There’s so much going on at the Disneyland Resort right now that we had to do TWO big updates this week. You can check out Part One from Disneyland HERE. Today we’re taking a look at a new, easier way to book Disneyland tickets & reservations, Avenger’s campus news and views, hopeful dining info, and photos and news from Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and the Disneyland Resort Hotels. PLUS, Disneyland advances to Yellow Tier. Here’s what it all means…
Getting Easier
We have a few exciting items that may help make your future visits to Disneyland easier. Things are changing fast, and Disney (and MiceChat) are trying to keep up.
Easier Tickets & Theme Park Reservations
Yesterday, Disneyland launched a new method for buying park tickets and making a theme park reservation at the same time, instead of two separate transactions as it was before. You simply select a ticket type (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 days) and whether you’d like to add on the Park Hopper option. Then you pick the day(s) you want to visit. It’s much easier than before.
The new page looks like this:
You can always cancel a reservation and rebook it for another day, but note that once you’ve used your first day, you only have 13 days to use the rest of the days in your ticket.
Masks Mandate Ending Soon
California is set to end its mask mandate for vaccinated individuals on June 15th, along with the rest of the current blueprint for reopening. That will likely mean that Disneyland can revise its policies on masks, social distancing, and out-of-state guests at that time. Walt Disney World has already changed its policy and vaccinated guests are now welcome to visit outdoor areas without a mask, though masks are still required indoors and on all rides. Disney World enacted their mask change as soon as they were allowed to do so. Will Disneyland do the same as soon as California allows? We believe they will.
We have about a month before California’s mandates expire. We expect things to change rapidly between now and then and we should all be hearing more about how the parks will operate this summer, including the return of out-of-state guests.
Disneyland Advances to Yellow Tier
Another thing that’s advancing is Orange County’s tier status (where Disneyland is located). Today the county moved from Orange Tier to the least restrictive Yellow Tier, which is the final step in the state’s reopening blueprint.
So what does this mean for Disneyland? More guests and more restaurant capacity. Disneyland can now bump daily attendance from 25% capacity to 35% capacity. Restaurants can now add indoor tables from 25% capacity to 50% capacity.
But one thing that won’t change is ride capacity. That all stays the same. So, potentially, that just means more people and longer lines. One way around that would be for Disney to open more attractions to help eat up all the extra people, but almost all the rides are already open. We’ll keep an eye on this. If you’ve seen fully booked dates for a Disneyland Park reservation that you missed out on, keep checking the calendar, additional availability is ALREADY being added… and that means more people in the parks!!!
The next milestone will be June 15th when all attendance caps are expected to be removed. Given how quickly Disneyland has acted to add capacity after the move to Yellow, we imagine that they will rapidly increase capacity as quickly as they are able to hire new employees to support the expansions. Buyer beware.
Good Food News
As Disneyland ramps up its operations, there are a slew of restaurants preparing for reopening.
Last week, the Paradise Garden Grill reopened to DCA guests with a special menu of favorite items from the Touch of Disney food event. Although the event marketplaces have been carted away, some of the fan-favorite items like Pizza Eggrolls and the Asian-Style Barbacoa Tacos are sticking around at Paradise Gardens Grill.
Take a look at the menu below for some tasty selections:
This Thursday, May 20, there’s another dining (well, mostly drinking) option opening up to an exclusive group of DCA guests. The Annual Passholder-exclusive area of the Alfresco Tasting Terrace is returning specifically for Legacy Passholders. This little alcove has a selection of drinks, both alcoholic and kid-friendly, plus a few shareable snacks. Just before the park shut down last year, this was an EXTREMELY popular place to visit, and we imagine that for the first few weeks it will remain pretty well-attended.
Reservations for the Legacy Passholder Tasting Terrace will open today, May 18. Take a look at the menu below to see what you’re in for:
The much-anticipated return of the Blue Bayou at Disneyland is just a little over a week away on May 27. If you remember a few months ago, Disneyland announced that the Blue Bayou would begin serving alcohol upon reopening. So now you will be able to enjoy an adult beverage along with the upscale meal we’ve grown to love (to to the protest of our wallets). Heads up that reservations for this restaurant will open today, May 18, and we expect that it will get booked pretty quickly.
