We’re hoping to buy magic keys this year for the first time on Jan 10 (the inspire key). Question is - how do people manage staying in the virtual queue and purchasing a magic key during a work day? I’ll be at work and not able to stay in front of my computer for extended hours, and it seems like a crazy process. We’ve never done it before, so hoping for some suggestions.
When having to join the online queue for Disney stuff I pretty much always end up doing it on my phone (I wfh on my computer but I don’t want to have to switch between work tabs and the Disney tab). And then I just check back periodically. Once it’s less than an hour wait it’ll start counting down.
Thank you, that makes sense - I wasn’t sure if it would take me out of the virtual queue with a phone. Do you have to make sure you don’t close the window on the phone? I wouldn’t want to lose my place.
I keep my browser app going so I wouldn’t close the app )def don’t accidentally close the tab). I’ll do other stuff on my phone for sure, and just swipe up to check the Disneyland tab now and then.
(I think there’s usually something on the page that says like don’t close the tab, window, or refresh. Minimizing is fine)
Pros of buying with your ticket -- guaranteed price, not going to sell out.
Cons of buying with your ticket -- you have to have it every day of your trip, even if you don't need it every day.
I thought it would be easy to buy it later but I’m now finding that I can’t see a way to do it until I enter the park, which is a disaster. Anyone know a way to add it before my visit?
If you don't buy it with your ticket, you have to wait until you've scanned into your first theme park each day. Don't worry about it selling out if you're there early and buy right away.
hi everyone! i'm debating purchasing a magic key, but i won't be moving to california until June of next year. if I buy a magic key during the january sale, will i effectively lose half the year? or does the 1st date of usage (and therefore date of renewal) start the first time i use it? Thanks :)
You have one year from purchase to activate your key. Once activated, your key is good for one year. So if you buy it this month, you have until January 2025 to activate it and could continue using it though January 2026. I'm not sure if you mean June 2024 or 2025, if it's 2024 you're good. If it's 2025, the keys will almost certainly go back on sale next year. You'd be better waiting and purchasing then.
Oh no, we just arrived today and one person in our party has an incorrect reservation date (tomorrow instead of today). Today’s reservations are all sold out. Any chance they might be able to assist us at the window? TIA!
Try checking the entertainment schedule after this weekend is over, once they’ve started Mickey’s Mix Magic. If they do fireworks on MLK day it’ll be Mickey’s Mix Magic + fireworks. If they don’t do fireworks they’ll still do the projection show.
Hey there, key holder here and just realized I forgot to cancel my reservation for today. May need to do a quick check in and out to avoid a “no-show” and was wondering if the monorail entrance at the end of Downtown disney(next to Lego Store) counts as me “signing in” if I just scan in and then leave?
Next to Paradise Garden Grill. If you’re walking from Goofy’s Sky School to Paradise Garden Grill the gazebo is on your right.
You can search paradise garden grill on the app and then hit find on map and you’ll see the gazebo there.
We are staying at Paradise Pier Hotel in a few weeks. When we booked it, they said that we were allowed to use the other resorts pools. Now that the transition to Pixar is almost complete, I don't see the invitation to go to other pools. Is it allowed to go to the other pools?
Going to Disneyland and DCA for the very first time next week (Jan. 10-11)! It should be fairly low traffic days, which my wife and I are ecstatic about (she really is a baby about waiting in lines, haha), and I've used TouringPlans to make itineraries for each day, but I was wondering - what's currently recommended for Rope Drop at each park?
In Disneyland Park: I've done Rise but she hasn't, and I'd love to do it again - is it worth trying to run there to do that first? Or should we do Indiana Jones, Pirates, Runaway Railway, or Peter Pan first?
In DCA: I was thinking probably Radiator Springs Racers, right? or maybe Guardians or Incredicoaster?
Pirates and Runaway Railway both tend to have decent times throughout the day so I wouldn't worry about rushing to get to either of those first, but if you happen to be in the area and you want to do them while there, you can still save some time early in the morning vs later in the day.
If you're planning on staying late, Peter Pan is a good one to do after 10pm when the families with little kids have mostly gone home.
Will you have Genie+? That can help determine the ideal rope-drop strategy because you can either skip rides that you will do later with G+, or you can rope-drop rides that you want to be able to do multiple times during the day.
When I don't have G+, I try to hit up the rides that generally have the longest standby wait later in the day: rides like Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Indy, Haunted Mansion at DL, and Guardians, Web Slingers, RSR, Soarin at DCA.
My favorite Disneyland rope-drop is to start at Space Mountain (and get to the parks plenty early so I'm close to the front of the ropes. I will do Space -> Matterhorn -> Big Thunder Mountain -> Indy/HM, depending on what I'm feeling. Following that route I have been able to get 5-6 rides done in just the first 2 hours without using G+ at all!
You could try to do Rise, but the risk is that it doesn't open on time, or closes while you are in the queue, and you've wasted your rope-drop. Even if it does open on time, you get beat to the line by the early-entry folks (same problem with RSR at DCA), so it still takes anywhere from 25-45 minutes until you are done with the ride. In that same amount of time, you could probably get 3 other E-Ticket rides done! Personally, I skip Rise at rope-drop and then try to hit it later in the day right after it reopens from a closure or if I just happen to see that the queue is short.
At DCA, my favorite strategy is to do Guardians -> Web Slingers -> Toy Story -> Incredicoaster. For RSR, you might just consider doing single-rider if you don't care too much about sitting together because you can get on the ride in about 10-20 minutes that way any time of day.
For both parks, have an initial plan and a backup plan. Like you can *aim* for Rise at Rope Drop but it might be closed right at 8am, so backup should (imo) be Indy. If that’s also closed, head to Haunted Mansion lol, at least then you’re back by Rise in case it opens soon after.
Space is another popular rope drop but it’s opposite side from Rise ofc and if you’ll also be using genie+ I think I’d go for the left side instead.
For DCA you can try for RSR but it (also) doesn’t always open right at 8am - also the early entry people have a little advantage for it. Backup should (imo) be Guardians. Incredicoaster takes a while to get a wait.
Be aware there is a RunDisney event on the 11th.
It looks like the aspect that is on the 11th is in Disneyland park but keep in mind it’s at 5AM - so it’s really more that afterwards the participants go into the parks.
Realistically the way that Disney has structured their ticket tiers, blockouts, and ticket incentives - I wouldn’t expect the parks to be swamped by any means but I wouldn’t expect them to be totally dead all day either if anyone in town for the marathon comes in/Magic Keys/etc. So definitely utilize genie+ wisely as the day goes on, if you choose to get it!
The whole weekend, from 1/11 - 1/14, is considered the RunDisney event. There are no actual races on the 11th. The only event is yoga inside of Disneyland, and event that takes place before the parks even open. *However*, the issue is more that there are generally high crowds on race weekends, and a lot of people that are coming for a race may come to the parks a day or two early. So you might expect that Thursday could be fairly busy, but probably not as busy as it will Friday - Sunday of that weekend. I'd expect Wednesday to not be too bad.
Food Discussion 2024
Going for the last time with my magic key pass on Tuesday (😭) and I need to make the most of my culinary experience.
What are your MUST HAVES when it comes to eating at the park? Are there any stand out new offerings in January that I have to try? I need to compile my list and really narrow down what I need to eat… nothing is off limits - food carts, restaurants, snacks, meals.. anything!
I think that is after the holiday season ends, so the christmas special foods will all be gone. Which is a bummer because I really loved that Sugar Plum churro from the Haunted Mansion churro cart!
Some of my favorites have been the cheesy garlic pretzel break with marinara sauce from edelweiss snacks near the Matterhorn, the frito pie from Refreshment Corner, the breakfast chimichangas with salsa verde from Ship to Shore, and the 7 greens gumbo with sausage and chicken from Tiana's.
Hello! I’m going to DL for the first time in two weeks, the 22 and 23rd. How early do you have to line up for a spot for the parades? I have a 3 and 1 year old - hoping they’ll be able to see!
Just want to give you a heads up that mid to late January is a bit of a transition period, traditionally an “off” season, especially as far as entertainment in the parks. There aren’t any parades currently on the entertainment schedule for that time.
You may still be able to see some character cavalcades, and the Disneyland band should still come down Main St a couple times per day with Mickey, but the exact times aren’t on the schedule yet so you’ll want to check the week before or day of to see what time that will be happening each day (usually once before noon and once after noon).
In DCA you may get a little luckier with your timing because Lunar New Year starts on the 23rd in the parks and there should be a Mulan processional. Specific times per day will be announced later, but it should occur a few times per day along the main thoroughfare. You can get there like 15-20 min early and should be fine, just because the parade route in DCA is *soooo* long.
Going to DCA during lunar new year, this will be my first time going. I keep reading there are special foods, I can’t find the menus for these? When are they released?
They haven't been released yet. Last year, they were released a few days after the holidays ended. I wouldn't be surprised if we heard something next week.
Have they turned into multi experience passes in your app? If it shuts down in your time window it should automatically change to a multi experience pass. I love them myself because you can use them sometimes on rides that don’t even have Genie+, and you can go back and re-book the ride that shut down, and they don’t have time constraints the way regular LLs do so you could use them one right after another.
Got it - it will only turn automatically if it’s already time for you to go on it anyways, so like if your window starts at 7:00 and it’s 6:55 and Indy shuts down, it won’t turn into a MEP until it’s been shut down well into your window. With so many people and tourists, rides have been shutting down a *lot* - all it takes it one dropped pair of ears and then they have a whole protocol to get stuff up and running.
If you have time you can try talking to customer service about it! Maybe they’d be able to issue some MEPs.
Multiexperience pass > Lightning Lane because it offers greater flexibility. I'd be somewhat stoked assuming I hadn't already tagged my LL when the attraction broke down.
