Happy Fall, everyone! When the theme parks shut down in March, could you have imagined that they’d still be closed going into the last three months of the year? Last week we shared quotes from the Governor of California saying he’d have guidance for the theme parks “very, very soon.” We aren’t sure how he defines the word “very,” but it sure doesn’t seem like he’s upheld the standard definition of “soon.” We’ll take a quick look at where Disneyland stands now and the exact opposite problem Walt Disney World is having. Plus, we’ve got some really incredible shots for you from the Disneyland Resort, where a flurry of activity continues to indicate that Disney is ready to flip the switch the moment they are allowed to do so. And while Disneyland remains closed, Knott’s Berry Farm has just launched a most sincere Halloween event, We’d like to show you what Disney and Universal COULD be doing if they wanted to.
Now, let’s have a look around the parks and latest news . . .
Disneyland Updates
There sure is a lot of activity right now from one end of the park to the other . . .
Disneyland Front Gate Filming
Disneyland had a little filming session at the front gate and Esplanade last week. We aren’t sure exactly what it was for, but the shoot was ordered by Disneyland’s social media team. Crews filmed actors going through the turnstiles. Then followed them out into the Esplanade for more shots.
At first, we thought they were letting some guests into the park. But a closer look showed it was a production of some sort.
Emporium Project
From the Esplanade, we can see that the Emporium project is wrapping up. The scaffolds are down and the tower looks fantastic.
And here’s the Main Street Emporium last year for comparison. Looks like the same color scheme to me:
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
All the way across the park, behind ToonTown, the Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway project is picking up steam. In just a couple of weeks, they’ve gone from dirt lot to multi-story building. Impressive.
To give yourself a sense of scale, there’s a construction worker in an optic-yellow vest on the top of the construction project. He looks tiny. So, those “floors” are much taller than your average building.
Time to park-hop . . .
Disney California Adventure Projects
Buena Vista Street
DCA’s entry street was a flurry of activity this week. They installed a load of new signs, hand sanitation stations, and appear to be working on something in front of Carthay Circle.
As we’ve previously shown, the turnstiles in both parks have their safety shields installed and are ready for you to return (whenever that is).
And peeking into the park, it seems there are signs everywhere (large and small) reminding you to keep your distance and to wear a mask. How many can you spot in this one photo?
We spotted some security in the distance, near Carthay Circle.
Across from them, barricades block access to the circle area.
Pal-A-Round Progress
For weeks now, we’ve noticed many of the gondolas removed from the Pixar Pal-A-Round in Pixar Pier. While some of the cars are still missing, it was in operation during our visit.
A cherry-picker with workers on it nearby.
Downtown Disney Developments
There were a couple of new things in Downtown Disney in the past week. Self-pay parking is on the way as well as a touching new Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) tribute mural.
Automated Parking
Downtown Disney has been a very popular place lately. Parking continues to be paused Friday through Sunday for long stretches of time as guests circle the resort waiting for the lot to reopen. But Disney isn’t cashing in on all those people. For the time being, Downtown Disney parking remains free. But infrastructure has recently been put into place which would allow guests to prepay for parking before leaving the lot. Here’s how it will work and what it will cost when Disney decides they are ready. . .
When you arrive in the lot, you’ll take a ticket (as you did in the past).
Parking will be free for 3 hours with validation, or 5 hours free with a table service restaurant validation. If you fail to get a reservation, it’s $14 per hour (with a maximum daily rate of $56). Before you allow yourself to get too upset, this is pretty much the same parking fees prior to the resort shut down. Just some language changes regarding increments (it was previously charged in 15-minute increments).
For the moment, the ticket machines are disabled. A “for your safety” sign has been placed over the slot.
As you exit Downtown Disney and reach the lot, you’ll see a new Parking Self Pay station on your left. You’ll insert your ticket here and pay before you exit the lot. There are 4 pay stations.
Merchandise Event
There’s a new merchandise event starting today. Like the previous two, it’s just an opportunity to buy a few items in the old ESPN Zone building before anyone else gets a chance (timed entry to ensure social distancing). As you might imagine, Disney fans will buy anything that they think is exclusive and this event sold out right away. More time slots were added later, but social media notifications weren’t sent out until after all slots had filled.
We’ll be at the event later today to report on anything interesting, but the last event was somewhat of a disaster. Most of the items ended up not being exclusive and some were actually available at Hot Topic on sale. You can read more about that here:
The bright spot of the week for Downtown Disney was the installation of a new mural on the corner of the old ESPN Zone building. This stunning mural, created by artist and former Imagineer Nikkolas Smith, is a spectacular tribute to Chadwik Boseman, who recently passed away from cancer. Chadwick played the role of Black Panther in a landmark film of the same name.
