2 Day Disneyland Itinerary: Are Two Days Enough?
This 2 day Disneyland itinerary explains how to hit the highlights in a short trip, where to stay, what to eat, what to wear, and other travel tips to make your quick Disneyland trip a success.
Disneyland California is probably one of the best known family vacation destinations. I grew up visiting Disneyland every few years and made some of my favorite memories there.
Visiting Disney as an adult, I’ve enjoyed the childhood nostalgia and learned to appreciate the more adult-oriented aspects such as dining and drinking.
Now that I live in Arizona, Disney is a quick 5-hour drive or 1-hour flight away, making it an easy weekend trip.
Some people will make Disneyland a full week vacation, with multiple park days, a few hotel days, and maybe a beach day in between. For me, a weekend is the perfect amount of time.
It allows a full day in each park and enough time to see the highlights. However, there are a ton of rides and foods to try, which can be tricky to fit into a day if you aren’t efficient.
Lucky for you, I’ve done the planning, learned through trial and error and put together this guide to two days in Disneyland.
This simple and perfect itinerary will help you maximize your fun, minimize time in lines, and ensure you can see the highlights in only two days.
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2 Day Disneyland Itinerary – Overview
While many take much longer Disneyland vacations, 2 days is actually a great amount of time to visit. To see everything in the parks and optimize your time, be sure to have two full days in the park. That means arriving the night before and departing the following morning of your two park days.
Since there are two parks in Disneyland, I recommend a simple split of one park per day. Purchase a two-day, single park per day ticket. A park hopper ticket is not necessary for this guide, which will save you some money.
Since your two days in Disneyland will be packed with seeing the parks, use any extra time you have on your arrival or departure days to explore Downtown Disney and the resorts.
Some great activities in Downtown Disney are shopping, getting a fun drink or meal at Trader Sam’s, or tasting beer at Ballast Point Brewing.
Intro to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes
If you are planning a Disneyland vacation, chances are you have come across mention of Genie+ and lightning lanes. For a first timer, this system can be super overwhelming.
If you are familiar with Disney’s fastpass system, Genie+ is essentially the newest version of it. First, here are some definitions that may help:
Disney Genie – an AI tool on the Disney app that helps you plan your day in a Disney Park. The tool starts by collecting your interests, then suggests a daily itinerary that will help you visit those interests throughout the day. This tool is great in concept, but I think planning on your own will be the best use of time.
Genie+ – a paid service, around $25 per person, per day that allows you to access lightning lanes throughout the day and includes a photo pass to download all your professional pictures from the parks.
Lightning Lane – priority lane that can be accessed in two ways. 1) Booking a timeslot using Genie+ and 2) purchasing an individual lightning lane. Individual lightning lanes are offered for a few attractions per park and cost additional money.
Easy Approach to Genie+
If you purchase Genie+, there are some restrictions to consider:
- You can begin reserving lightning lanes when the park opens the day you plan to visit
- You can only hold one lightning lane reservation at a time or every two hours. Choose reservations that are early in the day, so you have time to redeem multiple.
- Individual lightning lane reservations do not count toward your one reservation at a time quota.
To use Genie+, I recommend the following strategy. The goal is to redeem as many lightning lanes as possible, on the rides you most want to hit.
- If you are interested in the individual lightning lane attractions, purchase them at the start of the day
- Make a list of the top 3 genie+ lightning lane attractions you want to hit
- Once reservations open for the day, book whichever ride in your top 3 has the earliest return time
- Once you hit this ride, get another lightning reservation that has the soonest return time. This may or may not be a ride in your top 3, depending how the time slots are filling up.
- Continue reserving additional lightning lanes as soon as you can, until you ride them all.
- If you are unable to catch a time slot for your priority 3 rides, plan to visit them at the end of the day when the standby lines are shorter.
One Day Disneyland Park Itinerary
What Attractions to Rope Drop in Disneyland
Rope drop occurs at the opening of a Disney Park. To fit the most into your 2-day Disneyland itinerary, I recommend rope dropping both days. Arrive at the park 45 minutes before it opens.
The main gates will begin allowing people into the parks 30 minutes before opening, then you can gather on Main Street USA in Disneyland or Buena Vista Street for California Adventure.
At park opening, you can be first in line for popular attractions, allowing you to hit 2-3 without any wait times.
It’s important to rope drop strategically to make the most of your time and hit the busiest attractions before they get crowded.
The best attraction to rope drop in Disneyland is Pirates of the Caribbean. Its my personal favorite, it is not included in Genie+, and it always gets busy throughout the day.
If you have kids, I recommend rope dropping Peter Pan or Mr Toad’s Wild ride because these attractions also get busy quickly and are very family friendly.