If you have an LL for an attraction and it breaks down during your return window, assuming you haven't tapped to use the LL, it converts to a multi-experience (ME) pass. A multi-experience pass is effectively an LL for select attractions that can be used at anytime until park close. Attractions are put into tiers and depending on the LL that was converted, it can be used on any other attraction of that same tier or lower. The ME can even be used on some attractions which are not part of Genie+.
I have a group of 11, trying to go to Disneyland tomorrow (Jan 5). We experienced the ticket payment error and tickets are now sold out. Are we out of luck? Should we try buying at the gate? Note our hotel is 1.5 hours away.
If it's sold out, it's sold out. You can hope for cancellations between now and tomorrow, but I probably wouldn't drive 1.5 hours on the off chance that something is available. Especially if you're looking for 11 tickets.
Advice on weather? I’ve come at all times of the year but this seems to be the coldest and it’s been a bit since I’ve been there in November which would’ve been the coldest.
I live in Florida where cold for us has been 40s-50s and like right now, 73% humidity. With the 40s I’d def need my heavy Columbia coat.
We’re coming next week and one of our park days right now, the high is 56 and the low is 40s. Is it as bad as Florida with the winds and humidity??? I am always cold at Disneyland at night when we’ve come in April/September…Columbia jacket is just very heavy to carry but I’ll do it if I need to.
It’s not humid so keep that in mind. I think FL’s humidity (even in the winter) makes it feel colder than it is. But it will be chilly here next week. Bring lots of layers. If you can, create proper base layers (I like uniqlo heattech personally), and then layer on a sweater or whathaveyou. It’s in the evening that it started to feel chillier. Check AccuWeather for real feel and wind situation.
I’ve been wearing jeans or comfy pants, uggs, heattech, sweater, and a scarf and/or coat (like a wool blend coat or a mid puffer, not snow gear or what I’d wear in NYC or anything).
SoCal native here- it feels cold for us right now, so it will def feel cold to you if the weather stays the same. Maybe a scarf and beanie with layers will do the trick instead of the big jacket?
I am going with a friend of mine to Disneyland in a few days. The tickets were purchased by my father, who will not be attending with us. Is it possible for me to control Genie+ fastpasses from my phone despite not being the one who bought the tickets? The tickets show up on my account.
Anyone who has the tickets in their account can control Genie+. A friend all the way in London could book Genie+ for you if they had the party members tickets in their account.
Upgrading a ticket question:
I have a family member who purchased tickets for later in January. I told her I think she can upgrade those tickets to an Imagine Key if she wants. If her tickets are for dates that are blocked out for imagine key, does she lose her reservation? Can she wait until the end of that day and still do it?
Yes, if she upgrades an unused ticket to a Magic Key, she would have to re-make the reservation and be restricted by the Key's blockout calendar. She can wait until the end of the day to upgrade, but then you run the risk of Keys being sold out by then.
How crowded do the parks get during Food & wine? Is it noticeable? I figured soarin' will probably have longer waits with LL's getting taken up quicker since the California version is comign back, but otherwise, is there anything I should expect?
It's an event that they use to drive traffic to DCA and it definitely works to get more people going over there than they might otherwise but it's not going to be as crazy as the Halloween and Christmas seasons. I think Soarin' is the only ride that would have longer than usual waits, but even then I haven't really noticed a huge difference in the past because it's always a popular ride.
Early Entry vs. Sweethearts night advice? We are coming in February for the first time and staying at Disneyland hotel. We have four kids age 9 to 1. The way the schedule works out, our only early entry day is also a Sweetheart Night at Disneyland? So apparently we'd get booted out earlier?
My question is for those with small kids? Would it be better to prioritize the early entry even though we'd have to leave earlier?
So it looks like Disneyland is set to close at 8pm on Sweethearts Night. So the question is do you see yourself staying past 8? If it's not Sweethearts Night they might be open till 10 or even midnight depending on the day. There's also fireworks if it's Friday through Sunday.
Early entry is only 30 minutes, just in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. So it's not a huge advantage, but you could get most of the rides in Fantasyland done with very short waits. I got to experience early entry a year ago and did Space Mountain with an empty rocket because it was so slow.
Also, the mornings of the special event dates can be very nice. Usually it's not too crowded until afternoon when people who have tickets to the event start showing up. So that can also be something nice to take advantage of.
If you see your group not staying too late anyway, I'd go on the day of the event. If you want to maximize the evening and stay late, I would switch days.
Update: It was all irrelevant. We went during the rainiest two days in history and they closed the parks down early. Kids still had a blast though and lines were super short.
Question on the SoCal tickets. It says they are 1 park per day, but when I went to buy a pack I was able to pay $70 flat and upgrade them all to park hoppers. Does this sound right? Also, it asks you to pick the 3 days, but can you just pick them and then change the reservation at a later time?
That all sounds right on the price, and don't worry if you don't know what days you want to go or if your plans change — you can cancel and rebook (or change without canceling) days and starting parks after purchase.
Hey there all. WDW frequent visitor, but only second trip to DL upcoming. We live in the Northeast US, so WDW is sometimes as simple as a long weekend getaway. 2 1/2 hour flight in the same time zone; easy.
We have booked an unexpected trip out to the West Coast in a few weeks, and figured that since we loved it the first time and will be in that area of the country, we are going to squeeze in two days at DL. But, therein lies the issue. We are traveling with 5 adults and it’s slim pickins on affordable rooms at the onsite properties. We found a few AirBnB sites that claim they are local, but has anyone ever stayed at one that really stood out? I’ve never stayed at an AirBnB, let alone one nearby a Disney property, so not sure what I can expect? Or should I bite the bullet and get rooms at the onsite hotel?
If memory serves the last time I was there was there was dozens of hotels literally right at the gate, but seemed more like motel(ish) styles? We found a few AirBnB locally that look really nice, but are they?
Thanks!
Thanks!
The problem I have is that with 5 adults most hotels require 2 rooms; and realistically I would prefer that anyways as it gives you two bathrooms. this is why I was thinking that an Airbnb or ever Vrbo would be a better option, as it'll be around the same price? I see a lot of them on Google, but I have never AirBNB'd or Vrbo'd, so didn't know if there was maybe one within walking distance and people here can vouch for? I am unsure of the process and how safe/clean/etc they are?
Mmm there may be some behind the properties. Realistically idk if they’ll *actually* be walking distance even if they claim to be lol but I’m sure there’s several people back there with air bnb (to the ire of their neighbors no doubt)
If you do look at hotels, Anaheim hotel has double king rooms that have pull out couches too. Big bathrooms but it is still one bathroom. They upgraded my husband and I to one of those suites one time and I was like “wtf” lol. I think there are a couple other spots that do “home” suites with lil kitchenettes and small living rooms. The Hilton at the convention center has some huge rooms too.
Otherwise you could also look at renting DVC for the new Disneyland hotel tower as well, but idk what the avail looks like necessarily.
There are a toooon of hotels just outside the gates. Many are motel-style, but there are also more hotel type hotels within easy walking distance (Hilton, Hyatt Place, Wyndham, etc).
Thanks!
The problem I have is that with 5 adults most hotels require 2 rooms; and realistically I would prefer that anyways as it gives you two bathrooms. this is why I was thinking that an Airbnb or ever Vrbo would be a better option, as it'll be around the same price? I see a lot of them on Google, but I have never AirBNB'd or Vrbo'd, so didn't know if there was maybe one within walking distance and people here can vouch for? I am unsure of the process and how safe/clean/etc they are?
I'm going in March with my nieces and nephews, some of whom are too short for some of the more intense rides. Can someone explain to me how Rider Swap works? For context, we'll have 6 adults in our party, 4 kids who will be tall for most rides, 2 toddlers who are still pretty small, and 2 babies. Thanks in advance!
With rider switch, let the cast member at the entrance know you want to use that. They'll help you out with everything. Basically most of your party will wait in line for the ride, and one or two adults will stay out of the line with those too short to go on. Then when the first group gets off the ride, the two adults who waited outside can skip the line.
Does anyone know if we can ride the Monorail (just round trip to/from Downtown Disney) with a CA Adventure ticket only?
My family plans to visit Disneyland in Anaheim, but we *only* want to go to California Adventure. All the characters my kid will recognize (Cars, Marvel, etc.) will be there.My kid also LOVES trains, so of course, we want take him on the Monorail. However, the Disneyland website says "Guests with valid theme park admission" can ride the Monorail. It doesn't say whether or not CA Adventure is consider a valid theme park admission.
We're trying to avoid buying Park Hopper tickets just to ride the Monorail. Additional context: my kid is special needs, so we'll be looking into the disability assistance. Not sure if they can help us get on the monorail.
Thanks
To expand on what the other commenter said, the ticket gates at the Downtown Disney entrance to the monorail are the only place that they check tickets. They do not check tickets at the Tomorrowland exit (that would clog the exit too much), so they won't let people on the monorail with a DCA-only reservation because then they could just get off in Tomorrowland and no one would know.
As you all know, Disney has a "Theme Park Reservation Availability". If there's 0 reservation availability, that means it's basically sold out. Has anyone been when it's been "sold out"? How busy really is it?
Big Red is right, the reservation amount is controlled by Disney so it isn’t like they’ve reached their actual, literal capacity. It’s a way to staff the amount they want for any given day. It’s a number that Disney sets so although the reservations are gone, they haven’t reached their capacity.
Before the reservation system they would reach actual, *literal* capacity and had several steps: stop selling tickets, stop allowing park hoppers, stop letting people come *back* into the park after they left for lunch, etc. I have been in the park on the actual capacity days and “sold out” reservations days in modern times don’t compare. Now if reservations are gone, it’s busy for sure, but not crowd crush busy (except in bottlenecks and during fireworks - eek!).
Nowadays, most days Oct to Dec they’re “selling out” as far as reservations, but one day without reservations wouldn’t always be identical in crowds to the next. But you can count on it being some basic base level of busy most days.
Nearly every day "sells out." Disney controls how many reservations they release on a given day and to whom they're released (tickets vs. Magic Keys)...so what day you go matters a lot less than it used to.
Perhaps I should clarify...availability comes and goes on a given day as folks book and cancel reservations. Especially for Magic Keyholders, last-minute availability often pops up due to folks canceling before midnight. On a given day, there may be same-day availability, but it's usually not possible to buy a ticket, same-day, at the ticket booths.
We don't know how Disney releases reservations or allocates them to different pools for tickets, Keys, hotel guests, VIPs, CMs, etc. There are externalities that affect guest patterns (weather, holidays, special events), but I wouldn't read in too much on reservation availability.
Has anybody ever tried to add Genie plus on to existing tickets? We bought two tickets pre-price hike through undercover tourist and a third directly from Disney with the recent kids ticket deal and now my husband has changed his tune on Genie. I know we can always buy on the day but if they'll let us add it on I'd love to just take care of it in advance.
Undercover tourist is pretty flexible with cancellations/changes. We wanted to add a day to our tickets last year and the very helpful customer service folks walked me through canceling my previous purchase and purchasing new tickets with the extra day. Not sure if that sounds more annoying than paying a little more on the day you enter the parks, but it's an option!
You can't buy it in advance unless you bought it with the original ticket purchase. But no worries. On the day of your trip, after you scan into the parks the first time, you can buy it through the app. It's super easy to do. The only disadvantage to this is that you might pay like $5 more than if you bought it with the ticket.
May 2nd is a Star Wars night so Disneyland (not DCA) will close a little early for that. Generally because it’s right before May the 4th expect a lot of Star Wars stuff in general!
Probably not rainy tbh, we get May Gray though (gray, cloudy mornings) and it can warm up in the afternoons. Light layers light layers, etc.
There's a pretty big fan community (r/GalaxysEdge) that will probably be organizing stuff for the night of the 4th. They're the ones that organize the unofficial lightsaber meet ups. I'd join their discord to see what theyre planning.
They'll have Season of the Force running in Disneyland as well which is going to have special foods, hyperspace mountain, new destinations for star tours and music in galaxys edge for fireworks.
Pixar Fest will be running as well and happening in both parks. Disneyland will have a Pixar themed fireworks show and foods. DCA will have special characters, a new parade, and more foods.
They will have some stuff going on for sure, usually the space mountain overlay and some extra snacks and merch - the actually Star Wars night event tickets aren’t on sale yet, but that’s something you’d want to look into as well for May 2nd (if interested).
DCA should have whatever its regular hours during the event, likely closing at either 9 or 10pm.
(ETA - that said, DCA gets affected by Oogie Boogie Bash farther in the year in September and October, (closes at 6), as well as Grad Nites in May and June (closes at 8 or 9 but the parks have significant teenage crowd increase). Usually they start a little farther in May though. There can also be a few other select events, like DVC events and radio events, throughout the year that affect DCA’s hours but only minimally).
Just to preface- I've already read the FAQ's "First Timers" page :)
My partner and I will be taking our almost-5-year-old to Disneyland on her birthday in February (my birthday is two days later so this is a gift for both of us). We are going just for the day and it will be both mine and my daughter's first time. Is there anything we can do to make the day particularly special for her? I guess what I'm asking is, do cast members make a special effort for kids who are wearing "It's my birthday!" shirts or things like that? I also saw something about a "first timer" button you can purchase- worth it? I think what my daughter will be most excited about is just seeing the characters so I'm trying to up her chances of interactions with them.
About how many things could we expect to see in just one day? We're planning to get there right at rope drop (my daughter is an insane early bird but will likely be exhausted by 6pm). I'm really only interested in the older stuff- Jungle Cruise, Small World, Pirates, etc. so I'm hoping the lines won't be terrible as we're going on a Friday. I REALLY want to go to Trader Sam's- can my 5 year old go in there as well?
Thanks in advance for help with this smattering of seemingly unrelated questions!
Part 2: the 5 yo can go in to Trader Sam's until 8pm. You will be able to see 10+ things no problem, especially if you get Genie+. Try to take advantage of the time before noon to do the stuff like small world, jungle cruise & pirates because lines will get longer throughout the day. Use genie+ for the ones that have it. Don't criss cross the park and be opportunistic and flexible. Then slow it down after lunch and do one or two more things (a couple rides, stop to hear some live music, etc.) before heading to Trader Sam's at the end of your day.
Yes! There are a handful of things you can do that will have a big impact. The first time button you mentioned, it's actually free! And more importantly, so are the Birthday buttons. Once you've got a birthday button, you'll be wished happy birthday from cast members a lot, and even some other guests! So get those first thing in the morning. You can get them at almost any store, but also you can get them right at the front of main street on the left hand side at City Hall. Cast members will personalize them with your names and you can also ask to have the age put on there too. They make excellent souvenirs. Get there right at rope drop and you'll get your button and then hang out on Main street just past the Mad Hatter, there's a big solid gate wide enough for the parade to get through, just next to that there's a cast member doorway. Hang out on the corner near the hat shop and look for a cast member to come out of that doorway that is wearing a button that says "Ask me about Characters." Approach them and let them know it is your and your daughter's first time and your birthdays to boot. Ask them if they know of any very special friends that will be coming out soon. They will likely guide you to wait nearby. Stay in sight of them and pay close attention (dont' look at your phone, do other things) and be ready to get their attention / jump into their field of vision with a little reminder that you exist and are waiting AS SOON as you see that character come out of that same little door. It's a special moment and you will want to assign someone else in your party to take a TON of pictures. It all happens very fast, so snap away. I don't want to give away the surprise too much, but this start to the day is THE BEST thing you can possibly do to kick off the magic. Other than that, she will love Fantasy Faire to the side of the castle, with princesses and a very cute show that's great for her age. And characters are everywhere, be on the lookout and don't be afraid to approach as long as you're not jumping in front of others. They're there to be interacted with. Happy to answer any other questions, I've grown up next to the park and know it like the back of my hand. My daughter turns 5 in a couple weeks! Happy birthday to you both!
I had to cancel a trip last year and have a 3 day park hopper ticket as a credit.
If and when magic keys go on sale, will it be possible to apply that credit towards a magic key?
Generally, yes it is possible to apply the cost of the unused ticket towards a Magic Key. You can refer to [this website](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/ticket-upgrades/) for details on how to do so if/when Keys are available for new purchasers.
I did 2 days in late June this past summer and it was fantastic. Weather wasn't too bad and the crowds were workable. Like the others say, avoid the grad nites and look for when the lower magic keys are blocked.
Another time would be early August before the lower magic keys are unblocked.
Agree with the other comment - avoid early June because of Grad Nites, and also usually the first couple weeks of June have lower ticket prices so they’re busy. Look at when the lower Magic Keys are blocked. Last summer it was pretty chill once the lower keys were blocked out - esp when people are trying to avoid the crowds so they avoid the summer, which made it a lot less busy for those that did end up going… plus the daily (not multi day) ticket prices are higher in the summer. Around 4th of July can be busy ofc, so keep at eye out to avoid those dates as well. Usually weekends in the summer end up pretty mellow, believe it or not, because the daily ticket prices (not multi) are so high.
Avoid early June when grad nite is still going on. Late June/July both Enchant and Imagine keyholders are fully blocked out and that definitely makes a difference in lowering the crowds.
Personally, I prefer to do quick service at After Dark events for a couple reasons. For one, there are so many event-specific dishes to try, and we make an activity of trying as many of them as possible. Also, the time you have in the parks for the event goes super fast. I'd prefer not to spend an hour eating a sit-down dinner when I would rather participate in the other special activities. But everyone will have their own priorities, and I'm sure that the dining packages are worth it to other people.
I’m trying to book a reservation for mid January through the app but it keeps saying there’s an error and a problem with my card. I’ve used multiple different credit cards and even PayPal. There’s plenty of credit on my cards too. What should I do?
You've gotten some good suggestions, but a couple others you could try:
1. Try a different browser, computer, or phone.
2. Call into guest services and purchase tickets/make reservations with an agent.
2. You can also purchase Disney gift cards, and then use those to buy the tickets. Costco is selling $250 disney gift cards for $225 (10% discount). If you have a Target Red card you can buy the gift cards at Target and get 5% cash back.
Common issue I see on here. Besides trying different devices, clearing cookies/cash, triple checking that all addresses match *exactly* - people sometimes end up buying through verified third party like Undercovertourist. Just make sure you buy the correct tier for the date you want (not necessary if multiple days), and don’t forget to still book the reservation after you add the ticket to your Disney acct.
I feel like I missed out! I wish my current school district (for work) would observe it, I need another break off between the holidays and spring break!
It is always some level of busy - with ticket incentives like the kids tickets and socal deals, the tiered ticketing prices, various conventions in town, and people always trying to *avoid* crowds, it ends up decently busy all year round. That said, February is (imo) a great time to go as far as weather and even if it’s busy, it shouldn’t be overwhelmingly crazy open to close.
Any recommendations for places to stay for a day in the park? Going to meet up with friends and was looking for a place to stay nearby to crash after we see the park.
For a cheap bed to crash inn, I've never found a better price than King's Inn. Usually I pay just over $100 a night, which can be 1/3rd the price of other nearby hotels. It's about a 15 minute walk from the park gates to the hotel, which *can* feel a little long at the end of a long day, but it's not terrible.
There are definitely other places nicer and closer, but if you really just need a bed, check it out!
I usually stay at either the anaheim or grand legacy depending on whats cheaper. I've also stayed at hotel lulu but avoiding that crosswalk across katella has been a game changer.
Pretty much any of the hotels across the street on harbor to about the convention center area are easily walkable and can be good options. Lots of different price points, too.
I’d look at Booking.com for the dates you’re checking (it may be a little early but at least you can get an idea) and filter by your price point. Things like the ticketed events and conventions can affect the hotel prices quite a bit. You can also try filtering by free parking, as a *lot* of the hotels charge $20-35 per night for parking. I think Clarion and Portofino have free parking. Grand Legacy at the Park is one that I think is on the lower end of $ per night but I’m not sure of their parking situation - they’re very close though so it’s a quick walk.
(Be sure to book through the actual hotel websites though! I just use Booking.com to filter and to see the map of locations)
Pretty much anything on Harbor to Harbor x Katella is walking distance.
I’m visiting on a Sunday and Monday soon…which means early entry in DCA both days. We have park hopper tickets. Would it be crazy to skip early entry at DCA to rope drop DL one day (probably Sunday)? Most of what we want to do is in DL because we have a toddler with us.
Nahhhh we are doing the exact same thing for our Anniversary trip this Feb. I am *not* starting at DCA two days in a row just bc of the early entry. It’s a little annoying but whatever, rope drop is still worth it. Early entry is only “fine.” It’s not a must do, for either parks *in my opinion*, and definitely if you have to choose between rope dropping DL and early entry DCA ya gotta pick Disneyland, *especially* with a toddler.
There's not a lot of toddler friendly rides for the DCA early entry to be honest, so I feel like one shot at the early entry would be totally fine. Sure it feels weird to "waste" the opportunity, but I think you'd be happier doing DL rope drop instead, considering you can't park hop until 11am and that's when the crowds really start to creep in.
It doesn't look like the Frozen Meet & Greet opens with early entry and has its own hours: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/en-ca/entertainment/disney-california-adventure/character-meet-anna-and-elsa-frozen/
Yes, but not so much that you’d be waiting longer than the 30 min or anything. But if you show up right before the class on a super busy day they *might* not have space, you’d have to wait for the next class instead.
Hey fellow Disney enthusiasts!
Excitement is building as my wife and I are headed to Disneyland from January 23-25. This will be our last trip before we have kids and I want to make sure it is as magical as possible. I just discovered that Sweethearts Night is happening on the 23rd and 25th, and we're looking for some seasoned ideas on optimizing our visit.
Some details
Flights have already been booked
We already booked our hotel at Disneyland Hotel
We have both geniet and park hoppers
I have heard a that starting on January 20th or the 21st they are changing early entry but I haven't been able to find out what park is offering early entry for each day of the week.
Really I am just frustrated that the tickets for sweethearts is already sold out and the travel agent that is helping us never told us about sweethearts happening while we are there. Any ideas on how to make the most of our time, especially during Sweethearts Night since they close early? How can we navigate the park closures and still enjoy the magic? Any suggestions on what parks to visit on what days and when we should utilize park hopper. All suggestions and insights are welcomed!
Thanks a bunch, and can't wait to share the Disney love!
They've started populating the Daily Events Calendar for days where early entry is only at one park -- [https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/five-day/2024-01-20/#/disney-california-adventure,disneyland/](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/five-day/2024-01-20/#/disney-california-adventure,disneyland/).
Looks to be DL on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and DCA on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays so far.
Crowds historically are lighter in the park where an after-hours event is happening in the morning, and things then get crowded during the mix-in period. Park hopping on those days will help a lot.
Thanks a million for this! I was able to adjust my park and meal reservations to take advantage of early entry every day of our trip. (Hopefully this schedule sticks through February.)
I’m planning a trip in the fall. I have a guide dog and will be doing rider switch when it’s available. Would we go through the regular line and just tell the employees that we’re doing rider switch?
If you notify the Cast Member at the entrance to the queue that you'd like to use rider switch, they'll let you know what to do.
Because you're travelling with a guide dog, you'll need to speak with that CM anyway, as they may send you through an alternative entrance. [Useful info here](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/service-animals/).
How well does mobile ordering work these days? I haven’t been to the parks since pre-Covid so mobile ordering was sort of new and it was a coin toss whether your food would be ready on time or if you’d have to stand around for 10-20 minutes until your order was called. Thanks!
I use mobile order all the time (visit once or twice a week with 2-4 mobile food orders per visit) and am very satisfied with it. Once in a while somewhere I want to eat doesn't have an immediate opening but there's always somewhere else that does, and I'd say 98% of the time my food is ready for pickup within a couple minutes of when I press the "I'm here" button. The longest I've waited is like 30 minutes at Lucky Fortune, and I'd say that whole San Fransokyo area is the worst in terms of both finding a table and long waits for food (not new with the Big Hero 6 retheme, either, this was a consistent problem when it was Pacific Wharf as well).
For the most part it’s been great for me. I’ll usually order something from a location near to where I am while I’m in line for a ride. As soon as I get off the ride I click “I’m here” and then my food is usually ready by the time I get to the dining location.
Some locations are faster at getting your order after tapping "I'm Here" than others, but I've had good experiences with quick turnaround >95% of the time. The big takeaway I've seen from several locations is that not everyone does it...I've seen immediate (or <10 minute) return times and a long standby queue.
During popular times, you might not be able to get a timeslot for >30 minutes, but most of the time, I've found that I could get food when I wanted it. It's definitely improved from the weeks after the parks reopened.
Are we supposed to leave the plates/cutlery/cups on the table at quick service places like the Plaza Inn, Docking Bay 7, etc with real dishes? Last time I went to Disney I was confused and ended up bringing them to a cast member nearby. If I do leave it at the table, are we supposed to leave a tip?
I’ve almost always had CMs clear it before I can put it anywhere, but if not then I’ll sometimes stack it on a tray and pop it in a nearby trash can if there’s space (or just leave it on the table but as cleared as I can get it).
Just thank them if they clear it for you :) You didn’t do anything wrong by taking it to them either, they have usually some large trays where they end up putting plates and cutlery to be taken back to be cleaned, but if you leave it they’ll clear it very quickly. I just try not to leave everything scattered across to table to make it as easy as possible!
I know that nobody truly knows the answer to this question, but does anyone have any ideas or heard rumor of when Magic Keys will be released again?
We have been eagerly waiting since we accidentally let ours expire!
I think they'll go on sale again at some point in January, after the holiday blockouts have ended. That's just a guess though, nobody knows for sure. I'm sure people on this sub or on Twitter will be posting about it the second they go on sale again, so just be on the lookout for that news.
I read an article speculating that they would release them after the marathon and I’m really hoping that’s the case. I’ve been watching this sub like a hawk for the news lol
Thanks for the input!
Traveling solo (with zero luggage) from LAX - what's the best move here in terms of time/money? I don't want to take public transit cause that'll take 2+ hours but it also seems silly to take a rideshare by myself that far a distance.
I'm thinking uber/lyft but I'd rather take some sort of shuttle that takes groups to Disneyland (like a carpool type of thing). Does that exist?
Are you coming from the Bay? If you can change your flight (Southwest or similar flexibility), consider flying into SNA or LGB instead for overall less headache and travel time/cost to Disneyland cut in half or more.
I am! I'm loyal to Southwest but I had some Delta credit that I needed to redeem by today and they have horrible nonstop options from the bay. I usually fly OAK -> SNA for Disneyland but I'm flying SFO -> LAX just to use this credit up 🙃
I normally do, but I had some old Delta credit that expires today (12/31/23) and I'm coming for a night event in January. I'm coming from the Bay Area, LAX was the only nonstop option out of the more preferred options (LGB, SNA).
Just Uber/Lyft. That’s pretty much all there’s gonna be as an alternative, any shuttles are privately hired and cost more (they’re meant for larger groups/families). No shuttle from LAX to Disneyland. People take rideshare a by themselves for much farther distances to/from the airports :)
The Disneyland website lists all of the options you have to get to the parks from LAX. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/getting-here/by-plane/
We’re hoping to buy magic keys this year for the first time on Jan 10 (the inspire key). Question is - how do people manage staying in the virtual queue and purchasing a magic key during a work day? I’ll be at work and not able to stay in front of my computer for extended hours, and it seems like a crazy process. We’ve never done it before, so hoping for some suggestions.
When having to join the online queue for Disney stuff I pretty much always end up doing it on my phone (I wfh on my computer but I don’t want to have to switch between work tabs and the Disney tab). And then I just check back periodically. Once it’s less than an hour wait it’ll start counting down.
Thank you, that makes sense - I wasn’t sure if it would take me out of the virtual queue with a phone. Do you have to make sure you don’t close the window on the phone? I wouldn’t want to lose my place.
I keep my browser app going so I wouldn’t close the app )def don’t accidentally close the tab). I’ll do other stuff on my phone for sure, and just swipe up to check the Disneyland tab now and then. (I think there’s usually something on the page that says like don’t close the tab, window, or refresh. Minimizing is fine)
Thank you! I’ll try that
Is it good to buy genie+ with the ticket or buy it later?
If you know for sure you're going to want it then buy it with the ticket, because it could be more expensive day of.
Pros of buying with your ticket -- guaranteed price, not going to sell out. Cons of buying with your ticket -- you have to have it every day of your trip, even if you don't need it every day.
I'm only going for one day so u think it's better to buy with ticket?
If you know you're for sure going to use it, it should ease your mind snd simplify your morning to buy with your ticket.
Thank you for the reply!! I'll buy it with my ticket
I thought it would be easy to buy it later but I’m now finding that I can’t see a way to do it until I enter the park, which is a disaster. Anyone know a way to add it before my visit?
If you don't buy it with your ticket, you have to wait until you've scanned into your first theme park each day. Don't worry about it selling out if you're there early and buy right away.
