How to Start Your Day at Disneyland – Your Best Strategies with and without Genie+

Updated March 1, 2024

So, you know how to get started at California Adventure. It’s busy over there. Be sure you know.

How about Disneyland?

I’ve detailed all you need to know to maximize your time in the park.

Giddy up. Let’s go!

Tips for Making These Strategies Work

  • It’s imperative that you arrive an hour early. Why? On most days, you’ll be allowed to enter the park about 30 minutes prior to official park opening. Arrive an hour early so you’re at the front of the line when guests start going in.
  • Disney Genie is a must for these plans to work.
  • I recommend bringing breakfast/snacks with you to eat on your walk into the Disneyland Resort or to munch on while you’re walking from one stop to the next. Save a sit down breakfast for another day.
  • My goal for you with these plans is to complete most iconic attractions in Disneyland by lunch. Start your day with one of the plans I share below and then take a break after lunch. Go back to your hotel and nap, swim, etc. Then, return late afternoon/evening. This allows you to avoid the most hectic and hottest time of the day when most park guests start melting down. Upon returning, meet characters, enjoy lower line attractions, see shows, visit walk through attractions, watch parades, etc. Then, once evening arrives, start “riding” attractions again.

How to Choose – Big Kids or Little Kids Strategies?

  • Big Kids plans include all attractions. They’re designed for guests who wish to conquer everything.
  • Little Kids plans are created without the bigger, “scarier” attractions little ones might not like.
  • Choose which works for your group based on interest.
  • This link shares info on each attraction. Scroll through it and use the filters at the top of the page to get an idea of what each attraction is like.
  • Have both big and little kids? I recommend using the Big Kids plan, as it includes all attractions. When you come across an attraction that little ones can’t ride, find a nearby alternative (cast members at the entrance to the big kid ride can advise) or have a quick snack/use the restroom. Because the big rides are scheduled for early in the day, those riding will be in and out quickly.

Consider these options for little ones in each land when they can’t or don’t want to ride:

Tomorrowland: Astro Orbitor, Buzz Lightyear (short wait in the morning; do this a couple of times if needed)
Adventureland: Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, Tarzan’s Treehouse
Frontierland: shooting range (bring quarters), Mark Twain Riverboat
Critter Country: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Disneyland Strategy for Big Kids with Genie+

  • Arrive at the Disneyland Resort an hour prior to park opening.
  • Purchase Genie+ for each person in your group as soon as you walk in the gate.
  • Open Genie+ and select your first attraction – Star Tours – and then walk to set up to rope drop Tomorrowland. As soon as you’re eligible for your next attraction on Genie+, choose another big attraction down the list. Keep doing this until around 1:00pm and then break for lunch. During your break, reassess your day and start looking at Rise of the Resistance wait times on the Disneyland app. Consider these attractions (and exploring Galaxy’s Edge) for late afternoon/early evening when wait times should be lowest.

Here’s my list of attractions for Disneyland for Big Kids in the order I recommend:

  • Grab Genie+ for Matterhorn
  • Ride Space Mountain
  • Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
  • Ride Star Tours (if not enough time, save for later)
  • Ride Matterhorn with Genie+
  • Grab Genie+ for Indiana Jones
  • Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Ride Jungle Cruise
  • Ride Indiana Jones with Genie+
  • Grab Genie+ Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

(((Lunch)))

After lunch….and an afternoon break if you can…..

  • Ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway with Genie+
  • Grab Genie+ for “it’s a small world”

Proceed with Fantasyland and Tomorrowland rides in this order, grabbing Genie+ options as you can. But, look ahead to dinner time and aim to ride Millennium Falcon around 6:00pm. You’ll need to watch the app and select a Genie+ for it in the afternoon to achieve a return window around that time. This part of the day is ideal for Rise of the Resistance, which you should also ride standby around this time, at a 60 minute wait or less.

  • Peter Pan (if the wait time is 30 minutes or less, ride it; if not, wait and watch the app)
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Mad Tea Party (teacups)
  • Storybook Land Canal Boats
  • Casey Junior Circus Train
  • Dumbo
  • King Arthur’s Carrousel
  • Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
  • Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
  • Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
  • Astro Orbitor
  • Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
  • Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Ride Rise of the Resistance
  • Ride Millennium Falcon with Genie+

Remember, Rise of the Resistance closes at 8:00pm most evenings. So, don’t leave this one until the end of your day and plan to jump in line.

Notes:

  • Pirates is now on the Genie+ list (starting January 22, 2024), but I don’t recommend using Genie+ for it in the morning. Ride standby as I suggest and then repeat it later on with Genie+.
  • Although some notable attractions are listed in the second half of the day, the first grouping includes those with longer lines.
  • I don’t recommend trying to tackle every attraction in the park in one day, as they are listed above, but I put them in the best order for such if you plan to try it.
  • If you choose not to break in the afternoon as I recommend, you can continue working through the attractions listed, however, you’ll be doing so during a very warm part of the day. Many guests get grouchy at this time, hence my recommendation to take a break. If you are staying in the park and want to avoid the mid-day heat, consider these options to stay cool: Ride the Disneyland Railroad, enjoy The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, explore Tom Sawyer’s Island, walk through Tarzan’s Treehouse, visit Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, ride the Disney Monorail, or enjoy the Main Street Vehicles.
  • This plan allows you to tackle all four mountains, Star Tours and Pirates within the first couple of hours after park opening. With that behind you, you’re in great shape for the rest of the day.

The Disneyland Strategy for Big Kids with Early Entry

  • Arrive at the Disneyland Resort an hour prior to official park opening.
  • Line up at the Disneyland main gate.
  • You should enter at the 30 minute mark. Purchase Genie+ for each person in your group as soon as you’re let in the park.
  • Open Genie+ and select your first attraction – Star Tours.
  • Ride Space Mountain standby.
  • Line up at the Fantasyland ‘rope drop’ to Galaxy’s Edge. (between Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and Casey Jr’s Circus Train)
  • At official park opening, walk to Rise of the Resistance and ride it! Then, walk back to Tomorrowland to proceed with the plan….

Here’s the list of attractions in the order I recommend you follow:

  • Grab Genie+ for Matterhorn
  • Ride Space Mountain
  • Ride Rise of the Resistance at Rope Drop
  • Ride Matterhorn with Genie+
  • Grab a Genie+ for Indiana Jones
  • Ride Buzz Lightyear
  • Ride Star Tours
  • Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Ride Jungle Cruise
  • Ride Indiana Jones Adventure with Genie+
  • Grab Genie+ for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

(((Lunch))))

  • Ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway with Genie+
  • Grab a Genie+ for Millennium Falcon

Proceed with Fantasyland and Tomorrowland rides to finish your day in this order, grabbing Genie+ options as you can……

  • Peter Pan (if the wait time is 30 minutes or more, skip it and come back later)
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Mad Tea Party (teacups)
  • Storybook Land Canal Boats
  • Casey Junior
  • Dumbo
  • King Arthur’s Carrousel
  • Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
  • Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
  • Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
  • Astor Orbitor
  • Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
  • Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Disneyland Strategy for Little Kids with Genie+

If you’re hoping to tackle Fantasyland and focus entirely on attractions for little ones who can’t enjoy all of the ‘big’ rides, I recommend following this plan.

  • Arrive at the Disneyland Resort an hour prior to park opening.
  • Purchase Genie+ for each person in your group as soon as you walk in the gate.
    Open Genie+ and select your first attraction – Buzz Light Year’s Astro Blasters – and then walk to set up to rope drop Tomorrowland. As soon as you’re eligible for your next attraction on Genie+, choose another attraction down the list. Keep doing this until around 1:00pm and then break for lunch.

Here’s my list of attractions for Disneyland with Little Kids in the order I recommend:

  • Grab Genie+ for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
  • Ride Alice in Wonderland
  • Ride Dumbo
  • Ride Storybook Land Canal Boats
  • Ride “it’s a small world”
  • Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters with Genie+
  • Grab Genie+ for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  • Ride Autopia
  • Ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and explore Toontown, meet Mickey
  • Grab a Genie+ for Pirates of the Caribbean

Lunch – Jolly Holiday would be an ideal location as you move from Tomorrowland/Fantasyland to the other side of the park. For table service options, consider Cafe Orleans or River Belle Terrace.

  • Ride Pirates of the Caribbean with Genie+
  • Ride Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Ride Jungle Cruise
  • Enjoy the Tiki Room
  • Ride Finding Nemo’s Submarines
  • Ride Astro Orbitor
  • Ride Mad Tea Party (teacups)
  • Ride King Arthur’s Carrousel
  • Ride Casey Junior’s Circus Train
  • Ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
  • Ride Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
  • Ride Snow White’s Scary Adventures
  • Ride Peter Pan’s Flight (use the Play Disney Parks App while in the queue); this is ideal just after fireworks (line up near Dumbo to watch fireworks and then you’ll be escorted to Peter Pan’s Flight once Fantasyland reopens)

Notes:

  • As you can see in my line up, there aren’t many attractions for little ones that require Genie+. If you choose not to purchase Genie+ for your entire party, be sure you purchase it for yourself so you can get all the PhotoPass images. Here’s more on that.
  • Feel like you’re missing out on the good stuff? Consider using Single Rider Lines for less wait on bigger attractions. This is a great option for parents who still want to enjoy the big rides, but don’t want to have their family stand in line. This post explains Single Rider Lines.
  • This is a really ambitious plan, so on busy days, you might only get the first half done before lunch. But, I wanted to provide you with the main idea. My goal for you is to knock out popular, but reasonable, attractions for little ones early. Those include Alice in Wonderland, Storybook Land Canal Boats, and Dumbo. Return to Fantasyland later in the day to enjoy the King Arthur’s Carrousel, Casey Junior’s Circus Train, Mad Tea Party (teacups), Pinocchio, etc, etc. Ride Peter Pan during the evening so that you’re not standing in that long line in the sun.
  • Keep in mind that Disneyland includes some rides that might be scary for little ones. Visit this post to review those.
  • For guests wanting to do Jedi Training (on hiatus right now), you will need to adjust this plan to start with registering kids first. Go to registration first thing and then follow this plan. For more on how to register, visit this post.

The Disneyland Strategy that goes Straight to Rise of the Resistance

Although I don’t recommend doing it, I have tested this strategy that includes going directly to Rise of the Resistance and it works. First timers shouldn’t attempt this. Here’s why.

If you insist, arrive an hour early and be at the gate as close to 7:00am as possible. Line up for Rope Drop at Frontierland. While you’re waiting, ask the Cast Member at the rope which openings should be open that day for Galaxy’s Edge. Assuming Frontierland is one of them, head that way. Critter Country is often closed at opening and Fantasyland doesn’t make sense logistically.

Here’s the plan:

  • Grab a Genie+ for Millennium Falcon
  • Ride Rise of the Resistance standby
  • Ride Millennium Falcon with Genie+
  • Grab a Genie+ for Indiana Jones
  • Ride Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Ride Jungle Cruise
  • See Walt’s Enchanted Tiki Room
  • Ride Indiana Jones with Genie+
  • Grab a Genie+ for Space Mountain

Lunch!

I’m stopping my plan here for lunch because your return window for Space Mountain will be pushed out a few hours. Make the best use of this time by breaking from the parks and returning to your hotel room. While you’re there, continue to select Genie+ options every 2 hours and/or you return to the park.

After Space Mountain, continue with Tomorrowland (Buzz Lightyear, Matterhorn, Star Tours) and then move on to Fantasyland. Finish with Toontown and use Genie+ to ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

If You Don’t Want to Pay for Genie+ or Lighting Lanes

I get it. You paid a lot to get in.

If you don’t want to pay for Disney Genie+ or the a la carte Lightning Lanes, I have strategies for you.

This post gives you the best strategies for Disneyland using only standby lines.

If You Have Two or More Days at Disneyland

If you’re lucky enough to have two days at Disneyland, simply cut the plan of your choice in half.

Focus on the first half on day 1 and then the second on day 2.

If you have three days, split your plan in two for the first 2 days and then start over on the third.

Rope Drop

I mention Rope Drop in this post several times.

Here’s what you need to know about it.

How to Know When You Can Select Your Next Genie+

The more you understand Genie, the more successful your visit will be. Please keep in mind the following rules that debunk many popular Genie+ myths:

  • You may hold more than one LL with Genie+ at a time.
  • You do not have to complete the attraction you’re holding your current LL for in order to pull your next one if that attraction’s return window is 2 hours away from your current one.

How to Use Rider Switch with these Strategies

Rider Switch is a free service offered to all park guests. You may use it in conjunction with Genie or without it.

The rules changed in 2018, so be sure to review those here. Essentially, now guests must use their return pass(es) from the Rider Switch system within an hour of them being issued.

Before this change, I encouraged guests to save the return passes until later in the day so as not to interrupt your progress in the morning. Those earlier hours in the park are essential for getting lots done before the crowds arrive. And, doubling up on attractions will slow you down.

Since this is no longer an option, I have a new plan for you:

Arrive an hour early each day and use one of my strategies shared, above. Use Rider Switch for the attractions you’re interested in with the exception of those that offer a Single Rider Line. I share a list of possible Single Rider attractions with details on how they work here. 

For Disneyland, that may include:

  • Space Mountain
  • Star Tours
  • Matterhorn
  • Splash Mountain
  • Indiana Jones
  • Millennium Falcon

These options can vary each day, so as I recommend in that link that elaborates on Single Riders, check what’s available in the app the day of.

Instead of asking for a Rider Switch return pass for these attractions, move on to your next step in the strategy and know that you’ll be able to enjoy these attractions later in the day with a short line.

Afternoons are great for taking a break from attractions and instead, focusing on entertainment or even taking a break at your hotel. While one adult has kids at a show or on break, have the other tackle those four attractions that offer a Single Rider Line.

The following Rider Switch attractions do not have Single Rider Lines, so you’ll need to use Rider Switch for them if desired:

  • Autopia
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Gadget’s Go Coaster

Cutting down on Rider Switch return passes will allow you to move more efficiently during your day.

The only catch with Single Rider lines is that there is no guarantee that an adult and child will sit together. And, the child has to be 7 years old to use the Single Rider line.

If those restrictions don’t work for you, simply move through the strategy using Rider Switch return passes immediately after the first ride. You’ll be delayed a bit, of course, but if you get a good start with your day, you will still make good progress.

Why You Shouldn’t Start with Peter Pan and When You Should Ride It Instead

Save Peter Pan’s Flight for a time later in the day. Even if you go directly to Peter Pan at park opening, you will most likely wait an hour to ride it. Why? Everyone else goes there first. The attraction is slow loading. It’s just not the smartest way to start your day.

Save that hour wait for late afternoon or evening – not in the mid-day sun – but later on after you get other things done. You’ll wait the same amount of time as you would if you went there first thing. But, that first hour is so valuable – use it to do so much more.

Also, setting the tone of the day with an hour long wait at Peter Pan can work against you. Kids want to wait in line even less than you do. Show them that they’re going to move through the park in a fun way, riding several rides to kick off the day, rather than getting stuck in one place upon arrival.

If you watch fireworks from behind the castle – near Dumbo – you can jump in a line that forms near Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride that will lead guests to Peter Pan when this part of Fantasyland reopens after fireworks. Getting in this line will result in waiting only 5-10 minutes for the attraction. If you’re planning on being in the park late, I recommend this.

How These Strategies Test in the Parks

I test my strategies in the park monthly and occasionally share the results here.

Take a look at some of these examples so you can see how to adjust as your day develops.

August 2023 – great morning with lots done before noon

October 2023 – Haunted Mansion Holiday with a low wait, great day

November 2023 – Opening day of Holidays at the Disneyland Resort

February 2024 – nice morning with low wait times


Notes:

  • I test the strategies as the park changes and also randomly to ensure they’re the best way for you to tour the park. When I test them, I often share the results on Facebook with details from my day. Follow me there to see me walk through the plans above about once a month.
  • When I test, I do so alone, with my kids, in heels on Dapper Day, and even once with 50ish people! I, by no means, run from attraction to attraction. My intention with testing is to make sure the strategies work for you guys.
  • If I’m solo, I walk through the park as a family would – as I have many, many times over the years with my own kids – pushing a stroller and corralling children. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like. I do my best to mimic a family’s walk through so that you can see how my plans would work for you.
  • I encourage you to take a look at those posts above to see how the plans work during an actual day in the park. You’ll learn how I adjusted my plan to accommodate a ride closure or other surprise you might encounter. While every park visit is different, it’s good to have an overall idea of what you can expect during your day.

What About Entertainment?

Because you arrived early and focused on attractions during the first part of your day, your evening is clear for some shows.

I recommend watching the 8:45pm Main Street Electrical Parade from the “it’s a small world” viewing area. When it ends, stay where you are to watch Disneyland Forever Fireworks at 9:30pm. This link goes into more detail about your evening line up, including when to arrive.

Other Tips

A few tips to keep in mind:

  • Three dark rides (Snow White, Pinocchio, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride) all have super short wait times at the close of day. I recommend you skip these three until the park is nearly closed. You should be able to enjoy all three within 20 minutes if the lines are low enough. (I’ve actually walked onto each of these moments before the park closes.)
  • Have one person keep track of all theme park tickets and Genie+. If children have lanyards for their pin trading, do not allow them to hold their own tickets or passes. One person should be in charge of all tickets and passes, and it should absolutely be an adult.

Got other ideas? Find me on Facebook and let’s chat!

Take a look at how Get Away Today can help with your vacation

259 thoughts on “How to Start Your Day at Disneyland – Your Best Strategies with and without Genie+

  1. Hi Casey!

    Plotting our your Little Kids with Genie Plus strategy, and it looks like theres some criss crossing between lands in the morning plart (autopia to its a small world to pirates- will this take up alot of time? I want to trust the process but im trying to visualize)
    I’m worried that will be a problem with littles. Do you find that the bouncing between lands is a big deal?
    I’ll have a stroller with a 2 and 5 year old.

    Thanks!
    Anna

    Thanks!@

    1. Hey Anna.

      I’m glad you asked! Strategies have been tough for that side of the park with Haunted Mansion and Splash town. I reviewed what I had and made some changes. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.

      1. thank you!
        i see the adjustments and i’ll add them to our list.
        re: toon town and the rides in there- is the only one usually very busy the runaway railroad? i noticed chip and dales gadget coaster isn’t a stand alone in your list, but i assume it would be within the toontown section?

        also, is toontown open at different times? or just park open to park close?

        thanks for suggestion re: jolly holiday, i’m now trying to map out potential food spots and i’ll see if it might be ok for kids too.

        thank you again!

  2. Hi Casey,

    I just realized Haunted Mansion will be closed for refurb when we are there. We plan on following the Big Kid Plan with Genie Plus and Early Entry. What do you suggest choosing for genie + selection in place of Haunted mansion to best go with your strategy sequence? Should I just skip to the next Genie + selection in your plan? Trying to figure out how to get the most out of Genie + but not choose one that won’t be near where we are at the time of the return window, while also trying to avoid using one when we don’t need to yet.
    Thanks in advance for your help!

    1. I actually edited all of my strategies taking Haunted Mansion and Splash out. Take a look and let me know if you still see it. I think I got them all. Please let me know! Happy to help you.

      1. Oh fantastic yes I see that now. I opened my computer and I don’t think the browser was refreshed since the last time I was working on this! You’re so good! Thank you!

  3. Hello Casey!
    Do you have a plan that would be Disneyland Big Kids with Genie+ AND a paid LL for Rise of the Resistance? I am trying to figure out how to manage timing for paid LL for Rise of the Resistance, a Genie + for Smugglers Run, and a visit to the droid making station.
    Thanks for all your help!

        1. Hey again. You got it! The strategies on my website are always the most up to date. A couple of changes coming soon, but they’ll be there before your trip. I’ll have you ready! Don’t worry.

      1. Also! I heard Rise of Resistance is better at night, if it is true to do this ride at night do you suggest to replace it was Indiana Jones and then where you have Indiana Jones, do RofR? Thanks again for your tips! I have an 8 year old and 4 year old.

  4. I cannot thank you enough for literally the step by step plan that we so desperately needed for our Disney trip. We are doing one day in DCA and one day in Disneyland. Two questions: What age do you consider the Big Kid and Little Kid plan. Secondly, do you recommend doing DCA first or Disneyland. We will be there on a Thursday and Friday in January.

