Hi Andrea,
Thanks for visiting planDisney. Your magical vacation is almost here! I’m so excited for you. It sounds like you’ve decided to extend the magic by staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel. I’ve had the pleasure of staying at all three
Disneyland Resort hotels, and they are all fabulous; you’ve made an excellent choice.
I was able to get on the phone with a helpful Cast Member, and they confirmed that you can park in the hotel lot the morning of your check-in and then head into the park. Additionally, you can use the
Early Entry on the day of your check-in. Be sure your hotel reservations are linked to your My Disney account. You’ll need to show a Cast Member the reservation on your Disneyland app to participate in early entry. Remember that Disneyland offers early entry on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, while Disney California Adventure Park offers early entry on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings.
No matter which hotel you’re staying at, you can use a special entrance on the south side of the Grand Californian to enter California Adventure early. This entrance was formerly for Pixar Place guests but has recently been extended to all Resort hotel guests while renovations take place at the typical Grand Californian entrance to the park. You can also use the
Monorail to enter Disneyland faster.
Just in case, I wanted to remind you that during your trip, Disneyland will be celebrating the Season of the Force. There will be special food, merchandise, and entertainment throughout the park. Be sure to check out
Fire of the Rising Moons—a galactic perspective of the nightly fireworks from Galaxy’s Edge. There will also be a special edition of this show called “Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga.” The Disney Parks Blog has released a
Season of the Force guide and a
Foodie Guide to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
I hope this information was helpful, Andrea. If you have any other questions, need additional help, or would love more advice, please feel free to write back to me or my fellow panelists, and we’d be happy to assist.
See you real soon!
Melinda