When you start planning for a Disneyland Vacation, there is often vocabulary that is attached to this process. Here are a few of them and their translations:
DCA– Disneyland California Adventure, this is the park that houses Cartland, Pixar attractions and “Marvel Land”. This park is across from Disneyland.
Attraction- The Begays use this term interchangeably with ‘ride’. The word attraction also implies that there is more to do than ride the ride because each ‘ride’ is an experience.
Queue– The waiting line for attractions or characters. Essentially, ‘line’.
Virtual Queue– The online waiting line, currently there is only one attraction that uses this process. The World Of Color evening show starts a virtual queue at noon for a better view option.
Rope Drop- This refers to the opening time to all attractions and the literal rope holding people back is taken down at opening. Right before the rope drop there will be an announcement to welcome you to Disneyland Theme Parks… and WALK to your next attraction.
App- This is a digital format that houses information about the park that you download to your phone to use.
Mobile Order– This is the way you pre-order and pay for your food. This method is quick and easy to use once you use it a few times.
Cast Members– People who work for Disneyland. They are called Cast Members because being at Disneyland is like being at a show or performance and every person who works there is playing a role.
Lands– Both parks have themed lands to immerse you in the experience. In Disneyland you have Mainstreet USA (classic Americana), Tomorrowland (futuristic and tech based), Fantasyland (classic Disney rides), Toontown (currently under redesign but for cartoon characters), Galaxy’s Edge (AKA Star Wars land), Critter Country (home to Winnie the Pooh), New Orlean’s Square (Jazzy New Orleans feel), Adventureland (Junglish)
In Disneyland California Adventure, you have more movie based areas and is under constant updating since their initial ideas of California didn’t work out.
The ‘lands’ here are Grizzy Peak (California forest), Pixar Pier (Boardwalk that is Pixar themed), Pacific Wharf (Food Court), Radiator Springs (Carsland), Avengers Campus (Everything Avengers or Superhero based), Hollywood Land (walking down a street in Hollywood?), Hollywood Backlot (the back area of Hollywood land), Buena Vista Street (old Hollywood shopping district)
Standby- the line you wait in for a ride when you don’t have a Genie + reservation. Essentially the long line.
Genie– free in app scheduling. Not all that helpful.
Genie + or Genie Plus- a paid for per ticket, per day fee to access a ‘lighting lane’ for waiting for a ride. I compare this to an appointment. You can only have 1 appointment at a time unless you booked a World of Color. You can set up appointments for specific rides to return back to without the line. You will be given a time, example if I booked Genie Plus for Incredicoaster between 9:00am-10am, the earliest I can ride is 9am and the latest I can redeem my appointment is 10am. After I use the pass, I am open to book my next appointment. VERY helpful.
Lighting Lane- The line you use when you book your appointment to return to a ride.
Individual Lighting Lane- Once you have used up your Genie + lightning lane (you get one per ride), you can buy another lightning lane ride for a price per ticket. We haven’t felt the need to use this feature since the rides we may consider would be Radiator Springs (up to $20 per person, yikes that’s a whole theme park ticket for us) and Rise of the Resistance ( up to $22 per person). The Begay family has yet to want to try this and would rather focus on timing.
Photopass- a card or in app code you get to store all your Disneyland photographer photos, you can now download those photos free. You can also use the codes on the ride photos to download for printing.
Security Line- you will have to go through a security check much like an airport. You will need to remove anything metal and put it into your bag you are carrying for inspection by a security officer who checks you bag and then you go through a metal detector. They will be located at the entry of Downtown Disney, Parking Structures to Disney Trams, Off Harbor Boulevard to Disneyland and Disneyland California Adventure Esplanade.
Time to Make Magic 