Disneyland Itinerary for 1 to 3 days – Perfect for first-timers

Are you thinking of visiting Disneyland, California, and want to plan the best possible Disneyland itinerary for your visit?

Disneyland is a magical place to visit, filled with exciting rides, beautiful sights, and all your favorite Disney characters. It’s a special theme park located in Anaheim, California that brings joy to people of all ages.

Visiting Disneyland is a dream come true, but planning for it can be stressful. I totally get it! I am a California local and have been to Disneyland countless times. Disneyland tickets are expensive, and some planning needs to be done before arriving to make the most of your visit.

Lightning Lane, rope drop, virtual queues, new themed lands, new rides, and mobile food ordering, it seems like a whole new world to get familiar with.

You need to be somewhat familiar with the themed lands and rides offered and plan the must-do rides beforehand so that you can maximize your time at the park.

Fear not! After reading this article, you will have all the information and tips to plan your ultimate itinerary for Disneyland, whether you are looking to spend only one day in the park or two or more days.

Tips for planning the perfect Disneyland Itinerary

Before we get into the itinerary details, below are some important tips that will help you jumpstart your Disney vacation planning.

These tips are great for first-timers to Disneyland and also for those who haven’t been in recent years, as the parks have undergone many changes.

Disneyland Resort has two theme parks – the main Disneyland Park and the newer Disney California Adventure Park.

Both parks are right across from each other, and you can walk from one to the other. A visit to Disneyland usually also includes a visit to California Adventure Park.

Tip #1: Plan for at least two full days at Disneyland

Disneyland Park is huge, with nine themed lands. There are more than 50 rides and attractions at Disneyland.

It is impossible to do them all in one day. With two full days to explore Disneyland, you will feel less rushed and tired and more relaxed.

Between Disneyland Park vs Disney California Adventure, California Adventure Park is smaller than Disneyland, with eight themed lands.

There are more than 20 rides and attractions at California Adventure. But it is possible to do most of California Adventure rides in a day.

I highly recommend visiting California Adventure during your trip to Disneyland as it has some unique rides.

If this is your first visit to Disneyland, I advise planning for at least three full days to have enough time to explore both theme parks.

Plan two days for Disneyland Park and one day for California Adventure Park. More is definitely okay, too.

If this is not your first visit, but you are visiting after a long time, still consider at least two full days – one day for Disneyland Park and one day for California Adventure Park. There are so many new lands and rides added recently!

I highly recommend getting the Lightning Lane Multi Pass add-on for both days. More on Lightning Lane Multi Pass in a moment.

Tip #2: Choose the Disneyland ticket type

Disneyland has two types of tickets – Park Hopper ticket or one park per day ticket.

One park per day ticket allows you to enter either Disneyland Park or California Adventure Park on a single day.

Park Hopper ticket costs more and allows you to hop between the two parks.

If you are spending at least two full days, I recommend getting One park per day ticket for each of the parks.

Spending more for park hopper makes sense if you have only one day to see both parks.

Tip #3: Book a theme park reservation

You need a Disneyland ticket and a theme park reservation before you arrive at the park.

After purchasing the tickets, you need to go to the Disneyland website and make your theme park reservations for the dates of your choosing.

I recommend reserving your dates as soon as you buy the tickets, as the park of your choosing can get sold out on certain popular dates, like during the summer or winter breaks and holidays.

On the Disney reservation website, you have to select the date you want to visit and the park of your choosing. For park hopper tickets, both parks will be available to you, and you just have to pick the date.

Tip #4: Get Familiar with the new Disney buzzwords, themed lands and rides

It is important to get familiar with the terms used at Disneyland for ride waiting lines. After all, everything is about the rides, isn’t it?

Lightning Lane Multi Pass – Lightning Lane Multi Pass is an add-on service to your existing ticket that allows you to use the faster waiting lanes at some of the most popular thrill rides. It costs around $30 per person per day to add Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Note: You can select which days you want to add Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disneyland and California Adventure.

Lightning Lane– The faster waiting lanes at some of the popular rides and attractions are called Lightning Lanes. You need to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to use the Lightning Lanes.

