It’s time to count down to magic. . . Disneyland reopens this Friday, folks!!! And we have an unbelievable amount of information for you. Everything you need to know to enjoy your return visit to the parks and avoid some pitfalls that could sour your trip. Current operational challenges that the park and its staff are navigating. Tips and tricks to help you make the most of your experience. Some interesting new things that have popped up at the resort… and a whole lot more. You’ll probably want to read this one twice and share it with your friends…

IT’S SHOWTIME!

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
Disneyland is already in full gear. Costumed cast are practicing their skills throughout the entire park.

Even without guests, the parks are getting ready for you by operating as close to normal as possible. Ride vehicles are cycling, area music is playing, the show lights are on, cast are wearing their costumes, character hosts have been called back, and some characters have even been seen out and about practicing in their new locations (safely out of reach of guests).

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
Archive photo of Redd, a Pirate character inspired by the new version of the Redhead from the auction scene in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Redd was seen waving from the front steps of the Dream Suite this week, just above the Pirates of the Caribbean queue. AND, so the shops, restaurants, and rides can test their locations, cast on some days have been allowed to work part of the day and enjoy the park for the other part of the day – riding attractions, getting free food at open restaurants, and even shopping in the stores that are mostly ready. This helps with training and working out the little issues that still need to be ironed out.  

Even from the Esplanade between the parks, you can see all sorts of activity: 

Cast are out and about. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Vehicles are testing. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Shop windows have been redressed. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

We’ve learned about some interesting operation changes to popular Disneyland attractions as well. This is by no means a complete list of operations adjustments, just an example of what you should expect throughout the parks: 

  • Attractions with long indoor queues are now holding guests outdoors instead. Once you are let inside the queue, it’s a quick-moving path to load onto the ride. 
  • Indoor rides are operating with no more than 50% capacity (and in most cases much less than that). And all rides, shops, and restaurants are working hard to keep guests 6′ apart from each other. 
  • Indiana Jones no longer seats the middle row. It’s now a plexiglass divider. Additionally, it’s only one party on the two rows they are seating. So, if there are two parties of 1 individual, the jeep dispatches with just 2 guests aboard. Expect LONG waits here. 
, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
Guests will be held in the large outdoor queue for Indy rather than the long indoor queue. But guests will still walk through the queue to get to the loading platform.
  • Pirates of the Caribbean is similarly leaving empty rows between guests (at least two rows) and seating just one party per row. One cast member told us that it felt like the boats were moving a bit faster. This ride bumps up against a 15-minute indoor ride limitation from the state, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Disneyland has the water jets turned all the way up right now, and running fewer boats so they don’t stack up before the final lift. Either or both of those things could help get the ride under the wire. Fun story, one cast member we spoke with got to ride the attraction a few days ago before the pirates had been redressed (most animatronics at the resort were undressed during the shutdown to protect the expensive costumes). He said it felt like riding a Terminator attraction. But the swashbucklers all have their freshly cleaned costumes on now.
, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
The large Pirates outdoor queue has been marked off with social distancing tape (this is an archive shot from the final day of Disneyland operation in March of 2020)
  • Splash Mountain was only seating one party per log during a recent test. Another attraction that will operate well under the 50% capacity limitation on indoor attractions. 
  • Rise of the Resistance was also seating just one party per vehicle. However, it appeared they may place plexiglass between rows for higher capacity as they have done in Florida.  Elsewhere in the attraction, you’ll experience abbreviated or missing preshow elements to prevent indoor lines. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

  • Smugglers Run is also seating one party per ship. The empty seats are put on autopilot. During test and adjust, guests were sent up the shorter Fastpass ramp. In the Hondo preshow, he is facing his computer and giving a quick spiel as you walk straight through what was previously a closed-door pre-show.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

  • They’ve placed plexiglass in various queues where guests might be closer than 6’ from each other. For example, the stairs up to the Big Thunder loading platform now have a plexiglass screen between the two sides, which makes for a tight squeeze for larger guests. The same is true at Space Mountain. If you have wide shoulders, you’ll be touching the screens which now separate the bottom section of the loading queue.
  • The Galaxy’s Edge Marketplace has one-way traffic. Guests enter from the Resistance side and exit on the Ronto Roaster’s side.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

There are many more examples just like these on rides in both parks. Expect to see lots of empty rows and no one you aren’t traveling with will be seated next to you. 

