Disneyland Update – The Rush To Fully Reopen

Tomorrow’s the big day: most state restrictions on theme parks expire, out-of-state guests return, and Disneyland can start setting their daily attendance limits to whatever they want. We’ll take a look at Disneyland’s rush to reopen as many closed attractions, restaurants, and services as soon as possible. Plus, Avengers Campus fixes, tips, and Disneyland WITHOUT masks…

Let The Flood Begin

Out-of-state guests return tomorrow, June 15th. At the same time, state capacity limits are also lifted. That might sound like a scary mix, and it is, but we don’t expect it to get crazy all at once. As we’ve mentioned here a few times, Disney has to reopen more restaurants and rides, and hire back thousands of additional workers to significantly expand park capacity.  

However, that doesn’t mean the guest count won’t jump a bit right away. We’ve been watching additional reservations being dumped into the system on several occasions. Generally, the word goes out on social media that previously booked dates have become available again and folks rush in to snap them up. The month of June was booked solid, but has had several waves of availability hit and then disappear.  

SeaWorld SanDiego has announced a return to “normal operation” and Universal Studios Hollywood has confirmed that they’ll go maskless for vaccinated guests starting tomorrow (on the honor system).  Now we know that Disneyland will do the same!  Here’s Disneyland’s adjusted safety guidance beginning June 15th:  

• Masks Off – Face coverings will no longer be required for fully vaccinated Guests both indoors and outdoors. (Guests will self-attest that they are in compliance prior to entry). Guests (ages 2 and up) who are not fully vaccinated are expected to continue wearing face coverings indoors, except when dining.
• Physical Distancing Becomes The Guest’s Responsibility – The state has removed the physical distancing requirements with respect to Guests, so Disneyland will be removing physical distancing ground markings and signage and allow Guests to self-determine distancing.
• Transportation Safety – The Toy Story parking lot reopens on June 18. All Guests, regardless of vaccination status, will need to wear an appropriate face covering while on the bus transportation from the lot to the parks.
• Temperature Checks – Disneyland does away with temperature checks of guests on June 15th as well. 
• Theme Park Reservations WILL Continue – The theme park reservation system will continue and Disneyland will gradually increase attendance as their operations allow.
• Cast Member Safety – Cast Members will continue to maintain at least 6 feet of physical distancing from others and wear face coverings both indoors and outdoors (regardless of vaccination status).

BREAKING: Walt Disney World Drops Face Covering Requirement Almost Everywhere

Walt Disney World pulled up the social distancing tape last week and plans to go maskless indoors and out (except for on transportation systems like buses, monorails, and Skyliner) starting tomorrow. So Disneyland and WDW will be mostly in alignment on their health and safety procedures again.  

Disneyland Needs More Ride Capacity! 

If Disneyland wants to increase the number of guests, and they do, there are a couple of things that need to happen with rides: 1) Currently open attractions need to start operating at a higher capacity (they are currently capped at 50%). And 2) Closed attractions need to open back up. 

Thankfully, there are a number of attractions on the refurbishment list as well as closed attractions that will be returning soon: 

• • June 15th (the big day) will see the return of 4 small attractions: Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough at Disneyland and Animation Academy, Golden Zephyr, and Sorcerer’s Workshop at DCA

• • June 18th – Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes make a splash

• • June 25th – Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters returns

• • July 1st – Matterhorn Bobsleds comes back. We saw it testing on Friday without riders. 

• • July 15h – Jungle Cruise launches with new show scenes and story (more about the changes to Jungle Cruise HERE)
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  • July 9th – Kids can once again explore Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

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  • And then there’s the strange case of Mickey’s PhilharMagic, which is alternately open and closed (June 14th-18th, 21st-25th, 28th, 29th, July 6th-16th). We don’t believe this attraction is really under refurbishment. Instead, we think it is being used for employee training (as the Lincoln theater currently is as well). 

Unknown: 

There’s quite a list of attractions that we don’t have any word on yet. However, just because they haven’t been officially scheduled doesn’t mean they aren’t coming back soon. 

At Disneyland:

• • Storybook Land Canal Boats is listed closed through July. However, we’ve heard that the ride has been testing.  So we could see this one added to the schedule sometime soon.  

