Merry Christmas Eve Eve! The Disney Company’s gift to you this year is the conclusion to a story spanning over four decades. The final installment of the Star Wars Skywalker Saga is now playing in theaters worldwide. Our gift to you is our regularly scheduled Disneyland Update, plus a whole week of giveaways starting Christmas Day (more about that later)! It’s been a busy week at the Disneyland Resort with construction projects and holiday festivities, along with new additions to the beloved Star Tours attraction. Now’s a good time to take a break from last-minute gift shopping, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and take a look at what’s going on this Christmas week at Disneyland!

All Things Skywalker at Disneyland and Beyond

Right now, Star Wars is all the rage. The new movie is playing everywhere, plus there’s new content featured prominently in Disneyland and Walt Disney World, such as . . . 

Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

The last episode of the Skywalker Saga, Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, was 42 years in the making. It’s the final installment of the family that’s been ingrained into pop culture and an integral part of our collective childhoods.

Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The movie has opened to mixed reviews, but it is still featured throughout the Disneyland Resort. In case you missed it, you can find the final trailer to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker below!

For our thoughts on the new movie, be sure to look at the post below. Have you seen The Rise of Skywalker? What did you think? 

Does “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” Deliver on 42 Years of Anticipation?

New Destination Added to Star Tours: The Adventure Continues

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As part of the celebration of the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Star Tours has rolled out a MAJOR content update. Now, passengers can take a trip to Kef Bir, the ocean moon with the remains of the destroyed Death Star. You’ll also find yourself in a space battle above the Sith planet, and there’s a wonderful new ending to the attraction as well. 

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With this new addition in the Star Tours lineup, there are now more than 100 possible story combinations. We particularly like this new storyline, especially with the emotional message from the iconic character Lando Calrissian.

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The updated version of Star Tours can be enjoyed not only at Disneyland, but also at the Disney World Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disney Resort. For more information about the Star Tour’s updates, please be sure to read the article below from Dusty and crew: 

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue: Continues!

Star Tours has become a quintessential part of experiencing Star Wars at Disneyland. It captures the Star Wars feeling, and it continues to spark joy in us every time we ride it. It’s harder to say the same about other Star Wars attractions in the park (namely, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run). If you’re interested in seeing our reasoning for picking Star Tours over the Millennium Falcon, take a few minutes and check out the editorial below. It’s a lot to chew on, but it’s a brilliant read:

Editorial: Why Star Tours is a Better Star Wars Attraction Than Millennium Falcon

Galaxy Edge Updates

Going back to the release of the new Star Wars movie, there have been a few updates to Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge this week as well. 

New Legacy Lightsabers

Some new lightsabers have made their way to Dok-Ondar’s in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge today. You can now find Rey ($129.99 without the blade) and Ben Solo’s ($139.99) sabers at the counter. Pretty they are: 

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Escaped Dianoga?

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The Dianoga found hiding inside of the water fountain by the Marketplace was out of commission this week and had a black tarp covering up the window that houses the animatronic. This is the first time that this has happened since the opening of the land, and it will be intriguing to see how long it takes for the problem to be resolved. 

THIS is the Droid You’re Looking For!!!

Our favorite droid, R2-D2, has been seen roaming around Black Spire Outpost near the Millennium Falcon recently. While this appears to be just a test, it has happened a few times in recent days. This makes us wonder if the small army of semi-autonomous droids promised for the land, but never delivered, may finally make their way to Galaxy’s Edge. We sure hope so. 

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Let us know what you’d like to see happen with the droids in Star Wars land. Should there be more? Would it help add excitement and interactivity or just clog up the pathways? 

Construction Around the Disneyland Resort

We’re counting down the days until 2020 (only 8 days left of 2019!), because there’s certainly a lot to look forward to next year, and still much work left to do for years after. 

Avengers Campus

California Adventure’s Marvel land is a project that is really starting to move quickly, as the Summer 2020 opening date approaches. We expect to see lots of progress in the upcoming weeks as buildings begin to be finished and testing commences. 

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The Spiderman building has taken on its final shape. Hard to remember that this was once the Bugs Life Theater. It has now taken on a metropolitan look. 

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Brick and stone have gone in, you can see aging on the bricks as well.  

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Construction crew members can be seen working on the massive expansion as more of the themed building exteriors are slowly being unveiled.

, Disneyland Update: Skywalker Surprise . . . THIS is the Droid You’re Looking For!Spider-Man themed signage will eventually be installed into this hexagon-shaped cutout on the building’s facade and welcome guests as they enter the queue for the upcoming Spider-Man shooter attraction.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! is also feeling the side effects from the Avengers Campus expansion, as work continues on the trolley tracks directly in front of the attraction.

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Walls surround the area under construction and can make finding the attraction entrance a bit confusing.

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Concrete has been removed around the tracks and is ready to have new pavers installed. These pavers will match the existing pattern in the finished part of the trolley track section.

Luigi’s Tires

In last week’s Disneyland Update we reported that steel beams had appeared behind the walls surrounding Luigi’s Tires.

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When completed, this new building will likely be used as a multifunctional space with an area for parade rehearsal as well as additional office space. Other backstage departments will need to be relocated due to the upcoming Avengers E-Ticket attraction. This building will need to be completed before work can be started clearing the backstage area in preparation for the Avengers E-Ticket show-building. It will be interesting to see how this building is themed to match the aesthetics of the surrounding area, as it will be easily visible from certain parts of the land.

On the far end of Luigi’s Tires, the building for Avengers Headquarters is beginning to peek over the attraction walls.

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The building for Avengers Headquarters isn’t nearly as far along as the Spider-Man attraction building, but it should be ready by the star of the summer season.

Haunted Mansion Holiday

While the Haunted Mansion Holiday has been in full swing since September, work has already started on the upcoming refurbishment scheduled for the attraction in late January.

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Scaffolding has appeared around the sides of the Mansion’s exterior building and is visible from the exit of the attraction. We are not sure why this had to be started now instead of the scheduled refurbishment date (January 20th – Spring 2020), but it must be quite important if work has already begun while the attraction is still open to park guests.

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Refurbishment Calendar 

After the holiday season comes to a close, Disney has several refreshments planned for the new year. Below is the list of attractions going under the knife, and an estimated duration of their downtime:

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Currently Under Refurbishment:

  • Red Car Trolley: April 1st, 2019-Summer 2020
  • Jamba Juice: November 4th, 2019-Spring 2020

Upcoming Refurbishment:

  • Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge: January 6th-30th (Kitchen refurbishment)
  • 1901: January 6th-30th (See above)
  • Hyperspace Mountain: January 7th (Conversion back to Space Mountain)
  • Snow White’s Scary Adventures: January 7th-Summer 2020 (Show changes)
  • Mark Twain Riverboat: January 7th-31st
  • it’s a small world holiday takedown: January 7th-January 16th
  • Haunted Mansion refurbishment: January 20th-Spring 2020
  • King Arthur Carrousel: Starting January 21st
  • Grizzly River Run: Starting January 21st
  • Rushin’ River Outfitters: Starting January 21st
  • The Bakery Tour: Starting January 21st
  • Sailing Ship Columbia: Starting February 3rd
  • Indiana Jones Adventure: Spring 2020-TBD

Downtown Disney Parking Lot Update

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Construction has been completed on the new toll booths. They are starting to be used to accommodate guests daily.
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New pay stations have been spotted in the Simba lot and while they are not quite yet ready for guest use, the look like they could be made available in the near future.
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This and That

Disneyland Express

The Disneyland Express SuperShuttle service will be coming to an end on January 7th, 2020. This travel option is a great hassle-free way for guests flying into LAX or John Wayne airport to get to the Disneyland Resort. Unfortunately, SuperShuttle is getting out of the airport travel business in LA. Hopefully, Disney will be able to strike a deal with another operator soon. Perhaps it’s time for the Disneyland Resort to look East and implement their own Magical Express service as Disney World has had for many years. 

