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17 Things to Know Before Your First Trip to Disneyland

Posted on Last updated: February 13, 2024

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Are you planning a trip to Disneyland for the first time and don’t know where to start? Check out my top things to know before your first trip to Disneyland!

This list of things to know before your first trip to disneyland was written by family travel expert marcie cheung and may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, i will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. all opinions remain my own..

Lately, I’ve had a LOT of friends ask me for advice on planning their first Disneyland visit.

I realized that even though our family has planned tons of Disneyland vacations, I didn’t have a blog post about things first-timers should know.

So, I’m sharing ALL the things that I wish we would have known before planning our first trip to Disneyland Resort. Keep scrolling for all my tips and tricks.

Don’t have time to read a bunch of Disneyland blog posts and reviews? Here are some of our top picks for visiting Disneyland with kids.

Where to Stay at Disneyland

• Disney Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (it’s expensive but has a private entrance to Disney California Adventure)
• Howard Johnson Hotel & Water Playground (the water park is pretty fabulous)
• Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance (amazing water park and has bunk beds)
• Fairfield by Marriott Anaheim Resort (it’s so close to the park, and the rooms are awesome)
• Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn (this is my favorite Disneyland budget hotel)

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How Many Days Do You Need at Disneyland?

The answer to this question really depends on your budget and your passion for all things Disney. I have a whole blog post about how many days you need at Disneyland , but I’ll quickly break it down below.

One Day at Disneyland

You definitely can do one day at Disneyland if you just want to hit the highlights. You can do some rides, meet a few characters, and taste some yummy Disney snacks.

If you go this route, I highly suggest you add Genie Plus to your tickets. This is the new FastPass system where you can reserve rides in advance and skip the long wait times.

You’ll probably want to rope drop in the morning and stay for fireworks at night, so it could easily be a 15-16 hour day if you want to maximize.

Two Days at Disneyland

You can do a full day at Disneyland and then a full day at Disney California Adventure. It’s the perfect way to see both parks and hit the highlights.

If you decide on two days, I still recommend adding Genie Plus. That way, you’ll have enough time to fit in all your top rides.

Three Days at Disneyland

Personally, I think this is the sweet spot. You can do a full day at each theme park and then have an extra day to either do a park hopper ticket or choose which park you’d like to spend the day.

It gives you the flexibility to skip things on your first two days because you can always go back and do them on the third day.

Plus, you won’t feel as pressured to be at the parks all day long. And it gives you more time to do character meet and greets or watch shows/parades.

Book a Family Photo Shoot

Whenever we travel, we almost always book a family photo shoot with Flytographer. They are super easy, affordable, AND guarantee that I’ll be in some photos. You can get $25 off if you book through this link or use the code HAWAIITRAVEL.

Four Days at Disneyland

This is what our family typically does. We usually do park hopper tickets so we can switch parks mid-day depending on ride wait times.

We have the most freedom with four days and we don’t feel bad if we need to go back to the hotel for a break or if we’re tired and want to call it an early night.

This length of trip also keeps us from rushing around. Instead, we have time to do a few spontaneous things without sacrificing other things.

On our last trip, our kids spent a long time bounty hunting at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and hanging out in Toontown.

Five Days at Disneyland

If this is probably your one and only trip to Disneyland, you might want to splurge for five days.

However, you might consider just doing 4 park days and doing a hotel day in between so your family has a chance to rest. Theme park days can be pretty exhausting.

Want an epic Disneyland digital guide? This is my favorite Disneyland tool and guide!

How to Prepare For Your First Disneyland Trip: Budget

Once you’ve figured out how many days you want to go, you can start working on your Disneyland budget.

Disney trips can be really expensive. I’ve been planning them for years and I still get sticker shock every single time.

It helps to go into the planning knowing that this will probably be a bit more expensive than you initially thought.

I suggest writing down a Disneyland budget that includes accommodations , park tickets , meals , and transportation . Some hotels include free breakfast or free parking.

Then, make a separate list of any additional items/experiences you’d like to include such as Disneyland character dining , Genie Plus , Bippity Boppity Boutique , Disney family matching shirts , Disneyland souvenirs , etc.

What Are The Top Things to Know Before Your First Trip to Disneyland?

Best place to buy disneyland tickets.

From my experience, Get Away Today is the best place to buy Disneyland tickets because they usually have the cheapest price. They also run sales throughout the year. Check the latest Disneyland ticket deals .

It’s also the best place to find good deals on Disneyland packages that include hotel rooms.

They have amazing customer service, too. We’ve had to reschedule Disneyland trips in the past and they always handle it quickly and efficiently.

Understanding Genie+

Genie+ is a new paid service at Disneyland that allows guests to skip the lines for some of the most popular rides. Disneyland no longer has FastPasses, so this is the system that replaced that.

The cost varies each day, but it’s usually $20-$30 per person per day and can be purchased through the Disneyland app.

With Genie+, guests can select the next available time to arrive at a Lightning Lane entrance for one attraction at a time, all day long.

Lightning Lane entrances are typically shorter than the regular lines for popular rides. But not all rides are part of Genie+.

Lightening Lane

There are some popular rides that are NOT on Disney Genie+ but you can pay an additional fee to ride them using the Lightening Lane. Lightening Lane can sometimes cost $10-$20 per person per ride.

Disneyland PhotoPass

When you do Disney Genie+, it also includes a Disneyland PhotoPass. That means you get all the photos from that day from Disneyland photographers (like character photos or photos in front of the castle).

You Don’t Need to Stay at Disneyland Hotels

While it makes a ton of sense to stay at a Disney resort when you visit Walt Disney World, it really isn’t the case for Disneyland.

That’s because there are tons of non-Disney hotels that are just as close (some are closer) to the park entrances as Disneyland hotels. And they are typically a lot cheaper.

But, staying at a Disneyland hotel does have perks like entering the parks 30 minutes earlier than everyone else and having your park purchases sent directly to your hotel.

And if you splurge for Disney Grand Californian Hotel & Spa you have a private entrance into Disney California Adventure Park! Read my full review .

Disneyland vs Disney California Adventure

So a lot of people say they are planning a trip to Disneyland without realizing there are actually two theme parks there.

Disneyland is the original theme park that has tons of classic rides. Disney California Adventure is right across a big plaza. Both are really fun and within easy walking distance of each other!

Main Disneyland Attractions

• Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge (Rise of the Resistance and Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run)
• New Orleans Square (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mark Twain Riverboat, etc)
• Fantasyland (Peter Pan’s Flight, Alice in Wonderland, “it’s a small world”, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, etc)
• Adventureland (Enchanted Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones Adventure, etc)
• Frontierland (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad)
• Tomorrowland (Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Space Mountain, Autopia, etc)
• Toontown (Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway)

Main Disney California Adventure Attractions

• Cars Land (Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree)
• Avengers Campus (Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! and Webslingers)
• Hollywood Land (Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, Animation Academy, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, etc)
• Pixar Pier (Incredicoaster, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, Pixar Pal-a-Round, etc)
• Grizzly Peak (Soarin’ Around the World, Grizzly River Run, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, etc)

What’s Downtown Disney District?

You’ll probably notice a section on the Disneyland website that talks about Downtown Disney. You don’t need a Disneyland ticket to go there.

It’s primarily a shopping, dining, and entertainment area located right next to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

We tend to pick up breakfast in Downtown Disney on our way into the parks. It’s usually a little cheaper and the lines are a little shorter. Sometimes you can mobile order.

I also have a post that lists a bunch of things to do in Downtown Disney . We usually go there on our arrival day and then spend some time there on our departure day before we fly home.

Research Before You Go

Things at Disneyland are ALWAYS changing, so it’s really important that you’re reading the most up-to-date information.

Disneyland no longer has FastPasses, Magic Mornings, MaxPasses, etc. Do NOT try to use ChatGPT to plan your Disneyland vacation because its information is 3 years old and completely out of date for Disneyland.

And right now, you’ll need to make reservations for which park you’ll be visiting on each day of your trip.

Download the Disneyland App

The Disneyland app is a great resource for planning your trip and staying up-to-date on wait times, showtimes, and more.

This is also where you can make Disneyland dining reservations, mobile order, and upgrade to Disney Genie+.

Check the Disneyland Attraction Refurbishments

Something that a lot of Disneyland first-timers don’t realize is that there are usually a few rides that are shut down at any given point so they can undergo routine maintenance.

It’s really helpful to go on the Disneyland website and enter your dates so you can see which rides might be under refurbishment.

That way, you don’t promise your kids that you’ll ride something that ends up being shut down during your entire trip. It’s a great way to set realistic expectations.

Watch Disneyland Ride Videos

One of my top suggestions is to make a list of rides you think your family might want to ride and then watch YouTube videos to see what the ride is actually like.

I started doing this when my kids were toddlers just to make sure we didn’t go on anything too scary for them.

It was also a great way to narrow down our list and see which rides we were most excited about.

Check Height Restrictions

After you have your list of rides, check the height requirements to make sure your kids are tall enough. This is especially important for kids under 48 inches tall.

Stroller or No Stroller?

Even if your kids haven’t been in a stroller for years, you might want to think about it. Disneyland trips include a LOT of walking and your kids might tire out quickly.

If you have an aggressive itinerary or you’re hoping to race around the parks, using a stroller can help minimize your frustration if your kids dawdle or are too tired to keep up.

Strollers are also awesome for lugging around all your stuff.

On our last trip, both my 6yo and 9yo ended up in a double stroller that we rented from Disneyland. We were able to stay in the parks all day long and our kids weren’t as cranky as when they had to walk the whole time.

However, it’s also really freeing to explore the parks without having to park your stroller (and then remember WHERE you parked it).

Get Our FREE Disneyland Travel Planner

How to meet disney characters.

One of the coolest ways that separate Disneyland from other theme parks is that they have Disney characters! And there are several ways to meet them.

Scheduled Meet and Greets

Mickey and Minnie each have houses in Toontown where people can go almost any time of day to meet them. You’ll see the wait times posted outside of their houses.

Anna and Elsa have a Royal Welcome in Hollywood Land where they list the wait times.

You can also meet 2-3 Disney princesses at the Fantasy Faire. Each one has a separate place but you only need to wait in one line to visit them all.

Main Street

Here, you’ll usually find at least 2 classic Disney characters anytime there isn’t a parade. They are typically wearing a specialty outfit (like Disney 100 clothing) or their classic look. You’ll stand in line for each character.

Buena Vista Street

This is where you’ll typically find at least 2 classic Disney characters any time of day (except for parade times). They are usually dressed in 1920s clothing and you’ll stand in line for each character you’d like to meet.

Roaming Characters

There are also other Disney characters who are hanging out in the parks. Sometimes they are listed in the Disneyland app and you can go find them and wait in line. Other times, they are unlisted and it’s sort of spontaneous.

There are also characters in Toontown who literally keep walking and you can run up and take selfies with them.

Disney Character Dining

Finally, you can make a reservation at a restaurant that offers character dining. I’ll explain more later on in this post.

How to Make Disneyland Dining Reservations

You can make Disneyland dining reservations on their website or on the Disneyland app. This is for sit-down restaurants like Carthay Circle, Blue Bayou, Lamplight Lounge, etc.

We like booking at least one reservation each day because it guarantees that we’ll have a chance to sit down, rest, and refuel. It’s really easy to be on the go all day long and get tired out.

If you’re having a hard time getting the dining reservation you want, I suggest signing up for Mouse Dining . It’s a website where you can enter your desired reservations and they will send you an alert when one becomes available.

Disneyland Mobile Ordering

Another way to dine at Disneyland is to do mobile ordering at the quick-service restaurants. You’ll place your order in the Disneyland app and then mark when you have arrived at the restaurant.

We usually place a mobile order wherever we are in the park before we start walking over there. It’s a great way to skip the line.

Disneyland Character Dining

If you’re a fan of Disney characters, doing Disneyland character dining is a great way to see a bunch of characters without having to wait in line.

Typically, you’ll get a posed photo with one character before you are seated. Then, the characters will roam around the restaurant while you eat and you can take candid photos with them.

Disneyland has a few character dining experiences:

Breakfast with Minnie at Plaza Inn

This is the only character meal that’s located INSIDE the park. That means that you’ll need a Disneyland park ticket that day.

This is one of my favorite character meals because there’s a great variety of Disney characters who show up.

Personally, I recommend reserving a late breakfast here. That way, you can rope drop and take advantage of short lines and then rest and enjoy breakfast.

Goofy’s Kitchen

This restaurant is located at the Disneyland Hotel (outside of the parks). They offer a character breakfast AND a character dinner and you’ll get to see a lot of classic characters like Goofy, Chip and Dale, and Pluto.

We really like doing this on our arrival day because it’s a fun way to kick off a Disneyland trip. It’s the ONLY character dinner at Disneyland. You can read my full Goofy’s Kitchen review .

Mickey’s Tales of Adventure at Storytellers Cafe

This Disney character breakfast is located at Disney Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. It’s a pretty standard breakfast buffet and classic Disney characters come around to your table.

This is a fun breakfast to do on your departure day when you want just a little more Disney magic before you leave.

Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures

This is my all-time favorite Disney character meal but it’s also the most expensive. The food is more upscale (but still kid-friendly) and you’ll get to meet 5-7 Disney princesses away from the table at your own pace.

It’s usually a 2-3 hour experience, so it’s great to do it on a day when you won’t be in the Parks. You can read my full Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures review .

How to Make Disneyland Character Dining Reservations

You can make Disneyland character dining reservations in the Disneyland app or on their website.

Helpful Disneyland Terms and What They Mean

So, Disneyland newbies sometimes get a little confused with terms that pop up on the Disneyland website or in Disneyland blog posts. Here are some of the most common Disneyland terms.

This is when you get in line to enter Disneyland before it opens. They let people into the park about 20 minutes before it opens and you can walk over to the area you want to visit first.

There’s a literal rope there and cast members will remove it as soon as the park officially opens. Usually, that means you can walk on (or have a short wait time) for your first ride of the day.

Park Hopper Ticket

This is an upgraded ticket that allows you to switch parks after 11 a.m. After that, you can roam freely between both parks.

Disney Genie Plus

This is a paid service where you can skip the line for popular attractions. You’ll need to download it from the Disneyland app and then make your selections in the app.

Cast Members

This is what Disneyland calls ALL employees (like servers, tour guides, cleaning people, etc).

Rider Switch

This is a program meant for parents who either have a child who is too young for the ride or who doesn’t want to do it. One parent will wait in line and ask for a Rider Switch pass.

Then they can go on the ride (with or without a kid) and then hand the pass over to the other parent who can skip the line and ride (with or without the first kid).

DAS (Disneyland Disability Pass)

This is a program for people who are unable to stand in line for physical reasons. You’ll need to do an online interview or stop by City Hall in order to get the pass.

Then, you can use the app to make ride selections. You’ll still “wait” in a virtual queue for your time to pop up but you don’t have to wait in the physical line.

Talk to Your Kids About Disneyland Souvenirs BEFORE You Enter the Parks

One of the things that Disneyland does a great job of is making you want to spend all your money! I’m always surprised to see just how many things we end up buying and lugging home.

It’s really great to set expectations before you get into the park and get distracted by all the fun stuff.

I know some families give each kid a set dollar amount for souvenirs or tell kids they can choose 1-2 souvenirs at the end of their trip.

For our family, we all love to shop and I factor that into our Disneyland budget.

Oogie Boogie Bash: Disneyland Halloween Party

If you’re visiting Disneyland in September or October, you might have the chance to attend the Oogie Boogie Bash (the Disneyland Halloween Party). There are tons of Disney villains, Halloween music, trick-or-treating, and other special events.

This is a ticketed event (separate from a normal park ticket). Oogie Boogie Bash tickets usually go on sale 3 months before the parties and they do sell out.

Basically, only people with a party ticket are allowed in Disney California Adventure during the party, which takes place in the late afternoon and goes until the park closes late at night.

Personally, we like to get tickets to the party on a day when we aren’t doing a full park day. It works well to do it on an arrival day or a rest day.

How to Visit Disneyland FAQs

Are there any other theme parks nearby.

Knott’s Berry Farm is located about 15 minutes from Disneyland and features a variety of rides, shows, and attractions based on the history of California and the Knott family.

Universal Studios Hollywood is located about 45 minutes from Disneyland and features a variety of rides, shows, and attractions based on popular movies and TV shows.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is located about an hour from Disneyland and features a variety of thrill rides and roller coasters.

LEGOLAND California is located about an hour and a half from Disneyland and features a variety of rides, shows, and attractions based on Legos.

Should I visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland for my first trip?

Disneyland is MUCH smaller and less overwhelming than Walt Disney World, which is why I always recommend it for a first trip.

Is Disneyland park hopping worth it?

If you’re just visiting Disneyland for a day or two, park hopping can really help you maximize your time. It’s primarily for people who want to do all the rides in a short amount of time or who want the freedom to visit both parks in one day.

What are the Disneyland park hours?

Disneyland Park hours vary depending on the time of year. During the peak season, which is typically from June to August, the park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. During the off-season, the park is typically open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can always check the official Disneyland website for the most up-to-date park hours.

Is Splash Mountain closed?

Yes, Splash Mountain is currently closed so they can re-imagine the ride using Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog) as the new theme.

Is Disney’s Paradise Pier hotel under construction?

Yes, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel is currently under construction. It is being re-imagined as a Pixar-themed hotel called Pixar Pier Hotel. The hotel is expected to reopen in 2024.

Do I need to arrive early at Disneyland?

If you want to go on a lot of rides with short wait times, it can really pay off to get to Disneyland early.

First Disneyland Visit Wrap-Up

Visiting Disneyland can be a magical vacation experience, but it’s important to plan ahead and know what to expect.

From researching the park and planning your itinerary to packing the essentials and managing your expectations, these Disneyland tips will help you make the most of your trip to one of Southern California’s iconic theme parks.

Remember to stay flexible and have fun, and you’ll create Disney vacation memories that will last a lifetime.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned pro, Disneyland always has something new and exciting to discover.

So get ready to make your dreams come true and visit Disneyland for an unforgettable adventure!

Looking for more Disneyland travel resources? Find out how to save money at Disneyland , best Disneyland breakfast spots , Pixar Place Hotel review , top reasons to stay at the Disneyland Hotel , the closest hotels to Disneyland , Which is the Best Disneyland Resort Hotel , and the coolest Disneyland facts !

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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.

Fish Extenders and Pixie Dust for your Disney Cruise

How to Start Your Day at the Disneyland Resort – Your Best Strategies with or without Genie+

20 Essential Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors

There are many tricks to maximizing your time at Disneyland while enjoying all the magic. All it takes is some faith, trust, and pixie dust to navigate the parks with ease and make the most out of your vacation.

Here are 20 of the best Disneyland tips that will help you save time and money on your vacation.

In this article:

2. Buy a Park Hopper Ticket

Since Disneyland and California are so close together (just a few minute walk!) it makes so much sense to buy a park hopper ticket. You can easily park hop between the two theme parks making the cost of a park hopper ticket well worth it. This is especially important if you only have a few days to spend at the parks. 

4. Plan Your Day

Set aside time before your trip to sit down and discuss what everyone wants to do. Make a general or detailed itinerary of what attractions you want to focus on when you arrive. This avoids long discussions and head scratching after you get off each ride which will slow down the whole day. Check out our Disneyland morning touring strategy  and Disney California Adventure morning touring plan .

5. Use Mobile Ordering

Using the Disneyland app, you can use mobile ordering at select locations so you can avoid standing in long lines. Especially for fan favorites like the famous dole whip!

6. Pick a Time of Year that Works for You

Using our Disneyland crowd calendar, pick a time of the year to visit that works best for you! Do you want to visit during the holiday season? Halloween? The summer months?  Knowing what to expect during the time of year you will visit is a big planning step. 

7. Arrive Early and Rope Drop

Arrive at the gates at least 45 minutes prior to the official park opening so you can get a good spot in line for rope drop! Cast members will let guests in 15-30 minutes prior to the official park opening and the entrances to the lands will be blocked off with ropes that will come down at the opening time. Being at the front of the rope ensures that you will literally walk right on to some favorite attractions. Even during peak times of the year, arriving early is key to getting on the most popular attractions with limited waits. You can ride most of the popular rides before lunchtime if you arrive this early!

8. Buy Disney Gift Cards at Target to Save 5%

Dining packages are a way to get a great meal that comes with a reserved seating option for some of the most popular nighttime shows like Fantasmic! and World of Color. If you're already planning at eating at one of these restaurants, adding a dining package is a great way to also get a great spot for a show too. My favorite dining package is the Blue Bayou with reserved seating for Fantasmic! We get great food and great spots for the show. This can be a pricey option but one that many guests love to indulge in.

10. Save the Shopping for the End of the Day

The shopping in Disneyland is great but it's also less than great to carry around shopping bags all day. You can rent a locker if you want to store your purchases or you can save your shopping for the end of the day. The shops on Main Street stay open an hour later after park closing time so guests can shop before they leave.

11. Learn about Rider Switch and Single Rider

Disneyland offers a Rider Switch option for guests with small children that do not meet the height requirements of certain rides. One parent can ride while the other parent stays with the child and then they can switch- allowing the second parent to ride without having to wait in line twice. Single Rider is a great way to avoid long waits for popular attractions. If you don't mind not sitting with your group, you can hop in the single rider line and get on the ride quicker. Cast members use this line to fill any gaps in ride vehicles. Many of the most popular rides at both theme parks offer single rider.

12. Do the Character Dining

Enjoying a character dining meal is something that I feel all first time guests should experience- especially if you have kids! My favorite is Breakfast with Minnie and Friends inside Disneyland because of the historical flair of the Plaza Inn and the variety of characters you get to see. Enjoying a character dining meal is a great way to meet characters in one setting and not have to worry about tracking them down in the parks later on.

13. Take a Break When You Can

If you're visiting for multiple days, using the afternoons to take a breather is a great way to refresh everyone in your group for the evening. Skip back to the hotel when the sun is the hottest and the crowds are the heaviest and take a swim. Disneyland is magical but it can also be overwhelming. If you're only staying for a day or two then find a quiet place in the park to decompress for a little while and take in the scenes around you. A quiet and air conditioned fan favorite break area is Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln on Main Street. Taking a break can do wonders for a group that might be overstimulated and tired when the afternoon rolls around.

14. Make Dining Reservations for Popular Restaurants

Guests visiting the Disneyland Resort can make dining reservations up to 60 days in advance by booking online or calling (714) 781-DINE. As long as you cancel 24 hours in advance, you won't be charged the $10 per person penalty fee if your plans change. If you want to enjoy a meal at the coveted Lamplight Lounge or Blue Bayou, you definitely need a reservation to get a table without a long wait.

