Disneyland Resort Update for May 24-30, 2021

Disneyland Resort Update for May 24–30, 2021

News and Views

Disneyland Hotel to begin phased reopening July 2

The Disneyland Hotel will begin a phased reopening on Friday, July 2, Disney announced last week, with only the Fantasy tower open to guests. Reservations are now open via the Disneyland website, or through MousePlanet's official travel partner Get Away Today.

This final reopening will see all three Disneyland Resort hotels open at the same time for the first time in more than a year, after they closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Disney's Grand Californian Hotel opened this past April, and the Paradise Pier Hotel is scheduled to reopen June 15. 

The Disneyland Hotel will reopen with just the Fantasy Tower available. MousePlanet file photo.

As has been the case with the other two resort hotels, the Disneyland Hotel will open without some guest benefits and amenities. Along with the Fantasy tower, the hotel's two pools and iconic Monorail water slides will reopen, as will the fitness center. Poolside cabanas will reopen and can be reserved for an additional fee.

The popular Monorail water slides will be back in business on July 2. MousePlanet file photo.

Tangaroa Terrace, the hotel's quick-service dining location, will reopen on July 2, as will the Coffee House. The very popular Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar will reopen on July 2 as a table-service restaurant.

Tangaroa Terrace and the Coffee House both offer mobile ordering; there's no word yet on whether Trader Sam's will accept advance reservations. Given that Disney recently opened reservations for the poolside lounge at the Grand Californian Hotel to help manage crowds outside that location, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a similar arrangement for Trader Sam's.

Goofy's Kitchen character buffet, Steakhouse 55, and the Lounge at Steakhouse 55 will reopen at a later date.

Goofy's Kitchen will not reopen in the initial phase of the Disneyland Hotel reopening plan. MousePlanet file photo.

The Disneyland Hotel was undergoing refurbishment when it closed last March, and Disney says work continued during the closure to replace all upholstery and fabrics in guest rooms, lobbies, and meeting rooms. Guest rooms now feature platform beds with storage underneath.

Room service will not be available when the Disneyland Hotel first reopens, but the Disney Parks Blog post again mentioned the availability of delivery from select Downtown Disney restaurants to the hotel lobby. This is a fairly new service that rolled out at the Grand Californian Hotel, and will be available when the Paradise Pier Hotel reopens.

Hotel guests can scan QR codes from their in-room TV sets to view menus and place orders, and the restaurant will deliver to the hotel lobby. This service is one we hope remains long after COVID restrictions are lifted, especially for the Paradise Pier Hotel, which doesn't have a quick service restaurant in the building.

Disneyland Hotel guests are also eligible to use the private entrance at the Grand Californian Hotel into Disney California Adventure park—with a valid ticket and theme park reservation, of course.

Theme park admission is still limited to California residents, but that could change at any moment, and non-residents can book rooms at the Disneyland Hotel right now.

Opening weekend rates start at $595 per night for a standard view, or up to $679 for a pool view, plus tax. Suites start at $1,104 per night, plus tax. You can book through the Disneyland web site, or through MousePlanet's official travel partner Get Away Today.

What does a fully reopened economy mean for Disneyland?

With Orange County now in the yellow (least-restrictive) tier of California's COVID blueprint, and the state prepared to go “beyond the blueprint” on June 15, attention has turned to what exactly will be different at the Disneyland Resort in three weeks.

Last week, the California Department of Public Health stated: “Beginning June 15, all sectors listed in the current Blueprint Activities and Business Tiers Chart may return to usual operations,” with exceptions carved out for mega events both indoors and out.

This means no more capacity limits, no physical distancing for customers, and no need for fully vaccinated people to wear masks in most settings.

Of course, Disneyland isn't “most settings,” and according to the Beyond the Blueprint FAQ, theme parks fall under the guidelines in place for outdoor mega events with more than 10,000 people. The state recommends that visitors to these events either provide proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID test, though it will permit operators to admit customers without vaccination or testing provided they still wear a face covering.

California Health and Human Services Director Dr. Mark Ghaly said, “We are recommending that those operators have a system to verify vaccination, verify a negative test, or in the case where attendees are neither vaccinated or tested, give that person an option to come into the event but wear a mask throughout the event.”

Don't expect Disneyland to ask for your vaccination card or test results. The state says that venue operators may use self-attestation to confirm that a visitor is fully vaccinated or has a recent negative COVID test, and that one ticket buyer can make that attestation for their entire group. This creates an honor system, where people who are neither vaccinted nor tested could agree to wear a mask during their visit. Based on what our East Coast editor Alan Dalinka has observed during his recent visits to Walt Disney World, we should not expect to see a lot of voluntary mask wearing at Disneyland under this scenario.

The state says it will provide operators of mega events with additional guidance in the coming days, which is likely one reason we haven't seen an official announcement from the Disneyland Resort. One change that did appear on the Disneyland website this weekend was a note that temperature screenings will end on June 15:

“Since reopening, we have considered guidance from public health authorities, government agencies, and our own team of health and safety experts as we assess and update health and safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Based on the advice of the CDC and our local health officials, and given Orange County is now in the Yellow Tier and the State of California is preparing to reopen the economy on June 15—the Disneyland Resort will end onsite temperature screenings for Guests and Cast Members starting June 15, 2021.

We will continue to monitor the guidance of public health authorities and government agencies going forward and will make appropriate adjustments in the future based on that guidance.”

Another major question is exactly when non-California residents would be allowed to return to the Disneyland Resort. Dr. Ghaly said the state will still have a travel advisory, but that it would “track with the CDC.” The Centers for Disease Control still recommends that unvaccinated people delay travel until they're fully vaccinated, but stops short of prohibiting domestic travel. We fully expect Disney to drop the California residency requirement for travel after June 15—but again, we're waiting for official confirmation from the resort as to the exact date.

We should note that any changes in physical distancing, masking, and health screenings apply only to visitors, and not to Disneyland Resort employees. The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) last week postponed a vote to approve new workplace rules. The agency will meet to vote on the updated regulations on June 3.

Disneyland Resort extends operating hours in July

Theme park hours for both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are increasing on July 1, 2021. Both parks will open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 10:00 p.m., adding two more hours to each day.

Downtown Disney hours also increase, and the district will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

As of publication, Disney has only released park hours through July 5.

Check out Disneyland's new ticketing system

Disneyland last week rolled out a much-needed change to the online system used to purchase theme park tickets and make park reservations, but in the process, has left some vacation planners confused.

Since reopening in April, the Disneyland Resort has required visitors to make an advance theme park reservation to visit the parks, in a separate step from purchasing an admission ticket. This system is intended to help control capacity as per California state guidelines, but not infrequently created a situation where a customer would purchase a ticket, then be unable to make a reservation for the date they planned to visit.

Now visitors make their park reservation at the same time they purchase their ticket(s), so you know exactly when your ticket is valid. You even have the option of adding a pre-paid parking voucher to your purchase, which will help save time when you get to the Mickey and Friends parking structure. Here's how the new system works on the ticket and reservations page on the Disneyland website:

1. Specify the number of days your party wants to visit.
2. Select how many tickets you need to cover your entire travel party.
3. Choose either a one-park-one-day or park-hopper ticket type for your entire party (everyone in your party must choose the same option).
4. From the calendar displayed online, select each day for your party's visit. The calendar displays what days are available for your party's ticket type. Multi-day tickets must be used within 13 days of first use, and you can currently book about 60 days in advance.
5. Choose which park your party wants to visit for each day. If you have a park-hopper ticket, select which park you want to start in.
6. (Optional) Add a parking voucher.
7. Check out.

This is a great system for a majority of travelers planning to visit in the next 60 days. For those who prefer to purchase tickets way in advance, either to lock in a lower price before an anticipated price hike or to spread out the spending for a future vacation, there appears to be no way to buy a ticket through the Disneyland site without selecting a date.

Once you complete your transaction, you can go back in and cancel your reservations, which then allows you to make new reservations in the future—but that fact is not readily apparent during the checkout process.

Of course, you can also purchase tickets through an authorized seller, like MousePlanet's official travel partner Get Away Today. When you do, you'll receive your ticket number via email immediately after purchase, and can then proceed to the Disneyland website to make your park reservations whenever you're ready to travel.

Web Tech to debut in Avengers Campus

Would you pay real money to get the high score on the new WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure attraction in the Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure? Disney is betting you will, and has just unveiled a line of gadgets to help you do just that.

Disney has created a line of toys to help you boost your score on their latest attraction. Photo © Disney.

From the product preview shared on the Disney Parks Blog, riders can purchase a WEB Power Band ($35) and use that to gain an advantage on the game-style ride. Where a regular rider can shoot one Spider-Bot at a time, a player equipped with this gadget can hit multiple targets. Additional accessories ($30 each) give you different powers based on Spider-Man, Ghost Spider, Iron Man, and Rescue.

It's unclear what these toys might do once you get them home, though Disney mentions that one of the devices shoots air and has training orbs. That may make all the difference to potential customers, and especially parents potentially needing to buy two or more sets.

After you purchase the base power band, you can upgrade it with super hero-inspired powers. Photo © Disney.

Dropping $100 at the Droid Depot for the experience of building a custom droid that you can play with once you get it home is one thing. Spending $35–$65 or more for a gadget that really only works on one theme park ride is a whole different prospect, and was likely developed during a time when there was an massive annual passholder market to target. If this toy doesn't have a lot of at-home play potential, it will likely collect cobwebs on the store shelves.

The new land opens June 4, and we'll get a look at the toys then.

This and That…

…Sprinkles will reopen their Downtown Disney location today, according to a tweet from the company Sunday afternoon. After closing due to the pandemic in March 2020, the location reopened in September 2020, then abruptly closed up shop in the middle of the day last January. The location has been shuttered since, despite the Disneyland website briefly showing a planned reopening just before Valentine's Day. Sprinkles gave no explanation for the sudden closure in January, saying only it was related to the closure of the theme parks. This reopening leaves La Brea Bakery Express as the only Downtown Disney location yet to reopening.

Speaking of #RealCelebrations… Our bakery in the Downtown Disney District is officially open TOMORROW. Place your pre-order online or stop by for cupcakes, cookies, chocolates and other Sprinkles treats. We really cannot wait to see you! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/AA1dujb859

— Sprinkles Cupcakes (@sprinkles) May 23, 2021

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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!

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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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