Whether you are planning a spontaneous Disneyland trip or forgot to make park reservations before your vacation, it can be a stressful experience when you go to book reservations and find that none are available for the date you are planning on visiting.
Disneyland reservations were implemented to limit capacity at the parks, and they are still required this year in 2024. Even though Disney World no longer requires reservations for date-based tickets, there is no sign as of right now that Disneyland will end the requirement for theme park reservations.
Theme park reservation availability is a major reason why we do not recommend buying Disneyland tickets at the gate, especially during the more crowded seasons at Disneyland when reservations often sell out. The most important measure you can take to make sure reservations don't sell out is securing them as far in advance as you can (reservations are available to book 180 days in advance) but this is not always possible if you are planning a spontaneous trip, simply forgot to make reservations, or have a last-minute addition to your party.
Keep reading for our top tips on what to do when Disneyland reservations are sold out for the day you are planning on visiting.
Planning a Disneyland Vacation?
Get exclusive access to prices on hotel & tickets just for Mickey Visit subscribers. Don't miss our travel hacks newsletter!
Discount Disneyland Tickets
Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today, offers the best Disneyland discount tickets around. In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.
Get your discount Disneyland tickets here through our exclusive link!
Buying tickets from Get Away Today is easy and convenient since all their tickets are sent electronically. You can take their vouchers and head straight to the gate without needing to wait in any ticket booth lines. They also offer layaway plans so you can pay off your vacation over time.
You can read our editor's review on her personal experiences booking through Get Away Today and how much you can save here!
What Do I Do if Disneyland Reservations Have Sold Out?
It can be extremely disappointing to go to book reservations and realize they are not available for the date you are planning on visiting. There are a few different things you can do in this scenario.
The single most important thing you can do if reservations have sold out is keep refreshing the Disneyland reservations website. It's often the case that people will have plans come up and cancel their reservations, and if you see that opening, you can snag that reservation. We were told by a Cast Member that guests often report reservations opening up during the later evening more than any other time of day, so keep your eye on the website near the end of the day if you're hoping to happen upon an opened-up spot.
You'll want to keep an especially close eye right before the desired date of your trip, as this is often when people cancel plans at the last minute. Disneyland may also change the ticket mix to let Magic Key holders or ticketholders into the parks for specific days, which will also open up availability. If you keep diligently refreshing the reservations page, you may find availability open up.
Another option is to consider a park hopper ticket if you weren't already planning on it. There may be availability starting at a certain park on your desired date with a park hopper ticket that there is not for a 1 Park Per Day ticket. Even if your desired starting park is not available for a park hopper ticket, you can always book the other park so that you can start hopping between the two at 11 am. Although you'd be missing valuable morning time at your desired park, in the big picture, it would only be a few hours before you could go to whichever park you choose. The ability to park hop is dependent on if capacity allows, but it is very rare that the other park will reach capacity and turn you away. See everything you need to know about park hopping at Disneyland in our full guide!
It's also worth keeping in mind if you are planning on staying at an on-site Disneyland Resort Hotel (Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel, or Pixar Place Hotel) that hotel guests book reservations through a different “bucket” of park reservations that has more availability. This means that if you are trying to switch up your reservations at the last second and are staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, you will likely have more flexibility to do so. If you're considering a stay at one of the Disneyland Resort hotels, see our guide to Disneyland on-property hotel perks for everything you need to know about what is included with your stay.
If you do happen to find reservations that open up for your desired day, the theme park reservation booking process is thankfully very straightforward. You can see our full guide to making Disneyland Reservations for more guidance and step-by-step pictures of the process.
Be sure to also see our best tips for getting Disneyland dining reservations if you are planning a last-minute trip!
Plan Your Disney Vacation Today
For the best resource and helpful information for planning your Disney trip, make sure to subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter. We’ll provide you with helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest-priced Disney tickets anywhere.
You can find more information on planning your vacation in our guides:
- Best Disneyland Food to Eat 2024 RANKED. We Constantly Try All!
- Disneyland Genie+ 2024: Tested Tips to Experience the MOST!
- 19 Best Hotels Walking Distance to Disneyland (15 Minutes or Less)
- Ultimate Disneyland Packing List 2024 and What to Wear to Disneyland
Frequently Asked Questions
You can purchase Disneyland tickets at the gate, but we do not recommend doing this especially if reservations are sold out online for that day. If there are no reservations available online, there will not be additional reservations available if you purchase at the gate, so you will be turned away if there is no availability. See everything you need to know about purchasing Disneyland gates at the gate and our tips for what to do if reservations are sold out for Disneyland above.
Disneyland reservations will sometimes open up after being sold out for a couple of reasons: either other guests cancel their plans or Disneyland changes the ticket mix to let Magic Key holders or ticketholders into the parks for specific days. This may mean that spots may open up for dates that were previously sold out for reservations.
Disneyland reservations can sell out, especially during peak times of the year. We do not recommend waiting until close to your trip date to make park reservations, as if there are none available, you will not be able to get into the parks. You can book Disneyland reservations up to 180 days in advance. If you have decided to plan a spontaneous Disneyland trip or forgot to make reservations and find they are not available for your desired trip date, see what to do in our guide above.
When Disneyland reservations are sold out, the most important thing to do is to keep refreshing the reservations page, as reservations will sometimes open up after being sold out when guests cancel their plans or Disneyland changes the ticket mix to let Magic Key holders or ticketholders into the parks for certain days. You'll want to keep an especially close eye on the reservations page during the days leading up to your desired trip date, as this is often when visitors need to change their plans and cancel their existing reservations, which opens up availability.
Planning a Disney Vacation? Get Exclusive Discounts + Free Bonuses
In addition to exclusive discounts for Mickey Visit subscribers, get our free planning printable and guide to make your life SO much easier.
