Vaccinated Out of State Visitors May Be Allowed at Disneyland & DCA
No more than 10 minutes after publishing our 2021 Disneyland Summer Crowd Predictions, I received a tip that California may now allow fully vaccinated visitors from out of state to visit theme parks. In this post, we’ll cover details, offer commentary, and why this may or may not be the case. (Updated April 22, 2021–scroll down to MSUSA Train Station photo.)
Before we get started, hat tip to several Disneyland fans (@TripsWithTykes, @theBeccaRobins, @kim_michelle, @DisneylandPlan, @rankingthemouse) who pieced this together and broke the story. This article just rolls with what they already found. Kudos there.
This is of significant personal interest to me, so I’ve been checking daily for updates to California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and Industry Guidance for Amusement & Theme Parks and have seen nothing recently. However, there’s a third page, Activity and Business Tiers, that lists rules and parameters for each sector. This has been updated a couple of times in the last week…
It’s worth nothing that this “Activity and Business Tier” document is where the rules for amusement and theme parks first appeared when California announced the issuance of those rules back in early March. This is noteworthy because guidance for the theme parks sector came much later than most others (you might recall Disneyland’s Wild Reopening Ride from last year). It was one of a few business sectors that received rules after the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) first issued its Travel Advisory last year on November 13 (original version).
Every sector with rules released before the CDPH Travel Advisory was issued were not retroactively revised to include it, but new rules released after November 13 all incorporated the CDPH Travel Advisory by reference. In our crowd predictions, we mentioned that we could book a May stay at the Grand Californian, eat every meal indoors at Downtown Disney, shop til dropping, and not in any way violate California’s rules. We just couldn’t enter theme parks or go see the Dodgers play. The timing of the different sector rule releases is entirely why.
This is also why our position was that as soon as California’s Travel Advisory changed, so too would the state’s theme park reopening rules. This wasn’t just idle speculation–it’s literally how “incorporation by reference” works.
Moreover, during the press conference back in March announcing these rules, Dr. Mark Ghaly of California’s Health and Human Service Agency stated as much. He explained that theme parks could only accept visitors from within the state of California, so long as the statewide travel advisory remained in place.
When California’s Travel Advisory changed at the beginning of this month (see new/current version), the theme park rules were not updated accordingly. Arguably, that did not need to happen.
Since the CDPH Travel Advisory was incorporated by reference, those rules are something of a living document that change when the Travel Advisory is modified. If I were operating a business in an effected sector looking to boost my visitor numbers, that’s the argument I’d make.
However, none of the theme parks or other impacted businesses did that. All added checkboxes to their order flows that required acknowledging that when visiting, the guest’s party size will not contain more than 3 households and the guest, and all members of the guest’s party will be in-state visitors.
That rendered any other interpretation irrelevant, since businesses can enforce such a rule if they so desire, even if it’s beyond what’s contemplated by the state. (We just covered this exact principle with face masks at Walt Disney World.)
We suspect that none of the theme parks or other businesses bothered with this because California announced that the state would retire the Blueprint for a Safer Economy reopening plan on June 15, 2021. It might’ve been an issue worth pressing if it wouldn’t resolve itself in a couple of months, but after almost a year of fighting the state, most theme parks probably didn’t want to bother.
Unless subsequent rules are announced by the state, June 15 would essentially give businesses a clean slate to enact their own operating procedures and allow them to open to all visitors. June 15 would almost certainly be the date out of state visitors would be allowed to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. For us, that seemed like it was the end of this saga. Then came another update, seemingly out of left field…
Within the last week, the aforementioned Activity and Business Tiers document received two revisions, including an addendum for fully vaccinated visitors and spectators: “Fully vaccinated persons from out of state may visit or attend activities or events that are restricted to in-state visitors. Fully vaccinated persons should consult the current CDPH Travel Advisory and adhere to any applicable recommendations.”
Further down in that same addendum, fully vaccinated is defined as including children over 2 who are not eligible to be vaccinated if they are tested. Children younger than 2 do not need to be tested.
My interpretation of the addendum is that its plain meaning applies to all sectors above that mention the CDPH Travel Advisory, which includes theme parks. There’s no limiting language or reason to believe it’s inapplicable to theme parks or any other impacted sector. Frankly, I don’t see how you draw any other conclusion after reading that document.
It would be one thing if the CDPH Travel Advisory references were quietly deleted–that would raise the possibility of an accidental change or wanting to maintain the status quo but not wanting to reference a now-contradictory document. In this case, an addendum was added–it’s very hard to make the case that all that new text wasn’t deliberate. The change is also entirely consistent with the original intent of the rules.
The only reason there’s currently confusion is because California has multiple documents setting out the rules, and only one has been updated. However, there has been inconsistency among these documents for months.
In fact, if going by California’s main Blueprint for a Safer Economy page, you wouldn’t be able to visit a theme park if you’re from outside the county (not state). Yet that is clearly not the rule; it’s just sloppiness.
