The BEST Rides at Disney’s California Adventure – 2024

Headed to Disneyland? It's one of our favorite family destinations! Here is a list of the best California Adventure rides and how to get on them faster…

Disney's California Adventure Park is one of two parks at Disneyland Resort, and it is the home of everything Marvel and Pixar. We always spend at least one full day in this park. It is filled with fun rides, shows, food, and shopping that you won't find anywhere else. 

My family visits Disneyland every year or two. My kids are older now (ages 16 and 19) and rides are our favorite part of Disneyland Resort. We get up early, buy Genie+, and plan our day to ride our favorites as much as we can.

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Here are the best California Adventure rides, roughly in the order that I would do them. Arrive 30-60 minutes before the park opens, or stay late, to make the most of short lines and Genie+!

Radiator Springs Racers

Radiator Springs Racers is one of the best rides anywhere. Riders are seat-belted into a six-seat convertible and treated to a scenic tour of Ornament Valley, followed by a twisting and turning nighttime adventure through the Cars universe. The finale is a high-speed race against riders in the next car. 

There is a Lightning Lane for this ride, but it isn't included with Genie+. You'll pay extra to access the Lightning Lane for this ride. The amount varies, depending on demand. Instead, I prefer to arrive at the park early and head straight for Radiator Springs Racers while the lines are shorter.

The Single Rider line is a great option for this ride if you have older kids. The 3-and-3 configuration in each car puts 1 or 2 single riders in most cars, so it's often a good way to experience this ride without waiting too long. Use Single Rider first thing in the morning to really make the most of your time.

How to Ride Faster

• Wait in the Standby line just after the park opens or just before it closes
• Pay extra for Lightning Lane access – this ride is not currently included with Genie+
• Single Rider Line – must be age 7+ and able to ride independently
• Rider Switch is available for families with young children

Related: The BEST Rides at Disneyland

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT replaced Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in 2017. My family liked Tower of Terror, but we LOVE the update. 

Mission: BREAKOUT has all the vertical shoots and drops of the old ride, with a fun Guardians of the Galaxy story and a classic rock soundtrack that are less spooky. Mission: BREAKOUT has six different soundtracks, videos, and motion sequences, so every ride is a little different.

We usually ride this one right after Radiator Springs, and again later with Genie+. If Standby wait times are under 30-45 minutes, we'll ride it again. However, this ride can be scary for kids and rough for anyone with motion sickness.

How to Ride Faster

• Lighting Lane included with Genie+
• Rider Switch available for families with young children
• Ride early or late in the day, or during special events like World of Color or parades

Related: 30+ Tips for Saving Money at Disneyland

WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure

This is one of the newest rides at Disneyland Resort, and it's fun for all ages. Use your hands to shoot webs at targets on the screen and earn points. There is no height or age restriction for this ride.

The technology is cool and we love Spider-Man, but this isn't the most exciting ride in the park for teens and adults. Once with Genie+ is enough for us.

How to Ride Faster

• Lightning Lane included with Genie+
• Single Rider Line – must be age 7+ and able to ride independently
• Ride early or late in the day, or during special events like World of Color or parades

Toy Story Midway Mania!

Toy Story Midway Mania! is so fun for families of all ages. It's a moving carnival midway hosted by Toy Story characters where you shoot virtual targets and compete against other riders. This ride has no height or age restrictions.

This ride is similar to WEB SLINGERS, but I like it better. Consider doing this one after Radiator Springs if you have younger children. Ride it once while morning lines are short and then later with Genie+.

How to Ride Faster

• Lighting Lane included with Genie+
• Ride early or late in the day, or during special events like World of Color or parades

Incredicoaster

This fun re-imagined roller coaster is one of the longest in the United States. It's a traditional coaster with several tunnels that feature the family from Incredibles, who are trying to catch up with Jack-Jack. 

The lines for this ride don't get as long as for other thrill rides in California Adventure. The lines may not get crazy for a couple of hours and the Single Rider line can be reasonable during peak times.

How to Ride Faster

• Lighting Lane included with Genie+
• Single Rider Line – must be age 7+ and able to ride independently
• Standby lines may not be bad in the middle of the day, depending on crowds
• Rider Switch available for families with young children

Soarin' Around the World

Soarin' Around the World used to be Soarin' over California, but a 2016 update means new sights, sounds, and smells for virtual travelers. I LOVE this ride and could ride it all day.

Soarin' is thrilling and gentle at the same time. Your seat will rise into the air in front of a huge screen and move smoothly throughout the ride to simulate the experience of flying over the world's most famous landmarks.

I try to ride this one at least twice – once in the morning when lines are shorter and then again with Genie+. If Standby lines are under 30-45 minutes, I'm willing to wait for this one a third time.

How to Ride Faster

• Lighting Lane included with Genie+
• Single Rider Line – must be age 7+ and able to ride independently
• Rider Switch available for families with young children
• Ride early or late in the day, or during special events like World of Color or parades

Grizzly River Run

Grizzly River Run is a classic water raft ride with Disney's attention to detail. The scenery is exquisite as you run rapids and slide down a waterfall in a circular raft that turns freely throughout the ride.

Expect to be completely soaked on this ride. I recommend packing a light, reusable rain poncho for this ride. You may also want to wear Tevas or another water-friendly walking sandal instead of shoes and socks. Free 2-hour lockers are available nearby. 

Because of the water factor, once with Genie+ is generally enough for me on Grizzly River Run. But it's a great ride.

How to Ride Faster

• Standby lines are usually short early and late in the day, and in cool weather
• Lighting Lane included with Genie+
• Single Rider Line – must be age 7+ and able to ride independently
• Rider Switch available for families with young children

Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Official Disneyland App

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure is a classic Disney dark ride on a large and lavish scale. It retells the story from The Little Mermaid movie. If you love the movie, you'll love the ride. This ride has no height or age restrictions.

Wait times can be as short as 5 minutes early and late in the day because this ride loads quickly and is less popular. But I'm happy to ride it twice – once Standby and once with Genie+ – if my family is willing.

How to Ride Faster

• Lightning Lane included with Genie+
• Wait times are usually shorter than other rides

Related: Why We Love Mobile Ordering at Disneyland

Pixar Pal-a-Round

This Ferris Wheel is the center of Pixar Pier and the backdrop for the nightly World of Color show. You can get a great view of California Adventure and the surrounding area from high above the park. Choose a Swinging or Non-Swinging car. I think that Swinging is more fun, but it will be scary for some riders and the line is usually longer. 

I used to skip this ride, but it has grown on me in the last couple of trips. If it looks fun to you, I recommend it. This ride has no height or age restrictions.

How to Ride Faster

• The Non-Swinging Line is often faster because it is less popular
• Ride early in the day for the shortest lines. This ride is closed during World of Color.

Goofy's Sky School

Goofy's Sky School is a wild and crazy ride tucked away in a corner of Paradise Pier. It features lots of fast twists, turns, and drops. This thrill ride will not be a favorite for most adults, but my kids were delighted to ride it three times in a row a few years ago when there was no line at all.

Lines will probably not be bad for this ride early and late in the day. It should be easy to use Genie+.

How to Ride Faster

• Lighting Lane included with Genie+
• Single Rider Line – must be age 7+ and able to ride independently
• Rider Switch available for families with young children

Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue

The Monsters, Inc. ride is a classic Disney dark ride. You'll travel through Monstropolis with Mike and Sully to get Boo safely back home. There are no height or age restrictions.

My teens still love this ride because we love the Monsters, Inc. movies. It's included with Genie+ so it's easy to ride at least once.

How to Ride Faster

• Lighting Lane included with Genie+

Conclusion

My family loves Disney's California Adventure. Guardians of the Galaxy, Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin', and Toy Story Midway Mania! are some of our favorite rides at Disneyland Resort. I can ride them over and over again.

To avoid long lines, I recommend that you arrive at the park before it opens and use the less-crowded morning hours to ride your favorite rides while standby lines are short. Later, use Genie+ to ride them again without standing in long lines.

Going with your priorities in mind is one of the most important keys to a successful Disneyland trip. I hope this list helps your family choose the rides that are most important to you, and have a wonderful time at California Adventure!

Happy travels!

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It was really tough to leave a few great rides off this list. Did I miss your favorite? If so, please share it in the comments, along with your tips for doing it right.

Allison

Hi there! I am the founder of Tips for Family Trips. I am a married mom of two children, ages 17 and 20, living near Salt Lake City, Utah. We took our first child on a two-week road trip when she was four weeks old and we have been traveling as a family ever since. We love to get out of the house to see and do fun things, both far away and in our own neighborhood.