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Disneyland Planning Guide (2024 & 2025)

Last updated on Jan 24, 2024 by Adam Bryan . This post may contain affiliate links.

Welcome to my comprehensive, in-depth Disneyland planning guide that will provide with all the necessary information and tools needed to plan the best, most magical Disneyland visit possible.

Although this guide won’t give you every single detail you’ll need to plan your amazing trip to Disneyland Resort, it will at least give you a great overview of various topics and then point you in the right direction by liking to related articles and guides on this blog.

That way you can dive into the nitty-gritty details and plan the perfect trip that fits your needs and preferences. So, with that said, let’s jump right in!

Notable Dates to Look Forward To

Disneyland trip planning essentials, how to budget for a disneyland vacation, cheapest time to visit disneyland, buying disneyland tickets, what is genie+ and do you need it, booking your hotel, where and what to eat and drink, best rides at disneyland, character meet and greets, other helpful planning essentials, final thoughts.

Before we go any further, here are some major things to expect and look forward to at Disneyland Resort in 2024:

• Late 2024 – Splash Mountain reopening as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

More future plans and updates are likely to be announced throughout the year so I’ll be sure to update this accordingly.

If you are currently planning a Disneyland vacation or day visit, then these resources and guides will help you make the most of your visit by providing you with everything from Genie+ priorities and snack recommendations to money-saving tips and hotel recommendations.

• Disneyland Trip Planning Timeline and Checklist

Before embarking on your Disneyland adventure, I recommend checking out this straightforward Disneyland planning checklist and timeline, which will simplify the planning process by giving you a targeted schedule for completing essential aspects of your trip planning.

For instance, 8 months prior to your trip, it’s an ideal time to set your budget, select your travel dates, and keep a lookout for any upcoming attraction openings, festivals, or events. Additionally, when you’re 60 days away from your visit, make sure to secure any desired restaurant reservations and book special experience activities like Savi’s Workshop.

This timeline will guide you through all the necessary details and steps you should take 8 months, 6 months, 4 months, and 60 days before your magical visit to Disneyland.

Disneyland Bucket List

There are so many fun and incredible things to do at Disneyland that planning your visit might feel overwhelming because the last thing you’d want to do is miss out on anything great.

That’s why I recommend that you check out this Disneyland Bucket List that will tell you everything you must see, do, eat, and drink during your visit.

My personal favorites include eating a specialty churro, breaking your back on the Matterhorn Bobsleds, build a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop, pairing a Mickey beignet with a mint julep, ride some opening day rides, ride Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout during Halloween, and visit California Adventure during their food and wine festival.

• Disneyland Bucket List (75+ Things to Do)

Disneyland in general is pretty expensive. There’s no way to sugarcoat. But there’s a reason why they make $21 million a day .

That said, if you are able to budget for a Disneyland visit without going above your means, you can easily have one of the best times of your life.

Here’s how:

Choosing When to Visit

Before you even set a budget, the first thing you need to do is choose when exactly you’d want to visit the parks.

Like most vacation destinations or even Disney World, Disneyland experiences a large influx of crowds, tourists, and even locals during certain times of the year, while other times are surprisingly very relaxed, empty, and “affordable.”

If your schedule is pretty flexible, I recommend the you plan your visit around the holidays for the best decorations and parades, or around the beginning quarter of the year.

Regardless of when you want to visit, at the end of the day, the best time to come to Disneyland is when it works for you the best . Then from that point on, you can start to budget accordingly.

How much does it cost to go to Disneyland?

Disneyland is very expensive and unfortunately, prices are only going up.

Here is how much you should expect to pay on average each day when visiting Disneyland Resort:

• Park Tickets : Start at $104 per day plus an extra $65 for Park Hopper
• Food and Drinks : $70 per day per person on average
• Hotels and Resorts : Disney’s hotel rates range from $415 to $675 per night on average and around $200 per night off-property
• Transportation : $160 to $249 roundtrip from LAX on Uber/Lyft, plus around $10+ each way around Anaheim resort

These costs are only estimates and depend entirely on specific dates of the year.

For a more in-depth breakdown of a Disneyland trip cost, be sure to check out this guide:

• Disneyland vacation Costs – A Simple, In-Depth Breakdown

Food Costs at Disneyland

Food and drinks (especially alcohol), are pretty expensive at Disneyland.

Here’s how much you should expect to pay for food and drinks at Disneyland broken down by Quick Serve, Table Service, snacks, drinks, and alcohol:

• Snacks = $8 on average
• Drinks = $4.59 – $5.29 each, bottled water costs $4.39
• Alcohol – $9 – $15 including beer, wine, and cocktails
• Quick Service = $15 – $18 per meal, excluding beverages
• Table Service = $36 – $60+ per meal

How to save money at Disneyland

Although saving money and Disneyland doesn’t appear to go together, there are surprisingly a number of ways that you can visit Disneyland on a budget .

Here are some of my favorite ways:

• Buy discounted park tickets from authorized sellers like Undercover Tourist
• Skip the Park Hopper if you have two or more days at the parks
• Stay off-property because Disney hotels are insanely expensive, even during the offseason
• Visit during the off season such as mid-January through February
• Bring your kids when they are under the age of 3 since their tickets will be free
• Skip out on souvenirs, especially balloons

The cheapest time to visit Disneyland is from early January through February. The second cheapest time is late-August.

During late August and January, you’ll find the cheapest park ticket prices.

These are also a few of the times during the year where you can expect the parks to be least busy .

Of course you’ll want to avoid all of the major holidays like Thanksgiving week and Christmas, not to mention Orange County Spring Break and Easter week. This is generally the busiest (and most expensive) time of of the year which means that the crowds and wait times are miserable. Plus, this is usual when Genie+ sells out.

For a full breakdown of when it’s the cheapest time to go to Disneyland in terms of hotel room rates, park tickets, and travel/transportation, I got you covered in this complete guide:

• Cheapest Time to Go to Disneyland (Ultimate Guide)

Due to the park reservation system, buying Disneyland tickets is by far one of the most important steps to planning a Disneyland visit. Although rare, both parks can sell out during certain times of the year so it’s always important to lock down your tickets as soon as you can.

Disneyland Ticket Prices

A standard Disneyland park ticket starts at $109 per adult and $104 per child (ages 3-9). Children under the age of 3 are free .

Ticket prices vary depending on the time of the year, the number of days, and any ticket add ons like Park Hopper.

Where to Find Disneyland Ticket Discounts

The best way to save money on your Disneyland tickets (besides taking advantage of military or Souther California resident discounts) is by practicing them from an authorized seller like Undercover Tourist .

The discounts are steep but if it saves you even a couple of dollars, the savings can add up to a free Dole Whip or churro.

Genie+ is a paid ticket add-on that will give you g unlimited access to the Lightning Lane during a specific time window at a majority of attractions in Disneyland Park and California Adventure.

Honestly, it’s just a worse FastPass+ system that can get pretty pricey. Plus, even as a Magic Key holder, you still have to buy it (at a discount, but still).

The one annoying thing is that some rides don’t participate in Genie+ but instead you’ll need to purchase access to them a la carte via Individual Lighting Lane Selections.

Here are some helpful resources on Genie Plus:

• Genie+ Attractions List
• Disney Genie+ Ultimate Guide

Individual Lighting Lane Attractions and Prices

Here’s how much Individual Lightning Lanes costs as well as which rides are eligible:

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway = $15 – $20
• Radiator Springs Racers = $7 – $20
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance = $20 – $25

Please note that you can only purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections for up to 2 different attractions per day.

How much does Genie+ cost at Disneyland Resort?

Genie+ at Disneyland Resort costs between $25 and $30 per day .

Generally, the busier the parks are, the more expensive Genie+ will be, especially during peak season, holidays, and weekends.

Cheapest Day to Buy Genie+ at Disneyland

The cheapest day of the week to buy Genie+ at Disneyland is Friday with an average price of $25.60, according to Thrill Data .

The most expensive day is Saturday.

Sample Itineraries without Genie+

I believe that you can still have a ton of fun at Disneyland without buying Genie+. Here is a sample one-day itinerary that’s perfect for anyone that doesn’t want to cough up any additional money on Genie plus for the day.

• Disneyland without Genie+ (Both Parks)

Deciding on where to stay during your Disneyland vacation may seem frustrating due to the fact that the three Disney hotels are very pricey , but thankfully, there are a number of other hotel and resort options nearby that will fit any budget.

Disneyland Resort Hotels

There are three Disney hotels in Disneyland Resort:

• Grand Californian
• Disneyland Hotel
• Pixar Place Hotel

The Grand Californian is the flagship property but unfortunately, that also comes with a high price-tag. But if there’s one thing that separates this hotel with the rest, it’s the fact that there is a dedicated entrance into California Adventure.

The Disneyland Hotel is the most modern of the bunch but it’s also the furthest. But they do have very nice villas.

The Pixar Place Hotel is the cheapest of the three but it also comes with its own dedicated entrance into California Adventure. It’s not directly connect to the hotel like the Grand Californian’s is, but it’s still a fantastic perk.

The best part about staying at a Disney resort are the perks such as:

• Early Entry (enter the theme parks 30 minute before opening)
• Close proximity to the parks
• Preferred access to hotel dining reservations
• Next-day package delivery

Disneyland Resort Hotel Room Rates

Here are the average nightly rates for all three hotels:

• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa = $584 – $767 per night (with rates as high as $1,000 a night during peak season)
• Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel = $355 – $466 per night
• Disneyland Hotel = $464 – $631 per night

For a more accurate range of room prices, see this chart .

Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels

The Anaheim Resort area outside of Disneyland property is home to hundreds of hotels, motels, and resorts that can accommodate every budget.

But for the best options, be sure to book a Good Neighbor Hotel .

Hotels within Walking Distance to Disneyland

The hotels outside of Disneyland are very walkable, which is great if you plan on staying off-property.

Here are some of my favorite hotels within walking distance of Disneyland:

• Westin Anaheim (9 minute walk to Downtown Disney)
• Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance (9 minute walk)
• Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground (11 minute walk)
• Hyatt House Anaheim (13 minute walk)
• Best Western Plus Park Place Mini Suites (4 minute walk)

Here is the complete list of every major hotel within 5 to 20+ minute walking distance to Disneyland:

• All Hotels Within Walking Distance to Disney

Hotels Near Disneyland with Bunk Beds

If a standard room with 2 queens and a pull-out sofa doesn’t cut it, then getting a room with bunk beds is a great alternative, especially if you have kids.

Here are some Good Neighbor Hotels that have rooms with bunk beds:

• Anaheim Portofino Inn and Suites
• Best Western Plus Raffles Inn and Suites
• Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance
• Hampton Inn and Suites Anaheim Convention Center
• Homewood Suites Anaheim Convention Center
• Hyatt Orange County

Here are 12 more hotels that have bunk beds .

My Two Cents

As much as I love staying at one of the three Disney hotels (especially the Grand Californian), it’s just getting more and more difficult to spend all that extra money for something that I will only be in from midnight to 8 am.

That’s why no matter how “inconvenient” staying off-property may feel like, at the end of the day, I’m 100% with saving that Disney hotel money and instead putting it towards something fun inside the parks like special event tickets or even a VIP Tour .

So if you don’t mind taking a shuttle or walking, stay off property and save hundreds of dollars.

I’m obsessed with the food at Disneyland. In my opinion, it’s a step above anything you’d find at Disney World .

One of the best things I love about Disneyland is that they offer some of the best, most unique food and drink options that you won’t find at any theme park.

Here’s a brief overview of my favorite things to eat and drink at Disneyland.

Best Snacks at Disneyland Park

These are my favorite snacks (and things to eat in general) at Disneyland Park that you can’t miss:

• Mickey Beignet
• Seasonal Funnel Cake
• Tigger Tail
• Beef Birria Toasted Cheese

Best Snacks at California Adventure

And these are my favorite food and drinks at California Adventure that I think are worth the money:

• Choco-Smash Candy Bar
• QuesaBirria
• Beef Bulgogi Burrito
• Lobster Nachos
• New York Tastiest
• Funnel Cake Fries

Food and Drink Lists

Here are some food and drink recommendations that will help with your planning:

• Best Foods at Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney
• 10 Best Disneyland Snacks (California Adventure too!)

There are so many incredible and iconic attractions at Disneyland that it might feel overwhelming when planning out which ones you’d want to hit between the two parks.

Best Rides at Disneyland Park

Here are the best rides in my opinion at Disneyland Park:

• Space Mountain
• Indiana Jones
• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Best Rides at California Adventure

Here are the best rides in my opinion at California Adventure:

• Incredicoaster
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin’ (Over California)
• Silly Symphony Swings

Which Day of the Week Has the Lowest Wait Times?

The best day of the week to visit Disneyland Resort in general is Friday which will generally have the lowest wait times of the week.

The best day of the week to visit Disneyland Park is Thursday with an average wait time of 26 minutes.

The best day of the week to visit California Adventure is Friday with an average wait time of 30 minutes.

Single Rider Lines at Disneyland

If you don’t mind splitting up your party in order to cut down your wait time at select attractions, hopping in the Single Rider Line is a great way to ride some popular rides without waiting for hours.

There are currently 9 attractions between both the parks that offer a Single Rider Line:

• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Splash Mountain (Tiana’s Bayou Adventure)
• Grizzly River Run
• Soarin’
• Goofy’s Sky School
• Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

Disneyland Roller Coasters Ranked

Disneyland doesn’t have the crazy rollercoasters that Disney World has , but they still have some great hits including the second best Space Mountain of any Disney park.

The number one spot goes to Incredicoaster followed by Space Mountain (or Hyperspace Mountain).

For the full list of Disneyland roller coasters ranked, check out my top 6 .

Fastest Rides at Disneyland

Although no ride at Disneyland cracks 60 mph ( like at WDW ), that doesn’t mean that adrenaline junkies won’t have a blast.

Here are the fastest rides at Disneyland :

• Incredicoaster –  55 mph
• Radiator Springs Racers –  40 mph
• Splash Mountain –  40 mph
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad –  35 mph
• Space Mountain –  35 mph
• Goofy’s Sky School –  27 mph
• Matterhorn Bobsleds –  27 mph
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster –  22 mph
• Disneyland Ride Lengths and Duration

Here’s the complete listing of every attraction length and duration at both parks:

• Disneyland Height Requirements for Every Ride

Here’s the full listing of height requirements for every ride at both park:

Every Ride That Doesn’t Have a Height Requirement

Disneyland Resort is without a doubt one of the best theme parks to visit thanks in part to the sheer amount of rides and attractions that don’t have a minimum height requirement.

Some of the popular rides (some of which are minor “thrill” rides) that don’t have height requirements are:

• Astro Orbiter
• Jungle Cruise
• Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
• Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue
• Pixar Pal-a-Round (Swinging and Non-Swinging)
• Toy Story Midway Mania!

For the full list of 40+ attractions without height restrictions, check this out .

I’m not a huge fan of meeting characters so I really don’t have much to share on that topic. That said, here’s a resource on all of the character meet and greets you’ll find at Disneyland, California Adventure, and some Disneyland hotels.

Here are some extra resources that don’t really fit any of the categories above but are still pretty helpful:

Disneyland Abbreviations You Should Know

This is very random, but you might find yourself stumbled upon a secret language at Disney Parks, that may not make much sense at first.

Some popular ones include:

• DAS : Disability Access Service
• DCA : Disney California Adventure
• DL : Disneyland
• DLR : Disneyland Resort
• GR : Guest Relations
• LL : Lightning Lane
• ROTR : Rise of the Resistance
• FP : FastPass

For an entire list of Disney abbreviations and acronyms, check out this complete list .

Planning an Accessible and Sensory-Friendly Visit

The sights, colors, and loud sounds of a Disney theme park may be exciting for some guests, but they can also be pretty overwhelming to people with ASD.

Here’s my complete guide to planning an accessible and sensory-friendly Disney World vacation:

• Planning a Sensory-Friendly Theme Park Visit

Planning for a visit to Disneyland might feel overwhelming at times, especially with all the updates, but with the help of some of these guides and resources, I’m confident that you’ll be able to plan the most magical time at Disneyland Resort possible.

More Travel Planning

About Adam Bryan

Hey what's up, I'm Adam, founder of Urban Tastebud Disney and I spend most of my days eating (and researching, but mostly eating) around Disney Parks to create useful travel planning content that will help you maximize your time and money at Disney.

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2024 Disneyland Trip Planning Guide

In this 2024 Disneyland Trip Planning Guide we’ll cover all aspects of planning a trip to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure . This post will break down the trip planning process in steps and cover the best ways to save money on airfare, when to visit, how to pick the right hotel, how to buy park tickets, transportation to and from DLR, and anything else we think will help you along the way. This Disneyland Trip Planning Guide is a condensed version of our full Disneyland trip planning site , which you should absolutely check out if you want to go more in depth on every aspect of Disneyland Resort. As you start exploring our Disneyland Resort site, I recommend starting at the overview pages for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Last updated/republished January 17, 2024.

Step 1: When to visit Disneyland Resort

Disneyland is going to have tens of thousands of people visiting during any given day so the park will never truly have a “slow” day. Remember that Disneyland is the second most visited theme park in the U.S. and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. There are a few times out of the year where crowds are smaller than they usual, but this luxury may come at the cost of multiple attraction closures due to refurbishments .

Glancing at our Disneyland Crowd Calendar (and based on crowds we’ve seen in previous years) early June, late August, early September, and early November stand out as great times to visit if you want to avoid the high crowds found during other times of year. As we mentioned before, Disneyland will close rides for refurbishments during the times of year where it is less busy. For example,  Grizzly River Run is usually down for a few weeks in February. Haunted Mansion is closed for part of August and January for installation and removal of its holiday overlay. Unfortunately, it’s hard to plan around ride closures as Disneyland usually doesn’t announce refurbishment dates more than a month or two in advance.

It’s important to adjust your expectations for wait times no matter when you visit DLR. Even if the crowds are “low” you’re still going to be waiting over a half hour for marquee attractions like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run or Indiana Jones Adventure . But that’s a lot better than waiting 75 minutes on a busy day. The days you should absolutely avoid Disneyland Resort are during holidays in the U.S. The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is miserable, as is most of March which is during the Spring Break season.

You may want to visit during Disneyland’s Halloween or Christmas seasons. This is when special seasonal parades, shows, and appropriately themed food and merchandise are available, as well as both parks being lavishly decorated.

You’re probably wondering how many days you’ll need to visit Disneyland Resort to see everything. The answer I would give to any other Disney freak like myself is that any amount of days is not enough. But a more realistic answer would be three days. That way you have enough time to see as much as possible for each park on the first and second day, and then on the third day you can revisit some of your favorite rides, or see some shows and parades you may have missed the first time around. If you’re a regular Walt Disney World visitor you may think that there’s less to do at Disneyland Resort. Wrong! There’s more rides, shows, and attractions packed in Disneyland and DCA than there is in all of Walt Disney World, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to see everything.

For a more in-depth look at Disneyland Resort crowds, check out our Disneyland Crowd Calendar , which predicts the crowd levels for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for every day of the year.

Step 2: Buy airfare

There are several tools you can use to save as much money as possible on airfare. I recommend using AirfareWatchdog.com’s fare alert feature. To set up an alert, visit  AirfareWatchdog.com  and click on “My Alerts” at the top of the screen. Enter your email address and then select “City-to-City Fare Alerts” from the list. You will then be prompted to type in the departure city you want to travel to Los Angeles from. After this you are asked how often you want to receive alerts. If you’re really hardcore you can be sent travel alerts 7 days a week. I opt for the “2-3 times a week” alert option. Keep in mind that you’ll receive deals with a wide range of travel dates. Some could require booking and travel within the next month or two, while other deals are for over six months down the line.

Another tool to use is Kayak.com ’s fare forecast. To use this, go to Kayak.com and click on flights. Enter the dates you are thinking about traveling and then search for fares. In the top left corner, you will see their advice about if you should buy now or wait. To test this out I’ll type in a random date right now.

As you can see Kayak is advising me to buy the tickets now because their analytics say the price will go up in the next 7 days. Kayak bases their prediction on analysis of historical price changes, and they have a good reputation.

As far as airports, you’ll either fly into Los Angeles International (LAX), John Wayne (SNA), or a smaller airport such as Long Beach (LGB). LAX is the more common and cheaper, but if you have the choice, I’d pick flying into John Wayne because it’s both closer DLR and easier to arrive and depart from thanks to lower crowds. But if there is a large difference in cost, go with whichever is cheaper.

Look into a credit card with good rewards for travel before you purchase airfare and hotels. The credit card we recommend for travel is the Chase Sapphire Preferred , which has no foreign transaction fees and earns you 2 points on dining and travel per $1 spent, as well as 1 point per $1 spent on everything else. When you redeem points through Chase Ultimate Rewards portal they’re worth 25% more, and you can also transfer them at a 1:1 rate to many other loyalty programs. There is a $95 yearly fee (which is waved for the first year), but if you travel more than a couple times a year the points you earn more than make up for it. We can’t say enough good things about this card. Use our affiliate link to sign up and see if there’s any point bonuses .

Step 3: Selecting a hotel

If you want highly themed surroundings, top notch accommodations, the best pools, excellent staff, and early entrance privileges to the theme parks, you will find all those things by staying at an official Disneyland Resort hotel. Readers frequently tell us how they love to stay in the “Disney bubble” during their visits. But of course, all this comes at a large premium. Even during the times of year where Disney’s prices are at their lowest, you’re still probably going to pay well over $300 a night for a room. That’s double what you’re going to pay at an offsite hotel. No matter where you stay in Anaheim, offsite or onsite, you’re going to pay various lodging taxes and, if you have a car, parking.

Guests at the Paradise Pier Hotel , Grand Californian Hotel , and Disneyland Hotel can enter on any early entry day, as long as they have any valid ticket; this privilege is referred to as early entry . During this early entry half hour, most of the Fantasyland attractions—along with Space Mountain, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Astro Orbitor, Buzz Lightyear, and Star Tours in Tomorrowland—will usually be open. The rest of the park’s attractions will remain off limits until the official opening time. Disney California Adventure (DCA) also offers its own Extra Magic Hour exclusively for hotel guests, offering access to select attractions in Cars Land, Hollywood Land, Pixar Pier, Paradise Garden Park, Avengers Campus and Grizzly Peak. Click here for more information on Disneyland’s resort’s early entry .

Offsite hotels at Disneyland Resort are way more practical than the same accommodations at Walt Disney World. At WDW offsite hotels you’re looking at a 15 to 40-minute drive depending on the park, and you’ll still be on the hook for parking. At Disneyland Resort not only are most offsite hotels affordable, but some even have less than 10-minute walking times from a room to the front gate of the park. Some hotels on Harbor Boulevard are closer to the front gate than Disney’s own hotels.

The three on-site Disney-owned hotels at Disneyland Resort are:

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , built in the rustic stone-and-timber style of the grand national park lodges, is the flagship property. Newer, more elaborately themed, and closer to the theme parks and Downtown Disney than the other two on-property hotels, the Grand Californian is without a doubt the best place to stay…if you can afford it. In 2018, Grand Californian’s rooms received a much-needed top to bottom upgrade. Lighting has been drastically improved, USB charging outlets are plentiful, the decor has been freshened up, and more storage space has been added. You can view a walkthrough of a Grand Californian Hotel room on our YouTube channel .

Grand Californian’s pool complex is beautifully landscaped with rocks and conifers in a High Sierra theme, includes a 90-foot-long twisting slide. Grand Californian also has an exclusive entrance that leads directly into the Grizzly Peak area of Disney California Adventure. This entrance is open only to Grand Californian hotel guests in the morning, which makes it a great perk if you’re staying there.

Disneyland Hotel is lushly landscaped with a vintage Disneyana theme and offers large, luxurious guest rooms. Walking time to the Downtown Disney Monorail Station, with transportation to Disneyland Park, is about 3–6 minutes. The Disneyland hotel consists of three towers facing each other across a verdant landscaped plaza, a swimming complex, restaurants, shops, and gardens. The main lobby evokes Mary Blair’s “it’s a small world” designs and features a blown-up fun map of the original park. The check-in area sports early attraction concept artwork and seating styled after the spinning teacups. Peek inside the Frontier Tower lobby to see an amazingly detailed model of Big Thunder Mountain. You can view a walkthrough of a Disneyland Hotel room on our YouTube channel . The Villas at Disneyland Hotel is Disneyland Hotel’s Disney Vacation Club wing. This tower is themed after Disney animated films and features studios, and 1, 2, and 3-bedrooms villas. We have a walkthrough of a Deluxe Studio on our YouTube channel .

Pixar Place Hotel is the cheapest option of the three official Disneyland Resort Hotels. Although the guest rooms and public areas have a Pixar flavor, the hotel is not extravagantly themed. The rooms are large and have some nice Pixar touches to them. Walking to the monorail station and Downtown Disney takes about 5–10 minutes. Guest rooms are furnished with wood furniture and fixtures and boldly colored soft goods. Pixar Place rooms include accents such as Pixar ball pillows and Pixar character art above the beds. Guest room windows on the hotel’s east side offer a perfect view of the lights and attractions of Pixar Pier and Paradise Garden Park inside DCA. From rooms on the other side of the hotel you can see, well, parking lots.

It’s impossible to cover all the offsite hotels in this planning guide, but here’s some quick recommendations:

Homewood Suites  – Located about 2 miles south. Across from a Target (so you can get groceries). Suites available. Nice pool. Springhill Suites – Huge rooms, great for groups of 6 to 8 people. Rooftop pool with Disneyland fireworks view. Anaheim Majestic Garden – We usually see affordable prices at Majestic when comparing to other local hotels. Park Vue Inn – Across the street from Disneyland Resort eastern entrance on Harbor Boulevard, which means a short walk to both Disneyland and DCA. Howard Johnson Anaheim – Across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. Nice rooms. Very nice pool and water playground. Occasionally Howard Johnson will offer discounts for Disneyland annual pass holders. Desert Inn and Suites  – Directly across the street from Disneyland on Harbor, less than 5 minute walk to the front gate. Indoor pool. Tropicana Inn & Suites  – Across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. Pool and hot tub. Best Western Anaheim Inn  – Across the street from Disneyland on Harbor. Sheraton Park Hotel at Anaheim – Highly rated in the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. Nice rooms and pool. Hotel Indigo Anaheim – A bit more expensive than other local hotels, but the rooms are very nice and modern. Home2 Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort – Home2 Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort features all studio, one-, and two-bedroom suites, which makes it a good option for families and large groups. The rooms are clean, modern, and have a ton of storage space for luggage, clothes, and souvenirs. All rooms include a kitchenette microwave, sink, coffee maker, full sized fridge, as well as dishes, and eating utensils. Home2 Suites also includes free breakfast. The Viv Hotel, Anaheim, a Tribute Collection – Nice rooms with a trendy look and a rooftop pool with a view of Disneyland’s fireworks. Element Anaheim Resort Convention Center – Barebones room in terms of decor, but they’re extremely functional thanks to full kitchens (with pots, pans, and dishes included), big bathrooms, a full sized table with four chairs, and more. JW Marriott Anaheim Resort – Nicest non-Disney hotel in Anaheim. The JW Marriott Anaheim Resort features luxurious decor and amenities, including a rooftop lounge with a view of Disneyland’s fireworks, a wellness center with a yoga room, Peloton bikes, and any other exercise equipment you could possibly need. Ramada by Wyndham Anaheim Convention Center – Has the advantage of being next door to Disney’s Toy Story parking lot, where guests can catch a Disney bus to Disneyland Resort.

Step 4: Buy your tickets

Disneyland uses price tiers for 1-day theme park tickets, charging more for admission on dates when demand is higher. Tier 1 days are mostly weekdays during the off season, while higher tier days are most weekends throughout the year, as well as weekdays when the parks have moderate crowds. Tier 6 are peak season tickets are sold during the busy holiday seasons like Spring Break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Our Disneyland Crowd Calendar  shows what price tier Disney has set for each day of the year.

Disneyland Ticket Price and Tiers:

• Tier 0: $104 adult, $98 child
• Tier 1: $119 adult, $112 child
• Tier 2: $134 adult, $127 child
• Tier 3: $154 adult, $146 child
• Tier 4: $169 adult, $160 child
• Tier 5: $184 adult, $174 child
• Tier 6: $194 adult, $183 child

All Disneyland tickets can be purchased at the park entrance, at the Disneyland Resort hotels, from the Walt Disney Travel Sales Center, on the  Disneyland website , and most grocery stores in Southern California. Kids under 3 years of age do not need a park ticket.

If you purchase tickets on the Disneyland website, you can choose between  hard  tickets, which will be shipped to you, or  eTickets , which can be downloaded as PDF files and printed at home. An eTicket printed from your home computer will show two bar codes. At the park entrance, a cast member will scan your eTicket and issue your actual ticket. You can also now purchase one-day tickets through your smartphone at  m.disneyland.com  without needing to print anything, but these mobile-purchased passes don’t include any discounts or bonuses.

Entry in to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure require a reservation . Anyone in your party without a reservation for the day you are trying to visit will not be able to enter the park. Same-day reservations are not available. See our Disneyland Theme Park Reservations page for more information .

If your ticket has the park hopping option, you are able to hob from one park to the other starting at 11 AM.

See our Disneyland ticket page for more information and any current discounts being offered.

Step 5: Transportation

Unfortunately all shuttle services (such as Prime Time Shuttle and SuperShuttle) no longer pick up or drop off at LAX. Uber, Lyft, or a taxi service are now your only options.

Keep in mind that in California if you’re using Uber or Lyft you’ll need a car seat for children that are under 4 foot 9 inches tall.

Step 6: Create your game plan for the parks

When you’re in the parks, you need a game plan for each day. Our  Touring Plans are step-by-step guides that save you up to 4 hours of standing in line every day. We’ve got dozens family-tested templates to start with, for every park. You can customize any plan by adding attractions, meals, and breaks.

If you don’t know what to ride, I recommended starting by reading our detailed descriptions and reviews of every ride, show, and attraction in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure , including best times to visit each attraction, the ride’s potential for frightening small children, height requirements, accessibility features, and ratings.

When you’re in the parks you can see your plans on your phone via our mobile app,  Lines .  Lines shows you Disney’s official wait time plus how long you’ll really wait in line at each attraction. Lines can be used to get instant updates to your touring plan, search menus, see parade and fireworks times, and chat with TouringPlans users. The Lines app is available for iPhone, Android, and other smartphones.

What’s new for 2024 ?

A refreshed Fantasmic! will return to Disneyland on May 24, 2024. This new version won’t feature the iconic dragon in its finale, but it will have the return of the beloved Peter Pan segment, which was replaced by a Pirates of the Caribbean segment in the show’s previous iteration.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open later in 2024. Splash Mountain closed at the end of May in 2023 to make way for this new attraction based on The Princess and the Frog . The new ride will make use of much of the previous attraction’s infrastructure, including its 52.5 feet tall final drop.

Pixar Fest returns to Disneyland Resort April 26 through August 4, 2024. This seasonal celebration will feature meet-and-greets with Pixar characters, such as Buzz Lightyear, Woody, The Incredibles, Ember and Wade from “Elemental” and Red Panda Mei from “Turning Red.” A new parade will premiere in DCA called “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!”

What’s new from the last few years?

The Villas at Disneyland Hotel opened in September, 2023. This Disney Vacation Club property is the newest tower at Disneyland Hotel. Room types include studios, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom villas. Each room type is themed after a different Disney animated film, such as Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty, Moana, Frozen and more.

World of Color – One  at Disney California Adventure and  Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland premiered on January 27, 2023. World of Color – One is an all-new version of DCA’s signature nighttime spectacular in the waters of Paradise Bay. The new show will feature music and animation from Encanto, Coco, Moana, and more. A new song called “Start a Wave,” which was made exclusively for World of Color – One will also be a part of the show. Wonderous Journeys is Disneyland’s newest fireworks nighttime spectacular. Disney says the show will feature nods to every Disney animated movie. The usual projection effects on Main Street, U.S.A., Rivers of America, and ‘it’s a small world’ will also be present.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway , opened January 27, 2023. Runaway Railway places you in the center of one of the modern Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts. The premise is that you’re on an out-of-control railroad car, courtesy of Goofy. You careen, gently, through 10 large cartoon show scenes, from tropical islands to cities to out-of-control factories. In each scene, Mickey and Minnie attempt to save you from disaster, with mixed results. The ride uses a mix of traditional, three-dimensional painted sets and the latest in video projection technology to show movement and special effects. We’re big fans of the ride in Walt Disney World so this will be a welcome addition to Disneyland’s lineup.

Magic Happens parade returned from a long hiatus in early 2023. The parade features a new original song, as well as floats from Moana, Coco, Sleeping Beauty, and more.

MagicBand+ arrived at Disneyland Resort in late 2022. MagicBands are plastic and rubber bracelets containing an electronic chip. Depending on which features are activated for you, the MagicBand acts as your park ticket, Lightning Lane redemption mechanism, interactive game piece, PhotoPass identifier, and more. Eventually the MagicBand+ can function as your room key, as well as charge card for food and merchandise.

Disney Genie and Lightning Lanes – Disney Genie is now available at  Disneyland Resort . The itinerary-building service is free for all  Disneyland  and  Disney California Adventure  visitors, but available along side it is a selection of optional services with similar and confusing names;  Disney Genie+ ,  Lightning Lane , and Individual Lightning Lane. Read our Disney Genie guide for more information .

Avengers Campus . This land based on the Marvel characters and is home to WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure which uses interactive web shooting elements. Several meet and greets with superheroes and a restaurant based on Ant-Man and The Wasp are also part of the land. Avengers Campus replaced A Bug’s Land in DCA.

Rise of the Resistance opened in 2020. It’s Disneyland’s newest mega-attraction. Located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , the ride uses trackless vehicles, a motion simulator, walk-through environments, and is one of Disney’s longest attractions ever. It’s nothing like any other Disney attraction and will be the gold standard for which all attractions are compared to for years to come.

TouringPlans  can help you plan the perfect day at Disneyland. Be sure to check out our  Disneyland Crowd Calendar, which rates every day of the year on a scale of 1 to 10  so you can see how busy Disneyland and DCA will be during your visit. Also check out our  Disneyland Touring Plans . These itineraries can show you how to beat the crowds and spend less time in line at your favorite rides. Our  Touring Plans can also be personalized ! All of our tools are used by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and are constantly being updated by our in-park team of researchers and data scientists.

Your Thoughts?

If you’re planning a trip for Disneyland Resort in 2024 let me know if you have any other questions, or feel free to share any tips you may have for other planners. Also, let me know what you’re looking forward to during your trip.

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Guy Selga Jr.

Disneyland writer for TouringPlans.com and co-author of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. Also a Disneyland local and appreciator of Disney theme park history. Twitter and Instagram: @guyselga

22 thoughts on “ 2024 Disneyland Trip Planning Guide ”

Guy – excellent article, as usual. I have a question I hope you might be able to comment on: various sources seem to say that the Individual Lightning Lane reservations for RSR and Rise of the Resistance almost always sell out far before nighttime, if not sooner. However, as I’m looking at the “Tip Board” in the Disneyland App on my phone, it seems to keep telling me that, while standby times for these rides are over an hour (as one might expect), Individual LL slots not only appear still available, but with times that appear to be either immediate or just a matter of minutes. Now, I’m just “window shopping” at this point from the East coast, but trying to get my head around what the reality is for planning purposes. Is the Disneyland App giving me an accurate picture, or is the more accurate picture the one painted by the various online articles that say the ILL reservations always run out by noon or earlier?

I would give thought to using at least the RSR LL for an after-dark ride. Obviously I’m doing this without having an actual park reservation, so I can’t actually try to purchase a LL ticket from here – I don’t know if that affects what it shows for availability in the Disneyland App? But I’d really like to understand, before actually arriving IN the park, whether it’ll be a viable strategy, and whether I should expect to have to spend the morning monitoring for the right moment to reserve an evening ILL window or if it’s something I would be trying to do around dinnertime. Any perspective you could offer on what the reality is of the ILL availability patterns at this point would be terrifically helpful. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing this comprehensive Disneyland trip planning guide! It’s an absolute goldmine of information for anyone looking to make the most out of their visit to the happiest place on Earth.

Thanks for this update!

Thanks for reading!

What are your counter service recommendations these days? I was perusing menus the other night in anticipation and woof, things look rough at Disneyland (DCA’s a different story.) I had been excited to have the fried green tomato sandwich at Hungry Bear but it looks like it has disappeared!

Jolly Holiday is usually solid and has a good rotation of seasonal items. Harbor Galley is decent as well. If you can stomach the price, Plaza Inn’s fried chicken is still good.

I have benefited a lot from reading this article. Thank you very much for doing this article. thanks regards.

Just a couple of things I wanted to add, especially to frequent WDW visitors. First, “park hopping” is as easy as crossing the street, unlike WDW which can require a bus, boat, monorail, and the better part of an hour. As a “Magic Keyholder” I can park hop for no additional cost, but I usually advise buying the hopper since it’s easy and makes it possible to repeat the things you love in both parks. Also, the lockers at Disneyland are super easy and convenient. We often take sweatshirts for the cool evenings and lock them up… we can also store our purchases there if we’re not staying at a Disneyland-official hotel (and even if we are, there isn’t much time to have things sent back to the room if you’re only staying two or three days). I was last there in September so my May trip will be the first time with Genie… I will probably do the Genie+ at least one day since I loved MaxPass. Also it’s a girls’ trip and it’s much easier to justify $25 a day for myself rather than $100 for the whole family.

Tsk, tsk… You failed to mention the “electrosynthomagnetic musical sounds”!

Can you add Max Pass once you are in the park if you decide you want it?

Yes you can through the Disneyland app.

If you have the Disneyland app you can scan everyone’s tickets onto your app and then you can purchase the maxpasses from your phone.

As a long time WDW vey, I will find myself in Disneyland for 3 days in mid July. I am a senior, and don’t need to do any of the “ thrill” rides, but certainly want to experience all the classics, parades and nighttime entertainment. Is Maxpass a necessity for my needs?

MaxPass can get you World of Color and Fantasmic Fastpasses, but paper Fastpasses for these shows can also easily be obtained in the morning. If you’re skipping the thrill rides I do not think MaxPass is necessary.

Ahhh – reading this comment, and more to the point, the dates involved, all I can think is: wow – the things we just didn’t know, and didn’t see coming, at that moment!!!

Any advice for a trip scheduled for Jan 30-Feb 1? The new ride, Rise of the Resistance will only have been open a couple of weeks. The crowd calendar still shows 2-3. Is that realistic?

It’ll still be a slow time of year for the rest of Disneyland Resort. Yes, the new ride will be very popular and have a high wait, but the rest of the park should be fine.

Everyone in your party will need a max pass. Max pass is per ticket.

@Jennifer… Yes, if you want to book fast pass for rides, your whole family will need one. (Unless they are really young) But if you need a Max Pass for your whole family is really dependent upon how busy it is. I was just at the park last week and it was very busy. It was well worth the cost. If you don’t have it, a person from your party will have to walk across the park to book a fast pass ticket. If the park is busy, then this will take a long time. But if the park is not busy, then it is a call to make while you are there and how bad you want it. But if all you want is the Photo Pass, then only one person in the party needs it. Definitely worth one member of the party getting it just for the sake of the pictures!

Is it worth it to purchase the tickets with Max Pass or not? Does everyone in a party of 6 need Max Pass or can just 1 person get it to get the Photo pass pictures?

Any idea when this summer avengers campus will open?

Disney has only said “Summer 2020” so early June or late May is a good guess.

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2024 Disneyland Planning Guide – Plan the Best Trip & Save BIG

The Park Savers 2024 Disneyland Resort Planning Guide covers everything you want to know about planning a vacation to this fun-filled destination: crowds, dining, best hotels, saving money on tickets and other tips & tricks. We also cover how to get on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance so you don’t leave disappointed. (updated January 27, 2024)

Disneyland Resort

The resort had recently experienced quite the change before being rudely interrupted by COVID. The biggest was Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened its doors to guests in 2019. While that may not seem “recent,” its biggest attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, only opened in January 2020. That’s right, this attraction only saw about two months’ worth of guest time before the pandemic forced the parks to close.

Rise of the Resistance is one of Disneyland’s most immersive attractions and by far one of the most popular. When the attraction first opened, there were no standby lines for guests to enter. FastPass? No way. With this attraction, Disney introduced the virtual queue, a way for guests to “get in line” for the attraction, keep exploring the park while they waited, and then later enter the queue to actually ride.

We realize this sounds a lot like FastPass (and the new Disney Genie+), and it sort of is, but sort of isn’t. While Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Selections (and FastPass before them) allow guests to come back during a scheduled period and go through a faster queue, the virtual queue only represents a line where all guests must enter. No guests receive priority or a quicker way to experience the attraction. It also keeps guests from just walking up and getting in line.

This was introduced because of the attraction’s popularity (and rightfully so) and will likely continue to be the way guests get to experience it for the foreseeable future. That is, unless the attraction goes the way of its Disney World counterpart and nixes it. So when it comes to planning and hoping to score a boarding group in this virtual queue, you may want to see our guide for getting a  guaranteed boarding group for Rise of the Resistance .

Disneyland was also in the middle of several other new resort additions, including  Avengers Campus and a new hotel. While these were all delayed for a time, Avengers Campus actually opened to guests on June 4th, 2021.  The new hotel, which is an extension of Disney Vacation Club, hadn’t made much progress other than being announced. Our guess is that this has been pushed back to 2023 or later.

Amazingly, Disney even managed to reimagine the Snow White attraction in Fantasyland during the resort’s closure into something magical. With all-new scenes and audio-animatronics,  Snow White’s Enchanted Wish is significantly better than its previous iteration, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and guests can finally enjoy the full story of Snow White.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISNEYLAND

Disneyland is Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom, opening in 1955 with just one park. Over the years, it has grown immensely (to a certain degree), adding an additional park, California Adventure, in the early 2000s. Disneyland Park’s abundant charm flows through each of the theme park’s lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Mickey’s Toontown , Fantasyland and Galaxy’s Edge.

Most guests find this park to be the most “magical” of Disney’s two California theme parks, with many original attractions like Peter Pan, Snow White, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain, just to name a few.

Directly across from Disneyland is Disney’s California Adventure Park. Initially, the park was built to represent the state of California. After that pretty much failed, it was revamped to make it more “Disney” in 2012 and has since grown in popularity with the help of new lands and attractions.

Some of our reasons for visiting Disneyland over Walt Disney World include:

• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
• New Orleans Square
• The original World’s Fair version of “it’s a small world”
• The Blue Bayou Restaurant (yes, this makes our list)
• Avengers Campus
• World of Color

NEW TO DISNEYLAND

Besides all the new COVID guidelines we already mentioned, Disneyland saw significant changes to the parks in 2021. The biggest of all of these is the opening of Avengers Campus in California Adventure Park. This new land took the place of A Bug’s Land and will soon connect Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! to the rest of Marvel.

The land features one new attraction, a dining location, shopping and character meets. There is also an impressive “stuntronics” Spider-Man swinging from rooftop to rooftop, which is truly amazing. Additionally, as we mentioned earlier, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish Wish, a classic dark ride in Fantasyland, is also “new” to guests as it received a major makeover inside and out.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS

It’s exciting to plan a vacation to Disneyland for the first time, but it can also seem overwhelming. Trust us, we get it: You want to see and do it all. It’s a worthy cause and very much achievable for anyone who plans correctly. If you want a detailed guide on how to spend your day(s), you can see our Disneyland Itinerary Guides for more information.

For your initial planning, however, here are the most important things to know about:

• When to visit
• Picking the right hotel
• Saving on your theme park tickets
• Transportation and airfare
• Disney Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Selections
• Magic Morning Early Entry and Extra Magic Hour
• Entertainment including parades, fireworks, World of Color and Fantasmic!

DISNEYLAND TICKETS

Currently, you can purchase tickets that range from one to five days. Depending on how long you want to play, it’s always best to buy as many days as possible, as the price per day drops the more you add. For instance, the 2-day ticket costs about $128 per day, but the 4-day ticket costs about $90 per day. So, the more you play, the less you pay!

Guests can choose from either 1 Park Per Day or Park Hopper tickets.  1 Park Per Day tickets give you access to one of the two parks each day of your visit. You CANNOT visit both parks on the same day.  Park Hopper tickets  give you access to both parks as much as you want for the length of your ticket.

We always recommend this ticket as it gives you a lot of flexibility to switch parks when the other is busy. For a great Disney deal, be sure to purchase your Disneyland tickets at a discount with our trusted partner online.

Remember that tickets are only valid for 13 days after first use unless you have an annual pass. Also, tickets cannot be used by different people; the same person must use them on each day of use. Disney takes this very seriously and will revoke your ticket if you’re caught doing this. Only buy your tickets from vendors who are authorized.

For more information on  discount Disneyland tickets , be sure to read our comprehensive guide so you can save the most money. We talk about many different places, including  Sam’s Club ,  AAA  and  Costco . 

ANNUAL PASSES

Keep the magic going all year-round with an annual pass, or Disneyland’s Magic Key Passes . These give you one year of access to the parks, some with restrictions and blackout dates. All offer discounts on food and merchandise, tours, and special events.

Please  visit here for information on the Magic Key Program, including the four levels of annual passholder membership: Dream Key, Believe Key, Enchant Key and Imagine Key.

DISNEYLAND HOTELS

It seems like there are a million and one options for hotels at and near the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. The city itself is basically made up of hotels with a few houses and apartment buildings sprinkled in between, so your options are immense. Having said that, there are ones you’ll want to avoid.

Disneyland has three hotels on property, including the Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. While these hotels tend to run a bit pricier then most hotels near the resort, they also offer a lot of extras for guests like short walks to the parks, package delivery from the parks, and Extra Magic Hour each morning.

Most hotels surrounding the resort (but not owned by Disney) will most likely fall into the Good Neighbor Hotel category. You can read about these and the Disney Hotels in  our complete Disneyland Hotel Reviews guide . There are some great ones out there like  Desert Palms Hotel and Suites , Residence Inn Marriott and the new  Westin Resort by Marriott .

Three airports service Disneyland within a 45-minute drive or less:

• Orange County  – John Wayne SNA
• Long Beach Airport  LGB
• Los Angeles Airport  LAX

SNA  is the closest airport to Disney and typically takes about 15 minutes to drive from there to Disneyland with clear traffic. While the airport is a smaller one, it’s really nice and offers lots of places to eat, shop and, of course, catch your flight. It’s also part of the Disneyland Resort Express motorcoach program, which you can read about below. Airlines include Southwest, Delta, United, American, and Alaska. 

LGB  is the second closest airport to the resort and typically takes about a 20-25 minute drive with clear traffic. It’s also a smaller airport, but was recently re-done and has some great eating places. Airlines that service Long Beach include Southwest, JetBlue, Delta, and American Eagle.

LAX is the furthest airport from Disneyland and can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to drive. This is a major airport with many airlines servicing it. We won’t list them all, but most likely, your airline will fly into it. It’s great for international flights. LAX is part of the Karmel Shuttle motorcoach program, which you can read more about below.

The best way to score some serious discounts on airfare is  to use Google’s Flight Search , which compares most major airlines and allows you to track prices, all for free.

TRANSPORTATION

Getting to and from the airports can be pricey, depending on which type of transportation you take.  Rental cars  can be picked up at all three of the airports around Disneyland. If you choose to rent a vehicle, keep in mind that your hotel may charge a parking fee.

Disneyland also charges a parking fee if you’re thinking about parking at the resort. It’s approximately $20 per day for cars and motorcycles. However, driving your own vehicle or renting one can be a great idea if you plan to leave the resort a lot and head to the beach or other Southern California attractions.

Alternatively, the  Karmel Shuttle Service  is a great way to go from SNA, LGB and LAX to the three Disney hotels and surrounding ones like the Good Neighbor hotels.

Taxis, Uber and LYFT  are great options if you don’t want to pay parking and rental fees. We highly recommend  Uber  and  LYFT  for getting to and from the airport. They are readily available and cheaper than taking a taxi. Use our  coupon codes  to get your first ride free with both companies!

If you don’t have these apps on your phone, we suggest taking a taxi. Many of them offer a flat rate to Disneyland and back – just be sure to ask them. Likewise, if you’re staying at a Disneyland property hotel, ask the bell desk for a flat rate coupon upon departure.

DISNEY GENIE

The key to a successful trip to Disneyland is going in with a plan. Fortunately, Disney’s newest piece of tech, the Disney Genie Service , helps guests to make the most of their days whether they did their research or not. Already launched at Walt Disney World but yet to make its Disneyland debut, this complimentary service will be incorporated into the existing Disneyland app.

Utilizing preferences like your favorite characters or attractions, along with current and anticipated wait times and your location in the park, Disney Genie creates a personalized digital itinerary just for you. This helps you to take advantage of short lines and skip out on rides that may not interest you so that you can make the most of your time in the parks.

DISNEY GENIE+ & INDIVIDUAL LIGHTNING LANE ATTRACTIONS

Unfortunately, you are no longer able to use FastPass or MaxPass to skip the line at Disneyland. Instead, guests will be able to fast-track their trip by purchasing Lightning Lane access. By upgrading their tickets with Disney Genie+ and/or Individual Attraction selections, guests can jump to the front of the line at some of the Disneyland’s most popular attractions.

Disney Genie+ will cost $20 per person per day and cover such popular rides as Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain. Meanwhile, guests will also be able to make Individual Lightning Lane Selections. Unlike with Genie+, you must buy Individual Lightning Lane Attraction access for each applicable ride you’d like to go on. While we don’t yet know how much this will cost, front-of-the-line access to some of Disney World’s rides are going for between $7-15 a pop.This skip-the-line option will only cover two popular attractions at each theme park, such as Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park.

WORLD OF COLOR

World of Color is, quite possibly, the most wonderful show you’ll ever see. With lights, colors, water, fire and your favorite  Disney characters , all set to classic Disney music, honestly, what’s not to like? It’s something you have to experience!

The show returned returning in 2022 for the first time in over 2 years.

Fantasmic! is a nighttime spectacular that takes place around the Rivers of America in Frontierland and New Orleans Square. You won’t want to miss this one-of-kind show starring Mickey Mouse and some nasty villains.

The show includes some of your favorite characters and the Mark Twain Riverboat, singing, dancing, and even fireworks, making it an absolute must-see.

The show made its return in 2022 after being on hiatus for over 2 years.

PARADES AND FIREWORKS

These change seasonally and yearly, so it’s essential to stay updated on what’s currently being presented at each park. If you’re looking for fireworks, Disneyland Park is the place to go, as there aren’t any offered at California Adventure Park. Fireworks are typically done later in the evening and are most likely occur on the weekends, though they tend to run more during the summertime and major holidays. Always pick up an entertainment times guide when entering the parks (or check the Disneyland app) so you know when these are.

Parades change often, and each park can have its own. The Magic Happens Parade will make its way down Main Street, USA once more beginning February 24, 2022.

Be aware that these types of entertainment are subject to change, mostly due to weather. For example, high winds will cancel a fireworks show, while rain will cancel a fireworks show and a parade.

MAGIC MORNING EARLY ADMISSION

Exclusively for Disneyland Resort guests, this feature comes on 3-day tickets or higher only. It allows you entrance into Disneyland Park one hour before it opens to the public. It only runs on certain days, typically Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. It comes on your ticket.

It is different than Extra Magic Hour (see below) that is offered only to guests of the three Disneyland-owned hotels.

EXTRA MAGIC HOUR

This perk is only available to guests staying at one of the Disneyland-owned resort hotels including Paradise Pier Hotel , Disneyland Hotel , and the Grand Californian Hotel . Extra Magic Hour is every day at a different park.

It typically follows the schedule of Magic Morning Early Entry, with Disneyland Park on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. All the other days, Extra Magic Hour is for California Adventure Park.

Times are subject to change, so check with your hotel the night before to verify the time. Take it from us and this Disneyland Planning Guide, Extra Magic Hour is a must-do each day! You’ll get a lot done in just an hour because the park is pretty empty. This is currently suspended in 2023.

BEST TIME TO VISIT DISNEYLAND

There’s a lot to be said about  visiting  Disneyland. Of course, we all want to travel when there are smaller crowds and shorter wait times. But, we also want to go when it’s easy for families to travel  and  everything is open. Finding a balance between the two can be challenging, but it’s possible.

Over the last several years, we’ve studied the crowds and have broken down what you can expect each month and when the best weeks are to visit.

In a nutshell, these are the best times to go to Disneyland:

• January & February (minus holiday weekends)
• May (first half of the month)
• September (after Labour Day)
• Early October
• Early November
• Early December

Avoid major holiday weeks like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Summers are crazy because kids are out of school. March and April are full of spring breakers, and late May is full of graduation nights. In other words, any time that’s not convenient for a family to go is the best time to go.

Be sure to read our  Best Time to Visit Disneyland Guide  to see what may work for you. You can also check out our free  Disneyland Crowd Calendars  to see which days will be the busiest and which ones will be slow.

Another option is to subscribe to a crowd calendar like  Touring Plans , which has made it their business to project how busy the parks will be, using science! These calendars can be invaluable in helping you to determine the best days to visit.

Disneyland Trip Planning Timeline and Free Printable (2024)

Planning an amazing Disneyland vacation is stressful when the to-do list seems endless: book the perfect hotel, buy tickets, make dining and theme park reservations, and decide if Genie+ is worth it. If this is your first Disneyland trip, or even if you’ve planned one before, our free, printable 2024 Disneyland Planning Timeline keeps things simple and avoids mistakes on your next Disneyland vacation.

Use this planning guide for Disneyland in Southern California. If you are planning a Walt Disney World trip here’s our full guide for Florida.

6 to 8 Months Before Disneyland

Research and Book Disneyland Hotels

Disneyland has three on-site resorts and dozens of off-site hotels nearby. Unlike Disney World , many on- and off-site Disneyland hotels are within easy walking distance to the theme parks.

We personally prefer staying on-site at Disneyland. Resort guests get early entry at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure, have shorter security screening lines, and the comfort of being in the Disney bubble.

On-Site Disneyland Resort Hotels

Disney’s pixar place hotel.

The least expensive Disneyland Resort Hotel, Pixar Place, got a major upgrade with refurbished rooms, pool deck, lobby, and dining. Pairing this remodel with a newly opened walkway connecting Pixar Place Hotel to Disney California Adventure makes this often overlooked Disneyland resort even more appealing.

Disneyland Hotel

The playful styling, adorable pool, and easy walk to Downtown Disney plus newly opened DVC villas make Disneyland Hotel my go-to on-site hotel . Although not as luxurious as Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel rooms are larger than those at Grand Californian.