    So, so many thanks!!!

  5. Hi Casey!

    Do you ever update your strategies at all? We are going Dec 18 -21. Yes we know it will be busy but we are ready. 2 adults 2 kids 6-8. Genie + also and plan to rope drop.

  6. Hi Casey! Quick question, for the “The Disneyland Strategy for Big Kids with Genie+” no early entry, why not ride Star Tour first and get a genie+ for Space Mountain? Wouldn’t switching the order of those two help avoid the busy rush to Space Mt first thing in the morning? Thanks for your input!!

    1. Good question. And it does help you avoid the rush.

      However, you can realistically board Space Mountain in about 10 minutes. Not using Genie+ for it first thing allows you to use Genie+ for it later in the day.

      Choose between the two for your first ride, but consider what you like best in case you want to repeat.

      Have fun!

  7. Hi Casey,

    I remember reading somewhere that we’ll need to book Genie+ for all members of our party if we want to do Rider Switch, but I’m still a little confused. Will all members be scanned into the ride when we go up to ask for Rider Switch, so we can book our next Genie+? Or only the members in the first group get scanned in, and then we have to wait for the remaining person to be scanned in to book the next Genie+ for the whole party?

    Thank you! You’ve been my go-to for Disneyland for years!

  8. Hi Casey!

    We are headed to DLR and DCA for 5 days (3 in DL, 2 in DCA) next week.

    We have three little girls 7 and under who are very excited for princesses and one 9-year-old boy who is….not 🙂 I’ve read it’s better to do the Princess meet-and-greet at Fantasy Faire earlier in the morning at opening (10am) rather than later to avoid crowds. Any truth to that? How do we manage this while also sticking to your plan, or is that basically a wash? Would it make any sense to attempt either of your DLR plans until Fantasy Faire opens and deviate, and then return to the order of the plan you have after the meet-and-greet or would that mess up the efficiency and get us in longer lines? Thank you so much!

  9. Hello! I appreciate all your tips. We are headed there next week. We will be in Disneyland for 2 days. I see where you say to split the itinerary in half but I’m curious that if you were to recommend what ride and genie+ Pass to start with (if we did the first half of your itinerary in Day 1) what would you recommend? It seems like almost all of the attractions you have after lunch don’t have genie+ passes so it doesn’t make sense to leave all those for the second day. Would it make sense to split the suggested itinerary for the morning in half, then do half of the fantasyland/critter country stuff on the first day and then do the second half of both itineraries the next day? I’m a bit confused as to how to maximize our time and our genie+ passes on both days.

    1. I should probably note that we will have a 3 year old that may not want to ride all of the rides so we will be doing rider switch occasionally which will slow us down. Or sometimes single rider lines if it makes sense.

    2. Hi Laura.

      You could split the morning in half, but logistically, you would be crossing the park a lot.

      I suggest finishing up with anything you’re lacking from day 1 on day 2 and then repeat favorites.

      With this in mind, take note of Genie+ attractions you want to repeat and select those in the morning on the 2nd day.

  10. Hello will be going to Disneyland and DCA for 4 days two days each park with Genie + on December 13th two adults. Can you please provide your best strategy? Thank you for your time I appreciate you!

  11. Casey do you have a plan for a one day park hopper that covers both parks? We only have one day this time, but no kids with us.

    1. Hi there.

      You might be able to, but there’s no guarantee you’ll get a park reservation for that day and you have to buy a ticket to make a park reservation. So, it’s best to buy ahead of time.

  12. hi
    Thank you for all your information and i studying these.
    i wil going to go 2022,11,5~6(2days). I have two girs( 9,6 years)
    We are first time. actually i really want a go to starwars place and ride. Only for me in my familly.
    so..
    i want add starwars ride(Rise of the resistance, and farcon) in Big kids or Little Kid plan. I think My kids can not ride Incredicoaster, indiana jones(scary) hunted mansion, space mountain.
    we will use Geenie + and LL
    can you do me a faver?
    can you help to make plan like big or little kids with out these and with Srar wars.
    thanks.

    and i think about dining packges, (Fantasmic Dining, World of Color Dining)
    thank you

  13. Hello! Thank you for all the amazing tips. We hit the parks next week and plan to follow the little kids strategy with genie+. I was curious if you have an updated plan with Toon Town closed. Or, would the plan be to just skip those rides and move to the next?

  14. Hi Casey!

    Our next trip to Disneyland is November 11th through the 15th. We will be in DL on the 12th and 14th and DCA on the 13th. (Veteran’s Day weekend and the start of Christmas yikes!)

    Haunted Mansion Holiday and Small World Holiday are a priority for our group, how does that affect the plan with genie+? Do you anticipate these attractions running out of lightning lanes early in the day?

    Thank you!

    1. I’ll be there to test my strategies just before you arrive, but you should have no problem at all with what I have set up now. Arrive early and it will all go smoothly!

  15. Hi Casey,
    We are planning to go to Disneyland at the end of August to celebrate my daughter’s 6th birthday. 1 day in DL and 1 day in DCA.
    I’m wondering which kid plan should we pick. We haven’t gone on big rides with her (thanks to Covid), so I’m not sure if she’d be scared of them.. and wondering if the little kids rides will be too small for her age.. any help is much appreciated! Thanks so much!

    1. Hi there!

      I recommend using the Big Kids plan and then skipping what you don’t think will work. The Big Kids plan incorporates all attractions. This will give you a good focus on the iconic attractions in each park at the start of your day.

      Have a great visit!

  16. Hi there – Thank you for your Strategy Tips … I know Disney World parks like the back of my hand but I am making my 1st trip to Disneyland in October and I am struggling to come up with a “plan of attack” (strategy) for our time in Disneyland Park (I haven’t started mapping out DCA yet lol Im sure I’ll be back here with questions when I get to that lol). So, that said here is what I can tell you about parameters of our itinerary:

    OUR PARTY: 3 ADULTS (die hard park fan)

    DISNEYLAND PARK GOAL: Ride every single ride (including Train, Carriage, Monorail etc.) Meet as many characters as possible, see a parade and see fireworks. (We are however, ok if we DON’T ride any Star Wars rides, including ROR, Smugglers and Star Tours and also Winnie the Pooh isn’t high on our list lol)

    OUR TICKETS: 3-day single park with Genie + (already purchased) and Oogie Boogie Tickets (also purchased). We will also have DAS.

    PARK RESERVATIONS MADE:

    ~THURSDAY, OCT 20TH – Disneyland Park – Planning rope drop til 3pm (or at latest 6pm) on 10/20 since we have Oogie Boogie this night. Yes, we know it will be a long day but we are die hard.
    ~FRIDAY, OCT 21ST – California Adventure – Planning Rope Drop to close
    ~SATURDAY, OCT 22ND – Disneyland Park Rope Drop to Close on 10/22

    MY QUESTION: Whats the best way to morph the plans here into one that will let us do it all in DLP and since we can choose 2 attractions BEFORE we even head to Cali, what attractions on each day should we choose and then what Genie + attractions should we pick upon entering DLP?

    HELP! Your plans look so solid but Im grappling with going with the Adult plan or the Kid plan (even though we don’t have kids because in all honesty that one speaks to my nostalgic heart, but we also love roller coasters and dark rides lol so we need a morphed plan… Any guidance you would suggest?

    1. Hi, Stacy.

      Happy to help you! I would go with the Disneyland plan for Big Kids, as it includes all attractions. Follow what I have created for you to start at each park. This will allow you to cross off many big rides early in the day. Then, fill in your afternoon with everything else on your list plus shows and parades.

      Don’t miss entertainment! Here’s the scoop on it:

      https://disneylanddaily.com/disneyland-entertainment-parades-fireworks-shows-special-events-and-more/

      You’re in great shape with your WDW knowledge and 3 days in the parks. You’ll see and do everything you wish. Check out this post, too, for planning info with a section for WDW vets:

      https://disneylanddaily.com/a-first-timers-guide-to-disneyland/

      Let me know how else I can help!

  17. Hi! We are going to DL this week and printed out your big kids plan to follow with our 11 &8yr old daughters. Question though, should we try to get LL for ROTR first thing?

    1. I don’t recommend going there first. Instead, check the wait times early evening and jump in standby line if it’s 60 minutes or less.

      If you want to buy the LL, watch the app for the return window you like best and purchase it then.

  18. Hi!

    2 questions

    1. I’m headed to DL early July. Does the reopening of Pirates (after being closed) put a kink in your big kid plan or do you think it will be okay?

    2. Just to clarify, I can hold two genie plus reservations as long as they are two hours apart? Thanks so much!

    1. Hi Jill.

      1. Pirates should work as is in the plan. You’re good!

      2. Yes. And more if you have a multiple experiences pass issues to you, but overall the answer to your question is yes.

  19. Hi!

    My husband and I are bring our boys (12, 6 and 1½) for 2 days (1 in each park) soon! We used your plans before with fastpass and lived it and plan to do so again, although we never make it to rope drop (we get there around 9ish) My question is… what time do we stop for lunch (looks like in your plans you stop around noon)?? Should we just follow though with the first half of your plans regardless of what time we start and stop when we finish the last ride in the list regardless of what time it is?? Or should be juat stop at noon even though we didn’t get through the list because the park is now crowded and hot and just continue where we left off when we get back possibly skipping some parades etc?? Also, this might be a silly question but what time do we start back up again?? You mention leaving for lunch around 12-1 but I don’t see any plans for when you return… We plan on leaving the park to nap/cool down/play in the pool and eat an early dinner before heading back to close the park. We want to avoid the heat and crowds as much as possible but still be able to enjoy everything. TIA!!

    1. Hi, Iman.

      Happy to help you again! I would plan to stop between 1:00pm and 2:00pm at the latest. I usually take off then and return closer to 5:00pm.

      No need to halt everything at noon.

      Don’t forget to grab a Genie+ right before you break so that you have an attraction lined up for your evening. Once you hit the two hour mark on your break, grab another Genie+ for the evening. (Set an alarm because you will forget.)

      Continue down the list of attractions when you get back to the park. Then, prepare for Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever Fireworks.