Top 3 Foods to Eat in Disneyland
I wrote an entire post on what to eat in Disneyland, but to keep it short, here are the top 3 things you must eat during your trip:
- Birria Grilled Cheese – Jolly Holiday
- Steak Skewers – Bengal Barbecue
- Dole Whip – Tropical Hideaway
What to Wear in Disneyland
For Disneyland, there are a few directions you can go. One option is wearing Disneyland-specific themed items, such as the shirts or hats in the top left of the above graphic that refer to the theme park as a whole.
Another idea is to dress based on of the “lands” inside the park such as the items in the bottom left of the image. For example, a princess shirt for fantasy land or star wars ears for galaxy’s edge.
Since Disneyland is the original Disney park, its also a great place to break out your classic Mickey Mouse gear such as the items in the bottom right.
For a more subtle approach to Disney, I love the Mickey Mouse jewelry shown in the top right.
Check out my entire guide to what to wear to Disneyland
Popular Attractions in Disneyland
When deciding what to do during one day in Disneyland, it’s important to know what the best attractions are. Below is a short list of the most popular things to do and see in the Disneyland park:
- Main Street USA
- Tomorrowland – Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Space Mountain, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Toontown – Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Fantasyland – Sleeping Beauty Castle, Storybook Land Canal
- Frontierland – Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat
- Adventureland – Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones Adventure
- New Orleans Square – Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion
- Critter Country – Splash Mountain
- Star Wars Galaxy Edge – Rise of the Resistance, Smugglers Run
One Day California Adventure Itinerary
What Attractions to Rope Drop in California Adventure
Above, I describe the concept of rope drop. The best attractions to rope drop in California Adventure are Webslingers or Mission Breakout.
These are both popular attractions that rack up long wait times. Webslingers is currently offered as an individual lightning lane, but you can save yourself some money by rope dropping instead.
You may be tempted to apply this same strategy to Radiator Springs Racers, which also offers an individual lightning lane. However, you are better off spending the money or using the single rider line to get on this attraction.
On my recent trip, the standby wait time was up to two hours within 10 minutes of the park opening. This long wait is not worth wasting your rope drop energy.
What to Eat in California Adventure
Again, I wrote an entire post on what to eat in California Adventure, but here are the top 3 eats:
- Quesabirria Tacos – Cocina Cucamonga
- Jack Jacks Cookies – Cookie Stand
- Tater Tots with Beer Cheese – Pym Test Kitchen
What to Wear in California Adventure
Similar to the outfit ideas for Disneyland, you can take the same approach to what to wear to California adventure. In the top left, I show shirt ideas that are themed to DCA specifically.
In the bottom of the graphic are land-themed shirts. For Disney’s California Adventure, some fun themes are Marvel, the Incredibles, or Cars which relate to Avenger’s Campus, Pixar Pier, and Radiator Springs, respectively.
Again, for a more subtle approach, I love the simple accessories in the top right of the collage.
Popular Attractions in Disney California Adventure
These are the top things to do and see in the California Adventure park:
- Buena Vista Street
- Hollywood Land – Monsters Inc Mike & Sulley to the Rescue
- Avengers Campus – Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout, Web Slingers
- Cars Land – Radiator Springs Racers
- San Fransokyo Square
- Pixar Pier – Incredicoaster, Toy Story Midway Mania
- Paradise Gardens Park
- Grizzly Peak – Grizzly River Run, Soarin’
Other Ways to Save Time in Disneyland
In addition to taking advantage of Genie Plus and rope drop, there are a few ways to save yourself valuable time during your vacation.
The first is through mobile ordering. In the Disneyland app, you can place mobile food orders for most counter service restaurants and snack bars. You can select the return time you want your food, then simply pick it up at that time.
Another great way to save time in Disney is using the single rider line. The single rider line is usually much shorter than the standby line and allows individuals to join rides with larger parties to fill the capacity.
The disadvantage to this method is you may be separated from your group, but it’s a great way to get an additional run on some of the most popular rides.
Finally, you can maximize time in the parks by taking advantage of early admission that is a perk of staying onsite at a hotel such as the Grand Californian hotel.
This early admission will allow you 30 extra minutes in either park depending on the day. This will be enough time to hit 1-3 additional attractions.
Where to Stay Near Disneyland
When deciding where to stay near Disneyland, there are basically two options. You can stay on site at a Disney hotel, or offsite.
Staying onsite grants you access to certain benefits such as priority park entry, priority dining reservations, and close access to both parks.
There are three Disney hotels at Disneyland: The Grand Californian, the Disneyland Hotel, and Paradise Pier.
Of these three, the clear best option is the Grand Californian. It has a high price tag, but is very luxurious, the service is excellent, and the location cannot be beat.
For offsite hotels, there are many options. I recommend the Best Western or Sheraton.
