Hi Tracy,
Welcome to planDisney! It sounds like you have all the beginnings of a magical vacation. Hotel reservations: Check. Park tickets: Check. During your trip, Disneyland will be in full swing of its
70th Anniversary celebrations, so you have a lot to look forward to!
To help you zip through the park like Lightning McQueen, let’s talk about
Lightning Lane passes.
At Disneyland, you can purchase your Lightning Lane Multi Pass when you buy your park tickets, or through the app on the day you enter the parks. Unlike Disney World, you do not have to book Lightning Lane reservations in advance; everyone gets an equal playing field in that way. On the day of your visit, you can purchase Lightning Lane passes through the mobile app once you scan into the park. When you launch the app, click the three bars on the bottom right corner. Then, click the “Lightning Lane Passes” box at the top left. You will be taken to a page where you can purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass. When you click your selection, you will be prompted to choose all the people you want to buy passes for. Once you purchase your Multi Pass, you are ready to start making reservations.
To help this process go faster, it's a good idea to link your tickets to the app ahead of time. When you launch the Disneyland app on your phone, click the three bars on the bottom right corner. Then, click the “My Tickets & Passes” box at the top left. You will be taken to a page where you can link tickets (the plus sign at the top). You will want to link every ticket in your party so that you can book everyone’s Lightning Lane at once. You can also link your party’s tickets on the Disneyland website. Multiple people can link tickets to their phones, so I recommend that anyone who will be making Lightning Lane reservations for your party do this same process.
Here is a list of attractions that go under the Multi Pass at
Disneyland and at
California Adventure. Remember, once you enter the park, you can start making your reservations. Don’t forget to book your next reservation every two hours, or once you use your reservation.
Earlier, I mentioned that Disneyland will be celebrating its 70th anniversary. In fact, Disneyland opened its gates on July 17, so if you are in the park that day, be sure to stop by “It’s a Small World.” The ride will be
featuring a new verse that was written by Disney Legend, Richard M. Sherman. I can’t wait to hear it myself and enjoy it with my daughter—it's her favorite ride!
I hope this answers your question, Tracy. If you are actually going to Disney World, please write back, as Disney World has a different Lightning Lane process than Disneyland. If you have any other questions or need help planning, feel free to write back to me or one of my fellow panelists. We’d be happy to share our thoughts.
Wishing you a magical vacation!
-Melinda