As a result of the growing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, closed to guests the morning of March 14. For the final day of operation, we headed over to the parks. While not much was going on in Disney California Adventure, it was an emotional visit.
Esplanade
The weather in Southern California has been pretty dreary over the past week. Sadly, it rained off and on throughout the day on Friday. Gates were put up in the Esplanade to prevent slipping.
Hollywood Land
As we entered Hollywood Land, we saw that the scaffolds for the sky backdrop repainting project in Hollywood Land were slowly coming down. The paint job looks incredibly better as it had been fading.
We had to watch our step! Huge rain puddles formed all over California Adventure.
With construction progressing on Marvel’s Avengers Campus, many changes have been occurring near Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! We saw development over here for a few months due to the Red Car Trolley track. The new walls up surrounding the sides of the pathway are more than likely for a change in the pavement around this area.
These dark brown walls feature the Collector’s logo on them.
Grizzly Peak
Crowds almost seemed larger in California Adventure than in Disneyland. Soarin’ Over California was at a 35-40 minute wait most of the day.
One of my favorite areas in the park, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, was closed most of the day due to rain.
Paradise Gardens Park
As it started to rain harder throughout the day, more and more people left. Around 4 pm, Paradise Gardens and Pixar Pier were close to empty.
The Golden Zephyr sat closed for most of the day.
Cars Land
Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters was also closed due to the rain. In the back, you can also see more development for Avengers Campus.
With the longest wait, Radiator Springs Racers, was 60 minutes.
The single rider line had no wait, on the other hand. After this, we decided to head back to Disneyland for a little. You can read our photo report for Disneyland’s last day of operation here.
Buena Vista Street
We made our way over to Buena Vista Street around 9 pm.
It was quiet without many guests. It was a very gloomy feeling looking over an almost-empty park an hour before close.
Cars Land
At night, Radiator Springs Racers had a 30-minute wait.
Cars Land had the most significant amount of crowds.
The Cozy Cone Motel sat peacefully.
Flo’s V8 Cafe had no people enjoying a nighttime snack outside.
Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramirez, and Tow Mater met with guests one last time before the night came to an end.
Pacific Wharf
All of the dining options in the Pacific Wharf closed a little bit before 10:00 pm.
World of Color
We made our way over to the waterfront to see the 10:00 pm showing of World of Color.
There was a decent crowd, but it wasn’t full. It was very easy to find a spot.
World of Color is a very heartwarming show, and it was exactly what the guests needed. Many were brought to tears during this final showing.
Cast Members waved us out of the park wishing us a good night. We said our final goodbyes to the park and headed out with heavy hearts. We hope all of you continue to stay safe and healthy during this hard time.
Check back at wdwnt.com and dlnewstoday.com for all the latest Disney news regarding the parks around the world. We will continue to share as much happiness as we can to all of you. Thank you for reading, and we hope to see you all back at the parks real soon.
Here is video coverage of the last day of operations at Disney California Adventure before the temporary closure: