Thinking about a Disneyland trip but have no idea what you’re getting into? This is the perfect place to start. This isn’t our full Disneyland Planning Guide. Instead, this post is here to give you ten essential things to know when you start thinking about a trip to Disneyland. Let’s dive into these Disneyland basics!
Disneyland Resort Is Not As Big as Walt Disney World Resort
Disney owns a total of 489 acres at Disneyland Resort, compared to 27,520 acres at Walt Disney World Resort. While Walt Disney World Resort is a huge, spread out complex with four parks, two water parks, and over 20 hotels, Disneyland is two parks, Downtown Disney, and three hotels, all nestled on a cozy patch of land in Anaheim, California.
With its smaller size, you can see all of Disneyland Resort in a day, easily. You can experience much—maybe most—of it in a long day. And a 2-day trip will leave you satisfied but maybe wanting a little more. We tend to thing three days is the perfect length.
The Disneyland gates as seen from the California Adventure gates across the esplenade
Park Hopping Is Super Easy
The key feature of the resort’s small footprint is that the two theme parks are separated only by a small esplanade that takes probably a minute to walk across. This makes park hopping super easy. Once the clock strikes 11AM—the time that park hopping starts—you should feel free to move back and forth across the parks as necessary. Don’t overdo it, though. Keep in mind that even if the front gates are close, it’s not like you want to walk the 20 minutes from Incredicoaster to Smugglers Run and 20 minutes back again unless you really have to.
The Castle Isn’t Very Big Either
I have all the love in the world for Sleeping Beauty Castle, but it’s probably not going to take your breath away on first sight. Some people go into the park with Cinderella Castle on their brain and wind up a bit confused or disappointed. Personally, I find that Disneyland overall instills me with a greater sense of intimate charm than the overwhelming Magic Kingdom, and the castle gives me a bit of that comfortable feel.
You Probably Won’t Stay at a Disney Hotel (And You Don’t Need To)
There are three hotels operated by Disney at Disneyland Resort—Disneyland Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel, and Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. They are all quite expensive (assume at least 2X good alternatives), and in some instances they aren’t even the closest options to the parks.
While guests at these hotels get a few perks, the main one is Early Entry, which just isn’t critical at Disneyland.
The best hotel options are right across the street from the Disneyland complex, along Harbor Boulevard. Some of these are literally about 5 minutes walking from the park gates. That said, Harbor Boulevard is a typical busy street in the city of Anaheim. The Disney bubble does not extend past the Disneyland boundary. If you need that bubble feel, the pricey Disney hotels are your only option.
You Might Be Facing Long Hours
One thing that always strikes me during my Disneyland trips—which are usually during peak seasons—are their long hours. I see a lot of 8AM to 12AM days (which would mean 7:30AM Early Entry, if I have that perk).
If you’re on a short trip, you might be able to push through two long days to get your money’s worth. But if you’re visiting for three or more days, you might have to proactively acknowledge you’re not going to be opening and closing the park every day.
Fireworks Aren’t Every Night
There are usually three nighttime shows at Disneyland Resort. World of Color (at California Adventure) and Fantasmic (at Disneyland park) are non-firework shows that are usually held nightly. Then there’s a castle / Main Street projection show that typically occurs nightly and varies by season. That projection show has fireworks on select nights only (usually weekends). Fireworks are also somewhat prone to cancellation for wind at Disneyland. When fireworks are part of the show, they can also be seen from Galaxy’s Edge.
Check the schedule before you visit—last trip we were at the World of Color Dessert Party the only night we could have seen fireworks at Disneyland.
Disneyland Is Known For Its Great Snacks, But They Change
Nowhere is the cry of “be fair to Florida” more loudly heard than when it comes to snacks. Disneyland is frequently unveiling new seasonal snacks and sippers and popcorn buckets.
The upside of this is that you have a lot of snacks to look forward to. The downside is that if you Google to research these things, you’ll find a lot of outdated information. If snacks have your heart, my tip is to use instagram to find some must-follow snack-heavy accounts so you’re keeping up on the latest offerings.
You’ll Need the Disneyland App
The Disneyland app is a wealth of information and always my first go-to when I’m trying to figure anything out. For a typical guest’s purposes, the app’s wait time and mobile order (at most quick service restaurants) features are going to be most important. You’ll also sometimes need the app to join virtual queues (World of Color has virtual queue viewing, for example). The Disneyland app is altogether a good place to start getting acquainted with the parks.
Plan for Rope Drop, Lightning Lanes, and Single Rider
These are fundamentals of park touring, but always worth reminding you about. If you’re planning your days at the park, you’ll absolutely want to have a rope drop plan, a plan for Lightning Lanes, and an awareness of which rides have Single Rider lines.
You could have a great trip without availing yourself of any of these options, but if you’re interested in getting the most out of your time in the parks, you’re probably going to want to do this prep work.
Both Parks Are Excellent for Kids (And Adults)
I’ve always loved both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. I find that even the older dark rides at Disneyland have enough charm for me, and there plenty of excitement at both parks, too.
What surprised me in recent years is how quickly Zoe took to Disney California Adventure. Hitting 40 inches unlocked five rides at that park, and we spent a lot more time there on recent visits than I expected.
If your kids are below 40 inches then I think the case is still strong for Disneyland (Disneyland has more rides without a height requirement than Disney California Adventure has total rides), but once that mark is passed you can definitely look forward to your little ones enjoying both parks.
All Your Other Disneyland Planning Questions Answered
Don’t be overwhelmed by Disneyland planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you’ll not only be an expert, but you’ll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Disneyland Planning Guide. When it comes to hotels, we’ve got reviews of all three Disney hotels: Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel. As for tickets, check out where to find discount Disneyland tickets.
Know what to ride with our: Disneyland Rides Guide and Disney California Adventure Rides Guide. And just as important, know how to get on the best rides without the wait with our Disneyland Lightning Lane Strategy! For the complete guides to a day at the park, we have a One Day Disneyland Itinerary and a One Day Disney California Adventure Itinerary.
We always recommend arriving at the parks early. If you can get access to Early Entry at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, you’ll have the most time in the parks. Even without those bonus hours, you’ll need to know Rope Drop Strategy at Disneyland and Rope Drop Strategy at Disney California Adventure.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you’re interested in saving, there’s no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.