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20 Cool Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer 2025

by Leap on May 3, 2025
4 Los Angeles

It's time to party! Save up to $35 per ticket on 3- and 4-day Disneyland® Resort tickets for visits from May 16, 2025, through Aug. 14, 2025 — just in time for Disneyland® Resort's 70th Anniversary Celebration!


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Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Pinterest

It's summer at Disneyland Resort, and there is so much extra fun hoppening in 2025! This year, Disneyland celebrates its 70th birthday with a whole entire year of festivities starting May 16, 2025. A new discount summer ticket has launched, although you still have to make park reservations for each visit through an advance reservation system. That means there's a little planning ahead to be done before the fun! Summer is one of the peak seasons at Disneyland, and in 2025, we have more to celebrate with two parades (one in each park), dance parties in each park, special fireworks, a new show, new characters to meet and so many new foods to enjoy.

At Disney California Adventure, a brand-new World of Color show lights up our night. At Disneyland, Paint the Night Parade and Wondrous Journeys fireworks show are back!

If you're gearing up for a summer vacation or staycation, no doubt you're looking for a few tips to maximize your time. Never fear, the Frog Family is here! We bring you our trusted tips for tackling Disneyland in the summer.

The Frog Family's Hop Tips for Disneyland in Summer 2025

1. Stay Close or On-Site

Whether you live locally and are looking for a staycation or are coming from more distant areas, if there's ever a time and reason to stay on-site or close by, it's during the summer months to beat the crowds. We prefer to stay within walking distance of the parks so we don't have to worry about parking and can easily hop back to the hotel in the afternoon for a nap or a swim. It's so nice to escape the afternoon crowds and heat for a bit to make the most of morning and evening time.

We recently stayed at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa on a warm weekend. It was so nice to hit the pool midday! It is right next to the hotel entrance to Disney California Adventure, with its very own entrance into the park. After cooling off, we hopped back to the theme parks, refreshed and ready for nighttime entertainment. Mommy Frog and I eased our aching flippers with a foot massage at the spa, which is also right near the pool and theme park entrance. It really helped us make it from rope drop to fireworks with hoppy feet.

20 Cool Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer 2024 - Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland Hotel Pool

We offer discounts for Disneyland Resort hotels! Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel and Disneyland Hotel guests have more access to theme park reservation availability than other park guests. In fact, save even more on your summer trips with this summer deal for the 70th Anniversary Celebration:

  • Save up to 25% on select stays Sunday through Thursday nights at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Disneyland Hotel May 16 - Aug. 14, 2025

Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Pixar Place Hotel splash pad

Guests at these on-site hotels can enter a theme park 30 minutes early with Early Entry. The Pixar Place Hotel has its own entrance to Disney California Adventure, and it puts you right in the action near Pixar Pier. In fact, any on-site hotel guest's key opens the gate to that entrance! We love this entrance because it's typically less crowded than other entrances.

Several off-site hotels are also within walking distance of the parks, and they can also help you save money. Did you know you can book your hotel near Disneyland with us for a hoppin' good discount?

2. Get Park Hopper Tickets

Disneyland offers a limited-time 3-Day or 4-Day ticket deal. Both tickets are valid for visits from May 16 to Aug. 14, 2025 (days can be used consecutively or separately throughout this usage period), and have options to upgrade to Park Hopper tickets and Lightning Lane Multi Pass. But wait! That is not all. You can save even more  on this special 70th Anniversary Ticket Offer when you buy from your froggy frogs at Undercover Tourist. It's on sale now! Buy early and make those park reservations now.

As summer days start to book up, you may notice that Park Hopper tickets have better theme park availability than 1-Park per day tickets. This hopful link to the availability calendar shows current availability for 1-Park, Park Hopper and Disneyland Resort hotel guests. You may notice that hotel guests have the best availability of all. That's just one of the perks of staying on-site!

