Is The Disneyland App Worth It? (10 Features to Suggest “Yes”)

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Since first moving their theme parks into the digital age in the late 2000-teens, the Disneyland app has evolved to become an essential tool in not only planning your Disneyland vacation, but your day-to-day at the parks as well.

This is much to the chagrin of certain guests who prefer to remain “in the moment” and not buried in a screen. The consequences are steep, though. By not using the app, you’d be putting yourself at a severe disadvantage.

From seeing wait times from one central location and using Lightning Lane, all the way to ordering your meals and remembering your parking space. Your entire Disneyland trip, quite literally, is built into the app.

In this post, I’m going to discuss the numerous features of the app and provide brief summaries on why they’re all important to your trip in one way or another. Let’s get into it!

1) Mobile Ordering (Quick Service Dining)

Arguably the biggest reason to use the Disneyland app is so you can submit mobile orders for select quick service restaurants. Aside from digital tickets, mobile ordering was one of the first major features of the app.

It was pushed and improved upon when the resort reopened after its covid-closure and has proven itself to be a valuable, time-saving tool for guests. So much so, that it’s one of the first tips I give to first timers going to Disneyland.

What started with a handful of park restaurants has since expanded to nearly every quick-service eatery in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, including select snack cars. These include:

Disneyland Park

• Alien Pizza Planet (Tomorrowland)

• Bengal BBQ (Adventureland)

• Cafe Daisy (ToonTown)

• Candy Palace and Kitchen (Main Street U.S.A)

• Docking Bay 7 (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)

• Edelweiss Snacks (Fantasyland)

• Galactic Grill (Tomorrowland)

• Gibson Girl Ice Cream (Main Street U.S.A)

• The Golden Horseshoe (Frontierland)

• Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree (Bayou Country)

• Harbour Gallery at Pelican Landing (New Orleans Square)

• Jolly Holiday Bakery (Main Street U.S.A)

• Little Red Wagon (Main Street U.S.A)

• Milk Stand (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)

• Mint Julep Bar (New Orleans Square)

• Pooh Corner (Bayou Country)

• Red Rose Tavern* (Fantasyland)

• Refreshment Corner (Main Street U.S.A)

• Ronto Roasters (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)

• Royal Street Veranda (New Orleans Square)

• Stage Door Cafe (Frontierland)

• The Tropical Hideaway (Adventureland)

• Tiki Juice Bar (Adventureland)

• Tiana’s Palace (New Orleans Square)

• Troubadour Tavern (Fantasyland)

Disney California Adventure

• Award Weiners (Hollywood Land)

• Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats (Pixar Pier)

• Aunt Cass Cafe (San Fransokyo Square)

• Bayside Brews (Paradise Gardens Park)

• Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff (Pixar Pier)

• Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta (Paradise Gardens Park)

• Cappuccino Cart (San Fransokyo Square)

• Clarabelle’s (Buena Vista Street)

• Cocina Cucamonga Grill (San Fransokyo Square)

• Corn Dog Castle (Paradise Gardens Park)

• Cozy Cones* (Cars Land)

• Flo’s V8 Cafe (Cars Land)

• Hollywood Lounge (Hollywood Land)

• Lucky Fortune Cookery (San Fransokyo Square)

• Mendocino Terrace (Performance Corridor)

• Paradise Gardens Grill (Paradise Gardens)

• Popcorn at Grizzly Peak Airfield (Grizzly Peak)

• Port of San Fransokyo Cerveceria (San Fransokyo Square)

• Pym Tasting Lab (Avenger’s Campus)

• Pym Test Kitchen (Avenger’s Campus)

• Rita’s Turbine Blenders (San Fransokyo Square)

• Schmoozies! (Hollywood Land)

• Smokejumpers Grill (Grizzly Peak)

• Sonoma Terrace (Pacific Wharf)

• Studio Catering Co. (Hollywood Land)

• Trolley Treats (Buena Vista Street)

Disney Resort Hotels

• The Coffee House (Disneyland Hotel)

• Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill (Disneyland Hotel)

Downtown Disney District

• Wonderful World of Sweets

As you can see, the list is long and they’ve even started expanding the service out to the hotels. It wouldn’t surprise me to see more eateries in Downtown Disney join this list in the future. They’ve even made Tiki Juice Bar, which serves the park-famous Dole Whip Float, a mobile order only location.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see that branch out to additional locations. After the resort’s reopening in 2021, several locations were mobile order only. Those test locations have scaled back since, but you never know.

2) Buying & Scanning Tickets

Between crowd control and park reservations, the days of showing up to the park and purchasing your tickets at a booth are slowly, but surely, going the way of Splash Mountain. Tickets have largely gone digital in the last 4-5 years and Disney has been pushing it hard.

These days, you can purchase and store your tickets right on your phone. No more worrying about losing them or getting them soaked on Grizzly River Run. When you arrive to the gate, simply scan the ticket on your phone and you’re off.

To purchase park tickets in the app:

1. Make sure you’ve created an account

2. Tap the + symbol at the bottom of the screen

3. Tap, “Buy Tickets and Passes”

4. Select, “Theme Park Tickets”

5. Select the number of days you’ll be in the parks

6. Select the quantity of tickets (adults, child, etc)

7. Select either “One Park Per Day” or “Park Hopper”

8. You’ll then be shown available reservations (Note: You will not be able to purchase tickets without available reservations)

9. You’ll then select which park you want to begin each day of your reservations

10. From here, select “Checkout” and fill in your payment info

Magic Key Passes

To purchase a Magic Key pass:

1. Follow steps one & two above

2. Select, “Magic Key Passes”

3. Select which pass you want (Note: If you are not a Southern California resident, you will NOT be able to purchase the “Imagine” Key Pass)

4. Select the number of passes and who to assign them to (Note: You will only be able to take advantage of the monthly payment option if you’re a State of California resident)

5. Enter your payment info and follow the steps to link your new Magic Key to your account

With the new gates installed at the resort comes new procedures. When you arrive and use your ticket for the first time, you’ll scan your ticket. The screen in front of you will prompt you to take a photo by pressing a button. Then the gates will open, allowing you through.

Every time you scan your ticket thereafter, it’ll simply prompt the gates to open (provided you have a valid reservation for that day). Many folks miss the physical tickets, as they were considered by many to be souvenirs. To me, the convenience and security of digital supersedes that.

3) Attraction Virtual Queues

While Disneyland doesn’t utilize virtual queues much anymore, but the service is still dusted off from time to time, mostly for highly anticipated attractions. Virtual queues at Disneyland were birthed with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and have been used sporadically since.

Since it isn’t a main-stay feature of the Disneyland app, you won’t need to concern yourself with it much. Unless, of course, you’re visiting during the opening a new e-ticket attraction or recently refurbished one.

In the past, the two main attractions that heavily used the virtual queue system were Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Web Slingers. Then, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was briefly added following its opening, followed most recently by Walt Disney: A Magical Life stage show.

Additionally, Disney uses the virtual queue system for DCA’s nighttime spectacular - World of Color. It isn’t necessary, per se, but it is highly recommended by Disney to do so. Typically, that means you should probably do it.

With two new e-ticket level attractions coming to Disney California Adventure in the next two to three years, virtual queues aren’t going anywhere, as they will certainly be using it (in the interim, anyway). You can read more about virtual queues here.

Quick Rundown on Virtual Queues:

1. Be ready to go at either 7am or 12pm

2. Go to the “Virtual Queue” section of the app

3. Tap, “Join Virtual Queue”

4. Select the park

5. If you see a blue tab that says, “Join Virtual Queue”, quickly tap it

6. Verify your party and make sure each person’s ticket is selected

7. You’ll then be taken to a page where you can view your boarding group number, estimated wait time, and your entry code.

4) Check Attraction Wait Times

Let’s say you just got off of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland and you get the sudden urge to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, all the way in Bayou Country. So you hike it all the way there all to discover a massive ninety minute queue has formed.

The app helps to eliminate that disappointment by showcasing a section dedicated to providing real-time queue times for every attraction in both parks. All you’ll need to do is look up the attraction you want to experience and it’ll display the most recent wait time.

In my experience, wait times have been mostly accurate. For example, the app stated a thirty minute wait for Haunted Mansion on my most recent visit. It looked daunting and I didn’t believe it so I set a timer. From the back of the queue to my Doom Buggy, it was thirty-one minutes.

They’ve also been known to high-ball wait times (under promise and over deliver). This strategy helps to keep guest complaints about wait times at bay, as absolutely nobody is going to complain about waiting fifteen minutes in an advertised twenty-five minute queue.

5) PhotoPass Service

Disney’s PhotoPass service is free to use, but will cost you to receive the photos (unless you’ve purchased Lightning Lane, which includes PhotoPass photos).

Disney places photographers around the resort at popular photo spots to take guests photos for them (in hopes that you’ll pay for them). Locations include Cinderella Castle, Blinky (the Mickey head-shaped pumpkin in Town Square), various character experiences and more.

When you’re done taking your photos, you’ll pull up the barcode in the “photos” section and the photographer will scan your photos into the app. They usually take around one to two minutes to appear. Current pricing for PhotoPass photos is:

• $14.99 - Per photo

• $78.00 - For the entire week (PhotoPass+)

They’ll stay in the Disneyland app for 45 days from the time they’re loaded. So you’ll have plenty of time to purchase and/or save them. It should be noted that PhotoPass photos are included in the purchase of Disney’s Lightning Lane service, which is a killer value between the two.

6) Advanced Dining Reservations (Table-Service)

Most restaurants at the Disneyland Resort are quick-service. Meaning you order your food, pick it up, sit down and eat. However, the parks also feature several table service restaurants. Some of which rivals or exceeds those found off property.

Some of these include Lamplight Lounge (pictured above), Centrico, Hearthstone Lounge, and Great Maple American Eatery. These restaurants, and others, are exceedingly popular. So I recommend making your advanced dining reservations (ADR) asap.

In the app, you can make ADR’s sixty days in advance. Best part is, all of your reservations appear in the “My Plans” tab of the app. You’ll be able to view, modify and even cancel your ADR’s from your couch!

7) Cast Compliments

Cast members are the are the heart and soul of the Disney theme parks. Without them, the magic would never come to life the way it does on a day-to-day basis. That’s why it’s important to recognize them when they go above and beyond (which they often do).

In the Disneyland app, you can give cast compliments by providing their name and general location when they do something you feel warrants it. These compliments go a long way for cast members when promotional opportunities come along.

This is one of the newer features of the app. Before, you would need to go to City Hall in Town Square and fill out a form, often having to wait in a hefty queue. Doing it in the app isn’t only convenient for the guest but in my opinion, increases the likelihood of cast members receiving compliments.

8) Save Your Parking Space

Another nifty feature in the Disneyland app is the ability to save your parking space. We’ve all forgotten where we parked. Whether that’s a theme park, the airport, or Costco - it happens. This feature assumes the responsibility of remembering so you don’t have to.

In the app, simply tap “Car Locator”. You’ll then either scan the code in the parking area you’re in or manually select it. Then, enter your parking spot details. The app then saves that information that you can look up when you return to your vehicle at the end of the evening.

This feature certainly isn’t a game changer, as simply taking a photo of your parking spot with your phone totally negates its purpose. However, since you’ll have the app anyway, it’s a simple, useful feature to have.

9) Mobile Checkout (Merchandise)

Mobile checkout is feature that’s still in its infancy. It eliminates the need for you to wait in a queue to purchase merchandise at select stores by allowing you to scan and purchase your items within the Disneyland app. The service is currently available at the following stores:

• Emporium (Disneyland)

• Elias & Co. (Disney California Adventure)

• World of Disney (Downtown Disney)

When you’re in the store and ready to purchase, simply go to the “Merchandise Checkout” tab in the app. You’ll scan your items and see your total in the next page. From there, you’ll pay for your items and will be shown a QR code.

You’ll then make your way to one of the various stations around the store you’re in that say “Mobile Checkout”. There, a cast member will scan your QR code with their device, bag your items, and send you on your way.

10) Lightning Lane

There’s imply no way around it. If you want to use Disneyland’s Lightning Lane service, which allows you to bypass the stand-by queue at select attractions, often dramatically reducing your wait time, then you’ll need to download and use the Disneyland app.

Unlike the traditional FastPass service, there is no paper version of Lightning Lane. It is 100% digital and you’ll need the app in order to book attractions. Since Lightning Lane can be a significant time saver, this feature alone necessitates use of the app.

If you’re unaware of what Lightning Lane is, I wrote an extensive post detailing the service and its various tiers, including Lightning Lane Premiere - the newest branch of Disney’s line-skipping service.

So is the Disneyland app worth it? When you consider the ten features above, I would say so. If anything, the considerable amount of time mobile ordering, mobile checkout and Lightning Lane, alone, will save you, you’d be hard-pressed finding a reason to not use it.