When Disneyland closed its gates at the start of the pandemic last March, no one imagined that the iconic theme park would remain shuttered for more than a year. Yet as California struggled with coronavirus surges, reopening the Happiest Place on Earth—and other theme parks in the state like Universal Studios—was simply not possible until now.
On April 30, Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure opened their parks to visitors for the first time in nearly 14 months. At long last, Disney fans could see, touch, and taste every bit of the Disney experience they were craving in lockdown.
But accessing that special Disney magic now involves a few more steps. (Figuratively and literally, as the tram that takes guests into the park is no longer operating; more on that below.) Here’s what to know about the newly reopened Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, from someone who has been.
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Tickets and reservations
As with buying a ticket for Florida’s Walt Disney World, which reopened last July, visitors to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure need to purchase a ticket and make a reservation to visit. What’s different here is that Disneyland is open only to California residents for the time being—no out-of-state visitors allowed.
Disneyland is also capping its crowd capacity at 25 percent, which is why you cannot show up to the park with just a ticket, but must also have a reservation as well. Because of the reservation process and capacity limits, all tickets must be purchased online and in advance.
While many dates sold out when Disneyland first opened ticket sales on April 15, the park is slowly adding more dates through the first week of July (most weekends are booked; weekdays have more availability).
Park hopping
Disneyland is issuing park hopper tickets so visitors can see both Disneyland and California Adventure on the same day. However, visitors can’t go back and forth between the parks like before. They must start the day in one park and then wait until 1pm to switch over to the other park. Both parks close at 7 p.m., but that will change on May 15 when the closing time moves to 9 p.m.
Entering the parks
This is one of the biggest changes at Disneyland and California Adventure. After parking and getting through security, visitors normally hop on a tram that delivers them to Downtown Disney, and the grand esplanade that leads to both park entrances. But the tram is no more: visitors now have to walk about 10 minutes from the parking area to get to the esplanade.
Wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers are now available to rent at the security checkpoint before this journey begins (for the day, wheelchairs are $15, scooters are $60, and strollers are $18 or $36, depending on if you rent a single or double). There are benches for sitting and resting, but it’s still a long walk and feels even longer at the end of the day. In short, wear comfortable shoes.
Screening and safety protocols
Temperature checks now take place at the security and screening checkpoint outside the parking garages. Visitors over the age of two must wear a mask at all times, unless eating or drinking. Note that cast members are monitoring park-goers to make sure their masks are on—and will remind visitors as needed.