6 Reasons Why You Need The Disneyland App
Planning a trip to Disneyland has never been an easy task. How many days are we going? Which park are we going to visit on which day? Which restaurants are we going to try? Mistakes are bound to happen.
Unfortunately, with the popularity of the park ever increasing and the rise of smartphone technology offering unprecedented convenience, being prepared is more important now than ever. Enter, the official Disneyland app.
The app is free to download/use and is available on both IOS and Android platforms. If you don’t have one already, you will want to create an account so you can take advantage of everything the app has to offer.
During our most recent trip to the parks, we found ourselves using the app constantly and realized how imperative it is to not only the planning stage, but while you’re actually inside the parks as well. So we decided to put this little article together.
So follow along while we list the six reasons why the Disneyland app is essential to the success of your trip to the Disneyland Resort.
Let’s get to it!
1) Mobile Dining Orders
Perhaps the biggest reason to use the app is having the ability to place your food orders at some of your favorite restaurants and pay for it ahead of time. No cash or standing in line required.
Just in the last couple years, the availability of mobile order has grown from just a few restaurants to nearly every quick service location in either park. It’s truly a tremendous time saver and super convenient.
Below is a list of each restaurant currently offering mobile order. Some (indicated by the *) are mobile order only.
Disneyland Park
Alien Pizza Planet (Tomorrowland)
Bengal BBQ (Adventureland)
Docking Bay 7 (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)
Edelweiss Snacks (Fantasyland)
French Market Restaurant (New Orleans Square)
Galactic Grill (Tomorrowland)
Gibson Girl Ice Cream (Main Street U.S.A)
The Golden Horseshoe (Frontierland)
Harbour Gallery at Pelican Landing (Critter Country)
Hungry Bear (Critter Country)
Jolly Holiday Bakery (Main Street U.S.A)
Milk Stand (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)
Mint Julep Bar (New Orleans Square)
Red Rose Tavern* (Fantasyland)
Refreshment Corner (Main Street U.S.A)
Ronto Roasters (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)
Royal Street Veranda (New Orleans Square)
Stage Door Cafe (Frontierland)
Tiki Juice Bar (Adventureland)
Troubadour Tavern (Fantasyland)
Disney California Adventure
Award Weiners (Hollywood Land)
Bayside Brews (Paradise Gardens)
Clarabelle’s (Buena Vista Street)
Cocina Cucamonga Grill (Pacific Wharf)
Corn Dog Castle (Paradise Gardens)
Cozy Cones* (Cars Land)
Flo’s V8 Cafe (Cars Land)
Hollywood Lounge (Hollywood Land)
Lucky Fortune Cookery (Pacific Wharf)
Pacific Wharf Cafe (Pacific Wharf)
Pacific Wharf Distribution Co. (Pacific Wharf)
Paradise Gardens Grill (Paradise Gardens)
Pym Tasting Lab (Avenger’s Campus)
Pym Test Kitchen (Avenger’s Campus)
Rita’s Baja Blenders (Pacific Wharf)
Schmoozies! (Hollywood Land)
Smokejumpers Grill (Grizzly Peak)
Sonoma Terrace (Pacific Wharf)
Studio Catering Co. (Hollywood Land)
Disney Resort Hotels
GCH Craftman’s Grill (Grand Californian)
The Coffee House (Disneyland Hotel)
Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill (Disneyland Hotel)
Downtown Disney
Marceline’s Confectionery
As you can see, the list is long and they’re even starting to branch out to the hotels. It wouldn’t surprise me to see more eateries in Downtown Disney join this list in the future. As mentioned, some are even testing being mobile order only locations.
A couple of those we encountered were, “Red Rose Tavern” and “Cozy Cones”. They weren't accepting cash or cards at all. It was strictly mobile order. We can verify that both, “Bengal BBQ” and “Hungry Bear”, were accepting walk ups.
However, the lines at both were long. Mobile ordering was quick, easy, and definitely the way to go.
2) Buying & Scanning Tickets
The days of being able to walk up to the ticket booths in the esplanade are slowly, but surely, coming to an end. Mark my words. Not only is this due to the spread of Covid, but it will also save Disney a few bucks. So, yes, it’s going to happen.
Thankfully, the app makes it super easy to purchase single-day tickets, multi-day tickets, and their newest offering, Magic Key passes. In fact, the app or website are your only options to purchase Magic Keys at the moment.
Theme Park Tickets
To purchase tickets in the app:
Make sure you’ve created an account
Tap the + symbol at the bottom of the screen
Tap, “Buy Tickets and Passes”
Select, “Theme Park Tickets”
Select the number of days you’ll be in the parks
Select the quantity of tickets (adults, child, etc)
Select either “One Park Per Day” or “Park Hopper”
You’ll then be shown available reservations (Note: You will not be able to purchase tickets without available reservations)
You’ll then select which park you want to begin each day of your reservations
From here, select “Checkout” and fill in your payment info
Bob Chepek, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, has publicly stated that their park reservation policy will be in effect, “for the foreseeable future”. In our opinion, it’s here to stay. This applies to both day guests and Magic Key holders.
