Attempting to do it all at Disneyland is a daunting task. There are nearly fifty attractions in Disneyland Park alone. That doesn’t even include the attractions at California Adventure.

Despite there being so much to see and do, many people decide to go to Disneyland for only one day for one reason or another. You may one of them.

While it’s impossible to do everything in just one day, if you have a strategy in place, it’s entirely possible to enjoy many attractions and experiences.

In this post, I’ll offer eight tips that’ll help you maximize your time if you only have one day to spend. If your goal is to ride as many attractions as possible, you’ve come to the right blog.

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1) Choose Your Park Wisely

A cake designed after Miguel and Dante in the lobby of the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland.

The resort consists of two theme parks - Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. When deciding to only spend one day at one park, you need to decide which one is most important to you because it isn’t worth the extra money to park hop on a single-day ticket.

Most people choose Disneyland Park over DCA but what you should know is Disneyland has nearly 50 attractions to DCA’s 20. Keep in mind that Disney uses the word “attractions” as a catch-all for their offerings. I’m only counting attractions you can actually ride.

With that wide of a gap between the two, you need to decide which park’s attractions appeal to you the most. They each have an equal amount of “thrill” rides whereas Disneyland has more of the traditional, easy-going dark rides than DCA does.

Getting DCA done in a single day is entirely doable. Disneyland - not so much. Disneyland is generally busier and has more than double the attractions than its sister park. So choose wisely. Remember, a single-day ticket costs the same no matter which park you choose.

2) Make a List of “Must-Do” Attractions

Mickey Mouse characters on Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disneyland.

Once you’ve decided which park you’re going to visit, research that park’s attractions and make a list of the top ten you want do most. Ten attractions in one day is realistic and a great starting point. Anything after that is a bonus.

Avoid trying to do everything. There’s too many variables for that. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but chances are you’ll just wind up disappointed. Also, come up with plan b’s on your list in case your first choice is closed or temporarily unavailable.

If you’re looking to hit the popular attractions and are choosing DCA, some you’ll want to consider are Mission Breakout, Radiator Springs Racers, WEB Slingers, Incredicoaster and Soarin’.

Across the esplanade at Disneyland, a few of the most popular attractions include Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Rise of the Resistance, Indiana Jones Adventure and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

3) Rope Drop, Rope Drop, Rope Drop

The loading station for Space Mountain at Disneyland.

Prior to the official park opening time - usually around thirty minutes - Disney allows guests to access the hub area of the park but has the individual lands “roped off”. Then, when the park officially opens, they drop the rope (hence, rope drop) and you’re off to the races.

The reason I recommend rope drop so much is because the first two hours of park opening (especially at Disneyland) are the prime hours to get many attractions done. It may seem like a lot of people are there to rope drop as well but once they spread out, the wait times on most rides are minimal.

If you’re there for thrills, always start rope drop at Tomorrowland and go straight to Space Mountain. The worst I’ve waited for Space at rope drop was five minutes, but it’s usually a walk-on. If you’re there for the kiddie rides, head straight for the castle into Fantasyland and ride Peter Pan, first thing.

For context, the photo above was taken of the Space Mountain loading station just three minutes after rope drop. As you can see, it was a walk-on.

4) Buy Genie+

A photo of one of the Finding Nemo submarines at Disneyland.

Disney introduced its Genie+ service back in 2021 as the replacement for FastPass/MaxPass. Each day, you’re given a certain number of allotments (one per attraction), allowing you to bypass the stand-by queue. As a result, you often end up with a minimal wait.

Genie+ isn’t cheap, though. Buying this service is going to cost you, at least, another $30 per ticket. Where you lose monetarily, you gain in time. If your goal is to indeed ride as many attractions as you possibly can, then it’s a wise investment.

*PRO TIP: Purchase Genie+ for $30 ahead of time, when you purchase your ticket. If you do it day-of your visit, you’re subject to dynamic pricing and could end up paying up to $10 more.

Remember, you can only redeem ONE Genie+ allotment per attraction, per day. So use it in conjunction with rope drop and resist the temptation to use it before 10:00am. This way, you can use Genie+ to ride some of your favorites a second time.

5) Purchase Individual Lightning Lanes

People riding Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure.

One downfall to Genie+ is not all attractions are on the service. What’s worse is that two mega-popular attractions, Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance, are not only NOT on the service, but you’re forced to pay extra to bypass the often hefty stand-by queue.

These attractions often see 60-70 minute (or more) stand-by queues. Wait times like that will put a serious damper on your day when you only have one. If “Rise” or “Racers” is on your list as a must-ride, then bite the bullet.

Pricing for Individual Lightning Lanes are dynamic (meaning they’re based on demand). The following prices are typical:

Stormtroopers in the Rise of the Resistance ride at Disneyland.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: $23 - $30
Radiator Springs Racers: $7 - $19

I’ve seen both at every end of the spectrum. Rise NEVER drops below $23. If you’re visiting in the winter or spring, it’ll probably be around that. Conversely, if you’re visiting in the summer or during the holidays, expect to see it at the $30 mark, possibly higher.

Racers is a craft shoot as I’ve seen it as low as $7, as high as $19 and around the middle at $12. Again, demand in the biggest driver, and that could occur even on the slowest of days. So as always, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

*PRO TIP: You can negate having to pay for ILL for Radiator Springs Racers by following the tip below.

6) Take Advantage of Single Rider Queues

Matterhorn Mountain with the Monorail going by at Disneyland.

The single rider queue can save Disney-goers a significant amount of time. In fact, I recommend using it, whenever possible, during rope drop to save even more time. Disney uses single rider as a way to fill empty space in the ride vehicles. They get higher capacity rates and you get on the attraction faster. It’s a win-win.

While not all attractions have single rider queues, many do. They are:

Disneyland Park

Matterhorn Bobsleds
Millennial Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Space Mountain

Incredicoaster in California Adventure at night.

Disney California Adventure

Grizzly River Run
Goofy’s Sky School
Incredicoaster
Radiator Springs Racers
Soarin’ Around the World
WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

Even if you’re not a solo rider, you can still take advantage of this. Keep in mind, though, that you and your party will likely be split up into separate ride vehicles. DON’T be that person that argues with the cast member about your party getting split up. If it’s important for your group to ride together, then don’t get in the single rider queue.

This mostly works if it’s just you, or you and one other person who doesn’t mind riding alone. Using single rider with small children isn’t a good idea. The cast members may have you exit and get into the stand-by queue if they’re too young.

7) Buy Your Ticket Ahead of Time

A photo of Mickey's Fun Wheel at Disney California Adventure.

Everything is digital these days, and the Disneyland Resort is no different. Buying your tickets through the Disneyland app or website is quick and easy. The cast member will scan the ticket on your phone and send you on your way, saving you a boat load of time.

If you’re sticking with just one day at the park, the last thing you’ll want to do is waste time at the ticket booths, waiting in line to buy your ticket. Those lines get long, and it isn’t unheard of to spend upwards of an hour waiting. That’s an hour that you do not have.

8) Choose Quick Service & Utilize Mobile Order for Dining

The mobile order pick up window at Lucky Fortune Cookery in California Adventure.

You’re going to burn a ton of calories walking around the parks all day, so it’s important to replenish those calories and keep yourself hydrated. For the latter, I recommend bringing a refillable bottle so you can refill on the go (and save money in the process). For the former, utilize mobile order and quick service dining.

Mobile order allows you to save time by placing a food oder for your favorite restaurants through the Disneyland app ahead of time. You can make your food selections, choose your pick-up time and pay, all through the app.

Gumbo and beignet lunch at Tiana's Palace in Disneyland.

In the past, Disney’s quick service restaurants weren’t known for their delicious fare. While some still remain in that realm (lookin’ at you, Pizza Planet), many have made the leap into culinary delights, offering flavorful food that rival some of the traditional ones.

Quick service restaurants have it right in the name; they’re quick. Combine that with Disney’s mobile order service and you can enjoy a fast, scrumptious meal before getting back to the attractions. Some of my favorite quick service eateries include: