Trick or treat! That’s what it feels like. Life threw us a terrible trick, but hopefully, there’s a worthy treat at the end of this difficult trial. As things start to reopen nationwide, Disney is making strides to getting their resorts back into operation – step by step. And with work resuming in the parks, we have some AMAZING brand new aerial images above Disneyland to see what’s new. We’ll finish up with something we are really looking forward to (if it even happens this year), Halloween!
Up, Up, And Not So Far Away
With the parks closed, there’s only one way to see what’s going on right now, hop aboard the MiceChat-One Airship and start snapping pics. And, with construction crews back in the parks, it’s a good time to check things out! Let’s start with Disneyland . . .
There are four main projects we’ll be able to see in the images below. I’ve circled them for you . . . Starting in the upper left, that’s Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway construction. In the center are the Fantasyland projects. The small circle on the right is the hub/path project in front of the Castle. And at the bottom is the Haunted Mansion refurbishment project.
Let’s Start in the Hub
Looking down on the Central Hub of Disneyland, we can see crews out and about. I’ve got the ones I spotted circled below. Many of them appear to be gardeners.
You’ll also notice a fence blocking off the bridge to Frontierland. That’s a bridge widening project. The entry to Frontierland becomes a bottleneck in the evenings before/after Fantasmic and fireworks. We hope it’s not too extreme, but some crowd-flow enhancement will be good for whenever nighttime spectaculars return.
Looking from Frontierland toward the parade route, there’s another paving project underway.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
The big project at Disneyland right now is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Just look at the size of that construction plot. It spans the entire width of ToonTown! HUGE!
This view from the side shows that the construction plot isn’t as narrow as it appears in the photo above. That’s a lot of room for show scenes.
Fantasyland Projects
There’s more than just a coat of paint going up in Fantasyland, the Carrousel is being rebuilt and fully refurbished, and Snow White is getting a happier adventure. You can see that the exterior of the attraction has already been lightened up a bit.
And the snow-cone in the middle is the King Arthur Carrousel.
If you look at the little round gift shop in front of Small World, you can see some work carts out on the pathways. Some low green carts and a larger black cart. We are guessing these are for custodial and/or horticulture. The backstage gate is also open. With no guests in the park, they can do that whenever they want right now.
Haunted Mansion Refurbishment
The Mansion remains surrounded in scaffolding. It’s been closed since the holiday season ended at the resort in January for a massive refurbishment. Haunted Mansion Holiday is generally installed in September. Assuming the park opens mid-summer as we speculated last week, that would only give the Mansion only a couple of months in its more corruptible mortal state before needing to close for transformation again. Should Disney skip the overlay this year?
There isn’t a project going on at Splash Mountain, that we know of, but I thought this zoom of the empty and static facade was interesting.
and on to Disney California Adventure, where there’s a LOT going on . . .
Disney California Adventure
Tower to MiceChat-One, you are cleared for takeoff. As we swoop into DCA, we found all sorts of things to check out.
Avengers Campus Construction
Work has resumed on DCA’s upcoming Marvel-themed land. The parks have been closed for a little over two months now. If we assume that construction gets back up to full speed soon, that could put Avengers Campus at a September or October opening.
We can actually see three projects in this image. The facade repainting for the Hyperion Theater (in yellow), the new administrative building going up behind Luigi’s in Cars Land (in blue), and the large Avengers Campus project in red.
As we zoom in on the Spider-Man attraction (in red), you can see that the facade is mostly done. It’s hard to see, but some cement has been laid in front of part of the attraction. It appears that this attraction is much farther along than the rest of the land. How would you feel about Disney opening Spider-Man before the rest of the new land? The circle in yellow is one of the turn-tables for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. The vehicles are still missing.
Here’s a shot of the Quinjet parked backstage. It will eventually be lifted to the roof of the building on the left.
The area behind the Quinjet is eventually supposed to house a new Avengers E-Ticket attraction. I’ve got the spot highlighted for you in yellow. Bob Chapek told shareholders that he would be carefully reviewing the parks budget for potential savings. We really hope this project doesn’t get canceled. DCA could really use another E-Ticket.
Hollywood Land
From this angle, there’s not much going on in Hollywood Land. . .
But, from the opposite direction, you can see that scaffolds are still up in front of the Hyperion.
Food and Wine Festival
A look up the parade route shows that the Food and Wine Festival booths are still in place. There’s no official word on if the Festival will be extended post-reopening, but Disney did get an extension from the city for the Festival through early September should they want to do so.
Would you like to see the Food & Wine Festival extended into the fall?
