Only 1 Day at Disneyland how to fit in all the rides

Tips how to maximize a trip to Disneyland with only one day. Here’s your guide on how to go on every attraction with minimal wait times.  If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland and you only have one day then I’ve created a possible plan for your group to ride every attraction. You can do everything in one day at Disneyland using the following plan in conjunction with the official Disneyland app.  The app will show you wait times and provide more helpful tips.  And now there is a new tool called Disney Genie+ that replaced the old FastPass system.  If you’d like to learn more about that paid service read here the benefits and how it works.

Disneyland game plan

Disneyland is the most popular park and gets crowded, so do all the major rides first. In order to get on all the rides you must arrive at rope drop and do the MOUNTAIN rides first.  I always recommend arriving for rope drop, read more about arrival tips.  If the park opens at 8 a.m. (for instance) they let you through the gates normally around 7:30 a.m.  You can wander around, take pictures and get lined up for rope drop! And this post will help you navigate the park at no additional costs.  If you’re used to using the old FastPass option to skip the line then you should consider Disney Genie+ for even less time in lines.  But this post will include tips for getting on the most popular attractions with minimal wait times. 

If you have little ones then your focus and order of rides will be different.  See the bottom of this post for a touring plan with kids.  Otherwise proceed with this plan!

Touring plan for Disneyland 

Let’s talk first about the TWO newest exciting attractions 1) Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and 2) Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Toontown.  I’m going to give you some tips about getting on Rise of the Resistance first and then further down MMRR.  (If these rides don’t interest you skip down to the newly updated touring plan.)  These attractions used to have a virtual queue only, but Disney changed it to a regular stand by line.  But on very busy days it could go back to a virtual queue.  If that happens on the day you’re there read all my tips on how to join the virtual queue here. 

I don’t recommend going to this line first at rope drop.  The longest wait times for this ride are when the park opens for a few hours because so many people head to this attraction.  The line stays long throughout the day, but mornings are the worst.  I recommend checking wait times of Rise of the Resistance, using the official Disneyland app to determine when to go on Rise.  Check around lunch time and if it’s under 60 minutes go for it.  The wait time will not get shorter.  Another option is wait and get in line just before the ride closes.  As long as you’re in line they will let you go on the ride.  Check the app because this ride closes earlier than the park does.  As seen in the photo below you can find the time under attractions in the app.As seen above the attraction closes at 9:00 p.m. on this day and the park closes at 10:00 p.m.  You could hop in line at 8:50 p.m. and your wait time will be less than if you’d gone there at rope drop.  And the last option to get on this ride is to pay an extra fee as much as $20 per person to go on the ride.  There is an individual Lightning Lane you can buy for this ride alone, it’s not included with Disney Genie+.  Read more about this option on this post.  So based on all of that information you decide the best time to fit this attraction into your day.

Newly updated touring plan for Disneyland

You need to arrive early and do the most popular attractions in the first few hours of the day.  Knock them out before the lines build. When you line up for rope drop there are 3 ropes.  Start at the rope leading to Tomorrowland. 

Follow the list below in this order to maximize your time!  Skip any attractions you’re not interested in doing.  

• Space Mountain
• Star Tours
• Matterhorn
• Big Thunder Mountain 
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Jungle Cruise

  

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Haunted Mansion 
• Splash Mountain is closed and Tiana’s Bayou (coming 2024)
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (go on this ride at this time so you’re not coming back over to this area just for this ride only)
• Add Rise of the Resistance – into your plan here or use advice given above for later.
• Millennium Falcon (do this ride at the same time you’re in Galaxy’s Edge riding Rise of the Resistance)
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the newest attraction at Disneyland.

Now you’ve done the more popular rides that build up long lines as the day goes on.  Next you can tackle what’s left in the park.  What you do next will be based on the interests of your party. I’ve grouped them by land so you can do all the rides left in each land in the order listed.  You can use the Disneyland app to look up wait times on what’s left.  Then once you’ve either done them or skipped them go and repeat your favorites.  And at any point stop and eat snacks, have lunch or enjoy entertainment.  Here’s a post about my favorite foods in Disneyland.

In Tomorrowland you still have the following attractions left.

• Astro Orbitor
• Buzz Lightyear 
• Finding Nemo
• Autopia

A fun way to see the park after Autopia is head over to the Disneyland Railroad hop on  at the Tomorrowland station and ride it around to Toon Town and continue your day. 

