Outdoor Dining Resumes at Disneyland’s Downtown Disney Restaurants, while California’s Great America Sets Proposed Reopening Date

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 1, 2021

 

It may not seem like it from the outside, but in the grand scheme of things, this was a big weekend at Disneyland. The State of California has begun lifting some of its COVID restrictions, among them, the regional stay-at-home orders and the ban on outdoor dining, so Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District began recalling food service cast members last week.

A number of the restaurants in Downtown Disney and along Buena Vista Street have been serving up take-out only since the outdoor dining ban went into effect December 7, and even with to-go orders, food could not be consumed on Disney property. Restaurants that did not offer take-out had to close temporarily. But with the outdoor dining ban lifted, guests can now dine on property, as long as they are dining outdoors at the sit-down restaurants, and socially-distanced and stationary at other locations.

 

Today (February 1), Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen is one of the restaurants swinging open its doors for dining. Among the other eateries that reopened to al fresco dining over the weekend are Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes, Uva Bar and Café, Naples Ristorante, and Tortilla Joe’s. (Catal Restaurant, La Brea Bakery Café, Napolini Pizzeria and Starbucks (!) are among the unavailable restaurants at this time.) For a complete look at the facilities that are open and their hours, check here.

While there is no news yet on when the California Disney Parks themselves might open, California’s Great America, a Cedar Fair-owned amusement park, became the first California theme park to announce a proposed reopening date, set for May 22.

Disneyland continues to host a COVID vaccine distribution location in one of their currently unused parking lots.

 

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

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California Disneyland To Close Certain Dining Locations Tomorrow

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 6, 2020

 

Things were already difficult in California, with stay-at-home orders enacted and COVID-19 rates that continue to skyrocket. Now Disneyland is taking another hit as they scale back their recently reopened dining venues, and, according to the Orange County Register, furlough 350 additional workers. 

In keeping with the latest safety measures handed down by California and its various levels of local government, Disneyland will be closing all restaurants and dining locations that do not offer a take-out option tomorrow (Monday, December 7th.) Retail locations remain open for holiday shoppers, with reduced 20% capacities.

 

Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure themselves remain closed, but the Downtown Disney District of shopping and dining venues had embarked on a phased reopening for the holidays, including an expansion onto Buena Vista Street. The Disneyland Resort Hotels will remain closed as well, with Disney announcing that all reservations through December 31 have been cancelled.  

 

As this situation is very fluid, and changes are occurring almost daily, guests who are planning to visit the Downtown Disney District should check the Downtown Disney website before finalizing their trip.

 

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Pre-order The Disney Planner 2021: The TO DO List Solution today!

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

Shopping and Eating Expanded at Disneyland Resort

 by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

October 24, 2020

 

The battle rages on between California’s governor and the state’s theme parks, including Disneyland. In fact, on this past Wednesday (October 21), theme park officials held a joint virtual press conference in which it was noted that legal action against the state is under consideration.

 

In the meantime, Disney fans and fun seekers in general cannot enjoy “Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!” at California Adventure, for example, or “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” at Disneyland. However, they soon will have more eating and shopping options at the Downtown Disney District. Hey, eating and shopping are fun.

 

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Disney announced on October 23 that the Downtown Disney District, which has been open since July, will be extended to California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street at some point in November. Disney noted that “there will be even more distinctively Disney dining and shopping for you to enjoy.”

 

What are the specifics? Well, here’s what Disney served up via the Disney Parks Blog:

 

    • Holiday shopping? Head to Elias & Co. The store is divided into distinct sections for men, women and children, so you’ll find something special for the entire family! At Julius Katz & Sons, peruse even more holiday merchandise and Disney-themed home décor. The Kingswell Camera Shop offers great gift-giving ideas like frames, photo albums and more. Buena Vista Street stores have a variety of your Disney favorites!

    • If you are looking to tempt your taste buds with a snack, Trolley Treats offers classic candies, old-fashioned confections and all kinds of freshly made treats. Vending carts will offer popcorn, churros, ice cream and other “must-bite” treats.

     • Swing by Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe for the enchanting sights and sounds of Buena Vista Street—and a cup of coffee or scrumptious artisan sandwich.

         • Sit-down dining options include Carthay Circle Lounge, where you can unwind in our expanded outdoor seating area featuring an all-new menu of cocktails and dining. Smokejumpers Grill is serving up tasty American classics for lunch and dinner with a streamlined menu of burgers, fries, onion rings and craft beer, located just around the corner from Buena Vista Street. The primary way to place your order at this dining location is through mobile order on the Disneyland App.

 

For good measure, the Backlot Premiere Shop at Stage 17, which offers seasonal merchandise, recently opened.

 

Since California Adventure remains closed, Disney noted that Buena Vista Street will only be accessible from the Downtown Disney District. Also, the company reminded guests about health and safety protocols in effect, including temperature screenings before entering, requirement to wear masks, and limited attendance to promote social distancing.

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

Pre-order The Disney Planner 2021: The TO DO List Solution today!

 

Also, get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.

 

Disneyland in California Reopening Announced

by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

June 10, 2020

The Disneyland theme park in California is set to reopen on July 17, which just happens to be 65 years to the day after it originally opened. The Disneyland California Adventure park will open on the same day.

It was also announced today that the Downtown Disney District will begin reopening on July 9, and the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Paradise Pier Hotel will reopen on July 23.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

The openings depend upon state and local government approvals.

Given limits on capacity and the need for social distancing, Disneyland resort will be managing attendance at the parks via a reservation system, which will require all guests, including Annual Passholders, to obtain a reservation. Disney also noted, “At this time, there will also be a temporary pause on new ticket sales and Annual Passport sales and renewals.”

And of course, an assortment of safety and health protocols will be implemented, as will various operational changes. They will be detailed at a later date, according to Disney.

Disney did make clear, as is the case with Walt Disney World, that parades and nighttime spectaculars at the Disneyland parks will be delayed.

In a statement, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, wrote, in part:

While certain aspects of your visit may change, I assure you the quality of our storytelling, magic of our experiences and the caliber of our cast members has not. We recognize the trust that you have in the Disney brand, and we will continue to earn your trust every day.  

My confidence comes in part from all of the hard work our teams have been doing behind the scenes in the past few months… as well as by the early successes we have seen at Shanghai Disneyland, the first of our theme parks to reopen. Guest satisfaction has been extremely high, and we will continue to make sure that as we bring back experiences, our attention to promoting your safety, maintaining your trust and providing unique ways for you to come together with family and friends to create new memories remains high as well.

Walt Disney once said that it takes people to make the dream a reality, and as we prepare ourselves to reopen his original park, I want you to know how eternally grateful I am for all of you who have made Disney parks, stores, hotels, cruise lines, guided tours and vacation properties part of your lives, as well as for the cast members, crew members, Imagineers, and employees who have brought them to life for the past 65 years. 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution (now available at a deep discount) and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.