Disneyland News: Shows End, New Hotels, Health Tours & Newsom’s Still “Stubborn”
We’re back with a round-up of the latest news from Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, with a range of interesting stories from stage shows ending to new hotels opening around Anaheim to Governor Newsom’s just-concluded Monday press conference that touched upon guidelines for theme parks several times.
Let’s start with the sad news. “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” and “Mickey and the Magical Map” have ended their runs at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland due to the continued uncertainty while the parks await reopening guidelines from California, Disney officials told the OC Register.
End of run notices have been sent to 214 actors in the “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” at Disney California Adventure and “Mickey and the Magical Map” at Disneyland, according to the American Guild of Variety Artists representative Steve Rosen. This will result in the layoff of approximately 70% of the AGVA members currently employed at Disneyland Resort.
It was widely assumed that these shows would be dark for the foreseeable future, even upon the reopening of Disneyland and DCA. Disney has already stated that nightly fireworks, Magic Happens Parade, Fantasmic, and World of Color would go on temporary hiatus with the return of the parks. Walt Disney World also has not brought back any stage shows of comparable scale to “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” and “Mickey and the Magical Map.”
The silver lining here, if there is one, is that the shows could still return in the future. “An end of run notice means ‘technically’ that the shows are permanently closed, but Disney has sent end of run notices in the past and then subsequently reopened the show” Rosen stated.
Given the unprecedented nature of the current circumstances, development costs of new shows, and popularity of both the Frozen and Magical Map productions, we’re hopeful this is the case. Still, pretty devastating news.
Next, Disneyland Resort has unveiled the Backlot Premiere Shop Located in Stage 17. The location adds needed shopping capacity, as World of Disney often is overwhelmed by demand. Backlot Premiere Shop features an assortment of merchandise from World of Disney, Disney Home, and the Disney Dress Shop.
This store is actually inside Disney California Adventure and was previously used for the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Play It! attraction before the big overhaul of DCA. Our friends over at TouringPlans have a tour of the Disneyland Resort Backlot Premiere Shop.
Next, some Anaheim hotel news. One of the things this blog has covered extensively is off-site hotels near Disneyland. We moved to California right around the time of the area hotel boom, and we have made a point of staying in as many properties as possible–even after leaving the state. Thus far, we’ve ranked and reviewed 47 hotels near Disneyland, and that is a point of pride (for some odd reason).
Anyway, we were hoping to be back in California when the new JW Marriott Anaheim Resort debuted, but that didn’t happen. It’s now been operating for about a month, and is the first of two new AAA Four-Diamond hotels opening in Anaheim in 2020, joining the Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel as the city’s only other luxury hotels with the same rating. Located at the Anaheim GardenWalk, the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort has a convenient location within walking distance of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
The other forthcoming luxury hotel in Anaheim is the Westin Anaheim Resort. This was originally scheduled to debut over the summer, but has been delayed until (at least) December 2020. This is located directly behind Pixar Pier on the former grounds of the Anabella Hotel adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center.
This property is fairly massive, with 618 guest rooms and a ton of special events space. With convention business decimated and the future of Disneyland in doubt, we wonder if the Westin will actually end up opening this year. While they seemed like great ideas a few years ago when announced, both of these luxury hotels ended up finishing construction at the worst possible time.
Finally, we get to the latest Disneyland reopening updates. We aren’t going to recap the whole saga here, but Disneyland’s Wild Reopening Ride is worth the read if you want the backstory of the drama. Our best & worst case predictions can be found in When Will Disneyland Reopen? (last updated October 11, 2020).
According to the OC Register, Disneyland has adopted a variety of health and safety recommendations from the Orange County Health Care Agency. That group and the Orange County Communicable Disease Control Division offered recommendations after a tour of Disneyland Resort last week.
Orange County Health Care Agency officials visited Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney to observe and learn first-hand about the extensive health and safety protocols that have been implemented, according to Disney officials.
Disney adopted several health and safety recommendations from Orange County Health officials following a tour of Disneyland & Disney California Adventure, including:
- Adding Spanish language signs with health and safety protocol information
- Placing ground markings outside restrooms to help minimize cross traffic
- Installing additional hand sanitizing stations at attractions
Disneyland Resort representatives said they appreciate the visits by Orange County health officials and look forward to continuing to work closely with them.
