Disneyland, Tips Kevin Disneyland, Tips Kevin

Disneyland Kids’ Ticket Deal Returning in 2025

These tickets will go on sale beginning October 22, 2024, and will be valid from January 7 through March 20, 2025. While they’re not restricted...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

Main Street USA at Disneyland during Disney Channel Night.

Disneyland Kids’ Ticket Deal 2025

Recently, Disney officially announced the return of their mega-popular kids’ ticket deal at the Disneyland Resort for 2025. These deeply discounted tickets offer tremendous value for families, with prices as low as $50 per day.

These tickets go on sale beginning October 22, 2024, and are valid from January 7 through March 20, 2025. While they’re not restricted to certain dates, such as strictly weekdays, they are subject to theme park reservation availability.

Disney rarely offers discounted Disneyland tickets, especially discounts this good. At these prices, families will save between $150 - $200 per multi-day kids’ ticket and there’s no cap on how many you can buy. Sure, you’re restricted to a three-month window and they only apply to kids, but still, the savings are significant.

Additionally, these tickets offer a fair amount of flexibility, with the option to purchase a variety of add-ons. You’ll have the flexibility to choose a single-day ticket, 2-day, or 3 day, and you can choose to upgrade to the park hopper option and add Lightning Lane Multi-Pass (though there won’t be any discounts on those options).

As stated above, these tickets don’t go on sale until October 22 and little details have been released so far. Thankfully, this same deal was offered in 2024 and considering Disney’s track record of repeating promotions while changing little, we have much to go by.

While you can purchase these tickets directly through Disney, they’ll also be available for purchase from my partners at Get Away Today, a reputable Disney travel agency that I highly recommend. You can purchase just tickets, or have them bundle your entire trip in one package. Their customer service and knowledge of Disney vacation planning are simply unmatched (use code INKED10 to save).

A scene from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland.

As mentioned above, these tickets are subject to theme park reservation availability. Disney allocates a limited number of reservations for the kid’s ticket deal, and your ability to secure a reservation depends strictly on that group of reservations.

This is why you may see days where the kids’ ticket deal reservations are sold out, but reservations for other ticket holders, such as Magic Key or regular kid ticket holders, are available. While some exceptions may be possible, they’re not guaranteed.

That’s why if you’re planning a trip in that timeframe and want to take advantage of this offer, I highly suggest deciding on your dates prior to purchasing them, and make your reservations as soon as you do so.

The characters from Talespin greeting guests at Disneyland during Disney Channel Night.

Additional terms and conditions of the Disneyland kids’ ticket deal include:

  • They’re valid only for children between the ages of 3 and 9

  • Upgrading to a park hopper will cost $65 to $70 extra, depending on the number of days on the ticket

  • Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is an additional $30 per day

  • Tickets are valid beginning January 7 and expire 13 days after first use or March 20, whichever comes first

  • Tickets are nonrefundable and cannot be resold or transferred

  • They cannot be used for hard ticket events, such as after dark events

With all that covered, let’s take a look at what you’ll be saving. Remember, Disney typically raises their ticket prices in the fall. At the time of this post’s publishing, that hasn’t happened yet, but it almost certainly will in the coming days or weeks. For now, this is based on current pricing.

On average, families spend three days at the Disneyland Resort. Under the kids’ ticket deal, you’ll spend $150 ($50 per day) for each kids’ ticket. Normal pricing, without additions such as park hopping and Lightning Lane, is $365.

The clock tower in Fantasyland at Disneyland at night.

That’s a significant savings of $215 per three-day ticket. Now times that by however many kids are in your family, and you can see how quickly it can add up. This is actually a shockingly deep discount, especially considering Disney’s upward trend in attendance in recent years.

So with Disneyland being as popular as it’s ever been and soaring attendance levels, why are they offering this promotion? There’s no way to know for sure, but Disney is likely forecasting attendance slumps for 2025, since pent-up demand from the covid-closures has started to wane and inflation rates hurting many people’s wallets.

With 2025 being a big year for the company, as it’s Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, the last thing Disney wants is for the parks to be slow. There’s going to be a whole host of food, drink, merchandise, and other up-charge offerings, so Disney will want the parks busy.

Dangling this carrot in the faces of parents with multiple children will almost certainly guarantee that. It’s also advantageous for the company, as the period between January and March is already a typical slow period for the parks, so this deal will provide the desired boost they’ll be looking/hoping for.

 

Will the Kids’ Ticket Deal Make the Parks Crowded?

The Guardians of the Galaxy attraction at Disney California Adventure during sunset.

Almost certainly, but it largely depends upon when you go. If you’ll be going within the first few weeks of the promotion, I would expect little impact. However, once it gets closer to March, and especially within the final two weeks of the promotion, you can definitely expect a noticeable uptick.

To make matters worse, those final weeks coincide with the first few weeks of DCA’s annual California Food and Wine Festival, which draws a crowd all its own. My wife and I were there during the second to last week of the kid’s ticket promotion in 2024 and crowds were definitely thicker than usual for that time of year.

A person wearing a Disneyland spirit jersey at Disney California Adventure.

Though the parks didn’t see the same winter slump in 2024 as they normally do, I still recommend visiting between January and mid-February if you’re planning to take advantage of the promotion. Of course, you’ll want to avoid Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend (1/18 - 1/20) but aside from those dates, you should be ok.

Once we hit Valentine’s Day and President’s Day (2/14 and 2/17, respectively), that’s when I expect crowds will begin to pick up. Finally, avoid the final week or two if you can help it. These special tickets are no good after March 20, and many will be rushing to the park to use them before they expire during this time.

 

Will There Be Hotel Discounts?

The lobby of the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland.

Yes! In addition to the incredible savings with the kids’ ticket deal, Disney is also offering up to 25% off nightly rates for stays of four nights or more at any of the three on-property hotels, subject to availability. This is for either weekend or weekday dates and during the same period as the kid’s ticket deal.

For shorter stays, guests can enjoy up to 20% off stays in standard and premium rooms at The Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, and The Disneyland Hotel and Villas. As well as up to 10% on guest rooms at the Pixar Pier Hotel for stays on Sunday through Thursday nights.

Tea Cup-style lounge chairs in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel.

There’s also a solid chance that Disney will offer Disney VISA cardholders and Magic Key holders similar hotel discounts, possibly superior to the one being offered to the general public. The winter/spring timeframe is usually when Disney likes to entice locals to stay on property, who generally make up the majority of Magic Key holders.

Like the ticket deal, bookings for hotel discounts open on October 22, 2024, for stays between January 7 and March 20, 2025 and can be made through the Disneyland website or through my partners at Get Away Today.

 

Is Disneyland Worth Visiting in 2025?

A Steamboat Willie statue in the pool area of The Villas at the Disneyland Hotel.

That’s a loaded question, as it’s all a matter of perspective and how your family likes to vacation. Coming from big Disneyland fans, my wife and I would give an emphatic “yes” to that question, but others may tell you the opposite due to cost and other factors.

Truth be told, there is little planned for 2025 in terms of new attractions or lands. In 2025, the newest attraction in the resort, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, would have opened on November 15, 2024. Will TBA be a big enough draw to last throughout 2025? I believe it will.

The biggest draw, at least to a certain niche fanbase, will certainly be the addition of “Walt Disney - A Wonderful Life”, a new stage show set to take place in the Main Street Opera House, opposite of “Great Moments wih Mr. Lincoln”, that’ll feature the first ever Walt Disney audio-animatronic.

The exterior of the Mr. Toad attraction in Fantasyland at Disneyland.

Additionally, Disneyland park will celebrate its 70th anniversary. There haven't been any concrete details released yet, but you can certainly count on limited edition merchandise, special food and drink offerings, decorations, new nighttime entertainment, character appearances, and more.

I’ve attended the 40th, 50th, and 60th Disneyland anniversary celebrations, in addition to the 100th anniversary of the Disney Company, and each one was a good time, so I don’t expect the 70th to be any different.

Furthermore, you can count on the return of several after dark events, such as Sweetheart’s Night and Disney Channel Night (or a variation of the same), both of which took place within the same timeframe of the ticket deal in 2024.

Also taking place in the January 7 to March 20, 2025, timeframe is the Lunar New Year celebration and the California Food and Wine Festival (partially), both of which occur at Disney California Adventure. As you can see, these discount Disneyland tickets offer tremendous value.

Tinkerbell greeting guests at Disneyland.

All things considered, I feel 2025 will be a great year for the Disneyland Resort. Riding off the sure-to-be successful grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the highly anticipated debut of Walt Disney - A Wonderful Life, and what’s sure to be a grand celebration of the park’s 70th birthday, coupled with significant savings from the kids’ ticket deal and hotel discounts, if you’ve been on the fence about a Disneyland vacation, I suggest pulling the trigger.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, you can purchase these tickets (and your entire vacation as a whole) through Get Away Today. Purchasing through them is the same as purchasing through Disney, only with Get Away Today, you’ll receive personalized and friendly service from people who know the parks better than most. They’re the only agency I will partner with and for good reason, as they have a great reputation and proven track record. See the great deals they offer here and use code INKED10 to save on your vacation package.

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Disneyland, Tips, Dining Kevin Disneyland, Tips, Dining Kevin

10 Best Disneyland Tips: Food and Drinks

This post began with the intent of being a list of tips and tricks for multiple aspects of a Disneyland vacation…

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

 

This post began with the intent of being a list of tips and tricks for multiple aspects of a Disneyland vacation. One I started outlining it, though, it quickly became apparent that it would be a massively long post that absolutely nobody would want to read through.

So instead, I decided to break up the would-be gigantic post into a series, giving each topic its own space and making it easier for you, the reader, to get the information you’re after.

This particular post will focus on food, drinks and the many restaurants of Disneyland. I will offer ten of the best tips and tricks that I feel would be most beneficial to you. Some will help to save you money, others may help you avoid losing money, but all with prove valuable.

So read on to discover ten tips for food, drinks and dining at the Disneyland Resort. If you haven’t yet purchased your park tickets, be sure to read the first post in this series as it offers ten tips for purchasing Disneyland tickets.

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1) To save money, split entrees at many Disney restaurants

The fried chicken and maple donut entree served at Great Maple restaurant at Pixar Place Hotel.

It’s no secret, dining at the resort restaurants is expensive, especially for a family with multiple children. One way you can save money is to split entrees.

As expensive as they are, there are entrees at many Disney restaurants that could easily be split between two kids, or even two adults in some cases.

A few examples include:

  • The Monte Cristo Sandwich at Cafe Orleans ($24)

  • The House Gumbo at Tiana’s Palace ($17)

  • The Fried Chicken plate at Plaza Inn ($20)

  • The lobster nachos at Lamplight Lounge ($25)

  • The Fried Chicken and Doughnuts at Great Maple ($25)

To my knowledge, Disney does not charge a fee to split plates (with the one exception being Napa Rose). So as you can see, it could add up to significant savings.

 

2) Know where you can order an adult beverage

A popular cocktail served at GCH Craftsman Grill at the Grand Californian at Disneyland.

Until fairly recently, the only way you could order alcohol at Disneyland was if you held a membership at Club 33. That changed in 2019 with the opening of Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Shortly thereafter, the Blue Bayou restaurant began serving select cocktails and wine. Finally, in 2022, three additional Disneyland restaurants saw alcoholic drinks added to their menus; River Belle Terrace, Carnation Cafe and Cafe Orleans.

At Disney California Adventure, you never had to look too hard to find alcohol, as just about every restaurant, both sit-sown and quick serve, offers it in some form.

The difference between the two parks, though, is your ability to take your drink with you. You’re permitted to walk around the park with a beer in your hand at DCA but in Disneyland, you must finish your drink before leaving the restaurant.

Additionally, at Disneyland, you cannot order drinks exclusively. You MUST order a food item with it. The only exception to that rule is at Oga’s Cantina, as it’s more of a bar with only a couple food options.

 

3) Take advantage of the picnic area in the Esplanade

The entrance to the picnic area in the Disneyland Esplanade.

One of the main questions people have about visiting Disneyland is, are they allowed to bring food into the parks? The answer is yes, for the most part. You cannot bring glass containers or coolers in, but wrapped sandwiches and the like in your backpack is perfectly fine.

To the left of the entry gates to Disneyland Park, behind tall shrubbery, is a semi-private picnic area. It’s free to anyone to use. So if you are bringing your own food, this a great spot to take a break from the parks and enjoy your lunch.

 

4) Don’t forget to make reservations - 60 days out, if possible

The Chicken Wing entree at GCH Craftsman Grill at the Grand Californian Hotel.

There are many quick service restaurants in the parks where you won’t have to worry about this, but if you’re set on dining at a table service restaurant, you’ll likely need to secure a reservation or you’ll be out of luck.

