There’s never a dull day at the Happiest Place on Earth. While the Disneyland Resort has been slowly reopening things this week, mask mandates have returned and crowds continue to grow even as the clouds of concern begin to swirl again.
I’m filling in for Dusty this week while he’s braving the crowds at Walt Disney World. This was my first visit back to Disneyland since the shutdown last year (I’ve been reading Dusty’s updates and watching his videos to stay up to date), so I’ve got a bit of a fresh take on how the parks felt to me since they were still operating normally the last time I was in attendance. I’ve also got lots of news and some pretty photos for you. I hope you enjoy this update as much as I did shooting it for you…
Annual Pass Replacement Announcement
Disney’s Magic Key program will be announced tomorrow. Expect park reservations to still be required, a higher price, and lots of up-sell options for features you may want.
Stay tuned to MiceChat for full details.
Masked and Vaxxed
The big news this week was the return of mask requirements, at least indoors. All guests and cast members, vaccinated or unvaccinated, now need to wear masks when inside – that’s the new part. The unvaccinated are still asked to wear a mask at all times (though Disney doesn’t make any attempt to verify that).
Disneyland’s official policy is that “face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) while indoors, including on many attractions and in enclosed transportation vehicles, regardless of vaccination status.”
Basically, if you’re going inside for any reason, expect to wear a mask. For example, if you’re in Cars Land, you’re required to wear your mask on Radiator Springs Racers because it has an indoor section. You’re not required to wear it in the queue or on Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree because they’re outside. You are required to wear it in Luigi’s indoor queue, but not on the actual attraction. Make sure to listen to instructions from Cast Members when it comes to their specific locations.
Additional changes have already begun at some locations to accommodate the updated policies. World of Disney, for example, is using just one entrance again to facilitate mask-wearing before entering the store.
Many locations will offer you a temporary mask for those who missed the news of this updated policy.
On top of the updated mask policy, Disney is now also requiring all of its salaried and non-union hourly employees to be vaccinated in the next 60 days. Negotiations have begun with the unions as well. I’m hearing from cast member friends that many of their coworkers have been notified that they’ve been exposed and may potentially need to quarantine.
It sure does sound like Disney is taking extra steps now to protect their workers and guests in an attempt to prevent any future pressure to close again. But will it be enough? And might they need to take the difficult step of verifying vaccination status (or negative test) of guests as well?
More reading:
Breaking News: Disney to Require COVID Vaccines for Employees!
Mickey’s Mixed Showtimes
Mickey’s Mix Magic has been testing an early show time this week and last. The fireworks have been shooting off thirty minutes earlier than normal at 9pm all week.
Initially, it seemed like it was just a test, but the Disneyland website lists fireworks at 9pm even after Disneyland’s park hours extend to an 11pm closing on August 13th. The 9pm show goes through August 30th.
Mix Magic’s projection-only weekday version returns on August 30th, which is scheduled for a 9:30pm showing. We’ll have to see what time Halloween Screams is scheduled when it returns on September 3rd.
It’s a Small Walkway After All
The walkway between it’s a small world and the Fantasyland Theater has been taken over by a pretty sizable construction wall.
At certain points, the walkway can fit maybe two people abreast, so it’s creating a pretty nasty chokepoint heading into Toontown.
If you’re trying to get to the ToonTown Disneyland Railroad station, you’ll be routed in front of the Fantasyland Theater.
Speaking of the Railroad, the Disneyland app was quoting the train at a 45 minute wait. When I asked the Railroad cast member, she said that indeed is the average wait as many guests aren’t getting off the train after a complete circuit and as waits go up, fewer guests are willing to wait just to use the train as transportation from one land to another (a vicious cycle that we can’t blame on passholders).
New Orleans Under Wraps
The Royal Street Veranda, Port Royal, and Pieces of Eight are behind tarps as their refurbishment continues. The latter two shops remain open.
Le Bat en Rouge is also still closed as “something new is cooking.” It’s been closed since the park re-opened.
But don’t get too excited. There’s no major construction going on here. It will likely just be reconfigured to sell another product line, as in the past.
Cars Land Refurbishment
Lots of refurbishments this week in Cars Land. The biggest is happening at Flo’s, which finished on one-half of the gas pumps and moved to the next. Well, finished is a relative term here.
The tarps around the right side pumps are down, but they’re definitely not finished putting it back together. Exposed wires where the neon attaches are still jutting out everywhere. It took me a moment to recognize what I was looking at.
The tarps most likely came down early because the pumps are a large chunk of Flo’s seating area. In the meantime, tables and chairs are spread out all over the area.
Along with the second set of pumps, the sign is also under wraps. I’m not actually sure what they’re doing besides replacing neon (which, well, they haven’t done yet). With Halloween fast approaching, maybe they’re trying to get on top of things.
Elsewhere, the planter in front of the Cozy Cone has barriers around it. The meet and greet space previously had returned (with Mater and Lightning swapping out), but it was moved back to where Mater had previously been parked outside of Fillmore’s.
