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With No Disneyland Reopening In Sight, Fans Make Magic Out Of Downtown Disney

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The saga of when Disneyland will reopen has been a long one. Of all the Disney parks worldwide, those in California—Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, both at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim—are the only ones to remain closed. (After reopening in June and closing again in July, Hong Kong Disneyland reopened today.)

Throughout September, Disney officials have called for guidance from California on metrics for reopening. While California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said publicly that that guidance will be coming soon, so far, it hasn’t.

There’s a little bit of Disneyland that fans can experience right now, though, and for many of the self-proclaimed “Disnerds” for whom Disney is a way of life, that little bit has to be enough for the moment. Downtown Disney, the shopping and dining area that connects the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian to the parks, has been open in a limited capacity since July.

The centerpiece of Downtown Disney is World of Disney, a huge store selling park merchandise, which has been the biggest draw for visitors this summer. “There’s some of that Disneyland magic when we’re there, it’s just different,” said one woman who has flown in from northern California twice recently just to visit Downtown Disney. “It’s not the whole park. But you kind of feel that magic when you’re in the store and hear the Disney music.”

Still, that little bit of Disney magic people can experience right now is substantially different than it was before the pandemic. Now, the first thing guests see as they approach the entrance to Downtown Disney is a huge sign informing people about mandatory masks. Guests without them won’t be admitted—though there’s a vending machine nearby selling disposable masks for $2 each in case someone has forgotten to bring one.

Previously, the screening process for entrance to Downtown Disney (and the parks themselves) was to have a security guard look through your bag, and then to walk through a metal detector. Now, because guards are doing contactless bag searches—you open your bag and they look inside without touching anything—there’s an added security measure. Guests need to pass a security dog test by walking through a tent where those dogs circle around you. There is also a mandatory temperature check.

To manage capacity, Disney has implemented virtual queues for the Disney-owned stores. World of Disney, Disney Home, The Disney Dress Shop and Marceline’s Confectionery, which sells park treats like churro toffee, often have waits of two hours or more. On weekends when capacity is full, you may need proof of a dining reservation at one of the few restaurants in the area for admittance.

“I live six hours from Disneyland, and we drove down last weekend just to visit Downtown Disney,” said Amanda Moore. “Even without the parks open I still felt the magic of Disney. I pray they are able to open soon.”

There are countless stories of Disney fans driving through the night just to ensure they’ll arrive early enough to be guaranteed entry, and more sending orders through those people to bring them home gifts and treats only available on property.

There are some things that make the experience unique, even from a park visit itself. Inside the building that formerly housed ESPN Zone, Disney is hosting pop-up sales of limited edition merchandise. Outside the building, there are murals that change frequently. Right now, it’s a memorial to Chadwick Boseman by artist (and former Disney imagineer) Nikkolas Smith. In it, the actor, who played Black Panther, is giving the Wakanda salute to a little boy in a Black Panther mask who was being treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

There is also a pop-up store selling merchandise from Black Spire Outpost, the land comprising Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Normally those items, like lightsabers, are only sold inside the park. But with no other way to sell them, and no reopening date on the calendar, Disney is making them—and as much of the park as they can—available in a different way.

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