We have already shared that we like to be in Disneyland Park before it officially opens for the day. We like to snap a few photos and stroll leisurely down Main Street U.S.A. Then, once the attraction queues open at rope drop, we start riding! So which attractions do we do in the early morning and what should you do first at Disneyland? Keep reading for our suggestions.
Where to Start Your Day in Disneyland Park
Early morning at Disneyland Park is one of the best times (the other is just before closing) to experience popular attractions. Crowds are low and you are fresh and ready to get the most out of your day. We definitely recommend getting to Disneyland Park as close to opening as possible and heading for popular rides. However, we recommend skipping the two (or three) most popular attractions and going with our suggestions instead. Here is why.
Skip the Most Popular Disneyland Rides in the Morning
As low as the crowds are at the beginning of the day, a large percentage of those early risers are also looking to hit the most popular rides early. Many people are going to head straight for Peter Pan’s Flight. This may seem like a smart move, because Peter Pan’s Flight almost always has a long wait, and it does not offer Lightning Lanes. However, so many people head here first that, unless you are at the front of the pack, you are going to still have a long wait. This is a popular AND low-capacity attraction.
Those early morning minutes are valuable. We do not advise you to spend that first half hour of the morning waiting in line for Peter Pan’s Flight when you could experience multiple attractions during that time.
Even more rope-droppers will head to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This is a popular ride with perpetually long waits, plus it is not included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Again, it seems like a good choice, but the line builds very quickly here. PLUS, the pre-show and actual ride time for Rise of the Resistance is long, so much of your morning will be dedicated to this one ride. If that does not convince you to look elsewhere, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is also prone to unexpected maintenance closures, so we do not think it is a good use of precious morning minutes.
Likewise, Indiana Jones Adventure is also notorious for not opening with the park due to maintenance issues. Indiana Jones Adventure is not necessarily a bad ride for opening, but be sure to keep an eye on closures.
Do These Disneyland Fantasyland Rides First Instead!
Instead of heading for the park’s top few rides, we start our mornings in Fantasyland focused on basically everything but Peter Pan’s Flight. We might start our day with Dumbo, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Mad Tea Party, Alice in Wonderland or Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. We will probably be done with all of these rides before most guests make it through the entrance turnstiles. There are several reasons we start with these attractions.
Short but Sweet Ride Times
Most Fantasyland attractions are short but sweet. We think these rides are quintessential Disney experiences. Many of them are from the opening days of Disneyland, and we want to ride them every time we visit. Most Fantasyland attractions are also very short in duration. Riding them in the morning allows us to pack many attractions into the valuable morning hours, and we like the sense of magic and accomplishment that gives us right from the start.
For this reason, we might not do the Storybook Land Canal Boats or Casey Jr. Circus Train, also in Fantasyland, until we have experienced other Fantasyland attractions. Those two are longer rides we might save until a little later
All in the Neighborhood
Disneyland Park’s Fantasyland is a densely packed area. The rides’ entrances are very close together, and the walkways are relatively narrow. This makes Fantasyland a pinch point when crowds are at their peak, but it also makes Fantasyland a great choice for the mornings. We love that we can leave our stroller parked and hop quickly from attraction to attraction.
Open Outdoor Queues
Because the attractions are so close together, we are able to visually assess the queues as we exit one attraction and look for our next choice. Plus, most of the Fantasyland queues are outside. These outdoor queues can become unpleasant in the heat of a summer day, but in the morning they allow us to easily see an attraction’s wait for ourselves.
Surprising Character Moments
We like to be in Fantasyland first thing in the morning for a reason that has nothing to do with efficiency. In our experience, Fantasyland is a great place to witness spontaneous character interactions during the magical early morning hours. We have seen Peter Pan skipping around his attraction and the Pearly Band riding Kind Arthur Carrousel while Mary Poppins dances with children.
It is such a delight to witness these charming moments before the characters get swallowed but the thick crowds of the afternoon. We have a plan for so much of our morning, but these unplanned moments are what make it magical.
Ineffable Fantasyland Magic
On that same note, we like starting in Fantasyland because it really embodies the spirit of Disneyland. This land is the heart of the original Disney park and has so many rides from Disneyland’s early days. There is just something about soaring over the park on Dumbo’s back that makes you feel like you have truly arrived at the Happiest Place on Earth. It is a great place to start any day.
Thank you for reading our suggestions on what to do first in Disneyland.
We hope you have found this post helpful. We have a post on Disneyland’s official and unofficial opening here and a general guide to plan your Disneyland visit here. To make sure you get future posts in your inbox, please subscribe below. Thanks again for reading!