It’s hard to believe, but we’re reaching the last few days of the summer season. And while the temperature has been soaring upwards of 85º lately (with 100° days on the horizon for this coming week), attention has already shifted from sunny to spooky. Halloween has crept into all corners of the resort. And as pumpkins arrive, some summer favorites must be put out to pasture. Plus, we have photos and news about the return of two Disneyland favorites, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and the Silhouette Studio. There’s a lot going on around the Disneyland Resort for us to catch you up on, so let’s take a look at the latest news, construction, and seasonal changes…
Magic Keys and Crowd Conditions
If you purchased a Magic Key on August 25th of last year and used it right away like a lot of folks did, then your Magic Key has now expired or is getting ready to expire very soon (unless you’ve renewed)! Plus, most local kids are now back in school. Does that mean lower crowds? Let’s take a look…
Park openings on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were VERY busy. But rope drop is always a crazy time at the resort. You have everyone crammed into one part of the park before park opening. If you’re staying on-property, you should take advantage of the 30-minute Early Entry if you’re planning on a full Disneyland day.
During the week, the crowds seemed about the same as they have been for the rest of the summer. Normally, we’d see a bit of a slowdown once kids go back to school and before Halloween launches. But not this year…
We’ll look at Disney California Adventure first. Crowds were manageable here, but the lines could still be long at times. But the big issue with DCA on hot days is the lack of shade. Many guests seem to be in an unsuccessful search for places to cool off.
Even Cars Land didn’t look unpleasantly busy during the day.
It seems that one of the more popular places to find air conditioning is in the Animation Academy building. It’s a large, dark, and cool area with a few activities to keep guests (particularly kids) entertained. Every theme park should have a big barn of a building like this to escape to during harsh weather of any kind. We’re glad this opening day attraction has survived the winds of change.
One thing we wonder about (a similar thought we’ve had about the Main Street Cinema at Disneyland) is why they don’t change up the animated projection loop with seasonal content?! There’s so much delightful Disney Halloween (and/or villains) related animation from the last 100 years, and it would cost next to nothing just to change the program. Perhaps they’ve got an intern who can take on this project.
The only area in the building that STILL hasn’t returned is the Character Close-up, where guests could previously visit Elsa and Ana. If you want to see the royal sisters, you’ll have to find them outside near Carthay Circle. A Cast Member told us that guests often ask when the area will return, but they have no confirmation about what’s happening there. You can see that they’ve left the sign up and the Frozen themed decor. We think the characters and guests would appreciate a little AC… there’s nothing “Frozen” about the weather outside right now.
The only issue with the Animation Academy building as a cooling space is the lack of seating. There are sofas around the perimeter of the large waiting area, but with a crowd this big, it’s only natural that seating is going to be so limited. Aside from that issue, this is still a great place to cool off and enjoy some beautiful Disney art and animation.
Wait times at DCA on Friday afternoon were a little lower than average. 45 minutes for Grizzly River Run on a day as hot as Friday is not a bad wait at all. We’ve seen wait times for that attraction and Splash Mountain closer to the 90 to 120-minute zone this summer (though it got a little closer to those numbers on Saturday).
But on Sunday afternoon, Soarin’ had a 110 minute wait for a while. That’s a long wait out in the sun.
Over at Disneyland wait times were long-ish but still generally doable for the summer season. It just didn’t have the super crowded feel during the day… but in the early evening hours everything changes as the locals begin to show up for the nighttime spectaculars. A different dynamic and crowd between day and night.
Just like always, crowds vary in different areas of the parks at different times of the day.
The pinch points along the parade route become much more congested during the character cavalcades and in the evenings before the Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever Fireworks Show. Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever end on September 1.
Cool Halloween Decoration on Hot Days:
This last week was hot, but the real issue was the humidity! Disneyland California is usually a much drier heat than its Florida counterpart… so it was very uncomfortable for many locals. In the evenings, the humidity was over 70%! Our recommendation: take it slow, enjoy as much air conditioning as possible, and stay hydrated. I know I sound like your mom, but it’s really important, folks!
Expect it to be worse this week. As Halloween kicks off this coming weekend, it’s forecasted to be over 100° in Anaheim!
But sweltering conditions or not, Disneyland must continue marching forward. And this week found the parks putting the final touches on the season of tricks and treats. We have seen a slow transformation over the last few weeks, but everything is just about ready for the big return of Halloween Time on September 2nd.
Oogie Boogie and his tortilla moon are now on top of the main gate to Disney California Adventure.
By Friday morning, the lamp posts on Buena Vista Street were still bare, but the giant bat on the Monorail bridge was in place.
All of the patriotic bunting is gone from the light poles and buildings in both of the parks. On the Disneyland side, the Halloween Time bunting is up, as are the rest of the jack-o-lanterns. As of this morning, August 29, the iconic Mickey jack-o-lantern is now in place in Town Square.
And the Mickey floral at the entryway to the park has been completely torn up, including the grass and flowers around him. We imagine that something fun will be coming for Halloween in the next few days.
The obvious decorations that are currently missing are the Halloween Tree in Frontierland and the big character pumpkins over the Disneyland entry gates. We’ll see them all soon enough.
The progression of the decorating has been fairly obvious if you are spending time in the parks over multiple days during the week. The lamp posts were bare on Thursday and on Friday, they were all dressed with the new orange decor.
It all seems as if the Fairy Godmother came to the resort and just waved her magic wand. Poof! We now have Halloween!
Over in DCA, there have been many decorations added, but it’s not all quite up yet. But Cars Land is well on its way to Haul-O-Ween!
We LOVE the creativity and clever design of the Cars Land Halloween decor. This is Disney whimsy at its best.
The Cozy Cone Motel doesn’t seem so cozy, right now. But we’ll take spooky any time!
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail has been undergoing a transformation into Villains Grove for Oogie Boogie Bash. The trail is once again open during the day, but more is added every night.
The candelabras are in place, as are the glowing roses.
Here’s what the area will look like during the Oogie Boogie Bash. These were taken at last year’s event.
In other areas of California Adventure, you can find stages that are blocked off for villains of Oogie Boogie Bash. There are apparently some new characters joining in on the fun this year.
We found a stage that is dedicated to Madam Mim (Sword in the Stone lovers rejoyce).
On the Grizzly River trail, there is another stage that we suspect is for Mother Gothel (from Tangled).
Will you be at Oogie Boogie Bash this year? Tickets sold out quickly to this series of events. If you are going, do you plan on dressing up for the occasion? And do you think Disney should have added extra nights due to the high demand?
Here’s more on this year’s Halloween happenings at the Disneyland Resort:
https://www.micechat.com/324041-disneyland-halloween-time-and-oogie-boogie-bash-dates-and-details-announced/
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Finally Reopens:
On Tuesday, we were able to get a preview of the reopened Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. And while the makeovers are a definite splurge, the return has been a huge hit!
The princess makeovers officially resumed on Thursday, August 25, but we managed to stumble upon a soft opening earlier in the week. We got there at rope drop and since the soft opening was unannounced, we didn’t need to worry about a reservation. You can make your reservations through the Disneyland app or from the website 60 days in advance… but if you decide at the last minute your prince or princess needs a makeover and don’t have a reservation, just be willing to arrive at opening and ask at the boutique about walk-up reservations.
The salon had been closed for 888 days, and the Fairy Godmother’s Apprentices were eager to get back to transforming kids age 3 – 12 into Royalty-in-Training. Guests are able to pick from several packages and a vast range of costumes from their favorite Disney Princess or Prince. We have been told that even more options are coming in the future.
Certain packages come with a short photo session with a PhotoPass photographer. The photos are done in the Fairy Tale Treasures shop next to the Royal Theater, where there is a coach and woodland creatures that set the scene.
To see more about this long awaited return, follow along as one of MiceChat’s youngest readers is transformed into Disneyland’s newest princess:
Silhouette Studio Reopens:
Another exciting return this week was the reopening of the Silhouette Studio on Main Street. The studio is located between the China Closet and the Crystal Arts shops. And, once again, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time (after a frantic call from Dusty for me to run to Main Street from the parking garage).
Thankfully, some of the long-time artists have returned. This position requires Cast Members who have a very special skill set.