15. Wear Comfortable Clothes

Make sure to wear clothes that you feel comfortable in because you will be getting plenty of exercise on your Disneyland vacation. It is not uncommon for guests to put in more than 8-10 miles in steps in one day at the parks. Wear shoes that are good for walking and bring a couple pairs to switch out when your feet get sore. Comfortable clothes are important too for staying cool in hot weather and being able to easily navigate getting on the rides. Make sure your kids are wearing shoes that are broken in and not brand new- those little legs are going to do double the amount of walking.

16. Come Prepared to Save Money

It is easy to get carried away spending money at Disneyland but there are also plenty of ways to save money along the way. Come prepared with items that will cost you a pretty penny at the parks or at your hotel like sunscreen, portable fans, cooling towels, medicine, snacks, etc. You can also avoid spending money on overpriced light up items at nighttime shows by making a stop at the Dollar Store to stock up on glow sticks and other light up toys. Keep these with you and pull them out right when the kids start eyeing up those merchant carts that come out at night. You can also have groceries delivered to your hotel or make a quick grocery stop before you arrive so you have plenty of bottled water and snacks on hand.

17. Watch Shows in the Afternoon

There are plenty of awesome entertainment options at Disneyland and the afternoons are a great time to enjoy them. Spend your morning riding the attractions and after lunch go take in some shows to recharge. 

18. Check the Height Requirements

One of the biggest meltdowns you'll see in the parks is kids realizing they don't measure up to a ride that they've been waiting and looking forward to! Make sure to review the height requirements so you can prepare kids that may not be tall enough to ride. No sense having any unexpected surprises that can lead to unhappy moments. And yes, cast members will check if your kiddo isn't tall enough!

19. Plan a Beach Day

For folks visiting from out of state, you'd be remiss to not plan a day at the beach ! Disneyland is located fairly close to some of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California. You can easily Uber there or rent a car from many of the close by rental car services around Disneyland. Plan your beach day in the middle of your trip so you can have a nice relaxing day in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the parks.

20. Use PhotoPass for a Great Family Picture

PhotoPass is a photographer service at Disneyland that all guests should utilize at least once to get that perfect group shot. You will find PhotoPass photographers at the most iconic locations in the park like in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Main Street U.S.A. If you purchase Genie+ , you get unlimited downloads of all your photos so make sure to smile for the camera! PhotoPass photographers can also do ‘Magic Shots' where they can add some pixie dust to your pictures like Tinkerbell or Pixar characters or Cheshire Cat hiding up in a tree.

Let's Go to Disneyland!

My last tip for first time Disneyland guests? Make sure to head over to MickeyVisit.com and read our blog to keep you updated on everything you need to know to prepare for this big vacation! We have a team of writers working hard to keep you updated weekly on events in the parks and tips for navigating the magic. Subscribe to our free deals newsletter to receive helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere. You can find more information on planning your vacation here:

• Discount Disneyland Ticket Guide
• Discount Walt Disney World Ticket Guide
• Guide to Using MaxPass at Disneyland
• Walt Disney World Planning Guide
• Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Guide

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5 comments add your comment.

There are places the the parks that will store items you have bought so you do not have to carry them around a day.

Great point! You can also send the items to the front of the park for pickup at the end of the day based on the last time I checked.

The folks at the Silhouette Studio were great about letting us pick everything up at the end of the day. But we usually grab a locker regardless and use that as our ‘home base’ with sunscreen, extra supplies, etc. and we store purchases in there too.

If you’re going for more than 1 day, our shopping tip is to scout out what we might want over 2-3 days, then hit up World of Disney in Downtown Disney near the end of our trip and get it all at once. If you time it near the end of your day, you only have to cart the bags back to your hotel room. We’ve also taken advantage of the free storage in stores too, as mentioned above.

This is usually how we do it too. Especially because I tend to get carried away if I buy ‘in the moment’ and then I’m struggling to close the suitcase!

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40 essential tips for disneyland first timers.

Are you getting ready for that big trip to Disneyland you’ve been dreaming about for years? There is one great way to make sure you make the most of your trip, before you even set foot in the park, and that’s to learn a few essential tips for Disneyland from those who have gone before you.

We have spent a lot of time at Disneyland and we’ve learned quite a few tips and advice that we’d give to any first timer to Disneyland. There are just some things you can’t know until you get there, which is unfortunately if this is your first time. That’s why we’ve put together these tips. So be sure to read through carefully and even take some notes!

» You might also like Disneyland vs California Adventure: Which One To Choose.

Planning a trip to Disneyland?

• Get your Disney tickets. Save $26 on a 4-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket!
• Book your private airport transfer from Anaheim hotels to LAX.
• Renting a car isn’t necessary for a Disney-only trip, but it is if you plan to go anywhere else. We always find the best deals on cars through DiscoverCars.com .

Where to Stay in Disneyland:

• The Westin Anaheim Resort (Very close to the park, tons of room options)
• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa  (Direct access to the park + perks)
• SpringHill Suites by Marriott Anaheim Maingate  (Free breakfast, kids stay free)

Best Tours and Experiences in Disneyland:

• Save $25 on Los Angeles 5-day Go Card including Universal Studios Hollywood!  
• Whale-Watching and Orange County Beaches Tour from Anaheim (A great adventure!)
• Universal Studios Round Trip Transportation from Anaheim

Planning your trip? We’ve got tons of helpful Disney planning guide s from our awesome list of 40 essential tips , to how to get to Disneyland , where to stay near Disney , what to pack , what to wear , where to park , and what to eat in both Disneyland and California Adventure.

Table of Contents

Essential Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors

#1 Download the Disneyland App

You can and will do everything from the Disneyland app ( Apple Store | Android store ) before you leave, while you are there, and even when you get home. You can buy your tickets, make your park reservations, and even make payments on your trip from the app.

Mobile ordering snacks and meals is super easy, and definitely worth it. Check ride times, use the map to get around, and reserve lightening lane passes through Genie+. It really is an indispensable tool.

#2 Make Your Disneyland Parks Reservation

Everyone 3 years and older is required to have a valid park reservation along with a ticket to enter the park. Reservations are limited to help control numbers in the park. There are many discount ticket providers like Undercover Tourist where you can save a few bucks on your tickets, or you can book directly through Disney .

#3 Buy Your Park Tickets in Advance

#4 Get Acquainted With the Park Map

This will be your friend while you are in the park. Acquaint yourself with where all the lands are and the rides that you are interested in. Then start watching the ride line times. You may start to notice trends throughout the day.

Pro tip: If you notice that a ride line time is short and it is in a land that is close to where you are, you should head there. For instance, we were watching ride times and saw that Splash Mountain only had a 25-minute wait. By the time we got off our last right, the wait time was back up to 55 minutes. Everyone noticed that the line was short so they all headed there. If you are lucky you can beat the crowd.

#5 Breakfast

Grab breakfast at your hotel or on your way to the park. Although Disneyland has a lot of food options, breakfast is not where the park shines. Also, if you are planning to rope drop or take advantage of the low ride times in the morning, eating while going through security or waiting for the ticket gates to open is the way to go!

#6 Getting Through Security

The line for security can be long, so do everything you can to help move it along. As you near the front of the line take your backpack or purse off your shoulder and unzip all of the pockets. The security cast members will want to look into every pocket before they let you through.

Take advantage of the lockers that are in the park. There is one set in the cul-de-sac between Market House and Disney Clothiers and another to the left of the ticket turnstiles before you enter the park.

They are perfect for holding a change of clothes, in case you get wet on a ride, or to store souvenir purchases that you don’t want to carry all day. Remember to remove your items at the end of the day. Anything left in them overnight goes into the lost and found.

#8 First Aid Station

The first aid station is located in the cul-de-sac between the Plaza Point and Plaza Inn across the street from The Jolly Holiday. A nurse is on duty to help with minor issues, as well as handing out band-aids and over the counter medicines. You can also store medications there that require refrigeration.

Pro tip: You can find these services quickly in the Disneyland app. From the park map screen, click the down arrow at the top of the screen next to attractions. This will give you a menu where you can filter what you are looking for. Choose guest services and then look for the medical icon.

#9 Strollers

If you are taking a stroller to the park, make sure that it fits the size requirements. Strollers larger than 31” x 52” and wagons are not permitted. You can rent single ($18) and double ($36) strollers per day outside and to the right of the ticket turnstiles.

Pro tip: Do something to make your stroller stand out. With so many strollers in the park, you will be happy to have something to help you spot yours. Just don’t leave anything that someone might want to steal.

#10 Mobility Scooter Rentals

If you plan on using a scooter in the park and need a rental, there are companies that will deliver them right to your hotel for easy use. Scooterbug is a local private company you can rent from. Make sure to reserve in advance for delivery. Soaring Scooters is another local company that will deliver the scooter right to your hotel.

Genie+ is a paid service that you can use within the Disneyland app to book lightning lane reservations to specific rides (it replaced the old FastPass system).  This can help you bypass a crowded line with a shortened wait time. The service costs $25 per day per person in your group. That cost may be variable depending on how many people are in the park that day.

It is a good idea to purchase it when you purchase your park tickets. That way you are guaranteed the lower rate and you won’t be charged an up-charge if the fee is higher the day you go.

#12 Multi-Experience Pass

These are like a golden ticket if you are lucky enough to get one. If you have a lightning lane reservation on a ride and it breaks down while you are in line or on the ride, you will receive an “Experience Redemption”. It will show up in your “my day” tab in the Genie+ screen.

This pass it good for any ride (with exceptions for rides like Rise of the Resistance and Cars). It is even good on some rides that are not included in the Genie+ lightning lane pass. For example, in Disneyland Park, if you received the Experience Redemption on Indiana Jones, your options are all the rides included in your lightning lane options, even if you’ve already gone on them that day.

It will also include rides like Alice in Wonderland, Astro Orbitor, Pirates of the Caribbean etc. The only rides that weren’t included for Disneyland Park were RofR and Peter Pan. 

#13 PhotoPass

This is a fun way to get amazing photos of your experience in the park. It is included when you purchase Genie+ or you can purchase it per day. You also have the option of purchasing individual photo downloads.

Get your photo taken by the park photographers at designated photo spots, with characters throughout the park, and ride photos. In the app use the plus symbol at the bottom of the map screen and choose link PhotoPass photos.

At the top you will have options for linking attraction photos, linking a PhotoPass card, showing the PhotoPass QR code. Super easy!

Pro tip: In order to link all of your photos to your Disneyland app, you can use a QR code generated by the app or ask a photographer to give you a card that will link to the app. Take a screenshot of the QR code and keep it in your photos or as your wallpaper on your phone for easy retrieval.

If the photographer gives you a card with a code, you can keep this in your phone case for easy access as well. One card will work for the duration of your stay when using PhotoPass.

#14 Go On The Popular Rides First

The first 2-3 hours the park is open are the golden hours when the lines will be the shortest. Go on the most popular rides early to avoid long lines later. If you can’t make it to the park for rope drop then make a beeline to the back of the park and work your way forward. Most people will start at the front gate and work their way back. You can avoid some of the crowds this way.

#15 Shop At The End Of The Night

Shop for your souvenir and candy at the end of the night. Main Street, USA stays open an hour later then the rest of park for those last minute purchases.

#16 Water and Snacks

The park allows you to bring in water and snacks. Glass bottles and loose ice are not allowed. We recommend taking a refillable water bottle with you, like our cute Minnie Mouse one pictured above.

There are many fill stations throughout the park and you can also ask for free cups of ice water at any dining location order window. To easily find fill stations and drinking fountains go to the park map in the Disneyland app. Click the down arrow at the top of the screen next to attractions. This will give you a menu where you can filter what you are looking for. Choose guest services and then look for the drinking fountain icon.

Pro tip – Use this drop down menu to find where characters are at any given time in the park, what entertainment is currently happening, and where PhotoPass photographers are.

#17 Book Dining When Reservations Open

Reservations open 60 days in advance at 6 am pacific time. This is the best time to get the dining reservations that you are hoping for. If you miss the 60-day window, there are websites, such as mousewatcher.com you can subscribe to that will send you alerts when a reservation becomes available. Many restaurants will take walk-up reservations the day of.

#18 Charging Device

If you plan on using the Disneyland app while you are in the park, consider taking a portable phone charger with you. If you use Fuel Rod chargers , there are machines in the park to quickly exchange your depleted charger for a new one that is fully charged. Here are a few other portable chargers that we recommend.

• Anker Portable Charger
• Taegila Portable Charger for iPhone

#19 When In Doubt Ask A Cast Member

Cast members are friendly and knowledgeable. You can ask them anything. That’s why they’re there. Not sure where the best place is to view a show? Ask them, they can often point you in the best direction.

A wonderful cast member gave us a great tip about the nightly projection show. Watch it from the promenade around “its a small world”. This area is less crowded than the area around the castle.

#20 Parking

You can buy individual parking vouchers online or you can pay at the lot. The price is $30 per day and pre-paid vouchers are valid for 24 months from the date of purchase. Parking structures open 60 minutes before the theme parks open.

There are 3 parking areas close to the park, as you get close to the park, follow the signs. Mickey & Friends parking structure, Pixar Pals parking structure, and Toy Story parking area. There are preferred parking spaces closer to elevators if you need them. The price for those spots is $50. If you have already purchased a regular spot just talk to a cast member and pay the difference. The preferred parking spots are located in Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals parking structures only.

Oversized vehicles such as motor homes are $35 and need to park in the Toy Story lot only.

#21 Mobile Food Ordering

This is one of our favorite tips. Mobile ordering is so fast and easy. From the park map in the Disneyland app, simply click the plus icon at the bottom of the screen and select order food. From there you can choose the restaurant and pick-up time, choose your food and pay.

You will receive a notification when you are within your order window. Then you press the button for make my order and pick it up at the mobile order pickup window they assign you. No standing in line and very little waiting! 

» Check here for a list of the best Disneyland snacks and where to find them and California Adventure foods you must try!

#22 Good Times To Visit The Park

It’s hard to predict what the crowds will be like in the park on any given day. If you love crowds and hot weather, then the summer months are for you. For all the rest of us here are some good times to shoot for.

• The Christmas holiday season lasts from November through January 6th and after that the crowds thin out.
• Halloween celebrations start in September and run through Halloween.
• January and February are good months to go crowd-wise, though the weather can be cooler.
• The end of August, September, through the 1st of October tend to be a good months since school is in session.

For more information check out the best times to go to Disneyland.

#23 Early Entry With On-Site Hotels

On-site hotels have perks that the Good Neighbor Hotels can’t offer. One of the best is that their guests are allowed into the park 1/2 hour early. While not all rides are open during that time, it gives you the advantage of getting into the park, riding a few rides with absolutely no line, and avoiding some of the crowded rope drop areas.

#24 Avoid Holidays and School Vacations

People with school-age kids will be looking to go on vacation when their kids will miss the least school. If you’re not one of them, avoid these times. It is fun to see the park decked out in its holiday, splendor but you will pay the price with larger than normal crowds.

#25 Single Rider Lines

This is one of our top tips! Single rider lines can save you a lot of time standing in line. Cast members always try to keep families and parties together on rides. This can leave an empty seat from time to time. If you don’t mind riding by yourself this is definitely the way to go.

There are times that standby lines have been 70 minutes or more and we have made it onto the ride within 5 minutes using the single rider line.  Not all rides have single rider lines. In Disneyland look for single rider signs at Matterhorn Bobsleds, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Splash Mountain.

#26 Watch For Fun Things In Ride Lines

If you’re paying close attention, you will notice some fun things that many people miss. Here are a few that we noticed.

• Listen to the overhead announcements while in line for Star Tours. They will page Egroeg Sacul, which is George Lucas backwards.
• In the Peter Pan line there are carved wooden figures from the movie in the wooden beams. You’ll find characters and items throughout the weaving line. Don’t miss the lamp with Tinkerbell in it!
• Indiana Jones Adventure – inside the temple, once you’ve made it through the cave, look for a bridge. To your left is a strange-looking bamboo post. If you pull on it, the ceiling will drop. In the open room with an obelisk, there is a sign that says don’t pull rope. If you pull the rope, a person inside will say something to you.
• Watch for Indy’s office along the line route. You will see props from some of the movies.
• At Jungle Cruise, watch for props from the new movie.

#27 Rope Drop

Rope drop allows you to be through security, have your ticket scanned, and be well into the park before 8 am. We recommend heading to the park between 6:45 and 7am to take advantage of this. There will be a line at the security, and at the ticket turnstile.

Once you make it through, you can proceed down Main Street, USA, to ropes that will stop you from entering the different lands. Those ropes drop at 8 am allowing you to proceed to your chosen ride. Take advantage of this early time in the park. The lines will be noticeably shorter for the first 3 or 4 hours.

Pro tip : If you want to rope drop Rise of the Resistance, line up at the Frontierland rope. Go in and to the left around the River of America and through Critter Country. This will put you in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge right where the line for Rise of the Resistance starts.

#28 Mobile Order Dole Whip At The Tiki Juice Bar

Why stand in a long line at The Tropical Hideaway for a dole whip when you can mobile order one right around the corner at the Tiki Juice Bar?

» Check out more must-try Disneyland snacks and desserts .

#29 Walk-Up Dining Reservations

You can always try for walk-up reservations to restaurants in the park. Of course, they are subject to availability at the time. Check the app once you are in the park, close to the land where the restaurant is. We were really hoping for a walk-up reservation for Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

If you pull it up in the app there is an option to join the walk-up list. Don’t be discouraged if it comes back with no reservations available. Try refreshing the app and join the walk-up list again.  We were able to secure a spot within 30 minutes. It was SO worth it. It is a fun spot to enjoy a drink and a snack.

» Check out all of the places to find alcoholic beverages in Disneyland and California Adventure.

#30 Always Go Left

If you enter a queue that has 2 lines side by side, try choosing the left side. I know this sounds kind of silly but we tested it many times and found that the left side lines were shorter. This goes for the security lines and ticket lines as well. Many people go straight ahead but in most cases the lines will be shorter if you move down to the left.

#31 Be Flexible

Rides can and do close or breakdown unexpectedly for a multitude of reasons. Many times they open back up quickly with little or no disruption, but there are times that everyone is asked to leave the line. This can throw your park plan out the window.  

#32 Relax With A Show

Enjoy a show at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. This show is full of tropical birds, tiki gods, and colorful flowers that come to life in a musical celebration. Relax in an air conditioned room and rest your feet while the show goes on all around you. Introduced in 1963, it has been delighting guests ever since.

#33 Watch for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Splash Mountain is being reimagined into Tiana’s Princess and the Frog Bayou Adventure. This iconic ride will be opening in 2024, so don’t miss it. 

#34 Ride Wait Times

Ride wait times are often inflated to look longer than they are. That way when you get to the front of the line quicker than posted you will be pleasantly surprised and happy.

#35 Take Some Ziplock Bags

Many of the treats and meals are more than you can eat. You can slip the rest in a Ziplock bag to enjoy later.

#36 Matching Group Shirts

You will notice in the park that there is a fun tradition of groups with matching shirts. You can get them specially made or order fun ones from Amazon, like our Magic Vibes shirts pictured above. Make going to Disneyland a fun occasion with matching shirts. It also makes it easier to spot your group in a crowd if you get separated. Here is more on what to wear to Disneyland.

#37 Panera Bread Sip Club

We walked by the local Panera Bread to and from our hotel every day. They have a program called the Sip Club . You can get a free drink every 2 hours with a small monthly fee. We joined the sip club and got our morning coffee on the way to the park along with breakfast, then stopped for a refreshing iced tea in the afternoon. 

#38 Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel

The Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is the only on-site hotel with direct access to the park. You can enter into Disney’s California Adventure park right across from Grizzly River Run.

#39 Mobile Check-Out

This is a relatively new feature to Disneyland and such a time saver. At select shops within the park you can use the Disneyland app to scan and purchase souvenirs and merchandise without standing in a check-out line.

#40 Take A Mid-Day Break

Consider taking a break mid day to rest and relax at your hotel. Giving your feet a break will make the rest of your day more pleasant. If you planned your itinerary right, you won’t miss the few hours you’ve been away.

One Last Tip…

Watch for Disney magic all over the park.

Where to Stay Near Disneyland

There are many options for great places to stay near Disneyland , but we definitely recommend staying at a Disney hotel if at all possible.

The three Disney-owned on-site hotels are The Disneyland Hotel , The Grand Californian and Paradise Pier . All three offer early entry to both parks for their guests. The Disneyland Hotel and The Grand Californian offer wonderful dining options as well as character dining.

If you want to stay right across the street from the park, try the Park Vue Inn (3-minute walk) or the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn-Mini Suites (4-minute walk).

How to Get to Disneyland

These are the main airports to choose from to get to Disneyland (read our full guide on the airports nearest to Disneyland ): 

• John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA) – 15 Miles from the park. 
• Long Beach Airport (LGB) – 25 Miles from the park. 
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 35 Miles from the park. 
• Hollywood Burbank Airport, Bob Hope Airport (BUR) – 45 Miles from the park.  

Drive times vary depending on the time of day. On-site car rental, taxis, and rideshares are available at all airports.

Uber and Lyft are convenient options. Consider checking the price of both before deciding. Prices will vary depending on the time of day.

Shuttle services can be reserved in advance. Lansky shuttle car service has a complimentary 30 minute grocery/fast food stop on the way to the hotel and they provide car seats. Karmal Shuttle car service only goes to LAX and John Wayne Airport and they don’t provide car seats.

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Angie is a long-time California fan, having lived in the Monterey area for many years. She loves reading, cooking, and hanging out with her two kids.

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The Total Guide for Your First Trip to Disneyland

When you step into Disneyland for the first time, everything feels like a vibrant burst of childhood nostalgia, no matter your age. It’s a place where every detail tickles your senses, where iconic characters from your favorite stories roam the streets of a wonderland. To navigate this bustling world of amazement, planning goes a long way. One bright Disneyland tip: snag the Disneyland app. This little wizard in your pocket will be your guide to wait times, dining reservations, and where to catch a wave with Mickey.

OFT Explore Highlights

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• Start your Disneyland adventure at the iconic Disneyland Park to experience the classic magic and new attractions.
• Utilize the Disneyland app for real-time updates and to plan your visit efficiently, including dining and FastPass selections.
• Consider the Genie+ pass to maximize your time and enjoy more attractions with less waiting.
• Stay at a hotel near Disneyland for convenience, or explore Airbnb options for a budget-friendly stay.

Deciding between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park is like choosing between two perfect slices of pie – they’re different, but both are incredibly sweet. Disneyland Park is where Walt Disney’s original vision comes to life. It’s the perfect place for first-timers to soak in the classic Disney magic, with its variety of themed lands from the enchanting Fantasyland to the futuristic Tomorrowland. The park’s charming Main Street, U.S.A. sets the scene, transporting visitors to an idyllic Americana filled with nostalgia.

