Big Disneyland Update – Tram Return, Prices Up, Dream Key Out, Holidays Collide & More!!!

Important Disneyland Update for you today, folks. As we prepare to transition from Halloween to the Holidays, Disneyland has been packing in the guests. It’s been wall-to-wall people for weeks. And, since there hasn’t been a ticket price increase since February of 2020, a big adjustment will hit today. But that’s not the only big change, if you held off on your decision to buy the Dream Key, you waited too long. But that’s actually good news. We’ll explain below. Plus, trams to return, Christmas snow has already fallen on the castle, park news, construction, photos, and more.  Oh…. and Captain America is now a zombie!

There’s a lot to see and absorb today…

Tickets Prices Go Up 

It was bound to happen eventually… When the Disneyland parks reopened on April 30th, 2021, they did so at the same prices they closed with a year earlier. That changes today. Disneyland now has an adjusted ticket structure with a new tier and mostly higher prices. We say “Mostly higher” because the starting tier remains at $104 for a one day (one park) ticket, the same price it’s been since 2019. Though, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many days at that price. The highest one day (one park) ticket in 2020 was $154 in tier 5, it’s now $164 in a new 6th tier (for the most popular days). Park Hopper tickets now max out at $224, a $15 increase over the 2020 price.

Here’s the historical price increases since 2018. It was simpler in 2018 with just three tiers. Then 5 tiers in 2020. Now we have 6 tiers:  

We’ve broken out the price increase for you by ticket type so you can see the changes. Some tickets went up just a small amount, while others went up quite a bit. The largest increase was in Park Hopper tickets. A Park Hopper will cost you $60 more than a one-park ticket.     

The price for parking has also gone up of course, and we have a feeling that this will be harder for some of you to swallow than the ticket prices. You can always select a day to visit the parks where prices aren’t too much higher than before, but parking has gone up to $30 every day. Hotel self-parking, valet, and oversized vehicle parking have all increased by $15. We can hear you screaming that it’s unfair for prices to go up when the trams haven’t even returned… but we have some good news for you on that front. Keep reading below.  

Dream Key Sells Out!

We’ve all been increasingly concerned that Disneyland’s $1,400 Dream Key pass is mostly booked on weekends through the end of the year (though reservations do pop up here and there as those holding reservations cancel them prior to the penalty period). When we checked last night, Dream Key weekends were booked solid through the end of the year with just a few weekdays left: 

The best solution would be to stop selling the passes if the availability isn’t there. Well, that’s what happened today. The top tier DREAM KEY is now SOLD OUT until further notice.  

Of course, with most days now booked through the end of the year, the other three Magic Key levels are also hard to book. Because we feel that the Magic Keys have been over-sold, we’d like to see Disney allow Keyholders out of their contracts if they feel they aren’t getting value out of them. Some folks might be better off just waiting for special ticket offers (which generally come in the off seasons and offer some of Disneyland’s best ticket values).  

We’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Is it good that the Dream Key has sold out? Should all Keyholders be able to get out of their contracts due to poor park availability? 

Parking Lot Trams to Return

There was no way around this one for Disney. The movement for the trams to return has been building, reaching a fever pitch when the return of the Monorail was announced with no mention of what folks really needed, transportation to and from the parking structures. Well, with parking prices going up by $5 to a hefty $30, it would have been nearly impossible for Disney to explain the justification for raising prices but not offering a basic service such as trams. 

But don’t expect the trams to return immediately. It’s going to take some time to complete maintenance on the long-parked trams, staff the large team required, retrain everyone (all of which will have lost their certifications during the extended shutdown), and test and adjust operations. We don’t think that would be possible much before the end of the year, but we hope it comes as soon as possible.  

The return of trams can’t come too soon. The first and last thing every guest has to deal with is the transportation to/from parking. It shouldn’t have to be a horrible experience. But for some disabled guests, it’s been particularly bad. A member of the MiceChat Facebook Group shared her unfortunate experience: 

Disney can only keep a small fleet of electric wheelchairs at the parking structure as the systems for maintaining and charging them is back at the front gate. Normally, a guest would board a tram and then rent from the front gate (various types of wheelchairs and strollers are available). Trams returning as soon as possible is more than just a guest comfort issue, it’s also a health and safety issue.  

