When you are visiting Disneyland there is a lot to see. So you will want to make the most of your time. Here are some great ways to save time and use your time wisely…
Fast Passes
The Fast Pass system is a MUST if you want to get the most out of your Disneyland visit. If you haven’t used it before, this is how it works…
At select popular attractions a Fast Pass system is available. With a Fast Pass you will bypass the regular line and only have to wait in a short line (usually walk on to 5 minutes). To get Fast Passes for the ride you will visit the kiosk where Fast Passes are distributed. The Fast Pass kiosks are located near the rides entrance (except for Radiator Springs Racers which are located by It’s Tough to be a Bug). Once at the kiosk simply swipe your park ticket and it will issue you a Fast Pass. You will need to do this with each individual ticket for your family so be sure to have all of your families tickets with you. Every person in your party has to have a Fast Pass in order to enter the Fast Pass line.
Once you have your Fast Passes it will have a return time printed on it. MAKE SURE YOU RETURN BETWEEN THAT TIME! It used to be that you could use it anytime after your first time, but Disney has changed their policy on this. They will not admit you into the Fast Pass Line if your ending time has passes so don’t miss it.
Other Fast Pass info:
- You won’t be able to get another Fast Pass until the return time on your current Fast Pass has passes or 2 hours after the Fast Pass was issued, whichever comes sooner.
- You have to do a little work as far as timing and walking to get them. I recommend having a ‘runner’ who will go get your Fast Passes while you are enjoying another attraction or waiting in line. Especially if you have young children since it will wear them out. Using the Fast Pass system will save you a lot of time and you will avoid waiting in long lines.
- Radiator Springs racers Fast Passes are usually all gone just an hour or two after California Adventures opens. If you want Fast Passes for it you will have to head straight to the kiosk (which usually has a very long line) so the earlier you get to California Adventures the better.
- The Fast Pass systems for Disneyland and California Adventures are separate so having a pass in one park won’t affect you being able to get one in another park.
- A couple of the Fast Pass systems don’t link into the rest of the parks Fast Pass systems, meaning you can get another Fast Pass right away without a problem. They are: Radiator Springs Racers, World of Color, and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.
(photo: MouseTroop.Blogspot.com)
These are the attractions that currently have Fast Passes available:
Disneyland Park
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Autopia
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Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
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Indiana Jones Adventure
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Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
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Space Mountain
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Splash Mountain
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Star Tours
Disney California Adventure Park
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World of Color (distributed at Grizzly River Run)
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California Screamin’
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Goofy’s Sky School
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Grizzly River Run
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Radiator Springs Racers (distributed near It’s Tough to Be a Bug!)
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Soarin’ Over California
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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Magic Morning
With Magic Morning you can get into the Disneyland Park an hour before the regular park opening time. Select rides will be open, it is generally Fantasyland and Tomorrow land.
There are two ways you can enjoy a Magic Morning at Disneyland. 1) When you buy Disneyland Tickets that include a Magic Morning. 2) When you stay at any of the Disneyland Resort Hotels you get early park admission every day of your stay.
Entering the park an hour early can be very beneficial if you are looking to beat the crowds and have shorter wait times. So don’t waste your hour by arriving at the park late. I recommend arriving at the park admission gates at least 15 minutes before your early admission hour begins.
I have found that most people will go straight to Peter Pan and then it will have a 30 minute wait (which is about what it is all day) so if you are not one of the first people to the Peter Pan ride then it isn’t worth waiting in line. Use your time to walk on the other Fantasyland attractions and to visit the attractions in Tommorow land that are open with very short wait times.
For California Adventures the same thing applies to Radiator Springs Racers. Everyone heads there and the wait becomes long very fast. If your not at the front of the crowd heading there it won’t be worth it. Use this time to walk on Toy Story Mania and the Tower of Terror (we were able to walk on these more than once).
Closing Time
Something you might not know is that you can get in any ride line right up until closing time. So if the park closes at 10 pm and you get in line for Space Mountain which has a wait time of 30 minutes at 9:59 PM they will let you continue to wait in the line until you ride.
Single Rider Lines
Select attractions have Single Rider Lines. So if everyone in your party is able to sit alone and you don’t mind riding separately this is a great option. Or if you have little ones and you can switch off with another adult. The rides that have single rider lines are: California Screamin’, Goofy’s Sky School, Grizzly River Run, Indiana Jones, Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin’ Over California, and Splash Mountain.
Rider Switch Passes
If you are traveling with little ones make sure you use this! On an attraction that your child is too short to ride (or too scared to ride) you can go up to a cast member at the entrance and ask for a rider switch pass. Then the people in your party will wait in line like normal, but once they are finished you will be able to go on the ride without waiting in the long line. Just show the pass to a cast member and they will help you avoid the line. And a bonus, this pass is good for two people. So you can have a waiting buddy or let one of your older kids ride again with you.
Use Show Time as Ride Time
If you won’t be watching the Fireworks or Fantasmic (or you have already seen them) that is a great time to ride rides since a lot of people will be at those shows.
Fantasyland at Night
If your kids can stay up late or if you have older kids Fantasyland is great at night. Since most parents take their kids back to go to bed, Fantasyland at 11 pm is pretty empty. You can walk on everything. I recommend taking the littles back for a long nap mid day so you can stay up late. This also helps with them being able to stay up for Fireworks and Fantasmic (which they won’t want to miss).
Second Fantasmic Show
I am all about getting that awesome seat right in the front for Fantasmic (it is the best place to sit). But not at the expense of waiting for 2-3 hours. Some people will stake out their seats that early before the first show time and camp out. I prefer to head over to the Haunted Mansion during the first Fantasmic showing as it nears the end (when Mickey is fighting the dragon that is almost the end) and stand over by the Haunted Mansion. The Disneyland workers won’t let you stand and wait anywhere else. Then as soon as the show ends I quickly navigate my way through the crowd to get that front row spot. Then I only have to wait about 30-45 minutes. I have the family come meet me 10 minutes before show time.
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