Disneyland Re-Opening

“To all who come to this happy place, WELCOME.” -Walt Disney

After waiting what seemed like an eternity, which was actually 13 months, we finally made it back to our home away from home…DISNEYLAND!! We have been so excited for the parks to re-open and it was everything we were hoping it would be and more! I purchased tickets for June, but Disneyland gifted us a park hopper ticket for each member of our family just last week and we are so thankful to have the opportunity. As of right now you need to purchase a ticket (or Muti-day tickets) PLUS you have to make a reservation. I suggest using Get Away Today to book your next trip, it will save you a little bit on tickets and/or hotel. Now, let’s dig into the details of our experience of Disneyland Re-Opening…

Characters: Even though you can’t run up and hug your favorite characters right now, there are still lots of chances to chat, wave and take selfies with them. Here are some of the best spots in the park to find some Disney friends during the Disneyland Re-Opening…

*California Adventure- The main fountain at the end of Main Street has characters continually coming out to greet people. We got to see Mickey, Pluto, Donald, Snow White and Dopey, Anna and Elsa. 

In Cars Land you can also find Mater and Lightening McQueen to take photos with.

On the Backlot Stage Marvel heroes can be spotted. On the Pixar Pier Bandshell Stage different Pixar friends like Joy, Sadness, Woody and Jesse can be found. Paradise Gardens Park you might be able to see Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde.

*Disneyland- The Train Station had lots of our favorite friends like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Chip and Dale.

Over at the Small World Mall we found Alice, Mary Poppins and Bert and a few friends from the Hundred Acre Woods.

We also passed Belle in the Royal Theater in Fantasy Land, but she was about to leave so we didn’t catch a photo with her. I am told that other royal guests make appearances over there as well. I also didn’t catch her, but heard Tiana can be spotted in New Orleans Square on the balcony of the 21 Royal Residence. Even though the character houses are closed to walk through in Toon Town, the characters are still out to greet you. Guests can spot Miguel from Coco near the Golden Horseshoe/Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland. And at Galaxy’s Edge we did spy a rebel on the platform above the speeder garage. Evidently Chewbacca and and Rey also make appearances.

Rides/Attractions: We had such a great experience with low wait times for both parks, but especially California Adventure. Wait times were anywhere from 15-30 minutes at DCA and 20-55 minutes at Disneyland. I think the limited capacity has definitely helped to lower wait times for rides, making it faster than even a fast pass! The lines appear longer because they have to be more spread out, but don’t let that discourage you too much.

There are a few rides/attractions that are not open yet, but the list of things that are open is much longer! Here is a list of attractions that are closed either for refurbishment or because of covid restrictions.

*California Adventure- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Animation Academy & Sorcerer’s Workshop inside the Animation Building, The Bakery Tour, Golden Zephyr, Red Car Trolley.

*Disneyland- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Jungle Cruise, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, Disneyland Monorail, Finding Nemo, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, all character houses in Toon Town, Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, Storybook Land Canal Boats.

Food: There are a few places that still have not opened since Disneyland Re-Opening, but we had no problem finding food to eat at both parks. I do encourage you to use the mobile ordering on your Disneyland app for most places. Some places do still have area’s to walk up and order, but there are less cast members taking orders,  which is why I suggest mobile ordering. Some places even have a virtual walk up list that you can join ahead of time, make sure to check the app for that as well. All character dining has yet to resume, so you will not be able to book that right now. Again, the list of things open far out-weighs the things that are closed and would be a much longer list, so here are the places that are not opened yet…

*California Adventure- Bayside Brews, Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, Carthay Circle, Chiller at Paradise Gardens, Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream, Corn Dog Castle, Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Pacific Wharf Cafe, Paradise Garden Grill, Mendocino Terrace, Schmoozies.

*Disneyland- Alien Pizza Planet, Carnation Cafe, Clarabelle’s, Daisy’s Diner, Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo, The Golden Horseshoe, Goofy’s Freeze,  Harbour Galley, Hungry Bear, Oga’s Cantina, Pluto’s Dog House, Rancho del Zocalo, Tiki Juice Bar, Troubadour Tavern.

Safety Precautions: I realize everyone has a different level of comfort when it comes to covid, but I really feel like Disneyland had gone above and beyond to make guests and cast members safe. Here are some of the new safety precautions they are taking…

• Temperature screening before entering the park
• Spaced out lines
• Character greetings from a distance
• Wiping down railings, tables and other surfaces constantly
• Rides where the cue was mostly inside they have re-arranged to be mostly outside
• Currently no large shows or parades to avoid people gathering in close proximity
• Less people on rides with plexiglass dividers

NEW: So what is new at the parks? Snow White’s Enchanted Wish has been re-imagined and is SO much better than before! I was never a huge fan of the ride because it was so dark and scary for young kids, but now it is cheerful and has a beautiful ending.

There is a new Avengers photo op at DCA that is super cute for the super hero fan! It makes us so excited for Avengers Campus opening June 4th! We will be headed back to the parks on June 15th to check it out, so stayed tuned for more on that soon!

Overall, we had a great experience and can’t wait for Disneyland to bring back the Annual Passholder system so we can go to the parks more often. I definitely think going right now has some major advantages, like low wait times for rides and less busy overall. I did notice that weekend wait times are longer than weekdays, which is very typical. So if you do go, I always say to try to go on a weekday if possible. If you have any questions about Disneyland Re-Opening, make sure to leave them below!

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Thanks for reading about Disneyland Re-Opening, to see what Disney World is like after it re-opened, you can see our experience by CLICKING HERE!