It’s t-minus six days until Christmas! And if you’re an Inspire or Believe Magic Keyholder, there’s another countdown you’re keeping track of as well: how many days you have left before getting blocked out for the rest of the year. And lots of folks are wondering if Disneyland will be mostly empty this holiday season without all those passholders in the parks. We’ll take a look at the clues. Plus, why Christmas doesn’t feel as magical at Disneyland this year, high hopes for the Disney100 celebration in January, and all the latest happenings and construction around the Disneyland Resort. And be sure to read all the way to the bottom to cast your vote for the Disneyland Magic Meter.
The Christmas Countdown
For almost all Magic Keys, this is the last week to visit the Disneyland Resort until 2023. For weeks now, Disneyland park availability for this week has been extremely limited. And, starting December 21st, all dates will be blocked for Magic Keys (except for the few foks who still have a valid Dream Key) through January 1st.
So, if the park has been almost completely booked, is it packed? Not really. These are some of the most comfortable days we’ve ever spent in the parks over the holidays. If it wasn’t for Lightning Lane and Mobile Order making lines crazy, the parks would be a dream.
During the day, the parks can feel almost empty at times. It’s moments like this that make us realize that reservations are actually working as intended. Attraction wait times are below average, and pinch points throughout the resort feel comfortable. If you’re visiting the parks this week, you’ll likely enjoy similar conditions.
HOWEVER, the winter enchantment of a nearly empty park changes rapidly in the evenings when Magic Keyholders come flooding into the parks for holiday parades and fireworks, Fantasmic, World of Color and Festival of the Holidays.
So, how will conditions be later this week when all the Magic Keys are blocked? We aren’t quite sure. Since Keyholders will often hold a park reservation for the day but not show up until evening, their impact often doesn’t make much difference until evening. But, once they are gone, regular tourists will take up those spots… and that could mean much busier days. And Disneyland is booked solid through the end of the year.
Many Keyholders aren’t accustomed to being blocked out for so long. We’re curious how you plan to spend these last two weeks? Will you visit other parks? Will you stay home with the family for the holidays? Have you found other things to do? We’re curious!
Christmas Cutbacks
Does Christmas feel a little lackluster this year at Disneyland? You aren’t alone in feeling that way. Many folks have noticed that just about everything feels a little bit nipped, with budget cuts here and there. There are hardly any lights in the trees, decorations have been scaled back in many areas, there are fewer food and beverage options, there are fewer holiday performers… And this comes after years of cutbacks, so the cumulative effect is really starting to be felt. Especially since Disney’s closest competitor, Knott’s Berry Farm has delivered a massive and very sincere holiday season with lots of lights, a tremendous amount of big holiday entertainment, nearly the entire park decorated, a holiday craft festival, and some really satisfying holiday food (with portions that dwarf Disney’s).
Don’t get us wrong, Disneyland is magical this time of year… but with only Main Street going all out for Christmas, New Orleans Square scalled back significantly, and the rest of the park largely undecorated, it doesn’t really feel like Christmas in the park. DCA is a bit better with the whimsical Cars Land decor and Festival of the Holidays… But, overall, the holidays feel a bit lacking… Especially since a one day/one park ticket is currently at the top-end $179 per day (add $60 if you want to make that a parkhopper) through January 8th! Why so high? Because guests flock to the parks this time of year for the Christmas offerings. We have a feeling that many guests are going to leave disappointed by the difficulty of the new park experience… and the diminished holiday vibe.
We hope that the pinched Chapek budgets, which have obviously impacted the park experience, are restored quickly – if things stay the way they are now we fear that word of mouth is really going to start hurting Disneyland’s reputation and eventually the financial performace of the parks. Coasting on increased prices and decreased offerings isn’t a long-term strategy for a successful entertainment enterprise.
No Off Season in 2023
In the past, Disneyland used to have high and low attendance seasons. The first few months of the year would be considered the lowest attendance level of the year, making it an ideal time for locals to visit. From spring break forward, the resort would steadily gain more visitors until the peak seasons of summer, Halloween, and Christmas (with a few weeks scattered about which would be lower attendance). And that off season was considered an important recovery period for the resort so maintenance could be performed on rides and infrastructure before the big crowds arrived later in the year.
That said, Disney is looking to disrupt that model with an early in the year launch of Disney100 and the debut of a brand new attraction.
The start of Disney100 is set for late January, officially kicking off on January 27. However, with the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the return of the Magic Happens parade, new fireworks, and a new World of Color, there’s a lot going on in what would normally be a much more laid back time of year. Learn more about the Disney100 celebrations at Disneyland in the article below:
UPDATES! Disneyland’s 100 Years of Wonder Celebration Details
It isn’t just Disneyland that’s looking to shake up traffic patterns, Universal Studios Hollywood is opening Super Nintendo World in mid-February, the first major addition since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We’re really excited to see this new land in just a few months!
Universal Studios Hollywood Super Nintendo World Opening Date Announced!
We’ll have to wait and see just how big the crowds will be, but Key Holders tend to want to experience new things right away. And there’s a lot here for them to see. And if Disneyland offers the new fireworks nightly, and the new World of Color show is a big hit, it could keep Disneyland hopping from the end of January until the normal start of summer.
Disneyland Hours Scale Back Soon
Once the holidays end, Disneyland always scales back park hours. This January there will be some days that the park is open for just 12 hours, 8am to 8pm. But there will also be some after-hours parties at the same time… allowing Disney to double dip on attendance.
The first round of Disneyland After Dark events kick off in late January. Here are the after-hours parties announced for next year:
Disneyland After Dark Returns in 2023 with Sweethearts & New Princess Nites
Disney100 Around the Corner
Disneyland will be 68 years old in 2023. But many guests seem confused. New 100th anniversary merchandise is now in stores for the Disney Company’s big celebration. If you spend a few minutes hanging out near the 100th anniversary march, you’ll hear multiple guests talk about how Disneyland is 100 years old.
Because the 100th anniversary is Disney’s platinum celebration, it’s no surprise that much of the merchandise is shiny. The range of merch includes plushes, apparel, ornaments, ears, bags, and even a Starbucks tumbler (which appears is the hot-ticket item of the collection).
For the full lineup of Disney100 merchandise seen in the park so far (plus more available on shopDisney), take a look at the article below:
Disney100 Platinum Merchandise Collection Now In The Disney Parks!
Treehouse News
We’ve been keeping close tabs on the Swiss Family-inspired reimagining of the treehouse ever since it closed last year. This week, we noticed a couple of new things. First, an extra layer of scrims has been added on the lower levels to keep us from being able to see the installation of some big props.
Although the double layer of scrims makes it hard to see what’s happening inside… it’s hard not to notice something like a crane placed backstage! That means some props are being lowered into place after hours.
Want to know more about the reimagining of the treehouse? We’ve got the details for you in the article below!
BREAKING NEWS: Disneyland’s NEW Adventureland Treehouse Revealed!
Haunted Mansion Holiday Extended Run
We love Haunted Mansion Holiday, but it very quickly outlasts its welcome… but it will be sticking around a bit longer than usual this year. Just announced today, the removal of Haunted Mansion Holiday has finally been added to the refurbishment schedule. Starting January 30th, the mansion will be closed as it takes down the holiday overlay.
From a logistical standpoint, Disneyland usually has either small world or Mansion go down as soon as the holidays end and then the other attraction goes down when the first finishes. But, by this point, we generally know when both refurbishments will happen. That could mean that Small World is getting a little extra attention. With Mansion in holiday mode since September, we’re looking forward to the regular version coming back hopefully sometime in February.
Hope for Indy?
Speaking of refurbs, the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction is scheduled for an extensive refurbishment slated to begin on January 9th and go into the Spring of 2023 with no exact return date announced. And that’s good news considering that just about every major effect in the attraction is currently broken:
It looks like Disney may be taking this refurbishment very seriously as we spotted an animatronic snake sitting outside of the maintenance bay of the attraction, over the weekend.
You can tell by looking at the image below that this animatronic is getting prepped for installation. You can even see someone working on the base of the figure. Hopefully, other major elements of the show will also be returned to full working order.
Sub-traction:
The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction has been back in operation since July with few operational issues. The most obvious issue is simply trying to load and unload quickly as guests struggle with the tight spiral stairs. But there is one thing that just drives us nuts…
After the lengthy refurbishment to completely repaint and repair the entire lagoon and every submarine, rust is already showing up on the subs in various places.
It appears that Disney has come up with a fix. The rear fins are being completely replaced with new fins that bolt on. Looking closely at the new fins, you can see that they are well-sealed and easy to replace. Unfortunately, the bolted on (instead of welded) look takes away from the aesthetic. I know, I know, Disney can’t make everyone happy and all we do is complain… but…
Splash Mountain Woes
With a major re-theme looming, Splash Mountain has been showing its age. Over the weekend, one of our staff members watched the attraction go down at least twice in a 30-minute period. This was a great attraction back in its heyday, but it is also a very difficult attraction to maintain. Hopefully that can be addressed in the project to convert the attraction over to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
NEW: Concept Art and Story for the Princess and the Frog Ride at Disneyland & WDW
Refurbishments
We’ve covered some of the upcoming refurbishment above, but here’s the most recent list of refurbishments planned around the Disneyland Resort.
Currently Under Refurbishment:
- Tarzan’s Treehouse Transformation: (September 1st, 2021-2023)
- Mickey’s Toontown (March 9th, 2022-March 8th, 2023
Upcoming Refurbishments:
Note the incredible shrinking refurb for Radiator Springs Racers below. It has been wittled back to just a week.
- it’s a small world: (January 9th-19th)
- Radiator Springs Racers: (January 17th-23rd)
- The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: (January 9th-25th)
- The Disney Gallery: (January 9th-25th)
- Indiana Jones Adventure: (January 9th-Spring 2023)
- Grizzly River Run: (January 9th-Spring 2023)
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic: (January 24th-TBA)
- Haunted Mansion: (TBA) – A date has finally been announced for the holiday removal. Starting January 30th, the Mansion will be closed for refurbishment.
Downtown Disney
Outside of the parks at Downtown Disney, there has been little advancement in the dirt lot where the redevelopment of Downtown Disney has started. As of Saturday, the dirt lot looks more like an Indiana Jones archeological dig than a future expansion of Downtown Disney. 
There’s another major renovation taking place in Downtown Disney. Over at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, the first part of the restaurant’s underwhelming overhaul has been completed. The upstairs of the restaurant, both the indoor setting and outdoor patio, is open for business. The wrought iron of the staircase and patio railing has been replaced with a modern metal mesh and glass combo.
The big fountain sculpture in the center atrium has been removed.
And the main dining room now sports a hospital cafeteria look. Is this the best Imagineering can do?
Ralph Brennan’s name has been removed from the establishment, with the new name being “Jazz Kitchen, Coastal Grill & Patio”. The ownership remains the same, but they were forced to agree to a remodel when their lease was renewed. The staff is just as upset with the changes as you are. It’s absolutely mind-boggling how little vision was applied to this project.
Similarly, Jazz Kitchen Express is getting a new name too: Beignets Expressed.
What do you think about the new look for Jazz Kitchen? Love it? Hate it? Have suggestions? Let’s hear them!
Disneyland Hotel Expansion
The new tower at the Disneyland Hotel is just about fully enclosed. Once all the windows are in, the scafolds will start coming down. At the moment, this construction project is VERY loud. It’s hard to relax at the pool with all the pounding noises and saws. The hotel is currently booking for about $675 per night. For that kind of money, we’d recommend waiting until the construction noise dies down in a couple of months.
Loud… right?!
While we were at the hotel we ran into a fantastic Santa who filled us in on the names of the different reindeer and what they mean. What a jolly fellow! We really enjoyed meeting him… and we may have asked for some presents.
Disney Gallery Update
Disney gallery will close for a bit in Jan. A new exhibit is finally coming for Disney’s 100th anniversary. That means that the Haunted Mansion exhibit which has been showing since 2019 will finally be replaced.
There’s a TV screen which has been turned off for a while. It had played a video featuring Steve Martin from the resort’s 50th anniversary. The delightful (but out of date) short film had originally played inside the Lincoln theater itself, but was later moved out to the lobby.
There’s also a dated display case titled “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”
“Yesterday” shows vintage photos of the resort.
“Today” features projects which were new at the time… such as the addition of the Hatbox ghost in Haunted Mansion, the new fully animatronic yeti in the Matterhorn, and enhancements to Peter Pan.
And the “Tomorrow” section features the then ‘upcoming’ Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge project. And it’s not even the final concept art which was used. Look at the rock work behind the Millennium Falcon. It was originally supposed to have featured dwellings in the rocks… but all of that was eventually cut.
