Disneyland Rope Drop Strategy to Maximize Morning Hours

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Get ready to learn all about Disneyland “rope drop” and why the first two hours at Disneyland Parks is the best way to maximize time! Disneyland insiders know that the first few hours after park opening is ideal to beat the crowds. These are the must-read Disneyland tips for morning itineraries, getting out of the hotel on time and what to do first in the theme parks. Includes important details on how getting in line for Rise of the Resistance factors in.

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This article originally published in 2019 and has been updated and republished with a new date.

Tips to Make the Most of the First Two Hours at Disneyland

Anyone who has been planning their big California vacation wants to maximize time at Disneyland. Making the most of a Disneyland morning is one of the best time-saving Disneyland tips.

Having a plan for your first two hours at Disneyland can mean the difference between walking on rides without a wait first thing in the morning or standing in queue for 90 minutes in mid-afternoon.

It all starts by planning ahead of time, before you even step foot into the theme parks. Disneyland has many moving parts to consider in order to ensure your travel plans go smoothly.

Once inside the park, there are several important ways you can make the most of your first two hours at Disneyland. Having a basic itinerary can mean the difference of spending hours waiting in line versus experiencing more magic in the amusement parks!

What Has Changed Since Disneyland Reopened?

Many factors about the way to tour Disneyland and Disney California Adventure has changed since the theme park reopening. This includes some of the tips mentioned in this article about maximizing the first two hours at Disneyland.

For thoughts on the reservation system, mobile ordering, scoring advance dining reservations and more, be sure to read the things to know about Disneyland this year.

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Disneyland tickets purchased now are good through December 31st, 2024. Purchase your multi-day tickets through Get Away Today now.

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What Happened to FASTPASS at Disneyland?

It’s true, FASTPASS is no longer available at Disneyland or Walt Disney World in Florida. That means Maxpass and the Fastpass lines are gone too. In their place now are Disney Genie, Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane.

This new cut-the-line system is an important factor when maximizing the first two hours at Disneyland.

Buy a Disneyland ticket with Disney Genie+

Guests will want to purchase a Disneyland ticket with Disney Genie+ already built in to save time. Otherwise you’ll have to stop after scanning in at the front gate to purchase Disney Genie+ through the Disneyland app.

With Disney Genie+ available, guests should figure out their plan for which attractions they’ll be heading to first. There are details about this in the following sections.

Individual Lightning Lane is available for three attractions at this time. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland. Radiator Springs Racers is available at California Adventure. These rides are not available through the Disney Genie+ service.

To access these attractions, guests may either wait in the regular stand-by queue or purchase an Individual Lightning Lane. Prices range from between $7-25 per person and can be scheduled and bought through the Disneyland app.

It’s highly recommended to buy those Individual Lightning Lane early in the day, as they can sell out quickly. Once you’re waiting in queue for your first attraction, take the time to buy that LL if you want to avoid the stand by line.

Get Familiar with the Lay of the Lands

If this is your first Disneyland visit, make sure you know your way around a bit before your trip. Study the park map online ahead of time so you aren’t wasting time on your day wandering around. You can check out the Disneyland website before your trip to view the park maps.

Know How to Use the Disneyland App

Using the Disneyland app in the parks can save you a TON of time! You’ll quickly be able to find out the locations of characters, join a virtual queue boarding group (if needed), check show times, and use Mobile Ordering.

It’s a good idea to add the Disneyland Parks app to your smartphone before entering the parks. WiFi is sketchy in the parks so you’ll want to download the app to your smart phone at home. Practice using the app at home to familiarize yourself with its functionality.

Choose Your Disneyland Vacation Dates Wisely

Making the most of your first two hours also depends upon the time of year you are visiting. The Disneyland reservation calendar can give you a hint on whether your park day will be crowded. If the date of your visit is “sold out” or fully booked, you can be sure the parks will be busy.

During holidays and over the weekends, crowds are naturally heavier. Weekdays, particularly Tuesday and Wednesday in the “off-season” are your best bet for lighter crowds. Read more about choosing the best times to visit Disneyland this year.

Disneyland hours vary throughout the year. During off-peak times or when special events take place, the parks close much earlier. However Disneyland hours in the morning are usually still early, which means you can take advantage of the lighter crowds.

For instance, the morning crowds are generally lighter the day after Oogie Boogie Bash takes place during Halloween Time.

Check the Disneyland website or app while planning to get an idea of the Disneyland park hours during your visit.

Have a Disneyland Plan of Attack

If you only have one day at Disneyland, then make sure you are making the most of the first two hours. If you have more than one day, I’d recommend taking at least one of your vacation days to follow this plan.

This doesn’t mean you should sleep until noon on the other days though. I still always recommend that you arrive at rope drop because crowds are considerably less in the mornings. You’ll be able to see and do so much more on your trip if you take advantage of morning hours.

Before you even step inside the gates, I recommend coming up with your morning schedule. Want a personal Disneyland Plan? If you want to schedule out your day, my friend Jessica at The Happiest Blog on Earth can help you create a highly personalized itinerary. Use code Mom for 5% off your personal Disneyland Plan.

Disneyland Mornings Getting Up and Out of the Hotel

If your family was out late the night before, it could be a challenge getting out of the hotel on time the next morning. These are a few ways to ease the morning rush and make it to the parks for Disneyland rope drop!

Bedtime Tips

When my kids are just too excited to sleep, melatonin is the trick! Even I have a tough time sleeping in hotel rooms sometimes. Zarbee’s Naturals Children’s Melatonin supplement comes with us on every trip so that I can ensure my kids are well rested.

Prep the Night Before

Prep as much as you can the night before. That includes organizing the hotel room by setting out outfits, packing a Disneyland day bag and prepping snacks.

Character Wake Up Call

The Disneyland Resort hotels offer a free character wake-up call. How fun to be woken up by Mickey Mouse himself!

Breakfast on the Go

Create grab & go morning bags for each kid. Include a breakfast snack and water bottle in each bag so that kids can eat and drink on the way to the front gate.

Disneyland Morning Itinerary for Little Kids

With younger kids, I’d start in Fantasyland at Disneyland. You’re going to find the most rides without height restrictions in this area. None of the rides listed below have a height requirement so everyone (including babies and toddlers) can ride with an adult.

Is Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland a must-do?

If you want to accomplish rides in your first two hours at Disneyland, I recommend that everyone hit Peter Pan’s Flight first. Wait times are easily 45+ minutes the rest of the day. Even if you head to Peter Pan first thing, know that you’ll likely still spend 20-30 minutes waiting in the morning.

If you only have one early morning, I’d actually suggest completely skipping Peter Pan’s Flight so you can do everything else. The rest of the rides in this area usually have minimal wait first thing in the morning. On a non-holiday season weekday, you can usually complete everything in Fantasyland within two hours.

Disneyland with Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers

Try going on rides in this order to maximize time and minimize lines:

• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Alice in Wonderland
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
• Casey Junior Circus Train

• Mad Tea Party
• King Arthur Carrousel
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
• “it’s a small world”
• Matterhorn Bobsleds (if your child meets the height requirement).

Click through to read more about a single day itinerary if you only have One Day at Disneyland with a Toddler.

Disney California Adventure Park Morning Itinerary for Little Kids

You might have heard that there isn’t as much for little kids to do inside Disney California Adventure park. The loss of a bug’s land to make room for Avengers Campus was a tough blow for families of preschoolers.

However there are still plenty of things to do inside DCA, but not as many rides as Disneyland proper. Don’t skip the park, but here’s my recommendation.

Measure your kids and check height requirements for Disneyland rides before your trip.  You’ll want to know which rides your toddler or preschooler will be able to ride and which ones they’ll need to skip.

If your child is 40″, plan to visit Radiator Springs Racers first thing. This itinerary will maximize your time but there is quite a bit of walking across the park. Consider a stroller for your little one so you can walk briskly!

Try going on rides in this order to maximize time and minimize lines:

• Radiator Springs Racers (40″+)
• Toy Story Midway Mania (no height requirement, anyone can ride)
• Pixar Pal-a-Round (no height requirement, anyone can ride)
• Jessie’s Critter Carousel (no height requirement, anyone can ride)
• Inside Out – Emotional Whirlwind (no height requirement, anyone can ride)

• Soarin’ Around the World (40″+)
• Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree (32″+)
• Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters (32″+)
• WEBSLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure (no height requirement)

Disneyland Morning Itinerary for Older Kids, Teens & Adults

With older kids, teens or adults only, you’ll want to decide which direction to go first inside each Park. Big kids and grown ups will likely want to hit the thrill rides and “Disney Mountains” first, considering these often have the longest queues.

Because this itinerary is about maximizing those first two hours, there is a good amount of walking to cover the park. Make sure you’re wearing good walking shoes for Disney so you can move fast!

