Thriving for the next 70: Disneyland’s expansion transition has arrived

Extending Monsters, dropping the Park Hopper rule and reinvesting behind the scenes

Disneyland is entering a transitional stretch as it moves forward into its next 70 years.

Major expansions are happening at Disney California Adventure. Construction sequencing is shifting. Headliner attractions are cycling through refurbishments. And longtime guests have been vocal about friction points ranging from park reservations to park hopping to ride downtime.

Against that backdrop, resort leadership is making a series of operational moves as the resort goes through significant changes. Some are visible, like keeping Monsters, Inc. open longer and eliminating the Park Hopper restriction later this year. Others are happening quietly overnight, unseen by guests.

During a discussion with members of the media on Thursday, Disneyland leaders said the goal is to absorb years of expansion work without adding friction to the guest experience, even as construction walls rise. Taken together, the changes reflect what Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum describes as a deliberate effort to simplify the guest experience while preparing the resort for long-term growth.

Here’s a breakdown:

Monsters, Inc. will remain open into 2027

Families visiting Disneyland Resort will have more time to ride Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! The Disney California Adventure attraction will now remain open into 2027 after previously being slated to close in early 2026 to make way for a new experience inspired by the “Avatar” films.

Mazloum said the revised timeline reflects a shift in construction sequencing that allows the resort to adjust work plans without shuttering the attraction as soon as originally intended.

While he did not detail what specifically changed, he confirmed the previously announced “Avatar” project will move forward as planned and will not be delayed by the updated closure date for Monsters, Inc.

For families with young children, the extension is significant. With Bluey and Bingo set to debut soon, the continued availability of Monsters, Inc. preserves one of Disney California Adventure’s family-friendly rides during a period of transition.

The Park Hopper restriction is going away later this year

Another operational change is on the way.

Later this year, Disneyland will eliminate the 11 a.m. Park Hopper rule. Currently, guests must begin their day in their reserved park and wait until 11 a.m. before switching to the other park.

Once the change takes effect, guests will be able to move freely between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure throughout the day, similar to how the policy worked prior to 2020. Additional details about implementation will be released later this year.

Park reservations, however, are staying. During the briefing, Mazloum acknowledged reservations can be a friction point for frequent visitors. He said resort leaders have discussed ways to restore more spontaneity to a Disneyland visit while maintaining demand management.

Building for the future

Speaking during a media briefing, Mazloum said Disneyland is in a period of transition, balancing fast-changing consumer expectations with the need to protect Disneyland’s legacy and heritage while planning for future growth.

The updates come as Disneyland continues laying groundwork for long-term expansion projects announced following the Anaheim City Council’s 2024 approval of DisneylandForward, a long-term land use plan that allows Disney to expand theme park and resort offerings.

The announcements so far:

• An expanded Avengers Campus with two new attractions

• A “Coco”-themed ride near Pixar Pier

• A new destination inspired by the “Avatar” films in Hollywood Land

• A new Eastern Gateway parking and transportation hub with about 6,000 spaces

Work on the “Coco” attraction began in fall 2025, and expansion of Avengers Campus is ongoing. In recent weeks, Disneyland has filed initial permits for the Eastern Gateway parking and transportation hub, with construction expected to begin in earnest this fall.

Mazloum described the Eastern Gateway project as foundational, saying the arrival and entry experience drives first impressions and sets up everything that follows inside the resort.

Managing construction without compromising the guest experience

A consistent theme throughout the briefing was resort officials are working to best understand what construction will feel like day-to-day for guests. Mazloum said leadership has been using internal “heat map” planning to identify pinch points and adjust work so the guest experience holds up while construction moves forward.

Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum recently joined cast members backstage to sign a steel beam that will soon become part of the expanded Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park.

During a Q&A session, reporters raised concerns about maintaining value at Disney California Adventure during a multi-year construction period. Mazloum said the resort is approaching the interim years with what he described as a holistic plan that pairs temporary and pop-up entertainment with efforts to increase throughput on existing attractions and better use underutilized areas.

