Hi there, Erin,
As you have discovered, each Guest of the Disneyland Resort theme parks currently requires both valid
theme park admission and a
theme park reservation. Because the number of park reservations is limited, they can occasionally run out. While it is possible to purchase tickets in person, the same reservation system is in place whether tickets are purchased at the ticket booths or ahead of time. So I highly recommend purchasing tickets
online or using the
Disneyland mobile app.
There are two things I recommend at this point. First, you can keep checking the
theme park reservation availability calendar. When other Guests need to change their plans, they can cancel or modify their park reservation. When that happens, it can make those reservations available for you. The other option to consider is to use your
Disneyland Resort Hotel reservation to book theme park reservations that correspond to your stay. Guests of the three on-site hotels gain access to
theme park reservations exclusively for hotel Guests. To access that separate pool of reservations, you may go through "
My Hotel Reservations."
My family and I also live out of state. So I understand the challenge it can be to coordinate all of the pieces that we want to fit together for a visit to
Southern California. I’m wishing on a star that you can find the availability that you are seeking for a visit to The Happiest Place on Earth. It’s also worth noting that theme park reservations are not required for Guests who wish to dine and shop at the
Downtown Disney District.
Thanks for visiting us at planDisney, Erin. If we can help with any other tips and advice for visiting the Disneyland Resort or other Disney Parks destinations, I hope you’ll visit us again.
~Tony