Disneyland, Universal and other California theme parks can reopen April 1

[DisneyJamieCA]

As I think we've all seen thus far, there are no simple programming changes in the Disney universe.

(I think, eventually, it'll be a variation of the WDW system rather than a Flex system upgrade. The Flex system wasn't chaotic because it wasn't that heavily used.)

But I think you're underselling the potential complications of doing what you're describing. Doesn't mean they won't, but treating the 15% capacity weeks as something else simplifies the process. They can limit what tickets people can buy and use, and not have to deal with the headaches, for example, of refunding people's parkhopper tickets when parkhopping isn't available. (That's what WDW did).

I would bet the money in my wallet that it'll be something similar to the Touch of Disney checkout system initially - at least for the first few weeks. Pick your reservation day(s), pick your ticket, one-step checkout. That way, people will know what they're getting for their money, and there won't be the risk of people spending money for tickets they can't use in the near future. If the only available ticket is some form of CA-resident ticket, they've basically sewn it all up.

And I wouldn't look past the CA resident restrictions. The battles with the state thus far have been intense. The only way they skate past it is if they negotiate it away or if the state indicates they won't enforce it. Disney has to at least pretend to take it seriously.

How does that work for those of us already holding tickets? I have tickets linked in my account that they pushed the expiration to Jan 2022 on. I’ll need reservations but not tickets. So there has to be a system that allows for people like me.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Here’s my conundrum. I’m a California resident. I have three day park hoppers. I think they were supposed to expire in January but they’re still showing up in the app. Will I be able to use these or will I have to buy whatever special ticket DLR comes up with at reopening? If the latter, what do I do with my park hoppers?

If you still have the email from the purchase, go in and check the expiration dates. They extended our expiration date from Jan 2021 to Jan (or March) 2022 automatically. I can’t see the date in the app, but can on the e-ticket.

 

[BadPinkTink]

 

[RunningPrince]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1369358327562477568

 

[brightlined]

How does that work for those of us already holding tickets? I have tickets linked in my account that they pushed the expiration to Jan 2022 on. I’ll need reservations but not tickets. So there has to be a system that allows for people like me.

It depends on a lot of things. If they're comfortable handing the restrictions through the normal system, then it's likely you'll just be able to book a park reservation with the tickets you already have.

My skepticism has been based on the restrictions that came with the state's announcement. If they open earlier - at 15% capacity and with parts of the parks that might need to stay closed - I'm skeptical that they'll take (or sell) standard tickets on day one. If they do open early, I personally think it's more likely that they'll do a limited ticket run for the first few weeks just to avoid a big mess. (For example, a special CA-only ticket for the first few weeks would help them get around the resident restriction, and the ticketing system already has that functionality.)

But that's just a guess, and a lot of stuff is fluid.

There was a lot of speculation that DL might open on April 1st, but I think Chapek's statement all but confirms that's not going to happen. The longer they wait, the more likely it is that they can just open "normally", which might get them around needing to do special tickets. (Especially if COVID rates drop quickly enough that they can open at 25% capacity.)

I'll add: I'm now guessing that DL won't open until after Touch of Disney, unless they do a similar event at DL.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

It depends on a lot of things. If they're comfortable handing the restrictions through the normal system, then it's likely you'll just be able to book a park reservation with the tickets you already have.

My skepticism has been based on the restrictions that came with the state's announcement. If they open earlier - at 15% capacity and with parts of the parks that might need to stay closed - I'm skeptical that they'll take (or sell) standard tickets on day one. If they do open early, I personally think it's more likely that they'll do a limited ticket run for the first few weeks just to avoid a big mess. (For example, a special CA-only ticket for the first few weeks would help them get around the resident restriction, and the ticketing system already has that functionality.)

But that's just a guess, and a lot of stuff is fluid.

There was a lot of speculation that DL might open on April 1st, but I think Chapek's statement all but confirms that's not going to happen. The longer they wait, the more likely it is that they can just open "normally", which might get them around needing to do special tickets. (Especially if COVID rates drop quickly enough that they can open at 25% capacity.)

I'll add: I'm now guessing that DL won't open until after Touch of Disney, unless they do a similar event at DL.

I get what you’re saying, but I don’t see them doing that when there is a system in place that will allow CA residents who already hold tickets to book a reservation. My address is even verified through my account.

I do agree with you that I never thought April 1st was a possibility just because it would be allowed.

We’re not going until late summer or Thanksgiving, so I have plenty of time for them to work out any issues.

ETA: as of the state’s announcement on Friday, all tiers have the in state restriction. I personally don’t think it’ll last through all restrictions, but that isn’t something that goes away when we get out of the red tier.

 

[JoshF]

Looks like a late April park opening is in the works

 

[brightlined]

I get what you’re saying, but I don’t see them doing that when there is a system in place that will allow CA residents who already hold tickets to book a reservation. My address is even verified through my account.

I'm a little skeptical can they rely on that. Frequently, address verification is done during the purchase process (by using a credit card billing address). Let's say you moved to Utah since your last transaction. Most people's verification would be more than a year old.

It just depends on how strict they decide to be. If they decide they need current verification, they'll have to start that process over.

I'm admittedly speculating there, too. They might have a way to add address verification into the reservation process.

And I'm really just speculating on the initial weeks. Knowing that existing tickets are valid for another year gives them leeway not to have to take them in those first few weeks if they decide they don't need to. (There's more cash for them in the short term if they only accept a special newly-sold ticket in the first few weeks.)

 

[DLgal]

I'm a little skeptical can they rely on that. Frequently, address verification is done during the purchase process (by using a credit card billing address). Let's say you moved to Utah since your last transaction. Most people's verification would be more than a year old.