3. Make Use of Disneyland Resort Hotel Perks

Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer - Early entry

Guests staying on-site are close to the action, but they also get the benefit of Early Entry to the theme parks. Hotel guests may enter the parks to access select rides, restaurants and shops 30 minutes before the parks open every day (with a park ticket and reservation of course). If you're staying on-site, you definitely don't want to skip out on your Early Entry park time, when one park opens 30 minutes early each day. This summer, the parks alternate hosting Early Entry. Keep in mind that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not open during Early Entry. However, Early Entry guests can line up in Fantasyland and be among the first people to get to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in the morning.

4. Stay Three to Five Days at Disneyland in Summer

During the busy summer months, three days will give you enough time to experience the best attractions in both parks. We suggest at least two days at Disneyland and one at Disney California Adventure. Park hopping is cheaper per day with a multi-day ticket. So, it really makes more financial sense to park hop with a multi-day ticket. If you have small children, a longer trip allows you to slow down, and let them explore all the discoveries in Toontown. A longer trip allows "Star Wars" fans the time they need to fully experience Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Waiting for parades and nighttime spectaculars involves time, so a multi-day ticket allows you to take the time to experience all the amazing entertainment.

Also, a multi-day ticket saves money per day and is not subject to tiers and blackout dates like the 1-Day tickets are. You have 13 days after the first use to visit. You still need to reserve all days in advance, as days do fill up. (Psst ... you can save even more when you purchase discount Disneyland Resort tickets from your favorite froggy friends. Just remember to make a theme park reservation as soon as you receive your tickets via email!)

Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Jessie's Critter Carousel

5. Arrive Early

The first few hours of the day in the parks see the very lowest crowds. The last few hours in the evenings during and after fireworks are also light. If you are walking from your hotel, you should plan to arrive an hour early to get through security and entrance lines. If you are driving, the parking lots open one hour before the earliest theme park opening time. Arriving before the park opens is another one of our tips for visiting Disneyland in summer. You'll avoid the lines and the heat. Then you can focus on shows, characters, food and other experiences once the lines get long.

Keep in mind that all guests can enter the theme parks 30 minutes early, every day. Entering early before rope drop (official park opening, when guests can access the attractions) is the best way to knock out some of the most popular rides without a wait! Guests at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel have a dedicated entrance to Disney California Adventure Park, which makes it easy. All Disney hotel guests with a room key can access the pathway to Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure.

6. Pinpoint Attractions with Water 

Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Grizzly River Run

Hop on the new Tiana's Bayou Adventure for a big splash to help cool down. Donald's Boat in Toontown has a splash pad and CenTOONial Fountain has low water tables for tadpoles to play with on hot days. Head to Grizzly River Run in California Adventure for a rapids ride with lots of geysers and splash surprises.

With the summer heat in full effect Grizzly River Run and Tiana's Bayou Adventure will see the highest crowds in the afternoon. Stave off the wait by using Lightning Lane or by riding earlier or later in the day. Or hop in a Single Rider line. Before you head to the parks and make your plans, check our Disneyland ride refurbishments.

7. Learn How to Find the Shortest Waits

We frogs know a few ways to skip the lines. We've already discussed arriving early and staying late. We also offer park plans to help you find your way through the most attractions. While we do enjoy a bit of spontaneity in our day, having a park plan in place helps us hit the most popular attractions before lines form, enjoy rides with consistent or low wait times (and do other things) midday and jump in dwindling lines before park closure. Consult the wait times in the Disneyland app to find the shortest waits. You can also use the free Genie feature in the Disneyland app. You can input your interests and Genie will make suggestions for when to ride attractions with the shortest wait. Don't get this confused with the optional Lightning Lane Multi Pass service (at an extra cost), which we will get into shortly.

If all the riders of your party are at least 7 years old and OK with being separated on rides to fill empty seats, using Single Rider lines can shave hours off of your day. If you have smaller tadpoles who are not tall enough or brave enough to ride, ask the cast member at the ride entrance about Rider Switch before riding. Our guide to Disneyland height requirements and Rider Switch can get you up to speed. One more thing: You can skip food lines with Mobile Order. We will get into more detail about that in a little bit too.

8. Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass

There are two main ways to access Lightning Lane lines, which bypass the standard queues for a shorter time in line. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is an optional paid service that allows you to make Lightning Lane selections on your phone for up to 20 rides across the resort. Multi Pass also comes with unlimited PhotoPass photo downloads. Most thrill rides and a few other popular rides are on Multi Pass, but there are a lot of rides that just have one standby line. Three of the most in-demand rides are not on Lightning Lane Multi Pass, but they have Lightning Lane access too. For those rides, you can pay for individual access to skip the line if you wish (Lightning Lane Single Pass), whether or not you use Multi Pass.

Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Scanning into Lightning Lane

Guests cannot start making Lightning Lane selections until they have entered a theme park for the day. You can purchase discount Disneyland tickets already loaded with Lightning Lane Multi Pass or purchase Multi Pass each day through the Disneyland app once you have entered the park (price may vary by day). We have a couple of hopful posts to explain Lightning Lanes in more detail:

If you are familiar with Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World, definitely read up on how to use these services at Disneyland as things operate differently between the parks. The good news is that there are a lot more choices throughout the day at Disneyland.

9. Don't Head to the Most Popular Attractions First

What? Really? Yes! Especially if you are using Lightning Lanes. You can hit some of the less-busy attractions first because their lines will be very short. The most popular rides will have everyone heading there first. Go ride a lot of rides without Lightning Lanes in a short period of time instead of standing in one hour-long (or longer) line for the most popular rides. Then, use your Lightning Lanes strategically to ride those rides when the lines are long.

To make the most of your time, follow our park plans for Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. We have park plans for each of the parks, including park hopper plans. In short, here's our advice: At Disneyland, hit Indiana Jones Adventure and Pirates of the Caribbean first as soon as the park opens. An alternative is to hit all the Fantasyland rides at park opening but save the most popular one, Peter Pan's Flight, until the end of your run since the line is instantly long if you are not one of the first people on it. Go ride it when all the other lines are long since it stays pretty consistent.

Go ride a lot of rides in a short time at park opening instead of waiting in one long line. At park opening, everyone else will be heading to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Matterhorn Bobsleds has a short wait in the morning. It's also the best time to hit Space Mountain.

Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Radiator Springs Racers

At Disney California Adventure, you'll want to ride Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters before hitting the Radiator Springs Racers Single Rider line. An alternative plan is to head straight to Pixar Pier and hit Incredicoaster, Toy Story Midway Mania!, Pixar Pal-A-Round and other rides in that area before the lines develop. Guardians of the Galaxy has its shortest wait of the day in the first hour of park opening. Everyone else heads to Radiator Springs Racers.

10. Save the Longer Indoor or Shaded Rides for the Hottest Part of the Day

During the afternoons when it's especially warm and crowds are at their peak, cool off inside on a longer ride or show. Pirates of the Caribbean, Soarin' Over California and "it's a small world" fit the bill. Be aware that "it's a small world" has a new verse and new characters for the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration, so the wait will most likely be longer than usual this summer! A visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room with a Dole Whip may be in order! Explore the fun indoor queue in Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway before boarding the ride. We have a few more tips to beat the heat in our post on hot tips for cool trips to Disneyland in summer.

Watch the second parade run of Paint the Night, because it is much cooler or the second showing of Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! parade in Disney California Adventure while it's out of the heat and sun.

11. Join In On a Dance Party or Sit For a Show

Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer - Pixar Pals Playtime Party

At Disneyland, dance with characters and watch Pixar short or do free crafts at the shaded Pixar Pals Playtime Party! It's in the Fantasyland Theatre, and has snacks nearby for purchase and plenty of seating. It's a great place for families to escape to in the middle of the day. Storytelling at the Royal Theatre is another fun way to get out of the sun. Over in Disney California Adventure, hop in to the new Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! for a fun-filled dance party in the Disney theater. The Animation Building and Mickey's PhilharMagic are great places to beat the heat in Disney California Adventure.

