Reservations can be made up to days in advance, and you can check availability before purchasing tickets. If this is your first visit and you only have one day, stick to Disneyland Park for the classic experience. You'll need to enter it in the Disneyland app to link the photo to your account. 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. 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.
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. Disneyland is constantly rolling out a parade of new churro flavors.
Take advantage of the mobile ordering feature in the Disneyland app to pre-order your meals and avoid standing in line. That also means they disappeared even faster! Keep hopping back for updates as more details are released. Save any of the attractions with long waits that you missed in the morning for the end of the night.
Wait times drop off in the last couple of hours of park operation, which makes this a perfect time to hop in line at Indiana Jones Adventure, Peter Pan's Flight or Space Mountain.
With the parks closing earlier, you don't want to wait until the last minute to ride. Do not let the end of the night creep up on you. But if you are already in line when the parks close, you can stay in line and ride. You may also find shorter lines in Disneyland during fireworks and at available rides at Disney California Adventure during World of Color if the park is still open.
Once you're in a line, you will get to ride, even if it is already past park closing time. Just hop in line before the park closes. In Town Square, the patriotic flag retreat is still hoppening each day.
It's slightly modified they are not calling our branches of the military right now , but it occurs at p. Grab a bench and enjoy!
We hope you've enjoyed our tips to maximize your time at Disneyland. Do you already follow any of these tips? Have a tip we haven't listed?
Share in comments below! If you are looking for Disneyland tickets, you can save on multi-day tickets through Undercover Tourist.
Related: Best Time to Visit Disneyland. Just got back from a day trip to Disneyland over the weekend, this post and your 1 day Disney plan recs with the maps were SOOO helpful. I couldn't get over how smooth the trip went! Thanks so much! Oh my goodness, First Time Disneylander, this makes our hearts SO hoppy - we're so glad you had a great time! Thank you for hopping by! From the Disneyland website, it looks like only the lockers in the Esplanade are open and the lockers inside the parks remain closed?
Also, if we bring our own lunch tip 31 , what are some places you recommend eating lunch? Outside the park by the Picnic Area? The lockers inside the park are now open! The website and app just haven't been updated yet. We haven't had any issues using a restaurant table to eat lunch items from home, but there are picnic tables to the left of the Disneyland entrance too.
Thank you for all the amazing tips and tricks. I'm planning a trip to Disneyland CA in October. We want to stay on site and I would love to Disney hop and do two days at the parks. Do you know how to get the best deal for two adults and one 7 yr old child? Is it best to do one day at Disneyland and one day at CA adventures? You've hopped to the right spot!
We offer a 2-Day Park Hopper ticket , as well as hoppin' deals on hotel stays for the on-site Disneyland Resort hotels. We would recommend to start at Disneyland one day and Disney California Adventure the next. You can park hop as much as you'd like after 1 p. If you happen to be a California resident, we also have a 3-Day Park Hopper ticket deal that is good through Sept. Ok we are going May 8. I took a leap and jump on the VIP tour.
What should I know, there is 7 in our group. What do we do first, does tour guide set everything up. Would love to ride star wars rise of the resistance,. The VIP tour guide will set up the itinerary for you, so you don't need to plan anything.
The schedule is toadally flexible though, even on the day of in case a ride breaks down or something is unavailable , and can be tailored to your preferences. If you haven't already, you should let them know what time you're planning to arrive.
Beforehand, you can provide a list of must-do attractions or restaurants, so they can be sure to incorporate them and book your reservations in advance. The VIP tour lasts a minimum of 7 hours, but if you want to keep going, you will have the option to do so! However, if you want to ride Star Wars : Rise of the Resistance, you will still need to get a Boarding Group that morning on your own it's the only attraction you won't have automatic access to. I had heard that Marvel area in Ca Adv won't open until after June 4th so I'm guessing that leaves less to do at CA Adve than at Disneyland in regards to areas closed off and we're thinking of switching our reservations around to do Disneyland on the "closes at 9pm" night and CA Adv on the "Closes at 7pm" night.
Are we right in our thinking there? Why or why not? It's hard to say how long things will take with the physical distancing measure in place, but Disneyland in general has more to do than Disney California Adventure Park, so we agree with your strategy! We would check to see if the days are still available, and if so then it seems like a good idea to switch them.
Have a great time! We are planning to bring our 3foster kids Sept to California they are autistic are there any special services. Disney's Disability Access program may be a good fit for your kiddos! You can learn more about that service here. Have a great trip! Hi they just came out with this So Cal resident deal. And I wanted to go 2x between now and end of May. Its seems worth it cost to do the 3 day pass even you go 2x.
What do you think. It's definitley a good deal! Go for the Promo Deal! You can find those here. Thanks for the great guidance. One question I am hoping you can help me answer I have heard that you can add on a day at the ticket counter but that it can be hit or miss. They may charge you for a full-day ticket, but there is a cheaper way!
Look at the day of the week your sixth day falls on. Then look at the blockout calendar for the Southern California Select pass. If it is an available day, before end of day on the last day of your ticket you can go to the photo booth to upgrade your ticket to the annual pass to upgrade inexpensively. Hope this helps! Thanks for all the great info and tips!
We will have MaxPass, and are debating the hopper. What are your suggestions during the busy week of Thanksgiving? Thanks again!
Since things are so close together at Disneyland, and because MaxPass will work in both parks, we'd suggest upgrading to the Hopper. According to our Crowd Calendar , things will get busier as Thanksgiving approaches, but that timeframe ranges from s. Since you have MaxPass, we'd pick the dates that work best for your family! Hi we will be in the area August ! We only have one day to do both parks! Either going on Friday Saturday or sunday!
Which day would be best and do you think we could do most of the parks in one day! First time for Disneyland! Been to Disney World many times! Any advice would be greatly appreciative! You'll find that Disneyland is a toadally different experience than Disney World! Both parks are super close together, which makes them perfect for hopping. We'd suggest two days with hoppers if you can swing it, but if you have MaxPass, you should be able to knock out a fair amount in a day.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all slated to be pretty busy, so we'd go with whichever day works best with your schedule : Be sure to take advantage of Rope Drop! Have fun! Hi there! Love your site, lots of great information. My 1st time at Disneyland, 5 adults July 12 and 13 no park hopper, but we do have Max Pass. Which days do you recommend we do each park? Since there will not be any fast pass for Smugglers Run should we go 1st thing in the am or get in queue just before close?
Thank you! Please also check out our guide to Star Wars, because the virtual queue system should insure you get into Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The best plan is to arrive before the park opens and use Disney MaxPass.
If you want to visit both parks, we recommend Park Hopping one day starting at Disney California Adventure on Saturday and then hopping over to Disneyland and spending at least one whole day at Disneyland Park on Sunday. Be sure to check the entertainment calendar before your visit to catch parades and fireworks. Have a frogtastic trip! Disneyland will store your walker for you at the rides similar to what they do with wheelchairs.
Many queues can accommodate wheelchairs or walkers in terms of width, and then will have you leave them on the dock when you board the ride itself. Cast Members at the ride entrance will be able to walk you through the procedure. There are also wheelchair and ECV rentals available if you need them! We are taking our twin 6 year olds to Disney for the first time this May. We have 2 days in the park - the 21st and 22nd. We don't have park hopper passes. Given the ages of our kids, would you recommend doing two days at the original Disneyland or one at each park?
Thank you!!!! You could easily spend both days at Disneyland because it offers the most rides and other entertainment. If your kids really love Cars and Frozen and some thrill rides, then taking a day at DCA will be enjoyable. Personally, we don't think there's any right or wrong way to do this - it's all magical : Have a frogtastic trip! My family is going to DL in early July. I am reading about crowding due to the new Star Wars section opening late May.
Any guidance on UCT about guidance for this? I am concerned about park capacity. We will get there early.. Things will definitely be busy, and unfortunately this is new territory for all of us! Be sure to take advantage of MaxPass and get to the parks early.
If you do leave, there IS a chance that you may not get back in if they hit capacity. It's worth noting that Disney handles these closures in phases, so for some of the lower-level closures, you'd still be permitted; it's more or less the highest level of closure when your entry would be denied which is certainly possible. We're hoping that the reservation system Disneyland is using will mitigate the crowds a bit, but we still anticipate this being a very busy summer.
I can't believe I am just finding your blog, better late than never I suppose, so thank you for all the incredible tips. Is it worth it to pay for the dessert party to see the World of Color show?