Lightning Lane Single Pass – Lightning Lanes for some of the most popular rides and new rides are not included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass. You need to purchase an a-la-carte or Lightning Lane Single Pass to access the faster waiting lanes for these rides.

Looking at the layout of Disneyland and California Adventure Park and getting familiar with the various attractions in each park will help you decide which rides and activities are best suited for your group.

Tip #5: Install the Disneyland mobile app on your phone and link your tickets

Disneyland has a mobile app that is great for checking current wait times for rides and for mobile food ordering. But it is also needed if you are planning to use Lightning Lane as you have to use the app to reserve time slots for rides.

On the app, it shows which rides allow Lightning Lane expereince and the next available return time window. You have to link your tickets in the app, and then you can reserve the time window for your favorite ride.

Once you reach the start of the time window, you can enter the faster lightning lanes for that ride.

You can also make Lightning Lane Single Pass purchases from the mobile app.

Tip #6: Stay within walking distance of Disneyland

I highly recommend staying within walking distance of Disneyland. That way, you will save at least an hour in the morning by not having to park in the parking structure and take a tram to the park. There are lines everywhere!

The Disneyland Resort hotels – Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, Disney Pixar Place Hotel, and Disneyland Hotel are all great luxury options.

Several hotels on S Harbor Blvd, like Fairfield by Marriott Anaheim Resort and Best Western Plus Park Place Inn are within walking distance and are great mid-range options.

Tip #7: Explore Downtown Disney the day before

Arrive early the day before your first full day in the park, and spend the evening strolling Downtown Disney. Downtown Disney is right outside the main park entrance gate.

We always try to reach by hotel check-in time, and after settling in, we go to Downtown Disney to explore the souvenir shops and restaurants and to get immersed in the Disney Magic.

Tip #8: Enter the theme park early for Rope Drop

This is probably the most important tip to maximize your time in the park. Be at Disneyland at rope drop, i.e. be at the park gates at least an hour before Disneyland park opening time.

If the park opens at 8 AM, they start allowing people to go through bag checks an hour before and ticketing from 7:30 onwards. You can walk inside the park, take pictures, and be at the rope location before 8 AM.

They rope off the main areas, which lead to rides, and exactly at 8 AM, they drop the rope, and you can be one of the first in many ride queues!

We are always there at rope drop and can do 8 to 10 rides in the first morning hour as the lines are quite short in the first hour of opening.

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Now that you are armed with the best tips to start planning for your Disneyland vacation, let’s look at the various itinerary options depending on how many days you are planning to spend in the park.

One day at Disneyland Itinerary

If you are planning to spend only one day at Disneyland Resort, then you have two options.

Option #1: Pick only one park. Either pick Disneyland Park or California Adventure Park and explore it to the extent possible in one day.

Option #2: Get a park hopper ticket for the day and do only the most popular rides and attractions in both parks.

Disneyland Park One Day Itinerary

If you are visiting with young kids or toddlers or a multi-generation family, then with only one day, I would recommend visiting only Disneyland Park.

Get Lightning Lane Multi Pass add-on to your ticket for the adults and older kids in your group so that they can sit in as many thrill rides as possible.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is not worth it for toddlers and very young kids who cannot sit on the thrill rides.

With only one day in Disneyland, I would not aim to do it all but try to do the most popular and best rides and attractions based on your group type.

If you have more adults and older kids in your group, aim for more thrill rides.

If you have toddlers and younger kids, there are several family-friendly rides and character meet-and-greet experiences that would be a better fit.

Morning at Disneyland

Reach the park entrance 30 minutes before opening time so that you are inside the park at rope drop and ready to start the rides as soon as they open. Start using Lightning Lane Multi Pass to book time slots for popular thrill rides.

Go to Mickey’s Toontown first thing and ride the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride first. This is a new ride, and the wait times get quite long during the day. This ride is also included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

While in Toontown, check out the Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey Mouse attraction. It’s pretty cool!

If you plan to have breakfast in the park, I would suggest placing a mobile food order first thing in the morning and grabbing to-go breakfast from Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, or reserving dining/joining the walk-up list at Carnation Cafe on Main Street USA.