Concluding on that same topic, California Governor Gavin Newsom just concluded his Monday press briefing. Before the start of the questions and answers segment–when the issue of Disneyland typically comes up–Newsom preemptively stated that the state has meetings with amusement and theme park leaders in the coming week.
Theme parks once again came up a few times during the Q&A. Most of Newsom’s responses retreaded previous answers, but there were some new wrinkles. For one, he stated that there would be “nuance” to the guidelines depending upon the size of the parks. Some are like “small cities” whereas others are isolated outdoor offerings on a pier, for example. California might offer separate guidance for the latter that might want to “maintain some distinction from those larger well-known brands here in the state.”
When asked if there were outbreaks due to the opening of Walt Disney World (and other businesses), Newsom responded that California will be sending their own team to these sites to see for themselves as to how those operations are working out. He indicated that he takes Disney at its word about safety, but that the state also wanted to inspect things firsthand to understand how policies and safety might translate to California.
Governor Newsom further stated that various counties and states share information about what has worked and hasn’t in terms of best practices, mandates, and messaging. However, he concluded that the difference is: “we are California…we’re going to be stubborn in keeping people’s health front and center.”
Editorializing a bit here, it seems like the appropriate time for California to review operations of Florida’s parks would’ve been anytime within the last several months. Newsom keeps harping on science, data, and health…and that’s starting to ring hollow, especially if the state hasn’t even yet put in the effort to observe or gather data on theme park operations. Gyms and fitness centers are open. Indoor dining is open. Much of Disneyland operates outdoors or in ventilated settings where the likelihood of transmission is lower than both scenarios.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts on Newsom’s latest statements about theme and amusement park guidelines? How do you feel about the lack of a reopening announcement for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure? Is this putting science first, or an arbitrary decision? Disappointed that “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” and “Mickey and the Magical Map” have ended their runs at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland? Thoughts on the new luxury resorts opening in Anaheim? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Florida’s COVID cases are 59% higher than California and deaths are 76% higher than California per capita. Florida is not, by any means, a role model to follow. We are 2 months away from a vaccine that can protect our nation’s most vulnerable. I can wait 2 months.
Also, Japan has been open for a while now. The only difference there? Wearing masks was not politicized.
Tom, I love the work that you’re doing. Thank you. As an SF Bay Area resident, I can attest to the fact that Californians are NOT “working so hard” to keep COVID-19 infections low. Every time I go to San Francisco, or smaller cities in my area, I see 20-somethings (the main source of infections in my area right now) partying, hanging out, taking selfies, hugging each other, without wearing any masks. My friends in LA say the same thing is happening there. In the meantime, the playgrounds were closed for months, even though the science and data pointed to the fact COVID transmission on playgrounds is low risk.
Gavin Newsom doesn’t really care about science. He cares about looking good and saying the right things. Amusement parks are a soft target so he can draw a contrast with himself and more Trump-friendly state governors. In the meantime, the 20-somethings keep partying, and California’s children and elderly folks pay for it.
In fairness, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has been publicly fighting back against the house parties: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-02/cahuenga-pass-party-house-utilities-shut-off Regardless, it’s a losing battle.
The same scenario played out here in Florida over the summer, with the hot weather leading to in-home gatherings that fueled widespread transmission. The problem is that there’s no good way to police this behavior (not that there necessarily should be). Humans are social creatures, and regardless of “lockdown” status, a certain percentage of people are going to gather and socialize in some ways.
That’s why we’ve advocated for a risk mitigation/harm reduction approach. Nothing is ever going to be 100% perfect, but you can give people a less risky alternative (and one that’s economically productive) so they are less likely to opt for the higher risk one.
We are CA residents and just returned from 12 days at WDW in Florida. I can attest to the stringent Covid protocols in place at WDW. We visited all four WDW theme parks and split our stay at three different resorts (Animal Kingdom-Jambo, Polynesian, and Saratoga Springs). Since DVC was having open houses, we also went to tour Grand Floridian, Riviera, Beach Club, Boardwalk. Bay Lake, and Wilderness Lodge. We took Disney transportation (buses, monorails, and gondolas) for our entire visit. We were very reassured by what Disney has in place and Disney is extremely proactive in enforcing their new guidelines. We have been home for just over a week now and feel fine. Newsome is a power hungry little man who is enjoying the control he has over businesses. I remain hopeful that CA will vote the idiot out.
