Should You Buy Disneyland Tickets in Advance?

No one wants their chosen vacation days at Disneyland to get sold out. 

But is buying tickets in advance the best idea?

Overall, the vast majority of people agree that buying your Disneyland tickets in advance is best. The further in advance you buy your tickets, the quicker you can make your reservation and the better chance you have of getting to visit Disneyland on your chosen day. 

Why Should I Buy My Disneyland Tickets in Advance?

You should buy your Disneyland tickets in advance because you can’t make a park reservation until you purchase your tickets. 

And you want to be able to make your reservations early to ensure your preferred date doesn’t sell out. 

You see, Disneyland is now requiring that everyone with tickets make a park reservation for when they want to visit the park. 

Disney enacted these new standards after reopening its parks following the closure due to COVID. 

However, although COVID measures seem to be slackening, Disneyland has not said anything about doing away with park reservations. 

So, it is still important to reserve your spot in the park early to ensure there is enough room for you and your party. 

How Early Should I Make Disneyland Park Reservations?

Well, Disneyland allows you to make reservations up to 120 days in advance. 

And it isn’t a bad idea to buy your tickets and make your reservations this early. 

But overall, it is best to book your reservations at least 60 days in advance, especially if you are traveling to Disneyland from far away. 

You don’t want to plan a whole trip around Disneyland and then find out you can’t get into the park. 

Additionally, you should keep in mind that certain times of the year are more popular than others. 

As a general rule, if kids are out of school, the park will be crowded, and reservations will go fast. 

Therefore, if you plan to go to Disneyland during summer vacation, Christmastime, or Spring Break, you should reserve your spot as soon as you can. 

Can I Still Buy Disneyland Tickets at the Gate?

If you want to, you can still buy Disneyland tickets at the gate. 

However, as I stated above, buying them in advance is preferable, even if it’s just the day before. 

If you purchase your tickets at the gate, there is no guarantee you can enter the park that same day because you won’t be able to reserve your spot in the park beforehand. 

So, you may go all the way to Disneyland, buy your tickets, and then find out there is no room at the park. 

Thus, you should always buy in advance if at all possible. 

Read More > Can You Buy Disneyland Tickets at the Gate?

How Do I Make a Disneyland Park Reservation?

Since I said you should buy in advance so that you can make reservations early, you may be wondering how exactly you go about booking park reservations. 

Well, if you bought your ticket online in the past few months, you should have already made your reservation when you purchased the ticket. 

Nowadays, when you buy a ticket on the Disneyland website or app, Disney will first ask you when you want to visit the park. 

They ask this so they can go ahead and book your reservation for you. 

But, if, for one reason or the other, you haven’t made a reservation yet, you can still book one. 

To make a park reservation on Disneyland.com, you need to visit the Theme Park Tickets and Reservations page. 

From there, just click on “Make Park Reservations” and follow the prompts to create your reservation. 

How Can I Tell if I Have a Disneyland Park Reservation Made for My Ticket?

If you aren’t sure if you’ve made a reservation or just want to check the date, all you need to do is look up your reservation online. 

To view your reservation on Disneyland.com, you need to: 

• Log into your account on Disneyland.com
• Choose the “My Disneyland” tab in the far right of your screen 
• Click “Ticket and Reservation Details” 
• Scroll down and pick “View My Park Reservations” 

Or, to find your reservation on the Disneyland app, you have to: 

• Open the Disneyland app 
• Choose the three horizontal bars in the bottom right of your screen 
• Pick “Tickets and Passes” 
• Choose your ticket to view the reservation date

Now, you should be able to see your park reservation date. 

If not, you’ll know that you haven’t yet made one. 

How Do I Know Which Reservation Dates Are Available?

To find out which reservation dates are available for your desired park, you need to navigate to Disneyland’s Theme Park Reservation Availability Calendar. 

On this page, you can look through the calendar to determine which dates are open for reservation. 

Are Disneyland Tickets Cheaper if I Buy Them in Advance?

No, Disneyland tickets are not cheaper if you buy them in advance. 

Basically, no matter when you buy your tickets, they will be the same price. 

They are also the same price online as they are at the gate. 

Can I Buy a Disneyland Ticket in Advance Without Booking a Reservation?

If you want to go ahead and buy your Disneyland tickets but aren’t sure when you will be able to visit the park, don’t worry. 

I mean, technically, you do have to make a park reservation when you buy the tickets, but you can easily change the date if you need to later. 

To change the date, you must first cancel your park reservation by navigating to your tickets, either on the Disneyland app or Disneyland.com. 

Then, you can make new reservations by following the steps under the above heading, “How Do I Make a Disneyland Park Reservation?” 

How Far in Advance Should I Book a Disneyland Hotel?

Generally, if you want to stay at an on-site hotel or near the resort, you should book at least three months in advance. 

Conclusion 

Overall, you should definitely buy your Disneyland tickets in advance if you can. 

Buying early means that you can make your reservation far in advance, which gives you a better chance of being able to visit the park on the days you want.