Greetings, Martha, and welcome to planDisney! When I’m soaking up the magic at the Disneyland Resort, I love keeping things simple, and that includes paying for food and souvenirs. The good news is that there are plenty of payment options available at the Resort, so you can choose the one that works best for you.
Martha, cash (U.S. dollar) is accepted at most locations throughout the Disneyland Resort. You should have no problem paying with cash at most shops, dining locations, and food carts. Major credit cards and Disney Gift Cards are also accepted. You can also use tap-to-pay options like Apple Pay and Google Pay at many quick-service dining locations, food carts, and merchandise locations.
That said, if you want to use the
Disneyland mobile app to order food or pay for merchandise on your phone, you'll need to link a credit or debit card or a digital wallet (like Apple Pay or Google Pay) to your account. I particularly like placing mobile orders at quick-service dining locations since it saves time – instead of waiting in line and placing an order, you'd skip straight to the pickup window.
Another option, Martha, is to purchase Disney Gift Cards with cash and then pay with your gift card throughout the visit. There have even been gift cards with special designs commemorating the 70th Anniversary Celebration available at certain merchandise locations.
If you need cash while you're in the parks,
24-hour self-service ATMs are available in both theme parks, Downtown Disney, and Disneyland Resort hotels.
Paying with cash, you may have some spare change. If you do, head to the
Fortune Tellers (there is one on Main Street, U.S.A. and one in New Orleans Square) to get a printed fortune. There may also be machines in some stores that you can use your coins to activate and interact with. My kids had a lot of fun once with the dancing Woody machine in
Pioneer Mercantile at Disneyland.
The
70th Anniversary Celebration is underway, and you should definitely check out the shows, merchandise, and food currently at the Resort – Paint the Night and Wondrous Journeys are two amazing nighttime shows that are certainly worth watching. You should also check out the complete
guide on anniversary merchandise, as well as the
foodie guide, on the Disney Parks Blog for inspiration on what you might want to purchase during your visit.
Martha, I hope this information is helpful to you as you continue preparing for your magical vacation. If you have any other questions between now and then, please reach out. We're always happy to help here at planDisney!
See you soon,
Kriss