This week’s Disneyland Update is a bit of a rollercoaster. While there’s a lot to look forward to, including the potential return of a classic, construction on a major new attraction, pumpkin treats, and Halloween decorations, there’s also some concerning news that we’d like to address.
I’ve got some things to get off my chest before we get to the fun stuff. It’s important to know that I say these things because I love Disneyland and have spent the better part of the last 25 years covering the parks in one way or another. I’ve seen many highs and lows over those years, and there are some very disturbing signs that management may not be paying attention to public reaction to the recent rapid pace of change.
Disneyland Resort News
While not all of you will agree with me, I think it’s good for us to keep an eye on the whirlwind of recent news and how it will change the Disneyland Resort forever, and not necessarily in a positive way (although some of it might).
First came the exciting news that the Disneyland Resort would be expanding with a likely 3rd park and new shopping district as well. Mostly good news, still a complete unknown that we need to keep watching.
BREAKING NEWS – Disneyland Resort Future Expansion & Possible 3rd Park
Then the troubling news that Disney would be moving nearly all non-park-based jobs from the Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products (DPEP) business unit to Orlando, including Imagineering! We’ve already seen Disneyland operations starting to shift to a more Walt Disney World style of operations (favoring revenue-generating products and upsell opportunities over non-revenue generating projects and services). More on this in a bit.
2,000 Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Jobs Moving to Orlando
But then came the mostly good news that Disneyland Annual Passes would be replaced by the Magic Key program, offering former passholders a cheaper way to visit the resort than full-price day tickets. For better or worse, all visits now require a park reservation which helps keep park capacity in the enjoyable zone. But it also helps Disney save a lot of labor costs as they’ll always know how many guests will be in the park each day and can staff appropriately.
Next came the controversial Genie, Genie+, Lightning Lane & Lightning Lane extra cost announcement. On the surface, this program is about giving you more information on wait times at rides and attractions. But it’s also a complete paid replacement for free FastPass (which will never return). AND… some rides will come at an extra, extra cost. We do not yet know which rides or how much they will cost. But whatever it is will be on top of your admission into the park and the $20 per person for Genie+. So, we don’t yet know how this one will work out. Could be good, perhaps not, or something of a mixed bag.
Now comes a change that has the potential to eventually lock important parts of Disneyland’s holiday celebration behind a paywall. Something Disney World pioneered and has continued to expand to other parks.
Disney Merriest Nights holiday party
We’ve known and have written about a hard-ticketed holiday party for months now. But Disney went about the confirmation in a very peculiar way. Rather than announcing the parties at the same time as the rest of the Christmas festivities on September 1st, they delayed mentioning “Disney Merriest Nights” until this past Friday. Some fans are already shifting their bookings to avoid days when Disneyland will close early for holiday parties. It’s expensive to visit Disneyland and a short day at full price isn’t really fair.
Aside from the steep $165+ cost of the event, many are worried about what this means for the elaborate Christmas activities at the resort going forward. In Walt Disney World they’ve slowly whittled back their holiday offerings over the years to focus on paid parties where they can project holiday decorations onto the buildings of Main Street and offer the holiday parade and fireworks for those willing to pay the fee for a nighttime event.
While there are still plenty of decorations in all of the WDW parks and hotels, it is a shame that guests are being pushed to pay twice in one day just to enjoy everything the park has to offer. Disney already has flexible pricing, why not just charge more for the parks during the holidays? OR, charge less for park visits on days when the parks close early and offer a discounted combo-ticket for guests who want to add the nighttime party. Charging $104 for a one-day ticket (or much more) plus $165 (or more) for the Christmas party is a minimum $269 commitment. That’s $1,076 for a family of 4 to spend a single full day at Disneyland on a party night. To that I say, bah-humbug!
Note: I just removed a 6 paragraph rant about my concerns that another “Save Disney” movement may soon be needed. But I’ll save those comments for another day as they are still a bit premature. There’s plenty here for you to digest as it is, and I do want to see where the fans stand on all of this. Are you happy to pay extra for less? Or are you starting to wake up to the reality that something major has changed with the way Disney and your beloved parks are run? Let’s hear from you.
Now, a return to our regularly scheduled programming…
Oogie Boogie Bash Returns
The Halloween season is here, and the Oogie Boogie Bash sets just the right tone. The first night of the after-hours DCA party took place on Thursday, and we were there to cover it. Here’s a brief overview of the second iteration of the Oogie Boogie Bash. Tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash are fully sold out.
If you attended the event back in its 2019 debut, the party has virtually remained the same. It is still the same premise, that Oogie Boogie has invited Disney villains to celebrate Halloween. There is no shortage of treats or character sightings. Plus, a full parade has returned to the Disneyland Resort, but unfortunately only for those paying for the after-hours Halloween party.
Although the Oogie Boogie party is largely familiar, it is missing an integral component. Since World of Color is not running due to an extended refurbishment, the Oogie Boogie Bash-exclusive World of Color: Villainous! wasn’t part of the event. Although seeing the Frightfully Fun Parade was neat, trick-or-treating fun, and Villain’s Grove was a feast for the eyes, the event felt like it was missing a little extra. In the past, with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, that reason was the Halloween Screams fireworks (which is available on weekends to regular Disneyland guests; on weekdays, the show is projections-only). Oogie Boogie Bash was still fun, but for the price, it felt lacking in comparison to 2019.
The “immersive” treat trails (we prefer the term “interactive” since there isn’t a whole lot of immersion for some of the trails) each featured an iconic Disney villain. The biggest change up this year was the inclusion of three new villains: Agatha Harkness from WandaVision, Cruella DeVille (the live-action Emma Stone version), and Sid from Toy Story.
Note that these parties have a HUGE impact on Disney California Adventure crowds during the day. Beginning at 3pm, any guest of Oogie Boogie Bash can enter the park before the event starts. That means that the park rapidly fills up to an uncomfortable level. From 3pm until 6pm it’s probably a good idea to avoid DCA entirely if you don’t have an Oogie Boogie ticket on event nights. But for DCA guests with a one-day/one-park ticket, party days are a TERRIBLE time to visit. Switch to Disneyland if you can or pick another day to visit.
But even with the cutbacks, we did have a very good time at the event. For more about Oogie Boogie Bash, including lots of photos and video, take a look at our coverage of the event below:
Oogie Boogie Bash Scares Up Halloween Fun at the Disneyland Resort
Current Crowd Patterns
The busy weekends and enjoyable weekday crowd pattern continues. We visited Friday and found the park to still have dream-like conditions during the day. But Keyholders show up in droves after work to see Halloween Screams fireworks, so those conditions do change rapidly in the evening.
Because it was over 90º and I had been up all night on Thursday covering Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, I decided it was a better idea for me to visit the park later in the day to avoid the heat and get you some unique night shots. But even in the early evening, the park crowd levels on Friday were quite tolerable.
But after sunset, the Keyholders really started showing up and long lines developed at the front gate. Here’s what it looked like when I hopped from Disneyland to DCA.
Parking Troubles
Every time we write about Disneyland these days, someone asks “When are the parking lot trams returning?” Much to the dismay of the vast majority of guests, there is no tram service from the parking structures. Once guests realize that there are no trams, or they do the walk once, most are less willing to park at the structures again. Because of this, additional stress is placed on the Toy Story lot, now filling with people looking to use the buses to get to the park and back. Now, both parking experiences can be fairly miserable.
The Toy Story lot uses buses that are operated by a contractor for Anaheim Rapid Transit (ART). They are using new electric buses that are smaller than the previous ones. They also don’t have as many right now in the fleet. This means that wait times to get on a bus are much higher than they have been in the past, and it can take up to 90 minutes to get on a bus after the fireworks end.
The buses we have ridden on also don’t have air conditioning that works. On a recent 97 degree day, it felt cooler outside than it did inside the bus. We thought that this could have been a temporary issue caused by the oppressive, direct sunlight, but at night when the sun had long since set and the temperature was in the high 70s, it was still easily 15 degrees cooler outside than it was on the bus. As you can imagine, the guests were grumbling about it.
As a result of the inconvenient (and uncomfortable) Disney parking drama, it’s quite a bit more convenient to park off-site if you can. If you have a Magic Key that does not include parking, we encourage you to take advantage of our parking deal with The Anaheim Hotel that starts at just $15/day. And if you do decide to park at Mickey & Friends and really don’t enjoy the walk (apparently, some do!), we implore you to stop by City Hall and voice your complaint. The first and last experience of the day is parking. Disney has made choices that can make these experiences miserable if you arrive during the morning rush or try to leave with everyone else after fireworks (or for anyone walking the extra mile to Mickey and Friends in 90º heat. Unfortunately, changes are unlikely unless Disney is flooded with complaints.
You can claim the MiceChat parking offer at the Anaheim Hotel by asking for it at the front desk, or showing them this promotional image (this offer starts on the 15th and runs through the rest of 2021 when space is available):
Halloween Wish List
Last week we shared the first images of the new Halloween season, which looked very much like the last one in 2019. It’s my personal favorite time of year at the resort. So whimsical and fun.
Holiday merchandise in the parks, like these balloons, adds a fun flair.
My favorite store display is at Fortuosity on Main Street. It’s like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
Some of the birds are dressed as witches or wearing pilgrim hats.
Take a moment to look at the windows on Main Street and Buena Vista Street. Lots to see.
Both parks have Dia de los Muertos-themed displays. At Disneyland near Big Thunder, and at DCA in Paradise Gardens.
And the Halloween Tree has returned to Frontierland. It’s a tribute to Walt Disney’s friendship with Ray Bradbury.
To hear the story of the Halloween Tree, you can listen to the audio book here:
In the category of trees, the purple-lit trees on Buena Vista Street at DCA are STUNNING. We caught them just as fireworks were going off at Disneyland. Bonus delight.
And, of course, Haunted Mansion Holiday continues to pack in the guests. Though, we wish they’d wait to start this one for the Christmas season since one-third of the year is a little too long.
But there are a few little Halloween requests we still have.
First, I would love to see the Main Street Cinema play clips seasonally. At Halloween, the screens inside could show vintage villain clips and/or classics spooky Silly Symphonies. There are a plethora of titles for Disney to choose from.
There are lots of good candidates from the iconic Skeleton Dance, Mickey and the Haunted House, The Mad Doctor, Trick or Treat, and the Old Mill, just to name a few.
In Tomorrowland, Ghost Galaxy has not returned. This is such a simple overlay for Disney. It barely takes them one day to make the switch. It’s probably too late to do it for this year, but we do want to see it return.
Finally, with the somewhat creepy architecture in the center of Fantasyland, some Halloween decor would fit in nicely. Add some fall-colored banners…
Highlight the scary castle walkthrough.
Add some tiny Halloween decorations to Storybook Land…
What Halloween changes or enhancements would you like to see the Disneyland Resort make in the future?
Disneyland Updates
News, tips, construction, and refurbishments around the park…
Magic Key lounge
Have you had a chance to visit the Magic Key lounge in Tomorrowland yet? Weekdays are your best bet with low to no wait. They’ve recently added a vending cart inside so you can pick up a refreshment as well.
Construction and Refurbishments
There’s always SOMETHING under refurbishment at Disneyland….
New Orleans Square has been conducting a rolling refurbishment of the facades. Work is now complete on Pieces of Eight and Port Royal. And the scrim was just removed from the Royal Street Veranda, which still hasn’t reopened to guests.
The lone construction scrim is in front of Le Bat en Rouge. We still see people online claiming this will be a restaurant. It isn’t. We snapped a quick shot through a window that clearly shows merchandise racks, mannequins, and stacks of boxes ready to be put out. Looks like this shop will reopen fairly soon.
Pelican’s Landing is a new seating area being squeezed along the far Western edge of the Rivers of America near Harbor Galley.
Also on the river, Fantasmic fountain maintenance. This is a very good sign of a possible return in the future. The Disneyland Resort isn’t wasting money these days, so everything has a purpose.
There are some other Fantasmic-related refurbishments coming up as well. More about that below.
Soon? We have our ears open.
Meanwhile, over in Toontown, construction continues on both the walkway into the land and on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
This project has really been lingering. It has now taken over some of the pavement in front of Small World Toy Shop. But the shop itself remains open.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway continues at a slow pace.
Carnation Cafe Reopening September 16
This week, another dining option is being added back into the park. Carnation Cafe, the table-service restaurant on Main Street will reopen on Thursday, September 16. The restaurant will be open for breakfast and lunch, operating from 8am-2pm daily. We’re looking forward to having some of those fried pickles in the near future!
Darth Vader Rumor
One of our biggest complaints about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the lack of characters that made the Skywalker Saga so iconic. We’ve been hearing some rumors that could have us cheering if it comes to fruition. Recently, Rey and Vi Moradi (walkaround characters) and some residents of Batuu have hinted to guests, in some form, of a character from the original Star Wars trilogy making their way to Batuu. The hints so far seem to point towards Darth Vader making an appearance. However, when we ask Batuuans directly, they remind us that Vader has been dead for years— one even incorrectly stated: “for centuries!” Could it be Vader, General Leia Organa, Luke? We’d like it to be all of them. What do you think?
Meanwhile, while we were sweltering in mid 90’s temps, we got to wondering why Disney hasn’t added shade to this desolate land. In the theming, it’s clear that the fake residents have created shade for themselves, but there’s no shade for the guests. String up some patchwork tarps and awnings, Disney, your guests are dying out there.
These tiny shade structures are mostly decorative, but on a larger scale would help tremendously…
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage remains under a long refurbishment (July 12th-Winter 2021)
Tarzan’s Treehouse: (September 1st-TBD)
The treehouse has been closed for well over a week now, but it’s just recently had scrims put in place. We think that with a refurbishment this extensive, something major must be taking place. There’s even some scaffolding at upper levels.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: (September 7th-Fall 2021)
It’s too bad that this one couldn’t have been accomplished during the park shutdown. But there will be one fewer E-Ticket available in the park for a while.
Mark Twain Riverboat: (September 13th-17th)
Remember that Fantasmic fountain project above? Well, another Fantasmic element will get a quick refurb this week as well.
Sailing Ship Columbia: (September 20th-TBD)
And after the Mark Twain will be the Columbia.
The next three items are all connected. Last week we reported the closure of the two camera shops in the parks and the single temporary Photo shop at the ticketing booths. The Newsstand (which is located near the gates of Disneyland, with windows both inside the park and in the Esplanade) will soon become the new hub for PhotoPass activity. This past week it was renamed “Photo Concierge.”
Newstand: (August 6th-September 15th)
The “News Stand” was renamed this week to the “Photo Concierge”
Main Street Photo Supply Co.: (August 31st-October 16th)
We believe that the old Photo Supply location will become additional retail.
Kingswell Camera Shop: (September 11th-October 16th)
And another Camera Shop also appears to be closing (and often had limited hours or wasn’t staffed anyway).
it’s a small world Holiday Install: (October 25th-November 11th)
Attractions Still Offline
Disneyland Monorail
Disney has been mum on this one, although the Monorail has been testing recently. Since it’s still reaching 90+ degrees during the day, they may need to wait until it’s a bit cooler. The Monorails don’t have air conditioning.
The majority of ToonTown attractions remain closed:
Goofy’s Playhouse, Mickey’s House, Minnie’s House, and Donald’s Boat (Closed)
Star Wars Launch Bay (Closed)
While we aren’t huge fans of Launch Bay, it’s been so hot outside that it would be nice if Disney could reopen it so guests have a cool place to escape the heat.
Red Car Trolley (Closed)
Blue Sky Cellar (Closed)
This and That
The Studio Catering Co. Truck has been rebranded as the Fanta Truck on the backlot. Along with it, they’ve created an outdoor lounge.
Pacific Wharf Gourmet Coffee Cart behind construction walls
There has been some testing of new sandwiches and breakfast items for the cart when it reopens.
Plaza Inn Character Breakfast
The “Minnie and Friends – Breakfast in the Park” character dining experience at Plaza Inn reopened on August 12 and a few of us on the MiceChat team finally tried it out for ourselves this past week.
Like Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, the offerings are served buffet-style. For the majority of the food stations, you are served by Cast Members. There is a make-your-own omelet station as well.
Another has Mickey (and Minnie!) waffles as well as french toast with optional bananas foster sauce on the side. And one has biscuits, gravy, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausages, bacon, and Plaza Inn’s famous fried chicken.
The only stations that are self-serve are the ones for baked goods and granola and the display of pre-packaged cereal boxes.
As expected, the character experience is more limited than it was pre-closure. There is no longer any one-on-one interaction except for the photo op with Minnie after you check-in and even with that one, she is separated from the guests by a barrier. A PhotoPass photographer will take a picture for you. You can find and download it in the Disneyland App, it’s included with the price of the meal. You can, of course, use your phone as well. (Though Cast Members are not allowed to take photos with your phone)
As for the other characters, a group of them parade around the restaurant twice an hour. Some characters may be swapped out between rounds. For example, in our first parade encounter, Chip was there without Dale. However, in the second round, both chipmunks were together. And in the third parade of our meal, we were treated to a rare character, Perla, one of Cinderella’s mice friends.
“Minnie and Friends – Breakfast in the Park” costs $41 per adult and $24 per child (Magic Key Discounts apply). The food was good but did not have much variety. If you’re not interested in seeing or meeting characters, the price really won’t be “worth it.” However, Goofy’s Kitchen is also open but doesn’t have any characters and is $59 for adults and #35 for children. Update on Goofy’s Kitchen: Disney Characters do not currently appear at Goofy’s Kitchen. Characters will return on September 16, 2021.
If this looks interesting to you, aim for an 8 am reservation. Sitting down and enjoying breakfast while observing the chaos of Rope Drop is a uniquely enjoyable experience.
Plaza Inn breakfast character parade! Daisy is serving some sass today! ?#Disneyland pic.twitter.com/qOvqoSC3Mu
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) September 10, 2021
Change to Virtual Queue Process
This week, a new change was implemented to the Virtual Queue system for attractions in Disneyland (Rise of the Resistance and Web Slingers) and Walt Disney World (Rise of the Resistance and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure). Guests can now confirm their boarding party up to one hour before the virtual queue opens. This change helps simplify the virtual queue process and alleviates some of the stress associated with forming your boarding group while under the pressure of working quickly. This doesn’t mean that you’re more likely to get a boarding pass per se, but it does make things a little easier.
Grand Californian Oogie Boogie Sculpture
Over at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the seasonal sculpture of Oogie Boogie has returned. The edible creation has taken up residence in the hotel lobby, and pastry chefs are still adding some details to the work of art.
Nothing pairs better with looking at edible art than eating a snack. Luckily, a coffee bar has been set up with an array of Halloween goodies. Here are a couple of standout items: the chocolate chip cookie shot glass and the Trick or Treat Oogie Boogie Cupcakes. The edible shot glass is filled with your choice of alcoholic or kid-friendly beverage and is definitely a popular option. The Trick or Treat Oogie Boogie Cupcakes are a lot of fun. The Trick cupcakes have a surprise of pop rock candy inside, and the Treat version has a thick caramel filling. Both are delicious. Just be prepared to eat a lot of bright green frosting!
Pumpkin Spice Season
For all you PSL-lovers out there, Disneyland is like a dream come true for you. There are plenty of Pumpkin Spice-flavored goodies out there for you to discover. For instance, we happened across a Pumpkin Spice Churro and a Pumpkin Spice dipping sauce at two different churro carts.
Plus the Pumpkin Spice Fudge (and a plain chocolate fudge) are now available in the candy shops around the resort. This is the first time fudge has returned since the park shutdowns.
And that’s just the beginning. There are plenty more Pumpkin Spiced treats to enjoy around the resort.
George Kalogridis Main Street Window
Over on Main Street in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, there’s a new window bearing the name of George Kalogridis. The former Disneyland President has earned himself a coveted window after making such a powerful impact on The Disney Company over his long 50-year career. The dedication ceremony took place yesterday at Walt Disney World. Although much of George’s contributions were at WDW, he made a big impact here at Disneyland as well. Take a look at Josh D’Amaro’s dedication post below:
Disneyland Tickets and Hotel Discounts!
Heads up, there are still some great deals and availability for both September and October. In fact, there’s a brand new deal with Get Away Today and Visit Anaheim offering an Extra Day AND Night Free for travel now through October 31, 2021! You can find all of the information on the Free Day & Night offer HERE.
You can purchase theme park tickets (that are good through 2022!) HERE and book a hotel/ticket package for your family vacation HERE!
There are all sorts of new theme park tickets and travel deals, including up to 25% off at select Disney resort hotels, free nights, ticket deals to various theme parks, and DISCOUNT TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND: More details and to get a quote (HERE)
Let’s Hear From You!
We covered a lot today. There are good things, bad things, things that make you scratch your head. Visiting the parks at Halloween Time reminds me why I love Disney so much in the first place. There’s magic in the parks (at least when they aren’t overcrowded). But there are some concerning things going on these days. Way too many up-charges, some terrible new customer service standards, questionable business decisions… but the thought of parts of Christmas possibly being locked behind a paywall in the future really seems to be the antithesis of what the holidays are all about.
I look forward to your comments about anything covered above. What should be done about parking? Has the pace of change been too much too soon? Do you have concerns about any of the recent operations changes? And, yes, what do you think about Disney’s plans for Christmas?
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