Everything To Know About The Disneyland App
The Disneyland App is not just another app for your phone. This app is an essential tool to help you before, during, and after your trip. And yes, the app really makes planning a trip to Disneyland that much easier.
With a lot of the services only being offered online, such as park reservations and dining reservations. These are now services that cannot be made over the phone. Understanding how to use the Disneyland App is really essential to making the most of your trip. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s back up a bit, shall we.
Table of Contents
Features
Genie+
Tickets
—Purchasing Tickets
—Linking Park Tickets
—Park Reservations
Photos
—Linking Photos
Park Hours
Map
—Attractions
—Virtual Queues
—Wait Times
—Parades/Fireworks
—Character Meet And Greets
—Temporary Closures
—Closures for Refurbishment
Dining Reservations
—How to Make A Dining Reservation
—Mobile Check-In
—Walk-Up List
—Mobile Ordering
—How to Use Mobile Ordering
Shopping Via Mobile Check-Out
Early Hotel Check-In
—How to Check-In Early
Chat With A Cast Member
FAQ
Take Aways
It is important to note that the Disneyland app and the Disney World app, are completely separate. Where they do offer the same features, and understanding one will help out with the other.
But the Disney World app is dedicated to the 4 parks that make up Disneyworld. I’ll do another post dedicated to Disney World some other time, so keep your eyes open for that one.
Features
There are so many different features that have been put into the Disneyland app, it truly is incredible. It has evolved quite a bit over the last few years as well, including more amazing features to help you on your trip.
The Disneyland app creators have really tried to make the app a one-stop-shop for anything and everything that you could need while in the parks. As well as covering anything and everything that you need to know to prepare for the parks.
In this post, I’ve tried to list all of the different features that the app has to offer while explaining how to use the features, and how they are useful.
Full disclosure here… there are some features on the app that I haven’t used. Additionally, there are new features being added, and different parts of them changing.
I will do my best to keep up to date with all of the new information as the app gets updated. So keep checking back here as there could be more information added.
But for starters, to get the Disneyland App, here are the links below.
Download the app for Android here
Download the app for Apple here
Disney Genie (Genie+)
Probably the newest feature added to the Disneyland App. This feature launched in the Fall of 2021, Disney Genie and Disney’s Genie+ is a new feature that is supposed to help make the most out of planning your next Disney trip.
Giving recommendations based upon predicted wait times, and prioritizing what you and the family want to see, Disney Genie can really be a great benefit for the next trip.
Disney Genie officially launched at Walt Disney World in October 2021, and at Disneyland in December 2021.
For more information about Disney Genie, check out this post here, where I give more details about everything that Disney Genie/Genie+ has to offer.
Tickets
The Disneyland app gives you the option to purchase tickets within the app, as well as the option to link already purchased tickets to your account.
Both linking already purchased tickets, and buying new tickets are really easy and definitely helpful for a trip.
Having tickets linked helps making it easier to enter in and out of the parks, get virtual queues for attractions, and more.
Linking the tickets to your account on the app will help make everything so much easier when it comes to your stay.
Making it convenient to get into the parks, link photos, and get virtual queue boarding passes.
How To Purchase Tickets
To purchase the park tickets through the app is really simple. However, if you prefer to purchase them through the Disneyland website that also works you will just have to link the tickets to your account.
Select the plus sign in the center of the bottom menu when you first open the app. The second to last option will be ‘But Tickets and Passes’.
Once selected, it gives you three different options to buy; theme park tickets, Magic Key passes, and special event tickets.
When purchasing theme park tickets, you must select the number of days that you wish to go, and then the number of adult and child tickets.
Additionally, you need to select whether or not you want to upgrade the tickets to park hopper tickets or not.
The prices of tickets change based upon the number of days that you decide to go. The more days you spend at the theme parks the cheaper the per-day price is. For more information on the prices of the park tickets, check out my latest blog that went over Disneyland’s Ticket Price Increase.
Also remember that in order to go to Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure park, a valid ticket and a park reservation need to be made prior to going to the parks. Without the park reservation, they will not let you into the parks, even with valid tickets.
Click here to jump to how to make park reservations.
How To Link Park Tickets
Linking already purchased park tickets is pretty simple. As long as you have the ticket number, everything is a breeze.
Open the app and select the menu button (three bars) in the bottom right-hand corner. Scroll all the way down. There will be an option titled ‘Link to Account’ that’s what you want to select.
From there it will take you to a new page where you have the option to link tickets or passes, photos, and hotel reservations.
To link the tickets, you can either take a picture of the barcode associated with the ticket, or you can enter the code by selecting the ‘Enter the ID code’ at the bottom of the screen.
Once you have entered the tickets and selected the ‘submit’ at the bottom; it should give you an option to put the person’s name who is associated with the tickets. It is important that the name on the tickets match a form of ID in case they check.
