You May Be Tempted To Do One Day at Disneyland, But You Shouldn't. Here's Why.

XylaTravel2025-06-288970

A common question we see is, “Can you do Disney in one day?” There are a few reasons why visitors may be tempted by a one-day ticket-prices are much lower, it's convenient to squeeze a 1-day trip into your week, and it seems reasonable that you should be able to accomplish a lot with a solid strategy.

As a San Diego resident who lives within a reasonable distance of Disneyland, but is not quite “local,” my visits are almost always 1-day visits, driving to the resort in the morning and back home the same evening. As someone who does this type of trip all the time, I can safely say from personal experience that there are a lot of reasons why you should not do a 1-day trip to Disneyland. Even if you're tempted by the idea, you'll want to consider these key things. Details below…

READ MORE –This is the Least Visited Disney Park in the World – See Why.

You Won't Have As Much Flexibility If Rides Break Down or Entertainment Is Cancelled

Disneyland fireworks

One major reason why you shouldn't do a 1-day trip is that your options are limited if something doesn't go according to plan. Of course, it's one thing if a Disneyland ride is undergoing an extended refurbishment, but it's another if your favorite ride is temporarily broken down during the day or the fireworks are unexpectedly cancelled due to high winds. This is one of the biggest reasons why we actually recommend doing fireworks on your first night if you're enjoying a 3-day trip to Disneyland, so that you have a backup plan if they're cancelled.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R27ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R47ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

If you're only visiting for one day, you kind of have to roll with the punches if something doesn't go according to plan, which can be disappointing, especially if you were really looking forward to a specific experience that you never end up getting to.

Squeezing In All of the Highlights Can Feel More Like a Chore

Rise of the Resistance Disneyland

The pressure to get to all of the major highlights is intense when you're doing a 1-day trip. To fit in the biggest rides and experiences at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, you'll need to stick to a pretty structured plan, which may end up feeling more stressful than enjoyable. When visiting for one day, there have been plenty of times when I've felt the acute pressure to squeeze in on all of the “major” rides to the extent where it gets in the way of having fun. If rushing between all of the “must-do” experiences starts to feel like a chore, then it's time to take a step back and remember why you're at the parks in the first place!

On top of all of that, you're probably going to feel more pressure to skip a mid-day break if you're just visiting for one day, and this will definitely catch up with you at some point. Even if you adopt a more relaxed, opportunistic mindset for your day, you may run into the next issue on our list…

You May Feel Disappointed About Everything You Missed

Fantasmic! Disneyland Tangled float

Unfortunately, there is simply no way to see and do everything at Disneyland in one day. Even if you fit in a lot of great experiences, there's a good chance you're still going to look back on your day and regret not having time for certain things. On the flip side, that's the really great thing about visiting Disneyland-there is a wealth of amazing rides, entertainment offerings, character experiences, restaurants and food, and more to enjoy that is designed to fill an entire vacation.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2gekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4gekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

Funny enough, I find that sometimes when I visit for one day, I actually don't get my Disneyland fix, but instead I end up longing for another trip right away because of everything I missed! This is my experience as a frequent visitor, so you can imagine how this feeling would be even more amplified for someone who is an infrequent visitor. This is even more likely to happen if you got a 1 Park Per Day ticket and skipped the other park altogether.

You Won't See All of the Nighttime Entertainment

Paint the Night Belle float

One of the biggest reasons you should plan a multi-day trip is that doing this is the only way to get to all of the amazing nighttime entertainment offerings at the parks! Between the fireworks, World of Color, Fantasmic!, the Shadows of Memory projection show, and any nighttime parade running, there is a lot of quality evening entertainment available that mostly overlaps in time.

While it is possible in certain cases (depending on park hours and entertainment schedules) to squeeze in maybe a couple of these experiences max, that is all you will be able to do on a one-day trip. The nighttime entertainment is in itself a very good reason to schedule more than one day, so that you can spread all of this out across different nights.

You'll Have Trouble Accomplishing a Lot If It's Crowded

crowds at Disneyland Park in front of Haunted Mansion

If you're visiting during a busy time of year, it goes without saying that you'll probably have a more difficult time getting to all of the highlights while battling the crowds and long lines for rides. This is a challenge when visiting for any amount of time, but it has even more of an impact when you're visiting for just one day, as your time is very precious. There are certain tricks to accomplish more when the parks are more crowded-like utilizing a Disneyland morning strategy to get on popular rides or using the “modify” option to snag an earlier Lightning Lane time for your desired ride-but even so, you're pretty much going to be fighting an uphill battle for most of the day.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2pekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4pekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

I've personally been in this situation plenty of times, and it's a lot of extra effort to hit all of the big highlights whilst navigating the crowds and the higher demand for Lightning Lane Multi Pass, with return times booking out late into the day very quickly. While you should already temper your expectations of what you're going to accomplish if you're just visiting for one day, this is even more so the case if you're visiting while it's crowded.

