Hello Rachael!
A very warm welcome to planDisney! Thanks for bringing your question our way!
I’m sure you’re looking forward to your vacation to “The Happiest Place on Earth!” And, it sounds like you’ve already reviewed the new guidelines on the
Know Before You Go webpage on the Disneyland Resort website. I'm so glad that you are aware of the new requirement for making an advanced
Theme Park Reservation. This reservation is required in addition to your valid admission ticket and you can make a reservation for one theme park each day of your trip. Reservations are currently being accepted through October 2021.
I always recommend checking the
Availability Calendar prior to making your reservation. While I can’t say for certain the reason for the discrepancy, my guess is because your friend may be looking at the Calendar for a different ticket type than you. Theme Park availability varies based on ticket type. For example, if your friend has a Park Hopper ticket and you have a one-day one-park ticket, the availability will not be identical. Also, availability can vary from day to day as people modify or cancel their trip plans. I encourage you to keep checking. In some cases, I’ve even seen same-day availability.
Good luck! Please head back to planDisney with more questions!
Tiffanie