Can I Buy Disneyland Tickets at the Gate? Updated with 2024 Info!

Disneyland is a popular destination for families all over the world. If you’re looking to buy tickets at the gate, you first need to know that 99% of the time the answer is no, for a variety of resaons. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the different types of Disneyland tickets that are available and help you decide which option is best for your family. So, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned pro, keep reading for all the info you need to buy Disneyland tickets at the gate!

Can I Buy Disneyland Tickets at the Gate?

No most days you can not, due to the new theme park reservation system all tickets must be purchased in advanced.

If there are still same-day-reservations available for that day, you can buy a ticket at the gate (actually in the ticket booths in the esplanade) there but honestly, I’m not even sure how that works because the majority of days reservations are full, and Disneyland very much recommends you NOT do this.

This means that once you’re planning a Disneyland ticket, you will want to purchase your tickets ahead of time at one of the retailers below and get your reservation. Most often you can reserve 120 days in advance when you purchase your tickets. (Just in: You can now reserve up to 180 days in advance new since 2023!)

In the rare chance that not all reservations are taken for the current day, you likely could buy a ticket in the main entrance area, but it would be rare and I strongly suggest you don’t plan on doing it that way.

Keep reading to learn more about the reservation system.

But, if you want to know the best places to get your tickets in advance I have an exclusive link that gives you the BEST savings — you MUST USE THIS LINK to get the deal (it’s just for Pulling Curls readers).

Where Can I Buy Disneyland Park Tickets?

So, if you shouldn’t wait to buy AT Disneyland, where can you get tickets? There are really two options in my mind. The easy (but more expensive) way — and my favorite way.

Pro Tip: Before you buy a ticket, be SURE that the date you want to go on is open. You can check reservations here.

Easiest (but more expensive) Way to Buy Disneyland Theme Park Tickets

You can get tickets through Disneyland.com — and when you purchase there — you can get a reservation at the same time as your purchase.

This price isn’t the cheapest, but it is the easiest.

It is also the only way to purchase a one-day ticket.

While one-day tickets are sold with other retailers they are more expensive. One day ticket prices vary depending on how busy the parks are likely to be (multi-day tickets don’t work like that).

When you purchase directly with Dsienyland you get your park reservations at the same time you buy your theme park ticket.

Favorite Way to Buy Disneyland Tickets

My favorite way to buy tickets is to use Get Away Today. They have amazing customer service, and their Disneyland tickets have been refundable for quite some time (their customer service during Covid was amazing and they made it right with every single customer — which was amazing). They also save you a good amount per ticket compared to buying them through Disneyland.

This price is especially more when you’re purchasing more days. And, as I said above — you can only purchase 1-day tickets through Disneyland — not at any other retailer.

BTW, huge fan of Get Away Today peace of mind plan — they do have fees for refunds without that plan.

But, for instance I’m getting tickets for our family, but my adult sons are always sort of a bit of question mark. With that peace of mind plan if they cancel I can just get refunded, and I won’t be mad at them. 🙂

Guys — I have my VERY own page that you can ONLY access through this link to get a special offer on Disneyland tickets. Be sure to use THIS LINK.

I am a HUGE fan of creating a Disneyland budget, and purchasing cheaper tickets can be a huge win for your budget (especially if you’re getting more days). Grab my Disneyland cost calculator:

Is There a Fee for Buying Tickets Online?

For a lot of places there is a fee when you purchase your ticket online (but that fee is waived if you purchase it at the box-office). This is not the case with Disneyland tickets — no fee is charged, so be SURE to purchase them in advance online!

Can I Go Straight to the Gate With These Tickets?

No one wants to have to stop and go to customer service to have their tickets sorted out — they want to get into the parks and the RIDES!

With all the retailers above you can go straight to the gate with your tickets.

Because you’re putting them into your Disneyland account when you get your reservation, they really look no different than a ticket bought directly with Disneyland. They will also print out a paper ticket for you the first time you go through the turnstyles (helpful as a souvenier or if you want to add your ticket to friend’s apps to get Lightening Lane reservations with Genie+).

They will also take your photo there on the first day of your stay.

WAY back in the day someone might use one day of a 5-day ticket and sell you the other 4 to use (and it would work) but that DOES NOT WORK anymore because of the photo. Make SURE you only buy tickets through a trusted seller like Get Away Today.

How do I Scan These Tickets?

You’ll load your ticket into your Disneyland account so that you can get your reservation (I think that part is best done via a desktop or laptop) well in advance of your trip.

Then, you’ll install the Disneyland app on your phone. This app has a lot of benefits to it, but the main one is that NOTHING paper is needed.

You’ll go to the 3 horizontal icons menu >> then click on tickets & passes >> and then your passes that are linked will show up.

Also, on the home page it should show your reservations for the day.

Also, when you book your reservation you will be emailed a QR code — so I always snooze that until the morning of our trip and make sure it’s available should I need it.

What Else Will I Use These Tickets For?

If you buy Genie+ (more on that below) you can scan those same tickets (in the same way) to get access to the lightening lane.

How Many Days at Disneyland Do I Need?

This really depends on your family. Do you want to see everything in one day and then leave?

Have you been to the park recently, and are just looking for a fun day? Just pick how long you want to be there.

If this is your first time to the parks, I’d recommend at least two days so you can explore the parks at a more leisurely pace and enjoy some of the other activities that Disneyland Resort has to offer.

If you want to do more than two days, I would recommend adding the Park Hopper option to your ticket (more on that below). This will allow you to come and go between both parks as much as you want. (And trust me, there is A LOT to see and do at both Disneyland and California Adventure!)

Remember, that every day you add to your ticket is less. So, you pay less per day for a 5-day ticket, than you do for a 2-day ticket. In fact, going to a 5 day ticket is only a few dollars more than a 4-day ticket.

However, I have heard that the most popular option is the 3-day ticket. That is what our family did routinely when we didn’t visit the parks as often.

I figure one park each day and then a 3rd day to re-do our favorites. I also normally get it with park hopping (more on that below).

Grab my day planner to get an idea of what there is and how busy those rides are:

Buying too many days with your ticket is something I wrote about in my post on things to avoid when planning your Disneyland trip.

How do I get a Disneyland or California Adventure Reservation?

Ok, so if you didn’t get your ticket from Disneyland.com — how do you get your reservation?

It’s SUPER simple.

You will need a Disneyland.com account. If you already have a Disney account, it is the same (also the same for Disney plus streaming). While you’re there, I’d recommend putting your credit card in. You’ll want it while you’re in Disneyland (and it’s easier to not do it at the parks).

Once you’re logged in, you’ll go to the page to make a ticket reservation (as of writing that link is here).

Then, you’ll copy and paste your ticket # into that spot, and then go ahead and reserve your date.

Remember, you’ll need to pick which park you are attending (and if you’re hopping — more on that later — which park you’ll start at).

What happens if I refund the ticket?

Get Away Today will refund your tickets if necessary (a fee is added if you don’t buy their Peace of Mind plan). If you do refund your ticket, it will cancel your reservation. It does take a while (the reservation isn’t cancelled right away).

Also, if you upgrade (add more days), or change your ticket to a “hopper” it will cancel your reservation as you will have a new ticket #.

What happens if I need to cancel a reservation?

Easy as pie — you just cancel the reservation. The ticket should remain in your account, and you can get a reservation for the day you’d prefer.

Remember, most tickets are good for quite a while, so even if you don’t use that ticket right THEN you can hopefully use it for a future trip!

Can I buy a Disneyland package?

YES! I would totally recommend buying your tickets and hotel together. I have used Get Away Today since 1998 and they have some of the best hotel pricing I have found.

Also, if you purchase a hotel/ticket package you can use coupon code CURLS10 to get $10 off your package!

Disneyland Ticket Add-Ons

There are a few “additions” to your ticket you’ll want to consider.

Park Hopping – this is where you can swap parks mid day. Like, start your day at California Adventure and then when park hopping is allowed (as of writing it is at 1 pm) switch to Disneyland. As of this writing this costs $60/person no matter how many days you’re adding it to.

See pricing for Park Hopper Tickets

See Pricing for One-Park-Per-Day Tickets

Disney Genie+ – This allows you to use a “Lightening Lane” to “save your place in line” and get a return time to come back to the ride and wait in line less. you CAN purchase Genie Plus with your tickets (as of writing, it is $20/day/ticket). See all ticket pricing here. I have a whole post on Genie+ strategies.

Disney Photo Pass – You can get all the files for any pictures that Disney artists take of you that day. FYI, Disney photo pass is included with Genie+, so I always recommend you just use it that way.

Early Entry {formerly Magic Mornings} – This is where you’re able to enter the park early. It used to be offered on tickets, but now it is tied to the hotel you’re staying at. If you stay on a Disneyland property you can get early entry by 30 minutes. And that’s true no matter where you buy your tickets.

Ok, to sum it up —

Personally, the ease of Disneyland is NOT worth the money. It is NOT hard to use tickets bough through Get Away Today (well worth the savings) — remember you can CALL or use my link (if you call you need to be SURE they’re giving you the PULLING CURLS ticket pricing) — and be SURE to check out their hotel deals while you’re there. It might surprise you how much you can save! When you call, please do let them know you heard about them from Pulling Curls (and use code CURLS10 if booking hotel with it).

But either way, do NOT wait to buy a ticket at the gates. That will end in some very sad faces.

And if you’re looking to book a hotel, I have a bunch of great hotel reviews and options you might find helpful:

• Best Hotels on Harbor Blvd next to Disneyland
• Disneyland hotels with bunk beds
• Disneyland family packages
• Best Disneyland hotels for families
• Cheapest Hotels near Disneyland

Don’t miss my list of Best Affordable Disneyland hotels — a list of 30+ of my favorite hotels (plus my own current top 10 hotel list).