Hi there, Burt,
There are a few factors that go into making changes to park reservations. First, your park ticket needs to be valid for the date you wish to visit. You can check the expiration date and blockout dates of your ticket type in your ticket purchase confirmation email. For example, if you have a Summer 2023 California Resident Ticket, the last day it could be used is Thursday, September 28, 2023.
Another important factor is that the number of theme park reservations is limited for a given theme park ticket type. Here are some links to theme park reservation availability calendars for some ticket types:
Another factor is related to one-day tickets. There are currently seven ticket tiers for one-day theme park tickets. Each ticket tier has a different set of blockout dates. For example, a Tier 5 ticket may be used on Thursday, October 5, 2023. But a Tier 6 ticket would be required to visit on Friday, October 6, 2023.
If your ticket type is valid for the date you would like to visit but park reservations have run out, there are a few options you might consider. One option is to wait it out to see if reservations open up again. When other Guests change their plans, their canceled park reservations may become available for you to use. Guests of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels may also book theme park reservations set aside exclusively for on-site Guests. Another option is to upgrade your ticket to another ticket type of equal or greater value. For example, at this time, it looks like reservations for 1-park-per-day tickets have run out for Friday, October 6, 2023. But park reservations are still available for Park Hopper tickets on that date.
If your ticket is still valid but blocked on a date you wish to visit, you may also choose the ticket upgrade path. This is the way to make use of a one-day ticket on a date for higher-tier tickets. Tickets may be upgraded by stopping by a main entrance ticket booth at the Disneyland Resort. Or you may request upgrade information from a Cast Member on the Tickets phone line or using the chat feature in the Disneyland mobile app.
Tony's Tip: If you have a multi-day ticket and any of the days have been used already, you will need to use the remaining days of the ticket before the last valid date according to the expiration policy specific to your ticket. In the case of a regular ticket (i.e. non-complimentary and non-event ticket) that hasn't been used at all, whether a one-day ticket or a multi-day ticket, the ticket may usually be upgraded even after its expiration date. Take your wholly unused ticket to a ticket booth to upgrade to a new ticket of equal or greater value.
I hope that helps solve the mystery behind your park reservation challenge, Burt. For inquiries regarding a specific ticket ID, you may also reach out to the Tickets phone line for case-by-case support.
Good luck, Burt. And I hope you can enjoy a visit to The Happiest Place on Earth soon.
~Tony