In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of many theme parks across the country with Disneyland officially closing in March 2020. Disneyland would not reopen until April 30th 2021 leaving the Happiest Place on Earth closed for over a year, 412 days to be exact.
When Disneyland reopened in 2021, there were many changes to the theme park in response to social distancing measures to create a safe environment for guests and cast members. Prior COVID experiences returned in waves along with Disney making large changes to existing experiences with some experiences never returning.
It has been three years since Disneyland reopened on April 30, 2021 and there are still many experiences that have not returned to Disneyland whether they were changed entirely, still promised as returning one day, or quietly removed. Keep reading for our full overview of all these experiences that did not return to Disneyland post-COVID.
Disneyland FastPass Retired
One of the biggest and most controversial changes to Disneyland post-COVID was the permanent retirement of the Disneyland FastPass and MaxPass programs. FastPass allowed guests to access the shorter FastPass lines for attractions by visiting paper kiosks throughout the park at no additional cost. If guests wanted the ability to use the same service on their phone, MaxPass, then they would pay an upcharge.
Disneyland announced that FastPass would not be returning and instead would be replaced by Genie+ which is extremely similar to MaxPass. This service, however, does not have a free option and unlike MaxPass the cost can fluctuate depending on the day. Read more about Genie+ at Disneyland and the Individual Lightning Lane options for rides.
This is one of the largest changes we saw come to Disneyland during this time and one that is still talked about more than any other!
Annual Passholder System Replaced by Magic Key
The Disneyland Annual Passholder program also received an overhaul during this time and was retired permanently. It was replaced with the Magic Key annual passholder system which brought significant changes to the access that passholders receive at Disneyland with more limited access including required reservations to frequent the parks.
While this change was not too popular with locals, we felt that this change was a much needed one to more effectively control the impact of locals on the crowds at Disneyland which many felt were largely unchecked during the post-COVID era.
Disneyland Implements Reservation System
And once you see this page you're done! If you are reserving more than one day, you simply repeat the process.
When Disneyland first opened in April 2021, they announced that guests would be required to make a theme park reservation before entering the park. This was a tool to allow Disneyland to effectively control capacity during a time when social distancing was a priority.
However, that Disneyland theme park reservation system has still remained in place for all ticketed guests and Magic Key holders. This is a change that I personally am not a huge fan of for ticketed guests although availability for reservations the past year have been fairly easy to access for ticket holders. But it does take away some of the flexibility of visiting the parks. Walt Disney World recently ended their reservation system for ticket holders and I hope that Disneyland follow suit at some point. While I can see the benefit of managing annual passholders with this reservation system, it is an unnecessary barrier for ticketed guests.
Steakhouse 55 Never Reopened
There was one restaurant that never returned after COVID and this came as a shock to many of us and our readers. The popular Steakhouse 55 restaurant at Disneyland remained closed after the lockdown closure and never reopened. Then in August 2023, Disneyland confirmed that the restaurant would not reopen and close forever.
As one of the few signature restaurants at Disneyland, this was incredibly disappointing to many guests. This restaurant was one of our favorite spots for dinner and even breakfast! This upscale dining experience was lined with photos of stars from Walt Disney's era in Hollywood and was a nice quiet place from the parks with fantastic food.
Now, Disney has confirmed that Steakhouse 55 will not reopen at Disneyland though there will definitely be another restaurant in this space eventually – it could be years. This is quite a shame as the restaurant was a favorite spot of ours for dinner and also surprisingly breakfast. The upscale location that was lined with photos of stars from Walt Disney’s era in Hollywood delivered a quiet place far away from the theme parks with exquisite food.
Rather than being converted into another restaurant, the space has been changed into a lounge area but with limited bar service and mainly as an extension of as seasonal bar. Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is home to multiple restaurants and it feels like a miss that the Disneyland Hotel hasn't added more capacity and another upscale option as a priority.
Park Entertainment Options Reduced
Probably my biggest complaint about the changes to Disneyland post-COVID is the reduction of park entertainment options.
Prior to COVID, both the Hyperion Theater and the Fantasyland Theatre were filled with ongoing shows. This has been the slowest park benefit to return and one that is incredibly frustrating to guests who enjoy Disney entertainment. Personally, I think Disneyland's entertainment is one of the things that sets them apart from a standard amusement park and it saddens me to see this area of the park returning at such a slow pace.
We did see Rogers: The Musical come to the Hyperion Theater last summer but this was a limited-time run and now the theater sits empty… again. Similarly the Fantasyland Theater used to be home to Mickey and the Magical Map. We've seen limited-time shows, like The Tale of the Lion King, occupy this space only to remain empty again after its run time came to an end. It appears that the structure for operating these theaters now is to only fill them for limited runs which is incredibly disappointing to me. Especially when these experiences used to be offered year round. The Fantasyland Theater is again being utilized for Pixar Fest, but in a more limited capacity that doesn't make full use of the capacity of the theater.
