That Cool Travel Couple

We LOVE going to Disneyland, and have been alone, with our families and with groups of friends. Whether you’re going solo, in a couple or with a bigger group, these tips will help you have the best day at Disneyland. 

Which Ticket Is Right For You

Disneyland has tons of different ticket options available, and with the addition of the tier system it seems even more confusing. You should first figure out when you’re going. Some days are only available if you purchase a certain tier ticket. For example, many of the weekend days are only available if you purchase a Tier 6 ticket (the priciest). Make sure to double check exclusion dates if you want to go during a certain month, as many of the Tiers have dates blocked in the summer, over spring break, and in October. Click here to purchase your tickets.

You also need to decide if you’re going to be tackling Disneyland in just one day, or multiple days. Figure out if you’re visiting California Adventure as well, or just Disneyland. We recommend (especially if it’s your first time) to JUST visit Disneyland if you only have one day. Having a park hopper pass can be fun, but it can get a little stressful hopping back and forth to make the most of your fast passes (more on that ahead). 

Note: There are certain discounts available for Southern California residents, and a variety of annual passes. We won’t go over those much on this page, but you can find more information here. 

Timing Your Visit

Think about what season you’d prefer to go in. Summers in Southern California can be very HOT and busy at Disneyland. It is inland so does not get an ocean breeze, and is PACKED with tourists both local and distant. However this is the best time of year to enjoy the water rides. 

Weekends tend to be busier than mid week. Winter break, spring break and summer break all tend to be very busy times to visit Disneyland. If you have the option, an off-peak mid-week trip is your best bet for avoiding crowds. We like to go in late spring – after spring break but before summer – or in October to make the most of the Halloween decor. We also really like visiting Disneyland over Christmas, but typically do so in early December to avoid the crowds. 

Make a Theme Park Reservation

Purchasing your ticket to get into Disneyland is really only half the battle. You must also make a Theme Park Reservation. This involves navigating an online calendar and selecting the day you actually want to visit the park, and associating the ticket you purchased with the day you intend to visit. You can change these later if you change your mind. You can make a reservation here.

P.S. We highly recommend downloading the Disneyland app. It will keep all your ticket and reservation information in one place, and allows you to link members of your party together. Wait times are updated throughout the day on the app, and it has a map as well so you won’t get lost. You can also navigate Genie+ and photos on the app too. 

Pro Tip – when you stay at a Disneyland hotel, sometimes you are able to enter the park an extra 30 minutes in advance. This is called “Magic Morning” and is only available to hotel guests. It is so beautiful being in the park in peace and quiet before the major crowds arrive. 

Genie+ Service

Back in the day, there were paper Fastpasses. These were super easy to use – you would insert your theme park ticket and get out a paper fastness with a certain time on it. At that time you’d make your way over to the ride and basically skip majority of the line to get onto the ride. One of the best parts about the Fast pass is that they were FREE. 

Now, things are a little more complicated. Disney has rolled out the Genie+ service which costs $20 per day per person. It can be purchased at the time of ticket purchase or can be added on the day of your visit through the Disneyland app. Through the app you are able to select certain entry times for various attractions. However there is a limitation of ONE Lightning Lane selection daily for each attraction. The Genie+ service also allows you to download any ride photos you may take during your day. 

The Genie+ service is VERY popular. As you can imagine, the more people that use the service, the more congested the Lightning Lane might become. If you choose not to do the Genie+ pass, you can also pay per ride for Lightning Lane entry as well. This is why we reminisce on the good ol’ days of the Fastpass..when not everyone knew what it was or how to use it.

Preparation

We find most things in life go more smoothly if you are prepared. A full day at Disneyland is one of those things. Here is our suggested packing guide for Disneyland: 

• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Light jacket for night time
• Snacks like granola bars, candy etc
• Compressible water bottle – preferably with frozen water in it !
• Shoes you can walk for miles in

It gets hot walking around Disneyland all day, so a hat and sunscreen are super necessary. However, it can get a little chilly at night time so if you plan to be there all day, definitely pack a light or compressible jacket for evening. The food and beverage system at Disneyland is a little more complicated than it used to be (you have to reserve certain times to get food on your app) so we definitely recommend bringing a few snacks with to prevent hanger. Finally, having a compressible water bottle that you can refill throughout the day is incredibly helpful (and eco-friendly!). Be sure to review this list to find what is and isn’t allowed inside the park.

Speaking of preparation, we suggest making dining reservations in advance if you are able. Although this provides more structure than we prefer, it guarantees you will have lunch or dinner at a certain time. Disneyland is a lot of walking around so refueling yourself when you can is really important. You can make dining reservations here. 

