Greetings, Christian, and welcome to planDisney! Golly, I'm thrilled that you will visit the Disneyland Resort for the first time in December. It's
one of my favorite times of the year, with festive decorations, a towering tree, twinkling lights, and holiday overlays for "it's a small world" and Haunted Mansion. You've got a friend in me to help with planning – I live locally and visit often, including solo trips when I have a weekday off. I have a few tips to help maximize your visit!
First, Christian, you're off to a great start by staying nearby and planning three days in the park with Lightning Lane passes. Let's walk through a potential day:
- Rise early. The entrance gates open around 30 minutes before the park opens. So get there even earlier to go through security and scan into the park. Then, walk until you reach the ropes. Once the park opens, you'll be at your first ride in minutes. The first few hours of the park opening are my favorite time to be there. The lines are typically shorter compared to other times of day, so you should be able to get a few rides in with ease.
- Once you scan into the park, make your first Lightning Lane Multi-Pass selection. As soon as you redeem it, you'll be able to make your next selection. Book popular attractions, like Indiana Jones and Space Mountain, earlier in the day. You can also purchase the Lightning Lane Single Pass after scanning into the park.
- The Disneyland mobile app will save you lots of time! Instead of waiting in line at meal times, order in advance and approach the pickup window to get your food when it's ready. You'll also use the app to book Lightning Lanes and check wait times. Ahead of your trip, use the complimentary Disney Genius service in the app to build a personalized itinerary based on your top priorities.
- The Single Rider service will allow you to experience certain rides without waiting in the regular queue. It's my favorite part about solo visits to the parks, particularly at California Adventure. Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster, and WEB Slingers are just a few of the attractions where you can easily cruise near the front of the line by following the Single Rider signs.
- Plan to rest midday so you have energy to be in the park later at night. Participating in Animation Academy and riding the Disneyland Railroad are two of my favorite ways to rest my legs.
- Stay late since the park also tends to be less busy around closing time. If possible, plan to go to the later showings of nighttime spectaculars, using the time before to ride attractions.
Christian, check the park hours ahead of your visit – schedules should be available on the
Hours & Events Calendar around six weeks out. Many times, California Adventure closes earlier than Disneyland. But since you have a
Park Hopper ticket, you can simply walk over to the other park to finish the night. It takes only a minute to walk from one to the other.
Christian, I hope you have a wonderful visit to the Disneyland Resort in a few months. If you have any other questions ahead of your trip, please reach out. We're always happy to help here at planDisney!
Wishing you magic,
Kriss