The silhouette artists create paper cuttings in the shape of you or a loved one for a small fee.
Guests can also bring in photos with a profile for the artists to recreate. Below you can see a family who wanted a silhouette of their dogs.
There are no reservations required. It’s a walk-up experience. However, just like during the early days of Downtown Disney Reopening, if the line gets long, a Cast Member will take your name and phone number and you will receive a text message when it is your turn to go into the shop. You will have 45 minutes to return before you lose your spot.
For more information on the return of this guest favorite, check out our article from reopening day!
Fantasmic Troubles:
Both showings of the Fantasmic! were canceled on Saturday night as the resort continues to struggle with staffing/health-related issues. But the show was able to go on again Sunday night. This remains a somewhat unreliable time period with all sorts of resort services being impacted from time to time… but Entertainment is one of the most particular since if there’s no one to take a key role, the show can’t go on (we’ve seen this happen recently at the Tale of the Lion King & Storytelling at the Royal Theater).
The good news here is that while the Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever are coming to a close, Fantasmic will continue lighting up the night for the foreseeable future.
Current Refurbishments & Construction Around the Resort
And now, for the various projects around the parks…
Adventureland Treehouse: (September 1st, 2021-TBA)
It appears that we finally have a glimpse at some of the work being done on the Treehouse. Parts of the surface of the tree itself have been opened up.
We were able to see where some of the framing structure is exposed.
Let’s zoom in to blury spy level and see that opening. It looks like they are either examining the internal structure or they are adding/removing a limb.
There is still no word on a theme for the treehouse, though, we expect to hear some news at the upcoming D23 Expo. That said, it appears that this work will continue for a fairly long time.
Mickey’s Toontown (March 9th, 2022-2023)
Much has changed in the Toontown area over the last few weeks. There are new structures going into the ground where the old fountains were before (possible planter boxes for new trees), and the attraction that used to be Gadget’s Go-Coaster is still under scaffolding and appears to be getting repainted.
We have heard that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has been cycling ride vehicles recently. This is certainly a good indication for an early 2023 opening.
Matterhorn Bobsleds: (August 8th-TBA)
Another project with some visible work being done is the Matterhorn Bobsleds. There is scaffolding and scrims covering some of the rockwork (mostly the waterfalls).
From across the Sub Lagoon we can see construction scaffolds on waterfalls on both sides of the mountain.
Saw horses in front of the attraction had a span of rail on them.
One positive sign is that there are bobsleds still on the track at the load station. If this was going to be a prolonged refurbishment, these would be stored backstage or covered at the attraction.
Haunted Mansion Holiday Install: (August 15th-September 1st)
‘Twas a long time ago,
Longer now than it seems,
In a place that, perhaps, you have seen in your dreams.
For the story that you are about to be told
Began in the holiday worlds of old.
I know you’re curious to see what’s inside.
It’s what happens when two holidays collide!
Later this week, Jack Skellington will reveal what he and his minions have been working on at the Haunted Mansion. The annual Nightmare Before Christmas overlay always pulls in huge crowds. This is the longest-lasting overlay at the resort and spans both Halloween and Christmas (over 4 months).
Welcome, my friends, to our Christmas delight!
Come witness a ghoulishly glorious sight.
It’s time for our holiday tale to begin.
There’s no turning back now—please, come all the way in…
A few images from last year to get you in the mood…
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! : (August 15th-September 2nd)
Over in DCA, there are multiple projects going on that have a large swath of the Hollywood Studios Backlot area behind scrims. Both The Hollywood Lounge as well as Monsters, Inc. are under wraps but should be back up and running later this week.
While the Hollywood Lounge is behind scrims, a food and wine booth was brought in to serve as a temporary Hollywood Lounge location.
Upcoming Refurbishments:
Here is what is on the list for some TLC around the parks:
Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island: (September 6th-8th)
Just a short two-day touchup for this one.
Sailing Ship Columbia: (September 12th-15th)
Another quick refurb.
Mark Twain Riverboat: (September 19th-22nd)
And following the Columbia, the Mark Twain will take a few days off.
