A Magical, All Encompassing, Less Painful, and More Affordable Way to Tour Disneyland Resort

I’ve been asked many times how you plan a trip to Disneyland. This time, it came from my wife’s brother and his wife, along with their son. So this one’s for you! But it’s for anyone who really wants to know how to best manage a stay at Disneyland. And I give great consideration to how folks used to visiting Walt Disney World might take this on. So this is also for you. And then we have our regular visitors. Hopefully there’s something it for you as well! All said and done, let’s talk about not only all the details of planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, but how to maximize your days in the park. And let’s consider the most fiscally responsible way to do this. I think you’ll find this podcast to be perhaps your best preparation for visiting the Happiest Place on Earth. It comes with decades (too many to name) of experience. So let’s head to Disneyland!

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Time of Year & Week

With 52 weeks in a year, it’s hard to say exactly which week to attend. Since we’re in Halloween Season, I can’t emphasize how much fun Halloween is at Disneyland. Unfortunately if you haven’t purchased tickets to Disney California Adventure’s Oogie Boogie Bash, you’re probably out of luck. But you still get a heavy dose of theming not only there but over at Disneyland Park. And that includes the chance to enjoy the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay at Haunted Mansion.

That overlay continues through the Christmas season, and that season is joyous. I’ve mentioned in previous podcasts how amazing Christmas is (Episodes 532 & 533), and there’s not need for a night time event ticket to enjoy it. It’s all part of the regular ticket, to include a great Christmas parade in Disneyland. Of course, things get a little bit crowded right around the holidays, but before and after are something to consider.

Also consider the fact that weekends can be heavier with locals visiting. There are lots of annual pass holders and they like to come on weekends and they like to come after 5 any day of the week. So the park gets especially heavier as the day gets on.

In between there are special events such as ones themed to Valentine’s Day, Star Wars, Grad Night and more. Check your calendar. Note that summer time is Disneyland’s best time for doing it all–with August being more crowded out west than June or July. Still, it’s a busy season unlike how Walt Disney World has dropped off more during this time of year.

But the most important date is that Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary is running between now and the end of Summer 2026. I covered all of that in Episode 565. That means whenever you go you will find a celebration going on. Off season, the fireworks may be more on the weekends, but you there are lots of offerings and theming and celebration going on in between holidays and special events. So now is the time to go to Disneyland!

Lodging & Travel

The ideal would be to stay at a Disneyland Resort. But there are few of them and they are majorly expensive. Currently, Early Entry is a half hour before general entry for guests staying at the official Disneyland Resort hotels. But that will end in 2026. That’s to your advantage if you are not staying on property. Otherwise, staying in the bubble is your only reason for staying here. And you’ll pay a serious price to do so.

Good news! Disneyland is surrounded with lots of great lodging choices–and many closer than the distance you would walk from Disney’s Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom. I like Howard Johnsons especially across the park. If you belong to any hotel points group, you will find choices up along Harbor and Katella, and many within a short walking distance. I’m long term Marriott and there are many choices near or far. If you’re driving to Disneyland, expect to pay a parking fee at your hotel. If you drive to Disneyland, expect to pay a parking fee there. And gas is crazy expensive in California. All that builds up. But you save by not flying. Because of distance I fly, and I find it really smart to take Uber or Lyft not only from the airport, but back and forth from my hotel. That way I save time, I walk less, and I save much more.

Speaking of travel, if you are driving a car to the Disneyland parks themselves and not walking from your hotel, I recommend Toy Story parking lot over Mickey and Friends/Pixar Pals Parking Lot. The former you get on a bus to head over and is slightly longer in travel period by a minute or two. The latter takes less time on a tram. But the time taken to parking and the time getting to the bus or tram is longer with Mickey & Friends/Pixar Pals. Worse is heading home at night, where long lines build up for the tram and out of the parking structure than at Toy Story Parking. I much prefer Toy Story and would seriously recommend it if you are driving to the park.

