

There are only two locations for dining in Toontown. Daisy’s Café serves up theme park favorites, including hot dogs. Or grab a snack picnic basket from Good Boy Grocers to take a rest on the lawn while you dine.

What to Skip in Toontown

Meet Mickey and Minnie – Guests can still catch their favorite characters at their respective houses. Check the time for these meet ‘n greets before jumping in line. Other Disney characters mingle in the grassy area near the houses, which might offer a shorter wait.

What If You Have More Time in Your Itinerary?

Is there more time in your Disneyland day? Add in some of the missed attractions or mix some of these extra ideas:

• Photopass photographers – Throughout the park, there are professional photographers available to take photos in popular locations. If you purchased a Disneyland ticket with Disney Genie+ , all Photopass images taken that day are available for free, unlimited downloads!
• Look for Hidden Mickeys – As you wait in queues and while you walk through the park, look for these insider finds. The book Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys will offer you some guidance towards spotting them.

• Watch a Parade – Disneyland park offers the most fantastic parades you’ll ever see! If you have the opportunity to watch, try and do so.
• Pressed Penny Machines – If time to shop for souvenirs is limited, try this fun and relatively inexpensive memento. There are pressed penny machines over the entire resort. Check out this UP! inspired Pressed Penny Keepsake Book from Etsy.

Extending Your Trip for Longer Than a Day

As you can see from this extensive article, there’s A LOT to see and do inside Disneyland park. If you’re able to stretch out the single day visit into a multi-day vacation, I highly recommend it. You’ll be able to experience many more things, at a more leisurely pace.

I highly recommend purchasing a discounted Disneyland ticket at 2-days or longer. One day tickets are the worst value and are not discounted. Multi day park tickets offer guests a better value, as the cost per day reduced the longer you visit.

READ MORE: For more information about the best ticket to purchase, read this article with everything you need to know about Disneyland tickets .

If cost is a concern, you can place your Disneyland vacation on layaway with Get Away Today . Use the time ahead of your trip to pay in installments.  Use the Promo Code REWRITTEN and receive an extra $10 off any 2-night or longer Southern California package. (Hotel and 2 ticket minimum purchase to qualify for the discount).

Author and owner Julie Bigboy shares first hand knowledge on a variety of subjects, including family travel, positive parenting, and simple living. Her work can be found on The Points Guy, SheBuys Travel, MiceChat and Disneyland With Kids, among others.

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2024 Disneyland Trip Planning Guide

In this 2024 Disneyland Trip Planning Guide we’ll cover all aspects of planning a trip to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure . This post will break down the trip planning process in steps and cover the best ways to save money on airfare, when to visit, how to pick the right hotel, how to buy park tickets, transportation to and from DLR, and anything else we think will help you along the way. This Disneyland Trip Planning Guide is a condensed version of our full Disneyland trip planning site , which you should absolutely check out if you want to go more in depth on every aspect of Disneyland Resort. As you start exploring our Disneyland Resort site, I recommend starting at the overview pages for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Last updated/republished January 17, 2024.

Step 1: When to visit Disneyland Resort

Disneyland is going to have tens of thousands of people visiting during any given day so the park will never truly have a “slow” day. Remember that Disneyland is the second most visited theme park in the U.S. and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. There are a few times out of the year where crowds are smaller than they usual, but this luxury may come at the cost of multiple attraction closures due to refurbishments .

Glancing at our Disneyland Crowd Calendar (and based on crowds we’ve seen in previous years) early June, late August, early September, and early November stand out as great times to visit if you want to avoid the high crowds found during other times of year. As we mentioned before, Disneyland will close rides for refurbishments during the times of year where it is less busy. For example,  Grizzly River Run is usually down for a few weeks in February. Haunted Mansion is closed for part of August and January for installation and removal of its holiday overlay. Unfortunately, it’s hard to plan around ride closures as Disneyland usually doesn’t announce refurbishment dates more than a month or two in advance.

It’s important to adjust your expectations for wait times no matter when you visit DLR. Even if the crowds are “low” you’re still going to be waiting over a half hour for marquee attractions like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run or Indiana Jones Adventure . But that’s a lot better than waiting 75 minutes on a busy day. The days you should absolutely avoid Disneyland Resort are during holidays in the U.S. The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is miserable, as is most of March which is during the Spring Break season.

You may want to visit during Disneyland’s Halloween or Christmas seasons. This is when special seasonal parades, shows, and appropriately themed food and merchandise are available, as well as both parks being lavishly decorated.

You’re probably wondering how many days you’ll need to visit Disneyland Resort to see everything. The answer I would give to any other Disney freak like myself is that any amount of days is not enough. But a more realistic answer would be three days. That way you have enough time to see as much as possible for each park on the first and second day, and then on the third day you can revisit some of your favorite rides, or see some shows and parades you may have missed the first time around. If you’re a regular Walt Disney World visitor you may think that there’s less to do at Disneyland Resort. Wrong! There’s more rides, shows, and attractions packed in Disneyland and DCA than there is in all of Walt Disney World, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to see everything.

For a more in-depth look at Disneyland Resort crowds, check out our Disneyland Crowd Calendar , which predicts the crowd levels for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for every day of the year.

Step 2: Buy airfare

There are several tools you can use to save as much money as possible on airfare. I recommend using AirfareWatchdog.com’s fare alert feature. To set up an alert, visit  AirfareWatchdog.com  and click on “My Alerts” at the top of the screen. Enter your email address and then select “City-to-City Fare Alerts” from the list. You will then be prompted to type in the departure city you want to travel to Los Angeles from. After this you are asked how often you want to receive alerts. If you’re really hardcore you can be sent travel alerts 7 days a week. I opt for the “2-3 times a week” alert option. Keep in mind that you’ll receive deals with a wide range of travel dates. Some could require booking and travel within the next month or two, while other deals are for over six months down the line.

Another tool to use is Kayak.com ’s fare forecast. To use this, go to Kayak.com and click on flights. Enter the dates you are thinking about traveling and then search for fares. In the top left corner, you will see their advice about if you should buy now or wait. To test this out I’ll type in a random date right now.

As you can see Kayak is advising me to buy the tickets now because their analytics say the price will go up in the next 7 days. Kayak bases their prediction on analysis of historical price changes, and they have a good reputation.

As far as airports, you’ll either fly into Los Angeles International (LAX), John Wayne (SNA), or a smaller airport such as Long Beach (LGB). LAX is the more common and cheaper, but if you have the choice, I’d pick flying into John Wayne because it’s both closer DLR and easier to arrive and depart from thanks to lower crowds. But if there is a large difference in cost, go with whichever is cheaper.

Look into a credit card with good rewards for travel before you purchase airfare and hotels. The credit card we recommend for travel is the Chase Sapphire Preferred , which has no foreign transaction fees and earns you 2 points on dining and travel per $1 spent, as well as 1 point per $1 spent on everything else. When you redeem points through Chase Ultimate Rewards portal they’re worth 25% more, and you can also transfer them at a 1:1 rate to many other loyalty programs. There is a $95 yearly fee (which is waved for the first year), but if you travel more than a couple times a year the points you earn more than make up for it. We can’t say enough good things about this card. Use our affiliate link to sign up and see if there’s any point bonuses .

Step 3: Selecting a hotel

If you want highly themed surroundings, top notch accommodations, the best pools, excellent staff, and early entrance privileges to the theme parks, you will find all those things by staying at an official Disneyland Resort hotel. Readers frequently tell us how they love to stay in the “Disney bubble” during their visits. But of course, all this comes at a large premium. Even during the times of year where Disney’s prices are at their lowest, you’re still probably going to pay well over $300 a night for a room. That’s double what you’re going to pay at an offsite hotel. No matter where you stay in Anaheim, offsite or onsite, you’re going to pay various lodging taxes and, if you have a car, parking.

Guests at the Paradise Pier Hotel , Grand Californian Hotel , and Disneyland Hotel can enter on any early entry day, as long as they have any valid ticket; this privilege is referred to as early entry . During this early entry half hour, most of the Fantasyland attractions—along with Space Mountain, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Astro Orbitor, Buzz Lightyear, and Star Tours in Tomorrowland—will usually be open. The rest of the park’s attractions will remain off limits until the official opening time. Disney California Adventure (DCA) also offers its own Extra Magic Hour exclusively for hotel guests, offering access to select attractions in Cars Land, Hollywood Land, Pixar Pier, Paradise Garden Park, Avengers Campus and Grizzly Peak. Click here for more information on Disneyland’s resort’s early entry .

Offsite hotels at Disneyland Resort are way more practical than the same accommodations at Walt Disney World. At WDW offsite hotels you’re looking at a 15 to 40-minute drive depending on the park, and you’ll still be on the hook for parking. At Disneyland Resort not only are most offsite hotels affordable, but some even have less than 10-minute walking times from a room to the front gate of the park. Some hotels on Harbor Boulevard are closer to the front gate than Disney’s own hotels.

The three on-site Disney-owned hotels at Disneyland Resort are:

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , built in the rustic stone-and-timber style of the grand national park lodges, is the flagship property. Newer, more elaborately themed, and closer to the theme parks and Downtown Disney than the other two on-property hotels, the Grand Californian is without a doubt the best place to stay…if you can afford it. In 2018, Grand Californian’s rooms received a much-needed top to bottom upgrade. Lighting has been drastically improved, USB charging outlets are plentiful, the decor has been freshened up, and more storage space has been added. You can view a walkthrough of a Grand Californian Hotel room on our YouTube channel .

Grand Californian’s pool complex is beautifully landscaped with rocks and conifers in a High Sierra theme, includes a 90-foot-long twisting slide. Grand Californian also has an exclusive entrance that leads directly into the Grizzly Peak area of Disney California Adventure. This entrance is open only to Grand Californian hotel guests in the morning, which makes it a great perk if you’re staying there.

Disneyland Hotel is lushly landscaped with a vintage Disneyana theme and offers large, luxurious guest rooms. Walking time to the Downtown Disney Monorail Station, with transportation to Disneyland Park, is about 3–6 minutes. The Disneyland hotel consists of three towers facing each other across a verdant landscaped plaza, a swimming complex, restaurants, shops, and gardens. The main lobby evokes Mary Blair’s “it’s a small world” designs and features a blown-up fun map of the original park. The check-in area sports early attraction concept artwork and seating styled after the spinning teacups. Peek inside the Frontier Tower lobby to see an amazingly detailed model of Big Thunder Mountain. You can view a walkthrough of a Disneyland Hotel room on our YouTube channel . The Villas at Disneyland Hotel is Disneyland Hotel’s Disney Vacation Club wing. This tower is themed after Disney animated films and features studios, and 1, 2, and 3-bedrooms villas. We have a walkthrough of a Deluxe Studio on our YouTube channel .

Pixar Place Hotel is the cheapest option of the three official Disneyland Resort Hotels. Although the guest rooms and public areas have a Pixar flavor, the hotel is not extravagantly themed. The rooms are large and have some nice Pixar touches to them. Walking to the monorail station and Downtown Disney takes about 5–10 minutes. Guest rooms are furnished with wood furniture and fixtures and boldly colored soft goods. Pixar Place rooms include accents such as Pixar ball pillows and Pixar character art above the beds. Guest room windows on the hotel’s east side offer a perfect view of the lights and attractions of Pixar Pier and Paradise Garden Park inside DCA. From rooms on the other side of the hotel you can see, well, parking lots.

It’s impossible to cover all the offsite hotels in this planning guide, but here’s some quick recommendations:

Homewood Suites  – Located about 2 miles south. Across from a Target (so you can get groceries). Suites available. Nice pool. Springhill Suites – Huge rooms, great for groups of 6 to 8 people. Rooftop pool with Disneyland fireworks view. Anaheim Majestic Garden – We usually see affordable prices at Majestic when comparing to other local hotels. Park Vue Inn – Across the street from Disneyland Resort eastern entrance on Harbor Boulevard, which means a short walk to both Disneyland and DCA. Howard Johnson Anaheim – Across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. Nice rooms. Very nice pool and water playground. Occasionally Howard Johnson will offer discounts for Disneyland annual pass holders. Desert Inn and Suites  – Directly across the street from Disneyland on Harbor, less than 5 minute walk to the front gate. Indoor pool. Tropicana Inn & Suites  – Across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. Pool and hot tub. Best Western Anaheim Inn  – Across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. Sheraton Park Hotel at Anaheim – Highly rated in the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. Nice rooms and pool. Hotel Indigo Anaheim – A bit more expensive than other local hotels, but the rooms are very nice and modern. Home2 Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort – Home2 Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort features all studio, one-, and two-bedroom suites, which makes it a good option for families and large groups. The rooms are clean, modern, and have a ton of storage space for luggage, clothes, and souvenirs. All rooms include a kitchenette microwave, sink, coffee maker, full sized fridge, as well as dishes, and eating utensils. Home2 Suites also includes free breakfast. The Viv Hotel, Anaheim, a Tribute Collection – Nice rooms with a trendy look and a rooftop pool with a view of Disneyland’s fireworks. Element Anaheim Resort Convention Center – Barebones room in terms of decor, but they’re extremely functional thanks to full kitchens (with pots, pans, and dishes included), big bathrooms, a full sized table with four chairs, and more. JW Marriott Anaheim Resort – Nicest non-Disney hotel in Anaheim. The JW Marriott Anaheim Resort features luxurious decor and amenities, including a rooftop lounge with a view of Disneyland’s fireworks, a wellness center with a yoga room, Peloton bikes, and any other exercise equipment you could possibly need. Ramada by Wyndham Anaheim Convention Center – Has the advantage of being next door to Disney’s Toy Story parking lot, where guests can catch a Disney bus to Disneyland Resort.

Step 4: Buy your tickets

Disneyland uses price tiers for 1-day theme park tickets, charging more for admission on dates when demand is higher. Tier 1 days are mostly weekdays during the off season, while higher tier days are most weekends throughout the year, as well as weekdays when the parks have moderate crowds. Tier 6 are peak season tickets are sold during the busy holiday seasons like Spring Break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Our Disneyland Crowd Calendar  shows what price tier Disney has set for each day of the year.

Disneyland Ticket Price and Tiers:

• Tier 0: $104 adult, $98 child
• Tier 1: $119 adult, $112 child
• Tier 2: $134 adult, $127 child
• Tier 3: $154 adult, $146 child
• Tier 4: $169 adult, $160 child
• Tier 5: $184 adult, $174 child
• Tier 6: $194 adult, $183 child

All Disneyland tickets can be purchased at the park entrance, at the Disneyland Resort hotels, from the Walt Disney Travel Sales Center, on the  Disneyland website , and most grocery stores in Southern California. Kids under 3 years of age do not need a park ticket.

If you purchase tickets on the Disneyland website, you can choose between  hard  tickets, which will be shipped to you, or  eTickets , which can be downloaded as PDF files and printed at home. An eTicket printed from your home computer will show two bar codes. At the park entrance, a cast member will scan your eTicket and issue your actual ticket. You can also now purchase one-day tickets through your smartphone at  m.disneyland.com  without needing to print anything, but these mobile-purchased passes don’t include any discounts or bonuses.

Entry in to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure require a reservation . Anyone in your party without a reservation for the day you are trying to visit will not be able to enter the park. Same-day reservations are not available. See our Disneyland Theme Park Reservations page for more information .

If your ticket has the park hopping option, you are able to hob from one park to the other starting at 11 AM.

See our Disneyland ticket page for more information and any current discounts being offered.

Step 5: Transportation

Unfortunately all shuttle services (such as Prime Time Shuttle and SuperShuttle) no longer pick up or drop off at LAX. Uber, Lyft, or a taxi service are now your only options.

Keep in mind that in California if you’re using Uber or Lyft you’ll need a car seat for children that are under 4 foot 9 inches tall.

Step 6: Create your game plan for the parks

When you’re in the parks, you need a game plan for each day. Our  Touring Plans are step-by-step guides that save you up to 4 hours of standing in line every day. We’ve got dozens family-tested templates to start with, for every park. You can customize any plan by adding attractions, meals, and breaks.

If you don’t know what to ride, I recommended starting by reading our detailed descriptions and reviews of every ride, show, and attraction in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure , including best times to visit each attraction, the ride’s potential for frightening small children, height requirements, accessibility features, and ratings.

When you’re in the parks you can see your plans on your phone via our mobile app,  Lines .  Lines shows you Disney’s official wait time plus how long you’ll really wait in line at each attraction. Lines can be used to get instant updates to your touring plan, search menus, see parade and fireworks times, and chat with TouringPlans users. The Lines app is available for iPhone, Android, and other smartphones.

What’s new for 2024 ?

A refreshed Fantasmic! will return to Disneyland on May 24, 2024. This new version won’t feature the iconic dragon in its finale, but it will have the return of the beloved Peter Pan segment, which was replaced by a Pirates of the Caribbean segment in the show’s previous iteration.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open later in 2024. Splash Mountain closed at the end of May in 2023 to make way for this new attraction based on The Princess and the Frog . The new ride will make use of much of the previous attraction’s infrastructure, including its 52.5 feet tall final drop.

