How Many Days Do You Need at Disneyland California? 2023
Planning a trip to Disneyland in California and wondering how many days you will need?
This is a very common question a lot of people have when planning their Disneyland vacation.
As a frequent Disney traveler and a travel agent who specializes in Disney, I am excited to help you answer this question, “How many days do you need at Disneyland?”
How Many Days Do You Need at Disneyland?
If you’ve ever been to Walt Disney World in Florida you know it consists of 4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT), 2 waterparks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), and a massive Disney Springs area.
Disneyland California, however, consists of two theme parks and a smaller Downtown Disney area.
So, as you can see you won’t need as many days at the California park as you would the Florida park.
How many days you need at Disneyland is not really a straightforward answer though. It will depend on a number of factors such as:
- Will you be traveling with kids?
- Do you plan on staying on Disney property?
- Is your Disneyland vacation part of a more extensive Southern California trip?
- Are you visiting Disneyland during a busy time?
- Will you be getting Genie Plus?
- What is your budget?
Will you be traveling with kids?
I have 3 kids myself and we’ve been visiting Disney since they were all babies. Let’s be honest, everything with kids just takes longer; especially if they are babies or toddlers! Think about how many times you will have to frequent the restrooms at Disney.
Plus, visiting with kids means setting aside extra time to meet the characters, see the parades and do character meals.
Speaking of character meals, these are a must at Disney with kids. Kids will enjoy meeting their favorite characters and even getting their autographs!
🛍️ Expert Tip: Make sure to pick up an autograph book from Amazon before your trip to save money!
But character meals are not just for kids, if you are anything like me, you just might enjoy character meals even more than your kids. 🤪
If you are traveling with kids, I definitely recommend having at least 3 days at Disneyland. 4 would be even better!
This gives you 2 full days at Disneyland Park, where there are A LOT of rides. Also, time to see the parades, shows, and fireworks and even take a mid-afternoon break.
I would also allow another day to spend time at the amazing park, Disney California Adventure.
Do You Plan on Staying On Disney Property?
You might be thinking why would staying on Disney property determine how many days at Disneyland?
This is because staying on property at one of the three Disneyland hotels (Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa) provides a HUGE benefit.
And that huge benefit is Early Entry! During Early Entry, Disney hotel guests can enter the park 30 minutes before everyone else. You can get SO much done during this time before the park opens to everyone else.
Besides Early Entry, you are also in a prime location with easy accessibility to walk to and from the park if you want to take a mid-day break.
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is even located right next to Disney’s California Adventure. They have a special entrance just for their guests that is located next to Grizzly River Run. This is especially nice if you get soaked on this water rafting ride. You could easily make a quick walk back to your hotel room to change into dry clothes.
Besides these really nice benefits, there’s just something extra magical about staying on Disney property. Once you do it, you will not want to stay any other way!
Is your Disneyland vacation part of a more extensive Southern California trip?
Many people traveling to Southern California might try to squeeze in a visit to the Disneyland Parks as part of a more extensive Southern California vacation.
There are SO many things to do in Southern California including other theme parks such as Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Legoland California.
Some of my favorite things to do in Southern California include walking to the Hollywood Sign and seeing the sea lions and seals in San Diego.
So…if you are trying to squeeze a Disneyland visit into a much more extensive Southern California vacation, ANY number of days at Disneyland is better than no days at all.
➡️ If you will be visiting Southern California with kids on a family vacation, make sure to read 19 Most Amazing Things to Do in Southern California with Kids.
Are you visiting Disneyland during a busy time?
If you happen to be visiting Disneyland during one of the busiest times of the year, you will be spending a lot more time waiting, which in turn means you need more time at the park.
The busiest times of the year coincide with holidays and when schools are out. The weeks around Easter are busy because many schools are out for spring break holidays. The week before Christmas and the week between Christmas and New Year are also very crowded because of the holiday and the kids being out of school.
Disneyland also has special events throughout the year that bring in lots of crowds such as the Oogie Boogie Bash, a fun Halloween party.
Will you be getting Genie Plus?
In case you’re wondering, “What is Genie Plus?” Genie Plus is an extra add-on you can purchase to get ahead of the lines at Disneyland. This eliminates waiting in many of the long lines at the park, which means you can do SO much more in the time you have.
For example, if you purchase Genie Plus you might be able to do everything you wanted to do in 2 days versus 3 days without Genie Plus.
Expert Tip: If you happen to be visiting Disneyland during the busiest times of the year such as the Christmas holidays, I highly recommend purchasing Genie Plus.
What is your budget?
Unfortunately, most of us have budgets, right? So, our budget might determine how many days we can spend at the most magical place on Earth. And Disney is not cheap…
➡️ Need help trying to figure out how many days you can fit into your budget. Contact me and I can provide you with a free no-obligation quote.
My Recommendation for How Many Days You Need at Disneyland
The ideal amount of days for most people spending time at the Disneyland Resort is 3 days with a Park Hopper pass.
You might be wondering where did I get this magic number from? Here are my thoughts…
You need 2 days to experience most of what Disneyland Park has to offer. And then 1 day to experience Disney California Adventure Park. I recommend the Park Hopper to use on your last day to ride your favorite rides you want to ride again or one that you may have happened to miss at the other park.
Although, I’m saying 3 days is the ideal amount for most people. Those traveling with kids might benefit from 4 days. That 4th day will allow for a much more relaxing trip!
Why 2 days at Disneyland Park?
Disneyland Park is Disney’s original park. It’s the park that started it all!
It has around 40 rides and attractions including classic Disney rides such as it’s a small world, Peter Pan’s Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise, The Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain. And it even has one of the newest lands, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge!
Not only does it have so many amazing rides, but you’ll also want to take time to watch the parades and the nighttime fireworks show. You’ll also want to allow time to leisurely stroll down Main Street USA and enjoy all the shops and sights.
Why Just 1 Day at Disney California Adventure Park?
Disney California Adventure Park does not have as many rides and attractions as Disneyland Park, so 1 day here is sufficient.
Here at this park, you’ll find Pixer Pier, Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster, Soarin’, and Avengers Campus including Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission: BREAKOUT.
Most people will be able to see and do all these attractions in 1 day.
Park Hopper at Disneyland Parks
Can’t decide how much time you’d like to spend at each park? Then a Park Hopper is an excellent idea. A Park Hopper allows you to spend time at both parks in 1 day!
Park Hoppers are especially useful if it happens to rain during your visit because some of the rides shut down in the rain.
For example, the popular must-see attraction Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure will shut down if it rains! On our recent visit, this super popular ride was shut down the entire day because of rain. Apparently, the tracks have to be completely dry for it to run. If you have a Hopper, you could always come back on your other park days to ride.
Book your Disneyland Vacation Package
Now that you have a better idea of how many days you need at the happiest place on Earth, let’s get your hotel and tickets booked!
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FAQs
Is 1 day enough for both Disneyland Parks?
If you’re looking to just get a glimpse of Disneyland Parks, you could definitely do 1 day. But just know, there will be A LOT of things that you will not be able to see and do.
Is 2 days enough for Disneyland?
Two days is a great number of days to spend at Disneyland. You could spend 1 day at Disneyland Park and 1 day at Disney California Adventure.
You might not be able to do everything, but this is a decent amount of time at the parks to do almost everything you want to do.
Is 5 days too long for Disneyland?
Five days is a good amount of days for Disneyland. You could definitely see most if not all of everything in 4 days.
Five days at Disneyland is great for those that do not plan on spending the entire day at the parks and want to have a more leisurely experience.
For example, you could head to Disneyland Park in the morning and take a break at your hotel after lunch…take a nap, or go swimming. You could go back to the park later that afternoon or Downtown Disney instead.
What is the best month to go to Disneyland?
Any month at Disneyland is the best time to go! Seriously!!
Even though the busy times of the year such as Spring Break and Christmas are crowded, they are very doable and you can still have a magical time. If you are worried about the wait, I recommend purchasing Genie Plus.
Disneyland vs California Adventure?
Trying to decide between Disneyland or California Adventure, read this post to find the best one for you!
Final Thoughts: How Many Days Do You Need at Disneyland?
How many days you need at Disneyland is not a straight answer. It depends on a number of factors such as if you are traveling with kids, the time of the year you are visiting, and if your vacation is part of a more extensive Southern California trip.
Overall though, the perfect amount of days at Disneyland that I recommend is 3 Days with a Park Hopper pass.
No matter how many days you decide are good for you, you will have a magical time!
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