Disneyland Itinerary: How We Did 25 Rides in One Day

Our first time at Disneyland California was at the end tail of an exciting California road trip. It was also our first time back at a Disney park since 2019. We had a BLAST but boy oh boy, is it so complicated to plan a Disney vacation these days (and expensive too!)

Stay tuned as I break it all down for you. I will go over park reservations, Genie+, Lightning Lanes, the best places to stay and such. I will even share my step-by-step Disneyland Resort itinerary where we were able to do 25+ rides in one day (not even a full day as we went to take a long nap midday)

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Where to Buy Tickets and Make Reservations

It’s been 3 years since our last Disney trip (which was in Florida) and a lot has changed since then. The biggest change is that you now have to make a park reservation for the dates of your visit. Check the Disneyland Park Availability Calendar first to see if the parks are available on the day(s) you want to visit.

After checking that your intended visit dates are available, purchase your tickets. Disney tickets are notoriously expensive and discounts are scarce. You can purchase your tickets directly on Disneyland’s website. Don’t forget to add Genie+ but you will not need Park Hopper. For a slight discount, I recommend getting your tickets from Undercover Tourist. The discount might not look like a lot, but trust me, every bit counts. Furthermore, I was able to score an awesome car rental deal in conjunction with the admission ticket purchase.

Once you have your e-tickets, book your park reservations immediately after. If you have MagicBand+, you can link your tickets to your bracelets (more on that later)

PRO TIP:
People cancel their reservations all the time so there is a chance (albeit a very, very small one) to reserve a park once it is sold out. Check the calendar multiple times a day and keep refreshing the page.

Where to Stay When Visiting Disneyland

Once you purchased your tickets, it is now time to figure out where to stay and I have the best spot for you. I highly recommend the Howard Johnson Anaheim. The Howard Johnson by Wyndham Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground or simply called the “HoJo”, is a fantastic family-friendly hotel only a 8 min walk to the entrance to the Disneyland parks.

We stayed in the newly renovated building 2 which has a retro Disney touch. The rooms are spacious, bright and clean. Beds are very comfortable. The resort is full of amenities: there is a Keurig, microwave and fridge in every room. The Hojo is also known for its water play activities: you can find a heated pool and their famous water playground on site.

And the best part is that I have a discount code you can use at this link

💜 20% off for Disneyland Magic Key Holder
Corp code: 1000025935

💜 15% off for everyone
Corp code: 1000022077

The First Hour at Disneyland

With the practical matters taken care of, we can now focus on building up an itinerary to make the best of your visit to Disneyland. It’s difficult to do everything at Disneyland in a single day, even with smart planning and Lightning Lanes. However this tried-and-true itinerary will allow you to do as much as possible.

First thing first, you will need to download the Disneyland Mobile App and familiarize yourself with it. Most importantly, make sure you know how to book a Lightning Lane.

Now onto the game plan. For it to work, you must arrive at the security checkpoints 45 mins prior to park opening. So if the park opens at 8 am, arrive at security checkpoint no later than 7:15 am. You will start your day at Fantasyland and spend about an hour there. If you followed my plan so far, you should be at the Fantasyland rope drop by 7:30 am (if park opens at 8 am). Now you have a couple of choices ahead of you: if you are towards the front of the line, you will start with Peter Pan’s Flight. If you are not at the front of the line, start with Snow White first.

As soon as they open the park, do the following rides in order. If there is more than a 10-min line, move on to the next ride immediately. If you have time later, you can circle back to the rides you skipped.

• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Snow White
• Alice in Wonderland
• Dumbo
• Make 9 am Genie+ reservation for Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Mr Toad’s Wild Ride
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
• Mad Tea Party
• Casey Jr Circus Train and/or Storybook Land Canal Boats but only if wait is less than 10 mins

The Rest of the Morning

After spending the first hour in Fantasyland, it’s time to move to Frontierland. Again do the following rides in order:

• Use your 9 am Genie+ to ride Matterhorn Bobsled. As soon as you are checked in, make your next Genie+ reservation for Big Thunder Mountain ideally for 9:30-ish
• It’s a Small World
• Splash Mountain
• Use your 9:30 am Genie + for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Again, as soon as you are checked in, book a Genie+ for Star Tours at 10:30 am
• Winnie the Pooh
• Use your Genie+ for Star Tours

By now, it should be 11-11:30 (in our 8 am scenario) and time for a break. You will notice the crowds will be much heavier and all wait times will be long. Grab something to eat and head back to your hotel. Just make sure to come back at least 5 hours before the park closes. Or you can simply walk around at a casual pace and enjoy the park, try the snacks, watch a show, meet characters, etc…

Second Part of the Day

After a long mid-day break, make sure to follow this itinerary at least 5 hours before the closing time.

• As soon as you enter the park, make a Genie+ reservation for Buzz Lightyear for the next hour. Also purchase Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lanes ideally for 3 hours from now
• Castle Walkthrough
• Astro Orbitor
• Use you Genie+ for Buzz Lightyear and book the next available Genie+ for Space Mountain
• Autopia
• Use your Genie+ for Space Mountain and make another one for Indiana Jones immediately after
• Use your Genie+ for Indiana Jones and make a new reservation for Jungle Cruise for the next available time slot
• Use your Genie+ for Jungle Cruise and make a book another one for Millennium Falcon 30 mins away
• Use your purchased Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance
• Use your Genie+ for Millenium Falcon

If you couldn’t get on Rise of the Resistance (for whatever reasons), hope on the wait line 5 mins before the ride closes. Just be aware that the ride usually closes before the park does so you might have to adjust your plan.

You should now be in the last hour of park opening. Genie+ will most likely all be gone but lines should be lighter. At this point, I suggest re-doing any rides you want or the ones you had to skip. We were able to do the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Big Thunder Mountain a couple of times each during that time, to the delight of my little one.

Pro Tips to Maximize Your Time at Disneyland

In addition to the tips I’ve shared so far, I recommend the following ones to optimize your time at Disneyland (and frankly get your money’s worth)

• pick the best times to visit the park by using a crowd calendar. I like the ones from Undercover Tourist and Touring Plans
• take a screenshot of your itinerary and use it as your lock screen. This way you won’t have to unlock your phone every time you want to check on the plan
• put your phone on battery saver mode and bring a power bank
• purchase a MagicBand+ bracelet and link your park ticket to it
• book your next LL as soon as you redeem one
• get in a ride queue just before the park closes, you will be able to do that ride
• take advantage of lighter crowds during the Fireworks show. Watch the second showing of the fireworks show instead
• use Mobile Order on the app to order food ahead (more on that in the paragraph below)
• know where to find your favorite characters
• shop for souvenirs and watch sit down shows during the midday break

Where to Eat at Disneyland

There is a multitude of restaurants, food stands and eateries at Disneyland. Make good use of Mobile Ordering on the Disneyland app and order ahead of time. I list below our favorite meals and treats and where to find them:

• Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe (Main Street)
• Pineapple Dole Whip at Tiki Juice Bar (Adventureland) is simply a must
• Churros available at many carts throughout the parks
• I”m not a big fan of corn dogs but I will get them at Disneyland. Grab one of those hand-dipped corn dogs at the Blue Ribbon Corn Dog (Main Street) or at Stage Door Cafe (Frontierland)
• Turkey legs at Edelweiss Snacks (in Fantasyland) or various carts in the park
• Grab a Mickey-shaped pretzel near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Small World, Space Mountain or at Refreshment Corner on Main Street
• Bao buns at Tropical Hideaway (Adventureland)
• Fried chicken dinner at Plaza Inn (Main Street)
• Skewers at Bengal Barbecue (Adventureland)

Hope you find this itinerary helpful. It is only one of the many strategies available online. If you do decide to follow it, please tag me or leave me a comment. I would love to see how it works out for you. If you decide on another plan, no worries. I am just as happy you have a game plan to follow and you can make the most of your time at Disneyland.

As always, thank you for reading!

FOR MORE ABOUT DISNEY PARKS, READ:

• Orlando, FL: How to do Disney World on a budget?
• Anaheim, CA: Where to Stay on a Disneyland vacation?

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