Closing Disneyland Strategy Test (Bonus Time?) | How I approach last two hours

There's literally nothing better than closing out Disneyland proper on a beautiful night, either alone or with fellow Disneyland lovers. And if you can hit Big Thunder just right, riding during fireworks is absolutely epic. Man these videos are my therapy when i can't be there.

We only get to go to Disneyland once every few years and each time has to be open to close! 3 days in the park is 3 days of open to close, no breaks at the hotel, for me at least. I've got to get every second possible in my happy place!

This is now one of my favorites! While I enjoy that early morning Disneyland vibe, it's almost a completely different experience at night. Seeing a dazzling Main St., the calm waters of the Rivers of America, the warm and cool tones of all the lights around the park, the simple lighting on a popcorn/ churro cart, everything just coming together for a perfect "grand finale" to the day. This video perfectly captures that sensation!

Aloha Dave..I love these closing the park vids. I will probably never rope drop..I did that with my son when he was little..i am now 70 and love my mornings in bed. I am also a DAS user and walk with a cane so I am slower than you...but I DO love closing the park and did it twice on my last visit. Here's what I did. First I had a great chicken dinner at the Plaza Inn and watched the fireworks from there. I sat for a bit to let the crowds thin out a bit got my return time for Rise and started my walk over. I stopped and got a churro on the way and walked on to Rise, After Rise I got a return time for Big Thunder and went right on that. After that I got a return time for Indy and had fun on that. I wanted to be on the last train around the park..which leaves the station at 11. I had a bit of time so went into Candy Palace for some Peanut Clusters(I love them and they are so darn fresh here) to enjoy while on the train. I got to the train in plenty of time and just loved going around in a leasurely pace. After the train, the Emporium was still open and I wanted a new coffee mug...I found my Stich mug and got it wrapped up for the trip home(to those concerned about it making it in my luggage..They wrap them so well that they will survive anything. With that I ended my day said good night to the Cast Members and all the characters they had brought out to say good night and walked back to my hotel... It was a great day at the park! Thank you Dave and thank you for the space to tell what an old guy can do. Love to you Liz and Sophie

Definitely see this getting updated with reopening of Mansion and Tiana's. Something purely magic about the Mansion queue at night, and when it was Splash Mountain, skipping the line and getting to ride 2-3 times in a row is always a blast.

FreshBaked. David, more and more people at Disneyland are starting to find it's best kept secret. In the last 2 to 3 hrs the park takes on a whole new vibe. That's completly different to any other times. Just has a different feel like late night beignets. You just can't beat it. Cheers, Chris Perry.

on May 7, we did every single ride in the park from 6 PM to 1 AM. We barely sat down. we were constantly moving . We didn't eat we didn't shop. We did rides and we had a great strategy, the fresh baked strategy.!! and it works if you stay with your plan!!! and there was four of us. I've done Bell to Bell so many times in my life specially when I was younger, but like you, David, I haven't done double Bells in at least 5-10 years. It was one of the best times I've ever had Disneyland because there was practically no one there from after the fireworks until 1 AM. It was basically until we were the only ones there basically last people in the park.🎉 it was a great time❤ thanks David for all your great tips!!! THEY WORK!!!🎉Ps: I saw you waved Liz at the end 👋 love you, queen!❤

As a night owl I love LOVE closing down the park!!! Rope drop has tons of energy and you can get so much done, but I love how everything slows down and gets quieter as you get closer to closing. And you can still get a ton done!! Love closing!

LOVE to just watch Freshbaked walk and talk through Disneyland!!

I have so many fond memories of working at Dland during the bicentennial. I was a ride operator in New Orleans Square, and the Mike Fink Keelboats were operating back then. So, I ran those and the Tow Sawyer Island Rafts. Sometimes, I was opening the rides, and to get to New Orleans Square, we walked across the park instead of using the backstage area. It had a special feeling to do that walk with the music playing, and practically no one was there. Similarly, working the evenings, doing a special boat on the river to watch the fireworks in the complete darkness on the northside of Tom Sawyer Island, closing down Tom Sawyer Island and closing the Keelboats, and walking back out when there was no one in the park but the backshift maintenance crew starting their work, cleaning, repairing and planting for the next day. Very fond memories.

I literally was shaking my head vigorously to say yes when you asked if we should try to ride Pirates. 🤣🤣 Perfect ending to closing a night at Disneyland.❤

My family is a closing family, not a rope drop family, and this video just reminded me why. Disneyland is pure magic at night! That moment of catching that last ride, being one of the last out of the park on Main Street, thanking Walt at the Fire House.... magic.

That last min bonus ride is everything ❤live that situation

Maybe it's just me, but I LOVE to go "bell to bell" at Disneyland every time I visit. I always go from Rope drop to close, no matter how many times I go, because I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do it! I'm getting older and one day I might not have the energy to do that anymore, so I'm trying to cherish the ability to do that while I still can! I never want to take my trips for granted because I love the parks so much. Also, it's always great to see an Offhand Disney Dallin cameo! Love his channel!

I rope drop EARLY and get on a bunch of E-tickets…..then LEAVE the park around 11am to swim, eat, and NAP……then return around 7pm to close the park! (Very, VERY happy I never had kids!!! 😀😎👍).

FRESHBAKED is DISNEYLAND!! Congratulations, 199K Subs!!!! Long live Freshbaked!!

Honestly, your luck + the bonus gave me joy just watching it. Low key some kind of therapy, all my overthinking thoughts went away, keep the videos coming, I love them to bits

Closing the park is definitely the way to go. Something special about the relative serenity on the grounds.

I love closing out the park. It's so beautiful at night. The perfect ending to the perfect day.

As soon as you made it into the Pirates queue, I couldn't stop smiling through the end of the video. What a great night! Can't wait to be there again.