Happiest Greetings on Earth, Jane! I'm so happy to welcome you to planDisney and thank you for sharing this question with us.
I hope you're getting ready for the most magical holiday celebration imaginable! Spending the
holidays at Disneyland Resort with your loved ones has to be the best gift on earth! I'm happy to share that your
early entry benefit applies to each day of your reservation as a Guest of one of the Disneyland Resort hotels. So, you should be able to utilize early entry on your check-in date. You can drop off your luggage at the bell desk and begin the check-in process at the hotel reception. They may give you hotel room keys that can be used to show at the theme parks in the early entry lane. However, my preference is to utilize the hotel check-in feature within the
official Disneyland mobile app. You'll receive a push notification or text when your room is ready, and you can even use a
digital key to unlock your room from your mobile device. I'd also recommend getting familiar with locating your hotel reservation in the app because this is another way to verify that you are a Guest with a valid hotel reservation to be able to access the early entry benefit at the theme parks.
As for your
check-in time, Disneyland Resort hotel rooms are ready after 3:00 PM on your arrival date, or if you happen to be staying in one of the Villas at the Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa or Villas at Disneyland Hotel, your check-in time would be 4:00 PM. I hope this is helpful information, Jane, and more than anything, I wish you and your loved ones an absolutely spectacular holiday visit to 'The Happiest Place on Earth!' Dreams do come true! If we can help with anything else in the meantime, please don't hesitate to come back and share another planning question with us here at
planDisney.
Wishing you Wondrous Journeys,
Tishra