1st timers to DL, can we do just 1 day?

[meljean]

My husband and I are planning our 10 year anniversary trip to San Diego in September. We are huge Disney fans but haven't been to DL. We hoped to take a day trip to DL. My question is would we be able to do this in 1 day? Any thoughts or tips for us? I'm a planner and having never been here is a little stressful. Thanks you!!

 

[agamble]

Most people on here will tell you 3 days is better, 5 if you can manage it. LOL! One day would allow you to see the park and ride some of the rides, but just because it's smaller than WDW, doesn't mean it can be done in 1 day. There are two parks worth seeing and DL itself needs 2 days, so 3 is best for a short trip, 5 if you want to make a vacation out of it.

 

[meljean]

Most people on here will tell you 3 days is better, 5 if you can manage it. LOL! One day would allow you to see the park and ride some of the rides, but just because it's smaller than WDW, doesn't mean it can be done in 1 day. There are two parks worth seeing and DL itself needs 2 days, so 3 is best for a short trip, 5 if you want to make a vacation out of it.

We are only going to be in CA for 4 days but we didn't want to miss out on Disney. Would it not even be worth it? I know we won't get to see and do it all but not sure if we would feel we missed out if we just did one.

 

[automaticsoap]

I think if you have realistic expectations for what you can see and do in 1 day, it's worth a day trip.

 

[Imdboss]

1 day at DL is better than no day at DL. I say go for it! I would also say go for at least 3 days and 5 if you can manage but I realize that's not possible. So....just pick a handful of rides you don't want to miss, get those done as early as possible, then everything else during your day will be a bonus! Have a great time.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Yes you can do Disneyland in one day, BUT you need to be there as close to park opening and stay to park closing. For the first few years I only had 1 day in the park as part of a longer Californian vacation. Last year was the first time I had 2 days, and I will have 2 days agin this year.

The plan for our one day trips was
arrive around 9 am and head straight for the main park,Star Tours, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Pirates Indiana Jones

Lunch at Plaza at 1 pm and over to California Adventures, do The Little Mermaid, Soaring Radiator Springs Racer, and Toy Story Mania

Return to Main park between 6 pm and 7 pm, do 1 ride either Peter Pan or Pirates, get something to eat and watch the fireworks at 9.25

After the fireworks the park empties hugely but in June stays open until midnight. We used this time to do a second round of Pirates, Star Tours and anything we didn't do in the morning.

We leave souvenir shopping until the last hour in the park, as The Emporium on Main Street stays open until 1 am in June

It was hectic and we were always on the move, we didn't do character meets, didn't see the parade unless we happened to be using Main Street to get to somewhere, other than lunch, ate on the go, and used Fastpasses wherever possible.

We usually did about 15 hours in the park

 

[superlarz]

I would def go for one day. I would just get one park and spend the day at Disneyland park. DCA is fun, but if you only have one day and its going to be your only trip I would spend the whole day in DL.

 

[SMD]

It also depends on which day you go and setting appropriate expectations for that day. Labor Day weekend is different than the week before Halloween starts and that's different than the week Halloween starts. The day of the week will also matter for both crowds and what entertainment is offered. That being said, I think you could fill 4 days in San Diego. Are you giving up something you planned to do there for a Disney day? You'd have to decide if it's worth it to you depending on your dates.

 

[whoever]

You absolutely could do just one day, but I wouldn't recommend it. You need AT LEAST two park days in my opinion to really get the total experience.

 

[meljean]

Yes you can do Disneyland in one day, BUT you need to be there as close to park opening and stay to park closing. For the first few years I only had 1 day in the park as part of a longer Californian vacation. Last year was the first time I had 2 days, and I will have 2 days agin this year.

The plan for our one day trips was
arrive around 9 am and head straight for the main park,Star Tours, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Pirates Indiana Jones

Lunch at Plaza at 1 pm and over to California Adventures, do The Little Mermaid, Soaring Radiator Springs Racer, and Toy Story Mania

Return to Main park between 6 pm and 7 pm, do 1 ride either Peter Pan or Pirates, get something to eat and watch the fireworks at 9.25

After the fireworks the park empties hugely but in June stays open until midnight. We used this time to do a second round of Pirates, Star Tours and anything we didn't do in the morning.

We leave souvenir shopping until the last hour in the park, as The Emporium on Main Street stays open until 1 am in June

It was hectic and we were always on the move, we didn't do character meets, didn't see the parade unless we happened to be using Main Street to get to somewhere, other than lunch, ate on the go, and used Fastpasses wherever possible.

We usually did about 15 hours in the park

Wow thanks!! I tought since it is just my husband and I we can move quick and aren't interested in meeting characters or even waiting for a parade, since we are only able to have 1 day. We thought about staying in anaheim the night before and then the night of just so we could be there super early. Does a park hopper get you into both parks?

 

[meljean]

It also depends on which day you go and setting appropriate expectations for that day. Labor Day weekend is different than the week before Halloween starts and that's different than the week Halloween starts. The day of the week will also matter for both crowds and what entertainment is offered. That being said, I think you could fill 4 days in San Diego. Are you giving up something you planned to do there for a Disney day? You'd have to decide if it's worth it to you depending on your dates.

My husband really wants to go to San Diego since he was out there many years ago for the marines. Things we have thought about doing are the Zoo, the Navy ship, downtown and any other ideas? I would like to see the ocean. He, and I, thought about doing 1 day at Disneyland because I haven't been there and we just love Disney. So not really giving anything up but hoping to fit it in.

 

[taniahappy]

Yes it can be done and have an amazing time... just plan you Fastpasses, shows, meals... and be there as soon as it opens and leave until they kick you out

 

[BadPinkTink]

@meljean you are welcome thats kinda like me and my friends, we just want to do the rides and shop . Yes a park hopper gets into both parks. Staying in Anaheim is a good idea, I stayed there last year and Im staying there this year again. Check out the good neighbour hotels on Disneylands site, thats where I found my hotel. There are all sorts of options for all different budget ranges. Im not really a breakfast person so I stay at Motel 6 which doesn't have breakfast and go to Starbucks for breakfast on the go in the park.

I would take a look at the park maps and plan the rides in a logical way, so that you don't waste time criss crossing the park. Check out the show times and locations and the rides in those areas, for example the best time to go to Pirates is during Fantasmic. Leave shopping until the last, as the shops stay open on Main Street after the Lands close.

 

[Jerryp49]

In DCA Get a FP for Raidiator Springs Racers and while you are waiting for your time slot, do Soaring Over California, a great ride you don`t want to miss

 

[Bubblegum1286]

My husband and I are planning our 10 year anniversary trip to San Diego in September. We are huge Disney fans but haven't been to DL. We hoped to take a day trip to DL. My question is would we be able to do this in 1 day? Any thoughts or tips for us? I'm a planner and having never been here is a little stressful. Thanks you!!

We took our DS to DLR in 2013 and only had one day to do it. Here's my reflection on that trip:

We had a FABULOUS day. If you really only *can* do one day, it's worth it in my opinion. Because one day is better than none.

We did get a park hopper, and spent the morning in CA and the rest of the day/night in DL. Had lunch at Flo's, then went straight to DL and hit the must-do's.

Get on the DLR website and find out what you want to do ahead of time. Don't try to pack it all in or you'll be miserable. For me, I knew that if I got to show my son Peter Pan's Flight and "Its a Small World," (he was 4 at the time), then I would be a happy girl. I got to do these two rides with him, so everything else was just icing on the cake. We got him his monogrammed mouse ears and he got to see the fireworks at night.

If I had longer, of course I would love to hit some of my favorites from when I was little, like the Tikki Room, Pirates, the Haunted Mansion, etc. We just didn't have time for that, and that's okay. Incentive to come back, and we are coming back this year and doing three days.

So, can you do one day? You bet! I think it'll be worth it and you'll have a wonderful time.

 

[Nicolette11785]

Can you do squeeze in the things you want to do in San Diego in 2 days and then do DL for 2 days?

It might be worth it to get a ride max subscription so you can get as many rides in as you can. It would depend if you care about going off an itinerary or not.

I would definitely go from rope drop until closing to make it worth it. Also, I would pick a day with longer park hours. When in September are you going? If it is near the end there will be Halloween parties which means the park will close around 6pm but the other park will still be open if you have a park hopper.

Another tip is to have a general idea of what you want to do and look at a map to see where you need to be. There is a lot of wasted time when standing around trying decide what to do next.

 

[meljean]

Can you do squeeze in the things you want to do in San Diego in 2 days and then do DL for 2 days?

It might be worth it to get a ride max subscription so you can get as many rides in as you can. It would depend if you care about going off an itinerary or not.

I would definitely go from rope drop until closing to make it worth it. Also, I would pick a day with longer park hours. When in September are you going? If it is near the end there will be Halloween parties which means the park will close around 6pm but the other park will still be open if you have a park hopper.

Another tip is to have a general idea of what you want to do and look at a map to see where you need to be. There is a lot of wasted time when standing around trying decide what to do next.

Thank you for your response! Can you tell me what the ride max is? We will be there the first week of September, before labor day.

 

[agamble]

We are only going to be in CA for 4 days but we didn't want to miss out on Disney. Would it not even be worth it? I know we won't get to see and do it all but not sure if we would feel we missed out if we just did one.

Sorry, I misunderstood your original question because there have been a few posts of WDW vets who thought they could see all of Disneyland in 1 day. Of course you can visit Disneyland and enjoy it for one day. There is a lot to see and do and it's fun no matter how much time you have. Personally I would only go to Disneyland and not park hop. One day is not enough to do everything at either park, and adding the park hopper to your ticket is expensive for one day. It is easy to park hop, but it takes time and then you're even more split in what you have to do. Better to save the money and stress and just focus on Disneyland (unless you're just dying to see Carsland or something).

 

[offwithyourhead]

I wouldn't do DL in one day, unless you weren't planning on going on many rides. You'll spend a lot of time standing in long lines at that time of the year still. The 'experience' can be done in a day but if you want to hit every ride or do at least a good portion of them, I'd stretch your trip as much as you could. Don't waste $ on a parkhopper for one day, walking back and forth will cut way down on your doing-stuff time.

 

[AustinTink]

Yes you can do Disneyland in one day, BUT you need to be there as close to park opening and stay to park closing. For the first few years I only had 1 day in the park as part of a longer Californian vacation. Last year was the first time I had 2 days, and I will have 2 days agin this year.

The plan for our one day trips was
arrive around 9 am and head straight for the main park,Star Tours, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Pirates Indiana Jones

Lunch at Plaza at 1 pm and over to California Adventures, do The Little Mermaid, Soaring Radiator Springs Racer, and Toy Story Mania

Return to Main park between 6 pm and 7 pm, do 1 ride either Peter Pan or Pirates, get something to eat and watch the fireworks at 9.25

After the fireworks the park empties hugely but in June stays open until midnight. We used this time to do a second round of Pirates, Star Tours and anything we didn't do in the morning.

We leave souvenir shopping until the last hour in the park, as The Emporium on Main Street stays open until 1 am in June

It was hectic and we were always on the move, we didn't do character meets, didn't see the parade unless we happened to be using Main Street to get to somewhere, other than lunch, ate on the go, and used Fastpasses wherever possible.

We usually did about 15 hours in the park

This is how we did DLR on our first two visits. It was a day trip from San Diego both times and we felt like we did all we wanted and more in a long 15 hour day. We now break up our stay with 2-3 days at DLR and 5 or so in San Diego. But, those first two trips to disneyland were such an adventure. We really felt like we accomplished an amazing feat by packing so much into one day. We enjoyed the challenge.

By all means park hop. That's the beauty of having both parks so incredibly close. Try to to drive up from San Diego on a Tuesday or Wednesday for a slightly lighter crowd. Choose your fastpasses wisely, plan them out like pieces to a puzzle. Take a break for a late lunch around 2pm to soak up some air conditioning and get your second wind. Most of all... have a blast!