This is my number one tip that I share with everyone I can. Watch the line for Matterhorn and judge when you need to get in line, usually 30 minutes before, so that you can be on the ride during the firework display. This is one of my most favorite memories. Matterhorn is great during the day, but it’s a little scarier and a lot more beautiful at night. You fly past the openings in the mountain and you can see all of Disneyland lit up along with one of the best firework display’s in California. It’s definitely not something you can experience during the day! Plus, if you are traveling without little ones it makes for an easier end to the night. Most often the guests with kids will go to either the first showing of Fantasmic or the fireworks (depending on the season) and then they will go home. This leaves more spots open for Fantasmic and you won’t have to start saving your spot at 5pm. The line is usually a little shorter at night since most of the crowd is either at one of the two shows or they have already gone home, otherwise the wait for Matterhorn can be pretty long, especially since there is no FASTPASS for this ride. At night the scream factor is maybe a 4.5. I would probably give it a 3.5 during the day but the dark adds some extra surprises you don’t get during the day.

DIVA TIP: Big Thunder is currently closed and will be reopening in the fall of 2013. 

If you are a thrill seeker then I highly recommend going on Splash Mountain at night. Even though most of the ride is inside, the finally drop seems just that much scarier when you can’t see the whole thing! It’s lit up at night so it’s not like you are dropping into the dark abyss, but they light it up in a way that highlights the thorns you are dropping into, and so that there are spooky shadows cast to makes you second guess if you really wanted to go on this ride! Of course, I wouldn’t recommend riding at night if you go in the middle of winter. Even though California is notorious for not having a real winter, it can get chilly at night and getting soaked and not having the sun to dry you off can make for an unpleasant rest of the night. But in the heat of the summer, anytime is warm enough to want to cool off on this crazy ride. During the day the scream factor would probably be a 3.5. A lot of the scariness comes from the anticipation of the drop rather than anything that is actually scary. At night I would bump it up to a 4.

This ride is fully indoors, but there is definitely an added spook factor when you walk in and out of the Haunted Mansion when it is dark outside. The entire ride seems just a little darker and a lot more hunted because, well, we all know the ghosts like to come out at night. The line for this tends to vary but is not usually the worst wait. I think the worst I’ve ever seen it is 45 minutes, except for the Holidays when the ride gets a The Nightmare Before Christmas makeover, then it can be well over an hour. The scream factor on this ride is about a 3. It’s not too scary of a ride unless you are afraid of the dark. At night I would maybe bump it up to a 3.2.

I know, you might think I’m crazy for saying this is better at night. But since I don’t travel with kids most of the time, this ride is lower on my list of must-do’s. I love this ride, I go on it every time I go to Disneyland but I usually go on it as my last ride of the night. Not only can the line for this get very long, especially around nap time, but there is also no FASTPASS so it might be better to plan to use your FASTPASSES during the peak of the day. But I chose to go on it at night because it is a great send off from the park. Walt Disney himself had a big hand in designing this ride. It was originally built for the 1964 World’s Fair and moved to Disneyland after the Fair was over. Some people may prefer to go on one of the bigger rides that normally have longer lines for their last ride, but I think there is something really special about this ride and the 5 minute wait is very worth it.