Pixar Fest returns to Disneyland Resort April 26 through August 4, 2024. This seasonal celebration will feature meet-and-greets with Pixar characters, such as Buzz Lightyear, Woody, The Incredibles, Ember and Wade from “Elemental” and Red Panda Mei from “Turning Red.” A new parade will premiere in DCA called “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!”

What’s new from the last few years?

The Villas at Disneyland Hotel opened in September, 2023. This Disney Vacation Club property is the newest tower at Disneyland Hotel. Room types include studios, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom villas. Each room type is themed after a different Disney animated film, such as Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty, Moana, Frozen and more.

World of Color – One  at Disney California Adventure and  Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland premiered on January 27, 2023. World of Color – One is an all-new version of DCA’s signature nighttime spectacular in the waters of Paradise Bay. The new show will feature music and animation from Encanto, Coco, Moana, and more. A new song called “Start a Wave,” which was made exclusively for World of Color – One will also be a part of the show. Wonderous Journeys is Disneyland’s newest fireworks nighttime spectacular. Disney says the show will feature nods to every Disney animated movie. The usual projection effects on Main Street, U.S.A., Rivers of America, and ‘it’s a small world’ will also be present.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway , opened January 27, 2023. Runaway Railway places you in the center of one of the modern Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts. The premise is that you’re on an out-of-control railroad car, courtesy of Goofy. You careen, gently, through 10 large cartoon show scenes, from tropical islands to cities to out-of-control factories. In each scene, Mickey and Minnie attempt to save you from disaster, with mixed results. The ride uses a mix of traditional, three-dimensional painted sets and the latest in video projection technology to show movement and special effects. We’re big fans of the ride in Walt Disney World so this will be a welcome addition to Disneyland’s lineup.

Magic Happens parade returned from a long hiatus in early 2023. The parade features a new original song, as well as floats from Moana, Coco, Sleeping Beauty, and more.

MagicBand+ arrived at Disneyland Resort in late 2022. MagicBands are plastic and rubber bracelets containing an electronic chip. Depending on which features are activated for you, the MagicBand acts as your park ticket, Lightning Lane redemption mechanism, interactive game piece, PhotoPass identifier, and more. Eventually the MagicBand+ can function as your room key, as well as charge card for food and merchandise.

Disney Genie and Lightning Lanes – Disney Genie is now available at  Disneyland Resort . The itinerary-building service is free for all  Disneyland  and  Disney California Adventure  visitors, but available along side it is a selection of optional services with similar and confusing names;  Disney Genie+ ,  Lightning Lane , and Individual Lightning Lane. Read our Disney Genie guide for more information .

Avengers Campus . This land based on the Marvel characters and is home to WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure which uses interactive web shooting elements. Several meet and greets with superheroes and a restaurant based on Ant-Man and The Wasp are also part of the land. Avengers Campus replaced A Bug’s Land in DCA.

Rise of the Resistance opened in 2020. It’s Disneyland’s newest mega-attraction. Located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , the ride uses trackless vehicles, a motion simulator, walk-through environments, and is one of Disney’s longest attractions ever. It’s nothing like any other Disney attraction and will be the gold standard for which all attractions are compared to for years to come.

TouringPlans  can help you plan the perfect day at Disneyland. Be sure to check out our  Disneyland Crowd Calendar, which rates every day of the year on a scale of 1 to 10  so you can see how busy Disneyland and DCA will be during your visit. Also check out our  Disneyland Touring Plans . These itineraries can show you how to beat the crowds and spend less time in line at your favorite rides. Our  Touring Plans can also be personalized ! All of our tools are used by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and are constantly being updated by our in-park team of researchers and data scientists.

Your Thoughts?

If you’re planning a trip for Disneyland Resort in 2024 let me know if you have any other questions, or feel free to share any tips you may have for other planners. Also, let me know what you’re looking forward to during your trip.

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Guy Selga Jr.

Disneyland writer for TouringPlans.com and co-author of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. Also a Disneyland local and appreciator of Disney theme park history. Twitter and Instagram: @guyselga

24 thoughts on “ 2024 Disneyland Trip Planning Guide ”

Guy – excellent article, as usual. I have a question I hope you might be able to comment on: various sources seem to say that the Individual Lightning Lane reservations for RSR and Rise of the Resistance almost always sell out far before nighttime, if not sooner. However, as I’m looking at the “Tip Board” in the Disneyland App on my phone, it seems to keep telling me that, while standby times for these rides are over an hour (as one might expect), Individual LL slots not only appear still available, but with times that appear to be either immediate or just a matter of minutes. Now, I’m just “window shopping” at this point from the East coast, but trying to get my head around what the reality is for planning purposes. Is the Disneyland App giving me an accurate picture, or is the more accurate picture the one painted by the various online articles that say the ILL reservations always run out by noon or earlier?

I would give thought to using at least the RSR LL for an after-dark ride. Obviously I’m doing this without having an actual park reservation, so I can’t actually try to purchase a LL ticket from here – I don’t know if that affects what it shows for availability in the Disneyland App? But I’d really like to understand, before actually arriving IN the park, whether it’ll be a viable strategy, and whether I should expect to have to spend the morning monitoring for the right moment to reserve an evening ILL window or if it’s something I would be trying to do around dinnertime. Any perspective you could offer on what the reality is of the ILL availability patterns at this point would be terrifically helpful. Thanks!

Hi, thanks for reading and commenting. For ILL for Radiator Springs Racers, just from observations on moderately busy days they will sell out anywhere between 11 am to 1 pm. You can actually see this information on our attraction pages. Just scroll down to the “Hourly View and Lightning Lane Return Times” section of the page. Here’s our attraction page for RSR: https://touringplans.com/disney-california-adventure/attractions/radiator-springs-racers

So you will probably have to spend some time checking back in the Disneyland app to see when an evening slot becomes available.

Guy, thanks much for your response, which was far more prompt than I had initially spotted. While I had been doing my own observations for some time using various sources (including the Disneyland App Tip Board itself, and thrill-data.com), and have been a devoted user of the TouringPlans auto-planner (mostly using the “Evaluate” rather than the “Optimize” function as I tend to have different ideas about how we’d like to spend the day even if it isn’t quite “optimal”), the real-time data on the TouringPlans RSR attraction page link you sent was something I somehow hadn’t picked up on – so you’ve provided a really helpful source.

I’ll note, though, that the live data FROM that TouringPlans attraction page actually seems to match up better with the Disneyland App’s Tip Board data (as well as with thrill-data.com) than with either what the TouringPlans auto-planner is generating or your statement about RSR individual lightning lanes tending to run out between 11am-1pm on moderately busy days.

Based on these various live sources (including the TP Attractions page you pointed me to), what I’ve been seeing is that while certain Genie+ Lightning Lane attractions DO frequently sell out before park closing (e.g., Indy, Space Mtn), and the time gap prior to their return windows grows steadily through the day until they sell out, the data for the Individual Lightning Lane rides (RSR, RotR) shows something rather different. For these two rides, the beginning of the return windows throughout the day seem usually to be reported as pretty close to the current time of day. They also mostly don’t seem to sell out until very shortly before closing, if at all (assuming no big ride down times impact things, of course).

Is there something I’m failing to see in this data? I don’t know if you’ve looked back at the RSR attraction page windows since sending me the link, but I would maybe challenge you to take a look if possible and tell me if you see it differently? If I’m seeing it correctly, it looks like while the TouringPlans auto-planner for Disneyland makes sense for most regular wait times, the lead times it gives before its predicted return time windows for Individual Lightning Lanes in particular appear to me to be hugely inflated. When we enter the park in September, am I likely to find that all these reported return window times (whether from live or historical sources) are way off?

Even if I’m right, I’ll be trying to do some contingency planning (monitoring the window times and having a “Plan B” in mind if the ILLs appear likely to sell out early) – but I’d like to be able to base my “Plan A” on relatively realistic data. While I very much appreciate (and even enjoy) working with the auto-planner, I think the usefulness of the tool would be enhanced if its ILL return times, particularly, would seem to more closely simulate the data that seems typically to be reported live. Obviously the planner can’t predict in advance the actual random variations or events that might occur, but given that practical limitation, the only likely ways to go are to either estimate everything according to the nominal case (no unexpected events), or add a standard extra amount of time into everything to make it more conservative in its estimation and predictions. I’m wondering if it is set up pretty much the same way as the WDW planner, and if the difference between how DL handles ILL’s versus WDW might explain these huge lead times for the ILL’s at Disneyland?

Thank you for sharing this comprehensive Disneyland trip planning guide! It’s an absolute goldmine of information for anyone looking to make the most out of their visit to the happiest place on Earth.

Thanks for this update!

Thanks for reading!

What are your counter service recommendations these days? I was perusing menus the other night in anticipation and woof, things look rough at Disneyland (DCA’s a different story.) I had been excited to have the fried green tomato sandwich at Hungry Bear but it looks like it has disappeared!

Jolly Holiday is usually solid and has a good rotation of seasonal items. Harbor Galley is decent as well. If you can stomach the price, Plaza Inn’s fried chicken is still good.

I have benefited a lot from reading this article. Thank you very much for doing this article. thanks regards.

Just a couple of things I wanted to add, especially to frequent WDW visitors. First, “park hopping” is as easy as crossing the street, unlike WDW which can require a bus, boat, monorail, and the better part of an hour. As a “Magic Keyholder” I can park hop for no additional cost, but I usually advise buying the hopper since it’s easy and makes it possible to repeat the things you love in both parks. Also, the lockers at Disneyland are super easy and convenient. We often take sweatshirts for the cool evenings and lock them up… we can also store our purchases there if we’re not staying at a Disneyland-official hotel (and even if we are, there isn’t much time to have things sent back to the room if you’re only staying two or three days). I was last there in September so my May trip will be the first time with Genie… I will probably do the Genie+ at least one day since I loved MaxPass. Also it’s a girls’ trip and it’s much easier to justify $25 a day for myself rather than $100 for the whole family.

Tsk, tsk… You failed to mention the “electrosynthomagnetic musical sounds”!

Can you add Max Pass once you are in the park if you decide you want it?

Yes you can through the Disneyland app.

If you have the Disneyland app you can scan everyone’s tickets onto your app and then you can purchase the maxpasses from your phone.

As a long time WDW vey, I will find myself in Disneyland for 3 days in mid July. I am a senior, and don’t need to do any of the “ thrill” rides, but certainly want to experience all the classics, parades and nighttime entertainment. Is Maxpass a necessity for my needs?

MaxPass can get you World of Color and Fantasmic Fastpasses, but paper Fastpasses for these shows can also easily be obtained in the morning. If you’re skipping the thrill rides I do not think MaxPass is necessary.

Ahhh – reading this comment, and more to the point, the dates involved, all I can think is: wow – the things we just didn’t know, and didn’t see coming, at that moment!!!

Any advice for a trip scheduled for Jan 30-Feb 1? The new ride, Rise of the Resistance will only have been open a couple of weeks. The crowd calendar still shows 2-3. Is that realistic?

It’ll still be a slow time of year for the rest of Disneyland Resort. Yes, the new ride will be very popular and have a high wait, but the rest of the park should be fine.

Everyone in your party will need a max pass. Max pass is per ticket.

@Jennifer… Yes, if you want to book fast pass for rides, your whole family will need one. (Unless they are really young) But if you need a Max Pass for your whole family is really dependent upon how busy it is. I was just at the park last week and it was very busy. It was well worth the cost. If you don’t have it, a person from your party will have to walk across the park to book a fast pass ticket. If the park is busy, then this will take a long time. But if the park is not busy, then it is a call to make while you are there and how bad you want it. But if all you want is the Photo Pass, then only one person in the party needs it. Definitely worth one member of the party getting it just for the sake of the pictures!

Is it worth it to purchase the tickets with Max Pass or not? Does everyone in a party of 6 need Max Pass or can just 1 person get it to get the Photo pass pictures?

Any idea when this summer avengers campus will open?

Disney has only said “Summer 2020” so early June or late May is a good guess.

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The Ultimate Guide for Planning a Trip to Disneyland

By Valerie Marino

No trip to Southern California is complete without a visit to Disneyland Park. The only Disney park both designed and completed by Walt Disney himself, it changed the game for modern theme park design and remains near the top of the list of most popular parks globally, just after Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando . Not bad for a former Anaheim orange grove. 

With just two parks and an array of hotels, most within walking distance, Disneyland is arguably easier to visit than its Florida counterpart and can be an ideal add-on to your Southern California vacation—or a destination unto itself. Whether you’re just popping in for the day or are planning an extended visit, here’s all the must-have info you need to plan your trip.

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

All about the parks

Disneyland Resort is made up of two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

If you only have one day to visit, spend it at Disneyland Park. This is where you’ll find classic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (yes, the one about the drunk-driving toad who winds up in hell).

A huge draw to this park is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , a 14-acre expansion dedicated to the franchise in a galaxy far, far away. Live out your Star Wars fantasies here by stepping into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, sipping on blue milk (a non-dairy blend of rice and coconut milk with pineapple, dragon fruit, and watermelon that can be an acquired taste), or bellying up to the bar at Oga’s Cantina while DJ R-3X spins some intergalactic tunes. Don’t miss Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance , Disney’s most innovative attraction yet, but you’ll have to plan ahead. The ride doesn’t have a typical standby line, and spots in the virtual queue go quickly on busy days.

Across the way, Disney California Adventure is designed in a Mission and Art Deco style to reflect Southern California as it was when Disney, the man, moved there in the 1920s. This park features some true gems like Cars Land , which recreates the town from the 2006 animated film. Take a high-speed ride through the painted desert on Radiator Springs Racers or climb aboard a tractor on Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, a simple spinner attraction featuring a soundtrack sung by Larry the Cable Guy that has no logical reason for being as fun as it is. You won’t find this in the Disneyland times guide, but each night around sunset, the neon lights of Radiator Springs flicker on to the tune of “Shh-boom,” just like in the movie.

The newest addition to the park is Avengers Campus , a land dedicated to Marvel superheroes. It features one of California Adventure’s must-do attractions, Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout, which is a new take on an old favorite. Disneyland re-themed the former Tower of Terror to the Marvel film, giving it a fantastic soundtrack (you never know what you'll hear, but options include Pat Benatar, Elvis Presley, Parliament, and The Jackson 5) and pushing the ride’s mechanics to their limit, so you feel like you’re a yo-yo on a string in the best way possible.

If that sounds a little intense, leave the action to the pros and check out the Spider-Man stunt show, one of many “heroic encounters” outside the Avengers Headquarters . It’s here that you can see Disney’s first-ever “stuntronic,” a cutting-edge stunt animatronic, fly through the air with no wires—or webs—attached.

Because Disneyland’s attendance base is largely Southern California locals, crowds are often lower when annual passholders are blocked from entry, which includes many weekends and large portions of the summer months. Compare your travel dates to Disneyland’s calendar for the Imagine Key and Enchant Key pass options before booking.

Disneyland’s two parks are connected by an esplanade that also links with Downtown Disney, a shopping and dining complex that includes the kind of diversions you don’t expect to see at a theme park. Highlights here include Ballast Point, Disneyland’s first on-site brewery, and Salt & Straw, for their unique seasonal flavors of small-batch ice cream like buttermilk pancakes or mushroom muddy buddies. From Downtown Disney, hop aboard the Disneyland Monorail (a valid park ticket is required) for a different sort of park tour and easy access to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, where you'll find Space Mountain.

What to know about ticketing

Prices for single-day tickets vary depending on the time of year and day of the week you visit, and range from $104 to $154 for adults and $98 to $146 for children ages three to nine. The lowest prices are found on weekdays in January, February, May, and September; the spring break in mid-April, as well as fall and winter holidays, are the priciest. Multi-day tickets are cheaper the longer you stay, down to $72 per day on a five-day visit, which can be used over 13 days. In addition to a park ticket, you’ll need a park reservation for the same date. Reservations can be made up to 120 days in advance, and you can check availability before purchasing tickets.

By Juliet Izon

By CNT Editors

By Madison Flager

By Paris Wilson

If this is your first visit and you only have one day, stick to Disneyland Park for the classic experience. The park has roughly double the number of attractions compared to Disney California Adventure, so there’s plenty to fill your day. For multi-day trips, opt for park hopper tickets, which costs $55 per day. Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are so close together—it’s just about 100 steps from gate to gate—that it’s easy to cover a lot of ground. If you move quick, you can often catch both parks’ nighttime spectaculars in one evening.

Splurge $20 per day to add Disneyland’s Genie+ service, launching in fall 2021, which offers digital booking of many of the most popular rides and attractions. A replacement for the free FastPass system, Genie+ also includes PhotoPass downloads from in-park photographers and onboard ride photos—the kind you usually have to shell out extra to get. Tip: When you see your photo displayed at an attraction’s exit, snap a quick photo with your smartphone to capture the 8-character code on top of the image. You'll need to enter it in the Disneyland app to link the photo to your account.

