Suggestions for Visiting Disneyland with COVID-19 Restrictions

Dreaming of visiting the “Happiest Place on Earth”?

Whereas Disneyland and California Journey had been closed for nearly all of 2020, the 2 parks have reopened…with some main modifications.

Till June fifteenth, the park is just permitting California residents. After that, it’s opening as much as everybody else!

Each parks will proceed to function at a restricted capability and quite a few issues are at present closed or are being refurbished.

As a heads up, reveals and fireworks are usually not at present working, and whereas they’re doing their greatest to create that *Disney magic,* this does immediately affect the rationale experience traces are so lengthy. It’s just about all there may be to do proper now.

Wait occasions are additionally lengthy due to social distancing within the queues and on the rides. Ordering meals can also be fairly complicated, and there are a variety of limitations to what’s on supply.

Planning is essential with regards to making your Disney journey come true. So, should you’re a spontaneous/go-with-the-flow kind of individual, chances are you’ll wish to wait on making a visit to Disney. In any other case, chances are you’ll find yourself significantly pissed off with how a lot planning the journey requires (particularly on the day of your go to).

That stated, should you’ve been counting down the times to get again to Disney, I’ll provide the COMPLETE rundown!

Right here’s what you have to know when planning a visit to Disneyland and/or California Journey with COVID-19 restrictions.

Issues to Know Earlier than You Go

Earlier than I get into the super-specific particulars and technique that will help you plan your go to, I needed to deal with among the most often requested questions that I’ve been getting:

That is so complicated. The place do I begin?

Admittedly, among the enjoyable was taken out of our expertise as a result of every part is so sophisticated and complicated. We made loads of errors as a result of there isn’t clear data to make the perfect determination. I’ll do my greatest to simplify and clarify every step of planning and supply my private opinion on one of the best ways to go to!

How a lot does it value?

This is dependent upon which tier of ticket you get, what number of days you’re spending there, what number of parks you wish to go to, and all of the added prices of meals, and parking.

After we booked our tickets, the method was tremendous complicated since you had to purchase your ticket and make a reservation in separate steps. They’ve now simplified the reserving course of into one step, however there are nonetheless 5 completely different tiers of ticket costs on high of getting 1-day and park hopper choices. Plus, you may solely e-book your ticket on days the place there’s an accessible reservation for the park you wish to go to.

Confused but? Don’t fear! I’ll break this down step-by-step later on this submit in its personal part.

On the precise rides are you socially distanced? What sort of cleansing protocols are in place?

Each queue has tape markers so every visitor occasion stands 6 toes aside. For rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World, you usually have 10+ folks multi functional boat and line occasions are normally quick. However with the distancing measures, they had been spacing company out by not less than three rows so solely 1-2 events (solely 4 folks at occasions) can be in a single boat.

That is why sure experience occasions are extremely lengthy.

For rides just like the Toy Story Halfway Mania the place you’re holding a laser gun, you get on as quickly because the final individual will get off.

There’s nothing being sanitized or cleaned. Personally, loads of the distancing precautions appear form of pointless particularly as a result of issues weren’t being cleaned in between. There wasn’t somebody coming round to wipe down consuming surfaces, each desk we sat at was soiled and we wiped it ourselves with moist wipes.

All in all, social distancing is EXTREMELY in place, whereas cleansing appeared subpar/non-existent.

Have been the wait occasions lengthy?

For probably the most half, sure. Though the park is working at a lowered capability, as a result of people are spaced out on the rides you gained’t get on sooner. Additionally, as a result of reveals and meet-ups with characters aren’t at present taking place, everyone seems to be just about there for the rides.

That stated, I had some folks message me who went in Might they usually stated the wait occasions weren’t unhealthy in any respect they usually virtually walked on. It doubtless is dependent upon what day you go as Disney is figuring issues out as they go.

As a notice, the park would possibly really look fairly crowded as a result of the traces are redirected to be fully outdoor and everyone seems to be standing 6ft aside.

We did discover that it doesn’t matter what the listed queue time was estimated, they by no means took fairly as lengthy.