And for our final point of preparation, we bring you to wardrobe. What are you going to wear to Disneyland? We always like crafting our own tees or sweatshirts to bring in to the park. You may prefer to buy some Disney garb to wear ahead of time, or purchase it while you’re there. MOST people in general tend to be wearing some sort of Disney themed clothing while at the park. 

The Day Of

The first thing you must do the day of your visit is log on to the app at 7am to get in the virtual queue for the Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ride. There is another queue at noon, but trying to get a reservation for this ride at 7am is ideal (so that way you have two chances to get a reservation instead of one). The Rise of the Resistance is in our humble opinion the COOLEST ride at Disneyland and well worth jumping on your phone at 7am for. May the force be with you!

As you walk into the park you’ll have to go through a security line. This is unavoidable, and for good reason. Use this time to chat with your group about priorities for the day. What are the rides you absolutely MUST get on? The next line you’ll see is for the ticket office, which you DO get to skip, since you bought your tickets online ahead of time!  

Make the most of your day and get to the park on time. Keep in mind parking and walking to the front gates can take thirty minutes or more. Be sure to check the theme park hours before hand, and try to familiarize yourself with the map of the various lands. 

If you opted for the Genie+ service, make sure you log on immediately and select your first Lightning Lane. Some of the Lightning Lane attractions that tend to get busier during the day include Indiana Jones Adventure, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. Even if you didn’t get Genie+, we still recommend making a bee line for these attractions first anyways. If you get to them right away you’ll have a drastically reduced wait time. If you go later in the afternoon, you could face a two or more hour line! 

Some attraction’s lines vary quite a bit seasonally. For example, the water rides typically have a pretty low line throughout the day in the winter months, but get significantly busier in the summer. Here’s looking at you, Splash Mountain! 

Some rides are NOTORIOUS for breaking down. In the past, if a ride broke down and you were close to the front, sometimes they would give you a fast pass to come back later. More recently we’ve just been told sorry and been forced to either wait for the ride to get back up and running, or cut our losses and go somewhere else. Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean are two of the rides we’ve noticed tend to break down more than others. It makes sense to try to get to these first, so you have a higher chance to get on them. 

In our opinion, the top rides you should make a beeline for as soon as the park opens are: 

• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Space Mountain
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Again, in our humble opinion, these are some of the best rides in Disneyland that should not be missed, aside from those above:  

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Haunted Mansion (especially from October-December!)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Peter Pan’s Adventure

Disneyland is definitely not all about rides. Take some time to stroll down Main Street U.S.A. We really love watching the old school Mickey clips in the theater. Take a break in the afternoon and eat some Dole Whip while you wait in line for the Enchanted Tiki Room show.

Keep in mind that Disneyland has some pretty cool shows to watch. Make a note of when the parades are – chances are your path will be obstructed by a parade at some point during the day. We really like the Fantasmic show which is an over-water spectacular that ends in a dramatic firework finale. Shows can also be a great way to get into rides with longer lines as many people will be out of line watching the show instead! We really love doing the Thunder Mountain rollercoaster during Fantasmic fireworks. This coaster has a great view over the park, and you can see the fireworks light up the night sky. 

If you are adulting at Disneyland, you might want to check out Oga’s Cantina. We’ve never been able to get reservations since you must do this WELL in advance. This is the only area in Disneyland that serves adult beverages. Even if you’re not drinking, this place looks like the dive bar RIGHT out of the movies and is worth visiting. 

You might want to download the Disney Play app during your day at Disneyland. This app is for kids and adults alike and allows you to play interactive games while waiting in line for popular attractions. For example while waiting in line for the Millennium Falcon we translated the Aurebesh language and helped with a side mission. In the Peter Pan light we solved a puzzle and lit up Tinkerbell. Don’t forget to swing by Esmerelda in the penny arcade and have your fortune told. 

We like to do the rides in Fantasyland or Toontown towards the end of the day, when little kids are filtering out of the park. Keep in mind that ToonTown usually closes earlier than the rest of the park. 

Pro Tip – get into line for Space Mountain at 11:55 pm (assuming the park closes at midnight). The lines will close at midnight but they will allow those that are already in line to complete their final ride. We like to end the night with a bang on Space Mountain. 

After

The day after Disneyland, your feet will be sore. Your head might hurt. You’ll want to rest and relax. If you bought the Genie+ service, you can scroll through your ride photos and save the ones that you like. Print out the ones you like and make a scrapbook page for it. And most importantly…start dreaming about your next day at Disneyland! 

Interested in other cool spots in California? Head on over to this page!