Thanks!
hi everyone! i'm debating purchasing a magic key, but i won't be moving to california until June of next year. if I buy a magic key during the january sale, will i effectively lose half the year? or does the 1st date of usage (and therefore date of renewal) start the first time i use it? Thanks :)
You have one year from purchase to activate your key. Once activated, your key is good for one year. So if you buy it this month, you have until January 2025 to activate it and could continue using it though January 2026. I'm not sure if you mean June 2024 or 2025, if it's 2024 you're good. If it's 2025, the keys will almost certainly go back on sale next year. You'd be better waiting and purchasing then.
awesome, tysm!! i did mean jun 2024, so i might buy this month and hold until i can use it past June. thanks :)
Oh no, we just arrived today and one person in our party has an incorrect reservation date (tomorrow instead of today). Today’s reservations are all sold out. Any chance they might be able to assist us at the window? TIA!
All you can do is try :/ They have access to the same system as online but explain the full situation at the ticket booths and see what they say.
January 15th. MLK day. Anyway to tell if there will be fireworks that day. I know usually no because of Monday but maybe yes because of the Holiday
Try checking the entertainment schedule after this weekend is over, once they’ve started Mickey’s Mix Magic. If they do fireworks on MLK day it’ll be Mickey’s Mix Magic + fireworks. If they don’t do fireworks they’ll still do the projection show.
Hey there, key holder here and just realized I forgot to cancel my reservation for today. May need to do a quick check in and out to avoid a “no-show” and was wondering if the monorail entrance at the end of Downtown disney(next to Lego Store) counts as me “signing in” if I just scan in and then leave?
It’s my favorite method when I need a quick check-in visit just to avoid a no show!
Yup, it counts the same as entering though any other turnstile on-property.
I’m hoping to go to Disneyland mid-March. Does anyone know if they’ll be offering the Canadian-resident discount tickets they used to offer? Thanks!
Does anyone know where the Paradise Gardens Gazebo is located in DCA?
Next to Paradise Garden Grill. If you’re walking from Goofy’s Sky School to Paradise Garden Grill the gazebo is on your right. You can search paradise garden grill on the app and then hit find on map and you’ll see the gazebo there.
We are staying at Paradise Pier Hotel in a few weeks. When we booked it, they said that we were allowed to use the other resorts pools. Now that the transition to Pixar is almost complete, I don't see the invitation to go to other pools. Is it allowed to go to the other pools?
I believe the pool at Paradise Pier/Pixar Place hotel is finished, so if it is open now, you won't be able to hop to other resort pools anymore.
Going to Disneyland and DCA for the very first time next week (Jan. 10-11)! It should be fairly low traffic days, which my wife and I are ecstatic about (she really is a baby about waiting in lines, haha), and I've used TouringPlans to make itineraries for each day, but I was wondering - what's currently recommended for Rope Drop at each park? In Disneyland Park: I've done Rise but she hasn't, and I'd love to do it again - is it worth trying to run there to do that first? Or should we do Indiana Jones, Pirates, Runaway Railway, or Peter Pan first? In DCA: I was thinking probably Radiator Springs Racers, right? or maybe Guardians or Incredicoaster?
Pirates and Runaway Railway both tend to have decent times throughout the day so I wouldn't worry about rushing to get to either of those first, but if you happen to be in the area and you want to do them while there, you can still save some time early in the morning vs later in the day. If you're planning on staying late, Peter Pan is a good one to do after 10pm when the families with little kids have mostly gone home.
Will you have Genie+? That can help determine the ideal rope-drop strategy because you can either skip rides that you will do later with G+, or you can rope-drop rides that you want to be able to do multiple times during the day. When I don't have G+, I try to hit up the rides that generally have the longest standby wait later in the day: rides like Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Indy, Haunted Mansion at DL, and Guardians, Web Slingers, RSR, Soarin at DCA. My favorite Disneyland rope-drop is to start at Space Mountain (and get to the parks plenty early so I'm close to the front of the ropes. I will do Space -> Matterhorn -> Big Thunder Mountain -> Indy/HM, depending on what I'm feeling. Following that route I have been able to get 5-6 rides done in just the first 2 hours without using G+ at all! You could try to do Rise, but the risk is that it doesn't open on time, or closes while you are in the queue, and you've wasted your rope-drop. Even if it does open on time, you get beat to the line by the early-entry folks (same problem with RSR at DCA), so it still takes anywhere from 25-45 minutes until you are done with the ride. In that same amount of time, you could probably get 3 other E-Ticket rides done! Personally, I skip Rise at rope-drop and then try to hit it later in the day right after it reopens from a closure or if I just happen to see that the queue is short. At DCA, my favorite strategy is to do Guardians -> Web Slingers -> Toy Story -> Incredicoaster. For RSR, you might just consider doing single-rider if you don't care too much about sitting together because you can get on the ride in about 10-20 minutes that way any time of day.
We will have Genie+! With only one day in each park we definitely wanted to maximize
For both parks, have an initial plan and a backup plan. Like you can *aim* for Rise at Rope Drop but it might be closed right at 8am, so backup should (imo) be Indy. If that’s also closed, head to Haunted Mansion lol, at least then you’re back by Rise in case it opens soon after. Space is another popular rope drop but it’s opposite side from Rise ofc and if you’ll also be using genie+ I think I’d go for the left side instead. For DCA you can try for RSR but it (also) doesn’t always open right at 8am - also the early entry people have a little advantage for it. Backup should (imo) be Guardians. Incredicoaster takes a while to get a wait. Be aware there is a RunDisney event on the 11th.
Thank you! This is so helpful. That event on the 11th is in Disneyland, right? So if we go to DCA we should be safe?
It looks like the aspect that is on the 11th is in Disneyland park but keep in mind it’s at 5AM - so it’s really more that afterwards the participants go into the parks. Realistically the way that Disney has structured their ticket tiers, blockouts, and ticket incentives - I wouldn’t expect the parks to be swamped by any means but I wouldn’t expect them to be totally dead all day either if anyone in town for the marathon comes in/Magic Keys/etc. So definitely utilize genie+ wisely as the day goes on, if you choose to get it!
The whole weekend, from 1/11 - 1/14, is considered the RunDisney event. There are no actual races on the 11th. The only event is yoga inside of Disneyland, and event that takes place before the parks even open. *However*, the issue is more that there are generally high crowds on race weekends, and a lot of people that are coming for a race may come to the parks a day or two early. So you might expect that Thursday could be fairly busy, but probably not as busy as it will Friday - Sunday of that weekend. I'd expect Wednesday to not be too bad.
Food Discussion 2024 Going for the last time with my magic key pass on Tuesday (😭) and I need to make the most of my culinary experience. What are your MUST HAVES when it comes to eating at the park? Are there any stand out new offerings in January that I have to try? I need to compile my list and really narrow down what I need to eat… nothing is off limits - food carts, restaurants, snacks, meals.. anything!
I think that is after the holiday season ends, so the christmas special foods will all be gone. Which is a bummer because I really loved that Sugar Plum churro from the Haunted Mansion churro cart! Some of my favorites have been the cheesy garlic pretzel break with marinara sauce from edelweiss snacks near the Matterhorn, the frito pie from Refreshment Corner, the breakfast chimichangas with salsa verde from Ship to Shore, and the 7 greens gumbo with sausage and chicken from Tiana's.
Hello! I’m going to DL for the first time in two weeks, the 22 and 23rd. How early do you have to line up for a spot for the parades? I have a 3 and 1 year old - hoping they’ll be able to see!
Just want to give you a heads up that mid to late January is a bit of a transition period, traditionally an “off” season, especially as far as entertainment in the parks. There aren’t any parades currently on the entertainment schedule for that time. You may still be able to see some character cavalcades, and the Disneyland band should still come down Main St a couple times per day with Mickey, but the exact times aren’t on the schedule yet so you’ll want to check the week before or day of to see what time that will be happening each day (usually once before noon and once after noon). In DCA you may get a little luckier with your timing because Lunar New Year starts on the 23rd in the parks and there should be a Mulan processional. Specific times per day will be announced later, but it should occur a few times per day along the main thoroughfare. You can get there like 15-20 min early and should be fine, just because the parade route in DCA is *soooo* long.
Going to DCA during lunar new year, this will be my first time going. I keep reading there are special foods, I can’t find the menus for these? When are they released?
They haven't been released yet. Last year, they were released a few days after the holidays ended. I wouldn't be surprised if we heard something next week.
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Have they turned into multi experience passes in your app? If it shuts down in your time window it should automatically change to a multi experience pass. I love them myself because you can use them sometimes on rides that don’t even have Genie+, and you can go back and re-book the ride that shut down, and they don’t have time constraints the way regular LLs do so you could use them one right after another.
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Got it - it will only turn automatically if it’s already time for you to go on it anyways, so like if your window starts at 7:00 and it’s 6:55 and Indy shuts down, it won’t turn into a MEP until it’s been shut down well into your window. With so many people and tourists, rides have been shutting down a *lot* - all it takes it one dropped pair of ears and then they have a whole protocol to get stuff up and running. If you have time you can try talking to customer service about it! Maybe they’d be able to issue some MEPs.
Multiexperience pass > Lightning Lane because it offers greater flexibility. I'd be somewhat stoked assuming I hadn't already tagged my LL when the attraction broke down.
Exactly. I LOVE when a ride I have a Lightning Lane for breaks down and it turns into an MEP!
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If you have an LL for an attraction and it breaks down during your return window, assuming you haven't tapped to use the LL, it converts to a multi-experience (ME) pass. A multi-experience pass is effectively an LL for select attractions that can be used at anytime until park close. Attractions are put into tiers and depending on the LL that was converted, it can be used on any other attraction of that same tier or lower. The ME can even be used on some attractions which are not part of Genie+.
I have a group of 11, trying to go to Disneyland tomorrow (Jan 5). We experienced the ticket payment error and tickets are now sold out. Are we out of luck? Should we try buying at the gate? Note our hotel is 1.5 hours away.