Do you suppose if somebody is visiting for the primary time, they need to wait till after COVID?

I’d say positively wait till after COVID as soon as the park returns to regular. Should you reside domestically otherwise you’ve been to Disney fairly a bit, then it might be effective for you. However, for a first-time expertise, I’d completely wait as a lot of the Disney magic isn’t again but.

Are there fireworks proper now?

At the moment, firework reveals are usually not taking place. You’ll be able to test this calendar to see what’s on the schedule (at this writing of June 2021, no reveals, no fireworks, no parades are on the calendar).

Are quick passes accessible?

Nope. I’ll get into this beneath however you must be a part of line queues for rides and quick passes are usually not accessible proper now, nor are single rider traces.

The place did you keep?

As a result of we reside comparatively shut, we drove there and again in a day. Should you’re seeking to keep in a resort listed below are a number of choices:

Did the 1 pm Park Hopper Go create a giant surge of crowds at the moment?

We had been the primary in line to maneuver over to Disneyland from California Journey. After we really bought to go in at 1 pm and there have been perhaps 100 folks behind us. There have been some slowly trickling in surges, however we didn’t discover that Disneyland queue occasions went up after that. So it didn’t appear unhealthy in any respect.

How far prematurely ought to I order fast meals and snacks?

I’ll go into extra element about this beneath, however round an hour earlier than you wish to eat. Like I stated earlier, it takes fairly a little bit of planning! If you would like a assured dinner time, positively make restaurant reservations.

How was parking?

Parking was okay — my solely grievance was that we arrived a couple of minutes early (7:26 am) they usually opened the parking line at 7:30 am on the dot — so they’d us drive across the neighborhood to come back again at 7:30 am. Not an enormous deal; I understand they’ve practices in place to stop automotive congestion.

The constructions accessible are Mickey & Pals and the Pixar Buddies Parking Constructions. The tram isn’t accessible to move company proper now. Parking is $25.

If in any respect attainable, I’d advocate staying at a resort the evening earlier than so you may stroll to the park and keep away from having to attend to park.

Do you have to present vaccine proof to get in?

I didn’t want to offer vaccine proof for entry.

Do I would like to offer a California ID?

They didn’t test my ID and I don’t suppose I needed to enter my tackle when buying tickets, however I wouldn’t benefit from this (simply in case).

When had been you allowed to take your masks off?

You aren’t allowed to take your masks off within the park until you’re snacking or in a delegated consuming space. After which the masks goes proper again on. They’re VERY strict about masks for the time being. You completely can not take it off exterior of designated areas. Not even to drink water whereas ready in line.

Necessary Dates to Take into account Earlier than Shopping for Tickets

A listing of essential dates that may influence your expertise:

• June 4, 2021: Avengers Campus opens
• June 15, 2021: California set to completely reopen (this might imply that Disney might be able to enhance to full capability); folks from exterior of California will now be allowed into the Disney Parks
• June 15, 2021: Disney’s Paradise Pier Lodge deliberate to reopen with lowered capability.
• July 2, 2021: Disneyland Lodge deliberate to reopen with lowered capability.
• July 16, 2021: The Jungle Cruise is ready to re-open

Be aware: Splash Mountain is ready to shut someday this 12 months to make refurbishments and remodel it right into a Princess and the Frog-themed experience, however no official dates have been launched to the general public.

Visit the Disneyland ticket calendar. You might want to test which parks can be found on a given day and which tier tickets you’ll need to go to on these days.

Choose the variety of tickets you wish to purchase, the variety of days to your go to, and whether or not you need 1 or 2 parks per day. Then, you’ll need to browse the calendar for availability and pricing.

Toggle between the Parks and Pricing view to see which parks can be found and the fee to go to every day.

For instance, if you wish to e-book a One-Day Disneyland ticket, Tuesday, July thirteenth is just accessible for California Journey. July 14th is Tier 3 for $124 and July seventeenth is Tier 5 for $154.

Should you needed to do a Two-Day Park Hopper Ticket, you’ll need to test the calendar to see which parks can be found as your “Beginning Park.”