12. Take a Break in the Afternoon (and Watch the Sun)

Sunscreen up, wear a hat and sunglasses and stay hydrated. That means taking frequent water breaks. You can refill your water bottles at fill stations or get free ice water from most restaurants. Our favorite self-fill ice water locations are Alien Pizza Planet and Pym Test Kitchen. Wear or bring a fan to stay cool. Bring spray bottles or purchase a spray fan in the park to stay cool in lines.

Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Spray Bottle Fan

When crowds are at their highest levels, take a break. This is when having a hotel close by comes in handy. Let the kids rest, swim or relax for a few hours. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel on a hot summer day, and it was so nice to jump in the pool, slide down the Monorail water slide and take a shower before heading back to the park for nighttime fun. If you do not have a nearby escape, make dining reservations for an indoor restaurant during the afternoon, such as Blue Bayou or Lamplight Lounge, to get out of the sun and relax.

Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer - Person slides down Monorail waterslide at Disneyland Hotel

13. Bring Snacks and Refillable Water Bottles

Don't let hunger creep up on you or the little ones. Pack snacks such as dried fruit or crackers to keep the munchies at bay. And like we said before, bring a refillable water bottle — the refill stations are open! You can usually get a small cup of iced water at quick-service restaurants, too.

14. Cool Off with a Frozen Treat

Tips for Disneyland in Summer - Girl Enjoying Mickey Ice Cream Bar

In the heat of summer, nothing beats an ice cream cone from Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor or a Dole Whip from the Tropical Hideaway (both now offer Mobile Order; more details below)! You can find more Dole Whip flavors at Tropical Hideaway in Adventureland. Adorable Snowman’s Frosted Treats at Pixar Pier has lemon or mango Dole Whip. We love making a pit stop for ice cream at the Cozy Cone Motel or milkshakes with road gravel topping at Flo's in Cars Land. Of course, a Mickey bar or ice cream sandwich is always good too!

15. Use Mobile Order Service

Especially during the summer months, the quick-service and table-service locations get very full during standard lunch and dinner times. You can skip the lines by using the Mobile Order service at several quick-service locations in both parks and in some of the hotels.

One of our biggest tips for Disneyland in summer 2025 is to order food in advance. You can plan ahead with Mobile Order. Order dinner early so that, come dinner time, you are ready to tap, "I'm here, prepare my order," instead of facing long food lines and hangry family members. In the morning, go ahead and order lunch, snacks and maybe even dinner through Mobile Order. Choose the times you expect to get hungry. If you wait until you're hungry to order, you might find that the first available pick-up window is a couple of hours away.

If you plan to camp out to watch the Paint the Night parade, plan your mobile order pick-up window in advance to acquire food in the vicinity where you expect to wait for the parade and have a small picnic.

16. Use a MagicBand+

Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer - Enter theme park with MagicBand

If you plan to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass, we recommend getting MagicBand+. It allows you to enter the theme parks or Lightning Lanes with a tap of your wrist instead of pulling out your phone all the time. Phones tend to overheat in the summertime, and there's nothing worse than having to use your phone constantly and not being able to. Spare your device the extra power and on-time for scan ins and grab a MagicBand+ instead! As a bonus, there are new MagicBand+ interactions specifically for the 70th Anniversary Celebration.

17. Make Reservations for Dining and Special Experiences in Advance

Reservations for table-service restaurants can be made up to 60 days in advance at 6 a.m. Read more about the ins and outs of Disneyland's dining reservations. You'll want to reserve early as restaurants are in high demand, especially Blue Bayou. You might want to reserve dining packages that include vouchers for viewing areas for Fantasmic!, Paint the Night parade, the Better Together parade or the brand-new World of Color Happiness. There is even a seated World of Color Happiness dessert party! We discuss the Disneyland dining packages in a separate post (and can help you determine which ones are worth it for your family).

