10 Tips to Experience More at Disneyland: Use Your Time Wisely and See All the Magic!

Experiencing more at Disneyland is one of the best ways to have the most magical vacation. Many guests want to know all the best tips and trips for using your time wisely and we have our best strategies to share with you!

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1. Arrive Early

More important than what date to visit Disneyland is what time to visit Disneyland. Disneyland opens at 8am most days, you should be at the gate at least 30 minutes prior to open- if not an hour early on busier days of the year. This will allow you to be at the parks for ‘rope drop' where you can be first in line at the ‘ropes' blocking off each entrance to the lands. If you are present for rope drop, you can walk right on your favorite rides.

The best way to get a lot done in Disneyland is to get there in the morning EARLY and power through as many attractions as you can. Most times you will be able to get more attractions done the first two hours of the morning than you will the rest of the day combined. You can easily ride everything popular in the mornings and spend the afternoons enjoying entertainment and dining.

That is the secret…..so follow it and check the operating hours of Disneyland on the official Disneyland website. And don't forget to follow our touring guide for Disneyland and California Adventure to hit the rides in the best order to save you the most time!

2. Enjoy Early Entry at Disneyland

If you are a Disneyland Resort hotel guest then you have access to both theme parks 30 minutes before opening to select attractions at Disneyland and California Adventure.

The other secret is that if you book through a Disneyland certified travel agent you will have access to lots of special savings, help with trip planing and more… Request a quote from our recommended travel agent.

Don't forget to check out our touring plan strategy for Early Entry!

3. Use SingleRider Pass

What is SingleRider?

Single Rider is basically a way to jump the lines of the best attractions at Disneyland. Your party is split up and put into individual ride cars for the attraction. This is the only downside to using the SingleRider line.

Why was it created?

Disney created the single rider line in order to make sure that every time they sent a ride vehicle into an attraction, it would have every seat filled. Because people often go to Disneyland in large groups, the numbers don’t always match the amount of people that fit into a ride vehicle. Therefore, Disneyland would fill up the ride vehicles with extra people or single riders that have are in the single rider line.

How to Use it?

Meet the Cast Member at the front of the attraction entrance and request to use SingleRider for the attraction. They will more times than not walk you over to the exit of the attraction or gesture to the SingleRider entrance. They’ll give each person a card then you walk to be seated on the attraction.

SingleRider is offered here:

Disneyland Park

• Splash Mountain (Suggested-almost walk on)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Suggested-Walk On)

Disney California Adventure

• Incredicoaster (Suggested-Sometimes the wait is long. If the wait for the attraction is under 15 minutes, just get in line.)
• Grizzly River Run (Highly Suggested On a Hot Day- The line for this attraction is very long on hot summer days.)
• Goofy’s Sky School (Regular line isn’t usually that long.)
• Radiator Springs Racers (Highly Suggested-This Line is SOOOO Long Without a Single Rider pass. Even with a Single Rider pass it can take upwards of forty minutes.)

4. Use Mobile Ordering

Disneyland offers mobile ordering for many restaurant locations in both Disneyland and California Adventure. It's amazing how much time this service can save you! I've used it often on busy days and would bypass a giant line and get my food within a few minutes. Read our full guide to mobile ordering at Disneyland to find out how to utilize this great time saver.

5. Read Disneyland Books to Make the Lines Go By Faster

While you are waiting in line at Disneyland often times people need things to do. Especially if you hit a long long line, which you undoubtedly will.

We love both of these books that help us to pass the time as we wait in Disneyland's lines.

My personal favorite book is Steven Barrett's Guide to Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys. Inside of the book you will find information on the camouflaged images of the Mickey Mouse the Walt Disney Imagineers hid throughout Disneyland as they were building it. (Great read!) Purchase it here.

Also checkout Lots to Do in Line: Disneyland Edition, which provides activities for everyone to do in each specific line. The goal of the book is to keep everyone in the group interested while pointing our the specific details of the different parts of the park. Purchase the book here.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my own book: Disneyland Secrets: A Grand Tour of Disneyland's Hidden Details. The book features stories and secrets from each land of the resort. You will learn fun facts and history that will help you appreciate the parks even more and enhance the magic. You can find the book on Amazon.  Purchase the book here>

(If you are Disney fan and want more recommendations, check out my full Disney fan library book list.)

6. Download Disneyland Apps to Avoid Lines

Disneyland has their own mobile app that provides wait times, browse park maps, and locate characters in the park.

This app is now a necessary addition for planning out your day in the park. It makes it easy to check the official wait time for an attraction all the way across the park from you. This is also the most accurate source for information on where to find characters at Disneyland.

You can also purchase your tickets through the app, however they are at full price. Click here to see our Disneyland ticket discounts>

Disney also has its own app purely for Disney trivia, games, and ways to interact in lines! The Disney Parks Play App is a great way to entertain the whole family as many of the games include not just the phone user but your entire group.

7. Bring MickeyVisit.com On Your Trip

Did you know that you can access this site during your Disneyland vacation? MickeyVisit.com works on all smartphones (iPhone, Blackberry, Android…) making it easy for you to access information about events happening at the parks, dining reviews, and tips about touring the parks.

The site works wonderfully if you can access the internet on your phone. Be sure to use MickeyVisit.com in the parks.

Perhaps the easiest way to bring us on along on your trip is to add us to your phone's home screen.

8. Use Official Disneyland Social Accounts

Also be sure to checkout the official Disneyland and Disney California Adventure social accounts designed to help guests in the parks. These accounts give out information and are a direct link to Disneyland Guest Relations. Ask them a question and they will quickly respond.

These social accounts can be very useful–find more information regarding them here.

9. Splurge for the VIP Disneyland Tour

The Disneyland VIP Tour Guides are an expensive service that completely changes the Disneyland planning process for the better. It relieves all stress by employing a Disneyland Cast Member to help you plan your vacation and escort you throughout your time at the resort. If you think that you would be interested in using the Disneyland VIP Tour Guide, see our full guide to Disneyland VIP Tours for more details on what to expect and what they include.

Even if you don't plan on using the VIP Tour Guides, it is pretty fun to dream about the amazing service they provide.

10. Shop Early in the Day

Don't do your shopping right when the park closes because this is literally when everyone else will be doing theirs! I always do my souvenir shopping in the afternoon as a way to get a break from the sun and store my purchases in a locker… which you can rent for about $7-$15 a day depending on size.

More Disneyland Tips and Information

To read more about Disneyland and keep planning your vacation, subscribe to our newsletter or use the links below.

• Finding Discount Disneyland Tickets is Easy Now!
• Best Disneyland Resort Restaurants Full Reviews
• Disneyland FastPass Tips and Tricks
• Picking the Right Hotel For You at Disneyland
• Finding the Best Disneyland Souvenirs. Pins. Hats. More.