Perhaps there is a restaurant that might offer a similar experience as the dessert party with a view? Do you have a planner or blog post about visiting Disneyland and Universal on one trip and making the most of it? If you do offer advice about Universal, are those VIP tickets worth it or will the express tickets suffice? This is my first trip to California, I am a single mom with an elementary school age child.
I am looking at all your amazing deals on tickets, parks, and transportation and I am trying to make the best decisions to make the most out of our vacation. Sorry, I asked so many questions. I have been reading through the site for a couple of weeks now trying to learn from you.
Thank you. Whether or not the dessert party is worth it tends to come down to preference. It is certainly convenient to have a place to sit, and many park visitors love the party. You can either pay to have preferred seating with the dessert party, or as you noted, some of the restaurants offer a dining package that provides you with a designated viewing area for the show. The difference is that the dessert party overlaps with the World of Color showing, while the dining packages require that you eat earlier at the restaurant, but provide you with a designated viewing area.
If you're planning on eating at one of the restaurants that offer the dining package anyway, it's certainly worth it like a bonus FastPass! We sure do have planning tips for visiting both Disneyland and Universal!
The VIP experience includes benefits like valet parking, a paid meal and snacks, a private tour, and escorted express access to rides. We personally think that Express tickets are sufficient, but also think that the VIP experience would be a neat one to try : Again, it just comes down to preference! Others in the Frog Pond may be able to weigh in with additional information. MaxPass and PhotoPass which will be included with your MaxPass purchase are purchased directly through Disneyland using the Disneyland app upon entering the park.
Sad to say that they did away with the Adventure Club and the Comedy Club. It is basically an upscale shopping mall and overpriced NBA center focused place now. Not a p place for the children of baby boomers who remembers the magic of Disney of the sixties and seventies. No, it is not. You can see more on our Disneyland Crowd Calendar. Thank you for taking the time to write up this article. Although I have been to Disneyland several times when I was younger, I needed a little guidance on how to navigate most efficiently this time around and your tips really helped!
Blue Bayou restaurant reservations were all booked up : I'll have to book in advance next time! Going tomorrow for the first time in 4 years and so excited! This is my first trip to Disney anything. I want to go on my birthday which is January 7th and the day after. What all can I expect for these times to maximize my stay? Hoppy early birthday! Check out our Crowd Calendar for what to expect with how busy the parks are :.
Hello, just booked a 5 day trip to Disneyland on March 28th through April 3rd. Any pointers besides what is on this post? How are crowd volumes during this time?
Ah, you should have beautiful weather during that time of year! Check out our Crowd Calendar for how busy we expect the park to be. We definitely recommend MaxPass to make the most of your trip! How crazy am I to want to go the Monday before Thanksgiving with a 3 and 10 year old? Not staying on site, but driving up from Oceanside.
Only have 1 day. Our Crowd Calendar predicts pretty heavy crowds. We recommend purchasing MaxPass to make the most of your time Still totally worth the trip!
Coming in on Oct. We will not have EE or MM perks. Would you still recommend doing Disneyland on a non EE day even though they close early at pm? Thanks for a great site to help us all out! Oh, man! That's a tough choice. What it breaks down to is what you'd be happiest doing. Are you a morning bird or a night owl? Which park do you want to spend more time in? Don't stress too much, and enjoy your trip! Thanks for the info for someone who hasn't been there for 30 yrs.
Can I bring a small backpack into the park and take it on the attractions? Also, may I bring a plastic water bottle into the park and find places to fill it? We will be in Disneyland Sept with our 16, 17 and 21 year olds. Any suggestions for older teens? These are sure to be a hit with your older teens! Be sure to dedicate a day at this park. We are visiting the week of Christmas with 2 adults and 2 kids ages 8,3.
Is it easy to go back and forth to the hotels on sight to rest or should we stay at the parks and not leave. If you are staying on-site, the Disneyland Resort hotels are within a quick walk of the parks. Super easy to walk back for a mid-day nap! Buses can fill up at peak times. There are free busses from the Toy Story Lot and sometimes the lines get long, but a long line usually means a minute wait! I need to get a mobile scooter for both days I'm at the parks. Will I get in the rides quicker and do I need a doctor note?
We recommend visiting guest services upon arrival to see if any accommodations can be made for you. Your site is really helpful! Will be arriving on July hello, peak season and bracing ourselves with the lines with these tips in our heads! I left a comment earlier but did not see it listed.
I was wondering about Grad Night and how that impacts everything. We will be going for one full day into the evening on either the 29th or 30th. Any advice would be appreciated -- thank you so much!!! Hi --thank you for your site! So, we unknowingly planned our trip around grad night week AND Memorial Day -- and we only are doing 1 day so we plan to be there before open until the evening. Definitely not Memorial day, but wondering that Tue or Wed 29th or 30th? Max Pass is a must.
But, do you know how grad night works, and advice in a workaround? Its 2 single moms and three 10yo boys. Your site is a lifesaver --thank you again :. According to our Crowd Calendar , it looks like the 29th and 30th are about the same in terms of crowds, so pick the day that works best for you!
Grad Nites grants attending grads special access to Disney California Adventure after hours. The event also gives grads daytime tickets certain packages to both parks. Ok thank you for your quick reply! So, grad nite does not close the park to the public? Maybe I'll just call Disney for details! Grad Nite closes Disney California Adventure Park from the public, but this is after hours from p.
The parks will be open to the public for their regular hours during the day. Your website is so helpful! I am taking my almost 13 year old son the first week in June. We will be there from Tuesday to Friday. Any recommendations? Hello, your site is very informative. We are from new york and looking to do a trip there first time going and without kids. I look forward to your feedback. You can check out our Crowd Calendar for details, but it looks like there will still be heavy leftover holiday crowds during this time.
We recommend taking advantage of MaxPass to make the most of your time. If park hopper is better, is there a two day park hopper plan to follow as a guide? It's really up to you, but we love park hopping. It gives us the leisure of dividing up our time however we want between the two parks. And hopping is super easy since both parks are so close to one another! Here's a Disneyland 2-day park hopper plan that you can even print out.
Thank you so much for this tips, we always spending our family travel in disneyland but we didn't enjoy so much our trip at disney land because of the time budgeting, but now you helped me how to manage our time this coming vacation at disneyland and you helping me have Idea how to enjoy our day at this place. We are so hoppy to help! Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about your upcoming trip to Disneyland.
Hi, this will be our first trip to disneyland with our 2 and 4 year old. The main reason we are going is because our son loves Disney cars. Any extra advice? Our first day will also be memorial day so I know it will be crowded. Check your 4yo's height too. The first time I took my grandson at 3yo he was too short to ride cars Hop over to our Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park Plans to get tips on how to navigate the parks and when to experience attractions!
By looking at these plans, you can get an idea of what rides to prioritize and when to visit them so you can maximize your time in the parks.
Thanks for all the great tips! It is overwhelming to navigate everything, so your posts help greatly! We have a week vacation and think we will enjoy 4 days at the parks.
We are staying at the Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim theme park entrance, so hope this will help with ease of access, and taking breaks midday as needed. Do you have any advice on how to best enjoy the park with only one parent and with two kids of such different ages? Many thanks! Great idea to enjoy 4 days at the parks! You'll definitely enjoy the convenient location from your hotel to the parks.
Don't be afraid to take pool and nap breaks! You might also find our Disneyland park plans helpful in prioritizing your days in the parks. Since your tadpoles kids are such different ages, you might find this post on Disneyland height requirements and Rider Switch to be useful.
While having a plan is great and recommended, we find it makes things easiest when you're flexible with changes to the plan.
Most of all, just enjoy yourself! You're going to the Happiest Place in the World after all! Thanks for all your tips!! We leave tomorrow for 8 days - yay!! We have 5-day park hoppers, and we are planning to get MaxPass for 4 of those days. Do all members of our party need to purchase PhotoPass, or just 1 member? For each day that you have MaxPass, you will also have PhotoPass! And all members of your party can link to one PhotoPass and see the images on their devices for download as well.
I'm just wondering about the one day where we do not want to purchase MaxPass. One day we are entering the park with no intention of rides This day, we're doing character breakfast and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!! Cuz the only thing we want is the benefit of photo pass that day. And then whenever we get photos taken, we just scan the one person's code?? Just trying to figure out if there is a way to get the benefits of photo pass without every person in our party purchasing MP for one day?? Oh, sorry we misunderstood your question!
Yes, absolutely. One person can purchase MaxPass in order to get PhotoPass abilities for the day. Just be sure to scan that person's code wherever you get photos taken in order to link them to your account. Great question :. Perfect - thanks so much for all your help! PS - your 1-day and 2-day plans are so so great! Love the colour-coded maps!! Park hopping is my definite time saver.
