Disneyland Update – Theme Park Magic Comes at a Price…

It’s a big day for Disneyland news… MagicBands will start showing up on property this week… prices have gone up on everything from tickets to Genie and merchandise. And while we still have a couple weeks of Halloween left to enjoy, the first Christmas decorations have shown up in the parks and there’s holiday merchandise in the stores. And, of course, the backdrop to all of this is an increase in crowd sizes that sure does feel like Disney has increased park capacity limits. We’ll take a look at all that, PLUS the latest construction and refurbishment information, park photos, and news! 

Disneyland Price Increases

It’s up, up, and away for prices at the Disneyland Resort. The good news is that at the low end of the ticket scale, “Tier 0” ticket prices haven’t budged and are still $104 for a one-day/one-park ticket. General parking also didn’t rise. But don’t get too excited, prices on all other ticket types and levels have gone up, and so have the rates for many other things at the resort. Let’s take a look at what’s going up…

Disneyland Ticket Price Increase

We’re not shocked, are you? Tickets go up in price every year. And this year’s increases are an average of about $5 more (the average ticket between all tiers cost $138 last Monday and $142.50 today) – some went up less, some more. Below, I’ve assembled the recent historical prices going all the way back to 2009. It’s a little hard to compare since the number of tiers keeps expanding and it’s hard to know how many days per year will be at each tier level. At the low end, prices haven’t gone up much. In fact, the lowest tier ticket (a one-day one-park ticket in the off-season) has only gone up $7 in 5 years! But it’s at the high end (a one-day one-park ticket in the busy season for example) where we see the fastest price acceleration. In that same 5 years, a busy season ticket has gone up $44. Add park-hopping at $65 (a $15 increase in 5 years) and a busy season ticket can cost you $244 for just one day!

We are headed into the busiest 12 weeks of the year for Disneyland, so prices from now until the New Year will be on the higher end of the tiers above. But, some relief will come in January with 12 days at the lowest $104 rate. Here are the one-day/one-park ticket prices through January 2023 (as of last night, October 16th): 

 

Genie+ Increase

Of course, it’s not just tickets going up in cost. The base cost of Genie+ has also gone up $5 to $25. But that’s just the starting price if you purchase Genie in advance. If you wait until you get to the park, the price will be dynamic and has no upper limit. Interesting. We hope it results in a lowered demand for the service as standby lines are getting out of control

There’s a bit of good news here for those of you who use Genie+… Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure is being moved from an extra cost selection to regular Genie+. But that also means that more folks will likely be using the Lightning Lane for this attraction, and that will likely lead to longer stand-by lines.  

Prices On All Sorts Of Things

And that’s not all… Prices seem to be going up on all sorts of things right now at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. We’re starting to notice increased prices on everything from Spirit Jerseys, Loungefly bags, and Ear Headbands, to smaller things like pins. Wishables, for example, have gone up from $9.99 to $14.99. 

There was a case of price confusion in Batuu. Last week, Walt Disney World’s version of Galaxy’s Edge rolled out higher prices for the experiences to build a lightsaber and/or a droid. And according to the Disneyland app, those increased prices are also coming to California… but when we spoke with Cast Members about it they seemed to not know anything about it.

When you look at selecting a date to build a lightsaber, the app claims that it starts at $249.99, which is $30 more expensive than before.

But when we spoke with a Cast Member about the cost of building a lightsaber, we were told that it costs $237.04 after tax. When we asked about why the Disneyland app showed a different price, they seemed confused.

We went over to Droid Depot to check out a similar situation there. The app now lists a higher price, $119.99, an increase of $20.

However, when we went into the shop, the sign still stated that the experience costs $99 ($107.74 after tax.)

As of Saturday, registers in Galaxy’s Edge were still ringing up the old prices. But likely not for much longer if the new prices in the app are to be believed. 

UPDATE (10/18/22): The new higher prices are now in effect in Galaxy’s Edge! It’s now $30 more expensive to build a lightsaber!

Walt Disney World sent out notices to guests regarding the price increases. We’re curious to see if (and when) Disneyland will do something similar.

Please keep your eyes open for other price increases in the coming days and let us know what you find

Did The Disneyland Price Increases Catch You Off Guard?

MagicBand+ Debuts on October 26… OR SOONER!

Like it or not, MagicBand+ officially arrives on October 26th… but for some folks, you’ll get to try them this week. On October 19th Magic Key Holders, Disney Vacation Club members, and cast members will be able to start using the service at Disneyland. There will even be a special Magic Band for Keyholders available at an extra discount (your regular key discount + an extra $10 off).  

At first, you’ll be able to use the bands to enter the park, access Lightning Lanes, play some new games in the park, and experience some taps and lightning effects the bands are programmed with.  But the functionality of the bands will be expanded over time.

MagicBand+ will launch with a new game: Star Wars Batuu Bounty Hunters. While we’ll be sure to check it out for you as soon as it launches, it’s expected to be identical to the version that has already launched at Walt Disney World. 

The game uses the DisneyPlay app (available for free in app stores) and your MagicBand. 

Here’s a bit of video of little Johnny playing the game at Disney’s Hollywood Studios a couple of months ago. The only difference you’ll note is that at Disneyland, guests won’t have to scan their fingerprint at the front gate. Cast members will tap your magic band with an iPhone and continue to verify your identity with a photograph on file (at least for now).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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If you already have a MagicBand+ (but not the original or 2nd generation MagicBand) it will also work at Disneyland. You’ll just need to pair it to your Disneyland account (when that functionality is added to the app). There is no word yet on if or when the MagicMobile will become available for those who don’t want to use a MagicBand but would like to tap with a smartphone or smartwatch.  

For info on MagicBand+ capabilities and how to pair one with your Disneyland account, please check out our full coverage: 

Everything You Need To Know About Disneyland MagicBand+

What’s your mindset on Disney’s newest wearables? 

Peak Season Crowds

Ready for a Halloweentime scare?! Now through the first week of January is Disneyland’s busiest season of the year. If you thought the last month has been busy, you’ve seen nothing yet. As Disneyland gets closer to the big holidays, the parks should remain mostly packed. And, Disney will likely be increasing staffing, entertainment, and other things to justify adding even more guests to the “limited capacity” of the parks. We’ve already seen a few little shops open in recent weeks, additional outdoor vending carts open, and more characters to see when lines for rides get too long.  But none of the additional operations additions will match the massive crowds expected in the coming weeks.  

The crowds are already bigger and more uncomfortable than they’ve been in recent weeks. 

The Silhouette Studio has had longer lines as well this week. If it gets too long, cast will start taking phone numbers and contact you when it’s your turn to come back.  

What are these folks waiting for in Tomorrowland? Lightning Lane for Star Tours. This line started almost at the front of the land, blocking off easy access to the restrooms and confusing guests.

The regular pinch points that begin to clog when the park gets busy are doing their thing.

Coming over the bridge into New Orleans Square, we immediately spy that the area is PACKED! The center of the land is roped off as a queue for Pirates that stretches almost to the Haunted Mansion. Feels like old times, doesn’t it?!

The Mansion itself is one of the top draws in the park right now as we get closer to Halloween. Standby waits could be an hour or even two on Thursday and Friday when we were in the parks. But even the Lightning Lane had waits of 20 to 30 minutes to ride. 

If you see a “Line starts here” sign all the way in Critter Country… be prepared for a long wait with or without Genie+. 

Even the overflow queue for Haunted Mansion was overflowing over the weekend. 

Yes, that’s a 2-hour wait! 

But when the line gets this long, it wraps through and around Magnolia Gardens (the round garden in front of the Train Station), and next to the popcorn cart. It was difficult for many guests to know which line they were getting in (Mansion, Train, or Popcorn) and we watched several people mistakenly enter the popcorn line thinking they were in line for Holiday Mansion. It also interfered with the Mint Julep Bar line, which in turn interfered with the line for the Disneyland Railroad. And, to make it all worse, some folks see the “Line starts here” sign and assume they have to walk all the way to Critter Country, only to find out that it’s the entry for Lightning Lane only. Far more guest control is needed here on busy days. 