The Hyperion Theater is sitting empty with no upcoming shows announced. For reference, both of these theaters can seat around 2,000 guests. Not only is this a disappointment for those who enjoy the shows, but it also takes big people eaters offline. If there were more shows here, it would actually increase the amount of guests that Disneyland could comfortably handle every day because more people could be occupied by seeing the shows.
We are also disappointed that the awesome Pixarmonic Orchestra which ran for about a year at Pixar Pier didn't return for Pixar Fest. The band performed very fun orchestrations of favorite Pixar songs with very cute interjections of fun crowd work and a strange obsession with the “Triple Dent” gum joke from Inside Out. All around weird and very fun.
Swing Dancing at the Royal Theatre
Gavin Doyle, the founder of Mickey Visit chiming in here with this one…
Before the closure of Disneyland, there was a live band every Saturday night that played swing dancing music in the Royal Theatre at Fantasy Faire. This fun activity dates back to when this area was called Plaza Garden. When the expansion of Fantasyland into this area was announced, the loudest voices of dissent came from the regulars who loved the swing dance here. Thankfully the tradition continued even after this area was converted.
I loved wandering by this area in the evenings to take in the pure joy on the local's faces as fantastic band music was played from the stand. While I was never out on the dance floor, every time I stopped by this spot I thought back to the wonderful “Disneyland After Dark” TV special from 1962 which is worth a watch on YouTube if you haven't seen it.
Though the offering remains on the Disneyland website as seen above, it appears that the pandemic has totally killed off this lovely tradition. I wonder if the swing dancers would even show up anymore if the band returned. I can understand that Disneyland leadership would look at this offering and think that it was only serving a small group and that the entertainment money could be better spent elsewhere, however it brought a great energy to the area that benefited those besides the dancers.
As Disneyland evolves even more into a national vacation destination away from a local's park, traditions like these will have to shift and evolve. We just have to keep pushing Disney to maintain the charm and energy that experiences like this delivered even for those who weren't directly participating.
Staffing Changes That Impact Park Experience
One explanation for the changes to theme park entertainment at both Disneyland and California Adventure could be the presumed changes to staff post-COVID.
There has been a rumored reduction in staff from everything to entertainers, maintenance staff, and even the elimination of the bread bakers. If you were wondering what happened to the bread service at Blue Bayou, this was the reason according to a waiter during our first visit after the bread service was removed.
Changes in staffing will always have a large impact on park experiences but it's also important to note that most of this comes from rumor and commentary from those that may or may not be in the know. Of course, aside from the comments from cast members about the bread bakers! (Side note: Disney, please bring back the Blue Bayou bread service!)
Merchandise Delivery Not Returning to Disneyland Hotels
This is a small thing but was one of the great perks at staying at one of the three Disneyland hotels prior to COVID. Merchandise Delivery was an amenity available to guests staying on-site. Basically, you could leave your theme park purchases at the store and it would be delivered at no extra cost to your Disneyland hotel. You would just simply pick up your merchandise at Bell Services the next day.
This service came back briefly but then was discontinued again. This is yet another change that is likely impacted by staffing changes or perhaps just wasn't utilized during the short stint that it was back at the parks before being stopped again.
Increase in Mobile Order and Mobile Checkout
Not all changes have been negative though! One positive change that has been great to help control crowds and manage lines has been the increase to mobile order and addition of mobile check out options.
Mobile order at Disneyland was greatly expanded which is one of my best tips for avoiding long food lines. I can't remember how many times I would walk past a long line of guests simply waiting in line to order my food to pick up my mobile order that I placed just a few minutes ago!
👉🏼READ! 4 Disneyland Restaurants That Surprisingly Don't Offer Mobile Order That We Wish Would
Mobile checkout has also been a great way to cut down on long lines in Downtown Disney. World of Disney lines can get out of control especially around the holidays. Since visiting Disneyland at Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, this has been a great time saver. Simply check out on your Disneyland app, show your receipt to the cast member at the door and off you go
So while some changes have been negative, we do have some positive results that come from the extended park closure that gave Disneyland a moment to reflect on how to improve the park experience.
More Disneyland Planning Tips
There is always a lot of information to consider before planning an Disneyland vacation. Make sure to spend time planning your days in the theme parks and become familiar with everything Disneyland has to offer. Don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE Deals Newsletter to stay on top of the current planning tips, strategies, and deals.
You can discover more about planning your trip to Disneyland from these links:
Related Posts
Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.