Magic Key Passes
To purchase a Magic Key pass (the replacement for the former Annual Pass program):
Follow steps 1 & 2 above
Select, “Magic Key Passes”
Select which pass you want (Note: If you are not a Southern California resident, you will NOT be able to purchase the “Imagine” Key Pass)
Select the number of passes and who to assign them to (Note: You will only be able to take advantage of the monthly payment option if you’re a State of California resident)
Enter your payment info and follow the steps to link your new Magic Key to your account
If you’re still deciding whether or not a Magic Key would be a good fit for you or your family, check out our article, “Magic Key: 7 Things You Need To Know Before Buying”.
Another benefit of tickets in the app is they’re stored in there for the duration of your visit. It totally eliminates what every park guest dreads; losing their tickets.
When you arrive at the gate simply pull up the tickets on your phone. The Cast Member will scan them, take your picture, and hand you physical copies (Hang on to those in case your phone dies).
Each time you come back to the parks after that, the Cast Member will scan your phone and you’ll be on your way. It’s a fast, efficient, and contactless way to enter the parks.
3) Attraction Virtual Queues
*Editor’s Note: As of January 2022, Disneyland no longer utilizes the virtual queue system. Attractions that used to now fall under that purview now are part of Disney Genie+ premium selections and traditional stand-by. For detailed information on Disney Genie+, go here.
Currently, two of the Disneyland Resort’s newest attractions can only be experienced by using the app to secure a boarding group. You cannot just show up and get in line. This may change in the future but for now, this is how it is.
The two attractions with this special requirement are, “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance”*, in Disneyland Park and, “WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure”, in California Adventure.
If you or anyone in your group had any desire to ride one or both of these rides, then you’re definitely going to need the app. However, even with the app, there’s still no guarantee you’ll receive a boarding group.
Due to this, we’re working on a detailed, no-holds-barred guide providing tips on how to secure a boarding group and what you can do to increase your chances. Keep an eye out for that one!
If you just want a quick rundown:
Be ready to go at either 7am or 12pm
Go to the “Virtual Queue” section of the app
Tap, “Join Virtual Queue”
Select the park (Disneyland for “Rise” or DCA for “WEB”)
If you see a blue tab that says, “Join Virtual Queue”, quickly tap it
Verify your party and make sure each person’s ticket is selected
You’ll then be taken to a page where you can view your boarding group number, estimated wait time, and your entry code.
*Note: As of November 2021, “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance”, no longer uses the virtual queue system.
4) Check Attraction Wait Times
This one will be short and sweet. Let’s say you just got off Space Mountain in Tomorrowland and you get the sudden urge to ride Splash Mountain all the way in Critter Country. So you hike it all the way over there all to discover a massive, 2-3 hour line has formed. Total bummer.
The app eliminates that disappointment by showcasing a section dedicated to providing real time wait times for each attraction in both parks. So all you’ll need to do is look for the attraction you want to experience and check before go.
In our experience, the wait times are mostly accurate. For example, the app stated a 30-minute wait for Haunted Mansion. It looked daunting and I didn’t believe it, so I timed it. By the time we reached the stretch room (which I consider the beginning), we waited 31-minutes. Close enough.
They’ve also been known to high-ball the wait times to avoid you being upset about having to wait longer. For example, we pulled up Radiator Springs Racers and it showed a 35-minute wait. We ended up waiting around 20-minutes.
5) PhotoPass
Until Disney Genie gets up and going (and probably even after it does) the app is where you’ll go to find all your photos taken by PhotoPass Photographers. If you’ve never used this service before, it’s pretty cool.
Using Disney Photographers is free (until it’s time to purchase your photos, that is). They take all the headache out of getting that perfect family vacation portrait in front of the castle, Mickey shaped pumpkin, etc. They’re scattered throughout both parks.
When you’re done taking your photos, you’ll pull up the barcode in the “photos” section and the Photographer will scan your photos into the app. They usually take around 1-2 hours to appear.
Photos used to be included in the purchase of a MaxPass but now that it’s discontinued, the current cost of PhotoPass is:
$14.99 - Per photo
$19.99 - That entire day’s worth
They’ll stay in the app for 45 days after you take them. So you’ll have plenty of time to purchase them.
*It’s recently been announced by Disney that when Genie+ goes live, PhotoPass photos will be included in the purchase price. This includes photos taken by Disney Photographers and Attraction photos.
6) Restaurant Reservations & Plans
Most restaurants at the Disneyland Resort are quick-service. Meaning you order your food, sit down, and eat. At table-service restaurants, it’s more traditional where you’re seated at a table and have a wait staff tending to you.
Some of these include Lamplight Lounge (pictured above), Napa Rose, Blue Bayou, and Wine Country Trattoria. These restaurants, and others, are very popular, so making an advance dining reservation is almost required most of the time.
In the app, you can make dining reservations 60 days in advance. Best part is, all of your reservations, boarding passes, etc, all appear in the, “My Plans”, tab of the app. You’ll be able to view and modify your plans and even receive reminders.
Conclusion
As you can see, the Disneyland app has become essential to both the planning process and the execution of the day-to-day aspect of your visit. We highly advise you to download it, create an account, and get familiar with the layout and its features.
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