How can you avoid Disneyland’s crowds? Where can you experience the BEST parts of the parks minus the wait times? And what are the best Disneyland shortcuts? We’ve got LOADS of good (and super-easy) tricks for you.

If you’re getting ready to head to Anaheim to explore the OG Disneyland resort area, then you’re gonna want to make sure you’ve got all your “Disney” ducks in a row before you go. So today, we’re gonna throw out several Disneyland tips that have personally helped us out during our past west coast visits — and we hope you feel the same about ‘em too.

Before we get started, we wanna make sure you not only have these tricks handy, but you can easily apply them to your Disneyland itinerary, too.

Nighttime Spectaculars Don’t Happen Nightly

You’re gonna see us making a lot of parallels between Disney World and Disneyland. And that’s not because one theme park resort area is better than the other, but because they both work DIFFERENTLY. So if you’re familiar with how one of the theme park resorts work, you’re not exactly familiar with how ALL of them work. Just food for thought.

One of the BIGGEST discrepancies between the two resort areas are the nightly castle fireworks.

In Disney World, the Cinderella Castle nighttime spectacular is pretty much a nightly occurrence (unless another after hours event is gonna wind up cutting the Magic Kingdom day short).

But in Disneyland, the Sleeping Beauty nighttime spectacular isn’t always a guarantee. Sometimes you’ll get the projections and fireworks, and sometimes you’ll get just the projections minus the fireworks.

Same thing goes for Disneyland’s Fantasmic show, too. Sometimes Fantasmic will play once per night, sometimes twice per night, and sometimes not at all. So you’re gonna want to make sure you check the Disneyland Hours and Events Calendar online before your trip to see WHAT will be available during your time there.

Also — if you’re super stoked about Fantasmic’s return and you wanna make sure you’ve got the BEST spot in the house to see it, Disneyland does offer Dining Packages that come with a meal at a participating restaurant, as well as a VIP viewing spot for one of the same-day nighttime spectacular showings!

Want to learn more about Fantasmic! dining packages? CLICK HERE!

Mobile Order Your Meals

Mobile Order is a GAME CHANGER in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Don’t want to wait in a really long standby line to order your quick service food? Then just order it on the Disneyland app!

To order, open the Disneyland App, scroll down to “My Plans,” and tap on the “Order Food” option. Then you’ll select a restaurant and an arrival window time. From there, place your order, review your order, and PURCHASE your order — right there on the app!

When you arrive at the restaurant during your arrival window, tap on the “I’m Here” button displayed on the app and your order will start being prepared for you, all hot ‘n fresh. Once your order’s ready to be picked up, you can grab it at the area marked with the Mobile Order Pick Up sign.

Purchasing Genie + Works Differently

While both Disney World AND Disneyland use Disney Genie +, this premium ride bypassing service works a little differently on the west coast than it does on the east.

In Disney World, you’ll have some pre-planning options. However, in Disneyland, Disneyland will not be offering the same pre-purchase windows available at Walt Disney World. Instead, if you’re visiting the Disneyland Resort, you’ll still be able to make your selections after entering your first park of the day.

The only downside of this is that you’ll automatically have to pay for Genie+ on ALL of your park days instead of picking and choosing which days you’d rather have them for. It’s ALL or NOTHING on the Disneyland scene.

Trader Sam’s DOES Take Reservations! 

Now here’s where Disneyland has the upper hand over Disney World! Trader Sam’s is known in Disneyland AND Disney World as one of THE hottest resort bars because of its tropical drinks, intimate lowlight atmosphere, and interactive elements (which are all determined by what drinks you order).

The Trader Sam’s in Disney World (over at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort) doesn’t take reservations. So everything is first come, first served (which can be REALLY stressful, since that walk-up waitlist fills up FAST).

However, the Trader Sam’s in Disneyland (over at the Disneyland Hotel) does take advance dining reservations — so you can secure your spot at this enchanted bar ahead of time! Advance Dining Reservations at Trader Sam’s work the same as pretty much every other Disneyland restaurant — you can start making them 60 days before your visit.

Weigh The Genie + Pros And Cons

Before you get your heart set on purchasing Disney Genie + for Disneyland, consider IF this extra expense is really gonna be worth it in the end or not. Generally speaking, Disney Genie + tends to be more expensive in Disneyland versus getting it in Disney World, and starts at $30 per person, per day.

And yet, Disneyland still has LESS attractions with Lightning Lane capabilities than you’ll find over at Disney World.

Take Disneyland park VS Magic Kingdom, for example: In Magic Kingdom, there are only a few rides that have no Lightning Lanes whatsoever — like Astro Orbiter, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, and PeopleMover.

But in Disneyland Park, here’s the ENTIRE list of ALL the rides that you CAN’T book a Lightning Lane for:

• Alice in Wonderland
• Casey Jr. Circus Train
• Chip n Dale’s Gadgetcoaster
• Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
• Dumbo
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
• Jungle Cruise
• King Arthur Carrousel
• Mad Tea Party
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
• Storybook Land Canal Boats

Now, Genie + can be nice to have on hand especially during those busier times of year (like during spring break, or extended weekends, or around the holiday season).

But, on average, Disneyland doesn’t see QUITE as intense of crowd levels as Disney World (because a lot of the guests here are from around the area). So having Genie + just might not be necessary, depending on when you’re visiting.

What To Do IF You Purchase Genie+

So let’s say you DO purchase Genie +. What’s the best way to attack the rides when you’ve got Lightning Lanes on your side? In Disney California Adventure, a good chunk of the rides will have Lightning Lane capabilities. But in Disneyland, you might be surprised to see just how many rides DON’T actually use Lightning Lanes at all — including the MAJORITY of them over in Fantasyland.

So if you do get Genie +, head to Fantasyland FIRST thing in the morning to knock-out their dark ride circuit. While the Fantasyland lines probably won’t ever be too terribly long, some of them — like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan’s Flight — can still rack up a wait time of 30+ minutes by midday. Not to mention, many of these ride lines will place ya out in the HOT SUN — with little-to-no covering (especially the Storybook Canal Boats, which may never HAVE a long line, but can FEEL like a long line, when you’re standing under the direct scorching rays).

By choosing to hit up these Fantasyland rides in the morning, not only will you get to knock out a whole lot of rides all at once with little to no waits, BUT you’ll also avoid having to stand in line for them when the afternoon temps get brutal.

How To Avoid Morning Crowds

Right before Disneyland opens up for the day, those gathering park-goers lining up for the turnstiles can make you feel pretty claustrophobic. So let’s skip all that chaos for something potentially LESS hectic. If you don’t want to deal with the crowds gathering at the front gate of Disneyland park, hop on the monorail located at the front of Downtown Disney.

This will drop you off in the middle of Tomorrowland rather than spit ya out at Main Street, U.S.A. with most everybody else.

Just be sure you’ve got your park ticket handy, since you’ll need to scan it before you’re allowed onto this free transportation service.

Ride A Main Street Vehicle To Sleeping Beauty Castle

But, then again…….. you may not want to  miss out on entering Disneyland and seeing that first shot of Sleeping Beauty Castle as you make your way down Main Street, U.S.A. In fact, you might even be able to take a RIDE down Main Street, first thing in the morning!

Disneyland has a few different modes of Main Street transportation that can take you from the front of the park (near City Hall) and up to Central Plaza (in front of the beautiful castle herself). These include turn-of-the-century vehicles like horse-drawn street cars, jitney automobiles, omnibuses, or even old school fire engines.

Main Street rides are only available toward the beginning of the day (typically wrapping up an hour before the Magic Happens parade), so if you want to prioritize one of these easy-going rides, make sure you do so EARLIER rather than LATER on.

Order A Customizable Ice Cream Bar

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you can get customizable ice cream bars at Clarabelle’s Hand Scooped Ice Cream in Disney California Adventure.

Ice cream bars are made with vanilla bean ice cream (and in the past they’ve had other flavors so definitely check) and your choice of chocolate coating (milk or dark) PLUS additional toppings (like chocolate chips, sprinkles, crushed peanuts, or something else entirely.)

Start Here Restrictions Are Still In Place

A lot of major restrictions were put in place at both Disney World AND Disneyland after the 2020 closures. And while many of those restrictions were lifted in Disney World at the beginning of this year, they’re still an important part of the planning process over in Disneyland.

After you purchase your Disneyland tickets, don’t forget to make your park pass reservations to secure your spot in either park. You can do this through the Disneyland website OR on the app for no extra cost.

Also — if you decide to add park hoppers to your tickets (which ARE an extra cost), don’t forget that restrictions are still in place for park hoppers here, too. Park hopper privileges don’t start until 11AM each day, and you must scan into the park you made reservations for FIRST before you can start using them, even if 11AM has already come and passed.

Secret Drink Menus Exist

The drinks featured on the Disneyland menus? Awesome. The drinks NOT featured on the Disneyland menus that you have to be in-the-know about to actually order? ALSO awesome. Sometimes… even BETTER than awesome. While secret menu items are bound to change, our favorites to track down are the variety of Adult Beverages at Disney California Adventure’s Lamplight Lounge:

• Try ordering options like The Fun Wheel (made with a variety of spirits, plus pineapple juice and blue curaçao)
• Melrose Place (long-island inspired but with strawberry purée)
• The Neverland Tea (also long-island inspired with a pretty blue-green tint)
• The Zombie (which isn’t pretty at ALL but is DEFINITELY the route you wanna choose if you’re a fan of all things rum)
• AND the Sea Witch (made with raspberry vodka, peach schnapps, blue curaçao, and a splash of cranberry juice and Sprite)

Take The Disneyland Tour To Enter RESTRICTED Areas

Walt’s Main Street Story Tour is one of those add-on experiences that you might want to purchase at least once — especially if you’re a big-time Disney fan looking to add a bit of variety to your west coast vacation.

This 90-minute tour takes you back in time — back to when Walt was just a youngin’, hanging out on the streets of Marceline, Missouri. During the tour, you’ll learn more about Walt’s childhood leading up to his big, grand, amusement park ideas that developed into the Disneyland we know and love today.

A tour guide will take you down Main Street, U.S.A. and lead you on into an ultra exclusive visit inside Walt’s very own apartment, right above the Disneyland fire station. (An experience you can not do otherwise unless you add this tour to your visit.)

If you want to do this tour, it’ll put you back about $160 per person (which does NOT include the price of your Disneyland ticket — something you’ll also need to purchase to go on this tour).

Use Package Delivery 

We have been begging — PLEADING even — for Disney World to bring back their package delivery service to their hotels. But Disneyland has answered our cry for help FIRST (which we’re very much appreciative of).

If you’re planning on staying at one of the Disneyland-owned Hotels, then you can purchase souvenirs from any of the Disneyland shops and have those items delivered back to your hotel at no extra cost. You’ll just need to let the cast member behind the register know at the time of purchase that you’d like your souvenirs sent back to your hotel so that they can help you get that all set up and ready to go.

If you’re just visiting Disneyland for the day or you’re planning on staying at a non-Disney hotel, you can, instead, use the complimentary package check service — which will send your souvenirs to a select location to be held inside the park until you’re ready to pick them up.

These locations include:

• Disneyland Resort Stroller Shop, Pioneer Mercantile, Port Royal, and The Star Trader at Disneyland Park
• And Elias & Company in Disney California Adventure Park

Consider Skipping The Identical Stuff

When it comes to the Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland VERSUS the Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios, you’re looking at almost the exact same blueprint between the two areas. You’ve got the same rides, same restaurants, same overall vibes. So if you’ve been to Galaxy’s Edge already a bunch of times over in Disney World, then you can largely skip Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland so that you can prioritize the stuff that’s unique to this park.

I have similar thoughts about Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway — since, again, this ride is both in Disneyland AND in Hollywood Studios — though I must say I HIGHLY prefer the queue over at the Disneyland version than the one featured in the Hollywood Studios version.

The Disneyland Runaway Railway queue is significantly more interactive, fun to look at, features more silly Easter eggs, and is just all around more ENTERTAINING to spend time in for extended periods of time. And as for the Runaway Railway queue featured in Hollywood Studios? The Grauman’s Chinese Theater replica is cool, and the moving posters featuring different Mickey and Minnie shorts are kinda interesting.

Check out our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run REVIEW AND TIPS!

Watch Out For Early Closures

Not every part of Disney California Adventure and Disneyland will stay open until the very end of the night. Some areas — like Fantasyland and sections of Pixar Pier — will have to close early to get ready for those nighttime spectaculars.

So double check on the hours for Disneyland’s park attractions (either online or on the app) to make sure you don’t accidentally miss out on a ride just because you waited too late to get in line.

Burn Off Steam

Your younger kiddos will — more than likely — experience ride line burnout during the day. (And honestly? You probably will too.) So if you’re looking for a place where your kids can burn off steam, not have to wait in long lines, and still experience the best that Disneyland has to offer, head over to Mickey’s Toontown!

Last year, Toontown was reimagined to provide more interactive play areas for kids. So now, you can…

• Splash in the CenTOONial Park fountain
• Climb the roots of the Dreaming Tree
• Visit Mickey and Minnie’s re-vamped homes
• Splash even MORE at Donald’s Duck Pond
• And explore Goofy’s How To Play Yard

The ULTIMATE Guide To Disneyland’s Toontown

The Vibes Change By Nightfall

I wanna talk about Disneyland at night in two completely different ways: One way is to encourage you, and one is to WARN you.

First, I want to ENCOURAGE you to retrace your steps. Even if you spent a lot of time in areas of Disney California Adventure — like Cars Land, and Pixar Pier, and San Fransokyo — these sections of the park take on a totally new vibe once the sun goes down. The music switches over to jukebox tunes in Cars Land. The visuals on Incredicoaster are so much more vibrant when they’re all lit up at night. And the lanterns hanging around San Fransokyo illuminate the pathways, shops, and food stands, too. Seriously, even if you feel like you’ve already thoroughly explored each of these areas during the day, make sure you still pay them a visit at night to experience them in a TOTALLY unique way.

And now, here’s my WARNING: Both Disneyland parks start to see crowd levels pick up during the evenings (ESPECIALLY on the weekends). This is because many locals with Magic Key Passes like to drop in after work or just swing on by for a little weekend fun. So if you wanna hit up the Disneyland rides when wait times are gonna be at their lowest, hitting them up first thing in the morning is still gonna be your best bet.

Plan A Beach Day

This is SO important, y’all. Don’t get SO caught up inside the Disneyland Bubble that you forget everything ELSE California has to offer. And by THAT, I mean don’t miss out on those sparkling, picturesque beaches!

If you’re staying on Disney World property out in Florida, the closest beaches you’re gonna find are maybe an hour/an hour and a half away. But if you’re staying near Disneyland out in Cali, you’ve got several beaches nearby that are only 20-30 minutes away — like Huntington, and Newport, and Crescent Bay. (And that’s only a few of the big ones that I can name off the top of my head!)

So if you want a break away from the parks during your vacation, squeeze in a beach day to visit some really breathtaking spots along the Pacific Ocean.

Don’t Skip The Cart Snacks

Not all of the best Disneyland snacks are gonna be at quick service locations. Actually, some of my all-time FAVORITES tend to hang out at the unassuming snack carts and kiosks.

So what can you find at these snack carts? Well there’s….

• The ever-so-classic chimichangas located at several of the Disneyland and DCA kiosks. (You can also pick up breakfast chimichangas at select locations, like the Ship to Shore Marketplace outside Big Thunder Mountain Railroad).
• At the snack cart by Sleeping Beauty Castle, you can get the chili lime corn on the cob and/or the pepperoni pizza dip.
• And speaking of corn, you’ll probably wanna try a hand-dipped corn dog at the Little Red Wagon in Disneyland OR the Corn Dog Castle in DCA
• AND let’s not forget that the Disneyland snack carts are ALSO known for their knock-out churros (which come in a VARIETY of flavors, including seasonal options, too)!

Don’t Feel Like You HAVE To Stay At A Disney-Owned Hotel

There’s no denying that the Disneyland-owned hotels are SUPER convenient to stay at — especially since EACH of them will put you only STEPS away from both of the parks. The downside of that convenience? These Disneyland hotels are PRICEY.

In Disney World, you’ve got different Disney hotel price options to choose from — ranging from value, to moderate, to deluxe. But Disneyland’s options are gonna be a lot more limited. You’ve only got three hotels to choose from. And of those three hotels, all of them are at the deluxe level.

Here’s the GOOD news though. You don’t have to stay in a Disneyland-owned hotel to still be within walking distance to the parks. Several of Disneyland’s good neighbor hotels are about 10-15 minutes away by foot. So you might not be staying directly ON Disney property, but you shouldn’t have to worry about driving onto the property each day in order to reach it.

Disneyland’s Good Neighbor Hotels are all listed directly on the Disneyland website. Just click on the “places to stay” option and you’ll toggle those Good Neighbor Hotels!

NOTE: Make sure that before you book a Good Neighbor Hotel you research just how close that “walking distance” from the parks really is. Some hotels might claim to be within walking distance to Disney, but there’s still a major difference between a 10 minute walk and a 20+ minute walk. (Especially towards the end of the night when you’re feet are already killing ya.)

Book These Reservations First

There are TWO restaurants that you’re DEFINITELY gonna want to make advance dining reservations for first. Because those ressies fill up FAST, and so do their walk up waitlists (if they even become available at ALL). And those restaurants are: Blue Bayou in Disneyland and Lamplight Lounge in Disney California Adventure.

Blue Bayou is a themed creole restaurant, decked out with moss-laden trees, glowing paper lanterns, candlelit tables, AND a picturesque view of the swampy banks of the famous Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

Meanwhile, Lamplight Lounge offers California gastro-pub cuisine along with waterfront views in a storied setting on Pixar Pier! (But what it’s really known for are their colorful and creative cocktails!)

Ask About The Premium Blue Bayou Tables

Squeezing in a bonus Blue Bayou tip for y’all — because I don’t want to just skim over how awesome that Pirates of the Caribbean view is. It’s honestly one of the biggest highlights about eating here, if you ask me. If you get reservations for Blue Bayou, try asking for a seat by the water when you’re checking in at the host stand.

That way, you’ll have a better chance of getting a table right up where you can get a clear view of the Pirates of the Caribbean boats going by during your meal! It’s not always a guarantee that you’ll get the seating you ask for, but it’s always worth a try to improve your chances!

Look Out For Free-Roaming Characters

The Disneyland app is good about showing you where your favorite Disney friends are gonna be stationed during the day so you know where you need to go to stand in line to see them. But sometimes, the Disneyland app will let you know when characters are gonna be free roaming in certain areas of the park, too! Meaning you don’t have to wait in a long line to see them — you can just spot them, out and about, meandering on whim!

To find out who’s gonna be freely wandering the park during your Disneyland day, head to the app’s virtual map, tap on the little down arrow button next to the heading that typically defaults to “attractions” at the top of your screen, and choose the characters option.

Then, you’ll be able to zoom into the map and see who’s roaming the streets! (It’s kinda like Disney’s version of the Marauder’s Map!)

Plan To Visit During A Festival

My FAVORITE times of the year to go to Disneyland California Adventure (DCA) are festival times — because the exclusive entertainment is hoppin’ and the food booths go hard.

Want to visit DCA during a festival, too? Then HERE are the dates (or date ranges) you’re gonna want to plan around:

• Lunar New Year has already happened this year, but we typically see this one go live toward the end of January and last until mid-February.
• Food and Wine Festival happens March through mid-April — which means you can celebrate the bounty of California with food, beverages, and special events if you’re planning on visiting during those months.
• And toward the end of the year, you can celebrate the season with Festival of the Holidays — which will kick off in 2024 on November 15th and wrap up (more than likely) after that first week of January 2025.

Purchase A Festival Lanyard

If you DO go to a DCA Festival — and you plan on tasting your way around as many of those limited time food booths as possible — then HERE’S how you can save yourself a LOT of time in the process.

First of all, consider purchasing the Sip and Savor Pass. This pass includes either 4 or 8 coupons (depending on how many you’re wanting to purchase) which you can redeem for select food and non-alcoholic beverage offerings available during the fest.

This year, DCA introduced a NEW way to use Sip and Savor passes… DIGITALLY! To use a digital coupon, show your Sip and Savor Pass to a Cast Member at one of the participating Festival Marketplace or dining locations. “Then, enter the 4-digit code located on the pass at checkout.”

This is a pass that provides you with a commemorative credential, a lanyard, and 8 “entitlement tabs” that you can redeem at select festival spots for certain food items and non-alcoholic drinks. That way, the snacks you wanna try have basically already been paid for.

Secondly, order all your festival foods at ONE booth. Which booth? ANY booth! (But preferably the one that has the shortest line at the time.)

When it’s your turn to order, ask for ANY of the festival foods you know you’re gonna want to try — even if they’re not all made at the booth you’re currently at. You won’t be able to collect all your festival foods at a single booth, but you can prepay for it all. That way, all you’ll have to do at each booth is waltz up to the pickup location, show a cast member your receipt of purchase, and receive what’s rightfully yours.

Not Staying At A Disneyland Hotel? Check Them Out Regardless.

The Disney Hotels are free for ALL guests to explore. You can make dining reservations, enjoy a cocktail, shop, and simply walk the grounds and soak in all the Imagineering.

Since Pixar Place has recently been rethemed, you’ll more than likely wanna take the time to go explore this colorful gallery-like hotel (and maybe make reservations for its new restaurant, Great Maple Modern American Eatery, too).

The Steakhouse 55 Lounge that USED to be available at the Disneyland Hotel has recently been rethemed into simply “THE Lounge,” and features new food and cocktails served to you by your favorite Trader Sam’s Skippers! The food menu features items such as Truffle Fries, Charcuterie Pizza, and even a Wagyu Cheeseburger.

Disneyland Hotel also recently opened up their NEW DVC building (AKA: The Villas), which has this AWESOME pool bar — the Palm Breeze Bar — that ANYONE can eat at (even though you’re not gonna be allowed to swim at the pool IF you’re not staying as a guest there).

And let’s not forget about the GRAND Californian Hotel and Spa! Not only does this resort have some of the best restaurants on Disneyland property — like Napa Rose, Storytellers Cafe, and Hearthstone Lounge — but it also has a premium spa that, once again, ANYONE is allowed to book reservations for (even those who are staying off-property).

FULL REVIEW of Disney’s NEW Hotel Bar (Spoiler Alert: There’s Charcuterie PIZZA)

Draw A Disney Character (And Animate It, Too!)

Feeling inspired by all the Disney characters and storytelling? You can learn how to be a Disney artist, too — thanks to DCA’s animation academy! The animation academy is located inside the Animation Building within Hollywood Land.

Don’t worry — this academy doesn’t require tuition. (You already paid enough to be here in the first place!) Instead, this is a 15-minute drawing class where a professional Disney animator will teach you how to sketch a Disney character.

Characters switch up for every class, so make sure to swing by the building early on to see the whole list of classes available throughout the day. (That way, you can plan on coming back during the time YOUR favorite character is gonna be featured.) After you create your sketch, you get to take it home with you and show it off as a conversation piece during all those fancy dinner parties you’re probably gonna have.

Note: Animation Academy will be closing on August 5, 2024.

Explore The DCA Trails

Earlier, I mentioned how ToonTown in Disneyland Park is a great area for kids to blow off steam and experience Disney magic without having to wait in multiple ride lines all day long. The equivalent of that in Disney California Adventure is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

Redwood Creek is located in the Grizzly Peak area, and is a large interactive experience that includes lookout towers, bridges, and other wilderness-themed obstacle courses for kiddos of all ages to explore.

Oh — and don’t forget to check out Kenai’s Spirit Cave while you’re here, too! Inside this cave, you can place your hand on the glowing paw print and discover your inner animal. (I’ve had the absolute honor of being deemed as a “skunk” before. So… y’know… this one’s a REAL self-esteem booster.)

Try An After Dark Event

Disneyland has tons of exciting events that happen throughout the year (like our personal favorite, Oogie Boogie Bash for Halloween over at Disney California Adventure). But we also love their different Disneyland After Dark events that they host throughout the year, too.

Disneyland After Dark are separately-ticketed events that allow you to stick around the parks after they’ve closed for everyone else to experience a night of themed entertainment, rare character meet and greets, and specialty food and merch offerings.

Not to mention, since the after dark events are capped off at a limited number of guests, you’ll be able to ride the rides too with little-to-no wait times to worry about!

Fly Into The Lesser-Known Airport

If the Disneyland bubble is quite a distance away from where you live, you might be considering booking a flight to get you to the Happiest Place on Earth faster. And when you first start looking at flights, the initial airport that’ll pop up is more than likely gonna be the main one — the MASSIVE one — the busy and bustling (and downright overwhelming) LAX.

But if I could recommend an ALTERNATIVE airport option for ya… you might wanna start looking for flights that arrive into John Wayne Airport (SNA) instead. Not only is SNA much smaller and easier to navigate, but it’s also way closer to Disneyland. (From LAX, Disneyland’s about a 40 minute drive, but from SNA, it’s only 15.)

Granted, LAX will probably be a CHEAPER flight option for you (which may be why you ultimately choose the bigger airport instead), but if you don’t mind paying extra for less stress and more convenience, it’s SNA or the highway.

How To Get There

Whether you’re flying into the main Los Angeles International Airport or the John Wayne Airport, you’re gonna need to know HOW to get from the airport and TO the Disneyland bubble after you arrive.

If you’re arriving into LAX, you’ve got a few different options:

• You can take the LA metro, which means doing a couple of transfers before finally making it into the Disney bubble, which could take quite a bit of time out of your day. (You can learn more about this service over on the Disneyland website.)
• You can book the Karmel Shuttle — which is basically a big van that’ll take you into Disneyland property. (Again, you can learn more about it on the Disneyland website)
• Or you can order a rideshare with Uber or Lyft.

If you’re arriving into SNA, Karmel Shuttles and Rideshares can pick you up from here,  as well— but when it comes to the bus systems, you’ll want to look into Orange County Transit Authority (or OCTA) instead of the LA Metro.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you can learn more about the OCTA bus system through the Disneyland website, too.

Enter The Parks THROUGH The Hotels

So WHY would you want to pay for a Disneyland Hotel IF there are other cheaper hotels within walking distance to the parks? Because the Disneyland Hotels aren’t just close to the Disney bubble. They’re INSIDE the Disney bubble.

In fact, TWO out of the three hotels have entrances that’ll lead you directly into Disney California Adventure! (Which you can technically still use even if you’re not staying as a guest there — just in case you need a break away from the park.)

The Pixar Place entrance will spit you out next to Pixar Pier (makes sense, right?) near Corn Dog Castle, while the Grand Californian will lead you directly into Grizzly Peak (which also makes sense because you’ve got a rustic hotel spilling out into a rustic land. Perfect-o.)

Just keep in mind that you’ll still have to have a valid DCA ticket and park pass reservation to actually enter through the park using either of these entrances.

The Disneyland Hotel may not have a direct entrance into the parks, but you can still walk across the street in, like, five minutes or less and end up at Downtown Disney’s security check.

FULL TOUR of the NEW Rooms at Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel

Early Entry Takes Turns

At the beginning of this year, Disneyland’s early admission benefit — which allows Disneyland guests staying at a Disneyland hotel to enter the parks 30 minutes before everyone else — received a MAJOR new rule.

Instead of this perk being available for BOTH parks on any given day, this perk now alternates between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (DCA).

So, for example, on some days the Disneyland park will be available for early admission, and on other days DCA will be available for early admission. But never both at the same time. If you’re staying at a Disneyland Hotel, make sure you know WHICH park has early entry on WHICH days so you don’t miss out on those extra benefits. (You can find out each park’s schedule over on Disneyland’s hours and events calendar online.)

Keep An Eye On Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion is a must-do attraction whether you’re on the east coast, the west coast, or even OVERSEAS. (Phantom Manor, anyone?)

But Haunted Mansion tends to have MORE downtime over in Disneyland than it does in Magic Kingdom. And there’s a perfectly good explanation for that. At the end of each year, Haunted Mansion receives a MASSIVE holiday overlay — meaning the grim-grinning ghosts who are already taking up residency there have to share their space with the Nightmare Before Christmas crew.

This overlay is a BLAST y’all. And while I do love that traditional Haunted Mansion layout, it’s fun to see this ride show off its festive side, too. Usually, this overlay starts up at the beginning of September, BUT — word of warning to all my August vacationers out there — that means Haunted Mansion DOES close for a few weeks to make this transition happen.

And when Haunted Mansion goes back to normal, it has to close for a few weeks toward the middle/end of January too.

Not to mention, in 2024, we’re experiencing an even LONGER Haunted Mansion closure time than usual due to all the outdoor queue expansions AND brand new Haunted Mansion gift shop on the way, too!

Just be wary of Haunted Mansion’s operational hours before you travel west (and consider holding off on that big trip until you know it’s back up and running again IF this ride is a must do experience for you).

Watch For The Seasonal Treats!

Handmade candy canes for Christmas, fudgy eggs for Easter, and TONS of holidays sweets and treats galore!

Disneyland regularly pumps out new and exciting seasonal treats that guests are EXCITED to get their hands on. And because Disneyland’s main clientele is local folk, those menus are switching up more regularly than you might think to help keep things fresh and exciting for passholders and out-of-towners alike.

Currently, the flavor-of-choice on the Disneyland scene is the 6-pack of freshly baked cookies over at Harbour Galley. Which may not SEEM all that exciting to you, but these cookies come out tasting SUPER fresh, warm, gooey, and chocolatey. And since there’s 6 of them in a pack, they make for a great shareable snack, too.

Even though these cookies garner super long lines on the weekends RIGHT NOW, the flavor of choice could be something else entirely by next month! Or even a few week’s time! So you’re gonna want to find out what’s trending before you get into the park so you’re IN THE KNOW (instead of in the FOMO).

The BEST Seats On Main Street USA

If I could describe my perfect Disneyland day, I guarantee you a good section of said day would be sitting at one of the tables outside Jolly Holiday Bakery on the corner of Main Street, U.S.A. Jolly Holiday is a popular spot to pick up a pastry, a breakfast croissant, a coffee, or even a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. But what makes this snack spot even BETTER are those umbrella-covered outdoor tables that give you a picture-perfect view of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

This is also a great spot to watch live performances from the Disneyland band, which happen periodically throughout the day.Seriously — these are the kinda memories that are simple to execute, yet hard to beat.

CHECK. THE. WEATHER.

Though Florida is more well known for their fickle weather patterns, it’s not unheard of for Disneyland to throw you a curve ball or two. The weather can get COLD, it can get SCALDING, and — at times — it can get pretty WET too.

So have the accuweather app downloaded and handy and make sure you have a pretty decent idea of what the weather’s gonna be like during your upcoming trip. That way, you’ll know how to pack for it ahead of time (instead of being forced to pay for overpriced ponchos and hoodies once you’re already in the thick of your vacation).

Single Rider Lines: Find Them, Use Them

You’re gonna find a WHOLE lot more single rider options in Disneyland than you will over at Disney World. And this might play in your favor because you can POTENTIALLY skip over the thick of an attraction’s line without having to pay for Genie+ while you’re visiting the two parks. POSSIBLY.

While single rider lines are often shorter, they’re not ALWAYS shorter. And cast members WILL have to split up groups in the single rider line to fill in all the available space on an attraction (which you may not wanna do — especially if you’ve got younger kiddos in your group). BUT, again, this CAN be a good alternative to the regular line IF the standby queue is getting TOO long but you still wanna experience the attraction with a potentially shorter wait time to worry about.

Make sure to double check the Disneyland website before your trip and see if the single riders change, since single rider options have been known to switch out regularly.

Prepare Your Kids For Potential Scares

I know Disneyland is a vacation for ALL ages, but — I’m going to be honest — some of these attractions even freak ME out. The Matterhorn Bobsled yeti? Terrifying. The Evil queen turned hag on Snow White’s Enchanted Wish? Horrifying. Watching kids get captured and turned into donkeys on Pinocchio’s Daring Journey? Traumatizing.

The faster-than-gravity plummet on Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT? Ain’t no Michael Jackson song is gonna keep me from screaming my lungs out every time THAT happens.

I dunno. Your kids are probably braver than I am. But JUST in case, I highly recommend looking up POV ride throughs of these attractions and researching them just a bit deeper so you don’t accidentally tell your kiddo there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to Disney rides, and then all of a sudden they’re inside the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride hellscape and there’s very much EVERYTHING to worry about.

Walk Through Sleeping Beauty Castle

Don’t underestimate what lurks inside Sleeping Beauty Castle. Because it just might become one of the main highlights of your whole trip.

Inside Sleeping Beauty castle is an immersive walkthrough experience that retells the story of Princess Aurora through “animated 3D window scenes.”

Not only is this such a well-done attraction, BUT it also doesn’t have a long queue (or really ANY queue) that you have to worry about — AND it’s completely indoors (to keep you out of the sun for a few minutes). So if some of those Fantasyland lines are getting to be too long for your liking, take a break from them and stroll around Disney’s OG park castle at NO extra cost.

Use Rope Drop Time In A DIFFERENT Way

I’m not saying you SHOULD NOT use your rope drop time to get in line for the rides FIRST THING in the morning — because that’s still a good thing to use this time for. HOWEVER, because Disneyland isn’t quite as competitive as Disney World is when it comes to getting in line for the rides, you can also use this early morning time to take some pictures in Main Street, U.S.A and in front of the castle when the crowds aren’t nearly as thick and riddled with people.

It all depends on what you want to prioritize!

Choose Your Meal At Plaza Inn Wisely

There are TWO versions of the Plaza Inn restaurant, located on Main Street, U.S.A. And both versions come with their own perks and downfalls.

If you decide to eat here during breakfast, you’ll have to make reservations for it — since the Plaza’s morning meal is an all you can eat character breakfast featuring Minnie and Friends. This is definitely a cute meet and greet experience that your kiddos are gonna get a kick out of, but it’s also one of those rare instances where breakfast is gonna be more expensive than lunch/dinner.

Meanwhile, if you come here for an afternoon or evening meal instead, you’ll be dining in a  cafeteria-styled quick-service.

This means you’ll miss out on all the character fun, but — in return — you’ll pay less for your food, you won’t have to worry about making advance dining reservations, AND you’ll have access to some of the best fried chicken of your LIFE.

(Fried chicken…. Or Minnie Mouse? Fried chicken….. Minnie Mouse. Life’s full of tough choices, isn’t it?)

Web Slingers Might Eat Your Jewelry

Learn from our mistakes, y’all. Take off the stretchy jewelry BEFORE you ride Web Slingers: A Spider Man Adventure.

Web Slingers is a point scoring attraction where you’ll aim at on-screen targets not with a blaster or point ‘n’ shooty device, but with your own hands.(You know — like how Spider-Man makes an “I love you” sign with his hands to trigger his web powers.)

But if you’re wearing a stretchy beaded bracelet — or any type of loose jewelry — take that off BEFORE your ride. Just make sure your jewelry is either snug on ya or completely tucked away safely in your bag before you join Spider-Man in his fight against the Spider Bots.

Bring Motion Sickness Meds

Hey now — some of these Disneyland rides will really rattle your brain and make your tummy turn upside down. Now I’m not pointing FINGERS or anything… but if I WERE, then I might be aiming at rides like… ohhh I dunno…. Matterhorn Bobsleds? Mission Breakout? Incredicoaster???

To make sure you’re prepared for some of those more intense rides — without dealing with the motion sickness aftermath the remainder of the day — pack your preferred motion sickness meds in your park bag and take them before you ride. If you forget to bring some motion sickness meds from home — or you run out of ‘em during your visit — not to worry! Both parks have first aid centers where you can pick up free sample sized, over the counter medications when you’re in a pinch!

In Disneyland Park, first aid is located at the end of Main Street, U.S.A (to the left of Plaza Inn). And in DCA, it’s located next to the Chamber of Commerce on Buena Vista Street.

