Disneyland Resort Update for August 16-22, 2022

Disneyland Resort Update for August 16–22, 2022

News and Views

Early park entry tips and tricks

Last Monday marked the return of the very popular Early Park Entry program at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, which grants Disneyland Resort hotel guests access to either park up to 30 minutes before scheduled park opening time. Select attractions, restaurants and stores are open during early park entry.

We were invited by our travel partners at Get Away Today to experience Early Park Entry at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure over two days last week. I shared some of our thoughts on our social media channels during the visits, but wanted to flesh out my experience here for future planners to learn from our mistakes.

Taking full advantage of early entry means arriving at the main entrance quite early, but at least you can grab coffee in Downtown Disney on your way to the parks. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This perk differs significantly from the former Magic Morning/Early Entry programs offered before the pandemic. First, the program is only offered to Disneyland Resort Hotel guests, so Get Away Today arranged for us to stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel for the visit. In the past, guests staying at Disney's designated Good Neighbor Hotels and those with qualifying ticket types also had access to early morning hours, but that's not currently the case. Keep in mind that each person in your party must be listed on your hotel reservation, including children.

Second, the program is offered every day of the week at both parks, including weekends. The prior program was available only at Disneyland on certain days and at DCA on others. Now you have access every day of your hotel stay. However, valid theme park tickets and park reservations are still required for each person, and you can only access early park entry at the park for which you hold the starting park reservation.

Perhaps the biggest change is that the early entry period last only 30 minutes, instead of the hour offered during the former Magic Morning/Early Entry programs. Half an hour is still enough time to get in a bonus ride or three, but it makes it even more important to learn how to maximize your time at each park.

Hotel guests wait for Disneyland to open for early park entry on the first day the perk has been offered since the pandemic. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disneyland

While the Disneyland Monorail is open for early entry, we recommend skipping the ride and walking to the Disneyland main entrance to make the most of your time. With a maximum capacity of just over 100 passengers per Monorail train, you may find yourself spending much of your early entry time just waiting for your ride to Tomorrowland.

During the first day of early entry operation, Disney did not designate specific main entrance gates for early entry guests as they had in the past. Instead, both hotel guests and day guests waited together for the gates to open, which they did just before 7:30 a.m. Once inside the park, the end of Main Street marked the dividing point, with hotel guests directed towards the right side of the street and everyone else held at the rope. Cast members asked guests to show their room keys for access to the central Plaza area, from which they could access Tomorrowland or Fantasyland. You can use either your physical room key or show your linked hotel reservation on the Disneyland mobile app to verify your eligibility.

It's possible to cross off most of either Tomorrowland or Fantasyland before the park opens to the public. However, if you want to leverage your early entry access into a head start on Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, we recommend focusing on Fantasyland.

The Main Street Starbucks is not open for early entry, so be sure to grab your coffee before you enter the park. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Fantasyland attractions:

• Alice in Wonderland
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• King Arthur Carrousel
• Mad Tea Party
• Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Pinocchio's Daring Journey
• Snow White's Enchanted Wish

Peter Pan's Flight is the obvious first pick in Fantasyland, as the wait will never be shorter during your day. After visiting Neverland, you can fly, spin and ride your way through the rest of Fantasyland.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is not part of early entry, but a good strategy will get you to Batuu earlier than most park visitors. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

If seeing Batuu is a must-do for your party, head straight to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge 10 to 15 minutes before park opening (there will be a second rope just behind Red Rose Taverne). Barring any technical difficulties, you should be able to get in the standby line for the Rise of the Resistance attraction just ahead of the rope droppers racing from Main Street. From there, take a mission on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, and even check to see if Oga's Cantina is accepting walk-ups for a quick breakfast. On the first day, members of our Get Away Today group did all three before 9:00 a.m.

If you're using Disney Genie+, don't forget to make Lightning Lane reservations as you go, because you can book a new return time as soon as you scan into your currently booked attraction. This is the case regardless of whether you're eligible for early entry, but you'll need to remember to make the mental shift from “early entry strategy” to “Genie+ strategy” once the park opens.

A sign marks the early entry checkpoint inside Disneyland. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Tomorrowland attractions:

• Astro Orbitor
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Disneyland Monorail
• Space Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Your may opt for Tomorrowland instead of Fantasyland, in which case your group could have the entire Astro Orbitor attraction to yourselves for a cycle or two before you rush off to Space Mountain. Keep in mind that the Tomorrowland attractions are longer and have longer walking queues than the Fantasyland group, so you're likely to only fit two or three rides in your 30 minutes. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage isn't open during early entry, so if you aren't heading straight for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge after Star Tours, this is a good time to catch the newly refurbished attraction.

