1. BUY TICKETS ONLINE. When you buy tickets in advance online, you'll go straight through to the entrance and won't have to spend any time in ticket booth lines! If you purchase a 3-day ticket or longer, you'll be eligible for Magic Morning (MM). With Magic Morning, you can enjoy one day of early admission to Disneyland Park on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.

2. PICK THE BEST TIMES TO VISIT. While it's always a good time to visit Disneyland but there are times during the year which are better than others. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the least crowded days and best mid-September to mid-November, mid-January to mid-March and mid-April to mid-May. Christmas, Spring Break and June through August are the most crowded times. Holidays, special events and pass holders also effect guest counts.

3. PACK YOUR OWN SNACKS AND WATER. You'll save time, money and meltdowns by packing your own snacks and water (no glass bottles).

4. MAKE DINING RESERVATIONS. Knowing when and where you're going to eat can be a time saver. Visit the Disneyland website to see your options before your visit. Two popular spots are the Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square and Carthay Circle Restaurant on Buena Vista Street.

5. EAT DURING OFF-PEAK HOURS. If you can't secure a reservation or would rather dine at a quick-service location, you'll save time waiting in line and finding a place to sit if you dine during the off-peak hours. This is from 10:30am to noon and then again from 3pm to 5pm.

6. DINE ON THE MOVE. You can save some time by dining on Disneyland eats that can be enjoyed on the move. Turkey legs, corn dogs, meat skewers, Frito bag with chili, and chili con queso/chicken verde are all compact enough to be munched on while you're moving.

7. BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH. If you really want to save time and money, bring your own lunch. Think picnic items, such as sandwiches, raw veggies and fresh fruits. You may even bring a full picnic and store it in a locker outside the park near the Picnic Area.

8. PACK ESSENTIALS. Don't forget sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, cell phone chargers and a small first aid kit. It doesn't rain all that much in Southern California, but if you don't want to get wet on the water rides or plan on being in the front row at World of Color, you should bring your own poncho.

9. RAINY DAYS. You can’t change mother nature so take advantage of less visitors on a rainy day. Save money by purchasing a poncho at a sporting goods store and bring an umbrella. Pack a change of clothes and store them in a locker. If it’s pouring, go to a live show indoors or enjoy a meal inside.

10. CRUISE THROUGH SECURITY. The best way to get through the security line quickly is to be prepared. Make sure all of your bags are out and open for the Cast Member to peek into. Have keys, cell phone and other metal devices ready to be passed to the guard at the security scanners.

11. ARRIVE AT GATE BEFORE PARK OPENS. We say this over and over again, but it's true—the very shortest waits of the day are in the first hours of a park's opening. When you arrive at the park before it opens, you will be one of the very first people inside the parks.

12. SNAG A LOCKER. Lockers can be very helpful. It's smart to travel light in the parks and you’ll want a spot to secure sweatshirts, jackets, cameras and snacks. Make renting a locker your first priority of the day. This eliminates the need to haul all of your gear around yet not out of the way for a quick stop for more sunscreen and such.

13. DOWNLOAD THE DISNEY MOBILE APP. A lifesaver! Download the Disneyland Mobile App before you arrive. You’ll find wait times, show listings, park maps, restaurant menus and so much more. If you buy your park tickets with the App, you only need to show your barcode at the gate for admission when you first arrive at the park!

14. USE FASTPASS. The FASTPASS system is one of the best ways to maximize your time at Disneyland. In case you're not familiar with the system, select attractions in both parks allow you to insert your park ticket and get a pass that gives you a return time to the specified attraction. Hop back through the FASTPASS RETURN LINE for a minimal wait.

There are a few fine points worth mentioning. You can only use the FASTPASS during the specified 1-hour return time window and you can only hold one FASTPASS at a time. You'll grab your new FASTPASS when the return time window opens for the current pass you are holding or two hours have passed since you obtained your most recent FASTPASS. The earlier you arrive at an attraction, the earlier in the day the FASTPASS return time will be. Finally, many attractions run out of FASTPASS tickets, so don't count on FASTPASS to always be available at the most popular attractions later in the day.