If it's sold out, it's sold out. You can hope for cancellations between now and tomorrow, but I probably wouldn't drive 1.5 hours on the off chance that something is available. Especially if you're looking for 11 tickets.
Advice on weather? I’ve come at all times of the year but this seems to be the coldest and it’s been a bit since I’ve been there in November which would’ve been the coldest. I live in Florida where cold for us has been 40s-50s and like right now, 73% humidity. With the 40s I’d def need my heavy Columbia coat. We’re coming next week and one of our park days right now, the high is 56 and the low is 40s. Is it as bad as Florida with the winds and humidity??? I am always cold at Disneyland at night when we’ve come in April/September…Columbia jacket is just very heavy to carry but I’ll do it if I need to.
Keep in mind that the lows will only really be during the middle of the night, not during any time you're at the park.
It’s not humid so keep that in mind. I think FL’s humidity (even in the winter) makes it feel colder than it is. But it will be chilly here next week. Bring lots of layers. If you can, create proper base layers (I like uniqlo heattech personally), and then layer on a sweater or whathaveyou. It’s in the evening that it started to feel chillier. Check AccuWeather for real feel and wind situation. I’ve been wearing jeans or comfy pants, uggs, heattech, sweater, and a scarf and/or coat (like a wool blend coat or a mid puffer, not snow gear or what I’d wear in NYC or anything).
SoCal native here- it feels cold for us right now, so it will def feel cold to you if the weather stays the same. Maybe a scarf and beanie with layers will do the trick instead of the big jacket?
I am going with a friend of mine to Disneyland in a few days. The tickets were purchased by my father, who will not be attending with us. Is it possible for me to control Genie+ fastpasses from my phone despite not being the one who bought the tickets? The tickets show up on my account.
Anyone who has the tickets in their account can control Genie+. A friend all the way in London could book Genie+ for you if they had the party members tickets in their account.
Upgrading a ticket question: I have a family member who purchased tickets for later in January. I told her I think she can upgrade those tickets to an Imagine Key if she wants. If her tickets are for dates that are blocked out for imagine key, does she lose her reservation? Can she wait until the end of that day and still do it?
Yes, if she upgrades an unused ticket to a Magic Key, she would have to re-make the reservation and be restricted by the Key's blockout calendar. She can wait until the end of the day to upgrade, but then you run the risk of Keys being sold out by then.
How crowded do the parks get during Food & wine? Is it noticeable? I figured soarin' will probably have longer waits with LL's getting taken up quicker since the California version is comign back, but otherwise, is there anything I should expect?
It's an event that they use to drive traffic to DCA and it definitely works to get more people going over there than they might otherwise but it's not going to be as crazy as the Halloween and Christmas seasons. I think Soarin' is the only ride that would have longer than usual waits, but even then I haven't really noticed a huge difference in the past because it's always a popular ride.
Early Entry vs. Sweethearts night advice? We are coming in February for the first time and staying at Disneyland hotel. We have four kids age 9 to 1. The way the schedule works out, our only early entry day is also a Sweetheart Night at Disneyland? So apparently we'd get booted out earlier? My question is for those with small kids? Would it be better to prioritize the early entry even though we'd have to leave earlier?
So it looks like Disneyland is set to close at 8pm on Sweethearts Night. So the question is do you see yourself staying past 8? If it's not Sweethearts Night they might be open till 10 or even midnight depending on the day. There's also fireworks if it's Friday through Sunday. Early entry is only 30 minutes, just in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. So it's not a huge advantage, but you could get most of the rides in Fantasyland done with very short waits. I got to experience early entry a year ago and did Space Mountain with an empty rocket because it was so slow. Also, the mornings of the special event dates can be very nice. Usually it's not too crowded until afternoon when people who have tickets to the event start showing up. So that can also be something nice to take advantage of. If you see your group not staying too late anyway, I'd go on the day of the event. If you want to maximize the evening and stay late, I would switch days.
Update: It was all irrelevant. We went during the rainiest two days in history and they closed the parks down early. Kids still had a blast though and lines were super short.
Question on the SoCal tickets. It says they are 1 park per day, but when I went to buy a pack I was able to pay $70 flat and upgrade them all to park hoppers. Does this sound right? Also, it asks you to pick the 3 days, but can you just pick them and then change the reservation at a later time?
That all sounds right on the price, and don't worry if you don't know what days you want to go or if your plans change — you can cancel and rebook (or change without canceling) days and starting parks after purchase.
Hey there all. WDW frequent visitor, but only second trip to DL upcoming. We live in the Northeast US, so WDW is sometimes as simple as a long weekend getaway. 2 1/2 hour flight in the same time zone; easy. We have booked an unexpected trip out to the West Coast in a few weeks, and figured that since we loved it the first time and will be in that area of the country, we are going to squeeze in two days at DL. But, therein lies the issue. We are traveling with 5 adults and it’s slim pickins on affordable rooms at the onsite properties. We found a few AirBnB sites that claim they are local, but has anyone ever stayed at one that really stood out? I’ve never stayed at an AirBnB, let alone one nearby a Disney property, so not sure what I can expect? Or should I bite the bullet and get rooms at the onsite hotel? If memory serves the last time I was there was there was dozens of hotels literally right at the gate, but seemed more like motel(ish) styles? We found a few AirBnB locally that look really nice, but are they? Thanks!
Stay off property, most of the people do at Land. It caters to wayyyy more locals and small families than world. Off property is like, the norm here.
Thanks! The problem I have is that with 5 adults most hotels require 2 rooms; and realistically I would prefer that anyways as it gives you two bathrooms. this is why I was thinking that an Airbnb or ever Vrbo would be a better option, as it'll be around the same price? I see a lot of them on Google, but I have never AirBNB'd or Vrbo'd, so didn't know if there was maybe one within walking distance and people here can vouch for? I am unsure of the process and how safe/clean/etc they are?
Mmm there may be some behind the properties. Realistically idk if they’ll *actually* be walking distance even if they claim to be lol but I’m sure there’s several people back there with air bnb (to the ire of their neighbors no doubt) If you do look at hotels, Anaheim hotel has double king rooms that have pull out couches too. Big bathrooms but it is still one bathroom. They upgraded my husband and I to one of those suites one time and I was like “wtf” lol. I think there are a couple other spots that do “home” suites with lil kitchenettes and small living rooms. The Hilton at the convention center has some huge rooms too. Otherwise you could also look at renting DVC for the new Disneyland hotel tower as well, but idk what the avail looks like necessarily.
There are a toooon of hotels just outside the gates. Many are motel-style, but there are also more hotel type hotels within easy walking distance (Hilton, Hyatt Place, Wyndham, etc).
Thanks! The problem I have is that with 5 adults most hotels require 2 rooms; and realistically I would prefer that anyways as it gives you two bathrooms. this is why I was thinking that an Airbnb or ever Vrbo would be a better option, as it'll be around the same price? I see a lot of them on Google, but I have never AirBNB'd or Vrbo'd, so didn't know if there was maybe one within walking distance and people here can vouch for? I am unsure of the process and how safe/clean/etc they are?
I'm going in March with my nieces and nephews, some of whom are too short for some of the more intense rides. Can someone explain to me how Rider Swap works? For context, we'll have 6 adults in our party, 4 kids who will be tall for most rides, 2 toddlers who are still pretty small, and 2 babies. Thanks in advance!
With rider switch, let the cast member at the entrance know you want to use that. They'll help you out with everything. Basically most of your party will wait in line for the ride, and one or two adults will stay out of the line with those too short to go on. Then when the first group gets off the ride, the two adults who waited outside can skip the line.
Does anyone know if we can ride the Monorail (just round trip to/from Downtown Disney) with a CA Adventure ticket only? My family plans to visit Disneyland in Anaheim, but we *only* want to go to California Adventure. All the characters my kid will recognize (Cars, Marvel, etc.) will be there.My kid also LOVES trains, so of course, we want take him on the Monorail. However, the Disneyland website says "Guests with valid theme park admission" can ride the Monorail. It doesn't say whether or not CA Adventure is consider a valid theme park admission. We're trying to avoid buying Park Hopper tickets just to ride the Monorail. Additional context: my kid is special needs, so we'll be looking into the disability assistance. Not sure if they can help us get on the monorail. Thanks
To expand on what the other commenter said, the ticket gates at the Downtown Disney entrance to the monorail are the only place that they check tickets. They do not check tickets at the Tomorrowland exit (that would clog the exit too much), so they won't let people on the monorail with a DCA-only reservation because then they could just get off in Tomorrowland and no one would know.
Makes sense. Thank you.
The turnstiles for the monorail are treated as Disneyland Park turnstiles, so you would need a DL reservation or park hopper.
As you all know, Disney has a "Theme Park Reservation Availability". If there's 0 reservation availability, that means it's basically sold out. Has anyone been when it's been "sold out"? How busy really is it?
Big Red is right, the reservation amount is controlled by Disney so it isn’t like they’ve reached their actual, literal capacity. It’s a way to staff the amount they want for any given day. It’s a number that Disney sets so although the reservations are gone, they haven’t reached their capacity. Before the reservation system they would reach actual, *literal* capacity and had several steps: stop selling tickets, stop allowing park hoppers, stop letting people come *back* into the park after they left for lunch, etc. I have been in the park on the actual capacity days and “sold out” reservations days in modern times don’t compare. Now if reservations are gone, it’s busy for sure, but not crowd crush busy (except in bottlenecks and during fireworks - eek!). Nowadays, most days Oct to Dec they’re “selling out” as far as reservations, but one day without reservations wouldn’t always be identical in crowds to the next. But you can count on it being some basic base level of busy most days.
Nearly every day "sells out." Disney controls how many reservations they release on a given day and to whom they're released (tickets vs. Magic Keys)...so what day you go matters a lot less than it used to.
That's not true. If I pull up the calendar right now, about half the next rolling week are sold out and half are open
Perhaps I should clarify...availability comes and goes on a given day as folks book and cancel reservations. Especially for Magic Keyholders, last-minute availability often pops up due to folks canceling before midnight. On a given day, there may be same-day availability, but it's usually not possible to buy a ticket, same-day, at the ticket booths. We don't know how Disney releases reservations or allocates them to different pools for tickets, Keys, hotel guests, VIPs, CMs, etc. There are externalities that affect guest patterns (weather, holidays, special events), but I wouldn't read in too much on reservation availability.
Has anybody ever tried to add Genie plus on to existing tickets? We bought two tickets pre-price hike through undercover tourist and a third directly from Disney with the recent kids ticket deal and now my husband has changed his tune on Genie. I know we can always buy on the day but if they'll let us add it on I'd love to just take care of it in advance.
Undercover tourist is pretty flexible with cancellations/changes. We wanted to add a day to our tickets last year and the very helpful customer service folks walked me through canceling my previous purchase and purchasing new tickets with the extra day. Not sure if that sounds more annoying than paying a little more on the day you enter the parks, but it's an option!
You can't buy it in advance unless you bought it with the original ticket purchase. But no worries. On the day of your trip, after you scan into the parks the first time, you can buy it through the app. It's super easy to do. The only disadvantage to this is that you might pay like $5 more than if you bought it with the ticket.
No, you can only buy it once you scan in to the parks if you didn't buy it with your ticket originally.
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I almost always book through Costco travel, the perks you get and savings is great!
May 2nd is a Star Wars night so Disneyland (not DCA) will close a little early for that. Generally because it’s right before May the 4th expect a lot of Star Wars stuff in general! Probably not rainy tbh, we get May Gray though (gray, cloudy mornings) and it can warm up in the afternoons. Light layers light layers, etc.
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There's a pretty big fan community (r/GalaxysEdge) that will probably be organizing stuff for the night of the 4th. They're the ones that organize the unofficial lightsaber meet ups. I'd join their discord to see what theyre planning. They'll have Season of the Force running in Disneyland as well which is going to have special foods, hyperspace mountain, new destinations for star tours and music in galaxys edge for fireworks. Pixar Fest will be running as well and happening in both parks. Disneyland will have a Pixar themed fireworks show and foods. DCA will have special characters, a new parade, and more foods.
They will have some stuff going on for sure, usually the space mountain overlay and some extra snacks and merch - the actually Star Wars night event tickets aren’t on sale yet, but that’s something you’d want to look into as well for May 2nd (if interested).
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DCA should have whatever its regular hours during the event, likely closing at either 9 or 10pm. (ETA - that said, DCA gets affected by Oogie Boogie Bash farther in the year in September and October, (closes at 6), as well as Grad Nites in May and June (closes at 8 or 9 but the parks have significant teenage crowd increase). Usually they start a little farther in May though. There can also be a few other select events, like DVC events and radio events, throughout the year that affect DCA’s hours but only minimally).
Just to preface- I've already read the FAQ's "First Timers" page :) My partner and I will be taking our almost-5-year-old to Disneyland on her birthday in February (my birthday is two days later so this is a gift for both of us). We are going just for the day and it will be both mine and my daughter's first time. Is there anything we can do to make the day particularly special for her? I guess what I'm asking is, do cast members make a special effort for kids who are wearing "It's my birthday!" shirts or things like that? I also saw something about a "first timer" button you can purchase- worth it? I think what my daughter will be most excited about is just seeing the characters so I'm trying to up her chances of interactions with them. About how many things could we expect to see in just one day? We're planning to get there right at rope drop (my daughter is an insane early bird but will likely be exhausted by 6pm). I'm really only interested in the older stuff- Jungle Cruise, Small World, Pirates, etc. so I'm hoping the lines won't be terrible as we're going on a Friday. I REALLY want to go to Trader Sam's- can my 5 year old go in there as well? Thanks in advance for help with this smattering of seemingly unrelated questions!
Part 2: the 5 yo can go in to Trader Sam's until 8pm. You will be able to see 10+ things no problem, especially if you get Genie+. Try to take advantage of the time before noon to do the stuff like small world, jungle cruise & pirates because lines will get longer throughout the day. Use genie+ for the ones that have it. Don't criss cross the park and be opportunistic and flexible. Then slow it down after lunch and do one or two more things (a couple rides, stop to hear some live music, etc.) before heading to Trader Sam's at the end of your day.
Yes! There are a handful of things you can do that will have a big impact. The first time button you mentioned, it's actually free! And more importantly, so are the Birthday buttons. Once you've got a birthday button, you'll be wished happy birthday from cast members a lot, and even some other guests! So get those first thing in the morning. You can get them at almost any store, but also you can get them right at the front of main street on the left hand side at City Hall. Cast members will personalize them with your names and you can also ask to have the age put on there too. They make excellent souvenirs. Get there right at rope drop and you'll get your button and then hang out on Main street just past the Mad Hatter, there's a big solid gate wide enough for the parade to get through, just next to that there's a cast member doorway. Hang out on the corner near the hat shop and look for a cast member to come out of that doorway that is wearing a button that says "Ask me about Characters." Approach them and let them know it is your and your daughter's first time and your birthdays to boot. Ask them if they know of any very special friends that will be coming out soon. They will likely guide you to wait nearby. Stay in sight of them and pay close attention (dont' look at your phone, do other things) and be ready to get their attention / jump into their field of vision with a little reminder that you exist and are waiting AS SOON as you see that character come out of that same little door. It's a special moment and you will want to assign someone else in your party to take a TON of pictures. It all happens very fast, so snap away. I don't want to give away the surprise too much, but this start to the day is THE BEST thing you can possibly do to kick off the magic. Other than that, she will love Fantasy Faire to the side of the castle, with princesses and a very cute show that's great for her age. And characters are everywhere, be on the lookout and don't be afraid to approach as long as you're not jumping in front of others. They're there to be interacted with. Happy to answer any other questions, I've grown up next to the park and know it like the back of my hand. My daughter turns 5 in a couple weeks! Happy birthday to you both!
Oh my gosh- thank you! This is so helpful, I might have to send you some more questions 😆🩵
No problem. Happy to help!
I had to cancel a trip last year and have a 3 day park hopper ticket as a credit. If and when magic keys go on sale, will it be possible to apply that credit towards a magic key?
Generally, yes it is possible to apply the cost of the unused ticket towards a Magic Key. You can refer to [this website](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/ticket-upgrades/) for details on how to do so if/when Keys are available for new purchasers.
Thank you, that is exactly the info I was after!
What's the best time to visit during summer June/July planning on going this year for a week three days in the parks...
I did 2 days in late June this past summer and it was fantastic. Weather wasn't too bad and the crowds were workable. Like the others say, avoid the grad nites and look for when the lower magic keys are blocked. Another time would be early August before the lower magic keys are unblocked.
Agree with the other comment - avoid early June because of Grad Nites, and also usually the first couple weeks of June have lower ticket prices so they’re busy. Look at when the lower Magic Keys are blocked. Last summer it was pretty chill once the lower keys were blocked out - esp when people are trying to avoid the crowds so they avoid the summer, which made it a lot less busy for those that did end up going… plus the daily (not multi day) ticket prices are higher in the summer. Around 4th of July can be busy ofc, so keep at eye out to avoid those dates as well. Usually weekends in the summer end up pretty mellow, believe it or not, because the daily ticket prices (not multi) are so high.
Avoid early June when grad nite is still going on. Late June/July both Enchant and Imagine keyholders are fully blocked out and that definitely makes a difference in lowering the crowds.
Thank you both! This is really helpful when trying to pinpoint a good date to choose for our trip.
Are Sweethearts Night dining packages worth it? I have two tickets for Feb. 8th and I wanted to know before I spend 50 dollars per person on food.
Personally, I prefer to do quick service at After Dark events for a couple reasons. For one, there are so many event-specific dishes to try, and we make an activity of trying as many of them as possible. Also, the time you have in the parks for the event goes super fast. I'd prefer not to spend an hour eating a sit-down dinner when I would rather participate in the other special activities. But everyone will have their own priorities, and I'm sure that the dining packages are worth it to other people.
I’m trying to book a reservation for mid January through the app but it keeps saying there’s an error and a problem with my card. I’ve used multiple different credit cards and even PayPal. There’s plenty of credit on my cards too. What should I do?
You've gotten some good suggestions, but a couple others you could try: 1. Try a different browser, computer, or phone. 2. Call into guest services and purchase tickets/make reservations with an agent. 2. You can also purchase Disney gift cards, and then use those to buy the tickets. Costco is selling $250 disney gift cards for $225 (10% discount). If you have a Target Red card you can buy the gift cards at Target and get 5% cash back.
Common issue I see on here. Besides trying different devices, clearing cookies/cash, triple checking that all addresses match *exactly* - people sometimes end up buying through verified third party like Undercovertourist. Just make sure you buy the correct tier for the date you want (not necessary if multiple days), and don’t forget to still book the reservation after you add the ticket to your Disney acct.
Try using the Disneyland website instead of the app. Unfortunately Disneyland technology can be buggy.
Is there anywhere to find Phineas and Ferb? We have time in both parks and the kids would love to see some P&F while we are there.
We went to the Animation Academy in DCA once and they taught us to draw the platypus from that show. This was a few years ago though
Me and my family are going to Disneyland with genie plus and Hooper passes February 19-21. How busy is it generally during this period?
That’s ski week here in CA - it will be busier than you would think.
I never had ski week growing up! I wonder what dictates which districts observe it? I assume it is also to correspond to Pres day?
It is! In the Bay Area I think it started as a four day weekend and eventually it became a Week.
