Disneyland Resort Update for August 2 – 8, 2021

Disneyland Resort Update for August 2 – 8, 2021

News and Views

Magic Key program to be announced Tuesday

[Updated 8/2]

Disneyland Resort Legacy Passholders got a welcome surprise in their email Monday morning, in the form of a teaser announcement about a new “Magic Key” program. The email of course contained no real details, but this is expected to be the new membership/loyalty program for frequent visitors. The announcement from Disney said details will be released no earlier than 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3.

Disneyland ended the annual passholder program in January, prior to the reopening of the Disneyland theme parks. At the time, Disney said, “We are currently developing new membership offerings that will utilize consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility and value for our biggest fans.” 

Many expect this new Magic Key program to be a variation of the Disney Flex passport introduced in 2019, which allowed passholders to make a limited number of theme park reservations during a given window of time. We'll definitely know for certain tomorrow, and will share all of the details right here on MousePlanet as soon as we have them.

Disney asks you to mask up indoors again

Following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Walt Disney Company has reverted to an earlier mask policy. As of Friday, July 30, guests must once again don a face mask when indoors.

Mask on, mask off. Disney has updated its policy in light of new CDC guidance. Photo (c) Disney.

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. Face coverings remain optional for all Guests in outdoor common areas.

The same policy is also now in place at the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. The change comes as Orange County, California faces a spike in COVID-19 cases. For the most recent reporting period, the county tallied the highest seven-day case average since February, 2020, and the most people hospitalized since March, 2020. If California were still following the color-coded tier system which ended in June, 2021, Orange County would likely be in the red (widespread) tier, based on current statistics.

Disney to require U.S. employees to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19

The Walt Disney Company today informed thousands of their U.S.-based employees that they are required to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The move by the largest single-site employer in the country comes as COVID-19 case counts surge across the country, most notably in Florida and California where the company has its largest employment sites.

In a written statement, Disney said:

At The Walt Disney Company, the safety and well-being of our employees during the pandemic has been and continues to be a top priority. Toward that end, and based on the latest recommendations of scientists, health officials and our own medical professionals that the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection against severe infection, we are requiring that all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any of our sites be fully vaccinated. Employees who aren’t already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions. We have also begun conversations around this topic with the unions representing our employees under collective bargaining agreements. In addition, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning employment. Vaccines are the best tool we all have to help control this global pandemic and protect our employees.

For now, the policy impacts only salaried and non-union employees working at any U.S. site, including theme parks, stores, and offices. Disney says it is in discussion with the unions that represent tens of thousands more workers at its theme parks in Orlando and Anaheim.

Cast members who are not fully vaccinated have 60 days to complete the process. According to the Food and Drug Administration, patients must wait either 21 days (Pfizer-BioNTech) or 28 days (Moderna) between the first and second dose of the two-dose vaccines, and are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose. Patients are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after they receive the one-dose J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Disney has also put a hold on a plan that would return more remote workers to their on-site offices, but is advising those workers that they will also be required to be fully vaccinated before they can return to their desks.

The new policy also impacts all new hires, who must be fully vaccinated before starting work.

Disney notes that there are “certain limited exceptions” to the vaccination policy, but did not specifically respond to a request for comment on what provisions will be made for cast members for whom the vaccine is medically contraindicated. The company was also not able to provide any timeline on when the policy might be applied to unionized workers. One union representing Disneyland workers says they expect to sit down with Disney sometime in the next three weeks to negotiate.

Disney cast members are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at no charge at employee health centers at both the California and Florida resort.

Extended hours begin August 14

We admit to not having caught this whenever it happened, but the current Disneyland schedule shows that extended operating hours for Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney will begin on August 14. Starting that Saturday, and at least through the end of the published calendar (currently September 12), all three locations will remain open an extra hour each night.

Disneyland will open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, Disney California Adventure from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Downtown Disney from 8:00 am. to midnight.

When the Resort first reopened, park hours were greatly reduced. With more and more cast members being recalled to work, Disney in July increased operating hours across the resort. With this most recent change, the theme parks have mostly returned to their pre-pandemic schedule.

Avoid this Halloween trap

This is a special note for folks who plan to use park-hopper tickets during September and August. Make sure that you check to see if Oogie Boogie Bash is happening on one of your park days. If it is, be sure to pick Disney California Adventure as your starting park that day to get the most value out of your park hopper ticket.

When you select DCA as your starting park on an event night, you can enter DCA as early as 8:00 a.m., and hop over to finish out the night at Disneyland once you've seen all DCA has to offer. That also gives you two chances to enter the virtual queue for Spider-Man.

If you pick Disneyland as your starting park on an Oogie Boogie Bash night, you still can't enter DCA until 1:00 p.m., but have to leave by 6:00 p.m. when the park closes for the event. You're also limited to just the second virtual queue opportunity. Sure, you can head back to Disneyland after DCA closes and stay there until 11:00 p.m., but you have less flexibility overall than if you start your day at DCA.

7 days left to Oogie Boogie

Sales of the Oogie Boogie bash slowed more than we expected last week, with seven event dates still available. There is only one October night left, Tuesday October 26. The event sold out by mid-September in both 2018 and 2019, so we recommend purchasing your tickets as soon as you can commit to a date.

Tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash are still available for some September dates. MousePlanet file photo.

Tickets can be purchased from the Disneyland website, by calling (714) 781-4636, or in person at a Disneyland Resort ticket booth.

Dates and prices for the remaining events are as follows:

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Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Attraction, restaurants, and stores that are closed for refurbishment are noted below. All other closures should be presumed to be due to COVID protocols, and are subject to change at any time without notice as the state of California issues new guidance.

All information was current as of this article's publication date. MousePlanet does not edit past Updates; for the most up-to-date refurbishment calendar, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update, visit Disneyland.com or use the Disneyland smartphone application on your iOS or Android device.

View the different areas of the Resort by scrolling horizontally and selecting the one you want to read about.

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Resort Events

Check here to see if a large convention, competition, or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail.

New! Just click the year you want to expand (or close).

2021-2022

We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it's best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.

Non-Disney Resort Events

Notable events at parks and attractions around Southern California. If you know of an event that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail.

Current Discounts and Promotions

Disneyland prices as of February 2020.

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update. Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the number of days the tickets are valid. Check out the category that best matches the amount of time you plan to spend at the resort, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket-only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.

Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside the gates stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Disneyland admission, and may result in denial of entry. It is also common for criminals to shoplift inactivated Disney theme park tickets from supermarkets to resell them. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks. Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or travel agency like MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today.

Ticket Prices and Promotions

New! Just click the number of days or ticket type you want to view.

Additional Discounts

Did we miss an offer? If you know of an authorized discount on Disneyland Resort tickets, standing offers for Annual Passholders from non-Disney vendors, or other promotions which might interest our readers, please drop us a note!

New! Just click the category you want to expand (or close).

Everyone

Legacy Annual Passholders

Disney Rewards VISA Credit Card Holders

Southern California Residents

Disney Vacation Club Members

Service Members

Hotel & Travel Packages

If you can't see the categories, please let us know!

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

• DL – Disneyland
• DCA – Disney California Adventure

Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website:

• MM – Magic Mornings for 3-plus day ticket holders and promotional “bonus” tickets. (Not currently offered)
• EMH – Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests. (Not currently offered)

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• F&W – Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• GN – Grad Nite.
• OBB – Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure

The Ticket Tier calendar is published on the Disneyland website for the next eight to 11 months.

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