For more about the changes ahead to the Blue Bayou, read the article below.
Blue Bayou Dining to Add Limited Adult Beverages When it Reopens
Leaving the theme parks for a moment, at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, two more restaurants are prepping for reopening. Both Storyteller’s Café and Napa Rose will reopen on May 28 to guests— and not just those staying at the hotel! Storyteller’s Café will be open for breakfast and dinner, and Napa Rose will be open specifically for dinner service. Reservations for both restaurants open today, May 18, and we anticipate that people will be very interested in returning to these upscale dining areas. One other thing to note is that there is no character dining at the Disneyland Resort until further notice.
Finally, although the Craftsman Bar and Grill at the Grand Cal is already open to hotel guests, it will also be available to regular Disneyland guests starting May 28. Additionally, the Craftsman Pool Bar will be accepting online reservations beginning May 28.
For more about the recent and future restaurant reopenings, take a look at the article below.
Disneyland Hotel Reopening July 2nd Including Trader Sam’s & Other Hotel News
Keeping in food-related news, the menu at Tropical Hideaway has been expanded to include food items again. Until this week, the location was only serving Dole Whip and bottled drinks. Now the establishment has almost returned to the full menu it was serving before the park closure last year.
Refurbishment Updates
It’s not a normal day at Disneyland unless there’s a refurb going on somewhere. Yesterday we covered the main refurbishment projects at Disneyland: the Matterhorn, Jungle Cruise, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. But now that Grizzly River Run has reopened, California Adventure only has the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail under refurb. There’s no set return date yet.
If you look through the trees, you’ll see scaffolds around the rope bridge.
In addition to the closed attractions on refurbishment, there are several entertainment venues that also remain closed. The Hyperion Theater is the largest of these. We don’t expect the Frozen Musical to return as it was officially canceled during the early days of the park closure. Something will eventually return here, but it’s too soon for us to know what. Half of the Hyperion neon sign is missing:
Another small theater that’s closed is the Disney Junior show. For now, the venue is used as a character spot.
Speaking of characters, we’ve been running into lots of them at DCA. We particularly appreciate seeing the rare ones like Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the Country Bears.
A couple of stages have been built in the Carthay Circle Fountain area. They are a great spot to watch a rotating cast of characters.
But you’ll find characters out and about everywhere. We found Wendell across from Grizzly River Run. He seemed happy to see us.
And not far away, in the wild area under the Monorail Beam near the entry to the theme park entry to the Grand Californian Hotel, Chip and Dale were playing around. It was particularly charming that they were searching for acorns.
Avengers Assemble
Another area you’ll soon find a lot of characters is Avengers Campus. The new land, opening June 4th, is preparing for reopening now. Banners are up, cast are receiving their costumes, and Disney is leaking out all sorts of info to hopefully get you excited.
Brian took to the Pal-A-Round to catch a glimpse of the new land.
The closest a guest can get are the construction walls on the parade route, by Guardians of the Galaxy, or near Luigi’s in Cars Land.
But there are some photos that have been shared by Disney that look particularly nice at night…
The Spider-Man ride is housed in the building above. Hard to believe that this was once It’s Tough to be a Bug! Part of the building looks like an old motor warehouse.
There’s an old meets new vibe to the complex as the new occupants, WEB, have applied a little graffiti art to the exterior.
The Ancient Sanctum of Doctor Strange will be a spot for guests to learn magic.
The orb in the Sanctum looks cool by day
And amazing by night…
There will be a few places to get food in the land, a couple of outdoor vending carts (yes, there will be Shawarma) and a quick-serve restaurant with an ambitious theme.
The Pym Test Kitchen will play with size and technology to bring you cleverly crafted foods.
Last year we shared a look at some of the food coming to Avengers Campus. Recently Disney shared even more of the food ahead with the Avengers Campus Foodie Guide. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll find.
Pym’s Test Kitchen will be the mainstay of the land in terms of food. It’s sponsored by Impossible Foods, so you’ll find plenty of meat-free options. It will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus snacks and beverages.
To start your day off, the science food lab has got an assortment of breakfast items.
- Calculated Breakfast = E x 2 + (B+P)/T – Eggs Two Ways with smoked bacon, crispy potato bites, and focaccia toast
- Impossible Quantum Garden Breakfast – Plant-based folded omelet with Impossible breakfast sausage, crispy potato bites, and focaccia toast
- Ever-Expanding Cinna-Pym Toast – Baked Pym particle bread and egg custard with cinnamon-sugar topping, a fried egg, smoked bacon, and maple syrup
- Spoonful of Cereal – Bran flakes and raisins garnished with a yogurt-covered pretzel and served with reduced-fat milk and a ripe banana
- Nano Eggs-periment 101 – Softly arranged eggs and turkey bacon with toast (for small beings ages 3 through 9)
- Cinna-Pym Mini Toast – Warm toasted cinnamon Pym particle bread with turkey bacon and maple syrup (for small beings ages 3 through 9)
When you need a little (or a big) pick-me-up, Pym’s has got you covered.
- Quantum Pretzel – 453.8 grams, Bavarian-style pretzel with sharp cheddar-beer sauce
- Atomic Fusion Pretzel – Buffalo-style pretzel loaded with chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese crumbles, celery, and dill-pickled carrots
- Pingo Doce – Refreshing lemon-lime with a vanilla kick! This distinctly green beverage from Avenger lore available exclusively at Avengers Campus.
- Proton PB&J Punch – Minute Maid Lemonade with peanut butter and strawberry flavors, PB-infused whipped cream, and PB pretzel spheres
If you’re looking for something a bit more satisfying, Pym’s got some Blue Particle Specials to keep you full. That massive chicken sandwich just cracks me up!
- Pym-ini – Salami, rosemary ham, Provolone, sun-dried tomato spread on toasted focaccia with marinara dipping sauce and arugula salad
- Not So Little Chicken Sandwich – Fried chicken breast, teriyaki and red chili sauces, pickled cabbage slaw on brioche with crispy potato bites
- PB3 Superb Sandwich – Warm PB&J with banana, candied bacon on Pym particle bread, with micro banana smoothie and crispy potato bites
- Caesar Salad + Colossal Crouton – Hearts of romaine, Kalamata olives, pickled onions, Caesar dressing, garlic crouton and Parmesan crisps
- Impossible Spoonful – Rigatoni and ditalini pastas, plant-based meat-balls, tomato sauce, dairy-free Parmesan, and micro basil
- Choco Smash CANDY Bar – Dark chocolate, peanuts, caramel, nougat, and chocolate brownie
Next door to Pym’s Test Kitchen is a craft brewery, Pym’s Tasting Lab. Here you can find an array of palate-pleasing drinks.
- Honey Buzz – Gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup with a honey straw
- X-Periment –Tequila, Minute Maid Lime Juice, mango and habanero syrups with mango popping pearls
- Honey Fusion – Gin, Minute Maid Lemonade, honey syrup, IPA, and a honey straw
- Molecular Meltdown – Marshmallow milk stout and vanilla ice cream topped with miniature marshmallows
- The Regulator –Tequila, Minute Maid Lime Juice, mango and habanero syrup, wheat ale, and mango popping pearls
- Particle Fizz –Hard Seltzer with cherry pearls
- Draft beer, hard seltzer, and wine
- Snack Molecules – Mini pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, and sweet & spicy popped sorghum
If you’ve seen a Marvel film, then you know to stick around for the post-credit peek at the expanded Marvel universe. Well, at the end of the Avengers movie, Tony Stark mentions to the team about heading to a local shawarma place. Well, the Avengers invited that same shawarma place to open up a location at Avengers Campus. Here’s what you’ll find:
- New York’s Tastiest – Chicken shawarma wrap, garlic spread, and coconut yogurt-tahini sauce with pickled vegetables
- Impossible Victory Falafel – Plant-based-falafel and cauliflower wrap, garlic spread, hummus and coconut yogurt-tahini sauce with pickled vegetables
Nearby Guardians of the Galaxy, there’s a new food cart coming soon with a few out-of-this-world treats.
