Ultimate 2026 Disneyland Guide: Planning & Touring Tips

While there are plenty of things that stand the test of time at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, the theme parks there are constantly evolving places. If you haven't been to Disneyland in awhile and are planning a trip this year, it's important to get up to date!

The closures of 2020-2021 had some very permanent effects at the Disneyland Resort, and the parks have continued changing rapidly since their reopening. Even if you are a regular return guest to the Happiest Place on Earth, the tricks from your last visit may already be obsolete. You'll need to have a few new tools at the ready to have the best vacation experience.

And if you are a first timer, there's a lot to learn as well. That's where this Disneyland guide comes in.

If you are planning a trip to Disneyland in Southern California in 2026, this complete Disneyland planning guide will walk you through all the basics of what to expect this year - new requirements, changes from what you might have experienced in previous years, new ride and land openings, revised touring strategies, and more. I've been there first hand all along the way, visiting Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and the surrounding area numerous times each year to see the evolution in action.

I'll continue to update this annual guide regularly to reflect more changes as the year goes on. So be sure to bookmark and come back to it if your trip is several months down the road from now.

What's New, Coming Soon, Returning Soon, or Closed at Disneyland in 2026

Before we get to all the operational changes and new park touring tips, let's briefly dive into what's new to see and do at the resort in 2026. And of course, we have to discuss the flip side as well - what's closed this year for refurbishment or for good.

(Note: If you want to know what happens seasonally every year at the Disneyland resort see also this guide to special and seasonal Disneyland events.)

Disneyland's 70th Anniversary Celebration

In the middle of last year, Disneyland started celebrating a milestone anniversary: its 70th year of operation. The resort has held a full scale celebration since that time. That fun will continue for more than half of 2026 as well, with the celebration staying open through August 9, 2026.

Related: Your Cheat Sheet to the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration

The event has featured new and returning parades, nighttime spectaculars, special food and merchandise, and a few surprises. For the remainder of its run, the 70th Anniversary Celebration will include:

• Paint the Night: Fan favorite nighttime parade with over a million LED lights (returning Jan. 30, 2026).
• Wondrous Journeys: Nighttime spectacular (projections and fireworks) that originally debuted during the Disney100 Celebration.
• Tapestry of Happiness: A short evening pre-show on the facade of it's a small world walking down Disney memory lane.
• The Celebrate Happy Cavalcade: Mini-parade at Disneyland park featuring two characters rarely seen at the US parks: Duffy and ShellieMay
• World of Color Happiness: A nighttime water and light projection show for DCA with Boyz II Men singing Rainbow Connection and a Muppets pre-show
• “Walt Disney – A Magical Life”: Audio Animatronics show featuring a Walt Disney figure in the Main Street Opera House.

Soarin' Across America

This year, the USA celebrates a major anniversary too - 250 years. To commemorate this event, Disneyland will be debuting a new experience on the Soarin' attraction in Disney California Adventure. Soarin' Across America will have a new movie taking guests over some of the most beautiful natural wonders and famous urban landscapes in the 50 states.

The new attraction is set to debut on the West Coast on July 2, 2026, just in time for the Semiquincentennial on July 4. The closure preceding the new version of the ride is thankfully expected to be quite short, with Disney indicating it will be from late June to early July.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run New Mission

On May 22, 2026, another attraction will debut with a new video and ride experience. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will retire the mission where guests help Hondo Ohnaka retrieve coaxium, and send them on a new mission with none other than the Mandalorian and Grogu.

Details are still TBD as to how long the ride will be closed in the spring before the new experience debuts.

Downtown Disney

Disneyland's shopping and entertainment district, Downtown Disney, continues to be a construction zone in many places right now. The last several months have brought a new wave of visible construction progress, and that means a lot more new openings in the not-too-distant future.

