As Disney’s other theme parks have reopened around the world, Disneyland in Anaheim, California has remained closed since 14 March 2020. (Disneyland Paris reopened but was then shuttered. The Paris park has no reopening date),

Last week, the State of California issued “Blueprint Refresh,” updated guidelines that will allow theme parks to reopen as early as April 1, once the county which a theme park resides reaches the red/substantial tier 2 risk status.

After the state’s announcement, Disney stated the Disneyland Resort will reopen in late April. At the time, Chapek stated they would need time to ramp up operations including recalling and retraining over 10,000 Cast Members “to be able to operate according to the State of California’s new requirements.”

When Disneyland finally reopens, guests will also find significant changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these changes are similar to those that are currently being implemented at other Disney Parks.

Park Capacity

The state says if a county is in the red tier then theme parks may open at a 15% capacity, 25% capacity in the orange tier and 35% in the yellow or minimal tier.

However, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has stated that reopening a park at less than 25% capacity does not make economic sense. Therefore, if Orange County, where Disneyland resides, is still in the red tier, it is possible Disney will delay the reopening until Anaheim moves into the orange tier.

“When Disneyland will return to full capacity remains unknown,” writes The Orange County Register reporter Brady MacDonald,” “It could be this summer, late 2021 or 2022. The pace of theme park reopenings in California depends on the state’s progress in battling the pandemic.”

Park Reservations

As with all other Disney Parks, guests will be required to make theme park reservations to visit either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure park. It is expected that reservations will go quickly as most of Disneyland’s guests are locals.

Another stipulation built into the state’s reopening guidelines for theme parks is only residents of California will be permitted entry. Currently this requirement is included in the red, orange, and yellow tiers. Therefore, it will be quite sometime before non-residents will be able to visit Disneyland.

Annual Passes

This past January, Disney announced they are ending the Annual Passholder program and cancelling all current annual passes. Ken Potrock, Disneyland President, said the decision was made “due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and the limitations around the reopening of our California theme parks.”

Disney has stated that they are currently developing new membership offerings that will utilize “consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility and value for our biggest fans.”

At this time, Disney has yet to unveil its new program to their reportedly one million passholders.

FastPass and Disney MaxPass services

When each of the other Disney Parks reopened, guests found that Disney suspended their FastPass service. This service allowed guests to make a reservation for an attraction and bypass the standby line, thereby shortening their wait time.

As expected, Disneyland recently announced their FastPass and Disney MaxPass services will not be offered when the park reopens.

“As a result of the impact of COVID-19 on operations, FastPass and Disney MaxPass services are suspended for the time being and are not available for purchase or use,” read a statement from Disney. “We will share future updates at a later date.”

In addition to revamping the annual pass program, Disney will also expand their dynamic ticket pricing.

“Capacity constraints will allow Disneyland to test ways of managing crowd sizes using dynamic pricing — charging more for tickets on busy weekends and holidays and less during the middle of the week in the off-season,” writes MacDonald. “The goal is simple: Less crowding makes for more enjoyable visits and happier visitors spend more money.”

Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour offerings

Disney offers a number of perks for guests who stay at a Disney Resort including the ability to access the theme parks earlier than non-resort guests.

Disney has stated that they will be suspended both of these offerings “upon reopening of our hotels and theme parks as we plan to manage capacity.” At this time it is unclear when either of these perks will return.

FastPass+, Extra Morning Magic, and Extra Magic Hours were suspended at the Walt Disney World Resort last July when the Florida theme park reopened to guests.

Attractions, shows, and parades

Not all attractions may be available to guests when the park initially reopens due to a number of factors including capacity restraints and safety. Other attractions will see plexiglass dividers installed in the queues, as well as on attraction vehicles that can accommodate large groups.

Following the lead of other Disney Parks worldwide, Disneyland will not offer their traditional parades, nighttime fireworks, or nighttime show like “Fantasmic” at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure’s “World of Color.”

Experiences

Character meet-and-greets, which has always been a “must do” at any Disney Park has changed due to the pandemic. Characters still do make appearances in the park for photo-ops, but now they are socially distant. Most characters are typically in an area significantly away from guests – like on the upper level of the Main Street U.S.A. train station – and guests pose on the street with the characters behind them.

Interactive shopping experiences like building a light saber at Savi’s Workshop in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge or a princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, could initially be suspended or will be a dramatically different experience for the near future.

Introduction of technology

According to Disney, the pandemic sped up the introduction of many new technology tools that will change the way the guest interacts with and experiences the park.

It is expected that Disney will introduce Disneyland visitors to contactless security checks, advance dining reservations and virtual attraction queues to mobile food ordering, mobile wait lists and scan-and-go shopping.

Other parks, including Walt Disney World, have been using these new features for almost a year now to great success.

Disneyland Resorts

As of now, Disney has said that theme parks will reopen in late April, however they have made no mention when their three resorts: Disneyland Resort, Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Paradise Pier hotels will reopen.

They may stagger the reopening of their resorts, open two or all three resorts. As with Walt Disney World, will resort guests also have priority in securing park reservations?

Avenger’s Campus

Disney has already stated that the new Avenger’s Campus at Disney California Adventure will not reopen with the parks next month. During the annual shareholder’s meeting, Chapek stated that the new addition will reopen sometime later this year, however no timeframe was given.