The day we thought would never come is just weeks away. Disneyland finally has a roadmap for reopening. But we’ll share why that big day won’t be quite as soon as everyone hopes. Plus, what’s likely to reopen, what will remain closed, some new aerial photos with surprising details, and a Bob Chapek admission that we all suspected but never thought we’d actually hear them say out loud . . .
Disneyland Reopening Guidance!
By now you’ve likely heard that Disneyland and other California theme parks can reopen at 15% capacity in the Red Tier of the state’s reopening blueprint as soon as April 1st. The Orange County region will likely hit Red Tier tomorrow (Tuesday the 9th of March). And while that would give Disneyland 3 weeks to prepare for reopening, that’s very unlikely. I’ll explain why below.
Last week’s Monday Disneyland Update outlined why we believed theme park guidance would soon be changed. We laid out why we thought theme parks would be able to reopen at 25% capacity in the Orange Tier, which ended up being confirmed by the state just a few days later, with one interesting twist: theme parks are now allowed to reopen even earlier than we had thought at 15% capacity in the Orange tier on April 1st. “With case rates and hospitalizations significantly lower, the arrival of three highly effective vaccines and targeted efforts aimed at vaccinating the most vulnerable communities, California can begin gradually and safely bringing back more activities, especially those that occur outdoors and where consistent masking is possible,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency.
NEW California Theme Park Guidance as of April 1st, 2021:
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- Counties in the Red Tier: limited to 15% capacity
- Counties in the Orange Tier: limited to 25% capacity
- Counties in the Yellow Tier: limited to 35% capacity
However, there are a number of restrictions theme parks will need to abide by (here are the ones which most directly impact you):
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- No indoor dining
- Limits on indoor rides
- Park Reservations or Dated Tickets Required
- Only visitors from inside the state of California
- Maximum guest party size 10 people and from up to 3 households (in Red Tier). This restriction appears to be removed at Orange and Yellow Tier
The state currently has a travel advisory in place which prohibits the theme parks from admitting out of state guests. And while it appears that advisory is in place through the Red, Orange, and Yellow tiers, it is very likely to be rescinded once overall cases across the country get a little better. We don’t expect that restriction to remain long term.
Last week we also mentioned that we felt that outdoor attractions (like almost all other outdoor activities in the state have been allowed) should be permitted to reopen. And that’s exactly what the state decided to do. While the outdoor ride allowance is straight forward, the unknown portion is the “limits on indoor attractions.” The guidance came down on Friday afternoon, leaving local parks a bit confused by vague language on indoor rides and a lack of a complete set of rules. All the parks will be consulting with regulators this week to figure out what they can and can’t open, and at what capacity. It’s quite likely that indoor rides will be allowed to operate, especially those with outdoor queues, but we’ll know more specifics in this regard shortly.
Here are the outdoor rides which should be able to reopen with basic social distancing and sanitation:
Disneyland (mostly) Outdoor Attractions
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- Disneyland Railroad
- Astro Orbitor
- Autopia
- Storybook Land Canal Boats (this one might actually be difficult to operate under limited capacity as it requires a cast member to pilot the boat)
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
- Matterhorn Bobsleds (this attraction has an outdoor queue and mostly outdoor ride, but might be on the cusp of acceptability, but we’re listing it)
- King Arthur Carrousel
- Mad Tea Party
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Sailing Ship Columbia
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
- Jungle Cruise
- Tarzan’s Treehouse
- Gadget’s Go Coaster
We feel that a case could probably be made for partially outdoor attractions which have outdoor queues and open air-loading platforms, such as It’s a Small World, Splash Mountain, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and (POSSIBLY) even the Fantasyland dark rides (which have open air queues and loading) to be treated as outdoor rides.
There are a few outdoor attractions that we don’t think are likely to return due to social distancing and other issues, such as the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, Goofy’s House, and play areas.
Disney California Adventure
- Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Grizzly River Run
- Golden Zephyr
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Jumpin’ Jellyfish
- Silly Symphony Swings
- Incredicoaster
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
- Jessie’s Critter Carousel
- Pixar Pal-A-Round
The outdoor queues and open air loading on Radiator Springs Racers and Midway Mania might allow them to be added to the list as well.
while the language may sound like the state doesn’t want indoor attractions, we actually believe that the “limitations” mean that many indoor attractions will be able to operate with capacity, distancing, and other limitations. We’ll keep an eye on this point and update you soon. And more importantly, how the parks intend to interpret the regulations and what attractions they ultimately put on their reopening list.
