Disneyland’s “A Touch of Disney” Event Info
A Touch of Disney is a new hard ticket shopping and dining experience in outdoor areas of California Adventure. Essentially, this is Disneyland Resort’s workaround to reopening rules that are keeping theme parks closed. In this post, we’ll cover event dates, details, pricing, what’ll be open, and more. (Updated March 4, 2021 at 11:30 am Pacific.)
For starters, A Touch of Disney will debut beginning March 18, 2021 and be held Thursdays through Mondays from 12:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Tickets for this event will go on sale March 4, 2021 (see virtual queue details below), and must be purchased in advance for a specific date. There will be no admission tickets available for purchase at the Disneyland Main Entrance Ticket Booths–they must be purchased online.
Disneyland notes that A Touch of Disney tickets will be sold on a “rolling basis until the experience ends” and that it’ll be a “limited-time experience.” This is being done because there’s still uncertainty about how soon Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will receive clearance to reopen as theme parks with rides. As we’ve stated repeatedly in When Will Disneyland Reopen? we don’t believe California’s current Blueprint for a Safer Economy will be the final word on that…
Now let’s turn to A Touch of Disney ticket pricing and what’s included:
- A Touch of Disney ticket price for guests ages 3 and Over: $75
- Ticket price includes $25 A Touch of Disney Dining Card redeemable for food and nonalcoholic beverages at select dining locations within the Disneyland Resort (subject to restrictions including not being valid for alcohol purchases)
- Parking for the event in the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure beginning at 11:30 am
- Unlimited digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass photos captured during day of the experience.
Disneyland Resort’s normal health safety rules and guidelines apply (see above). Here are some additional terms and conditions: A Touch of Disney tickets are not required for attendees under 3 years of age. Buyers will be limited to purchasing 8 tickets per person, per experience date. Ticket availability is limited–subject to capacity limits and restrictions. Tickets are non-refundable and may not be resold or transferred for commercial purpose.
Ticket provides admission to the A Touch of Disney experience from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM on date selected. The $75 price is “introductory,” and future ticket prices are subject to change (presumably increases only). Unused Sip & Savor pass entitlements from past DCA events will not be valid during this event.
March 4, 2021 Update: The virtual queue for A Touch of Disney is now open, although there is no indication if tickets are already on sale or, if not, when sales will actually go live. (We’ve been sitting in the queue for over 30 minutes now.)
You can jump into the virtual queue via this link: https://tada.eticketstore.com/WebStore/shop/viewitems.aspx?cg=1&c=2
Update 2: At 9 am Pacific, the screen switched over to an actual line with an approximate wait time of “more than an hour.” We’ll keep you posted on what happens next. We don’t actually plan on buying tickets unless mid-May 2021 dates are released, which is (hopefully) unlikely.
Update 3: After crashing a couple of times and then being paused for about an hour, the virtual queue appears to be moving again. Neither of us have gotten through to purchase tickets yet, though. (Has anyone–please leave a comment if you’ve been successful!)
Additionally, a note has been added: “Due to the popularity of A Touch of Disney, we’ve decided to open up the availability of tickets for two additional weeks. Dates, ticket availability and prices for the A Touch of Disney experience will be released on a rolling basis until the experience ends.”
The last time we saw a virtual queue for Disneyland was reservations for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Those went fast and frustrated many who got shut out…but then Disneyland was a veritable ghost town that summer because people avoided the park, assuming it would be chaotic.
Not sure why I’m sharing that story, but it just feels like it could be oddly relevant here.
Guests will be able to access the experience via a dedicated walkway from the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure; the Disneyland Resort tram will not be in operation at this time. The Mickey & Friends Parking Structure will open at 11:30 am on days of the event.
As with everything Disneyland Resort does, A Touch of Disney experience elements are subject to restrictions, change or cancellation without notice. No refunds given for any such changes or cancellations whether due to inclement weather or otherwise. Insert other boilerplate CYA verbiage here.
During A Touch of Disney, most snack stands, counter service and table service restaurants around Disney California Adventure will be open. This includes Carthay Circle Restaurant, Sonoma Terrace, and Lamplight Lounge. The only notable exception to this is dining options in the new Avengers Campus area, which will debut when Disney California Adventure reopens as a theme park.
The menus at A Touch of Disney will feature a selection of iconic food and beverage items from both Disney California Adventure AND DISNEYLAND! This means everything from churros to the world-famous DOLE Whip to the classic Monte Cristo Sandwich usually found in New Orleans Square.
Many items will be served snack-sized, so you can enjoy a variety of bites and sips from mid-day through the evening. These guest-favorites will be available at locations around the park, including Smokejumpers Grill, Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, Award Wieners, Cocina Cucamonga to name a few.
In addition to those dining locations, there will be six seasonal Open-Air Marketplaces, which are presumably akin to the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival booths that are normally dotted along the parade route this time of year.
Those marketplace booths will include:
- D-Lish — Dig into some classic Disney Parks dishes like Walt’s Chili from Carnation Café or dip into something new with the Very Very Berry Mickey Waffle.