Toon Town 

• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin 
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster

Now I purposely put the rides in Fantasyland later in the afternoon when it should be less crowded.  Many of the groups with young kids leave to take a break so now is a good time to tackle this area especially during a parade.

Fantasyland 

• It’s a Small World
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• Alice in Wonderland
• Mad Tea Party
• Dumbo
• Casey Jr. Train
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
• Peter Pan (check the wait times when you get in this area and decide to ride now or after fireworks is another great lower wait time)
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
• Pinocchio’s Daring Adventure
• King Arthur’s Carousel

Walt’s Enchanted Tiki room – in Adventureland

Disneyland Railroad (there are 4 stations in different lands, hop on and off at any station).  The railroad is also a great way to get from one side of the park to the other like I mentioned above from Tomorrowland to Toon Town.

Now add entertainment, characters, food and more.

You have a list of all the rides and a game plan.  But there’s so much more to do at Disneyland.  There’s entertainment such as watching the parade, fireworks, Disneyland band, Dapper Dans and Fantasmic!  For details about all the nighttime entertainment read this post.  You can see characters, explore Tom Sawyer’s Island, ride the Mark Twain Riverboat, ride the Monorail and more.  Add in that extra magic as you go.  But if your goal is to ride all the attractions, that can be done in one day if you follow the plan above!

 

Touring plan with kids, toddlers, babies

If you have little kids head to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Alice in Wonderland or Dumbo first, not Peter Pan. You don’t want to spend the first 45 minutes of your day in line for Peter Pan when there are shorter lines you can knock out fast in Fantasyland in the early morning. Save Peter Pan for later in the day. These are all the rides for any height child/baby and here’s the order I recommend.

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Storybook Land Canal Boats *see note below and change order as needed  
• Alice in Wonderland
• Dumbo
• Casey Jr. Train
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
• Peter Pan 
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
• Pinocchio
• King Arthur’s Carousel
• Mad Tea Party
• Buzz Lightyear
• Finding Nemo
• Autopia

* Here’s a not very well known tip about Storybook Land Canal Boats that my mom shared with me years ago.  This is her favorite attraction.  So one morning she and my dad went there at rope drop and arrived first!  The cast member said oh you’re the first guest today you get to sign the Captain’s log (see photo below).  The first guest every day gets to do this.  Kids and adults find this fun freebie kinda magical.  So add this cool opportunity to your trip list.  Remember you have to be the first so get to the parks early for rope drop.  Now with Early Entry for resort hotel guests this magical tip is harder to do.  You can do it cause it’s not open during Early Entry but those guests can get to the line before rope drop guests.  Read more about Early Entry.

Alright now back to your touring plans, after Autopia, hop on the Disneyland Railroad at the Tomorrowland depot and ride it over to New Orleans Square and do the following attractions.

• Haunted Mansion
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Jungle Cruise

Do the above attractions that build lines and now it’s time for a break.  Maybe it’s time for lunch.  But you’ve done most of the no height required rides and here’s what you have left – It’s a Small World, Astro Orbitor, Walt’s Enchanted Tiki Room and Toontown where there are 2 attractions (Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster has a 35″ height requirement).  If the adults in your party want to ride any of the bigger E-ticket attractions as they call them you can add them in throughout the day using rider switch.  

Kids also enjoy exploring in Toontown, climbing in the Treehouse, walking through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and searching for treasure over on Tom Sawyer’s Island.  If you’re looking for other kid friendly play areas to explore in Disneyland read more over here.  There are character interactions all over the parks you can check out as well.

Have a plan

These are just suggestions to maximize your time. But go to the parks with a plan! It can be altered or delayed that’s fine but have an idea of what you want to go on so you’re not standing around looking at the map making decisions during those precious early morning hours.  There are lots of strategies on the order of rides and know that plans can change once at the parks depending on refurbishments, lines, crowds etc.  But if you have an idea of what you want to ride and use the Disneyland app to check wait times then you can decide which ride to hit up next.  You will get so more much done with a plan!

Print a FREE attractions list

Last tip to help in your vacation planning.  I have created a checklist with ALL the attractions in both parks.  You can use it to plan your visit.  Print each list and mark the attractions you want to do.  You could even add the order you want to go on the attractions.  Click here to print.

These are my suggestions and not a guarantee but it’s best to go to the parks with a PLAN.  And don’t forget to have a magical day!!!

Looking for a plan to do Disney California Adventure in one day check here.

When is the best time to visit Disneyland, check out the crowd calendar.

If you’d like hotel recommendations near Disneyland I have over 20+ recommendations here.

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