5 Tips for Doing Disneyland in 1 Day - Grace, Giggles and Naptime

As most of you know by now, we are avid Walt Disney World goers. Living in South Carolina allows us the ability to drive down to Orlando fairly regularly. We usually venture down to WDW at least once, sometimes even twice, in a year. But last year we were lucky enough to head out west to The Happiest Place on Earth aka Disneyland! What you may not have known is that I grew up in sunny southern California and lived only 20 minutes from Disneyland. So naturally, Disney has been a big part of my life.

During our trip to the Golden State, we spent 3 days exploring Disneyland together as a family. This was truly a blessing for me to be able to share this special place that I hold so dear in my heart with my own children. You see, my Dad passed away in the fall of 2017, and some of my fondest memories as a child were made with him at Disneyland.

Luckily, we were able to apply much of our WDW knowledge to our time at Disneyland; however, it’s important to note that these parks are actually quite different from each other. But one thing we learned was how to navigate it quickly & efficiently. So, I’m taking what we learned during our trip and sharing 5 tips for doing Disneyland in a single day.

1. Make a list of your must-do rides & attractions

This is an absolute must if you’re going to get the most out of your day at the parks. Figure out what rides, shows, characters, etc… are most important to you and your family – then draft a list of those. I’d also highlight which ones are at the very top of your list. With your list in hand, it’s important to be flexible in case your plans need to change for whatever reason – inclement weather, ride closures or even toddler meltdowns. I also go a step further and break down our must-dos and categorize them according to each land (i.e. Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, etc…). This step is crucial to maximizing your time and also to avoid zigzagging all over the park. Side note: I keep all of my Disney notes right on my iPhone in the notes section, that way I don’t have to worry about losing any lists throughout the day.

2. Don’t miss out on California Adventure

One of the biggest differences between WDW and Disneyland is clearly the size. Disneyland is incredibly walkable – which makes it totally possible to do both Disneyland and California Adventure in the same day. They are right next door to each other – we’re talking just steps away – so no need to worry about transportation getting over to the other park! And in my opinion, if you’re going to make the trip to Disneyland, you definitely don’t want to miss out on all that California Adventure has to offer!

Our 6 year old has been obsessed with the movie Cars since he could walk, so of course we couldn’t miss the opportunity to check out Radiator Springs. If you only do one thing at California Adventure, Cars Land should be it! Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you’ll want to after visiting. Other favorite attractions at California Adventure include Pixar Pier and the chance to meet Anna & Elsa.

3. Opt for the Disney MaxPass

If you’ve been to WDW, then throw everything you know about the FastPass+ out the window, because Disneyland does things a bit different. Disneyland still offers fast passes; however, you can’t make FastPass selections until you’re actually inside of the park. Disneyland has FastPass kiosks for various rides set up throughout the park, but the catch is that you’ll have to walk to those kiosks, wait in line, and then snag your FastPass for a later (available) time. With the Disney MaxPass, you’ll have the ability to grab a FastPass right from your phone, using the Disneyland app. And if you’re doing Disneyland in a single day, you’ll definitely want to add the Disney MaxPass to your tickets in order to maximize your time inside the parks. Side note: there is a small charge of $15 per day, per ticket, but in my opinion, it’s worth it!

4. Don’t plan character meet & greets

Another big difference between WDW and Disneyland are the character meet & greets. While there are still designated locations & times for many of the characters at Disneyland, you may just be in store for some surprise visits throughout your day! What am I talking about exactly? Well, let me explain a little – the characters are known to just pop up out of nowhere, which in my opinion, only adds to the magic of meeting them. During one of our breaks at California Adventure, the kids and I were sitting on a park bench enjoying some ice cream, when out of the blue, the Mouse himself showed up right next to us. The kids were elated and we were able to snap a quick photo with him before he went on his way. Another time we were headed to a ride and saw Belle & The Beast just out for a leisurely stroll in the middle of Fantasyland (ironically enough, we saw Gaston walking by just a few minutes later).

But perhaps the most special character sighting of our trip was when we saw Cinderella on our way out of the park. We spotted her and she was gracious enough to walk with us for a bit. She chatted with London for a solid 5 minutes about what it was like to be a princess. I mean, does it get any better than that when you’re a princess-loving 3 year old?! All the heart eyes. So, the moral of the story is not to worry so much about scheduling character meet & greets (unless your kids are REALLY set on meeting a certain character) but rather to go about your day, and let the characters surprise you.

5. Don’t just “wing it”

Proper planning is key and this step goes hand-in-hand with #1. After you have your list of must-dos, it’s time to plan out your day – starting with your arrival at the park. Be sure to look up magic hours in advance and plan to get to the park EARLY. Keep in mind traffic entering the park and lengthy security lines. A good rule of thumb I like to use is to plan to enter the parking garage at least 1 hour before the park opens. This will give you time to park, catch a shuttle, and then wait in line at security. Once you’re inside the park enjoying your day, it’s also a good idea to plan your meals for non-peak times. For example, don’t plan to eat lunch right at 12:00. You’ll end up waiting forever in line and that will set your day way back. Instead, try to eat lunch around 11:00 or even 1:30/2:00.

And when it comes to snacks – don’t forget to pack your own from home in your backpack. Yes, Disneyland lets you bring food into the park, so stock up on your kids’ fave snacks to avoid stopping at food vendors throughout your day. With all of these things in mind, try not to stress over every minute of the day. If you get to the park with a solid plan in place, while staying flexible, there’s no doubt you’re going to have an amazing day at The Happiest Place on Earth!