Then there is the recently revamped Mickey’s Toontown, which is like walking into a living cartoon perfect for families who want to meet their favorite characters and experience interactive play areas. It’s a trip into a zany, animated town where laughter echoes from every corner – not to be missed if you’re traveling with kids.

Best Attractions for First-Timers

Of course, first-time visits aren’t complete without the thrill of Space Mountain or sailing through the swashbuckling scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean. These Disneyland staples are a must-see for the sheer joy and craftsmanship poured into them. And let’s not forget the charm of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the newest addition that’s pulling fans into its animated world with a burst of new-age Disney enchantment.

15 things to buy and send to hotel ahead of your Disney trip

Taking a spin on the Disneyland Railroad should be your first move. It’s not just transport; it’s a classic attraction that gives you a sneak peek of the entire park. And a tip from me: hit up the new attractions early before the queues reach the length of a dragon’s tail.

Character Experiences and Dining

If you crave some face time with the Disney stars beyond the parades, booking a character dining experience is the way to go. It’s a crash course in autograph hunting, with a side of scrumptious meals, where characters like Mickey and friends come to your table for selfies and scribbles. Plus, with the Disneyland app, you can skip the time-eating hunt for grub with mobile food ordering. Tap a few buttons and voilà, food appears like magic, leaving more time for adventure.

Planning Your Day

An ace in the hole when visiting Disneyland is the unassuming Disneyland app. We highly recommend marking the must-see sights and planning your day land by land to keep things simple. It’s about maximizing fun while minimizing weariness, especially for those with little ones. Your feet will thank you when you bring or rent a stroller to move around with ease, because believe me, Disneyland is a marathon, not a sprint.

Let’s cut to the chase: nobody likes wasting time in line, especially at Disneyland, when there’s a whole kingdom waiting out there. That’s where Disney Genie+ steps in – your fast pass to fun. For a few extra bucks, this nifty service lets you skip the regular queues on a ton of attractions, revving up your park experience. Think of it like this: Genie+ is your VIP ticket to those screaming rides and fairy-tale moments without the slow crawl of the standby line.

The price tag for Genie+ isn’t exactly small change, but let’s break down the time-saving magic it offers. Time is the currency at amusement parks, and Genie+ is like investing in a time-rich fund. By handing over the extra cash, you can book access to select attractions right on the Disneyland app. It’s about strategizing; you can reserve ride times in advance, and when your slot whizzes around, you waltz past the regular line like you own the place.

Now, here’s some Disneyland tips straight from the seasoned playbook: start early, and be smart about your Genie+ selections. The heavy hitters — those rides that pull crowds faster than free churros — book up quickly. Get those on your Genie+ list first thing. Pro tip: keep refreshing the app; sometimes, you’ll snag a spot on rides like Space Mountain or the Haunted Mansion that seemed full moments before.

And for those attractions that are the star-studded celebs of the park, Individual Lightning Lanes are like backstage passes. Forking out some extra dough can get you a one-time shot to slip into the fast lane without the wait. But pick your moments, folks. These aren’t cheap, and they’re limited, so make it count — use it for that one ride where the queue snakes longer than Main Street.

When we’re talking about stepping into the magical world of Disney, it all begins with a Disneyland ticket. Nabbing those passes is your first step toward adventure. For the best deals, I’d always suggest checking out Disneyland’s own website. That’s where you’re gonna find official discounts, special offers, or even a package deal that includes a stay at one of the Disneyland Resort hotels.

After you’ve gotten your hands on those tickets, don’t nap on making park reservations—it’s as crucial as deciding whether to hit Space Mountain before or after lunch. This reservation system is Disneyland’s way of managing the crowd sizes—it keeps the magic alive and the elbowing to a minimum. So, log in and reserve that spot as soon as you have your tickets.

For those of you making your first trip to Disneyland, consider splurging a little on Park Hopper tickets. This little upgrade gives you the power to move between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park on the same day. And trust me, you’re going to want to sample all the flavors of this ice cream sundae, not just one scoop.

Now for the locals or the Disney die-hards, the Magic Key Annual Pass is your ticket to the kingdom all year round. If the names Main Street and New Orleans Square get your heart thumping more than your first love, this pass is made for you – offering reservation-based admission to one or both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks, discounts on select dining and merchandise, and a bunch more perks.

Planning your first trip to Disneyland is like preparing a gourmet meal — timing is everything. To really dig into that Disney magic without the side of long lines and elbow-to-elbow crowds, aim for that sweet spot when the park is less packed and the Southern California sun decides to play nice. Our intel suggests that off-peak months, typically mid-January through mid-March, late April through early June, and mid-September through mid-October, serve up the best mix of thin crowds and gentle weather.

Now, every seasoned traveler to the land of Walt knows the rhythm of the park changes with the seasons. Scouring the Disneyland events calendar for 2024 might reveal when you can catch the park dressed up for Halloween Time or bursting with cultural celebration during the Lunar New Year. Foodies might want to circle the dates for the Food & Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure Park. These special events can dial up the crowd levels, but they also turn a regular visit into a full-blown fiesta.

Speaking of crowds, let’s get real for a second: Disneyland Resort is almost always bustling. Holidays and summer months can feel like the entire world decided to descend upon Main Street, U.S.A., at the same time. But, with some shrewd planning and a sprinkle of luck, you can slide through the gates on days where the longest line you’ll encounter is for a Dole Whip.

Length of stay? If you’re angling for that perfect balance between ‘saw everything’ and ‘need a vacation from my vacation’, let’s call it five days. This lets you sink your teeth into three full days spreading across Disneyland Park, California Adventure Park, and even some Downtown Disney District action, plus two travel days for good measure. It’s an itinerary that won’t leave you feeling like you missed the grand finale fireworks because you blinked.

When planning your first trip to Disneyland, deciding where to stay is as crucial as picking the right Disneyland ticket. If convenience is your north star, the Disneyland Resort Hotels, like the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Californian, are right up your alley. Parking your bags here means the parks are just a hop, skip, and a jump away—plus, you get some pretty sweet perks like magic hour access before the general crowd storms in.

On the flip side, there’s a whole universe of hotels just beyond the Disney bubble that won’t leave your wallet aching. You can find places that range from “won’t break the bank” to “okay, that’s a bit of a splurge,” all within a short distance of the Disney California Adventure Park. Staying off-site means you might forego some Disney-specific benefits, but the savings can be worth it—and you’ll still be close enough to cruise over to Main Street at a moment’s notice.

For a more home-style vibe, Airbnb throws a curveball into the mix. You can snag a whole house, kick back like a local in Southern California, and sometimes even cut costs—especially if you’ve got a gang with you. But remember, you might be a tad farther from the Disneyland magic, and you’ll have to wrangle your own breakfast—Mickey-shaped pancakes not included.

So, whether you dream of dozing in the shadow of Space Mountain or you’re happy with a cozy spot in the surrounding neighborhood, your options are as varied as the attractions in California Adventure Park. Just think about what matters most: the Disney immersion of the Disneyland Resort Hotel, the savings of nearby hotels, or the homeliness of an Airbnb.

Venturing to Disneyland isn’t only about the thrill of the rides or the charm of Magic Street; it’s also a food lover’s ticket to dining nirvana. Picture munching on Mickey-shaped waffles at a character breakfast or tucking into New Orleans-style gumbo amidst the bustling vibe of New Orleans Square. Disneyland Resort is brimming with dining spots that span the gamut from quick snacks to immersive, themed restaurants that’ll transport you to another place and time.

For those of you plotting your first trip to Disneyland, tipping my hat in your direction, here’s a Disneyland tip that’s worth its weight in churros: make dining reservations. This isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a necessity if you’re eyeing those popular sit-down restaurants. You can start booking these up to 60 days in advance, and, trust me, this little step can save you from the gnawing hunger pains that can turn the happiest place on earth into a hangry nightmare.

But let’s not forget the after-dinner show. Disneyland Park lights up brighter than a Southern California July with nighttime extravaganzas that’ll blow your mind—a clear sign that Walt Disney World’s sibling knows a thing or two about entertainment. We’re talking fireworks exploding over Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, parades that light up Main Street U.S.A., and the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that’s something straight out of a space opera fan’s wildest dreams.

To get the most bang for your buck with these spectacles, think about grabbing dining packages that include reserved seating for the popular shows. It’s like the Lightning Lane of Disneyland entertainment—skipping the worst of the crowds for a prime viewing spot. With these packages, you can elevate your Disneyland California Adventure Park experience to the next level. And hey, if you can watch the latest Main Street parade or the jaw-dropping feats in California Adventure while nibbling on dessert, why wouldn’t you?

• Disneyland Dining: A cornucopia of culinary options awaits—character meals to themed eateries.
• Reservation Heads-Up: Book your tables early to avoid disappointment.
• Entertainment Galore: Nighttime shows, parades, and character encounters ensure a spectacle worth every second.
• Showtime Strategy: Consider dining packages to secure the best seats for nighttime entertainment.

Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks. Before you hit up the magic at Disneyland Resort, you’ve got to pack like a pro. Tops on your list should be comfortable walking shoes because, let’s face it, Disneyland is to walking what peanut butter is to jelly – they just go together. And hydration is key in sunny Southern California, so a water bottle is a must-have. It’s always sunny in Disneyland, almost annoyingly so, which means sunscreen is your best buddy. And in today’s connected world, a portable charger will save your life – or at least your phone’s battery life.

Now, don’t stroll into the park without the Disneyland app on your device. This little digital gem is like having a park guru in your pocket. It’s got maps, wait times, and even a handy feature to order food. And if you’re eyeing some Disney merch, grab it early at the stores in Downtown Disney or at a Disneyland resort hotel. The selection is like the first scoop out of a peanut butter jar – untouched and full of possibilities.

Still feeling a bit like a fish out of water? Disneyland cast members are the local gurus. They’re the folks who can give you that Disneyland tip which can turn a good day into a great one – like where to snag that hard-to-get dining reservation or the best spot to catch the parade. They’re friendly and know the park like the back of their Goofy hand, so don’t hesitate to ask them for help.

So, you’re about to set foot in that realm where elephants fly and castles touch the sky for your very first trip to Disneyland. It can be as overwhelming as tackling a five-course meal without knowing which fork to use first. But, take it from someone who’s walked those colorful paths and zipped through Space Mountain: proper planning is your FastPass to a fabulous time. Layer on comfy clothes like an onion (that Southern California sun could cook an egg on Main Street), and consider the Disneyland Resort Hotel as your base camp for easy access and those delicious extra magic hours.

That Disneyland app you downloaded? It’s your compass through the maze of delight that awaits you in both Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park. And don’t forget about the Genie Plus service; it’s like having a Disney wish-granted right in your back pocket. It may cost a little extra, but the Lightning Lane access it gives could mean the difference between swaggering onto Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance like a Rebel Alliance VIP or waiting in a line longer than the Sarlacc pit.

But here’s a hot Disneyland tip: leave room for spontaneity. Those unplanned moments? They can be pure Disney magic. The kids might remember the surprise Disneyland parade sighting more fondly than the meticulously scheduled princess breakfast. And remember, Downtown Disney is just a hop, skip, and a jump away for a breather from the ribbons of crowds, maybe even a trip down to New Orleans Square for a quick gumbo refresher.

Wrap it all up in a Park Hopper ticket, and you’ve got the golden ticket providing access to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park on the same day. That way, if California Adventure gets too intense or the kiddos are begging for another Haunted Mansion run, you’re covered. And if the feet start protesting from all the trekking around, consider a midday break at the Disneyland hotel for a quick power nap—trust me on this.

Let’s get down to business. Make every second count with Magic Morning or Extra Magic Hour, exclusively for those who stay at Disneyland resort hotels like the Grand Californian—talk about prime real estate. And definitely hit up those iconic rides—like Space Mountain early in the day to avoid the lines that snake around like a Disneyland conga line heading into eternity.

At the risk of sounding a bit soppy, your first trip to Disneyland should be sprinkled with a bit of pixie dust and a whole lot of heart. Watch the fireworks, eat the churro, hug Mickey Mouse, and when the day is done, don’t be shy about consulting that pair of Mickey ears on your head for some dreamy inspiration.

Final tip, folks: let go a little. Allow yourself to chuckle at the over-the-top parades, and don’t bat an eye when Goofy crashes your family photo. Create those memories, collect that laughter, and leave with your heart so full it feels like it’s been hanging out with Olaf in a warm hug. That’s the wonder of the Disneyland Resort, a place where stories leap off the page and into your lap, begging you to take them home. So step on up, take a deep breath, and let Disneyland do what it does best: make believe.

Co-Founder of the OFT Blog. Mother of 2 who disguises as a 9 to 5 finance professional on most days. She loves to travel, is an amateur website builder and cook. And given her day job, she loves travel planning and saving money. Follow along!

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First Time to Disneyland – Plan An Amazing Disneyland Trip

Are you planning your first time to Disneyland? Planning a Disneyland trip is much easier than planning a trip to Disneyworld.  I’m excited to share with you all the Disneyland tips for first-timers you will need to plan an amazing trip to Disneyland.

In this post, I will give a general overview of tickets, accommodations, attractions, and helpful Disney tips for first-timers.  Disneyland is so fun and I am excited to share a few things that will make your first time to Disneyland super special! 

Let’s plan an amazing first-time to Disneyland experience! 

If you want to save this information for later be sure to pin this to Pinterest.

This post may contain affiliate links that will give me a commission at no additional charge to you. 

Picking a Date for Disneyland

If this is your first time to Disneyland, there are certain times of the year that are better to visit Disneyland. Crowd levels tend to be higher during Christmas, summer, and school break holidays.  

As long as you pick your Disneyland dates a few months ahead of time you should be totally fine.  In the past, you could easily plan a last-minute trip to Disneyland and not have a problem with getting tickets (with the exception of major holidays).

However, because Disneyland is now requiring reservations you will want to plan your trip at least 4-To 5 weeks ahead of time.  

This will allow you to pick the day and park you would like to attend.  

If you are planning to go during a major holiday, you will need to book your tickets and reservations at least 3 months in advance.  Hotels will book up as well. 

Also, another great Disneyland tip for first-timers is if you are going to Disneyland in September or October, they have an amazing special Disney Halloween event called the Oogle Boogie Bash.  These tickets go on sale in the summertime and sell out!  

How Many Days Do I Need at Disneyland

If this is your first time to Disneyland you might be wondering how many days you will need. Well, my recommendation is to spend at least 2 full days visiting Disneyland. 

One park each day.  Most people like to purchase a 3-day pass.  This allows them to visit both parks and then have an extra day to hit anything they want to do again or maybe didn’t get a chance to do.  

How Many Parks in Disneyland

There are two parks at Disneyland.  Disneyland Park and California Adventure.  

You can easily do California Adventure in one day.  Disneyland offers more rides, shows, and attractions which makes it difficult to do everything in one day

How to Get to Disneyland

Most visitors to Disneyland are California residents.  Also, most western states such as Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington have a good representation as well.

Should I Drive or Fly to Disneyland 

We have been to Disneyland so many times I can’t count them. We usually drive.  It is about a 10-hour drive from Utah.  On our most recent trip, we decided to fly.  So we have had both experiences. 

I recommend flying if you are limited on time unless you live nearby!

Driving is probably the most common form of transportation if you live nearby. The best advice I can give is to avoid rush hour time. 

Plan to drive to Anaheim the night before you plan to attend the park.  Traffic is lighter in the evenings. 

Airports Near Disneyland 

There are a lot of airports to choose from near Disneyland.  

• Los Angeles – LAX (32 miles 35-50 minute drive)
• Santa Ana – SNA (13 miles 13-18 minute drive)
• Long Beach – LGB ( 21 miles 22-28 minute drive) 
• Ontario – ONT (35 miles 35-45 minute drive)
• Santa Barbara – SBA ( 121 miles 2 -2.5 hour drive)
• San Diego – SAN (94 miles 1.5-2 hour drive)

Closest Airport to Disneyland 

The closest airport to Disneyland is John Wayne (SNA)  It is about 15 miles from Disneyland.  It is about a 17-minute drive.  

Most Affordable Airport to Disneyland

If you want to save money, most flights at the Los Angeles Airport Port (LAX) tend to have lower fares.  This is because LAX is the largest airport on the west coast. Many airlines have flights that make stops in LA.  

Car Rentals Near Disneyland

Maybe you have heard the rumors…..Driving in LA is horrible!

It can have some major traffic, but for the most part, getting to Disneyland shouldn’t be a problem. Since most people fly into LAX to go to Disneyland, let’s focus on this airport. 

Renting a Car at LAX

Most rental car companies are located off-site at LAX.  You will have to take a shuttle to get your car.  

Uber or Lyft 

From most of the airports listed above, Uber or Lyft isn’t the best option.  SNA however is the only airport I would take an Uber or Lyft from. The price of an Uber or Lyft can be very expensive from LAX.  You will have to compare prices to determine if renting a car is a better option.

• Book your car rental ahead of time!  I like to use Priceline .
• There are no tollways from LAX to Disneyland.  This is important if the car company suggests you buy the toll pass….Don’t.
• Be aware that most hotels near Disneyland will charge you to park your car. Consider this when pricing out rental cars and Uber and Lyft options. 

Planning a First-Time Disneyland Trip

There are a few things you need to plan before you go. Tickets , accommodations , and dining reservations are the most important.  

First Time to Disneyland - Tickets Options

If this is your first time to Disneyland, buying tickets can be a bit confusing.  Buying tickets directly on the Disneyland site is an option, however, there are a few third-party options to consider. 

I saved over $70 a person booking through Sam’s Club.

GetAwayToday 

Get Away   Today is another very reputable company that offers great prices.  (You can use my code: Planaway10 for $10 off packages.)

Mult Day Tickets  

Usually, if you go at least 3 days you will get a discount.  The more days you play the average price per day goes down. 

Park Hopping Option Tickets

Once you decide how many days you want to go to Disneyland and who you want to purchase your tickets through, you will have to decide if you want a park hopper ticket. 

What is a Park Hopper Ticket?

A park hopper ticket will allow you to jump from California Adventure to Disneyland on the same day.  

Because of Covid restrictions, park hopping is only allowed after 1:00pm.

What is the Best Way to Book?

We have booked through hotels, travel agents, and even bought tickets at the park.  All of these methods are great.  My only suggestion is to book ahead of time. 

Once you purchase your ticket you will need to make a reservation.

Park Hopping at Disneyland

If this is your first time to Disneyland you will need to consider if a park hopper ticket is worth it for your trip.  

Should I Get A Park Hopper Ticket?

We have purchased a one park per day ticket and have also tried park hopping at Disneyland. 

Personally, I prefer one park per day.  I don’t feel rushed and I feel like there is plenty to do at both parks. 

Benefits of Park Hopping

Park hopping is extremely easy at Disneyland.  You literally walk next door. 

So if you only have a day at Disneyland and want a taste of both parks, it could be a great option. Or if you go during a very busy time, it is nice to switch parks and hopefully one will be less crowded.

Get A Disneyland Reservation

Getting your tickets set up and making reservations is one of the most important steps in planning a Disneyland trip.  It can also be confusing if it is your first time to Disneyland

Disneyland App 

The first thing you will want to do is download the Disneyland App.

Once you have the app you will enter your tickets QR code and connect your tickets. 

Once your tickets are connected you can make a reservation for the days you wish to attend the park.

You will need to pick which park you wish to attend on a specific date. 

First Time to Disneyland - Accommodations Options

Booking accommodations at Disneyland is totally different than Disney World.  Unlike Disney World, you can book Marriott , Hilton, or other hotel brands directly across the street from Disneyland. 

Most of these hotels are within walking distance so you do not need a transportation system to get to the parks. 

Staying at a Disney Resort

Disneyland offers 3 Disneyland Resorts 

• Disneyland’s Grand Californian
• Disneyland Hotel
• Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel

These hotels offer that extra Disney touch.  Personally, I think the Grand Californian is your best option because you have direct access to California Adventure. 

It is the closest hotel to the parks.  The other two Disney hotels are much farther and much more expensive than the majority of off-site hotels located near Disneyland.  

David’s Vacation Rentals

If you do want to stay at the Grand Californian, I highly recommend booking through David’s Vacation Rentals.  

This company offers Disney Vacation Club members to sell the points they are not going to use.  The company will book a room for you for much cheaper than you will find on the Disney website.  I have used this service and it was exceptional!

Staying Off-Site  

When Disneyland was built they did not purchase all the land surrounding the parks.  This allowed many hotel chains to buy property very close to Disneyland.  It is so easy to book a hotel near Disneyland and walk to the parks.

Our Recommendations 

We love Marriott .  There are two amazing Marriott locations very near the entrance of Disneyland. 

The Courtyard Marriott is right across the street and also has a waterpark.  The Spring Hills Suites is less than a mile away in the Convention Center area and is really nice. 

Both of these hotels sleep 6.  They have two queens and an awesome bunk bed! 

You can see the fireworks from most off-site hotels. 

Right now Disney has done away with the tram system. This system would transport you from the Mickey and Friends Parking Lot to the park. 

If you stayed at a hotel near the parking area you could easily jump on the tram and head to Disney.  Because this is not an option make sure to book a hotel within walking distance.

Parking at Disneyland

There is a new Toy Story parking lot.  This is your best option right now.  There is a bus that transports you from the parking lot to the park. 

This parking lot is within walking distance of the park. 

Currently, the Mickey and Friends Lot does not have a transportation system in place, so do not park there.

First Time to Disneyland - Dining Reservations

On your Disney app, you can make reservations for table service locations.  If this is your first time to Disneyland, “Table Service” means a sit-down restaurant. 

Disneyland Character Dining Locations

Minnie and Friends Breakfast in the Park – Plaza Inn (theme park) Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet (Grand Californian Resort) Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure (Grand Californian Resort) Goofy’s Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) 

Mobile Orders

Mobile ordering is awesome!  Disneyland and California Adventure counter service locations allow you to order through the Disneyland App.  It is easy and so convenient.  Gone are the days of waiting in long lines for food.  

You simply place your order and then when you are near the restaurant you click an “I am Here” button on the app.  Your food is prepared and ready within minutes! 

If this is your first time to Disneyland, “Counter Service” basically means fast food.  There are places to sit and enjoy your food, you just pick it up at the “counter” and find a table to enjoy it. 

Bringing Outside Food into the Park

If you do not want to buy food at the park you can bring in your own snacks and food.  You will need to inform the security cast member that you have it.  Ice chest are not allowed in the park. 

We tried really hard on our last trip to eat at as many places at both California Adventure and Disneyland. 

California Adventure hands down wins on snacks and food.  If you are planning on eating in the park, I would pick somewhere at California Adventure! 