And if you think that the lines are longest at Disneyland… they can actually get much longer at Disney California Adventure, which offers fewer attractions. Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin’, Midway Mania, Guardians of the Galaxy, Goofy’s Sky School, Incredicoaster, and Spider-Man all had wild wait times. Yes, that’s 7 rides you see below with waits over an hour and a 130 minutes slog for Radiator Springs Racers. Really makes you wonder what those park reservations are all about if they are going to let conditions get like this anyway.  

And a bit later, that Spider-Man wait swung from 65 minutes to an eye-popping 150 minutes…

Little Mermaid is such a high-capacity attraction that it rarely has a wait of more than a few minutes.  But this week it was bumping up on nearly an hour! And at waits like that, the line gets out of hand, snaking out toward Paradise Park, through the entire regular queue, and then spilling out into an access area on the side of the attraction. 

And it wasn’t just Little Mermaid. Many rides had exaggerated queues. 

 

And, like Disneyland, walkways were busy. 

Matterhorn Returns

Now for some good news! On Friday morning, the Matterhorn Bobsleds returned to operation with some new seat cushions and refreshed effects. The refurbishment lasted a couple of months with the obvious exterior work happening on the waterfalls. All of the animatronics were refurbished, new seat cushions were added to make the ride just a little more comfortable, and projection effects were also replaced.

We’re really glad to see this one return. As painful as this ride can be, it’s still legendary. 

Disneyland’s Matterhorn Returns After Extensive Refurbishment

Tree House

The Adventureland Treehouse is finally showing a bit of visible progress. 

We watched some bark being applied to a tree limb. If you look closely, you can see a worker in an orange vest working on the spot. 

So many workers in such a tiny spot.

Rivers of America:

There has been a lot of refurbishment along the river banks in recent months. Piece by piece, many of the animatronic figures that line the river have been removed for weeks or months at a time for refurbishment. The project hasn’t impacted the operation of river attractions such as the Mark Twain, Columbia, and Canoes. 

Now, the large Bald Eagle that resides in the nest with its chicks above the camp has been removed. 

The Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland closed on January 2, 1977, to make room for Big Thunder Mountain. But some of the old tunnels and tracks were left as a cool reminder of the attraction. Over the last several months, there have been scrims and scaffolding up around the tunnels and some of the old rockwork for what appears to be a refurbishment. Some of that work has wrapped up, but a few tunnels remain closed off. 

 

There used to be a locomotive with a car left of the tracks, but we were told it was sent to the Carolwood Barn for refurbishment in Griffith Park. 

Near the dock, a deck above a pump/equipment housing continues to be worked on. There is now a diamond plate sub-flooring that appears to be in the process of being covered up with new wooden planks. 

Refurbishments Calendar

There’s always something going under the knife at Disneyland. Here’s what’s currently closed, or about to get some work done…

Currently Under Refurbishment:

• Tarzan’s Treehouse: (September 1st, 2021-TBA)
• Mickey’s Toontown (March 9th, 2022-January 27th, 2023)

Upcoming Refurbishments:

• it’s a small world Holiday Install: (October 24th-November 10th)
• Sailing Ship Columbia: (October 24th-27th)
• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: (November 1st-November 10th)
• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!: (November 1st-19th)
• Indiana Jones Adventure: (November 14th-16th) – We recently profiled the terrible shape Indiana Jones is in. All of the big effects are broken. The good news is that a fix is on the way… the bad news is that many of the needed parts are held up due to supply-chain issues. So we may see some things fixed in this next refurb, other things may take a little longer. 

The Monsters Inc. Attraction has been behind scrims for a long time now, and likely will remain so until the next scheduled refurbishment concludes on November 19th.  

At the time we took this photo, the attraction was temporarily closed.

