The Happiest Place on Earth Set To Reopen April 30

Over a year after its initial shut down on March 12, 2020, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are set to reopen their gates for guests on April 30. As a part of their phased reopening plan that started with the Downtown Disney District, which opened on July 9, 2020, the next step in this plan is the Disneyland parks and resort.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is opening its doors for guests to stay on the property starting April 29, and following the next day, guests will be able to be a part of the magic and step into the parks. Disney said in their official statement that “while it may be a bit different from the last time you visited, together we can find new ways to create magical moments together—and memories to treasure forever.” The park takes on new safety guidelines to ensure guests can be comfortable and still enjoy the magic that Disney has provided since its original opening in 1955.

This is not the first time that guests are allowed in the parks since the closing, as currently Disney is holding an event called “A Touch of Disney” since its announcement, and the tickets for the event’s duration have been sold out. This is a ticketed park experience allowing guests to enter selected areas of Disney California Adventure Park from March 18 to April 19. There are no rides open to guests with this experience. Instead, guests are encouraged to enjoy specially made food and beverages as the event lines up with what would have been initially the Food and Wine Festival. With “A Touch of Disney,” individuals can reunite with their favorite sights and treats that they have missed since the park’s closing. 

Like the Walt Disney World Resort’s guidelines, Disneyland is enacting a park reservation system to manage attendance. The system is put in place to promote physical distancing and control park capacity, which will be significantly limited. There has been no specific official capacity stated; however, with the tiers involved in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, capacity could be estimated. As the number of new coronavirus cases has decreased, the southern counties move into the orange tier effective March 31. According to Cnet, “Under the orange tier, which the county entered at the end of March, the park will have a maximum capacity of 25 percent. Once Orange County reaches the yellow tier, there will be a 35 percent capacity as well as a 25 percent indoor capacity.” At this time and until further notice, those guests allowed into the parks are only California residents to keep within the current state guidelines.

To enter the parks, guests will need a park reservation and valid admission for guests ages three and up, as stated in their new safety guidelines on the official statement. Additional preventive measures will be enforced to promote safety throughout the park. These include requiring face masks to be worn by all guests ages two and up, temperature screenings, physical distancing ground markings, physical barriers, enhanced cleaning procedures for high traffic areas such as rides and encouraging cashless transactions to reduce contact. This is not the only change taking place as Disneyland will have “select attractions and certain experiences that draw large group gatherings—such as parades and nighttime spectaculars—will return at a later date. While character meet-and-greets will be temporarily unavailable, Characters will be in our parks in new ways to entertain and delight our Guests.”

This next step is the beginning of California’s state efforts to bring a safe economy and more magic back to Earth’s happiest place!

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