Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Karen!
I am beyond thrilled that you are planning your first visit to the Disneyland Resort! Planning is definitely a bit different, but I think you will find the experience much more relaxed and simple than planning a vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort. First, while you are currently able to
book your vacation for December 2019, nearly everything else you will need to plan will happen much closer to your travel dates. Dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance and you will make them one day at a time as each date hits the 60-day mark. I certainly recommend making dining reservations as soon as you are able, especially when traveling over Christmas.
Next, FASTPASSES are not selected ahead of time and they are not offered for every attraction. Currently, you will select your FASTPASSES individually on the day you are visiting the parks. The traditional FASTPASS service is included with your park admission and will require you to visit a FASTPASS distribution kiosk for each attraction you want to ride with a FASTPASS. For an additional fee per day per ticket, you can upgrade to the
Disney MaxPass option that will allow you to make your FASTPASS selections on your mobile device from anywhere in the parks.
Finally, one of the very best things about the Disneyland Resort is that everything is so close together. Both parks, the Downtown Disney District, and the three Disneyland Resort Hotels are all within walking distance from each other. So there is no need to rent a car nor are there any buses to take to get from point A to point B and park hopping takes mere minutes.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to stop by again. Happy planning!
-Linda