Welcome to planDisney, Allison!
I’m so glad you found me here and trusted me with your question about making the most of the
daily Early Entry perk that is available to guests of the
Disneyland Resort Hotels. Earlier this year, my family and I stayed at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and I made sure to
lock in theme park reservations based on the theme park where Early Entry was available each day, so I’m glad to share my experience and a few tips with you here.
Allison, at the time that I’m writing this, 30 minutes of Early Entry is available at the
Disneyland Park on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Just be sure to check the official website before your visit for any updates. Also, don’t forget to make theme park reservations for each day you plan to visit.
In my experience, starting your day at
Fantasyland is a great idea. The queues get long quickly since there are no
Individual Lightning Lane passes available for its most popular attractions. My family and I headed straight toward
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride,
Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, and
Peter Pan's Flight, enjoying them all before the park opened to the general public!
Pro tip: Make sure you check in to the theme park a few minutes before Early Entry begins. Let the Cast Members know you’re an Early Entry guest, and they’ll guide you past the other early birds and direct you to Fantasyland before rope drop.
But Allison, if you're more of a thrill seeker, perhaps you want to take advantage of walking right on to
Space Mountain with a quick dash over to
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, then polishing off your extra time in the airspace of
Astro Orbitor. You’ll get a great start to your day and wave at the arriving guests from above!
Now, over at the Disney California Adventure Park, which is currently available to hotel guests for Early Entry on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, my first instinct is to jump on a thrill ride as soon as possible. It’s all about beating the crowds with this perk, so I’d start with
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!, then race over to the
Incredicoaster, and round out with
Soarin' Around the World before regular hours begin.
I hope this clears things up for you, Alison. You're like a shooting star. You've come so far you can't go back to where you used to be. So hop back on that magic carpet and
visit me again if you have more questions or
want more tips for navigating your time at the resort.
Remember to take it wonder by wonder,
Danielle