Look for the following shops and restaurants that are new within the past year or two:

• Din Tai Fung: Asian restaurant specializing in soup dumplings (my family's favorite!)
• Paseo, Céntrico and Tiendita: Three restaurants from Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán featuring Mexican cuisine and cocktails
• Avengers Reserve: shop featuring Marvel merchandise
• D-Lander Shop: apparel and jewelry
• Parkside Market: four restaurants under a single roof - Vista Parkside Market (cocktails), Seoul Sister (Korean bowls), Parkside Market Coffee (drinks/cafe), and GG’s Chicken Shop
• Disney Wonderful World of Sweets: formerly Marceline's Confectionary
• Disney Storyland Boutique: boutique with changing unique theming

And a few more coming soon:

• Earl of Sandwich : new location with a quick-service Earl of Sandwich shop on the ground level & a British-themed gastropub upstairs
• Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby: British classic dishes set in 1960s London
• Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon: classic steakhouse from Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori
• Pearl’s Roadside BBQ Restaurant: quick service BBQ
• Porto’s Bakery and Café: famous Cuban bakery
• Bopo Go!: boba & bubble tea

Not Quite New This Year, But Still Pretty New

And in case it's been a year or more since you've been to the resort, here are a few other attractions, restaurants, and refurbishments that may still be new to you too!

Closures & Coming Soon

Disneyland is always evolving and changing, so you can also expect some closures and construction this year too.

There are always a number of short term attraction closures on calendar, particularly quite a few January/February during the traditional refurb season. Always be sure to check official Disneyland sources before your trip for those. The park hours calendar shows a closed for refurbishment list day-by-day about 6 weeks in advance.

More major closures to watch include the following:

• Monsters. Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue: Closing permanently in early 2026 (date TBD) to make way for a new Avatar-themed land in DCA.
• Walkway from Cars Land to Avenger's Campus: Closed indefinitely for Avengers Campus expansion construction in DCA.
• Pixar Pier Private Entrance into DCA: The back entrance/exit into DCA by Goofy's Sky School that provided access for Pixar Pier hotel guests is closed for good. Guests at all three on-property hotels can use the entrance at the Grand Californian.

Speaking of the Grand Californian, it is under some construction (mostly not in a way disruptive to guests) in 2026. Guests rooms are all getting a refresh, a new (second) concierge lounge is coming, and the hotel's signature restaurant Napa Rose is getting a major refurb.

There is other construction around the periphery of the resort as other new attractions and park expansions happen (Coco ride in DCA!), but those are unlikely to be particularly visible to guests.

Essential Tips for Disneyland Planning & Touring in 2026

So now that all of those dates are out of the way, how do you plan your Disneyland vacation differently in 2026? And how do you approach touring the parks in new ways? Here are all my very best practical tips.

Plan Earlier!

Remember the days when you could wake up and decide to go to Disneyland for the day? Or if you are not a local but are within a few hours driving distance, the days when you could decide on Thursday to head down to Disneyland for the weekend? While I won't say those days are long gone, they are certainly fewer and farther between.

With a seemingly limitless amount of interest in the California parks, the demand for Disneyland has continued to exceed supply many times of year. That means you need to plan early to be able to go at all - to find theme park reservation availability, to lock in a hotel that doesn't cost and arm and a leg, and to book flights to Disneyland if you are coming from longer distances.

How early is early enough? Thankfully, supply and demand have normalized a bit so you don't need to plan quite as early as you might have in 2021 and 2022 especially. But even still, I'd say you often need to plan at least a week or two in advance from drive markets.

I'd recommend a month or more if you are coming by air or hope to go at peak times like holiday breaks. If you want to snag the best pricing and availability for hotels, at least a couple of months in advance is necessary.

Secure Theme Park Reservations ASAP

In the last several years, we've all gotten used to the fact that an increasing number of activities require advance reservations to take part. While a lot of those activities have dropped their reservations requirement (and indeed Disney World dropped theirs in January 2024!), Disneyland is one place keeping them around indefinitely to control capacity.

Be sure to read my comprehensive guide to Disneyland reservations as you are planning your Disneyland trip to make sure you get the reservations part right. The bottom line is that you need to a) check to make sure there are reservations available for the days you want to visit and the ticket type you plan to buy before planning a trip and b) book those reservations ASAP.

While reservations open 180 days in advance for regular theme park tickets, it's certainly not necessary to book them that early. But earlier is better, especially if you plan to go at a high demand time like Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays.

Practically speaking, reservations at at least one park usually remain available for almost all dates more than a few days in advance now (especially if you have park hopper tickets, where reservation availability is more generous). Sometimes, there are still reservations available the night before or even same day!

No, that shouldn't make you complacent. Availability can really fluctuate.

There are a lot of factors that might cause the parks to book up more quickly at some times of year. Ticket specials (especially this year's California Resident deal and upcoming $50 Kids Ticket deal - more on that below), Disney adjusting allotment of space to annual passes (Magic Keys), or the draw of seasonal offerings like Food and Wine Festival or Oogie Boogie Bash can all cause one or both parks to fill farther in advance.

