Planning your first Disneyland trip and want to maximize your time? Find out everything you need to know about Disneyland Magic Morning so you can make the most of your Disneyland vacation. Scroll for all the info!
This Disneyland Magic Morning post was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Disneyland discontinued the Magic Morning program in the summer of 2022.
My family is always planning our next Disneyland vacation. It’s one of our favorite trips to do together because we ALWAYS have a great time.
Disneyland vacations are expensive and you might want to spend as much time in the Parks as you can to get your money’s worth.
People always talk about staying late to watch the fireworks, but lots of people don’t realize that you can actually enter Disneyland and Disney California Adventure before it opens to the public.
Magic Morning is one of the many perks and benefits Disneyland has for purchasing certain options.
For those planning the ultimate Disneyland vacation, Magic Morning is an option that may suit you at no additional cost.
Here is an explanation of what Magic Morning is and how you can get it. We even have some tips and inspiration about how you can best use Magic Morning to your advantage.
Disneyland Magic Morning Tips: Everything You Need to Know
What’s the Difference Between Extra Magic Hour at Magic Mornings at Disneyland?
Extra Magic Hour and Magic Mornings are both early admission programs offered at the Disneyland Resort, but they differ in a few key ways.
Extra Magic Hour is a benefit exclusively for guests staying at one of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels, and it allows them to enter Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park one hour before the parks open to the general public on select days.
Extra Magic Hour is offered on different days for each park, and the available attractions may vary.
Magic Mornings, on the other hand, is available to guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel or those who purchase a 3-day or longer Park Hopper ticket.
It allows guests to enter Disneyland Park one hour before the park opens to the general public on select days. Magic Mornings is only offered at Disneyland Park, and the available attractions may also vary.
In summary, while both Extra Magic Hour and Magic Mornings offer early entry to Disneyland Park, Extra Magic Hour is exclusively for guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel, while Magic Mornings is also available to those who purchase a 3-day or longer Park Hopper ticket. Additionally, Extra Magic Hour is offered at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, while Magic Mornings is only offered at Disneyland Park.
Early Park Admission
Magic Morning is just one way to gain early admission into Disneyland park on select days.
Not to be confused with Extra Magic Hour early admission, Morning Magic holds the same benefit. Both perks let guests into the park an hour early with different requirements to obtain.
Early park admission gives qualifying guests a huge advantage. That’s because they have a chance to head straight to their favorite attractions. They can and glide through queues well ahead of the general public.
With an hour of extra time, you can potentially experience 3 or more attractions before the official park hours begin.
When is Magic Morning at Disneyland?
Morning Magic is different from other early entry options, but similar in effect to Extra Magic Hours. The schedule for both early entry perks is the same.
Both benefits are scheduled the hour before opening on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
This is different from the option for those lucky enough to book Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and Friends. For the Plaza Inn character breakfast, an early reservation can put you in the park at the same time.
The drawback of the breakfast option is that you are tied down at the restaurant.
Only on Morning Magic scheduled days can you experience the rest of the park before it officially opens.
You also have to pay for the breakfast, which may or may not be in your budget, so you have to evaluate whether the experience is worth it for the chance to get into the park a little bit early.
With Magic Morning, the benefit is included with your ticket, and you get full use of the whole hour.
How Do You Get Disneyland Magic Morning Entry?
Magic Morning is available exclusively to guests who purchase three-day tickets. A single park ticket can cost anywhere from $104 to $149. The cost of each ticket goes down when you purchase multiple days.
However, you are charged a flat rate rather than date-based prices, so the value can fluctuate depending on the cost of a single-day ticket.
Either way, $300 is less than the cost of any 3 consecutive single-day tickets and the three-day pass includes one Magic Morning.
A three-day pass makes your Disneyland vacation much easier to enjoy by affording you the chance to explore the two theme parks with ease.
The Magic Morning benefit enhances your experience further by allowing you an even more relaxed approach to visiting the parks.
You can easily enjoy the three days without the Park Hopper option, but if you choose to add it, the three-day tickets cost $355.
Park Hoppers are the best way to optimize the use of Genie Plus. Genie Plus is a mobile feature you can choose to add to your ticket that will help you skip the line.
Get your discounted Disneyland tickets!
Genie Plus
You have two options to enjoy quicker access to some of your favorite attractions at Disneyland Parks.
Firstly, you can opt for the “à la carte” option and purchase Lightning Lane entry arrival windows for a few of the most popular attractions.
Secondly, you can purchase the Disney Genie+ service and enjoy Lightning Lane entry arrival windows for a different set of select attractions throughout the day.
Another benefit of Genie Plus is PhotoPass, which is included. Magic Morning is a terrific opportunity to get some great castle photos with PhotoPass before the majority of guests arrive.
Reserve your Disneyland Genie Plus Tickets
Arrive Early
Magic Morning is an early entry option when you have a three or more day park pass, so the best way to take advantage of this feature is to arrive a good 15 minutes before the event begins.
That means arriving one hour and fifteen minutes before the scheduled opening time.
By giving yourself enough time prior to the early entry, you can ensure that you get the full value of the extra hour rather than spend too much time waiting outside the gate.
How to Use Your Disneyland Magic Morning
Whether you have Magic Morning on the first day of your trip or the last, you will have some idea about how you want to spend the extra hour.
On the first day, track down that big e-ticket ride you’ve been waiting for. It’s smart to pick an area with a lot of attractions such as Adventureland or Fantasyland.
But you may also want to hit up Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion right away before they become too heavily trafficked.
If you have had a few days to enjoy the parks Magic Morning is a good way to finally get to that ride that has eluded you due to long waits on your previous visit.
Genie Plus is an excellent tool and it only costs $25 per person. You can immediately start using it once you get in to further leverage your advantage and continue boarding popular attractions with a minimal wait.
If you time it properly, you can experience five or more major attractions before you need to wait in any significantly long queues.
Magic Morning makes it possible to ensure you go home satisfied that you did everything you wanted to during your trip without overextending yourself.
The best thing about a 3+ day Disneyland vacation is that you can have a laid-back approach and still get everything done.
Disneyland Resort Early Entry FAQs
What is Magic Morning at Disneyland?
Magic Morning is an early admission program offered to guests staying at Disneyland Resort hotels or those who purchase a 3-day or longer Park Hopper ticket. It allows guests to enter Disneyland Park one hour before the park opens to the general public on select days.
How do I know which days offer Magic Morning at Disneyland?
Magic Morning is typically offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but it’s important to check the Disneyland calendar or contact the resort to confirm which days offer Magic Morning during your visit.
How do I get into Magic Morning at Disneyland?
Guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel will automatically receive Magic Morning access. Those who purchase a 3-day or longer Park Hopper ticket can redeem their Magic Morning by presenting their ticket at the designated turnstile on the day of their Magic Morning.
What attractions are open during Magic Morning at Disneyland?
During Magic Morning, select attractions in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open for guests to enjoy. The attractions may vary depending on the day, so it’s recommended to check the Disneyland app or website for the most up-to-date information.
Can I bring guests who are not staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel to Magic Morning?
Only guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel or those who purchase a 3-day or longer Park Hopper ticket are eligible for Magic Morning. Guests who are not staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel cannot attend Magic Morning unless they have also purchased a 3-day or longer Park Hopper ticket.
Early Entry at Disneyland Wrap Up
Disneyland’s Magic Mornings program offers a great opportunity for guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel or those who purchase a 3-day or longer Park Hopper ticket to enjoy early entry to Disneyland Park and select attractions before the official park opening.
With shorter wait times and access to popular rides, Magic Mornings can make a big difference in your park experience.
Additionally, the recent addition of Magic Mornings at Disney California Adventure has added even more value for those looking to make the most of their visit to the Disneyland Resort.
Remember, to take advantage of Magic Mornings, you must have valid theme park admission and arrive at the park on a designated day.
So, plan accordingly, and make the most of your time in the happiest place on earth!