Disneyland Update – All Good Things Must Come To An End

The winds of change are blowing for the Disneyland Resort. Last January we were worried about crowds and what Disney would do about reliability problems at the new Rise of the Resistance attraction. Little could we have known then that in just weeks the parks would close for the better part of a year and that Disneyland’s wildly popular Passholder Program would bite the dust. We have a lot of news to explore this week, including a disturbance in the force. 

Disneyland Annual Pass Program Canceled ?

Late last week, Disneyland canceled its Annual Pass Program effective immediately. Have you had a chance to let this big news sink in? 

For years, many posters here on MiceChat and elsewhere would lament the steadily increasing crowds at Disneyland and what to do about them. The discussions almost always resulted in two camps, one group calling for Disney to keep the program the same (or even make it bigger by lowering prices) and the other to rework or even reboot the Annual Pass Program. Calls to rein the program in increased along with the crowds. Now, Disney has done just that.

Here’s What We Know About the Disneyland Annual Pass Cancelation

Due to the large number of annual Passholders and the small amount of expected park capacity when Disneyland reopens, it just wasn’t going to be possible for Disney to meet the demand. An estimated million+ Passholders and park capacity as low as 20% per day is a math problem with only one painful solution.  

• Passholders will be AUTOMATICALLY refunded if there is still value on your pass. There is no need for you to call. Passholders will be refunded the unused paid portion of their pass.  To figure out your amount due, you can see how Disney is calculating for each pass type (Monthly payments vs. paid in advance) on the Disneyland Passholder Refund page. 
• If you need to talk to someone – Disney has staffed up their call center to help those who have special circumstances. However, wait times have been in the hours. So, if you don’t really need to call, it’s best if you don’t. Those who will most likely need assistance are the Premiere Passholders who must either let their pass expire and be refunded or call to convert their pass to a Walt Disney World pass. You can contact Passholder Support at 407-939-7277 for assistance. 
• Discounts continue – if you had an active park pass as of March 14th 2020, when the Disneyland Resort shut down, you will continue to receive some benefits. Guests will be able to show their annual pass from January 18th through February 25th to receive 30% off at select locations in Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street Mondays through Thursdays (regular discounts still apply Friday through Sunday). it’s likely that Disney will continue to offer some level of discounts until they announce their new plans. 

Here’s what may come 

At the very least, Disney will create a “Membership” program which gives fans special perks and opportunities. Those opportunities might include things like discounts on merchandise, food, and even on park tickets. Disney has not formalized what the “membership” will look like and is busy surveying Passholders and other guests to figure out what is most important to them.

 We’d like to see Disney bring back the “Magic Kingdom Club” which Walt and his team created for Disneyland back in 1957. A paid club could be given many of the benefits of an annual pass, including discounts, special merchandise, and events (without the included park access of the Passholders program) and include big discounts for park admission (also perhaps dependent on the day and demand).  Such a program would be the ultimate in flexibility as you wouldn’t need to pay for days you weren’t able to attend (or that Disney didn’t have available even if you did want to attend). It would also allow Disney to dynamically send special admission offers at times of the year that don’t have high demand. 

But ALL visits in the early months of reopening will need to be scheduled due to limited park capacity. The easiest way for Disney to do this is to simply sell dated tickets. But those with existing valid admission tickets will need to schedule those visits (likely on a web page that has yet to be revealed).  

On a call we had with Disneyland’s President, Ken Potrock, he was clear that he 1) wanted to make sure Passholders felt valued and 2) Disneyland doesn’t yet know what they will be doing about tickets yet, all options are still on the table, but great care will be taken in crafting a plan based upon guest feedback. One of the possibilities mentioned was “Day-parting,” which is a method of selling tickets for part of a day.

Many Disney Parks overseas offer tickets which are valid after a certain hour at a lower price. We think Disneyland could potentially offer two sessions a day (one morning and one late afternoon). You’ll recall that when Galaxy’s Edge first opened, Disney offered tickets for the new land that were good for just a few hours. Disney has also offered after hours events for years which is also a form of day-parting.  Such a plan could double the number of guests who could visit the parks each day as each session would have approximately the same capacity as the traditional full day of access. So, instead of 15,000 per day (for example), Disney could serve 30,000 (or more as capacity limits increase)

You will no doubt have many ideas about how Disney can accommodate guests safely, sell dated tickets, and not upset their best fans. We look forward to hearing them below.  

