After a few weeks of winter rain (as close to winter as it gets in Southern California), the trademark California clear skies and sunshine have returned. And with the fortunate weather, the year and a whole decade rapidly come to an end. The Disneyland Resort is thriving at the moment with a boom in holiday crowds, and the new decade will start with the opening of Disneyland’s biggest attraction ever, which is likely to send attendance through the roof. But there are all sorts of big projects for the next year, including construction in both parks. Let’s take a look at the surge in attendance, updates on Avengers Campus construction, what to expect for Disneyland in 2020, and other news from around the Disneyland Resort!
Holiday Crowds
This weekend drew peak-season level crowds as the Resort began to see the effects of schools starting their holiday break. Shortly after park opening on Friday, Main Street U.S.A became extremely congested and was difficult to navigate. Other chokepoints throughout Disneyland also felt the pressure due to the increase in crowds, but overall, the park was still manageable. That ability to navigate the park in spite of crowds is thanks to Project Stardust, which expanded walkways and reshaped gardens in preparation for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge earlier this year.
While the walkways may have been crowded, wait times for attractions weren’t unbearable. Most of the popular rides hovered right around the 45-75 minute range.
If you’re planning on visiting the Resort this week, keep in mind that it’s not only winter break for most schools, it’s also the last week that all Annual Passholders, except for Signature Plus and Premier, can visit for the remainder of the holiday season. You can expect it to be crowded!
Disneyland Resort Construction
Although 2019 may be coming to a close, there are still many ongoing construction projects around the Disneyland Resort set to open in 2020 and beyond.
Tomorrowland
The construction projects happening in Tomorrowland continue to see little-to-no progress as the month goes on. These projects are either at the bottom of Disney’s to-do-list, or they’ve hit some sort of snag. We hope to see them begin to wrap up these projects once the holiday season comes to an end.
The Space Mountain emergency exit stairwell is still a work-in-progress and is not making any major strides towards completion. Steel framing has been installed for what looks like the upper platform that will connect the stairwell to the existing queue.
On the ground level, the exit to Tomorrowland Theater is still a maze of scrims and construction walls.
The walls at the Tomorrowland entrance remain untouched since the last Disneyland Update. They are still exposed to guest view (with the scrims rolled up) due to expected high winds.
Tomorrowland is slated to receive a new entrance, complete with flowers and spires, this coming spring.
The construction will probably take place shortly after the holiday season ends in January. We’re looking forward to this project wrapping up. Are you happy with the concept art below as a placeholder until the new Tomorrowland can be built later in the 2020’s?
Avengers Campus
The next major expansion at the Disneyland Resort is coming along nicely. Disney California Adventure’s, Avengers Campus is set to open this coming summer, just a few months away!
The exterior facade for the still-unnamed Spider-Man family shooter attraction (in the old Bug’s Life Theater spot) is slowly being unveiled as scaffolding and scrims come down from around the building. The front of the building has industrialized-style smooth concrete walls and brickwork along the side.
A few closeups of the finished concrete.
This crane-like steel structure is intended to be a device used for an acrobatic show once the land opens. Although, with the current state of the Resort’s entertainment, we hope this won’t be scaled back or canceled as the bulk of the entertainment was in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
On the other side of Avengers Campus, near Guardians, progress isn’t nearly as far along.
The large steel structure on the right of the photo below will be the Avengers headquarters and will have the famous Quinn Jet parked on top of it. This will also serve as the entrance to the new Avengers E-Ticket attraction when it is built. Compared to the Spider-Man attraction, the two buildings shown here still have lots of work to be done in order to get them ready for the land’s opening next summer.
Luigi’s Tires is also affected by the Avengers-themed expansion as steel beams are now going up directly behind the ride’s fence. If things go as planned, the Avengers E-Ticket attraction should be built right behind the Luigi’s Tires attraction, so there is a good chance that these beams will help block the sight of the new show building of the upcoming E-ticket attraction.
It may not look like much now, but come summer, this will be one of the most popular areas in the park. Watching Avengers Campus take shape in these last few months should be fun. Stay tuned and follow along with us!