IAAPA Theme Park Opening Guidelines
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), one of the leading organizations in the theme park industry, partnered with several theme park operators to create a 36-page Reopening Guidance plan. Theme parks like Universal, Cedar Fair, Six Flags and SeaWorld helped devise over 300 guidelines that would help keep guests and employees safe while operating before a vaccine is available. Surprisingly, two big names were missing from the guidebook; Legoland and Disney did not participate in the creation of IAAPA’s guidelines. However, Disney is expected to have plans that meet or exceed the IAAPA recommendations.
Here are some of the key suggestions from the IAAPA plan:
- Require visitors to wear protective face masks on rides. The dynamics of some attractions may prohibit the use of masks.
- Establish guidelines to deal with visitors who refuse to wear protective masks or want to wear ineffective or offensive face coverings.
- Post signs at entrances notifying visitors of risks associated with gathering in public spaces.
- Reduce the number of personal items visitors can bring into the park. Require all items fit into a clear plastic bag for touchless inspections.
- 3D Glasses, Blasters, and Lap Bars are all high-touch items that will need to be cleaned between guests.
- Dedicate employees to clean and disinfect restrooms frequently.
- Assign employees to monitor restroom capacity to uphold physical distancing guidelines.
- Disable every other toilet to maintain physical distancing protocols in restrooms.
- Establish a tip line or create an app function for visitors to report health, safety or cleanliness concerns to management.
- Allow guests to place purchased items into shopping bags themselves at register checkout.
- Remove doors and other high-touch surfaces in shops if possible and permitted.
- Make end-of-show announcements asking visitors to exit the venue by section or row to reduce crowding.
- Develop character stage appearances or “drive-by” vehicle experiences to provide visibility from a distance.
- Close play areas, interactive mazes, and props-based experiences due to physical distancing or sanitation concerns.
But here’s the surprising thing . . . they DON’T recommend the following:
- Temperature checks are not recommended due to the inconsistent nature of readings, particularly in outdoor environments. Visitors with COVID-19 could be asymptomatic and have a normal body temperature. Some government agencies may nonetheless require temperature checks.
- Protective gloves are not recommended due to their ability to spread germs and the false sense of security they create. Frequent hand washing is preferable.
The guidelines feature an array of topics, like increasing efficiency during security screenings, implementing new easily-visible “Clean Team” uniforms for janitorial staff, and eliminating single-rider lines to fill empty seats on attractions.
For more about the IAAPA COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines, take a look at the article below from Brady MacDonald:
REOPENING UPDATE: Theme Park Industry Rolls Out Extensive Guidelines for ‘New Normal’
Disney Springs and CityWalk Reopening
Out in Florida, the theme parks are making strides towards reopening. This past week, Universal Orlando’s CityWalk shopping and dining district reopened in limited capacity mode.
Some of the precautions included requiring face masks for all patrons entering the shopping district, temperature screenings, and single-use menus for restaurants. For more about our visit to Universal CityWalk’s opening day last week, check out the article below.
Orlando Reopening Update – CityWalk Visit, Disney World & Epic Universe Aerial Images
In regards to the Disney side of things, WDW’s shopping center, Disney Springs, is set to reopen this week on the 20th. The precautions and steps taken will likely be similar to Universal Orlando’s approach like limiting capacity, requiring facemasks, and reminders about social distancing. The opening on the 20th is a part of a phased opening that attempts to keep guests and employees as safe as possible while also restarting the economy.
Disney has been updated their resort operations page with the following warning:
Both Disney and SeaWorld filed with the state of Florida to reopen their theme parks. Filing doesn’t mean the parks would be opening right away, but it does mean we are likely to hear something soon about when they plan to do so.
For details about Disney Springs’ opening, read the article below.
UPDATED! Disney Springs Begins Phased Reopening May 20th at Walt Disney World
Halfway to Halloween MiceChat Reader Photos
It’s astounding how quickly this year is flying by. It felt like February and March lasted an eternity, April flew by in the blink of an eye, and now we’re more than halfway through May. So it might as well be Halloween . . . well, it was for Disney. Last week, Disney made a strong push for their Halloween offerings by promoting a one day “Halfway to Halloween” takeover of their social media. We love the Halloween season in the parks and thought it would be fun to see your photos.
We asked our MiceChat Facebook group to share their favorite photos and memories of Disneyland in its autumnal decor, along with any goodies or favorite costumes they’ve had over the years. Let’s see what our readers have in store for us…
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It’s not Halloween season without the Haunted Mansion’s seasonal transformation into holiday mode. We’ll have to wait and see if it happens again this year…
If you’re looking for something a bit scarier, Ghost Galaxy (the seasonal overlay for Space Mountain) is the attraction to head to.
Our readers also submitted a few photos of interactions with characters during Halloween parties.
We’ve really gotten attached to DCA’s Halloween decorations.
Last year was the inaugural Oogie Boogie Bash at DCA that replaced Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland. We had our reservations about it, but we ended up LOVING it.
Gotta get those seasonal popcorn buckets!
Thank you to everyone who shared photos with us! We had a tremendous outpouring of Halloween pictures. Clearly, people are excited about making it halfway to Halloween! Be sure to check out the MiceChat Facebook group this week for the theme for next week’s photo segment for the Disneyland Update!
Wow! It looks like the MiceChatters definitely know how to celebrate Halloween. With that said, Disney is certainly making an effort to advertise its fall-time offerings. They’ve never had a push for Halfway to Halloween before and are most likely getting people excited for Disneyland’s eventual opening. How likely do you think that Disneyland will be open for Halloween? If they offer a Halloween party, do you plan on attending?
shopDisney Struggles
ShopDisney seems to be unable to keep up with the current demand for their limited edition collectibles. When Joe Rohde’s Designer Collection Ears were released, the item sold out in a matter of seconds. For the next big shopping event, Stars Wars Day, the website implemented a virtual waiting room system. The idea was that guests would wait in a digital queue until it was their turn to shop.
But even with this new system, problems occurred. Many guests reported making it all the way to the checkout page only to get an error message stating items were sold out. Some potential customers say they later had multiple pending charges on their credit card bill (these tend to be dropped a few days after). Those looking to score some of the latest merchandise from this month’s Enchanted Tiki Room-themed Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Collection faced the same problems all over again. The frustrations are compounded by the many reseller listings of these much sought-after items.
HEADS UP – Minnie Mouse Enchanted in New Tiki Room Merchandise
What can Disney do to fix this situation? There’s no real straightforward answer. The first thing they might want to try is increasing their stock for each piece of merchandise. If the items aren’t as limited in availability at the source, buyers should be less likely to resort to purchasing from resellers. Another idea is staggering the release of stock at specified times throughout the day so guests might be less likely to rush the site all at once.
Something we’d be interested in is if some of the items are available in-person at the World of Disney and associated Disney retail stores at the Disneyland Resort when the resort reopens. It would be a way to provide interested guests with a second-chance at items they had previously missed out on.
What are your thoughts? Have you had trouble with Disney’s product releases? How would you like them to handle the launches?
Disneyland’s Thunderbird Flyover
In a salute to the essential healthcare workers in California, the US Air Force demonstration squad, the Thunderbirds, flew over several major cities across the state last week. One of the locations was over the Disneyland Resort on Friday. Disneyland park president Rebecca Campbell shared a clip of the demonstration from a few locations around the empty resort on her Instagram page.
Rebecca has been showing a side of Disneyland that essentially no one else is able to see right now. It’s a thoughtful gesture for the Air Force to put on this demonstration in honor of the heroes working to end the COVID-19 pandemic, and neat that Disneyland got to play a small role in that.
Sooner Than We Think
While no one knows when the parks will actually reopen, it will happen eventually. In fact, Disneyland hotel is currently accepting reservations for July 1st. If you are ready to give your family something to look forward to, there’s no better time than now to lock in low rates on future travel. Special comeback rates are now available at some of your favorite theme park hotels with big discounts.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park shutdown concerns and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available:
Price Protection – If a better special comes out after you have booked, you’ll get the better deal.
Peace of Mind – Make hotel changes, reschedule dates, drop nights, change ticket vouchers and more, as many times as you’d like for a small, one-time fee.
Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Disneyland Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.
Give your family something to look forward to:
Visit Get Away Today HERE Or fill out a request form and they’ll call you back: Vacation Information Request Form HERE
Let’s Hear From You
Well folks, another week of Disney photos and news. Did our aerial photos of the resort make you long to return? Do you find the reopening of the Florida resorts encouraging? Do you think Disneyland will reopen this summer? And what do you think the likelihood of Halloween parties happening this year at the Disneyland Resort?
A Personal Message From Dusty
My dear friends and readers, I’m so honored that you read this far. It’s really only because of you that we have the strength to carry on. Times have been difficult here at MiceChat, as it has for so many publications worldwide. With almost all entertainment and travel businesses closed, advertising revenue is 80-90% lower than it was in February. That’s left us in a bit of an existential crisis. Even as we increase the number of articles to satisfy record demand and page views, we struggle to pay our staff and keep the lights on.
If this site, and the news and entertainment we bring you, is important to you, there are three main ways you can help:
- 1) Please share our articles on social, the more readers, the more chance we have of making it to another day.
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Thank you for making MiceChat part of your day, we hope to be here for you for a long time to come.
Sincerely,
Dusty and the MiceChat Crew
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