      Here’s the scoop on each:

      https://disneylanddaily.com/all-about-parades-at-disneyland/

      https://disneylanddaily.com/fireworks-at-disneyland/

      Have fun!

  20. I love love love your strategies and you are so incredibly helpful! There are SO many different variables and you do an incredible job of finding strategies that work for everyone! I have referred many first-timer families to your website.

    I am a semi-pro/minor league category veteran in that my 10 year old (older) has visited DL/WDW 14 times since she was a year old but I’m not local so I can’t afford to while the day away and ride 1 or 2 things and spend the day soaking in the atmosphere.

    I am curious about one thing — can you say more about why you recommend doing Genie+ attractions during that crucial first 1-2 hours the park is open, saving some of the other non-Genie+ attractions for later when lines are longer? Examples — riding Buzz and Star Tours in the first hour when those rides are easily doable with Genie+ with a short return window almost all day, and Matterhorn and Big Thunder fairly early without using Genie+. Meanwhile, the lines for stuff like Dumbo, Alice, and Jungle Cruise build during that time period so you would end up waiting 10-30 minutes longer for all three of those going in the afternoon.

    I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this…although I imagine the momentum and satisfaction of plowing through all those headliners early is a big part of it, as is the locations/order of things you have planned!

    My problem is I have a Big Kid and a Little Kid (well, not so little but is super scared of the rollercoasters and Splash) so I want to make sure all my little customers are treated equally 😉 You know how it is with siblings…

    And I might just test your exact strategy and send you my results (for science ;))

    1. Hi, Heather.

      Would love to see your results! Send them to me for sure.

      Ok, here’s my thinking: We don’t know when the return windows will run out here at Disneyland. They’re going fast at WDW and they went quickly with MaxPass. Disneyland guests seem to be the least enthusiastic about Genie and because of that, our Genie return windows are lasting all day with no problem. But, we don’t know when that will end.

      I see where you’re going with your suggestions. My concern is that if we ignore Genie for the first couple of hours, those return windows will look further and further out….especially as Genie continues to catch on. Also, riding Star Tours and Buzz standby in the morning will allow you to use Genie later on to ride with minimal wait a second time.

      I’ll continue thinking about your approach and will try some things out in the park with this in mind as time allows. Appreciate your suggestions!

  21. On the plan for DL, you say to grab a G+ for Space Mountain first thing, but then when you look at the bullet point of the plan, you say Grab a Star Tours G+ and then ride Space Mountain. I know you can’t have 2 G+’s at once unless they spaced further out, so do you grab a Space Mountain first? or a Star Tours and ride Space Mountain without a G+? Thanks!

    1. Hi, Monica.

      Thanks for catching this. I changed my original strategy after testing and now recommend grabbing a Genie+ for Star Tours and going directly to Space Mountain to ride standby. By doing this, you’ll be able to use Genie+ for another ride on Space Mountain when the lines are super long later during the day.

      I’ve edited my post. Appreciate you!

  22. We are leaving for our 3rd trip to Disneyland on Saturday! I have used your strategies each time. I can’t thank you enough for them! (though I try by using your affiliate links when I need to :)). I wondered, with our first day in the park being Sunday the 13th, and that being the last day pirates of the Caribbean is open for a while, do you suggest opting for pushing it up in the strategy? I’ve been torn because I feel like it’s going to be really crowded on It’s last day and we don’t want to miss it since Sunday is our only chance!!

  23. First let me thank you for all you do! We used your strategies and tips back in October for Oogie Boogie and they were spot on! We were able to really maximize our experience, so thank you!
    We’ll be back there next week (we live in Austin) and I’m wondering what you strategy suggestion is for Rise if we intend to purchase the separate LLs. Would you recommend purchasing right away (I know they sell out each day/most days at least) or watching the times and purchasing later in the day?

  24. We are coming in on Sunday 3/13. Planning on eating dinner when we arrive, will have a break between that and fireworks, do you know if pirates and jungle cruise are less busy after 6 pm?

  25. Going next Sunday for one day with a group of 4 adults, 1 teen, 2 toddlers and a baby. Won’t be getting to the park till 9 or 9:30 am (not my choice!) and leaving by 7pm. We want to ride some of the big rides and plan to use rider switch and get genie+. Do you have any suggestions or modifications that would allow us to get the most out of the day?

  26. Just got back from a day visit to Disneyland park during the MLK three-day weekend (1/16/2022). Had a group of eight people with me, and with your Genie+ strategy, we had an AWESOME time! The longest wait we had was for Rise, and that was about less than an hour! Though we did get lucky on that one. Although I use your strategies every time I visit, this was the first time my group has experienced them and they were so impressed with how quickly we got on every ride without waiting more than 30 minutes. Now they can’t wait to go back! Thanks Casey for all you do, you’re really a life saver!

  27. Thanks for your tips! I am curious to know if you have a list like this that includes galaxy’s edge and what to see there? i know you said to go if/when we can ride ROTR, or after 3pm, but how does that affect the other rides in your daily list? Does that make sense? Or are you saying just go to Galaxy’s Edge whenever and continue the rest of the list after we do everything we want to do there?

    We will be at Disneyland on May the Fourth and I think we will avoid Galaxy’s Edge that whole day, do you think that’s best? We will return the next day and go for a ROTR boarding group and if we don’t get on we will visit Galaxy’s edge in the afternoon. Is that what you would suggest?

  28. Hi Casey! Thank you for all your hard work. I am studying these as we prepare for our trip on Monday! I’m wondering where I can find the plan for little kids on EMH/MM? We are at the DLR and have it 2 days! Or should I follow the plan that doesn’t account for those privileges?

    Thank you so much again!!

      1. Thank you! I went there too but there was no strategy there. 🙂 Should I follow the schedule for little kids in this post? With pulling buzzlightyear first? Thank you!

  29. Hi Casey – Thanks for all these posts and tips, they are super helpful. I will be going to Disneyland for the first time with my sister and her kids (9 and 7). We will all be first timers. Although my sister and I have both been to Disney World multiple times. I was going through your Disneyland day and then looking along at the map to see where the rides/attractions are located. As I know you have done this multiple times, I just want to make sure it’s not too much craziness and running around. As say to just staying in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland to begin the day and getting those rides/attractions out of the way.

    Thanks so much for your time and respose! We leave on Saturday 🙂

  30. Hi Casey,
    Thanks for this magical world of information.
    I’m bringing my family all the way from New Zealand to Disneyland next Wednesday and they don’t know it yet. Your site has been very helpful but I do have a couple of questions:
    I’ve just discovered that there is the new Star Wars ride opening tomorrow. Do you think that will effect midweek crowds overall?
    Does this change anything with your plans for 1 day at Disney for big kids?
    When this Boarding Group system is in operation for the new ride does that mean you can’t get into the entire Galaxy Edge area until your time is due, or is that just for the ride itself.
    Many thanks.

  31. This article is really amazing…thanks a lot 🙂
    We are travelling with our 15-month old for the 1st time and we are there for 2 days. Since our son is really young and still takes 2 naps during the day, we are leaning towards skipping DCA and experience Disneyland as much as possible for 2 days. But adding DCA for just 55 bucks with park hopper tkts is also tempting and we wonder if we can cover both the parks in 2 days with our 15-month old.

  32. Hi Casey, truly enjoyed your plan. We have a 6 and 8yr old and we’re staying at grand californian. first time in DL. Like most parent, we’re here mainly for the kids so crazy rides are not our top priority, but i think they’ll love peter pan, so like one of the posts says we would like to make sure we get that out of the way. I’m curious ’cause your plan suggests not to do that first because even if we’re there at the opening, we would still be waiting for over an hour. But what if we’re crazy enough and since we have EMH, we rope drop and get to the park 45mins before EMH (6:15ish, that is wee hour for us), will we be the first to ride peter?

    1. Hi, there!

      You should be fine going to Peter Pan first if you arrive early enough and know how to get there.

      Most guests will take a while getting through the castle, parking their stroller, finding the line, etc….which results in a long wait. But, you sound like you know what you’re doing. Go for it!

  33. I used your recommendations a year ago at DCA with 2 kids and my slower moving parents and it was perfect, thank you!!!
    Looking forward to using your plan again when we visit both parks the week of Christmas. You’re website is fantastic, thank you thank you!!

  34. Thank you for all the information provided. I see where you have the Strategies listed for DCA with and without EMH, but I don’t see the same for Disneyland. All I see is where you suggest to arrive 30 minutes early if you have EMH/MM and 1 hour early if you don’t. Are the strategies the same? Can you provide the link for the different Disneyland strategies if you DO have EMH/MM? Thank you!

  35. I am taking my family to Disneyland for 2 days on Dec 31st and Jan 1st. Do you suggest I take advantage of the Early Morning hour and do Disneyland on the 31st and California Adventure on Jan 1. Or should I go to California Adv on the 31st because everyone else will be at Disney and do Disneyland while everyone is sleeping in on Jan 1st. Thank you so much!!!

  36. I love reading your plans in preparation for our upcoming vacation in November. I have a question though. I was looking at your plan this morning in comparison to current wait times and FASTPASS times. My question is: do you recommend grabbing a FP to Matterhorn instead of space Mountain because the wait times are still really long due to only having one track open? This am space Mountain was a 10 min wait, star tours was 15 min and Matterhorn was 35min. Also, any chance you will ever post a YouTube video of your day? I would LOVE seeing this. Thank you

  37. We have two days at Disneyland. I want to do a character breakfast and take my daughter to Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. Would you recommend doing them the same day or different days? Also, what time of day should I book them to maximize our time in the park?

    1. Hi, Larissa.

      I would book the BBB for around noon and your character breakfast at 10:30am. This way, if your child spills, her makeover won’t be affected.

      Start early in the parks and work through attractions (with one of my strategies in this post) until you dine at 10:30am. Then, break for a “brunch” at this time….then the BBB….then resume attractions.

      I recommend Minnie’s in the Park for both quality (it’s my favorite!) and location.

      See all of your options here:

      https://disneylanddaily.com/a-complete-guide-to-character-meals-at-disneyland-resort/

      And, here’s info on the BBB:

      https://disneylanddaily.com/disneyland-for-princesses-how-to-do-and-see-it-all/#The_Bibbidi_Bobbidi_Boutique

      Enjoy!

