A Day at Disneyland Resort’s Reopening
Last week, Disneyland reopened to the public. Since theme park reservations are currently only available for California residents, I couldn’t attend myself — but I got the next best thing! My bestie and Disneyland local @EpcotAdam attended on reopening day and agreed to share his experience with me for any readers who may be planning a Disneyland trip in the near future.
Before COVID-19, Adam visited Disneyland pretty often so finally making it back after so many months was well overdue for this Disney Parks fan. @EpcotAdam is the world’s biggest Country Bear Jamboree fan, and he’s very fond of one of Walt Disney World’s theme parks — I’ll let you guess which one. He’s a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder and Disney Vacation Club Member, which gave him the opportunity to experience Walt Disney World Resort a few times since its reopening in July 2020.
Adam visited both Disney California Adventure Park and Disneyland Park on April 30, 2021, and he was sweet enough to grab some photos while visiting, too! I’m excited to share his experience on Kait Around The Kingdom and thanks to his interview and the information released by Disneyland I’ll be able to create a guide next week for anyone (probably California residents) currently planning their next Disneyland vacation.
When did you take your first trip to Disneyland?
Wow, I’m going to super-date myself here but according to my mom, it was October of 1987 when I was almost two years old! She says that I was scared of the characters but loved Storybook Land, Casey Jr, Dumbo, and the Carousel!
What’s it like living fairly close to the Happiest Place on Earth?
To be honest, it’s been pretty magical, to say the least! My entire life, I’ve lived roughly 60 miles away from Disneyland, so it’s always been close enough to escape for a day trip whenever I could fit it into my schedule! Pre-COVID, I was a passholder for the last 26 years of my life, so once I got my driver’s license 19 years ago, I was able to go any time I wanted to. (And believe me, I took advantage of that as much as I could!) Thanks to California traffic, even though I live in Los Angeles, 60 miles could mean anywhere from 1-4 hours of driving time. To cut down on time, I’ve learned to plan my drives around the typical traffic schedule! I like to think of it as a skill at this point and might put it on my next resume.
When was your last trip to the Disneyland Resort before the COVID-19 shutdown?
*Checks iPhone camera roll for exact date* My last trip before the shutdown was February 16, 2020, so just about one month before it closed.
You’ve experienced Walt Disney World and now Disneyland since they have both reopened, how were the experiences similar?
The reopening of both resorts have been similar in most ways! It seems like Disney has implemented all of the same safety precautions in Disneyland that they’ve had in place at Walt Disney World since the parks reopened there last July. There are signs everywhere detailing the mask requirement, social distancing measures, and handwashing and sanitizing protocols. On a similar note, throughout all of the parks, you’ll find numerous handwashing stations, as well as hand sanitizer dispensers at nearly every entrance and exit for each attraction, restaurant, and store.
How were the experiences different?
The main difference I found between the two sets of parks is really just the lack of space Disneyland has overall when compared to Walt Disney World. In Disneyland, there is much less space to socially distance, especially when it comes to queues for attractions and shops, though it was still done effectively!
Do you think experiencing Walt Disney World since its reopening helped to prepare you for Disneyland’s reopening?
I definitely think experiencing Walt Disney World first helped to prepare me for Disneyland’s reopening. Having an idea of how procedures would be handled, from the masks and distancing to things like only eating and drinking when you’ve pulled off to the side of walkways away from everyone else, really helped me in managing my expectations and knowing what to expect compared to how things used to be!
What are a few main differences you’ve noticed since Disneyland Resort reopening in the parks?
Spacing: I think the lack of space in Disneyland really affects how things are done in a post-COVID shutdown world. So much of Disneyland is incredibly compact, so when you have queues where each group must be distanced six feet apart, the length of the lines can look very intimidating when you see how far they stretch through the park. For example, when we were leaving for the night, we were walking back to the hub through Frontierland and saw a line coming through the entrance to the land. We were very confused as to what the line could be for, but later found out it was for the newly refurbished Snow White’s Enchanted Wish which is located in Fantasyland, a whole land away! Also, since Jungle Cruise is currently closed, its western neighbor, Indiana Jones Adventure, is using the upper level of the Jungle Cruise queue as an overflow area to keep people properly distanced.
Shopping: When it comes to shopping in the parks, be mindful and pay attention to any signs you may see outside of stores. It seems like some stores in both parks were utilizing the virtual queue method of social distancing, and those same stores have designated entrances and exits so just make sure to make sure you’re finding the right entrance to the store when it’s your turn! If you can’t find it, find the nearest smiling face of a CM who would be more than happy to assist you!
Characters: At the moment, there are no character meet and greets as we knew them pre-pandemic. Disney has really done a great job in still having character experiences for the guests, though. As soon as we walked under the train tracks in Disneyland, we saw the Fab Five plus Chip ‘n’ Dale hanging out on the train station steps and interacting with guests from a bit of a distance.
We also saw Mary Poppins, Burt, Alice, Winnie The Pooh, and Tigger hanging out in the Small World mall area at various points throughout the day!
In DCA, there was a roped-off area around the fountain at the center of Buena Vista Street where we saw a variety of characters taking pictures with and interacting with guests, including
Snow White, Dopey, and the fab five in their Buena Vista Street attire!
Parking: While the parking situation at the Disneyland Resort remains mostly unchanged (though the off-site Toy Story parking lot no longer exists), there is one difference everyone will notice if parking at the Mickey and Friends parking structure: there are no longer trams! Unfortunately, due to social distancing measures, trams are not being used at the moment, so if you park at the parking structure, you’ll have a nice ten or so minute walk ahead of you on your way to the gates once you pass through the security checkpoint on the first level of the parking structure. If you require a wheelchair, ECV or stroller, they are now available for rental here near the security checkpoint!
What top tips do you have for guests visiting Disneyland soon?
While I would love for everyone’s Disneyland trips to be 100% magic, I think that it would be smart for guests to manage their expectations when visiting Disneyland soon. That’s not to say that it’s a bad experience now, but it’s just different with all of the safety protocols and guidelines in place. If you go to either set of parks expecting things to go exactly how they did prior to the shutdown, I think you would be disappointed. If instead you go in with an open mind and are just so grateful to be back like I was, you’ll see right past the distancing and mask-wearing, and find yourself overjoyed by being back in the magic!
Have you booked another trip to the parks since reopening day?
I have! Although my bank account hates me for it, I have another visit booked for a friend’s birthday on May 21, 2021. And let’s be honest, there are probably many more visits coming in the near future as well. I’m just so incredibly happy to have my home park back!
The Happiest Place on Earth is finally welcoming guests again, and if you’re ready to start planning your first trip back after the reopening you can check out my other posts below:
All photos from this post were provided by @EpcotAdam! You can follow his Disney adventures on Instagram here. (If you’re in need of any Disneyland tips, shoot him a DM!)