If you made a last-minute decision to visit Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, then you are probably wondering whether you can buy park tickets at the gate. Several articles online claim that purchasing Disneyland tickets at the gate is no longer an option, but is that really the case? Read on to find out everything you need to know about buying Disneyland tickets, including where to get them, the different types of tickets available, and their respective costs.
Can I buy Disneyland tickets at the gate right now?
Although some Disneyland guides on the Internet claim that you can no longer purchase tickets at the gate, they, actually, can still be bought at the gate by visiting any of the ticket booth located near the park gates. According to ParkSavers.com, Disneyland Resort has always offered the opportunity for visitors to get their tickets at the gate in case they aren’t able to buy them in advance or made a last-minute decision to visit the resort.
However, it is worth noting that buying tickets at the gate does not give you a reservation or instant access to the resort’s two theme parks, namely Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. More often than not, same-day tickets are no longer available at the gate, and theme park reservations for the day were completely booked up.
If it’s your first time visiting Disneyland Resort, keep in mind that a valid theme park admission and reservation for the same park on the same date are both required for each guest to enter a park. You can make your park reservations 120 days in advance.
Should I buy Disney tickets in advance or at the gate?
While you can buy Disneyland tickets at the gate, it’s way better if you purchase them in advance. As mentioned above, it’s very rare that you will be able to buy same-day tickets at the gate, so there’s a high possibility that the time and effort you spend queuing up will go in vain.
As noted by TheHappiestBlogOnEarth.com, buying a Disneyland ticket at the gate “makes zero sense” because Disneyland Resort now has a reservation system, and doing so doesn’t guarantee that you will be able to go to the parks that day.
Is it cheaper to buy Disneyland tickets at the gate?
No. You will pay the full price of the Disneyland ticket if you buy them at the gate. Authorized retailers, such as Get Away Today, offer discount tickets.
How to buy Disneyland tickets in advance
There are different ways to buy Disneyland tickets in advance, and they are as follows:
Disneyland.com
Instead of buying Disneyland tickets at the gate, you can purchase them in advance on Disneyland.com. You can buy tickets on the website even hours before your arrival, which is much better than purchasing them at the gate.
All tickets bought via Disneyland.com, whether you get them several days before or the same day, are e-tickets, which means you can go straight to the gate and scan them from your phone. There’s no need to print them out.
Disneyland.com offers the easiest way to secure tickets because you can get a park reservation at the same time as your purchase. However, most Disneyland guides online suggest that you should only buy tickets on Disneyland.com as a last resort because doing so means that you will be paying the absolute highest price since they hardly offer discounts.
Disneyland App
The official Disneyland app, which is free to download for iOS and Android users, allows you to purchase a Disneyland ticket directly on the app. Buying tickets on the app lets you skip the box office lines at the gate. And when you’re done, the tickets are automatically loaded into the app, so you will simply scan them at the park entrance.
Purchasing tickets on the app is fairly simple:
- Install the official Disneyland app. Apple users can download them on the App Store, while Android users can get them on Google Play.
- Open the app and log in or create a new Disney account if you don’t have one.
- Tap the little + symbol at the bottom of the home screen.
- Tap on Buy Tickets and Annual Passports.
- Select Theme Park Tickets.
- Select the number of days you want to go and how many guests are coming.
- Check out to complete your purchase and that’s it!
Disney Store
In addition to buying Disneyland tickets online, you can also purchase them at a local Disney Store near you. All you need to do is bring a photo ID and cash or any valid payment card to purchase.
Disneyland tickets bought at a Disney Store are physical cards. But when they are activated, they can be taken straight to the park gate for entrance just like e-tickets.
While Disney Stores sell Disneyland tickets at gate pricing without discount, they accept Disney Gift Cards as payment. You, however, may be required to bring along with you an activation slip to the gate, so make sure to check with the Disney Store cast members for all redemption details.
Authorized Disneyland Ticket Sellers
There are a number of authorized retailers where you can buy Disneyland tickets. One of them is the previously mentioned Get Away Today. Get Away Today offers discount Disneyland tickets, like the buy 4 days get the 5th-day free ticket option. It also has incredible hotel deals and offers the following plans:
Peace of Mind Plan: A travel protection that allows you to make any reservation changes (excluding airfare) up to 5 days before your check-in date without any penalties. Must be purchased at the time of booking.