Thus far, only SeaWorld San Diego has updated its ticketing page and website banner to reflect this change. Some fans have guessed that this is the case because there’s a carve-out for SeaWorld as it operates in the “Museums, Zoos & Aquariums” sector. This cannot be true.
First, that sector received its rules before November 13, so the previous Travel Advisory was never applicable to it. Museums, zoos, and aquariums have been able to accept out of state visitors without regard to vaccination status all along. Second, SeaWorld San Diego is now operating as a theme park–so that sector’s rules are what now apply to it. (SeaWorld has been the savviest aquarium/theme park when it comes to reopening, so it’s not the least bit surprising they picked up on this change first.)
April 22, 2021 Update:
Journalist Scott Gustin (see thread) spoke with the California Department of Health, which informed him that “the addendum to the Blueprint grid permits fully vaccinated people from out of state to participate in activities restricted to in-state visitors. This includes theme parks.”
He also spoke with Disneyland around this time, with the company indicating that “their policy remains unchanged as of right now.” In a subsequent follow-up, Disney explained that “until Disneyland receives additional clarification from the state, their policy will remain unchanged.”
So there you have it. That’s where things presently stand, along with perhaps way too much background. Honestly, the only reason we’ve hedged the title of this post with “may be allowed” is because there’s always the possibility California reverts back or Disneyland does not update its rules.
There’s actually a distinct possibility of the latter. Vaccination “requirements” are already incredibly controversial. Disney may not want to wade into that, alienating potential guests–or even consumers thousands of miles removed from California.
Worth noting here is that this absolutely is not a vaccine passport. Many people assume that Disney is going to be checking IDs at the turnstiles, but California does not have an enforcement requirement–just that “park operators must obtain an attestation” at the time of purchase or reservations. Accordingly, Disney would not be required to check vaccination status or cards, either.
The onus is on the visitors. If you’ve booked any form travel recently, you’ve probably encountered a terms & conditions checkbox that you didn’t read. That’s literally all California is requiring under these rules. Anything beyond that is up to the theme park operator. (We haven’t heard of Universal Studios Hollywood, SeaWorld, or the Dodgers checking IDs.)
In such a terms and conditions attestation, Disneyland wouldn’t even need to use the word “vaccine.” Disney could include a checkbox saying: “I confirm that my party does not contain more than 3 households, and that everyone in my party is a California resident or otherwise qualifies to visit pursuant to the CDPH Travel Advisory [external link].” That could be the end of it. I fail to see any way whatsoever that would be controversial.
While Disneyland hasn’t updated its booking pages yet, we still expect that to happen. It seems likely to us that Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will be allowed by the state to welcome vaccinated out of state visitors and tested children as early as the April 30, 2021 reopening day.
This is great news for guests and Disney, but the biggest winners of all are undoubtedly the City of Anaheim and the many third-party businesses and hotels that are almost entirely dependent upon tourist dollars. (This would also move forward our predicted start date of the ‘tourist deluge’ at Disneyland.) We’ll keep you posted with further developments, the next of which will almost certainly be an official public statement by the California Department of Public Health and a banner change on Disneyland.com. Stay tuned!
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
If you’re an eligible vaccinated out-of-state visitor, will you visit Disneyland or Disney California Adventure during the initial reopening period? Think Disneyland will change its policy or stick with residents-only? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Please keep the comments civil. This is not the place for arguing about vaccines, politics, and so forth—all such comments will be deleted, irrespective of perspective. You are not going to change anyone’s mind via the comments section on this blog, nor are you going to change California’s Travel Advisory. If you wish to contest this, rather than yelling into the internet abyss, have your voice heard in a meaningful way by contacting Disney or elected officials.
Hi Tom,
I’m an out of state visitor and hope to go in December. What is your opinion on buying tickets now then reserving later (if Disney reopens to out of state at that time)? The Disney site states only Cali residents can VISIT the park but nothing on ticket sales itself. There was also no box asking if I am a Cali resident anywhere prior to the purchase button. However, I’m not sure if after purchase the site will require me to make the reservation at the same time.
You should be able to purchase without issue, but it’s unnecessary unless you’re worried about locking in before the next price increase. That happening anytime soon seems unlikely given how much trouble Disneyland is having filling reservations.
Response to Ann…
Because a lot of us have children who are not eligible for vaccination yet.
@Brian – the reservation window is a rolling 60 days. They have the first 60 days of the park being open available to select now. Once the parks open, each day will open a new day at the end of the availability calendar. First day of August should be open around June 2 or 3.
While CDPH confirmed this, Disney apparently said they aren’t interested, presumably because it excludes kids and because it is quite a hassle for them only to move up (some) out of state people by 7 weeks.
Disney said their policy remains “unchanged as of right now” less than an hour after California confirmed the rule change applied to theme parks. Given Disney’s corporate bureaucracy and slow decision-making process, I’d put more emphasis on the “right now” part of that than the “unchanged” part.
