I recently went on a Disneyland Park vacation and it was MAGICAL. For the past few years, we’ve gone to Walt Disney World, so it was a nice change to experience a different Disney Park. This trip included a visit to Downtown Disney, Disneyland Park, and Disney California Adventure Park. We rode our favorite rides with little wait time (thanks to Genie+), took awesome photos (thanks to Disney PhotoPass), met our favorite characters, and ate our favorite Disney snacks. Over the years I’ve obtained tips and tricks for planning a great Disney vacation (view my Walt Disney World travel guide here). Keep reading for a comprehensive Disneyland Park travel guide!
Disneyland Vacation Planning To-Do List
- Create a My Disney Experience account and download the Disneyland mobile app. Your account will be used to book your park tickets, reserve dining, check ride wait times, view the park map, reserve Genie+ selections, do mobile food ordering, and more. Make sure you remember your password! You’ll be accessing the app all day at the park.
- Book your hotel stay (read where to stay below)
- Purchase your Disneyland park ticket (Add Genie+, PhotoPass is included)
- Make any Disney Dining or Special Event reservations (available 60 days prior to your park day)
Where to Stay During a Disneyland Trip
The hotel situation for Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World is very different. Staying at a Disney Resort Hotel is extremely beneficial at Walt Disney World due to all its park perks, however, it is absolutely not necessary for Disneyland. The Disneyland Resort Hotels are pricey and, in my opinion, the price increase is not worth being right by Downtown Disney. There are many hotels right outside the parks on South Harbor Blvd. that are affordable and within walking distance. It took us less than ten minutes to walk from our hotel (Grand Legacy at the Park – we had a 3-star stay) to the Disneyland Park entrance. Very easy & doable!
Disney Genie+
Genie+ is THE BEST add-on and is infinitely worth the cost. For $25 extra per park ticket, Genie+ allows you to select a “fast pass” for selected rides. The moment we entered the park, I went into the Disneyland app and selected Indiana Jones Adventure for an 8:05 AM -9:05 AM timeslot. We only waited 10 minutes in the Genie+ Lightning Lane line compared to the rising wait times in the Standby Line (this ride can get up to a 60-70min wait). If you hate waiting in long lines, Genie+ is a huge help. You can select a new Genie+ selection every two hours OR right after using your current selection.
Disney PhotoPass
Disneyland tickets include Disney PhotoPass, which is a great park perk. In your Disneyland app, select “PhotoPass” under the map toggle to find the designated PhotoPass spots. Professional Disney photographers will take your picture in front of iconic park spots and with Disney characters. After the photos are taken, hold out your MagicBand or find the barcode in the app to link the pictures to your account. PhotoPass was great because we were able to get nice pictures of the two of us together!
Disneyland Snacks & Treats
One of the best things about Disneyland is the snacks and treats. There are so many great ones! New options are always being added as well. Specialty churro flavors, for example, rotate. When we went in May 2023, the churro cart in Tomorrowland featured a Chai Spiced Churro with a coffee cream dipping sauce that was delicious (pictured above). I also tried a Mickey pretzel (8/10), Mickey beignets from New Orleans Square (9/10), and a mango/pineapple DOLE Whip Swirl from The Tropical Hideout in Adventureland (9/10). Which Disneyland snacks are your favorite?
Disneyland Park Itinerary Example
There are many different ways you can enjoy the park, but you will get the lowest wait times within the first two hours of the park opening (8:00-10:00 AM). We made sure to get to the entrance early to be ready for rope drop at 8:00 AM inside the park. There are fireworks at night (9:30 PM) but we’re more early birds so we were fine skipping it. However, the fireworks are awesome and something to consider if you still have energy that late! Here’s the itinerary we did and we were very happy with the results.
- 7:20 AM – Arrived at the park entrance, went through security, and entered the park
- 7:30-7:55 AM – Made our first Genie+ selection (Indiana Jones Adventure), took pictures at PhotoPass spots on Main Street
- 7:55-8:00 AM – Waited near Adventureland for rope drop
- 8:05-8:20 AM – Waited in Indiana Jones Lightning Lane line, selected next Genie+ selection (Haunted Mansion), rode the best ride ever
- 8:20-8:35 AM – Haunted Mansion ride
- 8:35-8:50 AM – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride
- 8:50-9:20 AM – Walked back towards Main Street, took pictures at PhotoPass in front of the castle
- 9:30-10:40 AM – Character breakfast at Plaza Inn
- 10:40-11:10 AM – Pirates of the Caribbean ride
- 11:10-11:30 AM – Got Mickey beignets and shopped in New Orleans Square
- 11:30-11:40 AM – Caught the Disney 100 Parade going by
- 11:40-12:10 PM – Peter Pan’s Flight ride
- 12:10-12:30 PM – Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, made next Genie+ selection (Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride)
- 12:30-12:40 PM – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- 12:40-1:00 PM – Alice in Wonderland ride
- 1:00-1:30 PM – Met Snow White in front of Royal Hall
- 1:30-2:00 PM – Sat and snacked on a Chai Spiced Churro and Mickey Pretzel in Tomorrowland
- 2:00-2:30 PM – Met Mirabel from Encanto and shopped stores for pins in Frontierland
- 2:30-3:30 PM – Shopped the stores on Main Street, collected Disney 100th Anniversary Medallions
- 3:30-3:50 PM – Watched the “Magic Happens” Parade on Main Street
- 4:00-4:40 PM – Ate an early dinner at River Belle Terrace
- 4:40-5:00 PM – Got DOLE Whip from The Tropical Hideaway for dessert
- 5:00-5:20 PM: Bought snacks, treats, and water bottles to bring back to the hotel with us
- 5:30 PM – Walked back to our hotel and watched the original Jumanji on TV
Make sure to constantly be checking the map in the Disneyland app for ride wait times, character locations, parade times, and PhotoPass spots. The app will be your temporary best friend!
Disneyland Packing List
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Packing the right things can make or break your park experience. For example, between checking the Disneyland app and taking pictures, your phone battery will start to drain. A portable phone charger is a lifesaver.
- Park outfit – comfortable shoes, Mickey Ears (I usually get mine from Etsy), slip shorts to prevent thigh chafing, your MagicBand, hat if desired
- Backpack essentials – portable phone charger, travel water bottle, Bandaids, Aquaphor, Advil, mini hair bush, hair ties, deodorant, sunscreen, sweatshirt in case you get cold towards night
- Misc. – money for food & souvenirs (card and cash), autograph book, pennies for penny machines
I hope this Disneyland Park travel guide gave insight into how to plan your vacation! Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.
