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Disneyland App Tips and Secrets

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If you are heading to Disneyland, you will want to download the official Disneyland App. With smart phones, almost everything has an app, and Disneyland is no different. The Disneyland app is a major tool for your Disneyland vacation. Today I am going to share the best Disneyland App Tips, and a few secrets most people don’t know. So, grab your phone, a FuelRod, and your unlimited data… because these tips and secrets about the Disneyland app might just change your vacations for good!

What is the Disneyland  App?

Before we get into the tips and secrets, let’s just cover the basics… what is the Disneyland app? The Disneyland app is the official app for the Disneyland Resort and it is there to help you plan and navigate your Disneyland vacation. From finding dining, to wait times, to downloading photos, and more… this app does just about everything you need on your Disneyland vacation. Which it is why it made our list of best Disneyland vacation apps.

You can find the Disneyland App for both iPhone and Android in their respective app stores.

How do I sign into the Disneyland App?

To sign into the Disneyland App, you will use the same account you utilize on all Disney websites (Disney Store, Disneyland website, etc).

While there are several features you can utilize without signing into the app, you will want to sign in, and be prepared to sign in, to utilize all of the features.

What else should I set up in the app before my Disneyland vacation?

Before you go on vacation, it is a good idea to set up your payment information. Unfortunately, the Disneyland app does not accept Disneyland Gift Cards (I really hope they change this some day. Please always leave this as feedback because I feel this is a must for this app.)

You will want to set up your debit or credit card to be attached to your account for payment when purchasing through the app for mobile order, MaxPass, and buying tickets…. but hold off on that last one as I actually suggest purchasing through Get Away Today to save some money. You can however, buy your special event tickets in the app, like for Oogie Boogie Bash.

Scanning tickets into the Disneyland App is easy

If you have an Annual Pass or physical tickets, scan those into the app before your vacation as well. If you have two adults with different Disney accounts, you can scan the tickets in both. (Tickets may be added to up to two accounts.) We choose to just utilize my account though, and my husband just signs in to my account on his phone.

That is all you will need to set up in the app, though I do suggest looking around and navigating the app a little bit so you can get used to where to find everything.

What Can I Do In The App?

If you are wondering why you will even want the Disneyland app, don’t worry, I am going to explain it.

I get it. You are on vacation, trying to make memories with your family, which can be hard to do when you keep getting out your phone. So let me start by saying, you can use the Disneyland App as little or as much as you like, but it is definitely better to have it, and know these Disneyland app tips, then to find yourself trying to download and learn it all while in the parks.

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There is so much you can do in the Disneyland app. Some of these things you will use daily, and other functions will be used sparingly, but let’s go over what you can do in the app and then get into the Disneyland app tips and secrets.

Check the Disneyland map and find wait times

I think the biggest reason most people use the Disneyland app is to be able to look at the map and check attraction wait times. This can help you decide if you really want to go clear across the park to wait in line for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run or if it is better to head over to Space Mountain.

This is also the easiest thing to find on the app. Once the app opens to your home page, simply click the map at the top of the screen, and it will automatically load showing attractions and their wait times.

Check park hours and entertainment schedules on the Disneyland App

Wondering what time the park closes? Or maybe wondering when the parade is? You can check all of that in the Disneyland app. Disneyland app tip: Check the park hours the night before to make sure you are at the park at opening.

You can also check the Disneyland Annual Passholder info, calendars, and make reservations if you are a Disney Flex Pass AP holder.

You can find all of this information by scrolling down the home screen to the park hours section.

View park hours and schedules in the Disneyland App

Make Dining Reservations and Mobile Order food

In the Disneyland app you can make advance dining reservations for some of your favorite restaurants, including character dining meals.  In general, these reservations may be made 60 days in advance, though sometimes they run a bit behind opening up the reservations during slower seasons.

Select dining locations offer Mobile Ordering in the parks. This means you can order your food through the Disneyland app, let them know when you are there, and get a notification when it is ready. The only downside to Disneyland’s Mobile Ordering is the lack of ability to use Gift Cards. Mobile Ordering will even apply Annual Passholder Discounts if you have your Annual Pass connected to your Disney Account.