Clues That The End Was Coming

There were a few signs that Disneyland would have to cancel its Passholders Program. In September of 2020 we wrote about a survey Disney sent to Annual Passholders. Disney asked several questions trying to figure out how likely Passholders were to cancel their pass given restrictions and changes in park operations. They also wanted to know how often Passholders would likely visit when the resort reopens. We recreated those polls (and others) and the results showed that Passholders were highly likely to keep their passes and visit more than once per month. 

In the same poll, Disney listed out likely operational changes when the parks reopen: 

• Parades that draw many people together are temporarily paused
• Nighttime fireworks/projection shows that draw many people together are temporarily paused
• Character meet and greets are temporarily unavailable; Characters will be in the parks in new ways to entertain and delight guests 
• Encouraging use of cashless transactions using mobile order service and pay in an app for food from quick-service restaurants
• Requires reservations of all guests, including Annual Passholders, in advance of arrival in order to manage attendance 
• Enhanced cleaning throughout the park
• Employees health and temperature screened daily 
• Increased number of hand-washing and hand-sanitizing sanitations [sic]
• Physical distancing measures
• Limits number of people allowed in the parks
• Guests’ temperature screened prior to theme park entry
• Employees required to wear masks/cloth face coverings
• Guests required to wear masks/cloth face coverings at all times (unless dining)
• Physical distancing measures
• Limits number of people allowed in the parks

Given those new procedures, Disney asked how likely Passholders were to cancel their passes: 

Given more than half of those in our version of the survey indicated that they would keep their passes, and more than half of those people expected to visit more than once a month,  Disney likely formed an opinion that there would simply be too many Passholders to continue the program under limited park reopening capacity. 

Then, in October, a second big sign happened. Tokyo Disneyland canceled its massive annual pass program. Of all the Disney Parks, Tokyo is most similar to Disneyland operation, relying on locals more than tourists.  After upsetting Passholders who were unable to obtain park reservations for months on end, Tokyo Disneyland canceled it’s program in October, launching a massive refund project. 

Tokyo Disneyland Annual Pass Program Ending – Could it Happen at Disneyland?

That caused us to ask if the same thing could happen at Disneyland. While most of the comments thought is was unlikely Disneyland would give up the Annual Pass revenue, in a poll embedded in the article, over 70% of you voted for some form of ending Annual Passes, at least during the days of reduced park capacity. And most wanted to see the program reworked.  

So, while we were all shocked by hearing the actual words from Disney, for many of you this may not have come as much of a surprise. Although, the major impact this change will make on the Disneyland Resort will still be massive. 

What Will Happen at Other Area Parks? 

Both Knott’s and Universal reassured their passholders this week. Knott’s provided some actual helpful information that their program will continue and how extensions are being handled. 

Universal used the opportunity to poke Disney a bit: 

However, they did respond to several Tweets with the following information on how their Annual Pass expansions will be handled: 

Disneyland Becomes a Vaccine Distribution Site

Who had Disneyland (well, one of their parking lots) as a vaccination site on their 2021 bingo card? We certainly didn’t see that coming! This past week, Disneyland’s Toy Story lot became Orange County’s first vaccine Super POD (Point-of-Dispensing). 

If you’re thinking about walking into the lot for a vaccination, you’re going to have to shelve that thought. At this time, vaccinations require advance registration through the Orange County Health Care Agency’s platform Othena. Right now, the only people eligible for vaccinations include frontline workers and OC residents aged 65 and older. As the county will be distributing vaccinations based on California’s prioritization tiers, Disneyland Cast Members will not be prioritized over the general population.

Unfortunately, the supersite has had a rough opening week in terms of availability for appointments as the app experienced overload and waits on site were in the hours. But we’re sure that once the rhythm has been more established, this vaccination site will be able to administer over 6,000 doses daily. 

Disneyland won’t be the only theme park used for vaccine administration. In fact, Knott’s Berry Farm will be another supersite in Orange County. Oliver Chi, the Huntington Beach City Manager, confirms that other Super POD locations will include Knott’s Berry Farm, the Orange County Fairgrounds, The Great Park and Soka University. However, there is no specified start date for those vaccination sites because the county will need additional vaccines to administer before opening another vaccination supersite. Furthermore, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita will serve in a similar function as a vaccination site for Los Angeles County.

This is the Downtown Disney News You’ve Been Looking For

We’re coming up on the 20th anniversary for both Downtown Disney and Disney California Adventure. Unfortunately, Disneyland’s shopping district has seen better days. After a failed attempt to build a hotel on the West side of the property . . . 

. . .the old ESPN Zone, AMC Theater and Rainforest Cafe have all been left empty since 2018. While ESPN Zone has been repurposed for a pop-up Instagram photo spot experience and some merchandise events, the AMC Theater has been completely empty and the old Rain Forest was partially obstructed by a glorified food truck. 

Last week we reported that the Asian Eats food truck was carted away after just a year of operation. Now we know why. 

The Star Wars Trading Post, which took over Wonderground Gallery late last year, will be moving to larger and better themed digs in the old Rain Forest Cafe shop on the lower level of the temple-themed building.  

We expect the shop to be more or less themed to the Star Wars Jungle Planet of Yavin-4, which features Mayan-ish structures not unlike the old Rain Forest: 

Disney claims that the Wonderground Gallery will return to its old spot . . . however, the announcement focused on Spirit Jerseys and housewares. While art was mentioned, it seems as though the product mix at Wonderground will be tweaked a bit: 

WonderGround Gallery will soon re-open! With housewares and headbands, and Spirit Jerseys in an array of colors, WonderGround Gallery has something for the Disney fan’s home and their closet, along with its unique collection of art, gifts and collectibles!  

Many of you had lamented that the Star Wars Trading Post took over Wonderground when there was so much unused space elsewhere. Hopefully the space swap makes everyone happy. And there’s room upstairs for Disney to do even more if they get ambitious. A Star Wars restaurant or bar would really turn the volume up to 11 on this project. You think Trader Sam’s is popular . . . just imagine a large Star Wars Cantina in Downtown Disney.  

Visit During The Week

If you need a Disney fix but want to avoid a potentially crowded situation, visit during the week and avoid weekends (Friday afternoons through Sunday are by far the busiest). On Thursday, we experienced nearly no crowds at all. All the shops, walkways, and Buena Vista Street were practically empty.  

We spotted this awesome Haunted Mansion stretching room sconce in World of Disney. We didn’t plan on doing any merchandise in this update, but we can’t stop thinking about this one:  

Buena Vista Street was more of the same. Wide open space with no lines. 

With the holidays now mostly gone everywhere, some toys and plush are on sale in various spaces. It was Baby Yoda-palooza on this outdoor vending cart near Carthay Circle. 

Friday is Rock Your Dots Day, Minnie Caramel Apples count, right?! 

And Hollywood Blvd was completely empty. 

Major Announcements from WDW

Although it’s been a crazy week here in California, out at Walt Disney World there have been some similarly shocking announcements. Several Walt Disney World vacation staples have been given an end date or will receive huge changes. First off is the Magical Express, a frequently used transportation system that shuttles WDW hotel guests from Orlando airport directly to the WDW resort hotels. As this service was included in the cost of the hotel room, many guests opted to use this complimentary service from Disney instead of renting a car. However, starting January 1, 2022 guests will have to find their own method of transportation to the resort. Disney has recommended that guests look into renting a vehicle or utilizing a rideshare service.

Additionally, another feature exclusive to WDW hotel guests that is ending is Extra Magic Hours. Since the resort reopened in July, the parks have been operating at a reduced capacity with limited operating hours. As a result, the Extra Magic Hours that extended the operating day for a particular park (one park per day, and would rotate between parks) is being replaced with a new program. The replacement, “Early Theme Park Entry,” will provide WDW Hotel guests with 30 minutes of early access to the theme park of their choice (all 4 parks will offer early entry each day). This new program is expected to be implemented soon and was billed as being part of WDW’s 50th-anniversary celebration. But we aren’t sure guests will be overly excited about just 30 minutes of extra park time. 

These are big changes for planning a Walt Disney World vacation. You can read more about how these will affect a future trip in the article below: 

Breaking: Disney World Magical Express Ending & Extra Magic Hours Replaced

Additionally, there’s another thing being changed at Walt Disney World: MagicBands! The handy (wrist-y?) accessory is used as an all-access tool to unlock your hotel room, serve as park entry media, purchase items (when linked with a credit card), act as your FastPass ticket and much more. Up until this year, MagicBands were complimentary for guests staying at a WDW hotel. Now all MagicBands must be purchased, even for hotel guests. However, the replacement for MagicBands isn’t too far behind, or too expensive… In fact, it’s probably already in your hand! Read more about the transition from MagicBand to your own mobile phone in the article below.

Walt Disney World Update – Replacing Magic Bands & Magic Express, Ratatouille Surprise, and News!

