This is an entry for “Early Entry” in our Disneyland 101 Glossary: Disneyland Resort definitions in under 101 words, from Mouse Brief.
Update: The last day for the Early Entry perk at Disneyland Resort will be January 4, 2026. We are keeping this post here for informational purposes, but please be aware that this benefit is ending and will no longer be available beginning on January 5, 2026. For more ideas on how to extend your time in the Disneyland Resort parks, keep reading after the glossary entry.
Disneyland Resort has historically offered the benefit of early, pre-opening, access to the parks to select groups of guests. The most recent iteration of this perk is called Early Entry, which provides guests of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels with the opportunity to enter a designated park thirty minutes before official opening with access to select attractions, shops and restaurants. These guests must also have tickets and park reservations. In the past, this benefit has existed in different names and forms. Examples of past offerings include Magic Mornings and Extra Magic Hours.
The last day for the Early Entry benefit is January 4, 2026. We may see this benefit return in another form in the future. For the time being, Disney has not shared any plans for this. For other idea about how to experience more time at Disneyland Resort, please keep reading.
Ways to Spend Extra Time at Disneyland Resort (aka Early Entry Alternatives)
Today, January 4, 2026, is the last day for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests to use the Early Entry benefit in the theme parks at Disneyland Resort. Perks—like Early Entry—which allowed certain groups of guests to spend extra time in the parks, have a long history at Disneyland Resort. You may have heard them called “Magic Mornings” or “Extra Magic Hours.” Starting January 6, 2026, there will be no benefit of this type for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests or others.
So, what are other ways you can experience extra time in the parks during your Disneyland Resort visit? While no other strategy will give you the magic of the Early Entry pre-opening time in the park, there are still ways you can enjoy more time in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Keep reading to learn about these strategies.
Get Extra Park Time with Parties
While Early Entry mornings are no longer being offered, you can still hang-out in Disneyland after closing with one of the hard ticket events. These are after-hours themed parties with event-specific admission. In other words, general admission tickets or Magic Keys will not get you into these parties, you need to purchase a special party ticket. Effectively, this means the crowds at these events are smaller than during regular operating hours.
Generally, these “separately ticketed events” happen at just one of the parks, and only select attractions at that park are open to guests. However, there are usually bonus offerings exclusive to the parties. This might include things like special rare character meet and greets, unique entertainment or special themed photo opportunities.
If you want to visit either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park outside of regular hours, these parties might be for you. Check the Disneyland Resort calendar for what is coming-up. These events can and do sell-out, so you will want to make note of when tickets go on sale. Examples of these parties can be found in the 2026 Disneyland calendar. At Disneyland Park, there are the Disneyland After Dark nights at Disneyland Park: Sweethearts’ Nite, 70 Years of Favorites, Disney Channel Nite, Star Wars Nite and Pride Nite. Over at Disney California Adventure Park, there is the popular Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party. Note that Disneyland Resort does not currently have a separately ticketed Christmas party.
The events listed above are open to anyone who purchases a ticket. There are also after-hours events that are exclusive to certain groups. An example of this would be Grad Nites for graduating high school seniors.
Do Some Yoga or Attend Boot Camp
There is still a way you can enter Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park before they open for the day. It will cost you some money and some sweat, but you can take a fitness class in the parks! Disneyland Resort Hotels guests have access to special Disney fitness classes. Many of some of these classes take place on hotel property, but others actually happen inside the parks themselves.
While you will not get to ride any attractions during this special pre-opening time, you will get to rise with the parks and experience a golden time before opening! Check the Disneyland Resort activities calendar to find out what classes are being offered during your stay. You will need to register and pay an extra fee to attend one of these classes.
Enter Disneyland Before it Opens
This is not exactly a secret, but many visitors do not know that regular park guests can actually enter Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park before they officially open for the day. You do not need special status or a special ticket in order to do this. Admissions cast members routinely admit guests about half a hour or more before the parks’ official opening time.
Now, you will not be able to ride any attractions before official “rope drop,” but you can go in and enjoy the ambience of the parks and even grab a morning beverage. We treasure this pre-opening time and take advantage of it every time we visit. To learn all about this pre-opening procedure, read our post: What Time Does Disneyland Open? And for our best tips on how to actually get you and your group to the Disneyland Resort parks so early, read our How We Get to Disneyland In Time for Opening (aka Rope Drop). Both posts cover strategies for entering Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park before they actually open.
For advice on what to do once the parks do officially open, see What to Do First at Disneyland Park and What to Do First at Disney California Adventure Park. We get even more specific with The First Ride We Do at Disneyland and 5 Reasons Why
Stay in Disneyland After It Closes
So, you can enter the parks early, but you can also stay late. We already covered Disneyland Resort’s separately ticketed after-hours parties, but you can also hang-around theme parks after closing using just general admission. The posted closing times for the parks are the official times when cast members will stop allowing guests to enter attraction queues. You are not automatically expelled from the parks at closing. Instead, you will be allowed to wait for and ride any attraction for which you have already entered the queue. This gives you one last ride and a little extra time in the parks!
Historically, shops in the parks’ entrance lands have also stayed open after closing to allow for one last souvenir purchase. I personally skip the shopping but use this bonus after-hours time to enjoy the beautiful lighting and relatively uncrowded lands.
You can read more about the closing procedures for Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park here: When Does Disneyland Close?
Enjoy Disneyland Resort Time Outside of the Parks
Finally, you can extend your enjoyment of Disneyland Resort, by also finding some special Disney experiences outside of the parks themselves. The Disneyland Resort Hotels are beautiful and imaginative, and we wrote about enjoying them here: 5 Ways to Get the Best Value From Your Disneyland Resort Hotel. We also have ideas for enjoying other areas of Disneyland Resort, and we share them in Terrific Ways to Have Fun at Disneyland Without a Ticket. We like to take advantage of these special opportunities on our “rest days,” and we wrote about that here Maximize Value: Take a Rest Day at Disneyland. Incidentally, taking rest days also helps us have the stamina to arrive at the parks before opening and stay after closing!
Thanks for reading all about our Early Entry alternatives!
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