Disneyland Open to Everyone on June 15th
Disneyland has undergone plenty of changes since it reopened. More are on the horizon, too.
For example, we just learned when Disneyland Resort will reopen to out-of-state guests.
Yes, the Happiest Place on Earth is about to get a whole lot happier! I’ll explain everything we’ve learned recently.
Disneyland Full Reopens on June 15th
California has a population of 39.5 million. The United States encompasses more than 328 million people. So, 88 percent of the people reading this aren’t in the Golden State.
Disneyland could never count as fully restored until it allows out-of-state guests. We now know this will happen on June 15th, the date we’d suspected.
On June 15th, the state of California opens up fully, thereby eliminating most pandemic restrictions.
As a reminder, you will still need theme park admission and Park Passes, which are apparently here to stay.
Management recently updated the online system to allow guests to book Park Passes at the same time as admission tickets. That’s a new and welcome change.
Park Passes are also available up to 120 days in advance, allowing Disneyland visitors to plan a few months ahead of time.
So, Disney Vacation Club members from out of state may safely return to the Happiest Place on Earth as of June 15th.
Park officials have planned for an influx of new guests. Disneyland Park will offer two more hours of park time, while Disney California Adventure adds one.
I suspect the latter park will expand soon for reasons we’re about to discuss. Also, Downtown Disney has added three more hours to its daily operating schedule.
These changes will occur on July 1st, signaling that Disneyland executives expect normalcy to rerun by the July 4th holiday.
Here are the current park hours for July 1st:
- Disneyland – 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Disney California Adventure – 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Downtown Disney – 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
As an aside, Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed during a recent interview that Park Passes are here to stay.
Similarly, virtual queues represent the future (and present) of Disney theme parks.
The Return of Jungle Cruise and Other Park Updates
Disneyland’s theme parks didn’t open with all attractions available. The sudden changes in California laws caught management flat-footed.
Over time, several new attractions have returned, though. Over the past week, we’ve witnessed the reopenings of:
- Astro Orbiter
- Autopia
- Gadget’s Go Coaster
- Grizzly River Run
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
However, one of the most iconic rides at Disneyland remains closed…for just a little while longer.
Park officials confirmed that Jungle Cruise will reopen to the public on July 16th, a day before Disneyland’s 66th birthday. Disney posted this video:
You gotta love the Skipper narration. As a reminder, Disneyland will reveal its modernized version of Jungle Cruise first.
Imagineers are working on the Magic Kingdom ride in the background while it remains open to guests.
At Disneyland, Imagineers have gotten to work on it during park hours by keeping it closed for the time being.
So, on July 16th, the new and future Jungle Cruise will debut for the first time at Disneyland.
In a weirder update, Disney announced that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh will close for refurbishment on July 5th.
The declaration didn’t provide a timeline or even a general estimated length of time for the closure. It’s all a bit mysterious.
Avengers Campus Arrives This Friday!
Meanwhile, something much more significant will open this week. Avengers Campus will open on June 4th, and Disney has pulled out all the stops.
The company’s social media will livestream the opening ceremony on June 2nd.
I’ll provide full details in another article. However, Disney California Adventure has confirmed that WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure will employ a virtual queue.
That’s part of the reason why we know that virtual queues aren’t going anywhere.
While FastPass remains in limbo, I suspect that Disney parks will utilize virtual queues whenever a new attraction debuts.
If so, we may safely expect the same tactic for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT when it debuts in October.
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