I spent 6.5 hours on hold to buy Disneyland tickets — was it worth it? - The Points Guy

My last visit to Disneyland was President’s Day weekend in 2018.

After visiting Disneyland and California Adventure on reopening day, I took some time to compare the two experiences.

I had to visit California Adventure first and then hop over to Disneyland at 1 p.m.

It wasn’t ideal, but I figured California Adventure would be way less busy, so we’d spend less time in line.

Once we made it past the security checkpoint, the lines to enter the park were surprisingly short.

Another difference this time around was the row of staff members lined up past the gates, waving and exclaiming, “Welcome back!” as excited park guests made their way inside.

Their crowd control measures ensured that people weren’t clustered together — upon entering the park, standing in line or even dining.

Some of these markers were longer than six feet and I noticed employees adjusting them to keep the lines moving at popular rides like Toy Story Midway Mania.

Though park guests weren’t always good about social distancing, I didn’t see one person with their mask down outside of the designated dining areas.

It was really reassuring to see them being extra diligent when most park guests may not even have paid attention.

At California Adventure, 20 of 37 rides were open.

Because so many of the popular rides were open and lines were not really an issue, it didn’t matter that others were closed.

The low capacity was more evident at California Adventure, which was virtually deserted upon opening.

While the crowds at Disneyland were bigger when we made our way over at 1 p.m., the lines for most rides were around 5 minutes.

Overall, we probably spent less time standing in line during this visit to Disneyland than we did in 2018.

While the crowds at Disneyland looked on par with the crowds three years earlier, the lines were not an issue.

Characters now stand on a roped-off stage and park guests are invited to stand on a mark six feet apart to take photos.

When the concessions opened, there were immediate lines and people began occupying the designated dining areas.

At California Adventure, the dining areas consisted of the previous FastPass pick-up spots and some benches.

On our last visit to Disneyland, we simply walked up to whatever restaurant we wanted,  got our food and sat down to eat it.

Park guests also have to reserve their spots for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in the app early in the morning.

They will be assigned a group and a specific time slot to visit the attraction.

While Disneyland and California Adventure now close at 7 p.m., the good news is that the dining establishments remain open for another hour.

Since Disneyland currently operates at just 25% capacity and is limited to California residents, hotels are competing harder to attract visitors.

It cost $30 more than the standard rate and got me free daily parking (normally $25), a $25 Disney gift card and a daily $100 food and beverage credit.

Even though not all rides had reopened, the Disneyland park got a little crowded and the concession stands opened late, we had an absolute blast on Disneyland’s reopening day.

Disneyland is all about the rides and those are just as fun as ever.

There are plenty of rides to keep you entertained and while character photo ops are a little different, it’s still possible to get a (somewhat distanced) selfie with your favorite Disney character.  Besides a few ride closures, strict COVID-19 safety protocols and fewer food options, I found that not much has changed at Disneyland and what has is mostly positive.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation

This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities

The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation

This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities