Do you need a help understanding Disneyland ticket tiers? We have put together a quick guide to clear up any confusion. You can read through the whole guide or use the clickable table of contents to jump to a helpful section. We also have a general guide to Disneyland Resort tickets, where we explain Lightning Lanes, Park Hoppers and other ticket options. When you are done here, we recommend checking that out. First, here is our Mouse Brief how-to guide for Disneyland Resort’s ticket tiers.
A Quick Introduction to Ticket Tiers
In recent years, Disneyland Resort has switched to tiered pricing for one day tickets to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
Disney assigns each day a ticket tier. That tier determines how much a one day ticket will cost for that day. There are seven tiers numbered 0 to 6. The most expensive days are tier 6 days, and the least expensive days are tier 0 days. Popular days, like Saturdays in October, will be more expensive tickets than less popular days, like Tuesdays in January.
Buying a One Day Ticket With Ticket Tiers
When you buy a one day ticket to one or both of the parks at Disneyland Resort, you will be asked to pre-select the day of your visit. Your ticket price will be based on the day you choose. Multi day tickets also require park reservations, but they do NOT have tiered pricing at this time.
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Changing a Park Reservation for a One Day Tiered Ticket
If you use your one day ticket on the day you originally selected, you are all set! If you want to change your visit day, you can, but you will need to pay attention to your ticket tier.
You can use a one day ticket on any day with the same tier as your ticket or lower.
Again, you can use a one day ticket on any day with the same tier as your ticket or lower. Basically, a tier 6 ticket can be used for admission on any day with open park reservations. A tier 5 ticket can be used on any day but tier 6 days. A tier 4 ticket can be used on days designated as tiers 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4… and so on. You get the idea. Tier 0 tickets can only be used on days assigned tier 0. Having a tier 0 (zero) may seem confusing, but it is just another level in the tier system and the zero just means it is the lowest priced tier.
If you want to change your visit day, first check if there are park reservations available for the new day you have chosen. If there are, check the tier of that day. As long as the tier is the same as yours or lower (remember 0 is the lowest and 6 is the highest), you can make that new reservation and use your ticket. Sadly, you will not be reimbursed for the difference in price if you pick a tier lower than your ticket’s tier.
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If you want to visit on a higher tier day, you must upgrade your ticket.
If the new day you have chosen for your visit has a higher tier, do not worry, you can still upgrade your ticket. You will need to contact Disneyland Guest Services and explain the situation. They will apply the price of your unused ticket to the purchase of a new ticket. The new ticket will cost whatever the current price is for that new day. You will pay any difference in price at the time you upgrade.
It is also Disneyland Resort’s current policy that the price paid for any expired but wholly unused tickets can be applied towards the purchase of a new ticket.
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A brief aside on ticket tiers and price increases…
It is tempting to simplify all of this and say that you can use a one day ticket on any day that costs the same as your original ticket or less. BUT, that is not always the case, because Disneyland Resort regularly raises ticket prices. The price of each tier changes with these price increases, so Disneyland sticks with the tier system. Fortunately, this does mean that unexpired tickets will never sink down a tier, even if ticket prices increase.
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Key take-aways for understanding Disneyland Ticket Tiers:
1-Ticket tiers apply to one day tickets only. Standard multi day tickets cost the same no matter when you visit (until there is a price increase).
2-Tier 6 is the highest tier and tier 0 is the lowest
3-Higher tier days are supposed to correspond to more popular days.
4-You can use a one day ticket on any day with the same tier or lower, as long as there are park reservations available.
5-There is no refund for choosing to visit on a day with a lower tier than your ticket.
6-If you want to use your ticket on a day with a higher tier, you will need to upgrade your ticket with Disneyland Guest Services. Guest services will apply the cost of your original ticket to the purchase of a new one.
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Thanks for reading our guide on understanding Disneyland ticket tiers.
For a general (but detailed) guide to tickets for Disneyland Resort, look here. We have further insight on choosing a Disneyland ticket here. For a step-by-step process for planning your Disneyland Resort visit, please subscribe to our free mailing list below. In addition to getting newsletters featuring all of our new posts, you will also receive a straightforward sequential guide to planning your visit.