Welcome!
Disney Parks are no joke right now. Having a good strategy will absolutely give you your best shot at a successful day.
My strategies are built for families and do not include single rider lines or other options that are not available to all guests. I have plans for guests who want to use Genie+ and for those who don’t.
I’ve got what you need!
Let’s go.
Basic Scoop
I create and test strategies that aim to keep your wait time to 20 minutes or less for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks. It’s entirely possible to do this for almost every attraction.
I test my strategies in the park monthly and occasionally share the results.
Why is a strategy important? To give you an edge over other park guests, to avoid standing around checking the app for wait times and discussing what’s next, and to ensure you see and do all you want during your visit.
Take a look at how my visit played out so you can see how to adjust yours as the day develops.
Resources
- I used this plan on this day.
- All of my strategies can be found linked in this one complete index. This includes plans for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
- Need help with Genie? This post explains everything.
- New to planning and overwhelmed? This post will guide you through what you need to know.
Quick Notes About this Day
- Matterhorn was closed temporarily at opening and Space Mountain is down for refurbishment, so I moved quickly through Tomorrowland and then crossed the park.
Strategy Results
Remember, the following is what happened during my visit. It does not include all attractions, as each park day almost always has a ride or two down.
This is the full strategy.
6:35am – in line at the Mickey & Friends parking structure
7:00am – cars are allowed in
7:19am – through security and on the tram
7:28am – at the Disneyland main gate
7:31am – allowed in the park
7:35am – line up for Tomorrowland rope drop
7:38am – buy Disney Genie+ and select Star Tours as my first Lightning Lane
7:40am – mobile order popular treats for the day
8:00am – park officially opens!
8:04am – ride Buzz Lightyear
8:19am – ride Star Tours with Genie+
8:20am – grab a Genie+ for Haunted Mansion Holiday
8:43am – ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
9:11am – ride Pirates of the Caribbean
9:40am – ride Jungle Cruise
10:15am – ride Haunted Mansion Holiday with Genie+
10:16am – grab a Genie+ for Millennium Falcon
10:38am – ride Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
11:10am – ride Millennium Falcon with Genie+
11:11am – grab a Genie+ for Indiana Jones Adventure
Early lunch!
How to Continue
Indy’s return time is close to dinner, so we’re going to break here. The park is getting crowded.
After lunch, work through the strategy for the rest of the day, either in the park or by selecting Genie+ options from your hotel or lunch if you decide to take a break.
Don’t forget to go back to do Matterhorn since it was down in the morning.
See characters and enjoy entertainment in the afternoon/evening.
Aim to ride Rise of the Resistance in the late afternoon/early evening. (Today’s wait at 5:35pm was 50 minutes.) The wait at that time should be around 60 minutes. 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.
In the same regard, plan to ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway around 6:00pm. This is the ideal standby time most days. While in Toontown for Mickey & Minnie’s Railway, enjoy the rest of the land, as it should have lower crowds at this time.
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