Disneyland Reopening: Everything you need to KNOW!

The Disneyland park has reopened after over a year being closed, magic returned on April 30, 2021, for California residents only!  Out of state residents returned on June 15th and I was there!  In order to visit Disneyland you MUST have a reservation.  I don’t see them ever taking the reservation system away, get used to it.  In this post I’ll share all the details about how to get tickets and reservations for the parks.  I’ve got arrival tips, parking information, refurbishments, entertainment is back, single riders and more.  Hang on there’s lots of information to share!  This post contains affiliate links which means I make a little something when you purchase through the link with no extra cost to you.

Theme park reservations

To enter Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure park, both a theme park reservation and valid admission ticket for the same park on the same date are required for guests ages 3 and up. Guests must have a valid theme park admission ticket in order to make a reservation. Theme park reservations are available online, in advance only, for a specific date, subject to availability.  Theme park reservations can now be made up to 120 days in advance.  If you have a multi-day ticket, you must make a park reservation for each date of your visit. 

Need theme park tickets?

Single day tickets will be available for purchase on the Disneyland website.  But if you want to purchase 2 day or more tickets I recommend purchasing from Get Away Today for discounted multi-day Disneyland tickets.  Keep in mind multi day tickets have to be used within 13 days of the first day of use.  And these tickets can be used for any day, no certain days blocked or based on tiers.  Plus they offer the only refundable Disneyland ticket.  I always purchase my tickets through through Get Away Today for many reasons.  One, they are a Disney partner, the same tickets, but at a discounted price. Two, their website is user friendly and they have top notch customer service.  The tickets once purchased are emailed to you immediately and then you can make your theme park reservation.  You will link your tickets to your Disneyland account and make a park reservation.  I 100% trust and guarantee these tickets for those who have never purchased through Get Away Today.  I have worked with them for years and they have worked with Disney for over 32 years!

Park Hopper Tickets

Guests who purchase or have a Park Hopper ticket and an appropriate park reservation may visit the second park on the same day beginning at 1 PM. Please check the Park Hours calendar and the Disneyland app for the most up-to-date Park Hopper hours, as they could start earlier at a later date, depending on the day and park. Guests with Park Hopper tickets must make a park reservation for the first park they plan to visit AND enter that first park prior to visiting the other park.  There have been no problems park hopping from park to park.  And you can go back and forth as much as you want after 11 a.m.

Update on Face Coverings

The following announcement was shared on the Disneyland website.  “It is strongly recommended that Guests wear face coverings when indoors and in enclosed transportation. Face coverings are required for all Guests, regardless of vaccination status, in certain indoor health settings, such as in First Aid. Face coverings are optional for Guests in outdoor areas.”

Everything you need to know about FOOD

There is so much to cover with the food available, changes in menus, planning your meals now and more that I’ve created a whole other blog post.  Hop over there for everything from mobile ordering to where you can find your favorite foods and my TOP picks!

What will be open and closed in each park?

I’ve updated this section to now only read what’s still closed.  If you don’t see it on here then it has reopened.  Most of the parks are back to normal operating so I’ll just share and update when these things reopen.

Disneyland attractions CLOSED

• Star Wars Launch Bay

NEW virtual queues at Disneyland and DCA

UPDATE:  The virtual queue no longer in use on any of the attractions, but could come back at anytime so I’ll leave this information here.  Read how to get a virtual queue before your visit.  And I recommend joining the virtual queue for the best spots to view World of Color, check this post.  Disney says they will open the virtual queue as needed.  So far we have not seen it reopen since they took it away.  The best way to plan your day and fit in all the rides can be found on this Disneyland strategy post or this Disney California Adventure strategy post.   A virtual queue is just a fancy way of saying you’re in line but you don’t have to stand and wait in an actual line. Instead of waiting in a physical line you can enjoy other things in the park until it’s your turn to go on the ride.  Joining the virtual queue on your phone in the Disneyland app requires some explanation and practice before you go to the parks.  Find the whole tutorial with step by step instructions and photos in this post.  Tips for the virtual queues

Single Rider is BACK!!!

Single rider is back.Here’s a list of all rides that have a single rider line in each park.  These are subject to change.

Disneyland list

• Matterhorn
• Millennium Falcon 
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain 

Disney’s California Adventure list

• Goofy’s Sky School 
• Grizzly River Run 
• Radiator Springs Racers 
• Incredicoaster 
• WEB Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure

For access to the single rider line just go to the entrance of the ride and tell the cast member you want to go in the single rider line.  The exception to this rule is on Space Mountain and Splash Mountain.  For those rides you go to the exit to access the single rider line.

Services NOT available 

• FASTPASS new Disney Genie+ read more here
• Disney MaxPass 
• Magic Morning was replaced with Early Entry which happens daily.
• Extra Magic Hour, but starting August 8, 2022 Disney will implement a new perk Early Entry for on property hotel guests.  Read more here.

Character interactions

You can meet characters again, stand in lines and get autographs.  But you can also take selfies with characters wandering throughout the park.  It’s kind of a mix of what we knew before the parks closed and characters wandering around interacting with guests.  Here are a few of the locations where you can find characters over in Disneyland.

