1) Ride Peter Pan’s Flight
Ride Peter Pan’s Flight. One of Disneyland’s most popular attractions, Peter Pan’s Flight is superbly designed and absolutely delightful, with a happy theme, a reunion with some unforgettable Disney characters, beautiful effects, and charming music. Tiny pirate ships suspended from an overhead track launch you from Wendy’s window to fly over nighttime London and on to Never Land and an encounter with Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and the ubiquitous crocodile.
NOTE: Ride Peter Pan’s Flight first only if you are truly rope dropping at park opening and are one of the first parties to enter the park. Peter Pan’s Flight has low capacity, so if you’re not within the first hundred or so people getting in line, then you will instantly be met with a 30 minute wait, which will throw off the entire touring plan. If you’re running 5 minutes late, or are behind to many people, skip pan and go to the next step first.
2) Ride Space Mountain
Space Mountain is an indoor roller coaster with a theme of high-speed interstellar travel. There are no long drops or swooping hills as there are on a traditional roller coaster – only quick, unexpected turns and small drops.
Space Mountain is one of Disneyland’s most popular rides, even though it’s almost 50 years old. Ride early in the morning to avoid long waits.
3) Ride Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Star Tours is a motion simulator ride based on the Star Wars series of films. All of the possible cosmic destinations are randomly combined into hundreds of different story variations, giving the attraction unprecedented reridability.
4) Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
This attraction is based on the space-ranger character of Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. The indoor ride is interactive to the extent that you can spin your car and shoot simulated “laser cannons” at Zurg and his minions.
5) Ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Go to Mickey’s Toontown and ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Runaway Railway places you in the center of one of the current generation of Mickey Mouse cartoons. The premise is that you’re on an out-of-control railroad car, courtesy of Goofy. You careen, gently, through 10 large cartoon show scenes, from tropical islands to cities to out-of-control factories. In each scene, Mickey and Minnie attempt to save you from disaster, with mixed results.
6) Ride “it’s a small world”
Ride one of Disney’s all time classics, “it’s a small world.” A happy and upbeat attraction with a world-brotherhood theme and a catchy tune that will roll around in your head for weeks. Small boats convey visitors on a tour around the world, with singing and dancing dolls showcasing the dress and culture of each nation.
7) Alice in Wonderland
As you’re leaving Star Tours, check the wait time for Alice in Wonderland. Ride it if it’s under 15 minutes. If not, skip it and go to the next step.
This attraction recalls the story of Alice in Wonderland with some nice surprises and colorful effects. Guests ride nifty caterpillar cars in this Disney spook-house adaptation.
8) Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Head to Frontierland at take a ride on Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The wait time at this time of the morning should still be reasonable.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a roller coaster through and around a Disney “mountain.” The idea is that you’re on a runaway mine train during gold rush days.
9) Ride Indiana Jones Adventure
This will be your first lengthy wait of the day. You may be asking, “Why not go to Indiana Jones Adventure first and avoid the wait?” Because if you went ride Indiana Jones Adventure first, you’d miss out on prime morning touring. When you follow this plan you’ll ride several low capacity attractions that have high waits for most of the day outside of the morning hours. You’ll have also ridden popular rides such as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Space Mountain with minimal waits. It may sound odd, but we’ve tested this plan and it works well.
Indiana Jones Adventure is one of the best Disney attractions in the world. This is a combination track ride and motion simulator. You ride a military troop-transport vehicle; in addition to moving along its path, the vehicle bucks and pitches (the simulator part) in sync with the visuals and special effects.
10) Eat lunch
Grab some lunch if you’re hungry. At this point in the plan you’ll be be near Main Street, U.S.A. where Jolly Holiday Bakery or Plaza Inn are both are excellent dining options.
11) Jungle Cruise or Pirates of the Caribbean
Next up head back to the Adventureland/New Orleans Square area and ride Jungle Cruise or Pirates of the Caribbean. Do whichever has the shorter wait and then ride the other when you’re done with the first.
12) See Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
Watch the Tiki Room while your food is digesting. If you ate lunch at Jolly Holiday or Plaza Inn you’ll already be close to the show.
13) Ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
There’s no good time to ride Rise of the Resistance without a long wait, so you may as well get it over now. It’s the most popular ride in the park and it often opens late and closes early. If you don’t want to ride, or if the wait is too long, move on to the next step. Keep in mind Rise of the Resistance breaks down often and usually closes several hours before the rest of the park.
14) Haunted Mansion
Go next door and ride Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square. Guests board “doom buggies” for a ride through the mansion’s parlor, dining room, library, halls, and attic before descending to an uncommonly active graveyard. Disney employs almost every special effect in its repertoire in The Haunted Mansion, making it one of the most inventive and different of all Disney attractions.
15) Eat dinner, ride anything you missed, or revisiting your favorites.
You’re at the end of the plan now and and at this point you’ll have experienced most of Disneyland’s top attractions.
16) Ride the Disneyland Railroad from New Orleans Square Station
Relax after dinner. Take a leisurely ride on the Disneyland Railroad. If you stay on at the Tomorrowland station you’ll be able to see the spectacular Grand Canyon diorama and Primeval World dinosaur display.
17) Ride Matterhorn Bobsleds
The Matterhorn is the most distinctive landmark on the Disneyland scene, visible from almost anywhere in the park. Open since 1959, it’s Disneyland’s first rollercoaster.
Matterhorn is one of the best rides to use the single rider line on. Not only do you save a ton of time, the seats are single file so you won’t be sitting next to the rest of your group anyway.
18) Watch Fantasmic! and the Wonderous Journeys fireworks spectacular.
Arrive early enough to secure your spot for one of Disneyland’s nighttime entertainment offerings.
19) Ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Galaxy’s Edge. Smugglers run lets guests fulfill their childhood fantasy of flying at the helm of Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon, the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.” Guests approaching the attraction will see all 110 feet of the Falcon parked outside the spaceport.
20) Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Go to Bayou Country and finish the night with a ride on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure follows the efforts of Tiana as she plans a party and discovers she needs a band to play music. Running through the swamps of the bayou, Tiana attempts to recruit animals from the film for her group.
