Disneyland Resort will reopen both of its theme parks on April 30 using park reservations and restricted to California residents

Mar 17, 2021 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Disneyland Resort

Posted: Wednesday March 17, 2021 11:34am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek has today announced on CNBC that both of its California theme parks at the Disneyland Resort will reopen April 30 2021.

Both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park will reopen April 30

In new guidance from the state, theme parks will be able to operate at between 15% and 35% capacity depending on levels of COVID in the area . In contrast, Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020 at a 25% capacity.

Disneyland Resort

As at Walt Disney World, advance theme park reservations will be required to visit the parks as a measure to control attendance. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date are required for guests ages 3 and up. Theme park reservations will be limited and subject to availability and, until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks in line with current state guidelines. Disney has said that more details about this new reservation system will be available soon.

Prior to the full public opening on April 30, Disneyland Resort will invite cast members and members of the local community as part of a soft opening. A Touch of Disney, the limited-time ticketed experience which has sold out, will go on as planned at Disney California Adventure from March 18 through April 19.

The hotels of the Disneyland Resort will reopen in phases. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa plans to reopen on April 29, with limited capacity. Disney Vacation Club Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will plan to reopen May 2. Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and the Disneyland Hotel will reopen at a later date.

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (pictured) plans to reopen on April 29, 2021

Reopening Disneyland will return more than 10,000 Cast Members back to work. “The day all of us have long been waiting for is almost here,” said Ken Potrock, president of the Disneyland Resort. “We’re excited to have more than 10,000 cast members returning to work as we get ready to welcome our guests back to this happy place.”

Note that Avengers Campus, the new Super Hero land, will open at a later date at Disney California Adventure.

Disneyland was originally planned to reopen on July 17 2020 after its closure in March 2020 due to COVID-19. It did open the Downtown Disney shopping district in July, and parts of California Adventure for dining.

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truecoatSep 07, 2021

I heard nothing on that ride a few weeks ago except my entire log screaming from the amount of water coming in. I was soaked head to toe except a small part of my back that was against the back rest. If there was music in the ride or anything I was supposed to see, it was missed by me. I was just in a state of regret.

MisterPenguinAug 27, 2021

And you're doing it, too. The first several dozen times this tactic has been brought up has gone nowhere. But, if you keeps you busy, have at ti.

MisterPenguinAug 27, 2021

You mean to TP repeating this complaint ad nauseum hoping that if he says it one more time, it will rally a mob that will march on Glendale?

TP2000Aug 26, 2021

They delayed the Dapper Dans so a couple dozen people per hour on Main Street couldn't hear them sing Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah? I highly doubt that was the reason. I think it was just budgets and the logistics of rehiring and remounting this little show. Every single day 1,500 riders per hour are going on Splash Mountain and hearing that song continuously. Disneyland was open today from 8am to 11pm. Splash Mountain averaged a 75 minute wait time today. That's at least 18,000 people who just heard Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah performed on Disneyland property today, sung by singing chickens no less. Well over 100,000 people per week are currently hearing that song at Disneyland. Even more per week at WDW's higher capacity version of the same ride. There is no known closure date for that ride on either coast.

MarvelCharacterNerdAug 26, 2021

So happy for this news! I'd heard they'd be back for Halloween Time. :) Along with clearly budget-saving reason of not having them back at park open as they were at WDW, I wondered if they weren't brought back for regular/non-holiday sets prior to now because they will need to revamp their main chimes set since it included "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" which is now gone from the parks music playlists. So by holding them back till Halloween, they can just do their Halloween sets and then go quickly into their Christmas sets before TPTB decide whether to give them the rehearsal time to redo the chimes set or simply send the chimes off to the company Archives as a part of pre-pandemic history... :/ I'd be sad to see the chimes set go, so I hope they let them rearrange and re-choreograph the set.

Disney AnalystAug 26, 2021

Seeing this reported: ETA: source https://www.ocregister.com/2021/08/25/dapper-dans-set-to-make-emotional-return-to-disneyland/

180ºAug 07, 2021

Maybe eventually they’ll bring show reservations back in the form of a virtual queue?

aaronmlAug 07, 2021

Without FP, I’m curious how they are going to handle viewing area access for both Fantasmic and WoC. Probably first come, first served for now, which would be unfortunate (since you’ll have to show up a lot earlier). I have a bad feeling though that when DPA (or some variant of it) launches, it will be included in that, and you’ll essentially be forced to pay up (via DPA or a Dining Package) for a good view.

Curious ConstanceAug 04, 2021

Thank you! I just saw that! I’m trying to not be sad about Goofy not being there lol

DCBakerAug 04, 2021

Goofy’s Kitchen opens on August 18th (bookings start August 11th). At reopening, Goofy and friends will not be there, however they will reportedly be returning later.

MarvelCharacterNerdAug 03, 2021

May the odds be ever in our favor! I hope it reopens soon for us all to enjoy the pb&j yumminess! :D

Curious ConstanceAug 03, 2021

We are trying the brunch too. And we got a reservation for Storytellers dinner. But we keep hoping to replace the dinner with Goofy’s. My kids have been eating the PB and jelly pizza since they were babies hahaha.

MarvelCharacterNerdAug 03, 2021

So with you on this. I am probably going to try Storytellers character brunch in a few weeks but I just can't get my enthusiasm up without the peanut butter & jelly pizza from Goofy's and its more casual/WDW style atmosphere. :(