Do you have Disneyland reservations this week? These next few days are your last chance to enjoy the parks before crowds arrive for holiday activities starting November 11th. Think of it as the calm before the crowdstorm… but there’s another sort of storm brewing this week as well: rain! The early part of the week looks like it will be soggy with flood advisories issued for all day on Tuesday.
But real theme park fans aren’t afraid of a little rain, and they almost always help flush the fair-weather folks out of the parks. But we do feel sorry for all those Disneyland decorators who will be furiously installing the final bits of holiday cheer in the nighttime chill and rain after the parks close this week. Hang in there, we have a lot of photos and news to share below…
UPDATED WITH PHOTOS OF DISNEYLAND’S CHRISTMAS TREE!
The Calm Before the Snowstorm
As seems to be the case so often, this past week offered the best and worst of the Disney parks experience. One moment you think it’s going to be empty, and then it suddenly seems busy. But overall, it was less crowded than in the weeks leading up to Halloween.
We experienced crowds on Main Street at times on Friday and Saturday.
The problem with judging crowd levels these days is that you can’t just look at ride waits. Genie+/Lightning Lane ensures that waits will almost always devolve into long-ish experiences for standby guests at some point… and frequently for those who pay for the service as well. But the rest of the park may be much more manageable. That seemed to be the case this week. Walkways were easy to navigate in most places, we could find tables to sit for meals, and we could pop in and out of stores easily enough to check on new holiday items. But the attraction waits would hit peaks and valleys all day.
Ride breakdowns continue to plague both parks. There will always be issues with rides, but there are so many attractions that have been breaking down all at once that it forces more guests into the lines for the rides that are still open.
New Orleans Square continues to be a trouble spot at Disneyland… particularly as the day goes on. With the best restaurants in the park, two major attractions, lots of shopping and Fantasmic… well, things don’t always flow smoothly.
But, by and large, things weren’t horrible in the parks. Outside of the pinch points and busy moments, there was usually plenty of room to navigate.
A 55-minute wait for Matterhorn may seem long for the week between Halloween and the Holidays… but one hour later, that wait was under 30 minutes. Boom and bust.
Same with the usually quick-to-ride Mr. Toad… one minute the queue was filled and the next it was practically empty. At this point, it’s nearly impossible to forecast wait times. Best to just hop in line if it looks short and be as flexible as possible on your planning. It’s also a better idea to look at the attraction wait times in the Disneyland app on your own and not rely on the suggestions about where to go from Genie.
Not-So-Magic Bands
Now that MagicBand+ has launched, is it a smashing success? While it does appear that some guests have been playing the new Star Wars Batuu Bounty Hunter game, we haven’t seen very many guests wearing MagicBands around the parks.
We also don’t see many folks shopping for them. We visited the newly reopened Tomorrowlanding store a couple of times over the weekend. One-half of the store is devoted to pins and the other side is exclusively MagicBands. While we saw folks coming and going from the pin wall, hardly anyone was looking at the MagicBands.
Is it the high price keeping folks away, the lack of things to do with them, a visibility issue, or a combination of those factors? We’re keeping our eyes open… but it sure does remind us of what happened with “Pal Mickey” and “Glow with the Show” interactive products which showed promise and lingered on through a couple of versions before fading away quietly.
Have you purchased a MagicBand? If so, do you find yourself leaving it at home or do you always snap it to your wrist before you head out for the parks?
The Ghosts of Halloween Give Way to the Spirit of Christmas
Now that Halloween has come to an end, Disneyland is in a short period of holiday limbo. There were aspects of Halloween still lingering on our visit, and lots of partial holiday decor. Here’s a look at the holiday transition in the parks.
At Jolly Holiday, they still had several Halloween treats to choose from. Similarly, Candy Palace and Trolley Treats offer a mix of Halloween and holiday items. The first wave of Christmas treats have made their way into the display cases.
While the vast majority of Halloween has been taken down, there were still a few instances where the spooky aspects are still in place. We saw a patch of Jack-O-Lantern fuel “pumpkins” still sporting their scary faces in Cars Land.
And the movie posters in Cars Land are still Halloween-themed.
Aside from those few elements, the resort has largely converted to the winter holidays. We’ll get more into that later.
More Christmas Transitions at Disneyland
UPDATE! The Christmas Tree arrived this morning at Main Street, USA’s Town Square in Disneyland Park. Here’s the tree in all its seasonal splendor!
In this period of holiday transition, there’s something being removed and/or installed on a daily basis. This week, we saw quite a drastic change in holiday-time decorations around the resort.
