Hi, Jami! How wonderful that you plan to do the Star Wars Half Marathon - The Light Side and even more wonderful that you will finally get to visit the Disneyland Resort!
We usually spend about three to five days at the Disneyland Resort and feel as though we accomplished nearly everything we wanted to do. Since the parks, the
Downtown Disney District, and the Disneyland Resort Hotels are so close together, it's really easy to see and do a lot during the day.
If you are staying at one of the three
Disneyland Resort Hotels, then I would structure your vacation around
Extra Magic Hour so you can enter one of the parks an hour early on every day of your trip. Extra Magic Hour at Disney California Adventure Park is on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays and is exclusive to Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests. This is a big deal especially if you want to ride
Radiator Springs Racers a few times during your trip. For Disneyland Park, Extra Magic Hour takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
I also highly suggest park hopper tickets. The proximity of the parks makes it incredibly easy to hop back and forth. Another tool that makes it easy to tour the Disneyland Resort is the
Disneyland app. It has attraction wait times, FASTPASS distribution times, character locations, and so much more!
Please stop by again as I'd love to help you make the most out of your first visit to the Disneyland Resort!
-Linda M.