Today I want to share my guide to visiting Disneyland in early November with you. This famous theme park is one of the most popular places to visit in California, and coming here during fall is a great way to make the most of your time in the Happiest Place on Earth. From the rides at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park to Mickey Mouse and friends, this place has something for every visitor. I’m here in Anaheim now and I can’t wait to show why this is the perfect time to visit Disneyland.
Disneyland in Early November
If you’re wondering if early November is a good time to visit Disneyland, the answer is yes. From the weather to the crowds and the seasonal highlights, this part of fall is a great time to be in Anaheim.
Weather
First, the climate in LA in early November is hard to beat. Gone are the hot days of summer, and here to stay are more pleasant temperatures. While weather is impossible to predict, it’s been in the high 50s in the mornings and the low-to-mid 70s in the afternoons while I’m here.
I’ve also timed my trip to be here right after the clocks go back, making it easier to wake up early and get to the park before the crowds arrive. Shorter days also mean I get to enjoy the magic of Disneyland at night for longer than in the warmer months.
Crowds
As far as crowds go, I’m here mid-week and they’re fewer than in the peak summer season, during school holidays, on weekends, and in the midst of official seasonal periods and celebrations. While Disneyland is still busy in early November, it’s not as packed as it can be at other times.
Disneyland Fall Highlights
When it comes to holidays, early November sits between Halloween and Christmas. That means I’m enjoying the best of both worlds. There are still lots of pumpkin decorations in Downtown Disney and around rides like the Haunted Mansion.
The Christmas decorations are up, too. From the giant Christmas tree on Main Street, U.S.A. to the seasonal garlands festooning the Sleeping Beauty Castle and The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed Haunted Mansion, there’s a lot to get excited about.
Where to Stay
When you’re visiting Disneyland in early November, there’s no shortage of places you can call home-away-from-home. Whether you want to base yourself at a Disney hotel or elsewhere in Anaheim, there are plenty of options to choose from.
On this trip I’m staying at the Disneyland Hotel. It’s in a convenient location right by the theme parks, and I love the classic guest rooms, swimming pool, famous tiki bar, and gift shops. Add to that the special benefits of staying in a Disney property, and it’s hard to beat. If you want to follow in my footsteps, you can book a room here.
If you want more options, you can see some of the most popular hotels in Anaheim here. There are plenty of great places to stay.
Disneyland
My 2-day itinerary for Disneyland in early November starts on a Monday morning. My partner-in-Disney and I arrive at the Disneyland Hotel at 7:45am, and we’re pleasantly surprised to learn that our room is ready.
We check in and drop off our bags, admiring the Disney-themed carpet and twinkling fairy lights dancing across the headboards of the queen beds.
From the hotel it’s a 5-minute walk through a pumpkin-laden Downtown Disney District to get to the entrance of the theme parks. We wait in a short line, scan our tickets, and enter Disneyland.
The first thing I notice is the Christmas decorations on Main Street, U.S.A. Not only is there a larger-than-life Christmas tree, but also decorations all over the shopfronts leading to the statue of Walt and Mickey.
When we reach the statue, I see that the Sleeping Beauty Castle has been decorated with everything from seasonal garlands to icicles and lights.
After taking it all in, we start going on rides. The lines are refreshingly short at 8:30am, and we pop into Star Tours and Space Mountain without having to wait long.
When we’re finished at Space Mountain, walk over to Fantasyland and go on Mr Toad’s Wild Ride and the Mad Tea Party without having to wait more than 10 minutes for each one. From there we stroll through Mickey’s Toon Town and ride the cars in Autopia.
After that things get busier, and we use our pre-paid Genie+ pass to skip to the front of the line at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland. It’s a fun one to go on before we enjoy a quick Mexican lunch in the Spanish-style courtyard at Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante.
When we’ve finished eating, we walk by New Orleans Square to get to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We’ve purchased passes to skip the line at the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride, and it’s well worth the cost (the wait for the standby line is over an hour). The experience is amazing, and we really feel like we’re in the movie.
Afterwards we explore the shops and attractions around the ride before going on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. We’ve used our Genie+ pass to skip the line, and we have fun being gunners on the voyage through the stars.
From Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we make our way to New Orleans Square. It’s all decked out for Christmas, with lots of fun tinsel and bows on all the pretty facades. We do some shopping and check out the festive scene while we’re here.
Afterwards we head indoors for the 3pm show at the Enchanted Tiki Room. It’s a throwback, and we have fun watching the birds and flowers sing for us. When we exit, we pick up our pre-booked Dole Whip soft serve (we’re glad we ordered it in the morning, as the standby lines are extremely long).
We eat our Dole Whip outside the Jungle Cruise ride, then hop on a raft to Tom Sawyer Island for some adventure. From there we head to the monorail to go back to the Disneyland Hotel to rest our legs and charge our phones (we should have brought a portable charger with us).
An hour later, we walk back into the park to enjoy nighttime at Disneyland in early November. We start at the Haunted Mansion, where we’ve used our Genie+ pass to skip the line.
The ride has been completely overhauled to feature The Nightmare Before Christmas for the fall and holiday seasons. It’s fun to see it look radically different from its traditional decor.
After the ride we have a dinner reservation at River Belle Terrace in Frontierland. It’s a 30-minute wait even with a booking, and the Southern-inspired food goes down a treat when we finally sit down on the terrace.
From there we take advantage of shorter evening lines for some of the most popular rides in the park. It’s only 15 minutes to board the boat at Pirates of the Caribbean, 10 minutes to embark on the Jungle Cruise, and 25 minutes to get on the Indiana Jones Adventure ride. Given they all had long lines earlier in the day, we’re glad we’ve waited.
When we get out of our jeep on the Indiana Jones ride, we walk over to Fantasyland to try to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan’s Flight.
Sadly, we’re too late. The park closes at 10pm, and we’ve missed out. But we still feel like we’ve had a full day in Disneyland and gone on most of the popular rides without waiting in line for much of the day.
We cap off the evening with a pre-booked table at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki bar at the Disneyland Hotel. Even at 11pm it’s buzzing, and we order cocktails that come with tiki glasses and light shows. It’s an entertaining way to end the first day of our trip to Disneyland in early November.
Disney California Adventure Park
The next morning we wake up early (thank goodness for the time change), check out of our room, and arrive at Disney California Adventure at 7:45am. As guests of the Disneyland Hotel, we get early access to the park.
We walk straight to the Radiator Springs Racers ride, which is based on the Disney and Pixar film Cars. The line is 25 minutes long even with our early access, so we’re glad we’ve started here. The ride is as fun as we hoped it would be, too.
Afterwards we grab a quick breakfast in the Pym Test Kitchen in the Avengers Campus before heading to Soarin’ Around the World. We’ve used our Genie+ pass for this popular airborne adventure ride, but the regular line isn’t very long at this early hour.
Afterwards we walk over to Pixar Pier to take advantage of short lines at the Incredicoaster, Pixar Pal-A-Round, and Toy Story Midway Mania! They’re all fun to ride, and they show us a different side of the parks than Disneyland.
We then walk through San Fransokyo Square to get to Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land. We explore the shops and admire the colorful facades as we wait for our Genie+ pass to kick in for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
When it does, something magical happens. The people in front of us in line start up a conversation that results in an invitation for us to join them at the private 1901 Lounge at Disney California Adventure Park. After the ride, they take us to the unmarked entrance, which is right by the Carthay Circle Restaurant.
We spend the next hour sipping cocktails and enjoying an ice cream sundae as we soak up the photos of Walt Disney, early animators, and family members around us. As we do, we learn that 1901 Lounge is exclusive for Platinum members of Disneyland’s Club 33.
When we leave, we get a sneak peak of our new friends’ enormous suite in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. The Arts and Crafts style room has stained-glass windows, an expansive living and dining area, and a deck with views over Grizzly Peak.
Coming down from the high, we head to lunch at the GCH Craftsman Bar in the hotel. We enjoy pizza poolside before heading back into the park for our last ride of the day: Grizzly River Run. We use our Genie+ pass to skip the line, then board our inner tube for the whitewater adventure. We get soaked as we splash down waterfalls, but it’s all good fun.
At 3:45pm we leave the park and head back to LA. It’s been a fun two days in Disneyland in early November, and we’re glad we’ve had such a positive experience visiting at this time of year.
Disneyland in Early November
I hope my 2-day itinerary for Disneyland has helped you plan how to visit the parks in fall. They’re some of the best theme parks in California, and they’re worth a special trip.
There are lots more rides, shows, and experiences here, too. If you have the chance, it’s worth staying in Anaheim a bit longer. Happy travels!
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