Disneyland Park FASTPASS Attractions

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Haunted Mansion
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Matterhorn
• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours — The Adventures Continue

Disney California Adventure FASTPASS Attractions

• California Screamin'
• Goofy's Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin' Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• World of Color

15. CONSIDER MAXPASS. This optional paid program allows guests to book Disney FASTPASS reservations through the Disneyland Resort App and allows unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads for the day. The introductory price for Disney MAXPASS is $10 per person, per ticket, per day. Guests may purchase Disney MAXPASS when they purchase their ticket or as an add-on through the Disneyland Mobile App once they enter either theme park. Annual Passholders may purchase just a day through the app after entering the park, or purchase an annual plan for $75 that expires when their current pass expires. Guests still have the option to scan their park tickets at individual FASTPASS attractions with no additional charge.

16. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MAGIC MORNING HOUR. The only way you benefit from the is if you actually show up early for it. MMH allow a one-hour early admission into the parks, a huge jump on the rest of the touring population. You want to get to the entrance gate at 30 minutes before the extra hour begins. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a long line of not-quite-early-enough risers who are also waiting to get into the park!

17. GET A RADIATOR SPRINGS FASTPASS FIRST THING. If you want to do this attraction more than once in your day, grab your Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS tickets then head to the attraction and hop in the Single Rider Line.

18. USE FASTPASS FOR RIDES WITH WAITS LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES. If you arrive at an attraction that offers FASTPASS, and the wait is 30 minutes or less, you are better off riding then and collecting a FASTPASS for an attraction with a much longer wait.

19. ONLY SEND ONE PERSON IN YOUR PARTY TO GET A FASTPASS. It's much easier for one person to be your appointed FASTPASS "runner" while the others go on another attraction, have a snack or chill out at a play area.

20. PARK HOP. It’s much easier to hop at Disneyland than it is at Disney World. Both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are just a short hop, skip and a jump away from each other. The entrances are one minute apart from each other. One park normally closes before the other, so when you park hop, you can head to the later park when the first one closes.

21. HAVE A PLAN AND PRIORITIZE ATTRACTIONS. You want to visit the attractions with the longest wait times and no access to FASTPASS, you’ll need to plan accordingly.

22. SAVING TIME IN THE DOLE WHIP LINE. Securing this delightful dessert with the massive following takes some strategy. Lines can be long during the day, so consider indulging in your Dole Whip when the stand opens, which is one hour after the park does. If you're craving it as an afternoon snack, the line inside the Enchanted Tiki Room waiting area is usually shorter than the one outside in Adventureland.

23. BUY YOUR SOUVENIRS AHEAD OF TIME. Yes, who doesn't want a Disneyland hat, shirt, mug, pin, framed artwork and all the other tempting Disney trinkets?  We all want a little something special from the parks but we like to buy a few souvenirs online to give to Tad and Lily ahead of the trip. This saves time spent in the shops and money.

24. WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE EVENING TO SHOP. If you're looking to maximize your time at Disneyland's shows, attractions and parades, consider saving your shopping until the park closes. The shops are open an hour after the park closes. Also, World of Disney in Downtown Disney is open one hour after Disneyland closes.

25. SAVE THE SHOWS FOR LATER IN THE DAY. The parks are least busy the first few hours of the day. You don't want to find yourself in a 30-minute show when Peter Pan's Flight and Dumbo will see their shortest waits of the day!

26. MAKE USE OF THE SINGLE RIDER LINE. Single Rider, which is almost always even faster than using FASTPASS, is a great way to maximize your time at Disneyland. If you don't mind splitting your group on the actual ride, you can experience the following attractions at super low waits on select attractions.

