Greetings, Nancy, and welcome to planDisney! As a Magic Key holder, I have a lot of experience with hopping between Disneyland and California Adventure. I'm happy to share some information and advice to help you prepare for your New Year's Eve visit!
At the Disneyland Resort, both a valid ticket and a theme park reservation are required for entry. With a
Park Hopper ticket, you’ll begin your day at the park where you hold a reservation if you arrive before 11 a.m. You can cross into the other park (or enter either park for the first time) after 11 a.m., as long as it hasn’t reached capacity. While it is possible for the ability to park hop to be temporarily paused if a park reaches capacity, I'd say it's rare. In my many visits, I’ve never experienced it firsthand. However, if it were to happen, Guests would be notified through a push notification in the
Disneyland mobile app – be sure to have it downloaded with notifications turned on.
New Year's Eve is historically a popular day to visit the Disneyland Resort. The Happiest Place on Earth is a great place to ring in the new year, after all! December 31, 2025 is a
Tier 6 ticket, which is considered the highest level for a single-day ticket. I would interpret this as being a popular day for Guests to want to visit. To make the most of your day, you might want to consider purchasing the
Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which will enable you to access popular attractions through a special Lightning Lane entrance. The multi pass is even better with a Park Hopper ticket, since you'll be able to make selections for attractions in both parks – just be strategic about what you book and when.
To give yourself the best start, I suggest arriving at the entrance gate of California Adventure around 30 minutes before the park's opening time, and proceeding to the roped-off area to wait for the park to open. You should be able to fit a lot into those first few hours. I'd probably try to cross into Disneyland around 2 p.m., rather than waiting until later in the afternoon, but you can do what works best for you! The parks are connected by an Esplanade, and it's extremely easy to walk from one to the other. There have been days when I've even crossed between the parks multiple times. The
Hours & Events Calendar is updated to reflect park hours and entertainment schedules up to six weeks out, so check in mid-November to see what's in store and decide how to split up your day.
Since you’ll be visiting during the holiday season, you can also look forward to festive food, dazzling decorations, and special entertainment. I recommend keeping an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for announcements about what’s coming.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast at Storytellers Cafe is one holiday dining experience that looks especially charming.
Nancy, I hope this information has sprinkled some pixie dust onto your plans. If you have any other questions between now and December, please reach out. We're always happy to help here at planDisney!
Wishing you magic,
Kriss