For example, the last couple of years, I noticed some dates in October booked up in Disney California Adventure a week or more in advance for some ticket types due to the popularity of Halloween offerings there.

Take Advantage of Ticket Deals Galore

For a long time, there were few ways to save big on theme park tickets at Disney destinations. As regular ticket prices have increased, however, Disney has also started releasing more regular discounts some times of year.

Disneyland has already unveiled two super-discounted ticket deals that may help you and your family visit for less in 2026. Those include a special 3 day park hopper ticket for California residents and a $50 per day Kids Ticket Deal, as follows:

California Resident Ticket Deal

• Valid for visits through May 21, 2026.
• Available to all residents of the state of California (ID check at gate required).
• 3 day park hopper tickets as low as $80 per day - (save $9 per ticket off Disney-direct prices if purchased from Get Away Today!).
• Days can be used non-consecutively any time throughout the promotion's time period (do not expire 13 days after first use like most multi-day tickets).
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass add on available.

Related: How Californians Can Visit Disneyland for 3 Days for Less than the Price of 1 Day

Kids $50 Ticket Deal

• On sale January 21, 2026.
• Valid for visits May 22-Sept. 7, 2026.
• Available for all kids ages 3-9.
• 1, 2, and 3 day ticket options available at $50 per day.
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass add on available.

Other Ticket Tips

Before buying these or any other tickets, make sure you understand your options and read the fine print carefully. Disneyland offers both single day or multi-day tickets (up to 5 total days). There is an optional park hopper add on for both of these as well that costs a $70-135 extra, depending on length of ticket.

Related: Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets: Worth it or Waste of Money?

I have heard a lot of stories of guests who bought the wrong ticket in the first place or who changed their minds about what ticket was right for them after more research. While Disneyland has made significant strides in offering ways to swap or upgrade tickets on their website in the past year, it's so much easier to just get your ticket purchase right out of the gate (especially because you can't downgrade).

So what else do you need to watch for in terms of tickets? Here's what can trip up many guests and what to know:

• One day tickets are the most complicated, with 7 different prices, corresponding to 7 different tiers (inexplicably numbered Tiers 0-6). Only Tier 6 tickets can be used every day on the calendar. Other tiers have blockout dates. Be sure that the tier you purchase will allow you to go on the day you want (as well as any day you might switch to if your vacation plans are not yet firm).
• Multi-day tickets thankfully do not have tiers at all, so you are eligible to book any day on the calendar with them.
• Multi-day tickets expire 13 days after first use. This makes them great for a multi-day vacation for out-of-towners. Locals who can bunch up several single day visits in a two week window might find some value as well, although usually the SoCal/California resident ticket specials (when offered) are better for anyone who lives nearby.
• Park hopper tickets and single-park-per-day tickets each have their own separate reservation availability calendar, regardless of the number of days you purchase on these tickets. Make sure you are checking the reservation calendar that matches the ticket type you intend to buy. The single-park-per-day reservation calendar usually fills up first. If you are booking more last minute, paying extra for park hopper will likely open up more days on the reservation calendar to you.
• On-property hotel guests have a park reservation calendar all their own, with more last minute availability.
• Magic Key (annual pass) reservations are a totally separate system. Magic Key dates open up 90 days in advance, and many popular dates become booked very quickly. Magic Keys are not always on sale (or only some types are available), so they may not be an option for many guests to even purchase.

Reconsider the On vs. Off-Property Hotel Decision

A huge part of a Disneyland vacation for many guests is choosing the right hotel. Some guests may just want a clean place to sleep for a few hours because they spend all their time in the parks. Others want a hotel that has a water park or pool for the kids, restaurants, and other amenities. For many years, a lot of guests would choose one of the three on-property Disney hotels for their extra magic and amenities as well as for some very special exclusive perks.

But those perks have just changed in an enormous way in 2026. Disneyland has now discontinued all Early Entry programs. This perk used to be exclusive to on-property hotel guests, giving them access to a semi-empty park with short ride lines for 30 minutes before other guests.

If you primarily splurged on on-property hotels for the Early Entry perks as I often did, the hotel calculus has changed for you. Don't get me wrong - the on-property hotels still have magical Disney theming and a bit of a proximity advantage (especially the Grand Californian). But there are a lot of other hotel options off-property that may provide a better overall value.

This change elevates the value some Disneyland visitors might get from a hotel like the Westin Anaheim Resort or Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance in my opinion. Their rooms and amenities are at least as nice as the on-property hotels but at a significantly lower price point.

The last 5-10 years also brought a major boom of new construction in the hotel market around Disneyland. Multiple new hotels opened and others got major renovations. At the same time, some older hotels changed their included benefits, with some raising their prices far more than others. If it's been awhile since you've investigated the off-property hotel choices, I'd encourage you to shop around and price compare the hotel options anew.

If you want to get a peek at what my top hotel picks are in 2026, check out this regularly updated guide to hotels within walking distance of Disneyland.

Pay More to Park Hop (Still Limited to 11:00AM or Later)

For guests who purchase Disneyland's park hopper ticket add on, the last couple of years brought an unwelcome change - substantial price increases. Just a few years ago, park hopping was a relative value for longer trips, where the option could be added to a 5 day ticket for the same price as adding it to a one day ticket.

Disney moved to a much more variable and expensive structure for park hopping more recently. The privilege can add up to $135 per person to longer tickets. Many guests on a budget may find they need to stick to one park per day even if they tended to park hop in the past.

Additionally, Disneyland (unlike Disney World) still imposes a time limit on park hopping privileges. Guests can't hop until 11:00am or later. This time restriction isn't too inconvenient (especially now that it is before the lunch hour giving you options to dine in either park), but it can be annoying for guests who prefer maximum flexibility, especially at these increased prices.

Adjust Your Disneyland Dining & Restaurant Strategy in 2026

For a long time after the parks first reopened, things simply weren't up to speed on the Disneyland dining front. Thankfully most restaurants are fully back, but the dining scene has changed quite a bit.

Table Service Restaurants

For table service restaurants, my best advice is to book early (and often). Reservations didn't used to be incredibly hard to get at Disneyland except for a very few popular restaurants or for character dining, but they are much more challenging in 2026. You may not be able to secure your top choice, so consider making backup reservations for restaurants you are happy with when you see they are available - because those too may soon be gone!

When do you need to plan to book dining reservations? Officially, Disneyland table service reservations open up exactly 60 days in advance, usually at 6:00 am PT. Some restaurants, however, will not open up availability at that time, releasing all availability several days later or releasing additional times in dribs and drabs.

How do you navigate the uncertainty? My best advice is to at least set an alarm to try first thing in the morning 60 days in advance. After that, I would suggest saving yourself dozens of fruitless refreshes and sign up for a Disney dining reservation monitoring service.

I highly recommend the site Mouse Dining, which is a great tool to help you snag a hard to find reservation by notifying you of cancellations or Disney adding capacity. Mouse Dining has both a free and a paid version, and I've had personal success using it to snag reservations many times.

If you are serious about a specific hard-to-get restaurant you'll likely need the paid service to be competitive. This version sends instant text alerts. If you are more casually looking for openings at one of several places, the free version which sends email alerts can usually get the job done. A lot of guests book multiple or extra reservations to hedge their bets and cancel some as their plans firm up. Snagging those cancellations is possible, especially with some assistance.

All hope is not lost for the last minute planners either! Last year, Disneyland changed its cancellation policies for table service reservations, allowing guests to cancel until 2 hours in advance with no penalty. This means it's possible to snag a same day reservation off of these cancellations.

Additionally, most table service restaurants have walkup availability too. You can join a same day walkup wait list on the Disneyland app on the day of your visit.

Quick Service Restaurants & Mobile Ordering

If you don't want a fancier or longer meal, head for one of Disneyland's quick service restaurants. Actually, don't physically head there. First, you need to open the Disneyland app. The new normal for these dining locations is that you need to mobile order your food on the app.

Disneyland thankfully still has regular lines with cashiers to enable walk up orders, but they are in smaller numbers than before. Mobile ordering will still save you time almost all the time.

To use mobile ordering, the app will first display a list of available time windows for you to return to each restaurant to pick up your order. The closer you get to peak mealtimes, the more other guests start to place their mobile orders. And the farther out the return times become (although this thankfully has improved somewhat).

The bottom line? It's essential to order on the early side, especially if there is a particular popular restaurant that is a must-do for you or that is new, like Tiana's Palace or Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree. You can always cancel an order with no penalty before your pickup window if you change your mind.

