Ask It Results: How Long is a Good First-Time Disneyland Trip?

It is truly impossible on a Disney vacation to “do it all”. Even when you think you’ve done everything, you can head home and hear about some wonderful thing that somehow you missed. And although we’d all love to be the guy who visits Disneyland every day for 2,000 days in a row, that’s not in the cards for most people. It can be especially hard for a first-time trip to know just how much time you really need to get the most out of the experience. Last week, we asked you:

If you are making your first trip to the Disneyland resort, how many days should you plan to visit the parks?

With 1,650 votes, here’s your results:

1 Day (16 votes, <1%)

With two theme parks, even though they are within walking distance of each other, there’s simply a lot that you’d have to cram in to make your first visit work with only one day. In one day, you can see highlights in both parks, but it would be difficult to see all the headliners, even with MaxPass and a touring plan in hand.

2 Days (164 votes, 10%)

Two parks, two days. Sounds doable, right? If you plan everything out and keep to the schedule with military-like precision, you can make a two-day trip work. I’ve done a two-day adult trip with no kids and no desire to do thrill rides and it worked out well. A two-day trip will let you see the highlights in both parks, as long as you have a plan going in. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a relaxing vacation, this isn’t your best choice.

3 Days (818 votes, 50%)

The overwhelming favorite, three days allows a day in each park, plus a day to either hit any attractions that you missed or re-ride things that you absolutely love. With a three-day trip, you’re able to take time to enjoy the experience of being in Disneyland, along with the fun of the attractions. Plus, with nighttime shows at both parks, you’ll want to make sure to have time for evenings in the parks when you’re not going on attractions. Spending three days means that you can have some time for a nice meal, and maybe time to walk through Downtown Disney. In short, you won’t do everything, but you will be able to have an enjoyable and memorable first trip.

4+ Days (653 votes, 40%)

For some people, three days just isn’t enough, and certainly when Star Wars land opens, that may take a day in itself just to get through the line into the land. For right now, a decent number of you said that four days (or more) was the way to go. Disneyland has so much to do, but there’s also so much subtle stuff to see. Walking around soaking in the details is something you can’t do as easily on a short trip. The more time you have, the more time you get to appreciate the little details and the experience of walking where Walt walked.

So that’s it for this week’s Ask It. Next week’s question is live on Twitter and on the blog here.

In the meantime, what’s you best tips for a Disneyland trip? Which park should you visit first? Let us know in the comments.