STAFFING ISSUES CONTINUE

Due to continued troubles getting enough staff in place, some test and adjust activities were scaled back or canceled in recent days. The three days of cast member previews which start on Tuesday will be a trial by fire. But Disney management remains confident that with the small number of guests reserved for the early days of park opening (far less than the 25% capacity allowed) that things will go as well as can be expected. But everyone knows there will be growing pains and things to fix and address. Set your expectations accordingly. 

While many cast are positively bubbly about the excitement of the parks reopening, there are also some who have found themselves in very difficult situations. Due to complexities on which cast could be called back, and when (usually seniority requirements), not all cast were returned to their original locations. Sometimes they were called back to a whole different park. But since some locations are now being led by folks who don’t necessarily have a prior history with the establishments they will be leading, and many of the front-line staff will also lack experience there, the stress levels are high and training has been difficult in many places. To complicate matters, social distancing and other issues have confused procedures at almost all restaurants, shops, and attractions. But that can mean that a lone staff member is now working a spot where two or more may have worked previously (tight kitchens, retail registers, order windows, etc). And with so many cast calling out sick, or failing to show up for rehire training, those remaining are under an even greater strain. 

Our hope is that guests understand the difficulty of the reopening process and give the cast members a lot of patience and praise in these early weeks. Over time, staffing will increase, everyone will become more comfortable in their roles and things will stabilize. But then a 2nd wave of stress will come as more staff are called back to work and many cast who are now working unfamiliar roles are moved back to their original locations (and have to learn all the new procedures there as well).  

But newly rehired staff aren’t immediately available to their locations. There are hours and hours of training that they must first complete. The first few hours involve being read the new safety information and being shown three videos about washing hands, how to safety check themselves and their work environment, and how to look for symptoms of infection. During this time, they are shown videos of rainbow-colored vapor spittle coming out of computer-simulated people (with and without masks and with and without ventilation in the room). They are also given a blue reusable Disneyland bag containing a sanitizer bottle, a stack of disposable masks, and a thermometer to use at home before coming into work. Cast will then learn about their responsibility to clean high touch areas every 2 hours, maintain limits on the number of people in a space, how close they can be to guests and coworkers, etc. Then they undergo still more hours of computer-based trainings. 

In some lines of business, such as Custodial, some games are being played with shift timings so cast won’t qualify for 3rd shift pay premiums. In normal times, 3rd shift (overnight) cast would receive premiums of between 15 cents and 75 cents per hour on top of regular pay: 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Cast have been outraged and lighting up the union chat groups with angry posts due to a change in their schedules which cheats them out of their premium pay and makes their jobs even more difficult. Some cast will be let out of work hours before city buses run. Leaving them waiting in the wee hours of the night in potentially unsafe city bus stops until they can get home, or needing to beg for rides.  

I’m including some cast concerns which are representative of the current issues (names removed to protect their privacy): 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Many originally accepted nighttime work because it fit their family needs and schedules. A major schedule shift also forces some to wait hours for restaurant staff to leave for the day before they can start cleaning. A situation in which Disney is forcing some cast to be unproductive all to save money on wages.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More , Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

We have a feeling the unions will be able to change Disney’s mind on this one since it’s also in Disney’s best interest not to lose any more cast, have that cast be productive on the job, and not have to deal with endless union grievances over roles which have been worked out over decades of hard negotiations.  