Where to stay

Disneyland has three on-site resort hotels, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , Disneyland Hotel , and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel , all of which offer guests entry to the theme parks an hour before the public each day. The Grand Californian even has its own entrance to Disney California Adventure that allows guests to bypass potentially long lines at the security checkpoint and turnstiles. (Use this back door to the park to fulfill your late-night Dole Whip cravings and be back in bed, treat in hand, in 20 minutes flat.)

All three on-site hotels are located within a few minutes’ walk to the park gates, making it easy to pop back over for nap time or to grab a sweatshirt for chilly SoCal evenings. You pay for that convenience—rates start around $360 per night at Paradise Pier and $600 per night at the Grand Californian—so keep an eye on this page for seasonal specials.

There’s also a wide range of hotels just across the street, many within easy walking distance of the park gate or along the Anaheim Resort Transportation bus line. If the benefit of early entry is important for you to maximize your park time or you’re planning a Disneyland trip for a special occasion, on-site is the way to go. But with many offsite hotels often at least $100 less per night than Disneyland’s most affordable room, you’ll find significant savings by broadening your search. Two new upscale options have come on the market recently: the Westin Anaheim and the JW Marriott Anaheim , both a short walk from the theme parks.

Where to eat

There’s no shortage of choices when it comes to dining, whether you’re looking for a high-end meal or a snack to eat while dashing to your next ride.

Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian features an impressive wine program with a 17,000-bottle cellar and more than 1,000 labels. The menu changes seasonally and offers entrees like braised lamb or smoked pork chops with a cherry orange sauce, with expertly selected wine pairings.

Lamplight Lounge at Disney California Adventure wins points not just for its waterfront location, fan-favorite lobster nachos, or sugar-dusted miniature donuts that come with a pair of raspberry and chocolate dipping sauces. The theming and decor is on point and gives a glimpse into the animation process for a number of Pixar’s films.

If you’re more in the mood for fried pickles and ranch (no disrespect), head to Carnation Cafe on Main Street, USA in Disneyland Park, where the menu also features Walt’s favorite chili and meatloaf.

When it’s snack time, you can’t go wrong with a Dole Whip—our current favorites are the pineapple-raspberry swirl at The Tropical Hideaway or the Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait at Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats , which layers lemon soft serve with blue raspberry slush. Disneyland is constantly rolling out a parade of new churro flavors. Try the Caliente Churro from Senor Buzz Churros on Pixar Pier for a zippier take on cinnamon sugar.

Take advantage of the mobile ordering feature in the Disneyland app to pre-order your meals and avoid standing in line. Select your arrival window in advance for popular locations like Ronto Roasters in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , where we recommend trying the Ronto Wrap, a grilled sausage with sliced roasted pork, slaw, and a creamy peppercorn sauce.

Alcohol is not served at Disneyland Park, with the exception of Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars : Galaxy’s Edge and Club 33 , a members-only restaurant and lounge. Those wanting to enjoy an adult beverage more freely in the parks will have to cross the esplanade to Disney California Adventure.

Special events to consider

Disneyland has a number of annual events year-round. The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival runs for about two months each spring and features cooking demos, wine tastings, and more than a dozen booths featuring appetizer-sized portions of California-inspired cuisine, as well as cocktails, beer, and wine.

Lunar New Year brings a big celebration to Disney California Adventure with a special parade and treats like mandarin orange green tea tarts (Mickey-shaped, of course) and a winter plum blossom gin mule. But our favorite feature is the wishing wall that invites visitors to leave a message of hope, health, and happiness for the coming year.

During Halloween, Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party is a special ticketed event at Disney California Adventure (meaning the park will close early to other guests) on select nights in September and October.

The holiday season brings a number of special events and attractions to both parks. Our favorite is Haunted Mansion Holiday , which brings a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay to the Haunted Mansion that completely transforms the classic attraction. It’s a Small World also gets a special treatment with a medley of holiday tunes. Whatever you do, don’t miss the Christmas Fantasy Parade, with its classic toy soldiers marching down Main Street, USA. Unlike at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, the holiday parade and fireworks are included in regular park admission. Now that’s really magical.

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2024 Disneyland Planning Guide – Plan the Best Trip & Save BIG

The Park Savers 2024 Disneyland Resort Planning Guide covers everything you want to know about planning a vacation to this fun-filled destination: crowds, dining, best hotels, saving money on tickets and other tips & tricks. We also cover how to get on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance so you don’t leave disappointed. (updated January 27, 2024)

Disneyland Resort

The resort had recently experienced quite the change before being rudely interrupted by COVID. The biggest was Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened its doors to guests in 2019. While that may not seem “recent,” its biggest attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, only opened in January 2020. That’s right, this attraction only saw about two months’ worth of guest time before the pandemic forced the parks to close.

Rise of the Resistance is one of Disneyland’s most immersive attractions and by far one of the most popular. When the attraction first opened, there were no standby lines for guests to enter. FastPass? No way. With this attraction, Disney introduced the virtual queue, a way for guests to “get in line” for the attraction, keep exploring the park while they waited, and then later enter the queue to actually ride.

We realize this sounds a lot like FastPass (and the new Disney Genie+), and it sort of is, but sort of isn’t. While Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Selections (and FastPass before them) allow guests to come back during a scheduled period and go through a faster queue, the virtual queue only represents a line where all guests must enter. No guests receive priority or a quicker way to experience the attraction. It also keeps guests from just walking up and getting in line.

This was introduced because of the attraction’s popularity (and rightfully so) and will likely continue to be the way guests get to experience it for the foreseeable future. That is, unless the attraction goes the way of its Disney World counterpart and nixes it. So when it comes to planning and hoping to score a boarding group in this virtual queue, you may want to see our guide for getting a  guaranteed boarding group for Rise of the Resistance .

Disneyland was also in the middle of several other new resort additions, including  Avengers Campus and a new hotel. While these were all delayed for a time, Avengers Campus actually opened to guests on June 4th, 2021.  The new hotel, which is an extension of Disney Vacation Club, hadn’t made much progress other than being announced. Our guess is that this has been pushed back to 2023 or later.

Amazingly, Disney even managed to reimagine the Snow White attraction in Fantasyland during the resort’s closure into something magical. With all-new scenes and audio-animatronics,  Snow White’s Enchanted Wish is significantly better than its previous iteration, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and guests can finally enjoy the full story of Snow White.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISNEYLAND

Disneyland is Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom, opening in 1955 with just one park. Over the years, it has grown immensely (to a certain degree), adding an additional park, California Adventure, in the early 2000s. Disneyland Park’s abundant charm flows through each of the theme park’s lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Mickey’s Toontown , Fantasyland and Galaxy’s Edge.

Most guests find this park to be the most “magical” of Disney’s two California theme parks, with many original attractions like Peter Pan, Snow White, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain, just to name a few.

Directly across from Disneyland is Disney’s California Adventure Park. Initially, the park was built to represent the state of California. After that pretty much failed, it was revamped to make it more “Disney” in 2012 and has since grown in popularity with the help of new lands and attractions.

Some of our reasons for visiting Disneyland over Walt Disney World include:

• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
• New Orleans Square
• The original World’s Fair version of “it’s a small world”
• The Blue Bayou Restaurant (yes, this makes our list)
• Avengers Campus
• World of Color

NEW TO DISNEYLAND

Besides all the new COVID guidelines we already mentioned, Disneyland saw significant changes to the parks in 2021. The biggest of all of these is the opening of Avengers Campus in California Adventure Park. This new land took the place of A Bug’s Land and will soon connect Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! to the rest of Marvel.

The land features one new attraction, a dining location, shopping and character meets. There is also an impressive “stuntronics” Spider-Man swinging from rooftop to rooftop, which is truly amazing. Additionally, as we mentioned earlier, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish Wish, a classic dark ride in Fantasyland, is also “new” to guests as it received a major makeover inside and out.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS

It’s exciting to plan a vacation to Disneyland for the first time, but it can also seem overwhelming. Trust us, we get it: You want to see and do it all. It’s a worthy cause and very much achievable for anyone who plans correctly. If you want a detailed guide on how to spend your day(s), you can see our Disneyland Itinerary Guides for more information.

For your initial planning, however, here are the most important things to know about:

• When to visit
• Picking the right hotel
• Saving on your theme park tickets
• Transportation and airfare
• Disney Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Selections
• Magic Morning Early Entry and Extra Magic Hour
• Entertainment including parades, fireworks, World of Color and Fantasmic!

DISNEYLAND TICKETS

Currently, you can purchase tickets that range from one to five days. Depending on how long you want to play, it’s always best to buy as many days as possible, as the price per day drops the more you add. For instance, the 2-day ticket costs about $128 per day, but the 4-day ticket costs about $90 per day. So, the more you play, the less you pay!

Guests can choose from either 1 Park Per Day or Park Hopper tickets.  1 Park Per Day tickets give you access to one of the two parks each day of your visit. You CANNOT visit both parks on the same day.  Park Hopper tickets  give you access to both parks as much as you want for the length of your ticket.

We always recommend this ticket as it gives you a lot of flexibility to switch parks when the other is busy. For a great Disney deal, be sure to purchase your Disneyland tickets at a discount with our trusted partner online.

Remember that tickets are only valid for 13 days after first use unless you have an annual pass. Also, tickets cannot be used by different people; the same person must use them on each day of use. Disney takes this very seriously and will revoke your ticket if you’re caught doing this. Only buy your tickets from vendors who are authorized.

For more information on  discount Disneyland tickets , be sure to read our comprehensive guide so you can save the most money. We talk about many different places, including  Sam’s Club ,  AAA  and  Costco . 

ANNUAL PASSES

Keep the magic going all year-round with an annual pass, or Disneyland’s Magic Key Passes . These give you one year of access to the parks, some with restrictions and blackout dates. All offer discounts on food and merchandise, tours, and special events.

Please  visit here for information on the Magic Key Program, including the four levels of annual passholder membership: Dream Key, Believe Key, Enchant Key and Imagine Key.

DISNEYLAND HOTELS

It seems like there are a million and one options for hotels at and near the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. The city itself is basically made up of hotels with a few houses and apartment buildings sprinkled in between, so your options are immense. Having said that, there are ones you’ll want to avoid.

Disneyland has three hotels on property, including the Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. While these hotels tend to run a bit pricier then most hotels near the resort, they also offer a lot of extras for guests like short walks to the parks, package delivery from the parks, and Extra Magic Hour each morning.

Most hotels surrounding the resort (but not owned by Disney) will most likely fall into the Good Neighbor Hotel category. You can read about these and the Disney Hotels in  our complete Disneyland Hotel Reviews guide . There are some great ones out there like  Desert Palms Hotel and Suites , Residence Inn Marriott and the new  Westin Resort by Marriott .

Three airports service Disneyland within a 45-minute drive or less:

• Orange County  – John Wayne SNA
• Long Beach Airport  LGB
• Los Angeles Airport  LAX

SNA  is the closest airport to Disney and typically takes about 15 minutes to drive from there to Disneyland with clear traffic. While the airport is a smaller one, it’s really nice and offers lots of places to eat, shop and, of course, catch your flight. It’s also part of the Disneyland Resort Express motorcoach program, which you can read about below. Airlines include Southwest, Delta, United, American, and Alaska. 

LGB  is the second closest airport to the resort and typically takes about a 20-25 minute drive with clear traffic. It’s also a smaller airport, but was recently re-done and has some great eating places. Airlines that service Long Beach include Southwest, JetBlue, Delta, and American Eagle.

LAX is the furthest airport from Disneyland and can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to drive. This is a major airport with many airlines servicing it. We won’t list them all, but most likely, your airline will fly into it. It’s great for international flights. LAX is part of the Karmel Shuttle motorcoach program, which you can read more about below.

The best way to score some serious discounts on airfare is  to use Google’s Flight Search , which compares most major airlines and allows you to track prices, all for free.

TRANSPORTATION

Getting to and from the airports can be pricey, depending on which type of transportation you take.  Rental cars  can be picked up at all three of the airports around Disneyland. If you choose to rent a vehicle, keep in mind that your hotel may charge a parking fee.

Disneyland also charges a parking fee if you’re thinking about parking at the resort. It’s approximately $20 per day for cars and motorcycles. However, driving your own vehicle or renting one can be a great idea if you plan to leave the resort a lot and head to the beach or other Southern California attractions.

Alternatively, the  Karmel Shuttle Service  is a great way to go from SNA, LGB and LAX to the three Disney hotels and surrounding ones like the Good Neighbor hotels.

Taxis, Uber and LYFT  are great options if you don’t want to pay parking and rental fees. We highly recommend  Uber  and  LYFT  for getting to and from the airport. They are readily available and cheaper than taking a taxi. Use our  coupon codes  to get your first ride free with both companies!

If you don’t have these apps on your phone, we suggest taking a taxi. Many of them offer a flat rate to Disneyland and back – just be sure to ask them. Likewise, if you’re staying at a Disneyland property hotel, ask the bell desk for a flat rate coupon upon departure.

DISNEY GENIE

The key to a successful trip to Disneyland is going in with a plan. Fortunately, Disney’s newest piece of tech, the Disney Genie Service , helps guests to make the most of their days whether they did their research or not. Already launched at Walt Disney World but yet to make its Disneyland debut, this complimentary service will be incorporated into the existing Disneyland app.

Utilizing preferences like your favorite characters or attractions, along with current and anticipated wait times and your location in the park, Disney Genie creates a personalized digital itinerary just for you. This helps you to take advantage of short lines and skip out on rides that may not interest you so that you can make the most of your time in the parks.

DISNEY GENIE+ & INDIVIDUAL LIGHTNING LANE ATTRACTIONS

Unfortunately, you are no longer able to use FastPass or MaxPass to skip the line at Disneyland. Instead, guests will be able to fast-track their trip by purchasing Lightning Lane access. By upgrading their tickets with Disney Genie+ and/or Individual Attraction selections, guests can jump to the front of the line at some of the Disneyland’s most popular attractions.

Disney Genie+ will cost $20 per person per day and cover such popular rides as Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain. Meanwhile, guests will also be able to make Individual Lightning Lane Selections. Unlike with Genie+, you must buy Individual Lightning Lane Attraction access for each applicable ride you’d like to go on. While we don’t yet know how much this will cost, front-of-the-line access to some of Disney World’s rides are going for between $7-15 a pop.This skip-the-line option will only cover two popular attractions at each theme park, such as Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park.

WORLD OF COLOR

World of Color is, quite possibly, the most wonderful show you’ll ever see. With lights, colors, water, fire and your favorite  Disney characters , all set to classic Disney music, honestly, what’s not to like? It’s something you have to experience!

The show returned returning in 2022 for the first time in over 2 years.

Fantasmic! is a nighttime spectacular that takes place around the Rivers of America in Frontierland and New Orleans Square. You won’t want to miss this one-of-kind show starring Mickey Mouse and some nasty villains.

The show includes some of your favorite characters and the Mark Twain Riverboat, singing, dancing, and even fireworks, making it an absolute must-see.

The show made its return in 2022 after being on hiatus for over 2 years.

PARADES AND FIREWORKS

These change seasonally and yearly, so it’s essential to stay updated on what’s currently being presented at each park. If you’re looking for fireworks, Disneyland Park is the place to go, as there aren’t any offered at California Adventure Park. Fireworks are typically done later in the evening and are most likely occur on the weekends, though they tend to run more during the summertime and major holidays. Always pick up an entertainment times guide when entering the parks (or check the Disneyland app) so you know when these are.

Parades change often, and each park can have its own. The Magic Happens Parade will make its way down Main Street, USA once more beginning February 24, 2022.

Be aware that these types of entertainment are subject to change, mostly due to weather. For example, high winds will cancel a fireworks show, while rain will cancel a fireworks show and a parade.

MAGIC MORNING EARLY ADMISSION

Exclusively for Disneyland Resort guests, this feature comes on 3-day tickets or higher only. It allows you entrance into Disneyland Park one hour before it opens to the public. It only runs on certain days, typically Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. It comes on your ticket.

It is different than Extra Magic Hour (see below) that is offered only to guests of the three Disneyland-owned hotels.

EXTRA MAGIC HOUR

This perk is only available to guests staying at one of the Disneyland-owned resort hotels including Paradise Pier Hotel , Disneyland Hotel , and the Grand Californian Hotel . Extra Magic Hour is every day at a different park.

It typically follows the schedule of Magic Morning Early Entry, with Disneyland Park on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. All the other days, Extra Magic Hour is for California Adventure Park.

Times are subject to change, so check with your hotel the night before to verify the time. Take it from us and this Disneyland Planning Guide, Extra Magic Hour is a must-do each day! You’ll get a lot done in just an hour because the park is pretty empty. This is currently suspended in 2023.