The new Villas at Disneyland Hotel have sleek styling and clever design making them a comfortable option and my new preferred Disneyland room option.

Regular Disneyland Hotel rooms have traditional styling, but could use a refresh. While Disneyland Hotel bathrooms could surely use a remodel the split design remains functional for our family.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel

Disney’s Grand Californian has both standard rooms and Disney Vacation Club villa options. The Craftsman styling and rich furnishings make the Grand Californian lobby a stunning sight and it’s even better during the holidays when decorated with a huge gingerbread house and Christmas tree.

Walk directly from Grand Californian into Disney California Adventure park with a dedicated entrance. For your Disneyland days, take a short walk via Downtown Disney. 

The location of Grand Californian is the most convenient of the on-site Disneyland resorts, but the small rooms plus large price tag make Grand Californian less of a value than other options.

Disneyland Off-Site Hotels

Disney World has over 25 resorts and is roughly the size of San Francisco making off-site stays more cumbersome. Disneyland, on the other hand, is compact with many well-reviewed off-site hotel options within walking distance of Disneyland. 

I’m sharing our favorite off-site Disneyland resort, but our travel partners at Get Away Today ( affiliate link ) continually tour off-site options to help you pick the right one for your vacation.

Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

Courtyard by Marriott Theme Park Entrance rooms are spacious with a large split bathroom, bunk beds, and dining area.

We like the layout of the King resort view with balcony rooms which have a small alcove for bunk beds separate from the main bedroom area. This is a perfect spot for kids to fall asleep while parents relax after a day at Disneyland.

The hotel is an easy half mile walk from Disneyland’s Harbor Boulevard entrance and steps away from both a Panera and McDonald’s for quick and inexpensive meals.  

The main downside of this resort is the same as all the off-site options. Disneyland’s Harbor Boulevard entrance is busy which means security screening lines can get long compared to the ones for on-site guests. 

120 Days Before Disneyland

Buy Disneyland Tickets and Make Disneyland Park Reservations

Disneyland requires all guests to purchase valid theme park tickets PLUS make a theme park reservation to enter the parks. This requirement began after Disneyland reopened and looks like it is here to stay. 

When purchasing your Disneyland tickets through the Disneyland website you’ll be prompted to make theme park reservations as part of the purchase process.

If you bought discounted Disneyland tickets ( affiliate link ) through Get Away Today, like we do, you’ll simply link the tickets to your account and then make Disneyland park reservations.

In general two days at Disneyland with a park hopper ticket lets you experience most of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. We usually spend two or three days at Disneyland when combining it with San Diego .

If our trip to Southern California is only to visit Disneyland we buy three or four day tickets. Adding on a day or two makes for a relaxed Disneyland vacation.

For shorter trips we recommend purchasing a Disneyland park hopper ticket with Disneyland Genie+ included. Buying Genie+ with your ticket locks in the price at $30 per person per day. While sometimes the same day price is still $30, the daily price varies and is routinely $35 during our visits.

For trips of three and four days we buy Genie+ daily. Most of the time we only need the service for two days and regret buying for the duration of longer tickets.

Book Disneyland Flights

Deciding when to book Disneyland flights is always a gamble. Book too early or too late and end up paying higher prices. We find booking Disneyland flights about 4 months ahead of time has the best balance of prices and availability.

However, if you are inflexible on dates or times and have the budget feel free to book flights earlier. This locks in your preferred route, but at a potentially higher price.

There are several airports near Disneyland which provides lots of flight options when planning. 

Although LAX is the largest airport near Disneyland, it is my least favorite. Traffic from LAX to Disneyland varies widely and the airport can be overwhelming. 

Whenever possible we fly into Long Beach or Orange County/Santa Ana Airport. Both of these are smaller airports within a 30 minute drive of Disneyland. Other local Disneyland airports are Burbank and Ontario, but we’ve yet to use them because they are further away.

Download The Disneyland App

The Disneyland App is handy before and during your vacation. Use the app as your park ticket, to make and manage dining reservations, book lightning lanes, mobile order food, and find out show and attraction wait times.

Download the app for iPhone ( App Store ) or for Android ( Google Play) and get a feel for how to use it before dining reservations open, 60 days before your trip. Disneyland’s app is a convenient way to book dining reservations and also manage any that need to be changed.

60 Days Before Disneyland Vacation

Reserve disneyland dining.

Disneyland dining reservations open 60 days before your visit. Unlike Disney World, booking Disneyland dining reservations occurs one day at a time 60 days in advance for both on- and off-site guests.

When booking Disneyland dining reservations prioritize character dining like Plaza Inn breakfast , or popular restaurants like Carthay Circle and Blue Bayou, or any dining packages for nighttime spectaculars first. These reservations are the most difficult to find. 

Schedule Droid Depot, Savi’s, and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Experiences

People often forget that reservations for these popular experiences open 60 days before your Disneyland visit, too. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique transforms kids into princesses or princes with fun makeovers done by Fairy Godmothers-in-training.

Star Wars fans won’t want to miss the chance to build a personalized astromech at Droid Depot or a salvaged lightsaber at Savi’s . Book early since these reservations fill up quickly.

Research and Reserve Disneyland Transportation

There are several ways to get to Disneyland from public transportation to Lyft to black car service. We prefer renting a car to drive ourselves from the airport to Disneyland. It provides the greatest flexibility and comfort, but can be a pricey option.

If rental cars are too expensive, our second choice is a Lyft to Disneyland from Orange County/Santa Anna or Long Beach Airport. Unfortunately, this option doesn’t work well for those with small kids needing car seats. If you have a child large enough for a booster seat grabbing a Lyft is easy if you use this tiny Mifold booster seat .

Find more information on transportation use this Disneyland airport transporation guide .

7 Days Before Disneyland Vacation

Pack For Disneyland

Packing a few days ahead of time helps discover anything you’ve forgotten with enough time to buy any missing items. Here’s our Disneyland Park Bag packing list to help with what to bring to the parks each day.

Although I don’t have a Disneyland specific packing list, my comprehensive Disney World packing list works well for California, too.

One Day Before Disneyland

Order disneyland groceries.

Ordering groceries for Disneyland isn’t necessary, but can be a nice time, and money, saver on vacation. We like to order some bottled waters and grab and go breakfast items via Instacart when visiting Disneyland.

Just make sure you are there to meet your driver or confirm that the hotel will accept items for you prior to ordering. Some hotels will turn away grocery deliveries if you are not there to meet the shoppers.

Arrival Day

There’s nothing quite like walking down Disneyland’s Main Street and taking in all the magical sights and sounds. You’ve arrived and now it’s time to enjoy the parks.

If you’ve pre-purchased Genie+ book your first Lightning Lane after tapping into Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure. If purchasing day-by-day and arriving late, skip Genie+ on arrival and scan the app for low wait time attractions to make the most of your arrival day.

Once you are inside Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure purchase Individual Lightning Lanes for rides like Rise of the Resistance or Radiator Springs Racers, if you’d like to pay to skip these long lines.

Final Thoughts on Our Complete Disneyland Planning Timeline

Using our Smart Mouse Travel Disneyland Planning Timeline keeps you organized and prevents big mistakes like forgetting park reservations.

Follow these simple steps in our free, printable Disneyland Planning Timeline to plan your own vacation or reach out to our travel partner, Get Away Today , and let them help plan your Disneyland vacation.

Get your free, printable Disneyland Planning Timeline here!

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About The Author

The Ultimate 2024 Disneyland Guide: Planning & Touring Tips

By: Author Leslie Harvey

Posted on Published: February 13, 2024

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The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California has now been reopened for nearly three years, and operations have returned to normal for quite some time. But things are still, practically speaking, quite a bit different in 2024 at the Happiest Place on Earth – some of them permanently so.

If you haven’t been to the parks in awhile, it’s important to get up to date! As a guest, that means you need to come prepared for things to work in very new ways. Many of the old pre-2020 Disneyland tricks and hacks won’t work anymore. You need to have a few new tools at the ready to have the best vacation experience. That’s where this Disneyland guide comes in.

If you are planning a trip to Disneyland in Southern California in 2024, this complete Disneyland planning guide will walk you through all the basics of what to expect this year – new requirements, changes from what you might have experienced in previous years, new ride and land openings, revised touring strategies, and more. I’ve been there first hand all along the way, visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure numerous times each year, including another recent trip in February 2024.

I’ll continue to update this annual guide regularly to reflect more changes. So be sure to bookmark and come back to it if your trip is several months down the road from now.

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post. See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.)

What’s New, Returning Soon, or Closed at Disneyland in 2024

Before we get to all the operational changes and new park touring tips, let’s briefly dive into what’s new to see and do at the resort in 2024. And of course, we have to discuss the flip side as well – what’s closed this year for refurbishment or for good.

A little over a year ago, Disney finally brought an important technological feature to its California parks. MagicBands had been in use at Walt Disney World for about a decade, but now the third generation MagicBand, MagicBand+, works at Disneyland too.

The uses for MagicBand+ at Disneyland are more limited. As a result, fewer guests have chosen to use them than do in Orlando. I’ve found some value in using mine, but they certainly aren’t essential – especially for infrequent visitors. That said, they are a fun and sometimes useful accessory or souvenir.

To explore what MagicBands do at Disneyland as you decide whether they are a must-have or can-skip item for your 2024 trip, check out my guide to Disney MagicBands and the new MagicBand+ .

Nighttime Spectaculars: World of Color – ONE & Wondrous Journeys

In 2023, Disneyland celebrated 100 years of Disney company history during the Disney100 celebration. While this event has come to a close, a few remnants have been left behind in 2024. Most notable of these is the World of Color – ONE nighttime spectacular.

This show runs nightly in Disney California Adventure. For access to some of the better standing viewing areas, be sure to log into the Disneyland app at noon to secure a virtual queue reservation. If you want a seat to view the show, however, you’ll have to spring for the World of Color Dessert Party package.

Related : Get details on the best spots to view World of Color from my pal Jessica at The Happiest Blog on Earth.

The other nighttime spectacular for the Disney 100 celebration was the well-reviewed Wondrous Journeys in Disneyland park. In fact, it might just be my favorite Disney nighttime spectacular ever. It hasn’t run since last summer, but Disneyland recent announced that it will be returning for a limited engagement run from March 22-April 14, 2024. So if you have a spring break trip planned this year, I highly recommend adding a viewing to your agenda!

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

The year 2023 brought a brand new attraction to Disneyland – Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Runaway Railway has already been in Orlando in Hollywood Studios for several years, but now it also has a home in Toontown in Disneyland park. The indoor dark ride is family-friendly and has one of the very best queues that Disney Imagineers have ever created.

Check out my complete ride guide and wait time tips article on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway for all the latest details.

Toontown Renovation

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway isn’t the only new offering of note in that area of the park. In fact, the remainder of Toontown around the attraction reopened in early 2023 after a significant facelift. The land has several new and reimagined play areas and much more green space. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin returned, and the Gadget Go-Coaster got a new theme as Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Gadget Coaster.

Related: Best Non-Ride Things to Do with Preschoolers at Disneyland

There were some unfortunate hiccups in 2023 with the durability of some of the new play areas, but all seems to be repaired well as of my first 2024 visit. Just be aware that if you are used to retreating to Toontown during the heat of the day to escape crowds (as I often did when my kids were little), you’ll find the crowds have followed you into Toontown now!

Magic Happens Parade

The Magic Happens Parade parade had only just debuted when the parks closed unexpectedly in March of 2020. The parade ran from February through October in 2023, and a lot of guests wondered what would become of it after that. But as of February 2024, Magic Happens is back again!

This edgy parade has an energetic vibe and soundtrack and is a much-needed addition to Disneyland park. The parade goes between Main Street U.S.A. and it’s a small world twice daily. The first showing is in the daytime, and the second is usually after sunset, where elements on the floats light up, making for an extra magical show.

Tiana’s Palace Restaurant

The counter service restaurant French Market in New Orleans Square closed for good but reopened in September 2023 with a new theme and new menu. The restaurant is now called Tiana’s Palace, featuring Princess and the Frog, leading the way in that section of the park for the refurbishment of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure later this year.

The food is some of the very best quick service that Disney has to offer, and has already become one of my favorites (and I’m Southern, so I’m a tough judge of Cajun and Creole cuisine!). Thankfully, it has mobile order (more on that later!) to dodge the long lines.

San Fransokyo Square

Last year, an often overlooked part of Disney California Adventure received a refresh. The Pacific Wharf area (in between Cars Land and Pixar Pier) is now themed as San Fransokyo, the hybrid West-Coast-Meets-Asia city featured in Big Hero 6.

Like Pacific Wharf, the area is mostly seating and quick service eateries, but there are a lot of new menu items that make it much more of a foodie destination, especially at times when DCA is in between food festivals. And Baymax is a frequent character meet and greet in the area as well. Definitely a major improvement to this area of the park worth seeing!

Disneyland Hotel DVC Tower

As of late September 2023, a new tower debuted at the original on-property Disneyland resort hotel – the Villas at the Disneyland Hotel. This property features a variety of studio and one to three bedroom Disney Vacation Club (DVC) units plus a Steamboat Willie splash pad.

Related: Disneyland Hotel vs. Disney’s Grand Californian: Which Hotel is Right for Your Family?

Our family took a trip last fall to stay in the new Villas and were very impressed by the addition. Rooms feature one of several different characters (we had a Tiana-themed studio unit), and the accommodations feel luxurious while matching the hotel’s classic Disney vibe. Rooms aren’t that much pricier than the Disneyland Hotel regular rooms, so if you need the extra space or can make use of the kitchen, definitely give it a look. If you aren’t visiting at a peak time, I recommend looking into renting DVC points as a way to save big on these accommodations.

Adventureland Treehouse

What used to be the Swiss Family Treehouse and later became Tarzan’s Treehouse has now returned to its roots (pun intended). The newly renovated treehouse reopened at the end of 2023 and is inspired by the Swiss Family Robinson movie once again.

I didn’t get a chance to walk into it on my most recent visit (I’m saving it to experience with my kids!), but the exterior is breathtaking. For classic Disney fans, the treehouse seems to blend the old with the new in a highly satisfying way.

Pirates of the Caribbean Genie+ Lightning Lane

For a limited time in 2024, there is a new attraction offering Lightning Lane access via Genie+ at Disneyland . Pirates of the Caribbean is temporarily available for booking with Genie+ while several other attractions nearby in Disneyland park are down for refurbishment (more on that below).

This means that savvy Genie+ users will need to adjust their Genie+ strategies to take the addition into account. So far, this isn’t an attraction that runs out of Lightning Lane times that early thanks to its high capacity. I recommend securing more popular Lightning Lanes like Indiana Jones Adventure, Space Mountain, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and even Big Thunder Mountain first.

And as you might imagine, the addition of Pirates to Genie+ also means that guests who are used to riding this attraction through reasonable standby lines will have to adjust their strategies too. Regular lines are quite a bit longer now for Pirates, and the queue stretches through New Orleans Square in ways that unfortunately block access to visitors just walking by.

Disney hasn’t announced how long Pirates will be offering Lightning Lane, but we expect it could be until the end of summer (when Haunted Mansion reopens again). Stay tuned and watch for an end date if you have a trip during the second half of 2024.

Pixar Place Hotel

Last but certainly not least of all things new in 2024….Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel just completed the final stages of a renovation to become the Pixar Place Hotel. This property was in dire need of a major refresh so I was super excited to see the finished product when I stayed at Pixar Place just a week after its January 31, 2024 reopening.

I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised by the transformation after being pretty hard on Paradise Pier in the last few years. It really feels like the property got a complete gutting – far more than the regular refresh that Disney hotels often get.

Rooms are quite large with completely renovated and bright bathrooms. Two queen rooms have a couch that turns into a daybed to sleep families of 5. Bold and bright Pixar themed character and colors are everywhere.

The rooftop pool and splash pad are ideal for younger kids. Bonus that Bing Bong often hangs out in the lobby for a free and unique character meet and greet.

That said, Pixar Place Hotel is certainly not cheap by any means. I paid $405/night plus tax and some peak dates are already listed at $500+ a night. But Pixar Place is running about $150 a night less than the Disneyland Hotel. For visitors who want the benefits of an on-property stay like Early Entry, this is definitely the hotel where you can get them for a little less. The price is now much more in line with what the hotel has to offer.

Closures & Coming Soon

Disneyland is always evolving and changing, so you can also expect some closures and construction this year too. There are always a number of short term attraction closures on calendar, so always be sure to check official Disneyland sources before your trip for those. But more major things to watch include the following:

Downtown Disney

Disneyland’s shopping and entertainment district, Downtown Disney, is a serious construction zone in places right now. For now, La Brea Bakery is gone and has been replaced by a temporary location for Earl of Sandwich. A lot of other new restaurants are coming including Porto’s Bakery and Din Tai Fung, so keep watching Disney news for other announcements.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

The attraction formerly known as Splash Mountain took its last rider last year. But the log flume drop will live on in a new form! Disney is re-theming and re-doing the attraction to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The opening date won’t be until well into 2024, so expect construction walls on that end of the park.

Haunted Mansion Area Refurbishment

This year has also brought construction walls all around the Haunted Mansion. The queue and gardens area to the left of the mansion is getting an expansion, and the area next to Tiana’s Palace Restaurant will eventually have more open space as well. Additionally, a new shop is going in to the right of the mansion (closer to where Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be).

Essential Tips for Disneyland Planning & Touring in 2024

So now that all of those dates are out of the way, how do you plan your Disneyland vacation differently in 2024? And how do you approach touring the parks in new ways? Here are all my very best practical tips.

Plan Earlier!

Remember the days when you could wake up and decide to go to Disneyland for the day? Or if you are not a local but are within a few hours driving distance, the days when you could decide mid-week to head down to Disneyland for the weekend? While I won’t say those days are long gone, they are certainly fewer and farther between.

With an ever-increasing number of folks traveling again, the demand for Disneyland has continued to exceed supply many times of year. That means you need to plan early to be able to go at all – to find theme park reservation availability, to lock in a hotel that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg, and to book flights to Disneyland if you are coming from longer distances.

How early is early enough? Thankfully, supply and demand have normalized a bit so you don’t need to plan quite as early as you might have in 2021 and 2022 especially. But even still, I’d say you need to plan at least a couple of weeks in advance from drive markets. I’d recommend a month or more if you are coming by air or hope to go at peak times like the holidays. If you want to snag the best pricing and availability for hotels, at least several months in advance is necessary.

Secure Theme Park Reservations ASAP

In the last couple of years, we’ve all gotten used to the fact that an increasing number of activities require advance reservations to take part. While a lot of those activities have dropped their reservations requirement (and indeed Disney World dropped theirs in January 2024!), Disneyland is one place keeping them around for the indefinite future for now.

Be sure to read my comprehensive guide to Disneyland reservations as you are planning your Disneyland trip to make sure you get the reservations part right. The bottom line is that you need to a) check to make sure there are reservations available for the days you want to visit and the ticket type you plan to buy before planning a trip and b) book those reservations ASAP.

While reservations open 120 days in advance for regular theme park tickets, it’s certainly not necessary to book them quite that early. But earlier is better, especially if you plan to go at a high demand time like Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays.

Practically speaking, reservations at at least one park usually remain open for almost all dates more than a few days in advance now (especially if you have park hopper tickets, where reservation availability is more generous). Sometimes, there are still reservations available the night before or even same day! No, that shouldn’t make you complacent. Availability can really fluctuate.

There are a lot of factors that might cause the parks to book up more quickly at some times of year. Ticket specials (especially SoCal resident deals), Disney adjusting allotment of space to annual passes (now known as Magic Keys), or the draw of seasonal offerings like Food and Wine Festival or Oogie Boogie Bash can all cause one or both parks to fill farther in advance. For example, last year I noticed most dates in October booked up in Disney California Adventure weeks in advance for one park per day tickets due to the popularity of Halloween offerings there.

Buy the Right Ticket Type

Before making park reservations, guests of course need theme park tickets. So what are your options for regular tickets? Disneyland offers both single day or multi-day tickets (up to 5 total days). There is an optional park hopper add on for both of these as well that costs a $65-75 extra, depending on length of ticket.

Related: Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets: Worth it or Waste of Money?

Over the course of the past year, I have heard a lot of stories of guests who bought the wrong ticket in the first place or who changed their minds about what ticket was right for them after more research. In most cases, however, you really can’t afford to do this right now. You need get your ticket purchase right out of the gate because Disneyland doesn’t make it easy to change or upgrade tickets from afar.

For this reason, I also highly recommend buying multi-day Disneyland tickets from Trips With Tykes partner Get Away Today. Get Away Today is the only place that offers refundable Disneyland tickets if you get this ticket purchasing step wrong (free if you purchase their Peace of Mind Plan or otherwise a per ticket fee). Plus, their tickets are discounted off of regular Disney direct prices! Book discounted Disneyland park tickets from Get Away Today here . (And also be sure to peek at their discounted Disneyland hotels and vacation packages too – use code TYKES10 for $10 in additional package savings.)

So what else do you need to watch for in terms of tickets? Here’s what can trip up many guests and what to know:

• One day tickets are the most complicated, with 7 different prices, corresponding to 7 different tiers (inexplicably numbered Tiers 0-6). Only Tier 6 tickets can be used every day on the calendar. Other tiers have blockout dates. Be sure that the tier you purchase will allow you to go on the day you want (as well as any day you might switch to if your vacation plans are not yet firm).
• Multi-day tickets thankfully do not have tiers at all, so you are eligible to book any day on the calendar with them.
• Multi-day tickets expire 13 days after first use. This makes them great for a multi-day vacation for out-of-towners. Locals who can bunch up several single day visits in a two week window might find some value as well, although usually the SoCal ticket specials (when offered) are better for anyone who lives nearby.
• Park hopper tickets and single-park-per-day tickets each have their own separate reservation availability calendar , regardless of the number of days you purchase on these tickets. Make sure you are checking the reservation calendar that matches the ticket type you intend to buy. The single-park-per-day reservation calendar usually fills up first. If you are booking more last minute, paying extra for park hopper will likely open up more days on the reservation calendar to you.
• Magic Key (annual pass) reservations are a totally separate system. Magic Key dates open up 90 days in advance, and many popular dates become booked very quickly. Magic Keys are not always on sale (or only some types are available), so they may not be an option for many guests to even purchase.

Consider New Hotel Options

A lot of Disneyland visitors have their favorite hotels they’ve stayed in year after year, and loyalty and familiarity are certainly good things. But whether it’s been a while since you’ve investigated the choices or you are coming to Disneyland as a first timer, I’d encourage all Disneyland visitors to shop around and look at the hotel options anew.

The 2020 closures brought a lot of changes to the hotel market. Multiple new hotels have opened, some of which have some pretty tempting perks and value propositions. Additionally, the prices of a lot of hotels have gone up quite a bit in these inflationary times. As I’ve been monitoring prices closely, I’ve noticed some hotels have had much more substantial price increases than others and some have changed their included benefits. The relative prices have shifted considerably, and a hotel that used to be a deal or value may not be anymore relative to its current benefits.

If you want to get a peek at what my top hotel picks are in 2024, check out this fully updated guide to hotels within walking distance of Disneyland .

Additionally, Disney is always tweaking its benefits for on-property hotel guests. This changes the incentives for some guests deciding between a Disneyland owned hotel or an off-property Good Neighbor Hotel nearby. Extra Magic Hour and Magic Morning from pre-2020 times have both been gone for quite awhile, but Disneyland began offering guests at on-property hotels 30 minutes of early entry.

As of early 2024, however, this Early Entry benefit has changed yet again. Disneyland opens early on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and DCA opens early on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. You can get a lot done in 30 minutes, but query carefully whether this is a benefit you will fully use before paying several hundred dollars more per night to stay on-property, especially given the new alternating park schedule.

Finally, one important thing to keep in mind – conventions and other special events have largely returned to the Anaheim area making hotel demand higher than ever at some times you might not expect . Walking distance hotels especially seem to book up quickly in 2024 as a lot of travelers don’t want the hassle of shuttles or harder-to-find (and increasingly expensive) ridesharing to the parks. So earlier really is better when it comes to being able to plan a Disneyland vacation with your preferred logistics.

Park Hop at 11:00 AM!

For guests who purchase Disneyland’s park hopper ticket add on, the year 2023 brought a welcome policy change for the better. When the parks initially reopened back in 2021, park hopping was only allowed at the Disneyland Resort starting at 1:00pm. As of February 4, 2023, the park hopping time at Disneyland has been moved up to 11:00am.

It’s still not quite like the good old days when there was no time restriction on park hopping, but at least this frees guests up to make lunch reservations in whatever park they prefer. It also helps with using and redeeming Genie+ Lightning Lanes more strategically (more on that below).

Adjust Your Disneyland Dining & Restaurant Strategy in 2024

For a long time after the parks first reopened, things simply weren’t up to speed on the Disneyland dining front. Finally almost all restaurants are open (and at full capacity) in 2024, but the dining scene has changed quite a bit.

Some menus are still pared back to a more limited number of choices at some restaurants. Reservations at table service restaurants are also harder to get, and quick service restaurants have increasingly moved towards encouraging guests to mobile order.

Table Service Restaurants

For table service restaurants, my best advice is to book early (and often). Reservations didn’t used to be incredibly hard to get at Disneyland except for a very few popular restaurants, but they are much more challenging in 2024. You may not be able to secure your top choice, so consider making backup reservations for restaurants you are happy with when you see they are available – because those too may soon be gone!

When do you need to plan to book dining reservations? Officially, Disneyland table service reservations open up exactly 60 days in advance, usually at 6:00 am PT. Some restaurants, however, will not open up availability at that time, releasing all availability several days later or releasing additional times in dribs and drabs.

How do you navigate the uncertainty? My best advice is to at least set an alarm to try first thing in the morning 60 days in advance. After that, I would suggest saving yourself dozens of fruitless refreshes and sign up for a Disney dining reservation monitoring service.

I highly recommend the site Mouse Dining , which is a great tool to help you snag a hard to find reservation by notifying you of cancellations or Disney adding capacity. Mouse Dining has both a free and a paid version, and I’ve had personal success using it to snag reservations many times.

If you are serious about a specific hard-to-get restaurant you’ll likely need the paid service to be competitive. This version sends instant text alerts. If you are more casually looking for openings at one of several places, the free version which sends email alerts can usually get the job done. A lot of guests book multiple or extra reservations to hedge their bets and cancel some as their plans firm up. Snagging those cancellations is possible, especially with some assistance.

All hope is not lost for the last minute planners either! Disneyland recently changed its cancellation policies for table service reservations, allowing guests to cancel until 2 hours in advance with no penalty. This means it’s possible to snag a same day reservation off of these cancellations.

Additionally, most table service restaurants have walkup availability too. You can join a same day walkup wait list on the Disneyland app on the day of your visit.

Quick Service Restaurants & Mobile Ordering

If you don’t want a fancier or longer meal, head for one of Disneyland’s quick service restaurants. Actually, don’t physically head there. First, you need to open the Disneyland app. The new normal for these dining locations is that you need to mobile order your food on the app. Disneyland thankfully still has regular lines with cashiers to enable walk up orders, but they are in smaller numbers than before. Mobile ordering will still save you time almost all the time.

To use mobile ordering, the app will first display a list of available time windows for you to return to each restaurant to pick up your order. The closer you get to peak mealtimes, the more other guests start to place their mobile orders. And the farther out the return times become (although this thankfully has improved somewhat).

The bottom line? It’s essential to order on the early side, especially if there is a particular popular restaurant that is a must-do for you (like Tiana’s Palace!). You can always cancel an order with no penalty before your pickup window if you change your mind. You can also modify your pickup window if you are running late. See the quick and easy guide to Disneyland mobile ordering that my friend Casey at Disneyland Daily has created with step-by-step instructions.

Master the Disneyland App

Speaking of the Disneyland app, it’s important for more than just mobile ordering. It’s a backup for your theme park ticket, your ticket to Lightning Lanes (more on that later), your park map, the way to access your PhotoPass images, and more. Disneyland has even been testing it to check out of stores by allowing guests to self-scan merchandise in the app.

It’s essential that you download the app, know your login and password, and load a credit card to your account. Every adult doesn’t need to have it, but the most tech-savvy adult in your party (or at least the one managing the Disneyland vacation planning) should. If more than one adult will be using it, it is sometimes easiest for both to log in to the same account so that both phones get alerts.

Note that Disney gift cards are a permitted method of payment in the app as of a few years ago. So if you’ve acquired Disney gift cards at a discount , you can use them to save on food too. The only problem is that the app doesn’t store the gift card each time, so be prepared to enter the 16 digit code anew for each purchase (hot tip: copy and paste the number in your phone’s text notes so you don’t have to fish out the card each time).

My friend Jessica from the Happiest Blog on Earth has even more detail and information in this detailed guide to the Disneyland app .

See Characters Up Close & Get Hugs Again!

One of the favorite parts of a Disneyland vacation for many visitors – especially young kids – is seeing favorite Disney characters. These encounters were highly modified for a long time. But in 2024, hugs and close encounters are fully back for character meet-and-greets!

There are still characters that pop up in the distanced spots (especially on the Disneyland Railroad balcony overlooking Town Square in Main Street U.S.A.). So if you don’t want to wait in a long line to see a character, this is a helpful alternative I’m glad has stuck around. Check the Disneyland app under the Entertainment menu option to see the many locations where characters will appear in the parks, both near and far.

Disneyland character dining has returned entirely to its pre-2020 modes of operation as well. Characters come by tables again in addition to sometimes doing a parade or dance a few times per hour. Some restaurants will also take a character photo with guests to start the meal. See all the details in my complete guide to Disneyland character meals .

Have a New Strategy for Lines & Crowds

If you don’t want to be standing in line for rides (who does?), you’ve got a LOT new to learn in 2023. Fastpass, MaxPass , Extra Magic Hour, Magic Morning, even virtual queues for rides…. most of the tricks and hacks we used to use to shortcut lines in the good old days are GONE.

In their place are a few brand new tools that you absolutely need to know about. Whether you use them or not, they will affect how long the lines are and what rides you should do and when.

So what are these new options? The most important ones to know about are Disney Genie+ and paid Lightning Lane . Disney Genie+ is a pretty close cousin to MaxPass and allows guests Lightning Lane access for up to 20 eligible attractions. Paid Lightning Lane is a separate Fastpass-like offering for 3 additional super-popular rides with a separate fee.

If you want short waits most like the Fastpasses of old, these are upcharges that you should seriously consider. The flip side of course is that they can make standby lines for everyone else much longer. See my complete FAQ for Disneyland’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane and then read these additional advanced Disneyland Genie+ strategies for all the details.

For those of you who like to shortcut lines by going during less busy times, is it even possible to find a less crowded day to go to Disneyland in 2023? With the theme park reservations requirement, there are fewer really slow days at Disneyland. That said, midweek dates are still usually going to be less crowded than a holiday weekend – except for when a SoCal resident special is live.

Disneyland crowd calendars can help, but I find them less reliable than before, especially many months in advance. Personally I’d say that it’s less important to try to game the dates you are going to go to hope to luck into low crowds rather than just pick what works best for your travel schedule.

How else can you minimize your Disneyland wait times in 2023? This is an ever changing target, but here has been working of late:

• Rope dropping still works. Starting early is vital to a successful touring plan. Get in the front of the line to enter the parks up to an hour before park opening and you’ll be in prime position for your first ride of choice – and probably also your second and third. Although early entry means that on-property guests have a half hour head start on all other guests, there aren’t enough on-property guests to make lines long by the time everyone else is let in at rope drop. And because early entry is in alternating parks, rope drop in the park not offering early entry is a level playing field for all.
• Use single rider lines when available. Single rider lines are back but not necessarily for all the rides that offered them in 2020 and in quite the same way. But they are a great benefit, especially if you are flying solo or have older kids who are ok riding alone.
• Know when paid Lightning Lanes may sell out for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. While most rides offering Genie+ or paid Lightning Lane don’t run out of reservation times until late in the day, paid Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can still go very fast on high crowd days. Check out the latest strategies and trends in my Guide to riding Rise of the Resistance .
• Hop in line for one last ride a minute or two before closing time. As long as you are in line before the park officially closes, you get to ride. Lines are often very short at this hour as many guests head for the exits. Squeeze in one last ride, especially if you are a night owl!
• Ride during the fireworks or parades. Now that fireworks, parades, and other shows are back at Disneyland, a lot of guests won’t be on rides in the minutes that lead up to and during the shows. Fantasyland attractions close during fireworks nights (usually weekends only), but you can head elsewhere in the park to find shorter ride lines.

Final Thoughts

Disneyland is undoubtedly different in 2024, but still exudes much of the same joy that we all expect from the Happiest Place on Earth. And now you should be armed with all the information you need to adjust accordingly and take maximum advantage of the new rules.

Where to Book Your Disneyland Vacation & Save Money!

Save big on your Disneyland vacation with trusted Trips with Tykes partner, Get Away Today. Get Away Today sells park tickets at a discount, helps you find great deals at both on-property and off-property hotels, and provides expert customer service from representatives who visit Disneyland all the time.

For park tickets, don’t purchase direct from Disney and pay more! Book discounted Disneyland park tickets from Get Away Today here . Tickets purchased now are valid through December 31, 2025. Both park hopper and single park per day tickets are available, as well as tickets that include Genie+.

To take advantage of hotel and other package discounts from Get Away Today, explore and book Disneyland vacation packages here . Be sure to use code TYKES10 for $10 in additional savings.

Current Get Away Today Specials & Deals :

• Southern California Resident Offer : SoCal residents can get three day tickets for as low as $75 per day for visits on weekdays from January 2 -June 2, 2024. Can be used on non-consecutive days.
• Extra Day Free Tickets : Get 5 days at Disneyland for the price of 4 with this extra day free special for longer vacations.
• 3rd or 4th Night Free : available at select Anaheim area hotels exclusively through Get Away Today bookings (can be combined with all ticket discounts).

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John McFarland

Sunday 29th of May 2022

Thanks for all of the helpful information. My wife and I are trying to plan a trip for us, our 4 kids (all under 9, with the youngest being almost 3) and probably a few grandparents. We are excited!

Like you, my wife and I are planners and since, this will most likely be our only Disney trip for the foreseeable future, I want to do all that I can in the pre planning stages to help set the trip up for most success (knowing that there will be unforeseen things, ride closures, melt downs, and other unexpected issues.) With all that being said, we are looking at trying to go to Disneyland one of the three following dates, so I wanted to see if you had any insight and advice on these dates and any other thoughts that can help us plan a truly magical trip for our family.

1) November 14-17, 2022 - this is currently our first choice, as it will be Christmas season but probably without the thanksgiving to New Years crowds? It seems park hours, shows, rides, and everything should be going strong as it’s the start of Christmas season at Disneyland. Thoughts?

2) September 5-9, 2022 - this is our second choice, as it seems to be less crowded. - in your experience what do park hours and entertainment look like in what in theory is off season? - saw that D23 is 9/9-9/11, which in theory will bring crowds before and after, right?

3) October 10-13 - 3rd choice, but know that due to Fall Breaks, tends to be more crowded then the other two options. - if crowds are comparable then would rather see Christmas then Halloween at Disneyland.

I know that this become a long post and you probably get a lot of “please help me plan my trip” comments, but any advice and insight you can share would be greatly appreciated! Again, thanks for all that you do and all the helpful posts! And, thanks in advance for any advice you can give my wife and I.

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Disneyland trip planner (updated for 2024).

The anticipation, excitement, and adventure of a Disneyland trip allows you to leave your worries behind and immerse yourself in the magical world of Disney, long before you’ve even left the house. Planning a Disneyland trip is half the fun. Even if you don’t have children, you’ll thoroughly enjoy making travel plans for Disneyland theme parks.

We’ve always loved our trips to Disneyland. My husband grew up a few hours away from the theme park and went so often that he knew exactly which rides to get on and when to maximize the fun and minimize the waiting in line. There are a few tips that can make your trip to Disneyland much more enjoyable, and way less stressful that we will share in our Disneyland Trip Planner.

» You might like Halloween at Disneyland: What to Expect .

Planning a trip to Disneyland?

• Get your Disney tickets. Save $26 on a 4-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket!
• Book your private airport transfer from Anaheim hotels to LAX.
• Renting a car isn’t necessary for a Disney-only trip, but it is if you plan to go anywhere else. We always find the best deals on cars through DiscoverCars.com .

Where to Stay in Disneyland:

• The Westin Anaheim Resort (Very close to the park, tons of room options)
• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa  (Direct access to the park + perks)
• SpringHill Suites by Marriott Anaheim Maingate  (Free breakfast, kids stay free)

Best Tours and Experiences in Disneyland:

• Save $25 on Los Angeles 5-day Go Card including Universal Studios Hollywood!  
• Whale-Watching and Orange County Beaches Tour from Anaheim (A great adventure!)
• Universal Studios Round Trip Transportation from Anaheim

Planning your trip? We’ve got tons of helpful Disney planning guide s from our awesome list of 40 essential tips , to how to get to Disneyland , where to stay near Disney , what to pack , what to wear , where to park , and what to eat in both Disneyland and California Adventure.

That’s why we’re sharing our best Disneyland planning tips with you. If you do it right, Disneyland can be about so many things, including fulfilling your childhood dreams, eating fun Disney food, and getting a day or two completely away from the stresses of every day life.

If you’re spending more time, see our guides to Los Angeles and Anaheim . You can also purchase discount Los Angeles attraction tickets .

Table of Contents

When to Go to Disneyland

Crowds can have a huge impact on your Disneyland experience. If you’re putting valuable time and money into your trip, you should make sure you understand the best time to go to Disneyland and when to avoid, if possible.

It is best to go to Disneyland during the shoulder season, which is roughly around early January to mid-February, or August-September. Holiday’s like Halloween and Christmas are a special time at Disneyland and are becoming more and more busy.

While there isn’t ever truly an “off season” for Disneyland, there are less people, less congestion and less headaches for you during this time. What’s more, it rarely gets cold in southern California, even during winter season, but it gets very hot and humid during summer, so early spring, late fall and winter really are the best times to go.

How to Start Planning

Now that you know when you want to go to Disneyland, the questions remaining are how many days to spend, how to break up your time, and where to stay.

You’ll want to make time to see Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Park, and Downtown Disney.

It’s a great idea to download the Disneyland app at this point. You can purchase tickets and make park reservations from the palm of your hand. Plus, there is great information there on food, ride times and park requirements that may always be changing.

While you are at it you will want to download the Play Disney app as well. It has fun games and trivia that you can play to help standing in lines pass more quickly and some of the games are specific to what lines you are in.

» See these 40 essential tips for Disneyland First Timers you might not know about.

How Many Days to Spend in Disneyland

There are around 90 attractions between Disneyland and California Adventure. Unless you have a few weeks to spend, you really need to have a plan of attack. For more information, check out this information on how many days you need in Disneyland.

If you just want to experience the parks and don’t have any set things in mind that you want to do, then one day in each park might be sufficient for you. Just keep in mind that you might not get a chance to ride a popular attraction if you only have one day, because tickets can be difficult to come by. Having 2 days will increase the chance of getting a ticket.

If you have a list of things you have to see and you want enough time to see them, you’ll need to plan for at least 3-5 days.

To answer this question you’ll need to make a list of the “must see” and “want to see” attractions to determine how much time you need.

Buying Tickets

Buy your Disneyland tickets online in advance (save $26 on 4-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper through our affiliate link on Undercovertourist.com – an authorized Disney vacation planner). You can easily purchase them through the Disneyland app as well.

You will need a park reservation for the days you plan to attend as well as a ticket. If you are purchasing park hopper passes you will stipulate which park you will be starting the day in. You can purchase tickets up to 120 days in advance.

Don’t buy single-day single-park tickets, unless that’s all you want to do. The park-hopper ticket is the way to go, if you’re planning to see both parks. This ticket will allow you to change parks during the day, so you can leave one park and go to another after 11 am. They aren’t that much more expensive and give more flexibility.

Tickets expire 13 days after first use, so if you buy a 3-day pass, you don’t have to use them on back-to-back days. You reserve the specific days you want to go on a calendar on the website, then choose which park you want to visit first that day.

You can also add a parking pass to your purchase online.

How to Spend Your Days in Disneyland

To maximize your time, make your list of attractions and rides and then divide it up into sections of the park. That way you can work your way around the park without having to double back for missed rides. Make sure to use a park map so you don’t get lost. It’s very easy to move away from a section of the park without even realizing it!

Plan your days around what’s close by each other, and check to see what dining areas are in each section of the park so that where ever you are, you know a good place to stop for lunch or a snack.

Here’s our 1-day itinerary for Disneyland and for California Adventure that can be modified to stretch to 2 or 3 days.

Top Attractions to See in Disneyland

With over 50 attractions and 30 rides, there is a ton of stuff to do at Disneyland. That’s only going to make your decisions harder, though because you can’t possibly get through all of it in the time you have – even if you were to spend weeks there.

Most people will spend 2-3 days at Disneyland, so it’s important to plan out your schedule so you can hit up the things you want to do most. To help you get started, below are a few of the top features at Disneyland that most visitors want to fit in.

• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019 and the Rise of the Resistance ride opened in 2020. You will need to get a boarding group through the virtual queue in the Disneyland app to ride this ride
• Space Mountain – this iconic ride is one of the most popular in the park, and is a must for anyone who loves dark rides.
• Haunted Mansion – an oldie but goodie, this attraction blends humor and haunting with a ride in a Doom Buggy. This is a classic ride that you can’t miss!
• Pirates of the Caribbean – the ride that started the famous franchise of the same name is worth a visit. Catchy songs paired with creepy and fun visuals make this ride unique.
• Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye – this ride simulates one of Dr. Jones’ escapades and aptly immerses you into the world of Indiana Jones and his world of ancient secrets and amazing stunts.
• Splash Mountain – Reopening in 2024 as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – A thrilling interactive smuggling mission.

Other rides you’ll want to make time for, if possible, are Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, It’s a Small World, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (this is my personal favorite), the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the rides in Cars Land.

Be sure to check out the Disneyland Map so you can see where everything is located and plan a route.

Disney Genie Service

Disney has now done away with the Fast Pass system. The new system is called Disney Genie Service. Be aware that there is Genie, Genie Plus, and Lightening Lanes. If you’re wondering if it’s worth it, here’s our thoughts .

What does all this mean?

Disney’s Genie Service

They like to say it’s like having a genie right in the palm of your hands. The Genie service is built right into the Disney app, which you will download on your phone to use while you’re in the park. You can view your map, recommendations, and make changes along the way.

Genie Service is complimentary. It creates your best Disney day inspired by your top interests. You’ll have access to planning tools so you can build an itinerary in the app. You just tell the Genie app what you’re most interested in and it will give you personalized recommendations for rides and restaurants based on that. It will also map out the best route for you to take to see the things you want.

To get the extra benefits of Genie Plus, you’ll pay at least $20/day per ticket. With Genie Plus, you can select the next available arrival window for Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane entrances at select attractions (19 in total), one at a time, throughout the day. You also get audio experiences and unlimited PhotoPass downloads from your day.

You might be asking yourself if paying extra money to buy Genie+ is worth it? We have broken it down for you here. You can make your own decision.

Lightening Lane

The Lightening Lane is a way you can purchase individual passes that grant you quicker access to the attractions you really want to see. You can select the next available arrival window for up to 2 attractions per day. You don’t have to have Genie Plus to buy the Lightening Lane tickets.

The thing to know is that there are only 2 attractions you can purchase and inside Disneyland it’s only Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. However, this ride isn’t included in the Genie Plus attractions.

Where to Stay

If you’re looking to stay inside the park, which is great for convenience and making the experience feel more magical, finding the right hotel is super important. You can also buy Disneyland vacation packages that will include hotels, tickets, etc.

• Disney Grand California Hotel & Spa – This beautiful and luxurious hotel has great accessibility to Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney District.
• Disneyland Hotel – This modern and themed hotel adds whimsy to any visit to the park, and there’s several types of rooms to choose from.
• Disney Paradise Pier Hotel – This boardwalk and beach themed hotel is close to the park, and sometimes guests can see characters at breakfast.

Hotels outside the park

• Best Western Plus Park Place Inn – Only a few minutes walk from the front gate of Disneyland, this hotel is a great relaxed place to stay on your vacation.
• Anaheim Desert Inn & Suite – A short walk from the park, this hotel has a great deck that you can watch the Disneyland fireworks from.

For more information on where to stay you will want to read about these 7 best Disneyland hotels within walking distance of the park.

Where to Eat in Disneyland

Disneyland has a lot of very mediocre food, but there are some amazing hidden gems to eat inside the park. Be prepared to spend quite a lot for food. Nothing is cheap inside Disneyland. Read up on these great Disneyland snacks and desserts before you go.

Consider placing a mobile order for your snack or dinner through the Disneyland app. Choose the locations you want to order from and pay directly through the app. Then wait for your appointed time to pick it up. It really is the way to go. It’s so convenient and there is very little waiting.

Fun Foods to Eat in Disneyland

This is the most famous food from Disneyland and there is a reason for that. This zingy and fresh soft serve is perfect to refresh you after a day running around the park. Get some at the Tropical Hideway in Adventureland.

The line is often long for this treat. Just around the corner at the Tiki Juice Bar by the entrance to the Enchanted Tiki Room you can use mobile ordering and pick it up without waiting in line.

Ronto’s Roasters

Ronto’s Roasters in Galaxy’s Edge is a great place to eat, and they have wonderful pita wraps, as well as delicious vegetarian options!

Grey Stuff Gateau

this red velvet cake filled with raspberry and topped with white chocolate mousse can be found at the Red Rose Tavern in Fantasyland, and is a perfect dessert to end your day with.

Mickey-Shaped Beignets

Located in New Orleans Square at the Mint Julep Bar, use mobile ordering to get your hands on these tasty beignets. Served in a white paper bag, just close the top and give it a shake before eating the powdered sugar covered treat.

You can find these crunchy, cinnamon-sugar treats all around the park. Make sure to grab one or two or three, you won’t be disappointed. Check around the park for special holiday flavored churros as well.

Tips For When You Arrive

• Get to the parks early in the day. Most families like to sleep in and enjoy a late breakfast. So even with the parks opening early in the day they are relatively empty first thing in the morning.
• The rope drop for entering the park is at 8 am. That takes place within the park not at the gate. So, get to the park and make it through the security screening and park gate before 8. This is helpful for rides with long wait times.
• Ride the park rides at the back of the park first. It may take a while to walk into the park, but most people stop at the first rides. As the park starts to fill they move to the back rides. Utilize this time to enjoy some of the popular rides at the back of the park.
• Make sure that you carry a backpack with you into the park. This pack will serve you well during the day. At a minimum, you should bring water, sunglasses, and sunscreen. And, if you don’t want to carry it with you look for lockers within the park. They are cheap and convenient. See our full list of what to pack and what to wear to Disneyland to make sure you’re prepared.

How to Avoid Long Lines

If there’s one thing that visitors to Disneyland find annoying and frustrating, it’s the long lines for rides. You can literally spend several hours of your day standing in line for popular attractions. While all lines cannot be avoided in Disneyland, there are a few ways you can dodge the lines.

• Download the Disneyland app to check current ride times. They are being updated all the time so they are pretty accurate.
• Download the Play Disney app for games and trivia to play while standing in line. Some games are specific to what line you are standing in.
• Get Disney PhotoPass for the day. It costs $20 per day, per ticket, but could be worth it if you have limited time. PhotoPass is also included with Genie+ for free.
• Ride popular rides later in the evening, while the majority of people are watching the night time entertainment. This is a good time to find shorter lines. Of course, it means you’ll miss the entertainment, but if you’re visiting Disneyland for a few days, you can always see the night time entertainment on another day.
• Avoid going to Disneyland during busy times such as between Christmas and New year, spring break, the summer months, and on Saturdays.
• Get to the park early. The lines are shorter in the morning when the park first opens. Instead of jumping in line for the first ride you see, head for the rides you want to ride the most.
• Make a plan of attack and stick with it. Check out how to spend one day in the park for strategies and tips.

Stay Up to Date on Changes

This Disneyland trip planner 2024 is a general guide to Disneyland and isn’t updated with all the changes and goings-on in Disneyland day by day. Read this  What’s New & Next for Disneyland for details of what’s going on, so you can make an informed decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there lockers to store my stuff.

Yes, you can take advantage of the lockers that are in the park to store your stuff so you don’t have to carry it around all day. There is one set in the cul-de-sac between Market House and Disney Clothiers and another to the left of the ticket turnstiles before you enter the park. They are pay lockers – the small are $7, large are $10 for the day. You can pay with your credit card.

Can I take a stroller into the park?

If you are taking a stroller to the park, make sure that it fits the size requirements. Strollers larger than 31” x 52” and wagons are not permitted. You can rent single ($18) and double ($36) strollers per day outside and to the right of the ticket turnstiles.

Can you bring food into the park?

Yes you can. Make sure food is wrapped up. You can bring drinks in as well. No glass and all ice must be contained. You can bring a cooler in with your lunch if you want. A soft sided cooler works best with reusable ice packs. 

How to Get to Disneyland

These are the main airports to choose from to get to Disneyland: 

• John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA) – 15 Miles from the park. 
• Long Beach Airport (LGB) – 25 Miles from the park. 
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 35 Miles from the park. 
• Hollywood Burbank Airport, Bob Hope Airport (BUR) – 45 Miles from the park.  

Drive times vary depending on the time of day. On-site car rental, taxis, and rideshares are available at all airports.

Uber and Lyft are convenient options. Consider checking the price of both before deciding. Prices will vary depending on the time of day.

Shuttle services can be reserved in advance. Lansky shuttle car service has a complimentary 30 minute grocery/fast food stop on the way to the hotel and they provide car seats. Karmal Shuttle car service only goes to LAX and John Wayne Airport and they don’t provide car seats.

One Final Note

Visiting Disney’s California Adventure is definitely worth adding a few extra days to your trip. It has a completely different feel than Disneyland. If you are a Marvel fan or love Pixar movies this is the park for you. Explore Avenger’s Campus and enjoy superhero sightings, meander through Radiator Springs, and enjoy the feel of old California throughout the park.

Here are a few resources to help you plan a visit to Disney’s California Adventure:

• Disneyland vs California Adventure: Which One to Choose?
• 20 Disney California Adventure Foods You Must Try

Disneyland is one of the happiest places on earth, as the saying goes. And half the fun is in the planning. This guide is just the start of your amazing adventure. If you have any tips and advice to share from your own planning, we invite you to leave a comment below.

Like this article? Save it on Pinterest so you can find it again. FOLLOW US on Pinterest and Facebook for more California travel inspiration and tips!

Laura is a travel fanatic who loves seeing and doing new things. She lives in Ventura, CA, and spends a lot of time exploring California’s cities, beaches, and national parks.

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2024 Disneyland Resort Vacation Packages

Discover the enchantment of the iconic Disneyland® Resort like never before when you book a 2024 Disneyland package. Dive deep into a world where dreams come alive, and magic is around every corner. Whether it’s your first visit or a return to your favorite fantasy land, a 2024 Disneyland Resort package will ensure an unforgettable experience, placing you at the heart of all the mesmerizing attractions and events. Let the magic begin!

2024 Disneyland Resort Hotel Vacation Package

One of the best ways to get the most magic out of your 2024 Disneyland® Resort vacation is to stay right in the middle of the magic!

To book a vacation package*, just reserve a room at a Disneyland Resort hotel and purchase theme park tickets—then enjoy benefits like discounts and more during your stay!

Be Our Guest! When you purchase a Disneyland Resort hotel vacation package from the Walt Disney Travel Company, your package can include:

Disneyland Resort Hotels Accommodations at one of the 3 Disneyland Resort Hotels:

• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• The Disneyland Hotel
• Pixar Place Hotel

Theme Park Tickets Each Guest ages 3 and over on the reservation will receive a Disneyland Resort eTicket for 2-5 days (depending on package selection) with admission to one park per day,** valid for entry into either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park . For an additional fee, your tickets can even be upgraded to Disneyland Resort Park Hopper eTickets! With Park Hopper eTickets, you select the first park you will visit for the day, and you may cross over and switch between parks on the same day beginning at 11:00 AM, with an appropriate park reservation, subject to each park’s capacity limitations. To enter a park, both a valid ticket and park reservation for the same park on the same date, are required for Guests ages 3 and older. A separate park reservation is required for each day you plan to visit the theme parks. Park reservations are limited and subject to availability, and staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel does not guarantee a park reservation. The State of California strongly recommends that all Guests complete their primary vaccination series or obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the Disneyland Resort.

View important details and what you need to know before visiting the Disneyland Resort.

Hotel Benefits

• Early Entry – enter the theme parks 30 minutes before regular park opening
• Access to theme parks – enjoy special convenient access to theme parks
• With Next Day Package Delivery, you can make purchases in select shops at the parks or at the Downtown Disney District and have them delivered to your Disneyland Resort hotel for pickup the very next day after they are purchased.
• Download the Disneyland app to save time and enjoy the magic when you arrive. When you do, use online check-in, the digital key feature and charge-to-room functionality.
• Complimentary fitness center access
• Recreational facilities
• Located footsteps away from Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park

Magical Extras Savings Sprinkle some extra pixie dust on your vacation with 10% off at many participating dining and merchandise locations throughout the Downtown Disney District!***

Pin and Lanyard The magic starts with an exclusive Walt Disney Travel Company collectible pin and lanyard. (Designs may vary. Available to all Guests ages 3 and over on your reservation.)****

*Your Disneyland Resort theme park tickets, travel itinerary, and voucher for Magical Extras will be included in your Travel ePackage. To access your Travel ePackage, you must create or sign into your Disney account and link your package reservations to your account. Your Travel ePackage will be delivered electronically to your linked Disney account 4 days prior to your arrival. Additional components of the package (such as third party tickets, vouchers or certain fulfillment cards, if applicable) are subject to their own delivery requirements, which will be reviewed at time of purchase, and are subject to change.

**Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Certain parks, hotels, restaurants, attractions, services, experiences, amenities and other offerings may be modified or unavailable, have limited capacity, and are subject to limited availability or even closure. Park admission and offerings are not guaranteed. Tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 12, 2025, whichever occurs first.

***To receive your Magical Extras Savings, present the voucher included in your Travel ePackage at participating locations. Valid for 2024 arrivals only. One voucher per vacation package. Voucher may only be redeemed by a guest on the applicable vacation package reservation, and may not be transferred or redeemed for cash. Voucher is valid through Hotel checkout date or 1/15/25, whichever occurs first. Offers are made by the applicable locations, and Disney is not responsible or liable for such offers or their fulfillment. Please visit individual locations for offer details and restrictions. Excludes alcohol, gratuity, and tax. Offers are not valid on previous purchases, and may not be combined with any other discounts, offers or promotions. Discount available at time of purchase only and cannot be redeemed after visit. Voucher benefits, offer details and participating locations subject to change or cancellation without notice.

