GETTING READY TO GO • When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
• Planning Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
• Lightning Lane Entrances . . . . . 22
• How to Get There . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
• Getting Oriented . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
• Sample Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
• Fingertip Reference Guide . . . .37
To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. So said Walt Disney on July 17, 1955. Fast-forward 70 fun-filled years, and the “Happiest Place on Earth” is as welcoming as ever, hosting millions of visitors from around the globe year in and year out. The beloved 500-acre Disneyland Resort has evolved quite a bit over time, but Walt’s original theme park, Disneyland, is still at its heart. Besides this magical kingdom, guests will discover Disney California Adventure park; Downtown Disney District; a trio of elaborately themed on-site resort hotels: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Pixar Place Hotel, and the Disneyland Hotel; and dozens of decidedly Disney dining and shopping destinations. Of course, you will want to do and see it all, but where should you start? When should you go? And then there are the all important questions of how to get there and where to stay. Maybe you’d like to extend your California vacation—perhaps you will even include a visit to (or a stay at) the beach or one of the other nearby attractions.
That’s a lot to think about. But don’t worry: By the time you’ve read this chapter, you will have the information you need to make smart decisions. So read on, and remember—a little advance planning can go a very long way. Note that details are subject to change. For updates, visit disneyland.com.
When to Go When you weigh the best times to visit the Disneyland Resort, the most obvious possibilities often seem to be weekends, Christmas, Easter, and summer vacation—particularly if there are children in the family. But there are a few good reasons to avoid these periods—the major one being that almost everybody else wants to go then, too. (While foot traffic at Disney California Adventure [aka DCA] is often lighter than it is over at Disneyland park, DCA is a whole lot busier than it was in years past.)
If you can only visit during one of these busy times and worry that the crowds might spoil your fun, there are some tactics for making optimal use of every minute and avoiding the longest of lines—notably, go to the park early to get a jump on the day (and on the crowds), use Lightning Lane service if budget allows, and remember that Disney keeps the parks open later during busy seasons. Note that “early admission” (aka “Early Entry”) to Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure park is available 7 days a week for guests registered at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels (The Disneyland hotel, the new Pixar Place Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa; refer to pages 42–46 of the Accommodations chapter for hotel specifics). For updates and additional information, use the Disneyland mobile app or visit disneyland.com.
On the other hand, choosing to visit when the parks are least crowded may mean that you miss some special events—a treasured fireworks show or parade might not be listed on the entertainment schedule, and certain shows and attractions may be closed for annual refurbishment. A lovely time to visit is the kickoff to the holiday season, starting in mid-November. That’s when the Christmas parade takes place and carolers add festive music to the mix. Other good times to visit are the periods after the busy summer months—September through early October—and after New Year’s Day.
When Not to Go: If crowds make you queasy, keep in mind that Saturday is traditionally the busiest day of the week year-round. In summer, Sunday, Monday, and Friday tend to be the next busiest. If you decide to visit Disneyland park during a weekend, opt for Sunday (it gets less busy as the day wears on). And remember that the week before Christmas through New Year’s Day, Easter week, and the period from early July through Labor Day are usually packed.
DISNEYLAND RESORT CROWD PATTERNS LEAST CROWDED • Second week in January to Presidents’ week
• Two weeks after Easter Sunday until Memorial Day week
• End of Labor Day week to Columbus Day
• The last two weeks of August
AVERAGE CROWDS • Period just after Presidents’ week until about two weeks before Easter Sunday
• Sundays in spring, autumn, and winter, except holiday weekends
• Memorial Day week to beginning of summer vacation
• Week after Labor Day weekend
• Early November to week before Thanksgiving
MOST CROWDED • Any Saturday, year-round
• Sundays throughout the summer and during holiday weekends
• Presidents’ week
• Weeks before through weeks after Easter Sunday
• Beginning of summer through Labor Day weekend
• Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday through Sunday)
• Week before Christmas through first week of January
Keeping Disney Hours Operating hours tend to fluctuate based on the date and the season. For updates, call 714-781-4636, visit disneyland.com, or use the Disneyland Resort mobile app. All details are subject to change.
DISNEYLAND PARK: This park is typically open from about 8 a.m. to about 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Hours are often extended in the summer months, during holiday seasons, and for other special occasions. A benefit known as “Early Entry” allows guests registered at one of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels to enter a park 30 minutes before it officially opens on select days (valid hotel stay, theme park admission, and park reservation are required). For updates, use the Disneyland app, or visit disneyland.com.
DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK: The theme park generally opens at about 8 or 9 a.m. and closes at 9 or 10 p.m., sometimes later. Early Entry allows guests staying at one of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels to enter the park 30 minutes before it officially opens on select days (valid hotel stay, theme park admission, and park reservation are required). For updates, use the Disneyland mobile app, or visit disneyland.com.
DOWNTOWN DISNEY DISTRICT: Many of the spots in Disneyland Resort’s shopping, dining, and entertainment district open when the parks do, but some may open as early as 7 a.m. and most close by 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday (often later on Friday and Saturday nights and during peak times of year).