Disneyland Single Rider Attractions:

• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Matterhorn
• Splash Mountain

Disney California Adventure Single Rider Attractions:

• Radiator Springs Racers
• California Screamin'
• Goofy's Sky School
• Grizzly River Run

27. KNOW WHEN AND WHERE TO FIND YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS. While a handful of Disney characters have their own dedicated meet-and-greet stations, most of them are listed on the official site with published times. However, with the right strategies, you may very well land that meeting with favorites such as Peter Pan, Mulan, Oswalt the Lucky Rabbit or Jessie. Try hopping into Guest Relations at City Hall on Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland or the Chamber of Commerce on Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure. The cast members there usually know which character will appear and when.

28. MEET YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS AT BREAKFAST. A character meal is a great way to get up close and personal with a bunch of your favorite characters all at once. To really maximize your time at Disneyland, schedule a breakfast before the park opens. Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel and Storyteller's Cafe at Disney's Grand Californian are two favorites.

29. HAVE A PLAN FOR A LOST CHILD. It's easy to get distracted in a theme park, for kids and adults as well. There are lots of people and lots to see. Make sure you have a plan in place in case someone gets separated from your group. Hold hands, wear the same t-shirts during your visit, tag your child with your contact information, know where the lost children stations are located, keep your phone charged, take a photo of your children entering he park so you know exactly what they are wearing and stay alert.

30. KNOW WHEN THE DIFFERENT PARK AREAS CLOSE. Mickey's Toontown, for example, where you'll find Mickey, Minnie, other characters and more family rides, opens one hour after the regular park opening time and closes earlier than the rest of the park. Over at Disney California Adventure, many Paradise Pier attractions close prior to World of Color performances.

31. PLAN MEALS AROUND PARADES AND SHOW WAITS. Choosing a great spot for Fantasmic, World of Color or the fireworks is a rite of passage in our family. We make the most of this time waiting for the show to start by making it "dinner time" as well. We find our ideal viewing location, and then one family member sets out for burgers, hot dogs or other grab-and-go type foods for the rest of the family. We eat sitting down while we wait for the show to start!

32. SEE THE SECOND SHOW. During the busiest times of year, there are often two showings of the parades, Fantasmic and multiple showings of World of Color. The later you stay, the less time you need to stake out a viewing location for these shows.

33. GRAB A FASTPASS FOR WORLD OF COLOR. The FASTPASS at World of Color is not connected to the rest of the system, so you can grab this FASTPASS and not worry that you won't be able to get another one for two hours. Know that you will not get to choose your seating area or show time (if there is more than one). The FASTPASS is distributed sequentially by show time and viewing area. The World of Color FASTPASS kiosks are located near The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure.

34. SAVE ANY OF THE LONG WAIT ATTRACTIONS YOU MISSED IN THE MORNING FOR THE EVENING. Wait times decrease in the last couple of hours of park operation, which makes this a perfect time to get in line at Indiana Jones Adventure, Peter Pan's Flight or Space Mountain.

35. MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN A RIDE LINE WHEN THE PArK CLOSES. You will get to ride even if it is already past park closing time.

36. RIDES WITH THE SAME NAME ARE DIFFERENT AT DISNEYLAND / DISNEY WORLD / PARIS / etc. Even if you have visited other Disney Parks, the rides are different enough to be worth the wait.

37. NO SELFIE STICKS!

38. WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!

BONUS TIP!

LOOKING FOR A COCKTAIL AT DSNEYLAND? Although no alcohol is sold in Disneyland (except for the exclusive Club 33), locations in Disney California Adventure (see list below), the Grand Californian Hotel, and restaurants in Downtown Disney serve alcohol.

California Adventure offers cocktails at Carthay Circle Lounge, Al Fresco Tasting Terrace, Bayside Brews, Cove Bar, the Karl Strauss Beer Truck, Flo’s V8 Café, and many other beer kiosks located throughout California Adventure.  

Most tips provided by LEAP, the Undercover Tourist