****To receive these Magical Extras, present the voucher included in your Travel ePackage at a designated location within the Disneyland Resort. Valid for 2024 arrivals only. While supplies last. One voucher per vacation package. Voucher may only be redeemed by a guest on the applicable vacation package reservation, and may not be transferred or redeemed for cash. Voucher is valid through Hotel checkout date or 1/15/25, whichever occurs first. Subject to restrictions, change or cancellation without notice.

CST: 1022229-20

2024 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel Vacation Package

Good Neighbor Hotels offer quality accommodations that are located near the Disneyland Resort. With over 50 different hotels to choose from, you’re sure to find one that fits your family’s travel style, size and budget! Explore room and ticket packages* that let you stay close to the magic—and include a host of special perks.

Enjoy the Parks―and the Perks When you purchase a Good Neighbor Hotel vacation package from the Walt Disney Travel Company, your package will include a variety of convenient benefits in addition to your room stay.

Accommodations The following Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Hotels can be booked with this vacation:

• Good Neighbor Hotels – Suite
• Good Neighbor Hotels – Superior
• Good Neighbor Hotels – Deluxe
• Good Neighbor Hotels – Moderate

In light of the impacts of COVID-19, please contact the Good Neighbor Hotel directly to learn about its current and modified offerings and amenities, along with its health and safety measures, as they may differ from the information included on this website.

Theme Park Tickets Each Guest ages 3 and over on the reservation will receive a Disneyland Resort eTicket for 2-5 days (depending on package selection) with admission to one park per day,** valid, with applicable park reservation, for entry into either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park. For an additional fee, your tickets can even be upgraded to Disneyland Resort Park Hopper eTickets! With Park Hopper eTickets, you select the first park you will visit for the day, and you may cross over and switch between parks on the same day beginning at 11:00 AM, with an appropriate park reservation (subject to availability).

Guests should check for updated park operating hours and Park Hopper hours, as they could change, depending on the day and park. At this time, a park reservation is not required after the first park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change. The ability to visit the other park will be subject to that park’s capacity limitations, operational hours, closures and other restrictions, and is not guaranteed. To enter a park, both a valid ticket and park reservation for the same park on the same date, are required for Guests ages 3 and older. A separate park reservation is required for each day you plan to visit the theme parks. Park reservations are limited in number and subject to the availability of park reservations allocated to park tickets as determined by Disney, and theme park capacity; and are not guaranteed. Staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel does not guarantee a park reservation.

Admission to a park is subject to operational hours, closures and other restrictions, and a ticket does not guarantee park entry, even on dates when a ticket is not blocked out. The State of California strongly recommends that all Guests complete their primary vaccination series or obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the Disneyland Resort.

*Your Disneyland Resort theme park tickets, travel itinerary, and voucher for Magical Extras will be included in your Travel ePackage. To access your Travel ePackage, you must create or sign into your Disney account and link your package reservations to your account. Your Travel ePackage will be delivered electronically to your linked Disney account 4 days prior to your arrival. Additional components of the package (such as third-party tickets, vouchers or certain fulfillment cards, if applicable) are subject to their own delivery requirements, which will be reviewed at time of purchase, and are subject to change.

**Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Certain parks, hotels, restaurants, attractions, services, experiences, products, amenities and other offerings may be modified or unavailable, have limited capacity, and are subject to limited availability or even closure. Park admission and offerings are not guaranteed. Tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 12, 2025, whichever occurs first.

***To receive your Magical Extras Savings, present the voucher included in your Travel ePackage at participating locations. Valid for 2024 arrivals only. One voucher per vacation package. Voucher may only be redeemed by a guest on the applicable vacation package reservation, and may not be transferred or redeemed for cash. Voucher is valid through Hotel checkout date or January 15, 2025, whichever occurs first. Offers are made by the applicable locations, and Disney is not responsible or liable for such offers or their fulfillment. Please visit individual locations for offer details and restrictions. Excludes alcohol. Offers are not valid on previous purchases, and may not be combined with any other discounts, offers or promotions. Voucher benefits, offer details and participating locations subject to change or cancellation without notice.

****To receive these Magical Extras, present the voucher included in your Travel ePackage at a designated location within the Disneyland Resort. Valid for 2024 arrivals only. While supplies last. One voucher per vacation package. Voucher may only be redeemed by a guest on the applicable vacation package reservation, and may not be transferred or redeemed for cash. Voucher is valid through Hotel checkout date or January 15, 2025, whichever occurs first. Subject to restrictions, change or cancellation without notice.

Free 2024 Disneyland vacation quote!

Request a FREE, No-Obligation Quote from one of our travel agents. Our  services are provided FREE of charge. You won’t pay more when you book with us. Start planning your 2024 Disneyland  Resort vacation today!

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2024 Package Booking Terms & Conditions

Please be advised that in the event any changes are made to the reservation, including, without limitation, changes in travel dates, updated Terms and Conditions may apply to the modified reservation. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK RELATING TO EXPOSURE TO COVID-19 AND ANY OTHER COMMUNICABLE OR INFECTIOUS DISEASE, CLASS-ACTION WAIVER, AND AGREEMENT TO BINDING ARBITRATION.

2024 WDTC DISNEYLAND® RESORT PACKAGE BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Effective for arrivals through December 31, 2024

• All prices are in U.S. dollars and are subject to change until package is paid in full. After package is paid in full, package price is subject to change due to imposition of taxes or other governmental requirements. Prices are also subject to change due to modifications to package or package components. Everyone on the reservation must purchase the same ticket options. Additional adult charges may apply for more than two adults per room. Package prices are all-inclusive and cannot be broken down into individual component pricing.
• Costs not included in the package price: parking (self and valet), incidentals (e.g., room service, movies, games, honor bar), gratuities, laundry, long distance telephone calls, child care, activities, beverages, meals, sundries, sightseeing or any other items or services not included as a component or feature of the package.

Booking Procedures

• Advance reservations for packages are accepted up to two business days prior to arrival date. (Saturday, Sunday and U.S. legal holidays are not considered business days.) Advance reservation requirements may be more restrictive for international addresses. Features for all packages are subject to change and may be based on features available on date of Guest arrival, not those in effect at time the reservation is made.
• Reservations are not accepted until confirmed by a confirmation number.
• Reservations may only be made and are only guaranteed for a length of stay of less than 30 days.
• If any portion of the package is fulfilled by a third party travel supplier (such as a car rental agency or hotel operated by a third party), by booking the package, you understand that WDTC may provide Guest personal information to the supplier for its independent use to fulfill the reservation.

Reservation Information

• All Guests’ full, legal names (including, without limitation, children) are required at the time the reservation is made. Children’s ages are also required at the time the reservation is made.
• Name changes are not permitted; reservations and package components are nontransferable.

Deposit and Payment Procedures

• For reservations made 31 days or more prior to Guest arrival, a deposit of $200 per reservation will be due and must be received by Walt Disney Travel Co., LLC (“WDTC”) within 3 days of booking the reservation or the reservation will automatically be cancelled. For reservations that include a travel protection plan, the total price of the plan is also due at the time the plan is requested. Payment in full is due to WDTC 30 days prior to Guest arrival. Travel ePackages and other travel documents will not be issued until final payment is received. WDTC reserves the right to cancel a reservation without notice when deposit or final payment is not received by the due date.
• For reservations made 30 days or less prior to Guest arrival, payment in full is due to WDTC at the time the reservation is made or the reservation will not be confirmed.
• WDTC accepts payment via credit and debit cards, check, money order, or bank wire transfer, or other select payment methods; please call 714-520-5050 for payment details.

Cancellation and Refunds

• For cancellations made 30 days or more prior to Guest arrival, amounts paid (minus cancellation fees assessed by third party hotels or other suppliers, non-refundable travel protection plan costs, and other amounts owed) will be refunded.
• For cancellations made 5 days to 29 days prior to Guest arrival, amounts paid (minus a cancellation fee of $200 per package and minus any cancellation fees assessed by third party hotels or other suppliers, non-refundable travel protection plan costs, and other amounts owed) will be refunded.
• For cancellations made 4 days or less prior to Guest arrival or for no-shows, the full price of the package (including Disneyland® Resort admission tickets and all other components of the package) is non-refundable.
• No refunds will be made for early departure from hotel or for unused or partially used admission tickets, options, components, or features.
• Any refunds allowed by WDTC in its sole discretion after arrival must be requested in writing within 90 days after departure and may be assessed a $25 processing fee. WDTC reserves the right to make refunds in accordance with the method that payment was received. All appropriate refunds will be made through the Guest’s travel agent if payment was made by the travel agent. WDTC is not responsible for the receipt of refund monies by Guests from their travel agents.

Promotions and Online Bookings

• Promotional and online bookings may have terms and conditions for payment procedures or change or cancellation fees that are different than those outlined above.

Travel Protection Plan

• If Guest has purchased a travel protection plan, the cost is refundable within 14 days (30 days for residents of Utah) after the date the plan is added to the package as long as Guest has not filed a claim and has not departed on the trip. Please see the Certificate of Insurance for your state of residency for details on refunds and terms, conditions and exclusions at www.affinitytravelcert.com/docs/DSP01. By clicking this link, you will leave the Disneyland website and different terms of use and privacy policy will apply.

Change Fees and Changes to Reservations Made Prior to Guest Arrival

• Changes to reservation including, without limitation, change in travel dates, length of stay or hotel accommodations, are subject to availability at the time the change is requested and Guest is responsible for paying any increase in price resulting from the change. In addition, changes made less than 30 days prior to Guest arrival are also subject to any change fees assessed by third party hotels or other suppliers. No changes may be made to the Travel ePackage, including, without limitation, Disneyland® Resort admission tickets, 4 days or less prior to Guest arrival.
• If changes are made to the reservation, including, without limitation, changes to travel dates, the package will be subject to the Terms and Conditions applicable to packages at the time the change to the reservation is made, and pricing applicable to the new travel dates or other package modifications will apply.
• Hotels/suppliers do not permit changes in certain situations.
• WDTC reserves the right to restrict changes to any reservation.
• Guests may cancel or modify an existing reservation online through their linked Disney account or by calling (714) 520-5050 (please note that some modifications cannot be made online).

Travel ePackage

• To access the Travel ePackage, Guest must create or sign into Guest’s Disney account and link Guest’s reservations to the account. For all reservations paid in full, the Travel ePackage containing Disneyland® Resort admission tickets, travel itinerary and digital vouchers for Magical Extras will be delivered electronically to Guest’s linked Disney account 4 days prior to Guest arrival. Guest’s confirmation email will also contain a link to access the Travel ePackage.
• Additional components of the package (such as third party tickets, vouchers or certain fulfillment cards, if applicable) are subject to their own delivery requirements, which will be reviewed at time of purchase, and are subject to change.
• WDTC is not responsible for damaged, lost or stolen package components. All travel components are issued subject to the terms and conditions specified by the service provider. Additional fees will be charged for the replacement of any damaged, lost or misplaced travel components.

Attractions, Tickets, Components and Features

• Theme park attendance will be managed through a new park reservation system. To enter a park on a particular day, both a park reservation for that day and a ticket valid for park admission on that day are required for Guests (ages 3 and older). Guests should check park availability prior to purchase. Theme parks will be limited in capacity, and park reservations are limited in number; subject to the availability of park reservations allocated to park tickets as determined by Disney, and theme park capacity; and are not guaranteed. It is recommended that Guests make their theme park reservation immediately after purchasing their package (or, if applicable, as soon as the booking window opens after purchasing their package). Availability can change until the park reservation is confirmed. Staying at a Disneyland® Resort hotel or a Good Neighbor Hotel does not guarantee a park reservation. To accommodate as many types of guests as possible, park reservations for select dates may be made available on a rolling basis. Check for updated availability. Guests with DISNEYLAND® RESORT multi-day tickets must make a park reservation for each date of their visit. Guests with DISNEYLAND® RESORT PARK HOPPER® multi-day tickets must make a park reservation for the first theme park they wish to visit to begin their day; then they can cross over and switch between parks on the same day after 11:00 AM (subject to availability). After 11:00 AM, Guests with DISNEYLAND® RESORT PARK HOPPER® multi-day tickets who have a park reservation for both parks and who have not entered any park yet, may enter either park despite the first park that is designated in their park reservation. Guests should check for updated park operating hours and Park Hopper® hours, as they could change, depending on the day and park. At this time a park reservation is not required after the first park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change. The ability to visit the other park will be subject to that park’s capacity limitations, operational hours, closures and other restrictions, and is not guaranteed.
• Each DISNEYLAND® RESORT PARK HOPPER® multi-day ticket, with applicable park reservation, is valid for admission for one Guest to both Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure® Park for the number of days listed on the ticket, including visits to both theme parks on the same day. Each DISNEYLAND® RESORT 1-PARK PER DAY multi-day ticket, with applicable park reservation, is valid for admission for one Guest to either Disneyland® Park or Disney California Adventure® Park for the number of days listed on the ticket, and is not valid for visits to both theme parks on the same day. Each day of use constitutes one full day of use. All non-promotional Disneyland® Resort multi-day theme park tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 12, 2025, whichever occurs first. The package, and all components of the package (including Disneyland® Resort admission tickets), are non-refundable 4 days or less prior to Guest arrival. Disneyland® Resort admission tickets may not be sold or transferred for a commercial purpose. Admission entitlements are non-transferable and must be used by the same person on any and all days. No refund or credit will be given for the non-use of any portion of a ticket’s entitlements. Admission to a park is subject to operational hours, closures and other restrictions, and a ticket does not guarantee park entry, even on dates when a ticket is not blocked out.
• Parks, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, experiences, offerings, and other products, services or items are not guaranteed; may be modified, limited in capacity or availability; are subject to change, discontinuation or cancellation; and may close temporarily for any reason including, without limitation, due to rehabilitation, refurbishing, capacity, seasonal considerations, inclement weather, government or other authority guidance or order, pandemic-related restrictions, or special events, all without notice and without liability to the owners of the Disneyland® Resort. Ticket media is not valid for admission to special or premium events or other activities that are separately priced or not open to the general public. Other restrictions may apply. Age restrictions may apply for access to certain facilities.

Package Concerns

General Conditions and Responsibility

• WDTC, its parent companies, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, subcontractors, agents and representatives, shall at no time be liable or responsible in any way whatsoever for any loss, injury, or damage caused or arising in connection with any transportation, hotel or other services or products of third parties provided through WDTC, or as a result of acts of God, acts of Government or other authorities, pandemic or other health and safety circumstance, wars, civil disturbances, hijacks, thefts, or any circumstance beyond its control. WDTC reserves the right to accept, retain, decline or cancel any reservation, any feature or component of the package, or any Guest as a participant in its packages at any time and for any reason. In addition, WDTC reserves the right to cancel or modify a reservation including, without limitation, the price, at any time prior to Guest check-in if the reservation includes or was made as the result of a mistake or error of any kind, including, without limitation, a mistake or error in price or description of the package or package components or features, or where it appears that a Guest has engaged in fraudulent or misleading activity in making the reservation. If a reservation, package, or a feature or component of a package is cancelled by WDTC, WDTC shall have no responsibility beyond the refund of monies paid to WDTC related to the cancellation of that portion that was cancelled by WDTC. The terms and conditions of any transportation services provided by car rental agencies or other third parties shall be as represented by those third parties. Terms and conditions are subject to change by WDTC without notice. If these Terms and Conditions contain any provisions construed to be unenforceable or unlawful by a court of competent jurisdiction, the same shall be deemed modified to conform to applicable law, or if this would cause an unreasonable result, such provision shall be stricken from these Terms and Conditions without affecting the binding force and effect of any of its other provisions.
• All sales of packages take place in and are consummated in the State of California. Any claim, action or lawsuit (collectively, “Action”) arising out of these Terms and Conditions, reservations and bookings, and/or all packages, products and services provided in connection with the reservations and bookings including, without limitation, components such as tickets, park admissions, packages, and room accommodations must be filed and maintained exclusively in any court in Orange County, California having subject matter jurisdiction; provided that the COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision shall be subject to its own terms and conditions, including venue, set forth below.

Resort Check-In/Check-Out

• Standard check-in time is 4 p.m. and check-out is 11 a.m., but may vary by hotel. During peak periods, check-in may be delayed. Hotel may require a credit card imprint, cash deposit and/or a valid credit or debit card upon check-in to cover room charges and incidental expenses.
• Guests will be required to show a valid government issued photo ID at check-in. The government-issued photo ID may be required to match the name that was used on the reservation confirmation.

Unaccompanied Minors

• Unaccompanied minors may check in under certain circumstances. Please contact WDTC at 714-520-5082 for requirements and information.

Room Location and Information

• Adjacent rooms, connecting rooms, non-smoking rooms or specific room location and types of rooms or bedding are on a “request basis only” and are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Maximum occupancy is a combination of adults and children per room using existing bedding and varies by hotel and room type. Extra bedding may be requested at time of reservation or hotel check-in and is subject to availability; a fee plus tax may apply and is payable directly to the hotel at the time of check-out. (Extra bedding types vary by property and are defined as a rollaway, daybed, chair-bed, or sofa bed.) Some hotels including, without limitation, the Disneyland® Resort hotels (the “DLR Hotels”) and Disney Vacation Club® Resort hotels are smoke free environments. A room recovery fee will be charged for smoking in Guest rooms, on balconies or on patios. Pets are not permitted with the exception of service animals.

Guests with Disabilities

• For Guests with disabilities who require accessible accommodations, specific information and assistance can be requested through WDTC regarding accessible room availability, bedding options, amenities, restrictions, and advance reservation notice requirements. WDTC will also contact its third party hotel provider(s) on a Guest’s behalf as necessary. All accommodations are subject to availability.

“Right of Entry” Policy at Disneyland® Resort Hotels

• As to DLR Hotels, please be advised that notwithstanding Guest’s use of a sign on Guest’s door, a request by Guest to forgo housekeeping services or any other request made by Guest, DLR Hotels and their staff reserve the right to enter Guest’s room for any purposes including, without limitation, performing maintenance and repairs or checking on the safety and security of Guests and property. The staff at DLR Hotels will give reasonable notice prior to entry by knocking and announcing the intent to enter the room.
• Renter must be at least 21 years of age. Additional surcharges apply to renters 21-24 years of age and will be assessed at the rental location. Renters must present a valid driver’s license with an acceptable major credit card in his or her name. Other standard rental qualifications may apply. Cash customers are required to leave a deposit and must meet current standard cash qualification requirements. Car must be rented for a minimum of one 24-hour period. Car rental includes unlimited mileage, airport fees, local surcharges and state/local taxes. Additional daily and hourly rate charges, additional driver’s fee, Damage Waiver, gasoline, optional refueling service and any other charges are extra. California State Law requires child restraint seats for children under 8 years old or 4’9″. Child restraint seats must be requested at the time of booking for an additional charge payable at the rental location. Seat belts are required to be used by all passengers. There are no drop-off charges for rentals picked up and returned within the State of California. A drop-off charge may be added to rentals picked up in California and returned outside the state, depending on the car class. Drop-off charges are payable at the time of rental at the car rental counter. Vehicles may not be driven into Mexico. Other terms and conditions may apply.

Shuttle Transportation

• California law generally requires all children under the age of 8 be secured in a child safety seat. Guest must provide and install their own child safety seat. Child seats are not provided by the transportation company. Children (including infants) are not allowed to sit on the lap of another passenger. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Further details may be found at: https://www.chp.ca.gov/Programs-Services/Programs/Child-Safety-Seats
• Flight information and cell phone number are required for shuttle transportation booking. Transportation is based on reservation and it is Guest’s responsibility to ensure required information is received by WDTC at least 30 days prior to travel. For any reservations made less than 30 days prior to arrival, flight information and cell phone number must be provided on day of booking.

Disney Genie+ Service

• Non-transferable, and revocable, and may not be redeemed for cash in whole or in part.
• Disney Genie+ attractions and experiences (collectively, “experiences”) and arrival windows are limited, and subject to availability and change, downtime, delay or closure without notice or liability, and entrance to an experience is not guaranteed. Experiences may vary by date, are subject to change, and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time you make a selection. Availability of experiences can change throughout the day. Disney reserves the right to modify, re-schedule, re-assign or cancel any experience selection in the event of a change in operating hours, experience downtime or closure, or park closure.
• Guests are responsible for reviewing all attraction restrictions and advisories, including height requirements, health and safety advisories and accessibility guidelines, prior to purchase. Some experiences and attractions may not be appropriate for some guests with health conditions.
• Wait times are estimates generated using a variety of factors. Wait time estimates can vary significantly from the wait time you may experience, and are subject to frequent changes within each day due to a variety of factors such as attendance, guest interest, weather, and attraction downtimes. Because Disney cannot guarantee the accuracy of these wait time estimates you should not rely on them when making purchase decisions.
• Guests may make the first Disney Genie+ experience selection upon theme park entry on the date of visit and may only select the next available arrival window for an experience, one experience at a time. Guests may not select the same experience more than once per day, and experience and arrival window selections are limited and subject to availability. Disney PhotoPass Lenses and Disney PhotoPass service may be limited, and are subject to restrictions and the Disney PhotoPass Terms & Conditions and expiration policy (https://disneyland.disney.go.com/photopass-terms-conditions/).
• A Disney account and eligible mobile device are required for day-of purchases of the Disney Genie+ service, and to make experience selections and to redeem other features on the day of visit in the English language only Disneyland app.
• Valid admission and theme park reservation for the same park and same date are required for the day that the Disney Genie+ selections are redeemed. The Disney Genie+ entitlement is not valid for admission to any theme park.
• The valid theme park admission associated with your Disney account and used to make your Disney Genie+ service purchase and experience selections must be the same theme park admission that you use for park entry on the day the experience selections are redeemed.
• Each experience selection allows one (1) guest to enter the experience using the Lightning Lane entrance, or other Disney designated entrance, once on the date of redemption during regular park hours and during the selected arrival window only. Guests may not enter before or after the arrival window, and the experience selection expires at the end of the arrival window.
• All Disney Genie+ entitlements expire at the end of the day for which they were purchased.
• Other restrictions and rules may apply. Disney Genie+ entitlements and experience selections may not be transferred, substituted, or sold or bartered, and are voidable upon transfer or sale. Disney reserves the right to restrict or eliminate the ability to make purchases or experience selections without liability if these terms are violated.
• Price, terms, features and entitlements are subject to restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice.
• Products and services are intended for use in the U.S. only.

California Travel Consumer Restitution Fund

• For purchases from within California: WDTC is a participant in the California Travel Consumer Restitution Fund (the “Fund”). This transaction is covered by the Fund if the passenger, or the person making payment for the passenger, is located in California at the time of sale. The passenger, or the person making payment for the passenger, located in California at the time of sale may file a claim with the Fund if the claimant is owed a refund of more than $50 for transportation or travel services as a result of a Fund participant’s bankruptcy, insolvency, cessation of operations, or material failure to provide the transportation or travel services purchased. The maximum amount a claimant may recover from the Fund is $15,000, not to exceed the amount paid to the Fund participant by or on behalf of the claimant for the transportation or travel services. A claim must be submitted to the Fund within one (1) year after the scheduled completion date of travel. A claim must include certain required information and a $35 processing fee. Claimants must agree to waive their rights to bring any action at law or equity that is against the Fund participant and arises from the transaction that is the subject of the claim. Claim forms may be requested by writing to: Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation, P.O. Box 6001, Larkspur, CA 94977-6001; or by visiting www.tcrcinfo.org.
• For purchases from outside of California: This transaction is not covered by the California Travel Consumer Restitution Fund.

United States Tour Operators Association $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program

TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO DISNEY REWARDS INSULATED COOLER BAG OFFER (Disney® Premier Visa® Card, Disney® Visa® Card, Disney® Visa® Debit Card and Disney Rewards Redemption Card): Disney Rewards Insulated Cooler Bag limited to one per vacation package, while supplies last. Must use a valid Disney Visa Card and/or Disney Rewards Redemption Card for package purchase. Must purchase a vacation package with a hotel stay at the Disneyland® Resort or a nearby Good Neighbor Hotel with Theme Park tickets through the Walt Disney Travel Company; must purchase the Disney Rewards Vacation Package by calling 1-866-844-9382. Benefits do not apply to room only reservations, and are not available through Disneyland.com. Non-promotional Disneyland® Resort Theme Park multi-day tickets expire 13 days after first use and each day of use of a ticket constitutes one full day of use. Guests will be required to have a Theme Park reservation in addition to a valid ticket to visit a Theme Park. Subject to availability, and advance reservations required. Package elements and information subject to restrictions and change without notice. Offer valid only at the Disneyland® Resort.

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO DISNEY REWARDS SPECIAL VACATION FINANCING OFFER (Disney® Premier Visa® Card and Disney® Visa® Card): Get special vacation financing on select Disney Resort packages, all Adventures by Disney® packages, National Geographic Expeditions, all Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i vacation packages, and all Disney Cruise Line packages (collectively, Disney Vacation Packages). Disney Vacation Packages must be booked by you through the Walt Disney Travel Company, Disney Cruise Line or Adventures by Disney Travel Services, Inc., online at Disney sites or through other eligible travel agents or sites, and charged to your Disney Visa Credit Card prior to commencement of your vacation. Other restrictions and exclusions apply. For complete details see your Cardmember Agreement.

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COVID-19 And Any Other Communicable Or Infectious Disease: Liability Waiver, Class-Action Waiver, Binding Arbitration, And Other Provisions

By purchasing an admission ticket(s) and/or by making a park, resort, and/or hotel reservation(s), and in consideration thereof, and in consideration for being able to visit and/or participate in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort, I agree, understand, and acknowledge, on my own behalf and on behalf of any individual who uses a ticket or reservation made by me, as follows (collectively, the “COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision”):

• Assumption Of Risk: I acknowledge that an inherent risk of exposure to the disease COVID-19 (as defined by the World Health Organization and any strains, variants, or mutations thereof) and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that can cause COVID-19) (collectively, “COVID-19”), and any other communicable or infectious disease, exists in any public place where people are present. “Communicable disease” means any disease or illness caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi that can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. “Infectious disease” means any disease or illness caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi that enter the body, multiply, and can cause an infection. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious communicable disease that can lead to severe illness and death. No precautions can eliminate the risk of exposure to COVID-19, and the risk of exposure applies to everyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), older adults (people 65 years and older) and people of any age who have underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19. I acknowledge that the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and any other communicable or infectious disease includes the risk that I will expose others that I later encounter, even if I am not experiencing or displaying any symptoms of illness myself. By visiting and/or participating in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort, I agree to voluntarily assume any and all risks in any way related to exposure to COVID-19 and any other communicable or infectious disease, including illness, injury, or death of myself or others, and including without limitation, all risks based on the sole, joint, active or passive negligence of any of the Released Parties, named below. I acknowledge that my visit and participation are entirely voluntary.
• Waiver: On my own behalf and on behalf of my heirs, executors, personal representatives, administrators, and assigns, I agree to forever waive, covenant not to sue, release, and discharge the Released Parties, named below, from any and all liability, claims, causes of action, damages, costs, or expenses of every kind, including all claims and causes of action based on the sole, joint, active or passive negligence of any of the Released Parties, arising out of or in any way relating to exposure to COVID-19 and any other communicable or infectious disease during my visit to and/or participation in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort. This waiver of liability and the assumption of risk set forth above is intended to be as broad and inclusive as is permitted by law.
• Acknowledgment Of Assumption Of Risk And Waiver By Other Users: I attest, acknowledge, and agree that any individual for whom I have bought a ticket or made a reservation or who uses a ticket or reservation made by me has independently and carefully read this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision and has knowingly and independently acknowledged and agreed to all its provisions, including without limitation (1) to voluntarily assume any and all risks in any way related to exposure to COVID-19 and any other communicable or infectious disease, including illness, injury, or death of himself, herself, or others, and including without limitation, all risks based on the sole, joint, active or passive negligence of any of the Released Parties, named below, and (2) to agree, on his or her own behalf and on behalf of his or her heirs, executors, personal representatives, administrators, and assigns, to forever waive, covenant not to sue, release, and discharge the Released Parties, named below, from any and all liability, claims, causes of action, damages, costs, or expenses of every kind, including all claims and causes of action based on the sole, joint, active, or passive negligence of any of the Released Parties, arising out of or in any way relating to exposure to COVID-19 and any other communicable or infectious disease during his or her visit to and/or participation in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort.
• Waiver On Behalf Of Minor Children: For any minor child for whom I have bought a ticket or made a reservation or who uses a ticket or reservation purchased and/or made by me, I agree and acknowledge that I am the minor child’s natural and/or otherwise legal guardian and I am authorized to and do waive and release, in advance, any of the following that would accrue to the minor child: any and all liability, claims, causes of action, damages, costs, or expenses of every kind, including all claims and causes of action based on the sole, joint, active or passive negligence of any of the Released Parties, arising out of or in any way relating to exposure to COVID-19 and any other communicable or infectious disease during the minor child’s visit to and/or participation in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort.
• Third-Party Beneficiaries: I acknowledge and agree that any individual for whom I have bought a ticket or made a reservation or who uses a ticket or reservation made by me is and is intended to be a third-party beneficiary of that ticket or reservation made by me.
• Waiver of California Civil Code § 1542: I acknowledge and agree that I am familiar with, understand, and do waive any rights and benefits of the provisions of Section 1542 of the California Civil Code, and any similar provisions of other jurisdictions, which provides that: A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.
• Indemnity/Insurance: On my own behalf and on behalf of my heirs, executors, personal representatives, administrators, and assigns, I agree to indemnify and hold each of the Released Parties harmless from and against any and all claims made or incurred by anyone, including myself and any individual who uses a ticket or reservation made by me, arising out of or in any way relating to my purchase of an admission ticket(s) and/or my making of a reservation(s), and subsequent visit to and/or participation in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort and arising out of any and all risks described above in the section titled Assumption of Risk or in any other way related to exposure to COVID-19 and any other communicable or infectious disease, wherever such activities may occur and whether suffered before, during, or after such participation. My indemnification obligations shall include, without limitation, all attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by any of the Released Parties through and including any appeals. I understand and agree that I am not relying on the Released Parties to have arranged for, or carry, any insurance of any kind for my benefit relative to my visit to and/or participation in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort, and that I am solely responsible for obtaining any mandatory or desired life, travel, accident, property, or other insurance related to my visit to and/or participation in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort, at my own expense.
• Scope: I agree that the Waiver and Indemnity provided for in this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision shall cover all physical and emotional injuries and/or damages, including without limitation all illness and bodily injury (including death), whether suffered by me or anyone else before, during, or after my visit and/or participation. Additionally, I agree that the scope of the Waiver and Indemnity shall include any claims related, in whole or in part, to my own actions and the actions of third parties, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable.
• Term: The Waiver and Indemnity provided for in this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision applies to any and all visitation to and/or participation in attractions, transportation, and activities at the Disneyland® Resort and/or presence on the Released Parties’ property arising out of the purchase of an admission ticket(s) and/or the making of a reservation(s) pursuant to which I and the Released Parties agreed to this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision, from the date on which I agreed to this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision.
• Released Parties: The Released Parties are: Walt Disney Travel Co., LLC; Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc.; Disney Destinations, LLC; Disney Vacation Development, Inc.; Disney Vacation Club Management LLC; and their respective parents, subsidiary, and other affiliated or related companies, and all officers, directors, employees, shareholders, members, agents, contractors, sub-contractors, representatives, successors, assigns, insurers, and volunteers of each of the foregoing entities.
• Severability/Partial Invalidity: If any provision or part thereof of this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision is held to be invalid, void, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision or part thereof shall be deemed modified to conform to applicable law, or if this would cause an illogical or unreasonable result, such provision or part thereof shall be stricken from this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision without affecting the binding force or effect of any other part or provision.

A. In the event of a dispute, I agree to send a notice of dispute, which is a written statement that sets forth my name, address, and contact information; the facts giving rise to the dispute; and the relief requested to the Released Parties at 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California 91521-7620, USA, Attention: Legal. The Released Parties will send any notice of dispute to me at the contact information that they have for me. The Released Parties and I will attempt to resolve a dispute through informal negotiation within sixty (60) days from the date the notice of dispute is sent. After that sixty (60) day period and not before, the Released Parties or I may commence an arbitration proceeding. I may instead litigate a dispute in small claims court if the dispute meets the requirements to be heard in small claims court, whether or not I negotiated informally first.

B. If the Released Parties and I do not resolve a dispute by informal negotiation or in small claims court, the dispute shall be resolved by binding arbitration before a neutral arbitrator whose decision will be final except for a limited right of appeal under the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. Arbitration will be administered by JAMS Mediation, Arbitration and ADR Services (“JAMS”) in accordance with the JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures (the “JAMS Rules”). The JAMS Rules and instructions about how to initiate an arbitration are available at www.jamsadr.com or 1-800-352-5267. Arbitration may be conducted in person, through the submission of documents, by phone, or online. Proceedings that cannot be conducted through the submission of documents, by phone, or online, will take place in Orange County, California; provided, however, that if circumstances prevent me from traveling to Orange County, California, JAMS may hold an in-person hearing in my hometown area. The Released Parties and I agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal or state courts located in Orange County, California in order to compel arbitration, to stay proceedings pending arbitration, or to confirm, modify, vacate, or enter judgment on the award entered by the arbitrator. The arbitrator may award damages to me individually as a court could, including declaratory or injunctive relief, but only to the extent required to satisfy my individual claim. In accordance with the JAMS Rules, the party initiating the arbitration (either me or the Released Parties) is responsible for paying the filing fee. However, if the arbitrator issues me an award of damages and: (a) that award is greater than the amount of the Released Parties’ last written settlement offer; or (b) if the Released Parties did not make a settlement offer, then in addition to paying for any JAMS Case Management Fees and all professional fees for the arbitrator’s services, the Released Parties will reimburse me for the filing fees I incurred. Except as provided above with respect to jurisdiction in Orange County, California, nothing in this arbitration provision shall be construed as consent by the Released Parties to the jurisdiction of any other court with regard to disputes, claims, or controversies unrelated to this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision.

• Venue But For Arbitration: In the event that neither party elects to resolve disputes under binding arbitration, as provided above, any legal action arising out of or relating to this COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision shall be commenced exclusively in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange (or if such Superior Court shall not have jurisdiction over the subject matter thereof, then to such other court sitting in said county and having subject matter jurisdiction). In any such action, I specifically waive any right to bring a class action or other representative or collective action (such as an action in the form of a private attorney general).

Governing Law

• These Terms and Conditions, including the COVID-19 and Other Communicable/Infectious Disease Provision, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law.

© Disney and its related entities.

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Planning Your Visit to Disneyland in 2024: Disneyland Half Marathon, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and more!

It’s never too early to start planning your visit to Disneyland in 2024! While Disney is still in the process of announcing all of the exciting things to come next year, we know some of what guests can expect. runDisney will be back in January 2024 with the Disneyland Half Marathon, and Pixar Place Hotel (the refurbishment of Paradise Pier) is projected to open in winter 2023. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is also scheduled to open in 2024!

With so many new things taking place, Disneyland in 2024 is sure to be an exciting time to visit!

*This post may contain affiliate links.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy .

Year At-A-Glance

• Weather: Overall, Disneyland in January is a bit cooler with an increased risk of rain. The average high is 66 degrees and the low is typically around 48 degrees. As January is one of the rainiest months of the year, coming prepared with rain ponchos and warmer clothing would be a smart idea.
• Crowds: Crowds in January tend to be some of the lowest of the year. That being said, you may want to avoid the first week of January as holiday festivities are still taking place, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend which is known for being a bit crowded.
• Other Considerations: Since crowds are fewer, be prepared for shortened park hours and a few ride closures. Water rides almost always close for yearly maintenance around this time of year as the temperatures cool off.

More about January…

• Weather: Overall, Disneyland in February will see cooler temperatures and rain. The average high is 69 degrees and the low is typically around 48 degrees. As February is one of the rainiest months of the year, coming prepared with rain ponchos and warmer clothing would be a smart idea.
• Crowds: Crowds in February will be mind as it’s considered part of the “off-season.” Weekends will probably be busier with locals, and Presidents Day Weekend will see an increase in crowds as well. So if you’re wanting to avoid crowds, be sure to plan some weekdays in the parks.
• Other Considerations: Similar to January, crowds are fewer. So be prepared for shortened park hours and a few ride closures. Water rides almost always close for yearly maintenance around this time of year as the temperatures cool off.

More about February…

• Weather: Overall, Disneyland in March can be a bit unpredictable. Temperatures will be a bit cooler, and rain is definitely possible. Of course, it isn’t quite as rainy and cool as during the winter months. The average high is 72 degrees and the low is typically around 50 degrees. Be sure to check the weather before your vacation, and be prepared for variable springtime weather.
• Crowds: March will be busy. With the Food and Wine Festival (which is popular with the locals) and spring break season… there will no doubt be crowds this March. Also, Easter falls on March 31, 2024. This will definitely bring crowds to the parks in the week leading up to it as well as the week after.
• Other Considerations: One upside to the parks seeing an increase in Spring Break crowds is that Disney makes an effort to make sure attractions are open to accommodate guests. (That means fewer refurbishments should be scheduled for this time of year.) The Food and Wine Festival will likely return to Disney’s California Adventure in March. (No announcement has been made yet for 2024.) This event is a local favorite, and it will bring some local crowds into the park.

More about March…

• Weather: Overall, the weather in Anaheim is quite pleasant in April. So if you’re looking to visit Disneyland without the summer heat or winter rain, this may be the perfect time to go. The average high is 71 degrees and the low is typically around 52 degrees. It is also typically a dryer month in terms of rain. Overall, April is an excellent time to visit in terms of weather!
• Crowds: Easter falls on March 31, 2024, which means Easter crowds will be present during at least the first week of the month. In fact, it’s safe to say the first two weeks of the month will be super busy as it is also spring break season. If crowds are an issue for you, it would be best to avoid these two weeks of the month. The end of the month should see fewer crowds, however, as many schools are finished with their spring breaks at this point.
• Other Considerations: The end of April can be a great time to visit the parks as there tends to be a lull between the spring break season and summer break.

More about April…

• Weather: Overall, the weather in Anaheim is still quite pleasant in May. So if you’re looking to visit Disneyland without the summer heat or winter rain, this may be the perfect time to go. The average high is 74 degrees and the low is typically around 54 degrees. It is also typically a dryer month in terms of rain.
• Crowds: May can be a popular month to visit the Disneyland Resort. With Star Wars Day on May 4th, Cinco de Mayo on May 5th, Memorial Day Weekend, and Grad Nites… there are certainly days that get very crowded with the locals. So keep these dates in mind if you are trying to avoid the crowds in May.
• Other Considerations: Grad Nites will likely be back in 2024. While this is a fun opportunity for graduating seniors, the parks can get a bit crowded for the rest of us. So keep this in mind when selecting your vacation dates.

More about May…

• Weather: Overall, the weather in Anaheim is starting to feel more “summer-like” in the month of June. The average high is 81 degrees and the low is typically around 61 degrees. June can also be a bit humid, especially in the morning hours.
• Crowds: June is a very popular month to visit the Disneyland Resort. Be prepared for summer crowds throughout the month!
• Other Considerations: Like May, the month of June will likely offer ticketed Grad Nites in 2024. While this is a fun opportunity for graduating seniors, the parks can get a bit crowded for the rest of us. So keep this in mind when selecting your vacation dates.

More about June…

• Weather: Overall, the weather in Anaheim is starting to feel more “summer-like” in the month of July. The average high is 84 degrees and the low is typically around 66 degrees.
• Crowds: July is a very popular month to visit the Disneyland Resort. Be prepared for summer crowds throughout the month!
• Other Considerations: The Fourth of July falls on a Thursday in 2024. Featuring Patriotic music, Disneyland will light up the night sky with an inspirational fireworks display.

More about July…

• Weather: Disneyland in August can be quite hot. The average high is 86 degrees and the low is typically around 66 degrees. The heat will feel hotter as well due to the crowds and the concrete throughout the parks. Be prepared to hydrate!
• Crowds: The beginning of August is definitely considered a “peak” time at the Disneyland Resort. Many will take advantage of this time at the end of summer to take a vacation prior to school beginning again for fall. The second half of the month will see fewer crowds as schools start across the country. But keep in mind that Disney will most likely adjust their park hours during this time giving you a bit less time in the parks.
• Other Considerations: You may see more locals during the second half of August. Magic Key holders (those with annual passes) will see a decrease in block-out dates as August crowds lessen. If you are a Magic Key holder, this is great news as you will have more opportunities to visit the parks! It could also mean a slight increase in crowds, however, as those with passes will want to take advantage of this time.

More about August…

• Weather: When it comes to temperature, September will likely feel a lot like summer. The average high is 84 degrees and the low is typically around 63 degrees. So while the parks will be decorated for fall, be prepared to dress for the summer heat.
• Crowds: School is back in session in September, so weekdays will definitely see a decrease in crowds. Weekends, however, could still be busy as Halloween festivities are quite popular. Labor Day weekend will be especially busy, as nearly all holiday weekends are.
• Other Considerations: Halloween begins in early September at the Disneyland Resort. So if you enjoy Halloween festivities, September could be a great time to visit… especially since Halloween crowds will likely increase as we get closer to Halloween.

More about September…

• Weather: Overall, Disneyland in October will see cooler temperatures. The average high is 76 degrees and the low is typically around 63 degrees. Layers will be important as you plan your days in the parks, especially if staying in the evening for Halloween events and festivities.
• Crowds: Many are surprised to discover that October can be very busy. Halloween in Disneyland is very popular. Also, many schools in California, Utah, and Nevada have week-long fall breaks spread out throughout the month. That being said, prepare for holiday crowds as you enjoy the Halloween festivities!
• Other Considerations: Halloween begins in early September at the Disneyland Resort and will continue through October 31st. The Disneyland Resort goes all out for Halloween with attraction overlays, festive decor, themed dining, ticketed events, and more!

More about October…

• Weather: Disneyland in November will be cooler, but pleasant. The average high is 70 degrees and the low is typically around 53 degrees. Layers are an excellent way to be prepared for warmer afternoons and cooler evenings. It is also worth noting that this month marks the beginning of the rainy season. Ponchos are a great way to be prepared!
• Crowds: The holidays at the Disneyland Resort are very popular and crowds should be expected. That being said, November should be less crowded than December. Weekends will be busier with locals, Veteran’s Day Weekend could also see an increase in crowds, and Thanksgiving week will be very busy.
• Other Considerations:  Disney typically begins the festivities during the second week of November. So if you want to enjoy the holidays without the crazy Christmas crowds, November (prior to Thanksgiving) can be a wonderful time to visit.

More about November…

• Weather: The weather in December is definitely a bit cooler. The average high is 67 degrees and the low is typically around 48 degrees. Evenings will almost definitely require some layering as they can be quite chilly. Rain will also be a factor as this is considered a rainy month for California.
• Crowds: December is one of the busiest months of the year. So if you’re planning on visiting the Disneyland Resort to enjoy the holidays, be prepared for crowds. That being said, weekdays during the first two weeks of the month will be less busy when compared to later in the month.
• Other Considerations: The holidays are such a fun time to visit the Disneyland Resort. With that being said, you will want to visit with a plan due to the crowds, and be sure to make dining reservations early!

More about December…  

Ride Closures and Refurbishments

* Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.

Disneyland Park

• Tarzan’s Treehouse is currently closed and will be receiving new theming as Adventureland Treehouse (likely to open in 2023)
• Splash Mountain closed on March 31, 2023, for retheming. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is likely to open in late 2024.
• Sailing Ship Columbia will close from September 11-14, 2023.
• Mark Twain Riverboat will close on September 17, 2023. An opening date is yet to be announced.
• Space Mountain will close on September 18, 2023. An opening date is yet to be announced.
• Fantasmic! will be suspended until Spring 2024.

California Adventure Park

• Golden Zephyr will close on August 28, 2023. An opening date has yet to be announced.
• Rogers: The Musical completed its seasonal run on August 31, 2023.
• San Fransokyo Square officially opened on August 31, 2023.

Everything Coming to Disneyland in 2023 & 2024 (and beyond)

January 2023 – Disney100 Celebration

In what is being called “the biggest celebration in the history of the company,” all of the Disney parks around the world will feature new decor, specialty food and drinks, character experiences, and more. The Disneyland Resort will be the heart of the celebration, however. (Visit our guide to this event here !)

Late January – Wondrous Journeys

This new nighttime spectacular will light up the sky as it “features nods to all 60 Walt Disney Animation Studios films to date, taking viewers on a journey filled with artistry, music, storytelling, and heart. “

January 27, 2023 – Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Much like the ride already open in Hollywood Studios, guests will be able to join Minnie and Mickey for a picnic in the park only for everything to suddenly go wrong! This trackless ride will take you through multiple scenes featuring all of your favorite Disney characters.

Throughout 2023 – Disney After Dark

These limited-time after-park hour events will be returning in 2023! Themes include Sweethearts’ Nite, Princess Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite. Festivities begin with a 3-hour pre-party mix-in from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Disneyland Park, followed by a private party from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM. Parties will feature your favorite Disney characters, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities, special foods and drinks, and collectible merchandise. Select attractions will also be open after hours for the party!

• Sweethearts’ Nite (January 31, February 2, 5, 7, 9, 14, and 16, 2023) – This event will feature 6:00 PM admission to Disneyland Park, fireworks, a royal ball, a moonlight cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat, character experiences, photo opportunities, unique dining experiences, access to select attractions, commemorative keepsakes, and more!
• Princess Nite (March 7 and 9, 2023) – This event will feature 6:00 PM admission to Disneyland Park, a Princess Nite concert, a DJ dance party, character experiences, photo opportunities, unique dining experiences, access to select attractions, commemorative keepsakes, and more!
• Star Wars Nite (May 2, 4, 8, and 11, 2023) – This event will feature 6:00 PM admission to Disneyland Park, a special Star Wars fireworks show that features iconic Star Wars music, access to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (along with other select attractions), exclusive Star Wars characters (including Captain Phasma and her Stormtroopers, the Tusken Raider and Jawas, and more), lightsaber instructional demonstration, commemorative credential and guide map, unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass digital photos taken during the party, Star Wars-themed eats and treats, merchandise, photo opportunities, and more.
• Pride Nite (June 13 and 15, 2023) – This event will feature live DJ entertainment (featuring an Ohana Dance Party at Tomorrowland Terrace with Stitch), country line dancing at the Golden Horseshoe, a Pride Nite Cavalcade down Main Street (featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Clarabelle, Donald, Daisy and Goofy), photo backdrops with inspirational messages and access to unlimited PhotoPass downloads, after-hours access to rides like Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, specialty menu items, event merchandise, and more!

March 19, 2023 – Mickey’s Toontown Reopens!

Perhaps the biggest news concerning Disneyland Park is the reimagining of Mickey’s Toontown. This area of the park closed in March 2022 to begin the reimagining process.

• CenTOONial Park – This new area is the first space guests encounter when they enter Mickey’s Toontown, and it is a natural space “anchored by two interactive play experiences.” It features a fountain (designed for play) and water tables for some additional fun. The fountain also transforms at night into a “unique spectacle.” Nearby, there is a “dreaming tree” inspired by the tree Walt Disney would daydream under as a child. The sculpted tree roots also provide children with an opportunity for play.
• Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard – This space incorporates a “whimsical sound garden where kids will discover new ways to make wacky noises, as well as enjoy an all-new, elevated clubhouse.”
• Donald’s Duck Pond – This splash area allows guests to look inside the boat through the portholes, where they can interact with favorite ducklings Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby.
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster – This is a one-of-a-kind coaster specifically designed for kids.
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – Take a “spin” in a runaway taxi through the streets of Toontown as you follow the adventures of Roger Rabbit.

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Much like the ride already open in Hollywood Studios, guests will be able to join Minnie and Mickey for a picnic in the park only for everything to suddenly go wrong! This trackless ride will take you through multiple scenes featuring all of your favorite Disney characters.
• Café Daisy – Daisy Duck will serve up diner classics at this sidewalk table eatery.
• Toontown Farmers Market at Good Boy! Grocers – This will be a friendly roadside stand, offering grab-and-go drinks and treats.

February 24, 2023 – Magic Happens Parade

The Magic Happens parade will be making its long-awaited return to Disneyland!

Fall 2023 – Adventureland Treehouse

Tarzan’s Treehouse is being reimagined. Set to open in 2023, it will pay “tribute to the original treehouse that Walt Disney and his Imagineers built in 1962 for the hit movie, Swiss Family Robinson.”

September 7, 2023 – Tiana’s Palace

Tiana’s Palace will be replacing the French Market Restaurant in New Orleans Square later this year. According to Disney, “The new Tiana’s Palace will have much of the same pinch of pizzazz and flair as the restaurant from the film, offering authentic New Orleans flavors inspired by Tiana’s friends and adventures in this quick-service style restaurant.” This new quick-service dining option will offer a menu inspired by current favorites served at this location as well as some New Orleans classics. *French Market Restaurant (and Mint Julep Bar) will close on February 17, 2023, and will reopen as Tiana’s Palace (alongside Mint Julep Bar) later in the year.

Late 2024 – Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

It was announced some time ago that Splash Mountain would be reimagined, and now we know that this rethemed water flume ride will open in late 2024! Called “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” this iconic ride will be welcoming Tiana and her friends for a brand new Princess and the Frog theme. *Splash Mountain will close permanently on May 31, 2023, to begin this transformation. Here are some of the details- announced so far about the newly rethemed attraction:

• There will be a brand-new cast of original Disney characters with distinct names and personalities.
• We can expect dozens of entirely new Audio-Animatronics figures.
• We will see cute critters throughout the attraction bringing the diverse flavors of musical gumbo found in New Orleans.
• There will be new, original music alongside some of your favorite songs from the film.
• The scent of beignets being prepared for the party will be part of the attraction queue. (Yay!)
• Many voice actors will be reprising their roles in the attraction including Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Michael Leon Wooley as Louis, and Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana.
• We will see familiar characters from the film such as Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Mama Odie, Louis, Eudora, Charlotte, “Big Daddy,” the King and Queen of Maldonia, and Prince Ralphie.

California Adventure

This is no doubt one of the most ambitious projects coming to the Disneyland Resort in 2021. It was originally planned to be open in the summer of 2020, but with the pandemic, it was delayed. This new area will feature a brand new Spider-Man attraction, meet and greets with your favorite Marvel superheroes, unique shopping experiences, and the Pym Test Kitchen – a new restaurant inspired by the movie Ant-Man. (Be sure to visit the Disney Parks Blog for more information!) The land will also be opening in phases, starting with the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (WEB) and the Pym Test Kitchen.

• WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure – This immersive, interactive attraction is coming to the new land on the opening day of the Avengers Campus. The Marvel story is expanding with WEB, an attraction-based organization founded by none other than Tony Stark. (Fun fact: This will be the first Disney ride to feature Spider-Man!) This attraction will allow you to sling webs in order to help trap Peter Parker’s Spider-Bots. This ride will have no height requirement and will be appropriate for all ages. (Yay!)
• Pym Test Kitchen – Also opening with the Avengers Campus on June 4 is the Pym Test Kitchen. If you’re unfamiliar with how Ant-Man and The Wasp can use subatomic “Pym Particles” to alter their size and mass grow or shrink, you’re in for quite a treat! This quick-service restaurant will feature massive meals, tiny treats, and shareable bites.
• The Sanctum – Here you will have the opportunity to learn from Doctor Strange about an ancient battle that threatened to tear a hole in the fabric of time and reality and how that battle led to the creation of the Orb of Cagliostro. You’ll want to visit at night when the Orb is known to be especially active.
• WEB Suppliers – Here you have the chance to purchase your very own Spider-Bot robot sidekick along with at-home kits to build webs and other accessories. You will also be able to get your hands on Avengers souvenirs at this shop!
• Avengers Headquarters – The iconic Avengers Headquarters building will open when the land opens on June 4, 2021, but rumors indicate that it will eventually house a brand new “E-Ticket” attraction.

January 20 thru February 15, 2023 – Lunar New Year Celebration

Taking place at Disney’s California Adventure, this event will pay tribute to Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures with a multicultural celebration. You’ll find Mickey and Minnie in festive attire, Mulan and Mushu, Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession, marketplaces, a nighttime water show (presented prior to World of Color), Chinese calligraphy demonstrations, the Lucky Wishes Wall, treats and festival items, and more!

Late January 2023 – World of Color – One

As part of the 100 Years of Wonder celebration, World of Color is being revamped. The new show will tell the story of the past 100 years of Disney through Disney classics as well as some of the newer Disney favorites.

March 3 thru April 25, 2023 – Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival

This event will feature 12 festival marketplaces offering a range of food and beverages. There will also be appearances by Jammin’ Chefs and Chef Goofy, the return of Alice’s Wonderland Bakery Unbirthday Party show, complimentary weekend culinary demonstrations, artist events and signings, a limited-time return of Soarin’ Over California, bookable signature events, and more!

August 31, 2023 – San Fransokyo

The Pacific Wharf area of California Adventure will be reimaged as “San Fransokyo” from the Disney film   Big Hero 6 . According to Disney, “San Fransokyo Square will transport you to the not-too-distant future, in a fictional mash-up of two iconic cities – San Francisco and Tokyo.” Guests will have the opportunity to meet Baymax, and the area will include new locations to dine and shop. Dining options will include soups in freshly baked bread bowls as well as new Asian-inspired options. *Pacific Wharf dining locations will remain open to guests during the renovation.

Summer 2023 – New Rogers: The Musical

According to Disney, this limited-time is a “timeless story of a timeless hero!” This one-act show, themed to the story of Captain America, will be debuting at the Hyperion Theatre this summer.

TBD – Avengers Campus Expansion

A brand new attraction is coming to Avengers Campus! This new ride will feature a multiverse version of Thanos where he is known as “King Thanos.” In this version, fans will be able to team up with Avengers to fight him and other villains in a world where Thanos won rather than lost as he did in the Marvel films.

Beyond the Parks

Downtown Disney District

Work will begin in January 2022 to reimagine Downtown Disney to include an even broader collection of shopping, dining, and entertainment. This means that the AMC Theater, Earl of Sandwich, Sugarboo, and Starbucks West End coffee shop will close and will also be demolished as a result. More than a dozen new and reimagined locations will open, including Porto’s Bakery & Café. More details to come…

Debuting October 21, 2022, MagicBand+ has arrived at the Disneyland Resort! Available for purchase, guests will be able to enter the Disneyland Resort theme parks, check in at Lightning Lane entrances, and link photos from a Disney PhotoPass photographer to their Disney account. It will also offer color-changing LED lights and vibrations during select park entertainment such as World of Color, Fantasmic!, and Wondrous Journeys.

runDisney is making its return to the Disneyland Resort in 2024 with the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend . This event will take place January 11-14, 2024, and the weekend will feature a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and a challenge event (10K and half marathon).

DisneylandForward

This multi-year project with the city of Anaheim, CA includes plans for theme park expansions, new shopping and dining options, and parking.

Pixar Place Hotel

The old Paradise Pier Hotel is being transformed into the Pixar Place Hotel. According to Josh D’Amaro (Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman), “Pixar Place Hotel will be a place where you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped into a Pixar art gallery featuring new interpretations of favorite Pixar pals.”

Disneyland Planning Guides

Magic in the Planning offers numerous guides to help you get started in your Disneyland vacation planning! Here are some to get you started!

Here are some resources to help you get started!

Dining in Disneyland Park

Dining in california adventure park, dining in downtown disney.

Disneyland Attraction Guides:

Attraction Guide for Disneyland Park

Attraction guide for california adventure park, planning your first disneyland vacation be sure to visit my step-by-step guide to get started.

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2024 Disneyland Packages

Disneyland has released its 2024 Disneyland packages today, you can now book your 2024 Disneyland vacation! Disneyland Hotel and Good Neighbor packages, along with Room-Only reservations are now available for all of 2024!

2024 Disneyland Hotel Packages

Be Our Guest! When you purchase a Disneyland Resort hotel vacation package from the Walt Disney Travel Company, your package can include:

Disneyland Resort Hotels Accommodations at one of the 3 Disneyland Resort Hotels:

• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• The Disneyland Hotel
• Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel

Theme Park Tickets Each Guest ages 3 and over on the reservation will receive a Disneyland Resort eTicket for 2-5 days (depending on package selection) with admission to one park per day, valid for entry into either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park. For an additional fee, your tickets can even be upgraded to Disneyland Resort Park Hopper eTickets! With Park Hopper eTickets, you select the first park you will visit for the day, and you may cross over and switch between parks on the same day beginning at 11:00 AM, with an appropriate park reservation, subject to each park’s capacity limitations. To enter a park, both a valid ticket and park reservation for the same park on the same date, are required for Guests ages 3 and older. A separate park reservation is required for each day you plan to visit the theme parks. Park reservations are limited and subject to availability, and staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel does not guarantee a park reservation. The State of California strongly recommends that all Guests complete their primary vaccination series or obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the Disneyland Resort.

Hotel Benefits

• Early Entry – enter the theme parks 30 minutes before regular park opening
• Access to theme parks – enjoy special convenient access to theme parks
• With Next Day Package Delivery, you can make purchases in select shops at the parks or at the Downtown Disney District and have them delivered to your Disneyland Resort hotel for pickup the very next day after they are purchased.
• Download the Disneyland app to save time and enjoy the magic when you arrive. When you do, use online check-in, the digital key feature and charge-to-room functionality.
• Complimentary fitness center access
• Recreational facilities
• Located footsteps away from Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park

Magical Extras Savings Sprinkle some extra pixie dust on your vacation with 10% off at many participating dining and merchandise locations throughout the Downtown Disney District!

Pin and Lanyard The magic starts with an exclusive Walt Disney Travel Company collectible pin and lanyard. (Designs may vary. Available to all Guests ages 3 and over on your reservation.)

2024 Good Neighbor Hotel Packages

Enjoy the Parks―and the Perks When you purchase a Good Neighbor Hotel vacation package from the Walt Disney Travel Company, your package will include a variety of convenient benefits in addition to your room stay.

Accommodations The following Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Hotels can be booked with this vacation:

• Good Neighbor Hotels – Suite
• Good Neighbor Hotels – Superior
• Good Neighbor Hotels – Deluxe
• Good Neighbor Hotels – Moderate

In light of the impacts of COVID-19, please contact the Good Neighbor Hotel directly to learn about its current and modified offerings and amenities, along with its health and safety measures, as they may differ from the information included on this website.

Theme Park Tickets Each Guest ages 3 and over on the reservation will receive a Disneyland Resort eTicket for 2-5 days (depending on package selection) with admission to one park per day, valid, with applicable park reservation, for entry into either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park. For an additional fee, your tickets can even be upgraded to Disneyland Resort Park Hopper eTickets! With Park Hopper eTickets, you select the first park you will visit for the day, and you may cross over and switch between parks on the same day beginning at 11:00 AM, with an appropriate park reservation (subject to availability). Guests should check for updated park operating hours and Park Hopper hours, as they could change, depending on the day and park. At this time, a park reservation is not required after the first park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change. The ability to visit the other park will be subject to that park’s capacity limitations, operational hours, closures and other restrictions, and is not guaranteed. To enter a park, both a valid ticket and park reservation for the same park on the same date, are required for Guests ages 3 and older. A separate park reservation is required for each day you plan to visit the theme parks. Park reservations are limited in number and subject to the availability of park reservations allocated to park tickets as determined by Disney, and theme park capacity; and are not guaranteed. Staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel does not guarantee a park reservation. Admission to a park is subject to operational hours, closures and other restrictions, and a ticket does not guarantee park entry, even on dates when a ticket is not blocked out. The State of California strongly recommends that all Guests complete their primary vaccination series or obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the Disneyland Resort.

If you would like to get a quote for a 2024 Disneyland Package, please feel free to contact us for a free, no obligation Mouseketrips quote.

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Disneyland 2024 Vacation Packages Date Announced!

Disneyland vacation packages include Disneyland tickets and hotels which is the best way to plan for your Disneyland Resort vacation. The earlier you book your 2024 vacation package the more options you will have with your dates along with the best prices! Currently, many local area Good Neighborhood hotels already have their 2024 bookings open but the Disneyland hotels usually wait until Fall to release their next year’s vacation packages.

Keep reading for the 2024 Disneyland vacation sale date including why we recommend booking early along with the best Disneyland ticket discounts. 

Save Money on 2024 Disneyland Packages

Bookings for 2024 dates will go on sale on August 23rd 2023  and you can get the best price by booking directly from our travel partner Get Away Today. Click here for our exclusive link to the lowest discount Disneyland tickets and 2024 vacation packages!>

The three on-property Disneyland hotels include the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , the Disneyland Hotel, and Paradise Pier Hotel which is currently in the process of its retheme into Pixar Place. 

We have negotiated the lowest prices on Disneyland tickets to match any competitors of Get Away Today and this exclusive rate is only available for readers. Make sure to click our link to get this discount price or mention Mickey Visit if booking your vacation package over the phone. This helps cut down on the cost of your Disneyland vacation package along with reduced hotel rates that are more affordable than booking directly through Disney.

Get Away Today also offers layaway plans for $200 down which gives guests the option of making payments on their vacation which is a great way to pay off a Disneyland vacation with the confidence that your dates and hotel are locked in. The vacation is held until the final payment is made which makes this a great option for families to be able to plan and save for their vacation.

Get exclusive access to prices on hotel & tickets just for Mickey Visit subscribers. Don't miss our travel hacks newsletter!

Why Book A Disneyland Vacation Package Early?

Unlike Walt Disney World which has over 25 on-property hotels for guests to choose from, there are only three official Disneyland hotels. This increases demand for these popular on-property hotels and it is not uncommon to see popular dates sell out completely. One recent example of this is the ever-popular Halloween season at Disneyland with hotel availability for the on-property Disneyland hotels looking quite scarce in October.

If you want to lock in specific dates that coincide with popular holidays and times to visit Disneyland, the earlier you book the more you can guarantee your dates.

Read all about the most crowded dates at Disneyland to make sure you book your vacation before hotels sell out!

You will also get the lowest prices by booking your 2024 Disneyland vacation package early which locks in ticket and hotel prices before any potential Disneyland ticket increases that may occur in the future.

Get Away Today also includes FREE price monitoring for guests who book 2024 Disneyland vacation packages. This means they will monitor your vacation package for any new discounts and apply them to your vacation package. This is something that Disneyland will not do automatically, if a discount is released for your travel dates in the future, it is up to guests to be aware of those discounts and call to have them applied. This often results in long wait times on the phone and guests run the risk of missing out on a discount if they do not know about it. Get Away Today will do this for you so you don’t risk missing out on any savings! Plus it is far more convenient.

If you are interested in experiencing the NEW rethemed Pixar Place (previously Paradise Pier once the refurbishment is complete) this is another good reason to book your 2024 Disneyland vacation package early. This hotel will likely book up quickly for 2024 as guests anticipate this transformation which is already in process.

While we do not have an official finish date yet for the retheme to Pixar Place, by the beginning of 2024 many major construction projects will be completed like the Pixar-themed lobby, family play deck, and brand new restaurant. Disney has already completed the new pool and play area which focuses on a Finding Nemo theme. Pixar Place/Paradise Pier will be extremely popular in 2024 so we recommend booking your dates early!

Read all about this Pixar theme for the Paradise Pier hotel including the timeline of projects, pictures of the new pool area, and all the information on new dining!

What Does the Disneyland Vacation Package Include?

A Disneyland Resort hotel vacation package comes with a few perks that are exclusive to guests who are staying at the Disneyland on-property hotels.

Here is what is included in a 2024 Disneyland vacation package:

• Accommodations at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel , the Disneyland Hotel , or Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel which is in the process of its retheme into the NEW Pixar Place.
• Exclusive low prices on Disneyland Resort Tickets for MickeyVisit.com readers
• Early Entry theme park access for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests to both Disneyland and California Adventure 30 minutes before the park opens daily to enjoy select attractions and dining.
• Disneyland Resort Hotel guests have special theme park access access to two private entrances to Disney California Adventure. One entrance is through the Grand Californian Hotel and another entrance is into the Paradise Gardens section of the park and is designated to be for Paradise Pier Hotel guests.
• Disneyland Resort hotel guests can also take advantage of  Package Delivery which allows guests to send souvenirs they purchase in the parks to be delivered to their hotel the next day.

Plus guests get the experience of being in the “Disneyland bubble” meaning that you can never set foot off Disney property, if you don’t wish to, during your Disneyland vacation. This is a great way to truly immerse yourself in a Disneyland trip.

We love staying at the Disneyland on-property hotels, this is a great way to have the best vacation experience! Don’t miss out on staying at one of these amazing Disneyland hotels and book your Disneyland 2024 vacation package!

Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation?

Has our Disneyland Hotel review been helpful? Let us help you get started on planning your Disney vacation! Signup for our  newsletter  which is full of exclusive Disney deals and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere!  You can find more information on planning your vacation here:

• 7 Best Hotels Near Disneyland & Top Disneyland Hotel Deals
• Best Time to Visit Disneyland
• Flying to Disneyland – Which Airport to Fly into and How to Get to the Resort
• Disneyland Ride and Attraction Guide

Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.

About Lindsay Brookshier

Lindsay is a college English instructor and has years of writing experience through various nonprofits, charities, newspapers, and online magazines. As the content director of Mickey Visit, she oversees article content and leads our fantastic team of writers to meet guest vacation needs. You can still find her writing weekly content to help make your Disney Parks trip fantastic here on Mickey Visit and Disney Dose- you can also view her recently featured posts on Disney Parks travel on Visit Anaheim, Nerd Wallet and SFGate. Lindsay comes from a dedicated Disney family and enjoys taking her son to the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Disneyland 2024: What You Need to Know

I f you’re planning a Disneyland visit in 2024 you might be wondering what is different. We’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know about visiting each of the Anaheim California theme parks in 2024. We’ve got tips for Disneyland and California Adventure – plus what is open and what might be new during your visit!

What are the Rules for Disneyland in 2024?

Travel changed dramatically in 2020 and Disneyland changed too. Here are some of the ways visiting Disneyland in 2024 is different:

• Park reservation system. Anyone holding a valid park ticket must also make a Disneyland park reservation.
• Advance ticket purchase. Disneyland new ticket sales are open and there was a price increase. Tickets are not sold at the theme park gates and must be bought ahead of your trip.
• Park Hopping. Available daily after 11 am for those holding Park Hopper passes.
• Face coverings are optional. Some guests continue to wear them in crowded or indoor locations, as a personal preference.

Read More: Disneyland Ticket Prices: What it Will Cost This Year

Disneyland Tickets 2024: Changes and Things to Know

Disneyland’s Annual Passholder program was discontinued several years ago. Its replacement, Disneyland Magic Key, provides reservation-based admission to one or both Disneyland parks.

Prices increased on all ticket tiers except for Tier 1. A new tier, Tier 6, was added to cover the busiest days of the year.

Where to Buy Disneyland Tickets

She Buys Travel recommends Get Away Today for discounted Disneyland tickets and vacation packages. Book your hotel reservations with Get Away Today now to lock in travel dates. With Disneyland ticket sales now open, Get Away Today can add these to your hotel package.

Get Away Today also offers price monitoring and a complimentary concierge service that’s invaluable to travelers.

After you buy your tickets, someone from Get Away Today will reach out to answer any of your Disneyland vacation questions or help you create and book your itinerary.

Park Reservations are Required at Disneyland

Just like in Walt Disney World, park reservations are required. One nice thing about Disneyland is that you can purchase your tickets and make your reservations at the same time! If you already have tickets be sure to reserve your dates ASAP. You can check the calendar for availability .

Both an advance park reservation and valid ticketed admission for the same park on the same date are required for anyone age 3 and up. Park Hopping between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park is allowed beginning at 11 am each day.

Read More: Disney Genie Service: How it Works

More Changes for Disneyland in 2024

Similar to the Disney World changes, these are the modifications that guests have seen at Disneyland since the reopening:

• Limited capacity of guests allowed inside parks by utilizing park reservations.
• Early Entry is available for guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel.
• FASTPASS and Disney MaxPass have been replaced with Disney Genie Service.
• Touchless transactions is recommended. Disneyland is encouraging guests to use debit, credit and gift cards rather than cash for purchases and to use mobile ordering for quick service meals. You’ll be able to use gift cards to pay via the Disneyland app under a change to the system.

Read More: Disney World Changes: Different, But Still Magical

Which Disneyland and Disney California Rides Are Open?

Most rides and attractions are currently open and operating, with a few closures for refurbishment or “reimagining”. These closures can certainly alter plans for your vacation so be sure to check the Disneyland website calendar before your visit to verify which attractions are available or down for refurbishment.

Where Can I See Disney Characters at Disneyland?

Traditional character meet ‘n greets are back in the theme parks, including hugs, photos ops, and autographs! Popular Disney characters are making appearances in and around the parks.

At the Disneyland park, guests can expect to spot Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Pluto near Main Street USA. Disney princesses chat with guests in Fantasy Faire and a variety of other characters walk around in Fantasyland.

Over at Disney California Adventure park, Anna and Elsa from Frozen meet inside the Disney Animation Building. Characters from Pixar films including Toy Story, Inside Out, and the Incredibles meet in the Pixar Pier area.

Character Dining is also back! Guests that book these dining experiences have one-on-one interactions with characters that visit each table within the restaurant. Be sure to make advance dining reservations for these character dining experiences.

Disneyland Resort Changes in 2024: What Has Returned?

Disneyland 2024 has essentially returned to full operation. Many attractions at the Disney theme parks in California that were previously closed have reopened.

• Parades, performances, live indoor shows, fireworks and nighttime spectaculars have fully returned to the theme parks. View the Disneyland entertainment calendar online or in the app for exact dates and times during your visit.
• Children’s play areas have reopened, including those in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Goofy’s How-to-Play Yard, and Mickey’s House.
• Restaurants are open and operating at full capacity for both indoor and outdoor seating.
• Disneyland souvenir shopping remains a popular part of the travel experience. Souvenir shops are fully available, including the iconic Silhouette Studio.
• Lockers are available in all locations at Disneyland, making storing your personal belongings and purchases a little bit easier.

What’s NEW at Disneyland 2024?

There is a lot that is new now that Disneyland has reopened. While most of these adjustments are procedural, some are exciting changes everyone should be looking forward to.

Mickey’s Toontown Opening

The whimsical Toontown area at Disneyland has received a colorful make-over that includes new rides, dining, and playgrounds. Disneyland Toontown rides and attractions include Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster, and Goofy’s How-to-Play Yard.

Mickey’s Toontown is a must-do! Aim to purchase Disney Genie+ in order to use the Lightning Lanes. This will allow a shorter wait time for several of the popular attractions in this new (and often crowded) new area.

Improved Mobile Ordering at Disneyland

I’m a huge fan of mobile ordering. They’ve expanded the quick-service locations using the app. Mobile ordering allows you to order via the Disneyland app, choosing a pick-up time for meals. Then, simply pick up food at a special window, bypassing the stand-by ordering queue.

Within the program, guests will be able to use a Disney gift card as payment. For Magic Key pass holders that had their pass scanned into the Disneyland app, the applicable membership discount will still apply to dining purchases. The discount will apply automatically to your total in app.

Avengers Campus

Avengers Campus is the newest Disney California Adventure land that opened to guests on June 4th, 2021. This highly anticipated Marvel-themed area includes WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure ride, interactive character meet ‘n greet locations and quick service dining.

Read More: Avengers Disneyland Campus: What You Need to Know

San Fransokyo Square

The Pacific Wharf area in Disney California Adventure has been rethemed into San Fransokyo Square, based upon the Big Hero 6 movie. Guests can enjoy new dining, a Baymax and Hiro greeting, and souvenir shopping.

Disneyland Resort Hotels

All Disneyland Resort hotels are open and fully functioning. Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel has been rebranded to Disney’s Pixar Place and is now open after a full remodeling.

• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – hotel.
• Disney Vacation Club Villas.
• Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel .
• Disneyland Hotel .

Read More: Consider one of these 15 off-property Disneyland hotels for your next trip .

2024 Best & Worst Months to Visit Disneyland

Planning a trip to Disneyland and trying to determine the best month to visit in 2024? We analyze crowds, weather, seasonal events, park hours, and other factors to rank every month of the year for Disneyland in this post, plus our 3 favorite weeks to visit.

It’s been a wild ride since Disneyland and DCA reopened. There have been waves of pent-up demand made for a busy summer, followed by attendance fizzling out, and that process repeating itself multiple times. The debut and subsequent suspensions of Magic Key Annual Pass sales has further complicated crowd predictions, as have ticket deals for Southern California residents.

The good news is that things have started getting back to normal in the last 8 months. Looking forward to 2024, this should be the first normal  year at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure since 2018. (Due to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, 2019 was anything but normal. Ditto the following two-plus years, for obvious reasons.) Pent-up demand is already starting to exhaust itself, and it’s forecast to slow even further in 2024.

With that said, there’s no such thing as a totally normal year at Disneyland Resort. While we are fully expecting familiar patterns to return to the attendance dynamic over the course of the entire year, there are some monkey wrenches thrown into the mix due to differences in the the  Full 2024 Calendar of Events at Disneyland as compared to last year and the exhaustion of pent-up demand.

Accordingly, we’re ranking all months of the year. Even if our expectations about crowds are slightly off, weather, seasonal events, and other factors are consistent from year to year, making this resource equally useful for planning a trip to Disneyland in 2024 or 2025.

A lot of resources already exist to help planners choose the best time to visit Disneyland, but they do so from an objective, statistical perspective. While crowd calendars are a great resource, we believe in a more holistic approach to planning a Disneyland visit.

To be sure, everyone loves low crowds, but those low crowds don’t tell the whole story. When it comes to Disneyland, low crowd levels are sometimes accompanied by shorter operating hours, poor weather, additional refurbishments, and a lack of seasonal events. Few people evaluate their vacation’s success by some statistical ‘fun quotient’, so we feel it only makes sense to approach the best months to visit Disneyland from a similar qualitative approach.

That’s our belief, at least, and one that has proven popular with readers of our Disneyland Crowd Calendars: When to Visit & Avoid . We’ve had a lot of questions for greater guidance in that post, so we thought we’d provide that here. In this, we provide the pros & cons of every month at Disneyland and rank the best and worst times to visit accordingly.

As such, the point of this post is to rank every month of the year for visiting Disneyland in light of all relevant considerations . After ranking each month with accompanying analysis (so you can determine whether you’d weigh the factors differently) we also cut to the chase and choose our 3 favorite weeks of the year for visiting Disneyland.

In order of worst to best, here’s how every month of the year at Disneyland ranks…

12. June – Due to the summer tourist season mixed with pent-up demand (people making up for lost time and taking trips), June has become one of the busiest months of the year. It has been busier than July, which used to be the busier summer vacation month.

June being busier than July actually makes sense for one big reason: lower tier Magic Key passholders are not blocked out earlier in June, causing them to descend upon the park. That means there’s a dynamic with both tourists and  locals in June, whereas July has fewer of the latter.

The only other major consideration for the summer months is weather. While June is one of the hottest months of the year in California, it’s typically not as hot and humid as Florida. Beyond that, it comes down (mostly) to luck whether June, July, or August will have the “worst” weather. Click here to view our June Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

11. July – Pretty much the same story with July. This is often the peak of California’s summer tourist season, but it has more narrowly-tailored Magic Key blockouts. With pent-up demand exhausting itself, we expect to see June and July 2024 crowds die down quite a bit, making the summer far less busy than a lot of other months.

We could end up being “wrong” and misjudging the new crowd dynamic, but it doesn’t really matter. Regardless of what happens with summer crowds, we’d pick a different month if visiting Disneyland as tourists. There’s too much downside and not enough potential upside. The summer just doesn’t have enough selling points, even if you set aside crowds for some reason.

In general, July is not as bad at Disneyland as Walt Disney World. You still have the potential for hot weather, but it’s not nearly as humid. There’s also an influx of summer tourists, but far fewer than Florida. The days around Independence Day are an exception, as they are exceptionally busy despite the blockouts. The upside to July 4th at Disneyland is added entertainment and special fireworks. Click here to view our July Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

10. October – As Halloween becomes increasingly popular, October has become–on average–the second-busiest month of the year. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as October had become increasingly chaotic in “normal” years. In large part, this can be attributed to Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party at Disney California Adventure and more demand for all things Halloween at both parks.

On top of that, October has a surplus of “crazy” holidays–half of which I think Utah and Nevada are making up just to mess with Disneyland crowd levels. Nevada, you don’t get your own holiday . I’ll sooner recognize “Whacking Day” as an official holiday. Aside from this nonsense Utah and Nevada are celebrating, there’s also Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day. While not major holidays on their own, many school districts use that as a proxy for fall breaks. And the schools that don’t typically have their breaks scattered throughout other long weekends in October.

Then there’s Halloween, and everyone knows that those heathens in California celebrate by taking 13 days off work. 😉 Seriously, though, October has become a really busy month at Disneyland. The weather and seasonal entertainment are both great (just check out our Ultimate Guide to Halloween at Disneyland ), but crowds are too unpredictable and heavy. Click here to view our October Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

9. March  – This month will be much worse than last year due to Easter falling on March 31, 2024 (as opposed to in April). Due to that, Los Angeles County and most Orange County school districts both have their Spring Break in the last couple weeks of the month, and out of state schools will be scattered throughout the month.

Nevertheless, the first ~3 weeks of the months should not be that bad. Then there’s weather, which is starting to improve in March. It’s also the first full month of Disney California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival , which usually runs through April. It’s an enjoyable event that does not really draw crowds, but provides a nice way to get a taste of California’s diverse cuisine.

8. April – Even though Easter isn’t in April 2024, there are still a ton of school districts throughout California and other western states that have spring break during the month. That means you’ll have a mix of locals and tourists who are on vacation descending upon the parks during the first half of the month.

This makes for the first couple weeks of April one of the busier times of year, and also most expensive dates of the year at hotels near Disneyland Resort. This is especially frustrating at Disneyland, a park that was simply not built to accommodate as many guests as cram into the parks during the month of April.

Normally, there would be two silver linings. First, that the last two weeks of April should be quieter as Spring Break winds down. Second, April weather in Southern California is great, with little precipitation and warmer temperatures–but not too warm . Click here to view our April Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

7. February – Crowds in February 2024 shouldn’t be as bad as they were last year. This year, there’s no ‘100 Years of Wonder’ celebration, new nighttime spectaculars in both parks, or a new ride. All of that elevated crowd levels in February last year.

However, there’s still the week of Presidents’ Day, which will significantly spike crowds (avoid that entire week). Even before that, there’s an uptick earlier in the month due to the Lunar New Year celebration…causing increased crowds the first half of the month.

All of that is the downside of February. The upside is fewer refurbishments and warmer weather than January. Click here to view our February Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

6. August – This month has seen its stock soar in the last two years, driven largely by the new dynamic of summer vacation crowds dropping precipitously towards the start of August, rather than halfway through. There’s no reason to expect this trend to change for August 2024. This year, the added wrinkle is that the D23 Expo will run August 9-11, 2024–and it’ll spike crowds in the lead-up to that event.

The biggest downside is the potential for really hot weather, but you still have that reprieve from locals. The additional upside to August is that you don’t have the Independence Day spike. While the entirety of August has improved, crowds get  really good mid-month, as that’s when schools start going back into session.

While it didn’t make the cut for our best weeks of the year, there’s a fourth “sweet spot” in the exact middle of the month that has long operating hours, reduced crowds, and Magic Key passholder blockouts. Strongly consider this week if you’re thinking of doing a late Summer 2024 vacation at Disneyland. Click here to view our August Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

5. December  – This month slips a bit for our Disneyland rankings for one reason and one only: crowds . Everything else about December at Disneyland is great: cool weather, beautiful decorations, wonderful entertainment, and great food. (See our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Disneyland for more on why this is the greatest time of year at the parks.)

We spend a lot of time at Disneyland in December, and love every minute of it. If we had no choice but to visit during this month, we absolutely would. So don’t let that ranking discourage you too much–it’s mostly that November is superior to December. Even this comes with an asterisk, as the first week of December is typically the least-busy of the holiday season. (That’s a relative term–it’s still usually around 5/10 on the crowd calendar.)

That ‘confluence of greatness’ at Disneyland in December means that a lot of Magic Key passholders prioritize visiting in December, as do locals who are not passholders but visit once or twice per year. Add to that tourists, who are drawn to the parks this time of year, and it’s a recipe for heavy attendance. About the only times that are not chaotic are the couple of days after most blockouts take effect–but before Christmas vacation crowds arrive–and any day that it rains. Click here to view our December Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

4. January – The first month of the year ranks highly and is once again the winter doldrums, filled with refurbishments and low crowds. With that said, there are some important caveats to that, as January 2024 will most definitely be a month of high highs and low lows .

First, you do not want to visit in the first week of the new year. That’s because Los Angeles and Orange County schools do not go back into session following their winter breaks until January 8, 2024. Up until then, it’s still the holiday season at Disneyland–especially since ALL Magic Keys were blocked out for (at least) the 12 days before that. Expect crowd levels on par with the worst of Christmas as a result.

Second, the Disneyland Half Marathon returns for January 11-14, 2024. As a result, we’re expecting the week leading up to this to have elevated crowds, as the runDisney crowd tends to travel for events. So in other words, the low crowds won’t really  arrive  until January 15, 2024. The first half of the month will range from slightly elevated to very busy.