Main Street is nearly fully dressed for Christmas. The garland lining the shops has been installed, and the windows have been decorated for the upcoming season.
The star of the show, the 60-foot Christmas Tree at Christmas Tree Pointe, in Town Square had yet to be installed. Currently, there’s just a patch of (real) grass where the Mickey Pumpkin stood just a few days ago.
Assembling the tree is an overnight job and is done in sections. Here’s a look at how it’s done from 2018:
We’re also waiting for the garland and Mickey wreaths to be hung across Main Street. We’ll see those get set up in no time at all.
One reason for the delay of the tree and wreaths over Main Street may be to accommodate the taping of the Very Merry Christmas Day Parade, which generally happens around this time.
Once you’ve made it through Main Street, it’s impossible to ignore Sleeping Beauty Castle in full winter regalia. Snowy rooftops and icicles are hard to miss.
Garland now hangs from the tallest parapet. Note how they only decorate the front and don’t wrap the garland all the way around.
In Fantasyland, there are some small nods to Christmas around the dark rides. This land strangely doesn’t get much in the way of holiday decorations.
The area of Fantasyland that does get a lot of holiday attention is “it’s a small world” and Small World Mall. So far, it’s just Small World itself and the popcorn carts which have been decorated.
The clock face is once again donning its Santa hat. You’re just days away from hearing the nonstop Jingle Bells/Small World medley in this area again.
The lights on the facade have been installed. They really are beautiful at night.
Frontierland features a down-home style of decoration. Natural-looking garland hangs from all the buildings, and wreaths with Western elements adorn the light posts.
Out in Critter Country, Christmas is starting to make its way in. Garland and wreaths decorated with folksy bees and burlap ribbon can be found on lamp posts and buildings. One thing that we’re keeping an eye out for is the Christmas tree from B’rer Rabbit addressed to B’rer Bear and Fox at Splash Mountain.
Pooh Corner has a cute Christmas tree decorated with beehives and bumblebees.
Pooh’s Thotful Spot will soon be winterized to become Santa’s meet-and-greet.
Aside from Main Street, New Orleans Square is the land with the most spirit at Disneyland. More decorations have been added in the trees, wreaths have been hung on the lights in the area, and additional garland has been strung from the railings.
Holiday Happenings at DCA
There’s a lot going on around DCA in preparation for the holidays.
Festival of Holidays
The Festival of Holidays is a primary draw for the park this time of year, so no surprise that things are starting to take shape. The Festival of Holidays sign has been installed at the front gate of DCA.
And most of the food booths are now out on the parade route.
The festival merchandise booth is set up and filled with a mix of popular holiday items.
The festival this year will be quite an exciting time, especially since there are two new food booths (though, only one is holiday-related; the other one is a Wakandan-inspired menu). The new marketplace, Visions of Sugar Plums, is supposed to offer a mélange of savory and sweet dishes.
One thing that we’re anxiously awaiting is the Holiday Food Guide at Disneyland. So for the time being, we can only speculate what specialty eats and treats will be offered around the resort. We’ll likely see the Food Guide released sometime this week. So far, the items below are some of the only things confirmed for the Festival of Holidays this year:
In the back of the park, Paradise Gardens has started decorating for ¡Viva Navidad! There are metallic piñatas and stars hanging from the arches.
Paradise Garden Grill, the quick service restaurant, isn’t operating right now since there’s no current holiday, but next Friday we expect it to feature a Viva Navidad-inspired menu.
DCA Christmas Updates
Aside from the Festival of Holidays prep, there’s more Christmas going up around DCA on a daily basis. On our visit this week, we noticed that Buena Vista Street is all decked out for the season. Between the abundance of garland decorating the lights and buildings along the street.
The animated windows of Five & Dime have been installed. They’re looking very quaint and charming.
Across the street at Julias Katz & Sons, the display has been updated with an amalgam of holidays. In the window, you can see representations of Hannukah, Christmas, and Halloween!
The vintage-looking Christmas tree has been set up near Elias & Co. This year, the tinsel on the tree looks shinier than in years past.
We still hope that one day the train at the base will be functional, but it’s cute nonetheless.
Over at Grizzly River Run, the bears have donned their holiday sweaters. While it’s getting a little too chilly for us to commit to doing a water ride, there are still some adventurous folks willing to do it.
Across the way, the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is closed for its seasonal overlay. When it reopens in a few days, there will be a spot for Santa to talk to kids.