Ride closures and guest frustration

At the same time, frequent visitors have increasingly voiced frustration about ride closures and refurbishments, particularly when multiple attractions are unavailable during peak travel periods.

Disneyland publishes planned maintenance schedules and same-day closures through its app and website, but when major attractions are down for refurbishment or experience repeated temporary shutdowns, it can shape how guests perceive the value of their visit. In recent seasons, several headliner attractions have cycled through extended refurbishments or seasonal overlays, a pattern that has become a regular talking point in fan communities, especially when layered on top of ongoing construction.

Resort leaders said many of the operational adjustments now underway are designed to address those concerns over time. And while expansion projects draw headlines, Disneyland leadership revealed significant changes in attraction reliability and maintenance strategy.

Natalie Katzka, director of attractions engineering services, said teams focus on three primary areas: overnight safety and preventative maintenance, rapid response to unexpected issues and long-term scheduled refurbishments.

Disney said some operational changes last year resulted in an estimated 1.5 million additional guest ride experiences compared with the prior year, she said.

And according to Disney data shared during the briefing, about 13 percent of unplanned downtime in fiscal year 2025 was linked to preventable guest actions, such as loose items falling onto ride tracks or guests standing up in vehicles.

To address reliability, the resort has expanded overnight maintenance windows, giving engineering teams additional time to complete preventative work before attractions open each morning.

The resort also adjusted its parts management strategy, particularly on high-demand attractions such as Radiator Springs Racers. Katzka said strategically timed deliveries of parts allowed the ride to operate with its maximum number of vehicles during most operating hours in December, increasing overall capacity.

During the holiday season, engineers tested operational changes to the Disneyland Railroad that allowed it to run a fourth train, carrying about 29,000 additional guests over a 10-day period compared with the same stretch the year before.

By restructuring installation schedules and processes for seasonal overlays at Haunted Mansion and “it’s a small world,” the resort added nine additional operating days during the most recent holiday season. Officials said those additional days translated into nearly 200,000 more guest ride experiences combined across the two attractions.

Even flooring adjustments on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance were cited as part of ongoing efforts to address ride faults and improve long-term reliability.

“We know that being able to enjoy more attractions in a day plays a big role in how guests feel about their visit,” Katzka said. “Work behind the scenes to care for our attractions is one of the most important ways we can invest in making the guest experience the best it can be.”

Ticketing strategy and family focus

Mazloum also highlighted expanded access to the resort’s lowest one-day ticket price point of $104 and new offerings aimed at families with young children.

That includes a limited-time summer ticket offer for children ages 3 to 9 priced at $50 per ticket.

The resort recently expanded its annual discounted ticket offer, which had traditionally been aimed at Southern California residents, to now include all California residents. Mazloum attributed the expansion to a strategy of finding new audiences while making it easier for families to plan a trip to the parks, saying the move doubled the number of people eligible for the resident ticket offer.

Bluey and Bingo will debut at Disneyland Resort in a new Fantasyland experience starting March 22, themed to “Bluey’s Best Day Ever,” based on the fair at Bluey’s school. Children will be able to participate in games featured in the series.

A $5.99 children’s meal will be offered near the Bluey experience.

And there’s no denying Bluey’s arrival also feels overdue. For a company that frequently emphasizes synergy across its brands, the delay stood out. Nielsen recently reported that “Bluey” led all streaming programs last year with 45.2 billion minutes viewed, making it the most-watched show in the United States for the second consecutive year.

Reinvesting in service

Disneyland leaders also outlined a unified operational strategy focused on reducing friction in a guest’s day and reinvesting in training and service culture for cast members.

Brenai De Haro, director of operations and integration, said about 60 percent of the current frontline workforce was hired following the post-pandemic reopening surge, when onboarding was shortened and centered on safety protocols.

Since then, Disneyland has expanded foundational training and retrained leaders to reinforce service expectations across their teams.

All new cast members complete Disney’s “Traditions” orientation program, and operations cast now participate in an expanded “Step Into the Magic” training that was recently extended to two full days. Leaders said the goal is to role model expected behaviors and equip cast members with practical tools to anticipate guest needs and respond in real time.