We just returned from an extended weekend in Orlando with visits to WDW and Universal Studios (am I allowed to say their name here?) Having experienced post COVID-19 WDW and Universal Studios, had I known then what I know now, I would have cancelled the trip. The social distancing rules really hinder the experience for me and my family. Long wait times, no shows, no character interactions, most rides altered from their original experience to accommodate social distancing. The trip just wasn’t worth it for us. I’m sure others will disagree completely, but we found ourselves being more frustrated than entertained.
I typically like your column and read it weekly. I think it is irresponsible of you to second guess the governor. These are trying times and as much as I miss Disney, I want this stupid pandemic to get under control. don’t think i don’t have stake in this. I’m an AP and DVC member, have family and friends that work for Disney and want desperately to be back. But people who think they’re immune, can’t get it, won’t wear masks, etc. are putting us all in danger. And until people start being responsible to one another, and quit being selfish, people like Governor Newsom are going to have to take the hit for protecting his state. shame on you.
All I’m advocating for is consistency and transparency. Develop guidelines for various businesses and activities based on risk of transmission, and apply those evenly across the board. If that means theme parks along with other industries remain closed, so be it.
However, that is not what’s happening right now–despite the state’s repeated claims of following “science and data.”
It’s very easy to second guess someone who does not follow through and is getting farther behind while seeing other states that have and are not having lay offs such as CA.
I agree with Cindy. Nothing on the scale of Disneyland and California Adventure are opened. Florida is not testing. It consistently has one of the five highest death rates in the nation, but tests only a third of the people as California. This means that Florida is simply not conducting broad scale testing so it has no idea what the prevalence of COVID actually is in the state.
We have gone to tremendous effort to keep COVID numbers down in California. The Governor has done an admirable job. Florida’s numbers are not numbers I want to see in Orange County. I am far more concerned about my kid’s school remaining opened than I am about folks being able to visit Disneyland.
Talking about being selfish, you do know, don’t you, that thousands and thousands of your fellow golden staters have been financially ruined in the name of keeping you and your family safe? I hope you are sending weekly letters to your excellent governor requesting these poor people to be made financially whole out of the public purse. It’s the least an unselfish person can do, don’t you think?
We have been coping with the shut down by designing our fantasy vacation, which includes going to Disneyland – and those shows were on our list! Argh! Covid takes more away!
Riddle me this…how is it ok that outside the Staples Center, there were thousands of people gathered in one area to watch the NBA finals. You really would have to look it up and watch the video for yourself to be able to fully grasp the magnitude.
It seriously looks like what Magic Kingdom looks like at the end of the night for fireworks!
The news outlets were specifically asking people to not congregate our side of the Stokes Center. This was not a planned event.
Poor Disney–if Newsom is basing his Disneyland decision on the state of WDW right now, he couldn’t have picked a worse time. Crowds are much higher, Florida’s dropping of a mask mandate has emboldened anti-mask guests, and people in general are getting fatigue with restrictions and taking more risk. I don’t think Newsom will like what he sees.
What you stated was not the observation that I experience this past week at WDW and US. I saw very, very few people at the Florida theme parts that were not wearing mask or not wearing them properly, and in just about every instance where this wasn’t the case there were cast members there to politely correct them.
People are not going to get COVID19 at the Florida theme parks. The restrictions that they have implemented are strict, and while the Florida Governor has lifted some State wide restrictions, it is up to the discretion of the business owner to determine what they want to implement as far as a mask policy. WDW and US have both maintained very strict policies, and I saw just one instances during the entire trip of a park guest that was defiant of the Mask guidelines. The park security handled the situation appropriately.
You are correct that the crowds are very high, and I would suggest that anyone that is living their life in fear of the virus needs to avoid theme parks at all cost.
I guess there’s not any chance that Mickey and the Magical Map would move to DHS and replace Beauty and the Beast, is there… I loved that show – so much good music, great message and who can resist Sebastian?