The Best Western is directly across the street from the entrance, and the Sheraton is a block further. Both have large rooms for families and decent amenities, but the main benefit is the location.
My favorite good neighbor hotel near Disneyland is Best Western because you cannot beat the location directly across from the parks! Check rates
Packing for the Disney Parks
Preparation is the key to success when it comes to a Disney vacation. I suggest packing the below items to help maintain your comfort the entire day in the park. That way, you will not have to head back to your hotel for anything during the day.
Portable charger– Your phone will be your guide around the park. You will likely use the Disney app for your tickets, Genie+, mobile food orders and to check wait times. To keep your phone from dying, bring a portable charger.
Portable fan– California can get hot, especially in the summer. Pack a portable fan to help stay cool during the day.
Reusable water bottle– Another way to stay cool and hydrated is by packing a reusable water bottle. There are water fountains for refills throughout the park and all quick service restaurants will provide ice water for free.
Fanny pack– A fanny pack is the easiest way to hold your essentials. It can be worn on most rides and easily fits in the baggage area on others.
Why Disneyland is Better than Disney World
This header probably got some of you fired up. Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney World too and even recently spent 2 days visiting. However, if I had to choose a favorite Disney Park, it would be Disneyland.
I love how comfortable and immersive Disneyland is compared to Disney World. Once you arrive on property, you never have to leave the “Disney bubble” until your vacation is over. At Disney World, I found the transit between the parks and Disney Springs to be inconvenient and annoying.
I also appreciate how Disneyland is the original park. While Magic Kingdom is a bigger version of Disneyland, the OG is still the best, in my opinion.
The final reason I think Disneyland is better than Disney World is the food options. Yes, there are great food options in Disney World, but I’m obsessed with the options in Disneyland and California Adventure.
If you’ve visited both, let me know which park is your favorite in the comments below.
Is 2 days enough for Disneyland?
You might be wondering, “how many does do you need at Disneyland?” or “is two days long enough?” The short answer is yes, two days is plenty of time in Disneyland.
Since there are two parks at the Disneyland resort, it’s super easy to split your short trip into one day in each park. One day in a park is plenty of time to hit the most popular rides, taste the food, and see some of your favorite characters.
However, there are some scenarios where 2 days night not be long enough for Disneyland:
- You’re traveling with young kids that need a nap in the middle of the day or cannot start early and go late
- You want to spend time at the resort pool
- Instead of seeing the highlights, you’d prefer a Disneyland itinerary that allows you to ride every ride, see all the character, and watch all the shows.
If any of the above scenarios apply to you, it’s probably worth spending more than 2 days at Disneyland. In that case, I’d extend this Disneyland itinerary from two days to four.
Spending four days in the park will allow you to spend two in each park, at a slower pace.
Overview of this 2 Day Disneyland Itinerary
Overall, by splitting your time between one park each day, this 2 day Disneyland itinerary will allow you to see all the highlights of both parks, eat a ton of amazing food, and have a memorable Disney vacation. Preparation is key, so determine your priority attractions and take advantage of Disney+ to set yourself up for success.
Formula for a successful Disneyland two day itinerary:
- Wake up early and get in line before the parks open. Rope drop is the single best time to hit rides without waiting in lines.
- Invest in Genie+ so you can take advantage of lightning lanes. As a best practice, always have at least one reservation booked so you can take advantage of shorter lines.
- Get individual lightning lanes where possible. Make up for your shortened time by spending a little extra money on these expedited lines. The money you spend on making the most of two days in Disneyland is far less than you would spend by adding an additional day.
- Use mobile order to try all the best food without having to wait for it.
- Relax – at the end of the day, don’t stress about hitting everything and be sure to soak in the Disney magic
Headed to Disney World soon? Check out my guide to two days in Disney World.
FAQ
No you cannot do everything at Disneyland in 2 days. However, two days in Disneyland is a great amount of time to hit the highlights of Disneyland and California Adventure.
I don’t think Park Hopper is worth it for a two day Disneyland itinerary. Since there are only two parks to visit, I recommend visiting one each day. This will also save you a ton of money since single day tickets are less expensive than park hoppers.
Yes, Disney California Adventure is 100% worth including in two days at Disneyland. In fact, I like California as much or more than I like Disneyland. California Adventure is home to great areas such as Avenger’s Campus, Pixar Pier, and San Fransokyo.
Yes, Genie+ is definitely worth it. The best way to fit a full disneyland itinerary in 2 days is by optimizing Genie+ and lightening lanes to save time and hit a ton of rides in a short amount of time.
Related Posts:
- 99+ Disneyland Instagram Captions For a Magical Vacation
- What to Wear to Disneyland in the Summer
- What to Eat in Disneyland
- What to Eat in California Adventure
- Walt Disney World Two Day Itinerary
- What to Wear to Disney in December
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