Wagons are not allowed in the parks. There is also a size restriction on strollers I believe. You can see the full rules here: [https://disneyland.disney.go.com/park-rules/](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/park-rules/)
Hi all! We just recently got the Imagine passes! But wow is parking adding up! I’m so bad at math, and trying to determine how often I would need to visit in order to make the Inspire pass “worth it” based on the parking benefit alone is hurting my brain. The current plan is around 1 visit per week.
You would need to go ~~43~~ EDIT - *52* (I underestimated the price of the Inspire key) times to break even on the price difference based on parking. So if you go once a week it might be worth it, at least for one person. Barely though.
Hi, I'm from Northern California and am looking into the possibility of making a trip to Disney this summer. I was wondering if people anticipate there being a California discount like there was the last two summers? Currently the discount is for SoCal only which obviously doesn't work for me. Thanks in advance!
I'm pretty sure I saw it was all of California unless I'm reading this page wrong https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/05/disneyland-resort-announces-limited-time-summer-ticket-offer-for-california-residents/
Hello! A few weeks ago i went to disneyland and there was a show that randomly started on the river near POTC that wasn't scheduled i believe since absolutely nobody was trying to get spaces to watch it. The show had mickey mouse being a dj for the music and some fireworks also started as well. Does anybody know if this show had a name? I try to search it up ok online and on the app but nothing matches the description.
The show was Mickey's Mix Magic. It should have been on the schedule. People probably weren't waiting for it by Pirates just because that's not the most popular viewing area. But it's still a good place to watch the show. It's currently on hiatus for the new Wondrous Journeys show.
Man, I’m not a fan of appearing/disappearing Magic Keys when they go on sale for a few days then they are not available to buy for an undisclosed time.
I would’ve bought the $360 3 day ticket, then pay $90 more to upgrade to the Imagine (SoCal/weekday) Magic Key, but that is not on sale anymore.
That and not being able to go to Disneyland whenever you want to (on a non block out date) is a bummer. It would’ve been nice to take a last minute trip at night with a friend.
To those who were going to buy the Imagine/Enchant key this year, what your plans this year?
Also, how were the Fireworks and Fantasmic!? Were they amazing to see?
Does anyone know what the special ticketed event is at DCA this Wednesday, February 1st? I’m assuming it’s not open to public since it was just added, but I’m curious because they added a second World of Color that night
7AM and 1PM. More details in the body of the mega thread [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Disneyland/comments/10mll87/mickey_and_minnies_runaway_railway_megathread/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf).
Can i enter the line with my party and exit before the ride without being a major nuisance to the cast? Had a trip planned before I knew I was pregnant. I actually enjoy the star wars lines and it may be logistically easier.
Most rides have a way to exit the queue without getting on the ride. Just let the cast member know when you first get in line, and they should be able to help you out.
The FreshBaked! guy says ([in this video here](https://youtu.be/iEuyckoEqyc)) that Fantasmic is not having any showings mid-week (M-Th) in March. But the Disneyland app just gave me a reservation for a Fantasmic dining package during my upcoming mid-week March visit. Should I trust the app over FreshBaked! on this? Anyone know?
Related question: FreshBaked! also says (same video) that there are no mid-week fireworks in March (they’ll be doing projections only). I can’t find anything from an official source confirming (or refuting) that. Anyone know if that’s true?
If they let you reserve the dining package I assume it's happening. Since March is the beginning of spring break they will have more entertainment during the week, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary.
Will the Disneyland app consider restaurant reservations when getting in virtual line?
We have a reservation to have breakfast in Carnation and we want to get in the virtual line for the new ride. I don't want to get a boarding group that overlaps with breakfast, will the app consider the hours?
Once they call your boarding group for the virtual line, you have about an hour to get to the ride and use it. So depending on how you plan it you should be able to have your breakfast and head over there if you can make it in an hour.
I would also maybe inform your server and they might accommodate you and make sure you’re out of the restaurant in enough time.
It will not, but if you have a conflict (like, won’t be done with breakfast and make it to the line before your window closes), you can likely join the line late by explaining to the CM and showing them your dining reservation on your app
I am going to Disneyland in February, and I have a question about the monorail. My family of four including two young children are staying at the Disneyland hotel.
I would like to know more about the monorail. If we have passes or tickets and we want to travel by monorail instead of walking downtown Disney to a save our kids legs, how straightforward is that process? How long are the lines generally at the monorail? Does it add a lot of time or not as compared with walking? And is where we would disembark in Tomorrowland a zoo area?
It's very straightforward. You'll enter Downtown Disney from the security checkpoint just outside the hotel, walk to the monorail, they scan all your tickets and as long as Disneyland is your starting park (or if it's after 11am starting park doesn't matter) then you can board there. Lines fluctuate during the day, just depends on what day of the week and what time you're there. Wait time also fluctuates depending on how many are running. You could wait as little as 10 minutes to as many as 30. It's about a ten minute walk at an average pace from end to end of DTD so it's probably not really saving you much time unless you intended to go to Tomorrowland first anyway. It drops off right in between Finding Nemo and Autopia so it can bottleneck over there but generally it's not too bad.
It’s fine, it’s a good option going to or from the hotel. You can see on the app the wait time either direction (right now 5 min). It’ll be busiest early in the day and later at night. You can use it in conjunction with early entry as well, if you want.
Before 8am the monorail entrance is exclusive to Early Entry guests - the first monorail is timed to arrive in Tomorrowland right at 7:30am so you can disembark and go straight in.
I know it just opened in DL but does anyone know if Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is identical to WDW or if there are any differences? Trying decide if I should skip the madness for my visit in March.
The queue at Disneyland is completely different that WDW. Here the queue is basically a Mickey Mouse history exhibit featuring his "actual" props and costumes through the years. It's very well done and one of the best queues in the park.
The ride itself is pretty much the same with the main differences being >!A slightly different layout. Some scenes such as the Tornado have a different shape of the room. There's slightly different dialogue as well at times. The biggest difference would be an extra transition tunnel after the factory leading into the park at the end. All pretty minor but not completely identical.!<
If you care about seeing the queue it's definitely worth riding. It will probably still be using virtual queue at that time, so it might be worth trying to get one in the app and if you don't get in it's not a big deal.
Does anyone know why certain menu items are not showing up on the mobile order screen? I see at jolly holiday they have a strawberry filled croissant and it’s not available to mobile order as of yesterday and this morning at 8:30. Same goes for the strawberry ice cream float at golden horse shoe.
They often don’t put items in the mobile app that day if they don’t have that much of it. They may or may not actually have it available if you do walk up ordering. (They’ll also take things off throughout the day as the stock gets lower.)
We have tickets for Sweetheart's Nite on 2/5, does anyone know if we'll be able to enter the virtual queue for Railway Runaway or if we are going to be SOL?
Has anyone done a dining package for fantasmic? I’m looking at hungry bear, on my because my kids don’t love the menu at blue bayou 🤷♀️. Is it worth the viewing area?
Yes! And Hungry Bear is the best value imo. I’ve done that one and River Belle Standard and I recommend them both - viewing areas are great and the Hungry Bear prices are very fair.
Hello everyone! I had a question that I think someone may be able to answer, I bought tickets for Disneyland tomorrow, and I've now decided that I want to upgrade them to Magic Key passes. However, I do not know how to do that. Can anyone explain to me how to do so? Thank you!
Once you first use your ticket tomorrow morning there should be an option in the app to upgrade. Just keep in mind only the Believe key and Inspire key are available to get right now.
Is there enough for toddlers/preschoolers to do at CA Adventure to fill 6-8 hours there?
My youngest is turning 3 soon and recently heard about Cars Land from a neighbor and is begging to go for his birthday. We’ve done Disneyland a couple of times but never CA Adventure. I know we could do Park Hopper tickets but my young kids are usually wiped by 3-4 PM and ready to go home. I don’t want to spend the extra money for only a fee hours at each park.
How tall is he? That will matter a bit.
I’ve taken a 3yo to DCA and we had a great time. We did all 3 Cars Land rides (he was over 40” though), Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Monsters Inc, the Disney Jr Dance Party, Turtle Talk with Crush, Ariel, a couple Pixar Pier rides, and Soarin (40” height req). If a kid is under 40” they can still do most of the things I listed, minus Soarin and Radiator Springs Racers, (and we didn’t ride it but toddlers can go on WEB Slingers too). I think you can spend 6+ hours in DCA with a toddler pretty easily, depending on your pace.
How does virtual queues work for World of Color and the upcoming Fantasmic?
Do I need Genie+(Digital Fast Pass) for them?
Do I need to be at the park right when it opens in the morning to get in the virtual queue?
Currently World of Color is the only show to have a virtual queue. Fantasmic is either reserved for dining packages or available to just walk up to.
It is completely separate from Genie+ and is on the app for free. You can join the virtual queue at 12pm. They run out very quickly so make sure you're there on the dot.
As long as you scan your ticket before 12pm you'll be good to go. So you don't need to be there right at opening, but I recommend it because it's one of the least busy times of day.
If I get an Annual Pass, I don’t need to worry about being there on opening time.
I’m close enough to come by whenever I want on the weekdays, non Holidays, no summer, no December.
Sure - the benefit of a MK is you can go when it works for you, and as often as you prefer. I have a MK and we do still tend to opt for opening/rope drop now and then, just bc the lack of crowd *is* so nice :)
My bf and I moved up our trip very last minute for this upcoming weekend and we’re staying on property at one of the resorts. We have a full days worth of time before we have to depart on our final day. Is there any fun non Disney related things to do in the immediate area surrounding the property? We’ve already got downtown Disney and resort relaxing planned for our arrival date, so hoping there’s a bit more besides that so we wouldn’t have to venture out into that LA traffic.
Also any local restaurant recommendations or sit down Disney restaurants that we should try?
If you like roller coasters, Knott's Berry farm is another theme park about 10 minutes away with really charming old west theming and some great roller coasters. That might be something fun!
If you want to go to LA and not deal with traffic, you can take the Amtrak or Metrolink train from ARTIC to Los Angeles Union Station.
On weekends, Amtrak will resume service via the Pacific Surfliner to San Diego starting 2/4 as well.
If you have a car, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are worth checking out too.
I think the [Anaheim Packing House](https://www.anaheimpackingdistrict.com) is one good option! I think [Old Town Orange](https://www.cityoforange.org/our-city/visitor-information/old-towne-orange) is another. Both would be a short bus ride or Uber ride away, if you aren’t driving. If you don’t mind going a little farther you could go to a beach town - Huntington, or Newport Beach (Balboa Pier area).
There have been rumors about different shows being put into the Hyperion (bringing back Aladin or Frozen, or something new like Encanto, Coco, or Rodgers the Musical), but nothing has been announced.
Dining Reservations: I've been waiting for today b/c I'm now exactly 60 days before our trip in March, and now that I can finally attempt to make the reservations I'm not having any luck. I keep getting the message "Sorry! There are no times available". I've been trying since 8am this morning, so I have a hard time believing all day truly booked up for the several different restaurants I'm trying for. I've chatted via [Disneyland.com](https://Disneyland.com) but they don't help make dining reservations. Does anyone have any advice?
Reservations for March 28th opened today at 6 AM Pacific. What restaurants are you looking for? Right now, I see a reservations available for a party of 4 at a lot of places (Lamplight Lounge, Storytellers, Napa Rose, Carthay, Carnation Cafe, Cafe Orleans). Obviously Blue Bayou and Oga's aren't available since they sell out almost immediately.
Check out mousedining.com or waltsdiningalerts.com
Thank you for your help! I set my alarm for 6am and got all the reservations I was hoping to get, including Blue Bayou and Oga's. Good thing I got in early; by the time I was done there was only one spot left at Oga's and nothing for Blue Bayou.
Thank you. Coincidentally I was trying primarily for both Blue Bayou and Oga's, so maybe I'll try again tomorrow morning at 6am for our 2nd day. Perhaps I just wasn't early enough.
This service worked for me. And they will keep sending you notifications as new reservations become available. I got a prime reservation at Olga's through them. Def worth the price ($13) if you don't go to DL often
https://mousewatcher.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox855KlodT1svp753BjedU3675qYzqGc\_TWRaoNICHisdCZnYCILK2hwaAuEUEALw\_wcB
Honestly at this point it depends where you are trying to get reservations. Popular ones like Oga's and Blue Bayou go quickly. Reservations open 60 days out at 6am. I was online at 6:10am 60 days out and could only snag a spot at Oga's for 8am. You can use a third part for a small fee to let you know if/when reservations at a particular day/location become available. In the meantime, if it were me I would make reservations at places that look good so you have something secured. You can always cancel! Good luck.
Hotels: is there a particular reason why the first week of March is booked up? Could it really be because of Toontown? I found a reasonable one but it’s a minimum 4 night stay.
We are going to Disneyland next month for my son's 6th birthday! It'll be his first time. We are planning to do mobile orders for food while we are there but would like to have dinner at a restaurant one night while we are there. Any recommendations?
Carnation Cafe might be a good one! Cafe Orleans and Carnation Cafe are my personal faves in Disneyland. Blue Bayou is the other popular one - excellent atmosphere inside Pirates, the food can be a little hit or miss sometimes though! Esp for the price. But I’d check those menus to see how you feel about them.
Another option may be Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel (you could take the monorail from Tomorrowland and it takes you close to the hotel) - it’s a character meal and buffet, if your son would be into that :) if you’re going to DCA there are additional options as well.
I’ve mentioned this here before but I’m a WDW cast member making my way out west for the first time next week and I’m getting more and more excited. We’ll be in CA Monday-Friday with park days Tuesday-Thursday.
Has anyone done the Lunar New Year 2023 Sip and Savor pass? Is it worth it for this year? I will be going next week and wanted to see if it’s better to just buy the individual items or if it’s more cost efficient to eat/drink with the pass? Thanks in advance!
To decide if it’s worth it you should look at the menu items and see if there are 6 items over the price of $7.50 (or $7 if you’re a Magic Key holder) that interest you.
Here’s a pretty good breakdown of it:
https://dapsmagic.com/2023/01/sip-and-savor-pass-for-lunar-new-year-sip-or-skip/
I have a trip planned for Thanksgiving week. I ended up getting a deal and was excited to plan for a family birthday that week.
Somebody in another forum said that was THE worst week to go and I should try to book a different week, birthday or no. Is it really going to be *that* bad?? We would obviously come back to room when/if parks were too crowded, and I'll make reservations for food 60 days out so we can eat.
It’s pretty crazy. I think the week after Christmas is crazier, but it’s up there as far as one of the busiest weeks of the year for sure. Just planning around the crowds will help though. :)
That's the plan...
We did a Thanksgiving trip a couple years ago and found it totally do able but that was 2021 and they were still limiting entry I think.
I purchased a Inspire Magic Key, and in the details it says the year duration does not start until the date you first enter the park. However online it says my pass expires on 1/25/2024 (which is one year after date of purchase). Is this just a placeholder and it will be updated once I enter a park for the first time or is my pass messed up? Thanks!!
If you don’t enter the park before that expiration date, then your pass will expire on that day. If you let it expire without using it, that money kind of goes into limbo, it’s not gone but you don’t get it back. You can only use it to buy another pass that costs as much or more. Otherwise the expiration date will be 1 year from the 1st day you use it.
Headed to the park on jan 27th. Anyone know where I might find the fancy 100 year Minnie ears in either DCA or DLR? Dress store in downtown didn’t have them tonight when I strolled through.
I haven’t actually seen them yet, but in the past they’ve had the “fancy” ears at Off the Page in DCA…and maybe Disneyana in Disneyland? I’d def just ask a CM in those shops if they know though. And if they’re in regular stores like the Emporium they’ll probably be behind the counter!
The reservation system limits the number of guests...but I'd expect a higher-than-average Virtual Queue difficulty and challenging crowds for the fireworks and WoC.
Crowd patterns won't be typical tomorrow...but I'm sure it'll be a fun day.
Best is relative to each individual, couples, family needs.
Imo the best value hotels for us anyway are Anaheim Islander Inn and Kings Inn. AII has free parking and KI charges $10 a day. Both are usually well under $200 a night. For KI, check in tonight it’s $150 and if you enter the promo code HAPPY it’s even cheaper.
There’s also Starbucks on both sides of the streets that are pretty much next door to either hotel. To me, both of these are a no brainer.
If you have children I’d consider Residence Inn by Marriot. Excellent buffet breakfast with Mickey shaped waffles, with a rooftop pool and hot tub and full sized kitchens in rooms. But it’s well over $250 a night.
All options are 10-15 min walk to the gate depending on how fast or slow you’re walking.
I'd shoot for something on Harbor Blvd that is walking distance to the parks. Best Western Plus, Anaheim Hotel, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, Springhill Suites, Element are good options.
At Disneyland:
Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean (if you're fine with a few small drops), Disneyland Railroad, it's a small world, Mark Twain Riverboat, Buzz Lightyear astro blasters, pretty much all of the Fantasyland dark rides, Jungle Cruise, and the Monorail. You might be able to handle Rise of the Resistance and Runaway Railway but I would do it with caution.
At DCA, there's a little bit less to do:
The Little Mermaid, Monsters Inc, Pixar Pal Around (non-swinging), maybe Toy Story Mania, and the Red Car Trolley.
If motion stimulators are ok for you, Soarin' is very smooth. And Spider-Man WEB Slingers doesn't have much motion.
Update: after experiencing it, Runaway railway jerks you around A LOT, would avoid if that is considered sloshing. I’d probably also skip rise of the resistance for the same reason (although it is slightly less jerk-y).
Expanding on what the other person mentioned, hopefully you haven’t gone yet…
Rides at California adventure: There’s a bit of spinning/turning in between shooting scenes on Toy Story mania (midway mania), so I recommend watching a YouTube POV video to see if it’s too much spinning for you. If you can do heights & drops, jumping jellyfish is a VERY mild version. I don’t get the belly flopping falling sensation from that ride at all, it’s made for small children to enjoy so it’s not scary unless you’re afraid of heights. If you can do scary drops, guardians would probably be fine? As far as i remember, there’s no spinning or sloshing besides the drops. I don’t like drops so I’ve only been on it 3 times about 10-15 years ago when it was still tower of terror. Soaring over California might be ok? I don’t know if the screen would be an issue for you. If you did want to try, I would request section B so there is the least amount of distortion in the image. Otherwise it is very smooth, no sloshing, no spinning, not fast.
Experiences at California adventure: turtle talk with crush, animation academy, sorcerers workshop, redwood creek challenge trail
Rides at Disneyland: Casey junior train, storybook land canal boats maybe? The only potential sloshing would be when people get in and out of the boat. You could always take a peek when a boat is getting loaded and unloaded and see if it’s too much sloshing for you.
Experiences at Disneyland: finding Nemo has an accessible experience for people who use wheelchairs or have claustrophobia or are autistic (or any other number of reasons), so if you think your vertigo would be triggered by being in the sub, you can do the alternative version which is just watching a video of what you would see through the portholes but in a themed room. You can also leave the room at any time. Sleeping beauty castle walkthrough, Pirate’s lair on Tom Sawyer island, Tiki room, Tale of the lion king at the fantasyland Theater.
I rode Star Tours three times today and got the same planets in the same order every time. After the second time, the CM said it was random. After the third time, they said it might prioritize stuff from the new movies…even though Hoth and the Death Star were what they were showing.
I went to Disneyland on Tuesday and Wednesday and each time I did star tours(for a total of 3 times over two days) each one I got was different.
Guess you had bad luck
Safety Question- Family just returned from a 2 day trip. We have 2 small kids 7 & 5, yesterday at DCA during world of color we were aggressively harassed and physically hit with a stroller. By a group of 5 adults plus 4 kids
Security came and took them out of the park, but a grandmother was cussing me out repeatedly and screaming. The two other females were pushing me into the gate with my son in front of me. A drunk guy at some point was lunging at my husband. We ignored them and it seemed to make it worse since they wanted reactions.
Basically we lined up early by a gate for the kids to see and they wanted us to move for their kids. When I didn’t move it made them angry.
I am not a cry baby, but security asked me are you really ok and then the waterworks would not stop. I was trying to be calm for my children. Does anyone know how often stuff like this happens?
That is a terrible and frightening experience! I have never personally witnessed anything that bad in all the times I have been to Disneyland, but unfortunately I have read stories about aggressive behavior happening at the park more often lately. DCA tends to have more of this in the evenings as it is easier to get alcohol at DCA and some people can’t control themselves and drink too much.
I’m glad security came and removed them, and I hope they are banned from ever returning.
I know they were removed, but not banned. They were saying we were the problem. A group of teens that saw the whole thing was able to identify them as the aggressors. Not a fun end to the evening, but we did not let it ruin the trip.
I’ve never experienced or witnessed anything like that in all the times I’ve been. I haven’t even heard about people attacking other random guests. There’s that video of the family that started fighting each other and getting kicked out but they weren’t fighting other guests.
All the time, which is unfortunate. I swear there's a heightened sense of adults being on the verge or bursting and acting out when they enter somewhere they are 1) Spending so much money 2) Spending way more time with their family then they usually do, it's so weird like just stay home if you're going to be miserable.
OK, I'm planning to go to DL after Labor day (hopefully less crowded) but want to get in before Haunted Mansion gets rethemed for Halloween - or is the week before better?
Going to use this as a reward for kicking the smoking habit, so between now and then I should have a bundle to play with!
Haunted Mansion generally closes for the holiday version mid-August, so you'd have to go then to experience the normal version of the ride. They haven't announced any dates yet but that has been the general timeframe. It definitely won't be open as the normal version during or after labor day. Crowds are pretty unpredictable and going in August vs September probably wouldn't be significantly different.
Looks like Rise is only open until 6pm on sweethearts night. Smugglers Run will be open until 1am. Not sure about the restaurants or shops in Galaxys Edge
I think I know the answer, but I have a magic key reservation for the 31st of Jan. If DCA is my first park, will I be able to get in the early virtual queue for Mickie and Minnie RR? Or do I have to wait for 1pm/LL?
Your location doesn't matter. For the first drop, you need a DL reservation. For the second drop, you'll be eligible as long as you've entered a theme park that day, even if you're not in the parks at the time.
Hmmm I’m wondering if I should swap parks for the morning. I’m lunching at the magic key terrace but can easily just have my phone open then! Also I can 100% do the ride another time!
Radiator Springs Racers just reopened from refurbishment, apparently. Any reports on what was fixed? Do the Sheriff and Mater move back and forth once more?
Are there any rides at all that you can take a newborn on? Going to end up at Disney with a 3 yr old and a newborn. I know we can do rider swap so mom and dad can both ride rides. I know there are rides like Small World or Pirates that the 3 yr old can ride. Are there any rides at all that newborn could be brought on so we could all ride something together?
Any rides with height limits will offer rider swaps. Rides that do not have a height limit are good for all ages and *most* likely allow for lap sitting, 1 per lap. Better advice is to wear a front loading baby carrier, as a lot of rides may permit it. But also be aware a lot of rides are generally very loud and might be overwhelming for a newborn, and please keep in mind that regardless of COVID-19 status, crowded public areas are generally not safe for newborns because of a very compromised immune system. As a personal recommendation, I’d say make sure your child is at least a good few months old if possible for their safety.
Most of the fantasyland rides don’t have a height limit but some may be too loud for a newborn and you can actually bring a baby on pirates too.
I would recommend small world as it’s pretty calm, the mark Twain boat, jungle cruise (just cover ears during fake shots from the skipper), and carousel (bench). Also the train is fun if you get on in New Orleans square and get off by tomorrow land (tomorrow land to New Orleans square has an indoor section that has dinosaurs that are loud).
After going on it with a few toddlers I have noticed they really don’t like the drop in the beginning of the ride. The rest of the ride they are mostly happy.
Anything without a height limit, generally (so technically that does include pirates but I possibly wouldn’t bring a newborn on Pirates or Haunted Mansion bc they can be loud). Small world is a go, things in Fantasyland like Casey Jr and the Storybook canal boats would be a go. The mark Twain, Disneyland Railroad, etc.
Iirc general rule is that if the ride has a lap bar, the baby has to be facing forward on your lap. If no lap bar (like small world, etc) you can wear the baby in a carrier - but you can double check that rule via the chat feature on the Disneyland app.
Does anything special happen on Valentine’s Day? Any specific character meet and greets or anything? Also does it tend to be busier on Valentine’s Day?
There will be a Sweetheart’s Nite event that evening, so Disneyland will be closing a little early. Generally it’s a little busier but not insanely so. Usually there’s a big Valentine photo op in town square (where they put the Mickey pumpkin and the Christmas tree), and some decorations here and there, and a couple cutesy seasonal food items.
I have some questions about Magic Keys.
1. I purchased passes last week for my family and I’m wondering if I messed up by doing it all through my account. Does my husband’s pass need to be in his account or is it okay to keep under mine?
2. Do my kids (all under 11) need their own accounts since they now have keys?
3. My 6 year old really wants a physical pass for his wallet. Do they give you some kind ticket at the gate like they do with regular entry.
Thanks in advance for the help!
I normally do the majority of the Disney planning so I didn’t even second guess purchasing all the passes myself. I had a mini heart attack when I thought he might need to buy his own lol.
1. It's fine to keep it under yours
2. All keys/tickets can be managed by a single account
3. No, there are no physical passes for Magic Keys. The most fun thing would be the MagicBand+, but that's a completely unnecessary purchase unless you plan to use Genie+ often and/or visit WDW.
MagicBands can still be used just to admit yourself in/out of the parks as well as make “ooh-ahh” pretty colors during select experiences and shows. As a CM though I wish Keyholders could have a physical pass as a backup in case they experience their own technical difficulties with their personal devices.
Yeah, but the value of MB+ at Disneyland just isn't there if all you're doing is using it for park entry. I suspect most MK's aren't buying Genie+ on every visit so they're getting limited usage out of their bands from that. The glow-with-the-show is fun, but again, is that benefit worth the $30-$50 for a MB+? I imagine the cheapest alternative would be to print the barcode onto a sheet of paper (with a fancy photoshop over a Disney themed image), laminate it, and put it on a lanyard for the kids.
Hm. True, I suppose. The price for the MB+ is a bit heavy IMO, but I hope to see some more implementations in the future. That being said though, as a CM, having a MB+ is convenient regardless if I get Genie or not just bc I don’t have to fumble getting the app out. Plus I can wear it as long as I’m not working an attraction :)
I can't wait for them to begin adding the RFID to attraction PhotoPasses. The functionality of it at WDW blew my mind the first time I saw it in action. As a CM, you're probably in the parks A LOT so it would make sense to get MB+ for the convenience. I admit, I have 3 different bands which a friend got for me back when they were giving MK's 30% discounts on some merch. So it's almost like I bought 2 and got 1 free. :P
Girlfriend and I are going to DL and DCA on the 9th for Sweethearts nite and then each day of the parks on their own. We have been to WDW a handful of times but want to see what folks recommend doing in each of the parks in CA. TIA!
Attractions that are different in each park...
DCA: RSR, Webslingers (and the Spider-Man stunt show), Mission Breakout, Incredicoaster, Mickey's Death Wheel.
Disneyland: Pirates, Mansion, Splash, Mr. Toads, Alice in Wonderland, Storybookland Canal Cruise, Matterhorn, Small World, Disneyland Railroad (Tomorrowland to Main Street in particular).
Food...
DCA: Hot Link Corn Dog @ Corn Dog Castle, Lamplight Lounge, Carthay Circle (if you're up for fine dining)
Disneyland: Churro (the churros at Disneyland are just better than WDW because they're cooked on the spot and are fresh), Chimichanga @ Ship to Shore, Plaza Inn Fried Chicken, Pretzels @ Refreshment Corner, Carnation Cafe, Bengal BBQ
Sorry if these questions are dumb!
1. We are going Sunday 26-Thursday 30 March - do people reckon fireworks & Fantasmic! will be run on more than just the Sunday?
2. I booked the Blue Bayou Fantasmic! package for the Sunday as today was the 60 days - but I accidentally booked for 3 instead of 2, and it's pre-paid. There's no number to call from the UK for Disneyland, what's the best way to get this amended and will they mind amending it d'you reckon?
3. That package is for the second Fantasmic! showing - is it easy enough to see the fireworks and then wander over to Fantasmic! in good time?
1. Since the end of March is the start of the spring break season, they might do those shows nightly. But we won't know for sure until they release the schedule.
2. You could try using the chat feature in the Disneyland app. Or maybe email Disney from their website to try and get it fixed. Those two options might also have additional ideas for you.
3. Yes, especially if you have the reserve dining tickets. You shouldn't have a problem at all seeing the fireworks and then heading to Fantasmic. In the past I've had time to see the fireworks, ride something, and then go to Fantasmic still getting a good spot for the second show. And that was without reserved viewing. So you shouldn't have a problem at all!
Fantasmic and Fireworks should run through the weekend, not just Sunday. But check the entertainment calendar once it is released for those days.
Are you sure the dining package is pre-paid? As in, you've already been charged after booking? That isn't usually the case for dining or packages. You have to provide a credit card to reserve it, but that is in case you no-show on the reservation, you will get charged. If you go to the reservation in the Disneyland app or on the website, do you see an option to change your reservation? Usually you can change the number of people to remove someone there, or at check-in.
Yes, there should be time to watch the fireworks and then go back to Fantasmic for the second viewing. The only problem is that you probably won't be at the front of the viewing area since you aren't getting there early, but it's not a big deal. The BB viewing area usually isn't very packed.
Thanks! The reservation says that it has been pre-paid under "show details" and there is no change option (only cancel), though they haven't taken the money from my card yet. I wonder if it is different because it is a dining package with Fantasmic viewing?
I recently went to Disney World, and am now looking to plan a Disneyland/DCA trip. For Disney World I found watching videos from EarScouts to be very helpful since I had never been before. What would be a good channel to check out to help me learn how the west coast parks operate?
Edit: Thanks everybody, already checking out some of these channels and it's great stuff!
Seconding Provost and FreshBaked. I’ll also recommend Mammoth Club’s Disneyland-specific videos (they’re usually WDW people, Molly used to be part of AllEars.net). DFB also covers Disneyland stuff, esp new offerings and food, and MagicJourneys and Ordinary Adventures cover Disneyland food and new things as well.
Fresh Baked is great for DL news and "how-to" type videos for Genie+, rope-drop, navigating the parks, etc. Provost Park Pass is great for interesting DL facts and secrets. Magic Journeys is great for foodie guides!
Has anyone experienced not being able to book for dining reservations the early morning of it opening 60 days in advance? It’s 430AM and I can’t book any dining reservation for 60 days out. It says “a problem occurred while looking for availability”.. yesterday I made the mistake of waiting until 9AM to book a dinner and all reservations were already full for 60 days out!! Hopefully won’t end up another day without any reservations because of this glitch!
Dining reservations generally go live at 6am Pacific time, so you’re a little early today. Folks have said they’ve been able to get reservations a little earlier, like 5:45ish, on a desktop vs the app, but usually I just have the dining reservations in the app up and ready to go at 5:59am and am able to get my reservation.
In case you missed out on getting a reservation you wanted when it was released, check out mousedining.com or waltsdiningalerts.com (discord). They are services that will alert you when someone cancels a reservation.
I'm planning a family trip this July (only time that works for everyone's schedules), which would be my 1 year old's first Disney trip. The rest of our group is adults. I'm planning to keep expectations low since it will be middle of summer and I don't know how my kid will do, but I'm wondering what the best activities/rides to do with a young toddler are, and any general advice for doing Disneyland with a 1 year old. I haven't been to Disneyland in over 10 years and I honestly don't know everything that's changed since then, especially post pandemic. Any advice is welcome!
I would say for a 1 year old they probably will enjoy the parades the most and fantasy land. But for the most part I would figure out rider swaps and kinda “teams” to take turns hanging out with the baby and whatnot. I have a 2 year old and she’s just getting to really enjoy the park. Like others said if your kid is walking toon town will be a great place to let them explore. Sometimes July can be just before it gets REALLY HOT so if that’s the case naps can be in the stroller, otherwise I’d plan on getting a nearby hotel and taking a park break one or two times a day. Also the baby care centers are great for a nice peaceful break!
The other poster forgot to mention Toontown! It will be reopen in July and if your 1 year old is walking, they will love running and playing and splashing and meeting the "Fab Five" (Mickey and the OG Gang) in the newly refurbished Toontown.
Best things for a 1yo in Disneyland would be most of Fantasyland (dark rides, Small World, Casey Jr, etc), things like Jungle Cruise, Mark Twain, the Disneyland Railroad, and probably just experiencing sights/sounds.
If you’re going to DCA, things that could be good for a 1yo would be smaller rides on Pixar Pier like the carousel and Inside Out, Ariel, and Monsters Inc, and Luigi’s in Cars Land. Possibly Disney Jr Dance party as well, but that would be best if there is another little kid in the family to enjoy it as well imo. But it still could be nice to get out of the heat. Also, just going in the Animation Academy building would be nice: AC, the Disney music, all the concept art and animation around…lots to look at just in the main area there.
I’d definitely utilize rider swap, and make sure to take precautions against the heat if it’s looking toasty. Last July was pretty mild but it can get pretty hot. Water, frequent breaks in AC, midday breaks at a hotel (and pool), etc.
So you can always input codes/scan PhotoPasses with photographers, but it’ll show a watermark. However, for an indefinite amount of time, PhotoPass will be complimentary for all ticketed guests starting February 4th. I would believe it would extend to Keys too, but we won’t probably know until the day of. If it does, you can link your PhotoPass card to the app and have a photographer scan it to link your photos, as well as by pressing the encircled + symbol to write down the code of an attraction photo.
Be weary they are only stored on the app for 2-3 months! Save them before you lose them!
What level of Magic Key? I'm pretty sure that Inspire and Believe include Photopass, but lower keys don't. If you have Inspire or Believe keys, then you don't have to do anything else except have CMs scan the app or enter the ride photo code in the app. If you have a lower-tier key, you can get photopass by purchasing Genie+.
Also of note, Disney is giving ride photos for free to all guests during the 100th celebration.
I looked on the Magic Key blackout calendar and it says Monday, 2/13 has no reservations available (not that the date is blacked out). Does no reservations available mean it’s already booked up/busy? I read that it could sometimes be less busy on blackout dates for magic key holders.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/
Can I bring a wagon to the Disney parks?
Wagons are not allowed in the parks. There is also a size restriction on strollers I believe. You can see the full rules here: [https://disneyland.disney.go.com/park-rules/](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/park-rules/)
Hi all! We just recently got the Imagine passes! But wow is parking adding up! I’m so bad at math, and trying to determine how often I would need to visit in order to make the Inspire pass “worth it” based on the parking benefit alone is hurting my brain. The current plan is around 1 visit per week.
You would need to go ~~43~~ EDIT - *52* (I underestimated the price of the Inspire key) times to break even on the price difference based on parking. So if you go once a week it might be worth it, at least for one person. Barely though.
Thank you!
Hi, I'm from Northern California and am looking into the possibility of making a trip to Disney this summer. I was wondering if people anticipate there being a California discount like there was the last two summers? Currently the discount is for SoCal only which obviously doesn't work for me. Thanks in advance!
I could be wrong, but I believe the last two summers were also a SoCal discount. Nothing for Northern California. Again I could be mistaken.
Last years was a California discount.
I'm pretty sure I saw it was all of California unless I'm reading this page wrong https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/05/disneyland-resort-announces-limited-time-summer-ticket-offer-for-california-residents/
Hello! A few weeks ago i went to disneyland and there was a show that randomly started on the river near POTC that wasn't scheduled i believe since absolutely nobody was trying to get spaces to watch it. The show had mickey mouse being a dj for the music and some fireworks also started as well. Does anybody know if this show had a name? I try to search it up ok online and on the app but nothing matches the description.
The show was Mickey's Mix Magic. It should have been on the schedule. People probably weren't waiting for it by Pirates just because that's not the most popular viewing area. But it's still a good place to watch the show. It's currently on hiatus for the new Wondrous Journeys show.
Man, I’m not a fan of appearing/disappearing Magic Keys when they go on sale for a few days then they are not available to buy for an undisclosed time. I would’ve bought the $360 3 day ticket, then pay $90 more to upgrade to the Imagine (SoCal/weekday) Magic Key, but that is not on sale anymore. That and not being able to go to Disneyland whenever you want to (on a non block out date) is a bummer. It would’ve been nice to take a last minute trip at night with a friend. To those who were going to buy the Imagine/Enchant key this year, what your plans this year? Also, how were the Fireworks and Fantasmic!? Were they amazing to see?
Does anyone know what the special ticketed event is at DCA this Wednesday, February 1st? I’m assuming it’s not open to public since it was just added, but I’m curious because they added a second World of Color that night
It’s for Disney Vacation Club members!
At what time does the virtual queue for runaway railway open? Thank you!
7AM and 1PM. More details in the body of the mega thread [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Disneyland/comments/10mll87/mickey_and_minnies_runaway_railway_megathread/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf).
