Hello Katie, welcome back to planDisney! I'd love to help you plan out a great day for the family at
Disneyland Park!
We always love to start our day off in
Fantasyland with some of the classic rides we all remember from when we were kids. Our favorite attractions are Peter Pan's Flight, Alice in Wonderland, and the Storybook Land Canal Boats. A fun tip for the Storybook Land Canal Boats is to ask the Cast Member on the boat if your kids can be "whale watchers", and they may be able to sit on the flat part on the front of the boat!
If you have any Star Wars fans in your family, then a visit to
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a must do! The Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attractions are located here and are always a priority for us each trip. We usually try to purchase an
Individual Lightning Lane selection for Rise of the Resistance since the standby line can get long during the day, and it helps us maximize our time in the park. Saving time is always worth the additional cost to us!
If your little Mouseketeers are thrill seekers like mine, then I would definitely make Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad a priority! We also can never pass up Pirates of the Caribbean, it's a classic for a reason, and it is a longer attraction, which can be a nice break for the whole family.
Another tip here Katie, if you can budget to purchase
Disney Genie+ service for the day, it's always worth it for us since we have only a day or two in the parks. It truly can save valuable time, and then you can use that time for a table service meal, shopping along Main Street, U.S.A., or resting your feet with a Disneyland churro in hand!
I also have to mention that the "
Magic Happens" parade also just came back to Disneyland Park, you can find the showtimes on the
entertainment schedule or in the Disneyland app. This parade is whimsical and full of energy! The new
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway attraction also just recently opened in Mickey's Toontown, and is now available for a standby queue, or you can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane selection as well.
Finally, if you're looking to take a break during the afternoon when the parks usually are busy, we love to grab a snack and take a ride on the
Mark Twain Riverboat, it's such a peaceful ride along the Rivers of America! Another option is to hop on the
Disneyland Railroad at one of the four stations, and you can ride as many loops as you'd like. We've definitely been known to close our eyes on a loop or two to recharge!
I hope all of this information was helpful for you Katie, if you have any other questions feel free to come back to planDisney!
Have a magical day!
Melissa