Just like that, the tickets should be linked to the account, and then it is time to make a park reservation.
Park Reservations
Making a park reservation is just as easy as it is linking your park tickets to your account.
One tip that I will give, is to always check the reservation calendar prior to buying your tickets (if you can).
This will help ensure that you will actually be able to go when you want to go. If there are no reservations available you won’t be allowed into the park.
Pro-Tip: If you are pretty set about certain days, you can keep checking the reservation calander. As more reservations open up as people cancel and change their plans. It isn’t a guarantee that you will score the dates you want. But I know some people who have lucked out with it.
How To Make A Park Reservation
To make a park reservation, select the plus sign in the middle of the options bar at the bottom of the app. A menu will pop up, the very last option says ‘Make a Park Reservation’.
From there it gives you two options. First to purchase tickets and then make a park reservation, or to just make the park reservation to already purchased tickets. Select whichever option is the one that fits.
Then you will select the day you wish to go. Select all of the tickets that you wish to have that reservation, and then the park to which you want to go to.
If reservations are sold out for a park on a day that you wish to go there, it will not give you the option of selecting that day. You will have no other choice but to select the other park for that day.
Photos
There are plenty of opportunities for you to take your own photographs throughout the park. Additionally, Disney has professional photographers that are set up to take photos during some of the character meet and greets. Some of the more popular attractions, also have a photo op during the ride.
When you get these photos taken when you are in the park, you can link them to your Disneyland app account so that you can decide if you wish to download them later. The photos stay linked to your account for X days, after that, they are gone forever.
Linking Your Photos
There are a few ways that you can link the photos to your account. There is no right way to link the photos, and you don’t have to use the same method of linking the photos throughout your trip.
Let me break down the different ways to link the photos to your account through the app.
Once you open the Disneyland App, in the bottom right-hand corner, there are 3 bars. That brings you to a menu option. The second option on the right-hand side says ‘Photos’, which is the one that you want to select.
You will be then brought to the main home page for the Disneyland PhotoPass Photos. If you don’t have any photos linked, then this will essentially be a blank page. On the top right hand of the page, there is a button that says ‘Link Photos’. Once selected, it gives you the three different options available to link the photos.
*IMPORTANT: It can sometimes take up to 24 hours for the photos to get linked*
Option 1: Attraction Photos
If you go on a ride where there is a photo you can link the photo this way. In order to link it, you will need the Attraction ID code that is located on your photo after the ride when they display all of the photos on the screens as you exit the ride.
Pro tip: Don’t try to type in the attraction code when you see it on the screen. Instead, take a quick picture of the code, and then keep moving. The codes are usually about 8 digits long, including both letters and numbers.
The screens can change from the code to your photograph to the code for someone else’s photograph. You don’t want to be halfway through entering in the code and have it change and miss the opportunity to get your photo!
Some of the rides with attraction photos are;
-Splash Mountain
-Haunted Mansion
-Guardians of the Galaxy
-Incredicoaster
-Space Mountain
-Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (however you just email it to yourself for free through their computer)
Option 2: PhotoPass Card
The photographers do have cards with a barcode that will link all of the photos to that barcode. If it is easier, you can always get one of these cards at a photographer first thing, and then show all the other photographers the card after all the other photos.
Then at the end of the day, you can scan the barcode into the app, and all of the photos will appear.
This could be an easier option than option 3, but it ultimately is dependent upon what works for your group.
Option 3: PhotoPass Code
This is often seen as being the easiest option to link the photos, but again it really depends on what works for your group.
With this option, a QR code shows up on your screen and you just show it to the photographer to scan. When you use this option the app does control the brightness of your screen, and it will put it to the max so that the photographers can scan it quickly and easily.
Pro tip: A cast member once recommended to me to take a screenshot of the QR code and set it up as your lock screen. That way you don’t have to always open up the app. The QR code is exclusive to your account and doesn’t change with the days.
Park Hours
Right when you open the app, it almost immediately tells you the operating hours of the parks, including Downtown Disney. It is easy to find all the way down on the bottom of that first home screen you get to when you open the Disneyland app.
It will give you the hours for both parks, as well as for the Downtown Disney District.
It is important to know when all of these close, and if there are any special events going on that you didn’t know about. As special events can often cause parks to close early.
From the home screen, under the park hours, there is also a button that says “Today’s Showtimes”.
When you select this option, it will take you to another screen and give you a list of all of the different shows happening that day and which park they are located in.
The default for the page is what is happening in the park’s present day. It will list any fireworks, or nighttime entertainment, followed by any shows that are going on within the parks. Along with what is happening it should also list the times and which park they are happening in.
There is another spot to select park hours from this screen, which will also give you a week view of the park hours, and a full calander option to look at park hours.
This can be helpful when planning a trip, as you will be able to plan better knowing the hours of operation and any special events, shows, etc that will be taking place.
Another helpful way to check out park hours and event times is through the Map feature.
Map
The map feature, as I’ve stated before, is probably one of the handiest tools that the Disneyland app has.
When you open the app, select the little GPS-looking logo at the bottom towards the left-hand side of the options bar. This will pull up the interactive map for you to utilize.
This Map feature can essentially be your one stop shop for a lot of things. As many of the other features can also be accessed through the map, just by filtering through what you are specifically looking for.
How to Use The Map
When you first open the map feature, the default setting is set to ‘attractions’. This will show you al the current wait times for the rides.
If you are not in the Disneyland Parks, it will default to showing you the times around the Disneyland Castle in Fantasyland. If you are at the parks, then it will give you the wait times around your GPS location.
Pro Tip: Filter which park you are in for the day. This makes it much easier to navigate the map. Espeically if you select to view things through the list mode. It will then just give you the options for the park you selected. Making it much easier when you are planning and in the parks.
In addition to the wait times, the map has other options for which you can filter for.
-Dining locations
-Restrooms
-Information desks
-Entertainment
-Events and tours
-PhotoPass
-Shops
-Hotels
-Spa and Recreation
To select one of these options, at the top of the screen there will be a down arrow. Once selected, a dropdown menu will appear with all of the different options to select.
If you don’t wish to look at a bunch of markers on a map, you can always select the ‘List View’ at the top right-hand side of the screen.
An example of the list view is shown below for finding the restrooms. As you can tell from the image, the park filter isn’t set. So the list is giving me all of the options including at the Disneyland Resort Hotels.
Now let’s go over some of the information that the maps have to offer.
Attractions
This is probably (in my opinion), one of the most important features, and most used feature that the app has to offer. Understanding how this feature works can really help save a lot of time and energy when planning your trip, as well as when you are in the parks.
Pro-Tip: Get acquainted with the app prior to the trip. It will help make things a lot easier when you are at the parks. Giving you more time to maximize your experience.
Virtual Queues
Something that is important to understand when it comes to some of the attractions at Disneyland are the virtual queues.
Virtual Queues are a newer thing that has been added to the Disneyland app since Galaxy’s Edge opened with Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run, back in 2019. That ride is now no longer available via a virtual queue, but there are other rides that have taken their spot.
Virtual Queues were the only way for guests to enjoy Rise of the Resistance at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland, and Spiderman: Wen Slingers at Avenger’s Campus*.
So let’s break down the Virtual Queue system in case it gets implemented during your stay.
At two different times, you will have the option to get a virtual queue boarding pass for one of the rides. The first time is at 7 am when guests don’t need to be in the parks. The other time is at 12-noon, with guests needing to be in the park of the ride that they are trying to get a virtual queue for.
You can only get one virtual queue a day for each ride. Meaning that you cannot get on a virtual queue for Web-Slinger at 7 am and 12-noon. It is either one or the other.
Virtual queues, tend to get booked extremely fast, with getting fully booked usually within 3 minutes or less. This is why it is important to be ready before the time comes to get the virtual queue.
Here are my top 3 tips for ensuring that you get the virtual queues that you want:
- Have everyone’s tickets linked to the App
- Have the app open ready to go 3 minutes before it unlocks
- Have more than one person trying to get the boarding pass through the app
*Disneyland News Today on Instagram posted on November 3, 2021, that starting November 4, 2021, Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure will be changing to the standard standby lane system and no longer utilizing the virtual queue system. Shortly after the announcement of Web Slingers no longer needing virtual queues to ride, it was also announced that Rise of the Resistance no longer needs a virtual queue to ride as well, and both will have Lightinging Lane access.
Disneyland also still holds the right to utilize Virtual Queues when the parks get busy, so it is worth getting familiar with this feature in case you need to use it.
Current Wait Times
Probably my favorite thing about the Disneyland app is the ability to tell me the current wait time for rides. This allows me and my group to strategically plan out which rides we are going to go on next.
Knowing the current wait times can help make planning which rides to go on so much easier. Where the app isn’t always completely accurate, it is about 99% of the time. Making it a very useful tool, to strategize, especially with those young ones.
Additionally, the wait times can also tell you if a ride is temporarily closed. This can help avoid treks across the park for a ride that won’t be back up for a while.
One of the best recommendations that I can give is to check out the wait times about 2 weeks before you are going to be in the parks. This can really help give you a sense of how the wait times are going to be during your visit.
With the release of Disney Genie being added to the Disneyland App, the wait times have been a bit different. For more information on the Disney Genie addition to the Disneyland app, check out this post here.