I live here in CA and I honestly can’t make heads or tails of most of the regulations and the lack of contact tracing is a joke. Part of me thinks in the case of DL it’s mostly about optics. It’s a “big” place that will be crowded and those of us concerned about safety are of course skeptical it can be done properly. That said, Sacramento County just reopened for indoor dining and everyone has suddenly decided “pandemic over.” No masks. No distancing. Dozens of people shoved into tiny spaces with no care at all. At this rate, everything will be closed back up again in a couple of weeks. Having watched WDW’s opening, I would far rather be there than just a few blocks from my apartment. The moment the regulations slipped even a tiny bit too many were ready to act like everything is completely back to normal. The regulations are inconsistent and there are absolutely no consequences for businesses that refuse to abide by them. All eyes are on Disney when they should be on restaurateurs and other business owners that are happily catering to people who have no concern for the health and welfare of others.
I could not agree with you more! I live in Riverside county, and I would rather be at Disney World (we’re going in December). Even though the governor in Florida has relaxed all restrictions, Disney has kept them and is operating safely. But every time we get to a better place and the state and counties loosen up the restrictions, business and people act like this is over. It reminds me of what my mother used to say to me, “Give them an inch and they’ll take mile!”
Mask it or casket? Good grief!! Why are you so fearful? From the CDC website, “Most people have mild illness and recover at home.” COVID is NOT a death sentence for most (and BY FAR most). If you’re especially vulnerable for some reason, stay home and otherwise protect yourself. Everyone else isn’t responsible for your health. People are suffering with mental illnesses (including suicide) due to these lockdowns and the complete loss of normal life. No one has the right to potentially damage these people’s health either.
My son lives in LA and works in the industry and he thinks the parks should stay closed! He says California is trying to take care of it’s people and having visitors packing Anaheim is not like opening WDW with limits. My middle son lives on the East Coast and works in a company that was heavy into conventions. He seems convinced that no business is really interested in doing that again but convention suppliers themselves. It is all virtual now, cheaper and easier.
Couldn’t agree more with your son. I don’t care what your political views are. We are dealing with life or death. I want our state open and running profitably as much as anyone, however we have to be safe. I personally have been affected by this physically, emotionally and financially. I am not trying to take anyone’s
rights away but NO ONE has the right to potentially damage my families or my health. MASK IT OR CASKET!
My wife’s business was also dependent on conventions. So we’re still very involved in all the discussion groups for the cons she attended. All of them are chomping at the bit to get a vaccine so they can have their convention again.
I am not in CA and don’t follow Newsom, but my initial impression of this is that his plate is very full, perhaps from dealing with so many huge issues that would be overwhelming all on their own: the wildfires, the protests, and dealing with the virus testing and general management of mitigation efforts. This incredibly late start at giving thorough attention to the reopening of theme parks seems to be an afterthought, disregarded as a priority among the situations needing immediate action. And, maybe letting the smaller local businesses reopen first sends a more desired message.
Newsom has time. He’s met with global leaders about climate change and he’s signed legislation to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Not saying those things aren’t important, but he’s doing plenty of non-urgent things besides dealing with wildfires.
If he’s too busy to care about one of the state’s largest employers, that’s a problem.
Science & Data: Every other Disney resort across the planet has reopened. Some have been open for several months. Tens – possibly hundreds – of thousands of guests have cumulatively visited by now. No COVID outbreaks at those resorts, or any other theme park for that matter. Not a single one. Yet California remains closed because…….?
Even if you exclude Walt Disney World due to the lack of contact tracing (not that I think you should–we’d know if there had been an outbreak in Orlando given the scale of WDW as an employer) there still is sufficient data to support the conclusion that theme parks–especially those with proper safety protocol–are not high risk.
The same cannot be said for indoor dining or gyms.
I’m glad that (1)/we did a last minute trip to Disneyland last August and (2) that we walked right by Frozen as they were accepting guests. My wife was really excited and I was happy to sit for awhile. The show was awesome! Great performers. I’m sad for them. We’ve been very cautious during the pandemic, so our views lean in that direction. My friend in the area who does evening motorcycle rides up PCH tells me the restaurants are all packed but Disneyland can’t open. Doesn’t seem right
Frozen truly was a gem. Every friend who also saw the Broadway version prefers the DCA show, which is really saying something!
It’s unbelievable that Newsom’s waited until now to inspect other operating Disney parks. It’s also stressful. I worry his team will see the current capacity, hours, etc and fail to see them as growth and adjustment since reopening three months ago and that they will simply see them as “reopening crowds.”
At this point, it certainly seems like they are sending a team now to justify a preordained decision. Maybe I’m just cynical, but I doubt there’s anything they could see that says, “now we’re comfortable with theme parks reopening; we should’ve just done this months ago!”
Just doesn’t seem how this is destined to play out.
How do you put an “End” label on anything related to Mickey Mouse??? How does Mickey and the Magical Map end its run???? There are shows that come and go. But Mickey Mouse is the pillar! I never thought I would see the “happiest place on earth” so sad. Somebody wake me up to say it was just a bad dream, please!
“Gyms and fitness centers are open. Indoor dining is open.”
It’s interesting because I think Nevada has opened these things better than California. In Nevada, you must collect a phone number (dining or gym), that way contract tracers can call you if necessary. Even if you’re out of state. There’s also more strict mask regulations for indoor spaces, and better overall restaurant guidance.
That’s interesting, because it seemed like–from afar and early on–Nevada was poised to use a lackadaisical approach to reopening. Yet everything I’ve heard recently suggests that Nevada has done and is doing a good job.
With California, it’s the lack of consistency and transparency that stings. I watch these press conferences, and Newsom constantly harps on science and data, but the approach strikes me as erratic and opaque. Even the interactive “Blueprint” doesn’t tell the full story, and much is still missing from it over a much after its release.
I hope for the sake of everyone, Disneyland reopens soon. As a side note, I find it annoying that Disneyland gets all these great shows and parades…things seem to move move from other parks to there, and from there to other parks…yet never seem to make it to the Magic Kingdom. Why is that??? MK is way overdo for a new parade!!!
This feels distinctly unpatriotic. But hey… I heard the park is getting moved to Texas
It took off my laughing faces… that was a joke, btw!
Thank you for telling it like it is, Tom! Us Disney fans out in California are now planning trips to WDW in Florida. How does this help solve the problem? He can no longer hide behind the tagline “science and data” when there is none to support his narrative. I think about the livelihoods of all the affected cast members and hotel and restaurant workers in Anaheim. Thank you for your support of the cast members, Tom and Sarah! Now, when do you think Japan will open up to the US? That is our other option besides Florida.
Japan’s current plan is to resume tourism by April 2021.
It’s hard to say at this point if that will come to fruition. They’ve already pushed back the timelines several times, but at some point, that has to stop if they’re planning on hosting the Olympics next summer.
Totally agree! We had plans to visit DL as well as some other areas in CA in November and moved our trip to WDW instead. The CA economy is now missing out as instead of staying at the off site Disney hotels we were planning on staying at (two over the course of our trip) we are cancelling those reservations and taking our money to FL. I am actually very conservative as far as risks around COVID but at some point believe people have to make decisions for themselves. The most risky thing I determined I was doing was going to a gym so I suspended my gym memberships and am working out now at home (and I am an avid gym go-er so it was tough for me to come to that realization). As for going to WDW or DL I find that outside of the flight to get there it is likely safer than going to the grocery store or Target on the weekends which I do all the time right now.
We live in CA and just got back from 12 day trip to WDW. We thought the same thing too and although we love DL, Florida’s economy ended up benefiting from our vacation dollars. Disney was very strict with their safety protocols but it really didn’t detract from a wonderful trip. You and your family will have a great time. Stay safe and safe travels!!
I’m going to offer another possible reason why “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” and “Mickey and the Magical Map” Won’t reopen. Valuable real estate. There has long been rumors of Disney expanding Fantasyland with a Frozen or Beauty and the Beast area. The Fantasyland area would be the place for an expansion. Likewise, the Hyperion theatre could be removed for an Avenger’s Campus expansion or to make room for some expansion in the Hollywood Studio section of the park.
I’m all for finding silver linings…but there isn’t a chance that Disneyland is developing that real estate in the near-term. We’ll be lucky if they go forward with the previously-announced Avengers E-Ticket.