Disneyland Is Reopening. Here's How to Book Your Ticket

After being closed for 13 months, California's Disneyland is finally reopening on April 30 to California residents (sorry, everyone else—you'll have to sit tight). But Californians, don't go lining up outside those iconic gates quite yet. All visitors to the theme park are required to make advanced reservations for entry. Here's everything you need to know about booking your tickets to, and making reservations for, the "Happiest Place on Earth."

Where Can I Buy Disneyland Tickets?

The first step in the whole process is to buy a ticket to the theme park. As usual, Disneyland offers single-day and multi-day tickets, both in single-park and Park Hopper varieties. The latter allows you to visit both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in a single day, whereas the former only allows entrance into one. Head to Disney's official ticket site or an authorized reseller to purchase your tickets. (We highly recommend booking directly through Disney, as it makes the process a lot more straightforward.)

Something essential to note: you can't enter the parks without a reservation, which is separate from a ticket. So before you buy a ticket, check the reservation availability calendar in advance to make sure the park still has reservations for the day you'd like to visit. Disneyland tickets are non-refundable, so you're out of luck—and a lot of money—if you can't use them. The good news is tickets usually don't expire for two years or so, but check the fine print before purchasing.

Once I Have Tickets, Can I Head to the Parks?

NO! You still need to make a reservation for a specific day (or days if you purchased a multi-day pass). After you've purchased your park ticket, go to Disney's reservation site, which is different than the ticket site, and make sure your tickets are linked to your Disney account—if you book directly through Disney, they should automatically be linked. Then follow the steps outlined on the site to make a park reservation for the dates you plan on visiting.

How Far in Advance Should I Make Disneyland Reservations?

We anticipate demand to be high for Disneyland reservations, so make them as soon as possible. The Disney reservation site currently opens slots 60 days in advance.

Can I Buy a FASTPASS or MaxPass?

Nope. They've been suspended for now.

What Else Is Going to Be Different?

COVID-19 protocols will be in place, meaning there will be limited capacity, guests will have to wear masks, and everyone is encouraged to stay socially distanced. Some offerings will be closed or canceled for now, including Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour, parades, character meet-and-greets, and the single rider queues.