Disney’s Buena Vista Street Reopens
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Buena Vista Street reopened as an expansion of the Downtown Disney District, which is a popular retail and dining area connected to the entrance plaza of the theme parks. Three retail stores opened, including Elias & Company which spans the full length of the street and is a main destination for unique Disney themed items. Several outdoor dining restaurants opened in addition to many streetside food, snack, and souvenir stands. Other attractions in the theme park remain closed in compliance with state guidelines.
Buena Vista Street is the area directly inside the entrance of Anaheim’s Disney California Adventure Park. Its theme portrays Los Angeles in the 1920’s, which is when Walt Disney moved here. It has shops, restaurants, and a Trolley car, similar to Main Street U.S.A in Disneyland Park.
Guests wait in line, a safe distance apart, for their turn to join the virtual waitlist on Thurs. Nov. 19, 2020 in Anaheim, Calif. A reservation is required to enter Disney’s California Adventure theme park and explore Buena Vista Street. (Rebecca Hogan / The Corsair)
The restaurants and shops along the streets include: Trolley Treats, Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream, Oswald's, Big Top Toys, and Elias & Company. The Buena Vista Street area is a main hub with entrances to other sections of California Adventure Park like Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, and Paradise Gardens Park.
Disney’s California Adventure and Disneyland, which share a common entrance plaza, are separate theme parks requiring purchase of separate admission tickets. They were both closed indefinitely starting on March 14, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parks were scheduled to reopen on July 17, but due to rising COVID-19 cases in California, both parks remained closed until further notice.
To access Buena Vista Street, everyone must first wait in line, masked and 6 feet apart, to enter and walk through the Downtown Disney area where temperatures are taken and bags go through security check. Once guests reach the park entrance they sign onto a virtual queue reservation waiting list. They spend time in the Downtown Disney area while waiting for their turn.
Although Buena Vista Street reopened at 10 a.m., guests started lining up at the Downtown Disney entrance at 5 a.m.
Rosa Alarcon and Melanny Perez, Disney Park season passholders, drove 2 hours from San Diego, Calif. to be at the reopening. They used to visit the theme parks twice a month, before the March shut down.
Guests buzz through the retail and dining area around the Partners Statue at Disney’s California Adventure theme park on Thurs. Nov. 19, 2020 in Anaheim, Calif. (Rebecca Hogan / The Corsair)
Alarcon and Perez checked into the virtual queue at 11 a.m. and were told 500 people were before them on the waiting list, there was an estimated three hour wait. They didn't mind at all. “We’ve already been waiting for the longest time [to return to the park].” said Alarcon. When asked about COVID-19 health concerns and how the reopening was handled Alarcon said, “Everything seems really well organized and safe.”
Disney employees, who are referred to as cast members, have been told they are not allowed to give official interviews or quotes, but are allowed to speak of their experience in casual conversation.
A cast member who was directing crowds away from the park’s closed off areas, said it was his fourth day back after being off work since March. He said that so far it had been a great crowd of guests and everyone was following protocols, being very patient and friendly, and happy to be back.
A cast member in the Smokejumpers Grill restaurant said that if the reopening of Buena Vista Street went well, there were high hopes that Main Street USA, the dining and retail area inside Disneyland Park, would also be able to open soon.
Holiday Mickey ears and smiles were everywhere as guests walked the decorated streets. They shopped for holiday gifts, skipped around to themed music, and stopped to take selfies with the restored “Storyteller Statue” of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
Parking is $10 and admission is free, compared to the usual $25 parking fee and $124 holiday admission ticket to enter California Adventure. John and Emily, a father and daughter from Fresno, Calif., drove 4 hours to experience the holiday spirit saying “It's the perfect opportunity to visit during the holiday season without the expense.” Although the rides are not open, much of the park can be seen and enjoyed.
