Disneyland California Adventure 1-Day Itinerary With Lightning Lane 2025

If you only have one day to spend at California Adventure, our Lightning Lane Multi Pass California Adventure 1-day itinerary 2025 includes all your must do rides, shows and experiences for the day.

We also figure in utilizing Lightning Lane Multi Pass which is a paid service that allows you to access a shorter line for attractions called the Lightning Lane.

Keep reading for everything you need to know for a perfect day at Disneyland's California Adventure. This article has been checked for accuracy for 2025 and updated with all currently available information.

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California Adventure 1-Day Itinerary Prep

Before you arrive to the park, there are some essential steps you should take care to be prepared for your day at California Adventure.

• Disneyland has an app that you can download for either Android or iPhone that will give you the most accurate wait times for rides. Read our tips on using the Disneyland app. This app is a must have for anyone visiting Disneyland. You can link your park tickets to it, make dining reservations, use the mobile food ordering feature, link your PhotoPass tickets, and utilize the important Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass system!
• Download and link your tickets to this app PRIOR to your trip and become familiar with it. This way when you show up to the gates you are already a pro at using the app. Take a look at the layout of each park on the app so you have a rough idea of where you are going once you enter.
• Decide which attractions at California Adventure are the top priority for each member in your group. Have each family member pick at least one attraction that they do not want to miss. This way you can make sure that no matter what each person does their top ride.
• Plan on staying for the entire day and not taking a break so you can maximize your time in the park since you only have one day to spend.
• If you are driving to Disneyland, read our guide to parking at Disneyland.
• Be sure to also check the Disneyland Park hours and Disney California Adventure park hours when planning so you know when the parks close.

For your visit to Disneyland Park, be sure to read our 1-day Disneyland itinerary here.

California Adventure 1-Day Itinerary Morning

Guests will be allowed into the park 30 minutes prior to park opening. This helps control the flow of the crowds and can be a big advantage for arriving to the park early. The access points of the park will be blocked off with ropes (hence the term: rope drop!) until the park officially opens. But being inside the park and ready to go at the entrance to the land you want to head to first is a great advantage.

California Adventure Early Entry: Guests staying at Disneyland Resort hotels are given access to select attractions 30 minutes prior to park opening giving those guests an advantage for some popular attractions. Read more about early entry and our advice on what you should prioritize during that 30 minutes if you have it in our Disneyland Early Entry guide!

If you don't have early entry, don't worry too much. The hotel guests don't have access to all the attractions during the 30 minutes so it won't impact your day too much except for those most popular morning rides will already have a line forming by the time you're let in.

California Adventure Rope Drop

Plan to arrive at least one hour prior to the park opening. You want to be lined up at the front gate roughly 45 minutes before opening which means giving yourself at least 15 minutes to get through security and walk over (this is with the assumption that you are staying at a hotel near Disneyland rather than driving into the parks – if you are driving to the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure you will want to allow even more time).

California Adventure breakfast: Get breakfast to go and eat while you're waiting to be let in through the turnstiles, this will help make the time pass quicker or allow some extra time to eat at your hotel. Just make sure you eat before you arrive!

California Adventure Lightning Lane Multi Pass Strategy

Both Disneyland FastPass and MaxPass have been RETIRED and replaced by the Disneyland Lightning Lane Multi Pass service which allows guests to make reservations for attractions from the Disneyland app for a starting fee of $32 per person per day- the price varies depending on the day of the season, crowd levels. If you are only planning on spending one day at California Adventure, in this case, I absolutely recommend you plan on purchasing it for your day. This will allow you to access the quicker line, called the Lightning Lane, for attractions rather than the longer standby line which will save you hours of time during your day. Details on if Lightning Lane Multi Pass sells out at Disneyland here.

Disney California Adventure

• Goofy's Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Incredicoaster
• The Little Mermaid – Ariel's Undersea Adventure
• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Soarin' Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure

You can only ride each attraction once using the Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection. If you want to ride something again you will need to use the standby line. It's also important to know that if you don't show up for your specific time slot you reserved without canceling it, Lightning Lane Multi Pass won't let you book another one and consider it as your one ride. So if you can't make a reservation, make sure you cancel it so you can book another one later!

You can book a new reservation every two hours or once you've redeemed one. If you book a reservation that's more than two hours out in advance you will be able to book a new one at the two hour mark.

Disney California Adventure- Individual Lighting Lane Attraction

For these attractions, guests are able to purchase and schedule special access to the Lightning Lanes. These attractions are NOT included with your general Lightning Lane Multi Pass booking. At California Adventure this includes:

• Radiator Springs Racers

Pricing is dynamic and fluctuates depending on day and time but usually ranges between $15-$20 for access for each attraction, per person.

Read our full guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass to get a sense of how it works and use it in conjunction with our 1-day itinerary!

California Adventure 1-Day Morning Itinerary Adults

For our California Adventure 1-day itinerary, I have included our helpful tips from our California Adventure morning strategy which we test often in the parks to help you make the most out of the start of your day!

The below strategy assumes that you are open to using Disneyland Single Rider for Radiator Springs Racers, that you will arrive to the park immediately at opening, and that you want to ride the Incredicoaster multiple times.

• Grab Disney Lightning Lane for Toy Story Midway Mania
• If you are actually at rope drop and near the front of the rope near Avengers Campus, you can go directly to WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure
  • This will be the shortest line for the attraction all day if you execute well. If you are not at the very front of the group you should move on to Toy Story Mania or Radiator Springs Racers if you do not want to utilize the Single Rider line.
• Ride Toy Story Midway Mania with your Lightning Lane Multi Pass
  • You should enjoy the attraction with little to no wait time
• Grab Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT! Lightning Lane Multi Pass with aim of using about an hour after park opening
• Ride Incredicoaster
• Ride Radiator Springs Racers with Single Rider
• Ride Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Grab Soarin' Lightning Lane Multi Pass immediately after redeeming Guardians
• Ride Silly Symphony Swings 
• Grab Incredicoaster Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• Ride Pixar's Pal-A-Round (Swinging or Non-Swinging)
• Ride Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
• Ride Soarin'
• Ride Goofy's Sky School
• Ride Golden Zephyr
• Ride Incredicoaster with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• Ride Grizzly River Run (This ride may get you WET! Prepare to ride this early in the morning if you have a rain poncho to throw over your clothes. If not and you don't want to get wet, skip this for later since Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass passes are consistently available. But keep in mind ride wait times for this ride are extremely short in the morning and you can get cheap rain ponchos at the Dollar Store!)
• Ride Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
• Grab a quick healthy snack at Fillmore's Taste-In or if you prefer churros for breakfast grab a churro at the Cozy Cone Motel
• Take a bathroom break, if needed, along the way by Flo's V8 Cafe
• Ride Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
• Grab Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT! Lightning Lane Multi Pass Pass
• Ride Monsters, INC. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Meet some Marvel characters in Avengers Campus if your group is interested in Marvel.
• If Marvel isn't your thing, break for lunch and ride Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission: BREAKOUT! after lunch.

This is about the time many families would take a break for lunch so this is a great time to grab a Lightning Lane Multi Pass return for an attraction that will have a later return time.

California Adventure 1-Day Morning Itinerary Kids

This California Adventure morning strategy will prioritize the attractions young kids love most which is especially great for little ones in the California sun. Spend the afternoons doing the attractions with lower wait times, meeting characters, and keep grabbing those Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass passes along the way!

• Grab Toy Story Midway Mania Pass with Lightning Lane Multi Pass when you enter the park
• Ride Radiator Springs Racers in the standby queue or Single Rider line
• Ride Toy Story Midway Mania with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• Pull Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Soarin'
• Ride The Little Mermaid- Ariel's Undersea Adventure
• Ride Soarin' With Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• Pull Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Monsters, INC. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Ride Silly Symphony Swings
• Ride Monsters, INC. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Pull Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Goofy's Fly School
• Ride Jumpin' Jellyfish
• Ride Golden Zephy
• Ride Pixar's Pal-A-Round
• Ride Goofy's Sky School with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• Ride Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
• Ride Jessie's Critter Carousel
• Grab a quick healthy snack at Fillmore's Taste-In
• Take a bathroom break, if needed, along the way by Flo's V8 Cafe
• Ride Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
• Ride Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
• If Frozen characters are a must, meet them in the Animation Building in Hollywood Land
• Grab Grizzly River Run FastPass with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• Break for lunch and ride Grizzly River Run with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
  • Be warned, Grizzly River Run is a real water ride and will leave you SOAKED afterwards!

To check height requirements for other attractions around California Adventure and read more about rider switch (how adults can ride without waiting twice even if your kiddo is still not tall enough!), read through our full guide to Disneyland height requirements + rider switch.

California Adventure Best Iconic Lunch Spots

For an iconic California Adventure lunch spot, here are my top two table service (sit down dining!) recommendations:

Lamplight Lounge– Lamplight Lounge is a Pixar themed restaurant situated on Pixar Pier overlooking the water and is a wonderful place to have lunch, dinner or brunch! You can enjoy Pixar themed eats and drinks here whether you take advantage of the full downstairs menu or just cruise the drink/appetizer menu upstairs. Each area around the restaurant shows off a different Pixar movie along with artwork from the Pixar artists themselves for guests to admire. This is an extremely popular dining spot in California Adventure and reservations for this spot fill up quickly!

Carthay Circle– Carthay Circle is known as being one of the most upscale and fine dining options offered in the Disneyland theme parks. Carthay Circle is meant to transport you back to Hollywood in the 1930's at the height of the cinematic Golden Age. The restaurant is inspired by the Carthay Circle Theatre, the Los Angeles theater that premiered Walt Disney's first feature-length animated movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937. You will notice callbacks to this historic time all around the restaurant making this a great spot for Disney history buffs. Children are absolutely welcome here, like all Disney restaurants, despite the upscale nature of the menu. We have always found plenty of child/picky eater friendly options on the menu too.

