Disneyland is set to end a COVID-era rule that slowed guests’ ability to move between the two theme parks, according to a report.
When Disneyland Park and California Adventure reopened after the pandemic, a policy was implemented that required guests to wait until 11 a.m. to “park hop,” or walk across the esplanade into the other park.
Guests with Park Hopper tickets and Magic Key passes, the annual passes, will no longer be required to stay in one park until 11 a.m. starting on June 9, theme park journalist Scott Gustin wrote on X.
With the change, guests will be able to move between Disneyland Park and California Adventure, which are located directly across from each other, at any time — as long as there’s availability.
While the change allows greater freedom, in the rare case that Disneyland Park or California Adventure reaches capacity, guests may not be able to hop into the full park.
Guests will also no longer be required to tap into their chosen theme park first before park hopping.
This means that if there are no reservations available at Disneyland Park, a Magic Key holder or Park Hopper ticketholder can make a reservation at California Adventure but enter Disneyland Park first without scanning into California Adventure, Inside the Magic explained.
Disneyland Resort has not commented on the change. The Independent has contacted Disney for more information.
Disney made headlines last month after rolling out facial recognition technology at its California parks. Now, the company is being sued over the new policy.
Park-goers “may choose to use entrance lanes equipped with facial recognition technology,” where cameras capture a photo and convert it into “unique numerical values” to verify identities, the company said.
Disney says the technology is meant to help speed up the entry process and prevent fraud. The company has also said that participation is voluntary and entrances without the facial recognition technology remain available.