Leave the parks to the kids? I don't think so. While Disneyland may be known as a destination for families with young children, it’s also a fantastic spot for an adults-only Disney vacation. From world-class dining to wild rollercoasters, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have no shortage of things to see, do, eat, and drink. In this post, we’ll share our top recommendations for adults looking to make the most of their time in and around the California parks.

Whether you're a child-free adult looking for a little magic, leaving the kids at home for a weekend getaway, or bringing the family yet want to know if you'll enjoy yourself as an adult in Disney, you've come to the right place. You'll find no mention of strollers or where to find changing stations here - there are plenty of Disney blogs that cover that. But if a relaxing yet riveting park day full of great food, drinks, rides, and entertainment is your style? Keep reading, friends!

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The Best Times to Visit Disneyland Without Kids

Besides MLK Jr. and Presidents Day Weekends, January and February are the least crowded times to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Lower crowds mean smaller wait times and more dining options. Additionally, if you can withstand the heat, weekdays in August also tend to have smaller crowds. Being in Southern California, though, the heat becomes much more bearable as the sun sets.

If you're a big fall and Halloween fan, visiting during the week from mid-September through mid-October will leave you amazed by the decorations, treats, and moderate crowds for the spooky season. If you're as Christmas-obsessed as we are, plan your visit from mid-November through mid-December, except the week of Thanksgiving.

The Worst Times to Visit Disneyland

Avoid holiday weekends whenever possible. Disneyland is such an easy day trip for many locals in the area, and they flock to the parks during national and school holidays. The parks will be extra crowded during these times, meaning longer wait times for entry gates and rides, tougher crowds to walk through, and more competition for dining and transportation seats.

Always check the park hours in advance to make sure there isn't a park buyout from a larger company. Park buyouts can meet your park day that the park closes at 4 or 5 p.m., yet you still pay full price for the ticket!

How Many Days Do You Need in Disneyland

While we adore spending time in Disney parks, we know PTO, weekends, and money are always factors that bring us back to reality. Truthfully, one day is not enough to see both parks. If that's all you have while visiting Los Angeles, go for it, and make sure to buy a park hopper so you can visit both parks! You need at least two days to see both parks, but three would be ideal. With three days in the parks, you can take your time and commit a full day to each park; then, on the third day, revisit whichever park was your favorite.

Navigating the Disney Lingo

Lingo? What lingo? Yep - there's plenty of Disney vocabulary words and phrases you need to know before you go to have the best experience at Disney. You can't have the best Disney trip if you don't know the lingo! Since there are so many words and acronyms to learn before you go, we've created a guide to the most essential ones. Read it here!

The Best Parts About a Trip to Disneyland

You can't beat the nostalgia of visiting Walt's original park. While we love the grandeur of Walt Disney World, Disneyland still holds onto so much of its original, iconic charm.
Disney California Adventure is one of the coolest parks for adults. Where Disneyland holds dear to nostalgia and childlike wonder, DCA offers incredibly themed neighborhoods, polished dining options, and some of the best and fastest rides. We have to admit - DCA is our favorite Disney park.
Unlike needing almost a week to cover all of Disney World, Disneyland & DCA are doable in a day or two. The two parks are located directly across from each other, so you can easily walk from one to the other instead of needing transit to get everywhere.
Sh-Boom! In the back of Cars Land in Disney California, you can take part in the nightly tradition of “sh-boom!” You won’t find this on any app or official schedule, but at sunset, the lights in Cars Land turn on, the song “sh-boom,” which played in the first Cars movie, plays, and everyone celebrates! It’s a simple but magical experience to be a part of. The vibes are high, the cast members lead the charge, the sunset is gorgeous, and it’s hands down the best time to be in Cars Land! (Experience pictured above)

How to Buy Disneyland Park Tickets

Be sure to book your park tickets in advance either on the Disneyland website or the Disneyland mobile app. Once you book in advance, the tickets should live on your phone in your Apple Wallet. Once at the park, they'll give you an old-school paper ticket. It's kind of both ridiculous and adorably retro. If you wait until you're at the park entrance, you'll have to wait in a long line to purchase tickets.

