Buying theme park tickets is frequently the priciest aspect of a Disneyland trip. Do you truly require Park Hopper tickets, which allow access to multiple parks on the same day? Are there secure and legitimate methods to save on tickets? Additionally, what is the procedure for Disneyland reservations? Grasping all of your choices is essential for ensuring a joyful experience at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Having visited Disneyland regularly for the past couple of decades, I’ve bought nearly every type of ticket available, including an annual pass (currently referred to as a Magic Key).
Here is all the information you need to purchase Disneyland tickets to ensure you make the best decision for your visit.
Disneyland ticket basics
Single-day tickets
Let’s begin with the most straightforward choice: one-day tickets for a single park at Disneyland. Disneyland consists of two parks (Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park), and a one-day ticket grants you access to just one of the two parks.
Single-day tickets at Disneyland vary in price based on the specific day of your visit and are categorized into different price tiers. Nevertheless, the cost of a single-day ticket is the same whether you choose to visit Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park. The pricing for single-day, one-park-per-day tickets is listed below:
- Tier 0 — $104
- Tier 1 — $119
- Tier 2 — $134
- Tier 3 — $154
- Tier 4 — $169
- Tier 5 — $184
- Tier 6 — $194
At Disney, individuals aged 10 and above are classified as adults, whereas child tickets are allocated for those aged between 3 and 9 — anyone under the age of 3 can enter free of charge.
Disneyland organizes days into its tier system around six months ahead of time. Currently, ticket prices for one-day visits are available up to December. This aligns with the park’s reservations calendar, which is published 180 days beforehand.
As anticipated, peak demand times (such as weekends and holidays) fall into the higher-tier categories. Traditionally, Tier 0 days (the cheapest option) are typically midweek during low-demand months and are less common. If you’re uncertain about the exact day you plan to visit or believe you might need to cancel and reschedule after booking, it’s most prudent (though costlier) to buy the highest-tier ticket. Generally, upgrading to a higher tier later is not an option.
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Multiday tickets
If you are planning an extended trip to Disneyland, you can purchase multiday tickets. The daily cost usually drops the longer your stay. The simplest multiday ticket grants entry to one park per day. Therefore, visitors with a three-day, one-park-per-day ticket could spend two days in Disneyland Park and one day in Disney California Adventure, but they would not be able to visit both parks on the same day.
Unlike the Walt Disney World Resort, where the cost of multiday tickets fluctuates depending on the date of your visit, the prices for multiday tickets at Disneyland remain consistently the same. There are no multiple pricing tiers for ticket holders to contend with.
Standard prices for multiday tickets, with access to one park per day in 2024, are as follows:
- Two-day ticket — $310
- Three-day ticket — $390
- Four-day ticket — $445
- Five-day ticket — $480
Tickets valid for multiple days can be used for up to 13 days following their initial use. This offers a cost-effective option for out-of-town visitors planning to enjoy several days at the park. On the other hand, these tickets are less suitable for locals who prefer to spread their visits over an extended time frame.
Options and additional features for Disneyland tickets
Naturally, there are extra options available that can raise the price of park tickets for Disneyland visitors. Some of these ticket enhancements include:
Park Hopper
The most basic tickets for Disneyland allow entry into just one park per day. However, you can opt for the Park Hopper option for an extra fee. As implied by its name, Park Hopper tickets enable visitors to move between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure multiple times in a single day. Given the close proximity of the parks, park-hopping here is more convenient than at Disney World.
What is the additional cost of the Park Hopper feature on ticket prices? The amount varies based on the duration of your stay.
- One-day Park Hopper — $65
- Two-day Park Hopper — $65
- Three-day Park Hopper — $70
- Four-day Park Hopper — $70
- Five-day Park Hopper — $75
My family appreciates the ability to switch between parks if we encounter excessive crowds in one park on any particular day. Over the years, park-hopping has played a significant role in our strategy to avoid long lines at Disneyland. I typically advise most friends to get Park Hopper tickets too, except for those planning a two-day visit who intend to dedicate a full day to each park.
For the time being, park-hopping now has an extra condition it didn’t previously have: a time constraint. Visitors are not allowed to park-hop until 11 a.m. or later, depending on capacity limitations. This added restriction may lessen the value of the Park Hopper option compared to before.
Disney Genie+
When Disney Genie+ was launched in December 2021, it rapidly became an essential tool for me during trips to Disneyland. Disney Genie+ enables visitors to bypass the standby line in favor of a shorter Lightning Lane at certain Disneyland attractions and offers additional benefits such as unlimited PhotoPass downloads throughout your visit.
At Disneyland, Disney Genie+ can be acquired as an additional feature either when booking your vacation package or on the day of your visit, with potential savings if bought in advance.
