Disneyland can’t fully reopen, but Disney California Adventure shopping, dining will return next month 

Dissatisfied with California’s stringent requirements on when theme parks can reopen, Disneyland is following the lead of other California theme parks and partially reopening shopping and dining locations inside Disney California Adventure.

DCA’s Buena Vista Street will reopen in November, Disney announced Friday, calling it an extension of the Downtown Disney district — likely meaning no ticket will be required for entry. 

“Only the shopping and dining experiences along Buena Vista Street will be accessible from the Downtown Disney District at this time, as Disney California Adventure park is currently closed,” Disneyland Resort public relations manager Valerie Lee wrote on the Disney Parks Blog. 

The available offerings along DCA’s main thoroughfare will include:

  • Three stores: Elias & Co, Julius Katz & Sons and Kingswell Camera Shop
  • Trolley Treats and other vending carts
  • Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe
  • Smokejumpers Grill 
  • Carthay Circle Lounge, which will offer an expanded outdoor seating area

The announcement did not specify what date the DCA offerings will become available. No part of the adjacent Disneyland Park is scheduled to reopen. 

Disney made its first foray into partially reopening DCA when it opened a new seasonal merchandise location earlier this month. The Disneyland Resort Backlot Premiere Shop is located in Stage 17, a DCA building which once housed the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It!” show until it closed in 2004. 

Other California parks were months ahead of Disney in terms of partially reopening. Orange County neighbor Knott’s Berry Farm has hosted three food festival events since July, while SeaWorld San Diego has held its own festival along with reopening some of its wildlife exhibits. Each of those events required a separate ticket. Legoland California reopened its Miniland USA section for guests at the Legoland Hotel, annual passholders, or customers who spend $25 or more at the park’s gift shop. 

When asked earlier this week about the possibility of a food and retail event inside the park, Disneyland Resort president Ken Potrock sounded lukewarm about the idea.

“It’s microscopic compared to opening our parks,” he said. 

Universal Studios Hollywood president Karen Irwin said earlier this week that her park is also considering a partial reopening around food and retail to get some of its employees back to work. “It is something that we are looking into,” she said. “That should not though, in any way, mitigate the problem of not having our entire park reopened.”

Potrock and Irwin’s comments came during a press conference held by the California Parks and Attractions Association to criticize the reopening guidelines released by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. When asked if theme parks are considering suing the state to get parks reopened, CAPA executive director Erin Guerrero said, “I think that all options are open at this point.”

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