Note that park tickets use a variable pricing system that increases and decreases with park popularity and demand. What does that mean? Visiting the parks on a weekday in January will cost much less than visiting on Memorial Day weekend. Also, your average daily ticket price drops with each additional day you book.

How Much Does Dining, Drinks, and Snacks Cost at Disneyland?

Speaking of churros, though prices change frequently, we recommend budgeting $125 per day per person for food and drinks. Sodas, water, and coffee cost about $4 each; breakfast options will cost about $15; a typical quick-service lunch will cost about $25; a snack ranges between $5-$10; cocktails range between $15-$25; and a table-service dinner costs around $50-60.

Should I Use Cash or Card at Disneyland & DCA?

You can technically bring cash to Disney, but don't bother. Cards are accepted everywhere, and almost every single store, vendor, and restaurant accepts Apple Pay. If you have the Disney Visa card, you can often get 10% off your purchases at many locations, too! You can also use those Visa rewards points to buy more ears, a spirit jersey, or a delicious churro.

Disney California has two parks and one entertainment district. Each area offers different attractions, vibes, and reasons to visit.

Disneyland

This original Disney park oozes nostalgia, fantasy, and wonder. Rides, theming, and characters bring classic Disney fairytale and princess movies to life in Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Critter Country, and Mickey's Toon Town. While we love a few elements of those lands, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Adventureland, Frontierland, and New Orleans Square offer a little more for adults. These tend to have more wild rides and fewer strollers. If you're a classic Disney and Star Wars fan, this park is for you!

Disney California Adventure

DCA brings the best of modern Disney into one park. As Disney's newest American park, DCA is home to eight lands that highlight some of Disney's newest movies. Pixar fans will love wandering and riding through Pixar Pier, Pacific Wharf, and Cars Land. Though Cars is revered as a kids’ movie, Cars Land has some of the best and coolest theming I've seen from Disney and is the perfect place for a snack, a snip, and a stroll at sunset. Grizzly Peak is the Northern California-themed area, which is beautiful and feels like visiting the rest of the state, whereas Avengers Campus is an action-packed land full of surprising stunts and thrilling rides for Marvel fans.

Downtown Disney District

While not a park, this area is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment center just outside of the parks. Anyone can visit without a ticket. We recommend you don't carve out too much time in your itinerary to visit, but it's a nice place to pop into for a bit of shopping or a nearly Disney-free dinner if you've had too much of the Mouse for one day. If you've ever been to Disney World, this area is very similar to what you know as Disney Springs. Personally, we've been a few times, and it gets a check in the box.

What & Where to Eat & Drink in Disneyland & DCA

Don't be surprised that one of the best things about Disney parks is the food. These are no regular theme parks. Though you can, of course, find corn dogs and chicken strips, you'll also find Japanese, Italian, and Cajun cuisine. Star Wars fans will geek over drinks at Oga's Cantina in DL while Marvel fans can experiment with ridiculous food sizes and flavors at Pym Test Kitchen in DCA. If you love a theme and want a brief break from the parks, take the monorail to the Disneyland Hotel to dive into a tropical drink at Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar. For a more elevated dining experience, make reservations for a romantic dinner at Wine Country Trattoria in DCA or Napa Rose at the Disney Grand California Hotel and Spa.

Food To Order:

DOLE WHIP - No Disney visit is complete without this frozen pineapple treat, which can be found at various locations throughout the parks. If you either don't like pineapple or are allergic like Kait, the orange whip is also delicious!
BEIGNETS - Hot and sweet donut-like treats served at various places in DL's New Orleans Square.
SKEWERS - The most non-theme-park food option possible, these fresh and delicious skewers of meat and veggies served with rice and a tangy slaw can be found at Bengal's in Adventureland.
CORN DOG - Though this is a very classic theme park food option, there's something about these babies that just hits different in Disney. They're extra long, perfectly breaded, and fried to perfection. Best enjoyed as you sit and watch folks on the Incredicoaster in Pixar Pier.

DRINKS TO ORDER:

BESPIN FIZZ - Out-of-this-world drink that will make your mouth numb and tingly at Oga's Cantina in DL.
MINT JULEP - Non-alcoholic, refreshing, sweet, and minty Southern classic that can be ordered at many places in DL's New Orleans Square.
GREEN MILK - Andrew's favorite drink of all time, this "milk" in Galaxy's Edge in DL is a tropical fruity smoothie.
UH-OA - Explosive tropical drink you'll need to order and see to believe at Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel. Don't go it alone, though; this large-scale drink is recommended for 2+ people.

Attractions & Rides in Disneyland & DCA

Don't worry - we're not going to list every single ride and attraction in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure! While many rides may be slower and more story-oriented than some adults expect at other theme parks, Disney offers plenty of thrill rides and attractions that will engage even the most skeptical adults.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! - California Adventure: A rebrand of the former Tower of Terror, this Guardians of the Galaxy-themed thrill ride slowly lifts you to the top of a tower, then drops you several stories multiple times. (This is Kait's nightmare but one of Andrew's favorites.)
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - Disneyland - Truly one of the immersive ride experiences in any theme park, we promise you haven't witnessed anything quite like this. This astonishing 18-minute experience fully immerses you in the world of Star Wars like never before. While it's definitely not a roller coaster, be ready for quick turns, bumpy rides, and unforgettable surprises.
Incredicoaster - California Adventure - An Incredibles-themed classic roller coaster jolts you from 0-55 mph in seconds, and then sends you looping and speeding through the air as you "chase Jack-Jack" until the end. Bonus points for its incredible and fun soundtrack!
Radiator Springs Racers - California Adventure - This Cars-themed ride is a wonderful mix of thrill and storytelling. It puts you in the driver's seat in the Cars world as you get ready for a big race, then really race another car to the finish line! What starts as a cute, casual slow ride ends with an exciting 40 mph car chase around a mountain. Pro-tip for an adult’s trip: skip the line and make good use of the single-rider line!
Space Mountain - Disneyland - A space-themed roller coaster that's an oldie but a goodie. If you need speed, this dark ride will make you scream through unexpected twists and turns, then have you coming back for more.
World of Color - ONE - California Adventure - While not a ride, this incredible water show can't be missed. Most nights in DCA, Pixar Pier turns off its lights and lets creativity shine in this jaw-dropping display of water power and animation. While not every parade lasts as long as an adult, this night show is certainly worth it. Pro tip: If you want the best view, reserve a spot through Genie+ and get there early. Maybe bring a poncho just in case! We didn't get soaked, but we did get a little wet!

How to Get to & Around Disneyland

Getting there is easy. Drive and park in a nearby garage, walk from a nearby hotel, or take an Uber or Lyft to the entry gates. Once you're in the parks, walk around and explore each land, take a ferry boat, paddle your way around the lake, take the railway from one end of the park to the other, or take the monorail from one park to the next. Thankfully, both DL & DCA are within walking distance if you're park hopping, so to change parks, just walk across the esplanade to the next park.

Where to Stay Near Disneyland

The Disneyland Hotel

4-star original Disney hotel
Located just a monorail ride or a few minutes’ walk to the parks. As a bonus, riding the monorail from the hotel lets you breeze through security and skip the crazy main park entry lines.
This special property was pushed for and created with the help of Walt Disney himself. Staying here feels like being a part of a little piece of Disney history. The property is gorgeous, the rooms are plush, and they even have a super-secret special surprise when you turn out the lights that practically brought me to tears.

Anaheim Marriott

4-star convention Marriott property
Located within a 20-minute walk of the parks
The rooms offer new tech with smart TVs, no carpet in the rooms, and plenty of natural light. Most of the hotel is very "smart" and can be accessed with your Marriott app, which is a big bonus if you tend to forget your room key! On our last stay here, the hotel was full of families, yet we found the rooms to be very quiet and almost soundproof. Stay caffeinated at their in-house Starbucks.

Hilton Anaheim

4-star massive Hilton property
Located within a 20-minute walk of the parks
The rooms are spacious and comfortable. During our last stay, we loved having the option of the small Starbucks cafe in the lobby before our park day.

How to Plan An Epic Adults Only Disneyland Trip