Soarin' or Grizzly River Run First? Grizzly Peak Guide

By The SupaPark Team

Published November 9, 2026

Grizzly Peak at Disney California Adventure has three attractions. Soarin’ Across America has a 40 in (102 cm) height rule and lasts about 5 minutes. Grizzly River Run has a 42 in (107 cm) rule, lasts about 7 minutes, and will get you soaked. Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is a walkthrough play area. Two walk-up food stops complete the land. The short answer to the sequencing question: ride Soarin’ first, and save Grizzly River Run for when the day warms up. Here’s why that works and how to use the land well, as of November 2026.

What’s actually in Grizzly Peak

The land is themed to California’s wild places: Sierra Nevada mountains, national-park roads, river-rock bridges, old lanterns and a lot of pine trees. The airfield section, where Soarin’ sits, has a vintage aviation look. It’s worth slowing down to notice. Few spots in either Anaheim park make you forget you’re in the middle of a city this well.

Soarin’ first, Grizzly River Run later: the answer

Do Soarin’ Across America first. At 40 in (102 cm), its height rule is the lower of the two rides, so it’s usually the only Grizzly Peak ride a mixed-height party can do together. That makes it the booking to protect. Save Grizzly River Run for the warmest part of the day, because you’ll be walking around wet afterward.

If you’ve bought Lightning Lane Multi Pass, make Soarin’ an early booking. At Disneyland Resort, your first Multi Pass booking opens only after your ticket is scanned into a park that day. After that you book one at a time: the next booking opens when you use the current one, or two hours after your last booking. An early Soarin’ return gets everyone a ride and keeps your booking cycle moving. The price is dynamic, so check the Disneyland app on the day.

Without Multi Pass, get to Soarin’ early in your day so a long line doesn’t run into the rest of your plans.

One honest note on the film: the version showing has changed over the years. Check Disney’s current listing before you build expectations around specific scenes.

Planning around this? Open Disneyland in SupaPark.

Grizzly River Run: plan for getting soaked

This is the land’s thrill ride, and the most useful thing to know is simple: you will get wet, and sometimes completely drenched. The round rafts spin as they drift, so where the splash lands is luck. You can’t pick a dry seat, and anyone who says you can is guessing.

What that means for your day:

  • Stow anything that can’t get wet. There are lockers next to the ride entrance. Use them for phones, cameras and paper tickets rather than trusting a pocket.
  • Time it to the weather, not the clock. On a hot afternoon this is the best cool-down in the park. In November, Anaheim mornings and evenings can be cool, and spending hours in damp clothes isn’t fun. This time of year, ride in the warmest part of the day, then head somewhere dry and sunny.
  • Use the single rider line if your group can split up. Grizzly River Run has a named single rider line, but some single rider lines open only on busy days, so check at the entrance or in the Disneyland app. For adults and teens who don’t need to sit together, it’s usually the easiest free way to shorten your wait.
  • It’s a reasonable second Multi Pass pick. It’s part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass, so book it after Soarin’ if you’ve bought Multi Pass. On a cool day you may not need to.

At 42 in, the height rule is 2 inches stricter than Soarin’s. Check your shortest rider before promising anyone a raft ride. A child between 40 and 42 in can ride Soarin’ but not this.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: the reset button

This is easy to skip, unless you have kids. If you’re traveling with kids too short for Grizzly River Run, or kids who are done waiting in lines, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is an outdoor play area with climbing and bridge crossings. There’s no queue to manage, which makes it a good place for one adult to wait with the little ones while the others ride Grizzly River Run.

The trail sometimes hosts themed activities for a limited time. Treat those as a bonus and check Disney’s current listing before you promise a kid anything.

Adults without kids can skip it.

Where to eat in Grizzly Peak

  • Smokejumpers Grill is a burger counter and the land’s real meal stop. Going before or after the usual lunch hour tends to mean a shorter line.
  • Popcorn at Grizzly Peak Airfield is a snack stop. It’s handy while you wait for a Soarin’ return time.

Neither takes reservations; both are walk-up only. The Disneyland app offers mobile ordering at selected quick-service spots in both parks, but mobile-order status and menu prices for these two haven’t been confirmed. Check the Disneyland app before you decide to eat here rather than walking on to another land.

How Grizzly Peak connects to the rest of the park

Grizzly Peak works best as a hinge in your day rather than a stop of its own. Its neighbors include San Fransokyo Square and Paradise Gardens Park, which makes it a natural crossing point between the front of the park and the Pixar Pier side.

The insider shortcut is Grizzly Peak Pass, a quieter path that winds around Grizzly River Run. You hear running water and watch rafts drift below while the main walkway is packed. Use it as a calmer route between lands, or as a ten-minute break when the park gets overwhelming.

An efficient loop: ride Soarin’ first (with Multi Pass if you have it), spend mid-morning in San Fransokyo Square or Paradise Gardens Park, and come back to Grizzly River Run once the day warms up. Paradise Gardens Park also has single rider lines on some of its rides, so a group willing to split up can stack several shorter waits in this part of the park.

What’s worth it, what to skip

  • Worth it: Soarin’ for everyone, ridden first and booked with Multi Pass if you bought it. Grizzly River Run on a warm day, using single rider if your group can split.
  • Worth it for families: Redwood Creek Challenge Trail as a break while others ride.
  • Skip: Grizzly River Run on a cold, gray day unless you’ve packed a change of clothes.

The one thing to remember: Grizzly Peak rewards timing. Do Soarin’ first, Grizzly River Run when it’s warm, and take the quiet path in between.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I ride Soarin’ or Grizzly River Run first?

Soarin’ first. It’s the ride a mixed-height group can usually do together, and saving Grizzly River Run for the warmest part of the day means you’re not walking around wet in the cool morning.

How wet do you get on Grizzly River Run?

Often completely soaked. The rafts spin, so you can’t pick a dry seat. Put phones, cameras and paper tickets in the lockers next to the ride entrance.

What are the height requirements in Grizzly Peak?

Grizzly River Run requires 42 in (107 cm) and Soarin’ Across America requires 40 in (102 cm). Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is a walkthrough play area.

Are Grizzly Peak rides part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

Yes. As of November 2026, both Grizzly River Run and Soarin’ Across America are part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Grizzly River Run also has a single rider line, though some single rider lines open only on busy days.

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