The Lincoln theater and lobby will also be closed, and we aren’t sure if there will be any updates (temporary or permanent) here as well:
Yes, there’s more…
Five & Dime Rolling Again
Since the parks reopened, the delightful Five and Dime jazz group has been performing on a temporary stage at the Carthay Circle Fountain in DCA….
But this past weekend, they got their car back. Now they are performing as they were intended to…
Now… can we please get the Newsboys back in the Red Car Trolley?
Mobility Device Entrance
Over the weekend we noticed that they were offering a special Mobility Device Entry to the far right of the Disneyland turnstiles closest to the Wheelchair rentals. In the past they’ve offered something similar from time to time in the center gates. This makes more sense for folks renting scooters, but it might make it harder for those coming from the parking structure… especially if no one knows if the special gate is being used or not.
Avatar: The Way Of Water
When we were shooting our park update this week, we were handed an Avatar button when we entered the park. Synergy! When the first Avatar film came out, it was distributed by FOX. Disney later obtained the rights to build the Pandora land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and then acquired the FOX film and television library. So, now the Avatar films (including the new one and upcoming films) are Disney productions! We may have just gotten a button, but Disney’s Animal Kingdom got a projection show, special food, and merchandise:
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Comes to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
WDI 70th anniversary
Walt Disney Imagineering has turned 70 years old. But in a year of numbers… Disney’s 100th, Walt Disney World’s 50th… there really wasn’t much room to celebrate this milestone without confusion. But we shared some great stories from some of Imagineering’s finest:
MESSY
Disneyland is old folks. Over the years things get redone, repainted, new themes… stuff gets built on top of previous attractions… you get the idea. When we were at the park on Thursday, we noticed that the Subs, Autopia, and Train were all down. That’s not completely unusual as the three attractions are sort of stacked one on top of the other. But the attractions stayed closed for most of the day… Turns our that a pipe burst under the Autopia and created a little flood, which ended up dumping into the Sub lagoon.
Disney is getting pretty good about dealing with mini messes like this and the attractions were back a day later.
But the Tomorrowland attractions weren’t the only thing down. 8 significant attractions were all down at the same time. Attraction reliability is becoming an increasing problem in the resort. There will ALWAYS be attraction breakdowns, there always have been, but there’s absolutely a significant increase in the frequency of ride closures recently.
Own a Piece of Pirates History:
When Pirates of the Caribbean went down for a major refurbishment of its queue earlier this summer, the two Rusty Leaf Fig Trees were removed as they were diseased and needed to be replaced. The trees didn’t completely go to waste, as some of the wood was recovered and used in various projects. Here is one of those projects, a cross-section of one of the trees trunks. It is labeled with various points in the attraction’s history (the trees were planted in 1987).
There were only 45 of these made and they carry the hefty price of $6,500. A pirate’s ransome in gold.
A Christmas Fantasy Parade:
We just happened to exit the train as the Christmas Fantasy Parade was stepping off from the Main Street Gate. So we got a great view of the parade from the platform! Here are a few of the photos from the parade.
Disneyland Walkthrough With Dusty
As is our custom, we took a stroll through the park at 5pm on Friday on our Facebook Live. We’ve embeded it here for you as it really shows you what the parks were like this week. Not too crowded. But I make a special point of showing what is and isn’t decorated for Christmas this year.
Park Views:
And now, some shots from our visits to the Disneyland Resort this week. We hope you enjoy them…
As evening sets in it gets much, much busier. From the 2nd showing of A Christmas Fantasy Parade until after the Fireworks is just nuts!
And we are including something for one of our readers who asked about World of Color: Season of Light. The snow hearts (which were giant snowflakes in their first year) returned a few weeks ago. We have a short video for you of one of the segments followed by magical snope hearts…
Discount Disney Theme Park Tickets & Hotels
Time to book your Disney100 travel. Don’t miss the new ride and shows!
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If you live in Southern California, there’s a very special ticket offer for you that runs from January 9th through May 25th:
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Let’s Hear From You
Well folks, now it’s your turn. What caught your eye? Is Disneyland doing enough for the money? Is it OK that Disney has allowed Knott’s and even Six Flags to surpass them in holiday decor and lights? if you are a Magic Key holder, what do you plan to do instead of Disneyland for the remainder of the holiday season? We look forward to hearing from you below.
Please help us out by voting in our Magic Meter poll. We’re going to start tracking your feelings on how magical the Disneyland Resort is so we can see if things are getting better or worse.
Happy Hanukkah!
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