Disney allows you to make advanced dining reservations up to 60-days out at their most popular restaurants. A few of these get snagged up quickly, even at the 60-day mark. So it’s important to be logged into your Disney account and be ready to go.

A few examples of the hard-to-get reservations include:

  • Lamplight Lounge

  • Blue Bayou

  • Oga’s Cantina

  • Napa Rose

  • Carthay Circle

  • Trader Sam’s Tiki Bar

How hard they will be to get largely depends on the time of year you’ll be visiting. If you’re visiting between January and early March, it’ll be easier. In the summer or holiday months, though, the demand is higher and much more competitive.

You could always try the easier-to-get restaurants, where last minute ADR’s are typically easy to come by. These include Wine Country Trattoria, Jazz Kitchen and River Belle Terrace, all of which are solid options.

However, if you’re dead set on a particular restaurant and you haven’t been able to snag a ADR, there is one more thing you can try, which leads me to number 5…

 

5) Utilize ‘Mobile Walk-Up’

The Potato Skins appetizer at Lamplight Lounge in DCA.

Mobile Walk-Up is a feature in the Disneyland App that enables you to join a virtual wait list at select Disney restaurants that don’t have available reservations.

Virtually every Disney restaurant that accepts ADRs offers this option. Keep in mind that at Lamplight Lounge, this is only an option at the Boardwalk Dining area of the restaurant between the hours of 11:30am and 4:00pm.

What you’ll do is head to the restaurant you want to dine at. As you’re approaching it, open the Disneyland app and go to the ‘Dining Availability’ tab.

Go to the restaurant’s page on the app and select, “Join Waitlist”. If you’re not close enough to the restaurant, it won’t let you join until you are.

Once you’ve joined the list, you’ll be notified through the app when a table becomes available. Try not to the stray too far from the restaurant as you only have a short time to claim your table.

 

6) Don’t purchase overpriced bottles of water

Two cocktail offerings at Pym Test Lab in Avengers Campus at Disneyland.

Bottles of water at the parks are often priced at $5 or more for a single bottle of Dasani. That same bottle at the grocery store would cost you $1.50 or less.

It simply doesn’t make economic sense to purchase these. If you’re looking for ways to save money during your trip, definitely start here.

Bringing your own reusable water bottle, such as a Hydro Flask, will save you tons of money as there are water bottle refill stations throughout both parks.

Additionally, you can get free water at any quick service eatery by simply asking a cast member. The cups are small, but you don’t have to pay for them and you can go back as many times as you like, even if you’re not purchasing anything.

 

7) Don’t skip the resort hotel restaurants

The Beef Skewer entree at GCH Craftsman Grill at the Grand Californian Hotel.

With so many options at both parks and Downtown Disney, many don’t realize that the resort hotels offer their own dining options, with many of them being popular amongst locals.

Trader Sam’s Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel and Villas if one of the most popular options for drinks. Though in my humble opinion, the food isn’t worth it.

My personal favorites include the GCH Craftsman Grill and Hearthstone Lounge, both at the Grand Californian. The former is fairly easy to get an ADR but if their aren’t any available, you could always sit at the bar. The latter doesn’t offer reservations but almost always has an open table or barstool.

 

8) Definitely use ‘Mobile Order’ to save time

Mobile Order pick up window at Lucky Fortune Cookery in DCA.

Mobile Order has been a game changer for park-goers. It enables you to order/pay for your food and select your pick up time in advance. When your time comes, simply head to the restaurant’s pick up window to retrieve your order.

Virtually every quick service restaurant in the parks offer this feature, including Cocina Cucamonga, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Tiana’s Palace, Bengal BBQ and Pym’s Test Kitchen.

Remember that you’ll need the Disneyland app, plus a Disney account and stored payment method in order to use the Mobile Order feature. You can read more details about it in my 2024 Disneyland Dining Guide.

 

9) Plan out what you want to eat prior to going to allow for better budgeting

The Birria Ramen Bowl at Lucky Fortune Cookery in DCA.

The Disneyland website is a gold mine of information, especially when it comes to its dining options. You’re able to see restaurant names, precise locations, menu offerings, nutrition information, prices, and more.

After deciding where you want to eat but prior to leaving for your trip, go to the website and research the menus at the restaurant you’re wanting to dine at.