Hopefully, your first time to Disneyland trip will be amazing! Planning a Disneyland trip is easy and fun with the help of this guide.  These basic tips for booking tickets, accommodations, and dining will get you going as you plan away! 

Major Disney Fan

I am a huge Disney fan.  It is my favorite topic of conversation.  I love to share everything we love and tips about Disney.  We have been to Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Disney’s Aulani .  I hope to visit all the Disney parks around the world. 

Please ask me questions when planning your first-time Disneyland trip, I am happy to help! My Facebook groups are the best way to ask. 

Have More Questions

Join the   Families Who Love Disney Facebook Group .   This is a great group that can help you answer your questions. 

Also, the latest and coolest Disney news, products, and vacation tips are posted here weekly! If you have any questions about   Disneyland Tickets ,  star wars land , the  best age to go to Disneyland ,  Disneyland Itinerary help ,  Disneyland Souvenirs,    or the Disney Halloween Parties  or special events this is the place to ask!  

General Trave Facebook Group

If you have any questions join my   Facebook Travel  Community .   You can ask any questions you have about upcoming trips and everyone is happy to help you plan your trip.  I also try to give exclusive travel deals that companies send me.  It is a great group to join!

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24 Comments

I love all your tips for a great Disneyland vacation. I know my kids would love to go to both parks.

They would love it!

Our first trip to Disneyland was in 2019, and we fell in love! For our first trip, we did four park days. We love the WDW, so we wanted to spend a lot of time in the parks. We loved walking from our hotel, even though we were off property. For our first trip, we stayed at Howard Johnson’s.

Then, last September, we were crazy and decided to go to Oogie Boogie in September. We only had two days in the parks, and we didn’t get to do all our favorites because of the party, but we had a great time. We stayed at the Camelot that time, and it was so nice to be so close.

I love going to Disneyland as much as WDW. I love how much easier it is to get around in Disneyland, but I did miss Epcot. We haven’t been to WDW since 2018. We are tentatively planning for 2024.

We love that you can walk to Disneyland. It is so convenient!

These are awesome tips for visiting Disneyland. I’ve been there three times…but it’s been a decade since my last visit. I’d love to go again.

There are so many new things to see!

These are great tips on planning a Disneyland vacation for first-timers. So much fun…it truly is magical!

It is so magical!

This makes me want to go back to Disneyland so badly! Haha! We took our kids in 2018 and have wanted to take them again. We did DisneyWorld last fall, it was amazing. Disneyland is nice because we can drive there, Utahan as well. I’m saving these tips for our next, hopefully soon, trip.

Disneyland is so much easier for us to get to!

I’m a huge WDW fan and have always wanted to visit Disneyland. The thought of learning and planning for the two California parks is a little overwhelming, but this is a fantastic guide. Thank you!

It is so much easier to plan thanDisney World!

I am looking forward to going to Disneyland for the first time in the next few years! Thanks for some great planning tips to tuck away for later!

You will love it!

Wow, I think you covered EVERYTHING to think about for a first time visitor. I am still continuing to save up for this dream vacation 🙂

It takes so much planning including budgeting!

I have never been to Disneyland so this is just the guide I needed! Your tips and tricks will definitely save me time and money too – plus now I fully understand the benefit of park hopping! I will be referring back to this as I plan my trip.

Oh good! Disneyland is so fun!

I appreciate this insider information! Especially since there are no tolls from LAX, good to know to save some money!

I feel like car rental companies always want to charge you extra!

These are all such great tips! I love Disneyland! Like you, I’ve been more times than I can count. We live 6-7 hours away in Phoenix, Arizona, so we usually drive, too. Thanks for sharing!

Disneyland was our go-to vacation whenever we got a break when then my kids discovered Disney World….much farther

Thank you for such a helpful step by step guide to Disneyland. It just takes the trip to the next level. I can’t wait to visit the park with my kids!

It is such a fun place to take the kids

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Disneyland Planning Guide 2024: Start Here to Plan Your Disneyland Trip

We cover everything from finding the best hotel near Disneyland to the most recent Disneyland updates to advice on saving money on Disneyland tickets. Our guide to planning a trip to Disneyland is laid out in the order of steps you would go in as begin planning to make it as simple as possible for first time guests and well-seasoned park goers!

You can read all about what Disneyland is like right now and the  Disneyland reservations system in our guides.

Common Questions:

• Where to find best discount Disneyland tickets?
• Where to find cheap Disney World tickets?
• How to find discount Universal Studios Hollywood tickets? 
• What should I bring to Disneyland? 
• Which are the best hotels near Disneyland?
• Which airport is closest to Disneyland?
• When is Disneyland least crowded?
• Should I go to Disneyland or Walt Disney World?
• How much does Disney FastPass cost in 2024?
• How do I navigate Disneyland with a wheelchair?

When to Visit Disneyland 2024

Your first step to planning a Disneyland vacation is to first decide on when you would like to visit the park! There are special events to consider throughout the year along with your own schedule to consider. In order to help you decide when is the best time to visit Disneyland consult our Disneyland crowd calendar which includes crowd predictions along with monthly events for the entire year. Plus, see our tips for the best times to visit Disneyland here .

Visiting Disneyland during the summer is often the most obvious choice for guests due to summer vacation for school aged kids. This is a great time to visit Disneyland as you will enjoy longer operating hours and newly introduced events or entertainment. Our guide to summer at Disneyland covers the pros and cons of a summer vacation at the resort. Spring at Disneyland can be another great time to visit, especially if you're looking for discounts for on-site Disney hotels and cheaper airfare.

Also consider the Disneyland Park hours and Disney California Adventure park hours when planning.

The holiday season is also another popular time to enjoy the parks as Disneyland goes all out for both Halloween and Christmas . You can enjoy seasonal ride overlays, an abundance of decorations, seasonal treats and themed entertainment. Picking what time of year to visit Disneyland will alter your resort experience in regards to the type of entertainment you may experience at the park, decorations, crowds, weather and even prices.

Prices will always be higher during holiday weeks like spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Labor Day, etc. Crowd levels also usually coordinate with these higher prices. Our guide to experiencing crowds at Disneyland help you prepare for surviving anything. Be sure to read our top Disneyland tips here .

You may also want to take into account the usual yearly refurbishments that may take place at Disneyland when picking your trip dates- these are just the yearly ride closures for usual maintenance or closures for seasonal overlays that happen each year.

You may also consider visiting for a birthday or anniversary which are great milestones to celebrate on Disney! In fact, Disney will help you celebrate those special birthdays and anniversaries .

Regardless of what time of year you pick, there is always a pro/con to each and every day of the year is just as magical as the rest!

Disneyland's New Reservation System 2024

Once you've picked your dates for your Disneyland vacation your next step is to purchase your tickets! You can save nearly $20 per ticket for travel when you book with our recommended travel partner  Get Away Today . They offer the best discounts while providing top notch customer service. They have worked with Disney for over 30 years selling millions of 2-5 day discount Disney tickets and give our Mickey Visit readers (who book through links on our website) an exclusive discount rate on tickets. I highly recommend going that route for your Disneyland theme park tickets. You can read more about the different ticket options, how many days you need and more in our discount Disneyland guide. 

If you're looking to do Disneyland on a budget, I've got you covered in our budget tips for Disneyland guide. Our list of budget tips will help you save money on park tickets, hotel, dining, and includes information on how to save 5% on Disney gift cards!

It's not enough to just have your theme park tickets to Disneyland, you also need to make a reservation for each day of your visit once you've purchased your tickets! This is extremely important because reservations can run out as your trip dates get closer and since this new reservation system has been implemented it hasn't been uncommon to see guests without a reservation be turned away at the gates… even if they have tickets.

Theme park reservations are available on a 90 day rolling basis for one day tickets and Magic Key Holders and a 120 day basis for multi-day ticket holders (available via our travel partner) in order for Disney to access guest availability and you should reserve your park days the instant you purchase your park tickets. You can easily change these later if you need to but better to book them once you've picked your dates. Our guide to the Disneyland theme park reservation system can walk you through how to make a reservation.

What Disneyland Hotel To Stay In

There are two types of hotels to choose from when visiting the Disneyland Resort. You can either stay at an on-property hotel that is owned by Disney or stay at a Disneyland Good Neighbor hotel, a third party hotel approved by Disney. There is a large price different between these two but the on-property Disney hotels all place you within the “Disney bubble” of being able to access Disneyland by walking through the popular Downtown Disney District which connects the entrance to the theme park and the hotels.

Downtown Disney contains plenty of shopping, restaurants and live entertainment. It's a great place to spend your arrival day to get your family in the Disney mood before their full day at the parks.

The are three Disney owned hotels with three different price tiers: Paradise Pier Hotel , the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Each of our reviews for these hotels detail the perks each offer along with the theme, dining and Disney details the hotels offer. You can also set aside a day of relaxation at the newly imagined Tenaya Stone Spa inside the Grand Californian with a full body massage, foot treatment, facial, and more! Plus they even offer fitness classes , some inside the parks before they open.

You can also bundle your Disneyland tickets and hotel into one Disneyland all inclusive vacation package. You can find more information on exclusive discounts, the best places to find powerful discounts, and when to book your package in our Disneyland vacation packages guide.

For guests that are looking to save money or prefer the variety the off-site hotels offer at Disneyland, there is a plethora of options near Disneyland! This is actually one of the best perks Disneyland has over Walt Disney World. Due to its close proximity of being centrally located in the city of Anaheim it's a breeze to use a hotel nearby and walk to the theme park each day. In fact, some of the off-site hotels are actually fewer steps to the entrance gates than some of the Disney owned hotels.

Our comprehensive guide to hotels at Disneyland covers our favorite hotels near Disneyland plus includes a detailed list of our personal reviews of these hotels with tips on how to save money by booking through our trusted travel partner. If you're the type of family that plans to spend numerous hours in the park and little time at your hotel, you can save hundreds by staying off-site at a no frills (but clean!) hotel and spend that money saved inside Disneyland instead.

Traveling to Disneyland

The Disneyland Resort sits in the middle of numerous nearby airports giving you plenty of options to fly in to the resort. My personal two favorites are Long Beach Airport and John Wayne Airport due to their close proximity (less than 20-30 minutes away!) and their small size. It makes traveling a breeze and I always chose to pay a bit more to fly into Long Beach over Los Angelas Airport which is a much larger airport. LA is also much further away and you will have a longer car ride to Disneyland with plenty of traffic to hold you up.

You can read more about the airports and transportation options to and from the airports in our Disneyland transportation guide. 

Where to Eat on Your Disneyland Vacation

The Disneyland Resort provides a wide variety of different types of food. You will find classic amusement park food mixed in with upscale restaurants. The food quality is outstanding and whether you are eating a corn dog or pork shank, it will be the best you have ever had.

Disneyland classifies their dining options in two categories: table service and quick service. Table service is defined as restaurants where you are seated with a typical waiter/waitress and offer advance dining reservations you can reserve 60 days in advance. You can book a reservation on the  official Disneyland website or call the reservation hotline at (714) 781-3463. Most of the restaurants are Disneyland that are considered table service book up in advance so its highly recommended you book reservations for the ones you're interested in.

Quick service refers to walk up locations which typically also offer mobile ordering you can use with the Disneyland app or just a regular walk up line. This is a quick grab and go option and also tends to be more cost effective. Most of the quick service locations at Disneyland offers really great food!

One popular experience that you shouldn't overlook, especially if you have kids, is the character dining at Disneyland! You can find character dining inside the park and at the Disney owned hotels offering a variety of experiences from Princess dining to dinner with Goofy! You can read more about each experience offered in our full guide to character dining at Disneyland .

Another popular dining experience at Disneyland is the option of reserving dining experiences that come with reserved seating for popular nighttime entertainment! These experiences are called dining packages and are offered for the popular nighttime spectaculars at Disneyland. This is a great way to combine a great dining experience while also taking the hassle out of saving a spot for a popular show in advance.

Read through our full guide to dining at Disneyland to see a review of all the different restaurants at Disneyland, tips on saving money on food and how to get the best dining reservations.

Disneyland 2024 Packing List

Once you've made all your theme park reservations, dining reservations and have all those finer details made the next big question becomes…. what should I pack? You want to be prepared for your Disneyland vacation but you also don't want to be so overburdened in the parks you're tipping over backwards with a giant backpack! Our Disneyland packing list helps cover everything you should bring so you come prepared.

Disneyland will have you covered with essentials if you do find you forgot something crucial but you will pay a higher price. It's good in a pinch especially if you forgot something you need immediately in the moment like headache or stomach medicine. Yes, you can even find medicine at Disneyland!

If you want to avoid that giant backpack from tipping you over, you could always rent a locker ! Disneyland offers daily locker rentals which is a great solution if you find yourself wanting to store the extra snacks or lunch you brought, the jackets you no longer need or the extra souvenirs you bought.

Disneyland has a great selection of souvenirs which can easily run your wallet down before you have a chance to blink. But there's some souvenirs that are more timeless than others and help preserve the memory of your trip. Read through my top recommendations to the best Disneyland souvenirs to see what are the most unique souvenirs you can find at the parks that are longer lasting memories than the typical t-shirt.

A great idea for Disneyland souvenirs that doesn't break the budget and that kids love are to collect the pressed pennies around the Disneyland.

Another popular item to collect and trade at Disneyland are Disney pins which you can trade with other guests and inside the Disney shops. Our guide to Disney Pin Trading gives an overview of this time honored tradition.

And if you find yourself wanting to purchase something that's too large to pack into your suitcase, Disneyland also gives you the option to ship your souvenirs back home. This is especially helpful since purchasing lightsabers has become a popular option! You can also find shipping options from many of the local stores in Downtown Disney which is a good option if you find yourself splurging on the big Lego set!

Disneyland 2024 Park Ride Touring Plans

Disneyland Resort includes two theme parks: Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park . Disneyland is the original theme park which is home to all the classic rides such as Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mad Tea Party plus the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. It is also the theme park where you can find the popular Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! California Adventure Park opened in 2001 and is now home to favorites such as Cars Land, Pixar Pier plus the new addition of Avengers Campus.

You can orient yourself with our map of Disney California Adventure and map of Disneyland Park .

The great thing about Disneyland and one of the biggest differences from Walt Disney World is how easy it is to park hop! Disneyland and California Adventure are located mere steps away from each other making it incredibly easy to walk between each other throughout the day if you wanted. So in the case of visiting Disneyland, I highly recommend you purchase a park hopper ticket .

One of the biggest questions we get from guests about to visit Disneyland is: how do we beat the crowds? There are two quick and easy methods to doing this that can work well for families of all dynamics. Arrive early or stay until park closing. Or you can hit the hotel in the afternoon for a nap and do both! Crowds will always be dramatically more manageable- even during peak travel times- in the morning and end of the night. Nighttime doesn't require much strategy, just stay until after the fireworks end and hang in there until the park closes. Most families will leave after the fireworks and the lines will decrease significantly- even on holidays! And don't forget about using single rider lines!

For more detailed touring plans, we've put together a step by step touring plan to managing Disneyland in the morning . This guide will give the best list of rides to go on first along with what time to arrive so you have a clear plan when you arrive. We have a similar touring plan for California Adventure in the morning giving you a specific game plan to follow so you don't miss out on any of the newly added attractions and popular rides.

Disney Genie+ is a paid program at Disneyland that replaced the previous FastPass/MaxPass program at the parks. This paid service includes access to quicker lines to 15 attractions in both parks plus the option to pay for access for certain individual attractions. Essentially for certain attractions there's two line options: a standby line and a Lightning Lane.

The Genie+ program gives you access to the Lightning Lane which is significantly shorter than the standby line. It costs $20 per person, per day and include your access to ride reservations plus all your photo downloads for the day. Disneyland has professional photographers stationed around the park to take your picture in front of iconic areas like the castle, the main entrance, Main Street, U.S.A., etc. You can also purchase these photos separately through their service called Disneyland PhotoPass .

You reserve a return time in advance via the Disneyland app to use the Lightning Lane and you can book a return time every two hours or after you have redeemed your last booked Lightning Lane reservation. There is also the option to purchase access to the Lightning Lane to select popular attractions individually but these attractions aren't included in the general per day purchase.

I highly recommend you read more about the Disneyland Genie+ program in our guide so you're prepared before your visit. Our guide features the basics of what this paid service can do, the free service that's included for all guests plus tips on how to best maximize its use and get your moneys worth!

Don't forget to spend some time in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge featuring two great themed rides such as the chance to pilot the Millennium Falcon and the infamous e-ticket ride Rise of the Resistance which is said to be one of the best rides Disney has ever done! Explore Star Wars themed shops, dining plus the chance to build your own droid and lightsaber .

Avengers Campus is the newly added Marvel themed land which opened in California Adventure in 2021 featuring a Spider-Man themed ride, opportunities to meet Marvel characters, an Ant-Man focused food eatery and brewery plus a built to scale Quinjet.

It's also a good idea to check the  Disneyland Height Requirements to get the full information on ride height requirements plus the ability to do rider switch – this allows parents with children that don't meet height requirements to only wait in line once so they both can ride!

First time visiting Disneyland or feeling overwhelmed? Don't worry, everyone feels that way their first trip to the Happiest Place on Earth because there's just so much to see and do! Have your family pick a few must see rides and make those priority knowing you won't be able to do it all. Our first timer guide for Disneyland can also help you with those essential tips to make sure you know the basics.

Fireworks and Nighttime Entertainment at Disneyland 2024

One of the aspects that makes Disneyland so special is the nighttime spectaculars with the most infamous being the Disneyland fireworks shows . Fireworks take place nightly during peak seasons (Spring break, summer, Halloween and Christmas) and on weekends. Each time of the year will feature a different fireworks show as some are changed out seasonly depending on what event is being celebrated at the parks. These fireworks are a must see Disney experience with state of the art projections, lighting effects and some featuring original musical scores.

Aside from fireworks, the biggest nighttime spectacular show in Disneyland is Fantasmic! which debuted in 1992 and has been a beloved part of Disneyland entertainment ever since. Fantasmic! includes fireworks, live performers, water effects, pyrotechnics, music, watercrafts, decorated rafts, animatronics, and projections on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. Our full  guide to Fantasmic! includes everything you need to know including tips on getting the best spot.

The big nighttime spectacular over at Disney's California Adventure is World of Color! This breathtaking show uses nearly 1,200 fountains capable of shooting water 200 feet up into the air equipped with LED rings to create vivid colors and beautiful water screens. Guests can watch the water dance along with perfectly timed pyrotechnics and momentous music as they enjoy memorable scenes from their favorite Disney and Pixar films. Our extensive guide to World of Color gives you an idea of what to expect and helps you figure out how to get the best spot!

You can also find plenty of unique daytime entertainment around Disneyland such as the Disneyland marching band, the Dapper Dans along with the The Tale of the Lion King, the adaptation of the Lion King, coming to the Fantasyland Theater in Disneyland this year.

Disneyland Parades 2024

Parades at Disneyland change seasonally with the popular A Christmas Fantasy parade running during the holidays with the Frightfully Fun Parade taking place during the ticketed Halloween event Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure. During the summer the current parade will often switch out with various options which we detail, along with our best tips for getting a good viewing spot, in our Disneyland parade guide . 

Disneyland Characters 2024

Characters at Disneyland are another great piece of Disney magic that you cannot miss on your trip! You can meet a variety of beloved Disney characters like the classic Mickey and Minnie Mouse to Pixar characters in California Adventure to Marvel heroes and Star Wars favorites. Character autographs are a big part of meeting characters and its one of the most exciting parts for kids to collect during their trip. This also makes for a great memory and souvenir!

If you want to meet a variety of characters at once, you can enjoy character dining in Disneyland and the Disney resort hotels. These meals offer a buffet selection that guests can enjoy while characters roam throughout the restaurant interacting. This is a great way to meet popular characters without waiting in lines or searching for them in the park.

Tips for Families at Disneyland

Families traveling to Disneyland can find plenty of options at Disneyland to make their visit more comfortable as Disney considers how to best serve their guests needs in the best way they can.

You can begin your planning by seeing which hotels we recommend for kids at Disneyland plus find the best dining options with the best kids meals !

If you're traveling to Disneyland with an infant I highly recommend reading through our guide to traveling with babies to Disneyland so you're prepared for everything you need to know. This guide covers information information on the Baby Care Centers plus tips on rides that you can bring babies on, how to survive hot days, and more. Baby Care Centers are two centers located in both theme parks that offer private nursing rooms with chairs, changing rooms, kid-sized toilets, feeding areas and a fridge to store breast milk. Parents with toddlers can also find plenty of toddler friendly activities and rides in the park- especially in Fantasyland!

There's also plenty do for all ages whether you take advice directly from an eight year old on how to enjoy Disneyland or cruise our list on the best things teens will love in Disneyland and California Adventure ! If you're looking for an adult only day, there's also a variety of activities adults will enjoy at Disneyland if you get a break away from the family.

Pregnant mothers can also find tips on which rides they can enjoy along with how to manage comfort in our guide to being pregnant at Disneyland.

Parents traveling alone with their kids to the park can also read my best tips on taking your kids to Disneyland by yourself based on my own trial and error of years of visiting the parks. On the flip side, if you're traveling with a large family or group you can read our guide on navigating Disneyland in a large group effectively. Or perhaps you're traveling to Disney alone and planning your solo Disneyland trip for the first time!

Most of all, be realistic on your trip to Disneyland with your kids and manage expectations with your family . Disney has something for everyone, even those in your group that be a bit less enthusiastic about a day in Disneyland .

We also cover tips on how to stay safe at Disneyland in our lost Children in Disneyland guide with full information on Disneyland's lost child protocol and tips to keep everyone together. If you're looking for tips on traveling safety, our guide to traveling safe with kids has you covered with our best tips on traveling safely and effectively with small children- especially if this is will be their first trip!

And don't forget to plan a creative way to announce your Disneyland trip to your kids!

Disabilities at Disneyland 2024

One of the best things about Disneyland is the strides towards inclusivity it has taken by ensuring that the theme park goes above and beyond for guests with disabilities. Disneyland strives to make their parks accessible for all guests and offers accommodations that may go overlooked for many guests that may benefit from them.

All of the attractions at Disneyland are wheelchair accessible with each attraction having varying degrees of accessibility from staying in the wheelchair on an accessible boat on “it’s a small world” or transferring directly to the ride vehicle. Disneyland offers a variety of assistive listening systems to handheld captioning devices for guests with hearing disabilities. There is also sign language interpretation available for select live experiences and character interactions on certain days of the week.

