Southern California and Disneyland Adventure

[Doingitagain]

Hi all:
I have read that the guides give some lightning lanes passes during the park days, are those lightning lane passes only valid for the current day? or can they be used for as long as the park tickets are valid?

Thanks and regards!

Only that day and they do not carry over to the next day if you don’t use them.

 

[Doingitagain]

Update on Magic Bands. We pre-purchased Magic Band Plus bands for a future WDW trip and used them during the Disneyland portion of the ABD trip. We were given a paper ticket by the guides on day 3 and scanned the bar code to load to our accounts. Note you also then have a step to assign the ticket to the magic band.

it was very handy to use to enter the parks and lightening lanes. Still need physical room card for the hotel. They lighted up at times during rides or World of Color, but not a big deal (was actually annoying at times when wrist kept buzzing).

Still keep paper ticket on you, they needed it once to load an extra lightning lane.

Disneyland only works with the MB plus, not three previous versions.

The need to charge the device is for the light up functionality. It still has the traditional battery for use in scanning in.

 

[irlapes]

Thanks for the tip. I was thinking about purchasing magic bands for the extra days, just for having the band as a souvenir hehe.

 

[mikeishere]

I’m on this trip at the start of March, should I be receiving a digital handbook soon?

As i guess the plans are going to slightly different with staying at Disney Grand Californian for the whole trip now klike for example day 2 says "evening on your own in hollywood" but that guess that'll be something different now we not staying in hollywood now

 

[jimmymc]

I’m on this trip at the start of March, should I be receiving a digital handbook soon?

Mine came 3 weeks before the start of the trip.

 

[Doingitagain]

I’m on this trip at the start of March, should I be receiving a digital handbook soon?

As i guess the plans are going to slightly different with staying at Disney Grand Californian for the whole trip now klike for example day 2 says "evening on your own in hollywood" but that guess that'll be something different now we not staying in hollywood now

I am not sure they update the digital handbook for the itinerary changes, they might just email them.

 

[sayhello]

I’m on this trip at the start of March, should I be receiving a digital handbook soon?

As i guess the plans are going to slightly different with staying at Disney Grand Californian for the whole trip now klike for example day 2 says "evening on your own in hollywood" but that guess that'll be something different now we not staying in hollywood now

Have you tried calling ABD? I would imagine they'd know at this point what your new itinerary will look like. Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't communicated that to you yet.

Sayhello

 

[mikeishere]

Have you tried calling ABD? I would imagine they'd know at this point what your new itinerary will look like. Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't communicated that to you yet.

Sayhello

They emailed to say the hotel had been changed to Grand Californian for the whole trip but the bottom of the email said ‘the remainder of the adventure will remain as described in the adventure handbook’

 

[sayhello]

They emailed to say the hotel had been changed to Grand Californian for the whole trip but the bottom of the email said ‘the remainder of the adventure will remain as described in the adventure handbook’

Well, that will be interesting! I hope you get it soon!

Sayhello

 

[mikeishere]

Well, that will be interesting! I hope you get it soon!

Sayhello

So from your knowledge does that mean the trip is staying the same as what the advertised itinerary is on the website or does that mean I’ll be emailed a digital handbook with a new itinerary? I can’t see the itinerary staying totally the same such as ‘ on your own in Hollywood’ on the evening of day 2 and won’t the travel time be longer to get to each place or would we just set off earlier?

Edit - I guess they face this situation every year on this trip in Oscar’s week so have experienced of this?

 

[sayhello]

So from your knowledge does that mean the trip is staying the same as what the advertised itinerary is on the website or does that mean I’ll be emailed a digital handbook with a new itinerary? I can’t see the itinerary staying totally the same such as ‘ on your own in Hollywood’ on the evening of day 2 and won’t the travel time be longer to get to each place or would we just set off earlier?

Edit - I guess they face this situation every year on this trip in Oscar’s week so have experienced of this?

I can't imagine you'd have the exact same itinerary, just because of the increase in travel time. But I've heard they don't customize the handbooks that much, so it's a bit confusing.

But yes, since the Oscars are always on a Sunday night, and they always do all the closures, etc, I have to assume ABD has done this before.

Sayhello

 

[mikeishere]

I can't imagine you'd have the exact same itinerary, just because of the increase in travel time. But I've heard they don't customize the handbooks that much, so it's a bit confusing.

But yes, since the Oscars are always on a Sunday night, and they always do all the closures, etc, I have to assume ABD has done this before.

Sayhello

Hopefully they let us know soon as I’d like to know if got more time in the parks sun-Mon now staying on site at Disney whole trip. Of course would have to get own park tickets if want to do the parks before the Tuesday

 

[mikeishere]

Is it easy to get park tickets on the day want to enter?

 

[sayhello]

Is it easy to get park tickets on the day want to enter?

Tickets are not difficult, reservations could be.

Sayhello

 

[mikeishere]

Tickets are not difficult, reservations could be.

Sayhello

Oh yes I forgot about the silly reservation system they haven’t removed since covid. Why would anyone buy a ticket if no reservations but they need a reservation to get into the parks, they need get rid of this.

 

[sayhello]

Oh yes I forgot about the silly reservation system they haven’t removed since covid. Why would anyone buy a ticket if no reservations but they need a reservation to get into the parks, they need get rid of this.

You have to have a ticket to get a reservation. That's the rub. If you check, and reservations are available, chances are they won't be gone by the time you buy a ticket. But there's always a chance.

There must be something Disney likes about the reservation system, but I have no idea what it is.

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

You have to have a ticket to get a reservation. That's the rub. If you check, and reservations are available, chances are they won't be gone by the time you buy a ticket. But there's always a chance.

There must be something Disney likes about the reservation system, but I have no idea what it is.

Sayhello

In California, it helps to manage the local Magic Key pass holders which could often overwhelm the parks most evenings and weekends.

 

[AquaDame]

There must be something Disney likes about the reservation system, but I have no idea what it is.

Sayhello

It helps with staffing also. Of course any day that is full will be all hands on, but the days that are not they may not staff as fully.

 

[irlapes]

So let me get this straight. Sorry that i'm not familiar with the reservation process.
As you know, i have booked 2 extra nights after the ABD trip. Do i need to make reservations for entering to the parks on those 2 days? or as i'm staying on property it is "automatically" reserved?

Thanks!!

 

[AquaDame]

So let me get this straight. Sorry that i'm not familiar with the reservation process.
As you know, i have booked 2 extra nights after the ABD trip. Do i need to make reservations for entering to the parks on those 2 days? or as i'm staying on property it is "automatically" reserved?

Thanks!!

You will still want to make reservations for any days you are not with the group. An onsite hotel reservation is not a guarantee of entry, nor is having a park ticket. The park reservation itself is the only thing that will currently get you in on any specific day (unless or until they change the rules again).