Afternoon at Disneyland

After Toontown, if you have older kids and adults in your group, go to New Orleans Square and Frontierland Area and ride Indiana Jones Adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Finally, for older kids and adults, hit the Tomorrowland area and ride Space Mountain and Matterhorn Bobsleds thrill rides.

For families with toddlers and young kids, go to Fantasyland and enjoy the several attractions there. It’s a Small World, and Peter Pan’s flight are some of the best rides.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Alice in Wonderland, and Mad Tea Party are great rides for kids too.

Have lunch at the Alien Pizza Planet restaurant at Tomorrowland. It is a quick-service restaurant and has family favorites.

Galactic Grill is another great lunch restaurant with Burgers, wraps, and fries. Both have plant-based / vegetarian options as well.

Evening at Disneyland

You will be pretty spent by evening, including the kids in your group.

Grab an ice cream from Main Street, sit down to watch the Disneyland Parade, and re-energize yourself! The parades typically happen twice a day at 3:30 PM and 6:30 PM.

Ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the most popular ride, later in the night, around 8:30 PM, when a lot of folks are waiting for either the Fireworks or the Fantasmic show.

You can do the Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run shortly before that. The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed land is really well made and looks great at night with all the lighting effects!

Check out Oga’s Cantina for some cool non-alcoholic (or alcoholic) drinks and snacks.

Plaza Inn on Main Street is a great restaurant for dinner. Refreshment Corner on Main Street is also a great quick-service restaurant for dinner.

Night shows at Disneyland

If there are showtimes for Fireworks and Fantasmic on the day of your visit, I highly recommend watching the spectacular Disneyland Fireworks.

The Fireworks typically occur at 9:30 PM, above Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. The fireworks are best seen from Main Street, USA.

After the fireworks, stay for the second showing of Fantasmic at 10:30 PM if it is operating on the day of your visit. Fantasmic happens on the Rivers of America and is an excellent show with animatronics, special effects, music, and live actors.

This brings us to the end of our best one day in Disneyland Park! The park is typically open till midnight, so if you have energy, you can go back and do some more rides that are open!

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California Adventure Park One Day Itinerary

If you have a Cars Movie Fan or an Avengers fan in your group, or you have been to Disneyland Park before, then California Adventure Park is a better option for you.

To maximize the number of thrill rides that adults and older kids in your group can enjoy, consider adding the Lightning Lane Multi Pass add-on to your ticket.

However, keep in mind that Lightning Lane Multi Pass may not be worthwhile for toddlers and young kids who are unable to participate in these fast-paced attractions.

With only one day in California Adventure, you should aim to do the most popular and best rides and attractions based on your group type.

California Adventure Park is smaller than Disneyland, and it is easier to see most of it in one day. With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you should be able to do all the thrill rides.

Morning at California Adventure

If you have purchased Lightning Lane Multi Pass, then the faster Lightning lanes of all of the thrill rides will be accessible to you.

Aim to reach the park at rope drop time and go straight to Radiator Spring Racers in Cars Land.

Radiator Spring Racers is not included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and you would need to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass, which is $15-$30 per person, to go through the faster wait lane.

The wait time for Radiator Springs Racers gets 2 hours or more later in the day, and the ride breaks down frequently too. By keeping it for later in the evening, you might not get to sit on it at all.

My four-year-old nephew, who met the height requirement for the ride, also loved the Radiator Springs Racers ride! It is not scary and is one of the best rides in California Adventure.

After the Cars ride, use Lightning Lane Multi Pass to ride Web Slingers Spiderman and Guardians of the Galaxy Ride in Avengers Campus. These are the only two rides in Avengers Campus, and you can finish them in the morning with fewer crowds.

Families with toddlers and young kids can ride Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in Cars Land in the morning. Both of these are excellent family-friendly rides.

Afternoon at California Adventure

After finishing the rides at Cars Land and Avengers Campus, head to Grizzly Peak and ride Soarin’ Around the World and Grizzly River Run. Both of these rides are available for through Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Next, head to the Pixar Pier area and get in line for Incredicoaster, the faster roller coaster in California Adventure.