TIP: I’d extremely advocate solely visiting on days the place you can begin in Disneyland. Should you’re doing 2 days, it could be okay to start out in a unique park every day IF you wish to experience the favored rides at California Journey proper when the park opens to keep away from traces.

Which Tickets Ought to I Get?

First issues first, I wouldn’t advocate doing what we did, which was the One-Day Park Hopper Ticket beginning at California Journey. I’ll clarify why however do as I say and never as I do (learn: be taught from my errors!).

The kind of ticket for the very best expertise proper now would both be the Two-Day Park Hopper (beginning in Disneyland), the Two-Day (Disneyland solely), or One-Day Disneyland. Personally, I’ve by no means wanted a full day at California Journey. Even on our final go to, we completed with rides by 11 am and had been ready round to enter Disneyland for two hours.

Why wouldn’t I like to recommend a One-Day Park Hopper beginning in California Journey?

For Southern California locals who’re in a position to do what we did — which is to drive to Disneyland and again in a day, we opted for a Park Hopper Go as we’ve been to each parks extra occasions than we are able to rely.

We all know which rides we like driving and which of them we’re effective with skipping. This appeared like the most suitable choice for us as we wouldn’t thoughts beginning our day at California Journey after which spending the remainder of the day at Disneyland. That’s usually how I’d plan for a day on the parks.

Nonetheless, due to all of the restrictions, we didn’t get to have all of the experiences we needed to have.

Right here’s the deal — with the Park Hopper Go you’re solely allowed into the second park (in our case, that was Disneyland) till 1 pm. And that’s a tough 1 pm — there was no getting in earlier as soon as we had been accomplished at California Journey.

This isn’t that large of a deal…until you’re attempting to experience common rides like Indiana Jones or Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. Why? As a result of you must be a part of a digital queue for these rides.

By 1 pm, each rides had been fully booked. We didn’t actually have a probability to hitch the queue. This won’t be a deal-breaker for everybody, however in case you are excited in regards to the new Star Wars rides, you completely want to start out your day in Disneyland.

(I’ll dish extra on digital queues afterward.)

Is it Value it for Disney’s California Journey?

That’s as much as you. We bought into the park early (earlier than the official opening time) and this was Half-hour of pure bliss. We had been mainly in a position to stroll onto rides…after which extra folks began arriving.

I usually LOVE California Journey as a result of there are meals experiences, cool actions, and among the greatest thrill rides. Nonetheless, there aren’t a TON of “large child” rides so we had been accomplished with every part by 11 am and able to transfer on.

The Automobiles experience will all the time have a ridiculously lengthy wait. The whole day we had been on the parks, the queue wait by no means dropped beneath 90 minutes.

California Journey’s queues had been all 45-90 minute waits. As compared, traces at Disneyland had been 55 minutes at most, however many had been Half-hour or much less.

The Disneyland App is Important

Obtain the Disneyland App — create an account, get a ticket, after which you might have a QR code to your ticket in your profile.

All the pieces you do to your go to will probably be within the app together with queue occasions, becoming a member of digital queues Star Wars Rise of the Resistance and Indiana Jones, ordering meals, and checking into the parks. It’s additionally fairly useful for making restaurant reservations prematurely.

Be ready for eating places to be totally booked and to depend on the app closely all through the day of your go to.

Pre-Planning for Your Go to

Obtain the Disneyland App and familiarize your self with the structure.

I’m a giant believer in attempting to keep away from ready in traces as a lot as attainable, so I’d advocate downloading the app not less than the day earlier than simply to get an concept of occasions. Test queue occasions within the morning, mid-day, and within the night to see which rides have the longest wait time.

You could wish to prioritize the rides with longer traces within the morning and splice in shorter ones all through the day.

Should you’ve by no means been to both park earlier than, this will even provide help to get a lay of the land so you may tick issues off and never zigzag by means of the park.

Make Reservations for Eating places

I extremely advocate reserving eating places nicely prematurely (we didn’t and this was such a bummer).

It might have made the expertise a lot better, in my view, as a result of ordering meals with the app took loads of planning with a bunch of 4 with plenty of dietary restrictions. Within the app, you may filter by which park you’ll be at after which filter by eating.

As a notice, the Blue Bayou restaurant inside Pirates of the Caribbean is generally a extremely romantic and upscale restaurant. A part of the romance is that it’s darkish, however due to COVID, they’ve to go away the entrance doorways extensive open which pours shiny gentle into the restaurant.

So it’s not the conventional vibe, and possibly not value it — until you’re going for the meals expertise.

Bringing Snacks

Due to COVID, Disneyland is at present permitting exterior meals and sealed drinks.

This hasn’t been the case prior to now, however as a result of issues are so restricted proper now, that is tremendous useful! Should you don’t wish to carry issues round with you, you may put in lockers meals and drinks. Carry additional snacks and that type of factor!

About Parking and Lockers

The parking construction doesn’t open till 7:30 am so it’s considerably helpful proper now to remain at a resort close by as a result of should you stroll to the park you save loads of time. Plus, it’s $25 to park.

We bought there at 7:26 they usually made us drive by means of the neighborhood and never come again till 7:30.

On the dot.

We then sat within the line of vehicles till about 7:45 after they accepted funds, then we drove in and parked. We didn’t have strollers to cope with or youngsters to get out of the automotive, however should you do have little ones with you, I’d account for not less than one other 10 minutes to get organized.

Following this, you undergo a temperature test and bag checkpoint earlier than you can begin strolling to the park alongside the trail the shuttle would usually function.

From our automotive to the park entrance, it was about 20-25 minutes.

A Be aware on Lockers and Bringing Snacks

There are not any lockers contained in the parks. Lockers are to the left of the Disneyland Park Entrance (exterior of the park) and, no matter COVID or not, I all the time benefit from them!

There are additionally bathrooms at these lockers, in addition to on the backside of the parking construction while you first park, in case you had a protracted drive and wanted a toilet break earlier than going inside.

At any time when we go to Disneyland, as a result of we don’t have youngsters or a stroller, we all the time get a big locker and share it with whoever we’re going with (on this case my dad and mom).

I normally convey a full change of garments together with socks and sneakers (if I’m planning to experience water rides like Splash Mountain) or, on the very least, a jacket for later within the day when it begins to chill off.

There’s a digital code and you’ll entry and lock it as a lot as you need for all the day. It’s $10 for a big (and nicely value it in my view!).

Suggestions for Rides and Experience Queue Instances

I talked to individuals who went they usually had a effective expertise and experience occasions had been regular. That was personally not my expertise. There’s no strategy to predict if it will likely be crowded or if line occasions will probably be lengthy.

The very best recommendation I can supply is to reach earlier than the park opens and beeline it for the joys rides which have the longest wait occasions so that you might be first in line.

For California Journey: Automobiles, Soarin’ over the World, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

For Disney: House Mountain, Splash Mountain (should you’re okay with getting moist, experience this primary or final, most folk wish to experience this within the warmth/center of the day), Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and the Disneyland Railroad.

Within the Disneyland App, you will note experience queue occasions they usually replace continually, so you may resolve what to experience subsequent.

A couple of annoying issues I needed to say:

As a result of queues are redirected to be fully exterior, it may be REALLY arduous to seek out the tip of the road. Disney Solid Members are holding “Line Begins Right here” indicators to point the place a queue begins.

Nonetheless, you won’t be used to getting in line for Pirates of the Caribbean all the way in which previous Huge Thunder Mountain. And, many of those “Line” indicators are usually not branded for the experience they’re for.

Understand that you can’t take off your masks whereas in line for a experience. So, should you’re about to attend 55 minutes to get on a experience, you should definitely quench your thirst or eat your snacks earlier than getting in line.

What Buying Meals Is Like

For my spontaneous buddies on the market, this won’t be your cup of tea.

You might want to plan to order your meals not less than an hour prematurely and pre-book the window of time wherein you’ll wish to order.

You’ll be able to view the menus manner forward of schedule, and maybe that is my greatest recommendation. Should you didn’t make restaurant reservations, browse menus within the Disneyland app and select the place, what and while you wish to eat the day of your go to.