Mickey and Friend’s Parking Structure
Work is finally wrapping up on the two new elevators being installed at the Mickey and Friends parking structure. This has been something guests have been asking about for years since the two elevators originally built with the structure have not been able to handle the crowds adequately.
Two additional shafts should make it much easier to accommodate all those strollers and wheelchairs.
The white paneling around the sides of the elevator is almost fully installed, and all that’s left afterward is just finishing up the rest of the paving surrounding the elevators. THeir opening should come soon.
Upcoming Refurbishments
Along with the construction around the parks, some important attractions will be getting refurbishments and enhancements in the upcoming months.
Haunted Mansion
Jack Skellington will be staying for a little while longer at the Haunted Mansion. The holiday overlay is scheduled to remain open until January 20th. It will then close for a refurbishment that will not only remove the holiday overlay but perhaps add some new magic as well. We’ll have more information about this upcoming refurb soon!
Snow White
The beloved Fantasyland attraction, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, will be getting a new ending that is much happier than the current one.
Starting January 7, 2020, the ride will be closed for refurbishment to make changes to the ending, along with some minor touchups throughout. For more information about the Less-Scary Adventures of Snow White, read the article below!
NEWS – Snow White’s Adventures to Be Less Scary at Disneyland
Indiana Jones
Next year, Indiana Jones will be turning 25! For us younger MiceChatters, we can’t remember a time in our lives without Indy. We’re very interested to see what Disney will be doing to up the magic of the ride’s anniversary. They’ve filed permits for a $300,000 refurb that entails replacing some steel structures within the attraction, among some other things.
Indy is supposed to go down starting sometime in spring 2020.
Refurbishment Calendar
Here is the list of refurbishments planned around the Disneyland Resort for next year.
Currently Under Refurbishment:
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- Red Car Trolley: April 1st, 2019-Summer 2020
- Jamba
Juice: November 4th, 2019-Spring 2020
Upcoming Refurbishment:
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- Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge (January 6th-30th)
- 1901 (January 6th-30th)
- Snow White’s Scary Adventures (January 7th-Summer 2020)
- Mark Twain Riverboat (starting January 7th)
- It’s A Small World Refurbishment (January 7th-16th)
- Haunted Mansion Refurbishment (January 20th-Spring 2020)
- Indiana Jones Adventure (Spring 2020-TBD)
One more note: We have been told that Autopia has also been slated for a refurbishment this Spring but Disney has not confirmed this as of this posting, so stay tuned on that one. In the meantime, check out David Koenig’s (author of Mouse Tales) rumor about the pressure to remove Autopia entirely!
David Koenig: Proposals to Replace the Disneyland Autopia Are Misguided
Star Wars Land Updates
Although we’ve written that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has not been as crowded as it should be for the last few months, there were lots of visitors out and about in Batuu this week. The line for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run was holding a near-constant 70 minutes wait time. 
Rise of the Resistance
With Rise of the Resistance getting stellar reviews over in Florida at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we are really looking forward to it opening here at Disneyland in January! The new E-Ticket attraction has the potential to change the dynamic of the land and draw the large crowds that Disney originally predicted.
The Disneyland version of Rise has been in testing lately, giving Cast Members a chance to preview it in a complete but still work-in-progress state. Those who have been lucky enough to ride have given glowing praise. With such a technologically advanced ride system, it’s important that they get the timing down to a science before the ride opens. Additionally, since it is so advanced, it is prone to breaking down, so this extended trial period gives ride operators the chance to figure out any kinks in the system. Rise of the Resistance is set to open January 17, 2020 at Disneyland.
If you’re interested in reading our thoughts about Rise of the Resistance’s opening in Florida, check out our articles.
Without spoilers:
OPENING! Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
And with photos, video and a few spoilers:
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Not-So-Spoiler-y Walkthrough
Rise of the Resistance Merchandise
To celebrate the upcoming debut of the ride, there is a whole merchandise collection available at the Star Trader in Tomorrowland.
There’s also an exclusive shirt for Disneyland APs.
Fantasmic Cancellations
For a few nights this week, there have been announcements about Fantasmic cancellations. We’re curious if it is a technical or staffing related issue.
Magic Happens Parade Float
This week, more info about the new Disneyland parade, Magic Happens, was released. There were also some rumors that a few of the new floats were backstage, and we were able to see the top of the Moana float backstage. The new parade premiers February 28, 2020.
For more information about the Magic Happens parade, check out the article below.
FIRST LOOK at Disneyland’s New Magic Happens Parade (PHOTOS!)
This and That
Wait . . . there’s more going on in the parks this week!
Pay Stations at Simba Parking Lot
Yesterday, we saw some new booths at the Simba Parking Lot (Downtown Disney Parking) that appear to be pay stations. For the time being, they are covered with tarps, but this could be an interesting change to paying at the booth upon exiting. We’ll have more information about this in the coming weeks.
New Vintage-Inspired Disneyland Merchandise
New “old” merchandise has arrived at the Resort. This collection takes a page from the past, and features the art from Disneyland’s previous anniversaries and the 1983 Fantasyland expansion among other retro throwbacks.
What do you think about this vintage collection?
Build a Gingerbread House at the Grand Californian
If you’ve ever wanted to build a gingerbread house of your own at Disneyland, now is your chance! On select days (with a reservation) you can make a gingerbread house at Storyteller’s Cafe in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. Be advised, it costs $70 per person and requires a group between 2-5 guests.
Groups with 2-3 people all work on one gingerbread house, and groups of 5 will decorate two houses. While decorating, guests can snack on festive treats and drinks, plus they’ll also get a commemorative holiday apron to take home.
The remaining dates for this event are December 18th, 21st, and 22nd and reservations are required to participate in the experience. Guests with a reservation will receive 3 hours of complimentary parking at the Grand Californian Hotel.
If you are interested and would like to make a reservation to build your very own gingerbread house, click here!
Tenaya Stone Spa Hiring Event
The Mandara Spa closed back in July, and the space has been under renovation to become the luxury Tenaya Stone Spa. It is inspired by nature and California heritage, and it is supposed to open spring next year.
In the meantime, they’re looking for employees. The Tenaya Stone Spa at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is having a hiring event on December 17th. If you would like to learn more or schedule an appointment for an interview, click here!
Haunted Mansion Holiday Button
This year, there was a special in-app event for the Play Disney Parks app to earn digital pins themed to the Haunted Mansion Holiday. If you visited the attraction every month since its opening in September, you would earn an in-app digital pin featuring one of the characters from the attraction.
If you collected all 4 digital pins, you would unlock the 5th secret one, Oogie Boogie. Plus, you’d also get a physical button featuring the Oogie Boogie design for your hard work.
It’s Disney Vacation Time!
We’ve got some great news for you. Our partners at Get Away Today are helping you save money on Disney theme park tickets and travel packages. AND, through Christmas, they’ve got some great ways for you to gift Disney trips for a reduced deposit:
- For Discounted theme park tickets and travel packages, always start HERE: Get Away Today (When calling, always mention MiceChat so you get your special rates and deals!)
- For a limited time, MiceChat readers can book a trip for just $99 down with an interest-free Layaway Plan!
- Layaway Plans must be booked by December 25, 2019 to get the $99 reduced deposit.
- Book for travel for dates through December 31, 2020.
- Payments can be made at any time and in any amount, with final payment due just five days before travel.
- Layaway Plans can be used for any of our Southern California vacations and can be combined with any of our specials – like Extra Day Free Tickets and Extra Night Free Hotel Specials.
Just imagine giving the gift of a Disneyland vacation to someone special in your life:
And if a Disney vacation sounds like the perfect Christmas gift, here are some GREAT ideas on how to it (we even have things you can download to make gifting easy) – HERE
Let’s Hear From You
You’ve made it through another Disneyland Update! It’s a strange feeling to know that we’re in the last stretch of 2019, but there are definitely some bright things ahead in 2020. Are you looking forward to two new projects at the Disneyland Resort opening next year, Rise of the Resistance and Avengers Campus? What are your thoughts on the Fantasmic cancellations? What are you doing to prepare for the new year/new decade? Let us know in the comments below.
Editor’s note:
Howdy, folks! This was our new contributor Logan’s first Disneyland Update. If you enjoyed reading it, please let him know. These Updates take days of hard work and effort to prepare, especially when it’s someone’s first time. We’re so grateful to have him on the MiceChat team.
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