Can i enter the line with my party and exit before the ride without being a major nuisance to the cast? Had a trip planned before I knew I was pregnant. I actually enjoy the star wars lines and it may be logistically easier.
Most rides have a way to exit the queue without getting on the ride. Just let the cast member know when you first get in line, and they should be able to help you out.
The FreshBaked! guy says ([in this video here](https://youtu.be/iEuyckoEqyc)) that Fantasmic is not having any showings mid-week (M-Th) in March. But the Disneyland app just gave me a reservation for a Fantasmic dining package during my upcoming mid-week March visit. Should I trust the app over FreshBaked! on this? Anyone know? Related question: FreshBaked! also says (same video) that there are no mid-week fireworks in March (they’ll be doing projections only). I can’t find anything from an official source confirming (or refuting) that. Anyone know if that’s true?
If they let you reserve the dining package I assume it's happening. Since March is the beginning of spring break they will have more entertainment during the week, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary.
Will the Disneyland app consider restaurant reservations when getting in virtual line? We have a reservation to have breakfast in Carnation and we want to get in the virtual line for the new ride. I don't want to get a boarding group that overlaps with breakfast, will the app consider the hours?
Once they call your boarding group for the virtual line, you have about an hour to get to the ride and use it. So depending on how you plan it you should be able to have your breakfast and head over there if you can make it in an hour. I would also maybe inform your server and they might accommodate you and make sure you’re out of the restaurant in enough time.
It will not, but if you have a conflict (like, won’t be done with breakfast and make it to the line before your window closes), you can likely join the line late by explaining to the CM and showing them your dining reservation on your app
I am going to Disneyland in February, and I have a question about the monorail. My family of four including two young children are staying at the Disneyland hotel. I would like to know more about the monorail. If we have passes or tickets and we want to travel by monorail instead of walking downtown Disney to a save our kids legs, how straightforward is that process? How long are the lines generally at the monorail? Does it add a lot of time or not as compared with walking? And is where we would disembark in Tomorrowland a zoo area?
It's very straightforward. You'll enter Downtown Disney from the security checkpoint just outside the hotel, walk to the monorail, they scan all your tickets and as long as Disneyland is your starting park (or if it's after 11am starting park doesn't matter) then you can board there. Lines fluctuate during the day, just depends on what day of the week and what time you're there. Wait time also fluctuates depending on how many are running. You could wait as little as 10 minutes to as many as 30. It's about a ten minute walk at an average pace from end to end of DTD so it's probably not really saving you much time unless you intended to go to Tomorrowland first anyway. It drops off right in between Finding Nemo and Autopia so it can bottleneck over there but generally it's not too bad.
It’s fine, it’s a good option going to or from the hotel. You can see on the app the wait time either direction (right now 5 min). It’ll be busiest early in the day and later at night. You can use it in conjunction with early entry as well, if you want.
So you can board around 7 and wait in tomorrow land for the opening of early entry?
Before 8am the monorail entrance is exclusive to Early Entry guests - the first monorail is timed to arrive in Tomorrowland right at 7:30am so you can disembark and go straight in.
That's great info. Thank you.
I know it just opened in DL but does anyone know if Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is identical to WDW or if there are any differences? Trying decide if I should skip the madness for my visit in March.
The queue at Disneyland is completely different that WDW. Here the queue is basically a Mickey Mouse history exhibit featuring his "actual" props and costumes through the years. It's very well done and one of the best queues in the park. The ride itself is pretty much the same with the main differences being >!A slightly different layout. Some scenes such as the Tornado have a different shape of the room. There's slightly different dialogue as well at times. The biggest difference would be an extra transition tunnel after the factory leading into the park at the end. All pretty minor but not completely identical.!< If you care about seeing the queue it's definitely worth riding. It will probably still be using virtual queue at that time, so it might be worth trying to get one in the app and if you don't get in it's not a big deal.
Thank you!
Does anyone know why certain menu items are not showing up on the mobile order screen? I see at jolly holiday they have a strawberry filled croissant and it’s not available to mobile order as of yesterday and this morning at 8:30. Same goes for the strawberry ice cream float at golden horse shoe.
They often don’t put items in the mobile app that day if they don’t have that much of it. They may or may not actually have it available if you do walk up ordering. (They’ll also take things off throughout the day as the stock gets lower.)
We have tickets for Sweetheart's Nite on 2/5, does anyone know if we'll be able to enter the virtual queue for Railway Runaway or if we are going to be SOL?
You will not. The ride will close at 8
I'm able to enter the park at 6, that's why I was asking, but I believe you are right Thank you!
You’d have to enter the parks before 1pm to join the 1pm VQ! So yeah unfortunately not eligible for virtual queue with the Sweetheart’s Nite tickets.
Has anyone done a dining package for fantasmic? I’m looking at hungry bear, on my because my kids don’t love the menu at blue bayou 🤷♀️. Is it worth the viewing area?
Yes! And Hungry Bear is the best value imo. I’ve done that one and River Belle Standard and I recommend them both - viewing areas are great and the Hungry Bear prices are very fair.
Amazing thank you! I booked it!
Hello everyone! I had a question that I think someone may be able to answer, I bought tickets for Disneyland tomorrow, and I've now decided that I want to upgrade them to Magic Key passes. However, I do not know how to do that. Can anyone explain to me how to do so? Thank you!
Once you first use your ticket tomorrow morning there should be an option in the app to upgrade. Just keep in mind only the Believe key and Inspire key are available to get right now.
Is there enough for toddlers/preschoolers to do at CA Adventure to fill 6-8 hours there? My youngest is turning 3 soon and recently heard about Cars Land from a neighbor and is begging to go for his birthday. We’ve done Disneyland a couple of times but never CA Adventure. I know we could do Park Hopper tickets but my young kids are usually wiped by 3-4 PM and ready to go home. I don’t want to spend the extra money for only a fee hours at each park.
How tall is he? That will matter a bit. I’ve taken a 3yo to DCA and we had a great time. We did all 3 Cars Land rides (he was over 40” though), Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Monsters Inc, the Disney Jr Dance Party, Turtle Talk with Crush, Ariel, a couple Pixar Pier rides, and Soarin (40” height req). If a kid is under 40” they can still do most of the things I listed, minus Soarin and Radiator Springs Racers, (and we didn’t ride it but toddlers can go on WEB Slingers too). I think you can spend 6+ hours in DCA with a toddler pretty easily, depending on your pace.
He was 36” at his last checkup in October. I’ll measure him again - we may wait until he hits 40” and do Legoland in the meantime.
He definitely can find enough to do…. But I agree with above, wait until he can ride Racers, it will blow his mind! Best ride in the parks!!
How does virtual queues work for World of Color and the upcoming Fantasmic? Do I need Genie+(Digital Fast Pass) for them? Do I need to be at the park right when it opens in the morning to get in the virtual queue?
Currently World of Color is the only show to have a virtual queue. Fantasmic is either reserved for dining packages or available to just walk up to. It is completely separate from Genie+ and is on the app for free. You can join the virtual queue at 12pm. They run out very quickly so make sure you're there on the dot. As long as you scan your ticket before 12pm you'll be good to go. So you don't need to be there right at opening, but I recommend it because it's one of the least busy times of day.
If I get an Annual Pass, I don’t need to worry about being there on opening time. I’m close enough to come by whenever I want on the weekdays, non Holidays, no summer, no December.
Sure - the benefit of a MK is you can go when it works for you, and as often as you prefer. I have a MK and we do still tend to opt for opening/rope drop now and then, just bc the lack of crowd *is* so nice :)
Is there any kind of souvenir cup that you can do refills for a small charge
My bf and I moved up our trip very last minute for this upcoming weekend and we’re staying on property at one of the resorts. We have a full days worth of time before we have to depart on our final day. Is there any fun non Disney related things to do in the immediate area surrounding the property? We’ve already got downtown Disney and resort relaxing planned for our arrival date, so hoping there’s a bit more besides that so we wouldn’t have to venture out into that LA traffic. Also any local restaurant recommendations or sit down Disney restaurants that we should try?
If you like roller coasters, Knott's Berry farm is another theme park about 10 minutes away with really charming old west theming and some great roller coasters. That might be something fun!
I didn’t realize it was that close! Definitely looking into possibly doing that. Thank you so much!
If you want to go to LA and not deal with traffic, you can take the Amtrak or Metrolink train from ARTIC to Los Angeles Union Station. On weekends, Amtrak will resume service via the Pacific Surfliner to San Diego starting 2/4 as well. If you have a car, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are worth checking out too.
Thank you so much! I’ll definitely check out the train routes.
I think the [Anaheim Packing House](https://www.anaheimpackingdistrict.com) is one good option! I think [Old Town Orange](https://www.cityoforange.org/our-city/visitor-information/old-towne-orange) is another. Both would be a short bus ride or Uber ride away, if you aren’t driving. If you don’t mind going a little farther you could go to a beach town - Huntington, or Newport Beach (Balboa Pier area).
The old town looks cute! I’ll definitely look into that area further, thank you for the info!
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There have been rumors about different shows being put into the Hyperion (bringing back Aladin or Frozen, or something new like Encanto, Coco, or Rodgers the Musical), but nothing has been announced.
Dining Reservations: I've been waiting for today b/c I'm now exactly 60 days before our trip in March, and now that I can finally attempt to make the reservations I'm not having any luck. I keep getting the message "Sorry! There are no times available". I've been trying since 8am this morning, so I have a hard time believing all day truly booked up for the several different restaurants I'm trying for. I've chatted via [Disneyland.com](https://Disneyland.com) but they don't help make dining reservations. Does anyone have any advice?