It just depends on how strict they decide to be. If they decide they need current verification, they'll have to start that process over.

I'm admittedly speculating there, too. They might have a way to add address verification into the reservation process.

And I'm really just speculating on the initial weeks. Knowing that existing tickets are valid for another year gives them leeway not to have to take them in those first few weeks if they decide they don't need to. (There's more cash for them in the short term if they only accept a special newly-sold ticket in the first few weeks.)

In the Disneyland app, your address is tied to the billing address of the payment method you have on file.

So if you move and update your billing address, they will know you moved. Under my profile it says under "Memberships and Passes" the following: "Southern CA Resident-we added this based on your billing address."

 

[brightlined]

In the Disneyland app, your address is tied to the billing address of the payment method you have on file.

So if you move and update your billing address, they will know you moved. Under my profile it says under "Memberships and Passes" the following: "Southern CA Resident-we added this based on your billing address."

Gotcha. But you wouldn't have to have updated it after you moved if you haven't used it since.

Right now, it's just showing you is that you're eligible to buy a So Cal Resident pass. You wouldn't actually be able to buy one if your saved billing address was different from the one actually on the credit card (ie, if you'd moved since you last updated that info) - it would reject the transaction on checkout.

That's what I mean - normally, a billing address check is done by the credit card operator. Disney doesn't have a separate way to do a residency check themselves. If that's how Disney decides to check residency - it'd be by buying a ticket or just requiring a credit card to complete the park reservation (where they can just see if a hold clears).

 

[DLgal]

Gotcha. But you wouldn't have to have updated it after you moved if you haven't used it since.

Right now, it's just showing you is that you're eligible to buy a So Cal Resident pass. You wouldn't actually be able to buy one if your saved billing address was different from the one actually on the credit card (ie, if you'd moved since you last updated that info) - it would reject the transaction on checkout.

That's what I mean - normally, a billing address check is done by the credit card operator. Disney doesn't have a separate way to do a residency check themselves. If that's how Disney decides to check residency - it'd be by buying a ticket or just requiring a credit card to complete the park reservation (where they can just see if a hold clears).

IF they really do have to restrict it to CA residents, they will check ID at the gates like they always did before. It will be up to the individual to make sure their DL app profile is up to date.

 

[brightlined]

IF they really do have to restrict it to CA residents, they will check ID at the gates like they always did before. It will be up to the individual to make sure their DL app profile is up to date.

If they have to leave it up to the individual, they won't use the app. Too many potential loopholes that people would readily abuse.

If they do have to restrict it, that's probably something they're working out now. Checking at the gates was a relatively rare (though not uncommon) effort on an average day before. This would be every person, and I'm sure Disney would prefer not to have to turn away people at the gate for lack of ID.

 

[DLgal]

If they have to leave it up to the individual, they won't use the app. Too many potential loopholes that people would readily abuse.

If they do have to restrict it, that's probably something they're working out now. Checking at the gates was a relatively rare (though not uncommon) effort on an average day before. This would be every person, and I'm sure Disney would prefer not to have to turn away people at the gate for lack of ID.

I'm sure they have a plan. It isn't necessary to overanalyze every little thing.

 

[brightlined]

I'm sure they have a plan. It isn't necessary to overanalyze every little thing.

So why reply and tell me that? This is a message board and these are issues about the opening that are currently unclear. That's what message boards are for.

 

[DLgal]

So why reply and tell me that? This is a message board and these are issues about the opening that are currently unclear. That's what message boards are for.

Because you keep quoting me and essentially saying "but what about..."

 

[brightlined]

Because you keep quoting me and essentially saying "but what about..."

And you keep quoting me and saying things that I disagree with, that I believe to be false or short-sighted. It's a discussion. If people stop engaging with what I'm writing, it'll stop. And that's fine.

And, as I've said repeatedly, I might be wrong about what they end up doing.

Other people on this site are suggesting that they might use the ticketing system to handle the residency restriction. It's a possibility, and an interesting topic of speculation. "I'm sure they have a plan" is an acknowledgement that you don't care. If you don't want to talk about it, skip that part of the discussion and wait until they announce something. At that point, we'll all have the answer.

 

[Where's Wall-E]

If they have to leave it up to the individual, they won't use the app. Too many potential loopholes that people would readily abuse.

If they do have to restrict it, that's probably something they're working out now. Checking at the gates was a relatively rare (though not uncommon) effort on an average day before. This would be every person, and I'm sure Disney would prefer not to have to turn away people at the gate for lack of ID.

The first time the Canadian Residents tickets are used, the pass holder must show their passport. Then it's marked in the system that they have showed ID and it pops up when we scan in after that. So, it's very easy to check IDs at the gate and match it to a pop up for subsequent uses.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

The first time the Canadian Residents tickets are used, the pass holder must show their passport. Then it's marked in the system that they have showed ID and it pops up when we scan in after that. So, it's very easy to check IDs at the gate and match it to a pop up for subsequent uses.

They do this with SoCal resident tickets and military tickets, as well. It’s not rare or uncommon, and likely will be the way they verify California residency.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

They do this with SoCal resident tickets and military tickets. It’s not rare or uncommon, and likely will be the way they verify California residency.

I tend to agree. And with reduced capacity, it will be much easier to do.

It will be up to Disney to make it very clear on their website when tickets/hotel/reservations do go live that it is currently for CA residents only. After that it will fall on the consumer to realize the rules.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

https://deadline.com/2021/03/newsom-los-angeles-orange-county-red-tier-reopen-saturday-1234711580/
"Newsom said the state on Friday will meet its threshold of administering 2 million Covid-19vaccine doses in low-income, hard-hit communities, triggering a change in the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy that will advance Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties into the “red” tier of that matrix and clear a path for more businesses to reopen."