Disneyland Report: Rules End as California Fully Reopens!
After a year of restrictions, California has now fully reopened! Our first visit to Disneyland and DCA in 18 months was the day the state dropped all health safety restrictions, essentially ending its rules overnight. In this reopening report, we’ll share photos, crowd info, and commentary on our experience.
Despite it being our first visit to Disneyland in a year and a half, it’s our second visit to California in the last month. Back when California was still largely closed, we made some guesses about when things would reopen and booked accordingly, as the rates were ridiculously low. We ended up being “burned” by Disneyland’s policy (or rather, lack thereof) towards fully-vaccinated out of staters but it was a great trip nonetheless. We got to spend some time in Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and even Anaheim and did so before summer crowds hit.
I’ll be honest, even though I knew we’d be able to visit Disneyland this go-round, I wasn’t as excited for a few reasons. When our flight left Orlando, I was actually worried that we were making a mistake by visiting so soon–we have a certain sentimentality about Disneyland, maybe we should’ve waited until everything was normal? Perhaps late August or early September would’ve been more fun? Of many concerns, my main one was that the trip would be like stepping back in time by about a year where Disneyland and Walt Disney World were in the process of their respective reopenings. Fortunately, those fears faded literally upon touching down at John Wayne Airport…
As we exited the aircraft, Disneyland announced that the face mask rule would be ending for fully vaccinated guests, as would virtually all other health safety protocol. As we’ve said before, we are sympathetic to those who are not personally ready for this change, have a lower risk tolerance, or are parents of kids under age 12.
It has been a traumatic year, and a lot is changing quickly thanks to the highly efficacious vaccines. Many people are going to have a difficult time easing back into “normal” life. For some, it’s going to be a gradual process that requires adjustment, acclimation, and time. We can extend a little courtesy and compassion as everyone’s circumstances and comfort levels are different. We totally get that, and empathize with those whose circumstances differ from ours.
With that said, as two fully vaccinated adults without kids who are totally comfortable doing anything now and were looking at a weather forecast for Anaheim with daily highs above 95 degrees, Disneyland’s announcement came as a breath of fresh air. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything–but I’m very thankful that it happened. There were a few times we stopped short feeling like we made a mistake forgetting to put on our masks, but it was otherwise a great feeling not even taking masks to the parks.
In hindsight, I’m not sure how we handled masks in the peak of last summer’s heat and humidity in Florida–it was probably easier to look past because we were grateful to do anything fun after several depressing months stuck inside. The last year has definitely worn down my tolerance and patience for them, especially outdoors given what we now know about the nature of transmission.
The arrival process from Harbor Boulevard was another concern, especially after seeing photos on social media over the course of the last week. It looked like a colossal mess, and seemed likely to be worse for our visit as Disneyland increased its attendance limit.
And it was. Guests converged from the Harbor and Disney Way intersection, and it was a total free-for-all. Above is a video taken from what’s normally the bus loop, after we had already been in line for a good 30 minutes. I have never seen anything like this, and at this point, I feared it would be another hour before we entered the parks. It took 15 minutes from here. Security was as smooth as it has ever been at Disneyland, and that was literally the end of our problems.
Stepping into Disneyland truly was like stepping back in time. But not to July of last year at Magic Kingdom–to January of last year at Disneyland. It was remarkable that the gradual process that had been occurring over the last month-plus at Walt Disney World had been accomplished overnight in the California parks.
That must’ve been an absolutely herculean task, kudos to the Cast Members who undoubtedly pulled a grueling overnight shift to make that happen. It was arguably even better than when the parks magically transform overnight to Christmas. Definitely a sight for sore eyes.
Aside from some ground discoloration, I’ve yet to notice many vestiges of the past year. Not a single straggler sign, no ground markers, no plexiglass in queues or on ride vehicles–nothing. The only other thing is mask-wearing, and that’s at a level now among guests that basically feels like a normal winter day in Tokyo.
While it’s safe to assume that attendance increased dramatically overnight, so too did operational efficiency. Queues can now be indoors, guests are being seated in every row, and party mixing is occurring. The virtual queue for Indiana Jones Adventure is gone, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Web Slingers loses its boarding groups by this fall. Wait times have been pretty average for summer.
Much more noticeable was the sense of joy and happiness in the air. It truly was contagi–nope, not gonna use that word. It was infectio–let’s try once more.
Stepping onto Main Street and seeing people smiling and laughing was uplifting, causing you to mimic the observed behavior of others because you now felt that same happiness in your heart. The elation was euphoric.
These have been a couple of very busy days at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, but outside of the first-day woes with the line to get through security, we haven’t seen guest meltdowns or confrontations.
To the contrary, people are taking the high heat and crowds in stride, and the mood has been remarkably positive. It’s always different at Disneyland, but that’s been doubly so the last couple of days.
Thus far, we’ve had an absolutely fantastic time. It has been great seeing old friends, and hanging with our homies. Many of our favorite attractions are at Disneyland, and they’re looking absolutely fantastic.
We enjoyed both Avengers Campus and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure far more than expected. The reimagined rides and enhancements are unequivocal improvements.
Of particular note is that the characters have been phenomenal. We’ve commented on how some of the distanced character encounters at Walt Disney World have been better than the normal ones. Disneyland has taken that to the next level, with many of the characters on ground level and actually interacting with guests.
Between that and the aforementioned guest happiness, the parks truly feel alive in a way that they haven’t in over a year–from Toontown to Avengers Campus.
With that said, I don’t want to make this sound like an advertorial for the Disneyland® Resort. We are having a great time as people who write a blog about theme park strategy, have visited Disneyland hundreds of times, and knew what to expect based upon extensive post-reopening experience in Florida.
Simply put, I would not recommend anyone make their first visit to Disneyland right now unless they already have a second trip planned or go in with clarity as to the compromises being made. There’s still simply too steep of a learning curve.
We know how to leverage the Mobile Order system to avoid its pitfalls, when to do what to avoid waiting in long lines, where to go outside the parks at Disneyland Resort to have better meals, how to score spots in both virtual queues in the same day, and so many other things that probably aren’t occurring to me right now because they’re second nature.
However, none of that’s intuitive to a first-timer or infrequent visitor. (Given that Disneyland is normally a much more laid back, “go with the flow” place than Walt Disney World, this is an especially big change.) Beyond that, there’s still a lot still missing. Several attractions are still not operating, restaurants remain closed, and there’s little in the way of entertainment (beyond the aforementioned characters) and no nighttime spectaculars. Those are big blows. However, things are quickly returning, so it might be much improved by July.
Ultimately, it’s great to be back to Disneyland, and I’m glad our first time returning is after things are mostly back to normal-ish. There’s still things missing, but those are compromises we can live with as frequent guests. Apologies for the short-yet-rambling post here that’s heavy on impressions and light on details. I woke up early (thanks jet lag!) and wanted to throw something together for those curious as to how it’s gone so far. All of the passing remarks will be fleshed out with full reviews and strategic posts once we get back to Florida.
Finally, we’ll be out in California all weekend, visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for the next several days. If you see us in the parks, please feel free to say hello! We always enjoy meeting readers and chatting, even if my demeanor and scowl might suggest otherwise. (That’s just the way my face looks, and it’s harder to hide now that masks are gone!)
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure since the parks reopened? Have you been since California’s full reopening on June 15? Any thoughts on your experience, wait times, crowds, or anything else? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? 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!
@Andy (not myself): those optical illusion tiles are brand new, they’re in the doctor strange section of the new avengers campus. Don’t know exactly what the blue thing behind them is, but it’s also something in avengers campus.
Please elaborate on your comment “ where to go outside the parks at Disneyland Resort to have better meals”. Perhaps a link to a prior post. Suggestions? Thanks
Tom,
I can’t seem to make out the location where you, Sarah, and your friend are jumping with the checked floor optical illusion. I know I have seen that before somewhere but cannot make out what’s the structure in the background.
Would you please share what location that is, and what’s the structure with the blue overhang in the background?
Thanks,
Andy
I was there when you last visited 18 months ago and remember stopping you to say hello, and I had to laugh at your comment about your “demeanor and scowl”! I honestly thought I had offended you or seriously annoyed you by disrupting your day haha. Glad to know that I was just reading into it too much.
Looks like you all had a blast; can’t wait to read your reviews of Avenger’s Campus and Web Slingers. Hope you’re getting your fill of double-doubles as well. 🙂
You two look like college aged sweethearts having the time of your lives. Reminds me of when you wrote you’d never take Disney world for granted again. Man I wish I was there!
Yay! I am going July 14th and August 1st.
Would definitely love to read how you scored both virtual queues in one day! I would adore a post detailing all the tips and tricks for visiting Disneyland right now! Been reading this blog for a very long time 🙂 keep up the good work!
Congrats Tom, this post made me both laugh and cry! So happy to hear a positive report. I just realized that when I go with my daughter in August for my birthday, it will be the 50th anniversary of my first trip to Disneyland. So looking forward to it! 🙂
Welcome back to California, Tom! We’ve missed you.
As you experience the parks this week, definitely would be curious on your thoughts of how this new increase in visitor capacity + increase in ride capacity (but with no FastPass or MaxPass) is netting out in terms of ride wait times. It seems like prior to June 15th, visitor capacity was low and ride capacity was low, and led to especially long wait times for some rides like Pirates and Haunted Mansion. I’m wondering whether, on net, wait times and the overall experience will be better when we go in early July.
Thanks for the great post! I’ve really been wondering how you and Sarah liked being back. I can’t go until November so it’s great seeing the pictures and hearing how the parks are right now. Have fun on the rest of your trip!
This is the best news in a long time. I was happy when they announced DL would reopen. I was happy when they announced the return of fireworks. And I was happy when they announced the end of masks. But I am *elated* to hear that the plexiglass, signage, and distancing markers are gone.
I visited WDW in February and all the visual noise bothered me more than anything else, including wearing a mask. For me, Disney is all about Imagineering. The Disney Parks are the pinnacle of design. Every aspect of the parks has been considered and precisely designed to be a certain way. The signage and plexiglass everywhere killed that ambience. I eagerly look forward to my first walk down Main Street in DL soon.
Thanks for the update. I really enjoy your blog. By the way, are CMs still required to wear masks and/or face shields? That to me will be the real victory, when we can see their smiles again.
Yay! Thanks for this update and looking forward to more. We’re headed there in a couple of weeks. The dearth of reserved dining is a bummer, but I get that Disney is having a really hard time convincing people to come back to work. Kudos to Disney for doing the best with what it has — we’re really looking forward to being back.
Tom, what’s the temperature there? Looks like you went back in the middle of a heat wave.
It’s like a miracle! This post made me so happy! Thanks for sharing it with us!
The madness on Harbor was ridiculous! We got there at 8:30am and didn’t get into the park till around 9:15am. Since Disney didn’t have anybody doing crowd control at the Harbor entrance, I was directing people coming from the Harbor crosswalk to the end of the line so they wouldn’t cut in front of people who had been waiting forever in the insane line at the ride share/drop off area. Amazing how people try to cheat the system and not have any common courtesy for others. It wasn’t a good start to the day.
I’ll be going against your advice and heading down in July as a first timer in this bizarre environment. It would amuse me terribly if the first place I ended up spotting you was in DisneyLAND instead of Disney World, though I suspect you’ll be long gone by the time I’m there. Still greatly looking forward to my trip though!
For the opening-opening-day crowds I heard that many folks mistakenly thought that Disney was now fully open and headed down without realizing a park pass was still needed. No idea on the truth of that but it seems plausible and interesting.
Really looking forward to hearing more, but take your time and enjoy every minute! I can wait a little longer to absorb your expertise…
Where are the better places to eat by the parks?
Did you get to ride the spider-man ride and did you buy the add on web slingers? We’ve never been to Disneyland but I know if we did go we’d be those suckers paying for three webslingers for the kids.
Hi! Thanks so much for this post. We are heading back to Disneyland/CA Adventure on July 1 for the first time in 18 months. (We are frequent goers, but live out of state.) We usually rely heavily on Fast Pass and normally go in non-summer months, so any tips about avoiding lines would be really appreciated. Also have heard Mobile Ordering for food is really hard, so planning on placing orders super early, but if you have other tips, those would also be really appreciated.
Was really hoping they’d at least keep the marker on the Main Street curb that said “Reserved Dining Area” for posterity.
Can’t meet up for a Naughty Sauce at Lamplight, unfortunately, I’m not going back to the parks until late July and after that never, until whatever AP program comes back (and it better include a parking add-on, and hopefully at least some instantaneous days).
Hoping MaxPass comes back by then. I have to imagine Single Rider will be out of commission until people feel a bit more comfortable rubbing thighs and sharing secrets with strangers, which might be never for some rides, and people. Goofy’s Sky School in particular is a horrific Single Rider experience if you don’t like being flung into a stranger’s lap.
Glad to hear mostly everything’s back to normal, the low capacity stuff had its hits and misses. I enjoyed some of the quieter areas with light to nonexistent foot traffic, I liked that it was illegal for anyone to sit in my Pixar Pal-A-Round gondola with me, but lining up for Pirates at the Mark Twain Riverboat landing was silly as heck.
Yay! I’m so glad that you had a good time! Even though I’m a California resident, I won’t be back to the parks until early December. This post definitely gives me hope that things will be almost normal by then!
Did a Photo Pass photographer take these pictures, or did you have someone else with you? This is my only “concern” about my trip since I go alone and have no one to pass my phone to if Cast Members still aren’t allowed to handled our phones/cameras.