Want to get a head start on rides at Disneyland Resort theme parks? This is all about Disneyland Early Entry, previously known as Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour.
- Early Entry at California Adventure Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
- Early Entry at Disneyland Tuesday Thursday and Saturday
During Disneyland Early Entry, a limited number of guests get a 30 minute head start inside the parks each morning. Keep reading to learn how to use Early Entry on your Disney vacation.
Disneyland Early Entry FAQs
This Early Entry system has been updated (since January 20, 2024). It has some key differences from Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour.
What is Early Entry?
Disneyland Resort has done away with the confusing elements of “Magic Morning” and “Extra Magic Hour” and now places any early access under one name “Early Entry.”
Early Entry allows registered guests of hotels of the Disneyland Resort 30 minutes of early access into the theme parks. Early Entry is NOT available to the general public.
I don’t have Early Entry, how will this affect my Rope Drop strategies?
Guests without Early Entry will be allowed through security 45 minutes before official opening. Be one of the first at security screening and then quickly make your way to the gates. Line up at Rope Drop and head to your first attraction as usual. Some rides listed below will have about a 10 minute wait so add that to your day and time you plan on waiting.
Where do I go for Early Entry?
I typically suggest using the main gates, even if you have direct access to a separate entrance via your Disney hotel. There are more security screening areas and more turnstiles to go through, making your wait time shorter. Direct access to most available attractions are perfect for using the main gates at both parks.
Once you’re inside head to the right near Plaza Inn at Disneyland Park and toward Carthay Circle on the left of Buena Vista Street at California Adventure Park for the quickest access to the parks.
Is the monorail open to Early Entry?
Yes, it is scheduled to get the first monorail guest arriving in Tomorrowland at exactly the start of Early Entry. If you arrive at the monorail and the gates are not open, they should be opening soon. This is best for those who want to ride Space Mountain first.
Is it worth it getting up early for Early Entry?
That depends! But I will talk strategy and ways to maximize the Early Entry time period to make every minute count and avoid long lines. If you’re not a morning person and know your kids aren’t either, this might not be the best perk to take advantage of.
If you’re only going one or two days, I think it’s worth it to hit it hard in the morning and take an afternoon nap or swim at your Disneyland Resort hotel after lunch.
What are the must do rides during Early Entry?
You can enjoy access select attractions, dining and shopping. Which things you conquer depend on your family and goals. 30 minutes isn’t a lot of time, so you’re really just getting a quick head start. Let me help you plan a step-by-step itinerary for your Disneyland days.
Can I still get Magic Morning with 3-day ticket?
No, Magic Morning is discontinued and now goes by Early Entry. Your ticket type no longer grants you access to Early Entry. Early Entry is given to those who:
- Are guests of a Disneyland Resort Hotel (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Hotel or Pixar Place Hotel guests)
- Have valid admission and theme park reservations
- Early Entry is NOT available to the general public.
Can I still get Extra Magic Hour when staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel?
No, Extra Magic Hour is discontinued and now goes by Early Entry. Instead of one hour early on alternating days, Early Entry includes:
- 30 minutes of Early Entry into either park on any day, provided you have valid admission and theme park reservations
- access select attractions, characters, dining and shopping
- alternate entrances to Disney California Adventure Park for select guests (more on that below)
Do Good Neighbor Hotels offer Early Entry?
No, Good Neighbor Hotels do not offer Early Entry into Disneyland theme parks.
What time is early entry at Disneyland and California Adventure?
Early Entry begins 30 minutes before regular park opening. Check the Disneyland app for official park hours.
What rides are open during Early Entry?
Attractions offered during Early Entry can change at any time, but typically remain the same.
Disneyland Park Attractions Open During Early Entry
- Alice in Wonderland
- Astro Orbitor
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Disneyland Monorail
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- King Arthur Carrousel
- Mad Tea Party
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
- Space Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Disney California Adventure Park Attractions
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Soarin’ Around the World
- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Can I use Lightning Lanes during Early Entry?
You can select Disney Lightning Lanes to use later, but they won’t be eligible to redeem until regular opening hours. This even works if you have Early Entry at Disneyland and want to get a Lightning Lane for Soarin’ at California Adventure. You will just need to wait and watch for return times to be after park-hopping hours.
What days does California Adventure have Early Entry?
Early Entry is offered daily for guests of Disneyland Resort Hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel) who have valid admission and theme park reservations.
What days does Disneyland have Early Entry?
Early Entry is offered daily for guests of Disneyland Resort Hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel) who have valid admission and theme park reservations.
Can I use Early Entry every day of my trip?
Yes, you can use Early Entry as long as you are a guest of a Disneyland Resort Hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel) AND have valid admission and theme park reservations.
Can other people join us for Early Entry if they aren’t staying with us at the Disneyland Resort Hotels?
No, early theme park entry is an exclusive perk for guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. While you will get a head start on some things, your friends won’t miss too much. I suggest setting up a meeting point for your first ride together once the parks open to the public.
Early Entry at Disneyland Park
Guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel) who have valid admission and Disneyland theme park reservations can start their day 30 minutes prior to official Disneyland Park opening.
Quick details on Disneyland Early Entry
- Early Entry is an early admission option offered daily at Disneyland Park.
- Begins 30 minutes before the official park opening.
- Be prepared to show your room key and/or hotel reservations on your Disneyland App.
- Not all attractions are open during Early Entry.
- Lightning Lane is not available for redeeming during Early Entry.
Disneyland Early Entry Rides
Disneyland has updated their list of Early Entry rides, food and shopping options.
Disneyland Park Attractions
- Alice in Wonderland
- Astro Orbitor
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Disneyland Monorail
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- King Arthur Carrousel
- Mad Tea Party
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
- Space Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Disneyland Park Dining and Shopping
- Fantasyland Fruit Cart
- Galactic Grill
- Guide II
- Esplanade Stroller Shop
- The Mad Hatter in Fantasyland
- Market House
- Plaza Inn
Early Entry at California Adventure
Guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel) who have valid admission and California Adventure theme park reservations can start their day 30 minutes prior to official California Adventure Park opening.
Quick details on California Adventure Early Entry
- Early Entry is an early admission option offered daily at California Adventure Park.
- Begins 30 minutes before the official park opening.
- Not all attractions are open during Early Entry.
- Lightning Lane is not available for redeeming during Early Entry.
- Guests of The Grand Californian can use their special entrance inside the hotel or use the main entry via Downtown Disney District.
- Guests of Paradise Pier can get direct access to California Adventure on the west side of DCA or use the main entry via Downtown Disney District.
California Adventure Early Entry Rides
California Adventure has updated their list of Early Entry rides, food and shopping options.
Disney California Adventure Park Attractions
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Soarin’ Around the World
- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Disney California Adventure Park Dining and Shopping
- Cappuccino Cart
- The Collector’s Warehouse
- Esplanade Stroller Shop
- Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe
- Fillmore’s Taste-In
- Knick’s Knacks
- Oswald’s
- WEB Suppliers
Disneyland Early Entry Strategies
Rise and shine my Disneyland friends! It’s time to make the absolute MOST of Early Entry! Here are some top tips to help you enjoy and get the most out of those precious 30 minutes.
Jump start your day at the Happiest Place on Earth . . .
- Leave your hotel room at least 60 minutes prior to Early Entry time. That’s 90 minutes prior to official park opening. I said leaving your room, not grabbing breakfast. If you plan to snag some snacks add more time or do so the night before so you can grab and go.
- Arrive at security at least 45 minutes prior to Early Entry time. Security screening takes time, so let’s get this done!
- I got to security each day of Early Entry at 6:45 am for a 7:30 Early Entry time.
- My friend Becca shares her best Early Entry tips here as well.
- Be among the first at the park gates at the designated turnstiles at least 30 minutes prior to Early Entry time. If you grabbed a snack to eat and/or need to apply sunscreen do so now.
- Have your theme park tickets, hotel keys and any other entry methods ready to show Cast Members upon entry.
- Pre-pick your first ride/area and head there immediately. Most likely, the park will be open to regular guests once you exit.
- While you’re enjoying shorter wait times, schedule your first Disney Lightning Lane of the day. Pick rides you only want to ride once OR rides at the other park if you’re park hopping.
- Need more strategies and a step-by-step Disneyland Plan? Check out my Park Plans right here.
There’s certainly lots of information to keep straight, if we’ve missed something or if you have a question on the new early entry benefit, please let us know. I am happy to answer more question it in the comments and with updates to this Early Entry guide.
Is the paradise pier hotel private entrance into California adventure available during early entry for DCA or is the only access for early entry to DCA via main gates? If so what time should I arrive to private entrance? Would you still recommend the 6:45 AM?
It is open for Early Entry! I would say by 7, 7:15 depending on which ride you’re hoping to get to first. I love that entry and exit, it’s so convenient.
Jessica,
We have purchased 3 day military hopper passes. We are arriving Sunday Dec. 10th. We were wanting to participate in a Magic Morning Breakfast. Having a hard time clarifying how to get this done. Any help you may give would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kelly
Hi Kelly, you can make reservations online at Disneyland.com. If your reservation is during Magic Morning, there is usually a special line at the gates for those waiting to dine. Let me know if you need any other help planning, but I would snag those reservations ASAP. 🙂
During the holidays, as it is very busy, I am told usually both parks open an hour early every day. If that is the case, can you use a Magic Morning day on Wednesday in Disneyland (as the park is technically open early that morning)?
Hi Danielle. Regular park hours during the holidays are quite extensive. Usually the park will open at 8:00 am and close at midnight. That means Magic Morning begins at 7:00 am on the designated days (currently Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). In short Magic Morning is the hour before regular park opening. Does that make sense? Let me know if you need any other assistance during your trip. You might also find this article on the Holidays at Disneyland to be of some help.
Hi there
Thanks for the detailed sharing. Can I get extra magic hour if I just buy one day ticket and stay at the Disney hotel? Is there any separate registration required other than belonging the key card with you for the whole family’s entry? Appreciate your advice.
Hi Jan, thanks for reading and for your question. That’s exactly right. Your valid ticket (regardless of how many days the ticket is) and valid room key give you access to Extra Magic Hour!
Will each registered guest receive a key card or is one hotel key card good for everyone? The reason I ask is because, my brother is visiting the park for one day, but he is not staying in the hotel. Will he be able to get in with me?
Hi Jerry, thanks for your question. When you enter the turnstile, simply show one room key for your party to enter. I haven’t heard of anyone having problems bringing in their entire group but of course it’s at Disney’s discretion to check guest counts upon entry but I do think it makes things move slower and more complicated for them. Of course, if there is a slip up your brother can grab some breakfast at nearby La Brea Bakery and meet up with you soon after!
Thank you for clarifying. We are not staying at one of the hotels, but we ARE getting a 3 day pass. We will be using the Magic Morning one of the days!
So glad I could help clarify some of the madness that is Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour. I love Magic Mornings and enjoy using that hour and then having breakfast in the park as the general public arrives. Enjoy your visit!
That’s so good to know. But just so you know, when we go to Disneyland, I may have a lot of questions for you! 🙂
I’m counting on it Kim! Maybe we’ll have to set up a lunch date and Disneyland chat!