    2. I did BBB for my daughter and then the Minnie breakfast, and I’d do it that way again because all the pictures and videos of the character interactions have my daughter all dressed and made up! The pics from that are so precious to me.

  38. Hi Casey – this list above for Big Kids – can you tell me how you’d recommend inserting Oga’s (what time) and Batuu w/ Smugglers into the order above? We also have reservations at River Belle w/ seating for Fantasmic. Thanks so much!

  39. Hi love all the tips!! I have a 5 year old and 3 year old. Due to the time difference where we are coming from there is no way they will make it from park opening until the fireworks. If we plan on leaving the park by 8 each night, should we try to do Peter Pan first or still later in the day? Thanks!

    1. Still later in the day. Follow my list to start. You’ll wait an hour for Peter Pan at any point. It’s best not to use your first hour when you can get so much else done. Enjoy!

  40. With Smugglers Run now open, would you put that as the first ride to go to? And, then resume list as is? Seems that SR has a 60-90 min. wait time every time I look at the app.

  41. Hi Casey,

    I want to try this strategy on a Magic Morning day. I read all the Facebook links and it looks like some are different from what you have above. This is what I have written down- does this look like a reasonable plan? Do you think it’s also reasonable to think we’d have this all done to make a 12:30 lunch reservation at Cafe Orleans?

    -Enter park for Magic Morning at 7AM
    – [ ] Grab FP for Space Mountain
    – [ ] Peter Pan
    – [ ] Alice
    – [ ] Mr. Toads Wild Ride
    – [ ] Pinnochio
    – [ ] Snow White
    – [ ] Ride Star Tours
    – [ ] Grab Matterhorn FP
    – [ ] Ride Space Mountain with FP
    – [ ] Ride Buzz Lightyear
    – [ ] Ride Matterhorn with FP
    – [ ] Grab Haunted Mansion FP
    – [ ] Ride Big Thunder Mountain
    – [ ] Ride Pirates
    – [ ] Ride Splash Mountain
    – [ ] Ride Pooh
    – [ ] Ride Haunted Mansion with FP
    – [ ] Grab Indiana Jones FP
    – [ ] Ride Jungle Cruise
    – [ ] Lunch at Cafe Orleans
    – [ ] Enchanted Tiki Room
    – [ ] Ride Indiana Jones with FP

    I know I put Peter Pan first- should we avoid that and focus on the other Fantasyland rides? Fantasyland is a must for our MM. thank you! We’re going in August, if that helps!

    1. The links I have shared from previous tests are different because each day is different in the parks. But, they all follow the same basic structure.

      Your plan should work if you remove Peter Pan. I also suggest leaving Fantasyland (except for Alice) for later in the day because most of those attractions have consistently short wait times at any part of the day.

      But, you should be just fine with what you have. Enjoy!

  42. Hi Casey!

    So, I read that starting very soon, Fantasmic will be available on Maxpass instead on the paper Fastpass. If that is the case, does that change the window as to when you would grab a Fantasmic Fastpass? We just got our reservation time for Galaxy’s Edge on June 6th!!! I’m hoping the rest of the park will be able to be navigated easily following your plan since I bet the park will be at capacity.

  43. Hi Casey, I’ve noticed you recommend in many different places to arrive early – if we do not follow your advice to get there early, does it screw up these awesome attack plans you’ve laid out? What is the latest arrival time range that can work with your attack plan? As you can probably tell I’m getting pushback on the early arrival idea 😀 But we are going next week so I think the opening time is 9 anyway. Thank you!!

    1. Hi, Christine. You have to arrive early to get it all done. The later you start, the longer each wait will take, as the park will be more crowded. With each hour you wait, FASTPASS return windows will be later.

      Absolutely arrive by 8:15am at the latest to get the most out of your day. Offer a fun hotel breakfast in your room for kids if they don’t want to wake. Coffee for adults. It’s worth it!

  44. What time does your lunch usually start time wise with your plans? And when the final rides end for dinner?

  45. Hi Casey, Thanks for all of the information. I do have one probably stupid question. Number 6 on your plan says to “grab a paper FASTPASS for Fantasmic”. What is Fantasmic? I did not see that attraction on a map.
    Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to helping us visitors have a more enjoyable experience.

  46. I took my 83-year old mother in December. She walks unaided but gets tired. It was wonderful exploring the park at a slow pace. We used the train several times to get from one land to the other. We rode Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World and a few others and enjoyed the show that is on the stage to the left of the castle. She lasted about 6 hours and then she hit the wall. I took her back to the hotel and went back to catch the fireworks and a ride on Space Mountain. We joked about going to City Hall for a button..instead of one that said “First Visit”, we’d get one that said “Last Visit”. We lived in SoCal when I was a child and went to Disneyland for many years in the 60’s. It was fun taking her one last time.

  47. Thank you for all your tips !!
    We are heading over in August ‘19. We have a 3 day pass (1day per park) & understand it has a MM for DL. My concern is would it be worth to go early during such crowds, or will everyone do the same ? Or should we skip it & go to DCA that day, when it opens, hopefully everyone will be at DL?. Have heard with Star Wars we probably won’t be able to leave the parks to return, & my concern is will the kids last all day with the earlier time ??

    1. I wouldn’t miss your Magic Morning by any means. EMH/MM are busy, but getting that first hour in with the strategy I share in this post will make a big difference in your day. Enjoy!

  48. If you go in for your magic morning can you select Fast Passes (with Max Pass) for rides that aren’t open yet? Also, is all of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland open for magic morning or just certain rides? Thanks so much!!!!

    1. You should only be able to select them for attractions that are open. The strategies in this post detail all of the rides that you should start with, as they’ll have FASTPASSES open. Enjoy!

  49. Hi Casey-
    Thanks so much for all of this! We are trying to plan a trip with our 4 year old and 1 year old next month, but my husband and I still want to do some of the bigger rides. We have been to Disneyland twice in the past two years and have never gotten to ride Peter Pan because the line was SO long. Can you help me understand why you wouldn’t go straight there and ride it first with MM? I really really want to make sure we ride it this trip and I’m nervous seeing it placed so late in the day on the itinerary!
    Thank you!!

  50. Hi Casey!

    Super excited about a last minute trip we have planned for the beginning of May. Your site has been super informative. We will have a 3, 7, and 11 year old; is there a way that you would recommend maximizing the plans to adjust for having both little and big kids with us? We will have 3 day passes, no Park Hoppers and will have Max Pass. We are planning on 2 days at Disneyland and 1 at DCA.

  51. Hello Casey,
    So thankful for all your strategies, I can’t wait to test them out in a few weeks. My family got 4-day passes (one park per day) and that come with 1 EMH. Which park would you recommend to visit from a Wednesday to Saturday, and which park should I use the EMH? Thanks for your advice!

  52. Hi Casey,

    Thanks for the information and would like to know if the FASTPASS with MAXPASS can be purchased after entering the park?

      1. Hi Casey,
        Thank you for your helpful post. Do you have any suggestions on how to adjust the itinerary right after Star Wars Land opens? Going with big kids (9,11,14). We have a trip already planned for the second week of June – we saw the announcement of the new land opening end of May and will try to get a reservation to enter it, but are unsure if we will get it. I know we should expect increased crowds, so I think a good strategy will be important. For either scenario, do you have any suggestions? Thanks!!

  53. We’re going to Disney land on a day space mountain is closed. And are wondering how you’d switch the schedule to adjust to that if we have the magic hour and MaxPass. Also we have a 3 day pass and will be there mon tues and half of wed and are wondering which order you’d suggest with each park if we have 1 day per park passes. Thank you!

    1. Hi, Kay.

      I would visit Disneyland on Sunday, DCA on Tuesday, and Disneyland again on Tuesday with Magic Morning.

      I rarely suggest Peter Pan for any plan, but it’s a good time to go to it first with the castle being under refurbishment. Arrive 30 minutes prior to Magic Morning timing, select the Matterhorn MaxPass upon entering, go straight to Peter Pan (veer right at the castle and then go in the back way near teacups), ride it and then Star Tours standby. Then, Matterhorn….and continue on with the plan.

      Enjoy!

  54. We are going in March with another family (4 people in our family, 4 people in their family.) Should one adult manage the FastPasses for all 8 people, or should we have an adult from each family of 4 manage them? We arrive at different times the first day, but spend the 2nd and 3rd day at the parks together. Concerned that they may end up wanting to split up during the day, and if we do that, it will be harder for one person to manage.

    We have been to DW over 7 times, but this is our first visit to DL, and it is so new to us planning it! Thanks!

  55. As far as I can tell, Jedi Training ended on November 4th this year. Hopefully when Galaxy’s Edge opens up, they move it over there because I would love my kids to have a try!

      1. Thanks you so much for this information. We are going in a just over a week and I’m so excited to try it out. I’m wondering how your plan works when you have to use a rider switch pass, since I have both big kids but also a toddler. I want our group to stay together. Thanks, and sorry to have to reply as I couldn’t figure out how to start a new comment. Suzanne

  56. Thank you for your information. I have enjoyed following you the past few years and I have followed your strategies.
    Have you done a day plan for when you have a very senior citizen with you? My 91-year-old mother and I are going to just Disneyland next Tuesday, the 30th. We are only going for a day. She does not need nor want a wheelchair and walks well, but somewhat slowly with a cane. I’m planning for us to go on Fantasyland rides (her favorite is Dumbo), Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh, Jungle cruise, eat at Carnation Cafe, and somewhere else, watch parades and shows.
    I don’t think we can hang until closing, she’ll wear out.
    I’m looking for suggestions for resting spots and anything else you can think of.
    We are in San Diego for a month with my husband and she wanted to go to Disneyland “one last time”;
    Thanks for any help.

  57. Hi Casey! I followed your strategy for CA Adventure earlier this year and it worked perfectly! Unfortunately, we got a bit off track (we had a 4 and 7 year old in tow) 😉 We are going with extended family on 11/30 and I was wondering if you have an updated strategy due to the bigger crowds for the haunted mansion and jingle cruise?

    1. Hey, Melissa.

      The strategies are up to date for the remainder of 2018. The Jingle Cruise isn’t happening and Haunted Mansion has been moved up in the order. Follow one of these plans and you’re set!

  58. Hi Casey. I have a question about the Disneyland plan for big kids with EMH. If I get a fastpass for Space Mt. first thing, using Maxpass, during EMH, what is the usual return time for that fastpass? Is it after official park opening or before? I like to enter Frontier Land, Critter Country, etc. right when they open to get on those rides first thing. I do not want to be stuck going on Space Mt. at official park opening and miss my opportunity to get in there right away. Do you have any experience with this? We will be there in December which will no doubt be very busy. Thanks!

  59. Thank you so much for all of this information! I plan to follow these almost to a T 😉 I’m hoping you can give me a suggestion though. We are going with our tall/fairly fearless 4 year old. I believe she will want to go on all the mountain/dark rides eventually; however, I’m not sure if I want to start her out on those smack dab first thing in the morning on our first day in case I scar her for life on space mountain at 8am. but I also don’t want to miss out on the best times to ride the “good” rides. Should we start out with your little kid plan for a couple of rides and then move to the big kid plan? Or can you suggest a ride or two to start off with before heading to space Mountain and star tours? We plan to utilize rider switch if she shows no interest in these rides, but I think we can work her up to it 🙂

  60. We have 4 days park hopper tickets and the privilege to enter either park earlier one of those 4 days. Where do you think it the Early Morning Hour will be best used? Disneyland or California Adventure?

    PS. we are using your big kids strategies for both parks, we will be doing rider switch since our kids are 8, 6, 4, and 2 years old. and we will probably be using Max pass.

  61. You mentioned not to try all rides in one day. If we go to half the list in one day, can we start the next day where we left off. Have you tried half the list one day and the other half the next? does it work okay?

  62. I love your plans for California Adventure! Do you have a minute by minute plan for Disneyland as well? We are going for the first time October 1. We have Mickey’s Halloween Party tickets for October 2, and planning one day at Universal Studios. What itinerary do you recommend (2 daughters ages 10 and 8)

  63. Hi Casey this is awesome thank you! We are heading down with the family first week of October. We have a 7, 5, 4.5, and 2.5 year old with us all first timers. Looking at your plan for littles and wondering if you would switch anything around if using the extra magic hour? Sorry of you have already answered this. Could you also touch on the same for California Adventure? Thanks!

  64. Hi Casey,
    I am reading your posts for couple of last weeks and all your strategies. Any tips how to combine all your tips for 1day hoper tickets for family with big kids? We will be there on Sept 15 and it is our first time visiting Disneyland. Appreciate any help!

  65. Hi Casey, can’t tell you how much I appreciate you and your site! I’ve used it on two Disney trips now! Do you happen to have any strategies for groups with big and Little kids? That always seems to be the struggle with us! We tried splitting the groups but the kids want to be together of course (cousins) so it’s tough balancing. The littles are definitely less patient than the bigs but we want to get the mountains done first of course! Thanks!!

    1. You best bet is to use the big kids plan and then cross off what you’re not interested in. If big kids are going on an attraction that little ones cannot, try to find something nearby to keep them busy. Cast members can advise on that when you arrive at each attraction. You’d be surprised, thought, at how much you can all do together. Enjoy, Maria!

  66. Hi Casey,

    Thank you for your amazing website, I’ve been reading many posts and even watching some YouTube videos covering other tips and tricks for Disneyland and California Adventure and I’m? feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options available.

    I am traveling? to the U.S for the very first time from Sydney, Australia with my Wife and 11 year old son. We will be in Anaheim from September 17th 2018 until September 22nd. We have purchased a 4 day hopper pass for Disneyland/C.A. (Expedia had a deal of 4 days for the price of 2 including one Magic Morning). We have also purchased tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party for one of the evenings.

    During this vacation we will also spend some time in San Francisco, San Diego and Las Vegas.
    We have a day at Universal Studios and a WB Studios tour booked as well.

    Could you suggest a rough itinerary or which plan we should follow based on the above info to help us maximise our first time to the ?U.S? We have been planning this trip for years and I really don’t want to stuff it up!

    ? Thanks for any and all help you can give, Cheers.??

    Chris and Rebecca

    1. Hi, Chris. I would follow the Big Kid plans for each park and then use the EMH plan at Disneyland for your Magic Morning day. You’ll be in great shape with all you have arranged!

  67. Casey – We just used the DL touring plan for little kids this past Friday to get started. We got our Buzz FP and then headed over to Alice. Seeing no one in line at storybook canal boats we headed over there first. Since we were the first guests to ride, we were asked to signed the guestbook. Such a magical moment!! Thank you for this plan!

  68. Hi! This is such a great site. Yours is the best of many I have looked at! Question for you, we will be arriving about noon to the Grand Californian on Sunday August 26 and will head To Disneyland Park for afternoon and evening for my son’s 10th Birthday! Any suggestions on attacking the park at that time of day (there will be two big kids my husband and I)? We will have 2 more days (one at each park) after the initial half day. Any tips for arriving that time of day would be great. Definitely planning to catch 10:30 show of Fantasmic that night. THANKS!

  69. Hi Casey,

    This is absolutely amazing, thank you for sharing. We’re from PDX and I’m taking nine 15-year-olds over labor day weekend. Our plan is to spend a day in each park. Would the above big kid plan work?

  70. Hi Casey,
    This is super helpful, thank you for sharing!
    Last summer we did adventure land- New Orleans-critter country first thing in the morning and we got done by 11 A.M. also I walked to register my daughter on the Jedi training academy while my husband went to get the fantasmic fastpasses before we started to do the rides and that plan worked great!
    Just wanted to share our experience with you.
    I just saw your plan for day start at DCA and will follow it on our next visit July 30th – August 3rd

  71. Hey Casey! With the advent of MaxPass, do you still see the need to arrive at the park one hour ahead of park opening on non EMH/MM days? We’re headed to DL/DCA in mid August and we’re staying at the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. We have no little ones in our group, and we’re all early risers. I saw in one of your previous posts that their shuttle doesn’t start until 30 min before park opening. If the latter is still true, we may walk to DL on the first day ( a Wednesday) to get our tickets scanned early and collect that all-important first FastPass.

    1. Hi, Ruben. I do still recommend arriving an hour early if possible. Majestic Inn is tricky since their shuttle doesn’t run that early. We have walked from that location before and it was totally fine. Try it the first day to see how your group holds up. If it’s not worth the effort, take the first shuttle and get in the park asap after arriving. MaxPass certainly helps with these situations now. You will just be behind the Rope Drop crowd headed to your first attraction. Totally doable.

  72. Hi Casey,

    Any tips for combining these plans to satisfy both a 9-year-old thrill rider and a 5-year-old who hates roller coasters but loves simulators (i.e. Star Tours)? I’d like to start in Fantasyland so I’m thinking of following the Little Ones plan to start, but getting FP for Space Mtn instead of Buzz. Do you think we can ride Buzz without a FP if we skip Toontown? Then we could do Space w/ FP (swapping since my 5yo won’t ride it), and Nemo. I’d also like a FP for Star Tours since we all like that one. Should I pull that after Space, or is it better to do Star Tours first and then pull Space for later?

    We’ll be in the parks July 4-6 so I’m sure it will be busy. We’ll have 3-day Park Hoppers with MaxPass.

    1. Hi, Ava. As always, arrive an hour prior to official park opening. Upon entering the park, select Space Mountain as your first FASTPASS and then set up at Rope Drop in Tomorrowland. Go immediately to board Star Tours at official park opening. That’s the best way to get both of these very popular rides done with almost no wait time. Ride Buzz and Nemo standby after riding Star Tours, while you’re waiting for your Space Mountain FASTPASS window. You should have all four of these attractions done by an hour into your day if you follow these steps. Arriving early is imperative.

      I would then select a FASTPASS for it’s a small world. Get through Fantasyland while you’re waiting on that return window, although it shouldn’t be much of a wait at all.

      (it’s a small world just got FASTPASSES. I haven’t had a moment to revise this post to include it.)

      After it’s a small world’s FASTPASS, select Splash Mountain and continue on with the plan.

      Hope so much this helps!

  73. HI Casey, thank you for your website. VERY helpful, I’ve noted down quite a bit of useful tips. We’re a family of 4 (my husband and I along with 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son) with a 4-day pass for the parks (no hopper) from May 14-17, 2018. Unfortunately, grad night is May 15 and 16. Can you please recommend a plan-of action so that we get in all the must-dos/sees during those 4 days with minimal waits? We’re thinking 2 days in each park.
    Any advice is appreciated.
    Thank you!! 🙂

  74. Hello! Using your strategy for DLR 1 day with little ones, at what point(s) would it be best to do the monorail and train rides? Thank you!

      1. Hi Casey,
        We have a 4 day 1day per park tickets. We have 4 & 10 year olds. We aren’t into Star Wars at all, would like the Peter Pan stuff but also want to see the 4 mountains and go on the bigger rides utilising rider switch. We will do the EMH for each of the parks and stick with that park for the day. With DL I’m not sure whether to follow your EMH 1 or the one for the kiddies but incorporate the bigger stuff??

        1. I would use the mountain plan for your first day. Focus on getting the big rides done first. Then, on a subsequent day, use the little kid version to fill in. Still save Peter Pan for later in the day, but those two days with the listed attractions will cover the park for you easily. Cross off any repeats you don’t care to do. Enjoy!

  75. Hi Casey, We are going to be at DL on Thursday, May 17th and Friday, May 18th. My 5-year old wants to do the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique and she also wants to do the Star Wars Jedi Training. I’ve booked an appointment for the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique first-thing in the morning on Thursday because I figured she’d want to get the most out of her makeover and wear it all day long. The plan was to do the Jedi Training on the Friday but I’m starting to worry about Friday mid-May crowds and not being able to get a Jedi Training reservation. The park opens at 9:00am on the Thursday and 8:00am on the Friday. It’s also Grad Nite at DL on the Friday. Do you have any recommendations/suggestions? Should I switch up my plan or am I okay with it as is?

  76. Hi,
    Was just looking at the plan above (for if you have younger one’s) and just wondered how does it work with MaxPass? Do you follow the same itinerary but just click the fast passes off your MaxPass app?

  77. We will be visiting during the Lunar New Year celebration from the 10-13th. How would you recommend fitting that in the the DCA day?

    1. I would try to focus on attractions in the morning and then the Lunar New Year experiences in the afternoon when the parks are more crowded.

      I’ll be there today sharing what I find at the celebration on Facebook.com/DisneylandDailyCasey.

      Hope that helps!

  78. This is so helpful, thank you! If we have EMH and park hopper tickets do you recommend using our EMH at the designated park and then moving to the park without the EMH for the rest of the day? I have heard the park with the EMH and MM tend to be the busier park all day. Thoughts? Thanks for your help!

        1. Yes. I don’t think it’s entirely necessary to park hop. You can stay there or move over in the afternoon.

          Go through the morning strategy and then take a break in the afternoon. Return to whichever park you wish. Enjoy!

  79. Great site you are a lifesaver!!! I’m going mid September for my 40th and my twin boys 5th bday. We are staying at paradise pier. I was thinking about getting the maxpass as I like the photo option that comes with it as sometimes it will just be me and the kitties so don’t get a lot of photos with us all. Do you suggest following your ‘little ones’ plan? Also my mother will be with us for part of the trip but can’t go on rides am I able to do rider switch so I can ride the ride with one little and then switch to ride with the other so I don’t have to wait again? Are most of the rides and to accommodate one adult and two Little’s? (Would hate for us all to have to ride seperate and the rider switch although convenient may take up valuable time). What do you suggest? We have a 3 day park hopper pass.

  80. Wow, so much great information here, but this will be my first Disney trip, and my head is spinning! We’ll be at Disneyland the first full week of February, M-F. We have 5-day park hopper tickets. I am super apprehensive about crowds, which is why we chose early February and 5 weekdays. How strictly do you think we’ll need to adhere to a plan? We have two kids, 3 and 7, so I think we’ll have to split up some so each kid can go at their own pace (older brother is tall enough for all the big rides, younger brother is not). Our list of essentials is not that long (they’re big fans of Toy Story and Cars, Star Wars to a lesser extent, and couldn’t give a hoot about princesses or Mickey). On one hand, I really don’t want to rush the kids through and risk sensory overload/meltdowns, but on the other hand, I absolutely cannot wait in a 2 hour line for RSR because we spent all morning on Tom Sawyer Island or something. Also, we’ll start out the week still on East Coast time, so early arrival should be no problem!! Thank you for sharing your expertise!

    1. Start each day with a plan and get stuff done without the lines. Then, relax each afternoon. You have plenty of time to do and see it all with 5 days. But, no one likes a 2 hour line. Follow a good plan to avoid just about any line longer than 20 minutes. Everyone will be happier that way.

  81. Thanks for all the great tips. We have EMH at DL on a Tuesday. We have two kids who like both Tomorrowland and Fantasyland rides. Where should we start first if we want to do both sets of rides? Can Fantasyland be done later in the day without horrible wait times? Thanks!

    1. Hi, there.

      I would use the New Disneyland Strategy in this post and then focus on Fantasyland after. While waiting for a few of these attractions, you could sneak in Alice in Wonderland, which will be crowded throughout the day and is best to ride in the morning. Otherwise, most of the Fantasyland rides are decent afternoon/late evening. Save Peter Pan for later, as mentioned. If you want to skip my plan to move to the other side of the park all together, go immediately into Fantasyland after completing Tomorrowland.

      Otherwise, the ‘dark’ rides (Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio) are typically 5-10 minute waits later in the evening. Dumbo, Storybook Land Canal Boats and Alice are the longest lines. Teacups, the carrousel and Casey Junior shouldn’t be too long, regardless of the time of day.

      Enjoy!

  82. Hi, question how will your plan for little ones but with magic morning? Is fastpass working in magic morning? Or any suggestions I have a 2 and 5 year old. Thanks

    1. Hi, Andrea.

      I have tested out these strategies with EMH and me not having it. So, you’re set. Follow the plans that work for you (with or without Guardians, as directed with EMH) and you’ll be in great shape). Enjoy!

  83. Hi Casey,
    I stumbled across your website and I LOVE IT! My family is going to DL on 10/7/17, which is a Saturday. We will only be at DL this day and we do not have a park hopper. Do you have a “Saturday” plan or are your plans good for any day of the week? TIA! 🙂

    1. Welcome, Yvonne! Happy to help you.

      The plans in all of my posts work for weekends, too. I typically test them out on weekends, actually, so I know they’ll work with heavier crowds. If you are planning on using MaxPass, take a look at this post:

      https://www.facebook.com/DisneylandDailyCasey/posts/1318331108264529

      It’s linked in this post, too, but that will take you directly there. I share my park experiences on Facebook – down to the minute – so you can see how my plans play out. I got into LOTS of detail there.

      Use the New Disneyland Strategy and adjust it as needed. You’ll see what I did and why in that link, too. Let me know if you have any more questions!

      1. Thank you so much Casey! I haven’t been to DL in 5 years, and I must admit that I have been spoiled with Magic Bands at WDW! I’m excited to try out MaxPass, and now that I’ve found your website, I’m more a little more confident with my plans!! Again, a BIG Thank You! 🙂

  84. Hi Casey,
    Just a little question? After reading this very helpful page, I am little confused regarding the tour plan order.

    The “Start your day at Disneyland” has the plan which tackles the four mountains with fastpasses (not MAX). But the (very helpful) little tables in found in your 6 steps planning process = DL Whole Family) show a different order/proposal. I’m sorry I’m so confused!

    We have two boys (aged 9) and we are after a combination of little kid and big kid rides.
    Thanks I’m advance – I think your page is wonderful 🙂

    1. Hi, Louise. The touring plans not in this post are older. This post includes my newer strategies. I’ll continue to work on them and make changes as needed. Some people prefer the older versions. I like these better. Hope that helps!

      1. OK cool, thanks for getting back to me. So, the newer plans you prefer are the one that tackle the four mountains?
        THanks

  85. I have a question. We are going to Goofy’s Kitchen for breakfast at 8:15 before the park opens at 10am. I was thinking we would ride the monorail into the park that morning. Is there a disadvantage to that over going in the main entrance and waiting for rope drop? Also, we aren’t hotel guests, but I don’t think the monorail is reserved for hotel guests in the morning, is it?

  86. Hi Casey! My family will be going to The parks the first week in October for 4 days. We will be staying on property. The first 2 days is dedicated to my son. 1 day in DCA and 1 day in DL. I have been reading your site for tips and strategies for months. I noticed you have an EMH strategy for DL and a different one for little kids without an EMH. But what strategy would you suggest for an EMH that is toddler focused at DL?? Also we plan to do the Minnie and friends character breakfast at the last seating, which should be about 1030 am, based on what I read.

    1. Hi, Laurie.

      I would follow the Little Kids strategy for EMH just the same as I have it suited for those without EMH. Depending on your knowledge of Disney parks and your family’s dedication – I would suggest going to Peter Pan instead of pulling that Buzz Lightyear FASTPASS – if you know your family will be there well before EMH opening and know how to go directly to Fantasyland. If you can do that, skip the Buzz FASTPASS, ride Peter Pan, and then move on through the rest of the plan.

      You sound like you know what you’re doing, so I’m thinking you’ll be ok. Have the best time!

  87. First, I need to say THANK YOU for all of this information. Because of your methods, I rode everything on the list in Disneyland….BEFORE noon (showed up at rope drop).

    A few things to note here (and I apologize if it’s already been said) but some info before I begin:

    Arrival: ~7:30am, Wednesday June 14
    Went solo

    Order:

    1. Grab fast pass for Star Tours
    2. Rode Space Mountain (5-10 minute wait, line was moving so quickly it was hard to keep up)
    3. Rode Matterhorn (Being a single rider, I “walked-on”)
    4. Rode Star Tours with fast pass
    5. Rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (no fast pass needed, 5 minute wait)
    6. Grab fast pass for Indiana Jones
    7. Rode Splash Mountain (walk on, single rider)
    8. Rode Haunted Mansion (5 minute wait)
    9. Rode Pirates of the Caribbean (5 minute wait)
    10. Rode Indiana Jones with fast pass

    That hit all the major stuff for me in Disneyland. Time to completion: About 4 hours

    A note about the “Single Rider” option: I saw multiple groups do the “single rider” and quite a few of them managed to sit with their family/friends anyway and skipped the line.

    I then switched over to California Adventure, where I also was able to walk on many rides (even in the afternoon). I’ll post a comment there about what I did on the article for that one (link at the top of the page).

  88. Hi Casey, it is the best article i have read on the internet so far, thank you for sharing! so according to this tips, do not need to grab FT for all the rides, isnt it? i will visit disney just on my own, and will do single ride, do you think is it still worth to get FT for some busy rides?Thank you ^^

  89. Hey Casey! I know you’re super busy with the opening of Guardians today! Looks awesome! We arrive at DLR Monday night and I’m worried about some of our planning due to rides opening and closing. Specifically, I’m torn on what to do on my Wednesday and Thursday mornings both which will be at Disneyland. With Space closed on Wednesday, we’ll have to try to do it Thursday which is MM. However, most suggest doing Fantasyland during MM. Thoughts??? Help please!

    1. Hi, Sabrina.

      I would use my plan for Disneyland and substitute grabbing the Buzz Lightyear FASTPASS instead of Space Mountain. Grab that, ride Star Tours, ride Matterhorn and then anything else you can fit in prior to your Star Tours FASTPASS time. Does that help?

  90. Hi Casey! I am going to DLR with a 3 and 6 year old first week of April with 4 adults for one day (actually 6 hours as are coming from a cruise in Long Beach). My 3 year old is Minnie crazed and my 6 year old is Star Wars crazed. Should we split up? My 6 year old will probably just do star tours and want to wander around the bay and I think would enjoy the rides you have on the littles. Would appreciate your advice on how to maximize our time there! We plan to be there when doors open and leave around 3:30 in hopes we will make it back to Long Beach before 6! Hopefully the traffic isn’t too bad!

    1. Hey, there. I think you should split up for a bit to tackle Star Wars Land and avoid waits. Take the 3 year old to Fantasyland and then Toontown, which opens about an hour after the park opens. Then, meet back for lunch so you can enjoy the park together. Have fun!

