How to Choose Between Disneyland or California Adventures

For many families who are deciding to take a vacation to Southern California, they cannot forgo the amusement parks. The problem lies in which park to have fun in: Disneyland, California Adventures, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Lego Land, Magic Mountain, Sea World, etc. For most, Disneyland is a must, but if you only have 1 day, you need to decide: Disneyland or California Adventures? Or how much time do I spend in each?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. If this is your first time in Disneyland, or you haven't come to Disneyland since you were a child, then I would definitely spend majority, if not all of my time in Disneyland. It really is a magical place. There are many old rides that everyone knows (like Dumbo, Small World, Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, etc) and new rides (Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster, Finding Nemo Submarine, etc).

2. If you have small children, I'd definitely recommend Disneyland again. In the Fantasy Land, there are so many rides that the young ones will enjoy. It's less about the speed and more about fun things to see and do. Also, they can see their favorite Disney characters around the park more.

3. If you do not have small children and have gone to Disneyland before, it's all about California Adventures. They have more exciting (and scary) rides like California Screamin', Tower of Terror, etc. There are very many "state fair" types of rides too, if you enjoy that.

4. If you can't absolutely stand people and long lines, you should go to California Adventures. There are much less people at all times in California Adventures and there are many cool rides too, like Toy Story Mania, which is a very cool, new ride, but the wait time doesn't last as long as 1 hour ever.

5. If you decide to go to both parks and spend all day there, you should go to Disneyland first when it opens (it usually opens 1-2 hours earlier than California Adventures). After spending few hours in Disneyland, spend time at California Adventures. Take many breaks so you will not get tired. Disneyland always closes few hours after California Adventures, so be sure to come back to Disneyland at night time to enjoy Fantasmic and/or Fireworks.

Tips & Warnings

• Park Hopper (a ticket that lets you go back and forth from Disneyland to California Adventures) always costs more than one park ticket.
• If you want to get a lot done in short time, get there at least 30 min before the park opens. You can get so much done in the first hour of the park compared to the 3 hours in the afternoon.
• Doing both parks in one day can be physically demanding. Take it slow and enjoy the sights and the experience. You can always come back in few years.