No news yet, but there are signs that Disneyland could eventually reopen in some capacity. A few factors:
Orange County was removed from the state’s Watchlist. This doesn’t mean theme parks are allowed to reopen, but it’s one step closer.
Sea World San Diego will be reopening for “Zoo Days” on weekends starting Friday - outdoor encounters and dining only.
Knott’s Berry Farm has opened its entire park to shopping and outdoor dining in a festival event.
The below article from MiceChat gave a few ideas for how Disneyland could imitate its competitors:
Reopen Main Street for shopping. They could potentially just make it part of Downtown Disney operation and allow guests to shop the various stores on the street (using virtual queuing as necessary to limit access).
Reopen Buena Vista Street for shopping.
Relaunch the California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, perhaps expanding it to also use all of the quick service windows as Knott’s has done. Guests could buy timed event tickets to ensure limited capacity.
I would add that over time, they could even open areas of the park purely for strolling / walking around. They could turn on water features and occasionally even run ride vehicles empty for kinetics?
My gut tells me Disney doesn’t want to open their parks until they can have attractions open, because they want to protect the integrity of the parks as a full-fledged entertainment experience. But with the pandemic continuing, it might be worth them exploring these other options.
Fingers crossed. My trip is booked for exactly four weeks after the the 14 days off the watchlist requirement. If they end up opening schools why can’t they open the parks? (As soon as I typed the question I came up with an answer. Because guests at Disneyland come from all parts of the country.)
But if Florida is doing it …
I’m missing Disneyland especially tonight for some reason.
I want to be driving under the port cochere at the Grand Californian and having the valet take my luggage and my car. I want to walk into the grand lobby and have my kids sit by the fire or watch cartoons while I check in. I want to stand on the Esplanade and hear the music piped in as we pull out our tickets and pick the shortest line.
I want to hear the train whistle as we pass the station. I want to hear the clip-clop of the horses on Main Street as we approach Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Turn left into Adventureland and hear the jungle percussion and smell the barbecue. Hear the bell of the Mark Twain as I emerge into New Orleans Square. Smell popcorn and churros as I round the Rivers of America. The screams of guests and the jets of water get louder as I approach Splash Mountain.
I want to feel that sense of awe as I walk up to the Millennium Falcon and stand face to face with a childhood dream. Hear the calliope play from King Arthur Carousel as I enter Fantasyland. Watch the children squeal with delight as they take their teacup for a spin. See the children of the world march out from the clock in front of It’s A Small World. Hear the distant echo of a Yeti as I walk past the Matterhorn. Get startled when the Monorail driver honks his horn as he comes into the station. See the submarines peek over the water line and dip through the waterfall into a cave.
I miss the sight of Space Mountain’s spires as I enter Tomorrowland, the smell of gasoline wafting from the Autopia. I don’t stop for pizza or chicken fingers at the Terrace, but I have fond memories of doing so in my childhood. It’s getting late and the fireworks have started. I come into the hub in time to watch a few bright lights explode over the castle and see Tinkerbell spread her pixie dust at the end of a magical day.
I wish I were in Disneyland tonight!
I can’t make this wish come true, but here’s a little video from my last trip to tide me over in the meantime.
I literally had to stop reading your post because I was tearing up. Our family was planning a trip to Disneyland, the first time my children would have been there, for next year. I have halted all planning. Last night, DS9 and I were looking through pictures of our last Disney World trip, in 2016, watching the Star Wars fireworks, and that made me start crying. I don’t know if it’s ever going to be the same again. I’m not trying to be negative, but this concept of “a new normal” is not comforting to me.
I heard somewhere the term “now normal” and I like it much better. It implies that what is now normal is not here to stay. Maybe we’ll never go back to the old normal, but I think it will get to a place where we won’t really remember the difference. This is just the in between time, the now normal.
No one can promise this, because when has anything ever remained completely the same in life? But I do believe Disneyland will open sometime in the not too distant future, and that eventually mask requirements will be lifted, fireworks will resume, character meet and greets will return, and attendance caps will be abolished. We’ll feel the magic again.
I know you and @Julianne_fki are both right. I think I’m just feeling super nostalgic right now, which, in turn, is making me sad. Thanks for your optimistic words!
I think we should start calling this “the in between”. Not the new normal, not the now normal, but “the in between”. The time between the OLD normal, and what will come after.
