Hey there Tom! Thank you for submitting your great question to planDisney.
You are right, there is a change that is happening to
early entry for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests beginning early next year. Guests who are checked in and staying at one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels may take advantage of the 30-minute early entry into a designated theme park for every day of their hotel stay. It looks like you'll be arriving later next year, so you should have plenty of notice so you can plan your park days and dining reservations accordingly. I would keep an eye on the
Disneyland Resort Hours & Events Calendar where that information will be listed. Right now, the calendar extends out a little over a month, but I'm hoping there will be consistent days of the week for early entry, and you'll be able to plan for your trip well in advance!
In terms of securing
dining reservations, you could also upgrade your tickets to
Park Hopper tickets, and you'd have access to both parks (pending availability) regardless of which park you start your day in. We love to do a quick service meal for lunch, and then sit down to a nice table service restaurant for dinner to rest our feet after a long day! If you did upgrade to Park Hopper tickets, then you wouldn't have to worry about dining reservations, you could go ahead and secure those up to 60 days in advance.
I see that you'll be arriving during
Holiday Time, as the Disneyland Resort transforms into the "Merriest Place on Earth!" There are so many entertainment and seasonal food options to enjoy, I'd keep my eye on the
Disney Parks Blog later next year for the guide to all of the festive fun.
Tom, I am hoping that we know more and see a better pattern of the early entry schedule well before your trip! You and I are alike, I love to plan our park days accordingly, and start a strategy for each park to maximize our day. When the schedule does come out next year, please feel free to
bring any other questions back to us, we'd be happy to help in any way we can!
Have a magical day!
Melissa