Hi there, Brandee,
Reservations are required for various aspects of a visit to the Disneyland Resort. Let's walk through the process of making types of reservations.
Theme park reservations are usually booked as part of the
theme park ticket purchase process online or in the
Disneyland mobile app. For tickets purchased elsewhere or other existing tickets, Guests may use the "
My Theme Park Reservations" page to link the tickets to their Disneyland Resort account and book park reservations. Park reservations are limited. I recommend booking as early as possible, up to 120 days in advance.
Dining reservations may be booked online or in the Disneyland mobile app. In the app, tap the '+' button at the bottom of the screen then select "Check Dining Availability." Reservations may usually be made up to 60 days in advance. Dining reservations for many restaurants are often quite popular. So it is best to check early and often for availability. Many restaurants also feature a walk-up list on the day of your visit. To view walk-up list availability, select "Now" when searching by time in the mobile app.
Enchanting Extras are activities that can also be booked in advance. Make reservations for these activities online or in the mobile app. In the app, you can use the map to search for "Events and Tours" to find activities like Walt's Main Street Story tour. Or search under "Shops" for activities like Savi's Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Finally,
Lightning Lane queues provide a shorter wait time compared to the regular standby queues of select attractions. Lightning Lane return times may be booked for these attractions using the Disneyland app. From the ☰ feature menu, open the "Tip Board" screen to find attractions with a Lightning Lane button marked with the "LL" icon to book your return time. Purchasing the Disney Genie+ service allows you to book return times for most of the attractions that feature Lightning Lane. Other attractions with Lightning Lane queues that are not included with Genie+ may be booked a la carte for a per-attraction fee. Both individual Lightning Lane and Genie+ Lightning Lane return times may only be booked after using your theme park admission to enter a park on a given day. Lightning Lane return times are limited in number. It is best to arrive at the parks early to book return times for your favorite attractions.
I hope that covers the types of reservations you might be interested in making, Brandee. If you are finding reservation availability limited, I hope you don't give up. For example, both park reservations and dining reservations often become available when other Guests need to change their plans. Keep checking often. Hopefully, dates and times that work for you will show up. For park reservations, you can keep an eye on the
reservation availability calendar. The calendar makes it a little easier to see the availability at a glance without needing to start the process of purchasing a park ticket. If you are staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, you may also review the calendar of theme
park reservations exclusively for hotel Guests.
Have a magical time, Brandee!
~Tony