Disneyland is all primed and ready to open as soon as they get the green light from the state and local government. There is still a lot we don’t know about when the hotels will reopen, or where you will be able to book a room first, but a lot of people will only have a budget for one day to spend at the resort. Many are wondering if you can even do it. Of course, one day at Disneyland is plenty to get as much enjoyment as possible. You can easily spend two or three days, but it isn’t necessary. You can still have a lot of fun if you aren’t able to book an overnight trip.
How to Start Your One Day at Disneyland
Okay, so you only have one day to spend at the happiest place on Earth. Bummer. That’s alright though. Shake it off and look at how you can make the most of it. The most important things about the time you spend at Disneyland are how you start and how you end. You want to leave a little bit tired, but happy. You want to get there bright and early with a whole day in front of you. Try to do breakfast first so you aren’t hunting for food once you enter the gates. There aren’t a lot of breakfast places in the park and the opening hours are the most opportune for getting a lot of attractions in. If you play your cards right, you can ride 5 or more attractions by lunchtime.
Meals at Disneyland
For now, at least, character meals/buffets are out of the question. If you have only one day to spend at the resort, you may want to avoid table service dining anyway. The only exception is maybe if you want to have dinner in Downtown Disney after the parks close. Make use of quick-service restaurants and snack carts during the day and avoid traditional meal times in order to speed up the dining process even more by avoiding crowds. Mobile Order and other technologies are expanding at Disneyland to help reduce cast member contact due to COVID-19, so make sure you have all of the Disney apps downloaded and ready to go before your one day at Disneyland.
Photo by Kon Karampelas on Unsplash
How to Conquer Each Land
There are a lot of ways to approach a day at Disneyland. Use the Disneyland Railroad as transportation, or take on the park by foot. You can use the hub and spokes layout to your advantage and go clockwise or counterclockwise. If you have small children, you want to head straight to Fantasyland. It’s small and easy to move from one ride to the next. On top of that, there are 11 attractions in Fantasyland alone.
The west side of the park has more to offer than the east side which essentially consists solely of Tomorrowland. If you start on the left, you have Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Critter Country. There is so much to soak in there. One way to get more out of each land in a short time is to stop and sample some of the flavors. Go to a candy store or a fruit stand. Stop at Bengal Barbecue, Tropical Hideaway, or the New Orleans Square mint julep stand.
Ten Attractions To Ride in a Single Day
If Walt Disney World is an indication, park-hopping will not be allowed at the Disneyland resort. If you only have one day, I assume you’re spending it at Disneyland proper. Disney’s California Adventure is fun, but it’s not an alternative. You can do both parks in one day if Disneyland permits you to park hop, and use Maxpass. In that case, you will need to be open-minded about the experience. Touring both parks intensively is only possible if attractions are not the focus. No matter how you do the resort, a great target for the number of attractions is ten. If you can squeeze in ten rides in one day. It’s been good. Here are ten attractions aimed at giving you the most of the Disneyland park experience:
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
The Enchanted Tiki Room
The Jungle Cruise
Pirates of the Caribbean
Rise of the Resistance
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mad Tea Party
Space Mountain
