Disneyland Update – Open and Closed as Disneyland Faces a Purple Christmas

Disneyland can’t catch a break, even as the resort prepares to open Buena Vista Street later this week for shopping and dining. Orange County (where the resort is located) is likely headed back to the restrictive Purple Tier of business operations. On top of that, Disney executives hinted that they realize Disneyland may not open until March or later. So, even as Disneyland prepares to reopen some things, others will remain firmly closed for a long time to come. But we’ve got some uplifting photos for you that take you for a flight over the Disneyland Resort to see how various projects are coming along. There’s a tremendous amount of holiday joy and tears to get to, so let’s get to it . . . 

(UPDATE: After we published, California confirmed that Orange County would be moving back to the Purple Tier. See below to learn how this will impact Disneyland and Buena Vista Street)

Disneyland to Remain Closed Through March 2021

We don’t want to be too confusing here. Much will be written this week (including here on MiceChat) about the reopening of Buena Vista Street in time for the holiday shopping rush. And while that expansion of shopping and dining is exciting, it isn’t really a reopening of the theme parks, but rather an expansion of the Downtown Disney shopping district onto Buena Vista Street. The true park experience won’t be returning any time soon.  

During Disney’s investor call late last week, we learned that while the company is still losing money, they are doing so at a much smaller percentage than previously expected. However, the hardest hit division of the company remains “Parks, Experiences & Products” which has lost approximately 9.7 BILLION dollars this year. Further, due to California’s stringent tier system, Disney expects the Disneyland parks to remain closed through at least March of 2021.  

Disney Reports Smaller Than Expected Loss but Continued Poor Theme Park Performance

Here’s What Happens If Orange County Goes Purple

(There are updates on the item below due to announcements from the state of California today)

Orange County (where Disneyland is located) will be moving back from the somewhat restrictive Red Tier to the very restrictive Purple tier as of today. We know you are curious about what that will mean for Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street and we have some thoughts and information for you. 

In an update at noon on Monday, the state moved many more counties, including Orange County, back into the Purple Tier: 

Due to a sharp increase in infections statewide, California is “Pulling an emergency brake.” But, with the theme parks already closed, this doesn’t really mean much to Disneyland, as you’ll see below.  

So, what will a “Purple” Orange County mean for Disneyland visitors? The short answer is, not much. At the Purple Tier, restaurants must revert to outdoor dining only, which Disneyland already does (there is little indoor dining at the Disneyland Resort right now, even though it is allowed in the Red Tier). Most of the Disneyland Resort restaurants which are currently open are utilizing patio dining. 

Shops will remain open with indoor shopping as they are now as well. However, instead of the maximum 50% capacity allowed in Red, shops will have to restrict visitation to 25% in Purple.  

Essentially, that means longer lines to get into Downtown Disney and fewer visitors at any given time in the shopping district and on Buena Vista Street. The expansion of Buena Vista will allow more visitors overall into Downtown Disney, so it does come at a good time, but the huge demand will likely mean guests lined up for potentially hours outdoors waiting to get in to spend their money.  

It’s other Southern California attractions which will suffer the most. Museums, Zoos, and Aquariums must halt indoor activities in the Purple Tier and offer only limited access to outdoor activities.  That will impact San Diego’s Legoland’s SeaLife Aquarium (San Diego slid to Purple last week) and the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, as well as the Bower’s Museum which offers a special Disney Archives exhibit (just down the road from Disneyland). In short, check for operating status before visiting any attraction in the weeks to come. 

Here’s a simple guide to what changes from Red to Purple. Disneyland was already operating mostly like they were in the Purple Tier but with capacity limits higher than the 25% they’ll have to move down to today: 

  

Disneyland Aerial Photos & Updates

It’s been a while since we’ve had aerial photos to show you the latest happenings inside Disneyland. But a friendly spy in the sky sent us these exclusive images and we knew you’d want to see them. We never quite know what path our high-flying friend will be able to take or what they will be able to see, but this time around they spotted progress at Haunted Mansion, Fantasyland, ToonTown, and some projects in DCA.  

Before we take off, let’s start with what we can see from the ground. The front gates of both parks are taped out for social distancing and with plexiglass to keep ticket-takers shielded from you. But it’s what’s just inside the gates that had us excited . . . until we weren’t.  

When we peeked through the gates of Disneyland this week, we saw some festive decorations . . . 

Garland . . . 

Wreaths . . . 

Poinsettias . . . 

Sadly, all of that was just temporary for a TV shoot (likely the Disney Christmas special on ABC).  We understand that it’s all been taken down  . . . for now.  

Don’t be sad, let us lift your spirits. Up, up, and away . . . 

From above it all, Disneyland looks so empty and lonely . . . 

But you see trucks and workers almost everywhere. On Main Street, there were barricades on parts of Town Square. This was likely to accommodate film crews. 

Note all the vehicles parked behind Space Mountain. 

Working our way toward the Central Hub of Disneyland . . . You see lots of trucks, workers, and little projects here and there. It appears that the new retro-future entry to Tomorrowland has been delayed. While the rest of the french fry rocks were removed over the last two months, construction has not started on the two gardens which will create the new entry statement for the land.  

On the Frontierland side of the Hub, the Frontierland bridge expansion has been completed. We understand the new sign has been installed as well, though you can’t really see it here. 

The gardens remain stripped in the Hub area. 

And drifting over to Fantasyland . . .

Scaffolds are down around Snow White . . . 

And the Carrousel scrim is down as well (though construction walls remain up). And look how bright that canopy is! 

There’s some sort of protective structure around the Sleeping Beauty statue at the back of the castle. 

You can just about make out how much less ominous the Snow White ride is now that the scary details have been scaled back. 

While many of Disneyland’s gardens have been uprooted for later replanting, the beautiful gardens and tapestry of Casey Jr. have been well maintained. 

We did spot some folks on the tracks . . . 

This view really makes us miss the parks . . . 

Next, let’s fly into Tomorrowland . . . 

The cars of Autopia are neatly parked. 

The PeopleMover tracks never cease to be a sad reminder of the past. And you get another view of the Tomorrowland entry gardens which are just green grass patches at the moment.  

Someone needs to put Space Mountain back in the dishwasher on the scrub setting. 

If we head across the park, just past the Rivers of America . . . 

You come across a dusty old mansion that is no longer shrouded in construction scrims. 

It appears that the refurbishment is complete on the Haunted Mansion, at least on the exterior.  

And at the back of the park, just behind ToonTown, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway continues its rapid rise. 

And, for comparison, here’s what the site looked like in early September . . . 

DCA Update and the Return of Buena Vista Street

This will be a big week for Disney California Adventure as Buena Vista Street reopens its shops and restaurants. But will there be enough capacity for all the people who are sure to show up? With the county likely moving back to the Purple Tier, this situation could get out of control with far too many people longing to get in. Thursday is the big day, we’ll let you know how it goes.  

Holiday garland and bows complete with safety signs for your eye on Buena Vista Street. 

And the windows on the street have been redecorated as well . . . 

And a couple night shots showing lights in the garland: 

There are a few things you should be aware of: 

1. Parking in Downtown Disney will be $10
2. You won’t be able to just walk right into Buena Vista Street. Disney expects to run a virtual queue for access. So you’ll need to get into Downtown Disney first, and then add your name to the list for Buena Vista Street. 
3. Hours will be 10am to 8pm during the week and 10am to 9pm this weekend. Then, Disney adds an extra hour on Black Friday and hours remain 10am to 10pm through Christmas.  
4. If you want to avoid the Downtown Disney Parking stress, we’ve worked out a deal with The Anaheim Hotel on Harbor Blvd (just across the street from the Guardians of the Galaxy Tower). For the same $10, you can park at the hotel (while space allows) and walk across the street to the Harbor Blvd entry to Downtown Disney.  Just print out the following flyer (or show it at the hotel’s front desk).  

When we took these photos, there was a 30-minute wait on the west side of Downtown Disney by the Disneyland Hotel, but there wasn’t a single guest waiting on the Harbor Blvd side.  

Now . . . let’s fly through the park. 

From on high, you can see that there’s definitely no Food and Wine Festival booths on the parade route. But if all goes well with the Buena Vista Street reopening, we could see an expansion of shopping on Main Street before year’s end, and even a potential food festival in DCA early next year.  

We could imagine shopping and dining expanding down the parade route and into Hollywoodland as well. 

Remember that new building project behind Luigi’s in Cars Land? It appears to be complete. 

It just looks like an office building on this side, but on the theme park side, it’s been fully themed to match the look of the ride.  

In Avenger’s Campus (the upcoming Marvel Land), we can see that the pavement is in and the buildings appear mostly complete (too bad that big tower is in our view).  

There’s still a flurry of activity, but the land will likely be complete long before theme park operations return.  

Downtown Disney Updates

There were a few updates in Downtown Disney this week as well. And while it doesn’t look very Christmas outside of the stores just yet, we did see a team of resort decorators looking at their plans for creating some magic in the days to come. 

Too Much of a Mediocre Thing?

Ever since Downtown Disney started doing “limited reservation shopping events” we’ve been less than impressed. While the most recent event featuring SHAG and a variety of Trader Sam’s goodies was a (small) step in the right direction, it seems like the bubble has burst for the demand for these events. Merchandise from these events isn’t particularly exclusive and the reservation process is needlessly complex. The upcoming merchandise event, featuring items already available at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World, had wide-open availability for reservations for all three days of the event as of Saturday.

Hopefully whoever is in charge of these events can take a hint that these events need some reworking.

In the meantime, you can take a look at what merchandise is available now at Downtown Disney in the article below.

Disneyland Merchandise Update: It’s a Cozy Christmas

Star Wars Trading Post

Star Wars Trading Post got a real sign this weekend. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of the Wonderground Gallery, which has us worried that Wonderground won’t return. Before, the Star Wars pop-up shop was described as “WonderGround Gallery presents Star Wars Trading Post.” Do you like the new sign, or does it bother you that it’s off-center? And would you rather have Star Wars merchandise or artwork in this location?  

Catal Returns for Thanksgiving

All the restaurants of Downtown Disney have reopened with the exception of Splitsville and Catal. But starting Thanksgiving, Catal’s outdoor patio will be reopening.

This year’s Thanksgiving offerings are a bit pared back in comparison to last year, but it will still be a nice option. This year, you’ll be able to enjoy a Turkey Dinner with all the fixings, delicious Filet Mignon, Scallops or a Charcuterie Board to start off your meal. 

Furloughs Continue at Disneyland

We’ve been reporting about Disney’s high profile layoff of 28,000 employees for the last couple of months. So we didn’t expect to see more bad news so soon. In addition to the massive number of cast being let go, Disney is placing another large group of Disneyland employees (across the board, from senior management to front line workers) on furlough due to a rise in Covid cases and California’s tier system, which will likely keep them closed until spring or even summer. The good news for those impacted is that the furloughs do allow these employees to keep their health insurance and other benefits.  

More on the surprise furlough announcement: 

MORE Disneyland Furloughs JUST Confirmed

 

Holiday Magic in the Details – MiceChat Reader Photos

In normal times, this past week would have been the first week of full-blown Christmas at the Disneyland Resort. Obviously, this year has prevented that from happening, but that won’t stop us from remembering the holiday magic. This week, we asked the MiceChat Facebook group to share their favorite parts of the holidays at Disneyland— food, Christmas decorations, food, shop displays, character costumes, and whatever else lights up the season for them. Let’s take a look at the simpler, happier days of Christmas past at Disneyland.

There’s nothing quite like seeing Disneyland at night. Lit up in dazzling amber lights, it’s like being taken back in time. Everywhere you look it’s an old-fashioned Christmas. 

And that sentiment is carried over to Sleeping Beauty Castle. Sparkling with silvery icicles with a tinge of pixie dust. We’re really missing the castle this year!

During the holidays, there are some attractions that receive a special holiday overlay. Although Jingle Cruise is no longer offered at Disneyland (we’re always jealous of seeing it at Walt Disney World!), it won’t stop us from remembering the silly good times.

I’m sure that Jack Skellington is missing out on seeing all the guests at the Haunted Mansion. I guess he’ll have to wait until next year (fingers crossed!) to see all our frightfully delightful faces.

The Christmas transformation at the Storybook Land Canal Boats is full-scale holiday festivities just at a miniature size. We can never get enough of it! I wonder how those villages are doing all alone this holiday season…

While Main Street may (arguably) be the most decked-out for the holidays, you’ll find little nods to wintertime festivities in many areas around the park too. Garland and wreaths in Frontierland, themed holiday decorations for each building in ToonTown, and a colorful Christmas down in New Orleans Square.

The two iconic holiday images that stand out in our mind are seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle adorned with unmelting snow and the “it’s a small world” facade turned into an explosion of color and holiday cheer.

The holidays are a time of indulgence. With sweets aplenty, Disneyland is the perfect place to celebrate the holidays over a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the seasonal delights.

All the characters around Disneyland seem to get into the holiday spirit, plus you can even find jolly ol’ Santa Claus around the park!

We could do a whole section one week about DCA’s holiday offerings. In fact, we very well may in the near future… Here’s a quick snippet of holidays at DCA.

Finally, the majestic Grand Californian Hotel is a sight for sore eyes. The massive Christmas tree and the over-sized gingerbread house really puts guests into the holiday spirit. With the DVC tower at the resort opening next month, we wonder if the lobby will be dressed in its holiday best.

We’d like to thank everyone who shared a photo with us this week! We could only pick a handful of photos to include in our already-long Disneyland Update, so we hope you take a moment to join the MiceChat Facebook group to see the rest of the photos from this week!

This & That

We’re not done yet! Here are a few of the other stories from the theme park world this week. 

Buena Vista Street isn’t the only holiday happening that’s getting ready to open this week. In fact, both Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain are preparing holiday offerings of their own. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s going on starting this week:

Taste of Merry Farm

We’ve been eagerly awaiting Knott’s Taste of Merry Farm food event. We’ve really enjoyed what they’ve done with their previous two festivals, and if their Taste of Fall-O-Ween festival set a precedent to what to expect, we know they’ve got something incredible planned. The event kicks off this Friday and runs through the first week of January on specific days. Dates for this event are selling quickly, so if you’re interested in attending, you’d better get a move on! For more info about Taste of Merry Farm and for recent updates around the Buena Park attraction, take a look at the article below.

Knott’s Berry Farm Update: A Taste of the Merry Holiday Season Ahead

Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru

There hasn’t been a whole lot of activity from Six Flags Magic Mountian since it shut down back in March. But keeping up with their competitors for the holiday season, Magic Mountain is reinventing its Holiday in the Park event by converting it into a drive-thru! Learn more about this event in the post linked below.

Christmas on Wheels: A Drive Through Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Holiday in the Park

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