Located in sunny Southern California, Disneyland is probably one of the most recognizable places on the planet. It’s the second most attended theme park in the world (after Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom) and is probably the most influential theme park in existence. No other park has the history, and frankly the attraction lineup, that Disneyland has. But with Disneyland having close to 40 rides, is it possible to do and see everything in a day? I will admit, it will be difficult and will require a fair bit of planning, but hopefully this 1-Day Disneyland Itinerary can help you do everything you want to do in your one day at Disneyland. 

Since 2021, I’ve visited Disneyland 85 times. In those 85 visits, I’ve observed how crowds at Disneyland normally behave. From visiting when the park was empty to visiting when it was packed to the gills, I have seen it all when it comes to Disneyland. All of my observations and expertise are now crammed into this itinerary. While I can’t guarantee that your day at Disneyland will go off without a hitch, I can at least give you a framework to work with as you plan your 1-day Disneyland itinerary and strategy. 

Click the links to buy tickets to:

Disneyland

Walt Disney World

Tokyo Disney

Disneyland Paris

Hong Kong Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland

Like me on Facebook at The Disney Specialist, and follow me on Instagram / Twitter / Tiktok!

This post contains affiliate links. We receive a small commission for purchases made after clicking on these links at no extra cost to you.

Check out these helpful posts to plan your Disneyland trip!

• DCA Ride Ranking
• Disneyland Ride Ranking
• DCA Ride and Attraction Guide
• Disneyland Ride and Attraction Guide
• Best Times to Visit Disneyland
• Disneyland Lightning Lane Guide
• Disneyland Early Entry Guide
• DCA Rope Drop Guide and Strategy
• 1-Day DCA Itinerary
• 1-Day DCA Itinerary with Lightning Lane
• How Many Days to Visit Disneyland

Klook.com

Introduction to the Park and Itinerary

Disneyland in Anaheim, California is the original Disney Park. Opening in 1955, this park has seen its fair share of rides come and go. But what it has now is probably the best collection of rides at any Disney Theme Park. It has so many rides that it may seem impossible to do them all in one day. Well I’m here to tell you that it’s possible, but only if you plan in advance.

You see, Disney Parks are completely different now compared to how they were decades ago. Gone are the days when you could just stroll into a Disney Park without any preparation and still have a good time. Now it takes a lot of research and planning to have a good day at the parks, and hopefully this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary can help with that. 

Now before we get to the itinerary itself, it has to be said that even with the best and most detailed of plans, a day at Disneyland will not go off without a hitch. Some rides may temporarily close, some entertainment may get cancelled, and you’re going to have to think on your feet and create a new plan on the spot to be able to adjust to these curveballs. 

While this itinerary is a good baseline for you to base your itinerary on, odds are that something will go wrong and you’re going to have to come up with a new plan on the go. In that case, just remember what your priorities are and make sure you get to those before experiencing your second-tier attractions. Always be flexible, have good planning skills, and I guarantee you that you’ll still do most everything you want to do even with unforeseen circumstances. 

But at the end of the day, Disneyland is a magical place. So even if you aren’t able to do some things on your 1-Day Disneyland itinerary, I guarantee you that you’ll still leave the park at the end of the day with a smile on your face. They don’t call it the Happiest Place on Earth for nothing, after all. 

Lightning Lanes (and Why You Don’t Need It)

If you don’t know what Lightning Lane is, Lightning Lane is Disney’s current skip-the-line service where you can access shorter queues for the most popular attractions for a fee. They come as either Lightning Lane Multi Passes, Lightning Lane Single Passes, or Lightning Lane Premier Pass. To learn more about Lightning Lanes, read my comprehensive Disneyland Lightning Lane Guide. 

Some guests stress about getting Lightning Lanes, with many guests thinking that it’s an absolute necessity to having a good day at Disneyland. But in my opinion, while you can do a lot more in a day with Lightning Lane, you can still get a lot done in a day without it. Sure, it’ll require you to do a bit more planning on your part, but don’t feel like it’s a thing you need in order to have a good time at Disneyland. 

Disneyland also has the benefit of being open for 16 hours a day. It’s literally open more than it is closed. I can confidently say that, barring any extreme unforeseen circumstances like extended ride closures, you should be able to do everything you want to do. Just as an example, I once took my friend and her boyfriend to Disneyland. They didn’t want to pay for Lightning Lane Multi Pass and entrusted me to organize the day so they could do all the major rides. Well, not only did we do everything they wanted to do, but we even squeezed in some other rides that weren’t on their list. And this was on a Saturday too. 

Long story short: don’t sweat it if Lightning Lane just isn’t in your budget. Hopefully this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary will help you feel more confident that you can get a lot done during your day. But the question now is, if Lightning Lane isn’t an option, how can you lessen the time you spend in line at the parks? Well, luckily enough, there are a few ways to do that. 

Ways to Skip the Line Without Lightning Lane Multi Pass

I know doing everything in a day might seem a little intimidating, but there are actually many different ways you can save time from waiting in lines at Disneyland that don’t involve using Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass, or Premier Pass. I’ve outlined four useful time saving tips below, all of which you should do before and during your visit to the park and include in your 1-Day Disneyland itinerary. 

The first is picking when to go. Obviously, the best thing you can do to avoid waiting in long lines at Disneyland is to go when lines aren’t that long in the first place. Visiting during off-peak times such as February, May, and late August to September will mean shorter lines generally. However, the trade-off here is that some rides and attractions may be closed because Disneyland generally performs maintenance work on rides at lower peak times. 

Another thing you MUST do to avoid waiting in long lines is to Rope Drop the park. Rope Drop is the practice of arriving before the park’s scheduled opening time to take advantage of the lower wait times that usually happen in the first two hours the park is open. If you time it right, you can get 6-8 rides done in the morning before the rest of the crowds show up. Rope Drop has become a Disney Parks tradition, and you would be wise to participate in it as part of this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary if you want to be able to go on the big rides without any crowds. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Rope Drop, another thing you can do is stay till Park Close. The last two hours the park is open usually see ride wait times drop to as low as 5 minutes. The later you stay at the park, the lower the wait times get. Some rides will still command long lines like Indiana Jones and Space Mountain, but other popular rides like Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean will see 5 minute waits towards the end of the night. 

Finally, the last hack to experiencing rides with a shorter wait than normal is taking advantage of the Single Rider line. The Single Rider line is a special line that cast members use to fill in empty seats on attractions. When these attractions have seats for 1 person that are unoccupied, they will get people from the Single Rider line to fill those seats. Rides at Disneyland that have a single rider queue include Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Space Mountain, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. 

Klook.com

How Early Entry Affects Visits

Early Entry is a perk that Disneyland Resort hotels guests have where they can enter the park and ride select attractions 30 minutes before the published opening time of the park. Hotel guests have Early Entry to DCA on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, while Early Entry to Disneyland is on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. 

Not every attraction will be open to Early Entry guests. At Disneyland, here are the attractions open for early entry: 

• Alice in Wonderland
• Astro Orbitor
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Disneyland Monorail
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• King Arthur Carrousel
• Mad Tea Party
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
• Space Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

You’ll notice that all of these rides are in either Tomorrowland or Fantasyland. This is because those are the only two areas open for Early Entry. The rest of the park is closed during Early Entry. This 1-Day Disneyland itinerary has you visiting Adventureland first, so even if you visit during a day when Disneyland has Early Entry, it shouldn’t affect your rope drop plan if you follow this guide. 

If you, on the other hand, are staying at a Disneyland hotel and want to utilize Early Entry, I would go ride a couple of rides in Fantasyland and then head on over to Adventureland to begin this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary 

Non-Ride Things to Note

Shows and Streetmosphere

While this itinerary includes the big permanent shows such as the Tiki Room, Walt Disney – a Magical Life, and the fireworks and night parade, I will not be including other “streetmosphere” type shows like the Dapper Dans or the Disneyland band. If you do want to experience these, however, then I would pause the itinerary, experience these offerings, then continue when you’re done. 

Characters

Just like the streetmosphere, time to meet characters is not included in this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary. Character meets can eat up a lot of time in the park, so unless your child or someone in your party really wants to meet a specific character, I would say avoid them if you can. If you’d like to meet characters, though, then pause the itinerary and continue when you’re done with your meet and greet. 

Dining

The two quick service places I recommend you dine at as part of this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary can be switched out for any other quick service places in the park. I wouldn’t recommend dining in any table service restaurants, mostly because they take more time than quick service restaurants. Remember to mobile order your food on the Disneyland app to save time waiting in line for food. 

Also, if you would like to have snacks like churros or popcorn, simply pause the itinerary and continue it once you are done with your snacks. 

Height Requirements and Ride Info

I won’t dive too much into the height requirements and ride specific info as I’ve already written two posts that cover these. Read my Disneyland Ride Ranking and Disneyland Ride and Attraction Guide for up to date info on every ride and attraction in the park. 

Pick and Choose Rides You Want to Experience

Now, before you read the actual itinerary, I just want to point out that you do NOT have to do every attraction listed here. Some attractions may not interest you, and if that’s the case simply skip over them as you’re going through the itinerary. Conversely, if you want to add rides or attractions to this itinerary, simply pick a moment in the day that makes most sense to insert that ride or attraction into your Disneyland one day itinerary. I would recommend doing those rides when their waits are low or if you’re already in the area. 

Now let’s begin this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary!

Klook.com

1-Day Disneyland Itinerary

Arrive 45 Minutes Before Disneyland Opens

This itinerary starts before you even get to Disneyland. If you’re driving from other areas of LA / Orange County, then be sure to arrive at the parking garage 75-90 minutes before Disneyland opens to make sure you have enough time to park your car, get through security, and take the tram to the Esplanade. The goal is to be by the gates of Disneyland by 7:15am. 

If you’re staying at any of the hotels near Disneyland, be sure to be at security 1 hour before the park opens to the public. Rope Drop is going to be crucial if you want to get everything done today, so being early is a must. Just like what I said above, you need to be at the gates of Disneyland by 7:15am at the latest. You may even want to be earlier if you’re visiting during peak season. 