Themed Event Wait Times
Throughout the year, there are quite a few themed events that take place between Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. These events are usually limited ticketed events that sell out quickly.
During these events, a majority of the time, the parks eliminate the virtual queue and fast any type of virtual queue system for the events. Meaning it is standby lines only!
Typically, wait times are shorter during these events but it isn’t always the case. When I attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in Disney World, the wait time for Pirates of the Caribbean was almost double what it usually was (but it was still totally worth it).
But on the flip side, during Disney’s Merriest Nites, in December at Disneyland, the wait times were almost not existent.
If you know that you are going to be attending a separately ticketed event at a Disney Park, I recommend that you check out the wait times throughout the nights of the event prior to you actually going.
Knowing that I was going to be attending an Oogie Boogie Bash in early October of 2021; every night that a Bash took place, I checked the wait times throughout the night.
Most events last more than one night, so checking the wait times during the event prior to going can help get a fairly realistic idea of the wait times. This obviously doesn’t work if you are going during the first event, or if you are going during a special holiday (like Oogie Boogie Bash on Halloween night).
This gave such great insight into what to expect for wait times during the night that I was going to be attending. Was it a perfect match for the wait times when we were there? Of course not.
But it did help my group and I create a rough game plan to ensure that we utilized the time wisely. There were a lot of characters that we wanted to see, lots of candy we wanted to get, as well as get on as many rides as we could.
Parades and Fireworks
The Disneyland App even can help you figure out and plan parades and firework shows! How awesome is that!
With a little bit of planning you can ensure that you get a great seat for either or both shows!
First, figure out what time the show is happening at. Fireworks and Parades don’t happen everyday. So this is a good step to think about when you are planning the trip in advance.
Let’s go over Parades and then Firework shows!
Parades
For parades, find out which show you want to see, and find out what day it is happening. Which can be done using the instructions above, or by clicking here.
Once found, select the parade that is happening that day. When you tap on the event, it should take you to another page that will have the parade name, the park that it is in, showtimes for it, and a brief description of what to expect during the parade.
There is also an option that says ‘Find on Map’. When you select this option, it will take you to the map and show the highlighted route of the parade.
It is important to know where the parade is going to be going through the parks, as during parades they tend to close down a lot of the walkways for guest safety, and don’t allow people to stand or sit in certain areas because of the parade going through.
Pro Tip: Selecting a spot towards the end of the parade will mean that you need to wait a bit longer for the parade to come through, but it usually means less crowds. Less crowds usually means more of a chance to get those front row seats.
With knowing what route the parade is going through than you can also determine the best spot to get for the parade. Additionally, prior to the parade, you can go on rides in that area, so that you aren’t trying to battle through any crowds to get to your parade spot.
Fireworks
Just like with finding out where the parade is going to be going through the park, you can tell where the fireworks will take place too.
Most of the firework shows are held at Disneyland, and take place above the castle, making the center area at the end of Main street one of the best places to view the fireworks.
However, sometimes you can score a pretty good viewing area over by “it’s a small world”. You won’t be able to see the light projection display that happens on the front of the castle, but you will be able to get a good view of the fireworks themselves.
If you are staying at Paradise Pier Hotel and Resort then you can actually go to the 3rd floor for a good viewing area. The hotel even plays the music through the speakers on the floor so that it is enjoyable for guests.
Character Meet And Greets
It is no secret that Disneyland is filled with different characters to meet and interact with.
So how do you plan where the princesses and other favorite characters will be? You turn to the Disneyland app of course!
While in the map, you can select the filter of ‘Entertainment’ to see the different areas in which characters are likely to be.
Now this list of ‘Entertainment’ doesn’t just include popular Disney characters, it also includes other fan favorites. Like the Main Street Piano Player, The Straw Hatters, and The Dapper Dans.
If you don’t know who those groups are, then I recommend seeing them the next time you visit.
When you select the one that you are interested in viewing, it will show you where the characters will be located, and the rough times that the shows will take place.
Sometimes they are specific times, and other times it is a general time, as seen below.
Special Events
There are often special events that take place around the parks. And there are two different types of these special events.
One of them is a special little event that takes place in the parks at set times (similar to the various character greets mentioned above). While others are a completely separate ticketed event.
Separate ticketed events that are happening this year are:
Sweethearts Nite: Feb 1, 3, 8, 10, 14, 2022
Villain’s Nite: Mar 8, 10, 2022
Star Wars Nite: May 3, 4, 27, 2022
Grad Nights: May 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 31, 2022. June 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 17, 2022.
Oogie Boogie Boo Bash: TBA
Merriest Nites: TBA
I will share more dates and details as each event becomes confirmed and available, so stay tuned for posts on each one specifically.
