As Disneyland locals we have gone to Disney at just about any time of day. We have wrestled with the question, is it better to go to the parks in the morning or the evening? Our conclusion: BOTH. However, there are some pros and cons so it just depends on what your focus is. Here’s our evaluation of both.
Morning
Pros: If you are purchasing a one day ticket, or if you’re not an annual pass holder, we recommend you go when the park opens. Especially if your focus is getting on all the rides! The park is typically emptier in the morning so you can get on good number of rides first thing. We also suggest that you go on the rides with the biggest crowds first thing.
In Disneyland that would be:
Peter Pan
Space Mountain
Matterhorn
Indiana Jones
Splash Mountain (in the summer only)
In California Adventure that would be:
IncredicoasterGuardians of the Galaxy
Cars
Soarin' over the World
Grizzly River Rapids (in the summer only)
It’s also important to work the FastPass system. Be sure to grab a fast pass for one of these rides, and jump straight on another while the wait times are low. Typically if you go in the morning you can grab a fast pass for pretty soon after you’ve chosen it. If you decide to purchase MaxPass, even better!
Cons: The parking garage can be backed up if you go first thing in the morning. We recommend going at least 30-45 minutes before park open to get your parking spot and get into the park. Allow an extra 15-30 minutes if you need to purchase your ticket for the day. Depending on the time of year, the weather can affect you. Also, if you’re focused on getting some good photos it can get bright pretty quickly and the lighting isn’t the best. In the summer it can also get pretty warm in the morning so be sure to drink lots of water!
Evening
Pros: If your focus is photos, you’ve come to the right place! The lighting typically is best in the late afternoon/early evening so this would be the best time to get some photos. You can also walk around the shops and eat some yummy treats. Another Pro is the shows! You can catch Fantasmic or the Fireworks in Disneyland. You can also catch the Paint the Night parade in California Adventure which is always fun to watch. If you have already seen these shows before, or it’s just not your thing, this is the perfect time to jump on rides! Another positive thing about coming in the evening is that the parking garage becomes way easier to park in. The majority of people have already parked their cars so at this point, cars are just trickling in and you may luck out and find a closer spot than if you would have come in the morning.
Cons: Many of the big rides may be out of fast passes at this point or the lines may be getting a bit longer (except when shows are happening) . Also, it’s important to make note of when the parades and shows are happening. It tends to get congested in those specific areas so if you need to leave you will want to steer clear of those or you may get trapped in traffic.
We hope these tips help you create your best day ever. Whether you decide to go in the morning or the evening, you are sure to have a great time. There has never been a time where we went to Disneyland and have come back miserable (I don’t think that’s possible). So just go out there, and make it amazing.
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