AP Memories – MiceChatReader Photo Section

There’s a million+ Passholders out there licking their wounds. How will the parks feel without them? It’s certainly going to be a lot quieter. But the reason people got those passes in the first place is because they found a reason to fall in love with the Happiest Place on Earth. For some, it was all the rides. For others, it was a more personal connection; Disneyland provides an escape from the troubles of the real world. This week, we asked the MiceChat Facebook group to share photos of the things which best represent how they would spend their time at Disneyland. We had a lot of creative and touching responses, and we’re pleased to share them with you. Take a look at what made Disneyland special for MiceChat readers just like you:

 

Thank you everyone who shared why Disneyland was special to you as an AP. Disneyland without an Annual Pass program will be very different, but I’m grateful to have the memories I do of visiting Disneyland— and I know I’m not alone in that thinking. To see more of the photos of Disneyland AP memories, be sure to join the MiceChat Facebook group.

Last week we held a special contest to pick the next cover photo for MiceChat’s social media. Here are our top three entries!

In 3rd place with 12% of the vote, Cathy LaFever’s fireworks over Batuu:

In 2nd place with 14% of the vote, Dani Frisby’s photo of World of Color:

And in 1st place, Michael Cole’s photo of the Disneyland Train Station. Congratulations Michael! We’re excited to have this as our cover photo for MiceChat’s social media! Thank you for sharing with us!

This & That

We’re not done quite yet! Here are a few more stories from this week.

Super Nintendo World Opening Delay

Last month Universal Studios Japan gave Nintendo fans a sneak peek into the upcoming Super Nintendo World. The new area of the park was set to open on February 4. However, since Japan entered a state of emergency that lasts until February 7, the park has decided to hold off on a new opening date until after the state of emergency has been lifted. For more about the new expansion (it’s really cool, and coming to Universal Studios Hollywood as well!), take a look at the article below.

Here’s Everything We Know About Universal Studios NEW Super Nintendo World

Kevin Rafferty Retires

Iconic Imagineer Kevin Rafferty announced this week that he’ll be retiring this year. He’s worked on several big-name attractions like Cars Land, Midway Mania, and Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railway among many others. Shelly takes a look at his long-running career at Disney in the article below.

Imagineer Kevin Rafferty Hangs Up His Sorcerer’s Hat

Scott Trowbridge Interview

The man behind Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Scott Trowbridge recently did an interview explaining some of the decisions behind the land. Some of the decisions were fairly controversial, such as the decision to focus on “the future of Star Wars” as opposed to giving the fans all of the Star Wars memories they’ve made over the years (as Universal did with Wizarding World). Despite that, there are some interesting bits of info about the details of the land. How do you feel about Imagineering focusing on a new, unseen future for Star Wars as opposed to the beloved classic characters and storylines? You can watch Scott’s interview below.

Dale Baer Passes Away

Disney animation fans may be familiar with Dale Baer for his work as an animator for a lengthy career at Disney. He worked on films such as Robin Hood, The Lion King, Treasure Planet, Meet the Robinsons and more. You can read Disney Animation’s statement regarding Dale Baer’s passing in the post below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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First Micechat Podcast of 2021!

Yes, you read that right: there’s a new MiceChat podcast to listen to (or watch)! It’s been quite some time since we’ve done a podcast/vlog (since April 2020 to be precise!) and we’re thrilled to be entering the podcast’s 9th season. Join Dusty, Doug and Chloé for their conversation about the topics discussed in today’s Update and much more! You can watch the video below or listen to the podcast:

(or find us on iTunes – HERE)

A Gift For The Whole Family!

(Discount Theme Park Tickets and Travel Packages)

It’s time to give the family something to look forward to. Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with that by planning a future theme park vacation. There are all sorts of new theme park tickets and travel deals, including a 2 free days offer at Walt Disney World, hotel discounts, ticket deals to various theme parks: More details and to get a quote (HERE)

NEW VACATION SAVINGS PLAN WITH PERKS!!! Want to start saving for a big family vacation but aren’t sure where or when you’ll be ready to go? Get Away Today has created a plan which rewards you for saving up for your trip now. Place as little as $200 down and get free travel protection, travel credits, and more! Learn more and start saving now HERE!

Let’s Hear From You

This past week was filled with all sorts of news, shocking and uplifting. Although Disneyland remains closed, the wheels are turning about what the park will look like once it opens. What are your thoughts on the immediate termination of annual passes? Can you believe that Downtown Disney has been around for two decades? Are you glad to see Disneyland acting as a super vaccination site? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. And if you enjoyed today’s Disneyland Update, please be sure to share!

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