- California Craft Brews — Quench that thirst with craft beer and pair with pepperoni pizza egg rolls.
- LA Style — Gobble up some seasonal faves from the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival!
- Golden Dreams — Please your palate with well-seasoned eats like sweet & spicy chicken wings from Trader Sam’s.
- Uncork California — Discover the Golden State’s wine-making artistry with red and white selections by the glass, as well as a California artisan cheese plate.
- Cluck-A-Doodle-Moo — Sink your teeth into hearty favorites like chicken gumbo from Café Orleans and sip on a fruit-forward beverage!
In addition to shopping and dining, Disneyland is promising exclusive entertainment for the A Touch of Disney event. This will include unique photo ops with PhotoPass photographers and surprise character sightings where guests can pop fun, physically-distanced selfies.
You might catch a wave from Mickey Mouse and pals in unexpected settings. Mater and Lightning McQueen may be seen in Cars Land, or Joy and Sadness along Pixar Pier.
Downtown Disney will remain open seven days a week with dining and shopping that includes Black Tap Craft Burgers and Shakes, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Naples Ristorante e Bar, World of Disney, and Star Wars Trading Post, which recently opened in a new location.
Buena Vista Street will remain open as an extension of the Downtown Disney District through March 14, and will be closed beginning March 15, 2021. Beginning March 18, Buena Vista Street will become part of A Touch of Disney. (There are rumors that after this date, Downtown Disney will expand into Disneyland’s Main Street to increase non-ticketed capacity–that has not yet been confirmed by Disney.)
Ultimately, A Touch of Disney sounds like a fun event and good way to make lemonade out of lemons until Disneyland and Disney California Adventure can reopen as theme parks with rides, shows, and other attractions. At the very least, it’s good news that more Cast Members will be able to get back to work. I don’t have a strong opinion one way or another on pricing. Whether $50 for access to the whole park plus entertainment is a good or poor value is in the eye of the beholder and likely will depend upon event execution.
My natural inclination would be to say “it’s overpriced” but after seeing photos and video of what Knott’s Berry Farm did with similar events last summer and fall, which honestly seemed underpriced to me, I’m willing to wait and see. It’s also with that comparison in mind that I’m not heaping much praise on Disneyland’s pivot to an event like this. Disney is very clearly following the lead of Knott’s here, and while it’s better late than never, it is pretty late. Then again, who could’ve foreseen last summer when that July 17 reopening date was set that California theme parks would still be closed come Spring 2021?
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
Are you planning to attend A Touch of Disney at California Adventure? Or, will you wait until DCA and Disneyland with attractions? Think this is fairly or over-priced? Excited for the event? Do you think Disneyland Resort will reopen by the end of Spring 2021, or will this event continue through the summer? Do you agree or disagree with our advice and assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? 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!
Does anyone know what time? Is it midnight that they will go on sale?
Are YOU going? 🙂
Hopefully not? We aren’t going to travel until we’re both vaccinated, which I’m hoping is by late April. Still optimistic Disneyland and DCA will be open for regular operations by late May.
We made plans to go to Cali for spring break before this was announced. Having never been to DisneyLand Or California Adventure, and missing character interactions, I’m all in! We’re going to try to get tickets but nowhere have I seen the TIME the tickets will go on sale. Does anyone know?
Yes, I’d like to know that as well!
Would Tom or someone please post where they found the information that most restaurants will be open during the event? From the event page I clicked on ‘participating dining locations’ and that took me to the California Adventure dining option page which lists only three restaurants and carts as available, all others closed. Thank you!
I’m very much looking forward to this experience! Fingers crossed for tickets.
We were planning on attending from the first time this was mentioned, but now that details have been posted I am disappointed. $75 for an event ticket is understandable if a significant portion of that was available for use within the event; but by adding ‘free’ parking into the cost, the result is everyone who arrives in one car ‘pays’ for parking thereby lessening the value of each ticket which at $25 food credit for what will probably be high-cost low value items, that’s pushing the cost / value calculation. This is clearly marketed at SoCal day-guests which is fine, if that is who Disney wants to target; but there are tens-of-thousands non-local but within driving distance potential guests; including ‘former’ passholders; who would also attend AND be staying in hotels and spending money at other businesses in the area. If this gets CM’s back to work, that’s a great first step; too bad Disney seems to think guests will forego reason just for the privilege of visiting.
Glad that DLR finally arranged a ticketed event. $75 is steep for me, but I know that tickets will sell out. More cast members will back to work and Disney fans will be able to visit a park that has been closed for almost a year.
Win win for everyone.
Tom, based on your experience, do you think tickets will go on sale at midnight PST or 7am PST or ??? We live in the Midwest and go to WDW (fast pass+ reservations at 7am EST!) but will be in Southern California for several weeks in March. I’ll pay the $75 pp to go!
Thanks!
I think it’s priced a bit high as well and as much as I’m wanting to return to DLR (already have hotel reservations for Halloween and Christmas), I won’t pay that high a price just for food and shopping. I also agree with Tom in that it feels like DLR is late to the game. I feel like they were focusing on fighting the government when they could have been jumping into the festivals and bringing cast members back to work. BUT…I do think A Touch of Disney will sell out during the time it’s running and I think it will be great if it does! I’m hoping that these festivals will be successful for DLR because I’m absolutely thrilled to see cast members returning to work. I hope the events can expand to Disneyland so even more cast members can be recalled to work. I’ve been so happy to see at least some of the parks lit up when watching through the HoJo webcam. It lifts my spirits and gives me hope that the end is on the horizon.
I would have said $50 (with $25 credit) would have been a fair value, but Knott’s demand was so high they raised ticket prices 20% for their second event!
Any word yet on how limited tickets are? I’m guessing supply will be low enough that these will sell out through at least April/Spring Break.
For those who feel that Disney is ripping off people with the “Touch of Disney” event…Don’t Go! Your tickets will go to people who will appreciate anything that comes close to some normalcy, even if they can’t get on rides yet. I, personally, will take anything Disney, in order to help keep up my morale during this COVID-19 pandemic!
Reopen Disneyland already. Disney World has been open for over 7 months now….
No one would ever go to this.* $75 (or $50 plus a $25 dining credit and free parking)? I know my Southern California people lol they’re not going to go for this.** All that money just to walk around a closed park, where the only thing to do would be to wander aimlessly with a corndog from Corn Dog Castle that you are making even saltier with mustard and tears?*** What, am I just going to hang out by myself and remember that time I did Single Rider on Goofy Sky School and sat behind a dad and his kid but next to a mom who I strongly suspect was leaning into me on the turns? I’m not going.****
*Everyone will go to this.
**Every day, it will sell out.
***Reminiscing…
****I’ll be at Lamplight.
Ha! Part of the reason I phoned in the value for money section is because, honestly, it doesn’t really matter. There is clearly a ton of pent-up demand for anything Disneyland among Californians, many of whom have a ton of disposable income. That coupled with limited capacity is a recipe for sold out dates. Disney could charge double this amount and would still sell out the first dozen dates.
If for some reason this stretches into June or July (doubtful IMO), then they *might* exhaust that pent-up demand and start having issues selling tickets. If it lasts only a couple months? Every date will sell out.
Is “touch” really the right word to be using? 😀
On a percentage of entertainment basis, valuing all elements equally, it seems right or arguably even good value. Then again I suspect many people view the rides as being well over 90% of a regular theme park ticket value.
“Then again I suspect many people view the rides as being well over 90% of a regular theme park ticket value.”
Not diehard Disneyland fans!
Then again, Disneyland fans are also not used to paying per visit…
Disney is desperate for money to charge a fee like that.
This feels too expensive for me, but that’s because I don’t ascribe any value to the character meet & greets. When you consider the cost for a couple or a family (eg. family of four would effectively have to pay $300 (with a $75 gift card) just to go and eat at Disney), the markup is astronomical considering that Disney’s food is already overpriced. I adore being at Disney, but this is too much.
Nonetheless, I’m sure die-hard fans will attend.
Sorry, that arithmetic should be $300 (with a $100 gift card).
I understand your point, but my guess is that couples, not families, are the target audience since it’s primarily a food event. Still a lot of money, but I doubt they’ll have any issue selling tickets.
Should I be embarrassed to admit we have spent considerably more than that for a single character meal or dinner show at WDW for our family, and this sounds a lot more fun than “Spirit of Aloha”. You aren’t paying to “just go and eat”–it’s about the experience.
Would love it if Epcot offered an eat-around-the-world and entertainment pass for world showcase pass with no rides for $75.
I’d giveit a go if I was closer to California.
Not sure it reads clear – $75 cost includes the $25 for the dining card. Is that correct? Appears, based on your wording later in the blog when you refer whether $50 is worth it or not for access to the park that the $75 cost includes the dining card.
Yeah, you pay $75 but get $25 of that back via a dining gift card, making the ‘being there’ cost $50. (I guess you could say another $10 of value is in parking, but I wouldn’t go that far.)
Soooo Let me get this straight …
you want me to pay $75 to enter into a theme park to walk around what is essentially become a Museum of theme park past.. and then pay additional overpriced money for food and nonalcoholic drink which is served in smaller portions so that I can buy more of it.
Sorry can’t take that leap…. I’m a Disney fan… but IMHO…. price is way to high, maybe a $25 cover charge…. eeeerrr… admission price but $75 for ambience while economy is struggling… sorry my family won’t but to each their own…
oops….made a small mistake… $75 but includes a $25 dining credit, so the price is essentially now $50, sorry, still to high IMHO, even when you include parking, $25 admission, waive parking fee, and I’ll pay dining prices without gift card and you got a “maybe” from us….
The real problem is Newsom………
I think it’s one of those things where everyone has cabin fever heightened by the covid lock down and if I lived anywhere near there, wouldn’t hesitate to shell that out to get out of the house and go on a small adventure. (See what I did there)?!
But alas, I am in PA with 6 inches of snow still on the ground and will watch other people have fun via social media!
Agreed. I’m in Colorado or I’d go.
Agree. In snowy Indiana here and I would love to be able to do this.