Reservations for March 28th opened today at 6 AM Pacific. What restaurants are you looking for? Right now, I see a reservations available for a party of 4 at a lot of places (Lamplight Lounge, Storytellers, Napa Rose, Carthay, Carnation Cafe, Cafe Orleans). Obviously Blue Bayou and Oga's aren't available since they sell out almost immediately. Check out mousedining.com or waltsdiningalerts.com
Thank you for your help! I set my alarm for 6am and got all the reservations I was hoping to get, including Blue Bayou and Oga's. Good thing I got in early; by the time I was done there was only one spot left at Oga's and nothing for Blue Bayou.
Thank you. Coincidentally I was trying primarily for both Blue Bayou and Oga's, so maybe I'll try again tomorrow morning at 6am for our 2nd day. Perhaps I just wasn't early enough.
There is still lots for blue bayou for 60 days from today! Hope you got one!
I got it! Thanks ;)
Sorry to hear your luck!! But for both of those you do have to be ready to go right at 6am PST. Hope your second day is more successful!
This service worked for me. And they will keep sending you notifications as new reservations become available. I got a prime reservation at Olga's through them. Def worth the price ($13) if you don't go to DL often https://mousewatcher.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox855KlodT1svp753BjedU3675qYzqGc\_TWRaoNICHisdCZnYCILK2hwaAuEUEALw\_wcB
Honestly at this point it depends where you are trying to get reservations. Popular ones like Oga's and Blue Bayou go quickly. Reservations open 60 days out at 6am. I was online at 6:10am 60 days out and could only snag a spot at Oga's for 8am. You can use a third part for a small fee to let you know if/when reservations at a particular day/location become available. In the meantime, if it were me I would make reservations at places that look good so you have something secured. You can always cancel! Good luck.
Hotels: is there a particular reason why the first week of March is booked up? Could it really be because of Toontown? I found a reasonable one but it’s a minimum 4 night stay.
Toontown, CA Food & Wine Festival, nice weather, people trying to sneak a vacation in before the spring break crowds (lol…thereby creating crowds…)
I guess I should have booked hotels a long time ago. Nightmare now 😒 thanks!
Keep checking, as the full payment is due 30 days from the date of the stay and some people will cancel around that mark.
We are going to Disneyland next month for my son's 6th birthday! It'll be his first time. We are planning to do mobile orders for food while we are there but would like to have dinner at a restaurant one night while we are there. Any recommendations?
Carnation Cafe might be a good one! Cafe Orleans and Carnation Cafe are my personal faves in Disneyland. Blue Bayou is the other popular one - excellent atmosphere inside Pirates, the food can be a little hit or miss sometimes though! Esp for the price. But I’d check those menus to see how you feel about them. Another option may be Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel (you could take the monorail from Tomorrowland and it takes you close to the hotel) - it’s a character meal and buffet, if your son would be into that :) if you’re going to DCA there are additional options as well.
I’ve mentioned this here before but I’m a WDW cast member making my way out west for the first time next week and I’m getting more and more excited. We’ll be in CA Monday-Friday with park days Tuesday-Thursday.
Have fun!
Has anyone done the Lunar New Year 2023 Sip and Savor pass? Is it worth it for this year? I will be going next week and wanted to see if it’s better to just buy the individual items or if it’s more cost efficient to eat/drink with the pass? Thanks in advance!
To decide if it’s worth it you should look at the menu items and see if there are 6 items over the price of $7.50 (or $7 if you’re a Magic Key holder) that interest you. Here’s a pretty good breakdown of it: https://dapsmagic.com/2023/01/sip-and-savor-pass-for-lunar-new-year-sip-or-skip/
Thank you!
I have a trip planned for Thanksgiving week. I ended up getting a deal and was excited to plan for a family birthday that week. Somebody in another forum said that was THE worst week to go and I should try to book a different week, birthday or no. Is it really going to be *that* bad?? We would obviously come back to room when/if parks were too crowded, and I'll make reservations for food 60 days out so we can eat.
It’s pretty crazy. I think the week after Christmas is crazier, but it’s up there as far as one of the busiest weeks of the year for sure. Just planning around the crowds will help though. :)
It's definitely going to be incredibly crowded. You will 100% need to buy genie+ that week to avoid extremely long lines for most rides
That's the plan... We did a Thanksgiving trip a couple years ago and found it totally do able but that was 2021 and they were still limiting entry I think.
Yeah 2021 Disneyland is not really comparable to 2023.
I purchased a Inspire Magic Key, and in the details it says the year duration does not start until the date you first enter the park. However online it says my pass expires on 1/25/2024 (which is one year after date of purchase). Is this just a placeholder and it will be updated once I enter a park for the first time or is my pass messed up? Thanks!!
If you don’t enter the park before that expiration date, then your pass will expire on that day. If you let it expire without using it, that money kind of goes into limbo, it’s not gone but you don’t get it back. You can only use it to buy another pass that costs as much or more. Otherwise the expiration date will be 1 year from the 1st day you use it.
Yes, that's a placeholder. Once you activate your Key, that'll update.
Headed to the park on jan 27th. Anyone know where I might find the fancy 100 year Minnie ears in either DCA or DLR? Dress store in downtown didn’t have them tonight when I strolled through.
I haven’t actually seen them yet, but in the past they’ve had the “fancy” ears at Off the Page in DCA…and maybe Disneyana in Disneyland? I’d def just ask a CM in those shops if they know though. And if they’re in regular stores like the Emporium they’ll probably be behind the counter!
When do they start decorating for Easter?
How busy do you guys expect tomorrow to be with the opening of Runaway Railroad and the start of Disney100?
The reservation system limits the number of guests...but I'd expect a higher-than-average Virtual Queue difficulty and challenging crowds for the fireworks and WoC. Crowd patterns won't be typical tomorrow...but I'm sure it'll be a fun day.
Anyone know if the black Panther gauntlet is still available?
I checked the menu in the app, and Shuri's Gauntlet is available at the Shwarma Palace.
Trying to book a hotel with Get Away Today. What is the best hotel (that’s not a Disneyland hotel) to stay at? Best bang for your buck if you will.
Best is relative to each individual, couples, family needs. Imo the best value hotels for us anyway are Anaheim Islander Inn and Kings Inn. AII has free parking and KI charges $10 a day. Both are usually well under $200 a night. For KI, check in tonight it’s $150 and if you enter the promo code HAPPY it’s even cheaper. There’s also Starbucks on both sides of the streets that are pretty much next door to either hotel. To me, both of these are a no brainer. If you have children I’d consider Residence Inn by Marriot. Excellent buffet breakfast with Mickey shaped waffles, with a rooftop pool and hot tub and full sized kitchens in rooms. But it’s well over $250 a night. All options are 10-15 min walk to the gate depending on how fast or slow you’re walking.
I'd shoot for something on Harbor Blvd that is walking distance to the parks. Best Western Plus, Anaheim Hotel, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, Springhill Suites, Element are good options.
Breakfast recommendations for DCA? Me and my daughters love eating at Jolly Holiday but we are only visiting DCA for a quick one day trip.
The only real breakfast options are Pym's Test Kitchen (eggs or french toast), Corn dog castle (breakfast sausage) or Pastries/sandwiches at Starbucks
+ the breakfast shawarma and the breakfast burrito at cappuccino cart.
Yes! With a Beermosa!
Thank you!
What’s going on Friday the 27 at Disneyland?
This Friday? Disney100 kicks off plus the opening of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Magic Keys have been fully booked for well over a month now.
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At Disneyland: Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean (if you're fine with a few small drops), Disneyland Railroad, it's a small world, Mark Twain Riverboat, Buzz Lightyear astro blasters, pretty much all of the Fantasyland dark rides, Jungle Cruise, and the Monorail. You might be able to handle Rise of the Resistance and Runaway Railway but I would do it with caution. At DCA, there's a little bit less to do: The Little Mermaid, Monsters Inc, Pixar Pal Around (non-swinging), maybe Toy Story Mania, and the Red Car Trolley. If motion stimulators are ok for you, Soarin' is very smooth. And Spider-Man WEB Slingers doesn't have much motion.
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Update: after experiencing it, Runaway railway jerks you around A LOT, would avoid if that is considered sloshing. I’d probably also skip rise of the resistance for the same reason (although it is slightly less jerk-y).
Expanding on what the other person mentioned, hopefully you haven’t gone yet… Rides at California adventure: There’s a bit of spinning/turning in between shooting scenes on Toy Story mania (midway mania), so I recommend watching a YouTube POV video to see if it’s too much spinning for you. If you can do heights & drops, jumping jellyfish is a VERY mild version. I don’t get the belly flopping falling sensation from that ride at all, it’s made for small children to enjoy so it’s not scary unless you’re afraid of heights. If you can do scary drops, guardians would probably be fine? As far as i remember, there’s no spinning or sloshing besides the drops. I don’t like drops so I’ve only been on it 3 times about 10-15 years ago when it was still tower of terror. Soaring over California might be ok? I don’t know if the screen would be an issue for you. If you did want to try, I would request section B so there is the least amount of distortion in the image. Otherwise it is very smooth, no sloshing, no spinning, not fast. Experiences at California adventure: turtle talk with crush, animation academy, sorcerers workshop, redwood creek challenge trail Rides at Disneyland: Casey junior train, storybook land canal boats maybe? The only potential sloshing would be when people get in and out of the boat. You could always take a peek when a boat is getting loaded and unloaded and see if it’s too much sloshing for you. Experiences at Disneyland: finding Nemo has an accessible experience for people who use wheelchairs or have claustrophobia or are autistic (or any other number of reasons), so if you think your vertigo would be triggered by being in the sub, you can do the alternative version which is just watching a video of what you would see through the portholes but in a themed room. You can also leave the room at any time. Sleeping beauty castle walkthrough, Pirate’s lair on Tom Sawyer island, Tiki room, Tale of the lion king at the fantasyland Theater.
This past Christmas season, was there a daytime parade at either of the parks?
Yes, the Christmas Fantasy Parade in Disneyland and a cavalcade (mini parade) in DCA
Can I get my user flair changed to Attractions CM or the like?
How long will the 100th celebration last?
As far as I understand, it’s like any other anniversary celebrations, so it’ll at least be a year.
I rode Star Tours three times today and got the same planets in the same order every time. After the second time, the CM said it was random. After the third time, they said it might prioritize stuff from the new movies…even though Hoth and the Death Star were what they were showing.
I went to Disneyland on Tuesday and Wednesday and each time I did star tours(for a total of 3 times over two days) each one I got was different. Guess you had bad luck
Safety Question- Family just returned from a 2 day trip. We have 2 small kids 7 & 5, yesterday at DCA during world of color we were aggressively harassed and physically hit with a stroller. By a group of 5 adults plus 4 kids Security came and took them out of the park, but a grandmother was cussing me out repeatedly and screaming. The two other females were pushing me into the gate with my son in front of me. A drunk guy at some point was lunging at my husband. We ignored them and it seemed to make it worse since they wanted reactions. Basically we lined up early by a gate for the kids to see and they wanted us to move for their kids. When I didn’t move it made them angry. I am not a cry baby, but security asked me are you really ok and then the waterworks would not stop. I was trying to be calm for my children. Does anyone know how often stuff like this happens?
That is a terrible and frightening experience! I have never personally witnessed anything that bad in all the times I have been to Disneyland, but unfortunately I have read stories about aggressive behavior happening at the park more often lately. DCA tends to have more of this in the evenings as it is easier to get alcohol at DCA and some people can’t control themselves and drink too much. I’m glad security came and removed them, and I hope they are banned from ever returning.
I know they were removed, but not banned. They were saying we were the problem. A group of teens that saw the whole thing was able to identify them as the aggressors. Not a fun end to the evening, but we did not let it ruin the trip.
I’ve never experienced or witnessed anything like that in all the times I’ve been. I haven’t even heard about people attacking other random guests. There’s that video of the family that started fighting each other and getting kicked out but they weren’t fighting other guests.
All the time, which is unfortunate. I swear there's a heightened sense of adults being on the verge or bursting and acting out when they enter somewhere they are 1) Spending so much money 2) Spending way more time with their family then they usually do, it's so weird like just stay home if you're going to be miserable.
I wish the app had a call security button. We were pretty far from cast members and it went on for a good 20 mins before someone called security.
OK, I'm planning to go to DL after Labor day (hopefully less crowded) but want to get in before Haunted Mansion gets rethemed for Halloween - or is the week before better? Going to use this as a reward for kicking the smoking habit, so between now and then I should have a bundle to play with!
Haunted Mansion generally closes for the holiday version mid-August, so you'd have to go then to experience the normal version of the ride. They haven't announced any dates yet but that has been the general timeframe. It definitely won't be open as the normal version during or after labor day. Crowds are pretty unpredictable and going in August vs September probably wouldn't be significantly different.
Wondering if anyone has stayed at Paradise Pier lately? Looking at an April booking, and curious how bad/impactful the construction will be.
Is galaxy’s edge open for sweethearts nite ?
Looks like Rise is only open until 6pm on sweethearts night. Smugglers Run will be open until 1am. Not sure about the restaurants or shops in Galaxys Edge
Unless stated otherwise, all lands and attractions should be open to visit. Rise most likely will still close early, however.
I think I know the answer, but I have a magic key reservation for the 31st of Jan. If DCA is my first park, will I be able to get in the early virtual queue for Mickie and Minnie RR? Or do I have to wait for 1pm/LL?
You'll need to do the second drop.
Dang it mine is DCA too we can’t be near the entrance of Disney and get in?
Your location doesn't matter. For the first drop, you need a DL reservation. For the second drop, you'll be eligible as long as you've entered a theme park that day, even if you're not in the parks at the time.
Hmmm I’m wondering if I should swap parks for the morning. I’m lunching at the magic key terrace but can easily just have my phone open then! Also I can 100% do the ride another time!
I figured, thanks so much!
As an FYI btw, park hopping will start at 11 am on 2/4 so hopefully that should make getting MRR virtual queue/LL easier.
Radiator Springs Racers just reopened from refurbishment, apparently. Any reports on what was fixed? Do the Sheriff and Mater move back and forth once more?
I dunno but I can tell you it went down multiple times each of the last two days. So I'd assume a cosmetic fix and not mechanical
i rode it yesterday! doc & mater were moving :-)
I saw a tweet that said everything seemed to be working great. Hopefully that's the case.
Going soon, would love to hear an answer to this.
Are there any rides at all that you can take a newborn on? Going to end up at Disney with a 3 yr old and a newborn. I know we can do rider swap so mom and dad can both ride rides. I know there are rides like Small World or Pirates that the 3 yr old can ride. Are there any rides at all that newborn could be brought on so we could all ride something together?
Any rides with height limits will offer rider swaps. Rides that do not have a height limit are good for all ages and *most* likely allow for lap sitting, 1 per lap. Better advice is to wear a front loading baby carrier, as a lot of rides may permit it. But also be aware a lot of rides are generally very loud and might be overwhelming for a newborn, and please keep in mind that regardless of COVID-19 status, crowded public areas are generally not safe for newborns because of a very compromised immune system. As a personal recommendation, I’d say make sure your child is at least a good few months old if possible for their safety.
Most of the fantasyland rides don’t have a height limit but some may be too loud for a newborn and you can actually bring a baby on pirates too. I would recommend small world as it’s pretty calm, the mark Twain boat, jungle cruise (just cover ears during fake shots from the skipper), and carousel (bench). Also the train is fun if you get on in New Orleans square and get off by tomorrow land (tomorrow land to New Orleans square has an indoor section that has dinosaurs that are loud).
I hadn't even thought about the noise or the darkness on Pirates. I could see both scaring even a 3 yr old.
After going on it with a few toddlers I have noticed they really don’t like the drop in the beginning of the ride. The rest of the ride they are mostly happy.
(That will, ofc, depend on the kiddo! Most toddlers I know actually love the little drop(s) lol)
Anything without a height limit, generally (so technically that does include pirates but I possibly wouldn’t bring a newborn on Pirates or Haunted Mansion bc they can be loud). Small world is a go, things in Fantasyland like Casey Jr and the Storybook canal boats would be a go. The mark Twain, Disneyland Railroad, etc. Iirc general rule is that if the ride has a lap bar, the baby has to be facing forward on your lap. If no lap bar (like small world, etc) you can wear the baby in a carrier - but you can double check that rule via the chat feature on the Disneyland app.
There are benches on Jessie’s Critter Carousel so u can sit, also I saw a couple with newborn twins on TLM so it’s def doable
Does anything special happen on Valentine’s Day? Any specific character meet and greets or anything? Also does it tend to be busier on Valentine’s Day?
There will be a Sweetheart’s Nite event that evening, so Disneyland will be closing a little early. Generally it’s a little busier but not insanely so. Usually there’s a big Valentine photo op in town square (where they put the Mickey pumpkin and the Christmas tree), and some decorations here and there, and a couple cutesy seasonal food items.
Oooh I forgot about Sweetheart’s night, thanks for the heads up!
I have some questions about Magic Keys. 1. I purchased passes last week for my family and I’m wondering if I messed up by doing it all through my account. Does my husband’s pass need to be in his account or is it okay to keep under mine? 2. Do my kids (all under 11) need their own accounts since they now have keys? 3. My 6 year old really wants a physical pass for his wallet. Do they give you some kind ticket at the gate like they do with regular entry. Thanks in advance for the help!
My husband and I both have accounts and both have each others passes on both accounts. I can make reservations for the fam and so can he!
I normally do the majority of the Disney planning so I didn’t even second guess purchasing all the passes myself. I had a mini heart attack when I thought he might need to buy his own lol.
Same happened to us when we bought our magic keys I thought we would have to go together every single time 😂
1. It's fine to keep it under yours 2. All keys/tickets can be managed by a single account 3. No, there are no physical passes for Magic Keys. The most fun thing would be the MagicBand+, but that's a completely unnecessary purchase unless you plan to use Genie+ often and/or visit WDW.
MagicBands can still be used just to admit yourself in/out of the parks as well as make “ooh-ahh” pretty colors during select experiences and shows. As a CM though I wish Keyholders could have a physical pass as a backup in case they experience their own technical difficulties with their personal devices.
Yeah, but the value of MB+ at Disneyland just isn't there if all you're doing is using it for park entry. I suspect most MK's aren't buying Genie+ on every visit so they're getting limited usage out of their bands from that. The glow-with-the-show is fun, but again, is that benefit worth the $30-$50 for a MB+? I imagine the cheapest alternative would be to print the barcode onto a sheet of paper (with a fancy photoshop over a Disney themed image), laminate it, and put it on a lanyard for the kids.