A union representative notified custodial staff that he had filed a grievance with Disney over the concerns: 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

PHASE 2 DINING EXPANSION IN PROGRESS

One of the reasons why so many restaurants will be closed on opening day is because of limited resources and the length of time and effort it takes to get a location back up and running after such a long shutdown (the other reason is so few guests in the park). Now that the opening day restaurants are mostly ready to go, focus is now turning to the next round of restaurants to return (within a few weeks in many cases). And since some of these locations don’t have any outdoor dining space, we know that Disneyland is planning to begin at least some indoor dining soon.  

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

A significant number of cast have been assigned to the following restaurants, working through their reopening duties, deep cleaning, and sending cast to CBTs (Computer Based Trainings). 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Places that are starting to gear up for mid-May reopenings at Disneyland (there may be even more over at DCA):

  • Blue Bayou
  • River Belle Terrace
  • Alien Pizza Planet
  • Docking Bay 7
  • And Club 33

Disneyland Know Before You Go

We’re all so excited to see Disneyland reopening this coming week, and with 3 full days of cast previews before that. But, there are many changes, alterations, and limitations that guests need to be aware of. There’s no doubt that there will be things that will be annoying or down right awful. But, if you know what to expect in advance, we really do think you can have a good time. Walt Disney World has been open since July of last year, and while there were bumps at first, guests did come to embrace the parks and the changes now seem second nature. Here are the most important things to know BEFORE you go: 

Be Prepared With Tickets & Reservations

This might surprise some of you super-fans who read this site regularly, but many regular Disneyland visitors (who are accustomed to simply buying a ticket and showing up) may not realize that park reservations are now required to visit on a specific day. As a result, there could be hundreds of people who show up with a valid ticket, but not a valid park reservation. Sadly, those folks will not be allowed into the park. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
This is what your park reservation looks like. Either print it out or have it available on your phone. The cast member at the turnstile will need to scan the QR code on the reservation. Have it ready.

If you have a friend going to the park in the coming weeks, please make sure they have a park reservation before their visit. While many dates are starting to fill up for Disneyland, most dates are still available for Disney California Adventure, so that is an option for those who find they can’t get a Disneyland-only park reservation in these first two months of operation. 

(Wherever you see pink in the calendar below, there’s still Disneyland availability. Keep in mind that on the park-hopper tickets, even if it’s blue (which indicates you start your day at DCA) you can still park-hop to Disneyland after 1pm. There are only 6 days you can no longer buy a park-hopper, which means you can still get into Disneyland at some point on all but 6 days in the two months Disneyland is booking. And Disney has been quietly adding additional tickets to many days. Even April 30th has had extra tickets added from time to time. You can see from our start below that last night there were some park-hoppers for the 30th which would allow guests to start their day at DCA and hop to Disneyland later. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Speaking of dates, more days should start opening up soon for July. We hope to hear more about that from Disneyland very soon.  

Disneyland Parking Info

The first place you’ll go when you arrive is parking. The Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals Parking structures will be the primary parking for the resort. Cast will be asking guests if they have valid tickets and park reservations here so there won’t be as many surprises at the front gate 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

If you plan to arrive before parking opening at 9am, the structure will be staffed at 6am (they aren’t planning on parking before that time) on reopening weekend. And the line might move slowly as cars are parked every other space. Guests will then make their way down to the tram loading tunnel where they will be temperature checked. From there they will go through the security/bag check. 

Because trams will NOT be running, guests will need to walk the long tram route to the parks. If you’ve got someone with you who may have trouble walking long distances, note that wheelchairs, ECVs, and strollers will be available at the parking structure (near the temperature check). 

If you are thinking of parking in Downtown Disney for the day, think again. Beginning April 30th, Downtown Disney will begin charging hourly parking upon exit again. We don’t have the specific rate being charged, but we believe that it will be similar to what it was before the shutdown (3 hours of free parking with validation from shops; 5 hours free parking with a table service restaurant validation; hourly rate of $14; with a daily max of $56). 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
staff were working on the new pay terminals yesterday. As you exit Downtown Disney into the parking lot, look for these pay terminals. It will help speed up the exit process.

