First time-3 night 2 parks

[LKing]

We are used to scanning everything with our magicbands, and since they are the old ones wont work at Disneyland, how will we scan into the park/genie+..scan from my phone I assume? If so, I know in parks have wifi as we dont usually get data, as out of country..will wifi work at park gates for entry?

We usually take a screen shot of our ticket and use that.

 

[Brandonius]

We are used to scanning everything with our magicbands, and since they are the old ones wont work at Disneyland, how will we scan into the park/genie+..scan from my phone I assume? If so, I know in parks have wifi as we dont usually get data, as out of country..will wifi work at park gates for entry?

Usually we use the tickets in our app, and yes they have park wifi in the whole esplanade walking up to the gates. You can also ask a cast member for a physical ticket. A lot of Disneyland's experience is built around an app though - their primary audience is people in Southern California coming for the day, not tourists. We like to just have an app on our phone, not some wristband! So, if 1 person in the group can get an e-sim or data plan for those 2-3 days, it would probably be worth it.

Some other things I'd add after reading this whole thread:
- Your days will be much more flexible at DL than WDW, especially with Genie. Return times are rarely more than 3-4 hours out for the absolute most popular rides. With a half-decent strategy, you can basically ride every E-ticket in both parks comfortably in a day. You start booking once you scan into the turnstile whatever time that is. You can leave the park after that and still book if you want, but you have to scan in before you start booking.

- Don't think about DLR like 2 parks, it's basically one giant park. If you can, get park hoppers, it is a fantastic experience. I've been one park in Europe that I prefer individually to Disneyland park, but nothing competes with the park hopping experience.

- Early morning and end of night are more powerful here than WDW for 2 reasons: longer hours and local demographic. Most of the locals pull up between 11:30 AM and 1 PM, and leave by 10:30 PM. If you're there at rope drop and stay until closing at 11-midnight, you'll get anything you want done in those early and late hours.

- Be ready for the parks to feel busy. Everything is in a much smaller space than WDW - a lot of people smoosh in together. I love the high-density feel of both attractions and people - it makes things feel personal and magical, but I also love international cities and markets with that same feel. Depends on your personality.

- Disneyland-specific things to definitely do: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Pirates (its way better), Cars Land, Indiana Jones, Disneyland Railroad, Matterhorn Bobsleds. I also absolutely love Guardians of the Galaxy and our version of Space Mountain.

- There is LOTS of great quick-service food at Disneyland in both parks. At WDW that's not the case. Out here you low-key don't even need table reservations, just order counter service. Use the app to mobile order if you can - a lot of restaurant capacity is dedicated to that, so normal lines can move slow.

- Enjoy the vibes and explore! My favorite thing about Disneyland is the density of detail. You can spend like 15 minutes looking at details in some random gift shop and the park will reward you for it. Talk to cast members, look through nooks and crannies. Every inch of the resort (except for the hollywood backlot, but we don't talk about that part...) is amazing. Go at a slow enough pace to stop and enjoy it!

Have a blast!!