A few weeks ago, Disneyland Resort announced a closure starting March 14 through the end of the month of March 2020. On March 27, that closure was extended indefinitely in light of the changing public health situation. There is currently no definite date for Disneyland to reopen. Disneyland continues to update its policies and procedures during these closures, including a further update today relevant to annual passholders.
My family had a special trip of own own planned for March 19-22, so I personally understand how this news is affecting so many travelers. It’s disappointing and confusing even as we are grateful that Disney is taking steps to protect their guests.
I know a lot of Disneyland travelers are experiencing similar mixed feelings. And you probably have some questions! I’m scrambling to get all the answers for you today and will keep updating and adding to this post, but here’s what we can answer right now:
(Last Updated April 2, 5:15 pm PT.)
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FAQs About Disneyland Closing
When will Disneyland re-open?
While Disneyland originally announced a closure through the end of the month of March, there were never any guarantees that the park would definitely open on April 1. And now, Disneyland has announced that the closure is indefinite. That means we simply do not know when Disneyland will reopen.
I’m of course hopeful that the coming weeks give California and the nation time to get on top of things so normal life can resume as quickly as possible. Realistically, of course, we all want a date!
If you have a trip in April or May, the best I can advise now is to keep following Disneyland news sources. Postpone April trips now, but watch and wait for May. We all know the situation is evolving rapidly and even a week’s additional news can really inform the reality of the situation on the ground.
Guests cannot make new reservations for either April or May, but Disneyland is taking tentative reservations for June 1 and later.
We are most definitely reporting on this question daily in the Disneyland with Kids Facebook group I co-own, and I will endeavor to update this post as news evolves. Disney has been very generous with anyone whose vacation has been cancelled by these closures, and I anticipate similar accommodations will be made for anyone with a trip affected by the new extension of these closure dates.
How do I change/cancel my Disneyland tickets, hotel, or other travel reservations?
If you have a trip planned soon, you will likely be scrambling to make a variety of cancellations and changes. I know it will be stressful. Call hold times will be long. If your vacation is still a few weeks away, you may want to wait to make any changes until the rush of others calling dies down.
Just how you go about making any changes depends on the method that you used to book. Here are a few of the most common places to contact:
If you booked through Disney directly: Call 714-520-5050
If you booked through Get Away Today: Call 1-855-GET-AWAY
If you booked through Costco Travel: Call 1-866-921-7925
My friend Jessica at the Happiest Blog on Earth has a great post with even more details on how to cancel a Disneyland vacation.
Should I cancel or postpone my vacation?
The key thing to remember is that if you’ve already booked a trip, chances are good you’ve locked in some deals including the old 2019 ticket pricing or one of the ticket specials. If you cancel your trip outright, you will lose those good prices! If you postpone to a later date, however, you can carry over the deals you’ve already secured. My family personally postponed our own vacation booked through Get Away Today to a date TBD, and I’d recommend other guests do the same whenever possible.
What if I have a Spring SoCal Resident or Kids Spring Special Ticket?
If you have a regular park ticket booked for your trip, those already did not expire until the end of 2021, so there is no hurry to do much today. You could already use those tickets for any trips until December 31, 2021, but Disney already extended their expiration date until January 12, 2022 when the first closure was announced. It’s possible further extensions will be offered depending on how long the parks are closed.
The bottom line is that you should hang onto them for a future vacation if you know you plan to go for a fall Halloween Disneyland vacation, during the Disneyland holidays celebration or even into 2021.
If you have one of the special spring Disneyland deal tickets, those had a more limited time application and more restrictive rules, expiring May 21. Disney already announced new special and more generous rules to accommodate those tickets, and further adjustments may be coming:
- SoCal Resident Deal Tickets: Expiration is extended day-by-day each day the parks are closed.
- Child Spring Ticket Deal: Expiration is extended until December 15, 2020.
What if I’m an Annual Passholder?
Disney originally announced that all annual passes will be extended in validity for the amount of time the parks are closed and continued to charge guests who were on a monthly payment plan.