If you’d like to avoid the parking crush and longer waits to get in, we have arranged a new parking offer at The Anaheim Hotel on Harbor Blvd (our old offer expires on April 30th). Parking will be on an as-available basis, but it is closer to get to Disneyland’s front gate from The Anaheim Hotel than from the Mickey and Friends structure, and a bit cheaper as well. Just show this offer at the hotel front desk, or tell them you would like the MiceChat Parking Offer: 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Disney Parks Dining

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

More than anything else (other than obtaining a Rise of the Resistance spot) figuring out dining is likely to be the most challenging thing on the day of your visit. At Disney’s parks in Florida, waits can be quite long, and table service restaurant reservations can be hard to come by, but we expect it to be even harder at Disneyland.  But whether or not you have a reservation, you’ll likely need to eat during your visit, and hungry guests aren’t happy guests. So, let’s be prepared for the options: 

Dining reservations

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

If you are able to make a reservation, that’s your sure-fire best bet. Unfortunately, there are only two restaurants currently offering reservations in each park, and they appear to be fully booked up. But don’t fret, there are plenty of spots set aside standby and many guests will likely get wrapped up in their visits and decide to skip table service dining, which can eat a chunk of your day.  You may also wish to pop out of the park for a bit to dine in Downtown Disney, several restaurants still have reservations, even for opening day.  

Virtual Wait List

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
Lamplight Lounge has lots of outdoor seating. We hope they’ve been able to staff up to use their downstairs space as well.

Each table-service restaurant will have a virtual waitlist option in the app and there’s a QR code at each restaurant you can scan to pull up the waitlist page. You’ll then be notified if they have a spot for you. We did this twice during A Taste of Disney at the Lamplight Lounge and were able to get a table both times. 

Mobile Order

But for most guests, finding a spot to pick up a quick meal and sit at an outdoor table (there will be only outdoor dining at first).  Unfortunately, because of a reduced number of restaurants open and a decreased restaurant capacity and staffing at the establishments which will be open (approximately 32 food service locations will be closed across the two parks).

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Here are the foodservice locations which will be open at Disneyland for example. Many of these spots are food service carts, treats, or refreshments and not real restaurants. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

So, don’t go blindly into lunchtime thinking you’ll magically find a good spot to pick up a quick lunch. You’re likely to run right into a brick wall of other guests. It is highly recommended that you mobile order your food well in advance. In fact, we suggest that you do that first thing once you get into the park for the day.

The process is easy enough: Open the Disneyland App, select “Order Food” (simply click the little plus (+) sign on the bottom middle of your app), pick a time slot you’d like to eat, an available restaurant that sounds good, order your food, and pay. Then, when your order window opens, click “I’m Here,” and they’ll make your items.  Just a tip, at the busiest times of the day, it can take a while for some locations to actually make your food after you click “I’m Here.” That situation will likely be less before and after peak dining times.

The app can be confusing to navigate if you haven’t used it much before. Here’s where you find that tiny button that unlocks many options: 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

 

Lockers

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Many guests are accustomed to bringing lots of items and then stashing some things in a locker (such as a jacket for the cooler hours, medicines, heavy items like phone chargers and cameras that you might not need yet) but that’s going to be a little more trouble than it may be worth to you. At park opening, Disneyland is expected to keep the lockers inside both parks closed. While there should be lockers available in the Esplanade, that’s a long walk to get something you need. Our suggestion is to pack light, tie your jacket around your waist, and if you have a few little items you need to lug around, bring a comfortable backpack. Another reason to pack light is to help speed up the security process outside of the parks. The fewer items each guest has, the quicker those lines will move.  

