What Time Does Disneyland Open?

We like to arrive at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park right when they open. Crowds are much lower during the early morning hours. We can take advantage of shorter waits to experience attractions and maximize the value of our Disneyland admission. So what time does Disneyland open?

The official opening times for Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are posted on the Disneyland app and Disneyland website. However, did you know that the park gates open BEFORE that official time? Keep reading for inside tips on experiencing Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park at and before opening time.

So, I Can Enter Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park Before They Open?

Yes. Before your visit to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, check the Disneyland website or app for official opening time. This time (often 8:00am) is the time that park attractions will be opened to general guests. However, you will be able to enter the parks themselves about 30 to 45 minutes before the official opening.

Cast members at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park start letting guests through the turnstiles before official opening. If you have valid admission for the day, you can then start your visit on Main Street U.S.A. in Disneyland Park or Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure Park.

Cast members are at the end of these lands to block guests from entering the rest of the park before official opening time (also called rope drop). However, Disneyland Resort Hotel guests using Early Entry for the day are allowed to access Early Entry attractions (keep reading for more on using Early Entry). Whether you have Early Entry or not, you can visit the shops and restaurants on Buena Vista Street and Main Street U.S.A.

What Happens at Official Opening Time?

At official park opening time, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park each play a recorded opening announcement. At that time, cast members will step aside from the checkpoints at the end of Main Street U.S.A. or Buena Vista Street and all attractions will open. You can now head to your first attraction: the whole park is yours to explore!

Tip: Do keep in mind that some attractions (like Radiator Springs Racers or Indiana Jones Adventure) are notorious for having maintenance issues at opening time. Be prepared to pivot!

What If I Have Early Entry?

If you are staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel and have access to Early Entry, we absolutely encourage you to take advantage of that perk! As a guest of Pixar Place Hotel, Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa you are able to begin experiencing select attraction one half hour before official park opening.

One park is scheduled for Early Entry on each day. A cast member will provide the schedule at the beginning of your stay, or you can check the Disneyland website or app. At that park, certain attractions (not all of them) will begin operating for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests thirty minutes before official opening. For Disneyland Park, these attractions are basically in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. At Disney California Adventure Park, the Early Entry attractions are scattered around the park. You can find a list here.

If you have Early Entry, you will enter the park gates as you normally would: currently, there are no special turnstiles for Early Entry. Then, you will follow Early Entry signs to a checkpoint just for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests. There, a cast member will ask you to show your hotel reservation (or sometimes just a room key) and then allow you further into the park. General guests who are not staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel will be stopped at this and other checkpoints until official opening.

You may experience the Early Entry attractions throughout this extra half hour and then the whole park at official opening. Some people like to use this time to get a head start on official opening crowds and get close to popular non-Early Entry attractions even though they cannot ride them yet. Examples of these rides include Radiator Springs Racers or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

When Does Disneyland Security Open?

Security check-points at Disneyland Resort open around one hour before the parks officially open (so usually about 7:00am). This timing does not take into account Early Entry, but the checkpoints near the Disneyland Resort Hotels may open slightly earlier than those on Harbor Boulevard to accommodate Early Entry guests. You may begin lining-up before the checkpoints officially open.

When Does the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Open?

Guests need to pass through security to enter the Downtown Disney District, so this area opens when security opens. Most Downtown Disney District shops and restaurants will not be open that early, but you should be able to grab a hot coffee or cold smoothie and enjoy the early morning ambiance.

When Does Disneyland Parking Open?

The parking areas at Disneyland Resort open about one hour before the first park officially opens. Again, this time does not account for Early Entry, so this is usually around 7:00am. You will probably see cars lined-up earlier in anticipation of this opening time.

Why Would I Get to Disneyland Early?

A day at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park is special and tickets are expensive. We like to use as many hours of our admission as possible, so entering Disneyland early allows us to maximize the value of our tickets.

Plus, early morning hours have significantly lower crowds, so we regularly experience at least as many attractions within two hours of official opening as we do for the next four. (Be sure to subscribe to see future posts on our strategy for what rides we like to do first.)

On hot days, we usually encounter milder temperatures during these morning hours than we will later in the day.

Finally, we have seen some truly delightful character moments and unexpected entertainment during early hours. If you want to catch the Pearly Band riding King Arthur Carrousel while Mary Poppins dances with guests, the opening hours are your time!

But, Why Would I Get to Disneyland Before It Opens?

So, we have made our case for getting to Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park before they open, but why do we arrive before we can even ride any attractions?

First, there are always lines at Disneyland Resort, and this applies to security and entrance turnstiles. We never know quite how long the wait will be. Rather than impatiently watching as other guests empty their copious pockets for security, we would prefer to peacefully wait in line while enjoying the company of other guests and knowing we are not missing ride-time.

Put another way, we would rather spend pre-opening time waiting in line and use official opening time to experience attractions. Again, admission to Disneyland is expensive! We want to maximize our ticket value, but we do not want to be stressed about it!

Second, we love being at Disneyland, so even milling around Main Street U.S.A. or Buena Vista Street is a delight. There is just something special about those first cinematic steps into the park: Buena Vista Street and Main Street U.S.A. are Imagineering masterpieces and the perfect way to start our park day. Before official opening, we are able to stroll calmly into the park, snap some great photos and maybe grab a cup of coffee or a snack. When the attractions open, we are ready to go!

Finally, did you know that you are able to make Lighting Lane Multi Pass reservations as soon as you cross through the entrance turnstiles? On particularly busy days, you may want to make your first reservation as early as possible. (For more information on Lightning Lane Multi Pass, see our guide here.)

We always start our Disneyland day before official park opening, and we have never regretted waking-up early to do it.

Thank you for reading this post on when Disneyland opens.

We hope you have found this article useful for planning your own Disneyland Resort visit. For future posts on early morning itineraries and which attractions we experience first, please subscribe below. You will get future early morning strategies right in your inbox!

For a guide to planning your Disneyland visit, check-out our Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. If you would like to have access to Early Entry, as mentioned in this post, consider staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel. We have advice on choosing the right now for you, here.