6 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Day At Disneyland And California Adventure

Only have one day and want to experience as much as you can of the Most Magical Place on Earth? Read on for my top tips to make the most of your trip even on the busiest day!

1) Plan in advance with the Disney app and Genie+

The Disney App is a must for helping you plan out your day. There is a full map of both parks with wait times listed for different attractions. This is also where you can find showtimes for live entertainment (ie. music, parades and fireworks) so that you can plan out what you’d like to see. Genie+ is the new version of FastPass – for an extra $25 per guest you can skip the line for some of the most popular rides. This is well worth it on a  busy day or a holiday weekend; without this you’ll end up spending most of your time in line as these rides commonly have over one hour waits throughout the entire day. You will be able to book one Lightning Lane entry time every 2 hours. Certain rides will require you to purchase a Lightning Lane entrance at an additional cost if you want to skip the line (i.e Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance). 

2)Prioritize your top attractions

If you’re going to the theme parks on a weekend or peak period, you’ll  need to prioritize the things that you want to do the most because lineups can get crazy and chances are you won’t have time for everything on your list.  I would recommend choosing your top five – six attractions and booking these in priority order with Genie +. Always start with the rides that have the longest waits because these can get fully booked for the day by the time that late afternoon hits. For example, if it’s morning and you see that one of your priority rides has Lightning Lane entry times in late afternoon vs in a couple hours from the current time you’ll want to prioritize booking/visiting these ones first or you might miss out completely. 

3)Rise of the Resistance is a must but be prepared for it to break down!

Rise of the Resistance is the newest attraction in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge that is a combination of interactive walk-through and seated ride that’s unlike anything else you’ll experience at Disneyland. It’s something you should definitely have on your list but be prepared for delays as it’s notorious for breaking down often and it can take awhile to get up and running (the average time is 50 minutes to an hour). I would recommend going to this ride early in the day so that if it does break down while you’re in line you’ll have time to wait it out. If you are on the ride or at the front of the line when this happens, the cast members are known for giving out Lightning Passes so that you can return and skip the line, however, this does NOT guarantee that you’ll get on the ride if you wait too long to come back and lines are long. That’s why it’s better to come to this attraction first thing in the morning while the lines are relatively short and to give you plenty of time to wait in case of a breakdown. 

4)Order your food/make reservations in advance to save time 

All food and treats are searchable through the Disneyland app and you can either browse through options by starting a mobile food order or by searching “Dining” while on the map. If you plan on dining at a restaurant reservations are highly recommended (you can make reservations or join the Walk-Up List via the app). If you’re looking for more casual options, you can order your food in advance and choose a pick-up time which will save you from having to wait in line. Below are some of my favorites: 

Endorian Fried Chicken Yip Yip – Docking Bay 7 at Galaxy’s Edge… comes with your choice of a side of Mac & Cheese or Red Pepper Mash and Gravy

Cold Brew Black Caf – Docking Bay 7 – topped with sweet cream cheese and cocoa puffs 

Mickey Beignets from Mint Julep Bar – pairs perfectly with an ice cold mint julep!

Magic Sundae from Ghirardelli’s –  it tastes even better with Mickey Ears!

5) Stay hydrated with the free bottle filling stations and fountains

The heat on a summer day at Disney is no joke so don’t forget to stay hydrated to avoid heat stroke and exhaustion. Save money by bringing a water bottle with you and filling it up at one of the bottle filling stations throughout the park (you can search for these in the app and see exactly where they’re located on the map). 

6)Reserve your spot for World of Colour

If you plan on attending a World of Color show (which I highly recommend you do because it’s always a stunning performance) you’ll want to reserve a spot through the Disney App. The roped off reserved areas allow for the best view and require you to enter the virtual queue ahead of time – the sooner you reserve the better. One thing to note is that if you are close to the water, you might get wet. If you forget to reserve, additional viewing areas are located along Paradise Pier on a first come, first serve basis.