Welcome!
Disney Parks are not easy to navigate right now. Don’t worry. I can help.
Having a good strategy will absolutely give you your best shot at a successful day.
My strategies are built for families and do not include single rider lines or other options that are not available to all guests. I have plans for guests who want to use Genie+ and for those who don’t.
I’ve got what you need!
Let’s go.
Basic Scoop
I create and test strategies that aim to keep your wait time to 20 minutes or less for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks. It’s totally possible to do this for almost every attraction.
Without Genie+, that’s harder to maintain, but I share plans that keep your wait times at a minimum.
I test my strategies in the park monthly and occasionally share the results.
Why is a strategy important? To give you an edge over other park guests, to avoid standing around checking the app for wait times and discussing what’s next, and to ensure you see and do all you want during your visit.
Take a look at how my visit played out so you can see how to adjust yours as the day develops.
Resources
I used this plan on this day.
All of my strategies can be found linked in this one complete index. This includes plans for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Need help with Genie? This post explains everything.
New to planning and overwhelmed? This post will guide you through what you need to know.
Quick Notes about this day
- DCA was hosting Early Entry, so I was off to a good start. It’s ideal to visit the park NOT hosting Early Entry if you don’t have it.
- This was a Sunday mid-March 2024.
- I did not use Genie+ or purchase Lightning Lanes.
- Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain were closed. Details here.
Strategy Results
7:30am – allowed into the park
7:33am – line up at Tomorrowland rope drop
8:00am – park officially opens
8:16am – ride Space Mountain
8:42am – ride Matterhorn
9:08am – ride Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
9:50am – ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
10:38am – ride Pirates of the Caribbean
11:15am – ride Jungle Cruise
12:30pm – ride Indiana Jones Adventure
1:35pm – ride Millennium Falcon
Lunch break!
Entering the Park Early
Disneyland and DCA allow guests to enter the park (most days) starting at 7:30am. For this reason, I recommend arriving at 7:00am or even earlier for security.
You’ll be allowed into the front of the park and to set up for rope drop. Here’s what that means.
How to Finish the Day
Spend your afternoon at your hotel pool or taken along lunch break. Then, return to enjoy characters and entertainment in the afternoon.
When you want to focus on rides again, make your way through Fantasyland and Toontown along with the couple remaining in Tomorrowland. This link details the order I suggest.
Look to ride Rise of the Resistance around 6:00pm with a 60 minute or less wait time.
More Tools to Lower Wait Times
I don’t include Single Rider lines in my strategies, as they’re designed for families and Single Rider lines don’t always work for everyone.
But, they’re great to keep in mind for big attractions.
This link shares all about them.
Compare This Day to One with Genie+
In February, I tested my strategy that uses Genie+. Find the results on that day here.
Notes
Genie+ makes a big impact in your day and I encourage you to use it if it’s in your budget. But, I understand if it’s not. I have a family of 5 and the cost doesn’t always work for us.
Without Genie+, your wait times will increase, but with good planning, you can have a good day.
Tackling the rides I suggest early in the day will help for sure. They’re lined up with many things in mind including popularity, logistics and more.
If you’re interested in using Genie+ during your day, check out my strategies here.
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