Crowds
I visited Disneyland on Thursday, which made a small difference compared to the weekends that Dusty has been reporting on. Still, it’s summer and very busy. Let’s mosey on down the road to look at crowd levels in the parks, starting in Avengers Campus.
I really expected this area to be slammed and surprisingly, there just aren’t that many people on campus. Why? I can probably sum up Avengers Campus in one word: underwhelming. It should feel busier than this, the area is so tiny it feels like it belongs at Disneyland.
This was my first trip to Avengers Campus and I was expecting (or hoping) for more. I don’t hate it, but there’s just little here I’d go out of my way for. I’m known among the MiceChat staff as the big Star Wars nerd, but I’m also a big Marvel fan too. Even as a seasoned Marvel fan, I don’t understand the land.
I was most excited to see live shows after Galaxy’s Edge omitted them. I expected crowds to be here to see them too. Having shows is a marked improvement, certainly, but the quality ranges from enjoyable in the case of Okoye’s Dora Milaje training academy to the sort of embarrassing Spider-Man spinning around on boxes like a 5-year old (at least until his impressive flight).
People would stop to watch the shows, but no one was necessarily waiting around for them (the big exception to that is the popular Dr. Strange show). If disinterest isn’t keeping the crowds away, the lack of shade surely isn’t helping.
The biggest crowds in this area are packed into the queue for WEB Slingers. I was so disappointed to see that they were queuing guests back stage for the new attraction even though we all had a virtual queue spot. Sadly, I found the ride as underwhelming as the rest of the land. It wasn’t terrible, its just that it wasn’t as entertaining to me as the brand new Knott’s Bear-y Tales shooter attraction (which has a theme song, actual story, and is a longer experience). I’d gladly trade that Spider-Man virtual queue time for Radiator Springs Racers.
I just don’t think Spider-Man requires Virtual Queue at this point. Disney could help decrease the guest stress level at 7am by just letting folks wait in line like they do for any other attraction.
Okay, I’m stepping off of my soapbox, let’s check out some more (crowded) areas. Pixar Pier is often one of the busiest parts of DCA and this week was no different.
Check out this single rider line for Incredicoaster.
Foot traffic comes to standstill in front of Midway Mania, which is soaking up part of the walkway to fit more people in its standby queue.
Even the Fun Wheel Pal-A-Round had a line threatening to take over walkways.
Over at Disneyland, the longest lines seemed to be for cold treats. The Tiki Juice Bar is open in addition to the Tropical Hideaway. Both lines were very long and are clogging the entrance to Adventureland.
Interestingly, the Tiki Juice Bar was mostly set up for Mobile Order, while the Tropical Hideaway was seemingly standby-only. Neither line was moving very quickly in the hot sun.
There was an extended queue set up in front of the Hideaway, but it wasn’t quite necessary. I waited about 10 minutes in one spot and gave up, not moving an inch. Instead, I got an ice cream sandwich at a cart with no wait. I also didn’t wait for dinner later in the evening because I chose to eat at the Plaza Inn. While other restaurants had long mobile order return lines, I walked into the Plaza Inn, grabbed my chicken, paid, and sat down to eat in no time at all. I chalk that up to the fact that I don’t think Plaza Inn was offering mobile order; it also had plenty of registers open. Disneyland could really benefit from scaling back Mobile Order so guests can just order what they want when they want it.
Pirates of the Caribbean’s queue still took up a lot of space, but it wasn’t entirely necessary when I passed by early in the day.
Indeed, this is still a choke point. Crowding seems inconsistent, varying wildly. This is certainly a bit better than some of the crowded conditions lately, but just because I can walk through here without tripping doesn’t mean the park isn’t more crowded than I was expecting with a reservation system in place. This was Thursday, weekends are expectedly worse. Disneyland is better than DCA; shorter lines and plenty of stuff to do means it feels less crowded even though it is more crowded.
Oddly enough, I noted that the Jungle Cruise and Splash Mountain had the longest lines in the park (about 50-55 minutes), although Splash weirdly had a minimum 45-minute wait well past 8pm (wrapping twice around Critter Country). Other attractions were mostly manageable at Disneyland, but DCA wait times seemed unreasonably long.
DCA doesn’t have much to do on a good day, which leads to longer lines. I hope Disney is taking note, DCA sorely needs something to fill the void left by slowly returning entertainment and the chronic lack of attractions. Especially with World of Color down indefinitely, it may be time to roll out a nighttime parade. What would you folks like to see?
Dining Updates
Dining at Disneyland has had its struggles, but luckily most of the restaurants have reopened or at least have a date in the future to reopen. The next up on the list to host customers again is the Pacific Wharf Café.