Try going on rides in this order to maximize time and minimize lines:

• Rise of the Resistance (40″+)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40″+)
• Indiana Jones (46″+)
• Star Tours (40″+)

• Space Mountain (40″+)
• Matterhorn Bobsleds  (42″+)
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (38″+) – Guests should check the Disneyland app during their visit to watch for low wait times. 

Is this a first visit to Disneyland? Read the Must-Do Disneyland- Perfect Itinerary for First Timers and aim to follow these ideas for one day of your visit.

What About Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus?

There are no reservations or a “virtual queue” to enter Disneyland Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, a Star Wars-themed Land. The same goes for Avengers Campus, the Marvel-themed land at Disney California Adventure park.

Anyone can enter these areas whenever they wish. However there are some things to note about the entertainment in these Lands and how it will affect the morning hours at Disneyland.

Morning Tips for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

If you plan to eat & drink at Oga’s Cantina you’ll need to obtain an advance dining reservation time for this before your trip. Same for light saber making at Savi’s Workshop. These are both very popular reservations so you should book exactly 60 days ahead of your visit.

Make your reservation for afternoon or evening, so you can still have your mornings free (when crowds may be lighter).

Wait times vary dramatically for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. I highly recommend watching the Disneyland app to see what the current wait time is before jumping on board. 

Smugglers Run does also have a single rider option but I don’t recommend using it for the first time. You’ll miss the pre-show story, chess room and likely not be given the chance to pilot.

For more details on what to do with younger kids, check out this post about taking toddlers and preschoolers to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Morning Tips for Avengers Campus

Avengers Campus is the hottest new land inside California Adventure. Naturally guests want to be there to experience all the Marvel super hero entertainment and fun. Watching Spider-Man leap between the buildings is a must see. Here’s how to work Avengers Campus into your day.

• PYM Test Kitchen and Tasting Lab are both popular dining locations within Avengers Campus. Within the first two hours at Disneyland, book your mobile orders through the app for a future time. You can always adjust this time if needed.
• View show times on the Disneyland app for popular shows and character greetings. Black Panther and the Dora Milaji, Dr. Strange and Spider-Man all make appearances that you won’t want to skip. Set alerts on your phone to remind you.

What About Virtual Boarding Groups?

Virtual Boarding Groups are not always used at Disneyland. Rise of the Resistance, WEBSLINGERS and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway have moved from virtual boarding groups to stand-by queue. If riding these attractions are important to your visit, this can definitely put a kink in your itinerary.

If using the stand by line, expect to wait hours for these attractions. Heading to either ride first thing upon rope drop may minimize your wait time, but it will likely still be lengthy. Plan for extended wait times or consider skipping altogether.

Want to maximize your time for an extra cost? Buy the Individual Lightning Lane pass for these attractions early in the day to avoid the longer lines.

Those with Disneyland Disability Access Service should be able to request a pass for either Rise of the Resistance or WEBSLINGERS to ride.

Disney California Adventure Park Morning Itinerary for Older Kids & Adults

Most guests will jump in line at the first ride they get to! At Disney California Adventure Park, this itinerary will have you starting at the back of the park and moving forward. You’ll find that rides in the Pixar Pier section will have little to no wait times in the first 15 minutes of opening.

Try going on rides in this order to maximize time and minimize lines:

• Toy Story Midway Mania (no height requirement, anyone can ride)
• Incredicoaster (48″+)
• Radiator Springs Racers (40″+) *Use the shortcut through Pacific Wharf to access Cars Land
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!  (40″+)
• Soarin’ Around the World (40″+)

Disneyland Morning Strategy For Water Rides

If going on Grizzly River Run is a must-do, consider hitting this attraction first thing. Most guests will not visit the water attractions right away. If you don’t mind getting soaking wet in the morning, you’ll likely be rewarded with a walk on.

Single Rider

When traveling with older kids or just adults, a true time saver and one of the the great Disneyland tips is using the Single Rider line. Only certain attractions have Single Rider and unfortunately, they don’t always have them open and available. If you see Single Rider lines open for these rides, definitely take advantage of them!

Here’s how Disneyland single rider lines work: Your group will line up together and be chosen separately to fill empty spots on the ride cars. This means you will not necessarily ride with the rest of your group (and you cannot request to sit together). Single Rider works for families if you have older kids who don’t mind riding with a stranger.