Doesn’t mean Disney will change it, but give it a little more time.
I wish I knew what to do about my DVC Grand Californian reservation for June 6. We are out of state and have heard Nothing from Disney or DVC.
This doesn’t apply to hotel or timeshare reservations–you’ll be fine for that, you just potentially won’t be able to visit the parks unless Disney updates to match the new state rule.
Looks like California Public Health just confirmed. Assuming Disney follows the guidelines, can’t wait to see all of you out-of-staters! 😀 (Please do not bother me at the parks)
When will Aug be on the reservation list
This question is a little off topic, but I haven’t been able to find info about the Matterhorn’s re-opening date, and was wondering if you’ve heard anything. Can we expect it too open this summer, before the end of July, or is this set to be a lengthy refurbishment?
Looks like Disneyland may have updated their homepage to include the phrasing “Until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks”
Guess that can end some speculation. Now lets speculate on when we CAN get in! 🙂
Good points, and I haven’t been following the particulars of California policy. So I don’t know whether there is any duty on private businesses to enforce any of these measures.
I believe I heard that DL is only selling tickets to in-state addresses, so it appears they are enforcing the rules on some level.
Mere attestation likely would be sufficient for out-of-state vaccinated, though that potentially brings a different controversy.
So as an out of state who’s trying to go Jun 10-13 and meets the fully vaccinated rules, could I potentially go? How are they proving you’re from CA only, do we know yet?
So…. out-of-state guests permitted with “vaccine passport.”
I suspect Disney will simply restrict to in-state visitors until June 15th as opposed to getting involved in the vaccine passport controversy.
Avoiding wading into controversy is a fair point–but it’s not functionally a vaccine passport.
As it presently stands, all California requires is an acknowledgement. Disney could include a checkbox saying: “I confirm that my party does not contain more than 3 households, and that everyone in my party is a California resident or otherwise qualifies to visit pursuant to the CDPH Travel Advisory [external link].”
They literally don’t even need to use the word “vaccine.” Everyone assumes that Disney is going to be checking IDs at the turnstiles, but the Blueprint does not have an enforcement requirement–just attestation when buying or making reservations. I haven’t heard of any other theme park or stadium doing anything at entry. Doesn’t mean Disney won’t be the exception…but why bother if it’s not required by the state?
Hi Tom- Great article. I’m trying to slip in while it’s just California residents. That sounds like a fantastic opportunity to enjoy Disneyland at limited capacity. Based on what you wrote, the window is 4/30 – 6/15, with the hope California residents have that small window to enjoy a less crowded park. Did I read that correctly?
Rules, rules, rules!!! arggghhh haha. ok, so if I’m reading an earlier comment and your reply correctly, the vaccination entry will only be something that happens until June 15, then after that, everyone will be allowed in regardless of vaccination/testing status?
If a vaccine requirement continues beyond that, is it a given they’d allow children of parents vaccinated? Is it guaranteed they’d be required to take a covid test prior to arrival?
Hopefully the state can get it’s ducks in a row and make this less confusing. I’m ready for my first trip to Cali!
“ok, so if I’m reading an earlier comment and your reply correctly, the vaccination entry will only be something that happens until June 15, then after that, everyone will be allowed in regardless of vaccination/testing status?”
If the status quo holds, yes.
California and/or Disney could always add other rules so it’s not a total free-for-all. I doubt vaccination status would be one of them, but I’ve been surprised many, many times throughout this saga.
Ann, I completely agree! I’m still surprised at the amount of vaccinated people who are so opposed to being around unvaccinated people. If you truly believe the vaccine is effective, what’s the worry?
I’m all for vaccines being required for adults to participate. Vaccines are already required for travel, school registration, attending college etc. but I don’t know how well this particular idea will hold up because it would prohibit out of state children (also raising the question how do you know a child is from out of state?)
This is addressed in the post.
I’m assuming Disneyland will wait until somewhere else joins SeaWorld San Diego, but I fully expect them to do so sooner than later. As Tom says, it doesn’t read as an unintentional clause in the plan, but as an intentional change (made as of Monday, which is why things changing so fast).
Wow that’s disgusting!
It seems by June 15, there would be no vaccine/test requirement. This would just be an option for those who wish to visit during the first 7 weeks. Better than a blanket “no,” I think.
That would be my interpretation as well. Subject to change, as everything is these days, of course.
I don’t think this is a good move. I’m pretty opposed to “vaccination passports” and think this is a move in the wrong direction. What happened to your health being your own concern and a private matter? I’m not opposed to this vaccine but I think people should be able to make their own decisions (especially since this vaccine is in emergency approval state – not officially approved – and we haven’t had time to see long term effects). The vaccine offers protection to the one who has been vaccinated, so I’m not sure why people care what others do once they themselves have been vaccinated.
This is not a vaccine passport, it’s an incorporation by reference of California’s travel advisory, which is consistent with CDC guidance: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Travel-Advisory.aspx