On June 30, 2023, Rogers: The Musical officially opened to the public in the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure. This new musical tells the story of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, in about thirty minutes. It is full of music, heart, humor, and of course super heroes! The opening day was also full of a lot of excitement and energy as fans made their way to Disney California Adventure to be among the first to experience this new musical.
Right from the start of the day, it was easy to tell that this was going to be a busy day for the Hyperion Theater. Before the park had officially opened to day guests at 8:00 AM, there was already a line of guests seeking to purchase the Premium Viewing Experience for the show (guide here for how to do that). Hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of people crowded into the Hollywood Backlots hoping to be among the 400 that would be able to secure spots for the day for the experience. Within an hour, they were all sold out.
After the initial rush of the sales for the Premium Viewing Experience, there was a little bit of a lull until the first window for getting entering the virtual queue for the show. This window was at 10:30 AM (virtual queue guide for Rogers the Musical). The openings for the virtual queue disappeared in seconds. Shouts of excitement could be heard around Hollywood Blvd (where the Daps Magic team successfully secured theirs) as guests got into the virtual queue. Others were not quite as lucky. However, there is a second window to get into the virtual queue at 2:00 PM and standby so there was still hope!
Once the virtual queue window had passed, things started to get a bit busier around the Hyperion Theater. While the first show was still a couple of hours away, people began to appear. Some of this was curiosity and some of this was wanting to be first. An hour before the first show began, the area was quite busy. Guests were all congregating around the main entrance marquee to the theater trying to get more information and also trying to get in. The left side of the entrance was for those with a virtual queue, and the right was for standby. For the first showing, the standby guests were let in before anyone else and put in a holding area inside the courtyard of the Hyperion Theater.
Eventually, those with the virtual queue were also let in to wait in the courtyard. As they entered, they passed the people in the standby line who were held off to the side. Around 15 minutes before the show was scheduled to begin, guests were allowed into the theater. Those with the Premium Viewing Experience were allowed in first, followed by those in the virtual queue. Standby appeared to be also allowed around the same time and was sent up to the balcony.
Once inside, the energy went up another notch and to say there was excitement in the air would be a major understatement. When the show began the theater filled with cheers. The show was clearly an instant hit to those who were watching. Multiple times throughout the show cheers could be heard, laughter could be heard, and even some soft crying/sobbing could be heard. Rogers: The Musical connected with guests just as Steve Rogers had done over a decade before.
The show ended and the crowd cheered enthusiastically before making their way out so that the cast and crew could do it all again three more times throughout the day. As people left the theater, they could be heard exclaiming how good the show was or what their favorite part song was. The energy was very positive and very fun and worth making the effort to navigate whatever line it took to get into the show on opening day.
As the day progressed, the amazing Disney team continued to tweak the process of getting into the Hyperion Theater. By the end of the day, it appeared that a pretty good system was in place. Across the street from the Hyperion Theater on Sunset Blvd., there was a sign where guests could line up to enter the virtual queue. On the North side of Hollywood Blvd., another sign started the standby queue. The team also appeared to move the location where the virtual queue guests scanned in with cast members to a place where the line could be controlled easier. These processes will undoubtedly continue to improve as cast members figure out what works best for everyone.
Rogers: The Musical appears to be an instant hit at the Disneyland Resort. It will continue to run Tuesdays through Saturdays throughout the summer before it concludes its limited run at the end of August. Be sure to check the entertainment guide on the Disneyland App/Website to see if it is being offered when you visit Disney California Adventure. This is a wonderful show full of heart and honesty (just like Steve Rogers) that definitely should be experienced before it reaches the end of the line!
Rogers: The Musical First Public Show Photos
Coming soon!