Space Mountain did not open in time for early entry the first day. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disney California Adventure

DCA attractions:

• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout
• Incredicoaster
• The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure
• Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
• Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Soarin' Around the World
• Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

There are three ways to enter Disney California Adventure during early entry. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

I didn't expect the strategy around DCA early entry to center on where, when and how to enter the park. Disney California Adventure has three park entrances, and all of them are open for early entry. In addition to the main entrance gate across from Disneyland, guests staying at the Grand Californian Hotel can use that hotel's exclusive entrance to DCA, and guests staying at any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels can use the Paradise Pier gate, located across the street from the Paradise Pier Hotel.

The Paradise Pier gate is the closest gate for the Paradise Pier and Disneyland Hotel guests, but has the twin disadvantages of being very low capacity, and also feeding into the Paradise Pier section of the park. If Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure is your goal, you'll still need to walk to Avengers Campus after you get into the park.

We got in line for early entry before 7:00 a.m. and we were not the first. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The Grand Californian gate, for all of its exclusivity, has the same capacity problem, and you need to get in line even earlier. Our group arrived before 7:00 a.m., and we were not the first ones there. Seeing that, some of our colleagues opted to enter DCA through the main entrance so we could compare wait times. While they had to go through bag check on their way into Downtown Disney, they were able to do so much earlier and were already in line for the gates to open before security even started checking guests at the Grand gate at 7:20 a.m.

There were only about 20 people ahead of me in the line at the Grand gate, and so I was through bag check and into the park at 7:30 a.m. The hundreds of people behind me weren't so lucky, and I wonder how long it took all of them to get through bag check and into the park.

The Joffrey's Coffee cart in DCA is open during early entry, as is Starbucks. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Once inside the park from the Grand gate, there's another choice to make—do you head left towards Condor Flats, or right towards Paradise Pier? The Paradise Pier route is the fastest way to reach Avengers Campus, but it's not as fast as getting there from the main entrance.

One thing we noted—while early entry guests who entered DCA through the main entrance were asked for their room keys at the rope point near the entrance to Avengers Campus, those of us who entered through the Grand or Paradise gates were not asked to show them at all once inside the park.

In the end, the best strategy depends on what you want to do during your 30 minutes of early entry. If Web Slingers and/or Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout are your goals, then your best option is to enter DCA through the main entrance.

The crowd of visitors without early entry privileges waits near the Avengers Campus entrance. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Most of our group were able to check off both Web Slingers and Guardians of the Galaxy during early entry, and would have been in a great position to rope drop Radiator Springs Racers, except the ride was not operating that morning. Instead, they made it to Toy Story Midway Mania and avoided the longer lines which would build during the day.

While Soarin' Around the World is open during early entry, we strongly recommend you skip it and come back later. The ride cycle will eat up your entire early entry period, and you can usually ride before 10:00 a.m. without waiting more than 20 minutes.

Web Slingers had only a 5-minute wait for most of early entry. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Many thanks to our partners at Get Away Today for helping us experience this new offering for ourselves.

Planning for 2023?

Wednesday is the first day you can book hotel rooms at the Disneyland Resort for stays January 9, 2023 and beyond. Disney is set to open reservations for the entirety of 2023, so you can book next year's winter break trip before this summer is officially over.

Not only will hotel rooms be available to reserve, Disney will also sell theme park tickets valid through the end of 2023. You can avoid the inevitable annual price increase by purchasing your tickets in advance. Contact our partners at Get Away Today or call 1-855-GET-AWAY, for assistance in booking your next vacation.

You can book a stay at any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels for 2023 starting August 17. MousePlanet file photo.

Disney Cruise Line updates vaccination requirements for children

The Disney Cruise Line announced Monday a change to its COVID vaccination policy for children, a move which is going to make some parents very happy. Effective September 2, 2022, and only for cruises that depart from the United States or Canada, Disney will no longer require children age 11 and under to be fully vaccinated against COVID. Passengers 12 and older must still be fully vaccinated prior to sailing.

The Disney Cruise Line will change its COVID vaccination policy for children. MousePlanet file photo.

Disney has not dropped the pre-cruise COVID testing requirements for vaccinated passengers, who must submit a negative test taken 1 to 2 days prior to sailing. Passengers who are not vaccinated must pass two COVID tests prior to sailing; one taken 1 to 3 days before sail date, and the second taken at the terminal on embarkation date. As before, passengers who test positive at the port will be re-tested, and, if the second test is also positive, that passenger—along with their entire travel party—will be denied boarding.

