Hi Caroline! Thanks for dropping by planDisney.
I'm sorry you found the
admission ticket purchase process to be confusing. You'll want to purchase your tickets as soon as possible, because it is possible for parks and dates to fill up, especially during popular times of the year.
Let's see if I can walk you through it. First, navigate to the Disneyland Resort website. Hover over "Parks & Tickets" on the upper lefthand side of the page and click "Theme Park Tickets." Under "Select Your Ticket" click on "Standard Theme Park Ticket." Below that, you're asked to "Select the Number of Days." Since you're only visiting for one day, you'll be selecting "1." This will bring up the command to "Select the Number of Tickets." Next to the Adults 10+ choice, you should click the "+" sign until it says 5, and next to Ages 3-9, click the "+" sign until it says 2.
Next, you'll be asked to select which type of ticket you want: One Park Per Day or
Park Hopper. If you would like to visit both
Disneyland Park and
Disney California Adventure Park on the day of your trip, you'll need to select "Park Hopper." If you're okay visiting just one park, click "One Park Per Day." Click continue.
In addition to a valid admission ticket, you also need a
theme park reservation to enter the parks. This page will allow you to select your theme park reservation. On the calendar, click your preferred date. It brings up the correct Tier and price for your preferred date, so you don't have to worry about selecting the right one. If you selected Park Hopper, you'll be asked to "Select Your Starting Park," because you'll be starting your day in whichever park you pick. If you chose One Park Per Day, you're picking the park you'll spend the entire day in.
Click continue again, and you'll be given the option to add a parking voucher or the
Disney Genie+ Service, which allows you to spend less time in queues and more time focused on the magic. We love this option as a family. You can also add this service on the day of your visit on the
Disneyland mobile app. The app will allow you to book return times for Lightning Lane Entrances, cutting down on time spent in lines. To complete your purchase, click continue one final time.
I hope this helps!
Elizabeth