California
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Southern California is home to the very first Disney park in the world: Disneyland, opened by Walt Disney himself. A little further on is Universal Studios Hollywood, the theme park in a real film studio. On this page you'll find out how to get there, what to arrange before you leave and when it's best to go.
Discover California
Travelling to Southern California
The largest airport in the region is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Check with your airline which flights go from Schiphol or Brussels to Los Angeles. California is nine hours behind the Netherlands and Belgium.
Disneyland is in Anaheim, in Orange County, south-east of Los Angeles. According to Disney, John Wayne Airport (SNA) is the nearest airport, about 15 miles (24 km) away. LAX is around 40 miles (64 km) from Disneyland. Read more on the page From the airport to Disneyland.
ESTA: your travel authorisation for the US
With a Dutch or Belgian passport you don't need a visa for a holiday in the United States, but you do need an ESTA. You apply for it online via the official site esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Babies and children also need their own ESTA.
- Cost: US$ 40.62 per application (as of November 2026). If your application is refused, you only pay the processing fee of US$ 10.62.
- Validity: two years, or less if your passport expires sooner. During that time you can travel multiple times.
- Stay: a maximum of 90 days per trip.
- Passport: you need an electronic passport with a chip.
There are also commercial sites that will submit the application for you, at extra cost. Apply for your ESTA well before you leave.
Weather:
In summer, daytime temperatures are around 27 °C and there's hardly any rain. In winter, it's about 19 °C during the day.
ESTA:
Without an approved ESTA you won't be allowed to board. Only apply via the official site.
Airport:
Disney lists six nearby airports, from John Wayne (SNA) to Los Angeles (LAX). See the transport options.
The best time to travel
Southern California has a mild climate. At John Wayne Airport, not far from Disneyland, the average daytime temperature in August is about 27 °C, dropping to 19 °C at night. From June to September there's virtually no rain (1991–2020 climate normals from the US weather service NOAA).
In winter, it's around 19 °C during the day and about 9 °C at night. Most rain falls from December to March, with roughly 5 to 7 centimetres per month. Spring and autumn are pleasant: warm, but not too hot.
Crowds and holidays
The parks are busier during American school holidays, in summer and around the holidays. In return, there are extra programmes. In autumn, Disneyland Resort celebrates Halloween. Around Christmas and New Year there's a festive programme with Christmas parades, Christmas decorations and special shows.
Buy your tickets in advance and check the official websites to see which events are on during your trip.
Combining Disneyland and Universal
Many visitors combine Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood in one trip. If you do, bear the following in mind:
- Tickets: Disney and Universal each have their own tickets, so you buy them separately.
- Number of days: Disneyland Resort has two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Universal Studios Hollywood is one park. So allow at least three park days. Plan a rest day too.
- Distance: Disneyland is in Anaheim, Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles. Because of the heavy traffic in the region, the journey often takes longer than you'd expect. You can travel between the two by hire car, taxi or ride-hailing app, for example.
- Where to stay: choose a hotel near each park, or move halfway through. That way you don't have to sit in traffic every day.
Sort out your ESTA in time
Apply for your ESTA as soon as your trip is confirmed, for every member of your travel party.
Expect traffic
Los Angeles is notorious for its traffic jams. Allow plenty of time for the drive to and from the airport.
Use the apps
The Disneyland app shows live waiting times. Our own waiting time pages show them too.