Hi Colleen! Thanks for visiting planDisney.
What a lovely gift idea! I'm sure whoever receives it will be thrilled with your thoughtfulness. It's the gift of magic for sure, and with so many new things coming to the Disneyland Resort in the upcoming year, they'll have plenty to explore. Check out the
Disney Park Blog for all the official information.
Standard admission tickets, including one-day one-park-per-day tickets, have very generous expiration dates, unlike
special offers like the current Disney+ Subscribers Offer, which is only good for valid use through December 27, 2024. The other special offers currently available, which have a limited-time use are the Kids' Special Ticket Offer and SoCal Residents Ticket Offer. Check the details on these offers at this time to determine whether you're eligible and can use the tickets during their valid use windows.
If you purchase a standard admission ticket, it should be good for the upcoming year. Even if the ticket goes unused for a lengthy period and expires, wholly unused tickets can be used towards the purchase of a new ticket by paying the difference. I've done that before with tickets we didn't use years earlier due to an emergency situation. It was a relief to still be able to use them after life got in the way.
There are a couple of things to consider when gifting a ticket. First, all Guests need a theme park reservation in addition to a valid ticket. You'll be asked while making your selections which day and park you'd like. That becomes the theme park reservation. The day will determine the
Tier and price. If you don't know when your lucky recipient will want to use their ticket, don't worry: They can modify their theme park reservation to a day and park that works for them within the same Tier or lower. If they want to visit on a higher day, they can pay the difference. Prices and terms are subject to change. Availability of reservations isn't guaranteed and it is possible for days and parks to fill up. You can let them know to select early for the best availability.
Second, in addition to the Park Hopper option, you'll also be asked about adding Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Your recipient can also add this option on their park day after scanning into the park if it's available. The current price might not be the price they see on their park day, but my family adds this option regularly on the day of our visit and it's an easy process on the Disneyland mobile app.
I hope this helps!
Elizabeth