The Pacific Wharf area (destined to become San Fransokyo!) has gained its themed garland. Each eatery’s garland features a nod to its fare. For instance, Pacific Wharf Cafe features loaves of bread:
Cucina Cucamonga and Rita’s Margaritas feature traditional Mexican handicrafts and textiles:
Lucky Fortune Cookery uses oversized takeout boxes as ornaments:
The land that gets the most comprehensive festive overlay is undoubtedly Cars Land. While there were still a few elements of Halloween still in the area, the land has largely been converted to Christmas. The garland draped across Route 66 has been installed.
Aside from those few Halloween things mentioned above, Cars Land is mostly ready for Christmas.
Even some of the smaller aspects have already been put up. We like the gingerbread house display inside the Cozy Cone Motel.
We really think that Cars Land knocks it out of the park season after season. After a total transformation for Halloween, it’s amazing that the land is able to shift gears into Christmas with yet another overhaul. It’s campy and heartfelt, and wholly Disney. We do think that there’s some room for expansion on what’s offered during the holidays, but the land itself is just about perfect.
A Black Panther Christmas
November 11 isn’t just the kickoff of the holiday season at Disneyland. It’s also the release date of the highly-anticipated Marvel move, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Disneyland will be concurrently celebrating both the holidays and Black Panther from November 11 through January 8, 2023.
As part of the joint celebration, there is a food booth, Flavors of Wakanda, that brings a taste of Wakanda to guests. Offering an array of African dishes, the marketplace is like a pseudo-Festival of Holidays food booth.
Another part of the Black Panther celebration is a reworking of the Hyperion Theater queue to become a special garden. Since the theater remains shuttered from its 2020 closing, the large outdoor queue has been used as overflow seating for Avengers Campus, and most recently a treat trail for Oogie Boogie Bash. But as of November 11, the space will be converted into the Black Panther Legacy Garden.
We do think it’s odd that Disney would go to the lengths of converting the courtyard into a Black Panther-themed space, but put the Wakanda food booth in a whole different land. It would have made so much more sense to put the Black Panther food booth in the Black Panther Garden, where there will presumably be tables to sit at.
There will also be a new character for this celebration, M’Baku, who will roam the land and lead a drumming processional. This means that the characters featured last month— Hulk, Jack Russel (Werewolf by Night), and Elsa Bloodstone— have now departed Avengers Campus for the foreseeable future.
Outside of the park, there’s a new mural on the old ESPN Zone building in Downtown Disney to celebrate the new Black Panther movie. It was created by Nikkolas Smith, the same artist who made the iconic “King Chad” mural last year.
For more about the Black Panther celebrations this year, take a look at the article below.
A Black Panther Celebration for the Holidays at Disney California Adventure
Downtown Disney
There’s not much to report on at Downtown Disney, except that the silletas (floral displays) have been removed. We’re happy to see them go; they definitely overstayed their welcome by preventing Halloween from being celebrated properly in Downtown Disney this year. They were introduced in June and removed in November. That is too long for any decoration to stay in Downtown Disney. Here’s a reminder of what they looked like in their heyday in July.
There have been no decorations to take the silletas’ place just yet, but over the next few days, the gardens will hopefully feature some seasonal decor.
Disneyland Busy Work
There are so many things going on all over the resort. Some of them are big like the ToonTown expansion, the Adventureland Treehouse redo, the new Disneyland Hotel Tower, and the Downtown Disney construction… and many of the projects are small refurbishments or spots of construction. Here are a few of the things to keep an eye out for…
Currently Under Refurbishment:
Tarzan’s Treehouse: (September 1st, 2021-TBA)
It’s been well over a year since the Treehouse closed suddenly without any announcement from Disney. Since then they have made vague statements about a new theme and have removed the suspension bridge entry. Workers are busy day and night… but no official news on what’s going on.
When a recent windstorm caused Disney to pull the construction scrims down, I ran to the park to take some photos… but don’t get too excited, you still can’t see anything interesting.
Mickey’s Toontown (March 9th, 2022-January 27th, 2023)
Nothing to see here yet. But the main walkway from the ToonTown Train Station to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is currently being formed and the ride is busy with last-minute audio-visual adjustments and vehicle testing.
it’s a small world Holiday Install: (October 24th-November 10th)
When Small World closed, it was in pretty bad shape. Many dolls were broken or missing and the lighting had burned out in important locations all over the attraction. While the holiday decorations are installed, we hope they are also able to address the many mechanical and lighting issues in the attraction as well.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: (November 1st-November 10th)
It will take just 10 days for Disney to transform the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure from scary to merry. The lighting and props for Villains Lair have been packed up and jingle bells and Santa’s workshop are being installed.
