We chat with Caitlin Collins, who was a Disneyland Ride Operator in the mid-2000s, working at Pirates of the Caribbean, Winnie the Pooh, and Space Mountain. Plus, we catch up on current events at the Disneyland Resort, as always.
***Disney Resort Updates***
Check back daily as information is changing rapidly.
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 (Corona) Virus, Many Disney Parks, Cruise Lines, and Disney Vacation Club Resorts will be closed until further notice:
Please be sure to follow CDC and your State's guidelines during this crisis. We will get through this.
Shanghai Disneyland • Shanghai Disneyland is now open. Be sure to check their reservation system which requires everyone, including infants, to have a reservation. The resort capacity is 50%. You must go to Shanghai's web page for advance reservations. Please visit their site for details.
Walt Disney World • All 4 Walt Disney World theme parks are open.
• Additionally, Disney Vacation Club properties at Walt Disney World and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground have begun to reopen to Members and Guests. Disney Springs has already begun to reopen. Upon reopening, theme parks, Disney Resort Hotels, restaurants and other offerings may be modified, limited in capacity and subject to availability or closure. You must have an advance reservation and valid ticket.
• Face masks are no longer required in "Outdoor Common Areas" and "Pool Decks". You may temporarily remove your face covering while actively eating, drinking or taking an outdoor photo, but you must be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing during this time. Masks must be worn at all other times.
• Park Hopping is allowed within strict rules:
1. You must make a reservation at one of the Parks. They do still require this as a private company.
2. You must go to that Park first.
3. Park Hopping does not start until 2PM.
4. Access to Parks is still limited to their maximum occupancy. Check the Park you want to go to before traveling to it to make sure it is accepting Hopping guests.
5. Check the Walt Disney World Park Hopper web page for updates to Park Hopping rules.
Disneyland • Disneyland is now OPEN!!!!!!! Face coverings are required for unvaccinated guests while indoors except while eating (see Disneyland's web page for complete details).
• Like Walt Disney World, you must have a valid ticket AND make a Park reservation for the day you are interested in attending. Park reservations can only be made 60 days out at the present time. Be sure to check availability of the dates you are interested in before purchasing tickets.
• Disneyland Park President Ken Potrock announces there will be a new form of annual passes. Detail will be announced later this year. "Legacy" Pass holders are still getting dining and merchandise discounts.
• The Grand Californian and The Paradise Pier are open.
• The Disneyland Hotel will be opening July 2, 2021..
• The State of California has updated its rules for Theme Parks and Stadiums to reopen.
• The Downtown Disney District is open. Some table service is available following state and local rules.
• The State of California are working on new guidelines for amusement parks. The state has also announced that if conditions continue to improve as they are now, the state will do away with its tier system. Changes to mask requirements, capacity, etc. are in the works and will be announced. It is anticipated that the California residence requirement will also be eliminated.
Hong Kong Disneyland • The Park is officially reopened. Advanced reservations with names and contact numbers are required. The Park will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays except major holidays. Please visit their web site for current requirements.
Disneyland Paris • OPEN. Please visit their web site for up to date information on COVID restrictions and Parkavailability.
Disney Cruise Lines • UPDATE 3/9/2021 SHARE HOLDERS' MEETING - CEO Bob Chapek Just said he has no date for the Cruise lines, but hopefully if trends continue to be positive, maybe next Fall or later.
• Disney Cruise line has suspended US cruises at least through July 2021 and European cruises through October 9, 2021.
• They will be begin accepting bookings for Summer 2022. Early booking May 17th and general booking May 27.
Aulani Resort • Phased reopening began November 1, 2020. The state of Hawaii has strict travel requirements which include a 10 quarantine or negative test within 72 hours of your arrival. Please visit HERE for the latest details.
Walt Disney Family Museum • The Walt Disney Family Museum is open but you must have reservation to enter the building. They will not admit you after 4p, even if you have a reservation. Please see their Welcome back page for details. They continue to provide virtual content. San Francisco County was recently moved into the Orange Tier, so please check their web page for current status. The World War II Special Exhibit opened March 19th in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall. See web page for availability and restrictions.
INFORMATION CORRECT AS OF June 26, 2021. Please check individual Resorts web pages for restrictions, requirements, and changes.
Disneyland Resort Current Event
Disneyland increases attendance capacity, drops masks and physical distancing as pandemic rules end
Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Pamela Hymel outlined the changes coming to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure once pandemic restrictions end in a letter issued to employees.
By BRADY MACDONALD
PUBLISHED: June 14, 2021
“Disneyland will increase attendance, drop mask requirements for vaccinated visitors, discontinue physical distancing and continue advance reservations as the state ends most COVID-19 health and safety measures.”
…
“The full reopening of the California economy on Tuesday, June 15 after a 15-month pandemic hibernation will allow theme parks in the state to return to full capacity and end most COVID-19 health and safety measures.
“Disneyland will no longer require masks for fully vaccinated visitors starting on Tuesday. Unvaccinated Disneyland visitors are expected to continue to wear a mask — except while dining.
“Disneyland visitors will be asked to self-attest their vaccination status before entering the parks, but proof of vaccination will not be required.
“Visitors also need to acknowledge the state’s strong recommendation that they be fully vaccinated or receive a negative COVID-19 test before entering Disneyland or DCA when making a reservation.”
...
“Disneyland and DCA will no longer require physical distancing beginning Tuesday — with the Anaheim theme parks removing ground markings and signage. Visitors will be allowed to “self-determine distancing” starting on June 15, according to Hymel’s letter.”
Orange County Register
Fully Vaccinated Disneyland Cast Members Masks Optional Outdoors, Physical Distancing Removed Starting June 26
Jun 25, 2021
“The Disneyland Resort has announced that starting tomorrow, June 26, physical distancing will no longer be required for Cast Members, and Cast who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to remove face coverings while outdoors.”
