Hi Stephanie!
Thanks so much for stopping by planDisney. You are about to embark on some core memory-making, so let's get to the heart of your question.
While I have yet to try the
Lightning Lane Premier Pass myself, I have heard great things! What I love most is the freedom to roam through your day without having to schedule specific return times for some of your favorite attractions. This feels like a very pixie-dusted path to a magical day. Since this is still a pretty new offering, there have already been some updates to the program since it was originally announced. I'm happy to try to clear some things up and get you on your way!
It sounds like you may have booked a
Disneyland Resort Vacation Package that includes both accommodation and theme park tickets. To book the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, each guest needs a valid theme park ticket and theme park reservation. With a package, I just confirmed with a Cast Member that your theme park tickets will arrive in your linked Disney account 2 days ahead of your visit. It used to be 3 days but has recently changed to 2. As soon as those tickets are available to you, you will be able to purchase the Lightning Lane Premier Passes, subject to availability. Head into the
Disneyland Mobile App and you will see the opportunity to tap the "Purchase" button right on the home screen. At this time, you can only purchase for one day at a time, so if you are hoping to secure a Premier Pass for multiple days, you would just need to do separate transactions for each. Quantities are still very limited for this new offering, so I'd recommend purchasing as soon as the opportunity is available to you!
Guests who are holding stand-alone theme park tickets that are not part of a package can book a Premier Pass up to 7 days ahead of their arrival. This timing is not tied to staying at a particular resort, but instead to the fact that their tickets are already accessible to them in their account. I can understand how this may rally some of the emotions from Inside Out as it can be confusing. While there are limited quantities, I took a peek at the availability, and it is still open for the next 7 days. I'm going to send some good thoughts your way that the Premier Passes will be in your hands in no time. One of the perks is that you can use the Premier Pass the same day across both
Disneyland Park and
California Adventure if you are holding Park Hopper tickets! With the entrances to both parks just a 30-second walk, you can zig and zag your way through the magic all day.
Stephanie, I hope this was helpful as you plan out the rest of your trip! Don't forget that with the Premier Pass you will also have access to unlimited digital downloads of all the
PhotoPass photos you take that day - the perfect way to capture the moment!
If you have any more questions, please come back to see us here at
planDisney!
Magic awaits!
Tara