Entertainment

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Will there be any? Well, we know that many character hosts were staffed in both parks, and that characters will be out and about. At Disney World, they do simple character processions on singular parade floats and park vehicles. So, expect to see some characters riding around on the omnibus or firetruck. It’s even possible that a parade float may make its way down the parade route as a surprise. But, to prevent guests from queuing up to see a character or sitting shoulder to shoulder on the curbs waiting for a full parade, those moments will be unannounced. In the weeks to come, Disneyland will settle into a more comfortable routine which may allow for more entertainment to return. Some parks, like SeaWorld, are even doing short fireworks shows. And that might be possible at Disneyland by mid to late summer as well. But it’s very likely that activities that force guests into tight spaces together will simply be left off the park schedule for now.

How To Get A Boarding Pass For Rise of the Resistance 

This one is important. If riding Rise of the Resistance is a big deal to you and your family, pay attention, both the experience AND obtaining a “Boarding Pass” have changed. Due to ride restrictions (no indoor queuing and ride times under 15 minutes) some changes have been made to how the queue and preshows work for this attraction. While the main ride portion will be the same, the lead-up to the experience will be abbreviated. We hear that it’s still very enjoyable.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
Corridors of a Star Destroyer on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Getting your boarding pass is different as well. Instead of rushing to be in the park at opening so you could make a reservation with everyone else, Disney will give you two opportunities to try for a reservation. Your first opportunity will be at 7am, the 2nd at noon. But that’s not the only change to the process . . . you’ll also be able to make that first reservation from your home or hotel room. You do NOT need to be at the resort to make the 7am reservation (you just need to have a valid ticket and a Disneyland park reservation).  At noon, you will need to be inside Disneyland or California Adventure.  

For a full breakdown on how the reservation process will work, including screenshots, please read our guide: Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Pass

Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Boarding Pass for Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland

Dusty’s Top Tips

There are a few more things I think are important to keep in mind. Taking care of these items or planning for them in advance should enhance your visit and help you avoid pitfalls: 

  • Disneyland App – Download the latest version of the Disneyland app and make sure you are logged in well before the 7am first virtual queue opportunity for Rise of the Resistance. This will also help you later with Mobile Order for food. 
  • Bring battery packs – The Disneyland app sucks the battery of your phone quickly. FuelRods WILL be available at park opening (small swappable charging devices you can purchase in various locations), but there’s no guarantee they will remain stocked with charged batteries all day. The service can be a bit hit and miss at high demand times as they rely on manual reloading (the machine itself doesn’t actually recharge the FuelRods). Plus, FuelRods only fill the average phone about half full. Having a good battery pack is a reassuring thing for theme park visitors these days. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

  • Use mobile order, but avoid peak dine times.  You can schedule your meals as soon as you enter the park. Don’t get caught off guard later in the day when you are hungry. Plan ahead. 
  • Be flexible – Even though there will be very few guests in the parks, you will still encounter lines for popular things since they will have limited capacity. However, less popular things may have little or no line at all. The good news is that since so few guests will be in attendance, lines are likely to dissipate in the afternoons. As a result, you want to visit things opposite what other guests are doing. If everyone is running to Haunted Mansion and Snow White first, you’ll want to do Indy, Splash Mountain, or Space Mountain first. Watch the wait times in your app. By afternoon, when some guests start to leave, waits should drop. Go with the flow and let the app wait times guide you to an easier day.  
  • Don’t Be First – Unless you have an overwhelming need to be first, don’t arrive right at opening. At Walt Disney World, we found that we encountered the most crowds just before and during opening. Everyone wanted to squeeze every moment out of the day so they all arrive before the park opens, which creates unnecessarily long lines. We found that by showing up half an hour to an hour after opening, we avoided the morning crush at entry. And, most of those early morning folks end up leaving in the early afternoon, which meant really short waits later in the day for us. So we started visiting the parks later and later and having a much better time. We believe a similar dynamic will develop at Disneyland. The park is open for 10 hours (from 9am to 7pm). Since you can make a Rise of the Resistance boarding pass reservation from home, there’s no real reason to add to the early morning crush.  

Disneyland News

We know we’ve covered a lot already, but there’s still quite a bit of Disneyland news that we should fill you in on. There’s shifting winds on allowing out-of-state visitors to attend California theme parks, additional changes to Disneyland’s ticketing policy, and lots of little items…

Who’s Welcome?

One of the more controversial guidelines for theme park reopenings was the exclusion of out-of-state visitors. Last week, California quietly made changes which allows vaccinated out-of-state visitors to participate in activities and events.  However, that doesn’t mean every theme park is going to immediately change their ticketing policy. 

Out-of-State Visitors Could Soon Be Able to Visit Disneyland Again

SeaWorld San Diego was the first to jump on the new opportunity and started selling tickets to out-of-state guests even before the new rules were fully understood:

SeaWorld San Diego Reopens With Rides and Welcomes Out-Of-State Visitors

Ticket Limit Increase

This week, Disneyland made a quiet change of their own: they’ve increased the limit of tickets you can buy on a single day. The previous limit was set at 10, but now the cap has been raised to 15. It’s a small change, but one that in theory makes it easier for larger families to plan a trip to Disneyland.

Ready for Magic

Disneyland fans aren’t the only ones excited for the parks to reopen. Disneyland Cast Members shared how they’re getting ready to bring back the magic in a short video. For many Cast Members, working at the Happiest Place on Earth isn’t just a job, it’s a whole lifestyle, and it’s made complete with guests. So be sure to thank a CM for their hard work the next time you see one: 

Disneyland Vaccinations and Testing

I’ve got three Disneyland vaccination/testing stories that you’ll enjoy. Well, one of them is from a Disneyland abroad, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

As Disneyland ramps up towards the reopening of the theme parks this week, the vaccination “Super Pod” site on the Toy Story parking lot will be shutting down. The site will administer its last doses on April 30, the same day the theme parks will be opening. However, the Anaheim Convention Center vaccination site just across the street will continue to operate.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Secondly, there’s a new COVID testing site that has been installed at the Simba parking lot for Cast Members and guests. Testing is offered free of charge as a service to the community, which means both Cast Members and guests can utilize the tiny facility.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

That said, there’s some strangeness to the whole ordeal. The testing site (it’s really just a box) is located in an odd location, it operates on incredibly limited hours (just 6 hours a day), and there’s no guarantee for immediate results (results take about 24 hours).

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More 

Although it’s potentially a beneficial tool for guests or cast who have been exposed or aren’t feeling well, it seems odd to intentionally bring potentially sick people onto a busy part of the property at all. Why not pick a corner of the property that isn’t normally frequented by guests?  We recommend that you check your temperature and make sure you’re feeling well before leaving for the Disneyland Resort. That way, you can avoid any unnecessary complications for your trip.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Finally, we take a quick trip over to Disneyland Paris for the most beautiful vaccination site we’ve seen. Our Disneyland Paris contributor, Max, shares video of his journey to Disneyland Paris and into the new vaccination center at the resort’s Newport Bay Club: 

 

Legacy Passholder Discount Extended

If you’ve been taking advantage of your Legacy Passholder discount, take comfort in knowing that the discount has been extended through the end of May. The discount will continue to be automatically extended until new membership offerings are announced.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

New Shopping Experience

After taking an extended break from Disneyland’s string of unsuccessful merchandise events, Disney is preparing another attempt for Star Wars Day, May 4. This limited merchandise event will be filled with Star Wars goodies, and will feature a brand-new legacy lightsaber hilt. The last few merchandise events failed to sell out, but we’re guessing that people will be looking forward to seeing the new Star Wars merch. Details on making reservations will be shared soon.

