How to Plan Your Disneyland Trip to Minimize Time Waiting in Lines
Jennifer Williams
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If you're willing to give up some spontaneity to minimize the time you wait in lines at Disneyland, planning ahead will be very helpful in improving the quality of your day. Don't spend an hour out of your day looking at the map to decide where to go next. Plan ahead! 
Step 1. Assess your group. Who are you traveling with? Small children? The elderly? Unattached 20-somethings? The size and age of your group will affect how fast you can travel from ride to ride, how many breaks you need, and when you can start your day. Be realistic. Your 90-year-old grandmother won't be able to go from open to close.
Step 2. Make a list of the rides that anyone in your group wants to go on. If one part of your group wants to do one ride, and the other part another ride, work that in, too. If you have a large group, you may want or need to split up for a portion of your day. Be sure to have cell phones or walkie-talkies so you can more easily meet up again.
Step 3. Prioritize the ride list, and organize them by park (Disneyland or California Adventure) and by land (Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, etc.). If you have access to an Early Entry, start that day with Fantasyland. You should be able to do most of the Fantasyland rides in that first hour. If you have access to Toontown Morning Madness, plan to do the Toontown attractions next and be sure to be waiting at Toontown before it opens if it is a busy time of year. On other days, during the first couple of hours, concentrate on rides that you really want to go on (non-negotiables) that don't have Fastpass. Also, obtain Fastpasses for Fastpass-enabled rides that you want to ride. You can revisit those rides later without as long of a wait.
Step 1. Assess your group. Who are you traveling with? Small children? The elderly? Unattached 20-somethings? The size and age of your group will affect how fast you can travel from ride to ride, how many breaks you need, and when you can start your day. Be realistic. Your 90-year-old grandmother won't be able to go from open to close.
Step 2. Make a list of the rides that anyone in your group wants to go on. If one part of your group wants to do one ride, and the other part another ride, work that in, too. If you have a large group, you may want or need to split up for a portion of your day. Be sure to have cell phones or walkie-talkies so you can more easily meet up again.
Step 3. Prioritize the ride list, and organize them by park (Disneyland or California Adventure) and by land (Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, etc.). If you have access to an Early Entry, start that day with Fantasyland. You should be able to do most of the Fantasyland rides in that first hour. If you have access to Toontown Morning Madness, plan to do the Toontown attractions next and be sure to be waiting at Toontown before it opens if it is a busy time of year. On other days, during the first couple of hours, concentrate on rides that you really want to go on (non-negotiables) that don't have Fastpass. Also, obtain Fastpasses for Fastpass-enabled rides that you want to ride. You can revisit those rides later without as long of a wait.