On April 2, 2020, Disneyland announced a new policy for annual passes, as follows (note that there are two choices for each kind of annual passholder, but the default option is different depending on whether you have paid for your AP in full or are on the payment plan):
- For AP holders who have paid in full, their passes will be automatically extended for the amount of time the park is closed. If they’d prefer, they will also (later) be able to select to obtain a partial refund for the period of time the park is closed and not obtain this extension.
- For AP holders on a monthly payment plan, monthly payments will now be suspended as of April 5 (and any payments made between March 14-April 4 will be refunded). Monthly payments will resume when the parks are re-opened but the validity of these APs will not be extended and payments will end on the originally schedule date. Alternatively, if they’d prefer, monthly payment plan passholders can instead opt to keep making monthly payments beyond the expiration of their original pass and have their pass validity extended for the length of time the parks were closed.
Should I cancel my Disneyland trip for April, May, summer, or beyond?
This is a very personal question and the answer will be different for many travelers. If you are coming from a short distance like my family is from Northern California, adopting a wait-and-see approach is probably best until several weeks in advance of your trip. But if you are coming from a longer distance, especially overseas, that might not be feasible.
Personally, I simply would not cancel any plans for the summer or beyond yet. April is almost assuredly off the table at this point, but May (especially later in the month) is still a question mark.
Is Walt Disney World or other Disney parks closed?
Like Disneyland, Walt Disney World announced an initial closure through April 1 but is now closed indefinitely as well. Disney Cruise Line has suspended all sailings departing through and including April 28. Disney’s Aulani Resort was the last US property to close, starting on March 24 and continuing indefinitely.
Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris are also all still closed. Shanghai Disneyland has begun a phased partial re-opening process after being closed since January. As of late March, the main park is not yet open but Disneytown, Wishing Star Park, and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel have opened with limited capacity and hours.
As you might imagine, the situation at any one of these parks and properties could change on a dime, as was the case with the US parks throughout the last few weeks. If you are booking Disney vacations anywhere right now, I highly recommend purchasing trip insurance (like Get Away Today‘s Peace of Mind Plan).
How Can I Get My Disneyland Fix Instead while Disneyland is Closed?
If you are mourning not being able to go on a Disneyland vacation or just even follow vicariously through others’ travels, there are still some great ways to scratch your Disneyland itch this month. here are a few ideas:
- Watch the Imagineering Story on Disney+. So much Disneyland trivia, history, and more in one documentary series – a masterpiece!
- Watch ride-through videos on YouTube. There are so many YouTube channels that have full ride through videos posted – take a virtual ride on the Millennium Falcon or on Pirates of the Caribbean while they are closed.
- Plan a Disneyland vacation for later this year. The parks will reopen and life will return to normal. Why not get a jump on everyone else and do all the research now to maximize your fun? (Hint, hint: I might have a few Disneyland blog posts to get you started!)
- Make a Disney inspired or copycat recipe. Check out my very own Mickey Mouse Trail Mix, or give a homemade version of the Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar from my pal Becca a try!
What Does this Mean for Avengers Campus or other Coming Attractions at Disneyland?
Disney has made no announcements about whether any of the new things coming this summer at Disneyland – like Avengers Campus – will be delayed as a result of this extended closure. And it has similarly not announced whether events like the Food & Wine Festival will be postponed.
Various news outlets have reported, however, that construction has stopped on property at the resort. If the closure goes on for many weeks, it certainly seems safe to assume that Avengers Campus may be delayed. For that reason, I recommend making flexible reservations if you are trying to time a vacation around its opening. We have all learned in these trying travel times that planning anything non-refundable or rigid probably isn’t smart! (Related: Travel Lessons Learned Already in These Trying Times.)
The Final Word
As a lover of all things Disney and a Disneyland super-fan and annual passholder, this news is disappointing to me. I’m sure it is to many of you. But I’m so glad Disneyland is acting proactively to protect its cast members, guests, and the public at large from this danger. Disneyland will open again. And we’ll all be ready to spend our money and experience the magic once more.