There’s so much going on at the Disneyland Resort right now that we had to bring you TWO Updates this week! You can find yesterday’s holiday-focused update HERE. Today, we’ll cast our eye on the construction of new rides, lands, enhancements, and current crowd levels at the Disneyland Resort.
Disneyland Resort Update
The period between Halloween and Christmastime is traditionally a quiet one for the Disneyland Resort. While the parks did feel very busy at times this past week, attraction waits weren’t horrible. Though, we did note some issues with Fastpass that have us thinking that not enough capacity is being reserved for standby visitors.
Disneyland Crowds
Haunted Mansion Holiday remains a popular seasonal attraction.
Pirates had a 30-minute wait on Saturday around 1pm. That’s just long enough for a line to form out front, but not enough for it to snake through New Orleans Square and onto the bridge.
Space Mountain showed a 15-minute wait, so we decided to take a little break and ride one of our favorite attractions.
There seemed to be far more folks in the Fastpass line than in Standby.
This was our wait in Standby, no one in the exterior portion of the queue.
Unfortunately, as soon as we rounded the corner, we were stuck in an unmoving line for about 30 minutes. We eventually exited the line and left the attraction due to frustration. Which got me thinking . . . why were we waiting so long in a short standby line that would have taken no more than 10 minutes if there was no Fastpass.
The mix of Fastpass to Standby has slowly increased in the favor of Fastpass over the years, with more and more guests allowed to schedule a ticket to ride. At the moment, most attractions use a mix of 4 Fastpass riders for every one standby. However, if the Fastpass line backs up the way it did on the day we were at Space Mountain, cast members are trained to let even greater numbers of Fastpass riders into the attraction than normal. This can happen when another attraction breaks down and guests are allowed to select a different attraction to ride. And that means a lot more Fastpass riders for popular attractions such as Space Mountain.
Is the Fastpass system oversubscribed? Does it really make the park experience better if you are able to ride a couple of attractions with little wait by scheduling, only to have to wait much longer on the rides for which you don’t have a Fastpass? The frustration we felt on Saturday didn’t enhance our resort experience, it soured it.
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Construction Kingdom
It has been exciting to watch all the little projects around the resort this past year. While not all of them were necessary, most did make the park easier to navigate. The lowering of the curbs around the Hub is a prime example.
Tomorrowland Rocks
Speaking of curbs, the last section of that Hub project is finishing up now on the Tomorrowland side. But the interesting part of that project is the removal of the french fry shaped rocks from the entry into the land. Our aerial photos show that the rocks are long gone, the new planters have been shaped and leveled, and we should soon see what decorative details will be installed.
Most of the new leveled curb has been revealed, but the section closest to Plaza Inn is still behind walls.
As we lift up on our jet pack, you’ll see that the new planters have been formed, some new fencing has been installed, and trees have been planted.
The control box, which had been concealed in the rocks, has been painted “go away green.”
On the side by the Plaza Inn, the new planter is an oval shape. New lights have been installed along the brick path.
There is still an outcropping of the old rocks by Buzz Lightyear. No sign yet on whether these are staying or going.
Buzz/Star Tour Walls
The redo of the Tomorrowland entry murals is also still in progress. During last week’s high winds, the printed scrims on both the Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear sides of the land were temporarily removed, revealing that the intricate geometric tiles had been completely removed.
Tomorrowland Emergency Ramp
In front of Space Mountain, there are two side by side projects. One is the new consolidated Fastpass machines (which we’ll talk about below) and the other is an emergency exit for the Space Mountain rooftop queue.
From the rooftop queue looking down, we can see the new stairwell taking shape.
On the upper level, the railings have been removed. The stairs are just across from the old Starcade upper level.
Tomorrowland Consolidated Fastpass
Next to the Space Mountain emergency exit, the consolidated Fastpass test continues. Although the Star Tours, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear machines have all been temporarily covered and consolidated into just a few new digital touch screen machines, lines to book a Fastpass remain short in this spot.
We tried the new system out and it was quick and easy.
Step 1 – Scan your admission ticket or annual pass
Step 2 – Touch the attraction you want to book
Step 3 – Make note of your return time (you won’t get a paper reminder ticket)
With the new digital machines, the old paper ticket machines are covered. If the test is successful, more of the new machines will be installed and the old paper machines removed.
With the Star Tours/Buzz Lightyear machines mothballed, strollers can be parked in front. Once the machines are removed, strollers can be parked even more out of the walkway.
Matterhorn
Half of the Matterhorn is STILL down while repairs are made to a weak portion of the facade which collapsed this past summer. Rebar has been shaped and we do think they should be wrapping this up soon.
Main Street
The Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln facade refurbishment is coming to a conclusion as well. The upper portions of the scrims have been removed and the sign should soon return as well.
Adventureland
Additional artifacts have been installed on the new Adventureland sign. It’s growing on us.
Drums, fishing nets, and tribal masks now decorate the tall tower.
Small World Holiday Returns This Weekend
What’s more of an earworm than the classic Small World song? Try Jingle Bells! And you won’t have to wait long, the attraction reopens with the rest of Christmas this weekend (Nov 8th).
Light towers on Small World Mall are under refurbishment.
The gift stand near the exit of the attraction is also under wraps.
Jumping over to Disney California Adventure . . .
Avengers Campus
There has been some significant progress at Avengers Campus. Drywall has been installed on the exterior of the Spider-Man ride
We’re in the home stretch of 2019, and this land is set to open by the summer of 2020. It’s going to be a sprint from here on out.
From the back entrance of the land, new scaffolding and steel beams have been erected for additional height on the Brewery.
Parking Updates
Mickey & Friends Parking Structure Construction
At the Mickey & Friends structure, there are a few construction projects that are close to completion.
The new elevator at Mickey & Friends is looking almost complete. Although, the white paneling still needs to be applied to the exterior and brickwork needs to be completed.
A significant portion of the brickwork around the plaza has been completed. Brickwork still needs to be finished from behind the Daisy level escalator to the tram drop-off location.
Although the bricks have been laid around the Mickey ball statue’s fences, the statue itself remains unseen. It may be the last thing to be installed after finishing up the pavers.
Work continues on the security windows on the edge of the structure. The set nearest the escalators should be completed this week, whereas the sections left of the elevators will probably be finished a few weeks from now.
Toy Story Parking Lot Construction
Tents, lighting and green colored concrete have been installed at the Toy Story lot. It appears to be a security location for this lot. For some time now, Disney has wanted to streamline the process by having tram guests clear security before boarding.
Over at the park-side bus stop on Harbor, more construction fences have been placed in the center median. This is likely to provide a direct route for the bus passengers into the Esplanade because they have already been through the security screening. There are signs of additional heavy work to begin shortly.
Simba Parking Lot
Construction continues on the new parking booths at the lot. Although it’s primarily used as a Downtown Disney parking lot, there is a lot of construction happening along the edges of the lot.
There is a set of construction walls and scrims near the Disneyland Dr and intersection. It is possible this is a new sign directing drivers to the lot.
Holiday Prep
The holidays officially start this Friday, November 8. In the interim between Halloween and Christmas, the Resort has been very busy getting the parks prepared for the onslaught of visitors coming to experience Disneyland’s holiday magic. Because there’s so much going on, we put it all into a special holiday Disneyland Update for you yesterday:
Early yesterday morning, the Christmas tree on Main Street was placed in Town Square. 
And the star topping the tree was put in place by some special high-ranking helpers: Disneyland VP Kris Theiler and Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
For more information about what’s coming this holiday season to the Resort, be sure to read our special Disneyland Update – Unpacking the Holidays for 2019!
FuelRod Backs Down
Last week FuelRod was going to start charging for swapping their battery packs in the Disney Parks. However, after some serious backlash and the threat of a class-action lawsuit, the company has decided to keep their swaps free in the parks. For more information, check out our article below.
Downtown Disney
Around Downtown Disney, there are a few projects coming in and one that’s going out of commission for a remodel.
Asian Street Eats
The new takeout window serving Asian fusion street food has set up shop in front of the Rainforest Cafe building.