For the special events that doesn’t require a special after hours ticket, you can find more information on them in the app. One of the more popular ones takes place in Disney’s California Adventure called Disney Junior Dance Party.
There are various showtimes for this event throughout the day, so check out the app to figure out what times it is happening during the day you visit. It is typically located at the Disney Theater across from Award Wieners.
Which again, you can find out specifically where it is located by following the instructions above, or by selecting the ‘Find on Map’ option.
The Disney Junior Dacne Party is specifically designed to be entertainment for the younger kids, where they can meet characters and dance along with them.
Temporary Closures
There are a lot of reasons why a ride could be down. Changing the decor to match a season, regular scheduled maintenance and refurbishment, bad weather, or even just a quick restart of the systems.
A good rule of thumb is that if the weather gets bad (extreme rain, thunder, lightning, etc), Disneyland will usually close all of the outside roller coasters as a safety precaution.
If the ride had a little malfunction and the ride system had to be restarted, it will be listed as temporarily closed. In these cases, cast members cannot tell you how long it will be for the ride to be back up and running.
However, I have chatted with a few different cast members and they say that if the system has to be restarted, it will take a minimum of 20 minutes for the ride to back up and running (assuming the problem is fixed). Sometimes it can be worth it to just wait it out, as many people will leave giving you a better spot in the line.
Both of these types of temporary closures can be found by using the map feature through the app with the attractions highlighted or listed.
To help avoid arriving to Disneyland and realizing the one ride that you were wanting to go on is closed for refurbishment, check the temporary closures that they have listed.
Yes, the Disneyland app tells you which rides are closed for refurbishment! Sometimes they even give a rough time frame of when they are going to be reopening. If you know where to look!
Where To Find Temporary Closures For Refurbishment
Where missing out on your favorite ride due to refurbishment closures isn’t always ideal… something something something.
Open the Disneyland app, and scroll all the way down to the bottom. The very last option at the bottom will give you the park hours for both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.
From there you have two options. You could either select the ‘Today’s Showtimes’ which will give you a list of all the parades and shows that are happening in the parks. Or you could select the ‘All Hours’ button (which is the one we want).
Once ‘All Hours’ is selected it should take you to a page where it shows the next five days with the option to scroll and see further.
Additionally, it will have hours for both parks as well as the hours for the Downtown Disney District. If you scroll further there will be a section in bright red lettering that says “Closed for Refurbishment”.
Under “Closed for Refurbishment” it will list everything that is currently unavailable. So as you can see from the picture that “it’s a small world” is currently closed because they are transitioning it to fit the Christmas/Holiday decore that is starting to shop up around the parks. Very typical for the end of October/start of November.
If a ride that you wish to enjoy is on the list, you can indirectly get a rough idea of when it is going to reopen by using the full calendar option back at the top.
Simply select the day(s) that you will be at the parks and then scroll down and see if the ride is still on the list.
Utilizing the example above with “it’s a small world”, the first week of November, the ride is on the list. However, once you select November 11, 2021, the ride is no longer listed.
From this, it is safe to say that the ride should be back open in its holiday glory on November 11, just in time for the Holiday season to start on November 12.
Dining Reservations
Dining Reservations can be made up to 60 days prior to your visit. Where making a dining reservation might seem like something low on the priority list for planning your trip, it really is an essential thing.
Note that the “up to 60 days” prior to the visit, is a rolling 60 days. So if you plan on staying for longer than a day, you will need to log in and check the reservations that are available day after day.
Additionally, it is “up to”, meaning that not all open reservations will open up at that mark. Some restaurants require it to be closer to the trip. Also making it so that you should check back frequently to get the reservations that you wish.
Recently, with the reopening of the parks, Disneyland changed how you can make your dining reservations. Prior to the shutdown, guests were able to make dining reservations over the phone, through the Disneyland website, or through the Disneyland App.
Now the only way that guests can make dining reservations are through the app, or online at the Disneyland website.
Additionally, having a dining reservation can help with crowds by planning on eating lunch or dinner earlier or later than the rush, which means you can optimize time by hitting some of those rides when everyone else is eating!
One of the main reasons why it is important to book dining reservations early is because there are some really cool places that can be fully booked if you wait. Such as Lamplight Lounge in Disney’s California Adventure, and Blue Bayou in Disneyland.
How To Make A Dining Reservaiton
To make dining reservations, from the home page, hit the plus sign in the middle of the menu at the bottom of the screen.
Once clicked the top option should be ‘Check Dining Availability.
From there you can enter your party size, and the date you wish to book the reservation. Then you can filter results based upon time.
There are other options to filter the results down even more, but only seeing reservations at specific parks or Downtown Disney. This can be helpful even if you are within the park, and need to make a last-minute reservation.
From the list of available dining options, you can select the time that works best for your part.
