Disneyland Resort is in Anaheim, in Orange County, south of Los Angeles. It has two theme parks side by side, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, plus the Downtown Disney District and three Disney hotels. For a first visit, the planning can feel like a lot: date-based tickets, park reservations, Lightning Lane passes and an app you will use all day. This guide walks through each piece, using what Disneyland’s own site said in October 2026.
In this guide
It is part of our theme parks near Los Angeles guide. If you have time for one park in LA itself, compare it with our Universal Studios Hollywood guide.
Disneyland at a glance
- Location Anaheim, Orange County
- Parks Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park
- Entry A valid ticket plus a park reservation for the same park and date, for everyone age 3 and up
- Theme park parking $40 a car; preferred parking $60
- Line-skipping Lightning Lane Multi Pass from $35 per ticket per day
- Holiday season November 13, 2026 to January 6, 2027
Tickets and park reservations
Disneyland sells date-based tickets, and the price changes with the date you pick. Busy dates, such as holidays and summer weekends, cost more. You choose either a one-park-per-day ticket or a Park Hopper ticket, which lets you move between the two parks on the same day.
Buying a ticket is only half of it. Disneyland’s site says every guest age 3 and older needs both a valid ticket and a park reservation for the same park on the same date, for each day of the visit. When you buy online, you pick the date and make the reservation in the same flow. If you already have tickets, link them to your MyDisney account and book reservations there or in the Disneyland app. Reservations are limited, so check the availability calendar before you settle on dates.
With a Park Hopper ticket, you still reserve one park as your starting park, and can cross to the other park later in the day, subject to capacity.
Ticket tips
- Buy only from Disneyland or an authorized seller.
- Check the availability calendar first, then buy.
- One park per day is enough for most first-timers on a two-day trip.
- A Park Hopper is useful on a one-day visit if you want to see both parks.
Lightning Lane passes
Lightning Lane passes let you skip the standby line at select rides. There are three kinds:
Multi Pass
Starts at $35 per ticket per day. Book one ride at a time for an arrival window, then book the next after you ride or after two hours. It covers rides like Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Incredicoaster and Soarin’.
Single Pass
Bought in the app after you enter a park, for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Radiator Springs Racers. Prices vary by date.
Premier Pass
One-time entry to each available Lightning Lane ride in both parks, with no time windows. Sold up to 7 days ahead from 7am PT in very limited numbers.
The Multi Pass does not include the two Single Pass rides. You need a valid ticket and a park reservation before you can buy any pass.
Disneyland Park
Disneyland Park is the original park, opened in 1955. Main Street, U.S.A. leads to Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the lands fan out from there. Rides most first-timers want include Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, “it’s a small world” and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is in Mickey’s Toontown.
Disney California Adventure
Across the plaza, California Adventure has Cars Land with Radiator Springs Racers, Avengers Campus with Guardians of the Galaxy and WEB SLINGERS, Pixar Pier with the Incredicoaster and Toy Story Midway Mania!, Grizzly River Run and Soarin’. Its nighttime show, World of Color, runs on select nights. Bluey’s Best Day Ever! was also listed on Disneyland’s site in October 2026.
The holiday season
Disneyland’s holiday season runs from November 13, 2026 through January 6, 2027. The official site lists A Christmas Fantasy Parade in Disneyland Park, plus Festival of Holidays, Disney ¡Viva Navidad! and World of Color Season of Light at California Adventure. Holiday dates are popular, so book tickets and reservations early. For other ideas, see our Christmas lights in Los Angeles guide.
Getting there from Los Angeles
By train, take Metrolink’s Orange County Line or Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner from Union Station to ARTIC in Anaheim. From ARTIC, Anaheim Resort Transportation routes 14 and 15 go to the resort, or take OCTA bus 50 to Katella and Harbor and walk about three blocks. Disneyland’s site says the bus leg takes about 30 minutes and is free with a valid Metrolink paper ticket or Amtrak ticket. See our LA Metro guide for getting to Union Station.
By car, parking for the theme parks is $40 a car at the Mickey and Friends structure, the Pixar Pals structure or the Toy Story lot, and $60 for preferred parking. Trams and buses run from the lots to the main entrance until about an hour after the last park closes. Traffic on the 5 freeway can be heavy, so leave extra time.
Downtown Disney
The Downtown Disney District sits between the parks and the hotels, with shops and restaurants. You do not need a park ticket to walk in. Its own parking lot charges $10 for the first hour, with validation for extra hours when you shop or eat there, per Disneyland’s parking page.
Hours
Hours change by day. On the day we checked in late October 2026, Disneyland Park was listed from 8am to 10pm and California Adventure from 8am to 9pm. Check the park hours calendar for your dates.
When to go
Weekends, school holidays, summer and the holiday season tend to be the busiest. Ticket prices follow demand, so cheaper dates on the calendar are often quieter dates too. Midweek visits outside school breaks are usually easier. Weather is mild most of the year; summer afternoons can be hot. See our best time to visit Los Angeles guide for the weather side.
How to plan the day
First-timer plan
- Arrive before opening and have your ticket and reservation in the app.
- Ride one or two big rides first, while lines are short.
- Book your first Lightning Lane as soon as you enter, if you bought one.
- Take a break midafternoon, when lines and heat peak.
- Save a show or fireworks for the evening.
- Charge your phone; the app runs all day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a reservation for Disneyland?
Yes. Disneyland’s site says every guest age 3 and older needs a ticket and a park reservation for the same park and date.
How much is parking at Disneyland?
Theme park parking is $40 a car, or $60 for preferred parking, per Disneyland’s site in October 2026.
Can I get to Disneyland from LA without a car?
Yes. Take Metrolink or Amtrak from Union Station to ARTIC, then a bus to the resort.
How much is Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
It starts at $35 per ticket per day, and prices vary by date.
When is Disneyland decorated for the holidays?
The 2026 holiday season runs from November 13, 2026 through January 6, 2027.
Official sources: Disneyland Resort; Park reservations; Lightning Lane passes; Parking; Getting here by train.
Photo credits
Featured image: CrispyCream27 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0