Is There A Special Disneyland Ticket That Will Let You Cut in Line?
Disneyland® Resort, the “Happiest Place on Earth,” is also the most popular place on Earth when it comes to theme park vacations with over 18 million visitors attending the park annually. But, with so many rides and attractions to experience, you won’t want to spend half your visit standing in lines waiting for the fun to start. Fortunately, there are a few ways, including some Disneyland ticket options that can help you skip the line.
Disney® FASTPASS
The single best way to make the most of your time at Disneyland® Resort is to use the Disney® FASTPASS system which can often mean the difference between waiting two hours in line for a ride or 15 minutes. Disney® FASTPASS access is included in the cost of your Disneyland ticket price and allows you to essentially skip to the front of the line on select rides.
To use the FASTPASS system, you simply go to the attraction you want to experience, check the FASTPASS distribution kiosk for the wait time and return time, then scan your ticket if the return time works with your Disneyland schedule. Your return time is digitally stored in the FASTPASS system, but the paper ticket is a reminder of your ride time. However, if you are planning on using your FASTPASS to see one of the many shows such as Fantasmic! or World of Color, be sure to hang on to your paper tickets as they give you entry to the shows.
Be aware that not all attractions offer FASTPASS access and FASTPASS tickets go quickly on many of the more popular attractions and some of the FASTPASS kiosks are not located in the same area as the attraction. The key is to get in early and reserve your FASTPASS rides as soon as possible. If you download the free Disney land app you can check the wait times for FASTPASSes and also the wait times for attractions without FASTPASS.
To help you get the most out of your FASTPASS, hit the rides with the fastest FASTPASS distribution first, including Space Mountain at Disneyland® Park and Toy Story Midway Mania! at Disney California Adventure, and save the rides with more FASTPASSes or slower distribution for later in the day; this includes rides such as “it’s a small world” and Grizzly River Run.
Disney® MAXPASS
Though not included in the cost of your ticket, Disney® MAXPASS is the new way to book your FASTPASS rides and is well worth the investment of $10 per person per day. Unlike, regular FASTPASS bookings, Disney® MAXPASS allows you to use the Disney app to book your FASTPASS rides online which means you don’t need to line up at the distribution kiosks.
MAXPASS allows guests to park hop more effectively by letting them reserve their rides on the go. So, you can book a ride at Disneyland® Park while waiting in line at Disney California Adventure. Disney® MAXPASS also gives you unlimited PHOTOPASS downloads for the day.
Park Hopper
While park hopping won’t get you to the head of the line, if used effectively it can give you a head start allowing you to make your way to rides with shorter lines while you wait for your FASTPASS reservation time to arrive.
A Park Hopper ticket allows you to access both Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure on the same day, and because the parks are only 400 feet apart, you can easily cross back and forth between the parks throughout the day.
Generally, the lines at Disney California Adventure are shorter on most attractions than Disneyland® Park, excluding the newer attractions such as Guardians of the Galaxy: MISSON BREAKOUT which always attracts plenty of visitors.
Go Off-Season
One effective way to beat the crowds is to plan your visit to Disneyland® Resort in the offseason. Summer and holiday months are always the busiest times of the year for the parks which means that lines and wait times are going to be longer even with your FASTPASS reservations.
Planning your visit to Disneyland® Resort in the off-peak season simply means that with less visitors the lines will be shorter, and you will be able to see more attractions. Be sure to regularly check out the Disneyland® Resort event calendar for upcoming seasonal events, as event days often draw crowds away from the rides which leave shorter queues and more time for Disney magic.
Magic Morning
Magic Morning allows guests entrance to the park and access to some of the attractions a full hour before the park opens. Be aware that not all attractions are open during Magic Morning, and the early admission is only available for Disneyland® Park not Disney California Adventure. One of the best ways to use your Magic Morning access is to take the perfect photo without a crowd using one of your PHOTOPASS options.
If you buy Disneyland tickets for 3 days or more in advance of your visit, you automatically receive free Magic Morning access to the park meaning you can race to the head of the line and see all your favorite characters before the crowds arrive, it also means that you can book FASTPASS tickets earlier as many of the most popular rides go quickly. However, FASTPASS tickets can still only be used during regular park hours.
Plan Your Visit
Planning your visit is the best way to get the most out of your trip to Disneyland® Resort by reducing the stress of dealing with crowds and can often mean shorter wait times and more effective FASTPASS usage.
When planning your visit, be sure to download a map of the parks to familiarize yourself with the layout of the “lands” and the location of the rides and attractions you want to hit. You can then use the free mobile app to look at the average wait times and schedule your day, so you hit the rides that don’t offer FASTPASSes earlier in the day when the lines are shortest. Be sure to arrive on time for your return booking as you may be denied access to the FASTPASS lane if you are late. And be sure to get your second FASTPASS ready before you use the first one to save time.
Final Thoughts
Waiting in line is an unfortunate part of the experience at Disneyland® Resort, but with new additions to the rides and more interactive queues developing, there is always something to marvel at while you wait. But if you don’t want to wait in line there are a few ticket options that can help you skip the queue and go straight for the fun.
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