If you are the type of person who wants to get the most out of their time on their Disneyland vacation, you have come to the right place. We love being in the parks early and late but 16 hour days, especially with kids, is nearly impossible. Here are our favorite times and ways to take breaks and make the most of your day with kids.

Our kids are always up early at Disneyland, which is great because the early park hours will be your best friend. Rope Drop is the best time to be in the park with kids, there are low crowds, low wait times, it’s nice and cool, and everyone’s energy and excitement is high.

However, there is a witching hour at Disneyland with kids. It starts a bit around 11:00 AM, kids are getting hungry, and the heat is rising. We take this opportunity to start slowing down on rides, think about a good lunch planned for between 11:30-1 PM. Once kids are fed they have about a ride or two left in them before it is really hot, they are tired, and patience starts to grow thin. This is the time to leave the park. Sometime between 1-2:30 is ideal. This is a great time to take advantage of your hotel. Take a nap, turn on a cartoon with the lights dimmed, cool off in the pool, or all of the above. The park is so crowded this time of day you don’t even have to feel bad about missing anything because believe us, you aren’t.

We like to gather up around 5:00-6:00 to head back in for the night. We will change clothes and/or shoes, pack sweaters, mobile order dinner, and are ready to head back into the park refreshed for the night. After dinner you can ride a few rides, watch the parade, stake out a spot for fireworks, and enjoy the nighttime atmosphere at the park. Once the sun goes down it’s like a whole different experience with the fun lighting, lower crowds again (especially after fireworks), and refreshed bodies and attitudes you will love nighttime in the park. We usually stay until we are tired and then do it all over again the next day.

Mid-day breaks at the hotel are ideal, however we also know that sometimes heading back in the middle of the day isn’t practical. This is where we utilize our in-park break plan. There are so many places to take a break in that hot afternoon window. We will draw at the Animation Academy, watch Turtle Talk or Mickey’s Philharmagic. In Disneyland you can grab a snack and ride a full circle on the train, watch a show at the Fantasyland Theater or go to the Tiki Room. Find a shady spot to stake out for the parade and find a snack. Whether you leave the park or stay, plan to slow down a bit in the afternoon instead of fighting the heat and crowds, we promise it will improve your trip so much! We hope this advice helps you have the most magical Disneyland vacation with your kids!