All ages can ride the Toy Story ride in Pixar Pier. Families with toddlers can also ride the Jessie’s Critter Carousel and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind in Pixar Pier.

The dining and restaurants at California Adventure Park offer a variety of cuisines with quick-service as well as fine dining options.

For lunch, both the Paradise Garden Grill and Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta are great and have family-friendly menu items. We always sit near the live music area and get a variety of food from both of these places for our group.

Evening at California Adventure

In the evening, try the rides at Paradise Gardens Park area, like Goofy’s Sky School, Golden Zephyr, Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin’ Jellyfish, and The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Most of these rides are family-friendly.

Adults can go back to any of the rides that they missed previously or are waiting for Lightning Lane Multi Pass time slots. Rides also occasionally break down during the day, so you might need to go back when they reopen.

Make sure to come again to Cars Land at twilight to check out the lighting effects. The Cadillac mountain ranges in the backdrop look beautiful when illuminated. Cars Land has stunning nighttime lighting effects.

Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land is a very unique restaurant with cone-shaped snack shops! The soft-serve ice cream cones here are the best! Try the chocolate vanilla swirl!

Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land is a great option for dinner before the World of Color show.

Night shows at California Adventure

Avengers Campus looks really cool at night. We saw Black Widow doing a show fighting off the bad guys. Loki was also walking around the Campus, and we got some great pictures!

Watch Dr. Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts show at Ancient Sanctum with Dr. Strange and surprise characters from the Avengers Series. I think this show looks better at night with all the lighting effects.

World of Color is California Adventure’s nighttime show and occurs in the Paradise Pier waters in front of the giant Mickey Ferris Wheel. It is an awesome show with special effects, music, dancing water fountains, and a storyline with clips from Disney movies.

World of Color occurs at 9 PM. To better view it, you can book a position in the Virtual Queue on the mobile app. You can also view it from anywhere along the perimeter of the water feature at Paradise Pier, although with the crowds, it’s hard to see the show if you don’t have a virtual queue reservation.

This brings us to the end of our best one day in California Adventure! The park is typically open only till 10 PM, so after World of Color show, there won’t be time left to do more rides.

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Disneyland Park Hopper One Day Itinerary

If you only have one day for both parks and still want to ride the most popular rides in both parks in one day, then a Park Hopper ticket might be worth it. Park Hopper tickets are more expensive than one park per day ticket.

This Disneyland Park Hopper itinerary covers the most popular and must-do rides and attractions in both Disneyland and California Adventure.

You can start at either park depending on which rides are more important to you in each park, as you might not be able to do it all.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is very helpful for a one-day park hopper ticket to maximize the number of rides you can take.

Morning at California Adventure with Park Hopper

With a Park Hopper ticket, I recommend starting at California Adventure and finishing the main rides there.

Check out Cars Land and Avengers Campus and do the most popular rides there. Later, go to Grizzly Peak for the Soaring ride, and finally, check out the spectacular Pixar Pier area.

Below are the must-do thrill rides in California Adventure:

• Cars Land – Radiator Springs Racers
• Avengers Campus – Web Slingers: A Spider-Man adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Grizzly Peak – Soarin’ Around the World
• Pixar Pier – Incredicoaster

Evening at Disneyland with Park Hopper

As Disneyland has some great entertainment shows like Parade, Fireworks, and Fantasmic, spend the latter half of the day at Disneyland with a Park Hopper ticket.

Below are the must-do rides and attractions at Disneyland:

• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Mickey’s Toontown – Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (new ride!)
• Adventureland – Indiana Jones Adventure
• New Orleans Square – Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean
• Tomorrowland – Space Mountain
• Shows – Disneyland Parade, Fireworks, Fantasmic.

If the park is crowded, which it usually is, with a single-day park hopper ticket, you might not be able to do all of these must-do attractions in both parks. Pick the most important ones that are best suited to your interests and plan on doing those!

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Disneyland 2 day Itinerary

With 2 days in Disneyland, I recommend getting one park per day ticket with one day at Disneyland Park and one day at California Adventure Park.

