A Touch Of Disney Q+A!
Earlier this year Disney announced that they were opening up Disney California Adventure to host a food event called A Touch Of Disney! While NO RIDES, NO PARADES, NO FIREWORKS, and NO SHOWS were happening, guests would be able to taste iconic Disney foods and some new food offerings. Plus, soak in all the sights and sounds of the park with some unique character sightings and fun photo opportunities. As a total Disney Die Hard I knew immediately that I had to go and kept a hawk eye out for any ticket updates. After a little over a year of not being able to fully step foot into Disney California Adventure I was ready to do anything Disney had to offer. It finally was released that A Touch Of Disney tickets would go on sale on March 4th, 2021 with no time specified. So I woke up at 6am and kept refreshing the event page until the tickets finally went on sale at around 8am. I then was entered into a virtual wait line and there I stayed for FOUR HOURS before finally being let into the ticket website to purchase! I was lucky enough to grab tickets for myself and my family. We went to the 2nd day of the event and HOLY MOLY it was incredible. I shared a few peeks on my Instagram and boy did you all have questions! So, I’ve happily answered them all below …
What is A Touch Of Disney?
A Touch Of Disney is a food event happening at Disney California Adventure park only, from March 18th-April 19th from 12pm-8pm and tickets for this event are sold out. There are no rides/attractions open. Also no shows, parades, or fireworks. There are tons of both iconic and new Disney food offerings, unique character sightings, and photo opportunities. Tickets are $75 and that includes free parking, free PhotoPass (Disney PhotoPass Cast Members all over the park will take your picture and you get the photos for free sent directly to your Disney App where you can download them straight to your phone), and a $25 Dining Card that can only be used for food and drink items but not alcohol or merchandise. Unfortunately, A Touch Of Disney tickets sold out in one day. If you were lucky enough to snag tickets, congrats!
Where do you park and what is the wait time to get into the event?
With your A Touch Of Disney ticket comes free parking valid ONLY at Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. I arrived at 11:00am and the parking lot was closed. Around 11:10am they allowed cars to start lining up outside. The parking structure did not fully open and allow for parking until 11:30am. Since most people want to maximize their time at the event there was a bit a of a wait to get into the park. We waiting about 30 minutes and walked into the park about 5ish minutes after noon. There is NO tram rides to and from the parking structure so just be prepared to walk. It is about am 8-10 minute walk from the parking structure to the park entrance. My husband met us at the event around 3pm and had ZERO wait to get into the park. I think the only time you’ll have to wait to get in is right at open.
Also they do allow you to go in and out of the event. We did not do that so I am unfamiliar how it works exactly but ask a Cast Member and they will help you out!
Do you get to see characters?
YES! There are a handful of really cute character sightings. There is no schedule for these character sightings they just happen at random so if you are headed to A Touch Of Disney then keep your eyes open and your phone out! The BEST character sighting or interaction was Goofy and Max hanging out on the balcony of Pacific Wharf fishing together. They were so funny and it seemed like they were out most of the day. You can spot Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Pluto over at Symphony Swings. Though they are pretty far, they can still hear and see you! If the timing is right you can catch them walking too and from Symphony Swings and you’ll get a closer look at them. Joy and Sadness hang out at Emotional Whirlwind and they sometimes are holding memory orbs. It is really cute! I’d say Joy and Sadness are the closest you get to characters but still you are way more than six feet from them. We spotted Donald Duck waving from a Grand Californian Hotel Room balcony across the way from Grizzly River Run. He was the farthest character sighting but since I have a loud voice I feel like he could hear me. It was still fun to wave at him. Lastly, we saw Miguel from Coco in Paradise Gardens Park. I have to say as a big time character meet and greet fan it was sad we couldn’t get closer and a little more personal. BUT I WILL TAKE WHAT I CAN GET! Honestly, it was really cute how the characters were hanging out around the park. Goofy and Max though win for best interaction for sure! Oh and Lightening McQueen and Tow Mater are hanging out in Cars Land too! You can see them all day long :)
Are there NEW food options offered? What what the MUST HAVE food items?
Yes there are a handful of NEW food offerings! The BEST NEW food offering I had was the Carrot Cake Funnel Fries from Award Wieners. They were so dang good! The best savory food item I had was the Carbonara Mac & Cheese from Golden Dreams and the Pepperoni Egg Rolls from California Craft Brews. We also loved the It’s Lemon + Pineapple Swirl from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats. Honestly there are tons of food options to try and we didn’t have time or the stomach to try them all. I will link the Food Guide HERE so you can check them all out!
What is up with Mobile Order?
While most places will still allow you to walk up and place your order, Disney is encouraging guests to Mobile Order through the Disneyland App. Honestly, Mobile Order is the way to go! It is so simple and allows you to choose your pick up time window which I enjoy. If you don’t have the Disneyland App DEFINITELY download it, sign into it with your Disney Account (if you don’t have a Disney Account then sign up for one), link your credit card to the app AND link your event tickets before heading to the event. This way you are all set to go before heading in. They can scan your ticket from your phone at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure too, so easy! When you get into the event you’ll receive your $25 Dining Card which acts like a gift card. The only annoying thing is that in order to use your Dining Card you have to type in the number on the back of the card each time you order food. To help make things quick, I typed my Dining Card number into the notes section on my phone. This way I could copy and paste the number each time I ordered food vs having to pull out the card each time. I found that to be faster. Mobile Ordering can feel like a lot when we are used to walking up and placing an orders but once you get the hang of it it works well.
There are some wait times with Mobile Ordering, sometimes a pick up window isn’t offered until way later in the day. Or sometimes when it is time to pick up your food you might have to wait in a line for your turn. Keep an eye on the pick up window times for the food items you know you want to eat. BE PATIENT and have fun with it. Mobile Order wasn’t glitchy for me at all, I’ve heard that some people had issues but if you are patient and don’t wait till the last minute to order something then you’ll be fine. The big thing is planning ahead. If you know you want a savory item around 5pm then start looking to order it around 2:30pm! This way you can choose your pick up time as close as possible to when you actually want to eat it at. Sometimes people will be hungry for something right away and the earliest pick up time isn’t for an hour or more. That is when it can get frustrating. Hope that makes sense. More Q’s? Ask in the comment section below!
Are shops open?
YES! Not all the shops are open but most are! You will have plenty of time in between eating food and waiting for food to be ready for pick to walk around and shop! Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff and Trolley Treats dessert cases are open too for those iconic Disney Desserts. Like caramel apples, marshmallow wands, cookies, cake pops, and CHURRO TOFFEE!
Lamplight Lounge Reservation Tips?
To be honest when I bought the tickets I had no idea that Disney would be offering Lamplight Lounge reservations and fully missed my opportunity to make a reservation ahead of time. There is a walk up wait list you can join when you get to the event but it fills up fast! Like lightening fast! I walked up at 12:15pm (the event starts at 12pm) and had no luck. My guess is if you really want to dine at Lamplight Lounge then keep checking the walk up wait list all day by walking to the front of restaurant and scanning the code on your phone. You’ll see it on a big sign out front. OR park at in the Simba lot used for Downtown Disney early. The Simba parking lot opens earlier than Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. But you will have to pay for the Simba parking ($10) since your event ticket only has free parking at Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. Then walk to the front of Disney California Adventure and wait until they open up for the event. You would be within the first few people in line to get in, hustle over to Lamplight and hopefully you can add your name to the wait list. Other than that I have zero clue. Haha! Good Luck!
What is a Legacy Passholder?
A Legacy Passholder just means we were active Disney Annual Passholders before they eliminated the Disney Annual Passes earlier this year. There are few perks to being a Legacy Passholder like being able to use our AP Discount until April 30th and receiving a magnet + button at the A Touch Of Disney event. Not sure if there will be more perks in the future. If you are a Legacy Passholder then bring your Annual Pass and head to Paradise Garden Park to pick up your Legacy Passholder magnet + button. This area closes at 6pm so make sure to pick up before then!
Was it crowded? Did people respect social distancing? Did you feel safe?
No, it was not crowded! For the most part people respected social distancing and I think that had to do a lot with the way Disney set up the dining tables around the park. Plus there were tons of social distance markers to help people keep their distance. Cast Members were totally on top of adjusting guests to meet the 6ft distance. I did feel safe. I can only say that for myself though, I think now a days people feel safe in varying situations. I believe Disney did a great job with helping guests stay and feel safe. I never felt worried or upset that people weren’t following the rules. I never saw anyone break rules other than wearing a mask below the nose. Which Cast Members would quickly stop guests and tell them to wear their mask properly. If you don’t think you will feel safe at an outdoor event where social distance and masks are mandatory then think twice before coming. But if you do feel comfortable then come, wearing your mask, keep your distance, and have fun! FYI…Yes, there is hand sanitizer stations everywhere. I brought my own hand sanitizer and wipes. Cast Members were cleaning tables and chairs each time guests would get up from them!
How was it wearing a mask all day? Kids in masks?
The mask doesn’t and never has bothered me. It was a little stuffy wearing it from noon-8pm but again I don’t mind. We took tons of breaks to eat food so it felt nice when we took it off while stationery, distant from others and eating. All kids 2 and up have to wear a mask. The Cast Members do stop and tell families to fix kids masks, I saw that happen a handful of times. It is tricky because most 2 year olds want nothing to do with masks. If your little one can’t keep it on properly for long periods of time then I’d suggest not bringing them until they can. Which is heartbreaking. Maya is 1 year and we are already having her wear a mask at home to practice because masks I feel are going to be around for a while. Sadly.
Mila is five years old and doesn’t have an issue. I bought her a couple mask chains to help her keep track of it when taking it off and on to eat. This way it doesn’t end up on the table or in pockets. I don’t know, you do what works for you and your family. Masks are hard but right now they are mandatory and the Cast Members are just doing their job. If they ask you to fix your mask or your child’s mask then just do it. Don’t fight them on it or say/act rude about it. :) Also bring extra masks in case one breaks or gets dirty.
Was it worth it? Did Mila have fun with no rides and limited character sightings?
100% it was worth it! But remember, you are talking to a Disney Die Hard Fan here! It felt INCREDIBLE to be back inside Disney California Adventure. The music and scenery alone was epic. The food was delicious. Being there with my whole family felt like we had never left for a whole year! I would do it again and again! ;) Mila had a great time! She loved the character sightings/interactions. We walked around everywhere and she loved seeing the attractions even though nothing was running. She loved being somewhere that we used to go to once a week! She enjoyed the It’s Lemon soft serve and churros. It was a little weird that we were just walking around, but you get to appreciate it all on a different level. It. was. awesome!
Any more questions? Ask away in the comment section of this post and I will answer!
