How often do you find yourself living within driving distance of The most magical place on earth? For most people, a trip to Disneyland means flights, expensive hotels, and a whole lot of planning. But lucky us—we’re close enough to just hop in the car and go for a day! If you love everything Disney or just enjoy a good amusement park, this is a must-do adventure—with or without kids. We have pulled together some of our favorite tips and tricks from our own trips to inspire and help make your visit smoother and a little less overwhelming.
By Mickala Becktor and Trang Vu
The decision – should you go?
Trang: As always, it’s upon personal preference. In our case, we went, not because we are big Disney Fans, but because we were curious and wanted to go before our son turns 3 (its free for kids under 3). Now, after seeing it all, we wouldn’t go again.
Mickala: I knew we wanted to go at some point, but I was waiting for the right occasion. When friends with kids came to visit from Europe, that was our cue to finally make the trip. The timing coincided with LA’s spring break, which is one of the busiest times to visit, so I knew we’d have to plan another visit off-season. If, like me, you have princess-obsessed girls, you have to go, it really is like walking into a fairy tale.
Disneyland Park vs. California Adventure Park
Start by researching which park features the movies and characters you or your kids love—that can make the decision easy. But if you can swing it, visiting both parks is absolutely worth it! That said, if you’re only visiting one day or working with a budget, it’s best to choose just one. There simply aren’t enough hours in a single day to do both parks properly—especially with the time spent waiting in line for rides.
Disneyland Park is the larger of the two and home to most of the Disney classics—think Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, Star Wars, and ALL the beloved princesses. California Adventure Park has more of a modern twist, with attractions from the Marvel universe and more recent animated hits, and it tends to have a slightly more grown-up vibe.
Trang: Our personal favorite was California Adventure Park. My son enjoyed the playground much more, its in the woods and quieter. We don’t need the magical princess moments and we don’t know many of the older Disney movies. We also liked the rides here more than at Disneyland Park. But if your a huge Star Wars fan, Disneyland Park is fantastic. Do both if you can.
Mickala: We have chosen Disneyland Park twice, mainly because we have two girls who are obsessed with the princess universe -and it absolutely delivers on that front. The park feels truly magical, with its charming old-fashioned Main Street, the iconic princess castle, and classic carousel rides alongside newer, more modern attractions. Also if you’re a Star Wars fan like us, don’t miss out on that area—it’s incredibly detailed, authentic and fun to explore.
When should you go to Disneyland?
There’s almost a science to figuring out the best time to visit Disneyland. Generally, the least crowded time of year is from late January to early April—after the major holiday rush and before the spring breaks kicks in. Weekdays, especially Tuesday through Thursday, tend to be the best for avoiding heavier crowds, but never expect it to not be crowded – Sorry.
Crowd levels depend on so many factors—weather, special events, school breaks, and more. That said, the cheapest priced days (called Tier 0 tickets) usually match with the expected crowd, since Disney prices them lower to draw more visitors. On average, the park sees around 50,000 guests per day—and during peak season, that number can jump to 80,000!
Trang: We went on a Tuesday and a Sunday in March and it was equally crowded. We spent a Thursday at California Aventure Park and that was nice with short waiting times. I found that the most reliable was to look into Disneylands Reservation calendar itself, where the least crowded days tend to be the cheapest ticketed days.
Mickala: Our first visit was during spring break, and the crowds were intense. We were prepared, and booked the Lightning Lane pass, which really helped cut down on wait times. The second time, we went on a Thursday in late February. It definitely felt less crowded —especially in the parking lot and at the entrance—but by midday, the park seemed just as busy, and ride wait times were still pretty long.
The biggest difference for us was the parade. During spring break, the parade was truly magical—huge floats, music, dancers, and all the characters. In the off-season, it was much shorter and much less impressive. There were also fewer characters around the park. So while off-season has its perks, some of the magic does get scaled back.
Tickets and prices
Disneyland uses a 6-tier ticket system. Tier 0 is the least expensive, while Tier 6 is the priciest—usually for weekends, holidays, and busy times.
The good news? There are lots of special offers throughout the year! Keep an eye out for SoCal resident deals, kids’ discounts, and seasonal promos. The Disneyland app is your best friend here (you’ll need it anyway for park entry and ride planning).
Another tip: some credit cards or stores like Target offer small perks—like 5% cashback or discounts—on Disney gift cards. You can buy tickets with those gift cards and even use them for food and shopping inside the park. Handy!
Trang: We got the 3 Day SoCal resident ticket offer. If you are a SoCal resident, it’s the best deal as it allows you to visit Disneyland for 67$ per day. Even if you only go two days it would still pay off. It’s doesn’t have to be used consecutive. What saved us A LOT of money was to Both get the Disney Credit card with Chase. We Downloaded the Disney App. Inside it showed is the Special offer: 200$ Disney Gift card + 200$ Statement Credit of you spend 500$ in the First months. It Sounds too good to be true right? But we got the giftcards straight after and with 400$ Disney Gift Card we bought my mom a ticket, parking, 2 Multi Lightning Lanes for me and my husband, and Dinner for all of us (5 people) at Disneyland. It was incredible.
