You CAN do it all! Or at least a lot of it… Recently I shared my advice if someone only has one day at Walt Disney World. Another question that I hear all the time has to do with Disneyland instead. What if you only have one day at Disneyland? My advice for the West Coast is a little bit different.
My first tip will cost you a little bit of money, but it will be money well spent. Purchase both Park Hopper and Disney Genie+.
I’ll start with Park Hopper. Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are right across from each other, it’s a two minute walk. At Disneyland, you can Park Hop at 11:00. I’d recommend starting at Disneyland because it is busier. Head to Disney California Adventure in the middle of the day when the crowd picks up at Disneyland Park. Go back to Disneyland in the evening, it’s usually open later.
I’ve used Disney Genie+ on every Disneyland trip I’ve been on since it was introduced, and it is worth every penny. Make your most important reservations as early in the day as possible, those will have longer callback times when the crowds pick up. After you’ve scanned in on a ride, make your next reservation while you’re still in the line. You can use Disney Genie+ at both parks, and you’ll be surprised by how many rides you’ll use it for.
If you’re a Walt Disney World fan, it’s okay to skip Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, or at least just walk through it. The rides are almost identical on both coasts. You can also skip Star Tours – The Adventures Continue if you’ve ridden the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version enough to hit all the scenarios. Both Smugglers Run and Star Tours are Disney Genie+ attractions, and Rise of the Resistance can be an Individual Lightning Lane purchase. If you want to experience everything at Disneyland, use those services.
Rope Drop is essential if you only have one day at Disneyland. Just don’t go by the opening time in the Disneyland App. It can take a while to get through Security when you arrive in the morning, and more time to scan into the park. The good news is that you only have to go through Bag Check once, it works for both parks and Downtown Disney.
Speaking of Downtown Disney, if you only have one day you might want to skip it, or just walk through quickly. It’s often open later than the two theme parks, so wait until you’ve done everything else. Downtown Disney can be quite crowded at the end of the evening, just keep that in mind. Don’t compare it to Disney Springs, it’s a fraction of the size.
Unlike Walt Disney World, you can still feel as if you had the full Disneyland experience if you only have one day. That said, it will be one exhausting day. Stay longer, if you can.