Hi Ana!
Welcome to planDisney. We're so happy you stopped by as we love helping fellow Guests plan their magical visits to the Happiest Place on Earth!
I can see that you love to spread some magic and pixie dust yourself! Gifting a 3-Day
SoCal Resident Ticket is such a thoughtful and generous surprise! I just spoke with a Cast Member who confirmed that with these special tickets, you would need to have the name changed ahead of time. I realize this is unlike
standard theme park tickets which are assigned when the ticket is scanned into the park for the first time. I'm guessing this is because the SoCal Resident Tickets require each Guest to present a valid government-issued photo ID reflecting an address within eligible ZIP codes 90000 - 93599. In essence, the name on the ticket needs to match the ID presented.
You can change the name with a quick tap of your own magic wand by either calling
Theme Park Experience Services at (714) 781- 4636 or even by using the Live Chat option on the website itself. That gift will be all wrapped up in a bow before you can say Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo! As you are the purchaser, I recommend that you reach out to make the change ahead of your friend linking the ticket to his account. This way, all we be smooth sailing for him.
Your friend will have 3 full days to enjoy the parks between now and May 15, 2025. I recommend that he makes all three
theme park reservations sooner rather than later - they can always be modified if needed. As we get closer to May, reservations may become difficult to secure as everyone with SoCal tickets is hoping to get the most out of the magic. If you and your friend are
Star Wars fans, I highly recommend booking a reservation during
Season of the Force (March 28 - May 11) at Disneyland Park. In addition to some special nighttime offerings and the epic return of
Hyperspace Mountain, you may run into Luke Skywalker himself for a very limited time!
Ana, I hope this was helpful! If you have any more questions in your planning, please feel free to reach out to us here at
planDisney.
Magic awaits!
Tara