Beginning last Thursday, the quick-serve restaurant opened again from 10:30am until 9pm. I’m happy to report that the bread bowls are indeed back. While I didn’t see soup being served elsewhere in bread bowls just yet (Harbor Galley was still serving in plastic bowls), you can get your clam chowder in one at the cafe. Hopefully, I can get chili in a bread bowl on my next visit (or better yet, Beer Cheese Soup here at the Pacific Wharf Cafe).
Curiously, some of the inside queuing has been removed, allowing for more room on the right side of the restaurant. This is probably added space for mobile order pickup.
It was well past prime-time for lunch when I passed by, but the area around Pacific Wharf was still packed. I’m told it’s been very busy here even without the Cafe. With the addition of another restaurant, you might find it difficult to find a spot to sit and eat.
The Bakery Tour remains closed, but there are a few seats inside currently not being utilized.
Instead, guests are sitting on the ground in front of the tour because this was the only shady place. Just around the corner were a number of tables, but they were right in the 90° sun.
Another location that’s re-opened is the Golden Horseshoe. While there’s no scheduled entertainment in the venue, for now, it is an air-conditioned space. Highs in Anaheim have been hovering around 90° with humidity that could give Orlando a run for its money at times, so this is a welcome return.
MiceChat readers sent in notices from the Wine Country Trattoria saying that they need to reschedule their reservations. It seems the Trattoria has reduced their hours, although for what reason we aren’t sure. As of Sunday, they’re only accepting reservations between 12:30pm and 3:30pm.
This and That
Strawberry Mint Julep
I can’t help but enjoy some new treats around the resort. The Mint Julep Bar has a delicious seasonal drink, the Strawberry Mint Julep. Highly recommended! The strawberry helps mellow out the mint and citrus flavors a bit. Oh, and this is one of the many locations at the resort that has replaced the paper straws with plastic ones.
Banana Kettle Corn at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
If you make your way to the planet of Batuu, there’s a new flavor of popcorn to try at Kat Saka’s Kettle, where you can enjoy Kat-Saka’s exclusive banana-flavored kettle corn. As far as taste goes, it’s quite strong and may not be for everyone. It isn’t banana fruit-flavored, but if you’re a fan of the yellow, banana-flavored Laffy Taffy you’re going to LOVE this popcorn.
We think that the banana-flavored popcorn would be fantastic mixed with the chocolate-flavored kettle corn that you can buy from the ODV carts around the land. It’d almost be like a chocolate-dipped banana. Even if Disney doesn’t blend the two together, there’s nothing stopping us from doing it on our own!
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
While we’re here in SWGE, let’s enjoy a quick Meiloorun Juice from Ronto Roasters and take in some recent updates you may have missed. I mean, most of what I’ve written for MiceChat is all about Galaxy’s Edge, so why not? The marketplace stalls added a few fun friends a little while ago. Toydarian Toymaker now has Darth Maul, Jar Jar Binks, and even a local Batuuan, Dok-Ondar.
Bina’s Creature Stall has a new-ish, blue variant of the Loth Cat, the Dianoga (the same creature who lives just outside the restrooms in the marketplace), and the Lava Meerkat, a creature briefly seen on the banks of Nevarro’s underground lava river in The Mandalorian
Speaking of The Mandalorian, fancy yourself to become the Mand’alor? Dok-Ondar had the Dark Saber in stock, it had been out of stock for quite some time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as good as the other Legacy sabers. If it did, I would have bought it on the spot. The blade is supposed to be black, that’s the whole point; The blade on the cheap Target Dark Saber made for children looks better than this.
After two years of being open, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has finally started to feel like it’s settling into the sleepy northwest corner of Disneyland.
Even the plants have grown in and give the land the unkempt reclaimed look it’s intended to have. Check out the crashed speeder just past the Frontierland entrance, the vines have started to grow just right. Now, if only Smuggler’s Run would get updated to be more fun or have random destinations, and they’d add in that missing entertainment element to the land (that we spoke about in the Avengers Campus section above), things would really be on track here.
DJ R-3X Makes an Income
Over at Oga’s Cantina, the resident record spinner, DJ R-3X has been earning his keep lately; some fans have been leaving the beloved mechanical DJ cash tips. We’re not entirely sure what he does with his earnings but we’d like to think that it’s going to a good cause. What do you think DJ R-3X spends his small fortune on?
Disneyland Tickets and Hotel Discounts!
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Let’s Hear From You!
I had a wonderful time bringing you folks this update. It was hot, crowded, and some of my favorite things still aren’t back (wish you may, wish you might, maybe Magic will Happen?), but it was great to be back. I’m told we have even more updates from the rest of our crew this week, so stay tuned. And keep your eye on the MiceChat Facebook Page HERE for a live video or two from Dusty at Walt Disney World.
Well folks, it’s your turn. Does Web Slingers really still need Virtual Queue? Do the return of masks and cast member vaccinations help make you feel more comfortable visiting the parks? Should Disney require guests to be vaccinated? Are you worried that physical distancing or even park closures might have to return? Let’s hear from you.
(Please keep your comments civil – our moderators will remove political and hostile discussions).
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