Length

I’m either addressing in this podcast the family who comes every few years, The well-visited Walt Disney World fan who wants to see what it’s like out West, or the big Disney fan who comes more often and wants to do it all. In those arenas, there are a couple of issues here:

Walt Disney World to Disneyland is an apple/oranges comparison. Disneyland Park itself takes more time than any one park in Walt Disney World, but is smaller than most of them. Disney California Adventure takes up about as much time as Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. True, some attractions (Mickey’s PhilarMagic or Millennium Falcon) are the same in both parks, and probably don’t need to be attended to. But there are many things in both parks that are NOT at Walt Disney World–particularly in terms of entertainment and theming, that will also take up your time.

Those with no smaller children can do much more if they utilize Single Rider passes. And there are major attractions that take advantage of offering this–especially at Disney California Adventure.

Families with small children need to modify their expectations. You can’t do it all with smaller kids, or they don’t fit the height requirement to do so. In those cases, you forgo some things that you might not need to do. In truth, this itinerary works for you, if and only if you are being realistic about what small children can and can’t do in a day.

Tickets & Media

Tickets

What I’m covering today suggests at least three days to cover both parks. The two parks at Disneyland Resort technically has more rides and attractions than all four Walt Disney World parks. Mind you, they have less sit down cinematic/theatrical attractions and less character meet ‘n’ greet experiences than Walt Disney World (we’ll cover that more later), but they do have lots of rides. I’m suggesting two days in Disneyland and one day in Disney California Adventure. And with that, I believe your increased number of days spent will save you time having to park hop and utilize Lightning Lanes.

Park Hopping

What’s great about park hopping is that the two parks are so adjacent to each other–far better than at Walt Disney World. And there is sense to this if you are only able to spend a day in both parks. Otherwise, probably it makes sense to save the money. That said, there is also expense, and it still takes considerable time and tired-shoe energy to go from say, Haunted Mansion to Radiator Springs Racers. I really don’t recommend it. But I would use it more than Lightning Lanes.

Per person, Park Hopping is like $65-75 for 1 Day; $80 for 2 Days; and $90 for 3 Days.

Lightning Lane

There are several options to include Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, Lightning Lane Single Pass, Lightning Lane Premier Pass, and then VIP Tour. I’ll overview the most used of these options and offer some thoughts on why you probably should NOT use this.

• There is Lightning Lane multi-pass, Lightning Lane around $30 per day and go up about a third during peak periods. With it:
  • You have access to both parks.
  • There are no re-rides on this system
  • Includes PhotoPass as well as on-ride photos
  • You cannot the system and/or book your attractions until you are in the park
  • You may want to wait until you see how popular attractions are before you take advantage of the system
  • Like Walt Disney World, you can stack Lightning Lanes
  • Unlike Walt Disney World, there are no character meet ‘n’ greet choices
  • Lightning Lane Single Pass
    • For Disneyland this is Star Wars Rise of the Resistance
    • For Disney California Adventure this is Radiator Springs Racers
    • You do not have to have to have the multi-pass to get it.
  • Lightning Lane Premiere Pass
    • This can be purchased in advance
    • This is around $300-$400 a person
  • Insights
    • You can modify your times during your stay–even sooner than the time you show
    • You can book your next one as soon as your arrival time commences
    • You can always show up 5 minutes prior to your arrival time
    • My belief is that if you planned your day well, and you are planning on enough time to visit the parks, you probably don’t need any of this.

Characters

Unlike Walt Disney World, there are very few places you “line up” to see Disney characters. But don’t worry, they are all around. They tend to roam the park and “caveat” about. So when you’re in a particular area, look up for characters you might see. Around the Plaza Gardens, Snow White’s Wishing Well and the Carousel are very likely places to run into someone.

Entertainment

Disneyland has great entertainment, but that portfolio leans more toward nighttime entertainment than daytime. That’s largely because locals come after work. Even one of their daytime parades will likely have a run during the late afternoon hours. With all that evening entertainment, it’s hard to do it all because there’s so much to see. And, lines for many attractions are more manageable during these times.

