Knowing the Disneyland schedule is important to know before you visit the resort. You want to ensure your favorite attractions are available for you. It also helps to make your own schedule before visiting the park so you are sure to get everything done on your list.
The Importance of the Official Disneyland Schedule
Disneyland is a busy place. With rides, multiple shows, various food vendors and restaurants, hotels, stores, and its own transportation system, it's astonishing this California theme park resort stays as organized as it does. One way the park stays in check and alerts its guests about closures and the latest and greatest additions is through its official schedule.
The schedule shows times, dates and brief descriptions of attractions at Disneyland and California Adventure. It also lists special operating hours and any ride openings or closures. You can find the schedule on Disneyland's website.
The first thing you will see is a calendar with two symbols on it - a castle and a mouse-eared sunburst. The castle represents Disneyland itself, while the sunburst signifies information for Disney's California Adventure, which is located right next door. Following these icons, you will see the times for fireworks, parades, and other special events such as stage shows and the World of Color at California Adventure.
You will also see a link where you can view the daily schedule. Click on that and scroll down to the very bottom of the page to the "Closed for Refurbishment" section. Whatever is listed will not be operating on the selected day, including rides, restaurants and other attractions.
Other Types of Disneyland Schedules
While Disneyland is home to the free FastPass system, which allows you to skip ahead in line, there are still many instances where you schedule can be hampered by long lines. Enter in RideMax, a program designed by a Disney-crazy software engineer. You purchase the program (which only works on PCs) and then enter information to print out an ideal itinerary.
There are also multiple iPhone apps that allow you to get your hands on an ever-updating Disneyland ride schedule, which will regularly update you with wait times at different attractions, being inputted by other iPhone users who are currently at the attraction. This sense of community seems to work well, as patrons to the parks help each other out and dodge the heavy lines.
If you're trying to decide upon when to visit the park, and don't feel like clicking through days of calendar links to find out if your favorite attraction is open, then you can visit a very reliable fan site such as Laughingplace.com, which includes an updated refurbishment schedule on its homepage.
Designing Your Own Schedule
Even without the help of various tools like Ridemax and iPhones, it is possible to create your own Disneyland schedule that will work well for you and your family. Always take the ages of any children into consideration. Some youngsters may need naps, especially in the summer and holiday season where the weather and crowds are exhausting. Pick a hotel close to the park and schedule a block of time for a family member to go back to nap with the little ones.
You will also want to prioritize what is most important to your family - rides or shows? Fancy dinner or fireworks? Since most people spend more than one day at the park, you can likely do it all, but it's important to block out the appropriate time frame to ensure you hit those hopefuls. Print out your final itinerary and give a copy to each family member to reduce whining and one person getting to do all of their favorite things while the other family members simply go along.