Locate all the things

Need to find a restroom? Want to know where Photopass Photographers are located? Or maybe you want to know where you can meet Mickey Mouse? You can find all of these things on the Disneyland App.

Simply pull up the map, and then use the drop down menu to choose between dining, attractions, guest services, and more.

The Disneyland App can help you find everything from characters to guest services and more.

Use Disney MaxPass to make Fastspass selections

Disney MaxPass allows guests to make Fastpass selections on their phone. Which means no more running to kiosks to obtain a Fastpass return time. There are some things similar between Disney MaxPass and the Fastpass system, but the ability to not run to the kiosk is a huge benefit of the MaxPass system and the Disneyland app. MaxPass does cost $15/ticket per day, so MaxPass may not be worth the cost to everyone.

MaxPass also lets you have access to your photopass and ride photos for the day. You can download photos to your device right from the app within 45 days from when they were taken.

Disneyland App Tips and Secrets

While a lot of people know the things I listed above that you can do on the Disneyland App, there are actually some tips and secrets I have found by exploring the app, and some I have learned from members of the Disneyland with Kids group on Facebook.

Cancel regular Fastpasses in the Disneyland App

While many people know you can cancel MaxPass return times in the Disneyland App, you can also cancel old school, regular (read: free) Fastpasses within the Disneyland App. (The video on this post shows exactly how to do this.)

So let’s say you get a Fastpass at the kiosk for Haunted Mansion, with a return time 2 hours from now, but then you see the wait time is only 15 minutes and you could get an immediate Fastpass return for Big Thunder Mountain. You can cancel your Haunted Mansion Fastpass, making it so you can immediately get a new Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain

View DAS return times

If a member of your party utilizes Disney’s Disability Access Service, you will be able to view return times for the DAS in the Disneyland App. Much better than trying to remember the return time.

View menus and get pricing for food

I already mentioned you can Mobile Order on the Disneyland App, but you can also view full menus and prices for restaurants on the app. This makes it easier to budget for food and decide where you want to eat during your vacation.

Order your food early

Okay, so I talked about mobile ordering a few times, but one thing about the Disneyland App is you can actually place your mobile order for any time the same day. So let’s say that you know at 11 am that you want to eat at Flo’s at 5 pm. You can go in and order and reserve that time frame any time that morning.

Why would you want to do this?

On crowded days, if you wait until right before you plan to eat, you might find that time slot is full. See just like fastpass, there are a limited number of mobile orders available for each time frame. I learned this when I went to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Docking Bay 7’s mobile order was full for the next 2 hours during our time in the land.

Check out area hotels in the Disneyland App

If you want to see what hotels are near Disneyland, the Toy Story Lot, and the general area, you can utilize the Disneyland App for this.

Find area hotels on the Disneyland App

If you go to the map, and use the drop down menu to choose hotels, you can then zoom out and see the Good Neighbor Hotels in the area. This is great for when you want to get a visual of how close hotels are to Disneyland.

Once you find a hotel you want, head over to Get Away Today and book it. They often have free hotel nights, discounted or free parking, and other perks that are exclusive to their customers.

Get ride restrictions and information

Check out ride restrictions, accessibility info, and more on the Disneyland App

Wondering the height requirement for a thrill ride? Or maybe you need to find out if it might have anything that your child will be scared by. The Disneyland App has a lot of information on rides. You can check out the accessibility information, if the ride offers single rider or rider switch pass, and more.

You can also sometimes find upcoming refurbishments (like in the picture above).

The Disneyland App is a great tool for your Disneyland vacation. Do you know any secrets about the Disneyland App I should add to this post? Let me know in a comment or email.

4 thoughts on “Disneyland App Tips and Secrets”

  1. Just fyi, when you buy a MaxPass you also get the PhotoPass included, for no extra charge. On the APP you can View/Get your pictures from rides, by entering the code from underneath your photo(s) on the screen, when you exit a ride. If you DON’T have the MaxPass, you can still get/access your photo’s from the ride-but you’ll have to pay $40.00. (I believe it’s $40!) Obviously, it’s much cheaper through the MaxPass, as the MP is only $15.00, and you get two features -FastPass & PhotoPass-in one. It’s a pretty cool feature they have available now! =)

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