Welcome to planDisney, James! It looks like you are already ahead of the game when it comes to preparing for your trip next month. Let’s keep that momentum going!
Great choice in using
Lighting Lane Multi-Pass to maximize your day in the parks! You are absolutely correct that guests must scan into either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure before booking Lighting Lane reservations for the day. If some members of your family have not scanned into the park yet, the group that has already entered will still be able to make reservations. Since Lighting Lane access can only be used once per attraction, I recommend saving your family’s “must-dos” until everyone has arrived.
James, my fellow panelist, Melissa,
recently shared an excellent tip for making the most of your Lightning Lane reservations. She recommended that you book the more popular rides (such as
Space Mountain, the
Indiana Jones Adventure, or the recently opened
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure) as early in the day as possible. Lighting Lane reservations can “sell out,” so you’ll want to snag your spots early to avoid waiting in standby lines. Bonus tip: arriving earlier in the day generally means shorter wait times overall!
Here’s one more Lighting Lane Q-Tip for you! Remember, you can potentially hold more than one Lightning Lane reservation at a time. Once you’ve booked a reservation, you can’t book another until either the current reservation is used or two hours have passed since you made it. For example, if you book a
Matterhorn reservation at 9:00 a.m. for 4:00 p.m., you can still book another ride (like the
Haunted Mansion) at 11:00 a.m. without losing your Matterhorn return time. To keep track, I set alarms on my phone or watch to remind me when it’s time to book another reservation. That way I never miss out on a chance to hit up my favorite rides!
Enjoy your upcoming visit, James! You are well on your way to having a truly magical visit.
Happy adventuring,
David