• Day 1: Disneyland Park
• Day 2: California Adventure Park

Follow the one day itineraries for Disneyland and California Adventure detailed above in the article.

This way, you will be able to devote a full day to each park and be able to enjoy them to the fullest instead of running from one park to another with a Park hopper ticket.

Disneyland Itinerary for 3 or more days

If you are planning to spend more than 2 days at Disneyland, then I recommend that you get one park per day ticket for the first two days with one day at each park, and for the third day, you can get a Park Hopper ticket to finish whatever attractions you missed in the first two days.

• Day 1: Disneyland Park
• Day 2: California Adventure Park
• Day 3 onwards: Park Hopper ticket or continue with one park per day tickets

Follow the single-day itineraries for Disneyland and California Adventure listed above.

With three or more days at the park, you will be so much more relaxed and can take a breather between rides and not rush from one ride to the next.

I recommend doing rides in the morning and relaxing the rest of the day watching shows, taking photos, trying out restaurants, and taking in the sights at the amazing themed lands.

Where to stay for Disneyland

We prefer staying in hotels walking distance from Disneyland and California Adventure so that we can just walk to the parks in the morning instead of driving.

By being able to walk, we don’t have to deal with parking or taking the tram, which gives us an extra hour to enjoy the rides and attractions.

If you want the best Disney experience, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is the top choice. It’s a luxurious hotel inside California Adventure Park, so it’s really close and convenient.

Another great option is Disney Pixar Place Hotel, which is just across the street from the Grand Californian Hotel. It’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to the entrance of Disney California Adventure.

Disneyland Hotel is the third Disney resort for the ultimate Disney vacation experience. It’s as if you never left the park! The hotel is also popular for its monorail-themed waterslides and multiple pools.

If you’re looking for a comfortable hotel that’s not too expensive, Fairfield by Marriott Anaheim Resort is a great choice. It’s located on S Harbor Boulevard, has a nice pool, and it’s only a 10-minute walk to the parks. We recently stayed here and liked it.

Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance has a mini Surfside Waterpark, and is a great option for families who would like some waterpark fun in your Disneyland trip.

For the closest option, Best Western Plus Park Place Inn is right across the street. It’s not only convenient but also has amenities like a pool and free breakfast. This is our go-to if we are only planning to use the hotel to sleep in the night.

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Best Time to Go to Disneyland

The crowd levels are always high or very high in Disneyland, as there is always something going on at Disneyland Parks.

We have been to Disneyland in August, September, November, December, January, and May, and it was always packed!

Mid-January to mid-March might be the only timeframe where you might find a bit lower crowds compared to the rest of the year.

Mid-March to April is typically spring break season, and the crowd levels can be very high.

May is Star Wars month at Disneyland, and the parks get super crowded with Star Wars fans.

Then comes the super-packed summer break months of June, July, and August.

The parks celebrate Halloween during September and October months, and there are huge crowds. The Oogie Boogie Bash is a sell-out event during these months.

November and December is the holiday celebration at Disneyland and is magical but also very crowded, especially during the Thanksgiving break and winter break.

Holidays at Disneyland are typically always super packed, but we love the holiday festivities and decorations in the park and still go during winter break.

The previous year, we went in September on a Monday and a Tuesday, and it was as if the whole world was there! This year, we tried visiting in May, again on a weekday, and it was super packed with Star Wars fans.

How to get to Disneyland

If you are flying in, there are a number of airports near Disneyland, some of them smaller than others, and you will have to see which of these airports service flights from your departure city.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the largest airport serving most destinations and is around 40 miles from Disneyland and Anaheim hotels.

You can book a shuttle or private transfer service from LAX airport to your hotel.

➡ Check rates and availability of private round-trip transfers from LAX International Airport to Anaheim hotels.

• John Wayne Airport (SNA) is the closest airport to Disneyland and is around 15 miles away.
• Long Beach Airport (LGB) is around 19 miles from Disneyland.
• Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) is around 42 miles away, and Ontario International Airport (ONT) is around 34 miles away.

If you are planning to explore other theme parks or attractions in Los Angeles, like Hollywood, Universal Studios, Santa Monica, etc., then you might need a rental car.

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