Disneyland To Reopen On April 30 At Limited Capacity

Disney’s flagship theme park Disneyland will reopen on April 30, the company said Wednesday, marking a major milestone after being closed for more than a year.

More than 10,000 cast members will be returning to work (including at the reimagined Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, which will open to guests for the first time, Disney said).

“The joy and laughter and magical moments of the Disneyland Resort will soon return to its theme parks as Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are planning to officially reopen to the public on April 30, 2021, with limited capacity,” Disney said today.

“The day all of us have long been waiting for is almost here,” said Ken Potrock, president of the Disneyland Resort.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek had indicated earlier this month that Disneyland would open in late April as California accelerates loosing of Covid-19 restrictions. Under new state reopening guidelines, the Anaheim park could have opened April 1, but Chapek noted the substantial amount of work needed to get ready, including bringing staff back and training them on Covid protocols.

In the days leading up to the public opening, Disneyland Resort will invite cast members and members of the local community to be the first theme park guests.

The Hotels of the Disneyland Resort also 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 plan to reopen May 2. Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and the Disneyland Hotel will reopen at a later date.

Because theme park capacity will be significantly limited to comply with governmental requirements and promote physical distancing, the company said 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 Florida, Walt Disney World parks are open at 35% capacity and having no trouble attracting guests. Disney over the weekend reported that all parks at Walt Disney World are completely booked next week for Disney Resort guests and theme park tickets guests. Disney’s Hollywood Studios also has no availability for the rest of the month for guests as spring break crowds push the capacity at the Florida attraction.

All other Disney parks globally are open save Paris, which had been set to open in early April but announced last week that it was indefinitely postponing the event given the wave of coronavirus infections in the country.