Once you select the time that works, you go to a page where you review the information for the reservation
This is also the place where you can add any food allergies that anyone in your party may have, or if you have any special requests.
It is important to know that a credit card is required in order to guarantee the dining reservation.
The meal doesn’t get charged to this card, it just holds the reservation.
In the guest policies, you have to read and agree, it does say that if you cancel within 24 hrs of the reservation you will be charged $10/per person on the reservation.
Sometimes (not always a guarantee) but if you cancel the reservation in person on the day off, they will waive any cancelation fees. Like I said this isn’t a guarantee, but it did happen once during a trip. I haven’t tried it since, as my group is usually pretty good about not needing to cancel.
Once you confirm everything on the review page, they will give you a confirmation number, the reservation will be added to your itinerary, and you will also get an email with the confirmation information for the reservation.
Mobile Check-in
When your dining reservations are linked to your account on the Disneyland App, you can check into your dining reservation early. Just like checking into the hotel through the app early, you can do the same with dining reservations.
This early check-in feature can be done up to 15 minutes before the reservation time selected.
Why is checking into your timing reservation early a good thing? It allows you to potentially get seated faster than your actual dining reservation.
If there is a long line of people trying to get a table, or people trying to check-in, doing it through the app means you might be able to bypass that long line.
As well, it means you can check-in for your dining reservation while heading over to the restaurant, saving everyone a little bit of time. So that when you actually get to the restaurant, you can instantly get seated.
Walk-Up List
Another newly added feature, available for some restaurants, is joining a walk-up list. This can sometimes help workaround if you didn’t make a reservation to one of the more popular eateries.
In order to join the walk-up list, you do have to be fairly close to the restaurant. It will not allow you to join the list until you are close.
This means that you cannot enter the park, and then try to join the walk-in list for a restaurant on the other end of the park.
For example, if you just enter Disney’s California Adventure, you can’t join the walk-in list for Lamplight Lounge. You pretty much have to be on Pixar Pier to join.
The only restaurant that I have seen with the walk-up list option in Disneyland, is Oga’s Cantina. With just Lamplight Lounge and Carthay Circle for Disney’s California Adventure Park.
There could be more restaurants that have a walk-up list in the future, this is just current information based upon what I have seen.
Mobile Ordering
Mobile ordering is different than making a dining reservation. Some eateries that don’t do reservations will do the mobile ordering.
Or some of the smaller little quick service carts will utilize the mobile ordering system through the app.
Utilizing mobile ordering is an excellent way to help bypass lines when it comes to grabbing snacks, or meals.
There are some places that will exclusively do the mobile ordering, and there are some places that do mobile ordering while also having a stand-by line.
These can change throughout the year, so I wouldn’t count on a particular place always utilizing mobile ordering.
For example, during a trip in June, the Blue Milk stand in Galaxy’s Edge only did the mobile ordering, however, in October there was both walk-up and mobile ordering available.
How To Use Mobile Ordering
There are a few different ways to use mobile ordering. With no right or wrong way, just based upon preference really.
Personally, I have utilized each way throughout my trips. It typically depends on what else I am also looking at within the Disneyland App.
I’ll break down both options so that you can utilize whichever method you wish.
Ordering From The Map
Starting from the map, the default should list all the attractions within the park that you are in. Select the down arrow by the word attractions so you can select the ‘dining’ option.
Now this option will give you all dining places, regardless of if they have mobile ordering or not. The way to distinguish between the two is the symbol that they have on the map.
The icon that just looks like a fork and knife, symbolizes that there is a place to eat. Whether it be a sit-down restaurant, food cart, or a quick service location.
The icon that looks like a phone with a fork and knife, symbolizes that that location utilizes mobile ordering.
When you have selected a place that utilized mobile ordering, there will be the option that says ‘order food’. Then you will be asked to select an arrival window.
Some of the arrival windows are immediate, while others could be for later in the day. What is available is usually dependent upon how busy it is.
Mobile Ordering From Menu
From the main home page, select the plus sign on the bottom bar in the center. Select the second option that says ‘Order Food’.
This will take you to a page where it gives you a list of all of the mobile ordering eateries with the available arrival time windows. Scroll down until you find the place that you wish to eat at and select the time frame the works best for your group.
From the main menu, (from hitting the three bars at the bottom left on the home page), the third-down right-hand side option says ‘Mobile Food Orders’. This page will list any mobile orders that you currently have going, and also gives you an option to create a new order.
If you select the ‘Create New Order’ button or the plus sign at the top right-hand corner, the same page pops up.
Which will be a list of all of the options of eateries that are currently offering mobile ordering. They are organized by the park, including the mobile ordering options for Downtown Disney and the different Disneyland Hotel Resorts.
