Gates remain shuttered to all but Cast Members of Disney’s Grand Californian
We’ve been anxiously awaiting details of Disneyland’s reopening, and it looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer for happy news. Two weeks ago, Disneyland resort hotels were accepting new reservations from August 16th onward. Now reservation date availability has changed, with new bookings pushed back to September 1st, 2020 as of today. This marks yet another deferral of the date.
Both Paradise Pier Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian are accepting bookings for September 1st and later dates on https://disneyland.disney.go.com/. News on Disneyland Hotel’s reopening remains unclear as renovations of the hotel continue (the updates include a brand new Disney Vacation Club tower for the hotel.)
It’s still unclear what the new booking date means for Disneyland’s reopening. Disney staff has stressed that hotel reservation availability does not equal a promised opening timeline (and we’ve seen this hotel date consistently pushed back every two weeks or so.) Staff are still waiting on the promised theme park reopening guidance from California local and state government officials. Until those guidelines are released, don’t expect a firm timeline commitment from Disney corporate.
For those with existing hotel reservations, Disney is waiving all cancellation fees during the closure period. If no action is taken on your booking, expect a phone call from a hotel rep to assist you with rescheduling or cancellation. You can also opt to make the call yourself – the Walt Disney Travel Company can be reached at (714) 520-5050 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. PT and 9:00 p.m. PT, seven days a week. Canada residents should call (800) 496-6337.
Signs block all possible entrances to the Disneyland Hotel
To Book Or Not To Book
The next obvious question – is it worth making a new hotel booking now? With the future uncertain, there’s no clear answer to this question. The good news is that if you’re flexible, the downside of planning a hotel stay is minimal. Disney is offering free cancellation up to 48 hours prior to your reservation. However, once you start factoring in other travel services (flights, rental cars, etc.), the equation becomes more complicated.
If you want guarantees, the safest bet is still to wait until an official reopening is announced. As of today, the Sept. 1 date simply looks like another short term timeline deferral.
What are your Disneyland travel plans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
