Three things happened at Disneyland this week that actually matter if you're visiting with young kids in the next 60 days. Pirates of the Caribbean just closed for a month-long refurb, Buzz Lightyear is still sitting closed with no reopening date, and summer park hours got extended through the night. Here's what changes about your trip.
🚨 Trip-Planning Impact
Pirates of the Caribbean closed May 4 — expect it back early June. Disney officially shut Pirates and Blue Bayou Restaurant down for refurbishment. Blue Bayou returns May 21. Pirates is "approximately a month" with no firm date. If your kids are 5+ and Pirates was on your must-do list, push your trip to mid-June or later. If they're 3-and-under, this is honestly a non-issue — Pirates' drops and pirate skeletons scare a lot of toddlers anyway.
Buzz Lightyear is still closed and Toy Story 5 drops June 19. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters has been closed since April 13 with no reopening date announced. Hard to imagine Disney letting it stay dark through a Pixar movie release, so I'd bet on a late-May or early-June reopening — but don't book a trip for Buzz right now. Plan as if it's closed and treat a reopening as a bonus.
Summer hours just got longer. Starting May 22, Disneyland Park stays open until midnight daily (up from 11 PM). DCA goes until 10 PM. For families with young kids, this doesn't mean stay later — it means the crowd shifts later. Hit popular rides between 8-10 PM when half the families with toddlers have already left. This is the single best crowd hack for the summer.
🎢 Ride Status This Week
| Ride | Status | What Parents Should Know |
|---|---|---|
| Pirates of the Caribbean | Closed May 4 – early June | Skip for now, especially with young kids |
| Blue Bayou Restaurant | Closed May 4 – May 21 | Rebook your reservation if you had one |
| Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters | Closed, no reopen date | Plan as if it's closed |
| Disneyland Monorail | ✅ Reopened May 1 | Use it as a stroller break between parks |
| Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin | ✅ Reopened May 1 | Spinny — skip if your kid gets motion-sick |
| Fantasmic! | Closed weekday nights through May 21, daily May 22+ | Don't promise the kids until you check the day's schedule |
🍿 Food Worth Knowing
With Blue Bayou closed until May 21, lunch reservations near Pirates are tight. If you wanted that "fancy Disney lunch" experience with the kids, Carthay Circle in DCA is the better play right now — actually better food, easier reservations, and the kids' menu is solid.
💰 Deals & Tickets
Disneyland just dropped a Kids' Summer Ticket deal for travel May 22 through September 7 — including a free Park Hopper upgrade on select tickets and $20 in dining credit. If you're planning a summer trip, price-check this on Get Away Today before booking direct with Disney. Get Away Today often layers their own savings on top, and you can spread payments out without interest.
👀 What We're Watching
Avengers Campus expansion construction continues — the walkway between Avengers Campus and Cars Land is still closed, with traffic routing through Performance Corridor or Hollywood Land. If you're stroller-pushing, that's a longer walk than it looks on the map. Plan one Avengers Campus visit per day max and don't bounce back and forth.
Toy Story 5 hits theaters June 19. Watch for Buzz Lightyear to miraculously reopen the week before.
Planning a Disneyland trip in the next few months? Start with our hour-by-hour itineraries and our Lightning Lane & rope drop guide — both updated for current ride closures.