Best Paths Through the Parks

When you're in a rush and need to get across the park to get a last-minute FastPass, catch a show or make it to a dining reservation the last thing you want to do is get stuck in human traffic jams.  Disneyland has its share of terrible traffic patterns, but luckily they're predictable and if you know what you're doing you can easily avoid them.  Don't get stuck in the wrong part of the parks again!

Disneyland Park

GETTING INTO TOMORROWLAND

Be sure to avoid:

• The front entrance closest to Star Tours - Starting in the late morning and continuing throughout most of the day the crowds converge and bottleneck between the Astro Orbiter and Star Tours.

Instead try:

• The front entrance closest to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - Sometimes you may get stuck between the line for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and the Astro Orbiter, but it's never usually as bad as by Star Tours.
• Between the Matterhorn and the Tomorrowland Terrace - This pathway is rarely used and is almost always completely open.  The only downside would come if you are trying to head to Star Tours, but every other attraction will be easily accessed.

GETTING INTO FANTASYLAND

Be sure to avoid:

• Guess what?  There are no bad routes!  There are so many ways to get into Fantasyland that they never get that crowded.

GETTING THROUGH ADVENTURELAND

Be sure to avoid:

• Entrances - Unfortunately, both entrances into Adventureland (from Main Street, USA and New Orleans Square) easily bottleneck.  Expect more time.

Save time with these tips:

• Avoid at all costs - If you can avoid it, don't go through Adventureland unless it's your destination.  Go through Frontierland instead.

GETTING PAST PIRATES

Be sure to avoid:

• The entrance - The area to the right of the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean gets really crowded and crazy with cross-traffic and, often, the extended attraction queue.

Instead try:

• The bridge - If it's not too out of your way, try crossing the bridge over the entrance instead.  It's not always the best route, however, because when the ride gets busy it can get blocked by strollers and wheelchairs.
• Stay to the right - If you do have to cross by the entrance, stick to the right as close to the Rivers of America as you can.  That should help you slip through oncoming traffic much easier and avoid most of the mess.

PASSING THROUGH NEW ORLEANS SQUARE

Be sure to avoid:

• Front walkways - Most of the main throughways that pass through New Orleans Square get really busy since they are the only routes to and from the Haunted Mansion and Critter Country.  So many people!

Instead try:

• Stick close to the water... sort of - There are three tiers of walkways on the banks of the Rivers of America that will take you past New Orleans Square.  For some reason people never walk on the middle tier.  That's the way I always go and it's always faster.  You will have to squeeze out of the walkway past a churro cart, but it's not very inconvenient at all.

GETTING THROUGH MAIN STREET DURING A PARADE

Be sure to avoid:

• The shady side - During daytime parades the shady side of the street gets crazy busy.  Between the regular audience and the casual onlookers that stop in the middle of the path when they're not supposed to it becomes difficult to get through.

Instead try:

• The sunny side - During daytime parades, try to get on the sunny side of the street.  You will probably have to cross the parade route, but it will ultimately be worth it since very few people choose to be on that side in the first place.
• The secret back ways - CMs open up back routes behind the Main Street shops during nighttime parades to help crowds get past Main Street.  Keep a look out for them because they're not always available.
  

Disney California Adventure

GETTING FROM PARADISE PIER TO HOLLYWOOD LAND

Try to avoid:

• The standard route - It's tempting to take the standard route through the centre of the park, but that route will have more people on it than the alternatives.

Instead try:

• Skip through Cars Land and "a bug's land" - Take the bridge from Paradise Pier into Pacific Wharf, stick on Cross Street through Cars Land and into Flik's Fun Fair.  You'll enter Hollywood Land by Guardians of the Galaxy and the Hyperion Theatre.  There are far fewer people on this route and it's actually more direct than the standard route.  Even if you're trying to get to an attraction at the front of Hollywood Land you'll probably still get there faster this way.

GETTING PAST GRIZZLY PEAK

Be sure to avoid:

• The standard route - The walkway in front of Grizzly Peak is one of the narrowest paths in all of DCA and gets congested super quick, especially in the heat of the day.

Instead try:

• The scenic route - There's a "scenic route" that hugs Grizzly Peak and goes behind the Grizzly River Run loading dock.  It's just as wide as the standard walkway but has far fewer people.  The only downside is that you won't walk past Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and you'll have to pass by a smoking area.  Other than that it will be much quicker.