What Likely WON’T be reopening
We can look to Walt Disney World and other Disney resorts around the globe to see what the company opted to keep closed, regardless of local guidance, for a glimpse at what likely won’t reopen right away. Those types of attractions involve anything that would encourage guests to group together, or be too difficult or expensive to operate for a small number of guests. These types of attractions and activities are theatrical shows, parades, nighttime spectaculars, traditional character meet and greets (though you’ll see characters in other ways). Though the state of California may have additional requirements which result in other attractions remaining closed.
Why an April 1st Reopening Isn’t Realistic
As excited as Disney fans are to see Disneyland again, don’t get your hopes up for April 1st. There are two big reasons why that date doesn’t work for Disney: one is financial, the other is labor related.
While the park might be able to make a business case for opening dining and shopping at 15% capacity, having a huge staff running attractions and other activities for so few guests just isn’t financially feasible for an expensive operation like a Disney park. The other issue is that it will take Disney weeks to call employees back from furlough, create schedules, bring everyone in for training, order food and beverage for restaurants, re-merchandise shops, etc. Additionally, the state of California requires attraction workers to be certified on their attractions annually. On March 14th, almost every attractions worker in the Disneyland Resort will lose their certification. Disney is rushing to call back attractions trainers for this very reason, so they can cycle their attractions and be brought up to speed before they have to start retraining regular cast when they are called back to work. For all these reasons, Disneyland wouldn’t be able to reopen as soon as April 1st, even if they decided to lose a bundle on the 15% capacity limit.
But don’t despair too much. 15% is just for the Red Tier, and it’s looking increasingly like Orange County (where Disneyland is located) will advance to the 25% capacity Orange Tier perhaps as soon as three or four weeks after reaching Red Tier. Essentially, by the time Disneyland gets everyone they need rehired, retrained, and scheduled, it may very well be about the time that the county reaches the Orange Tier, where Disney can make a better business out of opening attractions.
The state updates tier status every Tuesday. But as of last night, Orange County’s status were in the red for new cases and in the orange for positivity. So it’s VERY likely that tomorrow the county will move to Red Tier. But with some of the stats already in Orange Tier range, that tier may not be too far behind (a county must remain in a tier for at least 3 weeks and meet the requirements for the new tier for at least 2 weeks before moving to a less restrictive tier).
Disney had been hoping for at least a 30% capacity limit last year, citing that benchmark as being the level at which they could afford to operate. So, they probably won’t make much, if anything, at 25% in Orange Tier, but it is a level at which they lose less than simply staying closed. And if all goes well, and we don’t have another surge or roll-back, Disney has the 35% Yellow Tier to look forward to hopefully by early summer. (Let’s get those shots in arms to make that happen!).
UPDATE: At Disney’s Shareholder Meeting on Tuesday, March 9th, Disney revealed that they do hope to reopen Disneyland by late April:
Dis Biz – Higher Prices and “Cost Management”
Disney CEO, Bob Chapek, spoke on a call with Morgan Stanley investors last week. During which he had a few interesting words about the theme parks and opportunities that the pandemic has given the company to cut costs and make more money through dynamic pricing and the end of the passholder program at Disneyland.
On the positive side, Bob mentioned the importance of new technologies to enhance things like the upcoming contactless screening before entering the parks, and technology for things like mobile ordering of food or keyless entry into hotel rooms via Disney technology.
However, it was his talk of “True dynamic pricing” for the parks that cause a bit of concern. For years now, Disneyland and Disney World have been setting tiered pricing, charging more on high demand days than on low demand days. But Bob hints that even more of that is on the way.
“We’re getting pretty good at this supply and demand thing.”
Bob also spoke of doing more profound cost management in the parks.
“We want to get people back to work. But there’s been a fundamental shift where we can be more efficient, practicing yield management strategies in a more profound and unlimited way.”
And, regarding the end of the Disneyland Passholder Program:
“You’ve heard about some changes in our annual pass program at Disneyland, which you know in a non-COVID environment would be a pretty tough one to make, because they just keep renewing, and renewing, and renewing. But you know when you start lapping a year without anybody going for an annual pass program, that gives you the chance. And so, we’re going to use that though, in order to have an even better guest experience at Disneyland and really manage that crowd so that no matter what day do you go to Disneyland you’re going to have an extraordinary experience.”
The upshot to all of this in his discussion with these investors is that 1) they are cutting costs, 2) using opportunities to raise prices, and 3) use the pandemic to get rid of lower revenue passholders. Though, of course, he said it all much more tactfully than that. But, if it means lower crowd levels and enjoyable visits, it might all be worth it, even if we can’t afford to go as often.
Disneyland Aerial Photos
These aerial photos of Disneyland showed up in the MiceChat tip box this week. They were taken at dusk, so they’re on the dark and grainy side, but they still help us confirm some very interesting things. Let’s explore what awaits in the not too distant future . . .
As we zoom in on Main Street, we can see that the show lighting is on up and down the street.
Let’s zoom in on that photo a bit and lighten it up:
There are quite a few things of note around the hub. At first glance you’ll see that the pink lapacho trees around the hub are just starting to bloom. But if we miss them at Disneyland, California Adventure has some around the Carthay Circle Fountain as well.
Now, let’s zoom way in on Jolly Holiday and Plaza Inn, there’s something curious. Cocktail tables have been set up in the area. While this could be for an expansion of A Touch of Disney, it could also be something for cast use since the park is trying to keep employees distant and outdoors as much as possible.
At Plaza Inn, note all the regular tables have been removed and black skirted cocktail tables have been scattered about the lower patio and in the walkway outside the restaurant.
And shifting our view just slightly West, we can see a dead-on view of the new Frontierland bridge. It’s a bit wider than before, and paved all the way across. If you squint, you can see that a new sign spans the fence.
Fantasyland still has a construction project around the Carrousel. We’re really surprised that’s still going on after more than a year under wraps. But the Snow White project appears complete on the exterior. No more scaffolds.
I can’t spot anything unusual in Frontierland …
Just around the river bend, the Haunted Mansion is out from behind wraps.
And, while the Jolly Trolley is missing (again) in ToonTown, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway looks like it’s just about complete on the exterior.
We just get a tiny peek at DCA. You can see lights on throughout the park, including Pixar Pier. But it’s the exterior areas of Avenger’s Campus that are most exciting. It looks complete. The area is paved (see the giant Avenger’s “A” on the pavement) and no work trucks. We even see an ODV cart parked under some criss cross popcorn lights. You can also see how the area connects directly through to Cars Land. . .
We have a sneaky suspicion that at least some of the land may be opened for A Touch of Disney. It certainly looks like it’s been all cleaned up and ready for visitors.
Speaking of Cars Land, here’s a view of the land (which you’ll be able to see in person again soon as part of “A Taste of Disney.” But it’s the lights on in Pixar Pier that’s most fun here. It looks bright and festive, even without a guest in sight.
Downtown Disney News
While we wait for Disneyland Park to reopen its gates, here’s the latest news from the parts of the Disneyland Resort you can visit. We took a trip to Downtown Disney last week during a rainy spring day to see what’s new.
It seemed the rain washed away many would-be visitors… which left us with no complaints! But this was a rare day for us in California; the other days of last week featured more regular traffic conditions at Downtown Disney, and long waits at the new Star Wars store.
This week, the Black Panther/Chadwick Boseman memorial mural has been replaced with a new mural themed to Raya and the Last Dragon. It features art from Imagineer Xiao Qing Chen inspired by her childhood growing up in Malaysia. Take a look at the new mural below.
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The new Star Wars Trading Post remained a pretty popular destination despite Downtown Disney being otherwise empty because of the rain. It was the only location at the time that was using a virtual waitlist. But be prepared to spend a significant amount of time waiting to visit this shop on any day. Waits reach 4 hours on a regular basis.
The Starbucks at the west end of Downtown Disney still remains closed.
When we visited, the resort was operating in rainy day-mode, so many of the outdoor seating and shopping was either closed or moved until cover.
Over at Marceline’s (and also Trolley Treats on Buena Vista Street) there are some Easter/springtime goodies to be found!
When we visited again over the weekend, we saw a St. Patrick’s day sweets at Trolley Treats! We were told that there will be more St. Patty’s treats closer to the day itself.
After the rain cleared up, the crowds made their way back to Downtown Disney as well.
And now onto the exciting stuff, Buena Vista Street!
This is the last week to visit Beuna Vista Street without a pre-purchased ticket; BVS will remain open to all Downtown Disney guests through March 14th. It will close on the 15th and reopen as part of Touch of Disney on the 18th.
Speaking of Touch of Disney, the festival is getting prepped. Additional tables and seating have been placed along the parade route, and booths are making their way to their spots for the food event.
You can find booths in their usual places, lining the parade route, plus one in the enclave of Avengers Campus (next to the ODV carts).
UPDATE (4/9/21): We spotted a few banners going up on the parade route for Touch of Disney. You can find all of them, including a guide to the event below:
Your Guide To Disney California Adventure’s New Food Event “A Touch of Disney”
Along the walkway near the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, there are some new tables and chairs. In normal times, this area is generally pretty empty so this is a great usage of space for a food festival.
As we continue into the week, we’ll likely see more preparation for the upcoming event. Just be aware that the 14th is the last time to visit the open areas of DCA before it becomes part of Taste of Disney.
There was something pretty magical about seeing Grizzly Peak in the rain though.
The happiest ducks on earth were enjoying the weather.
Whle we were at Downtown Disney, we did a livestream in the rain! Join Dusty on a walkthrough of Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street in the video below.
