Hi Megan! You've come to the right place. We at planDisney love questions just like this from Guests just like ourselves. I recently used a
Disney Gift Card towards an upcoming trip as well!
Putting a deposit down on the magic is the first step on your way to the Happiest Place on Earth! Now let's enlist the help of the Fairy Godmother to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo you through the checkout. Once you've added your choice of hotel and theme park tickets to your cart, you will continue through the process to the "Order Summary" page. Here, you will fill in Guest information and enter payment details. If you continue scrolling past the area where you would normally enter a credit card and the billing address, you will see an option to "Pay with a Disney Gift Card". Simply click on the "+" and you'll be able to enter the account number on the card. And just like that, you're on your way before the clock strikes midnight!
Now that your hotel and theme park tickets are all set, I would go ahead and make
theme park reservations if you are within 120 days of your arrival. You will need both the ticket and reservation to enter the parks. Reservations can be canceled and rescheduled if your plans change, but they are limited so it's always a good idea to book them as far ahead as possible.
While we are talking about planning,
dining reservations will open up to you 60 days ahead of your stay. These can also fill up quickly, so if you have your heart set on a favorite meal or maybe want to try something new, make a note in your calendar!
If you haven't been to the Disneyland Resort lately, you'll also want to go ahead and download the
Disneyland Mobile App and get familiar with
Disney Genie Service. Here you will be able to select your personal favorites and special interests and the Genie will create an itinerary just for you. He will even make live suggestions as you move through your park day! And the best news? This service is complimentary! If you'd like to add Genie+, you'll not only get access to Lightning Lanes on select attractions but also unlimited digital downloads of all the
Disney PhotoPass photos you capture that day. It's a time-saving, memory maker!
Megan, I hope you found this helpful in your planning. There's so much to see and do, so please feel free to reach back out to us if you have any more questions. We're always here for you at
planDisney.
Keep wishing on those stars,
Tara