Goodbye Christmas! Yesterday was the last official day of the holidays at the Disneyland Resort, but the new season brings all sorts of news this week. Although the fake snow and garlands are returning to a storage warehouse over the next few days, there’s rarely a dull time at Disneyland.
This week’s Disneyland News Update takes a look at a wide range of issues in the parks; from inflated attraction wait times, to staffing issues shutting down shops and restaurants, to the latest refurbishments and construction. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get started…
Lightning Lane Deception?
Many guests are purchasing individual Lightning Lane return times for attractions such as Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers based upon wait times which are often grossly over-inflated. We have noticed that the premium for the attraction is not always worth the cost. We hope that Disney isn’t intentionally padding queue wait times, but that seems more and more likely as they have failed to accurately report attraction waits since the start of the service.
On Friday night, we got in line for Rise of the Resistance while it was listed as having a 60-minute wait. We thought that seemed a bit fishy considering that there wasn’t a single guest in the outside portion of the standby queue. So we figured we would take our chances and see how long that supposedly 60-minute wait really was.
While we were getting in the standby queue, folks were arriving in droves to use the Lightning Lane thinking they had dodged a long line by paying the $20 premium.
That 60-minute listed wait was 17 minutes from the time we entered the queue until we were standing in the hanger bay with all the Stormtroopers. While there are absolutely times when the queue is really 90 minutes or more, there are also times when it is quite short, but you’d never know that by trusting Disney’s wait time estimates. We suppose that Lightning Lane guests would be upset to arrive for their $20 appointment only to see that the wait time was only 15 minutes.
And it’s not just the extra cost Lightning Lane waits that can be off. As guests are trying to decide if Genie+ is worthwhile for the day, they will often check the attraction wait times to see what the day looks like. sometimes those waits are way off as well, other times they appear to simply be manipulated by allowing Lighting Lane to have so much access that standby does in fact reach insane waits.
The situation seems to be much worse than the old FastPass days when there was an actual formula to the number of FastPass guests who would be let onto the ride for every standby guest. But Disney doesn’t limit the number of guests buying Genie+ and once they are in queue, they breeze right in without being held in most circumstances.
On Tuesday of last week, one of our staff was at California Adventure on a very quiet evening. The park felt practically empty. But because so many guests are still buying and using Genie+ Lightning Lane access, the standby waits were extreme. 2 hours for Soarin’ and nearly 3 hours for Guardians of the Galaxy at 7pm on an uncrowded evening! Something is very, VERY wrong with this new system!
Genie is so broken at Walt Disney World that they actually had to remove the extra cost Lightning Lane from some attractions because they are causing such an adverse impact on standby lines throughout the parks:
Walt Disney World Update – Genie’s Dark Magic & EPCOT’s Artistic Eats
We do think that DCA is more impacted than Disneyland because it has fewer attractions and a greater portion of rides which use Lightning Lane. While it may be too soon to pass final judgement on Genie+ and Lightning Lane, it’s certainly clear that any guest not using the system has been negatively impacted. Some guests will be thrilled that they are enjoying low attraction waits with Lightning Lane, but the impact to the parks as a whole is extreme. Even during fully booked days just before the launch of Genie, waits never got anywhere near where they are now. We hope Disney will quickly begin readjusting their algorithms and limit the number of guests who can purchase Genie+ every day in each park.
Christmas Decorations Coming Down
The holidays are officially over. Disneyland, which has one of the longest-running holiday seasons of SoCal theme parks, finished its holiday run yesterday, January 9. Here are some of the changes around the resort to move away from the holidays in preparation for the upcoming Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day holidays.
Main Street windows are already losing the holiday decor. By the end of this week, the resort will have few remnants of Christmas left.
Some windows on Main Street had already been redecorated by last weekend to remove the holidays.
Many store windows in Downtown Disney had also been redressed.
The Christmas tree in the Grand Californian Hotel has been taken down and the music loop has been returned to the normal songs you hear during the non-holiday months. The gingerbread house was still there on Saturday.
If you’re still looking for a little bit of holiday cheer for a while longer, It’s a Small World Holiday will continue to run through the 24th. As for Haunted Mansion Holiday, the attraction goes into refurbishment starting today to remove the holiday decor.
Staffing Troubles at the Disneyland Resort
Like everywhere else in the country, Disneyland is suffering a major staffing shortage right now. Cast are calling out in droves across the resort and staffing was already tight before. As a result, some operations have been impacted. But the Resort is shifting resources as much as they can to continue operating as normal as possible.
The Napa Rose Princess Breakfast will be closed for six weeks due to staffing issues, and guests are being notified of reservation cancellations by email.
The holiday treat station in the Grand Californian was operated off and on throughout the last week as staffing allowed. It won’t be back again until the end of the month at the earliest with new Valentines themed treats.
Downtown Disney is having its share of staffing troubles with multiple stores closed during the normal operating day or with reduced hours. Stores like Curl Surf and Sugarboo and Co. are having to modify business hours due to short staffing issues while Jamba is completely closed.
Sugarboo and Co. will be closing their doors for good on the 16th as the Downtown Disney west end project will begin construction to revitalize the blighted area.
And almost all restaurants at the resort are operating at reduced capacity, seating only as many tables as they can find staff to serve. So many cast are calling out sick that we should expect the impact to continue at least a little while longer. If you’re headed to the resort soon, please be patient with any Cast Members you interact with, this is a very stressful time for them.
Tram Loading and Unloading Area Under Construction:
There is a new fence in place around the tram route. Crews are working on a repaving project.
We do find it interesting that the work is consisting of a single strip in front of the load / unload zones. They may possibly be installing sensors into the pavement.
Star Tours Turns 35!
It’s hard to believe, but the original Star Wars theme park attraction is 35! This iconic attraction opened on January 9, 1987, replacing the older attraction “Adventures Through Inner Space.” The attraction would close again in 2010 to re-open as “Star Wars, the Adventures Continue,” in 2011. Additional random scenes have since been added making it possible to experience over 100 different story combinations on the attraction. Star Tours remains a popular attraction, even with Galaxy’s Edge on the other side of the park. Here are a few photos of our favorite, albeit chaotic, way to travel the galaxy.
Disneyland Construction Projects
You can count on us to track the current status of the resort. Here’s what’s currently being worked on.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Progress is being made on the new exterior details for the upcoming attraction. But we won’t be able to track this one for too much longer as the whole land will soon be closing for at least a year for some retheming:
When complete, the new ToonTown won’t just have a new attraction, but a new look as well. Some concrete and fountains will give way to more trees and astroturf.
Finding Nemo Submarine lagoon
Water should be returning to Tomorrowland’s Sub lagoon very soon. But, for now, we’ve got a great view of tall those wonderful details which have all been repainted in saturated color. It might seem a bit too much when dry, but once the water is added, it all looks a lot more believable.
The recently repainted subs were covered to protect them from overspray.
Watching this refurbishment is so satisfying to me. It has really captured my imagination.
Resort Refurbishments
Along with the ongoing construction above, there have been some updates to the upcoming refurbishment schedule as well. Here’s a look at what will be getting some TLC in the near future:
Currently Under Refurbishment:
6 attractions will be closed for refurbishment as of today.
- Tarzan’s Treehouse: (September 1st-TBA). You can see the construction scrims illuminated from within at night. Still no end date on this one after more than 4 months!
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: (July 12th-Winter 2022) – Most of the painting is already done, as seen above, so hopefully not too much longer until this one reopens – especially with so much else set to close soon.
- Haunted Mansion: (January 10th-20th) – Just 10 more days!
- Sailing Ship Columbia: (January 9th-TBD) – AGAIN! But this one is to get ready for Fantasmic.
- Splash Mountain: (January 10th-TBD) – this isn’t the big one. Just expected to be a 6 week normal refurbishment.
- The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure: (January 10th-13th)
Upcoming Refurbishments:
- it’s a small world: (January 24th-February 3rd)
- Mark Twain River Boat: (January 31st-February 9th, 11th-13th, 15th-TBD)
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind: (January 31st-February 10th)
- Grizzly River Run: (January 24th-TBD)
- Disneyland Monorail: (February 14th-March 6th)
- All of Mickey’s Toontown (March 2022-2023): big changes on the way to Mickey’s ToonTown. Both the Mickey and Roger Rabbit fountains look like they will be removed. A new fountain will be built near the entry to the land. More trees and green space are being added everywhere.
Photos From Around the Disneyland Resort
Just for fun, let’s enjoy some shots from my visit to the resort this past week.
There’s still some work happening in the World of Color lagoon.
I think I’ll miss Viva Navidad most.
Splash has a refurbishment coming up soon. But it’s not the big transformation into Princess and the Frog. That seems to have been significantly delayed. With ToonTown also closing, the upcoming refurbishment calendar is going to be interesting to watch.
The Matterhorn is probably the thing I photograph most. It’s so eye-catching.
Do know know where this next one was taken?
With waits so short, I was able to ride Rise of the Resistance without paying $20.
Discount Theme Park Tickets and Travel
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The World-Famous MiceChat Gumball Rally Returns!
After a long hiatus, it’s time for the big return of the MiceChat Gumball Rally at Disneyland. The event is a competition to see who can ride the most attractions at Disneyland in a single day. Guests compete in small groups of 2 to 4 members and spend the day doing what Disney fans love most… riding the attractions!
So, say goodby to those nice people on the dock… because the Gumball Rally is rolling your way on February 12th.
Book your theme park reservations NOW and then sign up for the Rally! We are also offering discounted theme park admission and discounted hotel rooms this year via our partners at Get Away Today. Don’t miss out!
Gumball Rally Event information * HERE *
Let’s Hear From You
And there we have it, we’ve reached the end of today’s Disneyland Update! What do you think is happening with Lightning Lane wait times? Is Disney padding the numbers to make buying Genie+ more enticing? Is Genie working for or against your enjoyment of the resort? Where does Star Tours rank on your list of favorite attractions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
We’ll leave you with a neat opportunity. The Disneyland Insiders are offering a tour of Walt Disney’s Hollywood Mansion with Dusty Sage. It’s easy to enter…
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