Plan ahead. Visit the Disneyland website or obtain a copy of the park map prior to your visit. Gather the family and plan your course of action. Make a list of all of the "must do" attractions and rides, so you can get those out of the way, to ensure you don't run out of time and miss them. Also make note of show times at the castle and parade times, so you can plan to find a seat or area to stand in plenty of time.
Purchase your tickets online before visiting the park; this allows you to bypass ticket lines and head straight to the entrance gate and into the park.
Arrive just before the park opens, to allow time to park your vehicle, gather your kids and belongings. Get a seat on the tram and take it to the gates of the park, as they are opening, to allow you the maximum amount of time to enjoy yourself.
Explore the park in order. Before you arrive choose a section of the park in which to begin your day and work your way around the park. Each section is divided into sections such as Fantasyland, Adventureland and others. Let your family pick one to start, visit all of the attractions and rides in that area and move on to the next one.
Book a night at one of the Disneyland Resorts. Not only will you be able to hop right on the monorail at your hotel and go straight into the park, some mornings and evenings the park is open for what they call "Extra Magic Hours". Extra Magic Hours are strictly for Disneyland Resort guests to come an hour early or stay a few hours late when the park is virtually empty, which makes lines and wait times shorter.
Obtain "Fast Passes" for rides with longer waits and move on to another ride or attraction in the area. With a fast pass you can return to the ride at a designated time and skip the line to ride.
Visit the park during the week. During the week children are in school and parents are at work, so your chances of experiencing shorter lines and wait times is greater than visiting during the weekend.