- Cosmic Cream Orb – Crispy cream puff with whipped raspberry cheesecake mousse
- Sweet Spiral Ration – Churro spirals with unique flavors
There’s still more food to discover once the land opens on June 4. There’s certainly a lot to look forward to, between the Spider-Man attraction and all the food I don’t know what I’m most excited about. For more about the opening of Avengers Campus, be sure to check out the article below.
Avengers Campus: Everything You Need to Know About Disneyland’s Newest Land
With current social distancing of tables and limited space in the tiny new land, it appears that Disney is preparing to use the Hyperion Theater outdoor queue area as temporary seating for the Test Kitchen. Banners for the establishment are up throughout the plaza. Though, those Frozen themed stairs could use a repaint.
Favorite super heroes will interact with guests in the Avengers Headquarters area. That giant Quinjet parked atop the building will be a popular photo spot for sure.
We saw cast members toting their new costumes through Downtown Disney this past week. Distribution was being conducted at the old ESPN building.
Here’s what those new costumes will look like. There are quite a few designs for one small land.
Cast members (or “Campus Personnel” in the lingo) will have comfortable mixable separates they can combine to create unique, but similar outfits.
The idea of loose, comfortable separates will also apply at the Ancient Sanctum with their mystical-looking outfits.
Each of the Outdoor vending locations will have their own look. The Terran Treats costume on the left (located near the Guardians of the Galaxy ride), and the Shawarma cart costume on the right:
And the personnel at the Pym Test Kitchen will obviously have lab coats.
Flight suits meet motorcycle sportswear is the vibe of the Avengers HQ crew.
What do you think of the look folks?
World of Rot
This is a small item, but shows just how much things can decline in just one year. The projector boxes at the back of the World of Color lagoon (in front of the Pal-A-Round) rotted on the lagoon and had to be discarded. While they are being rebuilt, these nasty looking nubs (with rusted equipment exposed) are left behind.
Here’s what the pyramid-shaped boxes looked like before they were destroyed (The teal and white structures at the back of the lagoon):
Now only the platforms remain:
Time, and limited maintenance, have taken a toll:
We don’t know when World of Color will return, but it seems as though an outdoor show such as this could return in some form sooner rather than later.
Disney Shareholders Meeting
Last week, Disney held its quarterly meeting for its shareholders. There was quite a lot of information to absorb from the call. While the presentation primarily focused on financial information and progress on Disney+, there was also some news about how the Disney Parks are doing.
Right off the bat, Disney shared some good news that the company’s performance had increased by 32% over the previous quarter. But the main inhibitor on growth continued to be the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products wing of the company. Because of situational challenges, like operating theme parks at reduced capacity and the extended closure of the Disney Cruise Line, it is no surprise that Disney is hurting in that sector. The upside though is that Disney+ amassed 104 million paid subscribers by the end of the quarter.
That’s good and all, but the real info you’re looking for is about theme parks. On the call, the dropping of masks was directly mentioned, based on the updated recommendation from the CDC. And in fact, the day after the call, the announcement was made at Walt Disney World that face coverings were no longer required in outdoor areas.
But you should keep in mind that California is planning on keeping its current mask requirement through June 15. There’s a lot of confusing messaging going on right now about the current state of masking across the country, but for us here in SoCal, they aren’t going away for at least another four weeks.
Also announced in the call was that WDW is allowing more guests into the parks because of raised capacity limits. So if it feels more crowded lately, it’s because it is! That said, California could very well be a prime candidate for this position of adding capacity thanks to the upcoming Yellow Tier guidelines coming any day now.
