Can you really fly from Utah, do Disneyland in ONE day, and be home again in under 36 hours?

YES—and we did it!

This might be one of my favorite Weekend Worth It trips yet because it required almost no time off, only one hotel night, and still gave us an entire day at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

If you’re an empty nester, a couple looking for a spontaneous getaway, or you just need a little Disney magic without committing to a full vacation, save this itinerary!

DAY 1: UTAH to ANAHEIM

Fly Provo to Orange County

We drove to Provo Airport (PVU) and caught the 8:30 PM Breeze Airways flight to Orange County/Santa Ana (SNA).

This was one of the things that made this trip SO easy. Flying out of Provo meant skipping the craziness of a larger airport, and flying into SNA puts you much closer to Disneyland than LAX.

We use the Breeze Credit Card for points for flying and you can grab it here.

Once we landed, we grabbed an Uber straight to Anaheim.

Stay Near Disneyland

We stayed at the Courtyard Anaheim Resort/Convention Center.

For a trip this short, location matters! You don’t need a fancy resort day—you need somewhere comfortable and convenient where you can sleep, get up early and maximize every minute in the parks.

Comfy clothes is a must and here are our favorites: Travel Clothes

Then it was straight to bed because our alarms were going off EARLY!

DAY 2: THE ULTIMATE ONE-DAY DISNEYLAND PARK HOPPER ITINERARY

7:30 AM — GET TO DISNEYLAND FOR ROPE DROP

We bought a one-day Park Hopper ticket so we could experience both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure in the same day.

Our biggest tip: GET THERE EARLY.

We arrived around 7:30 AM so we could be ready for rope drop. Those first couple of hours in the park can be some of the most productive of the entire day.

We also added Lightning Lane Multi Pass and used the Disneyland app constantly throughout the day.

Don’t try to follow a rigid ride schedule. Watch wait times and Lightning Lane availability in the app and adjust your day as you go.

MORNING: STAR WARS + FRONTIERLAND

As soon as the park opened, we headed toward Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Frontierland.

This is a great time to knock out some of the popular attractions before the park gets busier.

Keep checking the Disneyland app while you’re walking and riding. The goal is to always be thinking one or two rides ahead with your Lightning Lane selections.

BREAKFAST: JOLLY HOLIDAY BAKERY CAFE

After our first round of rides, we headed back toward Main Street for breakfast at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.

Grab a breakfast sandwich, pastry or coffee and enjoy a quick break before heading to the next part of the park.

LATE MORNING: MICKEY’S TOONTOWN

Next stop: Mickey’s Toontown!

Spend some time exploring Toontown and fit in the attractions you want before hopping over to Disney California Adventure.

PARK HOP TO DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Then it was time to switch parks!

Our priority rides at California Adventure were:

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
Radiator Springs Racers
Incredicoaster

These are some of our favorite rides in California Adventure, so we watched the app carefully for wait times and Lightning Lane opportunities.

LUNCH: COCINA CUCAMONGA

We stopped for lunch at Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill in Disney California Adventure.

It’s a great quick-service option when you’re trying to fit a LOT into one Disney day.

After lunch, we hit:

Toy Story Midway Mania!
The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Soarin’ Around the World

AFTERNOON TREAT: CLARABELLE’S

No Disney day is complete without an ice cream stop!

We grabbed ice cream at Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream before heading back across the esplanade to Disneyland.

BACK TO DISNEYLAND

For our second round at Disneyland, we focused on some of the classics.

We rode:

Peter Pan’s Flight
“It’s a small world”
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Space Mountain
Matterhorn Bobsleds

This is where having a Park Hopper really paid off. We could bounce between the two parks based on ride times and what we still wanted to accomplish.

DINNER: DIN TAI FUNG

Eventually we needed a real dinner, so we left the parks and headed to Din Tai Fung in Downtown Disney.

If you love dumplings, noodles and Xiao Long Bao, this is SUCH a fun dinner to add to a Disneyland day.

TIP: Make a reservation ahead of time! When you’re trying to fit Disneyland into less than 36 hours, you don’t want to waste an hour waiting for a dinner table.

FINISH WITH DISNEYLAND FIREWORKS

After dinner, we headed back into Disneyland for the perfect ending to our whirlwind Disney day:

FIREWORKS!

There is something about ending a Disneyland day in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle that never gets old.

After the fireworks, we headed back to our hotel, crashed into bed and slept VERY well.

DAY 3: ANAHEIM to PROVO

Sleep in!

No early park alarm this morning.

We got up, grabbed our things, headed back to John Wayne Airport (SNA) and caught our flight home to Provo.

And just like that…

Disneyland in UNDER 36 HOURS!

So grateful to go with our dear friends Sara and Justin, Elise and Scott, and Kaycie and Jamie!! You will love following each of their pages!

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SAVE THIS 36-HOUR DISNEYLAND ITINERARY

NIGHT 1

Drive to Provo Airport
8:30 PM Breeze flight PVU ? SNA
Uber to Anaheim
Check into Courtyard Anaheim Resort/Convention Center
Sleep!

DAY 2

7:30 AM — Arrive at Disneyland for rope drop

One-Day Park Hopper + Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Frontierland
Breakfast — Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe
Mickey’s Toontown

Park Hop to Disney California Adventure
Guardians of the Galaxy
Radiator Springs Racers
Incredicoaster
Lunch — Cocina Cucamonga
Toy Story Midway Mania
The Little Mermaid
Soarin’ Around the World
Clarabelle’s Ice Cream

Park Hop to Disneyland
Peter Pan’s Flight
“it’s a small world”
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Space Mountain
Matterhorn Bobsleds

Dinner — Din Tai Fung at Downtown Disney
Return to Disneyland
Watch the fireworks
Back to the hotel

DAY 3

Sleep in
Head to SNA
Fly back to Provo
Home!

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OUR TIPS FOR DOING DISNEYLAND IN ONE DAY

1. Stay close to Disneyland.
This isn’t the trip to save $20 by staying 30 minutes away. Every minute matters.

2. Buy a Park Hopper.
If your goal is to experience as much Disneyland Resort as possible in one day, being able to move between Disneyland and California Adventure gives you much more flexibility.

3. Add Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
For a whirlwind trip like this, we thought the extra convenience was worth it.

4. Live in the Disneyland app.
Watch attraction wait times and Lightning Lane availability throughout the day. Don’t be afraid to change your plans when you see a better opportunity.

5. Rope drop is EVERYTHING.
Getting there early gives you a huge head start before crowds build.

6. Mobile order your food when possible.
If you know where you want to eat next, order before you’re starving!

7. Make your Din Tai Fung reservation ahead of time.
You’ll thank yourself when you’re tired and hungry after walking around Disney all day.

8. Don’t over-plan.
Have your priority rides, but let the app guide the exact order.

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IS DISNEYLAND IN UNDER 36 HOURS WORTH IT?

For us, absolutely.

Sometimes you don’t need a week-long vacation. You just need a plane ticket, one hotel night, a really good itinerary and someone who’s willing to say, “Should we just go to Disneyland?”

This trip was fast, exhausting and SO MUCH FUN.

If you’re coming from Utah and want a quick Disneyland getaway without taking several days off, this is one itinerary to save.

Weekend Worth It: Disneyland in Under 36 Hours

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Check out more fun trips here!