TRANSPORTATION: The Disneyland Monorail begins making its 2.5-mile loop about the time Disneyland park opens (including “Early Entry”) and runs until about 15 minutes before the park closes. Trams transporting guests between parking lots and the parks begin picking up guests about an hour before the first theme park opens, and continue transporting guests back to parking areas until about an hour or so after the last park closes. If you miss the last tram, ask about alternate transportation to the Mickey and Friends parking structure (it’s usually in the form of a van).
ANAHEIM WEATHER: If dry, sunny weather is your ideal, Anaheim may seem like a dream come true. Rainy days are few and far between and generally occur between the months of November and April, which is also the coolest time of year. During this season, Santa Ana winds sometimes produce short periods of dry, warm desert weather and sparkling-clear skies that unveil distant mountains usually hidden by smog. In summer, thin, low morning clouds make it logical to plan expeditions to the beach for the afternoon, when the haze burns off and the mercury rises. Mornings and nights are generally cool. The average daytime year-round temperature is about 76 degrees.
TEMPERATURE AVERAGE • JANUARY: 69 (high); 47 (low)
• FEBRUARY: 69 (high); 48 (low)
• MARCH: 71 (high); 52 (low)
• APRIL: 74 (high); 54 (low)
• MAY: 75 (high); 59 (low)
• JUNE: 79 (high); 62 (low)
• JULY: 84 (high); 66 (low)
• AUGUST: 87 (high); 66 (low)
• SEPTEMBER: 85 (high); 64 (low)
• OCTOBER: 80 (high); 59 (low)
• NOVEMBER: 74 (high); 51 (low)
• DECEMBER: 68 (high); 46 (low)
RAINFALL AVERAGE • JANUARY: 1.8
• FEBRUARY: 2.2
• MARCH: 1.0
• APRIL: 0.5
• MAY: 0.2
• JUNE: 0.3
• JULY: 0.4
• AUGUST: 0.0
• SEPTEMBER: 0.2
• OCTOBER: 0.5
• NOVEMBER: 0.6
• DECEMBER: 1.7
Holidays & Special Events Disneyland Resort hosts special events all year long. For additional information, use the Disneyland mobile app, visit disneyland.com, or call 714-781-7290. Here are a few highlights to consider:
JANUARY–FEBRUARY Three Kings Day—Día de los Reyes: Celebrate the 12th day of Christmas and some of the Latin American traditions associated with the Epiphany as part of Disney California Adventure’s Festival of Holidays.
Lunar New Year: Disney California Adventure welcomes the Lunar New Year with time-honored traditions celebrating Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures. Guests may follow a young lantern’s quest to reunite with his family and celebrate good fortune in Hurry Home—a special 6-minute show presented before World of Color.
Valentine’s Day: Sweethearts will certainly swoon over the romantic backdrop that Disneyland Park provides on this love-struck holiday.
MARCH–MAY Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival: Enjoy savory sips and nibbles at this popular annual event featuring culinary demonstrations, spirit seminars, appearances by well-known chefs, and more. Cheers!
Easter: The parks stay open late the week before and the week after Easter (it’s a very busy time to visit). Eggstravaganzas are held across the Disneyland resort—scavenger hunts for giant Easter eggs. (Maps, which may come with a character keepsake, are offered for a fee.)
JUNE–AUGUST Fourth of July: This is one of the busiest days of the year—and one to avoid if you’re easily overwhelmed by crowds. The more-patriotic-than-usual day features exceptionally festive fireworks at Disneyland Park.
EARLY SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER Halloween Festivities: At Disneyland Park, Halloween Time lets guests celebrate in many not-so-scary ways. In addition to fall color decor, the Disneyland Band and Dapper Dans celebrate with seasonal tunes. The Haunted Mansion attraction’s holiday transformation gives this spot a Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas motif. Main Street, U.S.A., features hundreds of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns. And Disney characters celebrate the holiday by donning Halloween costumes. (For current policies regarding guest costumes, visit disneyland.com.) Disney California Adventure park gets into the spirit with Oogie Boogie Bash—a special-ticket party. Expect lots of spooky touches such as a “frightfully fun parade” and treat trails with Disney villains. Paradise Gardens hosts a tribute to Día de los Muertos during this time.
NOVEMBER–DECEMBER Thanksgiving Weekend: The four days of this holiday weekend are filled with musical entertainment and the early installments of Disneyland’s A Christmas Fantasy Parade and It’s a Small World Holiday, and the holiday transformations of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, all of which kick off in mid-November. The parks usually observe extended hours.
Holiday Festivities: By early November, Disneyland’s Main Street is festooned with greenery and poinsettias, while more than a million lights create a wonderland that glistens from the Town Square Christmas Tree to Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle. On two festive evenings in December, a massive choir walks down Main Street in a Candlelight Ceremony. It features a live orchestra and guest narrator who reads the story of the Nativity. There’s also a holiday-themed fireworks show, “Believe . . . In Holiday Magic.” It’s presented throughout the holiday season. It is not to be missed.
It’s a Small World is transformed into a wondrous world of holiday magic. A Christmas Fantasy Parade also takes place. Haunted Mansion Holiday extends through holiday season. Disney California Adventure has the Festival of the Holidays. The celebration includes Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings’ Day, and features a holiday World of Color, and Viva Navidad!, an energetic street party hosted by the Three Caballeros. The entire Disneyland Resort celebrates New Year’s Eve in exceptionally festive fashion, too. Happy holidays!
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