There was no change to the vaccination requirements for Disney cruises sailing from ports in Europe. You can read the full updated policy on the Disney Cruise Line website.

Disney's change comes as major cruise lines have relaxed or removed vaccination and testing requirements in recent weeks. Some lines are welcoming back unvaccinated passengers of all ages; others are dropping pre-cruise testing requirements for vaccinated passengers entirely.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique opens reservations

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reopens August 25 at Disneyland, and reservations for services are now open via the Disneyland website. Makeovers are available for children age 3 to 12, with packages ranging from the $19.95 Knight package all the way up to a $450+ package, which includes a high-end princess gown and tiara. Some of the packages include the option of a photo session “taken near Cinderella’s carriage,” which is a quaint photo set tucked inside the Fairy Tale Treasures shop in the nearby Fantasy Faire.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is set to reopen soon at Disneyland. MousePlanet file photo.

CHOC Adventure in the Park deadlines closing fast

Registration is still open for the all-new CHOC Adventure in the Park on Saturday, August 27, and the deadline to meet the $200 minimum fundraising requirement is Saturday, August 20. After that, tickets to the exclusive after-hours event can be purchased for a minimum donation of $200. In addition to event tickets, additional rewards like Disneyland tickets, exclusive CHOC-themed Vans shoes and a VIP reception at the event are offered as you raise or donate more funds.

This exclusive after-hours event is a fund raiser for Children's Hospital Orange County, and replaces the annual CHOC Walk in the Park for 2022. The CHOC Adventure in the Park will operate somewhat like a Disneyland After Dark or Oogie Boogie Bash event. Attendees can enter Disney California Adventure as early as 5:00 p.m., and mix in with non-event guests until the park closes to the public at 9:00 p.m.. The event then turns into a private after-hours party from 9:00 p.m. to midnight.

New incentive tiers were announced for the 2022 CHOC Adventure in the Park. Photo courtesy CHOC.

The private party includes access to most attractions, with select merchandise and dining locations open for event guests. Attendees will also enjoy a DJ, special photo locations, unique character meet-and-greet opportunities, and a special presentation of the World of Color show.

Guests who reach certain fundraising thresholds may also receive extra benefits during the private event, including a reserved viewing area to the World of Color viewing, VIP reception, special character appearances, free parking, and more.

To attend the event, each participant pledges to donate or raise a minimum of $200. CHOC collects a nonrefundable registration fee of $50 when you register, and participants now have until August 20 to raise or donate the $150 balance. There are additional prizes offered to CHOC supporters who raise $400, $650, $1000 or more, and each of those levels has its own fundraising deadline. Visit the Event Incentives page for more details.

CHOC supporters who don't want to attend the event in person can register as a Virtual Fund-raiser, and receive a 30th anniversary CHOC Adventure in the Park commemorative T-shirt when they donate or raise $100 or more.

Participants who raise $850 or more receive a pair of custom Vans shoes with an exclusive CHOC print. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Of course, Team MousePlanet is back for 2022, and we're really looking forward to this re-imagined event. Thanks to the efforts and generosity of our readers, Team MousePlanet has raised nearly $90,000 for CHOC since 2008. We invite MousePlanet readers, friends, and family members near and far to register to join Team MousePlanet at the event, or register as a virtual fund raiser with the team. You can also make a donation to a team member to help them reach their goal.

A Word from our Sponsor

Nighttime entertainment is in full swing at the Disneyland Resort! Catch spectacular shows, a fan-favorite parade and more! But don’t wait, the Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks are only available through September 1, 2022.

Visit Get Away Today or call 1-855-GET-AWAY, and be sure to mention you saw them on MousePlanet.

Grad Nite website. For those who want to schedule their trips around the graduation events, the 2023 dates are May 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 30, and 31; June 2, 4, 7, 9, 14, and 16.

…September brings a rolling refurbishment for some big set pieces used in Fantasmic. Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island is closed September 6–8, the Sailing Ship Columbia is closed September 12-15 and the Mark Twain Riverboat is closed September 19–22. The show is dark these nights, but will resume performances on the weekends in between.

Join Our Networks

@MousePlanet on…

On Facebook:

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.

Please let us know if the menu bar doesn't work on your screen.

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).

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 October 25, 2021.

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

Magic Key Holders

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
• DCA – Downtown Disney

Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website:

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

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• LNY – Lunar New Year
• F&W – Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• GN – Grad Nite.
• OBB – Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure. 2022 event is held September 6, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27 and 29; October 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31.

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

Share, Links, Comments & More