...
“Fully vaccinated Cast Members will also be allowed to remove face coverings while outdoors starting June 26.
“Face coverings will still be required for all Cast Members while in indoor spaces, enclosed vehicles, and select health facilities.
“Cast Members who are not fully vaccinated will still be required to wear face coverings outdoors.”
Laughing Place
Disneyland: Less than half of 32,000 employees have returned to work
The Disneyland resort has 15,000 cast members currently working and expects to hire about 1,000 more this summer, according to Disneyland officials.
By BRADY MACDONALD
PUBLISHED: June 23, 2021
“Less than half of the 32,000 Disneyland employees have returned to work after thousands were laid off or furloughed during the 412-day coronavirus closure of the Anaheim theme parks.
“The Disneyland resort has 15,000 cast members currently working and expects to hire about 1,000 more this summer, according to Disneyland officials.
“Disneyland laid off or furloughed thousands of cast members — Disney parlance for employees — during the COVID-19 pandemic after state officials refused to allow California theme parks to reopen for more than a year.”
...
“An exact count of the layoffs and furloughs at the Disneyland resort during the pandemic is not available — but the numbers are staggering.
“Disney laid off 28,000 employees in September 2020 at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Approximately 37,000 Disney employees were on furlough as of October 2020.
“By the end of 2020, the Disneyland resort had laid off more than 11,500 employees and furloughed thousands more.
“Disneyland has been steadily recalling and rehiring cast members during the phased reopening of the parks that began last fall. Admitting more visitors and bringing back additional attractions, eateries and shops would likely require hiring more cast members — based on past stages of the phased reopening of the parks.”
Orange County Register
Disneyland makes tossing out leftover food a little less wasteful
The Hungriest Place on Earth has a way for you to feel a little less guilty about tossing out that half-eaten treat or meal.
By BRADY MACDONALD
PUBLISHED: June 25, 2021
“In an effort to reduce waste, Disneyland has launched a pilot program that adds food waste trash cans next to the traditional landfill and recycling bins.
“The pilot program is starting at the Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. Visitors are asked to sort their trash into landfill, recycling and food waste bins.
“The unfit-for-human-consumption food waste is sent to a third-party vendor that converts the leftovers into feed nutrients for farm animals.”
...
“Disneyland recently announced a goal of achieving zero landfill waste by 2030.
“Disney’s Anaheim theme parks have been recovering food scraps since 2014 — mostly at food and beverage locations.”
Orange County Register
Disneyland Resort Introduces New Food Waste Bins in Tomorrowland
Jun 25, 2021
Laughing Place
Disneyland brings scan-and-go shopping to theme park stores
The merchandise mobile checkout system expands on the mobile ordering system that has quickly become the preferred option for making purchases at restaurants and food stands in Disney theme parks.
By BRADY MACDONALD
PUBLISHED: June 25, 2021
“Disneyland has expanded a new mobile checkout system to two theme park shops that lets shoppers scan an item using the Disneyland app and walk out of the store with their purchase — bypassing the line for the checkout counter completely.
“The Emporium at Disneyland and Elias & Co. at Disney California Adventure began offering merchandise mobile checkout on Thursday, June 24, according to Disneyland officials.
“The merchandise mobile checkout system expands on the mobile ordering system that has quickly become the preferred option for making purchases at restaurants and food stands in Disney theme parks.”
...
“Shoppers use the Disneyland app or scan a QR code using their smartphones to access the mobile checkout system. The QR code takes shoppers to the Disneyland app or prompts them to download the app.
“Shoppers will need to grab a mobile checkout shopping bag in the store and scan the merchandise they wish to purchase as they add the items to the bag.
“The merchandise scanner opens the smartphone camera window. Shoppers center the target box on the screen over the bar code tag on the items they want to buy. Scanned items appear in a virtual shopping bag in the app.
“Tapping checkout on the app pays for the items using a credit card connected to the Disneyland app. Shoppers show a QR code to an employee at a designated mobile checkout exit in the store.”
Orange County Register
Disneyland Update – The Rush To Fully Reopen
By Dusty Sage -June 14, 2021
“Tomorrow’s the big day: most state restrictions on theme parks expire, out-of-state guests return, and Disneyland can start setting their daily attendance limits to whatever they want. We’ll take a look at Disneyland’s rush to reopen as many closed attractions, restaurants, and services as soon as possible. Plus, Avengers Campus fixes, tips, and Disneyland WITHOUT masks…”
MiceChat
Disneyland Update – The Magic of Entertainment Returns
By Dusty Sage -June 21, 2021
“What a week! One day after our last Disneyland Update, everything we’ve come to know about the reopened Disneyland experience changed. Masks became optional for guests, social distancing was done away with, indoor queuing returned, rides went back to full capacity, AND out-of-state guests returned to the resort en masse. That’s a lot of change, but none of these things had fans as worried as the fact that Disneyland was no longer restricted to the number of guests they could allow into the park on any given day. We’ll tell you the surprising results of what happened on the 15th of June and what has been the case every day since.”
MiceChat
Guide to Disneyland’s New Normal (Mask, Physical Distancing, Safety Policies, Etc.)
By MiceChat Staff -June 25, 2021
“The Disney parks safety procedures from the past year mostly came to an end on June 15th, 2021. Here’s what you need to know about masks, social distancing, parking, and more.
“UPDATED (June 25th, 2021) – Cast Member safety protocols changing on June 26th, please see below. “
You can listen to show 312 on iTunes or go to Libsyn service here.
Disneyland Ride Operator From Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain
Listen to our Show
Show Notes for Episode 312