Disneyland is crammed full of classic attractions, shows, character meets, restaurants and it all depends on what you want to enjoy. On our last visit we split our time with 2 days in Disneyland and 2 days in California Adventure and just about managed to do ‘everything’ (see our vlogs below). However these were busy days and if you want to take it slower, or meet some extra characters, enjoy some more meals etc then we’d suggest a little longer. Likewise if you’re happy to skip some of the smaller attractions then it’s perfectly possible just to visit for the day and enjoy what you can!

Park tickets can just be bought directly through the Disneyland website, and you can buy single day tickets or multi-day tickets ranging from $104 up to $206 per day per person at the time of writing (2025). So for a family of 4 you’re talking around $2,200 for 4 days over the summer. This includes both parks with a small additional charge to be able to hop between parks during the day (in our opinion worth doing). When booking you need to select your dates to make a reservation but can hop between the parks after 11am.

Disneyland operates a Lightning Lane system enabling you to skip the queue, much like the one in Florida. You can purchase single Lightning Lane passes for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Radiator Springs which are NOT included in the multi-pass. Then you can also buy the multi-pass which can be used once on each attraction. This is very handy but if you have enough time and you’re smart you can get by without it by rope dropping the major attractions etc.

Early entry is granted to anyone staying at a Disney resort - a very handy perk. This gets you into the parks 30 minutes before everyone else. That’s not a lot but means you can be almost first in line for a headline attraction (or maybe two) and save a load of queuing time.

The park begins with the iconic manicured lawns and railroad station. You enter into Town Square which is a beautiful area, much smaller than in Florida, more shaded and a lovely place to wander.

Your first (or second if you include the Railroad) classic attraction is immediately on the right - Great Moments With Mr Lincoln, an animatronic President Lincoln, the first of it’s kind. Further down Main Street is the Main Street Cinema showing classic animated films.

As with any other Disney park, Main Street this is where you’ll find loads of shops and some dining options. You’ll undoubtedly find something to buy or eat down here - don’t miss the Magic Shop where Steve Martin used to work!

It’s also the best spot to take in the classic Disney atmosphere and nostalgic nods. You’ve got City Hall, where Walt Disney famously had his own little apartment, the horse-drawn streetcars, the daily flag retreat, the Dapper Dans, live bands - it’s just brilliant.

Moving on up Main Street you reach the main hub with the beautiful Sleeping Beauty Castle. Again much smaller than the other Disney parks, but still incredible. It has it’s own walkthrough attraction themed around Sleeping Beauty and is where you’ll find the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

The castle and hub area is where the nightly fireworks take place and where the classic Disney parades run through. The other lands in the park radiate from here but there are a few places to take in before you move on. Firstly Plaza Inn, which is a nice spot to enjoy some food and offers a good buffet character meal (again see our vlog below for more). Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe is also a good spot if you’re more in the mood for a snack. Then finally in the top left of the hub is the Royal Theatre for some Disney shows and the Royal Hall for princess character meets. A quick note on characters at Disneyland - while scheduled character meets do occur, you’ll often also see characters just roaming through the park so keep your eyes open!

Fantasyland is one of the original lands in the park and a wonderful area, as you’d expect, primarily aimed at younger kids or the young at heart. It’s generally smaller than the other Fantasyland’s located around the World but it still packs in the attractions.

Reeling these off you’ve got: the Carousel, Teacups, It’s a Small World, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, Railroad Station, Dumbo, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Storybook Land Canal Boats. All of these are smaller rides for the younger audience. As well as these are our favourites Mr Toad’s Wild Ride and Alice in Wonderful, both of which are still aimed at the younger set but are unique to this park and offer something different.

The real standout attraction though is the Matterhorn Bobsleds. This is definitely one to rope drop or get a Lightning Lane for. It’s a thrilling (if bumpy) ride down the mountain that’s a load of fun. Finally also check out the Fantasyland Theatre - an outdoor amphitheatre - for the latest show.

In terms of dining, there are several options at the Troubadour Tavern and the Red Rose Taverne as well as various snack stands dotted around. However there are better restaurants elsewhere in the park.

Fantasyland is also a prime spot for meeting characters. We’ve often seen them wandering around, be it Mary Poppins, Captain Hook, Alice or the Mad Hatter. If you spend some time here you’ll undoubtedly bump into someone.

Located out the back of Fantasyland is Toontown. A fun mini land or extension of Fantasyland, this was closed for renovation last time we visited, but is one of our favourite areas of the park given it’s so unique. Themed around a cartoon town, with Mickey and Minnie’s houses, Donald’s Duck Pond and Goofy’s yard, there are several attractions to enjoy here and several meet and greets with Mickey and the gang. The headline attraction is the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway which was recently added and so is another one to prioritise. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin is another of our favourites and Chip n Dale’s Gadget Coaster is a fun kiddie coaster.

Adventureland is home to a couple of headline attractions - including one of the main original rides, Jungle Cruise. A fun cheesy boat ride through the jungle, this is a must do. The second is the Indiana Jones Adventure - the same ride system as Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom, but with a fun Indiana Jones theme, this was one of our favourite rides when we visited.

Otherwise the land is pretty small with just the Adventureland Treehouse and the Enchanted Tiki Room show to note. Bengal Barbeque and Tropical Hideaway are your dining options, including the obligatory Dole Whip.

Another original land, Tomorrowland is a fun area with a couple of major attractions. The main one being Space Mountain which in our opinion is one of the best versions of the ride - a fun speed through space - in this version you sit side-by-side with a lapbar, so not as intense as Paris, and smoother than Orlando.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is another fun attraction where you blast targets to beat each other’s scores - identical to the versions in the other parks around the World. Star Tours, Astro Orbiter and Autopia are three similar additions for the whole family, but the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is the most interesting here, unique to this park - a family dark ride simulating a submarine ride. Tomorrowland also has a Railroad station, and a Monorail station - a unique way to get around.

For characters don’t miss the Star Wars Launch Bay where you can find all your favorite Star Wars heroes and villains.

There’s a couple of dining options here - the best being Alien Pizza Planet - a big quick-service restaurant that’s very handy down in this corner of the park.

Continuing out the other side of Adventureland you emerge into New Orleans Square, usually quite a busy area of the park due to this corner being home to some major attractions and brilliant restaurants.

The area itself is themed around New Orleans and is a very pretty area with shops and restaurants tucked away in the corner. The first major attraction is Pirates of the Caribbean - another Disney classic now themed around the hit movie franchise which was based originally off of this ride. This is always very popular so ride it early. The second is the Haunted Mansion, a fun family friendly ride through a haunted house. Other than this there is a Railroad station here, but you’ll stay for the food.

First you’ve got the Blue Bayou restaurant overlooking the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. This one is popular so make sure to get a reservation. Then there’s Cafe Orleans - serving more Cajun and Creole cuisine and which also offers a Fantasmic dining package including access to a reserved viewing area. Tiana’s Palace is a great quick service option and then rounding it all off is the Mint Julep Bar.

Continuing the Louisiana theme, Bayou Country is themed as you’d expect around the Louisiana Bayou. This is a mini land right on the far side of the park but remains popular due to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (previously Splash Mountain) - a massive fun log-flume ride.

The second attraction here is the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - a fun family dark ride like the version in Orlando. Finally you can also go out on the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoe’s from the landing by the water.

For food, you’ve got the Harbour Galley on the way into the land, or the Hungry Bear Barbeque Jamboree.

Themed around the old west, this fun land has two headliners here - Big Thunder Mountain and River Belle Terrace.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (one of our favourite rides) is a fast race around on a old mini cart and is tonnes of fun. Again, it’s very popular so it’s one to prioritise. As far as attractions go that’s pretty much it other than the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Shootin’ Exposition

In terms of dining though the River Belle Terrace is one to note mainly because it has an outdoor terrace overlooking the Fantasmic evening show which takes place down on the water. Book the premium package to be able to enjoy a meal and the show right from your own table - see our vlog below where we enjoyed this on our last visit. This show is not to be missed. You also book a standard dining package either here or at the Rancho del Zocalo for access to a reserved viewing area instead. The Golden Horseshoe is another dining option but doesn’t offer a dining package.

The newest area of the park, the Star Wars themed land is designed to be the outpost of Batuu and the theming here really is next level. You do honestly feel like you’ve entered the Star Wars universe.

There are two headline attractions here - the first is Rise of Resistance, one of the most popular attractions in the park, so queues can be long here. It is a fantastic multi-experience attraction though so worth the wait.

The second is Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Also a great ride and also pretty popular, this is fairly similar to Star Tours in that it’s basically a simulator. The only difference being this is next level as you ‘fly’ the Millennium Falcon yourselves as a team and can interact to carry out your assigned tasks.

There are loads of little character interactions/shows which happen throughout the day and you can often see Storm Troopers wandering around, or sometimes the Mandalorian, Rey or Kylo Ren.

For dining, Ronto Roasters is the main option. Oga’s Cantina is very popular and the theming in this bar is amazing, but it’s very hard to get in and so feels very crammed and busy. Still the themed drinks are amazing. Finally don’t miss the Milk Stand , where you can get the popular Blue and Green Milk.