DAS (Disability Access Service) is a tool that Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have provided its guests for those who cannot wait in a normal line queue for a variety of medical reasons. DAS grants qualifying guests a return time (equal to the standby wait) for the attraction, one at a time, and then guests can access the Lightning Lane to ride. Guests that have a mobility disability can access rides without using DAS since all line queues are wheelchair accessible.

Disneyland also offers an extensive range of dietary accommodations at their restaurants for guests that may have allergies or certain dietary preferences like vegetarian/vegan diets . Disneyland is also a size inclusive park with many ride vehicles fitting larger sized guests, our guide offers some insight on what to expect with ride vehicle size at Disney.

Read more about disabilities at Disneyland in our comprehensive guide so you're prepared for any accommodations you or your group may need.

Universal Studios Hollywood 2024

If you're looking to add a day at another theme park to your Disneyland trip, many guests decide to add on a day at Universal Studios Hollywood which is a great addition to your Southern California vacation. You can also bundle your Disneyland tickets with a day at Universal Studios Hollywood making the process of adding a day to this park easier than ever.

The popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter along with the infamous studio tour to see real movie sets, the Jurassic World ride, the Simpsons focused area plus the new Pets ride. Universal Studios Hollywood is also known for its movie quality stage shows with the show Waterworld being a fan favorite at this park.

Beach Day at Disneyland 2024

Many families pair their Disneyland trip with a visit to a local beach to enjoy the beautiful Southern California weather. Disneyland is a close drive away or ride share away from some of the most beautiful beaches in California. Our full guide to planning a beach day for your Disneyland trip covers beach recommendations, transportation advice and tour reviews.

Top Disneyland Lists 2024

Looking for top must dos at Disneyland? Our top lists give you simple check lists to add to your Disneyland planning guide so you don't miss out on anything at the Happiest Place on Earth.

• Top 8 Must Do Rides at Disneyland
• Top 8 Must Do Rides at California Adventure
• Top 8 Disneyland Rides to Do at Night
• 10 Overlooked Details of Magic, History, and Tradition at the Disneyland Resort
• Top 9 Relaxing Places at Disneyland
• 10 Underrated Rides at Disneyland- Don’t Miss these Gems!
• 12 Movies To Watch Before Your Disneyland Vacation
• Top 5 Historic Disneyland Restaurants You Can't Miss
• Top 12 Disneyland Christmas Must Sees

Let Us  Help You Plan Your Disneyland Vacation!

That should be everything that you need to plan your Disneyland vacation. If you still have questions about planning, see our Ask Us page .

Keep reading our blog to keep you updated on everything you need to know to prepare for a Disney Parks vacation! We have a team of writers working hard to keep you updated weekly on events in the parks and tips for navigating the magic. Subscribe to our  free deals newsletter to receive helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere.

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Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.

About Lindsay Brookshier

Lindsay is a college English instructor and has years of writing experience through various nonprofits, charities, newspapers, and online magazines. As the content director of Mickey Visit, she oversees article content and leads our fantastic team of writers to meet guest vacation needs. You can still find her writing weekly content to help make your Disney Parks trip fantastic here on Mickey Visit and Disney Dose- you can also view her recently featured posts on Disney Parks travel on Visit Anaheim, Nerd Wallet and SFGate. Lindsay comes from a dedicated Disney family and enjoys taking her son to the Disney parks as often as possible.

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The Ultimate Guide for Planning a Trip to Disneyland

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.

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.

Recommended

The Georgian

Los Angeles Travel Guide

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Ultimate Guide to Planning Your First Disneyland Vacation

Planning your first Disneyland vacation requires some advance research and preparation. There’s must-know information shared here to make a first visit run more smoothly. This ultimate guide offers up the best Disneyland tips for an enjoyable trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!

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 post originally published April 17th, 2016 and has been updated and republished with a new date.

Planning Your First Disneyland Vacation

Never been to Disneyland before? Rather than just showing up and hoping that your vacation days fall into place, there are definitely a few things to consider when planning your first Disneyland vacation.

While there are certainly LOTS of things to know about taking a Disney trip, this article will cover the top things to know before planning your first Disneyland vacation!

This complete guide offers an outline of the Disneyland California park and tips on how to best plan a first time trip. I’ve included an overview on pre-vacation requirements like purchasing park tickets, choosing best Disney hotels, and making park reservations.

Keep reading to find out about avoiding long lines for favorite attractions, height restrictions and mobile ordering food. There are additional articles linked in this post that cover Disneyland travel in more detail, so click and read for more help in planning your first Disneyland visit!

Why is Planning for Disneyland Important?

A friend of mine went to Disneyland a few years back with her granddaughter, son and daughter-in-law. The overnight trip was planned on a whim and they had one day to spend inside the Park. They’d done no research ahead of time and sadly, it turned out to be an unfortunate visit.

The Park was busy and crowded and they didn’t arrive until afternoon. The trip was a surprise for the 4-yr old, who ended up terrified of every character and ride because she wasn’t familiar with anything. The family (who were on a special diet) didn’t know what to eat. They ended up staying only a few hours in the Park and returned home, disappointed that things hadn’t worked out as they’d envisioned.

Certainly, this story broke my heart because it didn’t have to end that way at all! With a bit of preparation and planning they could have made the most of their visit. These are my tips on what you need to do before your first Disneyland vacation.

Do Your Pre-Planning Disneyland Vacation Research

Disneyland, having a smaller footprint than Walt Disney World, requires less upfront planning. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to think ahead of your trip. There are definitely things you’ll want to decide ahead of time to make the most of your vacation.

I’ve traveled to Disneyland countless times and have included many links to helpful articles in aid of your trip planning. The following sections include questions you should ask yourself in the Disneyland vacation planning process.

Get the Answers to These Questions and More In This Article-

• Where can we get Disneyland tickets? Are reservations still required for Disneyland entry?
• How much will a Disneyland trip cost?
• How do I know if the parks will be busy?
• What events are happening during our trip?
• What hotels near Disneyland are the best?
• Is Disney Genie+ worth the extra cost?
• Should we pay for Individual Lightning Lane and what is it?
• What is a Virtual Queue?
• How do you mobile order food at Disneyland?
• What accommodations are available for guests with special needs?

First Disneyland Vacation Basics

• Where is Disneyland located? – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks are in Anaheim, California. This Southern California city is south of Los Angeles.
• What is a Cast Member? – This is the term that Disney parks use for their employees. All Disneyland Cast Members wear a name tag (except for characters).
• Can I really see Mickey Mouse at Disneyland? – Yes! Favorite characters are available for meet ‘n greet, autographs and hugs all around the parks. Use the Disneyland app to find locations and times. Read more about how to find Disney princesses at Disneyland .

I answer more of the basic questions throughout this article, so keep reading!

Deciding Which Disneyland Ticket to Buy

One of the biggest deciding factors when planning a Disneyland trip is what type of ticket to purchase and for how many days. Disneyland ticket prices increase each year, which is a good reason to purchase as soon as you can.

The Disneyland Resort offers two theme Parks – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park. These two parks face each other across a short esplanade, only a few minute walk between them.

Ask yourself these questions before buying tickets:

• How many days do you want to visit the parks? – The best value is in multi-day tickets. The worst value is a single day ticket.
• Are you going to stay in one Park for the entire day? – Guests must choose to either Disneyland park or California Adventure when making reservations on a one-park per-day ticket.
• Would your family prefer a “Park Hopper ticket”? – A Park Hopper allows guests access to both Parks on the same day.

Disneyland Theme Park Reservations

Theme park reservations are required to enter the parks. Once you have received your tickets, use the code to make reservations on the Disneyland website or through the Disneyland app.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Disneyland tickets , including how early you can book reservations and where to buy discount Disneyland tickets.

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).

What is Your Disneyland Vacation Budget?

Before you can even schedule the trip, you’ll need to figure out what your travel budget will be. Find out how much a Disneyland trip will cost and print out the free checklist to calculate your budget for the trip.

A few thoughts to consider when working on the budget – 

• Are you driving or flying to get there?
• How many days will you spend on the trip?
• Where are you going to stay? I’ll cover more about hotels in a separate section.
• Purchasing souvenirs in the parks, and what is your budget per family member?
• Are you pinching pennies or going all-out? There are ultimate Disneyland splurges that can be worked into your Disney trip budget.
• Are you dining in the parks or packing in food? Keep reading for a full section on Disneyland restaurants and tips to save money.

Disneyland Vacation Layaway

If you’re budgeting for travel, consider using a reliable Disneyland layaway plan . For just $200 down you’ll be able to book a trip to lock in current pricing and pay for it leading up to your trip. 

I recommend my travel partner Get Away Today for great hotel rates with free nights and complimentary breakfast. They also sell discounted tickets and the only refundable Disneyland tickets you’ll find!

If the cost of your vacation drops, they’ll adjust the cost for you, too. With the added Peace of Mind plan, adjustments can be made to your trip without any fees for changes.

What Time of Year Are You Planning a Disneyland Vacation?

Every family has their personal reasons for choosing a particular vacation date. Read the section below for reasons you might consider when scheduling your trip.

Disneyland Crowd Levels

Certain times of year are going to be much more crowded than a visit in the “off season”. Disneyland is going to be more busy when kids are on school break, during holidays and over the weekends.

You may not have a choice of when your vacation break falls. In that case, read more about how to deal with crowds at Disneyland .

What Disneyland seasonal events are happening?

Disneyland offers fantastic seasonal events year-round that draw in families like the Food and Wine Festival and the Holidays at Disney California Adventure park .

Special ticketed events that take place after park hours, like Oogie Boogie Bash: A Disneyland Halloween Party are also fun and exciting to work into your trip!

What is the weather like at Disneyland?

Southern California weather is generally beautiful and temperate, in the mid-70s. However there are some weather extremes, including cold, wet weather or high heats.

• Visiting during Summer and Fall? Read this article about Surviving Disneyland in the Heat .
• Disneyland vacation in the Winter or Spring? Be prepared for inclement weather with this Ultimate Guide to Surviving a Disneyland Rainy Day .

Disneyland Grand Openings

Disneyland is always changing and growing. If you’re a super-fan or want to be one of the first to experience, consider planning your trip around a new opening.

Being present for the grand opening day of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was exciting. Highly anticipated openings, like Avengers Campus , always brings in fans.

Which Hotels Near Disneyland are the Best?

In addition to the 3 on-property Disneyland Resort hotels, the Anaheim area is surrounded by “Good Neighbor Hotels”. Take a look at a map of Anaheim and Garden Grove to determine which area hotels will work best for your family.

Is a Disneyland Resort Hotel a good choice? – The Grand Californian Resort & Spa, the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier (soon to be Pixar Pier Hotel) are “on-site”. The costs can be very high, though there are some added perks to choosing a Resort hotel. These are a few examples:

Exclusive access for Grand Californian Hotel guests through the private Disney California Adventure theme park entrance.

Beautifully themed swimming pools with water slides. Read more about Disneyland Resort Hotel Swimming Pools .

The Disneyland Resort hotels offer their guests Early Entry to the theme parks. This extra 30 minutes in the morning can be a major perk for those looking to beat the crowds!

Having a challenging time deciding? This article compares the Disneyland Resort Vs. Anaheim Good Neighbor Hotels .

Questions to Ask When Deciding Where to Stay at Disneyland

Location & transportation.

• Is the hotel within reasonable walking distance?
• Is there a shuttle or is the hotel located on the ART Shuttle route?
• Will you have a vehicle to drive to the theme parks and do you want to pay daily parking fees?
• Is rideshare a good option?

Room Type and Size

• How many beds do you need for your group size?
• Will a standard sized room be enough space or do you need conjoining rooms or a suite?
• Does the room have features that are ideal for your family (separate rooms, two bathrooms, etc.)?
• Is a kitchenette a must-have? Check out this list of 9 Hotels with a Kitchen Near Disneyland .

Hotel Amenities

• Does the hotel have what you need for your visit, including onsite dining, free Wi-Fi, or a gift shop?
• What other activities are included in the cost, including movie night, scavenger hunt or sports?
• Can you view fireworks from the hotel?
• Is there a swimming pool?

• What is the cost of the room, plus taxes, resort fees and parking?
• Does the hotel offer complimentary breakfast?
• Are there specials for this hotel, including free nights? Use the filter on Get Away Today to find out which Anaheim hotels offer free breakfast, parking, shuttle and nights!

Which Disneyland Rides and Attractions Are Can’t Miss?

Before a first Disneyland vacation, your family should have a general idea of the rides, attractions and shows you want to see. Use the Disneyland website and app to gain basic knowledge and details about the rides and attractions.

Theme Park Layout – Take a look at the Park maps online to get an idea of location so you’re familiar with the “lay of the Lands”.

Itinerary – Create a loose itinerary. Check out the must-do Disneyland attractions to round out your day. Don’t forget to work in time for dining, restroom stops and rest breaks.

Consider purchasing a Disney Pocket Planner  to keep track of all your travel plans as you make them.

Create a “Must-Do” List – Once everyone is somewhat familiar with the parks, ask each family member what they want to accomplish. Write this down and aim to stick to it. While you might not be able to do “all the things”, each person should be able to do/see/ride the first thing on the top of their list!

READ MORE about how to prepare kids for a Disney trip , with lots of fun pre-vacation planning ideas to do as a family!

Height Restrictions – Measure all the kids and brush up on Disneyland ride height requirements . You’ll want to verify that your child will be tall enough to get on the thrill rides, especially if they’ve added them to the must-do list. There’s a free printable checklist on this article!

Ride Questions Answered for a First Disneyland Vacation

Which rides can babies and little kids go on? – Some of the attractions at Disneyland have strict height requirements. Babies can go on any ride that doesn’t have a height restriction.

What are Single Rider Lines? – Some attractions feature a short-cut line for those who don’t mind riding separately from the rest of their party. These “single riders” are used to fill in seats in the ride vehicles. Check the Disneyland app for which rides accept Single Rider, including Matterhorn Bobsleds and Space Mountain.

What is Rider Switch? – This service is available for young guests who do not meet the height requirements for certain attractions. The Rider Switch allows adults to swap places without having to wait in the stand-by line again. Read more about Rider Switch in this article about doing Disneyland with a toddler .

What should we do while standing in line? – Check out wait times on the Disneyland app before your trip to get an idea on queue times. Stock up before your vacation with a few helpful items and things to do while waiting in line at Disneyland .

Should You Pay More for Disney Genie+?

First off, what is Disney Genie+? Disney Genie+ permits guests to schedule access to the shorter queue. This line is called Lightning Lane. Guests can book return times for the Lightning Lane on select attractions through the Disneyland app on their smart phone.

The purchase of Disney Genie+ also permits downloads of unlimited PhotoPass images taken on rides or by Disney PhotoPass photographers around the parks.

Disney Genie+ is available for purchase during your Disneyland visit to help ease line wait via access to a shorter queue. Gone are the days of free FASTPASS. For guests that want a shorter line experience, paying the extra cost for Disney Genie+ is a must.

Disney Genie+ is purchased on top of your Park ticket. Expect to pay up to $25 per guest, per day for this added benefit. My travel partner Get Away Today offers Disneyland tickets that include Disney Genie+.

Yes, it’s an additional cost to budget. But I’ve used Disney Genie+ many times. On busy days in particular, I’ve found it to be well worth the extra charge.

Should You Buy Individual Lightning Lane?

Several attractions are not linked in the Disney Genie+ system. These rides do offer a stand-by queue as well as a Lightning Lane. In order to access the shorter queue through the Lightning Lane, guests have the opportunity to purchase “a la carte” access, aka: Individual Lightning Lane.

The cost of Individual Lightning Lane varies, depending upon the attraction and demand for the day. Generally expect to pay between $15-25 per person to access the quick line for these rides.

Current rides offering Individual Lightning Lane:

• Radiator Springs Racers
• Rise of the Resistance
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (this ride is not currently offering a stand-by queue; only accessed via Virtual Queue or the paid Lightning Lane)

All About Disneyland Virtual Queues

Disneyland uses a virtual queue system for some popular attractions and shows. The “rules” for using the virtual queue may vary, depending upon which attraction you’re aiming for. I highly recommend researching on the Disneyland app before your visit to know the particular rules for each attraction using the virtual queue system.

There are often windows of opportunity that open in which guests can secure a virtual queue for that particular attraction. The virtual queue fills within seconds, so knowing how to use this feature is extremely important!

Read my friend Leslie’s tips at Trips with Tykes for securing a virtual queue for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland.

Get Familiar with Disneyland Before You Arrive

I’ve been going to Disneyland with my kids since they were babies. Disney characters and rides are ingrained in them! But maybe your family is not as familiar with Disney lore as we are, especially if you’re just planning a first Disneyland vacation.

These are a few ways you can help get more familiar with the parks of the Disneyland Resort:

Disneyland App – Download the Disneyland app to your smart phone and play around with it. Just like the website, you’ll be able to see locations of rides, character locations, dining menus and more. Using the app before your trip will help you be more savvy with it during your vacation.

Disney+ – No need to watch every Disney movie ever made before your first Disney vacation, but a general familiarity with some of the characters can be helpful, especially for young children. Many of the Disneyland parks rides are based on Disney movies.

Watching a few relevant movies before your trip will give first timers to the parks a bit of a background. Here is a post about what recommended Disney movies to watch before your trip .

YouTube – Watch YouTube videos of Disneyland attractions by searching “Disneyland ride videos”. I prefer to experience the rides during the trip rather than watching ahead of time. However this can be a useful tool if you have skittish kids.

Nervous kids can be prepped ahead of their vacation with the additional tips in this guide about everything scary at Disneyland .

Who Are You Bringing on the Disneyland Trip?

The people that you bring with you to Disneyland will determine the kind of trip you’ll have. Families with very young children will have different looking vacations than those traveling with older kids. Travelers with special needs, disabilities or pregnancies will have varying trip experiences.

I’ll outline a few notes with helpful links, based on various ages and special needs.

• Babies – A trip to Disneyland with a baby takes some advance prep. Find out what babies can do at the Disneyland parks .
• Toddlers and Preschoolers – If taking toddlers and preschoolers to Disneyland, read this itinerary and tips for having a happy day at Disneyland with little kids .
• Teenagers – Teens and thrill-seekers will be happy to hear that Disneyland is an entertaining place for all ages. Read more about travel tips for teenagers that will help your trip run more smoothly!

• Special Needs & Disabilities- Whether traveling with someone who has autism, seated in a wheelchair or has other special needs, Disneyland offers a Disability Assistance Service (DAS). This pass allows families (up to 6 members) an alternative waiting location or line access. My friend Becca at This Crazy Adventure Called Life outlines all the details of Disneyland’s Updated Disability Access Service .
• Pregnant – Expecting mothers might not realize that there’s a lot they can still do at Disneyland while pregnant . Many attractions do not have height restrictions, which means even expectant moms can ride with their families.

Make Decisions As a Family Before You Get There

If you are taking the first Disney vacation alone, then it’s no sweat to make decisions on the fly. But if you’re traveling with your family, it’s best to have a game plan in place and get decisions made before the trip.

Know that everyone will have expectations about what they want to see and do on their first Disneyland vacation. You’ll want to make sure that those dreams are fulfilled!

As the resident “Disney fan”, I am guilty of having a plan in my head about how our Disney day is going to play out…without letting my husband know! Oops. This can lead to major disappointment if the adults aren’t on the same page.

I like dining in the Parks and my husband prefers to pack food in. I take my breaks in quiet areas inside the parks. My husband likes mid-day breaks at the hotel for swimming and napping. I like to stay in the Parks way after dark but he’s ready to leave after sunset.

If you don’t discuss these things upfront before your trip you might run into some big frustrations.

Make a rough plan of your day including what time you expect to wake, what time to get to the parks, whether you’ll take breaks back at the hotel during the day and what time you’ll leave at night.

Is a Surprise Disneyland Vacation a Good Idea?

There are many reasons why surprising kids with a Disneyland trip isn’t a good idea. Whether a “surprise trip” works for your family, definitely depends upon your child and their temperament. It can be fun to surprise kids with a Disney vacation but it can also backfire!

Also I try to dissuade parents against the Disneyland surprise vacation because half of the fun is in the anticipation and planning! Letting kids know about your vacation and having them help you in the planning stages is especially important if your children are nervous or have special needs.

Insider Tips for a First Visit to Disneyland

Have a few more Disneyland questions? These are a few of the things you won’t find on the Disneyland website but can help make your trip magical!

What’s “Rope Drop”?

Rope drop is a term that means arriving to the parks before official opening. Want to maximize your time in the Parks? Plan on arriving at “rope drop” bright and early before the gates open.

Arriving in the first two hours at Disneyland can help make the most of your day. Early morning and late night hours tend to be the least busy and allow you quicker line access to your favorite rides.

How should we pack for our Disneyland trip?

Be sure to check the 10 day forecast before your vacation to have the best idea on weather conditions.

Read up on what comfortable but cute clothes to wear at Disneyland , with suggestions from top to bottom for the entire family.

What to Eat at Disneyland

Before traveling, decide where and what you’re going to eat at Disneyland. Planning ahead can help save time and money when you can budget in advance. These are a few suggestions and tips for dining at Disneyland, along with answers to newbie questions about restaurants during a first Disneyland vacation:

Full-Service Dining

Table service meals include wait-staffed restaurants and character dining. These full service restaurants are often popular and include locations like Blue Bayou, Lamplight Lounge and Napa Rose.

What is Character Dining? – These are restaurants where Disney characters greet guests at their tables throughout the meal. Read more in this complete guide to Disneyland Character Dining .

Do I need Advance Dining Reservations? – Yes, for highly-coveted meals, an ADR is required. I highly recommend using MouseDining to score these hard-to-get reservations.

What’s a Walk-Up List? – Didn’t get the advance dining reservation for the table service restaurant you hoped for? Try joining the walk-up wait list on the Disneyland app or by scanning the QR code near the location.

What is a dining package? – Certain shows offer a dining package, which is a pre-set meal and voucher for a special viewing location to that show. This can include this World of Color dessert party, Fantasmic! or parade/fireworks viewing.

Quick-Service Dining

These restaurants are the “fast food” of Disneyland. But don’t write off these locations, as many offer the best dining in the parks! Quick service is the best way to eat without Advance Dining Reservations , especially when used with mobile ordering.

What is Mobile Ordering? – Use the Disneyland app to place quick service dining orders. Guests can choose a time window when ordering their meal through the app. Simply press the “I’m Here” button and Cast Members at the restaurant will prepare their food. There are separate mobile order pick-up windows so you can avoid standing in long lines!

Can I bring my own food? – Disney theme parks allow all guests to pack in their own meals. This includes snacks and bottled water. Rules include no alcohol, glass containers, loose ice or hard sided containers. There are lockers for rent both inside & outside the parks for storage, if you need it.

Is there anything I can eat on a restricted diet? – Disneyland menus are easy to read on the app. Scroll to the bottom of each location’s menu to see what you’ll be able to order. There are specially made items for vegetarian, vegan and dishes for particular allergies to ingredients including gluten, egg or dairy. Read more about How to Find Healthy Food at Disneyland .

What Else is There for a First Disneyland Vacation?

Disneyland is more than just the theme parks. There’s plenty to do at the resort and surrounding SoCal area to fill your travel time.

What is the Downtown Disney District? – This outdoor shopping center is a full entertainment district, located between the Disneyland theme parks and resort hotels.

Downtown Disney can be a fun place to spend time, including restaurants and live entertainment. There’s plenty of shops including The World of Disney. Check out the family activities like bowling and dining at Splitsville Anaheim .

What’s a Hidden Mickey? – Hidden Mickey are the three circular shapes that make up Mickey’s head silhouette, “hidden” in plain sight all over the theme parks and resort. This is a fun diversion that doesn’t take any extra time. A guide book, like Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys can help you spot them!

Are there other things to do in the area? – When planning your travel days, figure out if you’ll schedule off-park days on your trip. Consider adding days to your trip to do things outside of the Disneyland parks .

Leave time for exploring the Disneyland Resort hotels, character dining, swimming, and other Southern California attractions.

Best Ways to Research a First Disneyland Vacation

The first Disney vacation research stop should be the official Disneyland website. Guests will be able to access an entertainment schedule, see which rides and attractions will be closed for refurbishment during your visit. There’s also complete dining menus and prices for all restaurants.

These are additional research must-dos:

Ask a friend who has been to Disneyland

There are tons of people who’ve been to the parks and are ready to share their top tips for a first Disneyland vacation. Chances are you know someone who has been to Disneyland and who can verse you a bit with their “story” and sage advice for your visit.

Naturally, as someone who has been visiting Disneyland regularly, I consider myself quite knowledgeable on the subject. That’s why I was disheartened that my coworker hadn’t asked for my advice before the trip! Knowing her family dynamic, I’d have been happy to offer her customized tips that would have maximize their Disney day.

Buy a Disneyland planning book

Disneyland vacation planning books are a helpful way to inform travelers with everything in one accessible location.

Read Disney blogs

Read personal blogs (like this one!) that offer practical tips and personal advice from parents about Disneyland travel.

Join a Disneyland Chat Group

Join the Disneyland With Kids on Facebook . This is a group that I co-own that 3 other writers. It’s a place for travelers to chat about upcoming trips, ask questions, and help others plan their Disneyland vacations!

Research on PlanDisney

Ask your questions or do research on the PlanDisney website . These seasoned Disney travelers are able to offer you a personalized response.

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2016 – A Look Back at the Year that Was on Saving Up for Disney Blog

Friday 30th of December 2016

[…] 5 Things You Need to Do Before Your First Disney Vacation […]

Tuesday 19th of April 2016

Having the adults be on the same page is such good advice! Thanks for sharing.

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Tips for Your First Time at Disneyland

By: Author Kristi

When you are planning your first trip to Disneyland , you might find yourself overwhelmed. You want to have the perfect trip but are unsure how to spend your day. Make your first time at Disneyland a magical experience by knowing these tips that will guarantee you have the best trip.

Planning Your First Trip to Disneyland

When it comes to preparing for your Disneyland trip, there are a few things you need to know:

• How to get Disneyland tickets for the best price
• Where to Park at Disneyland
• How to Use the Disneyland Genie+ & Lightning Lane System

Discount Disneyland Tickets

The first thing you are going to want to do is to get your Disneyland Tickets in advance. If you wait to buy your tickets at the park entrance, you will waste time and money.

Disneyland admission prices change according to the time of year and demand.

You will find peak season for tickets coincides with the times when the kids are out of school (holidays and summer).

The tickets will be the cheapest during the off-season (think February, or September).

Single-day tickets at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are $97 for value days, $110 for regular days, and $124 for peak days.

Disney wants you to remain at the Disneyland parks as long as they can, so you will find that the ticket prices per day will go down the more days you add park tickets to your stay.

The best way to save time & money on your Disneyland tickets is to order your tickets in advance and to buy your tickets through a reputable Disneyland Ticket seller .

Disneyland Parking Tips

Parking in Disneyland may seem complicated, but it isn’t so bad. It is expensive though. You will want to make sure that you carefully watch for the signs bringing you into the parking area. If you don’t, you will be circling around trying to find it!

There are three parking areas: Mickey & Friends Parking Structure, Pixar Pals & Toy Story Parking Area. We have always parked at Mickey & Friends.

Daily Parking Rates

• $25.00 per car or motorcycle
• Daily Preferred Parking $40.00 per vehicle
• $30.00 per over-sized vehicle, motor home or tractor (without trailer) – at the Toy Story Parking Area only
• $35.00 per bus or tractor (with extended trailer) – at the Toy Story Parking Area only

Don’t waste your money paying for preferred parking. You will find there is an escalator that will take you from whatever level you are parked on to the main level where the tram will pick you up and carry you on to the actual entrance to Disneyland park, California Adventure park and Downtown Disney.

Do remember where you are parked! You will want to know the character and the section. You will find it helpful to take a photo of the closest marker before walking away from your vehicle.

In order to better understand the layout of Disneyland, you need to know that it is divided into different lands and each land has its own rides and attractions.

When Disneyland opened in 1955, there were only 5 lands: Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Since then, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Mickey’s Toontown and Galaxy’s Edge have opened.

When you arrive at the front of Disneyland Park, the first place you will encounter is Main Street USA. Before you do anything else, you will want to go to the City Hall to pick up your FREE First Trip to Disneyland pin!

This pin will get you noticed and might even get you a little extra attention since Disneyland Cast members are going to want to make your first trip to Disneyland something to remember!

MAIN STREET USA

Main Street USA is built to look like a small town in the 1920s. You will find souvenir shops, restaurants and different places to explore.

The focal point of Main Street USA at Disneyland is Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. You will find many different cast members waiting to snap your picture to give you the perfect backdrop of the castle.

ADVENTURELAND 

Adventureland is full of adventurous rides! This is where you will want to use Lightning Lane for one of the most popular rides, Indiana Jones.

Another must-experience ride in Adventureland is the Iconic Jungle Cruise. You will take a boat cruise around Adventureland with a tour guide who loves to bring humor to his tour.

Not to be missed is one of the BEST treats in all of Disneyland, the Disney Dole Whip. This delicious pineapple (NON-DAIRY) creamy treat is tangy and cold. The perfect dessert to keep you cool!

NEW ORLEANS SQUARE

New Orleans Square makes you feel as though you have arrived in the bayou. Walk along the water and enjoy the shade of the trees!

There are two rides that you will want to make a point of getting Disneyland Lightning Lane for: Pirates of the Caribbean & the Haunted Mansion.

FRONTIERLAND

Frontierland takes you back in time to the Wild West where you will get the chance to take a ride on Big Thunder Railroad (one of my favorite rides in Disneyland).

If you need a break and want to do something less adventurous, take a ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat.

CRITTER COUNTRY

Critter Country is where you will find one of Disneyland’s two water rides: Splash Mountain! This log ride is currently under renovation.

If you are making your first trip to Disneyland with little ones, they will want to go on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

This super cute ride takes them on a journey where they will see Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends. You can also meet Winnie the Pooh nearby.

FANTASYLAND

Fantasyland is the main focal point of all Disneyland and this is where you will find most of the crowds. 

Here you will find some of Disneyland’s most popular rides: Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Mad Tea Party, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Dumbo and It’s A Small World among others.

It is a place where you will probably spend most of your day, especially if you are traveling with small kids!

MICKEY’S TOONTOWN

Those bringing small children to Disneyland for the first time, you will want to visit Mickey’s Toontown.

It is where you will find Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters.

You will be able to tour the homes of Mickey and Minnie where everything is cartoon-like. Be sure to explore with your hands because many features are interactive!

TOMORROWLAND

If you are visiting Disneyland for the first time, you are going to want to ride one of the most popular rides in all of the Disney theme parks: Space Mountain (that on occasion changes to Hyperspace Mountain to be a Star Wars experience).

Tomorrowland is also where you will find Star Tours, another Star Wars-themed ride outside of Galaxy’s Edge.

If you are traveling to Disneyland with the kids (and even if you aren’t), you will have a blast at Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters.

Galaxy’s Edge

You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan or on your first trip to Disneyland to enjoy the newest addition to Disneyland Park.

This place is pretty amazing and filled with plenty to do and see as it is now the largest land in all of Disneyland.

Galaxy’s Edge has two great rides: Millennium Falcon : Smugglers Run and Star Wars:  Rise of the Resistance and you will probably want to ride both. The key to being able to do this is to purchase Genie + Lightning Lane service.

If you are looking for Star Wars souvenirs, you will find them in Black Spire Outpost.

Black Spire Outfitters is full of clothing, Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities has some great hard-to-find items, and you won’t want to miss Creature Stall for all things Star Wars.

Your first time at Disneyland is going to be an amazing experience as long as you plan your trip in advance. We hope that this guide to planning your first Disneyland trip is helpful!

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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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2024 Disneyland Planning Guide

Our Disneyland vacation planning guide covers what’s new & next in 2024, when to visit to avoid crowds, best restaurants, hotels in Anaheim, money-saving ticket tips, Halloween & Christmas in the parks, and more. It’s a great resource for first-timers to Southern California or lifelong WDW fans. (Updated May 1, 2024.)

Let’s start with all of the latest update, which is that a couple of seasonal events are now underway with Star Wars Season of the Force running through June 2 at Disneyland and Pixar Fest continuing until August 4, 2024 at both parks. Of the two events, Pixar Fest is definitely bigger, with a new daytime parade at DCA, refreshed fireworks at Disneyland, plus dance parties and character meet & greets in both parks.

Disney has also shared that Halloween 2024 at Disneyland will start early (August 23), which likely means Oogie Boogie Bash Party dates beginning earlier. Conversely, Christmas 2024 at Disneyland will start later than normal (November 15), which is unexpected given the popularity of the holiday season. Those are the big things for the 2024 calendar at Disneyland, but there’s a ton more to cover…

From a planning perspective, the big newish thing is Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, which are essentially paid FastPass, for those who were familiar with that. It’s important to understand how this works and whether you should buy Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes before you visit Disneyland.

Everything you need to know, including ride priorities, where it’s NOT necessary to buy Genie+ or Lightning Lanes, and much more is covered in our Guide to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Disneyland and DCA . That’s regularly updated to include the latest price increases and additions to the Lightning Lane ride roster–both of which have changed in the last few months.

We’ve used Genie+ and Lightning Lanes many times, and cover our experiences and strategy there. If you’re a Walt Disney World regular, the good news is that Genie+ is much easier to use at Disneyland. We’d recommend definitely recommend that guide to get a sense for how to use it and priorities–and would also advise having savvy strategy for Early Entry (if eligible) and rope drop plans. Other than that, you don’t need to overthink things. Genie+ makes visiting Disneyland and DCA so much easier.

Regardless of whether you end up buying the Genie+ paid line-skipping, you’ll want to make the decision ahead of time, and plan your strategy accordingly to either get the most mileage out of Genie+ or have an efficient itinerary that finds alternatives for beating the crowds. (Our strong recommendation is to purchase Genie+ for at least one day. If cost is an issue, trim the ‘fat’ from your vacation budget somewhere else.)

Disneyland has been relatively busy in the last couple of years, which is precisely why we recommend buying the Genie+ service to save time waiting in line. It hasn’t been all bad–and it does appear that “revenge travel” is starting to exhaust itself. However, not nearly to the same degree as Walt Disney World. It’s still varying degrees of busy–just slightly less busy than last year.

Our expectation is that pent-up demand continues to die down in 2024. Following spring break season, the parks were definitely quieter in April, but it wasn’t consistent every single day–or even within days. For example, we were in the parks every day from April 27-30. Every single day during that stretch, wait times were low and crowds were slow in the morning.

The big difference is that there were massive evening rushes on a couple of days, to the point that one night DCA felt every bit as busy as during spring break. On another two days, even the nighttime hours were peaceful (at least comparatively speaking). It doesn’t help that Magic Key sales are now wide open, ticket deals are back, and park reservations are frequently fully booked (only to open more availability last minute). All of this can make crowds less predictable and more scattershot.

It feels like Disneyland is on the precipice of returning to a pre-2020 level of normal crowd dynamics, but we’ve thought this before only to have things get crazy again. Choosing less busy dates is important and that’ll continue to be the case even if pent-up demand fizzles out, but to the above points, you only have so much control. Trying to completely avoid crowds can be a fool’s errand, as they’re impossible to perfectly predict.

This is something we even admit in our totally free 2024 Disneyland Crowd Calendars . Those offer day by day guides as to when the parks will be least busy and busiest. These crowd calendars are influenced by a variety of factors, including marketing, discounts, park hours, new attraction openings, special events, Anaheim Convention Center events, and even weather (good or bad). We strive to keep our Disneyland crowd calendars updated to reflect changes in attendance trends.

We’re able to keep on top of all the changing crowd patterns and additions because we are Magic Key Passholders who reside in Southern California. Typically, we visit Disneyland and DCA at least once per week to refine this guide and provide you the best info.

In addition to park visits, we do frequent hotel stays, lots of eating, and field testing of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes as well as other itineraries and strategy for beating lines at the parks. Emphasis on typically since this past year has been a bit atypical and slower-paced for us as we our family grew in size.

But enough about us. Suffice to say, we’re at Disneyland and DCA frequently, and have planning updates and news to share on a regular basis. If you want to receive updates when discounts are released, new things are announced, etc., sign up to receive our free Disney email newsletter , which covers Disneyland plus Walt Disney World and the international parks.

Before we get to the nuts and bolts of Disneyland vacation planning, let’s start with quick background. Disneyland is “Walt Disney’s original magic kingdom.” It’s the castle park that debuted in 1955 and paved the way for other such theme parks around the globe. Disneyland is the only park that Walt Disney himself set foot in and had an active role developing. Beyond its historical legacy that makes it a California institution, Disneyland is incredibly attraction-dense, with enough rides to fill two full days or more (if you’re so inclined).

Directly across from Disneyland is Disney California Adventure (DCA), the second gate of Disneyland Resort. DCA is ostensibly inspired by the Golden State, but is more just a catch-all park with some attractions having a vague California connection and others being driven by Marvel, Pixar, and other Disney franchises.

In addition to the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks, Disneyland Resort is home to Downtown Disney and three official hotels. Downtown Disney is a shopping, dining and entertainment district just outside the two parks. The aforementioned resorts are Pixar Place Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel–which is directly connected to DCA. The entirety of Disneyland Resort is walkable, with no transportation aside from your feet needed to get anywhere within the property.

Now let’s dig into planning, starting with what’s new and next at Disneyland Resort…

What’s New & Next at Disneyland

Beyond the aforementioned substantive additions, there are smaller ‘experience improvements’ at Disneyland. Specifically, the start of Park Hopping has been moved forward to 11 am; this makes it easier to switch parks for lunch.

There are also a handful of new on-site perks for hotel guests, the best of which is Early Entry. See our Guide to Early Entry at Disneyland for what you need to know about this pre-park opening access to Disneyland and DCA. (Note that Early Entry is now every other day for each park as of 2024; it was previously in both parks every day of the week.)

Additionally, PhotoPass digital photo downloads of on-ride photos are now free for all guests on the Disneyland app. This includes attraction photos captured on Radiator Springs Racers, Space Mountain, Incredicoaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, and more.

The Magic Happens daytime parade is back, and not to be missed. We recommend catching the parade’s first performance from the end of Main Street on the back side of the flagpole. Alternatively, the west side of Main Street will offer shade; welcome reprieve from the sun and heat during the summer months.

Then there are the nighttime shows. As of Summer 2024, Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular has returned for Pixar Fest. This is a fun show with new music and added scenes from Turning Red, Onward, Soul, and other movies that have come out in the last 4 years.

Also coming back from another year-plus hiatus is Fantasmic, which will be presented in modified form on the Rivers of America once again. See the 2024 Disneyland Entertainment Schedule for the dates of what’s returning and what’s missing.

Two of the biggest additions for 2024 at Disneyland are at the hotels. Late last year, the brand-new Discovery Tower opened at Disneyland Hotel. This is the new Disney Vacation Club wing, which can also be booked by cash-paying guests. Although they’re all technically part of the same resort, there’s a night-and-day difference between the DVC and hotel towers. See our Photo Tour of the Villas at Disneyland Hotel for more on the new tower.

In early 2024, Disney Imagineers overhauled Paradise Pier Hotel into Pixar Place Hotel. So here, it’s a matter of the same “bones” of the hotel, but with a fresh coat of paint ( and much more ). This project was truly transformative, breathing new life into the aging tower hotel. See our Pixar Place Hotel Review for more.

In terms of new rides, the biggest relatively recent addition is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its two attractions, Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The latter is Disneyland’s biggest blockbuster addition since 1995, a modern masterpiece of Imagineering that is immensely popular and well-worth the multi-hour waits.

Over at Disney California Adventure, the most recent expansion is the Avengers Campus Marvel Land. This features one ride, one restaurant, meet & greets, and shopping. It’ll also showcases a Stuntronics Spider-Man, which is a sight to behold.

The next big attraction on the horizon is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure , which opens at Disneyland in late 2024. Our expectation–based on visible progress as compared to the version of the same ride at Walt Disney World (which opens this summer)–is that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will debut at Disneyland between mid-October and Thanksgiving 2024.

Looking even further down the road, at some point sometime before 2030 (maybe?), an Avatar experience is coming to Disneyland . This is part of the nebulous DisneylandForward proposal, which is on the precipice of being fully-approved by the Anaheim City Council in May 2024. More details are expected at the D23 Expo in August.

If you’re curious about the specifics of other additions on the horizon, consult our What’s New & Next for Disneyland in 2024 . This gives you an idea of when you might want to visit if you’re still choosing dates, trying to find the best time in terms of special events, new rides, and more.

More is coming in 2024 and beyond, but those are the main things to know. Now, let’s get down to business: what you need to plan a Disneyland vacation…

When to Visit Disneyland

The single most important part of planning a trip to Disneyland is determining when to visit. As mentioned above, crowds are a big component of this, but should not be the sole determining factor. Weather, seasonal events, pricing, and other variables are all important.

To that point, our we also have the Best & Worst Months to Visit Disneyland list, which ranks every month of the year. Even more to the point, this covers our 3 favorite weeks of the year to take a Disneyland trip. That’s more qualitative, and thus can more useful than crowd calendars for many Disneyland planners.

Again, our crowd calendars and month by month ranking resources have been updated to take into account changing attendance patterns brought on by Magic Keys, make-up travel, discounted SoCal tickets, returning entertainment, and more. Crowds have already changed, and we will continue to monitor and update accordingly in the future. Just be warned that crowd calendars are less reliable right now due to pent-up demand, capacity limits, and everything else.

As for seasonal events, we have two favorite times to do Disneyland. We highly recommend Halloween, which is our #2 time of the year at Disneyland. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Disneyland at Halloween for reasons why, and assistance planning a trip during that specific timeframe.

We’re already looking forward to the return of Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party , which will be back for Fall 2024 ( and probably late summer! ). That’s a hard ticket event, meaning that tickets to it cost extra; you do not need  to attend Oogie Boogie Bash to have a great time during the Halloween season at Disneyland, but we recommend it to anyone who is willing and able to splurge–especially fans of rare characters ( and villains! ).

Our favorite time of year at Disneyland–by a wide margin–is the holiday season. Unlike Halloween, there is no Christmas hard ticket event, meaning that everything is included with the price of regular admission. This means holiday fireworks, special parades, decorations, attraction overlays, entertainment, and so much more.

You could literally spend multiple full days focused exclusively on the seasonal offerings at Disneyland during the holiday season. Read our Ultimate Guide to Disneyland at Christmas to learn more about what makes this time of year so special–and see photos of the parks in all of their Christmas glory!

Finally, before solidifying your travel dates, you’ll also want to check out our 2024 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar to make sure any must-do attractions won’t be closed for renovations during your visit.

We typically do not recommend relying heavily on the refurbishment calendar. While Disneyland provides advance notice of most major multi-month closures, that’s not always the case. Some are scheduled last minute for necessary repairs or preventative maintenance. Short projects are sometimes scheduled at the last minute, and unannounced downtime (due to breakdowns or other issues) can also impact attractions.

Our biggest piece of advice with regard to refurbishments is not to visit in January or February if a high number of ride closures will negatively impact your trip. Winter is typically Disneyland’s refurbishment season, with many attractions going down for annual maintenance after the holidays.

Where to Stay

There are a ton of options in terms of where to stay near Disneyland: Good Neighbor Hotels, official Disney resorts, nearby hotels within driving distance, sprawling resorts in nearby beach towns, and more. In  Best Hotels Near Disneyland , we cover our top 10 picks for hotels within walking distance of the parks, with 5 family-friendly budget options, 3 luxury resorts, and 2 Disney-owned hotels. That’s a concise resource if you don’t want to comb through our more comprehensive hotel info.

For most vacation planners, the decision comes down to choosing among Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa ( our favorite! ), Disneyland Hotel (second favorite), and Pixar Place Hotel, or one of the cheaper hotels on Harbor Boulevard. We cover the pros and cons of each choice in our Where to Stay at Disneyland: Off-Site v. On-Site Hotels post.

If you’re looking for something more thorough, we’ve stayed at every on-site Disneyland hotel and most of the Good Neighbor Disneyland hotels and other off-site hotels within walking distance of the Disneyland Esplanade.

All of these are covered in our Rankings & Reviews of the Best & Worst Hotels Near Disneyland . This post ranks ~60 hotels near Disneyland at which we have stayed, along with room photos, pros & cons, and other useful information. That also details how to score a good deal on a hotel that’s close to Disneyland.

Fair warning: those comprehensive rankings can be overwhelming. We do a lot of hotel stays in Anaheim and report on them; most of that’s overkill for planners–you just need to know which ones are the ‘hotel hell’ options (bottom of the list) to avoid at all costs and the best ones to book (top of the list). If you’ve already booked accommodations, you might also want to search the list to see where your selected hotel ranks!

Park Tickets

Our Money-Saving Guide to Disneyland Tickets is a huge resource with recommendations on what type of Disneyland tickets you should buy, including how many days, whether you should get Park Hopper, and where you can buy Disneyland tickets to save some money.

There are some great offers right now–we recommend bundling park tickets and your hotel stay to save even more, especially with the 3rd and 4th night free specials at hotels near Disneyland . These package deals can save you a lot of money.

For the vast majority of guests visiting Disneyland, we recommend the Park Hopper ticket option. This allows you to bounce back and forth between the two parks throughout the day, which is easy to do given that their about a football field apart.

The practical upsides of this is starting at the park that opens first and ending your night at the park open later (Disneyland is often open 2 hours later than Disney California Adventure). You can also eat in the park with the dining options you prefer, grab a beer in DCA (there’s no alcohol in Disneyland outside of Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars Land), and enjoy the nighttime spectaculars in both parks.

If you’re a local or just a big diehard Disney fan planning to make multiple trips in a single year, Magic Key Annual Passes are also an option. See our Guide to Magic Keys at Disneyland: 2024 Prices, Perks, Blockout Dates & Discounts for more details.

Prior to moving to California, we were Disneyland AP holders while living in Indianapolis, Indiana followed by Orlando, Florida. We’d make several long weekend trips out to Disneyland each year, and the APs more than paid for themselves.

With that said, Annual Passes were  much  cheaper when we lived in the Midwest–a fraction of the current price–and we blogged about Disney by the time we moved to Central Florida. So our circumstances are a bit unique. Nevertheless, if you live in Nevada, Utah, or even Northern California…and can do a few long weekends each year, Magic Keys might make sense for you, too!

Disneyland Strategy & Itineraries

There are over 75 attractions between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. On a normal day, the average guest will only experience 10-11 of those. It would thus take you at least 6 days to experience everything in the two theme parks, assuming you didn’t want to re-ride anything. Obviously, not many people are devoting over a week to their Disneyland vacation.

As such, we’ve developed a few step-by-step Disneyland touring plans, each of which will enable you to efficiently experience the parks, while also enjoying their leisurely offerings and atmosphere. More to the point, you’ll be able to do 20+ rides per day–and skip the ones not worth your time.

Here are our best and recommended itineraries:

• Disneyland 1-Day Itinerary – Only have one day to visit Disneyland? This is a step-by-step plan of attack for which attractions you should do, where you should eat, what to see, and more. This covers all of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including Rise of the Resistance.
• Disneyland 2-Day Itinerary – Same idea, but spread over two days. We recommend most guests allocate two full days to Disneyland.
• Disney California Adventure 1-Day Itinerary – Unlike Disneyland, DCA is easier to fully experience in a single day. This touring plan includes strategy for beating the crowds at Radiator Springs Racers, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Web Slingers Spider-Man Adventure, and more!

We are currently working on additional multi-day itineraries for trips of 4+ days at Disneyland Resort. For now, if you plan on spending more time at DCA, consult our Disney California Adventure Ride Reviews & Guide . The article reviews every attraction at Disneyland, giving each a numerical score out of 10, plus highlights key attractions that we consider the best ones, which should be prioritized if you have limited time.

Our Disneyland Ride Reviews & Guide does the same thing for the castle park, in case you want to spend 3+ days there. (Which you totally could, especially now that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open!)

Dining at Disneyland

Food is half the fun at Disneyland. Both parks have great restaurants, iconic snacks, decadent desserts, and great drinks. We typically go all-out when visiting the parks, doing breakfast at one of the hotels (or sometimes in the park), followed by a mid-morning snack, counter service lunch, and table service dinner.

The stereotype that all Disney food is unhealthy food like burgers and hot dogs is entirely false. Disneyland has inexpensive unique dining options as well as expensive fine dining. Good dining can help define a trip! To that end, we highly recommend checking out our List of the 23 Best Restaurants at Disneyland . Those are the places we dine the most, and recommend to friends visiting the parks. You’ll find several hidden gems on there, as well as explanations for why we’ve snubbed several hotspots.

If you want advice, food photos, and more about all restaurants, see our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews . (Honestly, we think that’s probably overkill for 95% of you. The ‘best of’ list above covers where you should do meals, and there are more lists below for bars, snacks, and desserts.)

Beyond full meals, we have a few resources that can help you plan memorable meals at Disneyland. If you have kids, we highly recommend consulting our Disneyland Character Dining Guide , which covers the best character buffets in the hotels and parks.

Looking for the best quick meals? Our Top 10 Disneyland Counter Service Restaurants list ranks the best meals in the castle park, while our Top 10 Disney California Adventure Counter Service Restaurants list offers the same for DCA.

Want to have fun with your food at Disneyland? Our Top 10 Delicious Desserts at Disneyland covers delicious treats, including some hidden gems, plus brand new items and recently-added restaurants in Downtown Disney!

If you’re into drinking, we also have posts about a few of our favorite lounges: Trader Sam’s , Lamplight Lounge , GCH Craftsman Bar , and Carthay Circle Restaurant . The last one is particularly noteworthy because–in addition to the lounge downstairs–the restaurant upstairs is the best in-park restaurant in either park.

Transportation

Should you fly or drive to Disneyland? Rent a car or use public transportation? What about getting around Southern California? There are a ton of questions you might have, and our Guide to Disneyland Transportation covers everything you need to know, answering these questions for you based on our first-hand experiences visiting Anaheim as tourists and living nearby as locals.

If you’ve already decided on flying to California but aren’t sure of the pros & cons of each option, check out our Guide to Airports Near Disneyland. That covers the strengths and weaknesses of the 5 airports in Southern California that are relatively convenient to Disneyland.

In a nutshell, our strong recommendation would be flying into SNA (or even LGB) over LAX. Even if the flight is a little more expensive, it’s worth it. Not only is SNA closer to Disneyland, but LAX has tons of chaos, construction, and crowds.

We like LAX and its eclectic energy, but it’s more than a little overwhelming for a first-timer. If you’ve never been to Southern California or a large city like Los Angeles, it can be a bit much and start your trip off on the wrong foot. Meanwhile, SNA is laid back and quiet. If there were a list ranking the best airports for napping, it would be near the top and LAX would be near the bottom.

In addition to this, SNA is much closer to Disneyland than LAX, which makes it easier to simply take an Uber or Lyft from the airport to wherever you’re staying near Disneyland. In most cases, we’d recommend rideshare over renting a car at the airport, as the vast majority of hotels near Disneyland now charge for parking. So not only will you be paying to rent the car, but also to park it.

The vast majority of hotels near Disneyland are within walking distance, so you won’t need a vehicle during the theme park portion of your trip to Southern California. If you’re staying at one of the hotels we recommend in Anaheim, it’s literally counterproductive to drive to Disneyland since the parking structures are all farther away than most of the nearby hotels.

If you’re venturing beyond Disneyland to one of the destinations discussed below–and we strongly recommend that you do–while visiting Southern California, our advice would be to book a rental car in Anaheim. There are numerous rental car companies within walking distance of Disneyland, and most offer one-way rentals to the nearby airports. Walk over to one of those on your checkout morning, pick up your rental car, and continue your California adventure!

We do not  recommend relying on rideshare if you’re heading to Los Angeles. However, if you’re doing Laguna Beach or another coastal community, a rental car may not be needed at all. Many coastal towns have free trolley service that is fantastic. Simply take an Uber or Lyft from Disneyland to wherever you’re staying in the beach cities.

Southern California BEYOND Disneyland

If you want to venture beyond theme parks, you’re in luck. Southern California is one of the best places in the world to visit! Thanks to Los Angeles, San Diego, and the beach cities in between, there’s a ton to do in the area.

In addition to this site, we have non-Disney blog: TravelCaffeine with resources for on an eclectic mix of the places where we’ve lived or visited extensively. California is one such emphasis, as we’ve spent a ton of time exploring our home state. If you’re planning on heading to LA after Disneyland, be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Los Angeles .

While LA is one of the greatest cities in the world, we’re particularly partial to Laguna Beach. It’s home to the best stretch of coast in California, has small-town charm and personality, and tons of things to do. To that point, see our  Ultimate Guide to Laguna Beach, California for extensive advice. If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of visiting Los Angeles, then Laguna Beach is for you!

In addition to these planning resources, we also give away a free eBook, 101 Things to Do in Southern California over on TravelCaffeine, so be sure to download that totally free resource!

If you’re thinking of visiting other theme parks in Southern California, we also have guides to those…

Universal Studios Hollywood Trip Planning Guide – In just a few years, USH has transformed and improved dramatically. The opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was what really put the park on the map as a vacation destination, but many other additions have made this a great park in the last few years. Our favorite new attraction is Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, a new family-friendly dark ride. (Read our review of it in Universal’s New Dark Ride Rivals Disney’s Best! )

The blockbuster new addition is Super Nintendo World. We love this land, and rate two of its biggest components in our Ride Review: Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge and our Review of Toadstool Cafe in Super Nintendo World . For practical planning advice, check out our comprehensive  Strategy Guide for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood . That offers tips & tricks, how to beat the crowds, and a ton of other advice for making the most of your time in this incredible new land.

Aside from that, the Studio Tour is our favorite attraction, which is a 45-minute plus tram tour through the working backlot of Universal’s studio. If you are only interested in this Studio Tour, you might broaden your potential options beyond just USH, and also consider the Warner Brothers Studio Tour and Sony Pictures Studio Tour as alternatives.

Guide to Knott’s Berry Farm – An Orange County institution that proudly proclaims itself as “America’s 1st Theme Park.” Really, Knott’s is a tale of two theme parks. It has modern roller coasters and other fare for thrill-seekers. Thematically, this leaves a lot to be desired.

Then there are the quainter areas, reminiscent of Frontierland at Disneyland. We love these areas–and the park’s annual Boysenberry Festival. All things considered, we love both Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios Hollywood, and together with Disneyland Resort, these four gates make for a great theme park vacation in Southern California!

Other Disneyland Planning Resources

Now that we’ve covered the essentials to ensure you have a great trip to Disneyland, we have a bunch of other resources that will guide you through the planning process to make your visit to Disneyland more enjoyable, helping you save time and money. Armed with all of this knowledge, you will have a much better vacation.

What to Pack – Packing for Disneyland is comparable to packing for any vacation, but with a few twists. Here’s our list of “unordinary” items to pack that will help enhance your Disneyland trip!

Guide to Downtown Disney – We sort of gloss over it here, but Downtown Disney is a massive area within Disneyland Resort’s security perimeter. You can easily leave either park and get to one of these restaurants for a meal…or some of the best ice cream you’ll ever have…in under 10 minutes.

Our 101 Best Disneyland Tips – This is not nearly as structured as our other advice, but these tips offer great advice and sometimes obscure little things that will help you visit the parks like a local. This is more granular advice than what you’ll find in our other planning articles, but we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from readers who really got a lot more out of their trips because of those tips.

Renting DVC Points to Save Money on Accommodations – This is written from a WDW perspective, but there are also Disney Vacation Club villas at the Grand Californian. Booking there can be a challenge (it’s incredibly popular), but you can save a ton of money if your timing is right and you get lucky.

Best Credit Cards for Disney Travel – Leveraging credit card rewards can be a great way of getting free airfare or hotel rooms, and there are several options near Disneyland that you can book for free thanks to signup bonuses.

Tips for Buying Discount Disney Gift Cards – Want to save at least 5% on every single thing you buy at Disneyland? These hacks are for you. Some are relatively simple and straightforward (like using the Target RedCard) while others require a bit more effort.

In general, there are a variety of ways you can save money on a trip to Disneyland. If you’re looking for the best way to save on an entire vacation package, many of our favorite hotels near Disneyland can be booked via Get Away Today at a discount . If you bundle tickets into your hotel stay, you’ll get an even better deal. You can check package prices here .

Between this blog and TravelCaffeine.com , you should be totally covered with what you need to know if you’re thinking about visiting Disneyland Resort and Southern California sometime in 2024. We can’t encourage people enough to give Disneyland a try, especially Disney fans who are biased towards Walt Disney World as their “home” park. Disneyland is a totally different, much more relaxed experience. It’s intimate in both size and feel, and is oozing with history and incredible attractions.

I could go on for pages and pages about why I love Disneyland, and why everyone owes it to themselves to visit Disneyland, but hopefully this is a good-enough jumping off point. If you’ve never been to either Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort, it’s a good place to start as we attempt to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each in an unbiased manner. If all of this is still overwhelming or you want personalized recommendations for Disneyland Resort, click here to get a vacation quote from a no fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner .

Your Thoughts

Are you planning a Disneyland Resort visit in 2024? Debating between Halloween and Christmas? Have you already visited Galaxy’s Edge and done Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance? What about Avengers Campus? Are you excited for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway or the reimagined Toontown? Thoughts on Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, where to stay, best restaurants and snacks, or anything else covered here? Have you previously visited Disneyland? Have any tips of your own to add? Any questions you still have that this guide did not answer? We really appreciate reader feedback and your thoughts, so please share in the comments below! 🙂

Written by Tom Bricker

Do you have any thoughts/tips related to Ontario’s airport? We got a great deal on flights and are flying into Ontario in September. I used to live in LA, and while I have been to every other So Cal airport, I have never been there.

My husband and I are planning a trip back to Disneyland this year. We are debating whether to fly or drive (we live in Utah). We stayed at a hotel across the street last time and it was a lifesaver with two toddlers and a stroller, so we plan to stay there again. We would both prefer to fly, but our dilemma is we have 3 and 1 year olds who will need carseats. Is there a shuttle or rental company that would provide carseats to and from the airport (SNA or LGB) so we could avoid having to rent a car for the whole trip?

I am planning a trip to Disneyland for my husband and I’s first trip. We typically go to Disney World yearly. We’re going during a very busy week December 19th-24th and bought 4 day park hopper tickets with Genie+. Do you have a strategy for the parks for this time of year? I’m a bit nervous as we’ve never been this time of year. This is one of the only times we’re able to go though. Do you think the parks will be achievable in 4 days? Would you do 2 days in each park?

We’re headed to California in June. Family of five with three young boys. Love Disney World, never been to Disneyland. Plan to do 2-days in the parks June 18th and 19th with non-hopper tickets. Seems like Disneyland is closing at 8pm on the 18th for an event. Will crowds be down that day like they are in DW for these kind of events? Other factor is Juneteenth is on June 19. Bottom line, which day should we Disneyland and which day should we do DCA? Thank you for any and all advice!

I have been going to the Disneyland Resort with my daughters since they were four and six and I have enjoyed reading your blog as a planning guide that entire time. Now they’re 17 and 15! My question is I’ve always wondered if you have an opinion about what park to start at if you have a Park hopper tickets, and now since we need to reserve what park we start at, is there a preference one over the other? Maybe depending which has early entry is? We are not staying at a hotel that will have early entry, so should we try to not go to the park that has early entry or just ignore that? Any other comments about where to start your day with a hopper? Thanks and congratulations on your new family! You’ll discover how wonderful Disneyland is in a whole new way and as the years go by it only gets better!

Early Entry doesn’t move the needle that much since it’s such a small pool of guests.

Personally, I’m a big fan of starting at Disneyland if you’re into the Fantasyland dark rides, because it’s so easy to knock out a half-dozen of those in an hour, which is such a satisfying feeling. I also think that, due to greater ride density, Disneyland wait times build slower over the course of the morning, whereas DCA can get busy quickly.

That’s my very subjective take, though. If you want to do Radiator Springs Racers, Avengers Campus, or other high-profile rides in DCA, maybe that’s a better option than Disneyland for you.

It looks like we have a chance to visit Disneyland for the first time (as hard core WDW people) in April. Unfortunately it’s a very busy weekend (Apr 5-8) but I’ll take what I can get. We will buy Genie+ of course.. we will skip Galaxy’s Edge as we’ve done that many times in FL. Do you have a 2 day Itinerary for DL + DCA for people who are used to WDW? In other words – what are all the OG and unique to DL rides, and top 3 snacks/dining experiences? I’m thinking Lamplight Lounge for one meal and some snacks. It’s weird to feel like a noob with Disney since we are so familiar w/ WDW.

We have visited WDW many times. Most recently first week of December 2022. It was fantastic!! Thanks for your recommendation on the week. Thinking about a first time trip to Disneyland this year. Would like to catch some other area sights as well. How many days should we plan as first timers to the parks? Best place to stay when we likely won’t be back for a while. Thanks!

Thanks for the updated guide. Full of lots of great information as usual, and it’s nice to see more pictures of Sarah and Megatron! (And Tom of course.) We’re planning to go around November 10-12. Do you think Dapper Days combined with the start of the holiday season plus Veteran’s day will make it extra crowded? If so, any touring tips besides rope drop? We’re hopefully staying at the Grand so will have early entry.

Thank you so much for all your help. Had a great Disney experience thanks to you!

I’m wondering if you have a 1 day itinerary article that covers both Disneyland and DCA with park hopper. We only have 1 day to visit during this trip and we’re traveling with an infant so it does cut out on a bunch of high priority rides. We’re also diehard WDW people and have rode those attractions SEVERAL times so we’re ok with cutting out things like Galaxys edge, Toy story mania… there are a few rides we want to do without the baby, ie radiator springs racers and can utilize single rider or rider swap for those, but are most interested in original dark rides for a more nostalgic experience. Thanks for being such a great resource for planning research, your blogs have been more then helpful!

Hello, My name is Jenna Taylor, and I’m a travel writer. I was simply conducting some research for content ideas when I came across your site.

What can I do to obtain a do-follow link on your site? Would you be willing to accept a guest post on your blog? If that’s the case, can you please let me know how much you would charge?

Please let me know what you think and please contact me if there are any additional specifics!

Tom, appreciate all your work to put these guides out. Your site was a big help when our family first started going to Disney World back in 2015.

We’re looking at our first visit to Disneyland sometime in summer 2023. I saw mentioned in a few different places that weekends are worse than weekdays. Looking back at summer 2022, Friday-Sunday showed significantly lower wait times than Monday- Thursday (per Thrilldata). I’m assuming that had to do with Magic Key blackouts – would that pattern be expected to repeat in June/July 2023?

Excellent information and orientation! Kind regards.

Hello! So, I am one of those people who hate to compose trip itineraries. I LOVE to go, but hate to plan the details. Do you offer this as a service? My husband and I are planning to take our oldest 2 granddaughters (ages 6 & 8) to Disneyland in July 2023. We will be arriving on a Sunday, leaving on a Thursday. Your information on lodging, flying, the airport, and transportation is fantastic.

You will have an amazing time! One tip I don’t see that often that we have found very helpful every time we go with our now 9 year-old is that we generally take a break from the parks sometime after lunch, go for a swim, relax a bit have a snack or get an early dinner and then head back to the parks a bit refreshed. Also, stay hydrated, sunscreen and i usually pack some lollipops for long lines;) Have a wonderful time!

If you’re looking for an itinerary planning service, check out Melanie B on Instagram (the_disney_rn). I’ve never needed an itinerary other than Tom and Sarah’s tips, but I know many people love them! Melanie always has amazing advice as a local Disneyland fan, so I’m sure her itineraries would be super helpful to you 🙂

If I buy a five day hopper with genie plus through getaway today does it include photo pass service for every day or for just one day or what?

The best plan is to purchase Disneyland tickets at Ralph’s, Smart and Final, Raleys, Target, Cardenas, Superior and Super A. The tickets are sold through ScanIt where you find the giftcards. Scan the QR code, select your tickets, enter your email and a barcode is generated for purchase at the register. Reservations are really open right now!!

Also, Target is offering a $20 instant rebate right now if you buy their current promo in their stores!!

A really good option is to purchase your Disneyland tickets at the grocery store – Ralph’s, Smart and Final, Raleys, Target, Cardenas, Superior and Super A. The tickets are sold through ScanIt where you find the giftcards. Scan the QR code, select your tickets, enter your email and a barcode is generated. Purchase in store. You get your credit card grocery points this way – I get cash back for grocery!!! Plus at Ralph’s you get FUEL rewards. Disneyland currently is running their $83/day through September. Get in the grocery store! Reservations are really open right now!!

Do you have any recommendations or information about parking options for day visitors? We will be in the Anaheim area visiting family and I am hoping to do a 1 day visit to Disneyland. We will be staying about 20 minutes away at the Hyatt House in Cypress, as that is the location that is near the people we are visiting.

If you are doing a 1 day visit to Disneyland, your best bet would be to park at at the Mickey and Friends parking structure. That’s the main structure for the parks and it’s the best option for park visitors.

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First Time at Disneyland? Here’s What You Need To Know

Are you planning on taking your first trip to Disneyland in California? If so, you’re in for a great time! There’s a reason Disneyland is known as The Happiest Place on Earth … there’s something there for everyone to enjoy.

In this article I will provide some tips that will help make your first time at Disneyland Resort a memorable one. I’ll cover everything from booking your tickets to packing your suitcases.

So read on for all the information you need to have a fantastic first visit to Disneyland!

A First Timer’s Guide to Visiting Disneyland Resort

How to book your tickets for disneyland.

The first step in your epic Disneyland vacation, after choosing the dates you want to visit, is buying your tickets.

I recommend purchasing your Disneyland tickets through Undercover Tourist. They are an authorized Disney ticket provider, and I have actually used them myself, many times!

Undercover Tourist provides the lowest prices for Disneyland tickets, even lower than other popular ticket sellers.

Before you purchase your tickets, make sure you know:

• How many people are in your travel party?
• Are any travelers between the ages of 3-9 at the time of your trip? They quality for a child ticket. (Guests 2 and under are free.)
• How days will you be visiting?
• Do you want one-day tickets or Park Hopper tickets?
• Do you want to add Genie+ , a paid upgrade that reduces your wait time for some attractions?
• Guests must make park reservations. Use this calendar to make sure there are reservations available for the parks you want to visit before purchasing your tickets. If you choose a Park Hopper ticket, you must choose your starting park. (Reservations are available 120 days in advance.)

Once your order is processed, you should receive confirmation of your tickets via email so you can feel secure knowing your booking has gone through. 

Once you purchase your tickets, you can add them to your Disneyland account via their website or the Disneyland app and assign them to a name.

(Note – Once you assign your Disneyland tickets to a name, they are non-refundable through Undercover Tourist.)

How Should You Pack For Your First Time At Disneyland?

Planning for any vacation to a new spot can be a daunting task, and you might have a lot of questions on what you should pack for your first visit to Disneyland.

Before you start piling things into your suitcase, it is important to consider a few key points to make the most out of your experience at the Disneyland Resort.

First and foremost, depending on when you are visiting, California’s weather can get quite hot during the day, and chilly at night. Comfortable clothing and sun protection are essential when packing for your trip, and lightweight items like shorts, tank tops, and hats are all great choices. Don’t forget to bring a sweater or sweatshirt to wear after the sun goes down. Be sure to check the 10 day weather forecast as your trip approaches so you know what type of clothing will be best for you!

As far as shoes, I recommend comfortable sneakers or sandals with a good grip will give you plenty of support while walking around the park and standing in long lines. This visit is not the time to break in new shoes!!

You’ll definitely need some sort of bag to carry your things. For long park days, I recommend a backpack which provides a lot of storage and keep your items protected. If you don’t like the idea of carrying around all your things, lockers are available for a daily fee.

