With the spread of COVID-19 still a concern for amusement parks, expect new options for touchless park entry at Disney World and major restrictions for the reopening of Disneyland at the end of April.
Walt Disney World Resort
We use our phones for everything now, and Disney World will begin allowing your device to hold your park pass. Guests will soon create a MagicMobile pass and then add it to the wallet feature on their phone, according to a Disney Parks blog post.
In 2013, the company introduced MagicBands, a plastic bracelet that guests could wave in front of a terminal to gain entrance into the park. Now guests can choose the bands or the phone option, or use a combination of both.
MagicMobile is a contactless alternative to MagicBands and will roll out first on iPhones and Apple Watches.
Another new feature Disney World is currently testing is an option for park goers to use facial recognition technology as they enter the park.
“With the future in mind and the shift in focus to more touchless experiences, we’re conducting a limited 30-day test using facial recognition technology,” according to Disney’s website.
This contactless technology captures an image of a guest’s face and converts it to a unique number. They’ll still need to scan their MagicBand or ticket at this point and the company says they’ll get rid of all images within 30 days of the test ending. Disney assures users it will not share images from the test with any third parties.
Disney World will require guests to leave their masks on during facial recognition, but things like sunglasses and hats will have to go.
Parkgoers are currently required to make a reservation to enter, and Disney World shows some dates completely sold out. The park will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year on October 1 and the website shows zero availability on that date that is still six months away.
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure
The parks in Anaheim will start a phased reopening on April 30, 2021, after being closed for more than a year. Reservations will be required there, too, and they will be significantly limited. Those wanting to book now should realize tickets have yet to go on sale.
Plus a key piece of information on the Disneyland website explains that “until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks in line with current state guidelines.”
If you purchased tickets to Disneyland Resort theme parks that you didn’t get to use before it closed down, you may still use them through the end of this year or even 2022, depending on the expiration date on the ticket.
Besides getting a reservation, know that you’ll have to wear a mask all the time unless “actively eating or drinking, but you must be stationary.” There will be no walking around eating a churro without a mask on. And Disneyland won’t allow bandanas or neck gaiters as masks either.
All guests will have their temperature taken to get in to the theme parks or even into the Downtown Disney District. There are also quite a few features that will not be offered as the parks in Anaheim reopen. There will be no FastPass, no early entry to the parks, no parades and no character meet-and-greets.
But you can scream on Space Mountain.
You may have seen a news story somewhere claiming that guests won’t be allowed to yell while on the rides at theme parks in California. Some media organizations were reporting that California’s Attractions and Parks Association was recommending limiting screaming on rides to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
Politifact found that the California Attractions and Parks Association published a reopening plan that encouraged the “ability to limit activities known to cause increased spread (e.g.: singing, shouting, heavy breathing).”
But early news stories seemed to take the group’s recommendations beyond its intentions. The California Attractions and Parks Association tweeted that “At no point has CAPA recommended limiting or prohibiting yelling or screaming on amusement park rides as a way to mitigate transmission of COVID-19.”
And Politifact couldn’t find any evidence that a screaming ban exists or that Disney is or would enforce such a policy.
So go ahead and scream your guts out on the Matterhorn, if you can get a ticket and reservation, that is.