Disneyland and California Adventure Park have relaunched attractions at the parks in phases since reopening in April after a 13-month pandemic shutdown.
Disney fans have not been so understanding about the closures and phased ramp-up — designed to institute COVID-19 safety protocols and retrain staff — especially after Disney announced price hikes Monday of up to 8% on daily tickets. Enthusiasts complain that they are being asked to pay more while getting fewer attractions.
Don’t fret. Most fan-favorite rides — the Haunted Mansion, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the Pirates of the Caribbean— are running, and Disney is now scrambling to restart many of the remaining out-of-commission attractions in time for the holidays.
Here’s what you need to know about which attractions are back and when others are re-starting:
Dancers in elaborate costumes join Mickey Mouse, dressed in the ”Sorcerer’s Apprentice’’ costume for the “Magic Happens” parade on Main Street U.S.A. in Feb. 2020.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
What’s back
Parades
Regular nightly parades have yet to return to Disneyland’s Main Street USA, but during the Halloween celebration known as the Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure Park, visitors can check out what is called the Frightfully Fun parade, starring Disney villains including Cruella from Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians movies. It runs on select nights until Oct. 31.
Starting on Nov. 12, Disneyland will launch a holiday parade called A Christmas Fantasy, featuring Santa Claus, the Disney princesses plus Anna, Elsa and Olaf from the animated movie Frozen, among others.
Disney has hinted via its TikTock and Instagram accounts, which show a brightly lit character from the parade rolling out of a warehouse, that it may soon revive a nearly 50-year-old fan favorite, the Main Street Electrical Parade. The parade was upgraded in 2017 with thousands of LED lights and a renovated sounds system to play the theme song/ear worm “Baroque Hoedown.” The parade has been on indefinite hiatus since 2019.
Before the pandemic, Disneyland launched Magic Happens, its first new daytime parade in more than nine years. The score and lyrics were created by Todrick Hall, a former Disney performer who gained fame as a YouTube star and contestant on season nine of ABC’s American Idol. There is no word yet whether that parade will return.
The Disneyland monorail was closed during the park’s 13-month pandemic shutdown and through the early months of its reopening. It started running again Oct. 15, 2021.
(Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Monorail
The Disneyland Monorail, which was first launched in 1959, remained closed until Oct. 15. Disney representatives said it took a long time to restart the ride because of health and safety protocols, as well as extra time needed to rehire and train staff and test the tram.
A new holiday fireworks display is scheduled to debut at Disneyland on Nov. 12, 2021.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Fireworks
An Independence Day fireworks show was restarted in July and a night-time projection and pyrotechnics display called Halloween Scream runs until Oct. 31 at Disneyland. Starting Nov. 12, a holiday fireworks show — Believe In Holiday Magic — begins at Disneyland and continues on select nights until Jan. 9.
Dancing
The Disney Junior Dance Party, a nightclub for teens and preteens at California Adventure Park, relaunched Oct. 15.
What’s not back yet
Tram
The Disneyland tram that moves visitors from the parking structures to an area near the commercial district known as Downtown Disney has not operated since the park reopened in April. That means you are going to have to stroll an extra ten to 20 minutes to get to the park entrances. Disney representatives say staff hiring and retraining has contributed to the delay and expect the tram to begin running nearly next year.
A three-dimensional projection of The Lion King is shown on the mist during the launch of Disney California Adventure Park’s “World of Color,” in 2015. The show has not come back since the park reopened in April.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Water and light shows
World of Color at California Adventure Park and Fantasmic at Disneyland — two night time attractions that feature special effects, lights, water and pyrotechnics— aren’t yet running again. There is no word on when they might restart.
A young visitor waves at Elsa and Anna characters at Disneyland. COVID-19 protocols mean visitors must keep their distance from costumed characters. It’s not clear when the protocols may change.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Hugs with characters
Forget about hugging Mickey Mouse or high fiving Chewbacca. Since the parks reopened, the so-called “character experiences” have been constrained by pandemic social distancing efforts. You are now limited to waving to costumed characters who stand behind barriers or on elevated stages several feet away. Disneyland officials have not given a timeline for when visitors may once again get close to their favorite characters.
The Genie+ system that will let visitors skip regular queues will start working later this fall. Above, guests wait in line at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The underwater attraction, previously called Submarine Voyage, has yet to reopen because of ongoing COVID-19 health and safety concerns. The ride, which was overhauled in 2007 to incorporate the story and characters of the Pixar film Finding Nemo, is now being refurbished. A reopening date has not been announced.
Fastpass and Maxpass
The Fastpass and Maxpass systems that let visitors skip the regular queues by scheduling a time to return to an attraction were eliminated when the parks reopened. The replacement system, Genie and Genie+, are expected to launch later this fall. The Genie feature on the Disneyland app gives parkgoers suggested park itineraries based on the visitor’s preferences. Genie+, which costs $20 per day, also lets visitors skip the regular queues to use an expedited Lightning Lane.
