10 Disneyland Hacks to Beat the Crowds On Even the Most Popular Days

Disneyland is both the “Happiest Place on Earth” and one of the most popular, and this is reflected in the crowd level of the parks nearly year-round. It's rare to find a time that could be considered “slow” at the Disney parks anymore. While we always advise consulting our Mickey Visit Disneyland crowd calendar and planning your trip during one of the best times of the year to visit Disneyland with lower crowds, it is not always possible to do so.

If you're only able to visit during a busy time of year, not to worry! That doesn't mean the crowds should ruin your day or stop you from experiencing everything Disneyland has to offer. Here are our top strategies on how to handle a day when Disneyland is crowded to make the most of your time!

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1. Download the Disneyland App

The Disneyland app is a key tool that you will rely on throughout your park day. Through the Disneyland app, you will be able to mobile order your food, check wait times, and book Lightning Lane Multi Pass, all of which will help you on a crowded day. We recommend spending some time at home getting familiar with the app so you know how to find everything once you arrive.

Mobile ordering is a great feature that is available at select quick-service locations. Using mobile ordering, you select a pickup time, order your food, and pay in advance on the Disneyland app. Then, when you arrive at the restaurant during your pickup window, your order will be freshly prepared for you. Your order is ready in minutes, and you don't have to stand in the long ordering lines that tend to build on busy days. We recommend placing your mobile order as early in the day as possible, as pickup windows tend to get pushed out past peak lunch hours when the parks are extra crowded. As soon as you know what you'd like, place your order to secure your desired pickup time, and you can always push your time back if something comes up.

The Disneyland app is where you will purchase Disneyland's line-skipping service, Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Through the app, you can book Lightning Lane return times that give you access to quicker lines to several popular attractions in both parks, as well as the option to pay for access to certain individual attractions.

Both mobile ordering and Lightning Lane Multi Pass can be lifesavers when you're trying to navigate heavy crowds at Disneyland! This brings us to our next tip…

2. Make The Most of Lightning Lane Multi Pass to Skip Lines

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass program is a paid service that includes several popular attractions across both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. The service is very similar to the previous FastPass/MaxPass system that it replaced at Disneyland. The service costs $32 per person per day if you purchase it ahead of time with your tickets, and it includes your access to ride reservations plus all your photo downloads for the day.

If you are visiting during a crowded time at Disneyland, this service is 100% worth the purchase so that you can enjoy as many rides as possible instead of spending your day stuck in long standby lines. We recommend buying the service ahead of time with your discount multi-day Disneyland tickets, as pricing will fluctuate between $36-$39 per person if you wait to purchase it until the day of your trip.

Make sure that you learn the ins and outs of the service before your trip. You will get the most value out of the service in the mornings and afternoons when the parks are crowded, as return times for popular rides will be quickly pushed back further into the day. On top of mastering the basics of how to use this service, it is also helpful to learn some of our expert Mickey Visit Lightning Lane Multi Pass tips that can be very useful on a busier day. For example, if the only available return time for a ride is later in the day, you can take advantage of our trick to secure a better Lightning Lane time.

3. Arrive Early for Rope Drop

READ MORE – 3 Disneyland Single Rider Lines You Should Definitely Use and 2 You Should Skip

We can't stress enough that the best way to beat the crowds is to arrive at the parks early before they open! This will really help you to maximize your time, even on the most crowded days. If you arrive at the parks for “rope drop” (explained below), you will be able to get on several popular rides with dramatically shorter wait times.

Here are our tips on how to approach these morning hours so you can ride your favorite attractions without standing in long lines!

• Arrive an hour prior to the scheduled park opening. This will put you in a good position to get into the parks early and position yourself at “rope drop.” Typically, Disneyland lets guests into the parks 15-30 minutes prior to opening time, and there are ropes up blocking off entry into the main “lands” of the parks. If you're there at rope drop, you will have the advantage of literally walking onto some of the most popular rides.
• Show up with a strategy in mind so you can go straight from ride to ride without having to sit and discuss with your group. This will save a lot of time! Check out our morning strategy for Disneyland, which includes plans for small kids and big kids/adults. Or, if you're starting out your day in Disney California Adventure, see our morning strategy for California Adventure, which includes plans for small kids and big kids/adults.
• Make sure you set aside time for transportation to the parks and security. Map out how long it will take to walk from your hotel to Disneyland, and if you're taking the ART Shuttle, you'll want to allow a reasonable amount of time for the journey, depending on how many stops are between your hotel and Disneyland. We recommend setting aside at least 15 minutes for getting through security, as Disneyland checks bags by hand, which can be a slow process.
• Do not sit down for breakfast! You will want to take advantage of this slower morning time to enjoy the rides. We recommend snacking on some grab-and-go breakfast items as you're waiting to be let into the parks in the morning. In the late morning/early afternoon, when the bigger crowds start rolling in, this is a good time to sit down for a fuller meal at one of our top Mickey Visit best Disneyland restaurants.

4. Stay Until Disneyland Closes

If your group can handle staying up late, we recommend taking an afternoon break so you can rest and come back to stay until park closing! If the parks will be crowded during your visit, chances are you're visiting during what Disney would consider a peak time of year (holidays/spring break/summer/etc.), and the parks will likely be open until 11 PM or midnight. Even on the most crowded days of the year, you can enjoy shorter lines after the fireworks! This is an especially smart move if you have teens or others in your group who are not on board with the idea of getting up super early for rope drop.

If you plan to stay until the park closes, taking a midday break can be a huge help! The afternoons can feel the most overwhelming when Disneyland is crowded. Take a break, go back to your hotel, and cool down in the pool. You'll arrive back at Disney refreshed and ready to tackle the evening! If you'd prefer to stay in the parks, check out some of the best secret spots at Disneyland to escape from the crowds.

If you stay until the park closes, you'll be amazed at how much you can get done during those last few hours. We've had great success with this option, even on some of the most crowded days of the year, like Thanksgiving at Disneyland! Check out our full Disneyland evening strategy for details on how to tackle the most popular rides.

5. Take Advantage of Single Rider

During crowded times of year, it's a good idea to take advantage of the Single Rider lines for the rides that offer this option! This line is usually dramatically shorter than the standby line, which can save you a lot of time if you are willing to split up from your party. See all of the Disneyland rides that offer Single Rider here.

Some Disneyland Single Rider lines work better than others—for instance, you may want to steer clear of the Single Rider line for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run unless you want to be stuck as an Engineer—but for the most part, riding alone will not compromise your overall experience on the attraction.

Just be prepared that you will be split up from your group, and you can't make requests for specific ride rows, as you will be filling empty spots in the ride vehicles that are not occupied by parties in the standby line.

6. Consider Lightning Lane Single Pass

Lightning Lane Single Pass is a separate purchase from Lightning Lane Multi Pass that you make individually for the attractions in the highest demand. This is a per-person cost, typically around $22 for Radiator Springs Racers and $28 for Rise of the Resistance. While this can get quite pricey, especially for bigger groups, you may want to consider this purchase to keep powering through your day without spending time in these long standby lines.

That being said, there are still some strategies to minimize your wait time for these rides without purchasing Lightning Lane Single Pass entry. For Radiator Springs Racers, we always take advantage of the Single Rider line to cut down our wait. However, only kids ages 7 and older can use the Single Rider line, which rules this option out for families with younger kids. The best time to ride Rise of the Resistance via the standby line is in the evening for the shortest wait. Keep in mind that for this ride, wait times are often inflated.

Even with these strategies, you should still be prepared for a longer wait than if you purchased Lightning Lane entry for the attraction. Ultimately, it's up to you whether the cost of Lightning Lane entry or park time spent waiting in line is more valuable. On crowded days, we've often decided that the purchase is worth it to maximize our time.

7. Find Alternative Activities When Crowds Are At Their Peak

For the afternoons when the crowds get intense, it's helpful to have a list of things you want to do besides rides. Rather than melt in hot afternoon lines, go explore other options for a while to take a break. You’d be surprised at just how much there is to see and do in Disneyland besides rides.

Here are our favorite things to do when Disneyland is crowded:

1. Grab a Blue Milk in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and enjoy the atmosphere while you look for characters such as Stormtroopers, Rey, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, etc.
2. Ride the vintage Main Street vehicles on Main Street U.S.A.
3. Grab a Dole Whip and watch a show at the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland.
4. Walk through the Adventureland Treehouse in Adventureland.
5. Run around Tom Sawyer's Island to take a break from the crowds in Frontierland. Or, you can ride the Mark Twain Riverboat or the Sailing Ship Columbia in Frontierland.
6. Watch Walt Disney – A Magical Life or Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, located near the entrance of Main Street U.S.A.
7. Enjoy a stroll through the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough in Fantasyland.
8. Ride the Disneyland Railroad around the park and enjoy the scenery.
9. Watch a show or performance! Look for ‘entertainment' on the Disneyland app to find current times. We recommend taking the time to see the Disneyland Flag Retreat honoring our nation's veterans, which takes place every afternoon.
10. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Critter Country, which usually has low wait times all day long, even with large crowds.

Top Disney California Adventure Things to Do During Crowded Days

Here are our favorite things to do when Disney California Adventure is crowded:

1. Enjoy Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Grizzly Peak.
2. Explore all there is to do inside the Animation Academy in California Adventure. Learn to draw from a real Disney artist or have a chat with Crush the turtle.
3. Disney Junior Dance Party in Hollywood Land is perfect for toddlers and small children.
4. Enjoy the delicious smells and sights at The Bakery Tour in San Fransokyo Square
5. Take the time to notice all the details in Cars Land. Check out 10 secrets and hidden details you may not have known about this impressive land!
6. Enjoy the games on Pixar Pier, which typically have low wait times all day long.
7. Treat yourself to an ice cream sundae at Clarabelle's on Buena Vista Street. See our favorite Disneyland desserts ranked!
8. Find characters such as Spider-Man, Captain America, Black Panther, and other Marvel favorites in Avengers Campus.
9. Ride The Little Mermaid, which usually has low wait times all day long, even with large crowds.

8. Consider a Dining Package

During crowded times of year, you can end up spending hours staking out prime viewing for entertainment like the parade and fireworks. This is especially the case for popular entertainment during seasonal celebrations like Halloween at Disneyland and Christmas at Disneyland. By getting a dining package that includes a meal and reserved viewing, you can enjoy the parks during the time you would have spent saving a spot!

There are different dining packages available for Fantasmic, World of Color, fireworks, and parades. You can see details about each one, including their pricing and what they include, in our guide to Disneyland dining packages. If you're looking to splurge during your trip, a dining package can be a great choice to save time when Disneyland is crowded.

9. Find Activities to Do In Line

A reality of visiting Disneyland when it's crowded is that at some point, you're going to have to spend some time in a longer line. Even though Lightning Lanes will cut down your wait time, you'll still have a little bit of a wait, especially for attractions in higher demand. During the time that you spend in line, it's helpful to have some go-to activities to keep your group entertained.

We recommend downloading some apps to your phone to keep entertained, like the Heads Up! game, or the Play Disney Parks app, which has Disney trivia, interactive experiences in select queues, and more. For younger kids, you may want to consider adding some tactile activities like coloring books and toys to your Disneyland packing list to keep them busy in line. A snack will also work wonders in keeping everyone entertained! Just know that you will need to finish it and throw away your trash before boarding the attraction.

If you're feeling productive, it can be a smart idea to go through your Disney photos from the day or place your mobile order for your next meal. See more things to do to make Disney lines go by faster.

10. Be Patient

When we've visited Disneyland during crowded times, the two biggest things that have helped us are arriving early and remaining patient. Seriously, remembering to be patient will help so much. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated with the crowds. Take a deep breath. If you need some space, find a quiet spot away from the walkways and breathe for a moment.

If you purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass, it is fully possible to still ride everything you want without waiting in long lines. We have visited on some of the busiest days of the year before and still had a great time and got to everything we wanted. You can too, even when Disneyland is crowded. A busy day at Disneyland is still a good day!

Remember: you’re here to have fun, and you can’t control the crowds. Just work with it the best you can. Slow down and enjoy being in the most magical place on Earth.

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