The least expensive Fantasmic! dining package is actually at a quick-service restaurant. You get great food and a great view of the show for less than the table-service packages.

Cool Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer - Rancho Del Zocalo Fantasmic package

Additionally, if you're interested in any special experiences such as Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Savi's Workshop, make sure to book reservations ahead of time (up to 60 days in advance).

18. Join the Free Virtual Queue for World of Color Happiness!

There is a virtual queue to access a reserved area to watch certain nighttime shows such as the new World of Color Happiness. The free virtual queue gives you access to great viewing areas. You have to have entered a theme park that day to join the virtual queue. You can join the virtual queue in the Disneyland app right at noon each day. You'll also need a theme park ticket and reservation that is valid for accessing Disney California Adventure in the evening. That means having a Park Hopper ticket or a reservation for that park. Hop over to our Disneyland virtual queues post for all the details and tips for joining. All the virtual queue spaces are distributed quickly, so read up, set an alarm a few minutes before go-time and move quickly. At this time, no attractions utilize a virtual queue to ride.

19. Stay Late and Catch Fireworks and Other Shows

Cool Tips for Visiting Disneyland in Summer - Mickey Lion King projection in Fantasmic!

Disneyland Park closes at midnight most days in summer. Disney California Adventure closes at 9 or 10 p.m. (Check the hours online or in the Disneyland app before you visit.) You'll want to stay late to catch these amazing shows. If you don't love shows, take advantage of shorter ride wait times during them.

Wondrous Journeys nighttime fireworks show is back for the 70th Anniversary Celebration starting May 16, 2025. Wondrous Journeys is beautifully set up with projections both on the castle and on the store fronts along Main Street, U.S.A. That means you don't need to spend hours staking out a spot for the best view. We like to watch from right before the Starbucks for the optimal 360 experience.

Our biggest time-saving advice is to catch the later show or parade when offered. It is much less crowded and you can hop in place without investing a lot of wait time. If you cannot join the virtual queue for World of Color Happiness or get a dining package, see the later show because many people who joined the virtual queue don't show up, and that leaves plenty of space for you! Our guide to the best Disneyland shows will help you decide which shows not to miss.

At the end of the night, shops on Main Street, U.S.A. and Buena Vista Street stay open an hour after the park closes for shopping. This is a great way to have bonus time in the park. You can enjoy the beautiful lights, take uncrowded photos, shop and relax. Remember that as long as you are in line for a ride when the park closes, you can stay in line and ride.

20. Decide Where to Watch Fireworks

There is only one fireworks show, but there are two ways to experience it. "Wondrous Journeys" is the main show with music and projection throughout much of the park. However, if you watch the same fireworks in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, it's called "Fire of the Rising Moons," and it is set to the music of John Williams. Bard the droid introduces the show! It's a much less crowded place to watch the show. So, if you need some breathing room or are a Star Wars fan definitely check it out this summer!

Additionally, the projections from "Wondrous Journeys" are shown on a water display at Rivers of America and on the facade of "it's a small world." If you want to avoid a crowd and standing on your feet waiting, these are great options.

We hope you've found these tips for Disneyland in summer most hopful. Have a tip we didn't mention? Share it in the comments below!

Related: The Ins and Outs of Disneyland Dining Reservations

Related: Top Tips to Maximize Your Time at Disneyland

Keep hopping!

Keep hopping, Leap!
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Comments

May 7, 2023 at 1:51 p.m.
Balvin Says...

Hi I'm planning a disney visit with my 4 year old in June 2023 but seems like almost all experiences are sold out. Do you offer tickets to such experiences?

Reply
May 8, 2023 at 9:06 a.m.
FrogBlog Says...

Hi Balvin!

Which experiences are you referring to?

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Jul 1, 2021 at 2:14 p.m.
Tom Pesek Says...

I love the happiest place on earth.

Reply
Jul 1, 2021 at 9:46 a.m.
FrogBlog Says...

We do too, Tom! :)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply

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