As much as I’m excited to try a new place to eat, I’m not sure about the longevity of its placement. It seems counterintuitive to place an overly modernized mobile home that serves food in front of a fully usable space that was once a restaurant.
You’d think that for such a massive space inside the Rainforest Cafe building, they could potentially renovate it like the Anaheim Packing House, an old orange packing warehouse that was converted into a mall with small food stalls and shops inside.
Although, the same could be said of the empty ESPN Zone and AMC Theater.
It’s a shame to see this whole section of Downtown Disney remain unused, but it makes sense to have a mobile “restaurant” because who knows if another canceled hotel scandal could happen again.
Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice has closed for a remodel for the remainder of the year and will reopen with a new name: Jamba. We’re expecting the smoothie-shop-turned-healthy-food-eatery to be ready in spring 2020.
Disney+ Booth
A small booth has popped up between the WonderGround Gallery and Splitsville. There is a small sign out front that Disney+ is coming soon. It’s very likely that this will be similar to all the DVC booths around the Resort.
This and That
New Anna & Elsa Dresses
In anticipation of Frozen 2’s release on November 22, there are some new dresses available at the Enchanted Chamber from the movie.
You’ll notice that the dresses have capes and leggings attached to the costume. They definitely look a lot more comfortable for adventuring than ball gowns, without forsaking style.
Although, if the full-length dresses are more your thing, they’re still available as well.
Dia De Los Muertos
Dia de Los Muertos was celebrated from October 31 to November 2. The Day of the Dead is a celebration of remembrance for family members who have passed away. The displays in Disneyland and DCA have brought a lot of vibrancy to the parks, as well as acknowledging an important cultural holiday.
Red Car Trolley Stop
At the beginning of last week, the construction walls surrounding the Red Car Trolley Stop on Beuna Vista Street came down. The stop had a charging pad installed under the concrete to allow the Trolley to charge while stopped on stage.
It’s so much easier to navigate through the turnstiles now that the walls are down, and the charging pad isn’t obtrusive. Although, it’s still going to be a while until we see the Red Car Trolley rolling down Buena Vista Street.
Refurbishment Calendar
As with any given moment at Disneyland, they’re always doing routine maintenance around the park. These are the most recent attractions under refurbishment.
- Red Car Trolley: April 1st, 2019-2020
- it’s a small world Holiday Install: October 21st-November 7th
- Fantasy Faire Gifts Shop: October 21st-November 14th
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: November 1st-5th
- Indiana Jones Adventure: November 4th-7th
- Autopia: November 4th-14th
- Jamba Juice: November 4th-2020
Trader Sam’s Hatbox Ghost Mug
During a recent trip to Trader Sam’s this week, we found out that there are still plenty of limited edition Hatbox Ghost mugs in stock. So, if you’re looking to complete the set from last year, mosy on over to Trader Sam’s for a drink or two.
Little Mermaid Live Buttons
Tonight on ABC, there will be a live musical reimagining of The Little Mermaid starring Auli’i Cravalho, Queen Latifah, and Shaggy. To celebrate it in the parks, you can find buttons near Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. You can watch it on ABC at 8pm-10pm.
Star Wars Popcorn
To end our two-part Disneyland Update, we wanted to leave on a sweet note. Over at Kat Saka’s Kettle, you can now grab a salted chocolate popcorn exclusive to this coast’s Galaxy’s Edge.
If you’re sad that Count Chocula has returned to his castle now that Halloween’s over, you can find a close substitute in the chocolate popcorn. It’s a little pricey for the amount you get, but the crispiness of the popcorn partnered with the sweetness of the chocolate and the twang of the salt leaves you craving more.
Discount Theme Park Tickets and Travel
MiceChat and Get Away Today bring you the best theme park travel deals. Don’t miss our current Disney holiday travel deals from Get Away Today – HERE
Let’s Hear From You
And that’s the end of our 2nd Disneyland Update this week! If you read also yesterday’s Holiday Edition Disneyland Update, then you deserve an extra present from Santa. Are you glad to be done with Halloween? What are you most looking forward to during the holidays at the Disneyland Resort? As Fastpass has evolved, has it made the overall Resort experience better or worse? Let us know in the comments below.
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