Finally, it was reiterated that the Annual Passholder program is not coming back to Disneyland. Instead, Disneyland will implement a park loyalty/affinity program, as we had previously explained here on MiceChat.
For more detailed information on how Disney performed last quarter, take a look below.
Disney Shareholder Meeting Revelations – Loyalty Program to Replace Passholder Program at Disneyland
Downtown Disney/This & That
We’ve covered a lot of ground today, but we’re not done just yet. To close out today’s Update, we’ll look at a few of the smaller stories from around the Disneyland Resort and beyond.
Downtown Disney
Last week, there were a few new changes at Downtown Disney. First, you’ll find that the old ESPN Zone has been given some new billboards. Instead of the generic Disney-themed patterns that covered the building, there are now posters of trending Disney+ selections. Although any use of the ESPN Zone is better than it just sitting there, but it’s not exactly the most elegant method of advertising. Gotta love Disney’s drive for company-wide synergy.
The other piece of news from Downtown Disney features the defunct space of The VOID. Although The VOID ended its partnership with Disney earlier this year, the space has been sitting wholly unused since last July. Although, for the last few weeks, there were some construction walls blocking the outside of the area. This week, the walls were removed, but there are still no signs of life coming from inside. We’re curious if there’s a remodel of some kind happening for a prospective tenant.
A new door has been added in the middle of what once was a window, so perhaps the space will be subdivided.
Handwash in Style
When Disneyland reopened, there all sorts of new additions around the park to promote public health, like hand sanitizers and outdoor hand-washing sinks. One thing that we noticed was some light theming on the sinks to make them fit more into the area. It’s a simple addition, but it makes the somewhat unusual-looking sink seem more acceptable in its place.
Disneyland Paris Reopening
Of all the Disney Parks, the one that’s had the roughest time for reopening has been Disneyland Paris. Although the park had briefly planned to open over the winter holiday, those plans were dashed due to France’s extended operational ban for theme parks. But there’s some good news ahead. Yesterday, Disneyland Paris announced a new reopening date for June 17.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO-DY84B6Aa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Disney Wish MiceTrip
Disney shared another look at the upcoming Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Wish. With an all-new approach towards cruising plus the level of service that Disney is known for, the Wish is shaping up to be an incredible experience. Take a look at the video below for the accommodations aboard the ship.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CO_ZOMzhDlY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see it for myself! So, we wanted to invite you on the next MiceTrip, aboard the Disney Wish! We’ll be taking one of its first sailings next July to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island of Castaway Key! If you’re interested in joining us, be sure to reach out to our resident Fairy Godmother HERE.
NEW Disneyland Tickets and Hotel Discounts JUST FOR YOU!
Disneyland has reopened and there’s never been a better time to visit the Happiest Place on Earth. With reduced crowds, it honestly feels like a dream come true for a theme park fan. Our partners at Get Away Today have worked tirelessly to create the BEST theme park and hotel deals for our readers. You can purchase theme park tickets (that are good through 2022!) HERE and book a hotel/ticket package for your family vacation HERE!
ANAHEIM HOTELS PROMOTION
In an effort to promote local tourism, Get Away Today has a special promotion for select Anaheim hotels. Get a $100 Booking Bonus ($50 Disney Gift Card + $50 South Coast Plaza Gift Card), plus free ART Transportation when you book a 4-night or longer Anaheim hotel + at least two 2-day or longer theme park tickets for travel May-August, 2021. Use promo code: VISITANAHEIM to book today!
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, in addition to TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND: More details and to get a quote (HERE)
Let’s Hear From You
There was SO MUCH ground for us to cover this week. What are your thoughts on the new ticketing/reservation system? What do you think of all the upcoming goodies headed to Avengers Campus? Does California’s continued mask guidance surprise you? Are you going to be scoring some reservations later for a Disneyland restaurant? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
And if you missed Part One of our Disneyland Update, be sure to get caught up: