Disneyland - Is one day enough?
 

We will be stopping off in LA for a few days in late April next year. We are planning on going to Disneyland but I am not sure if we should allow just one day or two. There will be four of us and we are all in our late 20's. None of us are mad keen on rollercosters etc but I am sure we will go on a few rides.
I am not sure if May would be a busy time of year but we will be going midweek.

I think it depends upon if you want to include Disney's California Adventure. If you are just visiting Disneyland, getting there early and leaving late should be fine. We had a park hopper pass for two days and we found that was just right.

I think one day will be fine considering your ages. You can go all day without needing to break and nobody is going to get cranky if they miss their nap (although a break for a cocktail at the Disneyland Hotel can be nice...).

Hello Hills! Have you been to Disneyland before? If you want to experience Disneyland without the thrill rides, you can easily do it in one day. Its the waiting lines for the most popular rides that eat up your day. Start early in the morning and stay thru the evening. You'll see it all. If you've experienced Disney before, you might want to try CA Adventure instead. Its a great park and easy to do in one day too. As an adult, I prefer CA Adventure to Disneyland. There are many unique attractions to entertain your adult mind!

I second the recommendation for California Adventure over Disneyland. Disneyland was a jungle of people waiting in long lines and no room to even walk comfortably anywhere. California Adventure is well-planned with walking spaces and adult oriented attractions.

one day at disney should be fine. since many of the rides are geared to kids, you won't need to spend time on those. if you've never been to disney before, i'd go there instead of california adventure just because it is a great place to see at least once.

Pardon me for jumping in on your post, but, is there a premium pass (at a premium price) that gives special (no wait) access to Disney rides and attractions? If one stays at an on-site Disney Hotel does that get one earlier access to the park?

Thank you.

Have you ever been to a Disney Park? And is it May or April? Mid-week should be fine crowd wise as long as you are not going during Spring Break when it will be insane with crowds. I would suggest getting the two-day park hopper that will allow you access to both parks. If you must do it in one day maybe they have a one-day hopper pass, but to have the best experience I would visit both parks. DL in the Morning and CA in the evening. DL stays open longer, so back to DL for fireworks etc at night. Some of the "kiddie" rides in DL can be quite fun if you have never tried them. I am in my 30's and still like Mr. Toad, Peter Pan etc...and I am not alone. Peter Pan line is always packed.

i agree...peter pan ride is great for all ages.
my sister's family bought the extra tickets to avoid line ups. she said it was definitly worth it although pricey - an extra $30/person. ouch!

What extra tickets to avoid line ups? The Fastpass doesn't cost extra.

i must have misunderstood. maybe they paid extra at a different park - universal maybe.

I was inquiring whether Disney has an analog of Universal's Express pass or line. At Universal, Florida guests of its hotels get a separate [express] line to virtually all attractions and rides, a tremendous time saver (0-10 minutes, instead of up to 45 minutes). Universal also sells a modified version for $36/day/guest. And, one can "reserve" a time to ride attractions, though certainly not more than 3-4 per day (as the reservations disappear quickly).
Anything like these available at Disneyland?
Thank you.

Disneyland does have have a mechanism to shorten the waiting time for certain rides. It is called Fastpass. Better information about Disneyland is available thru www.disboards.com
On that website you will get info from seasoned "mouseketeers." Go to the Chat/Forums in that website, then click on Disneyland, lower left hand corner.
You will see a multitude of discussions regarding Disneyland. Another website for savings at Disneyland hotel properties is mousesavers.com.
Good luck!

Have been to Disneyland a number of times, both for 1 day & for 2 days. When I have the time available, I much prefer taking 2 days. You just don't feel as rushed to do everything as you would in 1 day. Especially if you want to include the parade or show at night. It is just a more relaxed feeling to do it in 2 days. But if you only have 1 day, it is definitely doable in 1 day, you just have to do a bit more planning of what you want to do & maybe where you want to eat. If using 2 days, just be aware that sometimes attractions are shut down for various reasons. & If there is something you really want to do & it is open on day 1, you may not want to wait until day 2 to do it. It might be closed on day 2.