First time

[Angela0227]

My family and I have only one day to spend in Disneyland. We are torn over which park to choose and also wondered if we would be able to do either park in just one day. Any information would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[yakmom]

Hey there,

I am a newbie-ish Disney visitor too. We just got back from our trip on the 14th and 15th. I think you can do Disney in one day if you set realistic goals of what you would like to see. I definately think you should do Disneyland over CA...so magical...even for adults. We were terrified to do Disneyland on some of the busiest days of the year...because of the opening of Carsland, but it turned out wonderful!

I would highly recommend using a site like the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland (online) to help you plan your visit. It costs like $6 for a year's subscription, but it helps to plan your day. It told us what ride to visit at what times and we seriously did not have to wait in a line for more than 10 minutes for the whole two days. It even instructed us when to get fast passes and at what times to use them.

We visited Disneyland for one day back in 2009 and we were able to accomplish quite a bit. It was such a great day that our 3.5 year old even told us (as we were walking out that night), that it was the greatest day of his life.

 

[Larissa]

Technically you don't have to chose, you can buy a park-hopper. The parks are a stone's throw away, unlike in WDW, and you could totally go half-and-half. It is more expensive though.

If you have really young, small children I would say Disneyland hands down, particularly if they like Princesses, Pirates, or Winnie the Pooh. If they are more into Pixar...probably Disney California Adventure. I would suggest you look at the website, pick your top ten attractions, then go to the park with the most. Another way to go is by which character are found in which park. Kind of depends on your priorities.

I personally think I'd go to Disneyland for my first trip if I only had one day. There's something special about going to the original park. It's got a touch extra magic.