Disney California Adventure Touring Plan

Touring plans make it easy for you to get the most out of your trip by outlining the order you should visit rides and attractions, allowing you to enjoy the top experiences in the park.

This touring plan was created for those visiting Disney California Adventure. This touring plan is designed to be used for those visiting the park for a single day as well as for multiple days. Those visiting both Disneyland Resort parks on the same day may also take advantage of this plan.

Prior to visiting Disneyland Resort, we recommend that you download the official Disneyland app on the App Store or the Google Play Store. The app provides wait times, showtimes, a resort-wide map, and more.

To ensure the attractions you’re most interested in are prioritized, we suggest fully reviewing the information in this touring plan prior to using it.

Entering the Park

We recommend getting to the park turnstiles at least 40 minutes prior to park opening, especially during summer, U.S. holiday weekends, and other break periods. Keep in mind that it may take up to 40 minutes to arrive at the front gates from the parking booth. When you have entered the park, you can grab a guide map to help locate the park’s rides and attractions, view showtimes, and more. If you download the official Disneyland app, this information and more can be accessed on it.

Ornament Valley scenery at Disney California Adventure
Image: Disneyland Resort

Experience Within First or Last Few Hours

The following attractions typically experience the most extended wait times. We suggest visiting them as soon as the park opens or a few hours prior to park closing due to their slightly shorter wait times during these periods. These attractions are not listed based on the order in which you should visit them. You should rank the attractions based on their importance to you and/or proximity to each other and visit them in that order. If needed, you can purchase Disney Genie+ and/or individual Lightning Lane for participating attractions.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

Attraction type: Launch and drop tower ride

Thrill level: 5/5

Recommended ages: Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 40 inches (102 cm)

WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure

Attraction type: Interactive 3D ride

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: Any height

Radiator Springs Racers

Attraction type: High-speed car ride

Thrill level: 3/5

Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 40 inches (102 cm)

Incredicoaster

Attraction type: High-speed roller coaster

Thrill level: 5/5

Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 48 inches (122 cm)

Toy Story Midway Mania!

Attraction type: Interactive 3D ride

Thrill level: 2/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: Any height

Grizzly River Run

Attraction type: Water raft ride

Thrill level: 4/5

Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 42 inches (107 cm)

Soarin’ Around the World

Attraction type: Flying theater simulator ride

Thrill level: 2/5

Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 40 inches (102 cm)

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Cars dance below lights and flags at Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters

Experience After Noon

The attractions in this section are either not as thrilling or new; however, they are fun experiences nonetheless. The wait times for these attractions vary. These attractions are not listed in any specific order. We suggest visiting them based on their proximity to each other.

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Attraction type: 3D show

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!

Attraction type: Kid-friendly dark ride

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: Any height

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

Attraction type: Family-friendly spinning, whip ride

Thrill level: 2/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 32 inches (81 cm)

Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters

Attraction type: Trackless dancing car ride

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens

Height requirement: At least 32 inches (81 cm)

Pixar Pal-A-Round – Non-Swinging

Attraction type: Ferris wheel

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: Any height

Pixar Pal-A-Round – Swinging

Attraction type: Swinging gondola Ferris wheel

Thrill level: 4/5

Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: Any height

Silly Symphony Swings

Attraction type: Suspended carousel-style swing ride

Thrill level: 3/5

Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 40 inches (102 cm); guests between 40 inches (102 cm) and 48 inches (122 cm) must have a supervising companion

Goofy’s Sky School

Attraction type: Kid-friendly roller coaster

Thrill level: 3/5

Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: At least 42 inches (107 cm)

The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Attraction type: Kid-friendly dark ride

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens

Height requirement: Any height

Color fountains rise high above the lake with Pixar Pal-A-Round in the background

Experience at Dusk

The experiences in this section are nighttime shows, so they can only be seen during the hours of darkness. Keep this in mind when visiting the park’s other attractions.

World of Color

This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.

Attraction type: Nighttime show featuring fountains, lasers, and more

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

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Old-time cable car makes its way down the street
Image: Disneyland Resort

Experience at Any Time

The attractions in this section are not top priority experiences; however, if you have available time, they are still recommended. Because of the attraction type, they generally feature shorter wait times, allowing you to visit them with minimal or reduced waiting in comparison to other attractions during much of the day. Be aware that despite being listed under the “Experience at Any Time” section, some of the following attractions may close prior to the park’s closing time.

Red Car Trolley

Attraction type: Cable car ride

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Height requirement: Any height

Sorcerer’s Workshop

Attraction type: Interactive exhibit

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens, Teens, Adults

Turtle Talk with Crush

Attraction type: Interactive experience

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids

Jessie’s Critter Carousel

Attraction type: Carousel

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids

Height requirement: Any height

Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind

Attraction type: Spinner ride

Thrill level: 1/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens

Height requirement: Any height

Jumpin’ Jellyfish

Attraction type: Kid-friendly parachute jump–style ride

Thrill level: 2/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens

Height requirement: At least 40 inches (102 cm)

Golden Zephyr

Attraction type: Suspended carousel-style swing ride

Thrill level: 2/5

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens

Height requirement: Any height

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Attraction type: Wilderness experience featuring trails, ropes courses, traverse climbing, and more

Recommended ages: Preschoolers, Kids, Tweens

Height requirement: Any height, except select activities with varying height and age restrictions

Ornament Valley scenery at Disney California Adventure

Dining

We’ve highlighted a few of our top favorite dining locations that you may be interested in dining at for lunch and dinner. For lunchtime, however you can choose to pack snacks with you or purchase some at the many concession stands in the park if you don’t want to take too much time out of the day.

Carthay Circle Restaurant

This Buena Vista Street table service restaurant is modeled after the iconic Carthay Circle Theatre, which opened in 1926. The menu for this elegant dining location occasionally changes but often serves pork, beef, and fish entrees. If you’re interested in dining here, you should consider making a reservation. You can do so online by clicking here.

Flo’s V8 Cafe

If you’re looking for a basic quick service option, we suggest trying Flo’s V8 Cafe. This dining location offers a themed environment inspired by Disney·Pixar’s Cars. You can enjoy classic American comfort food such as fried chicken and burgers in an old-fashioned eatery.

Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill

This quick service restaurant is popular among regular parkgoers for its delicious street tacos, especially the QuesaBirria.

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta

This boardwalk themed quick service restaurant is located in the Paradise Gardens Park section. The dining location’s menu includes pizza, pasta, and salads.

Vegetarians and Vegans

If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you can find a wide variety of meals in the park. Click here to view our Disneyland Resort vegetarian and vegan guide. In this guide, we highlighted the different dining locations offering meals available to you as well as which options will satisfy your diet.

For full information about Disneyland Resort’s rides and attractions, click here.

TIPS: (1) If you’re only visiting the park for a single day, we recommend eating breakfast prior to arriving at the park in order to experience more attractions. (2) It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t rush your way to every attraction. Take time to enjoy the different areas of the park, especially Cars Land. (3) Cherish your memories by taking photographs with characters and at the various themed areas.

NOTE: This touring plan lists most rides and attractions at the park, so you may not be able to visit them all in a single day. You should select the attractions you’re most interested in.

DISNEY GENIE+ AND INDIVIDUAL LIGHTNING LANE: You can purchase Disney Genie+ and/or individual Lightning Lane for select attractions throughout the park. Whichever service you purchase, we recommend your selections be for attractions listed under the section titled “Experience Within First or Last Few Hours” as these attractions typically have the longest wait times. Doing so will help you maximize your time by experiencing the park’s top attractions with little to no wait.

ON-SITE HOTEL GUESTS: We recommend taking advantage of early park entry. This will allow you to visit more attractions at the park.

MOBILE ORDERING: If you’re dining at a quick-service restaurant, you have the option to use Disney’s mobile ordering service at select locations via the Disneyland app. This will allow you to easily choose your meal and quickly pick up your food.