It’s Festival Season
After a year of our local theme parks being closed, most of them are busy reopening in festival mode. While Knott’s was the leader on that front with a food festival all the way back in July of last year, Disney, Universal Studios Hollywood, and SeaWorld are all now hosting festivals of their own. Here’s a quick overview of the events open now or coming soon:
A Touch of Disney
Disney’s upcoming festival is… not a festival. Disney has been very careful to refer to it as a “food and beverage” event. It’s good that they’re not setting the wrong expectations, since so much will still be closed.
Tickets went on sale for the event on March 4th… and although Disney didn’t say what time the tickets would go on sale, a flood of users crashed the system just minutes into the launch. But they still managed to sell all the spots (and add extra days to the event).
As you probably guessed, this event is going to be very popular with Disneyland fans— so much so that Disney pre-emptively extended the run of the Taste of Disney by two weeks already. This just one day before the state released new theme park guidance. And before you say that Disney was caught off guard, they did have some advance notice from the state, and still extended this festival. That should give you a bit of an idea on Disney’s timeframe for reopening. We’d like to see Disney keep the focus on food even after the parks reopen to help fill a bit of a void that will be left by a lack of entertainment and many closed attractions.
It would be great for Disneyland to jump on board and offer up some of their most popular food items from previous events. It would be a great way to slowly reopen the parks, especially since all tickets must be dates and booked online anyway. Easy for Disney to charge $75 for food, beverage, and shopping and then ramp up the price as attractions are added.
Knott’s Taste of Boysenberry Festival
No stranger to the food festival game, Knott’s newest food and retail event “Taste of Boysenberry Festival” kicked off this weekend. We were there on opening day to check out the $45 event. It didn’t disappoint.
It’s all decked out for spring, with flowers all around the park. . . And they don’t let you forget the little purple berry that they’re celebrating . . . the boysenberry! The event includes a surprising amount of live entertainment, characters, an Easter egg hunt, and . . . over 80 food items!
Of course, the real draw to this festival is the food! For $45 you get 5 tastes (though you could argue they’re full-size meals!) of boysenberry-inspired offerings. Take a look at the mouthwatering treats and eats we tasted below…
And there are dozens of crafters and artisans selling specialty items and goods around the park.
This was just a preview of Taste of Boysenberry Festival. For a more in-depth look around the park (you’ll want to see the scary Easter decorations at night! Creepy!), take a look at the article below.
Knott’s Boysenberry Festival Blooms & Preparing for Reopening
Other Festivals in SoCal Theme Parks
All the major theme parks in SoCal have some sort of event in the works. SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival, Six Flags Magic Mountain has a drive-through car show, and Universal Studios Hollywood is doing their first-ever food festival. It’s an exciting prospect since these parks haven’t had normal operations for nearly a full year. Each park is doing things a little differently, and we’ve laid it all out for you in the article below! Which one(s) are you interested in attending?
The Perfect Disneyland Day – MiceChat Reader Photos
If possible, I would love to combine all these suggestions into one, long, mega-perfect day at Disneyland. Although last year was tough for a myriad of reasons, it looks like things are finally looking up. Thank you to everyone who shared a photo with us this week! To see more pictures of what constitutes a perfect day at Disneyland, be sure to check out the MiceChat Facebook group! And we’d love to hear the three things that would be on your list for the perfect Disneyland day in the comments below.
Disney Travel Deals
(Discount Theme Park Tickets and Travel Packages)
It’s time to give the family something to look forward to. Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with that by planning a future theme park vacation. There are all sorts of new theme park tickets and travel deals, including a 2 free days offer at Walt Disney World, hotel discounts, ticket deals to various theme parks: More details and to get a quote (HERE)
NEW VACATION SAVINGS PLAN WITH PERKS!!! Want to start saving for a big family vacation but aren’t sure where or when you’ll be ready to go? Get Away Today has created a plan which rewards you for saving up for your trip now. Place as little as $200 down and get free travel protection, travel credits, and more! Learn more and start saving now HERE!
Let’s Hear From You
We realize that this was a huge update, well over 4,000 words and 100 images, but there were just so many big items this week to cover. Between reopening news, festival madness, aerial photos, and theme park updates, we knew you’d want to know! What attractions do you think will make the opening day list for Disneyland and DCA? Were you one of the lucky few who snagged a ticket to A Touch of Disney? Do any of the other theme park festivals interest you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. And if you enjoyed today’s Update, please be sure to share – it really helps!
More Theme Park Reading
Even after all that SoCal theme park news above, there are a few more items we think are well worth your time from the other coast. Start with his incredible Walt Disney World update and the massive scary Stargate-like structure which has popped up in the World Showcase lagoon (among many other items):
Halloween is back on the books . . .
Universal’s most ambitious park ever is back on . . .
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