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| COVID precautions in full-swing at Downtown Disney |
While Disneyland California remains closed for the seventh month in a row (the kiss of death for all us Disney fans), the one godsend is that
Downtown Disney is open. I headed there this October for an update on merchandise, COVID practices, and more.
COVID-19 Compliance Measures
Disneyland is following all safety measures related to COVID-19, which you will have to follow in order to enter the premises (a small price to pay for a few hours of happiness). This includes temperature screening, mask wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing.
These rules apply to both guests and cast members.
I came across this cute sign about the "green carpet," cause we'd all like to feel like celebrities once in a while. Not exactly sure if this refers to more landscaping or something else.
Once you've parked in the Simba lot and followed all the signs, you'll enter the screening area. It wasn't very crowded at all when I went on a Thursday afternoon. You can see the details on the masks they will allow into the district.
Disney has also gone the extra mile by setting up hand-washing stations throughout Downtown Disney.
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Downtown Disney portable hand-washing station
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And of course you'll see the ubiquitous physical distancing markers (which are strictly enforced
– I was asked to move when I was barely an inch over the line).
Also note that there is a special procedure for entering Disney's home goods store. You'll first have to visit this kiosk where a cast member will assist you to sign up for a text message that will alert you when your reservation is ready. Then you'll wait in the line to finally enter the store. Needless to say, I skipped out on this as it was a 1-hour wait.
The Scene
As I said, it was not crowded on a random Thursday afternoon. That coupled with COVID restrictions shutting down almost all restaurants in Downtown Disney made it look like a ghost town.
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Ghost town central
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| Barely a soul in sight |
Two major restaurants like Jazz Kitchen and Earl of Sandwich are open with plastic screens set up.
On a side note, you will find a new addition called Asian Street Eats by the season 3 Top Chef winner Hung Huynh (huge Top Chef fan
– I remember his Smurf village vividly).
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| Chef Hung's Asian Street Eats |
You'll find mixed bowls, scallion pancake wraps, pot stickers, and more on the menu.
The World of Disney Merchandise
The ultimate destination of Downtown Disney (besides Disneyland itself, still closed 😥) is of course the World of Disney. And since it's October, Halloween merch is in full swing.
Mulan Merchandise
Although Mulan had its setbacks with delays and finally a Disney+ only premiere, fans can at least be appeased with some cool merchandise, like these water bottles meant to look like wooden scrolls.
If you're going to drop the standard $29.99 for a pair of mouse ears, the vibrant colors and level of detail make these well worth it.
Halloween
This year's Halloween lineup of course includes the Nightmare Before Christmas as well as kid-friendly pumpkins and ghouls.
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World of Disney Halloween swag
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I liked this cute display counting down the days until Halloween.
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Mickey and Minnie Halloween advent calendar
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These could double as both a Halloween and Christmas wreath. 'Cause why bother taking it down?
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Jack Skellington Halloween-Christmas wreath
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Help Us Get Rid of 2020!
This "buy one get one" deal is basically a plea for help while drowning in "dated" 2020 merchandise no one wants to remember.
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Take it all! We're desperate!
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| Not sure who would want to remember the canceled graduation ceremony they never had |
Clothes
Naturally there's plenty of selection on official Disney (and officially expensive) clothing to choose from.
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Disneyland 65th anniversary merchandise
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As a Hercules fan (and even bigger Megara fan), I was really tempted by these shirts.
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| Vintage Hercules swag |
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| A real slice of the 90s |
It was a nice touch to see a lesser-known 90s movie represented too.
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Little Mermaid "part of your world" stationary set
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Can I talk about how cool these video cassette journals are? Comes in all the 90s films we all have tapes of sitting in the closet somewhere to relive our simpler childhoods.
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Emperor's New Groove cassette journal
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| The first and last pages even look like the cassette |
I love the paint-themed merchandise like this beautiful Disney character apron.
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Kids (and adults) can doodle the COVID blues away on their own Mickey
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These Disneyland attraction cookie cutters are perfect for the holiday baking season. I don't really get the tree though.
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| Disneyland attraction cookie cutters |
These shoulder buddies put an instant smile on my face!
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Disney "shoulder plush" buddies
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Remy shoulder plush
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You could spend hours reenacting "You have been chosen" with this Toy Story space crane.
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Toy Story space crane
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Too bad we can't leave this
Disney mask collection in the "dated" merchandise section along with the rest of 2020.
Love these light-up bows!
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Disney princess light-up bows
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Monorail candy dispenser display for COVID-safe Halloween
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The Dress Shop
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Coco-inspired Disney dress
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Even though I can never afford it, I always love checking out the
Dress Shop for the unique vintage Disney looks perfect for Dapper Day.
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"Ink and paint" Disney dress
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| They have more options for men, too |
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| Episode VI: The Return of the Overalls |
I was disappointed to learn that the store selling gorgeous Disney art has been converted into a Star Wars-themed "trading post."
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Lightsaber replicas
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Sith and Jedi holocron
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I was happy to these stunning glass paintings of Queen Amidala and Leia.
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Queen Amidala rendered in glass
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Chadwick Boseman Tribute
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Downtown Disney tribute to Chadwick Boseman
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Lastly, there's a lovely tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman through December 31, 2020. It was a beautiful way to acknowledge the great Black Panther and end my Downtown Disney trip.
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