Welcome, Irene!
We are so happy you stopped by planDisney with your question. The holidays are such a fun time to visit the Disneyland Resort, with twinkling lights along Main Street, special overlays on some favorite attractions, seasonal entertainment, and a lot of extra magic in the air. It's also a season when plans can shift as friends and family hope to join in on the fun! Let's take a look at your question to walk through what to expect when park reservations are at capacity.
As I suspect you know, all Guests must have both a
theme park ticket and a t
heme park reservation to enter through those pixie-dusted Main Entrance Gates into either Disneyland or California Adventure. While the ticket gains you entry, the reservation holds a spot for the Guest on a specific date in a particular park. The reservation is linked to one ticket. Unlike a dining reservation, where you may be able to add and remove Guests, a theme park reservation can only be linked to one ticket, and therefore, one Guest. Irene, I know that was not the news that you were hoping to hear, but let's take a look at some options.
Some good news is that Guests are always changing their plans and canceling and rescheduling reservations. There is a chance that your friend may still be able to lock in a reservation for your park day if you monitor the
theme park reservation availability calendar. Your friend will either need to already have a park ticket that is valid on your preferred park day or be ready to purchase one when the date opens up. The reservation calendar provides live updates, and you may need to have quick fingers - reservations are limited and subject to availability. Guests are asked to cancel their reservation if they can no longer visit a day before, and this is where you will see the most movement. As you get closer to your park day, I would continue to refresh the calendar to see if anything opens up! Without knowing what kind of ticket your friend may be holding, as of right now, it looks like November 21st has reservations open for both One Park Per Day and Park Hopper tickets! This is, of course, subject to change, but I'm hopeful you will be able to enjoy the magic together this week!
If your friend happens to be staying overnight at one of the
Disneyland Resort Hotels, hotel Guests have access to their own pool of theme park reservations. There is a chance they may be able to secure a park reservation this way. These reservations are also limited and subject to availability, but it is another route to consider!
Irene, I hope this has been helpful in your planning! You'll want to check out the
Entertainment Schedule ahead of your visit to see if there are any seasonal favorites to add to your itinerary. For me, a holiday visit is not complete without seeing
A Christmas Fantasy Parade march down Main Street or the
"it's a small world" Holiday lighting! Cap your night off with a sail through the happiest cruise on earth, now with a touch of holly jolly for the season!
If you have any more questions, we are always here for you at
planDisney.
Happy holidays!
Tara