Hi Anne,
Thanks for stopping by planDisney! I’m happy to help you navigate the Disneyland app as you prepare for your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!
It sounds like you might have some experience with the
My Disney Experience app for Walt Disney World. That app includes a Family & Friends list, which allows guests to easily share plans, dining, and hotel reservations.
Here in California, we do things a bit differently. The
Disneyland app doesn’t include a Family & Friends list, but I’m happy to walk you through how to manage your group’s plans within the app:
1) Park Tickets
Once you purchase your tickets, you can
link all of them to a single Disneyland account; no need to create or connect profiles for your kids or spouse.
To link tickets through the Disneyland app:
* Tap the three lines in the bottom right corner
* Select "My Tickets & Passes"
* Tap the “+” in the top right
* Choose "Link Tickets & Passes" to scan the eTickets or manually enter the ticket ID numbers
If your family is using MagicBand+, you can also
link each band to individual park tickets in the a
pp. Having all tickets linked to at least one account is especially helpful for making Lightning Lane reservations.
2) Lightning Lane
If you plan to purchase
Lightning Lane, make sure all tickets are linked to at least one account. If not, you won’t be able to book Lightning Lanes for the entire group. You can also have your spouse or another adult link all the tickets to their Disneyland app too. This allows either of you to make Lightning Lane selections for your family.
3) Hotel Reservations
Unlike the Disney World app, the Disneyland app does not automatically share hotel reservations with everyone listed on the booking. Each person who wants to access the hotel reservation in the app will need to manually link it:
* Tap the three bars in the bottom right
* Scroll to “Hotel Reservations” under My Visit
* Enter the confirmation number, last name, and arrival date to link it
Also note: MagicBand+ does not unlock hotel room doors at Disneyland like it does at Walt Disney World. However, you can use the
Disneyland app as a digital room key.
4) Dining Reservations
Dining reservations work differently here, too. Disneyland’s app doesn’t automatically share dining plans between accounts. One person can manage all reservations, or you can divide them among your group; it’s completely up to you.
Dining reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance, and you'll manage them under the "Today's Plans" or "Future Plans" section in the app.
I hope this was helpful, Anne. The differences between the Disneyland and Disney World apps can take a little getting used to, especially for seasoned Disney World travelers who are used to navigating the My Disney Experience app. If anything is unclear or you have more questions, feel free to follow up; I’d be happy to help. You can also reach out to any of my fellow planDisney panelists. We’re always here to help add a little extra magic to your Disney vacation.
Happy planning!
-Melinda