I’m not saying you need to decide exactly what you want to eat, but going through the menus will give you a general idea of what it’ll cost to dine there and allow you to budget better.

 

10) Purchase ‘Sip and Savor’ passes during festivals

The Pizza Flavored Chicken Wings during the California Food and Wine Festival at Disneyland.

There are three food festivals throughout the year, all of which take place at Disney California Adventure. They are Lunar New Year Celebration, the Food & Wine Festival and the Festival of Holidays.

One of the main draws of the these festivals are the dozen or so individually themed marketplaces, each offering their own food options in individual sized portions.

The Sip and Savor passes come with digital allotments of four or eight. You can use your allotments for any entree or non-alcoholic drink option at the booths and select restaurants.

Remember, the higher priced the food or drink option you want is, the greater the savings. For example, the price for the eight allotment Sip and Savor pass during the 2024 Food and Wine Festival costs $61 (or $56 for Magic Key holders). That makes each allotment $7.62 each (or $7 each for the Magic Key price).

With most food options priced between $8 and $10, the savings are obvious. Due to this, it doesn’t make sense to use an allotment for a drink, which are usually priced at or under the $7 mark. It’s cost effective to use them for the higher priced items.

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10 Best Disneyland Tips: Park Tickets

This particular post will focus on tickets (and their accompanying add-ons). I will offer ten of the best tips and tricks…

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

 

This post began with the intent of being a list of tips and tricks for multiple aspects of a Disneyland vacation. Once I started outlining it, though, it became apparent that it would be a massively long post that absolutely nobody would want to read through.

So instead, I decided to break up the would-be gigantic post into a series, giving each topic its own space and making it easier for you, the reader, to get the information you’re after.

This particular post will focus on tickets (and their accompanying add-ons). I will offer ten of the best tips and tricks that I feel would benefit you. Some will help you save money, others may help you avoid losing money, but all will prove to be valuable.

So if you haven’t purchased your park tickets yet, read on to discover my top ten tips and tricks for purchasing Disneyland tickets.

*Quick Note: If you’re looking to book a vacation to the Disneyland Resort (or Disney World, Disney Cruise, Universal and more) consider tapping/clicking the above image to visit our partners at Get Away Today. Going through them is the same as going directly through Disney only through them, you’ll receive personalized service by Disney experts and receive the absolute best price and any accompanying discounts. By going through Get Away Today, you’ll be getting the best price on your vacation and support our website at the same time.

To see their amazing deals on Disneyland tickets, go here.

 

1) If you have a Target RedCard, use it to save 5%

The entrance to the ride vehicle of Smuggler's Run at Disneyland.

For those of you who possess a Target RedCard, you’re able to purchase Disney gift cards at a savings of 5% (when paying with said card). You can then, in turn, use those gift cards to purchase your park tickets.

Reportedly, the largest amount on a Disney gift card Target sells is $50. So you would have to purchase them en masse in order to have enough to buy multiple tickets. This is where you’ll need to do some legwork.

Disney won’t let you use multiple gift cards to purchase tickets online. So in order to use them, you’ll need to consolidate them on the Disney Gift Card website. There, after submitting all of your gift cards, you’ll be issued the combined total on ONE card.

From there, you can take that card and use it to purchase your tickets. Conversely, you can keep it stored on the Disneyland app and use it to pay for mobile orders at quick service restaurants, pay for merchandise or nearly anything else at the resort.

It may be a bit of a pain, but that 5% will add up to some decent savings. Especially if you’re purchasing tickets for multiple family members or friends. Remember, every dollar counts at Disneyland.

 

2) Take advantage of military discounts

The Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue inside Disney California Adventure.

Disney offers significantly discounted tickets to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. If you’re active duty, a reservist, retired or dependent, and have access to a base that sells them, you’re good to go.

My Grandpa was retired Air Force and growing up, he would often purchase these tickets for us as birthday and/or Christmas. Of course, back then, they were far more affordable than they are now, but you’ll save a lot of money regardless.

In 2024, the Disneyland ticket military prices are:

  • 3-Day Park Hopper: $269 (a savings of $191 when compared to an adult, three day ticket)

  • 3-Day Park Hopper w/ Genie+: $359

  • 4-Day Park Hopper: $315 (a savings of $200 when compared to an adult, four day ticket)

  • 4-Day Park Hopper w/ Genie+: $435

Baby Herman in the queue of Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin at Disneyland.

