What do I need to buy a ticket at Disneyland?

Answer 1

Mostly, money. As of August 2016, a one-day ticket to Disneyland only is $95-$119, depending on exactly when you want to go; prices are lower during the "off season".

Multi-day tickets are less per day (though higher overall), and "park hopper" tickets that let you visit both Disneyland and California Adventure on the same day are more expensive. (You don't really NEED a Park Hopper unless you're only in the area for one day and want to hit just the highlights of both parks; there's plenty in Disneyland to keep you busy for a full day, and while California Adventure doesn't have quite as much to do it's not hard to spend a full day there either.)

Answer 2

While there's nothing stopping Disneyland from changing their policy on this at any time for any reason ... in general, no.

There used to be certain types of tickets that required you to show ID (for example, Disneyland used to periodically offer a discount to Southern California residents, for which you needed to show an ID with a home address within a specified ZIP code range). However, I believe they've discontinued offering discounts at the gate (for example, members of the US armed forces can purchase tickets at a discounted rate, but they must buy the tickets on base prior to their visit; if they wait until they get to the gate, they have to pay full price).

You may be required to show ID if you're buying tickets with a credit/debit card (to prove that you're the card owner and not using a stolen card). Also, I know my son had to show his ID last year to get an annual pass, but for regular tickets you shouldn't have to.