Once in the park, head straight for the hub and keep left. You’ll want to be as close to the Adventureland entrance as possible. They’ll usually let you in 30 minutes before the scheduled opening time, so just keep that in mind so that you can be sure you’re at the front of the crowds. 

Enter the Temple of Mara in the Indiana Jones Adventure

Once the rope drops, walk briskly (don’t run) to Indiana Jones. If you timed it right, you should be on and off the ride in 15-20 minutes. Take note that it will take time to get through the entire queue. Indiana Jones probably has the longest queue of any ride in the park. When you’re in the queue it can feel like you’re just going and going for miles. The queue is a part of the ride experience, however, and it’s so detailed and immersive that you’ll forget you’re in a Disney Park.

The Indiana Jones Adventure follows Indiana Jones as he discovers a new temple hidden in the jungles of India. The temple was built to honor the deity Mara, who offers three different kinds of gifts to those who enter the temple (eternal youth, earthly riches, or visions of the future). However, visitors are warned not to gaze into the eyes of the idol or face instant death. The temple becomes a popular tourist attraction, with Salah offering tours of the temple. Some tourists, however, go missing in the temple, and Indiana Jones sets out to find them during your tour. 

It’s one of the best rides in the park, and is probably a top 5 ride in the whole resort. Everything from the ride vehicle to the different props and animatronics all works seamlessly together to create a groundbreaking experience. You’ll have your jaw agape in awe as you go through all the chambers of the temple, dodging things like snakes, bugs, and skeletons. 

However, as fantastic as it is, it’s a ride that breaks down a lot. It’s more reliable to be working at rope drop than Rise of the Resistance, but it could break down and not be available for rope drop. If that happens, go do every other ride on this Disneyland one day itinerary in order then make your way to Indiana Jones as fast as you can once it opens again. This shouldn’t change your 1-Day Disneyland itinerary too much. 

Ride the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 

After exiting Indiana Jones, make your way over to Frontierland and ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I always say it’s nice to begin your day with a little adrenaline, and Big Thunder Mountain for me is the perfect way to start your day. You shouldn’t wait more than 15 minutes for this ride. 

Big Thunder Mountain is a rollercoaster that’s probably tied with Matterhorn as the second wildest coaster in the park (with the number one being Space Mountain). In the ride, you board a mine car for a tour of the Big Thunder Mountain mines. The Big Thunder Mountain mines used to be full of gold, but prospectors didn’t realize that Big Thunder Mountain was actually sacred Native American Land and was cursed. After their desecration of the mountain triggered an earthquake which drove the miners away, curious people then saw the trains of the miners moving rapidly by themselves as if possessed by spirits. Entrepreneurs then started offering rides on these possessed trains, which is why guests are riding those trains today. 

Big Thunder Mountain is my personal favorite coaster in the entire park (yes, more than Space Mountain) mostly because of the theming of the coaster. It’s impeccably themed and landscaped, making you feel like you’re really in a mining town. The rock work they did on the attraction is stunning, and I love the little animal animatronics that are sprinkled throughout the ride. You’re going to want to ride this multiple times to notice every detail. 

Klook.com

Encounter Happy Haunts on the Haunted Mansion

Once you’re done with the wildest ride in the wilderness, head on over across the Rivers of America to go on Haunted Mansion. At this time, it should still be posting around a 13 minute wait. Hint: when Haunted Mansion says it has a 13 minute wait, it really means it doesn’t have a wait at all! So don’t be fooled by it, this is actually the perfect time to ride it. 

Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride in the entire resort. Its story revolves around a bride whose husband dies a tragic death and is left by herself to mourn his death for eternity. The story has actually changed fairly often, and there’s no one official backstory for the whole ride. It’s really just a convenient context to justify all the spooky stuff that happens in this mansion. But the ride tells this story incredibly well, and a lot of its scenes have become pop culture mainstays.

From the iconic stretching room to the grand ballroom and backyard scenes, the Haunted Mansion is full of sight gags and creepy imagery, all coming together to create a one-of-a-kind experience. You’re going to want to ride this multiple times as well, but for now we’re going to continue to make our way around the park on this Disneyland 1 day itinerary. 

Venture Deep into the Jungles of the World in the Jungle Cruise 

The next ride we’re going to ride is the Jungle Cruise. This ride has you circumnavigating the rivers of the world as you encounter wild animals and funny scenes and sight gags. This attraction is a Disney Parks staple, being included in 4 of the 6 Disney resorts around the world. It’s incredibly immersive, with a lot of the foliage from when it first opened in 1955 still existing today. 

The main draw of Jungle Cruise, however, isn’t the animals and show scenes (although those are fun too), it’s the skippers and their cringey but funny dad jokes. Every Jungle Cruise boat is captained by a Skipper who gives you commentary on the ride and its scenes. They’ll usually tell a bunch of jokes, and since no two skippers are alike, no two Jungle Cruise rides are alike, which adds to its re-rideability. 

Many scenes on this ride forego believability for humor, and I would say this is one of the funnest attractions to ride at Disneyland because of the humor involved in it. If you like cringey jokes, that is (which I do). If you don’t, I say it’s still worth a ride just to be immersed in what feels like an actual jungle in the middle of Orange County, California. It’s a must-do, in my opinion, which is why it’s in this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary.  

Go to the Bayou on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure 

Next we’re going on the newest ride in the park: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Located beside Haunted Mansion, this ride should hopefully only have a 5-15 minute wait at this point. No one wants to ride this ride in the early morning hours when it’s still cold, meaning it’s the perfect time to ride it without any sort of wait. 

Featuring the same track layout as its predecessor Splash Mountain, this ride generated a lot of controversy when it was announced as Splash Mountain is revered in the Disney community. While I love Splash Mountain and think it’s better than Tiana’s, I still think Tiana’s is a fun ride and is a more than worthy replacement to Splash Mountain. 

In the ride, Tiana is hosting a party for the people of New Orleans. However, she lacks a band to play music at the party. She then enlists the help of Louis, Mama Odie, and the guests to head into the bayou and find critters who can play at her party. It’s a simple story, and lacks the narrative tension of Splash Mountain, but it’s still a fun ride overall and nothing beats hearing the movie’s incredible songs while on the ride. 

This ride WILL get you soaked, so pack ponchos and shoe covers if you want to avoid getting wet. I would also recommend sitting in the seats at the back of the ride vehicle to avoid getting splashed by a lot of water. Also, when you’re done with the ride, give your disposable ponchos to those waiting in line. After drying off, head to Tomorrowland to continue with this Disneyland one day itinerary. 

Klook.com

Head Under the Sea with Nemo and Friends

We’re done with this side of the park for now. Now head to Tomorrowland to ride what to me is the most over-hated ride in the park: Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage has you entering an actual submarine on a research mission to the Great Barrier Reef to test new technology that can interpret what fish are saying and make them sound like they’re talking to us. We then overhear the Nemo gang as they go on an adventure to an underwater volcano. This ride takes place after the events of Finding Nemo. 

A lot of people hate this ride because it’s a tight squeeze and can smell if it’s packed on a warm summer day, but I think this ride is pretty fun. It’s also unique to Disneyland and I think we can all agree that the submarine lagoon is one of the prettiest places in all of Disneyland. If you suffer from claustrophobia, however, they do have a small room where you can see the whole ride through a screen without getting on the actual ride. 

At this point, it should be 10am-10:30am. Rope Drop is officially over, so it’s time for this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary to switch to rides that have short waits in the middle of the day or have single rider lines. 

Head Up the Matterhorn (via Single Rider)

At 10:30am the single rider line for Matterhorn shouldn’t be too bad yet, so this is the perfect time to do it! The single rider line for this ride can move slowly sometimes, but hopefully it only takes you around 20-30 minutes to get through the single rider queue. 

The Matterhorn is probably the most iconic and historic roller coaster in the park. It’s the first steel tubular coaster in the world. That’s right, every modern steel coaster in the entire world owes it to the Matterhorn for trailblazing the path to having coasters made out of steel. It’s story is simple: you’re taking a toboggan ride through the Swiss alps when all of a sudden your trip is hijacked by a yeti. It’s simple but incredibly fun. 

One thing I have to mention though is that this is THE jerkiest ride in the entire resort and possibly at any Disney Park (or tied with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril at Disneyland Paris). The ride is nicknamed “The Chiropractor”  by Disney Fans because of how jerky it is. If you suffer from even the mildest of back issues, I would think twice about riding this attraction. Also, if you do want to ride it but want it to be less jerky, the right side is tamer than the left side. 

Help Buzz Save the Galaxy on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

We’re heading back into Tomorrowland to ride Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. This ride can usually get 30 minute waits throughout the day, but at this point it should be at around a 15-25 minute wait. I wouldn’t wait longer than that for this ride, mostly because it probably has the worst upkeep of any ride in the entire resort. It’s still a fun ride, though, which is why it’s still on this 1-day Disneyland itinerary. 

In this ride, you get enlisted by Buzz Lightyear to become an honorary Space Ranger. Your first mission is to stop Zurg from stealing batteries that he needs to power his secret weapon, which he plans to use to subjugate the galaxy. Buzz needs you to blast the crystallic fusion power cells that are powering Zurg’s war machines, which is where the shooting aspect of this ride comes in. 

If you didn’t know, this ride is a shooter dark ride. Every guest is given a blaster to hit targets located throughout the ride. Whenever you hit a target, it adds to your score, with the goal being to max out your score at 999,999. I’ve only ever done this in two Disney Parks: Hong Kong and Shanghai. I have yet to do it in Disneyland, although I don’t think I will as Disneyland is the hardest place to score 999,999. It’s definitely possible, but I don’t usually get a score higher than 350,000. 

Klook.com

Blast Off on Space Mountain (Single Rider)

After saving the world with Buzz, head on over to the most thrilling coaster in the park and the anchor of the entire Tomorrowland: Space Mountain. Located in the back of the land, Space Mountain has been one of Disneyland’s marquee attractions since it opened in 1977. Featuring a soundtrack by Michael Giacchino, this ride is a thrilling space adventure that takes place entirely in the dark. 

This used to be my favorite ride anywhere, but the older I got the more I gravitated towards rides with an emphasis on theming rather than thrills. It’s still an incredible attraction though, even though it lacks a lot of things in the story department. It may not be the most layered attraction story-wise, as its story just has you hurtling through space, but its execution is absolutely top tier. 

For this ride, you’re going to be utilizing the single rider line. To get to the single rider line, head to the exit of the attraction and ask the cast member where the back of the line is. The cast member will then direct you to the single rider line. The hope is that it’s not full this early in the morning, so hopefully you’re on and off in 30 minutes and are now done with the morning portion of this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary.

Now it’s time for lunch! Head back to Adventureland to eat at my favorite quick service restaurant in the park: Bengal Barbecue. 

Have Lunch at Bengal Barbecue 

Remember that, to order lunch at any quick service restaurant, this Disneyland one day itinerary recommends using mobile order to order your food. About an hour before you want to eat, go order your food on mobile order so when the return time comes around, you can just pick it up quickly at the mobile order window. 

Bengal Barbecue is a quick service restaurant that serves grilled meat and vegetable skewers. From bacon wrapped asparagus to spicy beef, they have a wide variety of skewer options available. I usually get two of the Bengal Beef Skewer, sometimes with the rice plate as well if I’m feeling hungry. The sauce of the skewer is what shines the brightest here, and you can’t go wrong with any option. I will say though that it’ll be hard to get a table during the lunch rush so feel free to take your skewers to Tropical Hideaway or Jolly Holiday Bakery and find tables there. 

Once you’re done with your lunch, head on back to New Orleans Square to go on my third favorite ride at the park: Pirates of the Caribbean. 

See Swashbuckling Pirates on Pirates of the Caribbean

The entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean is a 30 second walk from Bengal Barbecue. When you get there, you’re going to notice that there are two lines that you can choose from to enter the queue. My advice is to always go for the queue on the right as the left queue extends to the back of the nearby treehouse, making it slightly longer. 

Pirates of the Caribbean is another feat of imagineering. After cruising through the Louisiana bayou, you are then dropped into a cavern filled with skeletons and pirate treasure. You’re then suddenly transported into the past where you see a band of pirates, including Jack Sparrow, pillage a Spanish seaside town. It’s Disney at their best and the ride is now associated with a myriad of iconic scenes, such as the famous jail scene with the key-biting dog. 

Do note that there are two drops in this ride, but neither drop should get you wet aside from a few splashes. The beginning of the ride is also pretty cool as you drift past the Blue Bayou restaurant. The ride actually drops down as a way of avoiding the Disneyland Railroad berm, which is located above the attraction. This ride is 20 minutes long so I would recommend heading to the bathroom before getting in line. 

Klook.com

Watch the Daytime Parade or Cavalcade

I put this here mostly because the showtimes for parades and cavalcades differ depending on the parade or cavalcade being run and the time of year of your visit. Parades are a Disney staple, however, so you should make time for it in your Disneyland one day itinerary. I would recommend pausing the itinerary at the appropriate time to watch the parade, then continuing on after it’s done. Remember that the second showings usually have less crowds than the first showings. 

Go Visit Distant Planets on Star Tours

The next stop on your 1-Day Disneyland itinerary is a ride that I love but I always have to ride it with motion sickness patches: Star Tours. Known as the only Star Wars ride not located in Galaxy’s Edge, Star Tours is a 3D motion simulator attraction that takes you into the world of Star Wars. The queue has you going through a spaceport where you meet C3PO and R2D2, as well as other droids working at the port. It’s one of the funner queues at Disneyland and is full of little nods and details. 

In the story of the ride, one of the guests in your vehicle is a rebel spy. In order to save the revel spy, you embark on an intergalactic journey to bring them to the rebel alliance safely. The scenes of the ride are chosen at random. There are always 3 major scenes and an appearance by a Star Wars character. This is probably the Disneyland ride that has the most re-rideability due to the randomized show scenes. 

It’s a really fun ride that rarely gets a wait of longer than 20 minutes, even on the busiest of days. It is a doozy though, especially if you suffer from motion sickness. I find that motion sickness patches work a lot better than motion sickness tablets. You can buy them in packs on Amazon if you ever want to buy some. 

Go Around the World on It’s a Small World

Next we’re going to the other 20-minute boat ride in the park: It’s a Small World. Known the world over for its infectious (some would say annoying) song, It’s a Small World is another classic Disney attraction. Originally opening as part of the 1964 New York World’s Fair, It’s a Small World is a relaxing boat ride where you glide past stylized representations of different countries from around the world. 

It’s one of my favorite attractions, and the best part is it usually never has a wait time longer than 30 minutes. If you’re visiting during the Christmas season though and It’s a Small World is temporarily replaced by It’s a Small World Holiday, I would recommend riding the ride as part of your rope drop plan. 

Keep an eye out for the Disney characters that imagineers have sprinkled throughout the ride, as well as the mini parade of dolls that happens on the facade of It’s a Small World every 15 minutes or so. This is also a good option to do at or after 6pm, as the line for It’s a Small World rarely exceeds 5 minutes at these times. But for the purposes of this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary, I will recommend riding it at this time.  