These prices are the same whether you’re purchasing an adult or child ticket. While the larger savings comes from the example of an adult ticket, your savings are still significant when purchasing for a child as their three day park hopper normally costs $435 (a $166 savings).

Of course, if you’re visiting before March 10th, 2024, you can save even more on a child’s ticket by taking advantage of Disney’s $50 a day kids ticket promotional offer. You can read more about that promotion here.

Otherwise, if you’re eligible, definitely visit the military base closest to you and see about purchasing these tickets. If that particular base doesn’t sell them, they should be able to point you in the direction of one that can.

 

3) Purchase Genie+ ahead of time

A photo of the interior of Lamplight Lounge at Disney California Adventure.

If you’re not familiar with Genie+, it’s a service guests can utilize to virtually hold their place in line and bypass the stand-by queue when their time is called, allowing them quick access to some of the most popular attractions.

While it isn’t perfect, Genie+ has proven to save park-goers a significant amount of time by helping them avoid standing in queues for long periods of time. You’re able to enjoy other aspects of the park while waiting your turn.

This service comes at a cost, though. In order to use it, you’ll need to pay a minimum of $30 per person, per day on your ticket. So if you’re a group of two adults and one child, each with three day tickets, you’ll pay a total of $270.

Eric and Arial on the Little Mermaid attraction at Disney California Adventure.

The reason I recommend purchasing it with your tickets is because when doing so, you’ll pay the flat $30 price. If you don’t, but change your mind later, you’ll have to purchase it each day. After you’ve purchased your tickets, there’s no other way to add Genie+ to them.

The downfall to that is unless it’s purchased in advance, Genie+ is subject to dynamic pricing (much in the way single day tickets are). Meaning, based on demand for that particular day, you could end up paying upwards of $40 per person, per day.

If you’re someone who hasn’t been to the resort in a while or it’s your first time, I highly recommend purchasing Genie+ and doing so at the time you buy your tickets. You’ll likely increase the amount of attractions you’ll get done in a day and save yourself from needlessly paying more for the same service.

 

4) Take advantage of Disney’s ticket promotions

A Star Wars character at Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland.

For the last couple of years, Disney has been offering special ticket promotions, mostly during their “slow” season, but also one or two that have ran through June. Depending on your eligibility, the savings can be great.

In 2024, there are two official ticket promotions offered by Disney. They are:

  1. The $50 per day kids ticket

  2. The SoCal Resident 3-day ticket offer

If you’re visiting between January 8 - March 10 and you have a kid (or several), the $50 per day kids offer is a no brainer. You’re able to purchase up to three days on this ticket, but you’ll need to use ALL of the days on said ticket by March 10. Otherwise, you’ll lose them.

The SoCal resident offer is only available to Southern Californian residents and offers a three day ticket that breaks down to just $75 or $92 per day, depending upon the variant you choose. One is good for weekdays only while the other is good for any day of the week.

Normally, you have thirteen days from first use to use all days on your ticket or they’ll expire. With this ticket, you can use it any time between January 8 and June 2. It’s a great option for locals who aren’t Magic Key holders.

I’ve written an extensive post about these ticket deals (and more) in this post here.

 

5) Screenshot your tickets

A view of Matterhorn Mountain at Disneyland in California.

Unless you’ve purchased your tickets at the ticket booth, over the phone or requested one at checkout online, chances are, your ticket is in digital format on your phone. Unlike days past, you’ll never(ish) have to worry about losing your ticket.

As great and convenient as technology can be, it does fail from time to time. Imagine this - you arrive to the Disneyland gate in the morning and pull out your phone to get your tickets ready, all to realize your phone carrier is experiencing a data outage.

Now, Disney does have customary WIFI for guests to use, but if the outage is effecting a large enough carrier, such as Verizon, all of those customers are going to connect to it all at once, clogging it up. Even under the best of circumstances, Disney’s WIFI is notoriously slow and buggy.

To avoid these issues all together, simply take a screenshot of the barcode side of your tickets. It doesn’t take WIFI or data to access your pictures, so you’ll be able to access them no matter what. There’s no guarantee Disney will be able to scan them, but at least you’ll have proof and can possibly get printed tickets at the booth (more on that below).

 

6) If purchasing single day tickets, check the calendar for the lowest price

A prop inside the Tiki Room at Disneyland.

Many people, either by choice or scheduling conflicts, choose to visit the resort for just one day. If that’s you, be aware that single day tickets are priced according to demand. Meaning, if the particular day you want to visit on is historically slow, you’ll pay a lower price.

Conversely, if Disney feels that day is going to be busy, that same ticket will cost you more. If budgeting is important to you, it’s imperative that you check the park calendar on the Disneyland website to check ticket prices for your day.

Weekdays are almost always priced lower than weekends. One exception to that is when a holiday, such as Independence Day and Christmas, falls on a weekday. Another example - Thanksgiving - is always on a Thursday. So expect these dates to be priced at the high end.

In general, though, you’ll want to stick to weekdays, whether you’re visiting for one day or a few. Even with covid seemingly changing guests trends forever, they seem to still be less crowded (and priced accordingly) than weekend dates.

 

7) Request a paper ticket

One of the port holes in the Finding Nemo Submarines at Disneyland.

Above, I discussed screenshotting your tickets in case you’re unable to access them in the app, but what happens if your phone suddenly dies? Whether it’s battery or hardware related, that’s a real issue. So what do you do?

It’s simple, really. Ask for a paper copy of your ticket. You can request one when purchasing online or by asking a cast member at the ticket booths or gate. Do this right away and not after your phone dies. You’ll need to be able to prove the existence of your tickets to get a paper one.

Having a physical back-up of your ticket is never a bad idea. You can simply keep them in your wallet or purse. Better yet, you can keep them in a sealable, waterproof sleeve like this one.

 

8) DO NOT purchase your tickets on Ebay or Craigslist

The Finding Nemo lagoon with Matterhorn Mountain and the Monorail in the background at Disneyland.

The stories are all the same; an unsuspecting ticket buyer starts scouring the internet looking for deals on Disneyland tickets. Eventually, they come across an Ebay or Craigslist listing, claiming to be selling unused, legitimate tickets at an unbelievable price.

I’ll save you time and a lot of money - they’re likely scams. They’ll either offer tickets at a huge discount compared to Disney’s price or they claim to be selling their unused days. An example of this is someone who’s claiming to have a five day ticket, but only used two of those days. So they’re selling you the remaining three.

The reason why it’s a bad idea to purchase these is because there is no way to know for sure if those three days they’re claiming to be unused, are actually unused. You won’t find out for sure until you’re at the gate and trust me, Disney won’t have any sympathy for you if that ticket turns out to be no good.

I’m not saying every one of those people are scam artists, but it’s not worth the risk. Play it safe and only purchase tickets directly through Disney or through an official Disney travel planner, such as Get Away Today.

 

9) Really consider if park hopping is worth it to you

People riding Grizzly River Run at Disney California Adventure.

Sure, being able to bounce back and forth between parks has its benefits, but those benefits come at a cost. Depending on how many days are on your ticket, you’ll pay anywhere between $60 to $75 MORE for the privilege.

For many, that money could make or break a Disney trip as depending on how many tickets you’ll be buying, it can really add up. At minimum, it could mean sacrificing another aspect of the trip. If you’re looking to save money, start here.

Park hopping isn’t a requirement to enjoy your time at Disneyland. You’re not going to lose out and if anything, it’ll enable you to focus solely on the park you’re in that day and get more done.

 

10) Take advantage of Get Away Today’s ‘Extra Day Free’ promotion

The exterior of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

Get Away Today is a fantastic company with a solid reputation thanks to their knowledge of all things Disney. They offer all-in-one vacation packages and, because they’re authorized by Disney, they also sell Disneyland tickets, often with deals attached.

One such deal I always recommend to my readers, specifically those looking to spend four or five days at the resort, is their ‘Extra Day Free’ promotion. Under this promotion, when your purchase a five day ticket, you’ll get it for the price of a four day.

The only catch is, this deal is only available through Get Away Today. Disney is not currently offering this deal but remember, purchasing through Get Away Today is no different than purchasing through Disney as they’re an authorized seller.

The savings aren’t the only benefits of this deal. I discuss this promotion in greater detail in a separate post that you can read here. If you’d like to visit Get Away Today and see what they’re all about, you can do so at the link below.

CLICK/TAP THIS LINK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GET AWAY TODAY’S OFFER

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