Downtown Disney has officially reopened and we were there on opening day to get our first glimpse of the Disneyland Resort during this global pandemic. Back on June 10th, Disney announced that Downtown Disney would begin a phased reopening of the Disneyland Resort on July 9th with the theme parks following on July 17th. As most of you have heard, the plans to reopen theme parks were postponed, but Disney stuck to the July 9th reopening date for Downtown Disney. Here is the image they shared so guests could “Know Before (They) Go”:
We wanted to share our experiences, observations, and overall impressions of how the first day of the Disneyland Resort being reopened (partially) went from the perspective of an average Disney guest. We will talk about the parking situation, entering the Resort (health screening, bag checks), health measures in place from Disney, and whether or not the magic is still there.
Parking
Guests are directed to self-park at Simba lot on Disneyland Drive near Katella Avenue. We got into the line of cars to park in the Simba lot on Disneyland Drive from Ball Road at 9:25 a.m.
At 9:45 a.m. we noticed we started moving much faster than we previously had been moving. At approximately 9:50 we got to the entrance of the Simba Parking Lot only to see the following:
We correctly guessed that we would need to get there early if we were to get a parking spot, but we were incorrect in guessing how early we needed to be. As we drove by the cars stayed in a line and turned right on Katella, followed by a right turn on Walnut (which is right behind Disneyland Dr.), and then another right turn on Magic Way. It appeared that the stream of cars was turning into the old Downtown Disney parking lot, but when we got to the front we were told by a police officer that we would only be allowed to park in Simba. Basically, the leaders of the car line went there and everyone followed. As we got back around to the front of the Simba parking lot we asked a police officer if he could fill us in on what was happening or where we should go. His response was to “keep driving around in circles until it reopens.” Rather than wait for an undetermined amount of time or go home we decided that one of us would get to go in with the other person returning to pick me up. So I got dropped off on Harbor and Katella and walked to the Resort from there. Obviously not an ideal situation. We saw pictures and read about other people struggling to find parking all day. Some people drove over the Garden Walk parking structure and paid for parking there and walked into Disneyland. Some gave up and went home. Some kept circling until they were allowed to park. Our advise would be to plan for an early arrival (before the time frame we did), have a driver drop you off, plan to take the Metrolink, and Uber style of transportation, or plan to pay for parking over at the Garden Walk. Time will tell if the parking situation gets better as demand lessens for coming to Downtown Disney.
Entering the Disneyland Resort
As mentioned in the prior paragraph, I entered the Resort on the Harbor Blvd side.
All in all, the health screening and new security checks were a breeze. The cast members were great and made the experience as quick as possible.
Health Measures
One of the promised measures in place was “Enhanced Cleaning Procedures.” We definitely noticed cast members constantly cleaning all over Downtown Disney both inside and outside. Additionally, they’ve installed several outdoor sinks for guests to wash their hands with soap and water. I appreciated that they had these around, but when I used one I found myself wishing that I didn’t have to touch the nobs to turn on/off the water. Nevertheless, they are there for guests to use.
Additionally, restaurants only offer paper menus or have QR code scanners for guests to use to access their menus. Lastly, guests are required to wear masks and we didn’t see a single non-compliant person. The only time we saw a guest without a mask was when they were eating. Despite reading online that the restaurants weren’t spacing out guests, to our eye they looked adequately spaced out everywhere we saw.
What About the Magic?
There’s no denying that we are living in unprecedented times (for our day and age). Covid-19 has closed the Happiest Place on Earth for nearly four months with no reopening in sight (positive test cases continue to rise). I’ll admit that I was a bit apprehensive about visiting Downtown Disney since we have done our best to only go out into the public for necessities. We took a trip to the Disney Store earlier in the week, which was a good warm-up for a longer visit to Downtown Disney. Once inside I actually felt safer than when I visit my local Costco for necessities. This isn’t to say that there is no risk for guests or cast members. It’s been tough, at least for us, finding a balance between having a healthy fear/respect for Covid-19 and still living our lives. We understand and respect that some people will not be visiting until there is a vaccine in place. Back to the question “is the magic still there?” For me, the answer was yes. Underneath my face-mask I was smiling from ear to ear when I entered the Disneyland Resort and heard the music playing. Here are a few highlights of the magic still being present – even in crazy times.
Open Stores & Restaurants
Restaurants
- Asian Street Eats
- Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes
- California Churro
- Earl of Sandwich
- Jamba
- Kayla’s Cakes
- Marceline’s Confectionery
- Naples Ristorante e Bar
- Salt & Straw
- Starbucks
- Starbucks West
- Uva Bar & Cafe
- Wetzel’s Pretzels
- Wetzel’s Diggity Dog
Retail Stores
- Curl Surf
- Disney Dress Shop
- Disney Home
- Disney’s Pin Traders
- Lego Store
- Pandora Jewelry
- Rinse Bath & Body Co.
- Sephora
- Sugarboo & Co.
- Sunglass Icon
- WonderGround Gallery
- World of Disney
Establishments Not Yet Open
- Ballast Point Brewing Co.
- Catal Restaurant
- La Brea Bakery Cafe
- Napolini Pizzeria
- Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
- Splitsville Luxury Lanes
- Sprinkles
- Tortilla Jo’s (both the Taqueria and the Restaurant)
Final Thoughts
Other than parking being less than ideal, the day in totality was pleasant. After getting home we saw an unfortunate video surfacing of guests not respecting the physical distancing rules in World of Disney as they frantically grabbed 65th anniversary merchandise. Not long into the afternoon and these items were appearing on eBay. When we were in World of Disney we didn’t experience any moments like that – thankfully. We didn’t personally experience anything like what happened in that video, but the video does show that people can sometimes ruin things for others. We are sure that Disney will continue to work out the proverbial kinks as they continue with this phased reopening. If you’ve experienced shopping at Costco or Target and were okay with that experience then you’ll probably find this experience to be comparable, in terms of personal safety. There are no guarantees though, so if you are on the fence about whether to visit or not remember that Downtown Disney isn’t going anywhere. Lastly, if you plan to dine at a restaurant like Naples make a reservation (if possible) – the Open Table app is a good one for that use. Make sure you stay hydrated and bring hand sanitizer/wipes with you – let’s all remember to be extra kind during these crazy times. Stay tuned to FoodAtDisneyland on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for up to date news on the Disneyland Resort.