Weekly Disney Rumor Update
The last few weeks of Disney Rumors have been dominated by discussions of when Disneyland and other southern Californian theme parks are going to open. Following preparations made in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, they really are just waiting on government approval.
So we decided we are going to start speculating on what attractions are not going to be reopening when the parks are eventually allowed to reopen.
Guidelines are likely to be stricter than when Walt Disney World opened, so some attractions are likely to not open in Disneyland even if they did open on the east coast. There are also certain attractions that are different in Disneyland or don't have a Walt Disney World counterpart, that we need to discuss.
The Submarines
If anyone attraction does not reopen with Disneyland, I would expect it to be Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. For those unfamiliar, this involves entirely closed in ride vehicles with back to back seating and a live cast member driving the sub.
With social distancing, I can't imagine more than one, potentially two families being able to ride in each submarine. There really isn't anywhere plexiglass could be installed, and you not only have to social distance from your own row, but the other row, and a cast member. Combine all of this with a contained ride vehicle during a pandemic of a virus that spreads through the air, and this ride is a recipe for disaster.
Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is currently open in the Magic Kingdom, but without one of its most iconic elements, the Stretching Room. Walt Disney World has not been operating the vast majority of its preshows for safety reasons, which if that transfers, creates a problem for Disneyland's version of the Haunted Mansion.
The Stretching Room in Disneyland is an actual elevator, transporting people down underneath the Disneyland Railroad. If preshows are a problem, this could keep the Haunted Mansion closed for the indefinite future, especially considering the small size of the room, and how few people could be in each show.
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
This is my own added piece to the argument, but I don't see how this attraction works socially distant. It is a self-guided walking tour inside in an incredibly narrow space. This is a social distancing nightmare.
It also is different than other walkthrough attractions in that it is inside, and has no queue line. Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and Tarzan's Treehouse are outside, making them easier to operate, and one of them has a queue line that can control how many people are allowed in the attraction at a time.
I don't think we will be allowed inside Disneyland's castle any time soon.
Frozen Live at the Hyperion and Stage Shows
Elaborate stage shows have still yet to return to Walt Disney World and we should expect the same in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Broadway-style productions like Frozen Live at the Hyperion and others at the resort are not exactly a good idea right now, and are likely to not reopen with the park.
Now there is a chance we could see some altered performances. For example, some groups at Epcot that typically are streetmosphere have been performing in a theater, and I think this may happen at Disneyland. My guess would be seeing groups like the Dapper Dans and the Disneyland Band, in the theater where Mickey and the Magical Map is typically performed. It is large, outside, and could easily have new decorations added to fit a new show. I picked two of the musical groups, but any of the numerous Disneyland musical groups could perform here.
We may see some shows gradually return, especially outside shows, but given the smaller size of many locations in Disneyland, it may take longer.
Where To See Characters
We have seen Disney find creative ways to incorporate characters into Walt Disney World, so we can expect a few of them to pop up in Disneyland as well.
I would expect cavalcades to come to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, likely utilizing parade floats. I would also expect Disney to use other vehicles, like the Five and Dime car in Disney California Adventure, and the Main Street Vehicles in Disneyland.
As for locations of distant character greetings, we are going to make a few predictions for where they are going to show up throughout the parks, especially considering a few Walt Disney World locations are unavailable.
I think a few character houses in Toontown could become the home to distant meet and greets. They are normally interactive playhouses, which will likely not reopen with the park, and give a great location to see Mickey and Friends characters in the parks. They also typically meet in Toontown, so it would be easy to implement.
I also think characters could appear on the balcony of Star Wars Launch Bay, as the top floor of the building is empty, and the balcony is in perfect view of the rest of the park.
The characters of Cars will likely still meet as always in Cars Land, although with more distance required when guests go to take photos with them.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the old performance location of the Pixarmonic Orchestra become a distance character location. It would be easy to rope off, and characters already enter and exit the land from the area.
Finally, whenever Avengers Campus opens, we will probably see the superheroes wandering on balconies above the land, as this was already speculated to happen before the pandemic.
Other Speculation
So a few more points about how Disneyland is going to change, and what isn't going to be happening when the parks reopen.
I think the free samples we have seen in Pacific Wharf are not going to return, especially in the Boudin Bakery. Disney doesn't really want people walking and eating, so giving them food before entering a walk through attraction is a terrible idea.
Also, park hopping is probably gone for the foreseeable future as Disneyland is almost certainly going to be implementing a reservation system. This is really going to change how Disneyland works. Walt Disney World certainly has park hopping, but it has never been on the level it is at the Disneyland Resort as the parks are within sight of one another. I really can't imagine not park hopping, or picture a day at the resort that I haven't switched parks at least once.
The Disneyland Resort is going to be a very different place whenever it is allowed to reopen, and its good to start setting expectations for how much is going to change.
Here's hoping the situation is gotten under control sooner than later and any changes that come along don't have to last too long... :c
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