Mickala: On our most recent trip in February, we took the day off on a Thursday, which let us grab the cheapest Tier 0 tickets. There was also a great off-season deal running until May—kids’ tickets for just $50. Every little bit helps when you’re planning a Disneyland trip—it adds up fast, no matter how you do it! On our spring break trip, we didnt save anything and we had to buy lightning lane tickets to save time instead.
Drive or stay at Disneyland?
There are different ways to do it, and it really depends on what works best for your family. The most straightforward option is to drive early, park at Disneyland, and head home late to skip the worst of the traffic. Assuming you’ve got more than one person in the car, you’ll also benefit from the HOV lanes for a faster drive. It is possible to take public transportation from Pasadena to save on parking (35$) and avoid driving—but travel time is over two hours each way.
If you’re planning to visit for multiple days, staying at a hotel near the park might be worth it. Prices can be steep—often over $300 per night—but it does make things easier. You can take breaks during the day and the Disney hotel offers perks like early park entry. Either way, make sure to experience the park after dark, everything lights up and is so beautiful.
Trang: I found the best time-price-experience value option is to drive to Disneyland before rush hour, park there and drive back home in the evening. During the week it took us over an hour from Pasadena, on weekends it was only 35 minutes.
I looked into various options, and driving is the cheapest and easiest option by far. You can also drive, use p&r and take the bikes with us: not worth the effort. For the hotel you would need two nights for a more relaxed arrival/departure and to do an afternoon Break.
Mickala: We drove early in the morning both times and headed home between 7-10 pm. It made for a long, magical, and very tiring day—but honestly, the hotel just feels too expensive when we can get there and back in one day and sleep in our own beds.
The first time we went, it was spring break, and traffic wasn’t bad—about 45 minutes with the HOV lanes, second time was a little over an hour. Heading home was a breeze both times, with the sweet sound of sleeping kids in the back.
We debated staying at a hotel and bringing more family, the break would be appreciated. But part of the perk of living nearby is not needing to book an expensive room – to us this is what makes the experience somewhat affordable. But i can really recommend to stay till it gets dark either way.
Planning your day
Download the Disneyland app! It might feel a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s your best tool for getting around the park—and planning ahead. (Bring a power bank—you’ll use your phone a lot.)
Before your trip, you can browse rides and mark your favorites. The app tells you if a ride is fast, loud, or possibly scary, which is super helpful with kids. You can also check out all the restaurants, see what they serve, and save the ones that you would like and then decide later depending on availability. It really helps make the day smoother!
Trang: I would only choose 3—5 Must-do rides. We were able to do 3 before noon (with a kid). I think you can do more in the „Golden Hour“ without a kid which is two hours after opening. If you go on a weekend to see the firework, consider going later to stay until closing and do the rides.
We arrived for park opening and barely managed to stay until 8pm. My back and feet hurt and we were so overstimulated. My son fell asleep 5 minutes after being snuck in a blanket in his stroller. If you’re staying in a close by hotel, do a hotel break and come back in the afternoon. If staying in the park, doing a proper afternoon break is also wise. We were happy we did it, also with the days getting hotter.
Bring food and snacks, you don’t want to be dependent on ordering food when the lines are long. Most of the places offer online orders which you can do while waiting in a line to your ride to save time 😉 Pro tip: If the pickup window is way too late, get it anyways and refresh. Sometimes people cancel their order and this earlier window gets available. And I wouldn’t recommend doing both parks in consecutive days, at least not with kids. Why? I was overstimulated, so much to see, so much to do, and it was busy and loud ALL THE TIME.
Mickala: We planned 3-4 MUST rides and then we had a wish list of other rides that we would do if we had time or if they would have shorter wait time. We also did a list of different places we were interested in eating, but actually changed our minds when we saw another place spontaneously. You don’t have to plan and book every little detail, but it does give a sense of control if you get overwhelmed with all the people. When using the app in the park you can see how long the wait is for every ride, and you might make your decisions after that and change your mind if something is not worth a 60 min, wait. Remember to bring water, snacks and sunscreen especially when standing in line for 40-60 minutes in the sun.
Parking and arrival
First thing to know: the parking structure isn’t right next to the park entrance. After you park, you’ll go through a security check, then take a short shuttle (tram) to the gates. So if you want to be there when the park opens, plan to arrive at the parking area at least 45 minutes early. Remember to take a picture of where you parked or it can be hard to find your way back.
The best time of day is right when the park opens. Rides start at 8:00 AM, but the gates usually open around 7:30 AM—so that’s the time to aim for. The first couple of hours are known as the “Golden Hour,” with the shortest wait times (usually under 30 minutes) even for popular rides.
If you want to hit your first ride with almost no wait, look into “rope dropping”—a strategy where you’re at the front when the park opens. There are tons of blogs out there with tips on the best rides to rope drop, usually those where the wait time gets impossible later. Here are some of our tips and experiences.
Trang: if you go during the week, early in the morning, park at the closest parking lot which is Mickey & Friends. If you go later or on weekends, the Toy Story Lot might be faster, as its farther away and the security check is before entering the shuttle bus, so you enter the park straight.