However, just about everything after should have low crowds. After January 15, it’ll feel like the true off-season at Disneyland. The only other things to be mindful of are the Martin Luther King holiday weekend (which mostly coincides with the Disneyland Half Marathon) and Southern California ticket specials typically converge to spike crowds a bit in mid-January. There’s also the start of the Lunar New Year Celebration at Disney California Adventure , which causes a spike to attendance at DCA. It still will be one of the best months of the entire year when all is said and done. Click here to view our January Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

3. May  – Normally, May is a “sweet spot” for Disneyland. It’s before schools are out for summer and also before Magic Key passholders who are blocked out for the summer start making their “last visits.” As such, May normally sees a lull in demand before the arrival of summer tourist season, and everything that brings with it.

This year, the only things to be mindful of are the return of Fantasmic (May 24, 2024) and the approximately two weeks leading up to the expiration of the Southern California resident ticket deal (ends June 2, 2024). Basically, the last couple weeks of the month will see elevated crowds as people rush to race their unused days before those tickets expire, and try to see Fantasmic for the first time in about a year.

The first half of the month will once again be the sweet spot between spring break and summer seasons. This was one of the very best times of the year last year, and that should be true again in May 2024. On top of that, May is also usually a strong month weather-wise, with mild temperatures. The downside is that Grad Nites can throw a wrench into crowd levels on any particular evening. Click here to view our May Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

2. September – Disneyland in September shares the same low crowd levels as Walt Disney World, but what it doesn’t share is humidity and hot weather. September has been getting busier, but still typically has the lowest or second-lowest average wait times of the year. It also helps that the D23 Expo will not occur in September this year.

Halloween Time will run for the entirety of September 2024, and that’ll cause a bit of a bump to crowds. However, that’s mostly a plus as the added seasonal entertainment far outweighs the increased attendance. Moreover, the spook season crowds shouldn’t show up in full force until October. September is reliably off-season, as school has just gone back into session and California’s summer tourist season has come to an end. Weekends can still see higher crowds, but weekdays tend to be great. We expect the same for September 2024.

As an added bonus, September is typically warm but totally bearable in Anaheim. On top of the crowds and pleasant weather, you have the Halloween entertainment, special food, and attraction overlays, which we highly recommend seeing. Click here to view our September Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

1. November  – Christmas is the absolute best time of the year at Disneyland from a qualitative perspective. The sweet spot for enjoying the holiday season entertainment is the beginning of November and right after the popular Veterans Day holiday in mid-November until Thanksgiving.

With that said, it’s important to note that from a quantitative perspective, November 2024 is not #1. Average wait times will almost certainly be lower in January, May, August, September, plus maybe February and April. If this were purely a crowd calendar ranking, November 2024 would be middle of the pack.

However, the elevated attendance is not that pronounced until Thanksgiving week (one of the very worst weeks of the year), and early November (minus Veterans Day weekend) can be relatively relaxed. Moreover, this is not a simply a ranking of the months based on crowds–it’s qualitative, and no month is better than November from that perspective.

Unlike the Florida parks, the holiday season all starts in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on the same day, so there’s no disadvantage in going early. This entertainment is exceptional, and makes the higher crowd levels totally worth it. The festive atmosphere, attraction overlays, decorations, and seasonal foods–plus typically good weather make mid-November an unbeatable time to visit, even with only so-so crowds. Click here to view our November Disneyland Crowd Calendar .

Want to cut past all of those rankings and simply looking for a point-blank recommendation as to when you should visit Disneyland? Here are our 3 favorite weeks of the year, followed by some explanation:

• Thanksgiving “Bookends” (November 12-22, 2024 or December 1-7, 2024)
• Last week of August or first week of September (August 25 through September 7, 2024)
• Early May (May 1-12, 2024)

Our first (and favorite) times to visit are the weeks before and after Thanksgiving week. Typically, Christmas season at Disneyland starts the weekend before this, meaning you have a week gap between the start of Disneyland’s holiday season and the start of actual holiday travel. This is a ‘sweet spot’ for low crowds, perfect weather, and seasonal entertainment.

The early Fall 2024 offseason is trickier because Halloween is starting earlier (August 23, 2024) and there are a couple of holiday weeks in the second half of the month. While those don’t have a major impact on crowds, we’d still skew towards late August and early September 2024 as a result. We’d definitely opt for the earlier window here, as Halloween Time at Disneyland will be fully kicked off by then.

Finally, we like just about any dates in late April or May 2024 up until the end of the month, when locals will be scrambling to use the remainder of their SoCal tickets, which expire on June 2, 2024. This is after the madness of Spring Break and Easter, but before summer tourist season. It’s also before locals try to get their last visits in before the summer blockouts. With nothing new of import debuting in May 2024, it should be a great month to visit.

All in all, this should be a useful guide to strategically plan your visit (or visits) to Disneyland Resort in 2024 or even 2025. While some of the dates will shift–and any impact of things debuting or returning in 2024 won’t be relevant, the general contours of these rankings remain (mostly) consistent from year to year.  Even if you only follow this guide loosely, we think you’re bound to choose a good time to head to Disneyland!

Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets . Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings . For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews . For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney . For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide . Finally, for guides  beyond Disney , check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!

Your Thoughts

What do you think about the best and worst months to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in 2024? Any specific ideal months/weeks of your own that you’d recommend people visit Disneyland? Do you think weather plays any factor when it comes to the SoCal parks? Do you think crowds have increased over the last couple of years, across the board? Any questions? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Written by Tom Bricker

Hi Tom, Thanks for your thoughtful and entertaining analysis as always! Our family is scheduled to visit Disneyland (first time in 5 years, first time ever for three of my kids) the week after Easter April 10-15 during their Spring Break which it appears may still have substantial spring break crowds. Our alternative option would be the week of May 22, after their school is out, which looks also complicated by end of the local ticket deal and Grad nights. Which do you think would be the better option between the two in terms of crowds? Thanks!!

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Best Time to Visit Disneyland Resort (2024)

Planning a Disneyland trip can be challenging, especially if you want to avoid crowds. In this guide, we’ll show you the best time to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure so that you can enjoy seasonal events, pleasant weather, and reasonable pricing without worrying about long lines and large crowds. We will also advise you on the busiest and least favorable weeks and months to visit. By following our tips, you can choose the best dates that suit your preferences and make the most of your Disneyland vacation.

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Factors to Consider Before Selecting Your Dates

The best time to visit Disneyland depends on your preferences and what you hope to get out of your trip. Here are some factors to consider:

Crowds: Crowd levels can have a major impact on your overall experience at Disneyland. Long lines can ruin the trip for some people, so is critical to know when the theme parks are less crowded. Check our Disneyland crowd calendar before you decide when to go. Mid-week days are usually less crowded than weekends and some times of year are significantly better than others.

Weather: Southern California weather is generally pleasant, but rain and extreme heat can negatively impact your experience.

Events & Festivals: Disneyland’s seasonal events offer unique experiences but also attract larger crowds. Decide whether you want to attend these special events or visit during non-event days to avoid the crowds.

Availability & Costs: During peak times, tickets and lodging are limited. Disneyland uses dynamic pricing – rates climb for tickets and hotels during busy holidays and events. Special events often require separate ticket purchases. While off-peak visits may mean lower prices, you may miss out on seasonal offerings.

Top 3 Best Times to Visit Disneyland Resort

If you’re looking for a balance between low crowd levels and favorable weather, cost, and events, these are the three best times to visit Disneyland.

1. Mid-September to Mid-November

Additional decorations are added outside of Haunted Mansion

Fall brings Halloween magic to Disneyland Resort with special events, mild weather, and noticeably lighter weekday crowds. From late September through October 31st, the parks transform with pumpkin décor, themed parades, costume meet-and-greets, and a Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion overlay.

• Unique Halloween-themed attractions and experiences.
• Relatively fewer crowds than in peak seasons, especially during weekdays.
• Wider availability of dining reservations and Genie+ options.
• Dry and pleasant weather, with temperatures in the 70s or 80s.
• Weekends around Halloween tend to be more crowded.
• Some attractions may close early or briefly for refurbishments.
• Evening weather can be cooler, with lows in the 50s. Wear layers.

2. Mid-January to Mid-March

The excitement of the holidays has passed, leaving behind a quieter ambiance. Cool temperatures in the 60s to low 70s make for pleasant park exploring. Sparse crowds provide a relaxed pace.

• Dramatically fewer guests and shorter wait times. On weekdays, lines may be walk-ons.
• More relaxed atmosphere, ideal for leisurely exploration.
• Low crowds provide more opportunities for character interactions.
• Winter-themed foods like soups, hot chocolate, and baked goods.
• Lower hotel rates than peak periods.
• Some attractions may undergo refurbishment after the holidays.
• Shorter park hours due to earlier sunsets. Typical hours are 9 am to 8 pm.
• Weather can be rainy in January and February. Bring rain gear.

Being from Boston, my wife Jaimie and I always look for a warmer place to vacation around January or February. The cold winters back home drive us to find places that offer both entertainment and respite from the chilly winds. Several years ago, we decided to try Disneyland in early February, and it turned out to be one of our best vacation decisions!

3. Weekdays in Winter and Spring

Love is in bloom at Disneyland

The park is invigorating in the crisp air and clear skies of winter and spring mornings. As the day goes on, the park becomes more crowded, but there is still a relaxed atmosphere as the schools are in session during the mid-week.

• Significantly reduced crowds compared to weekends. Short to non-existent lines.
• More opportunities for spontaneous decisions and alterations in plans.
• Lower crowds allow time to notice subtle details in the theming and take photos.
• Pleasant weather with highs in the 60s and 70s.
• Some seasonal shows and parades might only be held on weekends, not weekdays.
• There is a higher chance of rain from November to April.

Speak With a Disneyland Expert To Plan Your Trip!

Worst Times to Visit Disneyland

If crowded parks and higher prices aren’t your thing, consider avoiding these peak periods:

1. Holiday Weeks and School Breaks

Beautiful decorations abound, but crowds can be worse then usual.

Disneyland is particularly magical during the holidays, especially leading up to Christmas, with festive activities such as carolers, themed decorations, and a variety of holiday treats. However, this enchantment comes at the price of large crowds. This is also true during Thanksgiving and Easter weeks. If you don’t like crowds, it’s best to avoid holiday weeks and any time when schools are out of session.

Here’s a tip if you decide to go : Book your theme park reservations months in advance. On the day of your visit, arrive early to avoid the crowds, use Genie+ and Lightning Lane passes to your advantage, but manage your expectations because you will still have to wait in long lines.

2. Summer: June to Mid-August

Summer is the most lively time to visit Disneyland. The park has extended hours and a full schedule of activities. However, the combination of hot summer days – which can reach temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit – and large crowds can lead to long queues and exhaustion. It is important to keep in mind that the summer season also brings higher ticket and accommodation prices. Of course, there are also some benefits, such as being able to add on some fun in the sun at one of the beaches near Disneyland .

3. Other Significant Holidays & Extended Weekends

Major national holidays like Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day always draw huge crowds to Disneyland Resort. The parks often have special parades and entertainment to celebrate these holidays, further driving up attendance. It can be quite busy throughout the entire long weekend and even into the weekdays following the holiday.

To make the most of your day, arrive early, take a break during the afternoon (during peak crowds), and then stay until closing time.

Dates to Avoid Disneyland in 2024

To avoid long waits and crowds, avoid planning your Disneyland trip during these peak dates:

• January : 1-7, 10-15
• February : 16-19
• March : 9 – April 30
• May : All weekends, Grad Nite dates, Memorial Day
• June : 14 – July 7
• August : 30 – September 2
• October : 2-20
• November : 22-30
• December : 21-31

By steering clear of these periods, you’re better positioned for a more relaxed Disneyland experience.

Can’t Change Your Dates?

If work, school, or other considerations are locking you into a less-than-ideal time of year, don’t fret!

One of the best things you can do to give yourself an advantage is to entrust your plans to an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner .

As an Earmarked Diamond level planner,  The Vacationeer has the know-how to help make your trip run smoothly no matter the time of year.

Their agents provide free help planning your trip , including making all of your hotel, dining, theme park ticket, and ground transportation arrangements.

You’ll have a single, dedicated travel agent to handle your plans — no need to waste time waiting on hold to speak to a Cast Member.

And thanks to The Vacationeer ‘s extensive knowledge of Disney theme parks, they’ll give you great itinerary advice to minimize your time spent waiting in line.

Get your free, no-obligation quote today!

A Month-by-Month Guide to Visiting Disneyland in 2024

Here’s a 2024 breakdown of Disneyland crowds and seasonal events to help you plan your trip.

• Crowds : Lighter, but New Year’s Day and MLK Day (coinciding with runDisney events) see a spike.
• Events : Lunar New Year Festival, featuring Mulan, Asian cuisine, and live performances.
• Crowds : Valentine’s Day and President’s Day draw crowds, but the rest of the month is quieter.
• Crowds : Spring break influx; aim for after the first week for fewer crowds.
• Events : Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival kicks off with special menus and culinary showcases.
• Crowds : Generally mild, with an uptick around Easter.
• Events : Food & Wine Festival continues.
• Crowds : Memorial Day weekend is busy; post-holiday sees fewer crowds.
• Crowds : A surge due to summer vacations.
• Events : Summertime fireworks and seasonal foods.
• Crowds : Peak summer crowds, especially around the Fourth of July.
• Crowds : Gradual thinning as summer winds down.
• Crowds : Reduced, as schools are back in session.
• Events : Halloween Time begins, introducing pumpkins, villains, and the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay at the Haunted Mansion.
• Crowds : Busy around Halloween weekend; aim for other times for fewer crowds.
• Events : Halloween Time continues its spooky celebrations.
• Crowds : Quieter, with a significant uptick during Thanksgiving week.
• Events : The holiday season commences, transforming Disneyland with festive splendor.
• Crowds : The most crowded month, especially the latter half.
• Events : Holiday magic is everywhere – Sleeping Beauty’s Castle dons a snowy facade while carolers, parades, and special treats enhance the festive atmosphere.

FAQs: Disneyland Crowd Levels and Timing

Q: what are the best months and seasons to visit disneyland.

Our top recommendations for optimal Disneyland experiences are September, October, and mid-January through March . These months strike a balance between pleasant weather and manageable crowds. In particular, September and October offer the warmth of summer without its peak visitor numbers. Meanwhile, the months after the holidays, until March, promise a cooler atmosphere with fewer guests.

Q: What are the least crowded days of the week at Disneyland?

A: Weekdays, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays, tend to be less crowded than weekends at Disneyland. Visiting on a Tuesday or Wednesday will likely mean shorter lines and wait times.

Q: What’s the best time of day to avoid crowds?

A: The morning right at the park open typically has the lowest crowds. Arrive early to experience short lines before crowds build later.

Q: When is the slowest season for crowds?

A: The slowest season is generally January through March, after the holidays. September and early November also see lower attendance before Thanksgiving picks up.

Q: What if I can only visit during a peak crowded season?

A: Navigating peak seasons can be easier with the right strategy:

• Disney Genie : Use this tool to streamline your visit.
• Early Entry : If you’re staying at one of the Disneyland hotels, capitalize on this perk offering extra time at one of the two parks.
• Arrival Time : Aim to be at the park 60 minutes prior to its opening. This lets you clear security before the rush.
• Morning Plan : Identify and visit your top attractions right as the park opens.
• Genie+/Lightning Lanes : To avoid longer lines, use these premium options in the afternoon and evening.
• Late-Night Strategy : Stick around until the park closes, as ride lines often decrease later at night.

With careful planning, even the busiest days can be filled with magic!.

Q: When is the cheapest time to visit Disneyland?

A: The cheapest time of year to visit Disneyland is typically early January through early March . Hotel rates (including Disneyland hotels) are at their lowest following the holiday season. You can also find discounted park tickets and cheaper airfare during these months.

Q: What is the hottest month at Disneyland?

A: July and August are usually the hottest, with average highs around 85°F. For milder weather, plan a trip in spring or fall, when temperatures reach the 70s.

Q: When is the best time to visit Disneyland if I want to avoid the rain?

A: The wettest time of year in Anaheim is January and February, with Disneyland experiencing an average of five rainy days. To avoid rain, plan your visit in summer or early fall.

Plan an Unforgettable Disneyland Vacation with The Vacationeer

Planning a memorable Disneyland vacation requires a great deal of effort and expertise. Fortunately, The Vacationeer is here to help you out. As a top Disney travel agency and an exclusive Platinum Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, The Vacationeer has the knowledge and experience to design a perfect and personalized trip for your family.

The Vacationeer Advantage:

• One-on-One Service : A dedicated Disney specialist will get to know your family’s interests, budget, and vision for your perfect vacation. They handle every detail from start to finish.
• Insider Access : The Vacationeer agents have in-depth knowledge of the parks. They can give you advice, uncover VIP experiences, discounts, and deals that you might otherwise miss out on.
• Simplicity and Savings : The Vacationeer makes planning and booking Disneyland easy and stress-free. And best of all, their services are completely free!

As huge Disney fans, my wife Jaimie and I have learned to always trust The Vacationeer for our Disney getaways. Though we know Disney parks inside and out, The Vacationeer still impresses us with their attention to detail and little touches of extra magic. I highly recommend connecting with their team of specialists for an unforgettable, seamless Disneyland vacation.

Get personalized advice and a free, no-obligation quote from The Vacationeer !

Closing Thoughts

Just like any great adventure, a bit of preparation can take that Disneyland experience from good to unforgettable. Here’s a simple tip from our playbook: Study a Disneyland map ahead of time. Get a good grasp of the layout to help you navigate the park easily, allowing you to hit those must-see attractions without a hitch. And, if you love a good story like us, learning about Disneyland’s rich history before you go can make every corner of the park come alive in a whole new way.

As I’ve just mentioned, a Disney travel agent can be a valuable resource, as it has been for my family. They can provide advice on everything from the best age for Disneyland visits to helping you select the ideal travel dates to ensure that you find the perfect accommodations. Whether it’s the premier on-site Disneyland hotels or the best Disneyland Good Neighbor hotels nearby, they can help you make the best decision to match your dream vacation. And if you’re torn between Disneyland and Disney World , their expertise can guide you in making the best decision.

My family loves visiting Disneyland in September, October, and from mid-January to March for the mild weather and fewer crowds. However, keep in mind that the ideal Disneyland trip varies based on personal preferences.

No matter when you choose to visit, Disneyland’s enchantment is a guarantee!

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Disneyland plan for long-term major development in Anaheim clears crucial hurdle

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Disney officials cleared one of the final hurdles Monday for its theme park expansion plan, which they say would jump-start at least $1.9 billion of new development at the Anaheim resort over the next 10 years.

The DisneylandForward project was approved Monday night on a 5-1 vote by the Anaheim Planning Commission after almost three years of reviews and analysis. The project next will go before the City Council.

“I want to thank each and every person who came tonight to speak their minds, whether you agreed, disagreed or were neutral,” said commission Chairperson Lucille Kring. “I want to thank Disney for bringing this to us. Make us proud.”

“Together we are unequivocally making history, just like Walt Disney did almost 70 years ago with the city of Anaheim and Disneyland,” Ken Potrock, president of the Disneyland Resort, said at the meeting before the vote. “It’s a tremendous responsibility for all of us and a privilege to be a steward of this vision for this very, very special place.”

The requested changes to the park’s zoning would allow Disney — a dominant figure in Anaheim politics — more flexibility to reimagine its existing 490-acre footprint in Anaheim over the next few decades, mixing new attractions, theme parks, shops, restaurants and parking to “provide for continued, long-term growth of The Disneyland Resort,” the latest city report said.

Dozens of disgruntled Anaheim residents and Disneyland fans alike attended the meeting to voice their opinions about the proposal.

John Noteboom, an Anaheim resident for 27 years, lives on the western edge of the Disneyland Resort with his wife.

“As some of the closest neighbors to the proposed theme park district of Disneyland on the west side of the park,” he said, “we’ve had nothing but cooperation from Disney anytime an issue has come up.”

However, not all the comments from residents were positive.

Jeanine Robbins, who has lived in Anaheim about half a mile from Disneyland for 33 years, brought up a class-action lawsuit that was filed against Walt Disney Co. last week, alleging that Disney underpaid hotel maintenance workers.

“When they can take care of their existing employees, then they can come back with this ridiculous proposal,” she said. “If you pay your employees so little that they require food stamps and rent assistance and homeless shelter beds, then you are not a job creator. You are simply a moocher on the public dime.”

Margaret Patino, who has lived near Disneyland for 45 years, raised concerns over Magic Way, a street near the resort, being privatized for the potential project.

“Restricting the foot traffic on Magic Way for only Disney guests who will have their keycards is unfair,” she said. “Neighboring hotels, motels will not have access, leaving the surrounding residents to deal with increased traffic on Ball [Road], Katella [Avenue] and losing the access to the 5 Freeway.”

Anaheim officials approved plans during the 1990s that led to the growth of Disneyland Resort in the newly formed Anaheim Resort area, according to the DisneylandForward website .

“And while those plans resulted in major improvements to the entire Anaheim Resort,” the site says, “their ‘traditional’ district/zone approach does not allow for the diverse, integrated experiences theme park visitors now seek, severely limiting Disney’s ability to continue investing in Anaheim.”

The project doesn’t include specific plans for new attractions, but Disney officials have offered a vision for possible additions, such as immersive Frozen, Zootopia, Tron or Peter Pan experiences similar to those at Disney’s locations in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The project promises a minimum $1.9-billion investment in the theme park, lodging, entertainment, shopping and dining within a decade, according to city officials.

Disneyland’s new vision includes up to $2.5-billion investment and a plan to take over city streets

Disneyland’s plan to reimagine the theme park into a more “immersive” experience may require up to $2.5 billion and a plan to privatize some Anaheim streets.

Jan. 27, 2024

The city of Anaheim’s staff report on the project recommended the Planning Commission’s approval. The proposal now requires final approval from the City Council, likely in mid-April. Even though the new zoning has been approved, individual projects are still subject to city planning approval.

The proposal outlines an increase of 4,376 theme-park-related parking spaces, as well as a variety of traffic improvements, including adding bike lanes and pedestrian bridges and absorbing some local roadways into Disney’s oversight.

The expected development by Anaheim’s largest employer would generate significantly more economic output and tax revenue , according to an analysis commissioned by the Walt Disney Co. The new agreement, if approved, would also have Disney pony up $30 million for affordable housing within five years, $40 million for street and transportation improvements and $10 million for sewer upgrades.

“The DisneylandForward Project is expected to generate additional revenue to the city that will increase the city’s general fund to be used for a wide variety of public benefits, including funding police and fire personnel and resources, local school districts, parks, libraries, and capital improvements,” according to the city’s staff report.

Disneyland says renovation plans could bring $253 million annually to Anaheim’s economy

While Walt Disney Co. laid out a robust economic pitch to the city of Anaheim for plans to redevelop its existing theme park footprint, the company did not specify what exactly it wants to build.

May 18, 2023

The project’s environmental impact report found that the construction phase would have significant, unavoidable effects on noise pollution, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions in the surrounding community, but Disney officials cited mitigation measures, including installing 12-foot-tall noise barriers.

Many nearby residents and businesses have expressed concerns throughout the lengthy review process about noise, traffic, increased crime or pollution — but there was also much support for the project at a city workshop last month .

Some have also called on Disney to invest more in the community, given the scale of this project and how many of the company’s low-wage workers struggle to make ends meet.

Duane Roberts, the editor and publisher of website Anaheim Investigator , pointed to the massive Walt Disney Co.-funded 1,400 unit affordable housing project near Disney World in Central Florida, calling the promised $30 million for affordable housing in Anaheim “puny.” He said he wasn’t necessarily opposed to the DisneylandForward project, but wanted city officials to push for more local support from Disney.

“Why are we getting so little as compared to Florida?” Roberts asked city officials last month. “Do we not, like them, have a housing crisis in this state?”

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Summer Lin is a reporter on the Fast Break Desk, the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news team. Before coming to The Times, she covered breaking news for the Mercury News and national politics and California courts for McClatchy’s publications, including the Sacramento Bee. An East Coast native, Lin moved to California after graduating from Boston College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. In her free time, she enjoys hikes, skiing and a good Brooklyn bagel.

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Disney cleared a crucial hurdle today in its plan to revamp Disneyland to the tune of $1.9 billion over the next decade, but not without contention.

The Anaheim City Planning Commission voted 5-1 to approve sending the corporation’s DisneyForward plan to the full City Council. DisneyForward would transform Walt Disney’s original theme park over the coming decades, adding mixed use amenities and attractions.

Disney hopes to have the project reviewed soon by the Anaheim City Council and receive approval before the end of 2024.

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DisneylandForward  was first introduced in 2021, and in 2023 Disney executives revealed new details about the project, including a Disney-sponsored economic study from Cal State Fullerton estimating that, for every $1 billion Disney invests to update and renovate the resort, more than 4,000 jobs and $1.1 billion in economic output would be generated during the four-year construction period. Thereafter,  according  to the  Los Angeles Times , that investment will generate $253 million annually in economic output, $15 million in tax revenue and 2,292 jobs.

Today, Disney projected even larger jobs numbers, with 8,960 jobs created during construction and 4,584 added during operations. Potrock even promised that those construction jobs would be “100% union labor with a focus on hiring Anaheim residents and veterans.”

The development agreement would last until 2064. It is estimated that Disney would wind up spending $2.5 billion when work is complete.

Disney, specifically, is looking for Anaheim officials to loosen zoning restrictions in the city’s 1994 “ Resort Specific Plan ” for the area in and around Disneyland.

The DisneylandForward website maintains that “…while those plans resulted in major improvements to the entire Anaheim Resort, their ‘traditional’ district/zone approach does not allow for the diverse, integrated experiences theme park visitors now seek, severely limiting Disney’s ability to continue investing in Anaheim.”

What the resort needs, the site maintains, is flexibility.

“Today hotel, theme park, retail and dining are all part of one immersive experience. Guests expect that the future of entertainment will seamlessly weave all uses together in ways that were hard to imagine more than 25 years ago when the city created these specific plans.”

In return for that concession, Disney would guarantee the city $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for parks and $35 million for nearby road improvements.

So what are Disney’s plans in the area?

“With DisneylandForward and more flexibility within our existing properties, new lands and adventures like those underway at Tokyo DisneySea and Shanghai Disneyland could inspire new experiences here,” reads the copy on DisneylandForward.com. Examples given are  Frozen  land and the  Tangled  and  Peter Pan  attractions for the original park and  Zootopia ,  Tron  and  Toy Story  elements for Disney’s California Adventure. These are just examples, however. Disney brass have not committed to any of them, though Disney CEO  Bob Iger  confirmed recently that a new attraction based on the  Avatar  franchise will hit Disneyland soon.

At the City Planning Commission meeting, Disneyland’s Ken Potrock said the company wants to build “integrated experiences,” and while he didn’t commit, he namechecked three existing attractions as examples: Zootopia in Shanghai, Frozen in HK Disneyland and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Anaheim.

But where would these new attractions, whatever they may be, go? Artists’ renderings of the plans provided by Disney, while conceptual, show one major development to the west of the current parks near the Disneyland Hotel and another to the southeast of California Adventure. Both plots are currently dedicated mostly to parking. See images below.

An artist’s rendering of the proposed development along the western side of the resort’s existing parks nestled in among the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Hotel. (DisneylandForward.com)

An artist’s rendering of the proposed development adjacent to the southeastern corner of Disney’s California Adventure in what is now the Toy Story parking area. (DisneylandForward.com)

Bruce Haring contributed to this report.

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