How To: Disneyland in Two Days

Setting the Date

Timing is everything! Disneyland is always busy but some days and times of the year are busier than others. This year we went to Disneyland in December during their Holiday celebration. I was nervous about the crowds because this is one of the busiest times of the year for Disneyland. We planned it just right that it was crowded, but not too bad.

To see when the best time to go to Disneyland, use one of the online crowd calendars. Just search online for “Disneyland Crowd Calendar“. I used isitpacked.com which tells you “Forget About it”, “Yup, it’s packed”, “Hey it’s alright”, and “Ghost Town”. We went to Disneyland on December 17th and 18th a Tuesday and Wednesday when the forecast was “Hey it’s alright”, and it was a successful trip!

Plan what’s Most Important to You

You need to have somewhat of a plan of what you will do in the park ahead of time. Determine what rides, photo ops, shows, and foods are most important to you to plan how you will move through the park, this will ensure that you get everything done that you really want to.

Make Reservations (when you can): If you plan on doing a sit down meal, make a meal reservation through the Disneyland app. You can make dining reservations up to 60 days in advance, just be sure to cancel within 2 hours of the reservation (or the cancellation time shown on your app) if you need to or they will charge you a cancellation fee for each member in your party.

Some people love watching the shows or the parades, some people want to visit all of the characters. I want to ride all of the rides and ride my favorite rides multiple times, and I fit in shows and characters where I can.

Fast Passes are a MUST

FastPasses are the only way minimize wait times and to ride all of the rides. I recommend purchasing Disney MaxPass which are currently $15 per person per day. You can make all FastPass reservations directly on your phone, be reminded of when you can make new FastPass selections, and get as many professional photos and ride photos as you desire! So worth it! More about MaxPass here. Let me know if you want a separate post about MaxPass.

You can still get regular FastPasses for free, but I see these becoming obsolete very soon. To do this, I recommend having a runner to get FastPasses for everyone in your party (they must have everyone’s ticket with them)

New FastPasses can be selected at the beginning of the previous FastPass window, or after a certain time period (given to you on the app). If I’m able to make FastPass selections that are close in time and not to far away from each other, then I book them. I have had 3 FastPasses active at one time, it was a rush but I was able to ride all 3 within their FastPass time windows.

When waiting for my FastPasses, I ride the rides that are close by that have shorter wait times, visit characters, or grab my favorite snacks.

Go From Open to Close

The only way I am able to ride all of the rides (many multiple times) is because I am at the park from open to close. I understand this is not possible with little ones, but you can still pack to be prepared for the whole day just in case.

Look up park hours ahead of time. The park opens later and closes earlier during the week, so be aware of that. You’ll have more time on the weekends, but the park is also more crowded so pick what you think will be best.

Pack for the Whole Day: Wear layers, depending on the time of the year it can be cold in the morning and at night, and hot during the day. When I went in December I wore a shortsleeve shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweatshirt and this was perfect. I was able to take off the sweatshirt during the middle of the day, and on one day I took off the long sleeve and just wore the short sleeve. I always bring a small backpack that fits everything I need for the day.

Here’s what I pack:

• Wallet (if not in your pocket)
• Powerbank and Charging cord for my phone (this is needed if using your phone all day for MaxPass)
• A packable rain jacket or a Pancho that I buy from the dollar store ahead of time for water rides.
• A refillable water bottle. Get one like mine here. You can refill your water bottle at all of the restaurants, quick service dinning spots that have soda fountains, and all water fountains. Don’t spend $4 for a bottle of water.
• Extra Layers (if needed): My long sleeve shirt was able to fit in my bag as well as gloves and beanie for the winter weather.
• Other Daily Essentials: Chapstick, lip gloss, hair ties, Tylenol, snacks (if you want to save money).

See my typical Disneyland Schedule in another post HERE

Takeaways:

• Find a day when it wont be packed
• Plan at least the beginning of your day and what your must-dos are
• Take advantage of FastPasses and Disney’s MaxPass
• Plan for a long day at the park: Open to Close
• Pack Accordingly