De Haro cited a recent monorail incident as an example of how cast members are expected to manage unexpected disruptions.

During the delay, which left guests stranded for several hours, a cast member provided regular updates while crews worked to resolve the issue. When passengers were finally evacuated, guests applauded the employee. Resort leaders described the moment as an example of how clear communication and empathy can influence how visitors remember a difficult experience.

“Hospitality is at the heart of everything we do,” De Haro said. “We know that when guests plan a trip to Disneyland Resort, they are looking for a truly magical experience, and it’s our privilege to make them feel welcomed, cared for and valued so these special moments with our cast members become cherished memories that last long after their visit ends.”

Questions and … some answers

Near the end of the media briefing, Mazloum opened the floor to questions from reporters. I’ve already covered a few of the topics discussed, but below are several additional exchanges and summaries of his responses, including a few that amounted to non-answers.

A note: Per the ground rules of the briefing, none of what follows are direct quotes, but rather my descriptions of the overall discussion on those specific topics.

Security

We discussed the frequent feedback from guests about pain points at Disneyland security and the inconsistent experience across the resort.

Mazloum acknowledged the concern and said different physical layouts and operational constraints at Disneyland make it difficult to directly replicate systems used elsewhere in the company, including past attempts to adopt the security methods and systems currently in place at Walt Disney World.

He said teams are actively reviewing technology and process changes that better fit Disneyland’s footprint. He added that while those improvements may take time, leadership considers entry and security part of the broader effort to simplify the guest experience.

Tomorrowland

The extended construction and ever-present wall, complete with concept art, at the Tomorrowland entrance has become a highly visible symbol of unfinished work. So what exactly is happening there?

Mazloum said the resort is committed to addressing the area and is evaluating both short-term fixes and longer-term solutions for the entrance and for Tomorrowland as a whole that align with future master planning.

He indicated the issue intersects with broader development priorities and requires coordination to ensure any near-term improvement does not conflict with future plans.

Of course, he declined to elaborate further, so it appears the wall will remain for now. Still, there seems to be at least some hope for progress.

Out-of-state visitors

We also discussed how the resort approaches attracting visitors from outside of California.

Mazloum said a strong California base provides stability and flexibility, particularly during periods of travel volatility. At the same time, the resort is working to attract more out-of-state visitors, especially travelers already planning Southern California vacations.

Efforts include partnerships with travel and sales organizations to broaden awareness of Disneyland as a destination beyond the local market.

Magic Keys

Of course, Magic Keys were discussed during this portion of the briefing. One topic involved how park reservations have become a friction point and whether Disneyland is looking for ways to increase and encourage spontaneity.

Mazloum acknowledged that reservations limit spontaneity, particularly for local passholders. He said leadership regularly reviews the Magic Key program and recently adjusted blockout dates without raising prices.

While there are no immediate changes to eliminate reservations, the resort continues to evaluate ways to reduce friction while maintaining operational balance.

Alternate offerings

With all eyes on the upcoming projects and construction, we also talked about what will be offered when areas of the park are closed due to those projects.

Mazloum said entertainment programming is one of the tools the resort can use to maintain a sense of completeness during construction periods. He said temporary offerings, character activations and other programming adjustments can help offset reduced attraction capacity and keep both parks feeling vibrant.

The bigger picture

Mazloum framed the updates as incremental improvements designed to ensure guests experience their perfect Disney day, the attractions they came to enjoy and leave feeling their day met expectations, even as construction and expansion projects move forward.

“As we celebrate 70 years of the Disneyland Resort, we’re also building for the future by focusing on the relevancy and quality of our product, simplifying the guest experience and bringing exciting new attractions and entertainment to The Happiest Place on Earth,” Mazloum said.

In other words, the future is being built. But the real test is whether today still works while so many are focused on tomorrow.

“Our job is pretty simple. We are responsible to ensure that Disneyland can thrive in the next 70 years the way it has delighted millions of guests in the last 70 years,” Mazloum said.