You're planning a trip to Disneyland? That's so exciting! Let me help you have an amazing time.
All photos are my own and protected by copyright.
Disneyland. There's something about visiting the beginning of something so quintessential Americana. I'd describe Disneyland as having charm and a quaintness that is missing from every other Disney park, while being filled to the brim with rides, and focused more on locals than tourists, making it significantly more enjoyable than WDW. There’s also just an attention to detail and maintenance just lacking at other Disney parks. There’s a concerted effort to have everything working on every ride and you’ll never see things like chipped paint.
Disneyland Park itself is infinitely better than Magic Kingdom with around twice as much to do. The park itself is easily the best or second best in the world (after Tokyo DisneySea) depending on what you enjoy most in parks.
Disneyland Resort’s park hours are also typically much longer than other Disney resorts around the world and with lower crowds.
I'd also like to add, for me, that most of the fun at theme parks is just the vibe, the feeling, that you can't quite capture anywhere else. I love just hanging out with friends at the resort and messing around and enjoying the park together. I think that's the best approach to the parks and to stay until park closing most days.
I would say Disneyland in the parks is night and day better than Walt Disney World. However, things outside of the parks (except for the affordable hotels at Disneyland Resort) is better in Orlando.
Rides & Shows
How I'd describe Disneyland Park to a first-timer: imagine if every 20 feet there's a ride. Every attraction is on top of one another which leads to Disneyland Park having far and away the greatest ride line-up of any theme park on Earth. That isn't an exaggeration.
Ok top of that, everything is updated. Nothing feels stuck in the past like Orlando.
California Adventure by comparison feels more like a normal park. With a great selection of rides and more depth in the scale of them than say Hollywood Studios in Orlando. It's still excellent due to its expansions over the last decade making the Disneyland Resort as a whole almost feel like 3 parks given their proximity.
Height requirements denoted after each ride.
Disneyland Park
Ride highlights:
These are the undisputed top 3 rides at the park
Also, Submarine Voyage & Autopia 32” (a significantly improved version of the Tomorrowland Speedway in Orlando) is worth doing at least once if you're there for multiple days.
There are more rides than this (from Winnie the Pooh to Dumbo), but I thought I’d mention the best ones!
One thing I haven’t mentioned is be sure to explore the park thoroughly beyond just rides. The shops at New Orleans Square and Galaxy’s Edge just to browse through are an attraction unto themselves!
Disney California Adventure
Ride highlights (emphasizing exclusives to Disneyland):
Evening Entertainment
California Adventure's
The afternoon parade is "Magic Happens" at Disneyland.
Finally, I would like to mention, something cool about Disneyland is people will typically sit on the ground while waiting until they are forced to stand around 15 minutes before nighttime spectaculars. It’s nice because who doesn’t like to rest for a few minutes after a long day? Alongside that, you really don’t have to camp out for hours to get a great spot, 30 minutes will suffice for all 3 major evening shows for most of the year.
Dining
I'd argue that quick-service is your way to go for almost every meal. Disneyland has significantly better and consistently good options over WDW.
Quick-Service
Disneyland Park's quick-service and snack game is on point. Pretty much any place you eat outside Tomorrowland will be solid.
Downtown Disney has historically had plenty of solid choices. Though the parks do have good offerings, so it's not necessary to venture out for food.
The Resorts
To be completely honest, I make it a point at least once per trip to venture out after California Adventure closes and going over to the Disneyland Hotel for food:
And by the way, take advantage of Mobile Order to skip the lines!
Table-Service
At Disneyland Park
It’s again worth noting that Disneyland does actually have great quick-service, so table-service dining really isn’t necessary, and that’s especially true if you know where to eat.
Reservations for restaurants open up 60 days in advance. Most places lose availability fast, so booking them as soon as you can is the best strategy. For a 5-day stay, I usually eat at only two table-service restaurants since the quick-service options are generally worthwhile. One tip is that the day before, reservations pop up as people cancel!
Places to Stay
I overwhelmingly recommend off-property hotels. Unlike WDW, there is an abundance of non-Disney hotels within walking distance from the gates of both parks, so there is no need to shell out 5x more for a 'Disney-branded hotel.’ However, if you have the money, both the Disneyland Hotel, and The Grand Californian are wonderful, but frankly, they’re genuinely not worth it.
I highly recommend
I do however 100% recommend checking out the resort grounds of the Disneyland Hotel with a stop at the iconic Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar and the beautiful lobby of the Grand Californian.
Skip-The-Lines with Genie+ & Individual Lightning Lanes.
Fastpass is now a paid service called Genie+. Starting when the park opens, it allows you to select an attraction you want to ride and get a return time (for example, 3 hours from now) for a participating attraction on the app (as supply allows) and go into a faster, separate queue called Lightning Lane. You can get another return time as soon as you used your last one. Disney says it promises 3 return times per day, but you can get more especially at Disneyland Park given the sheer quantity of rides offered. There are excellent strategies that I won't delve into, but this is a good one.
However, the top two rides in each park do not participate and instead require a separate fee to enter the Lightning Lane queue per ride. These attractions include Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disneyland and Radiator Springs Racers and WEB Slingers at California Adventure.
Genie+ is absolutely worth it for your first days at either park. If visiting them more than once (ie. 2 days at California Adventure), it isn’t as necessary for that second day, but get it at least one day for each park.
However, I don't see the value in paying for Individual Lightning Lane, but that would be your call to make. While it does have variable pricing, peaking at $35 per person per day, Genie+ definitely will make sense for most people.
As soon as you scan into a queue with your return time, immediately go in the Disneyland app and select another ride.
How are the Crowds?
Disneyland Resort caters to locals, as it's very dependent on the SoCal area, and the crowd patterns reflect the school calenders there. People seem to just be happier than Orlando, from Cast Members to the guests, so crowds feel more pleasant.
Christmas Break, March, July, and the month of October are the busiest.
There is more of an off-season than Disney World has given it being less touristy, but weekdays year-round have become busier as a result of the lower tier annual passes having blackout dates during weekends. Crowds are far more unpredictable than Walt Disney World, though.
While crowds can and do get large, you NEVER see wait times reaching peak WDW levels by virtue of how many rides there are at Disneyland Park.
Absolutely! Given the unique local-heavy nature of the resort, the clientele is much better than WDW, in that people don't feel like they have to do literally everything and most are familiar with the parks, making the resort feel more relaxed overall. That in turn provides a better experience overall.
Because of that, I have nothing but positive things to say about both the guests at Disneyland Resort as well as the exceptional Cast Members (which are arguably a step-up as well due to the resort’s proximity to Hollywood)! I recommend taking that to heart as well and taking in the parks as a local would, appreciating all the details the parks have to offer.
I think people from SoCal are some of the most genuine, kindest, and relaxed people I’ve ever met!
Refurbishment Calendar & New Rides
Maintenance and refurbishments are an important part of keeping the parks in tip-top shape, but having major rides closed when visiting isn't ideal.
Disneyland Park requires at least 2 full days (were talking spending 14+ hours at the park) to really do everything that’s worth it. California Adventure requires at least 1 full day.
Ideally 3 full days at Disneyland Park and 1.5 days at California Adventure will provide the best vacation.
It’s worth noting that a 5th day is practically free, park ticket-wise. For some context, a 5-day ticket is about $150 cheaper than 5 days at Walt Disney World.
Is there anything else I should do in LA?
Absolutely!
Universal Studios Hollywood has come a long way and includes the exceptional hour-long Studio Tour of the actual Universal Studios film studio. The recently opened Super Nintendo World containing one of the best rides in the world: Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is equally fantastic.
Knott's Berry Farm, 15 minutes away from Disneyland Resort, is terrific and has rides that inspired Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The Warner Bros. Studio tour is a lot of fun, and while harder to get into, Walt Disney Studios in Burbank is worth checking out for Disney fans. Both are excellent.
Otherwise, LA has a lot to offer from Beverly Hills to the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I'm personally not a big fan of LA, the city, itself (I much prefer San Francisco and San Diego), but there’s some terrific things to do outside the city itself. Obviously Disneyland in Anaheim, but also Venice Beach. There is also of course a world-class arts and culinary scene that anyone could come back to time and time again.
Everything Else
The usual combination of "bring good walking shoes" (preferably comfortable closed-toe sneakers), "check the weather before your trip," and have fun. It also shouldn't go without stating the obvious but the Disneyland App is an indispensable tool for wait times, making reservations, using Genie+, and more, but just remember not to always be on your phone. Enjoy your time at the parks!
Are the Halloween/Christmas parties worth it?
All photos are my own and protected by copyright.
Disneyland. There's something about visiting the beginning of something so quintessential Americana. I'd describe Disneyland as having charm and a quaintness that is missing from every other Disney park, while being filled to the brim with rides, and focused more on locals than tourists, making it significantly more enjoyable than WDW. There’s also just an attention to detail and maintenance just lacking at other Disney parks. There’s a concerted effort to have everything working on every ride and you’ll never see things like chipped paint.
Disneyland Park itself is infinitely better than Magic Kingdom with around twice as much to do. The park itself is easily the best or second best in the world (after Tokyo DisneySea) depending on what you enjoy most in parks.
Disneyland Resort’s park hours are also typically much longer than other Disney resorts around the world and with lower crowds.
I'd also like to add, for me, that most of the fun at theme parks is just the vibe, the feeling, that you can't quite capture anywhere else. I love just hanging out with friends at the resort and messing around and enjoying the park together. I think that's the best approach to the parks and to stay until park closing most days.
I would say Disneyland in the parks is night and day better than Walt Disney World. However, things outside of the parks (except for the affordable hotels at Disneyland Resort) is better in Orlando.
Rides & Shows
How I'd describe Disneyland Park to a first-timer: imagine if every 20 feet there's a ride. Every attraction is on top of one another which leads to Disneyland Park having far and away the greatest ride line-up of any theme park on Earth. That isn't an exaggeration.
Ok top of that, everything is updated. Nothing feels stuck in the past like Orlando.
California Adventure by comparison feels more like a normal park. With a great selection of rides and more depth in the scale of them than say Hollywood Studios in Orlando. It's still excellent due to its expansions over the last decade making the Disneyland Resort as a whole almost feel like 3 parks given their proximity.
Height requirements denoted after each ride.
Disneyland Park
Ride highlights:
These are the undisputed top 3 rides at the park
- Rise of the Resistance 40” this isn't a ride, it's an experience, and that's not marketing fluff. It's incredible and among the best rides in the world.
- Indiana Jones Adventure 46” is also one of the best rides on Earth. Re-ride it with an under 30-minute wait (regardless of the posted wait time) in the minutes before park closing. I’d even say the ride experience is on par with Rise. Do. Not. Miss.
- Pirates of the Caribbean is a master class in classic-themed design and is significantly longer and grander than its WDW counterpart.
- Splash Mountain 40” closing soon to be rethemed to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
- Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway unlike WDW's, this ride didn't replace the Great Movie Ride and feels far more appropriately scaled for Mickey's Toontown than as the centerpiece for a park. The newest ride at Disneyland is a great addition to an already stellar ride line-up.
- Haunted Mansion a classic must-do Disney dark ride. Need I say more? From September through December it’s themed to the Nightmare Before Christmas, known as Haunted Mansion Holiday. I love them both for different reasons.
- Jungle Cruise with recent updates keeping it relevant and modern, it remains a timeless attraction. Many famous celebrities were Cast Members here, from Robin Williams to Kevin Costner!
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 40” re-uses the town from the opening day attraction "Mine Through Nature's Wonderland." It's just like its WDW's counterpart except with shorter wait times, and a much improved finale! I highly recommend you request the back row (as it’s more thrilling) and it’s also significantly improved at night.
- Matterhorn Bobsleds 42” was part of the first major expansion at Disneyland. It features multiple high-Tech audio-animatronics of the abominable snowman, though if you suffer from back pain, I recommend leaning forward on the ride. There are two tracks, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland; the Tomorrowland track (left) is the more thrilling of the two which you can request!
- Space Mountain 40” was completely rebuilt from the ground up about a decade ago with a unique layout versus Walt Disney World's. It’s smooth as butter, but arguably the weakest of the “big three” coasters at the park.
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run 38” while it can't quite compete with Rise, it's a very cool attraction in its own right, taking what was good about Star Tours and beefing it up, though it’s hindered by only a third of guests being able to be a “pilot.”
- Star Tours 40” still holds up versus the newer Smuggler’s Run (some might even say it’s better), and while it does seem to cause motion sickness in people prone to it, the wait times are generally reasonable.
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is an improved take on its Magic Kingdom cousin with free-hand blasters.
- "it's a small world" is a classic if there ever was one. It's also historic given that it was moved here from the 1964 World's Fair. Disney characters were added to this version a few years ago, and frankly, I think it improved the ride, and of course, Disneyland has a stunning facade!
- Alice in Wonderland recently updated, my personal favorite of the bunch. The art style is just gorgeous.
- Snow White's Enchanted Wish received an overhaul and a new name. The new update is fantastic and drastically improved the ride.
- Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin is a, relatively speaking, newer dark ride that is chaotically zany. It just received minor updates, and is the only one I recommend outside Fantasyland.
- Peter Pan's Flight unlike its WDW counterpart, this ride has been modernized and is in tip-top shape, though it is not quite as long.
- Mr. Toad's Wild Ride a classic that has no right to be as bonkers and good as it is.
- Pinocchio's Daring Journey hasn't received updates like the others so feels a bit dated by comparison, but it's still a fun diversion.
Also, Submarine Voyage & Autopia 32” (a significantly improved version of the Tomorrowland Speedway in Orlando) is worth doing at least once if you're there for multiple days.
There are more rides than this (from Winnie the Pooh to Dumbo), but I thought I’d mention the best ones!
One thing I haven’t mentioned is be sure to explore the park thoroughly beyond just rides. The shops at New Orleans Square and Galaxy’s Edge just to browse through are an attraction unto themselves!
Disney California Adventure
Ride highlights (emphasizing exclusives to Disneyland):
- Radiator Springs Racers 40” is far and away the best ride at California Adventure. It's one of the best rides in the world and is an absolute must-do. I recommend riding it again just before park close; regardless of the posted wait time, it shouldn’t take over 30 minutes. I might add, it’s exponentially better at night, so good that I would consider a night ride on it a must-do. Cars Land as a whole is also THE reason to visit the park. It’s arguably the best land at DLR—including over Galaxy’s Edge.
- Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! 40” is a different take on the Tower of Terror and is a fantastic variation. I’d even say it’s an improvement on what was there before thanks to Imagineer Joe Rhode’s expert touch.
- Soarin' Over California 40” returns every year during the Food & Wine festival (March through May), and is significantly better than Soarin' Around the World, which isn’t as highly recommended when it is that version.
- Toy Story Midway Mania! is exactly like Walt Disney World's. I absolutely love it, but you can skip it if you frequent Orlando. The game-aspect is arguably the best executed of any Disney interactive ride ever!
- The Incredicoaster 48” while Pixar Pier's retheme of Paradise Pier overall aesthetically improved the land, the on-ride experience feels cheesier now due to a less-than-stellar overlay. However, the coaster is still solid and thrilling for a Disney park.
- Grizzly River Run 42” puts Kali River Rapids at WDW to shame. This is how you make a rapids ride. Beautifully themed and you will get soaked!
- Rogers: The Musical! The Hyperion Theater has put on outstanding broadway style productions before, from Aladdin to Frozen, so hopefully this is as good when it premieres.
- WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure is like a higher-tech, less game-focused Toy Story Mania! It’s better than the reviews say it is, with very cool technology, but don’t go expecting a headliner, as it’s more of a D-ticket.
Evening Entertainment
California Adventure's
- World of Color is my single favorite night show at any Disney park. There are two showtimes per night on weekends @ 9:00pm & 10:30pm (after park close).
- You'll need to get in the World of Color virtual queue at noon (for free) which fills up fast; you will be assigned access to blue and yellow sections, which contain the best viewing spot: in the semi-circle bulge-out along the water. It surprisingly isn’t that hard to make your way to so long as you show up around half an hour before
- Dessert parties have their own section, but I don't think they're worth the price as you can often times ask a Cast Member if you can go under the rope during the second showing and they will let you!
- Wondrous Journeys is a great firework show for the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Company. Be aware though, Anaheim Can have high winds that you can’t feel on the ground that cause the fireworks to have a “B-mode” performance. Something cool too, “it’s a small world” has projection mapping just like the castle and is a fantastic viewing spot that’s almost as good as in front of the castle except without the crowds.
- Fantasmic! in New Orleans Square in my opinion is the one not to be missed. The way it appears out of New Orleans Square is unreal and the show itself is a technical marvel. If you’ve only seen WDW’s version, you don’t know what you’re missing!
- If there are two showings of it, see the second one, it’s far less chaotic. I recommend arriving ideally 30 minutes before showtime.
- You can actually catch both shows if you immediately head to Fantasmic’s second showing after the fireworks.
- The viewing area between Pirates and Haunted Mansion is your best bet.
The afternoon parade is "Magic Happens" at Disneyland.
Finally, I would like to mention, something cool about Disneyland is people will typically sit on the ground while waiting until they are forced to stand around 15 minutes before nighttime spectaculars. It’s nice because who doesn’t like to rest for a few minutes after a long day? Alongside that, you really don’t have to camp out for hours to get a great spot, 30 minutes will suffice for all 3 major evening shows for most of the year.
Dining
I'd argue that quick-service is your way to go for almost every meal. Disneyland has significantly better and consistently good options over WDW.
Quick-Service
Disneyland Park's quick-service and snack game is on point. Pretty much any place you eat outside Tomorrowland will be solid.
- Little Red Wagon has some very good corn dogs. Unlike WDW's cheap mass-produced ones, these are hand-dipped and delicious. You can get them cheaper by asking for them without sides, which I recommend doing. Actually, that's the story for a lot of Disneyland's snacks with churros all over the resort being a full step-up over WDW, and of course, the popcorn is a classic.
- Plaza Inn is famous for its fried chicken tenders and they are in fact delicious. It’s cafeteria style.
- Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe on Main Street lives up to the name! Great sandwiches and breakfast food.
- Rancho Del Zocalo has solid Mexican food. Fun fact! This is where Doritos were invented!
- Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a solid choice for a fast meal as well.
- Hungry Bear Restaurant has stunning views. The honey-spiced chicken sandwich with onion rings is a tasty choice.
- Red Rose Taverne in Fantasyland is good too.
- Corn Dog Castle, so enjoy them here too!
- Pacific Wharf Cafe has an awesome clam chowder and macaroni sourdough bread bowl.
- Flo's V8 Cafe is also surprisingly tasty and serves breakfast.
- PYM Test Kitchen has great chicken sandwiches.
- Paradise Garden Grill has an ever-changing seasonal menu that's always scrumptious.
- Poultry Palace is a formidable choice for a quick bite in Pixar Pier.
- Cocina Cucamonga is great Mexican food.
- Cookie Num Nums next to Incredicoaster is awesome.
- Ghirardelli in San Fransokyo is of course delicious.
Downtown Disney has historically had plenty of solid choices. Though the parks do have good offerings, so it's not necessary to venture out for food.
The Resorts
To be completely honest, I make it a point at least once per trip to venture out after California Adventure closes and going over to the Disneyland Hotel for food:
- Trader Sam’s and
- Tangaroa Terrace are both in the center of the hotel’s pool area and are literally the greatest way to end a day at the parks and are both hidden gems. They typically both stay open until midnight. If you can, do not miss them!
And by the way, take advantage of Mobile Order to skip the lines!
Table-Service
At Disneyland Park
- Blue Bayou is a Disneyland staple. Beautifully themed, it’s the first scene of the ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the recently revamped menu has utterly fantastic food to match its excellent ambiance. It is pricey, however, though not exceedingly. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. The reservations can be very difficult to get here, so try to get one early.
- Cafe Orleans is known for its famous and outstanding, Monte Cristo Sandwich. Blue Bayou also has it for lunch. It’s especially good for a relatively quick table service meal with Blue Bayou by comparison offering a longer, more luxurious meal.
- Carthay Circle Restaurant for fine dining & Carthay Circle Lounge if you're on a budget are both phenomenal.
- Lamplight Lounge in Pixar Pier is fantastic and more affordable.
- The Grand Californian's Napa Rose is exceptional, though very expensive.
It’s again worth noting that Disneyland does actually have great quick-service, so table-service dining really isn’t necessary, and that’s especially true if you know where to eat.
Reservations for restaurants open up 60 days in advance. Most places lose availability fast, so booking them as soon as you can is the best strategy. For a 5-day stay, I usually eat at only two table-service restaurants since the quick-service options are generally worthwhile. One tip is that the day before, reservations pop up as people cancel!