A sign near the mural has a statement from the artist:
We arrived at the resort early on a weekday to avoid the shockingly large crowds which have been showing up lately on the weekends and some weekday evenings as well. The advantage of going early is very low crowd levels. But by Friday afternoon, the parking lot was closed, waits for World of Disney were over two hours, and a line over two hours long snaked through the parking lot behind the old AMC Theater. But here’s what it looked like when we visited Thursday morning:
Very few guests at opening. But one thing you’ll notice is that aside from the stores, Downtown Disney really isn’t in the Halloween spirit this year.
Lots of shade umbrellas have been added, but no pumpkins or decor.
Sprinkles has reopened. Their new procedure doesn’t allow guests into the store, so they’ve left their display case empty. You are encouraged to order via your phone and then just pick up your order (like you might do at a Starbucks), but you can also walk up and order at a temporary table set up in the door.
If it weren’t for the holiday merchandise, you might not know it’s Halloween season at all.
The Disney Home Store has some holiday items in the entry room. We just took this shot through the door since we didn’t want to wait to go in.
And even on an empty morning, there’s still a long line of folks waiting to visit the World of Disney.
(Thank you Mike Kindrich for this week’s park photos!)
Speaking of World of Disney, let’s see what’s new and what’s popular . . .
World of Disney
(Our thanks to Natalie Kipper for writing this section for us)
Ear Headbands – First, we’ll look at two ‘new’ Ear Headbands. Both of these were actually available earlier at Walt Disney World but can now be purchased at the Disneyland Resort.
Here, we see the Orange Corduroy Ear Headband. It is a simple design with just two different prints/fabrics, but we think it does a superb job of capturing the spirit of fall.
The other Ear Headband (fittingly dubbed “Sangria”) is a rich wine color.
Mug & Spoon Sets – There were also mug/spoon sets. This one is made to resemble Stitch. You’ll spot Lilo’s doll, Scrump, on the mug’s handle, which is a fun detail. The spoon for this set looks like a palm tree.
This set is inspired by Mary Poppins and features her phrase “a spoonful of sugar” on the side of the mug. The delicate watercolor-like art on the mug has a serene quality, perfect for settling down to enjoy a cuppa. The accompanying spoon (or stirrer, in this case) is Mary’s familiar umbrella.
Mandalorian Merchandise – With the launch of the second season of The Mandalorian coming up, it isn’t surprising that we spotted new merchandise themed to the series. Both are a little out of the ordinary.
This Pez Set contains dispensers with toppers made in the likeness of The Mandalorian as well as The Child (or Baby Yoda, if you prefer). And yes, the candy is included.
The Crocs trend is still going strong at Disney Parks. This new pair is a metallic silver color and has The Child charms attached.
Odds and Ends – The Remy Shoulder Plush is another item that has been floating around Walt Disney World for some time before making its way here. These were selling like hotcakes and we can completely understand why. Who can say no to a smiling rat wearing a chef’s hat? These use magnets to keep the talented rodent firmly planted on your shoulder.
The epitaph for Madam Leota is now available in towel form. This one probably makes more sense when sold at Walt Disney World. The tombstone that the design is based on can only be seen in the queue of Magic Kingdom’s version of the Haunted Mansion. The Disneyland version doesn’t have it. Though we’d love to see it added to the outdoor queue area.
States of Being
The frustration in the theme park industry is growing as California continues to ignore theme parks even as they let restaurants, shops, hair salons, tattoo parlors, aquariums, zoos, museums and movie theaters operate indoor activities. Although the Governor has twice said the guidance is coming “soon,” he has for some reason delayed without giving a reason why. Last week we shared Disney’s response stating their disappointment that the governor hasn’t acted sooner. This week, Universal trolled the Governor on their Twitter:
The flip side to this issue is playing out in Florida and is no less concerning to the industry. Critical to the industry is that guests feel safe when visiting. If they don’t feel safe and secure, then they won’t visit. That’s why Disney spends so much money keeping the parks clean and well painted. They know you will think that if the buildings are run down, the rides would be too. It doesn’t matter how safe a park really is if the impression is that it isn’t. So, it came as quite a shock when Florida’s Governor issued an executive order last week essentially declaring the pandemic over and ordering almost all restrictions lifted completely in the state. That includes attendance limits, mask-wearing, social distancing, or anything else. Theme parks were basically told they could return to normal operation.
