Hey there Heidi,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you so much for your question! I'm thrilled to hear you'll be visiting the Disneyland Resort in about a month - have you started counting down the days yet?
There was a
recent announcement that starting July 24, 2024, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will be the new name for
Disney Genie+ service, and Lightning Lane Single Pass will be the new name for
individual Lightning Lane entrance access. The names will help provide clarity for these services, but they will function the same as they currently do! I'll use the new names for these services for the rest of my answer since that's what you'll see during your upcoming visit.
I'm a huge fan of adding the
Park Hopper option to my tickets, and they make a great pair to the ability to book Lightning Lane return times as well through Lightning Lane Multi Pass. In terms of which park is best to start in for a 1-day visit, that is a tough choice! I typically opt to make my
theme park reservation for Disneyland Park mostly just so I can start my visit with a walk down
Main Street, U.S.A.As soon as you first scan your ticket to enter a park, you're able to book your first Lightning Lane return time through the
Disneyland Resort mobile app. While you can book return times for either park, I would recommend you pick a return time in your current park, because you won't be able to start park hopping until 11:00 AM - after which time you'll be able to hop back and forth as you'd like and as park capacity allows. Though I've never had an issue hopping back and forth due to park capacity, it can happen at the busiest points of the year.
After 11:00 AM, you're free to keep an eye on the Lightning Lane return times for both parks and book them as you're able! It really adds a lot of convenience to visits, which is why I almost always add them.
Thanks again for your question, Heidi! I hope you enjoy your trip to the Disneyland Resort next month.
Have a Magical Day,
Greg