California Adventure 1-Day Itinerary Must See Attractions

There are a few crucial attractions at California Adventure that are an absolute must do! If you follow our morning strategies shared above, these are all included in those plans but if you take the parks at a less planned approach I wanted to include them here so you don't miss out! I included my top five MUST DO attractions below:

• Radiator Springs Racers
  • This is, hands down, the number one ride at California Adventure that you cannot miss. Whether you purchase Individual Lightning Lane access for this ride or use the standby line (which will always be long!) you need to experience this Disney Cars ride that combines dark ride storytelling and thrills. You can always try single rider which will usually cut the wait time in half, if you don't mind riding separate from your party.
• Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT!
  • This ride previously was Tower of Terror but was redone in a Guardians of the Galaxy theme that gives riders a new song every time you ride! Even Tower of Terror devotees have been known to say this overlay is even better than the original. You can't miss it! See our full Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! ride review for everything you need to know and what to expect.
• Soarin'
  • This beautiful ride takes you on a trip around the world (or around California– depending on when you visit!). The whole family will love this one as it's a peaceful ride meant to immerse you in the journey around the world. People afraid of heights may want to skip it though!
• Toy Story Midway Mania
  • This interactive game style ride is an updated approach to arcade style attractions with 3-D effects and a fantastic Toy Story theme.
• WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure
  • The newest ride in California Adventure is in Avengers Campus and utilizes a similar style to Toy Story Midway Mania except in this case, your arms are the weapons you use in the game! A must for any Avenger fan.

If you enjoy dark rides, similar to what you find at Fantasyland in Disneyland, the two dark rides at California Adventure are The Little Mermaid- Ariel's Undersea Adventure and Monsters, INC. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! The Little Mermaid dark ride is one of my favorites between both parks and I highly recommend it as it's a great tribute to one of the most iconic Disney films from the 90s.

If you're looking for the best thrill ride in the park, look no further than the Incredicoaster on Pixar Pier which is the only ride at Disneyland that goes upside down! This coaster is a fan favorite among thrill seekers and offers a fun Incredibles theme with great views of Pixar Pier during the ride.

California Adventure 1-Day Itinerary Entertainment and Characters

California Adventure offers much more to do beyond just attractions! You can also find character meet and greets in the park, entertainment options and areas to explore. My son loves California Adventure- even more than Disneyland- so we have spent full days in California Adventure exploring every corner of the park. Here are some of the best areas you can explore during your day in the park:

• Redwood Creek Trail
  • This is a great area for kids to run around and burn off restless energy while parents relax. The best part? There is only one entrance in and out of the Redwood Creek Trail so you can let kids run free without too much worry. There's plenty of areas to climb like a playground, a tire zipline, and a rope course to explore.
• Animation Academy
  • Draw your very own character sketch under the guidance of a Disney animator.
• Buena Vista Street
  • Buena Vista Street is the California Adventure version of Main Street and is filled with fun characters to interact with, shopping, and dining options.
• Character Meet n Greets
  • There are a large variety of unique characters to find in California Adventure including:
    • Find Marvel heroes like Dr. Strange, Captain America, Spider-Man, and more in Avengers Campus.
    • Meet Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Cruz in Cars Land.
    • Along with classics like Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Donald, Daisy, etc. around Buena Vista street.

California Adventure Nighttime Spectaculars

As you plan your evening, you should also coordinate what nighttime spectaculars you want to see. These special entertainment options are what make California Adventure more than just a theme park and make the experience of spending a day at Disney extra magical.

Depending on the time of year you visit, the timing of these may vary along with the specific show being shown so I recommend checking our California Adventure crowd calendar for your specific month of visit and reading our monthly guide to get an idea of what to expect.

• World of Color– This nighttime spectacular takes place in Paradise Bay in front of Mickey's Pal-A-Round and the Incredicoaster. Guests can watch the water dance along with perfectly timed pyrotechnics and momentous music as they enjoy memorable scenes from their favorite Disney and Pixar animated and live-action films. The World of Color is one of Disney’s most impressive extravaganzas that features around 22 minutes of color, magic and imagination. During the show you can expect to see classic Disney characters and songs such as The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Aladdin, and more. Recent Disney films such as UP!, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Tangled also make appearances in this colorful show.

More Disneyland Planning Tips

There is always a lot of information to consider before planning a Disneyland vacation. Make sure to spend time planning your days in the theme parks and become familiar with everything Disneyland has to offer. Don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE Deals Newsletter to stay on top of the current planning tips, strategies, and deals.

You can discover more about planning your trip to Disneyland from these links:

• Disneyland Character Dining
• JW Marriott Near Disneyland Hotel Review 
• How to Plan Your Disneyland Trip
• 40+ Places to Find Cheap Food in Disneyland