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Excerpted from the August 18 San Francisco Chronicle:
Disneyland is increasing guest capacity but hasn't fixed its dining reservations problem
Capacity is about to increase at Disneyland, according to Disney's top executives. But without fully restored operating systems, many guests are still struggling to adjust to the new normal in the parks, especially when it comes to in-park dining....
While Disneyland is operating with more functionality than it did when the park reopened in April — more restaurants and rides are available now than were open in the beginning of the reopening — there are still many things that are unavailable to guests.
Visitors have been raising consistent complaints on social media about the park experience.
The lack of the tram back to the Mickey and Friends parking garage, which means a three-quarter mile walk each way between the structure and park gates, has been a regular source of difficulty for guests, especially those with mobility issues or young children....
The biggest problem, though, doesn’t have to do with transportation — it has to do with dining. Limitations on which restaurants are available and capacity caps on those restaurants are severely restricting guests’ ability to eat inside the parks....
The most in-demand restaurants, like Blue Bayou inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, are all but impossible to book, even when the 60-day booking window opens. Many are reporting on social media that they are waking up at 3 a.m. on the 60th day out from their desired dining date, the time rumored to be when dining reservations open for the day. Even with that early wake up, many are still not able to secure a spot at the restaurant they want.
Difficulties have arisen because the restaurants are operating at limited guest capacity, due in part to the park’s capacity restrictions but also to the park’s limited staff. Currently, Disneyland employs about 19,000 people, down from its pre-pandemic 32,000, the OC Register reported....
Staffing issues aside, the quantity of dining options at the Disneyland Resort in total has fallen this year. Steakhouse 55 and the Steakhouse 55 Lounge in the Disneyland Hotel are permanently closed, as is Disney’s PCH Grill in the Paradise Pier Hotel and the Alfresco Tasting Terrace inside Disney California Adventure Park.
The sit-down, reservation-based Carnation Cafe inside Disneyland Park is reopening next month, but plans for the reopening of other walk-up quick service restaurants like Royal Street Veranda, Troubadour Tavern, Daisy’s Diner and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta have not been announced.
Even at quick service restaurants that are currently operating, visitors aren’t guaranteed they’ll be able to get food...
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