• Mickey Mouse and some of his pals will be at the Main Street, U.S.A. railroad station. 
• Disney Princesses are back at their meet and greet in the Royal Hall.
• Rapunzel and Flynn over near her tower by the Royal Theatre.
• Tinkerbell is back at Pixie Hollow.
• Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook, Mary Poppins, Bert, Pinocchio and Geppetto rotate  over near It’s a Small World
• Captain Jack Sparrow, Redd and Tiana from the balconies in New Orleans Square
• Miguel Pixar’s “Coco” and Mirabel from Entancto near Rancho del Zocolo in Frontierland.
• Stitch is over by Autopia and can be seen from Star Wars Launch Bay.
• Rey, Chewbacca and Vi Moradi may be spotted above the speeder garage at Black Spire Station in Galaxy’s Edge
• Kylo Ren plus Stormtroopers will be patrolling the platform of the TIE Echelon starfighter

Character sightings at Disney California Adventure park include …

• Disney Jr. Show is back at the Theater in Hollywood Land.
• Anna and Elsa near the fountain in front of Carthay Circle Lounge.
• Mickey in his Buena Vista outfit and other characters near the fountain as well.
• Lightning McQueen, Mater and Red will be out along Route 66.
• Edna and Frozone near the Incredicoaster.
• Nick Wilde from Zootopia next to Little Mermaid
• Big Al from Country Bears over near Redwood Creek Challenge entrance
• Over in Avengers Campus you can see so many super heroes throughout the day … Black Widow, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Black Panther and the Dora Milaje to name a few.

Park Hours

You can find updated park hours in the app.  On the home page scroll all the way to the bottom and view hours. Even though the park hours start at 8 a.m. guests are allowed in the parks before that time.  The time varies but usually 30 minutes before the park officially opens.  I always recommend arriving at least an hour before the scheduled park opening hours.  This gives you time to go through security, the gates (when they open), snap a few pictures and be well on your way to your first attraction.  But read below if you’re parking at Mickey and Friends parking lot. 

Parking

Theme park parking is available at the Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals parking structures, located off Disneyland Drive for a $30 fee.  The parking structures open 60 minutes before the official park hours for that day.  The trams are back now!  No more walking the tram route to get to the gates.  See below for other parking options. There are a few parking options on the Harbor side as well.  The Toy Story parking lot is now open 60 minutes before the official park hours too.  See map below.  You can park here for $30 and then a bus will take you over to the Harbor entrance.  The nice thing about this option is you go through security in the parking lot.  When you are dropped off on the Harbor side you have a separate entrance right into the Esplanade, you bypass the Harbor side security checkpoint. 

The Anaheim hotel, offers parking, the Anaheim Garden Walk is across Harbor and down the street (about 7-8 min walk).  You pay by the hour at the Garden Walk to park.  The first hour is free and then it’s $3 per hour to park up to $30 total for the day.  Plus this location is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.  The Best Western, Fairfield Inn, Tropicana and Grand Legacy no longer offer parking.  The last option is Uber or Lyft to the Harbor side entrance and get dropped off.  These locations and prices are subject to change. 

Arrival tips

Everyone wants to know what time to arrive.  I always recommend arriving an hour before the official park hours posted.  This allows you to hit the rides first thing before lines start to build up.  If that’s your goal plan to arrive by 7:00 a.m.  No matter which side you line up on that will give you plenty of time to get through security and the entrance turnstiles.  They are letting guests through security about an hour before the posted park hours and through the gates around 7:30 a.m.  

The lines move quickly in the morning.  They look long, but Disney has it down to a science.  For more about rope drop I recommend reading this post.

Hotel Reservations

• For guests planning on staying at a Disneyland Resort property, hotel reservations do not guarantee park access. Guests will need to make theme park reservations on their own.
• If you plan to visit the theme parks during your stay, get your theme park reservation prior to making your hotel reservation.
• To find a hotel near Disneyland check pricing here. And if you’d like hotel recommendations this post has over 20 options.  

Guests with disabilities  

The parks are very accommodating for guests with disabilities.  Just as before Disney offers a DAS pass for guests.  You can read more on their website here.  At this time if you need to rent an ECV, wheelchair etc. you can find them at the front gates or at the Mickey & Friends parking structure.  If you’d like to rent and secure a scooter, wheelchair etc. before you arrive, I have used A Scooter 4 U several times.  Call Jerry at 562-697-7725 and tell him I sent you for the best rental fee.  He can deliver to hotels or meet you at the park.

General Information:

• EVERYTHING you need to know about food, menus, my top picks and more can be found here.
• You can leave the park and go to Downtown Disney at any time and have no problem returning back inside a park.
• A new Magic Key program is available, replacing the old annual pass program.
• Also Rider Switch/Swap is available.  To learn more about this great option for groups with children too young to ride click here.
• Character dining, more details on this post!
• Downtown Disney parking and info found on this post.
• Nighttime shows returning everything you need to know for parades, fireworks, World of Color and Fantamsic!

Check back on this post frequently if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland anytime soon.  I will update as needed.  Make sure you’re following along on Instagram for the most current day to day information and news!

Pin this post to your Disneyland planning board!