Hi there, Marcia!
Just ten days until you are immersed in the magic of
Disneyland's 70th Anniversary Celebration! You are in for such a treat. Having just returned from a visit, I'm still humming the Celebrate Happy theme song and floating on air from an unforgettable time in the magic.
It sounds like you are heading to the Happiest Place on Earth with a group of family and friends. That is going to be an extra special visit. I'm happy to help you pave a clear path to the magic for everyone on your trip! I'm guessing you may have taken a trip or two to Walt Disney World, where the My Disney Experience app allows Guests to create a friends and family list that can be used for booking
Lightning Lanes. While there are many similarities between Disneyland and Walt Disney World, there are some nuanced differences as well that may surprise you. One of those is that the
Disneyland app does not currently function in the same way when it comes to creating a friends and family list like you may be used to. This is not to say that there is not a way to link everyone together, it's just a different process. Let's take a look!
I'd highly recommend that everyone in your group create their own Disneyland account and download the app. This will allow them to have access to their ticket so they can enter and exit the parks as they wish and also make Lightning Lane selections for themselves or the group. Next, each person will want to "link" to each other. When you open the app, head to the three-line icon in the bottom right-hand corner and select "My Tickets & Passes". In the upper right-hand corner, you will see a "+" and the option to "Link Tickets & Passes". Tap in there to see three different ways that you can link to each other. If you are physically together, I would choose "Camera" where you would just scan the barcode for each ticket from the "My Tickets & Passes" section. You will want to do this both ways - they scan you and you scan them. Alternatively, you can choose "Type ID" to manually enter the ticket confirmation number underneath each barcode. If the group has MagicBand+, you could also choose "Tap" to link with a quick...you guessed it...tap from the band to each other's phone. Once the linking is complete for all parties, you should see the tickets show up in "My Tickets & Passes" for everyone.
Once you scan into the parks, you can make your first Lightning Lane selection. When you tap into the attraction, you will be asked to select your party, and those Guests with tickets linked to your account will be visible. Make your choices, and away you go into the magic!
Remember those nuances I mentioned? If you are used to the ins and outs of Disney World, I'd recommend spending some time in the Disneyland app ahead of your visit taking a look at the attractions that offer Lightning Lane. While some of the same attractions operate in both parks, rides like Peter Pan's Flight do not offer a Lightning Lane at Disneyland, while it does at Disney World. It's good to get a lay of the land. When you head into the app, tap the "+" and select "Book a Lightning Lane Entry". On the next screen, toggle at the top to "Show Only Lightning Lane Experiences" to view what will be available for you during this visit.
Marcia, I sure hope this has been helpful! If you have any more questions, we are always here for you at
planDisney.
Magic awaits!
Tara