Hey howdy hey MiceChatters! Dusty Sage at your service. I’m writing this update in the middle of the night after 3 fun-filled days at the Disneyland Resort. You’ll forgive me if I fall asleep mid-sentence. It could happen. Anything could happen. This is Disneyland after all. . .

Main Street USA and Halloween Time

We had another hot weekend in Anaheim. That makes it difficult to get in the Halloween spirit. But we sure did try anyway.

Also on my Halloween highlight list is the Fortuosity Shop’s murder of crows (yes, a group of crows is called a “murder”).

The Hub gets decked out in pumpkins every year as well. The Pumpkins surrounding Walt each represent a different land in the park.

You may have noticed a few construction walls set up around the park. Many of these are to hide Mickey’s Halloween Party treat stations, which are wheeled out just be for the party.

It just so happens that we caught the early stages of setting the party up . . . before they started sweeping the day guests out of the park (many of whom then flock to DCA).

One of the clever new Halloween trinkets this year is the Headless Horseman straw holder. 

There’s also a glowing pumpkin bottle topper.

The volume of Halloween merchandise still available is starting to dwindle. If there’s something you’ve had your eye on, it’s time to snag it.  Soon, we’ll start seeing Christmas merchandise show up on store shelves.  Yes, it’s almost that time of the year. Yikes!

It appears that the Oogie Boogie popcorn buckets have sold out across the resort (according to several cast members). But there are still Mickey pumpkin head buckets and regular Halloween print buckets.

If you can’t get an Oogie popcorn bucket, you can still eat an Oogie cake . . . with dirt and worms and all.

Tomorrowland

Disneyland’s land most in need of an update has a couple interesting things happening right now.

For the low, low price of just $70, a family of 4 can eat one of the worst pizzas they’ve ever had at Pizza Port. Plus a salad, garlic bread, cannoli and soft drinks. Almost all of these items cost Disney next to nothing to produce. They are trying to justify the price by adding on all the sides, but this is some of Disneyland’s worst food and it sure isn’t worth that price.

<Begin Rant> Pizza Port is in desperate need of a major overhaul. I got a salad here last week which was so gross and slimy tasting (the Asian Chicken Salad) I had to return it. They refunded me and I got a pasta dish instead. Which was also horrible (soggy cold noodles with bland sauce).  I eat here only when I’m looking for shade on a hot day. But even that may not be worth it anymore as the food quality here continues to decline.

Disney seems to struggle with food service. They’ll renovate a restaurant and give it a fun new menu . . . then over time they make budget cuts and cut corners as well to make it cheaper and quicker to produce. It’s like they want the great reviews and then let the accountants ruin the place.  Though nothing about Pizza Port is quick. The layout is confusing to guests and the intended “Scramble serve” system is lost on tourists who insist on lining up in a single slow-moving conga line.

I’m sure some of you must love this place or they wouldn’t be able to keep it open otherwise. But Disney can do better than this. We know because this restaurant once WAS better than this! <End Rant>

 

Jake the Star Wars robot from the D23 Expo has been out and about in Tomorrowland. No doubt a test for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

The “No Droids” &  “Documentation Checkpoint” signs, which have been placed all over Tomorrowland, have a sort of Jim Crow feel about them. It’s a strange and unnecessary bit of backstory which has the potential to make some guests feel uncomfortable. But perhaps that’s the reason for them. This may be social commentary on Disney’s part. I say, free the droids!

 

West Side Wonders

Do you have a favorite side of the park? When I was younger, I loved the East Side of the park which held Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. But I’m a West Side guy now (Frontierland, Adventureland, New Orleans Square). Most of my favorite attractions are on this side of the park and it certainly feels more Halloween to me.

But all this great stuff can lead to VERY long lines and overcrowded walkways. Which is why Disney is rumored to be working on a redo of the pathways in this part of the park prior to the opening of Star Wars Land.

Due to the overcrowding in the area around Haunted Mansion, the merchandise cart which was previously directly across from the exit of the attraction has now been moved closer to the exit itself and directly in front of the entry to the Splash Mountain queue.

Back in Critter Country, we noticed that the waterfall near the exit to the Winnie the Pooh attraction has been off for the last few weeks.

Here’s an interesting tidbit of news for those of you lamenting the loss of the Disney Vault in Downtown Disney . . . Le Bat En Rouge now sells the dresses from the Disney Vault. And they expect more merchandise soon.

The shop decor has always been interesting. The back story is that it was once the shop of a voodo priestess. You can find evidence throughout the shop, including levitating furniture, bottles, spell ingredients, etc.

Leaving the shop, I had to navigate through this . . .

The wild west was a little less wild this past week while Big Thunder Mountain went down for refurbishment. Disney shows the attraction reopening on the 20th.

Meanwhile . . . in Adventureland . . . there will be a little less jingle in the jungle this year. The Jingle Cruise appears to have been canceled and will remain unchanged throughout the holiday season.

Across the way, the Bengal BBQ has a new Lamb skewer.

I rarely miss taking a look at the doughnuts at the little cart in the Central Hub of Disneyland.

Back in ToonTown, the hills are getting worse by the day.

The once vibrant shingles on Minnie’s house are faded.

I climbed to the tip top of Disneyland to snap you a few shots of Star Wars construction. You can clearly see the rock work.

Headed out of the park we spy some really cute coffee cups.

It was Gay Day’s weekend at the resort. Always a fun time to be in the parks. Disney stepped up their game and offered treats, pins, and pushed red shirts forward in the shops.

We spotted many of our MiceChat friends in the crowds this past weekend.

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Much thanks for reading folks! We have even more for you from DCA and Downtown Disney later this week. There’s ALWAYS something going on these days at Disneyland!

Today’s update was shot and assembled by Dusty Sage with additional photos from Dsny Debbie and Brian Pinsky.

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