Hi there, Lori, and welcome to planDisney! I always love getting the chance to answer questions from a fellow Arizonan.
What an incredibly special Christmas gift from your aunt! (Could you ask her for me if she needs another nephew?!) This will be such a special trip for you all, but there are definitely a few caveats to your specific question that I want to address to get you ready to visit the Happiest Place on Earth. This was such a good question that actually ended up having a bit of a complex answer, so I did call to discuss it with a Cast Member to make sure I was giving 100% correct information, and I got the inside scoop.
First, we'll want to make sure these tickets were purchased in your/your family's name (not your aunt's name). We can check this by linking the tickets to your
Disneyland mobile app. To do this, you can tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right of the app to access the main menu. From here, select "Tickets and Passes" then "Link Tickets & Passes." If the tickets are in your name, then you're all set! If not, your aunt will need to call a
Cast Member at the Tickets line to get them transferred to your name.
Second, now that we've confirmed the tickets are in your name and linked them to your app, we'll want to make
theme park reservations for the days you're planning on visiting. Even though you will not be using the
Southern California resident tickets, it will still be important to make theme park reservations (for a later step) to ensure you can access the parks on the day of your trip. Especially since you'll be making the trek over from our very own Grand Canyon State.
There is one very important note here as well: Southern California resident tickets can only be used on weekdays. If you're planning your visit for weekdays, then you're good to go! If you're hoping for any days of your trip to fall on a weekend, then you will not be able to make theme park reservations online, so I would highly recommend calling a
Cast Member at the Tickets line to discuss the situation. The theme park reservations are so important - especially as a non-local - to make sure you will be able to access the park on the days you're visiting!
Lastly, you'll need to upgrade to a Standard Theme Park ticket (there will be a cost difference that you'll need to pay when you upgrade). Unfortunately, this upgrade cannot be done by a Cast Member over the phone - it can only be done from a ticket booth just outside the parks, which is why that theme park reservation is so important! Once you've taken care of those first two steps, you'll visit a ticket booth on the first day of your trip, and they can take care of the rest.
Whew! Thanks for bearing with me, Lori. So sorry for any inconvenience this might cause in your planning, but rest assured that we will get it sorted out! If you have any follow-up questions, please
write me back directly. I would love to help!
Have a Magical Day,
Greg