Hello there Michele, from one Illinois resident to another! How exciting that you're planning a trip to the "Happiest Place on Earth!"
In my opinion, if you can visit the
Disneyland Resort for at least two days, I would do that instead of just one day. There is so much to explore at both
Disneyland Park and
Disney California Adventure Park, it would be hard to accomplish everything in just one day! You could definitely do one park per day if you purchase a
multi-day theme park ticket, but I love to add on the
Park Hopper option so you can enjoy the best of both parks each day you visit.
Holiday Time can be a very busy time to visit the parks, so I try to opt for days during the week such as a Tuesday or a Wednesday. The Holiday weeks can be busy all week though due to schools being out and Guests being off of work.
During busy days at the Disneyland Resort, I highly recommend getting to the parks early before the gates open, as well as purchasing
Disney Genie+ Service! The crowds will generally be lower first thing in the morning, and we aim to get to the parks at least 30 minutes before they open. We can get several of our favorite attractions crossed off our list first thing in the morning which feels great! Since we're visiting from out of town, we love to purchase Disney Genie+ Service which gives us access to
Lightning Lane entrances and shorter wait times. It's totally worth the investment to us since it truly does help you save time throughout the day, especially when you are visiting from out of town!
Michele, I hope this information is helpful as you plan your trip! I'd be happy to help with any other questions you may have, so do not hesitate to
come back and ask!Have a magical day,
Melissa