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Disneyland Main Street; at night; empty; lights on
  • On Jul 11, 2025
    Andrea from TX Asked Please note that experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    is there a half day disney ticket? or is a full day ticket required even when not entering until the late afternoon?

    Hello, Andrea, and welcome to planDisney! There's always magic to be discovered at the Disneyland Resort, and I love that you are considering a visit. Let's talk about tickets for a late afternoon arrival at the Resort.

    Currently, Guests visiting the Disneyland Resort may purchase a single-day or multi-day theme park ticket. These tickets are priced for a full day, regardless of whether they are used right as the park opens or later in the afternoon. If you are arriving at the Resort later in the day, I have some ideas for you:

    • Explore the Downtown Disney District – it's easy to spend hours here! There are several excellent restaurants, although Din Tai Fung is probably my favorite. Go bowling, browse the shops, have a drink, and more. I can never pass up the ice cream at Salt & Straw, and the Chai lattes at Sip & Sonder are delicious! And did you know you can design and create your very own LEGO Minifigure at the LEGO store? The Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage even hosts musical performances on select nights.
    • Make a reservation at one of the Disneyland Resort hotel restaurants or spend time at one of the lounges. There are a few options for Character Dining, which is an experience that embodies the Disney magic we all know and love. Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar has a great atmosphere, as does the Broken Spell Lounge. It's also fun to walk through the lobbies of each hotel to soak up the amazing details that make each one unique.
    • If you really want to go into a theme park, you could purchase a one park per day ticket, which allows you to enter either Disneyland or California Adventure. You'd save a little by not upgrading to a park hopper. Depending on the day of the week and time of year you visit, Disneyland may be open as late as midnight, so you'd still have quite a bit of time in the park. I don't do it often, but I love staying at the park until it closes. There's a quiet calm in certain areas of the park late at night. You can check how late the park will be open on the Hours & Events Calendar.
    • If you frequently visit Southern California from Texas, you might even consider getting a Magic Key annual pass. At the time of writing, the Believe Key and Inspire Key are both available, and pay for themselves in nine and eleven visits, respectively. The Enchant Key pays for itself in six visits, but we currently don't know when it will be available for purchase again. The nice thing about the annual passes is that you can make a reservation with the intent to visit the parks for just a few hours. I do that quite often, actually. I thought I'd mention it just in case you're in the area enough for it to make sense. Otherwise, purchasing standard theme park tickets and keeping an eye out for special offers may be the best approach.
    Andrea, I hope this has sprinkled a little pixie dust on your plans. If you have any other questions, please let us know. We're always happy to help here at planDisney!

    Wishing you magic,
    Kriss
thumbnail image for Kriss

Meet the Panelist: Kriss, California

Hi, there! I’m Kriss, a wife, mom of two mini Mouseketeers, and lifelong Orange County local. As a Magic Key holder who visits the Disneyland Resort often, you have a friend in me when it comes to tips and tricks for making the most of your magical visit. Plant-based dining, navigating the parks with kids, transportation, pin trading, itineraries for various preferences – I’ve got you covered! Learn More About Kriss

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Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort or Disney Cruise Line® vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their planDisney participation. The views expressed on plandisneypanel.com are those of the panelists, who are independent contractors. These views are not intended to reflect the opinions of Disney Destinations, its affiliates, its management, its agents or its employees and have not been reviewed or approved by Disney Destinations prior to posting.

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