There is no way to filter the mobile order options this way, but they are listed in park order, starting with Disneyland, California Adventure, then Downtown Disney, Disneyland Hotel Resorts, and unavailable options.
Once Arrival Window Is Selected
Once your arrival window is selected, you are able to build your order. There is a menu of all the options that are available at the eatery that you picked.
Select what items you want, and then edit the quantity (if applicable), and add it to the cart. Once everything is added select ‘View My Order’ at the bottom of the screen.
It should take you to a screen that has everything that you ordered with the option to modify the order or to review the order summary.
The review order summary is essentially the checkout page. Confirm all of the details and select purchase.
For this example, we will be placing an order at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. We got there from the Disneyland map.
We selected our time for mobile order pick up to be between 5:40 pm and 6:10 pm. So we can enjoy a nice evening snack.
When selecting your time, you can select the quickest time slot available. Some are available immediately, some have about a 20-30 minutes wait.
You can also schedule the mobile order for way later in the day. For example, if it is the early AM, and you know what you want for an evening snack, you can schedule the mobile order for PM.
For our snack/meal we went with the Toasted Salsa Roja Chicken Sandwich Combo for $12.49. We add it to our cart, add any other goodies that we wish to have along with the chicken sandwich, and then continue to check out.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of a check-out page, I do not have a screenshot of what the page will look like.
When it is about 5 minutes before the time of the arrival window that you selected, there will be a push notification that pops up.
If you are close enough to the eatery, then you can select the option to have them make your order.
Wait for all of the bars to turn green, and follow the instructions on the page when it tells you that the food is ready. Usually, it will tell you which window to go to for your food.
When you walk up to get your food, they will ask you for the order number, which should be at the top, and about four or so numbers. They will confirm the order and give you your food.
When you are ordering adult beverages, keep in mind that there is a limit of 2 drinks per person, per transaction. If you are ordering for a group of 4, there need to be at least 2 adults (with valid IDs) to go and get the drinks.
They will not give you all of the drinks without enough adults with valid IDs. Trust me, I almost learned this the hard way!
Shopping Via Mobile Check-Out
This was a brand new feature that I just used for the first time when I was in the parks this past fall. I was really surprised at how easy and efficient it was to do.
The feature is still being tested, so it isn’t available at all stores. There is essentially one store in every area of Disney where you can try this feature out.
It is available at:
World of Disney in the Downtown Disney District
Elias & Co. in Disney California Adventure Park
Emporium in Disneyland Park.
It is super easy to utilize, and if you don’t have a lot of things it can really save time.
Because it is still being tested, you do need to be at the mobile check-out area in order to utilize this feature. There should also be a cast member there to help you with the whole process.
Once at the area for mobile check out, open the Disneyland app and select the plus sign at the middle of the options bar at the bottom. The third option down should say ‘Shop in Store – Now Testing’.
Then it will give you the three stores that the mobile check-out feature is available. Select the store that you are in. It will give you the option to start scanning your items.
Scan all of your barcodes, and then select that you are finished and ready to pay. In order to fully utilize the feature, you do have to have a card linked to your Disneyland account.
Once you’ve paid, the receipt will print out, and a cast member will have a bag for your items with the receipt stapled to the outside. And then you are all set!
This is a really cool feature, but as stated earlier, it can save time when you don’t have a lot of items. I used this feature when I only had like 2 or 3 items and it was really quick.
Early Hotel Check-In
If you are staying on-resort for your Disneyland stay, and the hotel reservation is linked to your account (which I highly recommend doing). You are allowed to check-in through the app, up to 5 days before your stay.
One of the reasons why I highly recommend utilizing this feature is because it is one less thing that you have to worry about.
You will know where your room is prior to even arriving at the hotel! It even saves time when you get your room keys.
Additionally, if you are staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, the app is able to unlock your room (this feature is unavailable at the other Disneyland Resorts).
Completely eliminating the need for a physical card, one less thing to lose. Of course, you can always go to the reservation desk and get a physical card if you wish.
How to check-in early the Hotel
When it is within the 5-day time frame for you to check in early to the hotel, the app will give you the option for early check-in.
First, you confirm the information and reservation that you have. Then, one of the first bits of information that you provide is when you plan on arriving at the hotel.
They will also ask for a rough time that you will be actually showing up, there isn’t a guarantee that the room will be ready. But I haven’t had an issue at all. In fact, I have even set the check-in time for 2:30 pm and at 2:16 pm I got the text that my room was ready!
I usually set my check-in time to be about 30 mins prior to when I am actually planning on getting there, that way if I show up a bit early it will be good. (I usually road trip down to Disneyland from Northern California, so the traffic, road construction, and LA traffic is always a guessing game).
Along with when you will arrive they will ask you about parking. All of the hotels have self-parking for a fee. The Grand Californian Hotel also has a valet available for a bit more than the cost of self-parking.
Because you have to pay for parking, they will ask you to keep a card reserved with the hotel reservation. This is what parking is going to be charged to when you leave. Also, this is going to be what any type of incidentals gets charged to during your stay.
When staying at The Grand Californian Hotel, this card is also linked to the room key, which can be used for purchases throughout the parks and Downtown Disney. For more information on staying at The Grand Californian Hotel specifically, check out my review post here.
Additionally, you will add your address and a way for them to communicate with you about your reservation. I usually always mark that I prefer cell phone/text message communication (this way you get a text when your room is ready!)
The very last thing that you will do before submitting the information, accept all of the terms and conditions. Once complete, the image below will show up, and you are all checked in.
Your early online check-in process is complete! The completed check-in process will be reflected on the app’s home screen, when you open the app, as seen below.
When it gets to the time of your estimated arrival to the hotel, they send you a text (if you gave them your number) with your room number on it.
At the hotel, I go to the front desk, tell them that I’ve completed the online check in. Then they give me a map of the hotel and the hotel room keys. The whole process usually takes less than 5 minutes.
Chat With A Cast Member
This is one of the newest additions that came out to the Disneyland app in 2021. It is a great feature, where you can ask a cast member questions about anything you need help with.
No more waiting on hold for hours! Now you have direct (well almost direct) access to a cast member.
When you start a chat, they ask you a few basic questions first, like if you are currently at the parks, if it is a technical issue that you are having, etc. However, after that, a cast member usually responds within a few minutes of starting the chat.
Full disclosure though, since the release of the Magic Key Pass system, the wait has been longer to receive a response from a cast member. But they do actually respond. I believe the longest that I had to wait for a response in September 2021, was about 24 hours.
Now that kind of wait might sound like a total negative but it really isn’t. Why? Because you don’t have to stay in the app to keep the chat open. You can navigate out of the app, and as long as the push notifications are on for the app, you will get notified when the cast member responds.
When all of your questions have been answered, you have the option to close the chat, or sometimes the cast member will do it themselves. A cast member will end the chat when they have answered your questions.
If the cast member ends the chat, then they give you an option to rate the experience with that cast member.
But before you start chatting with a Cast Member on the app, scroll through the questions below to see if the information helps.
FAQ:
How does the Disneyland app work?
Using the app is pretty straightforward and easy to use, once you get the hang of it. It is important to create an account, or log in if you already have a Disneyland account. This will help maximize the most features and really get the most out of using the app.
At the bare minimum, the app can be used for a map with the wait times for attractions and shows, and bathroom locations.
Is the Disneyland app free?
Yes, the Disneyland app is free. It is free to make a Disneyland account and free to use the map and link all of the tickets and photos to your account.
However, there are options within the app that cost. As well as some things that need to have a credit card on file in order to utilize (like activity reservations, and dining reservations).
Additionally, the app has some features which allow you to purchase items from within the app. These are features like mobile ordering, in-store checkout, etc.
Does the Disneyland app show wait times?
Yes! One of the great things about the Disneyland app is that it shows the wait times, along with any temporary closures that are going on with the rides.
This makes it so much easier to plan which rides to go to next.
One thing to note is that, where it does show the wait times, they are accurate about 99% of the time.
There are a few times where the app doesn’t fully reflect the correct times. Sometimes there is a lag in the updating of the times.
For example, when I was last there I was walking by the Alice in Wonderland ride when it ‘broke down’ and they needed to restart the system.
However, when I hopped on the app, it didn’t show that it was temporarily closed. Within a few minutes though, it was changed to temporarily closed.
How do I link my Disneyland tickets to my app 2021?
Linking your tickets to the Disneyland app is really extremely easy!
It is important to link the tickets as this is how you will be able to make the park reservations, which is mandatory to enter the parks.
Making park reservations cannot be made except for online. So it is best to link your tickets and get your park reservations ASAP.
Simply go to the Menu, scroll down until you see ‘Link to Account’.
Once selected, it should look like the image below, giving you the option to link tickets, photos, and hotel reservations.
For further instructions on linking tickets, scroll up. Earlier in this post, I go over the whole process of linking tickets.
Take Aways:
It is important to get familiar with the app prior to your trip. This will help cut down on potential frustration that can arise if you can’t find something.
Using the app is the only way to get virtual queue boarding passes for 2 of the most popular rides during their busy days. As well as the most efficient way to check wait times for rides throughout the park.
The Disneyland app is the only way to utilize Genie, Genie+, and purchase separate Lightning Lane access to rides.
Utilizing features like mobile food ordering can save time.
As well as the best way to get photos taken at PhotoPass locations.
The Disneyland App is truly an app that will make planning your next Disney vacation that much easier.
