We love Disneyland Resort, and we like to fill our days there with fun from park opening to closing. You can find our family at the gates to Disneyland Park just as they open and marveling at World of Color in Disney California Adventure Park after night falls. But… you will not see us there the next day. That’s right, we no longer do back-to-back days in the parks of Disneyland Resort. We always take a day to “rest” between visits to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Keep reading to find out why we think this practice has made our visits to Disneyland Resort better than ever.
What is a Rest Day at Disneyland Resort?
We consider a “rest day” to be a day that we are outside of the two parks—Disney Park and Disney California Adventure Park—and not using an admission ticket. These days might involve some naps or sleeping-in but not necessarily.
Visiting the parks of Disneyland Resort takes a special kind of energy: we are constantly monitoring virtual queues, navigating our way through heavy crowds with a stroller, throwing our hands up on the Incredicoaster. It is a different kind of energy than the kind we expend in our everyday lives, and we are tired by the end of those days!
We regain our energy by doing something, well, kind of opposite on days in-between our parks visits. If we are tired of having our day dictated by Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations, we do something unstructured and imaginative like visit a splash pad or the Pixar Shorts Court. If we are tired of crowds, we visit a less-popular beach or a natural area like the arboretum at Cal State Fullerton (Actually, the beach is our favorite counter-programming to a parks day, even if it is crowded.)
Why Take a Rest Day at Disneyland?
With us so far? You know we like rest days, so here is why you might want to consider them too.
Maximize the Value of Your Disneyland Tickets
Admission to the Disneyland Resort parks is very expensive. We think taking a rest day helps us maximize the time we do spend in the parks. We do not need to use admission tickets for days outside of the parks. After a day off, we are well rested and full of excitement so we can spend the ENTIRE next day in the parks and make the most of our expensive admission.
You can find out more about Disneyland ticket types in our article here. Remember, you do NOT need to use a multi-day ticket over consecutive days. Read the article to find out more.
Enjoy What Else Disneyland Resort Has to Offer
With a rest day, not only do we maximize the value of our park tickets, we can also maximize the value of our Disneyland Resort visit. If we are staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, we have ample time to enjoy all of the included offerings. In fact, we would not stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel without building-in time to explore and enjoy it.
If we are not staying at an on-site hotel, there are still plenty of other ways to have fun without a ticket to Disneyland, and we love to do just that.
Enjoy What Else Southern California Has to Offer
Hopefully, you manage to mix some other area attractions into your Disneyland Resort visit.
Our first choice is always the beach! We like Crystal Cove State Park and we think the protected “baby beach” near Dana Point Harbor is nice for little ones not used to ocean waves (there are some nearby tide pools as well). The Ocean Institute there has indoor marine activities too.
You know what other area attractions might interest you. There are certainly some other great theme parks in the area, but our family does not find these restful, so we opt instead for a beach day or to visit with friends.
Example of a Disneyland Resort Visit with Rest Days
Elsewhere on this site, we have recommended three-day tickets as a nice multi-day ticket length (you can find-out more about ticket types here). Ideally we would spread those three days out over a week-long visit mixed in with other nearby attractions. Here is an example itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive at Disneyland Resort and check-in to Pixar Place Hotel. Enjoy the pool and Pixar Shorts Court. Head over to Disneyland Hotel and enjoy some food with a view at Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill or Trader Sam’s Enchated Tiki Bar. Watch the fireworks and enjoy the soundtrack from the third-floor roof deck at Pixar Place Hotel.
Day 2: Visit Disneyland Park and/or Disney California Adventure Park!
Day 3: Head to the beach! Visit Crystal Cove State Park. Explore the tide pools, body-surf and enjoy lunch at the Shake Shack overlooking the Historic District. Come back and eat at the hotel and go to bed early. Alternatively, have a quick dinner at somewhere like GCH Craftsman Grill and watch fireworks from the Esplanade.
Day 4: Visit the parks again!
Day 5: Sleep-in. Enjoy the room. Then, have breakfast with characters at Storytellers Cafe. Spend the rest of the day enjoying hotel tours and classes or relaxing at the pool. Have a delicious dinner at a Downtown Disney District spot like Din Tai Fung. Watch an outdoor movie at our Disneyland Resort Hotel that evening and go to bed early.
Day 6: Visit the parks one last time, and have a blast!
Day 7: Check-out of the hotel and head home tired but not too tired to relive all the fun through photos and stories.
Thank you for reading our tips on rest days at Disneyland Resort. We hope you find them helpful.
This article has been full of links to other helpful advice on our site. We hope you take time to explore some of those many posts including Make the Most of Your Disneyland Resort Hotel Stay, Terrific Ways to Have Fun at Disneyland Without a Ticket, and 5 Reasons We Will Return to the Pixar Shorts Court. There are many more linked above. Please also consider subscribing below to get future articles in your inbox. Thanks again for reading!