12 Top Tips for Disneyland And California Adventure Park

When you only have a day to see and ride as many attractions as possible while still enjoying the buzz and excitement of both Disneyland and California Adventure Park.

We researched and read other bloggers tips to getting the most out of the day. Now we haven’t done all these (stayed in an onsite hotel though it is on our to-do list) but below are the things that worked for us.

Here are our 12 Tips for Disneyland and California Adventure Park.

Buy yout tickets online

This way you can skip the ticket queue’s and head straight to the entrance.

Arrive Early

Aim to get to Disneyland and California Adventure Parks early (before it opens), if you have that first ride of the day picked you might just be first on it.

Rent a pram

If you have a little or even a toddler and you don’t have a pram, rent one. We also used it to store food, drinks and souvenirs.

Download the Disneyland Mobile App (Apple or Android) is an absolute MUST

This gives you show times, maps, purchase tickets and most importantly wait times on rides. It provides Fastpass information and you can make Fastpass picks if you purchase the Disney Max pass feature.

You can make dinner reservations, see menus and order food. Locating your child’s favourite character is at the push of a button. Plus there is so much more. One of the best tips for Disneyland and California Adventure Park.

Use the Fastpass

A few select rides in both parks have a Fastpass lane. Here you insert your park ticket and it gives you a Fastpass ticket with a time for you to come back. Usually, it gives you a one hour window eg 10am-11am.

When it’s your time you head down the Fastpass line with very little wait time. Fastpasses do run out so don’t always rely on them.

User Rider Switch

If you have a little one who can’t go on a certain ride then this is a must. This means an adult can stay with the non-rider while the rest of the group enjoy the ride.

Upon return, you swap over to the adult who waited with the non-rider how has a turn. You don’t have to wait in line again.

Just approach a cast member who will issue you a Rider Switch entitlement and you then wait in a designated area.

Upon the first group returning the adult waiting then can bring up to 2 other guests back and ride the attention.

Means you don’t have to ride it alone and 2 other friends/family members get a second ride.

This was one of the Tips for Disneyland and California Adventure Park that we didn’t know about until we arrived at the park. The following rides use Rider Switch;

• Autopia
• Gadget’s Go Coaster
• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT
• Incredicoaster
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Jumping Jellyfish
• Luigi’s Rollickin Roadsters
• Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
• Matterhorn BobSleds
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Silly Symphony Swings
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Plan your day before you arrive

Plan your day is a must as you can target your top attractions either early, when the park opens, or late, as the park is closing.

Here you can also plan your route on how to get to the top attractions the quickest. To get value out of your day make sure you do this.

We did it and it is certainly a top Tip for Disneyland and California Adventure Park.

Check the Single Rider Line

If you don’t mind riding without your family or friends then this line can be pretty quick. Disneyland and Disney California Park Adventure Single Rider Attractions: 

• California Screamin’
• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin’ Over California
• Splash Mountain

Bring your own snacks water and water

This saved us a lot of money and time. We were able to queue up and feed the kids, this is great especially when the queues have a longer wait time. Nothing worse than hungry kids.

Be in a ride line as the Park closes

If you are in a line as the park closes they won’t ask you to leave and you will be allowed to go on that ride.

This is awesome as we got to go on the Car’s Ride one last time.

Stay at one of Disney’s 3 Hotels (if you can)

These are onsite and are an amazing experience. Staying at one of these hotels also gives you the Extra Magic Hour in either day for everyday you stay. What a great way to start your day.

If you can’t afford that there are plenty of Disneyland hotels around Anaheim and are very close to the main gates of Disneyland.

Some are close enough that you can walk there but most offer free transfers.

Or if hotels are not your thing why not check out a Guide to Airbnb Orange County, there are plenty of tips on great places to stay here. 

Disney Max Pass

We haven’t used this as this is something new. If you are interested I would click on the following link to find out more Disney Max pass

There are many other tips for Disneyland and California Adventure Park out there. But these ones worked best for us.

We had an amazing day one our kids will never forget.