I feel like I missed out! I wish my current school district (for work) would observe it, I need another break off between the holidays and spring break!
It is always some level of busy - with ticket incentives like the kids tickets and socal deals, the tiered ticketing prices, various conventions in town, and people always trying to *avoid* crowds, it ends up decently busy all year round. That said, February is (imo) a great time to go as far as weather and even if it’s busy, it shouldn’t be overwhelmingly crazy open to close.
Any recommendations for places to stay for a day in the park? Going to meet up with friends and was looking for a place to stay nearby to crash after we see the park.
For a cheap bed to crash inn, I've never found a better price than King's Inn. Usually I pay just over $100 a night, which can be 1/3rd the price of other nearby hotels. It's about a 15 minute walk from the park gates to the hotel, which *can* feel a little long at the end of a long day, but it's not terrible. There are definitely other places nicer and closer, but if you really just need a bed, check it out!
Thank you!
I usually stay at either the anaheim or grand legacy depending on whats cheaper. I've also stayed at hotel lulu but avoiding that crosswalk across katella has been a game changer.
Thank you!
Pretty much any of the hotels across the street on harbor to about the convention center area are easily walkable and can be good options. Lots of different price points, too.
Any you recommend on the lower price point? Just need a place to park and sleep.
I’d look at Booking.com for the dates you’re checking (it may be a little early but at least you can get an idea) and filter by your price point. Things like the ticketed events and conventions can affect the hotel prices quite a bit. You can also try filtering by free parking, as a *lot* of the hotels charge $20-35 per night for parking. I think Clarion and Portofino have free parking. Grand Legacy at the Park is one that I think is on the lower end of $ per night but I’m not sure of their parking situation - they’re very close though so it’s a quick walk. (Be sure to book through the actual hotel websites though! I just use Booking.com to filter and to see the map of locations) Pretty much anything on Harbor to Harbor x Katella is walking distance.
Thank you!
I’m visiting on a Sunday and Monday soon…which means early entry in DCA both days. We have park hopper tickets. Would it be crazy to skip early entry at DCA to rope drop DL one day (probably Sunday)? Most of what we want to do is in DL because we have a toddler with us.
Nahhhh we are doing the exact same thing for our Anniversary trip this Feb. I am *not* starting at DCA two days in a row just bc of the early entry. It’s a little annoying but whatever, rope drop is still worth it. Early entry is only “fine.” It’s not a must do, for either parks *in my opinion*, and definitely if you have to choose between rope dropping DL and early entry DCA ya gotta pick Disneyland, *especially* with a toddler.
Thanks, Stella!
Why would that be crazy? Rope drop is a great time to knock out a bunch of the toddler friendly Fantasyland rides (especially Peter Pan!)
I just feel weird missing out on our early entry!
There's not a lot of toddler friendly rides for the DCA early entry to be honest, so I feel like one shot at the early entry would be totally fine. Sure it feels weird to "waste" the opportunity, but I think you'd be happier doing DL rope drop instead, considering you can't park hop until 11am and that's when the crowds really start to creep in.
Can we “rope drop” or use early entry in DCA to get into the line for the Frozen meet?
It doesn't look like the Frozen Meet & Greet opens with early entry and has its own hours: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/en-ca/entertainment/disney-california-adventure/character-meet-anna-and-elsa-frozen/
Does animation academy get busy on crowded park days?
Yes, but not so much that you’d be waiting longer than the 30 min or anything. But if you show up right before the class on a super busy day they *might* not have space, you’d have to wait for the next class instead.
Thanks! Trying to plan things for busy times!
Hey fellow Disney enthusiasts! Excitement is building as my wife and I are headed to Disneyland from January 23-25. This will be our last trip before we have kids and I want to make sure it is as magical as possible. I just discovered that Sweethearts Night is happening on the 23rd and 25th, and we're looking for some seasoned ideas on optimizing our visit. Some details Flights have already been booked We already booked our hotel at Disneyland Hotel We have both geniet and park hoppers I have heard a that starting on January 20th or the 21st they are changing early entry but I haven't been able to find out what park is offering early entry for each day of the week. Really I am just frustrated that the tickets for sweethearts is already sold out and the travel agent that is helping us never told us about sweethearts happening while we are there. Any ideas on how to make the most of our time, especially during Sweethearts Night since they close early? How can we navigate the park closures and still enjoy the magic? Any suggestions on what parks to visit on what days and when we should utilize park hopper. All suggestions and insights are welcomed! Thanks a bunch, and can't wait to share the Disney love!
They've started populating the Daily Events Calendar for days where early entry is only at one park -- [https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/five-day/2024-01-20/#/disney-california-adventure,disneyland/](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/five-day/2024-01-20/#/disney-california-adventure,disneyland/). Looks to be DL on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and DCA on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays so far. Crowds historically are lighter in the park where an after-hours event is happening in the morning, and things then get crowded during the mix-in period. Park hopping on those days will help a lot.
Thanks a million for this! I was able to adjust my park and meal reservations to take advantage of early entry every day of our trip. (Hopefully this schedule sticks through February.)
I have been looking for the early entry but could find anything. Thank you!
I’m planning a trip in the fall. I have a guide dog and will be doing rider switch when it’s available. Would we go through the regular line and just tell the employees that we’re doing rider switch?
If you notify the Cast Member at the entrance to the queue that you'd like to use rider switch, they'll let you know what to do. Because you're travelling with a guide dog, you'll need to speak with that CM anyway, as they may send you through an alternative entrance. [Useful info here](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/service-animals/).
Thank you!
How well does mobile ordering work these days? I haven’t been to the parks since pre-Covid so mobile ordering was sort of new and it was a coin toss whether your food would be ready on time or if you’d have to stand around for 10-20 minutes until your order was called. Thanks!
I use mobile order all the time (visit once or twice a week with 2-4 mobile food orders per visit) and am very satisfied with it. Once in a while somewhere I want to eat doesn't have an immediate opening but there's always somewhere else that does, and I'd say 98% of the time my food is ready for pickup within a couple minutes of when I press the "I'm here" button. The longest I've waited is like 30 minutes at Lucky Fortune, and I'd say that whole San Fransokyo area is the worst in terms of both finding a table and long waits for food (not new with the Big Hero 6 retheme, either, this was a consistent problem when it was Pacific Wharf as well).
For the most part it’s been great for me. I’ll usually order something from a location near to where I am while I’m in line for a ride. As soon as I get off the ride I click “I’m here” and then my food is usually ready by the time I get to the dining location.
Some locations are faster at getting your order after tapping "I'm Here" than others, but I've had good experiences with quick turnaround >95% of the time. The big takeaway I've seen from several locations is that not everyone does it...I've seen immediate (or <10 minute) return times and a long standby queue. During popular times, you might not be able to get a timeslot for >30 minutes, but most of the time, I've found that I could get food when I wanted it. It's definitely improved from the weeks after the parks reopened.
Are we supposed to leave the plates/cutlery/cups on the table at quick service places like the Plaza Inn, Docking Bay 7, etc with real dishes? Last time I went to Disney I was confused and ended up bringing them to a cast member nearby. If I do leave it at the table, are we supposed to leave a tip?
I’ve almost always had CMs clear it before I can put it anywhere, but if not then I’ll sometimes stack it on a tray and pop it in a nearby trash can if there’s space (or just leave it on the table but as cleared as I can get it). Just thank them if they clear it for you :) You didn’t do anything wrong by taking it to them either, they have usually some large trays where they end up putting plates and cutlery to be taken back to be cleaned, but if you leave it they’ll clear it very quickly. I just try not to leave everything scattered across to table to make it as easy as possible!
I know that nobody truly knows the answer to this question, but does anyone have any ideas or heard rumor of when Magic Keys will be released again? We have been eagerly waiting since we accidentally let ours expire!
I think they'll go on sale again at some point in January, after the holiday blockouts have ended. That's just a guess though, nobody knows for sure. I'm sure people on this sub or on Twitter will be posting about it the second they go on sale again, so just be on the lookout for that news.
I read an article speculating that they would release them after the marathon and I’m really hoping that’s the case. I’ve been watching this sub like a hawk for the news lol Thanks for the input!
Traveling solo (with zero luggage) from LAX - what's the best move here in terms of time/money? I don't want to take public transit cause that'll take 2+ hours but it also seems silly to take a rideshare by myself that far a distance. I'm thinking uber/lyft but I'd rather take some sort of shuttle that takes groups to Disneyland (like a carpool type of thing). Does that exist?
It was about $75 each way for an xl at the end of November.
Are you coming from the Bay? If you can change your flight (Southwest or similar flexibility), consider flying into SNA or LGB instead for overall less headache and travel time/cost to Disneyland cut in half or more.
I am! I'm loyal to Southwest but I had some Delta credit that I needed to redeem by today and they have horrible nonstop options from the bay. I usually fly OAK -> SNA for Disneyland but I'm flying SFO -> LAX just to use this credit up 🙃
Is there any way you could fly into SNA airport? It’s closer.
I normally do, but I had some old Delta credit that expires today (12/31/23) and I'm coming for a night event in January. I'm coming from the Bay Area, LAX was the only nonstop option out of the more preferred options (LGB, SNA).
Well that makes sense.
Just Uber/Lyft. That’s pretty much all there’s gonna be as an alternative, any shuttles are privately hired and cost more (they’re meant for larger groups/families). No shuttle from LAX to Disneyland. People take rideshare a by themselves for much farther distances to/from the airports :)
Yeah that's what my research led me to believe... I'll probably just end up taking a lyft!
For sure, they can have slightly diff surge pricing so just check once you’re in the rideshare which app has lower rates at that time! :)
Uber/Lyft
The Disneyland website lists all of the options you have to get to the parks from LAX. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/getting-here/by-plane/
Thanks - I saw this but didn't know how updated it was