BEST TIME TO VISIT DISNEYLAND

There’s a lot to be said about  visiting  Disneyland. Of course, we all want to travel when there are smaller crowds and shorter wait times. But, we also want to go when it’s easy for families to travel  and  everything is open. Finding a balance between the two can be challenging, but it’s possible.

Over the last several years, we’ve studied the crowds and have broken down what you can expect each month and when the best weeks are to visit.

In a nutshell, these are the best times to go to Disneyland:

• January & February (minus holiday weekends)
• May (first half of the month)
• September (after Labour Day)
• Early October
• Early November
• Early December

Avoid major holiday weeks like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Summers are crazy because kids are out of school. March and April are full of spring breakers, and late May is full of graduation nights. In other words, any time that’s not convenient for a family to go is the best time to go.

Be sure to read our  Best Time to Visit Disneyland Guide  to see what may work for you. You can also check out our free  Disneyland Crowd Calendars  to see which days will be the busiest and which ones will be slow.

Another option is to subscribe to a crowd calendar like  Touring Plans , which has made it their business to project how busy the parks will be, using science! These calendars can be invaluable in helping you to determine the best days to visit.

13 BEST Disneyland Tips to Save You Time and Money For Your First Visit

Are you looking for the best Disneyland tips for your trip upcoming trip?

Well, look no further!

I’m here to help.

Planning a Disneyland vacation is so much easier than planning a Walt Disney World vacation.

Partly because the resort is much smaller, there’s less to see and do, and traveling between the two Disneyland parks is super simple.

I’ve rounded up our 13 best tips for living out your best day ever your first time at Disneyland.

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY  DISCLOSURE  FOR MORE INFO.  Which means if you click on certain links, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Disneyland Ticket Tips

To get in to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure you’re going to need tickets.

This will likely be your most expensive item outside of your hotel room (if you didn’t get a discount of some kind).

Be sure you get the right ticket for your what you’re wanting to do at Disneyland and connect it to you MagicBand before you arrive.

You MagicBand allows you to go hands-free, cash-free and key-free with it!

1. Purchase the Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes to Skip the Lines

No matter what type of ticket you purchase, you’re also going to want to purchase the add-on called Genie+.

This paid system allows you to make a Genie+/Lightning Lane ride reservation from the Disneyland app on your phone for either of the two parks

Since replacing the older MaxPass and FastPass system,  Disney’s Genie+ reservation system  is the only way to “skip the line” and save time in the theme parks..

You’ll want to make the most important Genie+ selections at 7a.m. the day of your visit.

The Genie+ upgrade starts at $30 per person, per day, but it’s a huge time saver if you’re wanting to get on as many rides as possible.

Thinking about making a trip out to the Disneyland Resort in California, then be sure to get your Discounted tickets here!

2. Add Park Hopper Options To Your Ticket

Unlike Walt Disney World where adding a park hopper option to your ticket isn’t necessary, at Disneyland adding the park hopper is a must.

Since the parks are so close together it’s super easy to hop over to Disney California Adventure for a ride then pop over to Disneyland for a meal.

With the park hopper option you can swap parks as many times as you want during your vacation and get even more done than if you were just staying inside one park per day.

Hipster Power Tip: Download the My Disney Experience app and familiarize yourself before the trip. Also, connect your party in the My Disney Experience app so that you can get everything setup inside of it before you go.

3. If There’s A Special Event Going On Get A Ticket For That

Throughout the year Disneyland hosts quite a few special events that require an extra ticket.

If you have the budget, I highly recommend getting a ticket for a special event, especially if it’s the Halloween after hours event Oogie Boogie Bash!

With special event tickets usually comes:

• Lower crowds
• Unique entertainment
• Fun food options
• Rare character meet and greets
• Along with being able to ride as many rides as you can in the allotted amount of time

What to Wear to Disneyland in July: Your Perfect Outfit Ideas and Packing List for 2024!

4. Look For Ticket Discounts Or Bundle Packages

If you’re wanting a cheaper ticket and hotel option, try looking for bundle packages at some of the neighboring hotels that are not owned by Disney.

Many hotels offer a room and ticket package if you stay for a certain amount of nights, or will offer a fourth night free if you pay-in-full when you book the room.

When it comes to bundle packages, just be sure to read the fine print and know what you can and cannot do in terms of changing or canceling.

Also, SoCal Residents can get discount park tickets so be sure to look out for those deals.

This is one of the best Disneyland tips to remember for your visit!

Read NEXT: How to Plan the BEST California Road Trip Itinerary for 7 Days

Disneyland Hotel Tips

The Disneyland Resort is currently home to three Disney-owned hotels and there are dozens of other hotels within walking distance of the parks.

So, you will want to book a hotel within walking distance of the parks.

5. It’s Not Necessary To Stay At An Official Disney Resort

Staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel can be pricey. A cheaper alternative would be to stay at one of the off-site resorts that are within walking distance to the parks.

There are hotels all the way down Harbor Boulevard that offer clean rooms at a fraction of the cost of staying at a Disneyland Resorts Hotel.

If you must stay at an official Disney Resort, then consider going all out and booking a room at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa.

The hotel is beautiful, the rooms are large, and it will put you right in the middle of the Disney magic.

REVIEW: Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Waterpark (Hotels Near Disneyland)

6. You Can Tour The Disneyland Hotels Without A Room Reservation

If you’re just wanting to get a look inside the Disneyland Hotels, you can do that without a room reservation.

Also, if you’re at the parks, you can easily walk to the Grand Californian and look around inside.

Just across the street from the Grand Californian is the Disneyland Hotel, which is super fun to explore and grab a late afternoon drink at Trader Sam’s.

The last resort is Pixar Place Hotel, which is a little far from the parks and not as highly themed as the other two resorts so it’s not an issue to miss checking this one out.

What’s the Best Airport for Disneyland? LAX vs. John Wayne Airport

7. The Secret Entrance From The Grand Californian To The Parks

If you are going to explore the Grand Californian for a while or enjoy lunch at their outdoor pool bar (which I highly suggest) and want to get back to the parks, do not walk around to the front of the hotel.

Just go past the pool and either enter the Downtown Disney checkpoint to walk to Disneyland Park, or enter the Disney California Adventure checkpoint to walk right in to DCA!

Flight + Hotel Packages under $499 Per Person. Book now at Expedia.com TODAY!

Disneyland Dining Tips

Disneyland has some of the best theme park food in the country so you will want to book your Disney dining reservations ASAP!

8. Book Most Of Your Dining In Advance

Disneyland does require that some dining be booked in advance.

The parks have dozens of dining options, but the best ones all require reservations in advance, no matter what time of day you plan on dining.

Honestly, the best way to make dining reservations is to call Disneyland’s guest service line or through the Disneyland website.

Read NEXT: Forget the Kids! 5 Best Restaurants at Disneyland Resort for Adults Revealed

9. Be On The Lookout For Fun Snacks And Treats

The Disneyland Resort is constantly coming up with fun snacks and treats for you to enjoy.

Here the best place to find baked goods is right on Main Street U.S.A. at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.

I also recommend trying the Mint Julep which is a classic drink at Disneyland Resort and having dinner at Tiana’s Palace Restaurant.

If something savory is what you’re after consider going over to Disney California Adventure and stalking the Shawarma Palace where you may see some familiar Marvel characters walking by.

Hipster Power Tip: Use the Mobile Food Ordering system to skip the line at Quick Service restaurants and to get your food faster!

10. Seasonal Treats Are Usually Better Than Year-Round Options

There are some treats that are better than others and I can attest that the seasonal treats that are offered at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are usually better than the year-round options.

At Halloween time, do not miss the fried pepper jack cheese on a stick at Disney California Adventure, and at Christmas don’t miss the homemade candy canes at Disneyland Park.

Ready to start planning your next Disney World vacation? Listen to the  latest podcast episode on Apple  or on your  non-Apple  device now!

Disneyland Ride and Attraction Tips

No matter if you love big thrill rides or something a little calmer, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the two Disneyland Resort parks.

So rope drop (meaning get there before the park opens) to make the most of your day!

11. Go To The Bigger Attractions First

There are some larger attractions at Disneyland that usually have a low wait in the morning, so when you enter the park you’re going to want to get to those first.

Rides like The Jungle Cruise, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run , Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Pirates of the Caribbean should be first on your list to get in line at once you enter the Disneyland park.

At Disney California Adventure, you will want to head to Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout first.

Hipster Power Tip: Take advantage of the Single Rider Line if you’re traveling alone to skip the longer line in the queue.

12. Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Later In The Evening

Right when Disneyland Park opens everyone is going to try to rush to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , when in fact the better time to visit the land is later in the evening.

The land is filled with just about anything Star Wars you can imagine.

As a solo traveler you’ll get to enjoy the Single Rider Line on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and can expect a lower wait time because of it.

Mobile order any snacks or meals you want, then just enjoy touring the land. This is one of the best Disneyland tips to remember for your visit!

7 BEST Places to Eat at Disneyland on a Budget! (Disney Food Guide)

13. Do Not Skip The Kid Rides

Even though Disneyland is for everyone, don’t skip out on the kid rides.

These have some of the best storytelling aspects, and many were designed by Walt Disney and his hand selected group of original Imagineers.

Most of the kid rides in Fantasyland won’t need a Genie+ reservation, so the best time to ride these is either first thing in the morning, when a parade is going on, or right after the fireworks when many people are leaving the park.

ORDER NOW to secure your Orlando theme park ticket reservation in the parks! GET MY TICKETS.

My Final Thoughts on Visiting Disneyland for the First Time

Going to Disneyland for the first time is something you won’t forget. Below are a few more expert tips to help you with your California vacation:

• Get purchases delivered to your room from the parks when staying on-site
• Use the Disneyland Crowd Calendar to help you choose the best days to go
• Create your own personal foodie tour
• Let Guest Services know if you are celebrating or if it is your first visit
• Take breaks from the parks
• You can enjoy down time at your hotel or Downtown Disney
• Have your Disneyland itinerary ready so that you don’t waste your time

With these 13 tips you’re sure to have the time of your life!

Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!

About the Author

Megan is a theme park expert and frequent traveler to magical places. She covers all things Disney and Universal and runs marathons for fun.

She thinks you can tell a lot about someone by the name of their signature lipstick, and hers is NARS Dragon Girl.

(Original Article Date: April 26, 2020/Updated by Editor on May 23, 2024)

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The Ultimate 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary to Avoid Crowds

Here is the deal, we love Disneyland. We think it is so fun and happy and all of the above, but it is also one of those places where you can’t just show up without a plan. At its best Disneyland is a total dream, and at its worst… it is a hot and crowded hell (expect a little bit of both on your trip). We have learned that having an outline and a plan for Disney is the best way to go and can make the difference between being the happiest place on earth versus a thousand dollar 4-day nightmare (obviously, we are being a tad dramatic and speaking in hyperbole but you get our point:).  Putting together an itinerary for Disneyland also isn’t a walk in the park. It can be tricky. So we are giving you the Ultimate 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary to Avoid Crowds and maximize the fun! Disneyland is one of our favorite vacations in the US and we want to make sure you get the most out of your trip.

Read how to never pay full price for Disney Tickets again!

Table of Contents

A Note About The Ultimate 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary to Avoid Crowds

Who is this itinerary for.

This is an itinerary (or a Disney touring plan outline if you will) for families and includes many little kid attractions. This itinerary also works if you have really small children who can’t ride certain attractions by using the Parent Swap feature. You can find out more about it here – Disneyland Rider Switch Service . We also use the Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lanes options for this touring plan. We have learned that if you are wanting to minimize wait times that these options are well worth the cost because it saves so much time and is really convenient. Yes, it is annoying that after paying an arm and a leg for Disney tickets that there is an upcharge but really, they are worth it.

We have put these outlines together over the years by using Ridemax , TouringPlans , reading about crowd patterns, and LOTS of practice and tweaking.

How to use this 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary to Avoid Crowds Outline

This is meant to be an outline. So if there is a ride you want to skip, skip it. If you want to go to a show just add it in and go to the show. If you want to ride something twice, do it! This touring plan is simply meant to be an outline that will help you avoid the bottlenecks in the parks. There is also ample time in each plan to stop and visit a character if needed. This Ultimate 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary to Avoid Crowds is just that–a guideline to avoid crowds.

We suggest using the Disneyland (Genie) App (see note below) and downloading it a few days before your trip so you can play with the features and get to know it really well. We have included Fantasmic! (returns May 28, 2022), World of Color, and the Disney Junior Dance Party in our outlines. However, there are many parades, fireworks, and other shows that are great and will change depending on the time of year. View and use the app to see what is available when you visit and adjust the outline accordingly. 

The Most Important Part of the 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary to Avoid Crowds

Wake up early and use the disneyland app.

Be to the park first thing in the morning! You want to be at the turnstiles when it opens (sometimes you can actually even get inside of the park before it officially opens and will be held back from the attractions by only a rope). I know when you are waking up at the crack of dawn you will be thinking “are you kidding me” but it really is SO much fun to be at the parks when the crowds are the lowest and enjoy time without the hustle and bustle of soo many other people. The best part about this is that you will be able to ride three times the number of rides in the early morning than you would be able to in the middle of the afternoon.

Also, the Disneyland App is a dream! Even if you decide to not use the Genie+ and Lightning Lane options, having a quick easy access map and wait times that are updated right on your phone can help you form the best plan and make adjustments on the fly. You can find out more about the app here – Disneyland Mobile App .

All of the daily Disney itineraries (outlines) assume you are arriving at the park before it opens.

Go back and rest

Go early. If the park opens at 9:00 am you want to be at the turnstiles to get into the park by 8:40. Then after you have an awesome morning, go back to the hotel and rest when the crowds are the highest. Return back to the parks in the evening when they are most magical. Everyone will get a chance to decompress and then get revived for the evening fireworks and shows.

When to leave for the parks in the morning

Depending on where you are staying, and your mode of transportation into the park, you will want to figure out what time you need to leave. Keep in mind that you will have to go through security before you are even able to reach the turnstiles. If you are staying on property leave your hotel 40-50 minutes before the park opens. If you have to park your car we suggest leaving at least an hour before the park opens. Modify based on the time of year. If you know it is a crazy busy time of year (Christmas, middle of summer, weekends, etc.) leave a bit earlier.

What days are the best to visit each park?

I like to use my Touring Plans account and see what they suggest. Their system isn’t perfect, but it does help!

Staying off the property or on??

One of the benefits of staying at a disneyland resort is that you get to enter the parks 1/2 earlier than the general public. this can make a decent difference in your wait times on those first few hours. however, there are still ways to make the most of your visit even if you don’t stay on the property , where to eat and reservations.

All Disney restaurants are not created equal. Some of the restaurants are surprisingly yummy and others are well… not so much. We like to have a large sit-down meal just before we leave the park in the afternoon and then eat something small and quick when we return in the evening. Lunch menus are usually a bit cheaper and just as large as the dinner portions.  Make reservations for the places you are able, it will save you SOO much time. You can make your dining reservations here – Disney Dining . 

The best Restaurants in Disneyland Park

Sit down restaurants with reservations.

• The Blue Bayou
• Cafe Orleans

Quick Service Restaurants

• Bengal Barbecue
• French Market
• Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe

The best Restaurants in Disney California Adventure

Sit down restaurants with reservations.

• Cathy Circle Lounge
• Wine Country Trattoria
• Cozy Cone Motel
• Flo’s V8 Cafe
• Pacific Wharf Cafe

The Ultimate 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary To Avoid Crowds

First thing when arriving, check times for parades, and shows. Fit them in and create breaks when needed to watch them.

• Rise of the Resistance Get Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane RIGHT as you enter the park (Lightning Lane on your phone). When you get your arrival time to ride, work that into the schedule below . We have found that the wait time for this ride is usually HOURS and so going the lightning lane route is so efficient. Also, in our opinion, this ride is absolutely worth the hype! We love it!  
• Get Indiana Jones Genie+  (Genie+ on phone)
• Ride Peter Pan’s Flight – Fantasyland
• Dumbo – Fantasyland
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – Fantasyland
• Alice in Wonderland – Fantasyland
• Mad Tea Party – Fantasyland
• Snow White’s Scary Adventures – Fantasyland
• King Arthur Carrousel – Fantasyland
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – Fantasyland
• Storybook Canal Boats – Fantasyland
• Indiana Jones (use Genie+ Reservation) – Adventureland
• Get Space Mountain Genie+ (Genie+ on phone)
• Winnie the Pooh – Critter Country
• Pirates of the Caribbean – New Orleans Square
• Jungle Cruise – Adventureland
• Tarzan’s Tree House – Adventureland
• Get Buzz Lightyear Genie+ (Genie+ on phone)
• Tiki Room – Adventureland
• Space Mountain (use Genie+ Reservation) – Tomorrowland
• Buzz Lightyear (use Genie+ Reservation) – Tomorrowland
• Get Star Tours Genie+ (Genie+ on phone)
• Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln – Main Street, U.S.A.
• Watch Parade/Fireworks – Main Street/Fantasyland
• Star Tours (use Genie+ Reservation) – Tomorrowland

Peter Pan is one of the cutest and most nostalgic rides in Disneyland. It also gets busy REALLY fast! We suggest this is the first place you visit in the morning RIGHT after opening. They usually will start forming a line for this ride before the ride even opens so head straight to Peter Pan, go through the castle and hop in the line. The cast members are tricky because they will keep the lines on the outside of the ride so it makes it seem like it is a seriously long wait. Don’t be fooled by this and knock this baby out right when the park opens. 