There are a few items that will make your day at Disneyland a little easier. Consider bring an external phone charger (or plan on purchasing a Fuel Rod ), a portable fan on hot days, a poncho on rainy days, and basic comfort items such as sunglasses, lip balm, and pain reliever.

Finally, think about bringing easy snacks like protein bars or trail mix as well as a refillable water bottle.

How To Navigate Disneyland as a First Time Visitor

If you’re visiting Disneyland for the first time, there are some important things you need to know before embarking on your adventure.

First and foremost, familiarize yourself with the layout of the park before arriving. Do your research and review the park maps on the Disneyland app or pick up a paper map at the gate so that you know where everything is located. 

Once inside the park, plan your route according to what attractions, shows, and rides you want to experience first. Ensure that you leave enough time to take necessary breaks such as restroom stops and meals so that you don’t miss anything!

Also, consider purchasing Genie+ , which allows you select an arrival window for select popular attractions – this can significantly shorten wait times! Genie+ can be purchased at the same time as your ticket, which will give you the best possible price for the service. Genie+ can also be purchased on the day of your visit, after scanning into the park.

Moving on to one of the most important parts of a Disneyland day – the food! Trying different food offerings – from snacks like Dole Whip to sit-down restaurants like the popular Blue Bayou – is highly recommended to get the full Disneyland experience.

To save time in line, you’ll want to mobile order some of your snacks and meals through the Disneyland app. With mobile ordering, you select your dining location, your time window, the items you want, and pay through the app. When it’s time to dine, tap “I’m here” in the app to let the location know you’re ready to pick up your food! Keep in mind some dining locations are very popular, so plan ahead!

Don’t forget, Disney Parks are designed for everyone regardless of age or experience level, so don’t be intimidated; just go enjoy a magical day of fun and adventure! My best advice is to have a loose strategy, stay hydrated, and go with the flow. Part of the fun of being at Disneyland are the unexpected magical moments that you can’t plan for!

What to Prioritize as a First Time Visitor To Disneyland Resort

Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or looking for something more laid back, you’ll find plenty of options at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure!

For starters, I recommend checking out the classic attractions that really made Disneyland Park stand out from other amusement parks. Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and it’s a small world are absolute must-experience attractions. 

If you’re looking for more thrills, don’t miss Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Matterhorn at Disneyland Park. Over at Disney California Adventure, you’ll love the Incredicoaster and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!

Both kids and adults alike will love the charming attractions in Fantasyland, including the popular Peter Pan’s Flight, the newly refreshed Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, and the Storybook Land Canal Boats. For me, a ride on King Arthur’s Carousel is a must, since Walt Disney came up with the idea for Disneyland while watching his daughters ride a carousel!

If you’re looking to wind down, you’ll want to board the Mark Twain Riverboat – an iconic attraction that takes passengers on a leisurely voyage alongside Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer’s Island and gives them breathtaking views of New Orleans Square and Frontierland. Don’t forget to wave at the Guests dining at Hungry Bear Restaurant as you sail by!

With so many spectacular rides to choose from at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, first time visitors have plenty of exciting options!

Visiting Disneyland for the first time can be an overwhelming experience, but with a bit of preparation and research, first-time visitors can get the most out of their visit.

Familiarize yourself with the layout of the parks before you arrive, plan your route, take advantage of Genie+, and don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

If you still have questions about visiting Disneyland, be sure to check out some of my other articles:

Guide to Visiting Disneyland Resort

Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Disneyland in 2023

How to Use Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Disneyland

About Contributor

This article was written by a contributor and edited for accuracy by Mindy.

The Cactus Chronicles

Adventures in Arizona and Beyond

Essential Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors

Are you planning a trip to Disneyland, but you’ve never been there before?  My family and I live in Arizona and Disneyland is one of our favorite vacation destinations.  When people find out we are going to Disneyland, they usually ask “Disneyland, again?”  Yes.  Disneyland.  Again.  We’ve been there so many times that I decided to write down Disneyland tips for first time visitors!

Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors!

Disclosures: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and buy, The Cactus Chronicles will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping support The Cactus Chronicles.

Disneyland is not only enjoyable for us as a family, but it’s also convenient.  Because we live in Arizona, we’re able to drive to California in one day, and we like that we can take what we want, and travel at our own pace.  Not only are we able to save on airfare, but we are also able to save on food since we are able to bring food with us.

Even though we visit Disneyland at least once a year, we still experience something different every time we go.  We usually buy three day park hoppers, and even then, we still aren’t able to see everything.  So here it goes.  Here are my Disneyland tips for first timers!

Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors

• Download the Official Disneyland App
• Purchase Discounted Disneyland Tickets and/or Vacation Packages
• Make Park Reservations
• Genie+, Lightning Lanes, and Virtual Queues
• Experience Newer Attractions Earlier in the Day
• Enjoy Performances and Parades
• Book Dining As Soon As Possible
• Bring Food and Water to Save Money
• Bring a Portable Charging Device for Cell Phone
• Celebrate Special Occasions at Disneyland
• Mobile Food Ordering at Disneyland
• Take Advantage of Single Rider Lines
• Additional Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors

1.  Download the Official Disneyland App

One of the essential Disneyland tips for first time visitors?  Download the Official Disneyland App .  It’s a lifesaver.  You can link your park tickets in the app and you can also purchase Genie+ and Lightning Lanes through the app (more about that below).  It not only tells you the wait times for the rides, but it also list places to eat (including the ability to mobile order food), and locations of restrooms.  You can also view the photos taken by the Disneyland photographers via the Official Disneyland App.

Looking for Disneyland tips for first time visitors? From character experiences, to waiting in lines, to dining, here are some tips to keep in mind when planning a family vacation to Disneyland.

2.  Purchase Discounted Disneyland Tickets and/or Vacation Packages

This is a big one.  Disneyland rarely sells discounted tickets.  However, I purchase my discounted Disneyland tickets through my affiliate Get Away Today.

If you’re thinking of booking a trip to Disneyland or Southern California, then please consider booking through Get Away Today by clicking on this  link .  Not only does Get Away Today offer the best deals on hotels, including free night specials and exclusive offers like free breakfast, free parking and waived resort fees at select hotels, but Disneyland tickets are also available at a discount.   Layaway plans are also available for Southern California vacation packages, with the first payment beginning as low as $200.  Additionally, you can receive an extra $10 off any 2-night or longer Southern California package by using the promo code CACTUS .

3.  Make Park Reservations

After you purchase your park tickets, you’ll want to make park reservations as soon as possible.  Click here to make Disneyland park reservations and here for Disneyland calendar availability.  If you have a park hopper ticket (meaning that you can visit both Disneyland Park and California Adventure in one day), then you can switch to the other park beginning at 11 am that same day (subject to capacity).    

4.  Genie+ and Lightning Lanes

Disneyland recently replaced its FastPass and MaxPass program with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.  To find out more, click here .  Because it costs extra, the expenses can quickly add up.  During my family’s last visit to Disneyland, we pre-purchased Genie+ with our park hopper tickets through Get Away Today.  It wasn’t bad as I had imagined it to be, but the more popular rides do become unavailable as the day progresses.  So if there is a particular ride that you want to ride, I recommend you reserve it as soon as possible.  Rides like Radiator Springs Racer, Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway are not included in the general price of Genie+, instead those rides are paid a la carte.  And the price depends on the day of your visit.  My friend Leslie from Trips With Tykes has extensively written about it out and you can read her strategies here.

Additional Disneyland tips for first time visitors? Radiator Springs Racer is one of the rides where guests can purchase a lighting lane to avoid waiting in long lines.

5.  Try to Experience the Newer Attractions Early in the Day to Avoid Long Waits

Others might disagree with me on this one, but I like to ride the newer attractions first thing in the morning, especially those that are not eligible for Genie+ or Lightning Lanes.  Case in point, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in California Adventure.  The line for Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters gets long so try to get in line as early as possible.  Also, if you are going to try to wait in a standby line for Star Wars:  Rise of the Resistance, I recommend doing that earlier in the day.  That’s because the ride is notorious for breaking down several times throughout the day.  Speaking of Star Wars, click here for my best Star Wars experiences at Disneyland, including tips and strategies.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the rides that is eligible for a Lightning Lane purchase.

6.  Enjoy the Performances and Parades

Disneyland is more than the rides.  It’s definitely worth it to see the parades and nighttime performances.  Click here to find out more info about the parades.  During my family’s recent visit to Disneyland, we were able to experience World of Color at California Adventure and the fireworks at Disneyland Park. 

7.  Book Dining Reservations, Including Character Breakfasts, as Soon as Possible

Dining reservations can be booked 60 days in advance, so you’ll want to make sure you book dining reservations as soon as possible.  We try to book at least one character breakfast for each trip to Disneyland.  For example, during our last trip to Disneyland, we ate at the character breakfast at the Grand Californian (in Storyteller’s Cafe) called Mickey’s Tale of Adventure.  The food was delicious and it didn’t interfere with our time in the park since it’s at a hotel and doesn’t require park admission.  We were also able to make reservations for the morning we were scheduled to drive back home.

*You can also use MouseDining to get dining alerts for particular restaurants.  For example, I was able to book reservations for the Blue Bayou during a previous visit, thanks to MouseDining.

8.  Bring Food and Plenty of Water to Save Money

One of my other Disneyland tips for first time visitors?  Bring your own food and water to save money.  Disneyland allows guests to bring certain food and snacks in the park as well as bottled water.  But, be sure to check the guidelines  beforehand, to make sure you aren’t bringing in something that’s not allowed.  We usually pack snacks and bottled water in my husband’s backpack.

Are you planning a family vacation to Disneyland for the first time? Here are several Disneyland tips for First Time Visitors, from character experiences and breakfasts to celebrating special occasions.

9.  Bring a Portable Charging Device for Cell Phone

This one is very important, especially since you will be using your phone to access the official Disneyland app throughout the day.  The battery to my cell phone drains fairly quickly, so I make sure to bring a portable device to charge my cell phone.  Just make sure that your portable device is charged as well!  I made the mistake of not charging my portable device one day, and it was difficult to look things up once my cell phone’s battery was completely drained.

Bring a portable charging device so your cell phone has enough battery to take photos of the park at night.

10.  Celebrate Special Occasions at Disneyland

I love celebrating special occasions at Disneyland, from birthdays to anniversaries to first time visits!  If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you can obtain a commemorative button at check-in.  If you aren’t staying at a Disney hotel, though, never fear – you can still obtain  commemorative buttons at the following locations:  City Hall in Disneyland Park and Guest Services in California Adventure.  Wear the button throughout the day and you’ll find Cast Members congratulating you!

If you’re celebrating a special occasion at Disneyland, you’ll want to make sure you get a commemorative button.

When you make dining reservations, you’ll also want to be sure to mention if you are celebrating a special occasion.  During a previous visit to Disneyland, we splurged and made reservations for our favorite restaurant Blue Bayou.  I told them we were celebrating our wedding anniversary upon check-in, and they surprised us with dessert!  The same goes with character dining.  During a previous visit to Disneyland, my family participated in a character breakfast.  My husband and our son were celebrating their birthdays and proudly wore their birthday buttons.  The cast member brought out cupcakes to them at the end of the meal.

We were surprised with dessert for our wedding anniversary!

11.  Mobile Food Ordering at Disneyland

Yes, you can order food and beverages ahead of time at certain locations using the official Disneyland App!  Click here  for locations that accept mobile orders.  But you’ll want to plan ahead, especially if you want a dole whip at the Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland.

12.  Take Advantage of Single Rider Lines

I’ve been known to take advantage of single rider lines for available attractions at Disneyland to avoid waiting in long lines.  Not all the rides have this option and it’s subject to availability.  But usually, I’m able to get in the single rider line for Space Mountain.  Other rides that might have single ride lines available at Disneyland include Matterhorn Bobsleds and Millennium Falcon:  Smugglers Run.  And the following rides at California Adventure usually offer single rider lines:  Goofy’s Sky School, the Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs Racers, Grizzly River Run, WEB SLINGERS and Soarin’ Around the World.  

While the single rider lines are a nice option, it’s more difficult to do when you are traveling with younger children.  When my son was too young to ride, my husband and I would take turns watching our son, while the other would go on the ride using the single rider line.  But otherwise, we’d skip the single rider line so that we could go on the ride together as a family.  Still, it’s a nice option to have for those who want to avoid waiting in long lines or who want to avoid purchasing a lightning lane.

The entrance for the single rider line for Space Mountain is actually near the exit of the ride.

13.  Additional Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors

Other Disneyland tips for first time visitors?  Measure your child’s height before your visit.  That way, you can avoid disappointment if your child isn’t tall enough for a particular ride.  Along those lines, use the rider switch pass  if your child isn’t tall enough to go on a particular ride.  Also, wear comfortable walking shoes.  And keep in mind that both parks have First Aid stations in case you or a family member needs an item like a bandaid.  And last but not least, it’s not essential to stay at a Disney-owned hotel in order to experience everything.  There are several Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels nearby, including the  Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance .

Additional Disneyland tips for first time visitors? Make sure you measure your child’s height beforehand to avoid any disappointment.

Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors.

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Reader interactions.

May 3, 2016 at 1:18 pm

I see a stroller can save little legs? So a stroller is a yes?

May 4, 2016 at 1:58 am

Yes, I highly recommend a stroller! We saw another family with a child that was around my son’s age – they didn’t have a stroller, and the wife asked her husband if he regretted that they didn’t bring a stroller. He didn’t directly answer her question – just said he thought the stroller would slow things down. I like having the stroller, though, and I don’t find that it slows us down much.

May 22, 2017 at 6:06 am

I love these tips for a memorable first time visit!

A Guide to Your Family's First Disney Trip

This post was written by a guest contributor.

Whether you’re going to the original Disneyland , or Florida’s Disneyworld , or one of the international Disney parks, there’s a lot you’ll want to know before setting off on your first family Disney trip. Disney parks and resorts are lots of fun and there’s not too much you need to do in advance, but it always helps to be prepared and have a plan of attack to make sure you get the most out of your family vacation.

Planning Your Day(s) at the Park

There are tons of things to do at Disney parks and there’s certainly not enough time to do everything, so it helps to have a plan of attack before you go.

Little kids in the group will probably want to do some of the tamer activities that feature their favorite movies like the Cinderella Castle or Mad Hatter tea cups. Adults who remember visiting the park as kids will probably want to revisit some favorite classics like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride or the Haunted Mansion. Have everyone come up with a few “must-do” activities and then a few “want-to-do.” If you’ve got divergent interests, for example a young kid might not want to do a scarier ride like the Hollywood Hotel, figure out at which attractions you’ll split up and who will go on which rides with who if you need to split up.

• Don’t plan your schedule too full. Half the fun of Disney parks is just walking around and coming upon fun activities like the actors doing performances and fireworks shows. Unless you live close to the park, you’ll want to take at least a few days for your vacation. Plan each day according to a handful of must-do activities, and leave yourself the rest of the time to explore and find fun things on the fly.
• Decide if you want to do any of the water rides in advance as some of them can get you pretty wet. You may want to wait to choose a day that will be warm to do the water rides, or you may want to bring clothes you can change into in your bag. You won’t get too wet at most rides, but there’s the chance you could get cold later on in the day. If you are hitting one of Disney’s water parks, make sure you have a waterproof phone case so that you can easily snap pictures of your kiddos!
• Check in advance to see if any rides will be closed and what times shows will be. Also know emergency information like the location of the medical tent in case of something like a scrape or an allergic reaction.
• Don’t forget to use FastPasses! Most popular rides have these options so you can skip the long lines. After your FastPass is collected or your time slot passes, it is considered deactivated and you can get another one. Save these for the really popular rides that have the longest lines. It is wise to start as early as possible with these, as the time slots for which they can be used are always a little later than when you receive them.

Being Prepared

While you will be able to buy anything you forget while you are at the park (the Disney parks are really prepared for any contingency, to an impressive degree. You can even mail letters at some of the parks!), you will save much more money if you come prepared with all of the things you think you might need.

• Be the classic, silly theme park parent and come wearing a good hat for sun protection, a ridiculous fanny pack for easy and comfortable carrying of important things like cellphone and wallet, a jacket, and a very comfortable pair of walking shoes.
• Bring all of the important items for any good vacation: sunscreen, refillable water bottles, medications (inhalers, EpiPens), ibuprofen, Band-Aids, sunglasses, both cash and cards (though you can use cards now at most places), camera, back-up phone battery, etc.
• Bring plenty of snacks! While Disney offers many dining plans, you should definitely bring your own snacks for while you’re walking around the park. Snacks at the park can quickly add up, and you’ll especially want to bring your own if anyone has a food allergy or limitations and needs special items.
• If you have small kids, you may want to bring along some items to keep them entertained while they wait in line. While FastPasses have sped up the average wait considerably, you will still probably have to wait in line for at least a little while on every ride, so you may want to bring along something small to keep them occupied. Alternatively, be ready with some silly games you can play together while waiting, like Disney charades or a Disney guessing game.

Disney parks can definitely be overwhelming, so while you are on your vacation, try not to allow yourself to get overwhelmed with planning and coordinating. Instead, just take a relaxed pace and let your family enjoy their trip.

The post A Guide to Your Family’s First Disney Trip appeared first on {Not Quite} Susie Homemaker .

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Can You Bring Food and Drinks Into Disneyland?

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For many people, visiting the happiest place on Earth takes not only stamina, but also finding creative ways to experience the magic on a budget.

Whether you’re visiting the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, as a solo Mouseketeer or family of four, bringing outside food into Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park can dramatically cut your costs

You can bring food and drinks into Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park, as long as you’re aware of Disneyland Resort’s policy — and restrictions. Here’s what to know so that you and your group can refuel on a budget throughout your park adventures.

Can you bring food into Disneyland Resort?

Disneyland Resort has a relatively lenient policy when it comes to packing a sack lunch for your visit. Its rules state that guests are permitted to bring food into Disneyland Park and California Adventure for self-consumption.

The resort's policy doesn’t have restrictions regarding homemade food versus takeout food from a restaurant.

This means that you’re free to pack food and snacks prepared at home, like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of pretzels and a banana, for example. Or, you can purchase food from an outside restaurant or fast food establishment and eat it inside Disneyland or California Adventure.

Even so, there are a handful of restrictions that your food must comply with, mostly related to storage.

Restrictions for outside food at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park

Here's what isn't permitted in either park:

Food in glass containers. An exception is made for small containers, like baby food in a glass container.

Food that requires heating to safely consume. Frozen meals, for example, aren't allowed.

Food that requires reheating. There are no public microwaves available in either park; park dining establishments won’t reheat your outside food. 

Food that requires processing. Outside food should be premade and ready for consumption upon entering the park. Food that requires additional processing isn't permitted.

Food that requires refrigeration. There are no public cold storage units or refrigerators inside Disneyland or California Adventure.

Food with pungent odor. This restriction is subjective, but use your best judgment and pack a lunch that has little to no odor.

In addition to these restrictions, there are also rules for how you bring your outside food into the park.

If you plan on storing food in a full-sized cooler on your Disneyland trip, you’ll need to leave it in your car. Coolers that you bring into either park must be about the size of a beverage six-pack. You also can’t bring loose or dry ice to keep your food cold in the cooler; only reusable ice packs are permitted.

Alternatively, coolers that are smaller than 19 inches x 24 inches x 31 inches can be kept in non-refrigerated jumbo lockers that you rent outside the main Disneyland Park entrance. If you go this route, you can enjoy meals in the public picnic area that’s adjacent to the lockers, just before the Disneyland Resort esplanade.

Can you bring drinks into Disneyland Resort?

According to Disneyland Resort policy, you can bring drinks into Disneyland and California Adventure. The key restriction is that outside alcoholic drinks are prohibited inside either park.

You can bring nonalcoholic beverages in aluminum, metal or plastic bottles, and there’s no rule that the beverages must be unopened. For example, if you opened and drank from a water bottle on your way to the park, you wouldn’t typically be asked to throw it away at the security lines.

A common way that visitors stay hydrated at the parks while also saving money is by bringing refillable water bottles. There are free filtered water bottle filling stations throughout both parks.

At Disneyland, for example, you can find a water station by the restrooms at the Black Spire Outpost courtyard or near Autopia. Water stations in California Adventure can be found at the Ancient Sanctum within the Avengers Campus and by the restrooms at San Fransokyo Square.

Buying food at Disneyland Resort

Unlike visitors who budget for food at Walt Disney World Resort, people visiting Disneyland Resort don’t have a dining plan option .

If purchasing food and drinks at Disneyland Park or California Adventure Park is more to your taste, different types of dining options are available that cater to a range of budgets.

Casual dining. Visitors who want to grab a meal in a relaxed setting, but with table service, can opt for casual dining options throughout the parks. Some restaurants, like Cafe Orleans in Disneyland, accept reservations.

Fine dining. California Adventure also offers signature dining options for a touch of elegance. If you’re looking for an elevated dining experience, there's Carthay Circle Restaurant and Napa Rose.

Character and themed dining. At character dining experiences, you can meet Disney characters during specific meal periods. Themed dining offers a casual, but unique, atmosphere. Meet your favorite characters at Storytellers Cafe in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (accessible from California Adventure) or have a river-side, lantern-lit dinner at Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland. 

Quick service. For lower-cost food options inside the parks, visit a quick-service eatery. These offer walk-up food and drink service, and some accept mobile orders, for a fast bite on the go. Grab the perfect corn dog at California Adventure's Corn Dog Castle or get a plate of fried chicken at Disneyland’s Plaza Inn.

Snack carts. At nearly every corner, you’re bound to bump into a snack cart. Both parks offer various snack carts that sell churros, fruit, beverages, ice cream and other treats — including larger-than-life turkey legs.

Reward credit cards for Disneyland food and drink spending

A travel rewards credit card that offers bonus rewards for dining can help you earn cash back, miles or points for purchased food inside the parks. Many credit card rewards programs offer notable rewards on dining .

Two popular options include:

on Chase's website

Earns you 3X points on dining, including restaurants, delivery and takeout.

Earns 3% cash back on dining and has no annual fee.

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards right now

The bottom line

You can bring food and drinks into Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park, assuming the items are stored properly (primarily not in a large cooler), don't require heating and are nonalcoholic.

Packing your own sustenance for a park day is a frugal way to enjoy Disneyland Resort while ensuring you and your group stay hydrated and energized. Planning ahead and getting acquainted with Disneyland Resort’s food policy and restrictions can help you avoid unexpected snags upon arriving at the parks.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-3x Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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Hi! I have a one day visit to DLR planned with park hoppers and Genie+ included. Which park would be best to start in and how do I use Genie+ with park hopping? When can I reserve my first LL? Can I reserve from DL for a LL in DCA etc? Thanks! Heidi ”

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