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!: (November 1st-18th)
The 2nd refurbishment for Monster’s Inc in the last few months is well underway. The facade has received a fresh coat of paint, but we aren’t sure what they are addressing on the inside.
Disneyland Resort sign on Harbor
Even the Disneyland sign on Harbor Blvd is under refurbishment. We suspect it’s getting a Disney100 touchup.
Upcoming Refurbishments:
Indiana Jones Adventure: (November 14th-16th)
The always-popular Indiana Jones ride in Adventureland has never looked worse than it does right now. Nearly every major show effect is non-functional. Is hope on the way? There is a refurbishment scheduled for November 14th… but with a planned closure of just 3 days, we don’t know how much they could possibly hope to accomplish. If a simple kiddie ride like Monster’s Inc requires two multi-week closures, this one isn’t likely to fix the big effects. But they might be able to fix some lighting and the boulder.
Though we do hear that a much longer refurbishment is planned once some long-delayed parts arrive from suppliers. That couldn’t happen soon enough. Not only are the things inside the ride broken, they can’t seem to keep this ride operating. On Friday, Indy was down for much of the day.
The ride was down for so long that Cast Members broke out the Corn Hole game to distract guests passing by. When we walked by Indy again that evening after dark, it was still down and they were still playing Corn Hole illuminated by flashlights.
A Window on Main Street
Normally, getting a window on Main Street is considered an honor… but for the animated windows along the Main Street Emporium, it’s a curse. Multiple windows remain perpetually frozen with lights out. And on Thursday evening, ALL of the windows were turned off and dark! Though, some of the windows returned the next night.
ALL of the animated windows were left dark and inoperable on Thursday.
This is one of those bellwether maintenance issues for me. It’s so noticeable and so sad. We’d hate for Disney to get rid of the animated windows… but if they are unwilling to maintain them, then perhaps it’s time for them to go.
Alice Davis Tribute
It’s really hard to put this next item into words. A great lady was lost on Friday. The legendary Alice Davis, beloved early Imagineer and grand storyteller, left this earth to be with her dear husband Marc. Alice had a tremendous spirit and was a good friend to MiceChat and dear to me personally.
Over the years, we featured Alice at numerous events. She was always the highlight of the evening and quick with a colorful story and a mischievous quip.
For a time, I worked for a theme park design company in Los Feliz just a couple of blocks from Alice’s house (more of a museum, really). We’d set lunch dates where Alice would almost always ask that I bring two different kinds of sandwiches from the Gelson’s Market. That way we could split them and each of us could have two different kinds of sandwiches. It still cracks me up… but I find myself often splitting sandwiches with others to this day.
The Davis home was like a gallery, so packed with items from their world travels and gifts from fellow artists that there was hardly any blank space on the walls.
Occasionally, I would drive Alice to a fan event. On one long trip from Los Feliz to Anaheim, she launched into a litany of stories about her favorite and least favorite Imagineers. She didn’t mince words. She also mentioned that Marc had based Cruella de Vil after a woman he didn’t like. But she wouldn’t tell me who the woman was because she was afraid the woman was still alive and if she found out that the villain was based on her, it might hurt her feelings. I wonder who it might be to this day. I’m hoping that she confided in someone who will one day spill the beans.
Alice first caught Walt Disney’s eye at the Tam O’Shanter (Walt’s favorite restaurant) in her early days with Marc Davis. She was designing women’s bras at the time using elastics. Walt engaged her in a conversation about materials and then went off to have his dinner. Years later, when Walt was working on early animatronics, he realized that the robots were rapidly wearing out their costumes… which reminded him of a conversation he had with Alice about elastics. Not long after, Alice joined Imagineering and solved their costume problems.
But the thing I remember most about Alice is that as much as you might try to get her to talk about herself, it always came back to her husband Marc. She was so devoted to his memory and legacy. When she got her window on Main Street, she didn’t feel she deserved it. To her, Marc was the legend. As much as you might try to argue with her that she was very much deserving, she would always deprecate herself.
Alice once gave me this photocopy of a favorite quote from Satchel Paige which she was fond of sharing:
I’ll never forget the lovely Mrs. Alice Davis. And I really should write the many stories down before I forget them. The tale of Walt Disney and the randy pirate. Alice’s beloved doggie Xerxes and the run-in with the skunk (in which both Alice and I became skunked ourselves). An emotional Imagineering reunion that almost didn’t happen. The mostly blind Alice unsuccessfully trying to use a giant magnifying glass so she could see well enough to draw. An argument with Siri’s navigation choices and thinking the voice was coming from someone in the back seat. The stories go on and on… as will her indelible memory.
Rest in peace dear lady. You will always be with us.
This & That
We’re not done yet! Here are a few of the other stories from around the Disneyland Resort that caught our eye.
New Shopping Option: Mobile Order Pick up
A new shopping option is being tested in select locations at the Disneyland Resort. Mobile Checkout now allows you to purchase an item through the app (at a participating location) and then pick it up later that day. The store holds the item for you until you claim it. This could potentially be a game changer for big items and highly in demand items. Where was this option last month when I was lugging that giant Mickey Pumpkin around?
There’s a Mobile Order Pick Up kiosk inside World of Disney in the hat section of the store.
Life Day at Galaxy’s Edge
The Star Wars Christmas Special has become (in)famous over the years as being one of the worst holiday movies of all time. So jaw-droppingly bad that it’s actually worth seeing… once.
But one of the greatest things we got out of it, was the Wookie celebration of Life Day. Disney introduced the holiday into the park last year, and it was a popular offering! This year, Life Day returns with a selection of new items, including a ceremonial Snuggie Life Day robe, apparel, and mugs.
Tale of the Lion King Back on the Schedule
Good news for fans of Tale of the Lion King! The show at the Fantasyland Theater has returned to being performed on a regular basis after a sporadic closure. The show now runs Thursday through Monday across five different show times. We’d love to see this offered daily, but we’ll take what we can get.
Anna & Elsa Return to Arendelle
At long last, the sister queens Anna and Elsa have returned to their meet and greet spot in the Animation Building in DCA. When we stopped by, the sisters had a sizable line waiting to see them.
The duo had previously been meeting with guests at a distance (as was the way in 2021) in front of Carthay Circle.
National Geographic at World of Disney
This is maybe a little bit of old news to some, but we haven’t covered it in a Disneyland Update yet. In World of Disney, there’s a whole section of the store devoted to National Geographic merchandise— not a lick of Disney-inspired branding to be found! It’s interesting to think that Disney would give up such a large footprint to the NatGeo brand. We’re curious to see if people are buying anything from the selection there.
Speaking of World of Disney, there were a few other merchandise collections that caught our eye. There’s a whole line of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever merchandise.
And even though Avatar 2: The Way of Water doesn’t release until December 16, there’s a small selection of merchandise to drum up excitement for a sequel 13 years in the making.
Just look at this elegant display of… um… something blue…
Looking for holiday merchandise? Our merchandise editor Natalie has got you covered! She’s created two holiday shopping guides for you. One of all the holiday merchandise available at the resort right now… PLUS a holiday gift guide:
A Disneyland Walkthrough with Dusty Sage
Every Friday, Dusty aims to do a live video on the MiceChat Facebook page from Disneyland. In our video this week, Dusty shares the current crowd conditions, construction in the parks, the arrival of holiday decor, and some stories about the late Alice Davis. You won’t want to miss this video. And be sure to tune into the next video this Friday for the first official day of the holiday season. Follow the MiceChat Facebook page so you don’t miss out.
Photos from Around the Park
And we’ll wrap up with a favorite feature, photos from around the parks from Mike Kindrich and Dusty Sage… 
The Mickey floral display has been replanted with cold-resistant plants.
The tarps covering the Abandoned Mine have finally come down. We don’t know what was happening inside, but it sure looks nicer now.
Golden Hour at Disneyland sure is magical.
The famed pirates of the Caribbean, Red and Captain Jack Sparrow together!
It’s a well-known fact that crows LOVE Space Mountain. Sure, they can’t ride it, but it’s a great perch to watch the sunset.
Discount Disney Theme Park Tickets & Hotels!!!
MiceChat brings you the BEST theme park ticket, hotel & package deals! (You’ll find extra nights free, big discounts, and special offers as well).
Check out the latest offers for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm:
(MiceChat works with Get Away Today to provide you with the best theme park travel deals and we may make a small commission on any sales made through our links)
Let’s Hear From You
We’ve reached the bitter end. But don’t worry folks, there’s a LOT more coming this week. Be sure to check in daily. And please do us the favor of leaving your thoughts on today’s topics below. We appreciate it!
And we’ll leave you with this fun activity. This giant Mickey figure is sort of the giant Mickey pumpkin for Christmas. But he has a unique look to him. We invite you to caption this photo:
