Hi there, Jennifer! Thanks so much for stopping by planDisney with your question!
Planning a holiday trip to the Happiest Place on Earth can be a joyful experience filled with daydreams of candy canes and Mickey and Minnie in their seasonal best, but I can tell your sleigh has already hit a few bumps in the road. While I wish I could stir up some pixie dust for you, currently,
single-day ticket upgrades are done in person at the Main Entrance Ticket Booths. I know, this is not the news you were hoping to hear, and it's certainly a challenge for Guests that are not local to the parks (myself, included!).
Single-day ticket prices fall into one of six tiers based on the time of year and day of the week, which is why the pricing varies when you are looking at the calendar. Looking at the
tiered block-out dates, I can see that December 3rd would require a Tier 6 ticket as this is a popular time of year to be in the parks.
Jennifer, I feel like I just filled your stocking with coal, but I do have an out-of-the-box solution for you. Hear me out on this one! Why not hold onto your current ticket to use for another visit and purchase a new one for your upcoming holiday trip? While I know this may not be feasible for everyone, let's do a little magic math to see where this all shakes out. Single-day tickets purchased this year do not expire until December 30, 2023 ... that's over a full year from your planned park day giving your sleigh a pretty big runway to return sometime next year. If for some reason your path does not lead you back to the Disneyland Resort before your ticket expires, you can always use the value towards the purchase of a brand new ticket. The spark in those tickets never fully burns out, and isn't it fun to have a little magic on the books to look forward to?
If you do choose to go this route, I recommend booking that new ticket on the early side. I can see that
theme park reservations are currently open for December 3rd, but once we all move past Halloween Time and Guests start firming up those holiday plans, reservations may become unavailable. Once that ticket is yours, you can sit back with your hot cocoa and get in the spirit!
While the resort will be filled with holiday cheer at every turn, one of the most magical experiences for me is the nightly
"it's a small world" Holiday Lighting when the façade lights up with thousands of sparkling lights. While I love a Disney fireworks spectacular, there is something a bit quieter and very charming about this tradition. With the attraction set a bit back from the rest of the park hustle and bustle, there's plenty of room and it won't require getting there early to secure a fabulous view. The façade will come to life, and I promise you will be filled with that kind of joy only Disney can deliver. You can find out when the lighting will take place right in the
Entertainment Schedule, and don't worry if you miss it! Every 30 minutes throughout the evening, you can catch a projection show that is equally as spectacular! While you're at it, take a sail on the merriest cruise on earth decked in its holiday best!
Jennifer, I sure hope this was helpful and we were able to find a path forward to making your holiday visit a magical experience. If you have any more questions, we are always here for you at planDisney.
Be Merry!
Tara