Disneyland is expected to be closed for more than a full year before it reopens as a fully functional theme park. However, the Disneyland Resort has found ways to keep busy and keep open. Downtown Disney has been open for shopping and dining for several months and even a portion of Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure has been opened up as an extension of that. Disney is now planning something even bigger as a special ticketed event focused on food and drink is set to open at DCA next month. And now we have a much better idea just how big it will actually be.
A Facebook post from Workers United Local 60, a union that represents many Disneyland Resort cast members, has revealed some more details about exactly who will be going back to work, and thus exactly what areas of the park will be open as part of this special event. In short the entire park, save the as yet unopened Avengers Campus, will be available for guests to wander through and buy food and drink. According to the post, Cars Land, Pacific Wharf, Pixar Pier and Grizzly Peak will all be opened for the event. In addition, at least six booths, likely offering special food and drink items, will also be in place.
Buena Vista Street, which had been opened to Downtown Disney guests, will be part of the event as well. This means that said street should now be closed off to guests who don't buy tickets to the event. That's not exactly shocking. Buena Vista Street is the entrance point of Disney California Adventure, it would be essentially impossible to make the rest of the park available to ticketed guests while leaving that open to Downtown Disney visitors.
An exact start date for the event has not been announced, but expect it to start in the middle of March--right around the one year anniversary of the theme parks closing. Exactly how long the event will last has also not been announced, but the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, which this new event will essentially be, lasted from late February to late April in 2020. With expectations that the parks will finally reopen by sometime this summer, I'd expect the plan may be for this event to last until it needs to close in order to make the parks ready for a proper grand opening. Assuming that there isn't another significant delay in that.
It's great to have it confirmed that the rest of Disney California Adventure will be available for the event. For those that have missed the park, you'll at least be able to walkthrough your favorite parts, even if the various attractions will be closed. Some sort of entertainment offerings will be presented, but what those will be and how that will work has yet to be announced.
