Disneyland Resort Update for June 1 -6, 2021

Disneyland Resort Update for June 1 –6, 2021

News and Views

Avengers Campus opens this week with a live stream dedication and fireworks

All eyes will be on Disney California Adventure this week as the Avengers Campus prepares to welcome its first recruits on Friday. Disney is forgoing the usual media mega event for this grand opening due to continuing COVID protocols, opting instead to live stream a special dedication ceremony on Wednesday night at 8:15 p.m. Pacific. You can watch the live stream on the Disney Parks Blog, as well as via Disney's various social media feeds, including the @Disneyland Facebook and Twitter channels; @DisneyParksBlog Facebook and @DisneyParks Twitter.

Twitter user @MagicAndWalnut shares that Disney will include fireworks in the dedication program, and that Disney California Adventure guests can probably see the pyrotechnics from inside the park on Wednesday and Thursday.

The @Disneyland Resort will launch its very first pyrotechnics in more than a year to celebrate the opening of #AvengersCampus next week, according to an email sent to neighborhood residents. https://t.co/ra3uj5XAci https://t.co/nRTIPKVaU5 pic.twitter.com/CGwXkVDtKO

— Magic & Walnut (@MagicAndWalnut) May 29, 2021

As is typical for a new attraction, Disney cast members and invited guests have been attending top-secret previews of the new Avengers Campus over the past week. We'd love to tell you all about it, but Disney takes its embargoes pretty seriously. Check back just before the dedication ceremony on Wednesday as we share our first impressions of the Avengers Campus, and dig into the food, merchandise, and entertainment offerings of the new land.

Web Slingers to use virtual queue

When it opens later this week, Avengers Campus will offer one brand-new attraction, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. With demand for this new ride likely to exceed its physical distancing capacity, Disney announced last week that it's using the same virtual queue system it introduced for the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction at Disneyland to manage the wait. Disney isn't offering a traditional Fastpass when the ride first opens, and there will be no standby line. Visitors will have two opportunities to join the virtual queue each day, once at 7:00 a.m. before DCA opens, and once at noon. However, visitors can't hold a boarding group for both WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at the same time.

AM virtual queue

Visitors who hold a valid ticket and theme park reservation for Disney California Adventure that can enter the virtual queue for WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure when it opens at 7:00 a.m. each morning, from wherever they happen to be—homes, hotel room, or even the parking structure. If you have a park hopper ticket, you can only enter the morning virtual queue if DCA is the park you selected to start your day at. Otherwise, you can try at noon.

But before you attempt the join the virtual queue, be sure to link the tickets for your entire travel party in the Disneyland smartphone app. This is an important step if you want your entire party in the same boarding group once the virtual queue opens. We had previously suggested that groups have each person try to request a boarding group for the entire party, increasing the chance that someone would get in. We're now reliably informed that it's much better to have just one person try to obtain a boarding group for your whole party to prevent any database conflict. We'll let you decide how you want to approach it.

Joining a boarding group is very similar to selecting a digital Fastpass. Users first select their party from a list of people to whom they are already linked in the Disneyland app, then choose to add their party to the boarding group. If successful, the app gives you your assigned boarding group number, and lets you monitor the status of boarding groups.

PM virtual queue

Disney allows customers with park-hopper tickets to change parks as early as 1:00 p.m. each day, and will open a second virtual queue at noon to accommodate park hoppers. To join the virtual queue at noon, you must already have used your ticket to enter one of the theme parks that day. If you have a park hopper ticket and chose Disneyland as your starting park, you can join the virtual queue while still over at Disneyland, and hop to Disney California Adventure when your boarding group is called.

No double dipping

Visitors cannot hold a boarding group for both WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at the same time, which means your chances of getting on both rides on the same day are slim. If you're fortunate enough to get assigned a boarding group for WEB SLINGERS from the morning virtual queue, you can't join the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance unless you have already “redeemed” your boarding pass for WEB SLINGERS by the time the noon virtual queue opens.

Likewise, Disneyland park hoppers who get into the morning virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance can't join the noon virtual queue for WEB SLINGERS unless they've already redeemed their first boarding pass.

Hearing that news, MousePlanet reader Jennifer L. said via Twitter: “Feeling even better about the 2 day, 1 park per day tickets we went for. Not excited about being stressed at 7am two days in a row, though.”

Disneyland rolls out welcome mat to out-of-state visitors starting June 15

Non-Californians can visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure starting June 15, the company announced last week. Bookings are open now through the Disneyland website, as well as authorized travel planners like MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today,

This long-awaited announcement comes as the State of California prepares to move past the color-coded tiered system, relax most COVID-19 restrictions, and fully reopen its economy. As part of its Beyond the Blueprint plan, the state will drop a residency requirement which had previously limited theme park admission just to California residents.

This is as close as Lisa Baxter-Stiglic could get to Main Street during her last visit to Anaheim, but soon she will be able to enter the gates with other out-of-state visitors. Photo by Lisa Baxter-Stiglic.

June 15 can't come fast enough for Lisa Baxter-Stiglic, who has written two books about the Disneyland Resort, and is a frequent contributor to MousePlanet. Baxter-Stiglic now lives in the Pacific Northwest, and made frequent trips back to Anaheim before the pandemic. During a recent visit to Southern California, the closest she could get to Main Street was a visit to Downtown Disney, where she went just to “breathe in the essence” of the resort.

Hearing the news, Baxter-Stiglic said, “I'm so excited! I've been impatiently waiting for the state to open so I can return 'home!' I just received my [annual pass] refund last week, which I've been saving so I can give it back to Disney.”

Non-Californians can look forward to taking castle selfies as soon as June 15, as California limits the theme park admission restriction. MousePlanet file photo.

Visitors will still need to purchase theme park tickets in advance, and make a reservation to visit Disneyland and/or Disney California Adventure. Theme park reservations can now be made 120 days in advance of a visit.

The State of California strongly encourages visitors to be fully vaccinated before attending mega-events like theme parks, or have a recent negative COVID test. Regardless of vaccination or testing status, Disney will require all visitors to wear face coverings throughout their visit.

Disney previously announced that it would end temperature screenings for guests on June 15, though all guidelines relating to physical distancing, masking, and health screenings are still in place for employees at the resort.

The Castle Inn & Suites is ready to welcome out-of-state visitors back to the Disneyland Resort. MousePlanet file photo.

Travel-related businesses are thrilled about the prospect of reopening tourism to out-of-state visitors. Bharat Patel and his family own the Castle Inn and Suites right across the street from the Disneyland Resort, and like most hoteliers, were severely impacted by the yearlong closure of the Anaheim theme parks. In anticipation of a future reopening, Patel told MousePlanet, “We're looking forward to sharing California's hospitality with our out-of-state friends.”

Jennifer Dunyon, executive vice president of Get Away Today, echoed those sentiments: “We are thrilled to be able to help welcome everyone back to the Disneyland Resort. In our 30-plus years of business we've never experienced anything like this, and as can't wait to help families get back into the parks.” Get Away Today is MousePlanet's travel partner, offering both ticket-only and travel package service for vacation planners.

As we previously reported, Sea World started welcoming out-of-state visitors a month ago provided they were fully vaccinated or could show a recent negative COVID test. Universal Studios Hollywood has since followed suit, but their website says, “Unfortunately, at this time, we can only welcome out-of-state visitors age 12 and over as children under age 12 are not eligible for vaccination.” Knott's Berry Farm has yet to announce when they'll welcome out-of-state visitors.

Refurbishment update

Disney has posted some updated refurbishment details for those rides not closed due to COVID protocols. The company announced last week that the World Famous Jungle Cruise will reopen on July 16, following an makeover that brings a new storyline to the classic attraction.

New Jungle Cruise Experience Will Open This Summer. Disney Parks YouTube video.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters did not reopen with Disneyland, and is now scheduled to return on June 26.

The Matterhorn Bobsleds are scheduled to reopen on Friday, July 2, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is slated to close for refurbishment on Monday, July 5.

This and That…

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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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