Single Rider attractions at Disneyland:

• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Space Mountain
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Rides with Single Rider lines at Disney California Adventure park:

• Grizzly River Run
• Incredicoaster
• Goofy’s Sky School
• Radiator Springs Racers
• WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World

Stay Onsite and Enjoy Early Entry

*Editor’s Note: Extra Magic Hours has been suspended. In its place a revised Early Entry program began on August 8th, 2022.

Registered Disneyland Resort guests are treated to 30 minutes of early entry for each day of their stay with valid park ticket. It is recommended to arrive at least 45 minutes before official Park opening.

This new Early Entry program now takes place every day for both theme parks. Not all rides, restaurants or shops are open during Early Entry. Here’s what’s generally available during Early Entry:

Disneyland Park Attractions

• Alice in Wonderland (Fantasyland)
• Astro Orbitor (Tomorrowland)
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (Tomorrowland)
• Disneyland Monorail (Tomorrowland)

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Fantasyland)
• King Arthur Carrousel (Fantasyland)
• Mad Tea Party (Fantasyland)
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (Fantasyland)

• Peter Pan’s Flight (Fantasyland)
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey (Fantasyland)
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish (Fantasyland)
• Space Mountain (Tomorrowland)
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (Tomorrowland)

Disney California Adventure Park Attractions

• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT! (Avengers Campus)
• Incredicoaster (Pixar Pier)
• The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure (Paradise Gardens)
• Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree (Cars Land)
• Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! (Hollywood Land)
• Soarin’ Around the World (Grizzly Peak)
• WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure (Avengers Campus)

If your goal is maximizing the first two hours at Disneyland and taking advantage of lower crowds, aim for rides only during Early Entry. Yes, there are shops and dining available. But don’t use up the valuable 30 minutes shopping or eating!

Early Entry Strategies for Disneyland Park

At Disneyland, the open attractions are limited to either Tomorrowland or Fantasyland. Families with babies, toddlers and younger kids will likely flock to Fantasyland. Peter Pan’s Flight is a good place to start, though you might use up all of the early entry time in line.

Consider visiting all the other Fantasyland attractions first, then getting in line for Peter Pan’s Flight before the regular park guests enter this area. You’ll need to watch the clock to carry off this Disneyland strategy!

Guests who meet the Disneyland height requirements may want to visit Tomorrowland. However it’s important to note that all of the Early Entry Tomorrowland rides (except Monorail) are available with Lightning Lane on Disney Genie+.

If you’re not planning to use this line skipping app, then by all means, Tomorrowland is a good way to go. The better strategy however is to take advantage of the lower lines in Fantasyland before the official park opening.

DCA Early Entry Strategy

At Disney California Adventure, most of the open rides are in different sections of the park. This makes planning an Early Entry strategy very difficult.

Also some of the attractions, like Soarin’ Around the World and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT! have longer queues and are slower to load. You’ll likely only be able to pick one ride to visit during the 30 minutes of Early Entry.

Many guests will head straight for WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, which is an excellent choice. Just be aware that this line will fill up quickly.

A better strategy may be to head straight back to Pixar Pier for Incredicoaster. This sets your group up nicely to be the first in line for Toy Story Midway Mania and other Pixar Pier attractions.

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Arrive Early to Security Lines

This Disneyland tip is one that many overlook but can definitely add time to your morning. A plus to staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel is that the security lines are generally MUCH shorter than the lines coming off of Harbor Blvd. Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa guests have their own security area that is usually very fast.

Guests at the Disneyland Hotel have a security entrance that can be shared with overflow parking lots but it is still faster than those lines on Harbor. Make sure to save time in your morning to get through the security lines.

How early should guests arrive at Disneyland?

Even “regular days” are busy. Add more time to this morning routine during holidays and weekends. I suggest allowing at least 45 minutes to park in one of the lots and to get through security, another 15 minutes for the tram and 5 minutes to walk from the tram to the gates.

Magic Mornings at Disneyland – CURRENTLY SUSPENDED

Editor’s Note: Magic Mornings has been suspended and there is no mention of an estimated return time for this program.

Stay Close to the Disneyland Front Gate

My travel partner Get Away Today has sweet discounts on Disneyland-area hotels that are within close walking distance of the Disneyland park gates. You’ll often find specials including the third or fourth night free and complimentary breakfast at a less expensive rate than the Disneyland resort hotels.

Eat Breakfast Before You Enter the Gates

Breakfast at the Carnation Cafe is just lovely and Breakfast with Minnie & Friends at the Plaza Inn is character dining perfection. But if you are trying to maximize those first two hours in the Park, stopping for a lengthy breakfast isn’t the best idea.

I recommend that you grab your breakfast to-go outside the Park and eat it while you wait for the gates to open.

Jamba Juice is a great breakfast location in the Downtown Disney District that is usually open before the Park gates. Grab a breakfast sandwich or a smoothie and nibble while you wait at the Park entrance.

Starbucks in Downtown Disney offers mobile ordering through their app. Order and pick up on the way to the front gates!

However to truly maximize time at Disneyland, we usually eat at the hotel or on our way there. Pack a Disney cooler bag with yogurt, pastries and chocolate milk. My family packs granola bars and fruit for our first meal to eat while we’re waiting at rope drop. Then we fill up later with an early lunch.

Arrive for “Rope Drop”

Stroll up to the gates at Park opening time and you’ll see lots of people lined up, already waiting to get inside. Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to Park opening and you might be one of the first allowed entry to Main Street U.S.A. Shops.

Some dining spots are open (hello, Starbucks!). You can also visit City Hall or the information kiosk, if needed.

At the end of Main Street U.S.A., line up with other guests to await the official “rope drop” or opening of the Park. What a great way to beat the crowds!

Character Meet n’ Greets

If you want to guarantee photos with lots of Characters (without the extra expense of Character dining), the first few hours of Park opening are the perfect opportunity.

When Disneyland first reopened, Meet n’ Greets were “socially distanced” and much faster experiences. However, hugs and autographs have finally returned to the theme parks! Yes, it’s a magical meet ‘n greet again. But it’s also a bit more time consuming.

The Fab 5 are usually posted around the main hub of Main Street USA in Disneyland all day long. At California Adventure, characters are located around the fountain in front of Carthay Circle.

Characters are not always available first thing in the morning. Check the Disneyland app to know where and what time other characters are greeting throughout the day. Work those meet ‘n greets into your schedule. The Princess Fantasy Faire is one experience that sometimes opens early, as we discovered when we walked by the building!

More Disneyland Tips for Early Morning

Any other day I’d recommend you take your time and enjoy Main Street U.S.A. However if you are trying to maximize those first two hours at Disneyland, these are the things you should not do.

Don’t plan on buying your tickets that morning

All in-person ticket sales have been stopped. Tickets can currently only be purchased ahead of time, online. ALWAYS pre-purchase your Park tickets and have them added to your Disneyland app. Guests also need a theme park reservation along with their valid ticket.

I recommend my affiliate Get Away Today, who offers discounted Disneyland tickets and full vacation packages

Don’t stop to shop

In fact, I recommend doing all or most of your souvenir shopping on an “off-day” and visit Downtown Disney District instead. Even better, save some money and purchase souvenirs ahead of time on ShopDisney.

Don’t stop at City Hall

City Hall is where to find “celebratory buttons” like those for birthdays or first visits. However there are other locations to find these, including some shops, information kiosks, and Disneyland resort hotel front desks. Delay grabbing these after a few hours or get them on a day when you aren’t trying to maximize time.

Don’t stop for pictures

The exception being is if you have a clear shot of Sleeping Beauty Castle and can pose your family quickly in front of it. In that case, you should always get the photo!

Now Is Not the Time To…

More tips for making the most of the first two hours at Disneyland –

Don’t get in line at Starbucks

Seriously, this line will be a mile long in the morning. Grab your coffee at the hotel or at Downtown Disney District. Bring coffee with you to save yourself the time in line at the Main Street USA Starbucks.

Even better: Save time with mobile ordering at Starbucks in the Downtown Disney District (the Main Street USA location does not offer mobile ordering).

Don’t look at the Main Street windows

But most definitely come back this way later in the day to check them out, they are wonderful!

Don’t take the Disneyland Railroad

The train is one of my favorite rides on a leisurely day and a great way to see the entire circumference of the park by taking the Grand Circle Tour. But this isn’t how you should spend your first 30 minutes if you are maximizing your time. You’ll be better off on foot.

What Happens When it Starts to Get Crowded at Disneyland?

After the first few hours, other guests will start trickling into the parks for the day. This is a great time to revisit some of these other attractions on what to do on a crowded day at Disneyland.

Have a plan with your family on when you’ll return back to the hotel. Escape the parks with an afternoon swim break, returning after the heat and crowds have lessened.

Schedule a lunch time advance dining reservation for a full service meal. Use the free MouseDining website to help you book the restaurants you want the most.

If you plan to stick it out in the parks and don’t mind the longer wait times, try some of the Disneyland tips in this article about what to do waiting in line at Disney.

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