So, what is Early entry at Disneyland Resort and is it worth it? One of the biggest pieces of advice I got when planning our Disneyland trip was to get there early. What we had been told and later learned for ourselves is that Disneyland gets busier as it gets later in the day. So getting to the Parks as early as possible was a must. As such it makes sense to know the Disneyland Early Entry Options available to you.
This brought us to the next question. How early can you arrive? Well, I guess the answer to that is, it depends. We’re sharing the Disneyland Early Entry Options at Disneyland Resort to help you make the most of your Disneyland trip no matter how long you stay. Let’s dive in.
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Disneyland Early Entry Details
Early Entry at Disneyland Resort is available to any Guests staying at Disney Resort. This means that if you’ve booked a room at Pixar Place, Disneyland Hotel, or Disney’s Grand Californian, then you are golden, and able to use early entry as part of your park strategy.
- Available for: Disneyland Resort Guests ONLY
- Arrive: 30 Minutes before Park Opening Time
- At Disneyland Park: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
- At Disney California Adventure Park: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
Valid theme park admission is required. At Disneyland on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays unless otherwise noted, and only certain attractions are open during this time, so it’s not like you have the entire Park to yourself during this time, just certain parts of it. As a result, it’s a great time to tackle some of the Disneyland Ultimate Challenge Checklist if you want to make the most of your park time.
At Disney’s California Adventure, you can show up 30 minutes ahead of time on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. As always check the Disneyland Resort Theme Park Calendar for Hours and Times.
What Rides at Disneyland are Open for Early Entry?
- Alice in Wonderland
- Astro Orbitor
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Disneyland Monorail
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- King Arthur Carrousel
- Mad Tea Party
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
- Space Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
What Rides at Disney’s California Adventure are Open for Early Entry?
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Soarin’ Around the World
- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Benefits of Early Entry at Disneyland
We were able to do an extra ride during our Early Entry which is usually packed during the day. It was Peter Pan, and I am eternally grateful for that as the line the rest of the day never fell below 75 minutes. My suggestion to get the best out of either perk is to get there as early as possible. If your Early Entry starts at 8, get there by 7:15. We were able to get in about 15 minutes earlier than we had expected because they started letting people in early.
You will also deal with much less wait time for security and at the turnstiles if you’re there before everyone else. Either way, being in a less crowded than usual Disney Park of any kind is always magical so I highly recommend experiencing whatever perks you do get.
That being said, I wouldn’t recommend staying on the property just for the extra 30 minutes. Disneyland hotels are crazy expensive, and its not really worth(in my opinion) spending that much extra just for an extra 30 minutes of Park time. Especially, since there are so many Disneyland Hotels near the Parks that just being there on time is easy to do. Totally my opinion…..but if you are staying there, its definitely a nice perk to have!
And for the days at the parks that you don’t have Early Entry, I highly recommend visiting the Park that is not offering the Perk that day and getting there as soon as possible. You never know when the Cast Members might let you in a little early:)
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
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