Klook.com

See Miniature Worlds at Storybookland Canal Boats

Once done with It’s a Small World, head on over to the Storybookland Canal Boats. This is another slow moving boat ride where you enter the jaws of Monstro the Whale and end up in Storybookland. Storybookland is a sort of mini-land that the Canal Boats and Casey Jr. go through, with the Canal Boats being my preferred method of experiencing it. 

In Storybookland are a bunch of different miniature displays of various locales from Disney animated films. These include scenes from Aladdin, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Snow White, and Peter Pan. It’s such a quaint and relaxing ride which I recommend you do at this time since I’ve never seen it with a wait longer than 20 minutes. 

I would recommend riding this attraction during the daytime as the attraction isn’t properly lit up at night so you won’t be able to see some of the details of the attraction. Also, if you’re riding with kids younger than 7, there’s an option for them to be whale watchers, meaning they can sit at the front of the boat.

Enter Pinocchio’s Story on Pinocchio’s Daring Journey

Now we’re riding the first of the five Fantasyland dark rides, and we’re starting off with the one that I think is severely underrated: Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. Located on the left side of Fantasyland if you’re facing the carousel with the castle behind you, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey is a 3 minute dark ride that retells most of Pinocchio’s story from the animated movie. 

This ride never gets a wait longer than 20 minutes even on busier days. I honestly don’t understand why because it’s a very good dark ride based on what is arguably the greatest Disney animated movie that Walt personally oversaw. It has some classic dark ride scenes, including the iconic Pleasure Island scene. While I will admit that it’s probably the lowest ranked dark ride among the 5 dark rides in Fantasyland, I would still highly recommend riding it as part of this Disneyland one day itinerary.

Go on a Wild Ride with Mr. Toad

After Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, head across Fantasyland to ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. This is probably tied for second for my favorite Fantasyland dark ride, mostly because it’s just so much fun and is a Disneyland exclusive ride. In the ride, you board a motorcar and act as Mr. Toad as you careen through the streets of London, narrowly avoiding a multitude of people in the process. 

After destroying many parts of London, you are sentenced to prison. However, you are subsequently run over by a train and next thing you know you end up in hell. Yes, you read that right. This ride is famous in the Disney community mostly because it’s the only representation of Hell in any Disney ride. You careen through hell and spot demons and a dragon before exiting the ride. 

As you can tell from my description of it, it’s a crazy ride. It has, literally and figuratively, many twists and turns and has probably the craziest ending of any ride in Disney history. It’s a classic attraction, and one you shouldn’t miss on your 1-Day Disneyland Itinerary. 

Klook.com

See the Birds Dance at the Tiki Room

Next up we’re heading back to Adventureland to catch the next showing of one of my favorite shows in the entire park: The Enchanted Tiki Room. It’s a small little show that you can find at the entrance of Adventureland.  Before the show, if you can schedule it properly, I would recommend grabbing a Dole Whip from either Tropical Hideaway or Tiki Juice Bar that you can eat in the theater. 

The Enchanted Tiki Room is a 15-minute show that showcases the first ever use of the audio animatronics technology in a Disney Park. Featuring singing birds, plants, and tiki carvings, it doesn’t really have a plot but rather is almost like a concert where things all around you come to life and start singing. 

Although some people find it boring, I think it’s a great little show that has a lot of charm. It also has one of the best Disney Park theme songs. This Disneyland one day itinerary recommends sitting at the farthest back row so you can see everything and have a back rest you can lean on as well. 

Learn About Walt Disney in Walt Disney – A Magical Life

Next we’re going to the beginning of Main Street to see Walt Disney – A Magical Life. This 20 minute show is known for having the first audio-animatronic Walt Disney figure. It’s also the most lifelike animatronic Disney has ever created. 

The show starts with a 15-minute video called Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream (which is the same video you can find at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, albeit tweaked a little bit) and then is followed by a 3-minute audio animatronic presentation of Walt Disney. I know, it may seem short, but the figure is incredibly lifelike and the show will give you chills, even if you aren’t the biggest Disney fan. 

Be sure to check out the opera house galleries before the show as they usually have some pretty unique pieces of Disney history on display. You could spend an hour just looking at those galleries. Of course you shouldn’t spend an hour as we have more of Disneyland to enjoy. Also, for the best view of the animatronic, sit as close to the front as possible.   

Go on a Grand Circle Tour Aboard the Disneyland Railroad

After viewing Walt Disney – A Magical Life, it’s time to go on a ride aboard the Disneyland railroad. Head on over to Main Street station and get in line for the train. You shouldn’t wait more than 25 minutes for the next train. I would recommend doing a full loop starting from Main Street and ending at Main Street as well. 

The railroad is probably the most overlooked attraction at Disneyland, which is a shame because to me it’s such a gem of an attraction. The imagineers have sprinkled a lot of different things that you can see while you are on the railroad, with the biggest and most impressive ones being the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas that you can see between the Tomorrowland and Main Street stations. 

I would highly recommend riding this ride as it also allows you to kick your feet up and relax for half an hour as you go around the park. This 1-Day Disneyland itinerary recommends sitting in the sideward facing trains for the best experience. The front facing trains don’t offer the best views of the dioramas, so just keep that in mind. 

