Disneyland 1 day park hopper or 2 day single park

[1983DisneyFanatic]

I am going to Disneyland for the first time in May. It will be my husband, my 11 yr old stepson, my 2 yr old daughter, and myself. Time and money wise, we can only do a 1 day park hopper or 2 day one park per day. Which would you recommend? Park days would be on a Monday/Tuesday. We have never been to Disneyland and may never get a chance again. We have done Disney World several times, but have no idea what Disneyland is like. We are staying at Best Western across the street. We are also doing a few days at SeaWorld (we have season passes) and a family wedding, so there is no option to splurge or upgrade from these choices.

 

[Xenorye]

Park hoppers are great at Disneyland, but I'd say go 2 day park hopper to maximize time. You can easily spend a full day in each park.

 

[mom2rtk]

2 day single park tickets. Spend Monday at California Adventure and Tuesday at Disneyland.

 

[kathy040690]

if i were in your shoes i would do 2 day base ticket. that way you have more time to spend on each park instead of sharing 1 day for both parks

 

[sherilaine]

as much as a love hoppers, 2 days over 1 will always win!

 

[Magickingdomprince]

2 day base for sure! Thats what I'm doing when I go in april. I like one day in each park!

 

[ADLFAN]

Yup, I agree, two days is always better than one! Even with utilizing Park Hopping to its fullest capability and holding FP's in both parks, there are only so many hours in one day. I would focus on what you really want to do in each park, make a rough outline of how to accomplish it (what to hit first thing, what to hit when it's busy, where to eat!), and check it off as you go!

Have fun planning!

 

[Dr. G]

Amen to what everyone else has said. Given the parameters you have, 2 days 1 park per day is much better than 1 day hopping. You "may" get everything done in California Adventure, and if you do there are some great rides that you can do a 2nd or 3rd time and have a blast. In your situation, another advantage of the 2 days is you will see each park during both the day and at night, rather than having to decide which one to enjoy in the evening. Have fun!

 

[jammyjam25]

To be honest I’d consider dropping one of your Sea World days (or drop it altogether) and add those days to Disneyland. But since you’ve indicated this isn’t an option for your family I’d definitely go for the 2-day base ticket option that way you get to experience a full day in each park! I think there’s just too much to squeeze into one day.

 

[figment_jii]

Normally I would recommend park hoppers, but given how short your trip is, I would also go with the 2-days/1-park per day option. Which park on which day kind of depends on when you're going and how you like to do things. One option would be to do DL on Monday and DCA on Tuesday to avoid EMH/MM, but EMH/MM only have a limited on the parks as the day goes on (unlike WDW). It also depends a little on when you're going - I would wait to see what the park hours are and go to DL on the day with the longest hours.

 

[Whistlebee]

Definitely 2 days

 

[my*gracie*girl]

Definitely 2 day/1 park. Map out what you hope to do in each park and you will get a great feel for them both!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Yep, 2 days.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Another vote for 2 days > 1 day.

 

[buttercup3]

Two days! I would do Disneyland the first day since that will take the most energy and then do California Adventure on day 2 when you're feeling a little tired from walking the entire day before! I don't think the extra hours are an option unless you do a couple days of park hoppers, so that should make choosing the days a little easier!

 

[1983DisneyFanatic]

To be honest I’d consider dropping one of your Sea World days (or drop it altogether) and add those days to Disneyland. But since you’ve indicated this isn’t an option for your family I’d definitely go for the 2-day base ticket option that way you get to experience a full day in each park! I think there’s just too much to squeeze into one day.

SeaWorld days are dirt cheap (we have season passes) and Disneyland days are budget busters. We are already over budget, so it's not an option. We also have a Padres game the last night in San Diego (my husband won't agree to cut this) and a wedding the day after, so there is no way to take away a SeaWorld day to add a Disneyland day. The first four days in San Diego account for 15% of our budget, 40% is travel (flights, rental car, and gas), and 45% is the 2 days we will be spending in Disneyland.

 

[1983DisneyFanatic]

Thanks everyone! I am definitely going to stick with the 2 day single park tickets.

 

[butterflymouse]

The 2 day ticket, for sure. Just make sure to do Disneyland on the day you have more time. California Adventure is so easy to do in 1 day, so a shorter day will be more than enough time.

 

[rentayenta]

2 one park per day tickets for sure!

 

[buttercup3]

Sounds like a great vacation!! Have a great time!