And it’s not just Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals parking that offers an uncomfortably long walk… Try taking a bus to/from the Toy Story parking lot on Harbor (across from the Convention Center) during busy times (particularly at park opening on busy days and any time after fireworks). Lines on Friday for the bus after Halloween Screams fireworks were an hour or more, forcing many guests to walk the mile+ on Anaheim city streets after dark (a bit seedy in places and with frequent bad drivers avoiding traffic rules for pedestrians at crosswalks). Guests should never be pressured to make this walk, especially after dark.  

Our tip, use the Toy Story lot if you are arriving well after park opening and planning to leave before fireworks. Otherwise, you’d still be better off walking to/from the Mickey and Friends lot due to better lighting and security and no need to cross public roads.  

But we are very glad to learn that trams are indeed returning. That’s a big step in the right direction. 

New Plaza Point Holiday Shoppe Opens on Main Street!

When the old Photo Supply shop closed on Main Street last month, it was pretty clear that it would not be returning. A small Photo Concierge window has since opened on the Esplanade side of the gift stand at the Disneyland exit. Most guests just don’t need to purchase camera film these days and even PhotoPass can be managed from your phone easier than receiving help in a shop (though they can help you with both of those things if needed at the new Photo Concierge). Disney quickly stepped up to reveal that a year-round Christmas store would be taking over the vacated space on Main Street.   

The new Christmas shoppe opened a day earlier than anticipated on Thursday of last week. The store even has a backstory about a Puerto Rican proprietor named Miss Evelyn Toro, who travels the world in search of interesting holiday items to sell in her shop on Main Street.  You can find little nods to her heritage throughout the store, including photos behind the cash registers, references to Three Kings Day, and even a fictional Puerto Rican magazine cover with an illustration of Miss Evelyn Toro on the cover. It’s a store worth exploring. 

Turns out that the fictional Miss Toro is actually modeled on the real-life mother of Disneyland Resort Enhancement Manager Dawn Pipal-Keehne. So, if it all feels a little more real and personal than some of the other shops on the street, there’s a good reason for that… Dawn used her own mother’s image in digitally enhanced photos and decorations in the Victorian-era shop.    

The store’s collection is intended to offer ornaments, housewares, linens and accessories, representing global holiday celebrations all over the world. However, you’ll mostly find familiar items at the moment as many of Disney’s upcoming holiday items remain stuck at sea in the container ship backlog (just like almost every other business you deal with).  

This store fits just perfectly with the vibe of old-school Main Street USA. We couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised.  Every inch is covered in decorations or display space. If we have a complaint, it’s that the store is too small. But there is room for the holiday goods to spill over into the attached China Closet shop next door, which is generally taken over by Christmas items at the holidays anyway.  

The Holiday Shoppe is also a good example of Disney’s focus on diversity and inclusion. Dawn commented in a cast communication that it was a challenge to decorate because of a lack of representation in authentic Victorian-era décor. “As a result, Disney artists created nutcrackers, Santa Clauses and cherubs with various skin colors, and an illustration in the front window shows two women holding hands while ice skating.” 

The decorations are beautiful and although the team may have had some difficulty creating new items which felt like old ones, they really did do a fantastic job. It’s all much more detailed and more elegantly realized than the simpler holiday shop in Fantasyland (which we don’t yet know the ultimate fate of just yet).  

A window in Plaza Point offers ornament customization. They plan to have this available all year, not just at the holidays.  

It won’t all be Christmas in this spot. Seasonal overlays for Lunar New Year, Halloween, springtime and Easter are planned for the new store. 

If you’d like to see more of the store, please watch my live video:  

They certainly had a big budget for this redo. 

Holidays collide (Pumpkins and snow)

Less than a week to go until Halloween, and the annual snowfall has arrived before the last pumpkin departs once again. It will be a slightly tighter turnaround this year as the holiday season starts on November 12th. 

I took these photos on Friday, but the snowfall may be completed or close to it by now. The snowy roofs are dropped in by crane at night and rest on top of the real rooftops. The normal gold spires are replaced by icy versions. 

The castle isn’t the only sign of the pending holidays. Over in Grizzly Creek and Airfield, lights are appearing in the trees. We love the naturalistic feel of this display. 

In Grizzly Creek there are jars that are intended to look as though they have fireflies in them.  

In the airfield, the lights are lanterns and there are loose strands of garland that almost look as though birds have dropped them into place. 

World of Disney has also gotten into the act. The entry on the park side of the store has gone holiday. Trees, garland, red and green… tis the season… almost…

Halloween and Christmas side by side…

One more thing to mention on the change of seasons… “it’s a small world” was supposed to close today, Monday (Oct 25th), for holiday install through November 10th. But they ended up closing it yesterday instead. 

Lights have been going up on the facade. 

 

I did take a final ride through on Friday…

There is just one moon and one golden sun…

?‍♂️ GENIE & LIGHTNING LANE UPDATE ?‍♀️

Walt Disney World rolled out Genie last week… and it didn’t go well. While there are some promising things about the new service, there were lots of bugs and Lightning Lane resulted in very long lines for standby lines. We think they’ll work through some of this, but it’s clear that the more people who use Lightning Lane, the worse the overall experience is for all the guests who aren’t paying for the service. 

For more about the first few days of the new service, check out our coverage here: 

Lightning Lane & Genie Out of the Bottle – The Pluses and Minuses of the Massive New Service

So, when will genie and Lightning Lane be uncorked in California? First signs appeared in the last few days as our first Lightning Lane sign appeared at Grizzly River Run.   

But there are so many signs which have to be covered up or replaced…

The one good thing about not being first is being able to observe and fix the mistake of those who go before you. So, you can be sure that the Disneyland team is making note of the many little errors and mistakes made in the Disney World launch. And, because no launch day has been announced here, that gives Disneyland all the cover it needs to wait a bit longer and figure things out. We just hope Disneyland doesn’t just jump in with both feet as WDW did, but rather decides to roll the service out slowly.

We’re apprehensive about Genie based upon the early results at WDW, but hopeful that there’s still time for Disneyland to chart a different approach to make it all work.  

Disneyland Refurbishments and Construction 

As always, there is a lot going on in the parks, the projects span a wide range…

Pelican’s Landing

This little project along the Rivers of America will add additional seating near Harbor Galley. It’s really progressing now with new concrete about to be laid and some new wooden planking. Harbor Galley itself will reopen on November 19th.  

There has always been too little seating for Harbor Galley, and it sure does seem like this would be a good spot for a Fantasmic viewing package when it returns…. hmmmm.

Big Thunder Nearing Completion

The wildest ride in the wilderness has been down since September 7th and is set to return next week on November 4th. Construction walls have already come down, so it’s possible this one could surprise us with an early return.  

Crews were working late into the night on Friday. Trains were testing, announcements were being made over the attraction loudspeaker, and work lights were on.  

ToonTown Walkway

This project seems to be taking forever. 

Fantasyland Theater

This one leaves us feeling hopeful. The Fantasyland Theater entry arch is being refurbished. It would be GREAT if they could get this outdoor theater reopened. 

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

You have a long wait until 2023 for this one. But the show building itself has been built and a  new facade will soon be erected to obscure the boxy building.  We can’t imagine why it would take even a year longer to get this ride done, appears that they are simply stretching the timeline for budgetary reasons.  

There are a few more refurbishments in the resort right now…

• Sailing Ship Columbia: This is the 2nd refurbishment for the Columbia since the park reopened. We hope it means that a Fantasmic return is in the works. It sure would be welcome. (September 20th through November 25th)

• Tarzan’s Treehouse: This one is taking a while as some minor safety details are addressed and decorative elements are spiffed up (September 1st through TBD)

• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: Now slipping into 2022 (July 12th through Winter 2022)

• Indiana Jones Adventure: short refurb (November 8th-10th)

• World of Color (Your guess is as good as ours)

And there are some attractions which still haven’t returned. There’s no word on… 

• Donald’s Boat, Goofy’s Playhouse, Mickey’s House, Minnie’s House, Star Wars Launch Bay, Red Car Trolley, Blue Sky Cellar

THIS & THAT

Zombie Captain America

Before you freak out about how scary this is for a Disney theme park. Note that Zombie Captain America is based on the new “What If” series on Disney+ and the character only appears during the Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure in Avengers Campus. He’s certainly scary, but also really, really cool.  (We’d like to thank readers Taca Foster, Stephanie Edmonds, Heidi Sander, and Najeah Taher for their help with photos and video). Take a look at the Captain in action… but keep safe distance…

Pele Soccer and Love Pop

Two new stores are on their way to Downtown Disney, they’ve divided the space that The VOID previously used. We don’t have dates for when Pele Soccer and Lovepop will open. Lovepop offers some pretty incredible pop up greeting cards.   

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