Advance Planning Timeline

A Disneyland trip has booking windows that open at specific times. Miss them and popular options sell out. Here is the timeline.

“Dining reservations open 60 days out. Blue Bayou, Lamplight Lounge, and Carthay Circle fill within minutes.

60 days before: Table-service dining reservations open at 6 AM Pacific through the Disneyland app or disneyland.disney.go.com. Set a reminder for 5:55 AM. Blue Bayou (inside Pirates of the Caribbean), Lamplight Lounge (DCA waterfront), Carthay Circle Restaurant, and Napa Rose at the Grand Californian are the hardest to get. If your target is full, check back 3-5 days before your visit — cancellations appear regularly as plans change. The app shows walk-up availability for some restaurants day-of, but don't rely on it for popular spots.

45 days before: If staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel (Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian, Pixar Place), confirm your reservation details. Hotel guests receive one complimentary Lightning Lane Multi Pass entry per guest per stay (not per day) as of January 2026. Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers are excluded. This replaces the old Early Entry benefit. Redeem through the app starting 7 AM on your arrival day. Off-site hotel guests do not receive this perk.

14 days before: Buy your park tickets if you haven't already. Multi-day tickets are cheaper per day (a 3-day ticket is roughly 40% less per day than a single-day). Make park reservations immediately after purchasing tickets. Reservations are required and popular dates sell out, especially weekends and holidays. Park Hopper add-on lets you visit both parks in one day (hopping allowed after 1 PM). Check availability at disneyland.disney.go.com/availability-calendar before choosing dates.

7 days before: Lightning Lane Premier Pass goes on sale via the app at 7 AM Pacific, 7 days before your visit. This is the all-access option ($300-400/person, varies by date) — unlimited LL access at both parks without scheduling return windows. Limited quantity. If you want it, be ready at 7 AM. Most guests use Multi Pass or Single Pass instead (purchased day-of at the park).

2 days before: Pre-purchase up to 2 Lightning Lane Single Pass rides through the app. Single Pass covers the premium rides excluded from Multi Pass (currently Rise of the Resistance at DL and Radiator Springs Racers at DCA). Prices range $18-$35 per ride per person and vary by date. You select a return window during purchase. Day-of availability is first-come first-served and popular windows sell out by mid-morning.

Night before: Download and log into these apps: Disneyland (tickets, LL, wait times, mobile food ordering, maps), Play Disney Parks (in-queue games, AR experiences). Charge your portable battery pack. Set your morning alarm — plan to arrive at the parking structure 90 minutes before park opening on busy days, 60 minutes on lighter days. Review the park hours and any special event schedules (Disneyland After Dark events close the park early for non-ticket holders). Place your first mobile food order at 7 AM for popular spots like Jolly Holiday Bakery.

Checking availability after things sell out: Dining reservations, LL slots, and park reservations all have cancellation windows. For dining, check the app 1-5 days before your visit, especially in the morning (6-8 AM) when cancellations process. For Lightning Lane, slots open up throughout the day as guests modify or cancel bookings. For park reservations, check early morning on your target date. MouseDining.com and MouseWatcher.com are third-party tools that monitor Disney dining availability and send alerts when your target restaurant has an opening. Free for basic alerts, paid tiers for faster notifications.