Klook.com

Have a Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters

By now it should be around 6pm. Your next two rides are going to be in Galaxy’s Edge, so I recommend heading over there right now. If you want to be able to see Galaxy’s Edge both in the daytime and at night, then head here as soon as your grand circle tour is done. 

Order a Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters via mobile order. Ronto Wraps are basically these sausages that are wrapped in Pita Bread. They are incredibly good and are a good quick snack to have for dinner. If this didn’t fill you up enough, you can also have an additional meal for dinner when you wait for the nighttime entertainment later in the day. 

Once you’re done, walk around Galaxy’s Edge for a bit and snap some photos of the landscape and theming. I would highly recommend walking through the bazaar portion and seeing the Millennium Falcon. Then, at around 6:30pm-6:45pm, head over to Rise of the Resistance. 

Save the Galaxy on Rise of the Resistance

After wandering through Galaxy’s Edge, it’s time to get on my second favorite ride in the resort: Rise of the Resistance. This should have a long wait throughout the day, but its wait time tends to fall around dinner time, so now is the perfect time to ride it. I would say that if it has a wait time of 60 minutes or less, I would definitely hop in the queue.

I won’t give too much away as I want you to experience this ride for yourself, but this is without a doubt one of the most immersive rides Disney has ever created. I always tell people that Rise of the Resistance is Disney’s first “experience” because the ride portion of it is only a tiny part of the overall experience. The multiple pre-shows that lead up to the ride are all spectacular, and this ride also has the best cast member interactions in the whole park (you’ll know what I mean when you experience it).

It truly is such a groundbreaking attraction. Its use of screens, animatronics, and the trackless ride system are just so innovative and some of the effects on this ride will leave you with your jaw on the floor. It’s such a simple story too: you’re part of the resistance and are going to a secret base on another planet. You get captured by the First Order, however, and now must find a way to escape the Star Destroyer you’re on. It’s truly a standout of imagineering, and you cannot plan a 1-Day Disneyland itinerary and not include this ride. 

Pilot the Millennium Falcon on Smugglers Run

Next we’re heading to the second ride in Galaxy’s Edge, which is Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This ride shouldn’t have a long wait at this time, although if it does I would recommend riding the ride through the Single Rider line. This Single rider line moves incredibly fast, so I would recommend using it if you think you’re running behind schedule. 

In the ride you’re tasked by Hondo Ohnaka about your mission. You’re then taken into the Millennium Falcon where you’re also assigned a role for you to do. You can either be the gunner, pilot, or engineer. To be honest, the only fun position is the pilot as you get to actually control the direction of the ship. The other positions just have you pressing buttons. 

This isn’t a ride I do often because it gives me a lot of motion sickness, but I will admit it is fun, especially if you’re riding as a big group. If you’re riding solo, it can be frustrating especially if your pilots don’t know what they’re doing. But I would still recommend including it in your 1-Day Disneyland itinerary. 

Klook.com

Stake Out a Spot for the Electrical Parade or Fantasmic 

Depending on when you go, you may have either an electrical parade or Fantasmic showings that night. If you have either, I would stake out a spot for them as soon as you’re done with the Galaxy’s Edge rides. Given a choice between the two, I would go for the Electrical Parade over Fantasmic, although with the electrical parade you may have a hard time finding a spot less than an hour before showtime. 

For Fantasmic, I would recommend watching the show from the standby area. To access this standby area, simply walk to Harbor Galley and head down the ramp that leads to the waterfront. Ask the cast member if you can enter the standby area, and they’ll direct you to the appropriate area. There should be a rope separating you and the dining packages area, and you’re going to want to stay as close to them and as far back as possible for the best view. 

If you’re watching the electrical parade, watch from Main Street so you can just go to the middle of the street after the parade is done to watch the fireworks. If you’re watching Fantasmic from the standby area, stay where you are as you can watch the fireworks from there too. Also, there are second showings usually for the parade and Fantasmic. If you’d rather ride rides now, then feel free to skip to the next rides on this Disneyland one day itinerary and then just see the second showing of either the parade or Fantasmic (but remember to make time for the fireworks). 

See the Fireworks 

The Fireworks usually start at 9:30pm-9:35pm. On weekdays during the off-season, you may only get projections without any fireworks, but if you visit over Spring Break, Summer, or Christmas, you’ll see fireworks every day of the week. 

The show you’ll see depends on when you visit. Visit during Halloween and you’ll see Halloween Screams. Visit during Christmas and you’ll see Believe…in Holiday Magic. Whenever you visit, make it a point to see the nighttime spectacular as they are some of Disney’s most iconic and memorable attractions. 

Due take note, however, that sometimes the strong winds may result in the cancellation of the fireworks. In its place, the show will go on but with projections only. Disneyland is in the middle of a city, so they don’t want fallout from the fireworks to reach homes because of the winds. Just something to keep in mind when you visit. 

Enter the Cartoon World of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Once you’re done with the fireworks, Mickey’s Toontown should reopen at around 10:15pm -10:30pm. If you didn’t ride It’s a Small World prior to this, you can also ride it while you wait for Toontown to open up again. If there were no fireworks, then the land should just be open, which in that case you can just walk over there once the projections are done. 

Once in Toontown, head on over to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the marquee attraction of Toontown. The queue for this ride is fantastic and is an attraction in itself. As the ride takes place in the El Capitoon theater, the queue showcases props from different Mickey related shorts and TV shows. Highlights include his sorcerer outfit from Fantasia and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mouskedoer. 

Then the ride starts with one of the most iconic pre-shows ever where you enter through a screen and get immersed in the cartoon world. The story of the ride follows you as you embark on a tour of Runamuck Park. At the beginning of the tour, however, Mickey accidentally hits the track switch and sends your cars flying off the tracks. Mickey and Minnie now try their best to get you back to safety as you pass through a variety of cartoon worlds.

This ride is one of my favorites in the entire resort and a 1-Day Disneyland itinerary would not be complete without it. You shouldn’t have to wait longer than 15 minutes for it at this time of night. Once you’re done with the ride, exit through the gift shop and enter the second Toontown ride on this Disneyland one day itinerary 

Klook.com

Save Toontown in Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin

The next ride on this 1-Day Disneyland itinerary is Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. When you enter the attraction, you walk through the seedier streets of Toontown, passing by a variety of locales and characters. It’s a very impressive queue and one of my personal favorites. You then get to the loading dock and board your very own Benny the Cab.

The story follows Roger Rabbit and Jessica Rabbit as they try to save Toontown from the Weasels who want to destroy all of Toontown with Dip. The way they do it, though, is as wild and zany as it gets. It’s a very chaotic ride, and it might not appeal to everyone, but I enjoy it a lot. Take note that the cars do spin kind of like the Mad Tea Party teacups, but you can always not spin it if you’re prone to motion sickness.

I would say that, if the ride has a 30 minute wait at this point, you can skip it. Like I said, it’s a very divisive ride that some people don’t like, so it’s totally skippable if the line is too long. They usually only load 4 people at a time so it loads pretty slow, which can inflate the wait time as well. Once you’re done with Toontown, we’re going to head to Fantasyland to finish off the day. 

Ride Alice in Wonderland and Snow White’s Enchanted Wish

The first destination for this part of the 1-Day Disneyland itinerary is Alice in Wonderland. This is my favorite Fantasyland dark ride, mostly because of its ingenious use of space, its faithfulness in capturing the tone of the movie, and its innovative outdoor portion. Its story is a loose retelling of the Alice movies, although they don’t really happen in order. It culminates in the Queen of Hearts demanding for your head as you escape her clutches and head outdoors. 

It’s a Disneyland classic and a Disneyland original. It usually has a long wait in the morning and afternoon, but generally has a 20-25 minute wait after the fireworks. I would recommend riding it at night to save time. The “going outdoors” potion is pretty at night as well, so there isn’t that big of a difference between riding it at night as compared to riding it in the morning. 

After venturing into Wonderland, head on over to Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. This is my second favorite Fantasyland Dark ride, tied with Mr. Toad. It’s also a book report version of Snow White, and has many iconic scenes. From the jewel mine scene to the amazing, fantastic ending when Snow white is woken up by her prince, every inch of this ride exemplifies Disney magic. 

The wait for this ride shouldn’t be longer than 15 minutes at this point. Once you’re done with it, head on over across the way to ride our final ride of the evening. 

End the Night with Peter Pan’s Flight

I always recommend riding Peter Pan as your last ride of the day. It’s such a magical ride to end the day with, and on a more practical note, the queue for this ride can get very hot in the daytime. I wouldn’t recommend lining up for it then unless you want to bake in the sun for 30 minutes. 

In the ride, you board a flying pirate ship as you fly over iconic places from the movie. The moments when you fly over London and fly over Neverland just ooze Disney magic in the best possible way. I absolutely love these scenes and this ride, but it’s never one I do all the time mostly because the wait is always long and it’s the shortest among the five Fantasyland dark rides. Some people wait 50 minutes for this ride, which is crazy considering it only lasts around 2 minutes. 

The ride ends with a brief scene of Peter and the Darling children defeating Captain Hook, and then the ride returns back to the loading area. And with that, you just did over 25 rides and attractions at Disneyland in one day! 

Klook.com

1-Day Disneyland Itinerary Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully done every major attraction at Disneyland in one day. Pat yourself on the back and then head to Main Street to do some last-minute shopping. If you have any questions about how to organize a successful one day at Disneyland, reach out to me on one of my social media pages!

If you enjoyed this 1-Day Disneyland Itinerary, consider subscribing to my newsletter and bring the magic of Disney parks to your inbox. Whether you’re planning your first trip or you’re a Disney pro, my newsletter is your ultimate guide to creating magical memories.

🌟 What You’ll Get:

• Expert tips for navigating the Disney parks.
• The latest updates on new attractions, events, and dining experiences.
• Exclusive tips to make your visit extra magical (and budget-friendly!).
• Personalized itineraries and seasonal guides.

From Walt Disney World and Disneyland to Disney Cruise Line and the international parks, we’ll help you plan the trip of your dreams with less stress and more pixie dust!

Click the links to buy tickets to:

Disneyland

Walt Disney World

Tokyo Disney

Disneyland Paris

Hong Kong Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland

Klook.com

SUGGESTED READING: