This New Disneyland Rule Could Change the Way You Plan Future Visits

For many visitors, a day at Disneyland involves a bit of strategy, especially when trying to make the most of both parks in a single trip. From mapping out ride times to deciding when to devour an iconic churro or Mickey Mouse-shaped pretzel, planning it all out can be half of the experience. But a long-standing rule that’s often frustrated visitors may soon disappear: Disneyland is reportedly eliminating its park-hopping restriction.

Under the current system, visitors with Park Hopper tickets or Magic Key passes must begin their day at the park attached to their reservation (Disneyland or Disney California Adventure) and can’t enter the other one until 11 a.m. While nothing has been confirmed, there are rumblings that this change is coming to the parks in the near future. According to a Disney insider at the theme park website WDWNT, this information was shared during a Disneyland Resort Business Update event in February.

Disneyland Resort/Christian Thompson

If this change goes into effect, it may bring back some spontaneity for park hoppers. For visitors hoping to make it for rope-drop at one park and quickly head to another attraction in the other, the shift could open up new possibilities. You could start your day at Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and then head directly to Radiator Springs to join the queue for Radiator Springs Racers. It may also ease the mid-morning rush that often occurs when large numbers of guests wait for the 11 a.m. window to switch parks all at the same time.

Leaving this rule behind may ease the stress of planning your day and allow visitors to follow their own schedule. And for visitors trying to squeeze every bit of magic out of the experience, a little extra flexibility might be the best update of all. So, we’ll be refreshing the Disneyland Park Hopper page until further notice.