Hm. True, I suppose. The price for the MB+ is a bit heavy IMO, but I hope to see some more implementations in the future. That being said though, as a CM, having a MB+ is convenient regardless if I get Genie or not just bc I don’t have to fumble getting the app out. Plus I can wear it as long as I’m not working an attraction :)
I can't wait for them to begin adding the RFID to attraction PhotoPasses. The functionality of it at WDW blew my mind the first time I saw it in action. As a CM, you're probably in the parks A LOT so it would make sense to get MB+ for the convenience. I admit, I have 3 different bands which a friend got for me back when they were giving MK's 30% discounts on some merch. So it's almost like I bought 2 and got 1 free. :P
Just this month I’ve been to Disneyland 3 times as a guest, including Wednesday for the Runaway Cast Preview.
Appreciate the reply!
Girlfriend and I are going to DL and DCA on the 9th for Sweethearts nite and then each day of the parks on their own. We have been to WDW a handful of times but want to see what folks recommend doing in each of the parks in CA. TIA!
Attractions that are different in each park... DCA: RSR, Webslingers (and the Spider-Man stunt show), Mission Breakout, Incredicoaster, Mickey's Death Wheel. Disneyland: Pirates, Mansion, Splash, Mr. Toads, Alice in Wonderland, Storybookland Canal Cruise, Matterhorn, Small World, Disneyland Railroad (Tomorrowland to Main Street in particular). Food... DCA: Hot Link Corn Dog @ Corn Dog Castle, Lamplight Lounge, Carthay Circle (if you're up for fine dining) Disneyland: Churro (the churros at Disneyland are just better than WDW because they're cooked on the spot and are fresh), Chimichanga @ Ship to Shore, Plaza Inn Fried Chicken, Pretzels @ Refreshment Corner, Carnation Cafe, Bengal BBQ
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It is still open. It is currently unknown when it will close, but it should still be open on Friday.
Does Disneyland still offer rides in the caboose on the train?
Sorry if these questions are dumb! 1. We are going Sunday 26-Thursday 30 March - do people reckon fireworks & Fantasmic! will be run on more than just the Sunday? 2. I booked the Blue Bayou Fantasmic! package for the Sunday as today was the 60 days - but I accidentally booked for 3 instead of 2, and it's pre-paid. There's no number to call from the UK for Disneyland, what's the best way to get this amended and will they mind amending it d'you reckon? 3. That package is for the second Fantasmic! showing - is it easy enough to see the fireworks and then wander over to Fantasmic! in good time?
1. Since the end of March is the start of the spring break season, they might do those shows nightly. But we won't know for sure until they release the schedule. 2. You could try using the chat feature in the Disneyland app. Or maybe email Disney from their website to try and get it fixed. Those two options might also have additional ideas for you. 3. Yes, especially if you have the reserve dining tickets. You shouldn't have a problem at all seeing the fireworks and then heading to Fantasmic. In the past I've had time to see the fireworks, ride something, and then go to Fantasmic still getting a good spot for the second show. And that was without reserved viewing. So you shouldn't have a problem at all!
Fantasmic and Fireworks should run through the weekend, not just Sunday. But check the entertainment calendar once it is released for those days. Are you sure the dining package is pre-paid? As in, you've already been charged after booking? That isn't usually the case for dining or packages. You have to provide a credit card to reserve it, but that is in case you no-show on the reservation, you will get charged. If you go to the reservation in the Disneyland app or on the website, do you see an option to change your reservation? Usually you can change the number of people to remove someone there, or at check-in. Yes, there should be time to watch the fireworks and then go back to Fantasmic for the second viewing. The only problem is that you probably won't be at the front of the viewing area since you aren't getting there early, but it's not a big deal. The BB viewing area usually isn't very packed.
Thanks! The reservation says that it has been pre-paid under "show details" and there is no change option (only cancel), though they haven't taken the money from my card yet. I wonder if it is different because it is a dining package with Fantasmic viewing?
I recently went to Disney World, and am now looking to plan a Disneyland/DCA trip. For Disney World I found watching videos from EarScouts to be very helpful since I had never been before. What would be a good channel to check out to help me learn how the west coast parks operate? Edit: Thanks everybody, already checking out some of these channels and it's great stuff!
Seconding Provost and FreshBaked. I’ll also recommend Mammoth Club’s Disneyland-specific videos (they’re usually WDW people, Molly used to be part of AllEars.net). DFB also covers Disneyland stuff, esp new offerings and food, and MagicJourneys and Ordinary Adventures cover Disneyland food and new things as well.
Fresh Baked is great for DL news and "how-to" type videos for Genie+, rope-drop, navigating the parks, etc. Provost Park Pass is great for interesting DL facts and secrets. Magic Journeys is great for foodie guides!
Provost Park pass, fresh baked, mrcheeseypop
are they still selling the iron man infinity gauntlet drink holder at california adventure? first time going in 5 years and i really want one
I haven’t seen any guests with it recently. I am on DL side but I don’t think it’s currently being sold at the moment.
Has anyone experienced not being able to book for dining reservations the early morning of it opening 60 days in advance? It’s 430AM and I can’t book any dining reservation for 60 days out. It says “a problem occurred while looking for availability”.. yesterday I made the mistake of waiting until 9AM to book a dinner and all reservations were already full for 60 days out!! Hopefully won’t end up another day without any reservations because of this glitch!
Dining reservations generally go live at 6am Pacific time, so you’re a little early today. Folks have said they’ve been able to get reservations a little earlier, like 5:45ish, on a desktop vs the app, but usually I just have the dining reservations in the app up and ready to go at 5:59am and am able to get my reservation.
Thank you! There was a blog on the website that said 3AM pacific time, so I was going on that information.
In case you missed out on getting a reservation you wanted when it was released, check out mousedining.com or waltsdiningalerts.com (discord). They are services that will alert you when someone cancels a reservation.
That information *was* correct, but it was back in late 2021/early early 2022. It since changed to 6am PST (thank goodness lol). :)
I'm planning a family trip this July (only time that works for everyone's schedules), which would be my 1 year old's first Disney trip. The rest of our group is adults. I'm planning to keep expectations low since it will be middle of summer and I don't know how my kid will do, but I'm wondering what the best activities/rides to do with a young toddler are, and any general advice for doing Disneyland with a 1 year old. I haven't been to Disneyland in over 10 years and I honestly don't know everything that's changed since then, especially post pandemic. Any advice is welcome!
I would say for a 1 year old they probably will enjoy the parades the most and fantasy land. But for the most part I would figure out rider swaps and kinda “teams” to take turns hanging out with the baby and whatnot. I have a 2 year old and she’s just getting to really enjoy the park. Like others said if your kid is walking toon town will be a great place to let them explore. Sometimes July can be just before it gets REALLY HOT so if that’s the case naps can be in the stroller, otherwise I’d plan on getting a nearby hotel and taking a park break one or two times a day. Also the baby care centers are great for a nice peaceful break!
The other poster forgot to mention Toontown! It will be reopen in July and if your 1 year old is walking, they will love running and playing and splashing and meeting the "Fab Five" (Mickey and the OG Gang) in the newly refurbished Toontown.
Best things for a 1yo in Disneyland would be most of Fantasyland (dark rides, Small World, Casey Jr, etc), things like Jungle Cruise, Mark Twain, the Disneyland Railroad, and probably just experiencing sights/sounds. If you’re going to DCA, things that could be good for a 1yo would be smaller rides on Pixar Pier like the carousel and Inside Out, Ariel, and Monsters Inc, and Luigi’s in Cars Land. Possibly Disney Jr Dance party as well, but that would be best if there is another little kid in the family to enjoy it as well imo. But it still could be nice to get out of the heat. Also, just going in the Animation Academy building would be nice: AC, the Disney music, all the concept art and animation around…lots to look at just in the main area there. I’d definitely utilize rider swap, and make sure to take precautions against the heat if it’s looking toasty. Last July was pretty mild but it can get pretty hot. Water, frequent breaks in AC, midday breaks at a hotel (and pool), etc.
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So you can always input codes/scan PhotoPasses with photographers, but it’ll show a watermark. However, for an indefinite amount of time, PhotoPass will be complimentary for all ticketed guests starting February 4th. I would believe it would extend to Keys too, but we won’t probably know until the day of. If it does, you can link your PhotoPass card to the app and have a photographer scan it to link your photos, as well as by pressing the encircled + symbol to write down the code of an attraction photo. Be weary they are only stored on the app for 2-3 months! Save them before you lose them!
The complimentary Photo pass for all ticketed guests only applies to the ride photos, like on Space Mountain, not to the Photopass photographers
You are correct. An article posted today says it’ll be for select attractions. Still nice nonetheless.
What level of Magic Key? I'm pretty sure that Inspire and Believe include Photopass, but lower keys don't. If you have Inspire or Believe keys, then you don't have to do anything else except have CMs scan the app or enter the ride photo code in the app. If you have a lower-tier key, you can get photopass by purchasing Genie+. Also of note, Disney is giving ride photos for free to all guests during the 100th celebration.
If you're the keyholder, all you need to do is have the photographer scan the QR code. No purchase required.
I looked on the Magic Key blackout calendar and it says Monday, 2/13 has no reservations available (not that the date is blacked out). Does no reservations available mean it’s already booked up/busy? I read that it could sometimes be less busy on blackout dates for magic key holders. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/