Greetings, Diane, and welcome to planDisney! I love that you're planning a family trip to the Disneyland Resort. It’s a great year to visit, with the
70th Anniversary Celebration continuing through the summer. Let's talk about attractions.
My favorite place to learn about planned refurbishments is the
Hours & Events Calendar. It's updated on a rolling basis up to six weeks out. At the time of writing this, it goes as far out as May 18. The tricky part is that the schedules can change, and there’s always a chance an attraction may be unexpectedly closed.
For these reasons, it’s difficult to pinpoint the ideal time of year to visit the Disneyland Resort if your goal is to avoid refurbishments. I've noticed scheduled closures tend to be staggered so that not too many of the most popular attractions are closed at the same time. Summer, in my experience, tends to have fewer refurbishments, but the parks will likely be busier, and it can also get much hotter. Each season has its own set of benefits.
As for the attractions you mentioned: reopening dates haven't been announced yet, but we'll hopefully know more as the Hours & Events Calendar continues to update. It looks like Pirates of the Caribbean will be closed at least until June (and possibly longer), based on the note currently on the
Blue Bayou page.
While I understand it can be disappointing to learn that certain attractions may be unavailable during a time you were hoping to visit, Diane, I know you can still have the trip of a lifetime. Time together with family at the Happiest Place on Earth is magical at its core. You'll have fun-filled days experiencing attractions, watching shows, trying delicious foods, and simply being together. While you may not set sail among pirates on this trip, you can instead cruise to the tune of "it's a small world." Instead of defeating Zurg as a Space Ranger, you can pilot the Millennium Falcon or stop rogue Spider-Bots from a WEB Slinger vehicle.
Here are a couple of things I especially love to do when my parents join us for a multi-generational family visit to the parks:
- Watch the nighttime entertainment together. Paint the Night has an amazing energy and lots of dazzling lights. Wondrous Journeys has one of the best song medleys I've heard in a show and beautiful projections. We typically watch both from the area near "it's a small world."
- Get a few sweet treats to enjoy together when it's time to take a break. Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen, Pooh Corner and Jolly Holiday are all great options. My kids would tell you their favorite thing is getting Dole Whips together. Pair that with a show at the Enchanted Tiki Room for a great time.
Since attractions are important to you, consider getting the
Lightning Lane Multi Pass. You'll enjoy shorter waits at many popular attractions and fit more fun into your day. You can also use it to get free digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass photos for the day – you'll definitely want to take some family pictures to remember this visit forever!
Diane, I hope you can make your family vacation dreams come true. If you think of any other questions as you continue planning, please reach out – we're always happy to help here at planDisney.
Wishing you magic,
Kriss