Places to Stay
I overwhelmingly recommend off-property hotels. Unlike WDW, there is an abundance of non-Disney hotels within walking distance from the gates of both parks, so there is no need to shell out 5x more for a 'Disney-branded hotel.’ However, if you have the money, both the Disneyland Hotel, and The Grand Californian are wonderful, but frankly, they’re genuinely not worth it.
I highly recommend
- Any Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels
- I’d recommend sticking to the closest ones that charge around $100 a night during the busy season.
- I like the Sheraton Anaheim, but it’s a 15-minute walk; the closer ones arguably make more sense for most people.
I do however 100% recommend checking out the resort grounds of the Disneyland Hotel with a stop at the iconic Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar and the beautiful lobby of the Grand Californian.
Skip-The-Lines with Genie+ & Individual Lightning Lanes.
Fastpass is now a paid service called Genie+. Starting when the park opens, it allows you to select an attraction you want to ride and get a return time (for example, 3 hours from now) for a participating attraction on the app (as supply allows) and go into a faster, separate queue called Lightning Lane. You can get another return time as soon as you used your last one. Disney says it promises 3 return times per day, but you can get more especially at Disneyland Park given the sheer quantity of rides offered. There are excellent strategies that I won't delve into, but this is a good one.
However, the top two rides in each park do not participate and instead require a separate fee to enter the Lightning Lane queue per ride. These attractions include Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disneyland and Radiator Springs Racers and WEB Slingers at California Adventure.
Genie+ is absolutely worth it for your first days at either park. If visiting them more than once (ie. 2 days at California Adventure), it isn’t as necessary for that second day, but get it at least one day for each park.
However, I don't see the value in paying for Individual Lightning Lane, but that would be your call to make. While it does have variable pricing, peaking at $35 per person per day, Genie+ definitely will make sense for most people.
As soon as you scan into a queue with your return time, immediately go in the Disneyland app and select another ride.
How are the Crowds?
Disneyland Resort caters to locals, as it's very dependent on the SoCal area, and the crowd patterns reflect the school calenders there. People seem to just be happier than Orlando, from Cast Members to the guests, so crowds feel more pleasant.
Christmas Break, March, July, and the month of October are the busiest.
There is more of an off-season than Disney World has given it being less touristy, but weekdays year-round have become busier as a result of the lower tier annual passes having blackout dates during weekends. Crowds are far more unpredictable than Walt Disney World, though.
While crowds can and do get large, you NEVER see wait times reaching peak WDW levels by virtue of how many rides there are at Disneyland Park.
- This is a very informative Crowd Calendar that breaks it down better than I can.
Absolutely! Given the unique local-heavy nature of the resort, the clientele is much better than WDW, in that people don't feel like they have to do literally everything and most are familiar with the parks, making the resort feel more relaxed overall. That in turn provides a better experience overall.
Because of that, I have nothing but positive things to say about both the guests at Disneyland Resort as well as the exceptional Cast Members (which are arguably a step-up as well due to the resort’s proximity to Hollywood)! I recommend taking that to heart as well and taking in the parks as a local would, appreciating all the details the parks have to offer.
I think people from SoCal are some of the most genuine, kindest, and relaxed people I’ve ever met!
Maintenance and refurbishments are an important part of keeping the parks in tip-top shape, but having major rides closed when visiting isn't ideal.
- Check out the resort’s Refurbishment Calendar.
At Disneyland:
- DisneylandForward is a decades-long development build-out that is presently in the early stages. It appears at least some of it (including a major Avatar ride/land) will open before the 2028 Olympics in LA. Personally, I wouldn’t ‘wait’ for anything to open, Disneyland Park at the moment is the best it has ever been, but Disneyland Resort should be improving for a long time to come!
At California Adventure:
- A major Avenger's E-ticket ride, rumored to be similar to Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, themed to a multiverse version of King Thanos, will open in a few years. Likely in late 2025.
Disneyland Park requires at least 2 full days (were talking spending 14+ hours at the park) to really do everything that’s worth it. California Adventure requires at least 1 full day.
Ideally 3 full days at Disneyland Park and 1.5 days at California Adventure will provide the best vacation.
It’s worth noting that a 5th day is practically free, park ticket-wise. For some context, a 5-day ticket is about $150 cheaper than 5 days at Walt Disney World.
- If one day is all you have then spend it exclusively at Disneyland.
- For two days I recommend 1 & 1/2 days at Disneyland Park and a 1/2 a day at California Adventure.
