Virus rules at theme parks will vary as mandates fall CALIFORNIA
Visitors heading to California theme parks after pandemic restrictions end will face conflicting coronavirus requirements that will evolve as major tourist destinations navigate the latest “new normal.”
The full reopening of the California economy on Tuesday after a 15-month pandemic hibernation will allow theme parks in the state to return to full capacity and end most COVID-19 health and safety measures.
Unraveling the state’s web of pandemic rules has left operators grappling to find the right path forward as they deal with issues of safety.
Answers to questions about mask requirements, attendance capacity limits, advance reservations, physical distancing, ride restrictions and vaccination verifications will vary depending on whether you’re visiting Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood or other theme parks in the state.
Expect the new ground rules to continue shifting as the state’s businesses and customers adjust to a new landscape without COVID-19 restrictions. The best advice: Check the website before
setting out for the park.
The end of COVID-19 health and safety mandates in Gov. Gavin Newsom's Blueprint for a Safer Economy means California theme parks will no longer need to reduce attendance capacity, restrict ride capacity, limit ride lengths, use only outdoor queues or maintain distancing requirements.
California theme parks can return to 100% capacity beginning Tuesday, and the state's public health department will no longer require fully vaccinated theme park visitors to wear masks.
Under the state's Beyond the Blueprint guidelines, California theme parks and other outdoor mega events are “strongly recommended” to verify that visitors have been fully vaccinated for the coronavirus or received a recent negative COVID-19 test. Outdoor mega events should ask visitors who haven't been vaccinated to wear a mask, according to the guidelines.
Anaheim
Disneyland will be making changes to health and safety processes based on guidance from state and local health officials with an announcement coming soon, according to park officials.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure plan to increase attendance capacity when state mandates end Tuesday, Disneyland resort president Ken Potrock said in late April.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek said in late May that he expects the company's U.S. theme parks to see low double-digit attendance increases over the next several months and reach full capacity by the fall.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will no longer be required to limit park attendance and ride capacity starting Tuesday, which will allow the parks to admit more visitors as part of a phased reopening approach.
The parks are not expected to ramp up attendance to 100% capacity immediately, with more than two dozen attractions still closed. Rehiring and retraining the employees necessary to operate those rides will take time.
Disneyland restaurants can return to full capacity, but that's likely to take some time as well. More than two dozen food and beverage locations at the two Anaheim parks remain shuttered and can't reopen until employees are rehired.
Dropping physical distancing requirements and using indoor attraction queues again could help Disneyland clear crowded walkways overrun by snaking outdoor lines that have turned some areas of the park into gridlock.
Lifting the 15-minute time limit on indoor rides could mean the end to skipping pre-show elements on the popular Rise of the Resistance ride in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which had to be adapted to a shorter running time under the state's COVID-19 guidelines.
Advance online reservations for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are expected to stay in place through at least midOctober — and possibly longer based on the park's reservation availability calendar. The system allows Disney to make staffing, budgeting, marketing and a myriad of other decisions based on anticipated attendance levels.
Los Angeles
Universal Studios Hollywood will resume business as normal Tuesday and no longer adhere to any attendance or ride capacity constraints.
The park always manages capacity to enhance the guest experience, according to Universal officials.
While Universal Studios Hollywood will follow state requirements regarding masks, the park continues to refine its guidelines, according to park officials. The latest updates on Universal's mask policy can be found on the park's website.
Unvaccinated visitors are strongly recommended to wear a mask in accordance with state COVID-19 guidelines. Universal will post vaccination signage in the park and notices online, but will not check for proof of vaccination.
The movie theme park has already stopped taking advance online reservations.
A pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site at Universal Studios Hollywood will be held June 18-24 from noon to 6 p.m. Both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson shots are available.
Buena Park
Knott's Berry Farm will return to full capacity at some point, but not on Tuesday. The Buena Park theme park will increase attendance as efficiently and safely as possible, according to Knott's officials.
Knott's rides, attraction queues, restaurants and shops will return to full capacity Tueday with no physical distancing requirements.
Knott's will require unvaccinated visitors to selfattest their vaccination status and wear masks in all indoor settings. Vaccinated visitors will no longer be required to wear masks starting Tuesday.
Bay Area sister park California's Great America in Santa Clara will follow the same guidelines as Knott's Berry Farm.
Larger indoor shows at the Walter Knott Theatre and Great America Theater will not return until after the summer season.
San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego will return to full capacity Tuesday, with advance reservations required for park admission.
Restaurants, shops, rides and indoor exhibits such as Penguin Encounter, Shark Encounter and Turtle Reef will also return to full capacity with no physical distancing requirements. SeaWorld brought back the Quick Queue front-of-theline system in early June.
SeaWorld San Diego visitors will no longer be required to wear masks starting Tuesday, with one exception. The California Department of Public Health strongly recommends visitors who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine, or a negative coronavirus test in the previous 72hours, to wear a mask while visiting the park. SeaWorld will remind visitors of the state's vaccination and mask recommendations, but won't require proof of vaccination after Tuesday.
Carlsbad
Legoland California will operate without attendance capacity restrictions, allowing the park to increase capacity to 100% on Tuesday. Online advance reservations will still be required.
Mask usage and physical distancing will continue to be encouraged at the Carlsbad theme park. Unvaccinated visitors are strongly recommended to follow state mask guidelines and will be required to agree to those terms when purchasing tickets and making advance reservations on the Legoland website.
A new Legoland Discovery Center, originally set to debut at the beginning of the pandemic, will finally open in Milpitas on Monday, June 14. The 31,000-square-foot indoor family entertainment center features a Lego brick Miniland with Bay Area landmarks and more than a dozen rides, attractions and classes.
Valencia / Vallejo
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo continue to assess how the state's COVID-19 health and safety guidelines will impact the amusement parks beginning Tuesday.