  91. I didn’t read the links in this article so I am not sure you addressed ride closures, which should be included in this post. Ride closures happened to us several times during our first and recent trip this past weekend. On our first trip and on our first day of our first trip many big attractions were down at opening. This really screwed up our first day which crowd level wise was a 10 out of ten, and made going to Tomorrowland first was a huge mistake since both star tours and hyper were closed. So, trying to learn from our mistake we tried to use the line apps to see what would be down when first entering. I checked the app which said Peter Pan was not closed so we head there but it was down – again, messed us up. We woke up early and stood in line for a long time to get to a popular attraction before the line built but all that planning and waiting didn’t help. Maybe you could discuss things like this as these ride closures affected us 2 out of 3 days at park opening and therefor do not seem rare. Going to closed attractions first thing in the day really made us feel like failures at park planning even though I spent so much time and effort doing it.

    I would like to warn people about the touringplans paid service which I have used for WDW and for this recent visit to DL. For our trip to WDW they predicted crowd level of 6 to 8 but they were mostly 9 to 10 for most of the parks for most of the 6 days we were there. For our DL trip they were even more off. Our first day was predicted to be a 5 but it was a 10 (Friday). Our last day was predicted to be a 3 but it was a 6 (Monday). We had planned somewhat around these predicted crowd levels so if you are paying for this service only for their crowd predictions, I would reconsider. Apparently, they only based their predictions on the past instead of considering actual holiday school break dates which were different this year than the past. I did not know that they would ignore significant facts such as that when making their predictions.

    1. Hi, Romaine.

      That is frustrating. I’m sorry. There are signs up outside both parks – before security – noting what is closed that day. Other than that notice on site, there is no way to know what rids will be down, especially if they’re unexpected and temporary. I keep this list as up to date as possible, but that won’t cover unexpected or temporary closures:

      https://disneylanddaily.com/refurbishments/

      I’ve heard the same about the Touring Plans crowd predictors. There is really no use any longer for any app outside of the free Disneyland app. The park is now providing most of the information 3rd party apps do, so trust Disney over outside sources. The Disneyland app will tell you which attractions are down, too.

  92. Is buzz lightyear still disconnected? Do you know how often they get changed? Also, do you know what ride in California adventure is disconnected?

  93. We will be using our e-tickets through the Disneyland app next week and won’t have physical tickets. Will this be a problem for getting fastpasses?

  94. Hello
    I wanted to know that if I was to the Buzz Lightyer fastpast and then. A Space Mountain Fast Pass. Can i then go to Disney California Adventure side to get another\3rd fast past for Radiator Springs Racers

  95. Hey Casey:
    Thank you for all your information. We are so excited for our upcoming trip, being WDW Lifers but first time for my children here. I saw you went to WDW recently, are the Big Thunder Mountain rides virtually the same for Disneyland and WDW? I am getting Confused if there is a Frozen show in March. Nothing has taken the place of Aladdin in DCA yet, right? Also, are there shows at Fantasy Faire or just princess meet n greets?

    1. BTMRR is similar, but you should still ride it. Frozen show doesn’t start until May 27. The shows at Fantasy Faire are half Frozen and half Tangled. Princess meet-n-greets are there too.

  96. How are the CM’s about enforcing the return times? We are about to return to the DLR at the end of April (after a long hiatus-haven’t been since 2009) and when we were there then, you just had to return anytime after your initial return time. For example, like your FP ticket shows above shows return time of 9:40 and 10:40, as long as you showed up anytime of the day after 9:40, they would let you on. Is this still the case. Or do you have to adhere to the return times?

  97. Does it matter if I grab the space mountain tickets before the buzz light year tickets? Will the connected tickets lock me out of buying the disconnected tickets if I get the connected first in other words? Also, if I have small children but have 4 ppl that can ride rides, can I get 2 fast passes of different rides for the same times then get rider switch tickets to trade? Just wondering if I can get 2 fast passes for space mountain for one group and 2 fast passes for the other group for the same time for star tours and obtain rider switch at both and then trade?

    1. It doesn’t matter which order you go in. Just be sure to know which are connected and disconnected. Rider switch ideally works like that, but some cast members are occasionally difficult about it. Just know that going in. It should work, though.

      1. You are the best! You are seriously making our trip in April/May so much easier! I hope I get a chance to thank you and buy you a coffee!

  98. Are those the only 4 thats disconnected? Can you also get some for Indiana Jones & Space Mountain? I also noticed that they cover the fastpass machines when they are not in use. Thank you!

    1. Space Mountain and Indy are connected. Unfortunately you can’t pull those and others. This is a tough post to keep updated. Currently, Buzz Lightyear and Fantasmic! Are disconnected.

  99. Hi, Casey!!! 2 girlfriends & I are coming in a day early for a conference to specifically see Disneyland & CA in one day. We will be arriving Jan 10th & then taking the next day to conquer both parks. DL opens early (not staying in a DL hotel), so thinking we should arrive early to CA by picking up FPs according to your Tour Guide of both parks. Disappointed to see Soarin will be refurbished during our trip. Should be able to conquer all in a day? Hope to see you in the parks! Looking forward to it as I’m a DW pro & follow Shannon religiously. 🙂

    1. Hi, MinnieSue! Yes, I would start at DCA with RSR and then head over to Disneyland unless there is more at DCA that you want to see. Soarin is the same as WDW, so don’t stress over that. I recommend spending much more time at DLR than at DCA, especially if you only have one day. Let me know what other questions come up!

      Recommended dining options for DLR in one day: Carnation Cafe for breakfast (Walt’s favorite – get Oscar’s special) and then Cafe Orleans for lunch (monte cristo, pomme frites and beignets for dessert). Make reservations for both….and they’re both DLR unique. If you can work in a dining experience that evening (Paint the Night starts on January 11), do so! You’ll have dining at Blue Bayou and then reserved seating for the parade. I’ll be at Blue Bayou that night, too.

  100. Hi Casey, any idea if the frozen show at DLR is playing through the holidays? We go tomorrow and I’m not seeing this listed on the Disneyland event schedule. Thanks! Jennie

  101. Is Fantasmic the same as Disneyland Forever or are these different shows? Also, can you get a fast pass for parade viewing?

    1. You can get VIP seats to parades and fireworks that are included with certain dining plan offers or tours. These do cost money, but include the VIP seating (different than Fast Pass).

  102. I was there 11/1. For DLR, no fastpass for the Fantasty Faire show. I asked about and they said just show up 30 minutes before. I can say – shows did not reach full capacity (the two times I saw) until about 10 minutes before showtime. Thanks.

  103. Casey,
    I’m looking at our upcoming visit and would like some clarification on the different options for Anna/Elsa/Frozen shows.
    I have down to get Anna/Elsa return tickets when we first enter CA. You mentioned in a post that they have a song-along. How is this different than what’s offered at Disneyland – “The Frozen Show?” I don’t want to repeat if they are similar shows.

    Sent from my iPhone

    1. They’re actually very different shows. The one at DCA is super sweet and it’s a singalong. I completely enjoy that one. The one at DLR is more snarky and almost vaudeville in nature and people love it because it’s a twist on the movie you’ve likely seen a dozen times. Both are fun!

  104. I heard that the FASTPASS for the Frozen show is gone now. Or at least going away in the near future as it isn’t as crazy busy anymore. Is this true?

  105. Hi I recently purchased an AP and have since been to the park 5 times but can only manage to get on two rides since the lines are crazy long. I’ve read your suggestions about how to go about obtaining FPs but I don’t understand what you mean when you say they are “disconnected” would you mind clarifying this?

    1. Hi, Ariana.

      Disconnected FASTPASSES allow you to pull additional FASTPASSES while holding that original disconnected pass. Meaning, for Disneyland, Fantasmic! and Buzz Light Year are disconnected. So, you can hold those two plus another if you wish. FASTPASSES that are “connected” will not allow you to pull other connected FASTPASSES. Take a look att his post for more info on FASTPASSES in general:

      https://disneylanddaily.com/a-fastpass-guide-for-disneyland-and-california-adventure/

  106. Hi! Thanks so much for the updated post on FastPass. I was wondering how to maximize FastPass and Rider Switch. It will just be my husband and I with our 16-month old so we plan on using Rider Switch quite a bit. Do both adults need a FP to get a Rider Switch ticket?

  107. Hi, we’re staying on property and plan to do the magic morning each morning. Do FASTPASS machines only open after the park opens? I plan to follow your suggestion of riding Peter Pan first, then send my hubby to ride Dumbo with the kids while I run for FASTPASSES. What’s your suggestion as for as me lining up for the passes during the magic morning? THANKS

    1. All Disneyland FASTPASS machines SHOULD work during Magic Morning. The only one I know of that does not is Radiator Springs Racers at DCA. Great plan……ride Peter Pan and then run for the passes as designed in this post while your husband takes kids to Dumbo. Well done.

  108. Hi
    I have a question, can I grab space Mountain FP after Buzz Lightyear, then go to get frozen show and Fantasmic?
    or I have to grab all the disconnected FP, THEN grab connected FP?Thank you so much

    1. You should be able to grab all four since Buzz, Frozen Show and Fantasmic! are disconnected. Space Mountain is connected, so this would be your only one that inhibits grabbing others.

  109. my two kids ages 2 1/2 and 4months don’t pay to get in the parks, so they don’t have APs …if I were to get fastpasses for my husband and I would they allow my kids to use the fastpass line?

    1. Hi, Stefanie.

      Since children cannot hold theme park tickets, they cannot pull FASTPASSES. Therefore, they don’t need them to ride a FASTPASS attraction with you. Little ones will be just fine without them.

  110. I have entered the park, and like you mentioned, left the rest of the family to sleep in while I gather fast passes. You did a good job of it, but you can’t STRESS THIS ENOUGH – your full party must be in the park with their tickets scanned at the front entrance in order for this to work. A ticket will not scan for a fastpass UNLESS, it has been scanned at the entry to Disneyland signaling to the computer that you are in fact, in the park. I, was very lucky though. One cast member saw me try to get fastpasses and it wasn’t working. I explained that I let my family sleep in and she helped me to get my fast passes. This will not always work, however.

  111. Thanks again for an informative article! I had no idea the Buzz Lightyear ride was disconnected. Questions: Is this the only disconnected ride in DL? As far as you know, has it always been disconnected?

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