Food

Disneyland has some great sit down dining, full service dining options. The Blue Bayou, Carnation Cafe, Lamplight Lounge and Carthay Circle Restaurant are all stand outs. Even Disney’s Grand Californian signature restaurant, Napa Rose, sits overlooking Grizzly Peak in the park. But there are not as many options as Walt Disney World, and reservations are tight. Also, many locals come into the park toward dinner, and your options become limited at mobile ordering locations if you haven’t ordered well in advance. That said, Disneyland’s forte is snacks–from Dole Whips to Churros to my favorite–

Souvenirs

Your best option is to do your shopping along Main Street or Buena Vista Street as you head back to your hotel for a break. Specialty shopping such as Avengers, Star Wars or other items are best found near their respective attractions, but most everything else can be found at the entrance to the park and also at World of Disney at Downtown Disney.

Possible Itineraries

Downtown Disney

Getting into town around dinner time? Head over to Downtown Disney and enjoy the evening there. You can even stand in the plaza between DCA and Disneyland and see the fireworks from that area. While there, you can find lots of great formal and informal dining options plus shopping. Also check out the official Disney hotels nearby.

General Attraction Considerations

Factors that influence when you ride attractions:

• Popularity–Which rides does everyone want to ride?
• Time of Day–How many guests are in the park and are awaiting attractions?
• Capacity–Theater attractions are great. Peter Pan’s Flight and Matterhorn Bobsleds are awful. Omnimovers are steady. Pirates seats many, but Storybook Canal Boats seat few.
• Vehicle & Personnel Availability–Submarines, Jungle Cruise, Railroad, Big Thunder, Star Tours and Storybook Canal Boats are all examples of attractions that ramp up and ramp down on their availability. Therefore, your wait may be just as long first thing as it is later on.
• Potential for Breakdown–This is largely with a few rare and newer attractions, but downtime creates longer lines when the attraction later goes back on line.

To that end, based on those factors, here are the charts outlining attractions for Disneyland and for Disney California Adventure. Note that Red is for very popular and/or low capacity attractions. Yellow is based more on time of day, or vehicle & personnel availability, and Green is for higher capacity, theatrical experiences or greater vehicle availability, and/or lower popularity.

Disneyland Park

Disney California Adventure

Note that none of these itineraries remove waiting in line. There will be some of that throughout the day. But this itinerary suggests a prioritization that will guarantee the least amount of waiting, without utilizing Lighting Lane possibilities.

Disneyland Park: Day 1

8:00 am: Be in the park well in advance of this hour so that you can be there at rope drop. If you’re at the front of those lined up, and if there is no advanced entry by Disneyland Resort hotel guests, you might try Peter Pan. Otherwise veer right toward Alice in Wonderland and ride that attraction. Afterwards, ride Snow White, Dumbo, Mr. Toad and keep and eye out for Storybook Land Canal Boats. If enough boats are in operation and the queue is moving, go on it. Otherwise, do Casey Jr. If Peter Pan is less than 30, after its first or second wave of guests go on it. Then move on.

9:15 am: Move to Big Thunder Mountain. At least three trains should be running now and the queue should move quickly. From there go to Indiana Jones Adventure which is high capacity. Then move to Jungle Cruise which capacity increased with attendance. Move on to Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh and then come back to Pirates with huge capacity. Grab a snack along the way through all of this.

11:00 am: At this point you’ve accomplished some 10-12 attractions. You might check out the canoes, Pirates’ Lair at Tom Sawyer Island The Columbia and/or Mark Twain. Adventureland Treehouse is another option in this area.

12:00 pm Grab lunch in this corner of the park, and then head to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure if possible, utilizing a Single Rider Pass if available to your party. Then grab the train back to Main Street, U.S.A. Visit Walt Disney: A Magical Life and/or do some shopping.

1:30 pm: Head back and take a break at the hotel.