Construction Walls

On our weekly trip to Downtown Disney, we saw that there are some new construction walls that have been set up in the Esplanade. We were told it’s just a project to level the pavers. The whole area will be done in patchwork. Again, this would have been a great project for the 13 months that the parks were closed. 😉 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

If you’d like more tips to know before you go to Disneyland, MiceChat staffer Matthew Bumgardner and I discuss all the news in our latest video.

This & That

And now for just a few more theme park related items… 

Disneyland Live Streaming Moment Tonight (April 26th) at 8:30pm Pacific Time

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Disney describes the live stream as a “heartfelt presentation, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and Ken Potrock, president of the Disneyland Resort will share messages of optimism and gratitude to the cast members of the Disneyland Resort.”

Oddly, they weren’t very specific about where they would be making the live stream available, but we’d guess it will be on the Disney Parks Blog, and likely on their YouTube and Facebook pages as well.  

Project Kiwi – Autonomous Groot

This week, there was an update from Walt Disney Imagineering about an exciting new animatronic. Titled “Project Kiwi,” it introduces a next-generation autonomous animatronic in the form of an adorable young Groot figure. With all sorts of detail in its face and a surprisingly complex range of motion, it’s something we didn’t know we needed in our life! We hope that these can be replicated and brought into Disney Parks because this animatronic is incredible. Take a look at the video below to see Groot in action!

It’s Nearly Berry (Farm) Season!

Boysenberry fans, as of today (at 10am) you can now purchase tickets and make reservations for Knott’s Berry Farm! As we mentioned last week, visiting Knott’s is a fantastic alternative to Disneyland for those missing their annual passes. plus it costs less for a whole year at Knott’s than a single day at Disneyland. Knott’s reopens rides on May 21st. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

But that’s not all… Knott’s has quietly added a few upgrades to purchase for Season Passes. Right now, you can add Fast Lane (priority boarding on select attractions) to a Season Pass for when the park reopens. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

There’s another thing that’s captured our interest. One of the add-ons for a Knott’s Season Pass available for purchase is a Knott’s Scary Farm 2021 unlimited access upgrade. Similar to previous years, it allows you to visit Knott’s Scary Farm every night during the event’s run. The add-on is exclusively available to current Season Passholders. That said, Knott’s hasn’t made an official announcement about the resumption of Scary Farm for 2021, but this is a pretty solid indicator that they’ve got something planned for this year. 

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More

Congratulations, Soul!

Last night was the Oscars, and Disney-Pixar’s Soul took home some big prizes: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score! You can watch Soul on Disney+.

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More , Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More


Disney Ticket & Travel Deals

(Discount Theme Park Tickets and Travel Packages)

, Disneyland Reopening Update – Everything You Need to Know and More
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, and now TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND: More details and to get a quote (HERE)


Let’s Hear From You

Well folks, it’s 6am and we’ve spent nearly 24 hours writing this update for you, so we’re going to stop here. There’s so much going on that we could easily keep going. Were you able to snag tickets during Disneyland’s first two months of operation? Is there anything you are worried about? Do you think Disney is going to run into a bigger staffing problem as they attempt to expand beyond 25% guest capacity (when allowed to do so)?  

Be sure to check MiceChat all week long as we’ll have lots of amazing coverage of the grand reopening of Disneyland. Bookmark MiceChat, join our newsletter, and follow us on social media for the latest Disneyland news and some big surprises! 


If you found this Update informative and helpful, please share it with your friends and family. We have some helpful sharing links below: 

Sharing is caring!

Dusty Sage
Dusty is the founder and CEO of MiceChat.com. When he's not visiting theme parks and writing, editing or speaking about Disney and theme parks worldwide, Dusty is involved in multiple Disney related projects and charities. He helped save and restore the charming Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago, launched the Dick Van Dyke Foundation, and is the curator of Walt Disney's historic 1930's estate in Hollywood. If you've got news or photos to share with the MiceChat community, or would like to book Dusty for an upcoming event, please contact [email protected]