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Asian Eats

After weeks of seeing little-to-no progress at the Asian Street Eats booth in Downtown Disney, it seems as if work is finally starting to wrap up. There have been rumblings of interviews happening, so it would only make sense that the opening is right around the corner. We hope that this turns into a fun spot to grab a quick bite to eat, although, it’s little more than a glorified food truck. We’ll have more for you soon.

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The Holiday Season 

It is hard to believe that Christmas is just two days away! It seems like the holiday season was just getting started here at the Disneyland Resort, but the festivities will be gone before we know it.

All Disneyland annual passes are now blocked except for the top tier pass. As a result, crowd levels should be moderate through the new year. Deluxe and Signature passes will unblock on the 5th of January, just in time for those passholders to enjoy two last days of the holiday season before it gets packed away after January 6th.  

While visiting the parks this week, we were able to catch A Christmas Fantasy parade! This parade has been an iconic holiday offering at Disneyland for over 29 years and still draws quite a crowd!

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Do you still enjoy watching this parade or would you like to see Disney introduce a brand new holiday entertainment offering?

Christmas Coin

Two brand-new Christmas coin machines have popped up in both Disneyland and California Adventure this week! Each machine offers festive coin punches that offer collectors the chance to add a fun new holiday item to their collection.

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The Disneyland holiday coin machine can be found in Penny Arcade, while the California Adventure machine is located in Kingswell Camera.

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Both machines press nickles and require an additional four quarters to work, but offer a cheap holiday souvenir.

Are you a pressed penny collector? How do you feel about the more expensive pressed nickels? 

A Winter Storm Approaches

Cold weather and light-to-moderate rain are set to descend upon the Disneyland Resort this week, just in time to wash away Disney’s hopes of a busy Christmas. The forecast is calling for rain through Thursday and will certainly cause vacationers to pull out their umbrellas and many will likely reconsider their travel plans as well. 

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Will the rain change your plans or is this just California’s version of a white Christmas? 


It’s Not Too Late To Give A Disney Vacation

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!)

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  • 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.

If a Disney vacation sounds like the perfect Christmas gift, there’s still time for you to book something amazing – HERE


MiceChat Anniversary & Gumball Rally

MiceChat/MiceAge turns 17 years young next year and will be celebrating with a weekend of celebrities and events at the Disneyland Resort February 7th through 9th, 2020. While our celebrity events have yet to be announced, tickets are already available for our world-famous Gumball Rally on February 8th.  The Rally is a race through Disneyland to see who can ride the most attractions in a single day.  It’s absolutely the most fun you’ll ever have in the parks.  

Disneyland Update, Disneyland Update – Glory, Disappointment, and Rainy Days
Gumball Rally Tickets and Information HERE

Join over 500 of your fellow Disney fans to see who’s got the best strategy for riding the attractions. Compete in teams of 2 to 4 individuals and have the time of your lives.  

For more information about the event and to register, visit the Gumball Rally Info Page HERE.  

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Don’t miss out – Gumball Rally tickets and Info HERE

MiceChat Holiday Once a Day Giveaway 

Join us Christmas through New Year’s Eve for daily prize giveaways on MiceChat. We have fine art, hotel stays, free theme park tickets, and a whole lot more. 
If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, do that now so we can send you reminders. 

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Let’s Hear From You

That just about wraps up today’s Update! What do you think about the droid tests in Galaxy’s Edge? Have you had a chance to ride the newly updated Star Tours? Was the Rise of Skywalker a worthy finale to the Skywalker saga?  

We encourage anyone traveling to the Resort this week to keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to deal with a little rain. Disneyland in the rain can offer a wonderful experience if you come properly prepared to deal with the inclement weather, so make sure to pack those rain boots and cozy waterproof jackets if you are planning a Christmas visit.

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Have a very merry Christmas, happy holiday, or whatever it is you celebrate. We are just so thankful for you, our amazing readers.  

Don’t forget to check back every day between Christmas and New Years Eve for daily prizes and giveaways!!!

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