And while you might think that would make businesses happy (and many surely are), theme parks are terrified this will cause a collapse in attendance from potential tourists. They know the locals will still come, but without tourists to fill hotel rooms, the industry could suffer more than if the state had continued reasonable restrictions. To read more about the situation, and everything else that’s new at Walt Disney World, please read our latest WDW Update:
This brings us to the question, which state has it right? Should theme parks just remain closed indefinitely? Or should the gates be flung open with no restrictions in the middle of a pandemic which is now predicted to balloon in October? We believe there must be a middle ground between these extremes. Safe and sane precautions, but allowing most businesses to reopen under strict social distancing and health precautions.
One of those examples might be Hawaii. Disney’s Aulani is set to reopen November 1st. The state will again begin allowing tourism on October 15th, but guests visiting the islands must receive a rapid COVID test before flying. If you test positive, you won’t be allowed to visit. If you show up without a test, you’ll be placed in quarantine for 14 days. But for those with a negative test, they’ll be able to enjoy Hawaii’s beautiful rainforests, sandy beaches, and legendary hospitality.
UPDATE: After we published this article, David Koenig ran a Disneyland Rumor piece with a pretty bold prediction from cast members about the reopening of the parks. You can check that out below:
This weekend was the kickoff of Knott’s Berry Farm’s newest festival, Taste of Fall-O-Ween!— and they’ve struck gold! While California’s theme parks have reopened in some capacity, Knott’s Berry Farm has blown the competition straight out of the water. The amount of effort that the park has gone through to provide theme park fans a place to visit is easily double than what the neighboring options have done. Here’s a quick rundown of our trip to Knott’s Taste of Fall-O-Ween.
The Atmosphere with the Most
I’m aware this is a bit sacrilegious to say this in the Disneyland-centric weekly Disneyland Update, but I honestly think that Disney (and Universal and SeaWorld) could all learn a thing or two from Knott’s. Not only in how they’ve been able to adapt to the current situation, but also in terms of crafting an excellent seasonal atmosphere. Right from the entrance of the park, it’s Halloween everywhere with a giant pumpkin display, and it’s continued into ALL areas of the park. There’s not an undecorated area anywhere in the whole park. We bought 6 tickets for opening day and all of us were beyond impressed.
During the day, the decorations lean into the folksy, down-home vibe of the park. You’ll find the cheese-hole spiderwebs on every building in Ghost Town, along with plenty of fall foliage adornments.
At night, the vibe changes completely for a more mature feel. This isn’t a sight you’d normally be able to see at Knott’s unless you paid extra for the Knott’s Scary Farm event (which isn’t happening this year). And since there are no scare zones at Taste of Fall-O-Ween, you’re really able to enjoy the scenery and feeling of Halloween without needing to constantly be checking your surroundings for monsters. It was beautiful, slightly creepy, but absolutely fun for the whole family.
Decorations range from the massive to minuscule. The detail was stunning.
There were also live actors in the park playing various roles and interacting with guests from a safe distance.
Throughout the park, you’ll find a huge amount of tables and seating. Finding a comfy spot to sit down and enjoy the festival food is easy.
One of the new additions to the Knott’s Halloween offerings is the transformation of the unassuming Calico graveyard at night. Every few minutes, the ghost of one of the people buried in the graveyard is projected in various areas around the graveyard to recount the stories of their life, and of course, demise. In normal times, this little detail would largely go overlooked. But because of the current situation, people are really able to explore the park and enjoy the small things, like this quaint but delightful little projection show. If you’ve ever wondered who the people lying in those graves were, now you can find out.
The other neat thing about this particular festival is that all of the areas of the park have reopened. During the last event, Camp Snoopy was closed. Now it has become the completely decked out Halloween Trick-or-Treat Trail.
You’ll find plenty of familiar decorations from not just Camp Snoopy for Knott’s Spooky Farm, but from previous Halloween mazes and shows, as well as some new additions.
While the park isn’t operating rides, that’s not stopping the skeletons in the park from having fun. And all of the “employees” running the attractions are named Kevin. Gotta love Knott’s sense of humor!
Knott’s Best Friend: Food
Knott’s was the leader of the pack for how to successfully reopen a theme park, even in these uncertain times. They’ve now created three food festivals since July to give their fans a taste of their park. Each of the events has had an entirely different menu and entertainment, giving fans a reason for repeat visits.
Here’s a small sampling of some of the foods we tried:
Everything we had was truly delicious… but nothing can hold a candle to Knott’s deep-fried goodies. This time around, it’s The Ghoulish Pumpkin, a deep-fried cinnamon roll with pumpkin icing. If this doesn’t tempt you to visit Fall-O-Ween, I don’t know what will!
This was just a brief overview of Knott’s Taste of Fall-O-Ween. Keep an eye out tomorrow for a more in-depth article! In the meantime, you can join Dusty for a full walk-through of Knott’s Berry Farm from our visit on opening day.
The Fall of Villains – MiceChat Reader Photos
It’s the first Disneyland Update of the Fall. And what better way to highlight the start of autumn than featuring some of the villains we love to hate… or secretly admire. We asked the MiceChat Facebook group to share their photos of the villains around the Disneyland Resort. Let’s take a minute to embrace the villain in all of us…
Do you have a favorite villain?
And now for some of the rarer villain finds from around Disneyland:
And we can’t have a Disneyland villains photo section without including some of the baddies from Star Wars.
Last year for the Oogie Boogie Bash, all sorts of villains came out to see and be seen.
Thank you to everyone who shared a photo with us! This was just a small sampling of the photos that were posted in the MiceChat Facebook group for this week’s theme. While the parks have been closed, we’re grateful to have a community of Disneyland lovers that have shared their troves of photos with us to keep the passion alive for when the resort eventually reopens. Keep an eye out for next week’s photo theme!
(A huge thank you to Logan Collins for assembling this section, watermarking photos, and working with the submissions from our MiceChat Facebook Group, a huge undertaking).
This & That
And now for the odds and ends of the theme park industry this week.
Disneyland Adds 5th Key
If you’ve been a cast member, or have been a Disney fan for a long time, then you may have heard of the “Four Keys” that are the pillar stones of being a CM: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. This week, Disney internally shared an announcement that they will be adding a fifth key for Inclusion. It’s great to see Disney taking another positive step toward diversity and celebrating different walks of life.
Autopia, an Attraction for Yesterland?
While we waited all week for California’s Governor to make a statement about theme parks to no avail, the state did make an interesting announcement about the fate of gas-powered cars. By the year 2035, all new cars in California must be run on clean energy, effectively killing the gas-powered car in California. Of course, that calls into question Tomorrowland’s ancient fume-belching Autopia. Take a look at look at the article below to learn more about the history of this attraction and where the future could take it (if anywhere).
Next in the line for Disney Park reopenings is a park that has previously already had a reopening and subsequent reclosing! Hong Kong Disneyland reopened on the 25th, but it isn’t all magic and smiles this time around. Take a look at the article below to see why the happy reopening was tainted by a political blow which will likely prevent this resort from ever having a 2nd gate…
As we celebrate Fall, we’ve got a DELICIOUS copycat recipe of Disneyland’s Pumpkin Fudge, as well as a compilation of fall activities perfect for a theme park fan. Take a look at the posts below for some autumn inspiration!
Theme parks are reopening, and whether you are ready to travel yet or not, there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. Disneyland could announce its reopening at any time, but once they do, hotel reservations may be suspended. Don’t wait, book future travel now. But waiting on hold and not knowing what questions to ask isn’t the magical part of a vacation. That’s why MiceChat has partnered with Get Away Today to handle all the difficult stuff for you . . . all for no extra cost. That’s right, they do all the work and it doesn’t cost you extra.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park booking 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. Ask about:
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And if you need to talk to someone, we can do that too. As Disney resumes hotel bookings and ticket sales, we expect periodic high call volume. So, please fill out our request form and a vacation advisor will call you back: Vacation Information Request Form HERE
Let’s Hear From You
Yes, that was a lot to read. We appreciate you making it all the way through to the end. So, what stuck out to you? Are you shocked that California theme parks are still closed while Florida thinks the threat is behind us? Do you think Disneyland should be offering a Halloween food, shopping, and family entertainment event like Knott’s Fall-O-Ween festival? Impressed with the speed of the Runaway Railway construction? Care to offer a guess on when the California theme park guidance will finally come? Let’s hear from you.
PLEASE NOTE: These are challenging and politically charged times, that’s a powderkeg that many can’t seem to resist provoking. We remind you that MiceChat does not allow hostile political or religious comments. Those who bully, insult, or share fake news will be removed from the conversation. This is a theme park site, let’s please be respectful and help keep this a safe and fun place for all.
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