Disneyland, Movies, St. Patrick's Day Fun: 5 Things To Know In OC

ORANGE COUNTY, CA— From St. Patrick's Day revelry (albeit safely, with social distancing and limited indoor capacity amid the pandemic), to

Reopenings! For the first time in a year, date night in Orange County could involve something as decadent as an indoor dinner and a movie. As of 12:01 a.m. Monday, Orange County officially allowed openings outlined in the red tier of the state's blueprint for reopening. That means gyms, restaurants, and movie theaters can reopen for indoor service at a limited capacity. While restaurants and gyms across the county threw open their doors immediately, movie theaters have been a bit slower to welcome back customers. AMC Theatres, the world's largest movie theater chain, started reopenings, with more expected by Friday just in time for date night! Check out a complete list of films and theater openings here.

Mixed messages! If we've learned anything a year into the pandemic, it's how to navigate mixed messages. Yes, restaurants and theaters are reopening, but the coronavirus is still circulating in the community. Health officials advise against socializing maskless with unvaccinated adults of other households especially if you are at high risk of severe coronavirus illness. So, while the dinner-and-a-movie date night is now an option, most voters in California say they have no plans to immediately partake, according to a new survey by Emerson College Polling. About half of the adults surveyed said they wouldn't be comfortable eating out or attending sporting events just yet.

Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day! Last year's holiday was notably subdued by the onset of the pandemic, but this year, things are looking up. In Orange County, some foodie ideas include Disneyland Resort chefs are creating limited St. Patrick's Day fare at their Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Avenue locations. If you haven't hit Randy's Donuts in Costa Mesa, don't miss the green iced doughnuts, available to order online. Check out Patch's roundup of St. Patrick's Day events.

Disneyland Returns... Almost! A Touch of Disney, giving fans a foodie's tour through Disney California Adventure starts March 18.The event has resulted in over 1,000 Disneyland Resort employees getting recalled back to work. The foodie fun event does not include rides and precedes the reopening of Disneyland Resort sometime toward the end of April, the resort says. Tickets are hard to come by, but after a year of waiting, die-hard fans will mask up in order to enter the whole of California Adventure Park once again.

DUI Checkpoints and saturation patrols: The California Highway Patrol will be on high alert Wednesday for revelers who are driving under the influence, they say. Additionally, police departments around the county such as the Newport Beach Police Department have announced plans to hold DUI checkpoints Wednesday. The Seal Beach Police Department has not officially announced plans to hold checkpoints on St Patrick's Day, but officers will be on alert for impaired drivers. Across the state, the CHP made 67 arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol on St. Patrick's Day last year, and alcohol or drug-related crashes resulted in injuries to 31 people.