4:30 pm: Return to the park. If there’s a parade at Disneyland take in the later showing. Do an earlier dinner at Plaza Inn, Rancho Zocalo, Golden Horseshoe, Jolly Holiday Bakery or Tropical Hideaway/Bengal Barbecue. Check out the Enchanted Tiki Room and/or visit any other attractions you haven’t yet visited in Adventureland/Frontierland.

7:30 pm: Check out the evening entertainment to include the nighttime parade if available, Fantasmic!, and the fireworks–if any are available. Note that from Fantasmic! you can see the fireworks.

9-10:00 pm: Head to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and utilize a Single Rider Pass if possible. Take in the rest of the land until 5-10 minutes before closing when you get in line for Rise of the Resistance. Wearily, make your way out of the park.

Disney California Adventure: Day 2

There are far less attractions to take on at DCA. There are also less hours in the day. The problem is that less attractions means more people in the queue. The good news is that six major attractions in the park utilize Single Rider—useful as long as you don’t have small children. With small children, you may have to manage expectations differently, to include considering a second day or a half-day with a park hopper.

8:00 am: Rope Drop Guardians of the Galaxy. Do Soarin’ if you don’t want to do drops. Either way move on to Web Slingers if you do Single Rider. 

9:00 am: If Single Rider, do Toy Story Midway Mania then IncrediCoaster, then Emotional Whirlwind, Silly Symphony Swings and then Single Rider on Goofy’s Sky School. Back track to Pixar Pal-A-Round. If no Single Rider, do IncrediCoaster, Toy Story Midway Mania, Pixar Pal-Around, Goofy’s Sky School, and the remainder of the attractions of your choosing. Include a snack along the way.

11:00 Take on Luigi’s Rollikin’ Roadsters, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Radiator Springs Racers if you are using Single Rider

12:30 Grab Lunch—Recommend Flo’s or San Fransokyo.

2:00 pm. Take on Soarin’ and/or Grizzly River Run with Single Rider before returning to Hotel. Younger children can take on the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Disney Junior Dance Party, or attractions in the Animation building.

3:00 pm Return to Hotel for a Break

6:00 pm. Take on dinner and Little Mermaid-Ariels Undersea Adventure, Mickey’s PhilarMagic, Monster’s Inc., and any other attraction you didn’t do earlier you wish to do.

8:00 pm. Take on World of Color, and/or Radiator Springs Racers if you didn’t do Single Rider earlier, and then shop on the way out of the park. 

Disneyland Park: Day 3

If you feel like the crowds were so heavy on prior days, this would be the time to consider a Lightning Land Pass. 

8:00 am: Rope Drop. Head to Space Mountain. Then Finding Nemo’s Submarine Ride. Then Autopia. Back track to Astro Orbiter, StarTours and then Buzz Lightyear. 

9:30 am: Head to Matterhorn Bobsleds taking advantage of Single Rider. Then to Toontown to Chip ‘n’ Dale Gadget Go Coaster, Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin and then Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Then visit “it’s a small world”.

11:30 am: Return to Fantasyland to do any attractions you haven’t done to include Sleeping Beauty castle Walk Through, Mad tea Party, Carousel or Pinocchio’s.  Take on any daytime entertainment like the band, and enjoy lunch.

1:00 pm: Return to Hotel. You might also get on the monorail, take it to Downtown Disney and do shopping in that area. From there you might take an Uber/Lyft from the Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Grand Californian.

4:00 pm: Follow same plan as Disneyland Day 1 with an emphasis on entertainment . Or, if you have a park hopper, take on additional time at DCA, and then returning back to Disneyland park when DCA closes. 

Want to visit Disney?

Hopefully this podcast has made you realize you need help and support in planning your next trip to Disney. David and Leah with Zanolla Travel know Disney in ways few do and they can make your next trip on land or sea an exciting one–or at least less stressful! Be sure to contact them as you explore your next vacation, whether it is a Disney theme park vacation, a cruise, or an Adventure by Disney. There is no charge to utilize their services, but it will save you enormous time getting all the details right, and with their insight you can be assured you’re going to experience the best trip possible. Contact them today!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents

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