There Is More Pressure to Purchase Add-Ons

Space Mountain boarding area Disneyland

If you're only visiting for one day, it almost always makes the most sense to purchase add-ons (park hopping and Lightning Lane Multi Pass/Single Pass) so that you get the most out of your limited time. This is especially true (and essential) if you're visiting on a very busy day of the year, as otherwise your visit may not end up being very productive, as we discussed in our previous point.

However, if the goal of visiting for just one day is to save money, you may find yourself spending more than you bargained for with this approach. For example, if you are visiting during a Tier 6 day of the year with a park hopper, you'll be spending $281 for the ticket alone, and $313 with Lightning Lane Multi Pass added on. This doesn't include the additional cost of Disneyland Lightning Lane Single Pass entry, which we think is often necessary (at least for Rise of the Resistance) during a 1-day visit to keep powering through and make the most of your limited time.

In contrast, if you were to get a 2 Day 1 Park Per Day ticket without Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you would be spending $330, which is not that much more in the grand scheme of things. Obviously, this particular comparison is an extreme example, but this is all to say that you'll want to price things out carefully if the overall goal is to save money by getting a 1-day ticket. If you plan a 2-day trip carefully during a slower time of year at Disneyland, you can probably get away with touring the parks without needing to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass. See our Mickey Visit Disneyland crowd calendar to see days that we expect will have lower crowd levels.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R31ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R51ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

On a related note, there are no discounts available on 1-day tickets, and you miss the opportunity for the significant savings that you'll get when you purchase multi-day tickets. See our guide to discount Disneyland tickets for details on the best option available.

You Won't Get to Enjoy the Atmosphere and Smaller Details

disneyland dole whip drink at lamplight lounge

One of the most magical parts of a Disneyland trip is simply soaking in the atmosphere. During a one-day trip, with so much pressure to rush from experience to experience, you may not slow down enough to appreciate the small details of what makes the park special.

You're probably not going to be as inclined to take a pause to enjoy a Dole Whip walking down Main Street, or have a drink overlooking the waterfront views of Paradise Bay at Lamplight Lounge. For me, moments like these, soaking up the ambiance, are actually what make my visits feel the most fulfilling. Like I mentioned before, 1-day trips can so easily turn into a laundry list of must-do experiences to power through.

Visiting for more days, you'll have the proper time to really appreciate the magic of the parks, enjoy moments of rest, and even explore some of the hidden details at Disneyland or secret experiences at Disneyland you may have never noticed.

Travel Expenses/Time

flying to Disney with kids airport tips

Lastly, depending on the circumstances of your visit, a one-day trip may not make the most sense due to travel expenses and transportation time. As someone who lives within roughly 2 hours of Disneyland, the drive to and from the parks accounts for a pretty significant chunk of my day, including potential traffic and getting into the parking lot/taking the tram, when doing a 1-day visit. The travel time and effort are something I don't have to worry about when staying for several days.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R3bekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R5bekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

For visitors who live farther away, or are even flying to Disneyland for their visit, visiting for only one day doesn't really make much sense due to the amount of travel time, expenses, and hotel nights required for a visit.

Reasons Why You SHOULD Visit for One Day

partners statue Disneyland 70th anniversary

While there are some valid reasons why you shouldn't visit Disneyland for one day, there are still a few good reasons why you should! First and foremost, if one day at Disneyland is all you're able to do, then it's definitely worth it. You can get a lot done if you stick to a 1-day strategy-see our Disneyland and Disney California Adventure itinerary for how to get to all of the highlights at both parks.

Of course, if you're a local or live even relatively close by, then in most cases it does make sense to only visit for one day unless you're enjoying a “staycation” as a special treat. On top of that, you can plan a 1-day trip spontaneously and easily fit it into a weekend or a day off from work, whereas a longer trip will be more difficult to schedule into your week on a whim.

And lastly, if you choose a day with a lower pricing tier, you can end up saving a lot of money-you can visit for as low as $104 per day for Tier 0 days. Granted, you'll want to be careful about selecting the day of the week you visit so as not to trade in a lower-priced day for a higher-crowds day. See our analysis of the best day of the week to visit Disneyland, which also includes details on the worst day you'll want to avoid.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R3iekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R5iekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

At the end of the day, a 1-day trip can certainly present certain challenges and may not always be perfect, but any time spent at the parks is bound to be special.