Disneyland has unveiled plans for a theme park expansion, as well as new retail, hotel, and parking projects.
“DisneylandForward” is Disney’s effort to work with the city to grow the Disneyland Resort post-pandemic. Disney will be asking the city to approve plans to add a mix of theme park, hotel, retail, dining and entertainment on the eastern and western edges of the existing Disneyland Resort. The plans also include a new, large-scale parking garage on Harbor Boulevard and Disney Way.
The westside expansion envisions new theme park lands on the Downtown Disney and Lilo and Stitch parking lots, situated between the existing Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel. Originally, there was some confusion amongst news outlets if this was a new park, but it appears they are actually large expansions of both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
Concept art of the west-side site shows a central mountain surrounded by water with buildings interspersed on the south end of the property. A mountain ridge to the west separates the theme park from nearby neighborhoods. The west-side site links up with Downtown Disney near the unused AMC Theater and ESPN Zone.
The existing Toy Story parking lot on Harbor Blvd, just across the street from the Anaheim Convention Center, would be turned into a new shopping and dining district, much like Disney Springs at Walt Disney World or DisneyTown at Shanghai Disneyland.
Concept art of the east-side retail area features a central lagoon surrounded by shops and a small hotel.
After being closed for more than one year, magic is back at Disneyland Resort theme parks. More than 10,000 Cast Members are returning to work. Guests will be welcomed back to explore new magic and favorite experiences – from iconic attractions and character sightings to shopping, dining and hotel stays. Enhanced health and safety measures will be in place.
Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park are planning to officially reopen to the public on April 30, with limited capacity.
You’ll soon be welcomed back to enjoy unforgettable attractions, see beloved Disney friends, shop for the latest merchandise, savor the world-famous food and drinks, capture fun photos and cherish special magical moments.
Get ready to once again experience favorite attractions at both parks, from thrilling adventures like the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and the Incredicoaster to family-friendly experiences like Peter Pan’s Flight and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. New magic will be unveiled, too, as the reimagined Snow White’s Enchanted Wish opens to guests for the very first time.
From surprise appearances along Main Street, U.S.A., and Pixar Pier to playful interactions, characters from favorite Disney stories will entertain and delight. Beloved characters will pop up in new ways and sometimes in unexpected places as they remain mindful of physical distancing. Certain experiences that draw large group gatherings – such as parades and nighttime spectaculars – will return at a later date.
Because theme park capacity will be significantly limited to comply with governmental requirements and promote physical distancing, the Disneyland Resort will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system that requires all guests to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date are required for guests ages 3 and up. Theme park reservations will be limited and subject to availability and, until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks in line with current state guidelines. More details about this new reservation system will be available soon.
In the days leading up to the public opening on April 30, Disneyland Resort will invite cast members and members of the local community to be the first theme park guests after more than a year of closure. A Touch of Disney, the limited-time ticketed experience which has sold out, will go on as planned from March 18 through April 19.
Guests will also have the opportunity to stay in the middle of the magic as the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort plan to welcome guests once again, with a phased reopening. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa plans to reopen on April 29, with limited capacity. Disney Vacation Club Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will plan to reopen May 2. Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and the Disneyland Hotel will reopen at a later date.
The health and well-being of guests and cast members remain a top priority. Just as the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort reopened with enhanced health and safety measures, operational changes will be in place at the theme parks and hotels to align with guidance from health authorities and learnings from our parks around the world to promote physical distancing, enhanced cleanliness and reduced contact. This guidance is fluid and applicable at any given time as community situations change. With that guidance, many factors will determine the timing of when offerings may be available. Cast members will be available to explain our new procedures and answer questions you may have.
Visit Disneyland.com often for the most current information, including future details about ticket sales and reservations, and which experiences are currently available or will be offered.*
In a recent announcement, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the state was close to reaching a goal of vaccinating 2 million Californians living in underprivileged communities. Reaching this target results in it being easier for counties to move into less-restrictive tiers of California’s reopening plan. The state’s reopening plan allows for theme parks to reopen as of April 1st with 15% capacity if they are in the “red tier”.
While Orange County, the home to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, is on track to reach the red tier from its current, more restrictive purple tier, the vaccination benchmark makes it easier to eventually reach the even lower orange tier. The Chief Health Officer and Director of the Orange County Health Care Agency, Dr. Clayton Chau, said he expects “to have two weeks in the red tier on Tuesday and on Wednesday we’ll have an official entry into the red tier.”
If the county can move from the red tier to the orange tier, its capacity limit would increase from 15% up to 25%, allowing for nearly 2/3 more guests to enter the parks. Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are currently expected to reopen in late April, according to The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek.
While the parks may choose to initially reopen at a capacity lower than that allowed by California’s reopening plans, the actual capacity in effect could go unannounced by The Walt Disney Company and only be shared months after the fact, as has been the case for Walt Disney World.
Exciting news from Disney today! While we previously announced theme parks can once again reopen in California beginning April 1, we were unsure of what timeframe Disneyland was aiming to reopen. We now know Disneyland has a reopening target for late April!
The following was reported by Disney Parks New Twitter: “Here in California, we’re encouraged by the positive trends we’re seeing and we’re hopeful they’ll continue to improve and we’ll be able to reopen our Parks to guests with limited capacity by late April — we look forward to publicizing an opening date in the coming weeks. While last week’s announcement stated that theme parks may open starting on April 1, the fact is that it will take some time to get them ready for our guests – this includes recalling more than 10,000 furloughed Cast and retraining them to be able to operate according to the State of California’s new requirements. I am pleased to say the response has been great thus far, our Cast Members are excited to get back to work. And this is also good news for the Anaheim community, which depends on Disneyland for jobs and business generated visitors.”
Walt Disney Company (DIS) shares reached a new level today, closing at $201.91. That represents an $11.92 (6.27%) increase over yesterday. The stock is flying high on news that Disneyland is cleared to reopen as soon as April 1, 2021.
Sleeping Beauty Castle – Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland is the centerpiece of Fantasyland, and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Surrounded by beautiful flowers and whimsical topiary, the Disneyland landmark beckons park visitors to explore the different realms of the place “Where Dreams Come True.” Walt Disney wanted this castle to be a friendly and welcoming presence in his park so it was built on a smaller scale than its European counterparts. (Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort)
According to Schaeffer’s Investment Research, DIS shares are up 70% year-over-year. Disney stock previously hit its record high February 24. Today’s results were also buoyed by an $8.6 million take over the weekend from Raya and the Last Dragon.