Layaway Plan: With this plan, you can put down around $200 on your dream Disneyland vacation and make payments leading up to your vacation. Your Disneyland vacation, however, must be paid in full 5 days before you leave.
Types of Disneyland tickets
Disneyland tickets come in different types, giving you a number of options depending on your budget and availability. Below are the different Disneyland tickets available:
One-Day Ticket
One-day tickets are sold in tiers or levels, with Tier 0 being the cheapest and Tier 6 being the most expensive. The tier is determined by the projected crowd levels for the day. For instance, if you visit Disneyland on Wednesday in February, your one-day ticket tier will be lower. But if you visit Disneyland Resort on New Year’s Eve, which is the most crowded of the year, your one-day ticket tier will be higher and your ticket will be pricier.
Multi-Day Ticket
Purchasing multi-day tickets will save you more money than buying one-day tickets. That’s because the more days you visit Disneyland, the cheaper your ticket is per day.
One-day and multi-day tickets also come in two types, which are as follows:
One-Park-Per-Day Ticket
The one-park per-day ticket only lets you enter one park for the entire day. But whether you select Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park as your destination, you can easily spend an entire day in either one and still not see and experience everything in each park. This is recommended for people who are visiting Disneyland for the first time.
Park Hopper Ticket
Park Hopper Tickets allow you to “hop” between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. When making park reservations with your Park Hopper Ticket, you will select a starting park, which will be your first destination once you arrive at the resort. You may then cross over and switch between parks on the same day beginning at 1 p.m.
Also, after 1 p.m., guests with Park Hopper Tickets who have a park reservation for both parks and who have not entered any park yet may enter either park despite the first park that is designated in their park reservation. Since the Park Hopper hours are subject to change, it is advised to check the Park Hours calendar and the Disneyland app for the most up-to-date Park Hopper hours ahead of your visit.
Wondering how far the two parks are from each other? Don’t worry! Getting from one park to another is literally a walk in the park. You just need to take a 3-minute walk across the esplanade and you’re already at the other park.
While Park Hopper Tickets cost more than One-Park-Per-Day Tickets, the latter option is great for those who have already visited Disneyland before, as it gives them the chance to experience their most favorite rides at both parks in one day.
How much do Disneyland tickets cost?
The last price increase for Disneyland tickets took effect on October 11th, 2022. Take a look at the new Disneyland ticket prices for adults compared to the previous pricing:
| Adult Ticket | New Price | Old Price |
| 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 0 | $104 | N/A |
| 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 1 | $114 | $104 |
| 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 2 | $129 | $119 |
| 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 3 | $144 | $134 |
| 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 4 | $159 | $149 |
| 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 5 | $169 | $159 |
| 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 6 | $179 | $164 |
| 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 0 | $169 | N/A |
| 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 1 | $179 | $164 |
| 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 2 | $194 | $179 |
| 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 3 | $209 | $194 |
| 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 4 | $224 | $209 |
| 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 5 | $234 | $219 |
| 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 6 | $244 | $224 |
| 2-Day, 1 Park per day | $285 | $255 |
| 3-Day, 1 Park per day | $360 | $330 |
| 4-Day, 1 Park per day | $395 | $360 |
| 5-Day, 1 Park per day | $415 | $380 |
| 2-Day Park Hopper | $345 | $315 |
| 3-Day Park Hopper | $420 | $390 |
| 4-Day Park Hopper | $455 | $420 |
| 5-Day Park Hopper | $475 | $440 |
What is Disney Genie+?
Disney Genie+ is the successor of the old Fastpass/Maxpass system. With Disney Genie+, you can make reservations for select attractions. And when the time of your reservation comes, you can enter the attraction through the so-called “lightning lane,” which was formerly known as the fast pass line. Purchasing the add-on service is recommended for guests who don’t want to spend a lot of time waiting in long lines during the day.
Disney Genie+ starts at an additional $25 per person per day. The price can get more expensive on crowded days. If you’re already in the park, you can add Disney Genie+ to your Disneyland ticket using the Disneyland app, but as previously mentioned, the price can vary depending on the crowd levels that day. To pay the lowest price ($25 per day) for Disney Genie+, make sure that you add it to your park tickets when you purchase them.