LOOK! It’s SPIDER-MAN!

The coolest part about Web Slingers isn’t actually what INSIDE of the ride but, rather, what’s on TOP of it. Throughout the day, you can see Spider-Man literally SWING across the Avengers Campus buildings while pulling off some more than impressive “stuntronics”.

The show isn’t very long at all — only a few minutes tops — but it’s worth catching just to see this advanced technology blow your mind. Check the Disneyland App for updated showtimes during your visit. (Typically, Spider-Man comes out and does his thing ever 30 minutes or so, up until 4PM.)

The TWO Versions Of Pixar Pal-A-Round Are VERY Different

No matter which gondola you choose aboard the famous Disney California Adventure Ferris wheel, the Pixar Pal-A-Round, you’re gonna end up going ‘round in a circle to get high-up aerial views across the entire park.

This is where the ride similarities end. Because NOW you have to decide what kind of Pixar Pal A Round Experience you’re after. The non swinging gondolas will give you a typical Ferris wheel experience.

While the swinging ones will make you feel like your life is flashing before your eyes. I’m only partially kidding. Many folks love the extra layer of thrill that the swinging gondolas provide to what would otherwise be a pretty standard Ferris wheel experience. But others claim that it’s probably the scariest ride in the park, hands down (even above incredicoaster and Mission breakout).

At either rate, don’t forget that the two queue lines for Pixar Pal A Round will give you two VERY different experiences — and if you’re already iffy when it comes to heights, you’re NOT gonna want to board a gondola that swings to make matters even worse.

There’s A Virtual Queue For World Of Color 

Wanna see the World Of Color nighttime spectacular in DCA with guaranteed better views and way less claustrophobia? You’ve got two ways to achieve that:

The first way is to grab a FREE virtual queue for the show, whenever it’s available. You can join the World of Color virtual queue each day right at noon via the Disneyland app. While you don’t HAVE to have a virtual queue to see World of Color, this will guarantee you a better spot to see the performance.

Your second option is the World of Color dining package — which will not only give you a three-course meal, BUT it’ll also secure you an even BETTER viewing location of the show.

There are two different dining packages you can choose from: You can either…

• Get the dinner buffet at Storytellers Cafe (inside the Grand Californian Hotel)
• Get the full-service lunch or dinner at Wine Country Trattoria (which is still inside DCA)

Again — you can still watch World of Color without using either of these two options, but these strategies can be a more preferable way to see the show up front, center, and with fewer people trying to push their way in front of you.

Skip THIS Restaurant And Go To Its Lounge Instead 

If you’re not finding reservations for the main Carthay Circle restaurant in DCA (or you’re simply just wanting to munch and drink instead of invest in a full-on $50+ meal), then you may want to try making reservations for the Carthay Circle Lounge — Al Fresco Dining.

While the Carthay Circle Lounge – Alfresco Dining might SOUND like it only applies to the restaurant’s outdoor dining patio, you can also make reservations and be seated at the indoor lounge portion, as well. You can let the host at the front of the restaurant know you’re particular preference when checking in (though you might just have to take what’s available, depending on how busy it is).

Either way, you’ll have the same lounge bites menu to choose from (PLUS a full menu of drinks).

If you don’t manage to make an ADR for this lounge, you can always try the Mobile Dine Walk-Up Waitlist, if available, on the day of your visit for that first come, first serve seating.

Beignet Tracker

Here are ALL the best places where you can track down beignets inside the Disneyland bubble when you need something SWEET in a jif!

• The new bar over at the Disneyland Hotel – Palm Breeze Bar – serves these beignet balls, where you get six little beignets — two filled with chocolate, two with mixed berry, and two with passion fruit. But what REALLY makes these beignets stand out are their corresponding dipping sauces served in Mickey-shaped shortbread cups!
• The Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park is one of the best known beignet locations property-wide — with classic AND seasonal offerings available.
• But the NEW quick service restaurant attached to Mint Julep Bar — Tiana’s Palace — ALSO serves some pretty tasty and unique beignets for dessert (but THESE are piped with lemon ice box pie filling and topped with lemon glaze)!
• The Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill and Patio in Downtown Disney serves both beignets AND beignet fries (served with warm chocolate fudge and raspberry sauce for dipping).
• And — for the grand finale — at Beignets Expressed in Downtown Disney, you’ll have a WHOLE MENU of beignet options to choose from! There’s bananas foster beignets, rainbow crunch beignets, chocolate hazelnut beignets, and specialty beignets of the month. You can even purchase this snack location’s signature beignet mix and make your own beignets at home to enjoy AFTER your trip too!

Don’t Deprive Yourself Of The Bread. 

LISTEN TO ME. If you don’t get bread at Boudin Bakery in DCA, you’re making life harder than it needs to be by depriving yourself of life’s simple pleasures. So… DON’T do that.

When you’re over in the San Fransokyo area, head toward the working replica of the famous Boudin Bakery and take a free self-guided tour to see how these fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, absolute works of ART are made.

And, best of all, if you take the tour, you’ll ALSO get a sample of the fresh bread that’s made daily! (Like, that’s MORE than worth the stop alone, right??)

Just keep in mind that the bakery tour typically closes earlier than the rest of the park by a few hours — so make sure you check on those tour times and plan to visit before they close up shop for the day.

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