Updated January 24, 2026
Planning a full week in Southern California? I have some suggestions on how to spend your time.
After living here for 15 years, I’ve gathered all the info you need.
Let’s get started!
Basic Scoop
I’ve shared a 7 day trip plan in this post to help you organize your time. The days are recommended specifically in the order I think is best.
To see everything Disneyland and California Adventure (DCA) have to offer, I recommend 3 days in the parks. If you have more time, that’s great. But, 2 days at Disneyland and 1 at DCA will allow you to see and do everything.
This post covers pretty much everything you need to know to plan a trip. Take a look at it and let me know if you have any questions. You can reach me via email at Casey@DisneylandDaily.com.
Day 1 – Arrival Day
This travel day will include a fun introduction to the area and will hopefully give you the familiarity and confidence to tackle your future park days with great success.
If you *have* a park ticket for this day, use this post as a guide for your afternoon and evening.
If you *do not have* a park ticket, use this post as a guide.
Go to sleep early because your next day will be an early one!
Day 2 – Disneyland
Let’s kick off park days at the original!
Use one of my Disneyland park strategies to conquer rides at rope drop and enjoy all that the park has to offer.
You can hop to DCA at night if you’re curious, but it’s not a necessity.
Day 3 – Resort & Downtown Disney Day
This is your big day at the hotel, so make it count.
Enjoy the pool, maybe splurge on a cabana rental if your hotel offers them, check out the dining on site and relax a little bit. If you’re staying off site, here’s lots of recommendations for dining and shopping in the area.
Explore Downtown Disney if time allows. Find my recommendations for this area in this post.
Note: I recommend a resort day early in your stay so you get to know all the good stuff at your hotel, which will make the rest of your vacation run smoother. Don’t wait to do your resort day and then find all these great things right before it’s time to go home.
If you’re staying at the Grand Californian, don’t miss the extras I share here. Disneyland Hotel? Here’s the scoop.
Day 4 – California Adventure
Up early for California Adventure! Use one of my strategies to get all your rides done in an easy and efficient manner.
This is your only day at DCA, so do it all! My strategies will help.
Day 5 – Southern California Day Trip
Today is your day to see the beauty of Southern California.
I highly recommend Laguna Beach, about 45 minutes away. Here’s all about it.
But you have soooo many amazing things to choose from.
Check out my day trip recommendations here.
Find the best 5 beach destinations close to Disneyland here.
Consider San Diego, which is a couple of hours south and totally worth the drive. I have day trip ideas for it here and then also a guide to the city as a whole in this post.
About an hour south of Disneyland is Oceanside, my hometown. It has lots to do! La Jolla is in San Diego County and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in SoCal. They have all the fun sea lions too! Read all about it here.
Do a half day or so at a SoCal destination and then rest up at your resort. Back at the park tomorrow!
Day 6 – Disneyland
Always end with the classic! Today’s the final park day, so it’s time to conquer what you missed on your previous Disneyland day and/or to revisit some favorites.
Use my strategies here. Do the second half of the day you started earlier in the trip or just start over completely.
If you followed my strategy on your first Disneyland day, you likely rode almost every ride in the park. So, rope drop Peter Pan on this second day and spend more time in Fantasyland. It’s magical in the morning with so many roaming characters. Then spend your afternoon repeating favorites.
Day 7 – Departure Day
These days are never easy, so I recommend a character meal for breakfast if it’s in your budget. It’s a great way to say goodbye to the characters and it wraps up your trip nicely.
Find all your options in this post.
After dining, check out and head to the airport!
Additional Resources
Check my crowd calendar here.
Peruse all your Disneyland hotel options in this post. I also share deep dives into the Disneyland Hotel here and Grand Californian here.
Staying off site? Here are my favorites.
Don’t forget – Lansky is your best shuttle option for Disneyland. I’ve recommended these guys for over 10 years. They provide car seats and boosters and stop at the grocery en route to your hotel. Here’s all about them. Book quickly as they do run out.
If all the above is overwhelming, start from the beginning with my First Timer’s Post.
Email me at casey@disneylanddaily.com if you have any questions. I’m happy to help walk you through why you need to know.
Need discounted tickets and hotels? Check out my travel partner, Get Away Today. They offer adult tickets at kids’ prices throughout the year for Disney and Universal on both coasts and have hotel options with 3rd and 4th nights free. In business since 1990, they’re the absolute best with both pricing and service.
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