Hello and welcome to planDisney, Yvonne. We're so glad you stopped by to share this question with us. Your visit to the Disneyland Resort will be here before you know it and I'm honored to help you prepare.
Woohoo! I'm so excited to hear that you and your husband will be making your very first magical visit soon! You've picked an excellent time for your stay as the
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort will be in full swing and the resort will be even more magical.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a great way to plus up your day. You'll be able to keep "one jump ahead" of the line when it comes to select attractions to make the most of your day.
Using Lightning Lane Multi Pass is easier than saying, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Make sure to download the
Disneyland app before your visit and link your theme park tickets. This will help with making your Lightning Lane selections at the same time. You can make your first selection as soon as your tickets have been scanned and you've entered the theme park. You will be able to see when you can make your next selection in the "Tip Board" which can be found in the app by tapping the "☰" followed by tapping the "Rides, Shows & Lightning Lane Entry" tile. I also like to set an alarm on my phone for when I can make my next selection to make sure I take full advantage of this service. I usually like to secure my Lightning Lane entrance for the popular rides first to ensure I'm able to ride them. These include attractions like Indiana Jones Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!, Matterhorn and Space Mountain to name a handful.
Disney Genie Service is a super helpful tool in the Disneyland app that can help you put together a personalized park itinerary for the day. It can be found in the same place as your "Tip Board," only you will select the tab to the right for "My Day." You'll select the day of your visit on the calendar and then tap the "Get Started Now" button. You can select your top attractions as well as places where you might like to eat during your visits and Genie will help put together a suggested itinerary at 7:00 a.m. on the day of your visit. You will need to have your theme park ticket and reservation to use this service in advance.
When it comes to dining, if there are any sit-down, table service restaurants that you'd like to enjoy, you may need to make a dining reservation. These can be made as early as
60 days in advance of your visit. Reservations for some of the more popular places like
Blue Bayou Restaurant and
Lamplight Lounge can go quickly, so I recommend being on the site around 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time for the best chance at grabbing a reservation for one of these locations.
You'll be visiting during an especially magical time of the year. Keep an eye on
Disney Parks Blog for updates on all of the holiday festivities as we get closer. Make sure to stop into one of the stores on Main Street, U.S.A. to ask a Cast Member for a complimentary "1st Visit" button to wear proudly during your visit.
Yvonne, I hope this has been helpful. I wish you and your husband a magical visit to the Happiest Place on Earth!
Michelle