These are the best Disneyland insider tips to help you have the most magical trip. These tips are for Disneyland and California Adventure park. Try out some of these on your next trip to these theme parks so you can do Disneyland like the pros who go all the time and have tried it all.
You Can Go Into The Parks Before They Open
The theme parks will let you in about 30-60 minutes before they officially open. Main Street, USA and Buena Vista street have shops that are open during this time and you can grab coffee at Market House or Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe, which is the name of Starbucks in each park. People will be lining up to rope drop, which is where you are the first people they let into the areas with rides and you can usually get on them with little to no wait.
Mid-Day Break During the Busy Time
The Disney parks are the busiest and the hottest in the afternoons. This is a great time to take a break and relax. You can either head back to your hotel for a bit, do a meal at a table service restaurant, or find a nice, quiet place to sit. These are the hours when the rides have the longest lines, so it’s a great time for a refresh.
Eat Meals Early or Late
Most guests will eat lunch around noon and dinner around 5-6pm, causing the restaurants to be busy and have long waits during this time. Eat your meals a little earlier or later to avoid the crowds and you’ll be able to go on rides while other people are eating.
Check Kids Heights For Rides Even If They Are Not Tall Enough
Even if you know your kids are not tall enough for a ride, have a Cast Member check their height for it. They might surprise you with a card to bring back when they are tall enough that serves as a Lightning Lane for up to 6 guests. Rides that have done this before are Radiator Springs Racers, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Goofy’s Sky School. It is not guaranteed that you will get one of these, but you can try.
Go to Oga’s Cantina Last
Oga’s Cantina is a bar in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland. Try to get in at the last time of the day and when you leave, the area will be closed so you’ll be able to experience Galaxy’s Edge with no one in it and take some amazing pictures.
You Can Add An Extra Guest To Your Dining Reservation
When you are checking in for your Advanced Dining Reservations at table service restaurants, you can add another guest to your reservation. So when booking if you can only get a reservation for 2 people but need it for 3, book it for 2, then add the extra person at check-in.
Use Disney Visa Rewards
Disney Visa cardholders get special perks in Disneyland to take advantage of. You can get 10% off select merchandise and dining. Also, there are cardmember photo opportunities in Hollywood Land and Star Wars Launch Bay in Tomorrowland.
Buy Disney Gift Cards at Target
If you have a Target credit or debit card you can purchase Disney gift cards and get 5% off of them. You can use these gift cards to buy park tickets or anything in Disneyland.
Available Lightning Lanes Pop Up Throughout the Day
If you don’t get to book the Lightning Lanes you want, keep checking throughout the day to see if they become available. Other people will cancel and change theirs, making them available to you.
Go On Rides The Last 2 Hours Before Closing
The last two hours that the parks are much quieter and less crowded because most of the families with young kids have headed back to their hotels by this time. This means that the wait times for rides drop to being much lower, making this a great time to go on popular rides. Read more tips for not waiting in long lines for rides at Disneyland here.