- Prearrival Disney Genie+ — $30
- Disney Genie+ price on the day of visit — may vary, starting from $30
Related: How I made the most of Disneyland’s Genie+ and experienced 26 attractions in one day.
Most of Disneyland’s top attractions are covered with Genie+, but you will still need to buy an Individual Lightning Lane entry for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park.
Disneyland’s reservation system
Another aspect to consider regarding Disneyland tickets: Starting in 2021, Disneyland requires guests to not only purchase admission but also make daily, advance reservations for the specific theme park they wish to visit each day.
When you purchase tickets directly from Disneyland, the reservation process is now incorporated into the ticket purchase itself. If you buy tickets from other sources (often to get discounts and special offers), you will need to make reservations separately after buying the ticket and subsequently add it to your Disneyland account.
Before considering ticket purchases, it’s wise to review Disneyland’s reservation calendar for available slots. Confirm that the parks you plan to visit can accept new reservations on your desired dates.
Please note there are two different calendars for reservation availability: one for one-park-per-day tickets and another for Park Hopper tickets. Ensure you select the tab corresponding to the ticket type you intend to buy.
Discounts on Disneyland tickets and the optimal times to purchase them.
Regrettably, extremely steep ticket discounts for Disneyland are not feasible (and if you come across any, they are likely scams, so avoid them). Nevertheless, there are still methods to save.
Discounts on single-day and multi-day Disneyland tickets
An effective method to save money is by buying multi-day tickets to Disneyland from a reliable ticket broker like Get Away Today or Undercover Tourist.
These brokers frequently offer tickets for slightly less than the official Disney prices, while providing the same benefits and ease of use. Sometimes, you may also find special deals, such as a complimentary fifth day, which can further lower expenses. Make sure to compare different options, as prices often change.
Disneyland seldom offers discounts on one-day tickets, so it’s not worth spending time looking for deals if you’re planning to visit for just one day. Nevertheless, the simplest way to save on single-day tickets is to purchase discounted Disney gift cards and use them directly with Disney to pay for your ticket. If you can secure a significant discount on gift cards, you might even get a better deal than from brokers offering multi-day ticket discounts.
Certainly, there are various other sources to locate discounts, such as Costco, AAA, and grocery stores, but these typically do not surpass the prices available from ticket brokers or through the use of discounted Disney gift cards.
Military discounts
There are several additional ticket discounts available for those who qualify. Traditionally, the most significant discounts are offered to military personnel and their spouses. These discounted tickets can be bought exclusively at certain military bases, with a few restricted blackout dates. The ticket prices at Disneyland for military members in 2024 are:
- Three-day ticket for Park Hopper: $268.50
- Four-day Park Hopper pass: $314.25
Price increases
Be cautious of ticket price hikes, particularly the recent one in October 2023. It’s generally advisable to purchase Disneyland tickets just before such increases. Fortunately, there is a solution!
Even when ticket prices go up, discount brokers can offer tickets at the previous year’s rates for a limited period, usually around one to two weeks after the increase is announced. So, if you’re planning a Disneyland trip for late 2024 or 2025, I highly suggest starting your vacation planning now to secure these lower prices.
Disneyland annual memberships — now referred to as Magic Keys.
Finally, another way to get discounted entry to Disneyland is through annual passes. In the summer of 2021, Disneyland overhauled its annual pass program and rebranded the passes as “Magic Keys.”
Visitors considering a trip to Disneyland Resort might discover that a Magic Key offers greater value compared to buying two or more multiday tickets. Annual passes are particularly beneficial for many local residents of Southern California.
The crucial point (pun intended) is to perform the calculations. Don’t forget to factor in the extra Magic Key discounts on dining, shopping, and parking, as these can lead to further savings.
It’s crucial to carefully review the details and determine if any pass types have blackout dates that might interfere with your planned vacations. Multiday tickets do not have blackout dates, providing you with greater flexibility to visit on any day of the year.
It’s crucial to monitor the Magic Key reservations calendar. Its availability differs and tends to fill up faster than the regular park tickets reservations calendar. If you are unable to plan well ahead, a Magic Key might leave you stranded if your desired visit date is already fully booked.
Acquiring a Magic Key can occasionally be challenging. Disney halted Magic Key sales on June 5, without any notice of when they might resume.
Check out TPG’s comprehensive Disneyland Magic Keys guide for all the information.
Bottom line
When planning a trip to Disneyland, tickets are undoubtedly a significant expense. Nevertheless, with some preparation, evaluating the additional services you require, and being aware of various discounts, you can still manage to save a considerable amount of money.
If you’re organizing a trip to Disneyland, take a look at these tips to save both time and money: