ITINERARIES
Disneyland
1 Day Touring Plan for Families - Using Lightning Lanes
(IN PROGRESS)
This touring plan is perfect for families that want to do as much as possible in 1 day at Disneyland. Disneyland is the original Disney park located in Anaheim, CA.
About this Animal Kingdom Itinerary:
- Based on 8am opening time with 7:30 early entry for resort guests
- Move times ahead 30 minutes if not staying at a Disney hotel with early entry privileges. (Check if your hotel is included.)
- This is a full day itinerary for families who want to see and do a lot and have kids of varying ages and interests. You can adjust for your needs, or try a half day Genie+ itinerary if you know you’ll want to either leave early, arrive late, or leave the park for a mid-day break.
- This plan does not have you crisscrossing across the park to catch the shortest possible lines no matter what. Why? Because this park is huge! Crisscrossing while pushing a stroller or walking with kids will make everyone tired and cranky. This plan has you do things in an order that both saves time in line AND also saves energy and time by not walking back and forth.
- Remember that your day will never go exactly like this. Attractions go down, kids have melt downs, roll with it and adjust! But having a plan like this will make a huge difference and save you hours in lines and walking!
About this Disneyland Itinerary
- This itinerary uses Lightning Lanes in order to get as much done as possible for people who only have 1 day to spend at Disneyland. If you have more time, you could do 2 days at Disneyland without purchasing Lightning Lanes,
- Using Lightning Lane Multipass brings some unpredictability to the order you may do things. This itinerary will make recommendations of what Lighting Lane selections to choose, but you may have to make day-of decisions based on availability.
- If you are staying at a Disneyland Resort, you are able to enter the park 30 minutes early. In that case, move up the morning start times by 15 minutes. This itinerary assumes you are staying within walking distance but not on property. If you are driving in, make sure you give yourself enough time to drive in and park.
All About Lightning Lanes
Lightning Lanes passes allow you to skip the regular queue and enter the line labeled “Lightning Lane” and have a typically shorter wait time – sometimes MUCH shorter. Lightning Lanes passes come in 2 forms –
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass – This pass lets you choose up to 3 attractions or experiences in advance. It will give you a one-hour window to come to the attraction and enter through the Lightning Lane and have a shorter wait. Once you redeem a Lightning Lane, you can book another.
- Lightning Lane Single Pass – This is a pass for one attraction only. You will choose a time to return to the attraction and enter through the Lightning Lane for a shorter wait. These are done for the super popular attractions.
How much do Lightning Lane Passes cost?
The pricing varies based on date, park, and experience. Basically, the more popular the park or ride, or the more busy the date, the more it costs. If you’re visiting during a peak time and have a family of 5, the cost of doing Lightning Lanes passes every day can really add up. That’s why you may want to consider not purchasing them for every day of your trip.
Are Lightning Lanes needed to enjoy the park?
Not at all! If you can get up early and get to the park before it opens, use one of our touring plans, and stay until the park closes, you can do a lot without needing Lightning Lanes. See the tab below about which parks are better to purchase Lightning Lanes.
What happened to Genie+? What happened to MaxPass?
Both of those are old forms of line-skipping passes that are no longer used. The new Lightning Lane Passes combine features of both of those old systems.
6:30am
Wake Up and Get Ready
I know…it’s early. But getting to the park before it opens saves you a lot of time and allows you to get more done, which is important if you’re trying to do Disneyland in one day. Make sure you have the Disneyland app downloaded and make sure you can login.
What to Wear to Animal Kingdom
Dress for the weather. In late fall through early spring that usually means dressing in layers. I like wearing leggings with a phone pocket so you have quick access to the item you’ll use most. Your warm layer should be something you can tie around your waste or put in a bag if it gets warm.
In hot weather, wear what will keep you cool such as tank tops, moisture wicking material, running shorts, moisture-wicking bras, ect.
If you or your kids have any Lion King, Avatar, Up, Pocahontas, or animal-themed clothing, this is the park to wear them! As long as they are comfortable.
Shoes: Wear what you can walk many miles in, because you will walk a lot at Animal Kingdom. For most, that means socks and a good pair of running/walking sneakers. Make sure your shoes are broken in before your trip.
If it’s a hot day and/or you plan on riding Kali River Rapids (white water ride), you may want to choose a comfortable strapped sandal such as Tevas or Chacos that will dry quickly and keep your feet cooler. But only if you can walk miles in them and not rub, even when your feet are sweaty.
Add mouse ears or hats, magic bands, and any Disney accessories to complete your outfit!
What to Wear to Disneyland
Dress for the weather. In fall through spring that usually means dressing in layers. I like wearing leggings with a phone pocket so you have quick access to the item you’ll use most. Your warm layer should be something you can tie around your waste or put in a bag if it gets warm.
In hot weather, wear what will keep you cool such as tank tops, moisture wicking material, running shorts, moisture-wicking bras, ect.
If you or your kids have any Disney-themed clothing, this is the park to wear them! As long as they are comfortable.
Shoes: Wear what you can walk many miles in, because you will walk a lot at Disneyland. For most, that means socks and a good pair of running/walking sneakers. Make sure your shoes are broken in before your trip.
Add mouse ears or hats, magic bands, and any Disney accessories to complete your outfit!
What to Bring to the Park With You
Smartphone
Magic Bands (not required but they are convenient. Learn more about them: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magicband-plus/)
Stroller if needed (recommended for kids age 6 and under, even if they don’t use a stroller at home anymore) Ideally bring or rent one that reclines, has an under-compartment for storing things, and folds easily so you can bring it on a bus or pack it in your car.
A comfortable backpack or fanny pack packed with:
- Sunscreen (Face or body stick is great for putting on your family quickly on the go)
- External phone charger and correct chord (really important…trust me)
- Ponchos or packable rain gear (take out if there is no chance of rain)
- Band aids (regular and blister kind)
- Medicines (Ibuprofen, Dramamine, allergy, kids Tylenol, anything you might need that comes in a small pill or chewable form)
- Chafing Stick (helpful for thighs if wearing shorts, helpful for males on sweaty days)
- Sunglasses
- Lip balm with sunscreen
- Snacks (plenty of snacks to purchase in the parks, but if you have picky kids or young kids that need snacks to entertain them at times, bringing your own will be helpful!)
- In hot months, neck fans or portable fans are really helpful
- Suckers (obviously not required but if your kids are getting bored in a line or waiting for a show to begin, hand them a sucker for instant delight that helps pass the time)
- Water bottle(s) (They give out free water at quick service restaurants, but having a few water bottles you can fill on your own is helpful. Use ones that won’t leak if they’re knocked over or bumping around in a stroller and ones that will keep water cool on a hot day.)
- Stroller rain cover (no one wants to sit in a wet stroller)
- Baby/toddler gear if needed. (You know what you need…diapers, bottles, pacis, etc. If your little one will need to nap while at the park, bring something you can drape over the stroller and consider bringing a portable sound machine. This will create a good nap environment while in the parks while older kids and adults can still enjoy the fun. This is often a lot easier than going all the way back to your hotel for a nap. Even if your kid doesn’t usually nap in a stroller – they might once they’re Disney tired.)
7:00am
Leave Your Room and Walk to the Park
We are assuming you are staying in a hotel within walking distance to the park because there are so many good options close by. If you’re having to drive, plan ahead and plan time for traffic and parking, then walking from the lot to the park entrance
7:15am
Arrive at the Park Entrance
If you’re pushing a stroller, put all bags in the stroller and have one person wait in the bag line with the stroller. Everyone else can skip the bag line and get in the ticket/magic band scanning line. The line to the far left is often the shortest. The person with the stroller will hopefully join you in line before you go through or meet you on the other side. The ticket line will often start letting people through around 7:30am, that’s why you’re arriving early.
Make sure everyone has a magic band or have the tickets pulled up in the My Disney Experience App. Cast members will be there to help you if you have trouble.
7:30am
Gates Often Start to Open, Walk Down Main Street
They will often start letting people in the park before it opens at 8am. This give you a chance to walk down Main Street, take photos, and enjoy the ambiance. Then position yourself near the castle so you have easy access to Fantasyland. You’ll be doing attractions in Fantasyland first because most of those attractions don’t use Genie+.
Once you have scanned into the park and while you are walking or waiting for attractions to open, make your first Lighting Lane selection for Indiana Jones. Aim for a return time around 10am. If the return times are earlier, wait a few minutes and check again to see if the times are later. See the note above for how to use Genie+ if you’re not sure
8:00am
Peter Pan's Flight
Walk through the castle and enter the queue for Peter Pan on your right. This delightful dark ride has low capacity and does not offer a Lightning Lane, so it’s a good ride to start with. No height requirement. 2-3 people per ride vehicle.
8:15am until first LL return time
Fantasyland Rides
After Peter Pan, do more of the rides in Fantasyland that don’t have Lightning Lanes until your first Genie+ Lightning Lane selection timeframe opens. How many you have time for will depend on crowds, but you can come back to Fantasyland later in the day to do more.
1. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – a dark ride where you’re driving through the English countryside. Kids will enjoy it even if they don’t know who Mr. Toad is. No height requirement. 2-3 people per ride car.
2. Storybook Land Canal Boats – this delightful boat ride takes you through a whale’s mouth tunnel (the only slightly scary part) then you get to see miniature scenes from classic Disney films. No height requirement. Bench seating.
3. Alice in Wonderland – This fun ride takes you on a caterpillar ride through Wonderland and takes you both inside and outside. No height requirement. Up to 4 people per ride vehicle.
(Mad Tea Party is next to Alice but I think it’s more fun at night when it’s lit up.)
4. Dumbo the Flying Elephant – A Disney classic! Sit in an elephant and spin while moving the elephant up and down. Fun for kids, but low capacity and I wouldn’t wait more then 15 minutes for it. Older kids may want to skip. No height requirement. 2-3 people per elephant.
5. Casey Jr. Circus Train – similar views to what you see on the Storybook Land Canal Boats, but on a train! We usually skip this and do the boats only, but little kids may love this! Some of the train cars are open air, some have a roof that can obscure your view a bit. No height requirement. Usually 2 per seat, 4 per train.
6. King Arthur Carrousel –
Snow White’s Enchanted Wish – a classic dark ride that takes you through scenes from the movie. There are a few scary parts in the forest (similar to the movie) that may scare small children. No height requirement.
10am-ish
Indiana Jones using Lightning Lane
Add a description