You can also modify your pickup window if you are running late. See the quick and easy guide to Disneyland mobile ordering that my friend Casey at Disneyland Daily has created with step-by-step instructions.

Master the Disneyland App

Speaking of the Disneyland app, it's important for more than just mobile ordering. It's a backup for your theme park ticket, your ticket to Lightning Lanes (more on that later), your park map, the way to access your PhotoPass images, and more. Disneyland has even added functionality to let you check out of stores by allowing guests to self-scan merchandise in the app.

It's essential that you download the app, know your login and password, and load a credit card to your account. Every adult doesn't need to have it, but the most tech-savvy adult in your party (or at least the one managing the Disneyland vacation planning) should. If more than one adult will be using it, it is sometimes easiest for both to log in to the same account so that both phones get alerts.

Note that Disney gift cards are a permitted method of payment in the app as of a few years ago. So if you've acquired Disney gift cards at a discount, you can use them to save on food too. The only problem is that the app doesn't store the gift card each time, so be prepared to enter the 16 digit code anew for each purchase (hot tip: copy and paste the number in your phone's text notes so you don't have to fish out the card each time).

My friend Jessica from the Happiest Blog on Earth has even more detail and information in this detailed guide to the Disneyland app.

Have a New Strategy for Lines & Crowds

If you don't want to be standing in line for rides (who does?), you've got a LOT new to learn in 2026. Fastpass, MaxPass, Extra Magic Hour, Magic Morning, Genie+, Early Entry, even virtual queues for many rides.... most of the tricks and hacks we used to use to shortcut lines for the past decade are GONE.

In their place are a couple of still-newish tools that you absolutely need to know about. Whether you use them or not, they will affect how long the lines are and what rides you should do and when.

So what are these options? The most important ones to know about are Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. Lightning Lane Multi Pass (formerly known as Disney Genie+) is a pretty close cousin to MaxPass and allows guests speedier access for up to approximately 20 eligible attractions.

Lightning Lane Single Pass is a separate Fastpass-like offering for 2 additional super-popular rides for a separate fee (Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers).

If you want short waits most like the Fastpasses of old, these are upcharges that you should seriously consider. The flip side of course is that they can make standby lines for everyone else much longer. See my complete FAQ for Disneyland's Lightning Lane and then read these additional advanced Disneyland Lightning Lane strategies for all the details.

(And if you want to get super complicated, there's a really pricey premium product called Lightning Lane Premier Pass too - sigh!)

For those of you who like to shortcut lines by going during less busy times, is it even possible to find a less crowded day to go to Disneyland in 2026? With the theme park reservations requirement, there are fewer really slow days at Disneyland. That said, midweek dates are still usually going to be less crowded than a holiday weekend - except perhaps for when a ticket discount is live.

Disneyland crowd calendars can help, but I find them less reliable than before, especially many months in advance. Personally I'd say that it's less important to try to game the dates you are going to go to hope to luck into low crowds rather than just pick what works best for your travel schedule.

How else can you minimize your Disneyland wait times in 2026? This is an ever changing target, but here has been working of late:

• Rope dropping still works. Starting early is vital to a successful touring plan. Get in the front of the line to enter the parks up to an hour before park opening and you'll be in prime position for your first ride of choice - and probably also your second and third. With early entry now ended, all guests have a level playing field to enter either park daily. (If you want to learn more about rope drop, see my strategies for rope drop at Disneyland park and DCA.)
• Use single rider lines when available. Single rider lines are great benefit, especially if you are flying solo or have older kids who are ok riding alone. They are shortest mid-morning, as more locals tend to arrive in the afternoon and evening who are savvy at using them.
• Hop in line for one last ride a minute or two before closing time. As long as you are in line before the park officially closes, you get to ride. Lines are often very short at this hour as many guests head for the exits. Squeeze in one last ride, especially if you are a night owl!
• Ride during the fireworks or parades. Now that fireworks, parades, and other shows are back at Disneyland, a lot of guests aren't on rides in the minutes that lead up to and during the shows. Fantasyland attractions close during fireworks nights (usually weekends only), but you can head elsewhere in the park to find shorter ride lines.

Final Thoughts

Disneyland is undoubtedly different in 2026, but still exudes much of the same joy that we all expect from the Happiest Place on Earth. And now you should be armed with all the information you need to adjust accordingly and take maximum advantage of the new rules.