Christmas in October

Disney is always looking ahead to the next big thing. It’s why you find Halloween merchandise in July, and sweaters on shelves while it’s still 100° outside. So, with the official launch of the Christmas season less than one month away, the first decorations have already been installed in the parks, seasonal merchandise is trickling in, and there’s a major update to holiday entertainment this year. Let’s take a look…

Hallow-ristmas

While Disneyland and DCA are currently decorated for the spooky season, Christmas is already starting to show up in the parks. On Grizzly Trail in DCA, wreaths, greenery, and holiday décor have been set up. Of course, there will be more lots more decorations coming in the next few weeks (snowy rooftops are expected on the Castle this week for example), it’s always a bit jarring to see the holidays collide at the resort.

It won’t be too much longer until snow falls on the rooftops of the castle.  

Believe… In Holiday Magic

UPDATED (10/18/22) – We have some good news for you. We had previously thought that Christmas fireworks would only be offered on weekends due to language stating they would be offered on “Select nights.” However, we’ve been able to confirm that Believe in Holiday Magic WILL be offered throughout the holiday season when weather permits.  

The new Disneyland MagicBand+ will be integrated into the holiday nighttime spectaculars at both Disneyland and DCA. During the show, the MagicBand+ will light up and vibrate in synch with the show. Though we aren’t quite sure if that will make us feel more like we are part of the experience, or distract us from it.  

Holiday Merchandise

Little by little, this year’s holiday merchandise is starting to trickle in. This week, the first set of seasonal merch made its way into World of Disney. And while it may only be a handful of items for now, within the next few weeks it will be everywhere! Here is a sample of what’s available:

It’s a very Star Wars Christmas in some stores with fun new holiday designs. 

For a more in-depth look at the holiday merchandise this year, take a look at the articles below:

A Star Wars Christmas! Holiday Merchandise Arrives at Disneyland Resort…

Too Soon? The First Batch of Holiday 2022 Merchandise Lands on shopDisney!

MiceChat Holiday Guide 2022

It’s not too early to be thinking about the holidays this year. With so many changes afoot, thinking about how to strategically approach the holiday festivities isn’t a bad idea. We’ve laid out a whole guide about what the holidays at the Disneyland Resort include— and what they don’t. Get a first look at some of the Festival of the Holidays foods, holiday merchandise, and more information about the changes to the holidays this year in our guide below!

Disneyland Holidays Begin Here – Your Guide to 2022 Holiday Magic

Disneyland Resort Shopping Updates

Embarcadero Reopens At long last. The tiny shop just across from the Little Mermaid attraction resumed business over the last week. 

Inside, you will find a small selection of popular apparel, Ear Headbands, and jewelry.

The new merchandise mix is mostly princess-themed, but no longer Little Mermaid-focused.  

But you’ll also find some ears, Loungefly, and jewelry in the little shop as well. 

We’re glad to see this shop return. Now we’re hoping that something similar happens with the still-closed shops, Radiator Springs Curios in Cars Land and TomorrowLanding in Tomorrowland. 

A few weeks ago, we pointed out that the red blinking balls on the TomorrowLanding sign were missing. They have since been replaced and the sign looks great! It would also be great if they opened this location back up, soon.

Esplanade Happenings

We have previously mentioned that Disney is slowly replacing the juniper trees in the Esplanade. That project is still going on. 

We also noticed that the flower fountain at the entrance to Downtown Disney from the Esplanade has been off for several days.

And next time you are in the Esplanade, take a look at the bricks you are walking on. most of them were sold to guests as a “Walk of magical memories.” Disneyland started selling the pavers in 2000 and discontinued the program in February of 2011. For the cost of $150, guests could select three lines of text including a name, hometown or a memorable event, such as a birthday or anniversary. The sponsorship of a brick was guaranteed for 10 years. Many of those bricks are now 22 years old, and all of them are now past the guaranteed display period. But with some of them now so worn down that they can no longer be read, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them all fade away forever. 

There was a moment when Disney had considered redeveloping the Esplanade to add trees and a fountain. That sure would be much nicer than the faded memories of a long-ended program to have guests pay for pavement. What are your thoughts about what should be done with the Esplanade now that the contractual obligation for the pavers has ended?

Downtown Disney Updates

There are signs of life in Downtown Disney! While we’re not sure it’s intelligent life, it’s still interesting to see what’s happening…

Brennan’s Jazz Ugly Kitchen

We cannot overstate how much we dislike the direction that Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen is headed. Walking past this restaurant just makes us sad. It was an incredible place to eat and spend time with great food and entertainment. When the establishment returned from park shutdowns, it sadly had a dialed-back and uninspired menu. We’ve tried it a few times and always left disappointed at the high price for the most basic offerings. Certainly not up to the standard of the parent company. Still, the location offered themed dining which could fit right into Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. 

Soon, all unique elements of this establishment will be removed with a mind-numbingly boring new design. This week, the canopies on the terrace level of the restaurant were removed as they begin to replace the ornate wrought iron.

The new design will look something like the concept art below once the “renovation” is finished. Glass railings will replace metal on the balconies, a soul-sucking grey and white color scheme sets the tone, and a complete lack of whimsy or character ensures that few will care to step inside. How does something like this even get approved for Disneyland? Isn’t the whole point of Disneyland to provide themed entertainment? This is barely local mall-quality design. 

What’s most intriguing to us about this new remodel (a permit to spend $600,000 replacing a wall and the wrought iron with glass was recently filed) is that despite it being the only Ralph Brennan Group restaurant outside of New Orleans, the brand is rejecting the highly-themed spaces of its establishments in Louisiana. 

To see what Brennans can do, take a look at some of their other restaurants: 

We have a feeling this lackluster design will do nothing to help the establishment compete in a Downtown Disney district about to evolve with many new offerings. What do you think about the homogenization of Jazz Kitchen?

Downtown Disney Construction

There have been a few updates on the major construction taking place on the west end of Downtown Disney. While there’s still no vertical construction, the ditches are getting deeper and the piles of dirt taller. 

This & That

And now for a few smaller stories from the Disneyland Resort.

Water Wheel Troubles

The water wheel at Grizzly River Rapids hasn’t been working for quite some time now. This week we took a look at some possible reasons why.

The hub of the waterwheel has what appears to be some serious exfoliating corrosion that peels the metal apart. We highly doubt that this is part of “the aged look.”

At this point, the wheel probably requires disassembly and replacement. 

Celebrate Diwali

Happy Diwali to those that celebrate! Although the celebration doesn’t take place until the 24th of October, Disneyland is getting in on the holiday a little early. Diwali is one of the most important festivals in Indian culture. 

From now through the end of the holiday season (January 9, 2023), you can find a special Indian Archisha chai tea on the menu at The Coffee House at the Disneyland Hotel. Additionally, for this week only, you will find the popular Blue13 Dance Company performing Indian dance near The Coffee House daily at 4 and 5pm from October 17 through 24. 

 

Live at Disneyland With Dusty Sage

Dusty takes you on a trip through the Disneyland Resort to catch you up on the latest news and see the real-time conditions of the parks. There was a lot of news to cover this week, so if you skimmed reading today’s Update or want to see the crowd levels for yourself, you can watch the latest video below!

Around the Resort

To finish off today’s Disneyland Update, we’ve got some photos from Mike and Dusty for you! We often focus on the news, but want to share some of the views as well. We hope this helps tide you over until your next Disney visit. 

There were some ice blocks in front of Anna & Elsa Royal Welcome, but we were told that the queens will be staying in front of Carthay Circle for the time being.

This light-up Madame Leota in Off the Page (in Hollywood Land) was a really neat piece. If we had space on our shelf, we would have brought her home!

It appears that the Mickey floral has been replanted. Mickey’s ears are now a purple leafy plant instead of purple flowers, and his Halloween mask has changed from orange to yellow flowers.

An apple, my pretty?

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Let’s Hear From You

And there you have it, another week of Disneyland news and views. Are you ready for MagicBand+?  Although it’s inevitable, does the early arrival of Christmas decorations before Halloween throw you off? The tradeoff of park reservations was that they would prevent terrible overcrowding of the parks. Do you feel that the current attendance cap is set too high? Are the new ticket prices a fair adjustment? Are you surprised that Genie+ is still at such a low price considering how backed up Lightning Lanes have become? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you found today’s Disneyland Update to be informative and/or helpful, we would appreciate you sharing on your social media accounts. Thank you so much for supporting us!

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