Hello there, Kevin!
I don’t blame you. I also liked to squeeze every last minute of magic out of a visit to the Disneyland Resort. However, on the
Cafe Orleans information page online and on the
Disneyland mobile app, an important message reminds us that theme park reservations and valid admission for the park where a restaurant is located are required for each member of the party who will dine there. Unfortunately, a dining reservation alone does not guarantee admission to the theme parks.
Since Guests of special ticketed events, including the
Disneyland After Dark series of events, require separate admission for the events, other Guests will be asked to leave the parks at the posted closing time. Guests wear event-specific wristbands to indicate they may remain in the park during the after-hours event.
One thing to consider is that your existing dining reservation may be during the mix-in hours of the after-hours event. In the case of
Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite, event Guests may start to enter the park three hours before the party begins. If your dining reservation is before the regular park hours conclude, you may be good to enjoy your reservation as-is, even if it overlaps with when party guests are already starting to enter the park. And if your dining experience should happen to extend a little bit beyond the park’s normal hours, you may even get a peek at some of the party-exclusive decorations as you stroll out of the park that evening!
On the other hand, if it does turn out that
your dining reservation occurs after regular park hours, I recommend looking for
another available reservation time during regular park hours on the day of your visit. If your dining reservation is near the end of the normal hours for that date, you may also wish to visit with a host at the restaurant entrance to inquire about the availability of earlier dining times that will still work for you. And you never know what
mobile dine walk-up openings you may find. Also, don’t forget that
Disney California Adventure Park and the
Downtown Disney District will remain open after
Disneyland Park closes for Sweethearts’ Nite. Guests with
Park Hopper tickets or
Magic Key passes may choose to extend the magic of the day by dining and playing in those locations as well.
I hope you have a magical time during your visit to the Disneyland Resort, Kevin. Thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions here at planDisney. Should you have any more questions about The Happiest Place on Earth, we look forward to hearing from you again.
~Tony