- For 3 days I recommend 2 full days at Disneyland Park and 1 full day at California Adventure.
- For 4 days I recommend 3 full days at Disneyland and 1 full day at California Adventure.
- For 4 1/2 to 5 days I recommend 3 full days at Disneyland and 1 and a 1/2 to 2 days at California Adventure.
- It isn't an exact science, so you can change your plans as you realize what you'd like to do.
- Park hoppers aren't really necessary, but they make far more sense here than at Disney World given the parks close proximity to one another at DLR.
- In many cases, your first or last day flying in and out will not be a full day, so in that case, use those travel days as 1/2 days, and avoid paying for park hoppers through that.
Is there anything else I should do in LA?
Absolutely!
Universal Studios Hollywood has come a long way and includes the exceptional hour-long Studio Tour of the actual Universal Studios film studio. The recently opened Super Nintendo World containing one of the best rides in the world: Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is equally fantastic.
Knott's Berry Farm, 15 minutes away from Disneyland Resort, is terrific and has rides that inspired Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The Warner Bros. Studio tour is a lot of fun, and while harder to get into, Walt Disney Studios in Burbank is worth checking out for Disney fans. Both are excellent.
Otherwise, LA has a lot to offer from Beverly Hills to the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I'm personally not a big fan of LA, the city, itself (I much prefer San Francisco and San Diego), but there’s some terrific things to do outside the city itself. Obviously Disneyland in Anaheim, but also Venice Beach. There is also of course a world-class arts and culinary scene that anyone could come back to time and time again.
Everything Else
The usual combination of "bring good walking shoes" (preferably comfortable closed-toe sneakers), "check the weather before your trip," and have fun. It also shouldn't go without stating the obvious but the Disneyland App is an indispensable tool for wait times, making reservations, using Genie+, and more, but just remember not to always be on your phone. Enjoy your time at the parks!
Are the Halloween/Christmas parties worth it?
- Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure is excellent and in my opinion superior to Orlando's Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The Christmas Party is comparable to Magic Kingdom’s, but there's more going on that's free for the holidays!
- Disneyland goes all out in decorating the parks and with attraction overlays: from "it's a small world" Holiday, to Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark, and of course, The Nightmare Before Christmas' Haunted Mansion Holiday.
- Don't miss the decorations in Cars Land for both holidays as well! It's wonderfully themed for both occasions.
- The resort is celebrating the 100th year of the Walt Disney Company with decorations, merchandise, food, and of course, new nighttime entertainment.
- These include World of Color - One at California Adventure and Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland.
- Southern California's weather is the single best of any Disney resort in the world. Without the brutal humidity of Orlando, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and the frigid winters of Paris, it makes for a pleasant time year-round.
- It also doesn't rain as often as the other resorts given the drought-stricken region, but if it does, the park’s crowds clear out and it helps the environment which I take as a doubly massive win!
- If you are flying in from LAX, I highly recommend you take an Uber/Lyft which is about $42 each way for a regular-size car and can take anywhere from 35 to 70 minutes depending on traffic.
- Fun fact, cross-country flights can be surprisingly inexpensive to LAX, so Disneyland to most people in America could end up being significantly cheaper than a stay at Walt Disney World for the name numbers of days. Spirit frequently has flights from Atlanta to LAX starting around $120 round trip. Food for thought.
- There are other smaller airports close to Disneyland, including John Wayne Airport, but cross-country flights into them are typically more expensive than LAX.
- Good news! It now is included with Genie+! I would generally say no, it isn’t by itself (you can ask PhotoPass Cast Members to use your phone instead), but I do like ride photos, so Genie+ becomes a better value when you consider them together. Ride photos are presently free during the 100th anniversary!
- A lot. It has a gravitas to it that no other park has since it was the only one Walt stepped foot in and was principally designed by animators. While it's not extremely in-depth, The Imagineering Story does a good job of dipping your feet in the water and introducing you to a lot of theme park history.
- Yes, it is! It's an exceedingly exclusive restaurant and lounge in New Orleans Square. Unless you somehow stumble upon someone with a membership and they invite you inside, you're not getting in. Club 1901 is its counterpart at DCA.
- Disneyland now has MagicBand+ which I do not recommend at all. Park tickets are on the Disneyland app and you scan the barcode at the park entrance and attractions.
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