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  • The Disneyland Monorail – Although California opens up tomorrow and largely ditches masks, one place the state still requires folks to mask up is on transportation (such as buses and trains). We’re not sure if Disneyland will feel obligated to do the same, but Walt Disney World IS requiring guests to wear masks on their public transportation systems (a California rule, not a Florida one).  
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  • The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln – Once this space is no longer required for cast member training, we’ll likely see this one return.  
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  • Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition – Knott’s has been operating their shooting arcade since their Taste of Knott’s festivals last year! Disney just needs to either wipe the guns down between guests, or place hand sanitizer near the guests so they can quickly sanitize their hands if they so desire. 
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  • Main Street Cinema – With the hottest days of the year headed our way this week, it’s time for Disneyland to crank up the AC and reopen the Main Street Cinema. No cast members required, they just need to open the doors! 
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  • Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island – Here’s another attraction that feels like it should be open due to it being entirely outdoors. However, the tightly packed rafts to the island are the sticking point. There’s currently some construction happening on the island as well, so playtime should return here eventually.  
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  • Sailing Ship Columbia – Another attraction that isn’t officially on the refurb list, but is actively receiving a refurbishment is the Sailing Ship Columbia. However, aside from its duties in Fantasmic (which isn’t running), it’s generally used only on very busy days. 

• • Star Wars Launch Bay – If a tree falls in the woods and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? With the traditionally small guest count, and the large cast member need, we wouldn’t be surprised if Disneyland doesn’t see this one as a priority. 
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  • ToonTown has a number of small attractions which are all off the return list for now. Though, it would certainly make sense to prioritize Mickey and Minnie: Chip and Dale Treehouse, Donald’s Boat, Goofy’s Playhouse, & Mickey and Minnie’s houses are all indefinitely closed. 

• And a difficult one:  
  • Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage – This attraction seals guests up in a tin can for a long period of time. On top of it all, each sub requires cast to help load guests and a skipper to pilot the ship. We’re not sure what they’ll do about this low capacity/high cast member-need attraction but this is one that could remain closed for a while. 

• • Winnie the Pooh – The park will lose a bit of capacity for a while when this family attraction closes for refurbishment on July 5th. No reopening date has been set.  

Over in DCA, there are fewer attractions that remain off the schedule through July: 

• • Bakery Tour – Also not officially on the refurbishment list, but there’s a lot of work going on inside this space. It’s also the reason why the restaurants in the resort don’t have bread bowls right now. So we hope this one returns soon, even though no one cares about the attraction portion of this building.  

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  • Red Car Trolley – If Disneyland can operate the train, they can roll down the windows and operate the Red Car as well. The park could use the energy that a moving attraction brings. Think of Main Street USA with the train, vehicles, and horse-drawn trolleys – Disney has been operating all of those things over at Disneyland but Buena Vista Street is feeling a bit lifeless. 

Avengers Adaptations

We are just one week into the opening of Avengers Campus and Disney is already making some changes to address issues and guest complaints about California Adventure’s newest land. 

In our Avengers Campus opening coverage, we pointed out several issues, among them: The long line to get into the land, the difficulty finding food if you weren’t lucky enough to score a Mobile Order, and a lack of listed showtimes that frustrated guests and kept folks locked into the land until they’d seen all the things they were expecting to see.  

To address the dining issue, the Shawarma Palace was removed from the Mobile Order system and extra standby capacity was reserved for both the PYM Test Kitchen and Tasting Lab. Additionally, guests are NOT permitted into the land with a Mobile Order any longer, you have to make your order AFTER you enter Avenger’s Campus. That makes for much quicker order availability and at the same time more space for folks who would rather just walk up and order in person. It’s a big improvement. 

The other frustrating opening weekend issue was standing around in the heat and sun for shows without knowing if or when they might happen. That’s been resolved as well with show schedules now in the Disneyland app.  

And what about that 6-hour line to get into the new land? Well, as dining has been sped up, and guests can check show schedules, the line doesn’t get quite as long… and it’s been disappearing completely in the hours before closing. While the line was quite long in the morning on Friday, by 4pm it was perhaps only 90 minutes long. By 6pm, waits were in the 30-minute range. And by 8pm there was no one in line at all… you could walk right into the land (though we have heard there have been times when the line is cut off completely in the last hour or so of the night)! 

So, if you are one of the many unlucky folks who can’t get a WEB SLINGERS Virtual Queue Boarding Pass, you can now get into the land much quicker. And without a Boarding Pass, it really isn’t necessary to be one of the first into the land. The longer you wait, the better. With so many folks in line for Avengers Campus early in the day, you are better off riding the big attractions with lower waits. Then, as the attraction waits get longer, you can pop over to Avengers Campus and a hopefully shorter wait.  

That isn’t to say Avengers Campus is without its problems. There’s still far too little shade and seating. I learned that the hard way on Friday. Waiting for the Spider-Man show (the one everyone talks about where he soars over the land), I became suddenly overheated and couldn’t find a shaded spot, or any air conditioning. The land was not built with guest comfort in mind. 

One tip I have is to walk to the back of the land by Guardians of the Galaxy and the Hyperion Theater. There’s a new cluster of outdoor vending carts in this area and the 2nd Shawarma cart can sometimes have no line at all. You’ll also find a large temporary dining patio.

Thank goodness there was a shaded table available, and a cold bottle of water from the vending carts or I absolutely would have passed out. Once in the land, there’s simply no air conditioning you can just walk into without waiting in a line first. That’s going to be tough this week as we approach 100º. Be careful out there.  

Everything’s Coming Up Loki

The land has just opened and they are already adding tie-ins to new Marvel shows. The Loki show on Disney+ has already found a home in Avengers Campus with characters, props, and a horned Mickey headband.  

The Collector from Guardians of the Galaxy has assembled some Loki props. 

Check the Stage 17 Avengers Store in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot for some Loki merchandise: 

Restaurant Reopenings & News

As the resort ramps up to higher capacity, there’s also a dining deficit that will be at least partially rectified this week. We’re looking forward to more variety and also having the crowds more dispersed around the park. As a reminder, restaurant reservations can be booked 60 days in advance, so you will want to plan for that if a certain restaurant is important to you. Pay attention to the dates for an idea on when attendance is also likely to jump. 

June 17th will see a huge round of big locations open: 

• • At long last, Oga’s Cantina will be serving intergalactic-inspired drinks from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge beginning June 17. Online bookings open today, June 14, through the Disneyland site and app. Keep in mind that space may continue to be limited until further notice.

• • Also in Star Wars land, Docking Bay Food & Cargo will be opening June 17. This location will support mobile order, so you can place an order for some otherworldly food from the Disneyland app.

• • Alien Pizza Planet, the Tomorrowland buffeteria with better seating than edible options, will also be marking a return June 17. Although there’s more delicious food elsewhere in the park, Pizza Planet happens to have one of the largest areas of covered tables. And, as with just about everywhere else these days, this location will offer Mobile Order. 

• • Ranch del Zocalo Restaurante will be returning on the 17th as well. The popular spot has a generously sized outdoor patio. Interestingly, it does not appear that Mobile order will be available for this location, which we think will make it very popular with guests who just want to walk up and order somewhere. 

• • Dole Whip!!! It’s one of Disneyland’s most popular treats for a reason. As such, the Tiki Juice Bar will be reopening June 17 equipped with mobile order. While we largely think that the Tropical Hideaway next door is more efficient, if you can score a mobile order time for either location, you’re one step closer to having a Dole Whip in your hands.

• • Over at DCA, there are a few options returning for dining as well. Wine Country Trattoria & Mendocino Terrace will be returning to service starting June 17. The park is in desperate need of another table-service restaurant as demand for reservations continues to rise. While the temporary seating expansion for the Sonoma Cocktail Terrace has been nice, we think it makes more sense for the Trattoria to return. Bookings for the Trattoria open today, June 14.

• • Bayside Brews (next to the Silly Symphony Swings) will also reopen on the 17th.  

June 24th brings a round of quick bite openings: 

• • Maurice’s Treats
  • Jack Jack Cookie Num Nums
  • Fantasyland Food Cart
  • Edelweiss Snacks

July 1st is a big day with two popular locations returning and some snack spots: 

• • Hungry Bear – We couldn’t be happier to see this delightful spot reopen. Not only does it have a large seating patio with beautiful river views, it’s also a much needed spot near Galaxy’s Edge. 
  • Lucky Fortune Cookery – We have some concerns. There is already too little seating in this area. We hope that Disney is able to address the need for folks to have an actual table to sit at when dining and not expect guests to stand or sit on the ground.  
  • Corn Dog Castle – With Corn Dogs returning here, we sure do hope that the regular hot dog menu can return to Award Weiners (which has been serving an adjusted version of the Corn Dog Castle menu)
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  • Harbor Galley
  • Schmoozies
  • Mortimer’s Market

July 2nd – I think some of you might cry: 

• • Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar makes a magical return. And, yes, this establishment will be open to everyone and not just Disneyland Hotel guests! 

• • Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar and Grill – This quick serve restaurant offers a nice selection of items, is moderately priced, and is located adjacent to Trader Sam’s.  

July 8th – Two more quick serves: 

• • Refreshment Corner (Coke Corner to most folks) returns. 

• • Clarabelle’s Hand Scooped Ice Cream on Buena Vista Street

Breakfast Enhancements: Finally, there are a few more food-related items that all have to do with breakfast.

• • We’re glad to see Brunch at Lamplight Lounge make a comeback. The dining hours for brunch will only be available Fri-Sun and space is limited. The first seating is planned for July 9th and reservations begin today.

In addition, the following locations will all have updated breakfast menus on July 1st: 

• • Ronto Roasters
  • Red Rose Taverne 
  • Jolly Holiday

This & That

Wait, that’s not all, there’s still more Disneyland Resort news to uncover.  .

New Treats

You sugar fiends out there have some new goodies to be on the lookout for on your next trip to Disneyland or Downtown Disney. Over at Diseyland’s Candy Palace you can find two new treats being made on specific days of the week. On Monday and Friday, they are making Nuttles candies, chopped pecan pieces layered with freshly-made caramel and milk chocolate on top. Additionally, on Saturdays, you can find some Rocky Road (a mix of milk chocolate, chopped almonds, and house-made marshmallows in a small pie tin). 

And over at Brenan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, there’s a seasonal beignet that’s coated with fruity pebbles and glazed with a blueberry lemon icing. One of our staff members described the beignet as similar to a blueberry glazed donut with fruity pebbles. He really enjoyed it. 

What will Halloween Bring?

We’re just a few short months away from Halloween. Although the theme park world had to cancel all events last year, we’re expecting that this year will be a return to normalcy for most parks. Here’s a look at what’s been announced so far:

In our Disneyland Update from last week, we mentioned that Disney is already planning for a return of the holidays this year. There hasn’t been any mention if there will be a Halloween party yet, but we do know that Disneyland at the very least will be decorated for Halloween Time and also for Christmas! 

Disneyland Update – Happy Holidays Ahead!

LEGOLAND California has announced that their Halloween party, Brick-Or-Treat Party Nights Halloween Celebration, will be returning. The special event will run on Saturdays in October. This is a significant cutback in comparison to previous years, but it’s still a little something to look forward to.

While we’re on the subject of LEGOLAND, the San Diego park has also announced that they will be celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks! The park’s Red, White, & BOOM! event will feature an All-American family picnic, relay races, live performances, and a fireworks display over MINILAND U.S.A.  

With Disneyland expanding hours to 10pm starting July 1st, we sure do hope there will be fireworks at Disneyland as well (for the 4th of July at the very least). 

There hasn’t been any word on Halloween from Universal or Knott’s just yet, but Knott’s is already selling a Scary Farm upgrade to season pass holders. So, we’re anticipating a return of their haunt-style events this year.

This looks like confirmation to us: 

Disneyland Entertainment Returning?

It’s looking like it’s not just rides and restaurants returning. The Marching Band has been spotted practicing on property. And we have high hopes for a return of the Dapper Dans and some of the smaller musical groups as well. 

Toy Story Parking (NOW CONFIRMED)

We’ve now had two different ART drivers (Anaheim’s resort transit system with shuttles guests of hotels around the Anaheim area to Disney) tell us that Disneyland’s Toy Story buses will start running again on June 18th (NOW CONFIRMED BY DISNEY AS WELL). We would hope that the Mickey and Friends parking lot tram would return on or before this date as well – especially with the high heat headed our way.  

NEW Disneyland Tickets and Hotel Discounts JUST FOR YOU!

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TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND: More details and to get a quote (HERE)

Let’s Hear From You

We’re on the edge of something exciting, folks. Starting tomorrow, California is going to be looking a whole lot more normal. No masks for the vaccinated (on the honor system) and social distancing becomes the guest’s responsibility. It’s probably hard for many of us to wrap our heads around so suddenly. Please be sure to share your thoughts and comments with us below.

Our poll results show that most of you did want masks to continue to be used indoors. Are you surprised by Disneyland’s quick change in policy? 

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