It’s been a long, strange year and many of us are really excited to hear that Disneyland will reopen in late April. Are there some restrictions to the 2021 re-opening of the Disneyland Resort? Well, yes. Here is what to expect when Disneyland re-opens more than a year after a global pandemic closed its gates. This post has been updated as of 4/7/21
Breaking news: Disneyland will reopen its gates on April 30, 2021. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa will reopen to guests on April 29, 2021. The other two hotels remain closed until further notice. The brand new theme park reservation system is not yet accepting reservations and there has not been an announcement on theme park ticket prices.
What is open at Disneyland Right Now?
Disneyland Resort is currently closed as of today (3/14/21). The only areas open to the public are the Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street located within the gates of California Adventure Park. Tickets are not required for entry to either location.
Related: What to expect at Downtown Disney since re-opening
Buena Vista Street will be close March 15, 2021 to prepare for A Touch of Disney.
A Touch of Disney is a new, TICKETED, experience that opens on Thursday, March 18th. Buena Vista Street will reopen on this date and be part of the A Touch of Disney experience. It will no longer be free to enter Buena Vista Street once A Touch of Disney begins.
Not to get all Eeyore on you but tickets to A Touch of Disney are $75/per person for guests 3 years old and over. I personally think its overpriced considering the whole purpose of the event is to draw people in to spend even more money on food and Disney merchandise.
No open attractions or rides but expect a “new way” to meet Disney characters. I don’t have any inside Disneyland intel but I am going to bet character meet and greets are similar to what we saw during the 2020 holiday season with Santa behind plexiglass.
A Touch of Disney ticket price includes:
- $25 dining card redeemable at select dining locations.
- Parking in the Mickey & Friends parking structure beginning at 11:30 am.
- Unlimited digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass photos taken throughout the experience.
Get more information about A Touch of Disney here including how to get tickets and details on dining and open attractions.
Related: Complete Guide of Needs for Disney Travel
When and How Will Disneyland Reopen?
Disneyland is set to reopen on April 30, 2021. However, ticket prices and the new theme park reservation system has not opened up yet.
Here is what you can expect when Disneyland re-opens: a limited Disney experience. What’s that mean anyway?
Are masks required when Disneyland reopens?
Definitely.
Facial coverings are required to be worn at all times on guests 2 years old and older. The only exception is while actively eating or drinking. Disneyland Cast Members are now taxed with reminding guests to stay masked and guests will be removed from the park for not following guidelines. Additionally, masks must meet Disneyland’s approved criteria (read the mask FAQ here). Don’t come to Disneyland with your ineffective plastic mouth shield because it’s not gonna cut it.
Guests who have been vaccinated against the Coronavirus must still wear a mask when visiting Disneyland.
I would assume social distancing rules will be similar to what we’ve seen in Downtown Disney since last summer. This includes signage and ground markings indicating a safe space to stand and physical barriers such as plexiglass to separate parties.
How To Get A Park Reservation to Disneyland
Disneyland will launch a brand new park reservation system on April 12, 2021 for guests currently holding tickets to the park. to help manage the attendance at the Disneyland Resort and California Adventure Park. All we can say is, may the force be with you. New Disneyland ticket sales will begin April 15, 2021. Find more information about Disneyland ticket sales here.
You will need both a park ticket and a reservation prior to visiting the park.
What we do know about Disneyland Park ticket reservations:
- All guests are required to obtain a reservation including Annual Passholders (though they “sunset” the Annual Passholder program, so we’re not exactly sure who they’re referring to here).
- Reservations will be subject to availability.
- There will be no new ticket sales, no Annual Passholder sales or renewals.
- Magic Mornings and Extra Magic Hours will not be available.
- FastPass and Disneyland MaxPass will not be available.
- Disneyland Resort and California Adventure will be open to in-state visitors only (until further notice).
There are some rumors that Disneyland will eventually move to an AM and PM ticket reservation distribution. This means AM guests will have park access for limited hours before PM guests replace them.
How much will Disneyland Tickets Costs in April 2021?
The price of Disneyland tickets upon re-opening in late April 2021 remains unconfirmed. We will update this information as it becomes available.
How Many People is 15% at Disneyland?
California’s guidelines state that Disneyland is only allowed to let in 15% of their regular capacity under the red tier. As of 3/14/21, Orange County has reached the red tier which means if Disneyland opened today it could let in 15,000 guests. Disneyland’s regular capacity is nearly 80,000 people.
15,000 people at Disneyland is a damn dream.
When Orange County reaches the orange tier, state guidelines will allow 25% of Disneyland’s regular capacity which equals 20,000 people.
California’s yellow tier allows for 35% of regular capacity which equals 28,000 people.
It is unclear if and when Disneyland will operate at full capacity.
How Many Rides Will Be Open at Disneyland?
We were originally worried that only a handful of rides would reopen. In fact, we originally reported that rides like Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and crowd favorite Rise of the Resistance would not be allowed to open.
We are very happy to report that we were wrong. The list of rides that remain closed is much shorter than the list of rides that will open. Both of the popular new rides in Star Wars Land will be open, although Rise of the Resistance might continue its use of a virtual queue (fine by me!) For a full list of the rides and attractions that will be available when Disneyland reopens, click here.
Thoughts on indoor dining at Disneyland: As of the update of this post, indoor dining is currently allowed in Orange County at 50% capacity. We assume this will extend to Disneyland, but they may decide to keep stricter rules in the beginning.
Pros and Cons of Disneyland Reopening
As with all things, Disneyland is going to be different for some time.
I long to spend a day in the park, kicking butt at Astro Blaster, spilling popcorn everywhere, dancing along Main Street U.S.A, dodging strollers, waving bubbles blowing endlessly from an Ariel bubble wand from my face, singing along with It’s a Small World, taking selfies with Aurora, and all the other things everyone loves about Disneyland.
Although Disneyland won’t be exactly like it once was, we are looking forward to smaller crowds, a return to one of our favorite places, making memories with our families. Ticket prices are sure to be a buzzkill, though.
But what about some more pros: corn dogs, Dole Whips, balloons, mint juleps, Cinderella’s Castle, getting dizzy on the Tea Cups, frozen lemonade, orange Tigger tails, red sour cherry balls, lights everywhere, warm cinnamon churros, colorful flowers, ducks, a Storm Trooper yelling at you, spotting one of the Cats of Disneyland, margaritas in hand at California Adventure, silhouette portraits, the park during Halloween, candy canes during Christmas, fireworks and pixie dust.
Will you try to visit Disneyland when it opens in April? What do you think about what to expect when Disneyland re-opens? Will it be worth the cost and headache to get a park reservation or would you rather just wait it out until things eventually get back to the way it was?
Visit our Girls Gone Disney Instagram for breaking information of Disneyland’s 2021 reopening.