We are night owls, but we really did aim to arrive for opening. We headed out at 6.30am from Pasadena and with over 1 hour traffic, we arrived at the parking lot after 7.30 am and were in the park a bit after 8am. It was already packed. We didn’t expect so many people but it was probably a „not so busy“ day as the wait times were really OK.
Mickala: The security line was fairly long both times we went, don’t underestimate this part. One time, a guard was especially thorough—it took about 15 minutes to check our bags and ask questions. My husband even had to go back to the car to drop off a few items. So, pack light and simple, check your bags for unnecessary items to avoid delays at security.
We made it into the park around 8:30 both times and went straight to our first ride. It really helps to decide in advance which ride you want to hit first—heading there right away is a good way to check one off with a shorter wait time. If you’re using Lightning Lane, consider starting with a ride that doesn’t offer Lightning Lane access. Those rides often build the longest lines since there’s no way to skip the queue later.
The rides
There are countless blogs and vlogs covering the different rides at Disneyland, but in the end, it truly comes down to personal preferences. The official Disney app offers a great overview of all the attractions, including helpful indicators for whether a ride is dark, fast, scary, and more. You can even build your own wish list before you go, and once you arrive, it’s easy to prioritize rides based on wait times and location.
There are several ways to optimize your time in line at Disneyland. The Single Rider line can be a great advantage if you’re riding alone, allowing you to skip ahead faster. For parents, the Rider Switch option is helpful if you want to experience a ride without bringing the kids: one adult waits with the children while the other rides, then you swap without having to wait twice. Finally, you can purchase a Lightning Lane Pass, which lets you reserve a time slot for certain attractions and enjoy a much shorter wait. Keep in mind that the Lightning Lane isn’t available for all rides and typically only activates when general wait times get too long.
You can’t completely avoid waiting times, but you can save valuable time by using the app and prioritizing wisely. Just keep in mind that the wait time indicator can be a bit misleading — if an attraction shows under 30 minutes, chances are that everyone else will rush there too, making the line grow quickly. To avoid zig-zagging across the park and wasting time walking back and forth, try to plan your rides based on location as well as wait time.
Trang: I prefer thrill rides over immersive 4D rides, at Disneyland, “Star Wars Rise of the Resistance” was super fun and we enjoyed “Tiana‘s Palace” Water ride a lot. The Haunted Mansion is one of the most popular rides. It’s cute and Hologram well made, but i wouldn’t go in twice.
At DCA I would ride “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Radiator Spring Racers” again, enjoyed Soaring over California a lot and Overall had more fun with the rides there.
With a kid we mostly used the Rider Switch or Single Rider Lane which cut wait time at least by half and get’s the Partner to use the Lightning Lane as well. Not all rides have a Single rider Lane, but if they do, I would prefer splitting the group and ride alone then spend over 1 hour or more waiting in line. If you only have a day and don’t want to Split your Party, I would recommend to buy a Single/Multi Lightning Lane Ticket to get into rides you really really want to do.
Mickala: We mostly focused on the kids during our visit, so we didn’t try many of the adult rides. For the little ones, we absolutely loved Peter Pan’s Flight, Buzz Lightyear, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, and some of the classic carousels. They also had a great time at the treehouse playground and the Toontown play area, which gave us a chance to sit down and relax.
We did try the Pirates of the Caribbean ride but realized too late that it was a bit too scary for little kids — although we still enjoyed it overall. One highlight was discovering the restaurant inside the attraction’s nighttime area, where we had a truly magical dinner under a starry sky at 4 p.m.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, the Star Wars area is incredible. We didn’t go on the rides there but would have loved to, but we did build a robot which was fun and a great keepsake.
My husband and I felt that “meeting the princesses” at the castle was a bit of a time sink, but our two girls were overjoyed to meet them in person, so it was worth the 50 min. wait in its own way. Our six-year-old had a dream of doing the princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but sadly, I’ve never had any luck booking it — it seems to sell out months in advance, but you can still visit the store and buy an outfit too wear around the park.
During spring break, we used the Lightning Lane Pass and found it incredibly helpful on such a busy day. It can seem a bit confusing to figure out ahead of time, but dont worry, once you arrive and start using the attractions map, it will start to make sense.
I have experienced rides go “out of service” during the day twice, and i have had luck getting in line here because everyone else leaves… both times they have had the rides up and running in very short time… a little Disney hack, however also risky.
During high season, like our spring break visit, the parade was absolutely amazing — honestly one of the highlights of the day, and a huge recommendation from us. However, when we went back in February, the parade was much shorter and a bit disappointing. I guess visiting in different seasons definitely has its own pros and cons! I felt we also got more when we paid more.
Editor’s note: Thank you for reading if you got this far. The tips and tricks for Disneyland are endless and we could go on forever. If you have any questions or anything you would like to ask Trang or me regarding your trip to Disneyland we would be happy to help, so dont hesitate to reach out. If you go to Disneyland, remember to write down all your learnings and experiences and we might do a Disney guide 2.0 next year.
Mickala Becktor.
Via Pasadena 