Right here’s the way it works:

Let’s say you need a hamburger from Tomorrowland — should you go on the app at 11 am, you have to select your pickup window, which could not be for an hour later.

When you bodily arrive on the restaurant inside your pickup window, you utilize the app to pick “I’m Right here.”

Then, you await them to organize your meals.

I can see how this could be actually tough with youngsters who get cranky after they’re hungry. I’m a grown lady and I get cranky once I’m hungry lol.

I used to be mildly ready for this as a result of I heard it was a nightmare, however I didn’t understand simply how unnecessarily sophisticated it was. When you place your order, that’s it. Should you neglect to order one thing, you may’t simply add it to your order while you arrive.

So, you should definitely double-check your order and there are not any modifications.

The one issues that don’t require you to order by means of the app are popcorn and churro stands. For these, there will probably be socially distanced queues. We waited about quarter-hour in line for popcorn. And, they ran out of churros the day of our go to.

Methods for Visiting the Disneyland Parks

Use loos, get a locker and go straight into whichever park you’ve bought a ticket for. Should you do select to do California Journey first, the one time we had been in a position to get on something was very first thing within the morning because the park was opening.

Beginning in California Journey

Get to the park earlier than opening and get to the Automobiles experience (the wait was round 90 minutes for the remainder of the day).

As a notice, there are not any single rider traces proper now! Don’t imagine third occasion apps!

Then, e-book it over to Soarin’ Over the World. Due to social distancing, it’ll take you not less than an hour later within the day as they restrict the variety of folks on every experience.

Then, go to the Guardians of the Galaxy experience (beforehand Tower of Terror).

These three usually have the longest traces, adopted by Toy Story Mania and the Incredicoaster. So, if you may get on these first, it will likely be value it to have began in California Journey.

We felt form of “accomplished” with California Journey by 11 am however, sadly, our Park Hopper Go wouldn’t permit us into Disneyland till 1 pm. Should you’re hungry, this can be the prime time for a snack break because it takes ceaselessly to get meals (I’ll give extra particulars on this in a bit).

Beginning in Disneyland

Should you’re beginning your day at Disneyland or spending your total day there, be a part of the queue for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance and Indiana Jones at 7 am — keep in mind there’s one other 12 pm digital queue should you miss the primary spherical.

As talked about, I extremely advocate stepping into the park earlier than opening so that you might be first in line for a experience.

If you’re going to Disneyland with little youngsters: Head straight onto the Disneyland Railroad for a full loop across the park (should you plan to experience it in any respect). Then, head to It’s a Small World. On the day of our go to, these two rides had a minimal 45-minute wait all the day resulting from social distancing. Then, be ready to attend 20-Half-hour for many of the kiddie rides.

Should you’re going with “large youngsters”/adults: Go straight to Pirates of the Caribbean or House Mountain. Each of those rides persistently have lengthy waits due to social distancing.

TBA  Takeaways

My Remaining Ideas

Is It Value Going to Disneyland Proper Now?

Should you’ve by no means been to Disneyland, wait till Covid restrictions are now not in place.

I’ve been going since I used to be a child and I can drive there in simply an hour or two. It’s a very completely different mentality when you may simply brush it off and say I can go once more anytime.

However, should you’re out of state or reside abroad and also you’ve been saving for this dream journey to Disneyland and it’s your first time going, I’d say simply wait. It’s simply not value it to go proper now. There are some large disappointments and with out the conventional character experiences and magical interactions, it’s simply not the identical.

I’ll say that should you’re keen to go (only for the rides) and perceive that it gained’t be the identical or probably the most regular “Happiest Place on Earth,” then go for it.

Decrease your expectations and perceive that they’re opening amidst a pandemic so issues aren’t going to be regular.

That stated, with COVID restrictions, I actually wouldn’t do each parks. For spontaneous folks, this isn’t the time to go to, you can be endlessly pissed off and spend a lot time in your telephone planning out your day. If you would like a snack or meals you must plan an hour prematurely.

Should you’ve bought any questions relating to your journey to Disneyland or California Journey throughout COVID restrictions, please let me know within the feedback beneath!