Hi Ann! Welcome to planDisney! Your upcoming visit with your daughter sounds like such a special trip, and I’m happy to help you make the most of your time at the
Disneyland Resort.
While crowd levels can always vary and there are never absolute guarantees, early February has historically been a quieter time to visit Disneyland, especially on weekdays. Because of that, purchasing a
Park Hopper ticket can be a great option if you’d like the flexibility to experience both
Disneyland Park and
Disney California Adventure Park during your visit. Having the ability to move between the two parks gives you more opportunities to fit in the major attractions, dining, and entertainment that matter most to you.
If your goal is to experience as many headliner attractions as possible in a single day, I recommend pairing a Park Hopper with
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and an early arrival. Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows you to access shorter queues at select attractions, helping you save valuable time throughout the day. You can purchase Multi Pass for each member of your party either in advance (if you haven’t yet purchased tickets) or on the day of your visit once you’ve scanned into your starting park. After entering, simply use the
Disneyland app to begin selecting return times. While you wait for those return windows, you can enjoy nearby attractions or grab a quick snack to keep your energy up.
Here’s a Lightning Lane Q-Tip: with a bit of planning, you can hold multiple return times at once. For example, if you book
Matterhorn Bobsleds at 9:00 a.m. with a return time later in the afternoon, you’ll be able to make another Lightning Lane selection two hours later (perhaps for
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway) without losing your first reservation. I like to set reminders on my phone so I don’t miss those two-hour booking windows. It’s also a smart move to reserve the most popular attractions early, as return times for
Space Mountain,
Indiana Jones Adventure, and
Haunted Mansion often fill up quickly.
Finally, I highly recommend arriving at the parks at least 30 minutes before rope drop. The first couple of hours after opening typically offer the lowest wait times of the day and are perfect for experiencing big attractions before crowds build. Then, as the day unfolds, you can rely on Lightning Lane selections to keep things moving smoothly. My family always starts our morning this way, usually kicking things off with a thrilling ride on Space Mountain.
Ann, if any other questions come up as you plan your visit, we’d be delighted to help again here at planDisney. We can’t wait to help make your trip truly magical.
Happy adventuring!
David