If you are visiting Disneyland on a day that isn’t too busy and lines aren’t too long, we suggest riding the Storybook Canal Boats at night. Trust us, IT IS SOOO CUTE when it is all lit up!

Explore the park in your downtime. We love the shops on Main Street and back in New Orleans Square. Disneyland offers something nearly everywhere you turn.

Visiting Galaxy’s Edge and Riding Rise of the Resistance

Galaxy’s Edge is an experience in and of itself and is amazing! We have set aside some time further into the itinerary to explore and hang out in this area of the park. 

However, if you are able to snag a Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane, do it! Sometimes the Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lanes go FAST and so if you can ride it, do it! 

Disney California Adventure

• WEBSLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure Get your WEBSLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure Lightning Lane reservation RIGHT as you enter the park (Lightning Lane on your phone). When you get your arrival time to ride, work that into the schedule below. We have found that the wait time for this ride is usually HOURS and so going the lightning lane route is so efficient. 
• Get Genie+ Reservation for Incredicoaster (Genie+ on phone)
• Toy Story Mania – Pixar Pier
• Jessie’s Carousel – Pixar Pier
• Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind – Pixar Pier
• Pixar Pal-A-Round – Pixar Pier
• The Incredibles Coaster (use Genie+ Reservation) – Pixar Pier  
• Get Genie+ Reservation for Guardians of the Galaxy (Genie+ on phone)
• Disney Junior Dance Party! – Hollywood Land                                            
• Animation Academy – Hollywood Land
• Explore and visit Avengers Campus Dr. Strange Show and Spider-Man – Avengers Campus
• Guardians of the Galaxy (use Genie+ Reservation) – Avengers Campus      
• Get Goofy’s Sky School Genie+ Reservation (Genie+ on phone)  
• Goofy’s Sky School (use Genie+ Reservation) – Paradise Gardens Park
• Get Genie+ Reservation for Grizzly River Run (Genie+ on phone)
• Little Mermaid – Paradise Gardens Park  
• Golden Zephyr – Paradise Gardens Park                        
• Silly Symphony Swings – Paradise Gardens Park                                
• Grizzly River Run (use Genie+ Reservation) – Grizzly Peak
• Monsters, Inc. – Hollywood Land

Because DCA has two huge draws right now (Radiator Springs and the New Avengers Campus) we are breaking them up between the days. You will notice that on the first day you will be making the most of the new Avengers Campus and won’t be spending any time in Radiator Springs. Day two will be devoted to Radiator Springs and exploring that area of the park more! 

Also, some of these rides that have Genie+ don’t usually have long waits. For example, you can usually get the Goofy’s Sky School Genie+ reservation and then ride it almost immediately and bypass any wait. If you have that availability, do it!

• Get Matterhorn Bobsleds Genie+ Reservation (Genie+ on phone)
• Finding Nemo Submarines – Tomorrowland
• Autopia – Tomorrowland        
• Astro Orbiter – Tomorrowland        
•  “It’s a small world” – Fantasyland
•  Matterhorn Bobsleds (use Genie+ reservation) – Fantasyland
• Get Star Wars Millennium Falcon Genie+ reservation 
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – Mickey’s Toontown
• Mickey’s House – Mickey’s Toontown
• Minnie’s House – Mickey’s Toontown
• Gadget’s Go-Coaster – Mickey’s Toontown
• Star Wars Millennium Falcon (use Genie+ reservation) – Galaxy’s Edge
• Get Splash Mountain Genie+ reservation (Genie+ on phone)
• Explore and play in Galaxy’s Edge
• Splash Mountain (use Genie+ reservation) – Critter Country
• Get Genie+ Reservation for Big Thunder Mountain (Genie+ on phone)   
•  FREE TIME          
•  Mark Twain Steamboat – Frontierland
• Tom Sawyer Island – Adventureland
• Big Thunder Mountain (use Genie+ reservation) – Frontierland
• Visit some of the attractions that you would like to ride a second time or take the Disneyland Railroad around the park.      
• Fantasmic! – New Orleans Square

Mickey’s Toontown

Mickey’s Toontown opens an hour after the rest of the park. To minimize wait times we suggest being there RIGHT when it opens.

At time of writing Fantasmic! Is scheduled to reopen at the end of the month. It is the opinion of experts that Fantasmic! will have a virtual queue like World of Color (more on that below). To join a virtual queue, there is a specific sign up time and you need to click the “join now” and it will assign you a return time and location. 

Right now, our favorite viewing place to watch Fantasmic! is over by the Haunted Mansion. It isn’t as busy and the viewing is usually just as good. So if you can snag this viewing location than do it! We suggest getting to your designated viewing destination and scouting out a spot at least about an hour before the show begins (we also like to have something to sit on while waiting – a small blanket, hotel towel or something will do the trick). Once you get your spot, be prepared that people are going to try and come and crowd you out. Our biggest piece of advice – don’t let them. 

Disney California Adventure Park

• Get Radiator Springs Racers Lightning Lane RIGHT as you enter the park (Lightning Lane on your phone). When you get your arrival time to ride, work that into the schedule below. We have found that the wait time for this ride is usually HOURS and so going the lightning lane route is so efficient. Our kids LOVE this ride!    
• Get Soarin’ Around the World Genie+ reservation (Genie+ on phone) 
• Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree – Cars Land         
• Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters – Cars Land    
• Soarin’ Around the World – Condor Flats                                            
• Visit some of the attractions that you would like to ride a second time
• FREE TIME                                
• World of Color Show – Paradise Gardens 

Tips for Day 4

Radiator Springs Racers gets SOOO busy no matter the time of year and often FastPasses will run out before the middle of the day. We suggest that you get to the park before opening and are one of the first people through the turnstiles and in line for the ride. It will be a foot race so be prepared.  

Also, like Peter Pan, lines for Toy Story, Radiator Springs, Guardians of the Galaxy and usually the roller coaster will have lines forming before the rides even open. If you want to ride one of these rides right when the park opens be sure to ask a cast member where the line starts.

World of Color Tips

We love watching World of Color on our last day! It is awesome! You will need to join a Virtual Queue on your Disneyland App to do so. Scroll to the end of your “tip board” and join the Virtual Queue as soon as you can. This usually changes based on how busy the park is and during the time of year that you visit. For example, the current time to join the virtual queue on this screenshot is at 12:00 noon. We want to be as quick as you can and join that queue as FAST as you can! Once the spots are gone, they are gone.

Have So Much Fun Visiting Disneyland!

We hope this 4-Day Disney Itinerary to Avoid Crowds helps!! Please let us know how your Disney trip goes! What tricks do you use to make the most out of Disney vacations? Want more California fun? See all of our posts on how to Get Discount Disneyland Tickets and how to make the most of your vacation below!

Everything You Need to Plan and Book Your Trip!

How to Get Discounted Disney Tickets – Your Ultimate Guide!

Everything You Need to Know about Disneyland After Dark!

10 Disney Mom Hacks You Need to Know Now

Ultimate Guide to Scoring Insanely Cheap Flights to Disney World!

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20 thoughts on “ The Ultimate 4 Day Disneyland Itinerary to Avoid Crowds ”

First of all your pics are amazing and you really have this down packed! I’d love to go visit again, it’s been 10 years!

Thank you about the pics!! It is that new iphone haha, I am the worst at taking pictures. Thankfully that phone makes it so easy :). I hope you get to visit again soon!

These are such great tips! I haven’t been to Disneyland yet, only Disneyworld, but it’s definitely next on our list, as is California! Bookmarking this for future reference!

Thank you so much, Joscelyn! I hope you get to use it soon! Xo Kam

wow – just wow. I can’t even fathom trying to get through the entire park. there is so much to see!

Um, the app with wait times is GENIUS. I haven’t been to an amusement park in a while, but every major attraction should have something like this. Will save your itinerary for when we take the kids in a couple years!

Thanks Kelsi!! I hope it comes in handy soon! Xo Kam

omg def bookmarking for future reference! Thanks for such a detailed touring guide!

Thanks, girl!! Hopefully, it helps!! Xo

Wow what a brilliant idea for a post, this is really going to help people out who are looking to visit Disney. A really detailed guide indeed.

Thanks so much for taking the time to map this out. Even though we’ve got 4 days – it does get overwhelming, especially if you haven’t been to these parks before. There’s lots of ground to cover and much to see and do. Your post provides a great shortcut – time saver for sure! Thanks!!

Yay! So glad it was helpful Evelyn! Thanks for your comment :).

Hole mole! This is thorough. Ok true confession, I live about 40 minutes from Disney aaaaand have never taken my daughter because the thought of the crowds and overwhelm is real. Instead we have passes to Knott’s Berry Farm which is down the road. However I might actually give this a shot after reading this, I actually think I might survive a day at Disneyland, lol. Thanks for the post!

Hahah, love your confession!! The crowds really can be so overwhelming but with a plan, they are no big deal :). Love this comment! Xo Kam 🙂

What a great and thorough post. So many details and insights. Super helpful. I’m saving this for when we go.

Yay! I hope you have the best time Maya! Xo Kam :).

These are great tips and an awesome itinerary. It makes me want to go to Disneyland too! I have always wondered how it compares to Disney World.

Thanks Sarah! We love Disneyland and Disneyworld!

Hi, Kamree! Could you please let me know if this Advice would still apply in 12/2022? Also, ours is a five day iTInerary. Thanks!

Thank you SO MUCH for This!! We are Surprising our kids by taking them (and my husband) for the first time this December. I am so very excited and am grateful for What you’ve put together. I will be using this for our trip!

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Best Time to Visit Disneyland Resort (2024)

Planning a Disneyland trip can be challenging, especially if you want to avoid crowds. In this guide, we’ll show you the best time to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure so that you can enjoy seasonal events, pleasant weather, and reasonable pricing without worrying about long lines and large crowds. We will also advise you on the busiest and least favorable weeks and months to visit. By following our tips, you can choose the best dates that suit your preferences and make the most of your Disneyland vacation.

Prefer to Speak With Someone? Get Free Help From Our Favorite Disney Travel Agent!

Factors to Consider Before Selecting Your Dates

The best time to visit Disneyland depends on your preferences and what you hope to get out of your trip. Here are some factors to consider:

Crowds: Crowd levels can have a major impact on your overall experience at Disneyland. Long lines can ruin the trip for some people, so is critical to know when the theme parks are less crowded. Check our Disneyland crowd calendar before you decide when to go. Mid-week days are usually less crowded than weekends and some times of year are significantly better than others.

Weather: Southern California weather is generally pleasant, but rain and extreme heat can negatively impact your experience.

Events & Festivals: Disneyland’s seasonal events offer unique experiences but also attract larger crowds. Decide whether you want to attend these special events or visit during non-event days to avoid the crowds.

Availability & Costs: During peak times, tickets and lodging are limited. Disneyland uses dynamic pricing – rates climb for tickets and hotels during busy holidays and events. Special events often require separate ticket purchases. While off-peak visits may mean lower prices, you may miss out on seasonal offerings.

Top 3 Best Times to Visit Disneyland Resort

If you’re looking for a balance between low crowd levels and favorable weather, cost, and events, these are the three best times to visit Disneyland.

1. Mid-September to Mid-November

Additional decorations are added outside of Haunted Mansion

Fall brings Halloween magic to Disneyland Resort with special events, mild weather, and noticeably lighter weekday crowds. From late September through October 31st, the parks transform with pumpkin décor, themed parades, costume meet-and-greets, and a Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion overlay.

• Unique Halloween-themed attractions and experiences.
• Relatively fewer crowds than in peak seasons, especially during weekdays.
• Wider availability of dining reservations and Genie+ options.
• Dry and pleasant weather, with temperatures in the 70s or 80s.
• Weekends around Halloween tend to be more crowded.
• Some attractions may close early or briefly for refurbishments.
• Evening weather can be cooler, with lows in the 50s. Wear layers.

2. Mid-January to Mid-March

The excitement of the holidays has passed, leaving behind a quieter ambiance. Cool temperatures in the 60s to low 70s make for pleasant park exploring. Sparse crowds provide a relaxed pace.

• Dramatically fewer guests and shorter wait times. On weekdays, lines may be walk-ons.
• More relaxed atmosphere, ideal for leisurely exploration.
• Low crowds provide more opportunities for character interactions.
• Winter-themed foods like soups, hot chocolate, and baked goods.
• Lower hotel rates than peak periods.
• Some attractions may undergo refurbishment after the holidays.
• Shorter park hours due to earlier sunsets. Typical hours are 9 am to 8 pm.
• Weather can be rainy in January and February. Bring rain gear.

Being from Boston, my wife Jaimie and I always look for a warmer place to vacation around January or February. The cold winters back home drive us to find places that offer both entertainment and respite from the chilly winds. Several years ago, we decided to try Disneyland in early February, and it turned out to be one of our best vacation decisions!

3. Weekdays in Winter and Spring

Love is in bloom at Disneyland

The park is invigorating in the crisp air and clear skies of winter and spring mornings. As the day goes on, the park becomes more crowded, but there is still a relaxed atmosphere as the schools are in session during the mid-week.

• Significantly reduced crowds compared to weekends. Short to non-existent lines.
• More opportunities for spontaneous decisions and alterations in plans.
• Lower crowds allow time to notice subtle details in the theming and take photos.
• Pleasant weather with highs in the 60s and 70s.
• Some seasonal shows and parades might only be held on weekends, not weekdays.
• There is a higher chance of rain from November to April.

Speak With a Disneyland Expert To Plan Your Trip!

Worst Times to Visit Disneyland

If crowded parks and higher prices aren’t your thing, consider avoiding these peak periods:

1. Holiday Weeks and School Breaks

Beautiful decorations abound, but crowds can be worse then usual.

Disneyland is particularly magical during the holidays, especially leading up to Christmas, with festive activities such as carolers, themed decorations, and a variety of holiday treats. However, this enchantment comes at the price of large crowds. This is also true during Thanksgiving and Easter weeks. If you don’t like crowds, it’s best to avoid holiday weeks and any time when schools are out of session.

Here’s a tip if you decide to go : Book your theme park reservations months in advance. On the day of your visit, arrive early to avoid the crowds, use Genie+ and Lightning Lane passes to your advantage, but manage your expectations because you will still have to wait in long lines.

2. Summer: June to Mid-August

Summer is the most lively time to visit Disneyland. The park has extended hours and a full schedule of activities. However, the combination of hot summer days – which can reach temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit – and large crowds can lead to long queues and exhaustion. It is important to keep in mind that the summer season also brings higher ticket and accommodation prices. Of course, there are also some benefits, such as being able to add on some fun in the sun at one of the beaches near Disneyland .

3. Other Significant Holidays & Extended Weekends

Major national holidays like Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day always draw huge crowds to Disneyland Resort. The parks often have special parades and entertainment to celebrate these holidays, further driving up attendance. It can be quite busy throughout the entire long weekend and even into the weekdays following the holiday.

To make the most of your day, arrive early, take a break during the afternoon (during peak crowds), and then stay until closing time.

Dates to Avoid Disneyland in 2024

To avoid long waits and crowds, avoid planning your Disneyland trip during these peak dates:

• January : 1-7, 10-15
• February : 16-19
• March : 9 – April 30
• May : All weekends, Grad Nite dates, Memorial Day
• June : 14 – July 7
• August : 30 – September 2
• October : 2-20
• November : 22-30
• December : 21-31

By steering clear of these periods, you’re better positioned for a more relaxed Disneyland experience.

Can’t Change Your Dates?

If work, school, or other considerations are locking you into a less-than-ideal time of year, don’t fret!

One of the best things you can do to give yourself an advantage is to entrust your plans to an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner .

As an Earmarked Diamond level planner,  The Vacationeer has the know-how to help make your trip run smoothly no matter the time of year.

Their agents provide free help planning your trip , including making all of your hotel, dining, theme park ticket, and ground transportation arrangements.

You’ll have a single, dedicated travel agent to handle your plans — no need to waste time waiting on hold to speak to a Cast Member.

And thanks to The Vacationeer ‘s extensive knowledge of Disney theme parks, they’ll give you great itinerary advice to minimize your time spent waiting in line.

Get your free, no-obligation quote today!

A Month-by-Month Guide to Visiting Disneyland in 2024

Here’s a 2024 breakdown of Disneyland crowds and seasonal events to help you plan your trip.

• Crowds : Lighter, but New Year’s Day and MLK Day (coinciding with runDisney events) see a spike.
• Events : Lunar New Year Festival, featuring Mulan, Asian cuisine, and live performances.
• Crowds : Valentine’s Day and President’s Day draw crowds, but the rest of the month is quieter.
• Crowds : Spring break influx; aim for after the first week for fewer crowds.
• Events : Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival kicks off with special menus and culinary showcases.
• Crowds : Generally mild, with an uptick around Easter.
• Events : Food & Wine Festival continues.
• Crowds : Memorial Day weekend is busy; post-holiday sees fewer crowds.
• Crowds : A surge due to summer vacations.
• Events : Summertime fireworks and seasonal foods.
• Crowds : Peak summer crowds, especially around the Fourth of July.
• Crowds : Gradual thinning as summer winds down.
• Crowds : Reduced, as schools are back in session.
• Events : Halloween Time begins, introducing pumpkins, villains, and the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay at the Haunted Mansion.
• Crowds : Busy around Halloween weekend; aim for other times for fewer crowds.
• Events : Halloween Time continues its spooky celebrations.
• Crowds : Quieter, with a significant uptick during Thanksgiving week.
• Events : The holiday season commences, transforming Disneyland with festive splendor.
• Crowds : The most crowded month, especially the latter half.
• Events : Holiday magic is everywhere – Sleeping Beauty’s Castle dons a snowy facade while carolers, parades, and special treats enhance the festive atmosphere.

FAQs: Disneyland Crowd Levels and Timing

Q: what are the best months and seasons to visit disneyland.

Our top recommendations for optimal Disneyland experiences are September, October, and mid-January through March . These months strike a balance between pleasant weather and manageable crowds. In particular, September and October offer the warmth of summer without its peak visitor numbers. Meanwhile, the months after the holidays, until March, promise a cooler atmosphere with fewer guests.

Q: What are the least crowded days of the week at Disneyland?

A: Weekdays, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays, tend to be less crowded than weekends at Disneyland. Visiting on a Tuesday or Wednesday will likely mean shorter lines and wait times.

Q: What’s the best time of day to avoid crowds?

A: The morning right at the park open typically has the lowest crowds. Arrive early to experience short lines before crowds build later.

Q: When is the slowest season for crowds?

A: The slowest season is generally January through March, after the holidays. September and early November also see lower attendance before Thanksgiving picks up.

Q: What if I can only visit during a peak crowded season?

A: Navigating peak seasons can be easier with the right strategy:

• Disney Genie : Use this tool to streamline your visit.
• Early Entry : If you’re staying at one of the Disneyland hotels, capitalize on this perk offering extra time at one of the two parks.
• Arrival Time : Aim to be at the park 60 minutes prior to its opening. This lets you clear security before the rush.
• Morning Plan : Identify and visit your top attractions right as the park opens.
• Genie+/Lightning Lanes : To avoid longer lines, use these premium options in the afternoon and evening.
• Late-Night Strategy : Stick around until the park closes, as ride lines often decrease later at night.

With careful planning, even the busiest days can be filled with magic!.

Q: When is the cheapest time to visit Disneyland?

A: The cheapest time of year to visit Disneyland is typically early January through early March . Hotel rates (including Disneyland hotels) are at their lowest following the holiday season. You can also find discounted park tickets and cheaper airfare during these months.

Q: What is the hottest month at Disneyland?

A: July and August are usually the hottest, with average highs around 85°F. For milder weather, plan a trip in spring or fall, when temperatures reach the 70s.

Q: When is the best time to visit Disneyland if I want to avoid the rain?

A: The wettest time of year in Anaheim is January and February, with Disneyland experiencing an average of five rainy days. To avoid rain, plan your visit in summer or early fall.

Plan an Unforgettable Disneyland Vacation with The Vacationeer

Planning a memorable Disneyland vacation requires a great deal of effort and expertise. Fortunately, The Vacationeer is here to help you out. As a top Disney travel agency and an exclusive Platinum Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, The Vacationeer has the knowledge and experience to design a perfect and personalized trip for your family.

The Vacationeer Advantage:

• One-on-One Service : A dedicated Disney specialist will get to know your family’s interests, budget, and vision for your perfect vacation. They handle every detail from start to finish.
• Insider Access : The Vacationeer agents have in-depth knowledge of the parks. They can give you advice, uncover VIP experiences , discounts, and deals that you might otherwise miss out on.
• Simplicity and Savings : The Vacationeer makes planning and booking Disneyland easy and stress-free. And best of all, their services are completely free!

As huge Disney fans, my wife Jaimie and I have learned to always trust The Vacationeer for our Disney getaways. Though we know Disney parks inside and out, The Vacationeer still impresses us with their attention to detail and little touches of extra magic. I highly recommend connecting with their team of specialists for an unforgettable, seamless Disneyland vacation.

Get personalized advice and a free, no-obligation quote from The Vacationeer !

Closing Thoughts

Just like any great adventure, a bit of preparation can take that Disneyland experience from good to unforgettable. Here’s a simple tip from our playbook: Study a Disneyland map ahead of time. Get a good grasp of the layout to help you navigate the park easily, allowing you to hit those must-see attractions without a hitch. And, if you love a good story like us, learning about Disneyland’s rich history before you go can make every corner of the park come alive in a whole new way.

As I’ve just mentioned, a Disney travel agent can be a valuable resource, as it has been for my family. They can provide advice on everything from the best age for Disneyland visits to helping you select the ideal travel dates to ensure that you find the perfect accommodations. Whether it’s the premier on-site Disneyland hotels or the best Disneyland Good Neighbor hotels nearby, they can help you make the best decision to match your dream vacation. And if you’re torn between Disneyland and Disney World , their expertise can guide you in making the best decision.

My family loves visiting Disneyland in September, October, and from mid-January to March for the mild weather and fewer crowds. However, keep in mind that the ideal Disneyland trip varies based on personal preferences.

No matter when you choose to visit, Disneyland’s enchantment is a guarantee!

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Tips for visiting Disneyland in 2024: 17 ways to save money and have more fun

Disneyland in Southern California is known as the Happiest Place on Earth, but the experience is a whole lot happier for visitors who come prepared. Visiting a Disney theme park can be complicated, confusing and expensive. With the right strategy, however, you can dodge a lot of lines and spend less than the average guest.

After spending thousands of hours in the two theme parks in Anaheim over the years, I've picked up quite a few Disneyland tips and tricks. Here are the essential tips you need to know to get the most for your money, spend less time in line and have a more magical vacation experience.

Don't forget to make theme park reservations

Earlier this year, Walt Disney World in Florida eliminated its theme park reservation requirement for most guests. Disneyland did not. If you want to visit the parks in California, you'll still need a reservation for the park you plan to enter first each day.

When buying a theme park ticket directly from Disney's website, you'll be prompted to make park reservations automatically. If you buy from a third-party reseller like Get Away Today or Undercover Tourist (which can be smart to do, as you may save money by purchasing multiday tickets this way), you'll need to complete the reservations step on your own. It only takes a minute or two to link a ticket and make the selections, but you'll want to make sure you don't forget about this task until it's too late.

How far ahead do you need to plan? Thankfully, many dates at Disneyland are no longer completely booked up for regular ticket holders. That said, if you plan on visiting during a busy time, like the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, you'll want to make sure you reserve at least a few weeks in advance to be safe.

Price out single-day tickets, even if you are visiting for multiple days

Disneyland sells both single and multiday park tickets that are good for up to five days. If you are going to visit for two or even three days, it may surprise you to find that purchasing a multiday ticket isn't always the best deal.

It's counterintuitive, but it's a function of Disneyland's set price for multiday tickets and variable pricing for single-day tickets. There are seven different price tiers (Tier 0 to 6) for single-day tickets. Two or even three of some of the cheaper single-day tickets (Tier 0, Tier 1, etc.) can cost less than their multiday ticket equivalent.

Related: These are the best times to visit Disneyland

There is no need to do the math if you are going during peak periods, such as a school holiday when single-day tickets are expensive. However, if you are purposely visiting during a less popular time when shorter lines are common, you may be pleasantly surprised to find you can save money, too.

Just be aware that one-day tickets are a little less flexible than multiday tickets, as the cheaper ticket tiers can only be used on certain days. If you decide to reschedule a trip or visit on a different day of the week, the single-day tickets may not offer all the flexibility you need.

Stay within walking distance — but not necessarily on property

Compared to Disney World, Disneyland is exceptionally compact. The two theme parks, three Disney-owned hotels and Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment district are all within walking distance of each other. The proximity means you can get a lot more done even on a short trip because you won't be wasting time in transit.

Take full advantage of Disneyland's smaller size by staying at a hotel within walking distance. While all three Disney-owned hotels ( Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel ) are within walking distance of both parks, several off-property hotels are just as close — and cost a lot less. You won't get all the perks and Disney decor of an on-property stay, but you won't have to wait for shuttles or worry about parking.

Related: Best Disneyland hotels in and near the parks

You can even use points and miles for several of these properties to lower the cost of your vacation. At least one hotel in every major hotel loyalty program — including Marriott Bonvoy , Hilton Honors , World of Hyatt , IHG One Rewards and several others — is within a 15-minute walk of the theme parks.

Related: The Marriott Courtyard at Disneyland that costs up to $700 and is valet-only

Book character meals at strategic times

Meeting characters is a popular Disneyland activity, especially for kids, but waiting in long lines to see them in the hot sun may not be your idea of vacation fun. A better way to get photos with Mickey and his pals is to schedule a character meal. Disneyland has four restaurants offering character dining experiences: three in two Disney hotels and one within Disneyland Park.

Disneyland's character dining is expensive, so you shouldn't pay for it while spending big bucks on theme park tickets. I find it's much more economical to schedule a character meal outside the parks on the evening of my arrival or the morning of my departure. That way, my family gets some of the Disney magic without paying for an extra day of theme park tickets or cutting into our time on Disneyland's best rides .

If you must schedule a meal on a theme park day, don't schedule it for first thing in the morning. Morning is when you should be in the parks, taking advantage of shorter ride lines. A better option is to book a late morning brunch or lunch and use the meal as a break after several hours of riding attractions. After all that walking, you'll have earned your Mickey waffles.

Consider Park Hopper tickets, even if you skip them at Disney World

Guests can visit both theme parks in a single day for an additional charge. Disneyland's Park Hopper ticket option costs $65 to $75 more for the length of the ticket, so many guests will naturally forgo this option to save money. While it can be smart to skip the Park Hopper ticket option in some circumstances, that's not universally true.

The parks at Disneyland are steps away from one another, so it's very easy to hop between them (even multiple times daily) if your travel party is mobile and motivated. You can often devise a much more efficient touring plan and re-ride your favorite attractions if you park hop. I find I can often get as much done in two days at Disneyland with a Park Hopper ticket (especially when using Disney's cut-the-line service Genie+ ) as I can in three days limited to one park per day.

Even if you are someone who skips park hopping at Walt Disney World because of the distance between the parks, rethink that strategy at Disneyland.

Mobile order to skip food lines

The vast majority of casual quick-service restaurants at Disneyland now offer mobile ordering. Instead of standing in another long line, you can place your order on the Disneyland app and pick it up during a 30-minute window at your chosen time.

Mobile order time slots book up, especially at peak meal times for the most popular restaurants. To select a pickup window that works with your schedule, place your order an hour or two before the lunch or dinner rush. It's easy to do this while standing in line for a ride. If you run late or early, you can modify your pickup window in the Disneyland app to another available time with just a few clicks.

Use MouseDining to snag hard-to-get dining reservations

Securing reservations for table service restaurants at Disneyland has become increasingly competitive. Popular dining spots like Blue Bayou and Lamplight Lounge often book up instantaneously when they are released (usually 60 days in advance). Even if you are on Disney's site exactly at the right time, you may not get the restaurant or time you want.

Other guests cancel reservations all the time, and sometimes Disney opens up more availability, so it is possible to get a table even if you miss the original booking window. Better yet, a third-party service called MouseDining will run searches to find that new availability for you. MouseDining has a free version that sends email alerts and a paid version that sends text alerts. I've used MouseDining to snag at least a dozen hard-to-get reservations in the last couple of years.

Sip and savor at California Adventure's food festivals

Disney hosts several food festivals yearly in Disney California Adventure Park, including Lunar New Year in January and February, the Disneyland Food & Wine Festival in the spring and the Disney Festival of Holidays every winter holiday season. Many guests enjoy making a meal or two from the unique food festival offerings.

At many of these festivals, Disney offers a Sip & Savor pass. For a set price, guests purchase a pass that they can exchange for six to eight menu items at the festival booths. These passes can be a smart way for a family or group of friends to save money on food while still sampling various options.

Just make sure to do a little math so you are redeeming the pass for items that are a good value relative to the pass price. Generally speaking, you'll often come out several dollars ahead on most entrees, but drinks and desserts are not always worth it.

Prepurchase Genie+ with your park ticket

If you want shorter lines for many of Disneyland's most popular rides, you'll likely want to use Disney Genie+. With Genie+, guests make reservations to return to high-demand attractions through express queues called Lightning Lanes. Genie+ is certainly not essential, especially if you plan to visit during quieter times or mainly to ride attractions that don't have Lightning Lanes.

For guests who do plan to use Genie+ every day of a trip, however, it is better to prepurchase park tickets that include it. Otherwise, the only way to buy it is to wait until you enter a theme park each day of your trip. Disneyland charges $30 per person, per day if you buy Genie+ at the time of ticketing. If you wait, the price is variable and has been as high as $35 in 2024.

Prepurchasing Genie+ saves money and avoids the hassle of fumbling with your phone each morning once you enter the park. That's when you should be taking advantage of short ride lines instead.

Modify (don't cancel) Genie+ Lightning Lane bookings

If you plan to purchase Genie+, definitely take the time to learn how to use it to get maximum value .

Guests can make a Genie+ reservation at least every two hours, sometimes sooner. One of the mistakes that many guests make with Genie+ is canceling a reservation when their plans change. When you cancel, the two-hour clock is reset, and you lose time. That means you'll book and ride fewer attractions over the course of the day.

Instead of canceling, you should modify your Genie+ reservations. Modifying doesn't reset the eligibility clock. You can modify for a different time on the same ride or for another ride entirely, as long as the ride is within the same park.

Make Genie+ reservations for popular attractions early — but not too early

All rides are not created equal when it comes to Genie+ at Disneyland. Some attractions are far more popular than others. The return windows for those attractions will quickly get pushed out much later in the day, and those rides will run out of Genie+ reservations first. Guests using Genie+ strategically should book these in-demand attractions before that happens.

What should you book first? Disneyland Park's most popular Genie+ attractions are Indiana Jones Adventure, Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion Holiday (when offered in the fall and winter). In Disney California Adventure Park, Toy Story Midway Mania, Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout! and Web Slingers tend to go more quickly. You'll want to make sure these attractions are your first or second picks before the early return times are gone.

Although you want to book these attractions on the early side, you also shouldn't redeem them too early. The parks have short standby lines first thing in the morning, so it's a waste of a Genie+ reservation to redeem it five minutes after the park opens. Use short standby lines while you can (for attractions that don't offer Genie+ and for attractions that you may want to ride more than once in a single day). Then, use Genie+ Lightning Lanes an hour or two into the day as queues get longer.

Make park reservations with the early entry schedule in mind

At Disneyland, guests of the three on-property Disney hotels are entitled to early entry 30 minutes before other guests each day. Unlike Walt Disney World, early entry is only offered in one park daily. Disneyland Park opens early on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; Disney California Adventure Park offers early entry on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The staggered schedule has some important strategy considerations. If you are an on-property hotel guest, you will definitely want to use early entry daily, if possible, to take advantage of shorter ride lines in the morning. That means you should plan to make park reservations for the park that has early entry each day.

If you don't have early entry privileges, you should often do the opposite. Make your reservations for the park that isn't offering early entry. All guests in that park will be on an equal playing field at rope drop when the park opens; no one will have had a head start or be filling the queues. If you can wake up early enough to be in front of those crowds, you can take advantage of short ride lines without paying the big bucks for an on-property hotel.

Don't rope drop Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Even more than four years after its opening, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance remains the most popular ride in Disneyland Park. Many guests who haven't experienced it yet (and many who have) want to get aboard the attraction without a long line and without paying the extra $20 (or more) to ride it with an individual, paid Lightning Lane. The ride isn't open during early entry, so a popular strategy is to make a beeline for it at rope drop.

While finding a shorter wait first thing in the morning is possible, rope dropping Rise of the Resistance isn't necessarily the smartest overall touring strategy. The attraction is all the way in the very back corner of Disneyland Park, so walking there takes time. Slower-moving guests don't stand a chance.

Even the speedy pay a price. The ride itself has multiple preshows and is quite long. Even if you enter the queue quickly, you won't be done until at least 30 to 60 minutes after the park has opened. By that time, multiple other attractions will have long standby queues.

What are better Disneyland rope drop strategies? For families with younger kids or anyone into Disney nostalgia, head to Fantasyland. It's entirely possible to ride five or more classic dark rides there in the first hour of the park opening with minimal lines. Another smart strategy is to start with Space Mountain and run through a few Tomorrowland attractions before the lines get long.

Take home an inexpensive Disneyland souvenir

Souvenirs in the many Disney stores that line Main Street, U.S.A. or Downtown Disney can set you back hundreds of dollars. Still, there are a few valuable souvenirs, some of which are fun throwbacks to Disneyland's quirky and unique history.

One of my favorites is an old-fashioned silhouette. A few very talented Disney artists cut a side-view portrait of you or your child in minutes in their small studio on Main Street, U.S.A. The portrait costs just $11.99, and basic frames are not much more expensive. My family has enjoyed collecting these silhouettes of our kids at various ages and stages at Disneyland over the years. We've even gotten a few of them made in other Disney parks around the world.

Another affordable souvenir is Disneyland's pressed pennies. For $1, you can get a coin with a favorite character or scene pressed onto it. A lot of kids have fun collecting them in an inexpensive portfolio you can find in one of the gift shops. Many other tourist attractions and travel destinations also have machines, so pressed pennies can be an inexpensive souvenir beyond the theme parks.

If you want a quirkier souvenir with an experience attached to it, go to one of Disneyland's fortune-telling machines. For just a quarter or two, an audio-animatronic character will give you a fortune card. Look out for Esmeralda (in the Penny Arcade on Main Street, U.S.A.), Fortune Red (near the exit of Pirates of the Caribbean) or Shrunken Ned (in the Bengal Barbecue seating area across from the Jungle Cruise).

Keep an eye out for roaming characters

One of the things Disneyland does best (and more often than Walt Disney World) is spontaneous character interactions. Of course, Disneyland has the usual designated meet-and-greet spots where guests queue for photos and autographs, but it's also not unusual to find characters roaming around the parks in unexpected and unscripted places. Occasionally, these interactions can lead to some really magical moments and interactions.

In Disneyland Park, you'll find the most spontaneous character activity in Fantasyland, as well as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge . Plus, Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Park is particularly full of chances to have a more improv-style interaction with a character.

Pack for variable weather

Thankfully, the weather in Southern California is usually pretty pleasant, especially compared to the oppressive heat common at Disney World in Orlando. Because of the nice climate, many more of Disneyland's attractions are partially or fully outdoors. That means you must be prepared for the elements when the forecast doesn't fully cooperate.

Rain is pretty uncommon, at least for hours at a time, but packing a poncho is never a bad idea. If you want to minimize your chance of a rainy day at Disneyland, avoid January and February. Similarly, heat waves are not that common, but they do happen a few times a year. The hottest months to visit are usually August and September.

You need to be prepared for various climates and conditions whenever you go. Disneyland often has really long park hours, and if you plan to go from early entry at the crack of dawn to park close at midnight or later, you might experience 20- to 30-degree temperature swings over the course of the day. Layering is essential. Even on very hot days when I'm in a T-shirt and shorts, I'm often starting the morning and ending the evening wearing a hoodie.

Make use of single-rider lines and the Buddy Pass

If you aren't rope dropping or paying for Genie+, there are still a few other tricks of the trade to find shorter lines at Disneyland. One of my favorites is the single-rider line, where Disneyland cast members use a special queue (usually shorter than the regular standby queue) to fill empty single seats. You can use the line as long as your party is comfortable with separating and your kids are old enough to ride alone (age 7 and up).

Single-rider lines tend to be most useful midmorning. In afternoons and evenings (especially on weekends), locals with annual passes visit the parks in greater numbers, and many of them are wise to this trick. The rides that offer single-rider lines can change, but the service is regularly available at many in-demand thrill rides like Radiator Springs Racers, Space Mountain and Incredicoaster.

One close cousin of the single-rider system is the Buddy Pass, where small groups are used to fill an empty row on a larger ride vehicle. This has traditionally been available at Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue. A version of it, known as the Roo Pass, is sometimes used for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The Buddy Pass is less reliable than single-rider lines but can sometimes help you shortcut another ride on your Disneyland day.

Bottom line

The right preparation can definitely help you save both time and money on a Disneyland theme park vacation. With these touring and booking tips, you're well on your way to being a Disneyland expert.

Related reading:

• The best airports for Disneyland
• Disneyland's $1.9 billion plan for new lands and attractions gets final approval by city council
• How to use points to buy Disney tickets
• Major changes coming to Disney's Disability Access Service

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This Disney Park Is One of the Most Beautiful in the World — How to Visit

Here’s our magical guide to visiting Disneyland Paris.

Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure , covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer.

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• Disneyland Park
• Walt Disney Studios Park

Disney Village

Getting there, disneyland paris day trip itinerary.

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Since 1992, Disneyland Paris (then called Euro Disney) has welcomed more than 250 million guests to its magical theme parks and hotels. Made up of two parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park), seven hotels, and a dining and shopping district called Disney Village, the theme park resort has grown into a full-blown vacation destination, and it’s only getting better. Fresh off its 30th-anniversary celebration, the opening of Avengers Campus, and the reimagining of Disneyland Hotel, Disneyland Paris recently announced big plans to completely transform Walt Disney Studios Park into Disney Adventure World.

I’ve visited 10 of the 12 Disney theme parks around the world, and Disneyland Park in Paris is the most beautiful iteration of the classic castle park I’ve visited, with gorgeously crafted immersive worlds surrounding a stunning pink castle inspired by French chateaux. I went back to Disneyland Paris last month to see everything new and exciting (and re-ride everything I loved the first time) to curate a new guide featuring the best of the resort. With unique interpretations of classic Disney attractions and a few memorable rides you can’t find anywhere else, the resort is a worthwhile day trip from Paris or a multi-day getaway. From can’t-miss rides to the best restaurants and places to stay, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland Paris. 

Elizabeth Rhodes/Travel + Leisure

When it comes to high and low seasons, Disneyland Paris is similar to its U.S. counterparts: Crowds are largest during school breaks and public holidays. The summer months, long weekends, and the winter holiday season are all among the busiest times to visit Disneyland Paris, and mid-January through mid-March and mid-April through mid-May are typically less busy times to visit. This summer will undoubtedly be extra busy for Disneyland Paris as tourists worldwide flock to the French capital for the Olympics. To avoid the heaviest crowds throughout the year, plan to visit Tuesday through Thursday (and avoid weekends). 

Thanks to the lineup of festive annual events, a fall trip to Disneyland Paris is always a good idea. Each year, Disneyland Paris hosts Halloween and Christmas events with seasonal decorations and eats; this year, Disney Halloween Festival will take place from Oct. 1 to Nov. 3, and Disney Enchanted Christmas will last from Nov. 9 to Jan. 6. 

It’s worth noting that American tourists are likely used to the warm weather found year-round at the domestic parks in California and Florida, but Paris experiences all four seasons. Be sure to check the forecast and pack appropriately — it was very chilly when I visited in February one year, and we had to buy Mickey beanies to stay warm. 

Disneyland Paris sells dated and undated tickets, with several variations depending on how many days you visit and which parks you want to visit. You can buy dated tickets for one to four days for both parks (or a single-day, single-park dated ticket). You can also purchase a single-day undated ticket to one or both parks, but these are typically more expensive. Disney uses dynamic ticket pricing, so you can check out the ticket calendar to see when you could visit to save a few bucks on admission. (Hint: cheaper days mean lower crowd levels.) For 2024, the cheapest one-park, one-day ticket currently ranges from $73 to $148. 

Annual Passes

Disneyland Paris also offers three tiers of annual passes: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Bronze is 289 euros and allows holders to visit 170 days a year. The Silver Pass is 499 euros and allows guests to access the parks 300 out of 365 days each year. Silver pass holders can also enjoy 10 percent discounts at shops and restaurants. The Gold Pass is 699 euros, allows entry every day of the year, offers a 15 percent discount at shops and restaurants, and includes Extra Magic Time and an annual PhotoPass.

Disney Premier Access

Want to skip the line for the most popular attractions? Disney Premier Access works similarly to the old FastPass or newer Genie+ at the U.S. parks in that it allows you to skip the main standby line, but there are some nuances you’ll want to know before you purchase. Yes, purchase — this is an additional cost, just like Genie+ Lightning Lanes in the U.S. You can buy Disney Premier Access One for individual attractions to gain a time slot for the Premier Access queue on the day you visit via the Disneyland Paris app. Or you can splurge on the Disney Premier Access Ultimate, an all-day pass that allows you to skip the line once for every participating attraction. You can buy the Ultimate pass the day of or in advance.

I tested Disney Premier Access Ultimate during my recent trip, and I could ride everything I wanted during my two-day trip, even while fighting jet lag. Of course, if you’re a single rider, you can also take advantage of the dedicated single-rider queues, but even those had long waits for some of the top rides, like Crush’s Coaster. 

Disneyland Park 

Is this the most beautiful Disney theme park in the world? It just might be, with its dazzling pink castle inspired by Mont St. Michel and intricately themed lands that feature fantastic versions of classic Disney rides . Disneyland Park is France’s “castle park,” a term used in the theme park community to describe the Disney parks centered around the main princess castle with a hub-and-spoke layout featuring lands like Adventureland and Fantasyland (think Disneyland Park in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida ). Disneyland Paris has five main lands — Discoveryland (similar to Tomorrowland), Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, and Main Street, U.S.A. Don’t miss the nightly Disney Electrical Sky Parade featuring drones, projections, and fountains for a fun new take on the beloved parade. 

You can find classic attractions like It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Autopia at Disneyland Park. Still, I recommend prioritizing the one-of-a-kind rides you can’t find in the U.S. parks and the unique versions of attractions you’re already familiar with if you’re short on time. I loved Phantom Manor, a spookier version of the Haunted Mansions in Florida and California. I also enjoyed the European park’s take on Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain. Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain is a thrilling, Star Wars -themed take on the classic indoor coaster. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril is an intense outdoor roller coaster unique to this park (though Tokyo DisneySea has a similar ride). 

Take the time to tour Sleeping Beauty Castle (the views from the terrace are beautiful, as is the stained-glass depiction of the fairy tale) and the Dragon’s Lair (home to an impressive audio-animatronic dragon). 

Best Restaurants

Many table and quick-service restaurants are located around the park, from French meals with princesses at Auberge de Cendrillon to Tex Mex at Casa de Coco. I enjoyed my meal at Walt’s, an American restaurant themed to Walt Disney’s life, with dishes inspired by his favorite foods, like his famous chili. Get a table by the window to enjoy great people-watching on Main Street, U.S.A. Find Mickey-shaped pizza at Pizzeria Bella Notte, or try the French version of a Dole Whip at Cafe de la Brousse. If you plan to eat at a table-service restaurant that accepts reservations, make reservations as soon as possible to ensure you can dine when you want. 

Walt Disney Studios Park 

Walt Disney Studios Park will be transformed entirely into Disney Adventure World — construction kicked off in April. This new version of the park will see significant changes, including the addition of World of Frozen, but Walt Disney Studios Park is still open amid the transformation. That said, because so much is changing at this park, we’re just going to hit the highlights for visitors who plan to visit soon before the park is complete. 

Walt Disney Studios Park is home to some of Disneyland Paris’s top attractions, including rides you won’t find anywhere else. At Avengers Campus, you can sling webs at Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure (which also exists at Disney California Adventure Park) or go on a high-speed mission on the unique Avengers Assemble: Flight Force featuring Iron Man and Captain Marvel. (Fun fact: this ride used to be Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, so expect a thrilling launch start and multiple inversions.) Finding Nemo -themed Crush’s Coaster is a super-popular spinning coaster mostly indoors; it’s worth purchasing Premier Access if you visit during a busy time. The original Ratatouille: The Adventure can be found in this park, along with Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and some smaller attractions perfect for kids in the Pixar area of the park. This park also features several shows, including The Disney Junior Dream Factory, Stitch Live!, Mickey and the Magician, and Frozen: A Musical Invitation. 

Bistrot Chez Rémy is hands-down the best restaurant in Walt Disney Studios Park. Shrink down to the size of a rat at this “Ratatouille”-themed restaurant serving up dishes like steak and roast cod with sides of ratatouille, of course. There are also several food trucks throughout the park and some superhero-themed eateries at Avengers Campus. 

Disney Village is Disneyland Paris’s version of Downtown Disney with several shopping and dining outlets, including American favorites like Five Guys and Earl of Sandwich and sit-down restaurants. Stop by the Disney Store to grab some souvenirs before heading out. 

Disneyland Paris has seven themed hotels (listed here from most luxurious to most affordable): Disneyland Hotel, Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel, Disney Newport Bay Club, Disney Sequoia Lodge, Disney Hotel Cheyenne, Disney Hotel Santa Fe, Disney Davy Crockett Ranch. All except Disney Davy Crockett Ranch offer free shuttles or are within walking distance of the parks. Many hotels have U.S.-inspired themes, like nautical New England at Disney Newport Bay Club and Old West at Disney Hotel Cheyenne. I stayed at the recently reimagined Disneyland Hotel ; it’s one of the best Disney hotels in the world, located right at the entrance of Disneyland Park. 

Disneyland Hotel 

The pink Disneyland Hotel feels like a castle in its own right, with a lobby that looks like a royal library and a host of amenities that guarantee a magical vacation. Walking through the lobby, I’d spot Disney princesses waving to guests — and little princes and princesses who just had makeovers at the Royal Collection Boutique waving back.

The hotel also has a free Royal Kids Club, a pool, a fitness center, a spa by Clarins, a bar, and two character dining restaurants, Royal Banquet and La Table de Lumière. I had the chance to visit both restaurants during my stay and loved my experience at both; if I had to choose a favorite, I’d pick La Table de Lumiere for the adorable character interactions. I’m always blown away by how the characters can communicate in many languages at the international Disney parks, and these interactions with the princes and princesses were so fun and memorable.

Overall, I had a wonderful stay at Disneyland Hotel. The recently renovated rooms had upscale decor inspired by iconic Disney fairy tales (mine had a Snow White theme) and thoughtful details that provided a five-star experience. Plus, it took me just a few minutes to walk from my room to the park entrance — an incredible perk you won’t find at many Disney hotels. 

Getting to Disneyland Paris from the city is surprisingly easy. Take the RER A (an express train line) to the Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy/Parcs Disneyland stop just a few minutes from the park gates. You can also take the Disneyland Paris Express shuttle bus, but I highly recommend taking the RER. You can also take a TGV train to this stop from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport; I did this on my recent trip, and it took about 10 minutes to take the train from the airport stop to Disneyland Paris (though it was very crowded on the weekend).  

Although the resort has lovely hotels that are well worth a stay for travelers who want to explore the parks for more than a day, many visitors come to Disneyland Paris for a day trip from the capital. I recommend planning to arrive at the theme parks before opening so you can rope drop any of your top-priority attractions. Get a two-park pass, and consider paying for Premier Access (for one or all attractions) to make the most of one day. I’d recommend starting at Walt Disney Studios Park to ride Crush’s Coaster, Tower of Terror, the Avenger’s Campus attractions, and Ratatouille: The Adventure. Schedule a sit-down meal at Bistrot Chez Remy or Walt’s for lunch, then spend the rest of the day in Disneyland Park and watch the Disney Electrical Sky Parade before you leave.

Related Articles

Disneyland with a preschooler? 7 genius tips for avoiding meltdowns (and bankruptcy)

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When you figure in the high cost, endless lines, height restrictions and miles of walking, does it ever make sense to take a preschooler to Disneyland?

Yes, as long as their adults adjust their expectations, plan carefully and slow waaay down. Because, let’s face it, most preschoolers are too young to understand what Disneyland is all about. It’s the parental (and grandparental) excitement and expectations that are really driving this visit.

Case in point: When we took my Seattleite granddaughter to Disneyland for her fourth birthday, her parents and I spent most of the time watching her reactions, which, I must admit, were pretty gratifying.

Craft an epic visit to Disneyland and California Adventure with our comprehensive guide. It’s full of expert tips and fresh perspectives.

Following the advice of Disneyland enthusiasts and L.A. Times readers, we were right in front when the park opened its gates. We were making a beeline to Fantasyland when out of the corner of my eye I saw Minnie and Mickey Mouse waving by the train station. Ordinarily, with my teen (and now adult) kids, nothing would have deterred us from racing to our favorite ride. But this was my granddaughter’s first visit, and all she really knew about Disneyland was that it was Mickey Mouse’s home. How could we ignore this introduction?

So we turned, which was hard, since she was already laser focused on Sleeping Beauty Castle, but when she finally saw Mickey and his gang cavorting just a few feet away, she reared back and started shaking so hard I feared she was going into shock. She couldn’t approach them or even wave; she just stared and vibrated, like an awestruck cartoon character with her finger in a light socket.

I wanted photos, but her parents and I were so busy wiping away our tears we could barely hold the camera. It was a pretty intense start to the morning, and we had barely left the entrance.

“Going when they’re preschoolers may be the best time, because everything is a wonderment at that age,” said Kristen Carr, of Orange, a “ Disney mom ” of four (ages 10, 9 and 6-year-old twins) who podcasts , blogs and organizes Disney-related activities.

Don’t expect to go on massive thrill rides with preschoolers, Carr said, “but many of the rides feel very well suited for children 3 to 4. Some of my most fun memories are from when my kids were that age.”

Most of the 35 readers who responded to our question “What can you do with a preschooler at Disneyland?” agreed with Carr. Only four said taking preschoolers to Disneyland was a waste of money and time; the rest came down squarely in the plan-ahead-and-you’ll-love-it camp. We followed most of their top tips when we made this Disneyland pilgrimage and almost all were winners. Plus, we discovered rides and experiences at the park we’d never really noticed before.

1. Adjust your expectations

Focus on visiting just one park, and missing most of the big rides. We were in Disneyland from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., but between rests, meals, more rests and endless lines, we only managed eight rides — the carousel, Storybook Land and Casey’s Railroad in Fantasyland, the junior roller coaster in Toontown (after an hour wait to visit Minnie at her house), the Thunder Mountain roller coaster, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (almost too scary), the Jungle Boat Cruise and the Winnie the Pooh ride, plus the Tiki Room, the Toontown playground and the parade.

But we had no meltdowns and she was smiling when we left. (Of course, she was also carrying a new toy purchased just before our departure, but you know, what are grandmothers for?) If the adults must go on a big-person ride, make sure you have someone in your party to take the preschooler to something they’ll enjoy — in my case, we bought a balloon, ate some pre-packed snacks and watched the parade (which she loved) while her parents waited 90 minutes for their first ride on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (which they loved).

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2. Get a stroller

OK, I wasn’t going to do this because I’ve always hated the herd of strollers blocking everyone’s path in Disneyland, but Carr said it was an absolute must, even for her 6-year-old twins, and most of our readers agreed. The kids start out strong, but when they get tired (which happens quickly for little legs), your choices are to carry them or try to find a quiet bench for a nap (good luck). So we rented a big-kid stroller ($38 for 24 hours), which was delivered to our hotel, and it gave us a place to stash our snacks, extra clothing, and a cuddly blanket so she could relax later in the day. Worth every penny.

Carr notes: If you don’t have your own, rent a good sturdy stroller outside the park; Disney’s are hard plastic and not very comfortable, she said. Umbrella strollers are too little for big kids and back breakers for whoever is pushing them. Plus, you won’t have to wait in line at Disneyland to rent and return a stroller. Our stroller was delivered to the hotel about 30 minutes before our departure, and all we had to do was leave it at the front desk when we returned that evening, which was a godsend since we had to walk back to the hotel.

3. Pack water and non-sugary snacks

You can get plenty of sweet stuff at Disneyland, “but a lot of sugar equals a lot of breakdowns” for little ones, Carr said. Bring a small cooler loaded with water, apple slices, carrot sticks, grapes and/or sandwiches, but also do yourself a favor, Carr said: If your child has a favorite snack they eat every day, be sure you pack some of that too.

4. Arrive early, before the park opens

In our case, that meant leaving our off-site hotel at 7 a.m. and running the gauntlet through metal detectors, bag searches and guard dogs so we could be at the gates when they opened at 8 a.m. People who stay in park hotels might be able to enter even earlier. The point is to get in early, before the crowds and head for Fantasyland first, which has the greatest concentration of little-kid rides but also the worst lines once the park starts filling up. Several Fantasyland rides, like Pinocchio, are too dark and scary for preschoolers, but once you get your fill of the sunnier ones, Carr said, you can stop mid-morning, have a late breakfast and plan out the rest of your day.

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5. Download the Disneyland app

With preschoolers, I’m not convinced it’s worth the extra $35-$50 per person to get the Genie+ and Lightning Lane passes that let you skip the line at the most popular rides, but the free Genie app is mandatory for ordering food (so you don’t wait in yet another line to eat), keeping track of special events in the park and seeing what rides have the longest lines or are shut down. Pro tip: Bring a portable phone charger.

6. Prep your child for what to expect

We almost had a meltdown at the first ride, when my granddaughter thought the boat we were waiting for at the Storybook Land canal left without us. It took about four boats coming and going before she began to understand that their appearance was continuous and we would eventually get our turn to climb aboard. Nothing will truly prepare them for the experience IRL, but you can at least explain how the rides and lines work and show them some photos of what they’ll see.

7. Gird your loins and watch your spending

The nickle-and-diming at Disneyland is intense. Preschoolers want just about everything they see, and doting adults are eager to oblige, but between $30 Ariel bubble wands (which need refilling almost immediately), $20 Mickey Mouse balloons, $30 Star Wars stuffies and $50 sweatshirts, it’s easy to overspend. One of the biggest lures for little ones is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique , where “magical makeovers for royalty-in-training ages 3-12” start at $100, a fee that includes a princess hairstyle, nail polish, sash, T-shirt and “shimmering makeup and face gem.” The prices go up from there, to nearly $500 for all of the above, plus a princess gown, tiara and satin hanger (every preschooler’s dream). There’s also the $80 Deluxe Knight Package, which includes a knight costume, gel hairstyling and a “mighty sword and shield.”

Here’s where advance planning can pay off, Carr said. She bought her daughter’s favorite princess gown online for a fraction of the park price, showed it to her the morning of their trip and let her wear that to the park. They still visited the boutique, she said, but only to get a free sprinkling of pixie dust (a.k.a glitter) anyone can request. I can’t emphasize this enough: Plan ahead for what purchases are a must ($6.50 bowls of Dole Whip are non-negotiable in my family) and let your children and accompanying adults know they can’t have everything they want.

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Bonus: The lasting memories may surprise you

With two nights at an off-site hotel ($525), four admissions to the park ( only $602, thanks to a short-time $50 deal for young children), meals, treats and souvenirs, our one-day visit in early February cost about $1,500, or $375 per person. That’s an eye-popping figure, but truth be told, we had a lot of fun, and if we’d curbed our souvenir shopping and been willing to spend nearly three hours driving home after a long day at the park, it could have been at least $300 cheaper.

Note this, because four months after our trip, I asked my granddaughter, “What was your favorite part about Disneyland?” Her answer was immediate: When the servers at Café Orleans brought her a tiny cake — basically three blobs of whipped cream in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head — with a little candle on top. We all sang happy birthday while she beamed and blew the candle out, and that precious moment came free of charge.

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Disneyland | niles: disney needs to look indoors for its theme park future.

Fans are debating that question as Disney moves ahead with its plans to spend $60 billion on its parks and destinations over the next decade. Just in the past month, Disney cut a deal with Florida to spend up to $17 billion on Walt Disney World over the next 15 years. That’s almost 10 times the at least $1.9 billion that Disney has promised to invest at Disneyland over the next decade. The Florida deal includes approval for Disney to build a fifth theme park at Walt Disney World, which has prompted wild speculation among fans.

Ultimately, I do not really care what theme Walt Disney World should choose for its next park. It can be villains, heroes, new movies or old cartoons. All I know is that if Disney ever builds a fifth theme park in Florida, it needs to be all-indoors.

Having just returned from another trip to the Sunstroke State, I must report that summer weather in Orlando these days too often feels incompatible with human life. The combination punch of extreme heat and humidity batters the joy that families have spent thousands of dollars to feel by visiting Disney. Afternoon thunderstorms used to provide a consistent daily reprieve, but I have endured too many days in recent years when that relief never came.

And if your plan to keep your guests comfortable relies on regular incidents of violent wind, dangerous lightning and pummeling rainfall, then, yeah, you need to build a weather-proof theme park anyway. An indoor theme park would allow Disney’s guests to enjoy their day in comfort, while providing Disney’s Imagineers an opportunity to create the most immersive lands and attractions imaginable.

Start by sending a team of Imagineers and Disney executives on a benchmarking trip to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi remains the creative model for what an indoor theme park can be, with the skyscape and lighting in each land perfectly designed for its theme. It’s an inspiration for what is possible in immersive themed entertainment design.

But Disney does not need to travel that far to tap into the creative talent behind Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. Much of its design team, including creative director Dave Cobb, are based in Southern California, within minutes of Walt Disney Imagineering’s Glendale headquarters.

Granted, building indoor attractions can cost much, much more money than creating traditional outdoor rides. Without access to cheap oil like Middle Eastern countries, Disney would need to build more solar farms on its Florida property to provide needed energy while getting creative in applying technology to shade and cool its park.

Yet with Disney talking about spending tens of billions of dollars in Florida, I am left to wonder if an indoor park is not already in Walt Disney World’s expansion plans. Let’s hope so. An indoor park is Disney’s best opportunity to create a new world of magic without the misery of Florida weather.

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New Disneyland Genie Plus Change Will Bring Unnecessary Confusion to Offering

A major change to the Genie+ service at Disney World was just announced as starting next month, guests will be able to plan ahead of their vacation with pre-arrival Lightning Lane bookings. At Disney World, guests will be able to make up to 3 Lightning Lane selections in a theme park ahead of their visit. As part of this new change, Disney World will be renaming the existing Individual Lightning Lanes and the Genie+ Lightning Lanes.

Though there will be no changes to the way that guests book their Lightning Lane reservations at Disneyland, the Genie+ service at the resort will be undergoing a name change as well. This news comes just as visitors are acclimating from the switch to the previous FastPass and MaxPass services to the recently introduced Genie+, so it adds a lot of confusion for visitors as it undergoes yet another name change.

Below, we will share details on exactly what is changing and when this goes into effect. Keep reading for more details on the Genie+ name change at Disneyland!

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New Disneyland Genie+ Name Going Into Effect Soon

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Disney has announced that Disneyland will be changing the name of the “Genie+ service” to “ Lightning Lane Multi Pass ,” and “Individual Lightning Lanes” will now be referred to as “ Lightning Lane Single Pass .”

A Disneyland representative shared, “We look forward to introducing new, simpler names for the attraction access offerings at Disneyland Resort as part of our ongoing commitment to making a visit to our theme parks easier to navigate.”

This is the illustration of the former name to the new name below:

• “Genie+ service” –> “ Lightning Lane Multi Pass”
• “Individual Lightning Lanes” –> “ Lightning Lane Single Pass”

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Even though there will be some significant changes to how Lightning Lanes operate at Disney World, these changes will not come to Disneyland. This is simply a name change, as Disney confirmed that “the way guests purchase, select and redeem Lightning Lane passes at Disneyland Resort will remain the same.” The new name change will go into effect beginning July 24 .

With already a fair amount of confusion surrounding the recent name changes to this service, we can't imagine this will be an easy name switch for guests to embrace at Disneyland after changing from FastPass to MaxPass to Genie+ and now “Lightning Lane Multi Pass.” Even though Genie+ has been the name of the service over the last few years at Disneyland, many people will still refer to it as FastPass out of habit.

Disney gave up a significant brand when they stopped using the FastPass name and now are once again shifting away from their most recent name change. I didn't like the shift from FastPass and I don't love this new name change either.

We don't see any good reason that Disney decided that the name change had to take place at Disneyland as well. Overall the Genie Plus service has worked well for us when we've used it at Disneyland and believe that generally guests feel the same way. For that reason it isn't like the Genie Plus brand is tarnished at Disneyland. We don't see how a name change does anything to better the guest experience at the parks and reduce confusion. They should have kept the names the Genie Plus name at Disneyland to prevent the need for another round of reeducation of park guests.

At Walt Disney World it was a different story. The Genie Plus service was clunky and was used by too high of a percentage of the guests in the parks which made it far less effective for managing a day at the theme parks. We appreciate the change to allow for pre-arrival bookings at that resort as we discuss in far more detail here . The name change in Florida also makes far more sense as guests have a disdain for the Genie Plus offering there.

Originally, the Genie name change was meant to really highlight all the services that came with the introduction of Genie+ which included the free planning help on the Disneyland app which is simply called Genie. The Genie service will remain available on the app providing access to the Tips Board and suggestions for guests on how to plan their day. This may also just further increase confusion to the name change as the original Genie service is still hanging around but just not in its Genie+ format. I will be curious to see how the Genie service will be formatted on the Disneyland app now and how it will incorporate the new name change.

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About Emily Midgley

Emily Midgley is a writer from San Diego, California. She was introduced to Disneyland when she was two and has been in love with all things Disney ever since! At Mickey Visit, she will keep you updated with the latest news from the Disney Parks and provide helpful planning content for your vacation. Her favorite rides at Disneyland are Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Space Mountain, and Rise of the Resistance. She loves Marvel (especially Guardians of the Galaxy) and lives and breathes anything to do with Star Wars.

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Cooking Up Culinary Career Growth at Disneyland Resort

Explore the potential of a culinary career at Disneyland Resort! Here, you can bring your skills to a range of services from catering and fine dining to pastry and quick service. No matter the kitchen, you’ll be part of the team bringing unforgettable dining experiences to guests from around the world. Let's peek behind the kitchen doors and discover what sets Disney Culinary apart from the rest.

Discover Disney Culinary

From honing your craft and sharpening your skills to delighting guests worldwide, our Disney Culinary team plays a vital role in creating world-class dining. “A typical workday is very fast paced because our restaurants and food & beverage locations are busy, and rightfully so - the food is delicious! Guests visit from all over the world to enjoy the resort’s culinary offerings and our cast take a lot of pride in creating uniquely Disney experiences and memories for the guests,” said John, a senior recruiter for culinary roles. Check out the vast array of opportunities below:

Theme Park Roles: · Signature Fine Dining/Dinner Cook – $26.00 per hour · Signature Fine Dining/Demi Chef - $28.00 per hour

Resort Hotel Roles: · Restaurant Dinner Cook - $27.00 per hour · Banquets Dinner Cook - $27.00 per hour · Banquets Pantry - $24.50 per hour · Fine Dining/Dinner Cook - $27.00 per hour · Fine Dining/Specialty Cook - $29.00 per hour

Pastry Roles: · Pastry Line/Dinner Cook - $27.00 per hour · Pastry Cook/Baker - $25.20 per hour

“I have chosen to work for the Disneyland Resort because I can use some of the best ingredients and display the use of them through my cuisine and share the storytelling with the cast and guests. I also get to work with and mentor some of the most talented chefs in the world. I get enjoyment from seeing others develop in their craft and proceed to higher roles in the resort,” explains Chef Alex, executive chef at Carthay Circle Restaurant.

A Recipe for Career Growth

Being part of the Disney Culinary team isn't just a job; it's a journey filled with opportunities for personal and professional growth. Whether you aspire to become an executive chef or specialize in pastry arts, there's a path for every culinarian. Disneyland Resort invests in its cast members' growth and development, offering everything from on-the-job training to professional development opportunities, ensuring there's always room to enhance your skills and advance your career.

“There are so many great opportunities for our cast to grow in their culinary field across multiple pathways. In other culinary roles you may have to leave a restaurant to achieve the next level, but with Disney you can move up and stay with the same company! The possibilities really are endless,” says John.

Here are some ways culinary professionals can grow their careers at Disneyland Resort:

• Specialization:  Disneyland Resort offers diverse culinary roles, from pastry chefs to banquet cooks, which allows culinary professionals to hone their skills in unique areas of expertise.
• Networking and Collaboration:  As part of a dynamic culinary team, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate with chefs from various backgrounds and learn from their experiences. Networking within the industry can open doors to exciting opportunities. “Disneyland Resort offers many outlets for personal growth. There are so many stories of cast members that have started at an hourly role and have evolved to a salaried leader role,” says Chef Alex.
• Mentorship: To gain valuable insights to further your culinary career, you can engage in mentorship programs available at Disneyland Resort to learn from seasoned chefs and industry veterans, gaining valuable insights and guidance to further your culinary career. “You can expect a lot of care and support from your team and leadership. Our chefs are very passionate about helping their teams grow and develop, which fosters a positive environment – the key to success in any operation,” explains John.

Comprehensive Benefits

At Disneyland Resort, we believe in caring for our cast members and their families. That’s why we offer comprehensive benefits to support their well-being and enhance their quality of life. Here are some highlights:

Healthcare Coverage: Eligible cast members and their families receive healthcare, dental and vision coverage starting on the first day of employment. With healthcare plans starting as low as $7 per week for individuals in California, we prioritize affordable healthcare options.

Employee Assistance Program : We understand that life can be unpredictable, so we offer an Employee Assistance Program to provide confidential counseling support and resources for personal and professional challenges.

Legal Support and Tax Services: From legal consultations to tax assistance, we provide cast members with the resources they need to navigate legal and financial matters with confidence and peace of mind.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives: We believe diversity is one of our greatest strengths, so we offer voluntary, employee-led DEI resource groups to foster a sense of belonging and build community around shared identities, interests and pursuits.

If you have a passion for culinary excellence, a flair for creativity and a desire to be part of a team dedicated to creating happiness, consider joining the culinary teams at Disneyland Resort. With a supportive work environment and endless possibilities for growth, it's a recipe for success that's hard to resist. Click here to explore available opportunities!

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