Hi there, Brian!
Welcome back, I love your research on using Lightning Lanes in the parks! You are going to be a very prepared Mouseketeer. Bravo!
When a guest using
Lightning Lanes has entered either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park then they're ready to start reserving return times. But guess what? You can leave the parks for a break in the Downtown Disney District or at your hotel and keep reserving or modifying your Lighting Lane return times even when you aren't inside the theme parks.
This information is especially helpful if you're using
Lightning Lane Multi Pass. For example, if you start your day in Disneyland Park you might decide to use
Lightning Lane for popular attractions like Indiana Jones Adventure (always my first pick), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Matterhorn Bobsleds. You can also visit attractions that don't use Lightning Lane while you wait for your return times. Then maybe you go take a break at your hotel for a nap or a swim, which is a very wise choice. While you're out you can modify an existing Lightning Lane (as long as new times are available) and
choose a new one when you are eligible.
You can get another Lightning Lane after you've used your current one (so as soon as you "tap in" at an attraction you should start looking in the
Disneyland Mobile App for your next pick) or two hours after you reserved your last Lightning Lane. I like to set an alarm on my phone so I don't forget to make my next reservation! I know we're leaving the parks for a break I'll reserve an attraction where the return time is later in the day. Space Mountain, Toy Story Midway Mania, and Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! often have later return times and are good options to reserve before taking a rest.
One last tip, Brian: the app needs a lot of pixie dust, so make sure you bring a portable charger for your phone. But no worries if you forget, there are
kiosks across both parks where you can purchase a charger...and later exchange it for a fresh one!
I hope these tips help you squeeze lots of magic into your days at the park, Brian!
Keep moving forward!
Amanda