There are two ways: 1 ask the conductor nicely and you'll possibly get to ride alongside him in the tender seat bring a friend, it fits two , or 2 have tea on the Lilly Belle, Mrs.
Walt Disney's private car for entertaining guests back in the day. The latter was shut down for a while, after being vandalized, and as of late last year is active once again. Don't forget to add your name to the guest book, which lists thousands of other honorary drivers dating back to when the park opened.
The always interminably long line for the Indiana Jones Adventure ride, as well as the crash course itself, resides over part of what used to be the parking lot closest to the main entrance. In order to retain some remnants from yesteryear, and maintain a longstanding method of tucking away Easter eggs throughout the park see Hidden Mickeys later in this list , Disney engineers kept one of the signs from the original Eeyore lot visible as you shuffle through the movie-room portion of the queue.
Another timepiece from the glory of old Disneyland. The toddler-friendly Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride took its place, but this animatronic trio survived.
Don't actually buy the photo, unless it's just that amazing. Take pics of the pics and stow 'em away. Do it again the next year, and the next year, and the next year. Eventually Shutterfly that shit. Secure a primo spot for what's surely the most inspired sight at Disney West by going all out and doing the pricey dinner thing. And the show is undeniably spectacular. The Disneyland Hotel may be more iconic, but it's far from posh.
Plan your stay well in advance so you can reserve a spot at the chef's counter at the hotel's Napa Rose, the best restaurant on Disney property. Conceivably you could do this within a half-dozen trips inside those hi-def simulators our pick for the best ride at Disneyland, FWIW , although doesn't it always seem like the Wookiee Planet is on auto-repeat and Hoth never turns up?
There are, in fact, 11 sequences with 54 possible combinations. But you have more work cut out for you later this year, when a new mission, derived from December's Episode VII release, The Force Awakens , will be added. Cap this entry by at least once hearing a page for "Egroeg Sacul" read it backwards while waiting in line.
There are other audible oddities worth hunting down. On the right side of Main St, go into the alley where the ice cream stand is, and if you listen carefully, you can hear unusual conversations -- and the sound of a dentist drilling his patient. A voodoo priestess continuously curses the restrooms near the New Orleans Square train station. Harder to pull off than you might think, mainly because adults-as-characters is as verboten as selfie sticks inside the Happiest Place on Earth.
They likely won't let you past bag check if you turn up clad as Captain Hook. But keep your gear bundled, change in the bathroom before getting in line There will never be alcohol openly served inside the Magic Kingdom, per Walt's orders; only in Club 33 can you get a proper drink.
Might be difficult to hit all of them in a single day, given the exclusivity of a few see: Lounge , but try to hit at least 10 of them, and then Not as easy as it sounds. Keep an eye out for release dates each year, then line up before the park opens to get a wristband seriously, a wristband to purchase.
Limit per person: one. But the insider insight, preferred seating for shows and parades, and front-of-line ride access will be worth it. Takes major time and money investment and some serious training if you aren't already a runner.
But if you complete the half-marathons at both Disneyland and Disney World in the same year, you earn a special "Partners" medal. At the very least, do a 5K or 10K walk inside and outside the park; whatever the route, you'll still see sides of the place you didn't know existed. The food is very good, not exactly great. Crashing the exclusivity of it all, including movie props and costumes only located inside, is what makes it a must.
If you can find someone to take you to Club 33, use that person again to get you into this exclusive lounge inside the Carthay Circle Theatre, after you've sampled treats from the restaurant downstairs. This leather-chair space, named after the year Walt Disney was born and affixed with animated cels from the studio's early days, is intended to give off an animators' club vibe -- a secret respite amid the bustle of California Adventure.
One more gotta-know-someone experience, but perhaps the ultimate, um, dream to achieve. For nearly two decades after Disney's death in '66, it languished uselessly, then functioned as an art gallery for two more decades, starting in ' In , the original plan was resurrected, complete with two master bedrooms -- one in Frontierland style, the other Adventureland -- a trove of special effects in each room, and a massive bathtub adorned by a giant stained-glass window.
Staying here also gets you access to the balcony overlooking New Orleans Square best seats in the house for Fantasmic! In your jammies, if you wish. There are more than of them hidden throughout the park, from manhole covers in Toontown to a silhouette of one in the Big Ben clock tower on Peter Pan's Flight.
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