Disneyland Walkthrough with Dusty Sage
If you prefer to take your Disneyland news from a mustachioed man, Dusty Sage was in the park on Friday (after a long day at Universal Studios Hollywood) to take MiceChat followers on a walk through the parks. Take a tour with Dusty below:
This and That:
It’s hard to believe, but there’s still a little bit of this and a little bit of that for us to cover.
PhotoPass for Magic Keys:
The renewal of Magic Keys brought a new perk, unlimited PhotoPass downloads, for Inspire and Believe Keys – this includes ride photos, photo spots, and magic shots. What you might not know is that the benefit is already usable to Inspire, Believe, AND Dream Keys right now even if you haven’t renewed yet!
Cast Compliments:
There is now a much easier way to make Cast Member Compliments. From the Disneyland app, you can now recognize Cast Members who have gone above and beyond in making your visit extra magical. This means you don’t have to wait at City Hall just to point out a CM who helped you out. We really hope that this just-added feature gets a lot of use!
New Trader Sam’s Monstro Mug:
Disney released their newest tiki mug at Trader Sam’s tiki bar at the Disneyland Hotel.
This mug has been released just in time to coincide with the Disney+ release of the live-action Pinocchio. There was a similar release when the live-action Jungle Cruise movie came out last year.
The creative team for this mug was Tim Wollweber and Marcus Gonzalez.
Hula in the Garden:
If you are in the Aloha spirit and would enjoy some Hula dancing, you may like to check out the Hula Experience that takes place by the fireplace on the South side of Trader Sam’s. There is even an opportunity to join in!
Farewell to Summer
This is it, folks… Your last chance to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever Fireworks is this Thursday, September 1st. While we are sure the Electrical Parade will return in some form next summer, this could be the last time we ever see Disneyland Forever.
Are you ready to let it go?
Around the Parks:
As much as I love bringing you, our wonderful readers, the latest and greatest news from around the Disneyland Resort, this is still my favorite portion of the article. Over the last week, we’ve taken lots of photos in the parks, and I like to save some of my favorites for last!
I bought Officer Blue and his brother yelling at the Red Car to slow down! I have never seen two Officer Blues out at the same time. They claim to be twins.
Alice in Wonderland is such a delightful attraction! I love the lighting and projections. My only wish for this attraction is that they find some cool way to bring back the upside-down room.
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is one of the two Fantasyland Rides that haven’t had a major improvement with lights or projections. Pinocchio is the other.
Have you ever noticed the hidden Mickey on the back side of Big Ben on Peter Pan… what about the projection on the face of the clock as well?
This is the last week for Disneyland Forever Fireworks. Are you hoping for a new show for the holidays? What sort of show would you like to see after the holidays?
Jack Skellington is pondering Christmas.
If you need a quiet place to decompress from the crowds, Snow White’s Grotto is one of my favorites. It is usually quiet and if it is busy, that doesn’t last very long.
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is not my favorite test tube to ride in, but I love the colors! This attraction is a true challenge to photograph. Be aware though! If you end up sitting under one of the hatches, you will likely get a shower as they don’t seem to be sealed very well. This is something we really wish Disney would fix. The poor young lady sitting next to me was dodging quite a bit of water as we went under the waterfalls. Later in the day, we noticed that the waterfalls were turned off.
Every day at 4PM, Disneyland Security along with the Dapper Dans and the Disneyland Band retire the colors in the Flag Retreat Ceremony at Town Square. During the ceremony, the band plays the alma mater from every branch of our nation’s military. The ceremony honors not only our nation as a whole but those who served our nation as well.
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Let’s Hear From You
As we head into September, we bid the summer season and its special entertainment farewell. What has been your favorite part of summer at Disneyland? Are you looking forward to Halloween starting this week? Have you renewed your Magic Key to see the holidays this year? I love to hear from you in the comments. And if you enjoyed this article, please share it! It really does make a huge difference for us!
We’ll have lots more for you later this week, so please stay tuned to this MiceChat channel. And if you are looking for all things Halloween, we have guides and information on theme park Halloween offerings in Southern California and Central Florida:
Southern California Theme Park Halloween Events – From Spicy to Mild
And the latest Disneyland Halloween merchandise…