Just in time for the holiday season, stores and eateries inside Disney California Adventure will begin reopening in two weeks as part of an expansion of Downtown Disney, the Disneyland Resort announced Thursday.
Starting Nov. 19, the Anaheim theme park will welcome back guests for dining and shopping along Buena Vista Street, which begins just inside the park’s entrance.
Dining options will include Carthay Circle Lounge, Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe, Award Wieners and Smokejumpers Grill, according to a Disney blog post. Shoppers will be able to purchase Disney merchandise at Elias & Co., Julius Katz & Sons, Kingswell Camera Shop and Trolley Treats.
The theme park itself will remain closed, however, as mandated by the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another change that will take effect Nov. 19 is that the resort will begin charging again for parking, with guests having to pay a $10 fee per vehicle in the Simba Lot, according to the blog post.
Parking has been free since the Downtown Disney shopping and dining district reopened in July.
But there will be no admission to get into California Adventure during the expansion.
A number of health and safety rules will be in place to protect guests and employees during the pandemic, including limiting the number of visitors so physical distancing guidelines can be followed. A mobile wait list system may be used when Buena Vista Street and/or the line to enter reach capacity.
Other measures include a face mask requirement for guests ages 2 and older, and temperature checks at the entrance to Downtown Disney.
Disney officials first announced the district’s expansion last month, after California released theme park guidelines that will likely keep the many of them shuttered for months.
Under the state’s plan, larger theme parks like Disneyland and California Adventure can only resume operations with modifications when the county they are in enters the “yellow” tier — the least-restrictive stage of California’s four-tiered plan that guides reopenings.
Orange County, where the Disneyland Resort is located, remains in the “red” tier, which is two tiers away from when theme parks will be permitted to start opening again.
Disney officials have criticized the stringent guidelines, pointing to openings of its other theme parks — including Walt Disney World in Florida — as evidence that they can reopen responsibly and safely.