Contrary to popular belief, Disneyland is an incredible destination for an adults-only trip. Disneyland has been catering to adults more and more with new bars, dining menus, festivals, after-dark events, and skip-the-line options for higher-adventure rides. So I created the ultimate Disneyland California for adults guide!

The Ultimate Disneyland Survival Guide

Please note this guide is for Disneyland in California, not Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Here’s the ultimate Disneyland California for adults travel guide!

To avoid some of the crowds, visit during the shoulder months (January, February, and September) and on weekdays. Avoid summer, fall, and spring breaks when families with young children take over the parks when school is out.

Plan your trip around the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival or one of Disneyland’s After Dark Parties – Sweethearts’ Nite, Villains Nite, or Star Wars Nite.

Downtown Disney is a great place to eat if you want an adult atmosphere with fewer children around. Downtown Disney is between Disneyland Park and California Adventure, so it’s easy to eat lunch here when you’re going from park to park.

If you want adults-only dining, head to Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel or the Hearthstone Lounge at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.

Use Lightning Lanes. Genie+ is a paid add-on to your park ticket that lets you Lightning Lane (formerly FastPass) some rides, which means you get to skip the line. Genie+ costs $20 a day per person, and you can add it to specific days of your trip or every day.

Everything You Need To Know About GENIE+ and Lightning Lanes

Lightning lanes are offered for these rides:

Disneyland Park: Autopia, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones Adventure, “It’s a Small World,” Matterhorn Bobsleds, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

California Adventure: Goofy’s Sky School, Grizzly River Run, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, Incredicoaster, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, Soarin’ Around the World, and Toy Story Midway Mania!

These are the rides that adults will (most likely) want to ride, and they usually have the longest wait times. In my opinion, Genie+ is well worth the extra cost. I’d have even paid more for it! 

Arrive Early and Stay Late. Crowds at Disneyland are at their lowest first thing in the morning and later at night. This is because many families with children arrive later in the morning and leave earlier in the evening. You can usually walk on some rides right when the park opens and an hour before it closes without standing in line or using a Lightning Lane.

Have a nightcap or late-night snack at Downtown Disney when the parks close to avoid the end-of-day rush to the shuttles and rideshares.

If you’re not interested in the daytime parades or evening fireworks/light shows, you’ll be able to walk on some rides with little or no wait time because most families will be at the shows.

Plan on spending the entire day in the park. Most families can’t make it a whole day with kids, so you’ll benefit from arriving when the park opens and leaving when it closes. Disney requires A LOT of walking and standing, so pace yourself throughout the day – sit down for meals and snacks, drink lots of water, etc.

Buy a Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in the Disneyland app. It costs $20 per person to Lightning Lane Rise of the Resistance. In my opinion, a Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance is well worth the cost because this ride’s wait time rarely drops below two hours, and it’s prone to breaking down.

If you don’t buy a Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance, arrive as early as possible (the park opens at 7 am and the ride opens at 8 am) to beat the crowd into line. Make sure you go to Rise of the Resistance via Star Wars Land (and not around by Splash Mountain) because you’ll get to the end of the line faster.

Use Single Rider Lines. If you’re by yourself, or if your group is okay being split up on rides (you’ll still get to stand together in line), then opt for the single rider line if there is one. This will let you stand in a much shorter line. For example, on my last trip to Disneyland, the wait time at Radiator Springs Racers was 90 minutes, and I waited 10 minutes in the single rider line.

You can only Lightning Lane a ride once per day. So if you’ve already used your Lightning Lane for a ride, the single rider line can let you ride it again without having to wait in the regular line.

These rides have single rider lines: Matterhorn Bobsleds, Splash Mountain, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Grizzly River Run, Incredicoaster, Goofy’s Sky School, and Radiator Springs Racer.

Skip What You Want To Skip. My motto for an adults-only Disneyland trip is “do what you want to do!” Sure, the fireworks show is iconic, but if you’ve seen it before, or are just not into it, skip it and go on some rides when the lines are short.

Stay Near The Park. I highly recommend booking a hotel as close to Disneyland as possible. Or, book a hotel with a direct shuttle to Disneyland. This will save you time getting to and from the park and keep you from having to walk a lot before you even get to Disneyland. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Disneyland Hotel are on the park property. So if these are in your budget, you’ll be able to walk out your door right into the park.

Come Prepared. You’ll want these items with you in Disneyland: a portable charger for your phone, first aid kit, water bottle, snacks, sun protection, layers (the wind can be COLD here, even in the summer), a rain jacket, and a change of clothes, socks, and shoes for after the water rides (Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run).

Bring a Backpack That Can Fit at Your Feet on Rides. Once you get in line for a ride, you have to bring everything with you on the ride. Most rides have sealed, secured bags for your sunglasses, Micky ears, hats, and phones. But your backpack will need to be able to go at your feet.

Some people recommend a locker as an alternative to bringing a bag on a ride. But I don’t like renting a locker because it adds A LOT of walking to your day, and you won’t always have what you need on hand. Even on Incredicoaster (which has an upside portion), I put my leg through a strap and held my bag between my feet, and I never felt like it was going to fall out.

I’ve also found that two adults can usually share one backpack, which keeps everyone from brining an individual bag, and you can take turns carrying it.

Eat Early or Late. Eat lunch before 11:30 am or after 2 pm and dinner before 4:30 pm or after 7:00 pm. This gives you two advantages. First, you’ll beat the crowds to where you want to eat. Second, you’ll be able to ride rides when most other people are eating (aka when wait times are naturally lower).

Make Mobile Food Orders or Advance Dining Reservations. Many quick-service restaurants allow mobile orders, which you can easily do in the Disneyland app. This will keep you from waiting in line for your food. If you want to eat at a sit-down restaurant, I highly recommend making a reservation as early as possible in the day to ensure you get in and don’t have to wait to be seated.

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This Disneyland California for adults guide is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this Disneyland California for adults guide are entirely my own. Some of the links in this Disneyland California for adults guide are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission from this Disneyland California for adults guide.