If you are planning a Disneyland 2024 trip, we have everything you need to know right here. This year is going to be quite a frogciting time to visit Disneyland Resort! We are talking major celebrations, a new hotel theme, a new parade (plus the return of a favorite parade), runDisney races and a new ride to come. Plus, all the fan-favorite festivals are back, and they are even bigger and better than ever! The hard part is deciding the best time to make that Disneyland trip in 2024. Never fear — your froggy friends are here to help you plan the most amazing Disneyland vacation. Here's what you need to know about visiting Disneyland in 2024.
You may notice a lot of links and cross-references to other posts in this post. That's because we have so much to share about every topic, tool and celebration that all the information won't fit in one place! We promise that reading up on each of the topics that interest you will help prepare you for your Disneyland trip and make visiting in 2024 so much easier for you.
We want to point out some of the new things that came to Disneyland in 2023. If you have not had a chance to visit, they'll still be new to you in 2024! A reimagined Toontown reopened with a new ride — Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. Tiana's Palace opened as a new quick-service restaurant in New Orleans Square. The Adventureland Treehouse also got reimagined.
Timeline of Major Disneyland Events for Your Disneyland 2024 Trip
We have two toadally hopful posts on What’s Coming to Disneyland and the full list of Disneyland 2024 events. But let’s quickly look at the timeline for major official events, openings, times that major shows return from refurbishment and important details here (some of these events overlap):
- Jan. 1-7: The end of Holiday Time (including Three Kings Day Jan. 6)
- Jan. 2 - June 2: SoCal 3-day promo tickets are valid for any three visits. And guess who has the best deal on these? Ribbit!
- Jan. 8 - March 10: $50 child tickets every day!
- Jan. 10: Magic Keys are back on sale
- Jan. 11-14: runDisney Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend
- Jan. 19: World of Color — One returns
- Jan. 22: Haunted Mansion closes for extended refurbishment
- Jan. 23 - Feb. 18: Lunar New Year
- Jan. 30: Pixar Place Hotel officially opens
- Feb. 2: Magic Happens Parade returns
- February: Black History Month with Celebrate Gospel Feb. 17 and 24
- Feb. 22-23, 2024: Anaheim Ducks Day at Disney California Adventure
- March 1 - April 22: Food and Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure
- March 22 to April 14: Wondrous Journeys (special presentation)
- April 5 - June 2: Season of the Force (brings new adventures to Star Tours and music to fireworks in Batuu)
- April 26 - Aug. 4: Pixar Fest (including a new parade at Disney California Adventure and "Together Forever" nighttime spectacular)
- May 24: Fantasmic! returns
- Aug. 23 - Oct. 31: Halloween Time
- Sept. 5-8, 2024: (New!) Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend
- Nov. 15, 2025: Tiana's Bayou Adventure and the newly imagined Bayou Country land opens
- Nov. 15 - early January: Holiday Time
There are many smaller events you can find in our events post, but these are the biggest festivals, celebrations and openings to celebrate this year.
Knowing the Disneyland calendar can help you if you want to experience, say, Food and Wine, Season of the Force and Wondrous Journeys nighttime spectacular all during one visit. Then an early/mid April trip is in order! But if Pixar Fest is a priority, visit between late April and early August. If you want Fantasmic!, nightly fireworks and Pixar Fest, then visit in June or July. Halloween Time kicks off early, so if you can only visit in late August, you still get to experience Halloween Time this year! Both Halloween Time and Holiday Time come with their own special fireworks and other nighttime entertainment.
New Experiences and Experiences That Recently Returned
So many incredible Disneyland experiences are back, including character meet and greets (and hugs!) and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! On Nov. 15, 2024, a new water ride opens in the new Bayou Country. Splash Mountain has closed and is being transformed into Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
Pixar Fest brings a new daytime parade to Disney California Adventure and the return of "Together Forever" fireworks and projection show with new scenes.
Let's take a look at some items that recently returned to Disneyland in 2023 that you may want to add to your 2024 Disneyland trip wish list:
- Nighttime entertainment: World of Color — One, which premiered as part of the D100 celebration in 2023, is back in March. Fantasmic! returns May 24. Check out our guide to the best Disneyland shows!
- Magic Happens returned in 2023 and comes back Feb. 2, 2024, after a break during the holidays.
- New characters appear in Avengers Campus and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
- Character dining themed holiday meals are at Goofy's Kitchen.
- Mickey's Toontown was refurbished and has a new ride, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.
- The Adventureland Treehouse reopened with a new design and story.
- Tiana's Palace opened in New Orleans Square with quick-service food inspired by New Orleans and "The Princess and the Frog."
- Villas at the Disneyland Hotel opened in September 2023 (and you can book for a discount through Undercover Tourist).
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens with Bayou Country and a new restaurant as of Nov. 15, 2024.
Avoiding Crowds in 2024
Want to avoid crowds? That's getting harder to do with Disneyland demand being so high and demand ticket pricing. Our Best Time to Visit Disneyland post and our crowd calendar help predict the most crowded and least crowded days to visit. The busiest times are during holidays, school breaks and on the cheapest days to visit.
Tools to Skip the Lines and Avoid Crowds
Even if you can't avoid the crowds, we can help you feel less affected by them. Here are a few tools we think are worth using to manage your day. Many may seem new to you if you have not visited Disneyland in a few years, but they help you operate outside of the crowds and make it feel like a less-crowded day for you.
Mobile Order — Skip the food lines by using the Disneyland app to order food with Mobile Order.
Rope Drop or Staying Until Park Close — The shortest wait times of the day are in the first hour of park opening and the last two hours before the parks close. Take a break or have a long sit-down lunch midday so you can power through the evening hours.
Early Entry — People who stay at one of the three Disneyland on-site hotels can access areas of one of the theme parks 30 minutes before other park guests. Early Entry helps you get a great head start on your day. BTW: as of Jan. 20, 2024, only one park per day hosts Early Entry. Check the park hours online or in the Disneyland app to see the schedule.
Park Plans — We have park plans to help you navigate the parks and find the rides with the shortest wait times of the day. Knowing where to go first can save you time and help you get the most done.
Virtual Queue — You can use the virtual queue (accessible within the Disneyland app) to access the viewing area for World of Color at noon (with valid park admission and a theme park reservation; guests must either have a park hopper ticket or a base ticket with admission to Disney California Adventure Park).
Single Rider — A few rides allow guests ages 7 and up to skip the line by filling in empty seats. Parties will be split up.
Dining Reservations or Walk-Up List — Make advance dining reservations up to 60 days in advance. If you can't get the reservation you want, try joining the walk-up list in the Disneyland app when you are in the restaurant's vicinity.
Disney Genie — This free service in the Disneyland app can help you plan an itinerary that helps you find the shortest lines. Don't get Disney Genie confused with the paid Lightning Lane Multi Pass service. Genie can help people new to Disneyland decide where to go next or alert them to upcoming shows and parades they want to see.
Add-on Tools for a Fee
Then, there are a few services and tools available that come with a price.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass — You can purchase a ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass (formerly Genie+) or purchase the service after entering a theme park each day. You get to access the Lightning Lane and skip the standard queue for select rides. You'll make ride selections through the Disneyland app. Our Lightning Lane Multi Pass tips and tricks post has more details. Lightning Lane Multi Pass purchased same-day is on a variable pricing schedule, but you can save by purchasing tickets with Lightning Lane Multi Pass already included through Undercover Tourist.
Lightning Lane Single Pass — A few premium rides (such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers) in each park also have a Lightning Lane but are not included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass. You can skip the free standby line for these by paying for them individually. Our Lightning Lane Multi Pass FAQ post has more details on Lightning Lane Single Pass.
Dining Packages — You can purchase dining packages that give you reserved spots for parades and shows. Some of them are really hopful in terms of saving time and stress. We break down the pros and cons and discuss which ones we think are toadally worth it in our dining packages post.
MagicBand+ — Disney World fans may be used to this wearable technology, but MagicBands are still pretty new at Disneyland. You can link a MagicBand+ to your Disneyland ticket and simply tap it to enter the park, enter a Lightning Lane and get your PhotoPass photos from a photographer. The bands also interact with some rides, shows and park locations to enhance your experiences. You can even use a MagicBand+ to hunt for bounty in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Save time and your phone battery by using a MagicBand.
Theme Park Reservations
You still need a theme park reservation for your Disneyland trip in 2024. Disneyland remains high in demand, but reservations are limited. That means reservations can fill up in advance. Plan ahead, but keep in mind that the reservation calendar can change. So if you have your heart set on a date, just keep checking. Maybe it will open up.
Lock in a good Disneyland ticket deal well before your visit and then use it to reserve your dates once they become available. You can book up to 180 days in advance, but you can purchase tickets from Undercover Tourist well before that. When purchasing a multi-day Disneyland ticket, you might just add an extra day to your Disneyland visit this year, because all these events and celebrations and new experiences are just the icing on the cake. (The cake is all the great rides and shows that are already part of a normal day at Disneyland!) You'll want to allow enough time to see and do it all.
We normally recommend at least three days to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure but we are upping that to recommending four or five days for 2024. So much is hoppening! Did you know that a 5-Day Disneyland ticket purchased through Undercover Tourist costs about $7 more than a 4-Day ticket purchased through Disneyland? That's like getting the fifth day for a few dollars!
Early Closures and After Dark Events in 2024
Disneyland is open pretty late most days of the year. However, there are occasional times that the park closes earlier than usual for Disneyland After Dark parties or private events. Some we know in advance, while others we do not see until the hours are posted up to six weeks in advance. That’s why you always want to double-check the park hours as your visit approaches in case you want to switch your days around or switch park reservations to the park that is open later. Here are times we know you may encounter early closing hours:
- Sweethearts Nite — Disneyland Park closes at 8 p.m. on Jan. 23, 25, 30, Feb. 1, 6, 8, 12 & 14, 2024
- Disney Channel Nite — Disneyland Park closes at 8 p.m. on March 5 and 7, 2024
- Star Wars Nite — Disneyland Park closes at 8 p.m. on April 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, May 2, 7 & 9, 2024
- Pride Nite — Disneyland Park closes at 8 p.m. on June 18 and 20, 2024
- Disney California Adventure closes at 8 p.m. for Grad Nites on these dates in 2024: May 10, 14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23, 28, 31, June 2, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 14
- Oogie Boogie Bash (DCA) — Watch out for early closing hours on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Halloween (plus a few Saturdays) during Halloween Time in September and October at Disney California Adventure
Keep in mind that some of these days that close early can see low crowds in the morning as people may avoid visiting that park that day. The park with early closing hours can be a great place to start your day when you have a park hopper ticket.
Planning for Disneyland Weather
One thing to consider when planning a Disneyland trip is the weather. Luckily, we have a whole month-by-month guide to Disneyland weather. You could encounter rain in the winter months and very hot days in late summer. But for the most part, SoCal has a sunny, dry climate. Be sure to check the weather report as your visit draws near to find out if you need an umbrella, a sweatshirt or shorts.
Tips for Planning a Disneyland Trip
Here's what you can do to best prepare for your Disneyland 2024 trip:
- Determine when to visit and how many days to spend in the parks. For multi-day trips, plan a rest day in the middle if you can. Spend it at the beach, pool or doing hotel character dining.
- Buy tickets and book a hotel room in advance.
- Make theme park reservations up to 120 days in advance.
- Make dining reservations up to 60 days in advance.
- Check the entertainment calendar a few weeks to a few days in advance to plan out your must-see shows (and check park hours at that time too).
- Check out our park plans to plot out when to ride your must-do rides.
- Read up on any festival guides, foodie guides and virtual queues if applicable.
- Look at the weather forecast a few days before your trip to plan when to pack (layers are always a good idea).
- Arrive early to the theme parks, take a break midday if you can (book a lunch table-service reservation and see a show if you can't leave the park) and stay late!
Do you have any other questions about planning a Disneyland trip in 2024? Please drop them in the comments section below.
Related: The Best Times to Visit Disneyland
Hoppy planning!
