You can almost hear bat wings fluttering as Disneyland prepares to kick off its Halloween season later this week. The spooky time of year officially begins this Friday, September 1st! And amidst the flurry of getting the park dressed in its macabre best, there’s also a whole lot of other news to catch up on. This week not only brings the start of Halloween, but also the end of the Rogers musical and a Magic Key experience, and also the opening of a ‘new’ mini land. Plus, there’s some good news about our closely watched Main Street animated windows. Catch all this, along with crowd gossip, construction updates, and much more in today’s Disneyland Update!
But first… we’re having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave…
Warning, Your Mickey Bar Is Melting!
The park may be looking like fall… but if you’re visiting Disneyland today (August 28th), prepare for one of the hottest days of the year. A heat advisory for Anaheim could have the Disneyland Resort reaching 100°. Disneyland isn’t built for this kind of weather in the way Walt Disney World is, so seeking shade and air conditioning can be a challenge in many areas.
If you need some tips on things to prioritize on a hot day, take a look at our recent MiceShots (and some great comments from our readers).
Be careful out there!
Magic Keys Unlocked & Lowest Ticket Prices
If that subheading has you thinking that Disneyland has been packed… you are correct! Especially on weekdays. The dynamic we’ve been noting for months went into overdrive this week when all 4 Magic Key levels were unblocked during the week and $104/day tickets were also available Monday through Thursday.
On Thursday, the resort was uncomfortably crowded all day.
Lines at the parking structure and security were long and there were times when cars were backed up all the way onto the freeway. One of our staff members got trapped in this security line for over 20 minutes in the heat…
However, the price for day tickets jumped to $159/169 over the weekend and the lower tier passes had weekend block-outs… so, at least during the day, the parks were blissfully uncrowded. When we arrived mid day on Friday, we couldn’t believe how much less crowded it was than the day before. Guests are clearly prioritizing lower cost days, and a $50-$60 price jump from a Wednesday to a weekend is worth adjusting your schedule for.
But once the passholders got off work for the weekend, the park started filling up rapidly. And by 7pm, conditions were packed again… with crazy lines to get food and beverages before the nighttime entertainment starts.
Disneyland has the data, guests have been avoiding the most expensive days and visiting on the least expensive days, regardless of high or low travel season. We firmly believe Disneyland has set prices too high on the top tiers of their pricing structure (particularly at the $159-$179 levels). But plenty of guests seem to be willing to pay $104 or a bit more. Disneyland has seven tiers to their one-day/one-park tickets:
Tier 0 – $104
Tier 1 – $114
Tier 2 – $129
Tier 3 – $144
Tier 4 – $159
Tier 5 – $169
Tier 6 – $179
What do you think the right range of ticket prices is?
Halloween Kickoff
Are you ready for ghouls and frights and moonlit nights? Forget all about the 100° temperatures… it’s Halloween! At least according to Disneyland’s calendar. This Friday (September 1st) launches the spooky season at the Disneyland Resort. Haunted Mansion Holiday will open, Halloween Screams fireworks returns, new holiday foods will be released, and Cars Land will be celebrating a honkin’ Haul-o-ween. And if you want just the right thing to wear, that’s no problem, Disneyland has been selling Halloween merchandise for over a month now.
With just days to go until the popular Halloween season launches, work is being conducted everywhere to meet the deadline.
Perhaps most impressive is the overlay of Cars Land.
Many of the land’s most iconic elements are swapped out, repainted, or dressed up with a car version of 1950’s Halloween. It’s enchanting, a bit spooky, and filled with humor and great puns.
On Friday night, not everything was lit and many of the special effects weren’t turned on yet… and there were still quite a few props left to install… but it all looked GREAT.
Some of the neon in the land appears to be under restoration. Most of the neon at Flo’s was turned off, as was the neon at the Cozy Cone.
Take a moment to read all the signs at the curio shop. Trunk or Treat!
Buena Vista Street goes batty for Halloween. The belfry of Carthy Circle has once again been infested with bats.
And purple banners topped by bats line the street.
The purple twinkle lights weren’t turned on yet for our photo shoot.
And a dramatic touch still hadn’t made its way to Buena Vista Street. The Headless Horseman generally commands the garden which currently hosts a Disney100 medallion.
And Paradise Garden is being prepared for Plaza de Familia.
Meanwhile, on Main Street U.S.A. things are a bit more subtle than they are at California Adventure. But many of the windows have been redressed, pumpkins are popping up, and the stores are in full Halloween mode.
Some of the windows at the Emporium and in front of Starbucks have been adorned with creepy skulls, carnivorous plants, mystical implements, and lots of drippy candles.
It took me a bit to notice, but some of the flowers have TEETH!
Take a close look at the dried lotus pod below… it’s looking back at you…
The Candy Palace gets some fun vintage decor. Most of it is tucked away on upper shelves, so be sure to look up.
My favorite store decorations are at Fortuosity, which is taken over by a murder of crows…
Main Street also gets a plethora of pumpkins. Many of them are themed to the shops they are located at. Others are just whimsical.
But as of yesterday, the biggest pumpkin of them all was still waiting back stage. However, everything is set for his big debut. The Disney100 Mickey statue in Town Square has been removed and replaced with some flowers until the giant Mickey pumpkin is placed in his normal spot.
We are also waiting on the Frontierland Halloween Tree & Die de los Muertos decor.
And, we might just get a special Halloween Mickey floral at the front of Disneyland if we are lucky. The flowers have just been swapped out with fall colors.
But the big draw at Disneyland is Haunted Mansion Holiday! And Jack is just about done wrecking the halls…
Oogie Boogie Bash Preparations
The tortilla moon will soon rise over DCA. Every year we await the giant Oogie Boogie cutout over the front gate, backed by a moon that looks like a giant tortilla. Oogie is the spokes-monster for California Adventure’s Halloween parties, which are fully sold out for the season.
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail becomes Villains Grove during the Halloween parties. The area had been closed for a little over a week to accommodate the installation of video and audio equipment for the events. It is now reopened. During the day, the trail will be open to regular guests and looks nearly normal. But during Oogie Boogie party nights, the area is transformed into a villainous forest with iconic Disney baddies represented via music, lights, and special effects.
The small stage area (where Santa and Raya do their meet and greets) is closed to guests during the season. Equipment is kept here.
Also, look for the weather stations… which are really just cleverly disguised projector boxes.
There are a few details which fit in by day, but are really part of the nighttime show… like this wall of white roses for the Queen of Hearts section. At night they are magically painted red, while she is projected along the wall.
The Queen of Heart’s roses look white during the day, but at night they are magically painted red.
The transformation to Villains Grove is undoubtedly one of our favorite parts of Oogie Boogie Bash. Here’s what it looked like last year:
While we’re on the subject of the Halloween Party, there are two new faces joining the party this year. Disney shared this teaser last week:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwYBv70pTR1/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA
Based on the video above, we can speculate that the characters are Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Yokai from Big Hero Six. I didn’t immediately remember who Judge Doom was until my team reminded me! Hopefully most guests have a better memory than I do, and parents show their kids the film before the event.
The other character appears to be Yokai, who actually has previously appeared in DCA! During Villains Nite 2022, the BH6 character was quite menacing.
Want to explore Disneyland’s Halloween plans a little more closely? Here are our articles about plans, food, and merchandise:
Halloween Headquarters: Disney Parks Halloween Events, Menus, Tickets & More
Disneyland Halloween 2023 Food Guide – Tons of Treats to Try!
Disneyland Early Entry Changes
All good things must come to an end. The current early entry perk for guests of the three Disneyland hotels is changing. Currently, both parks open half an hour early each morning, giving Disneyland’s hotel guests a head start over regular guests and pass holders. However, starting January 20th of next year, only one park will open early each day. Disney hasn’t said which attractions would be open or if the park opening early will compensate for the increase in the number of guests using the early morning perk.
The Construction Boom
There is construction EVERYWHERE at the Disneyland Resort right now. It’s shocking to guests who haven’t been in a while. I met a friend for lunch in Downtown Disney last week, who didn’t have a ticket to the park, and she couldn’t believe the amount of construction walls… And that’s just Downtown Disney! Because of the length of this update already, I’m going to focus on a few of the things about to open and which are significant to note…
Adventureland Restrooms Reopened
The entry to Adventureland is wide open again. The large construction zone for the burst pipe has been repaved and reopened.
While the restrooms and walkways have reopened, the waterfall which acted as a privacy wall in front of the facilities has been completely demolished. It’s unclear if the park will be rebuilding it or they have another thematic way to hide the view inside. Keep in mind that the restrooms are the first thing you see when you cross the bridge from the hub into Adventureland. The waterfall was an attempt to make that first look into the land more pleasant than a bathroom. If they don’t do something significant here, it would truly be one of the most disappointing welcome experiences in any Disney land.
Adventureland Treehouse
As the sign says, “Coming soon”…
The last remaining thing seems to be the installation and testing and adjusting of the water wheel system.
Scaffolds were set up around the system. You can see that the bamboo buckets on the left of the scaffolds are unfettered, but the ones on the right go through the scaffolds.
Looking forward to seeing this one up and running soon!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
There’s not a lot to see here folks. They’ve pulled just about all the old Splash details off of the mountain. It’s just a lot of scaffolds and plastic wrap at this point.
We’ll keep an eye on things and let you know if anything interesting happens.
Tiana’s Palace
At long last, Tiana’s new restaurant will be opening on September 7th. I was able to attend a little media event where we met the team working on the overlay of the old French Market and the chefs who created the new menu. In the process I got to try two different kinds of gumbo, a delicious beignet, a great cornbread, and a beef po’ boy that’s going to be a big hit.
The patio has a little more shade than before the redo, and some additional seating has been added as well.
Just about everything is ready. The kitchen is already cooking, and we saw cast members sitting at the tables with food.
As part of the project, the facade of the building along the side of the Disneyland Railroad was also refurbished. The work seems to have wrapped up, revealing fresh paint and some new decor on the balconies.
The entire dining area was previously contained within the rod iron canopy supports. It now extends out to a new brick retaining wall. A clever way to add a few more seats. You’ll also see some large custom lanterns.
Here’s a sample of some entrees and pricing:
Avengers Vault
The new marvel themed store will open in Avengers Campus in mid-September. The shop will be called the Avengers Vault and will mostly carry items which are available elsewhere. However, there will be a unique line of item called Infinity Saga Relics.
San Fransokyo
You don’t have long to wait… San Fransokyo has been opening in phases, with new menus and decor showing up a little at a time. But the entire package will unwrap on August 31st. That should mean that the new shop, Baymax meet and greet, and Aunt Cass Cafe will join the rest of the land which is already open.
This week we spotted a new sign for Ghirardelli, the old cannery sign was replaced, and there is a strange tangle of wires which have been added all over. But the most noticeable thing is that the San Fransokyo Square Bridge is just about done.
The Ghirardelli sign has added characters below it.
And the cannery sign has been replaced with one that says San Fransokyo Square on one side…
And the same thing in katakana characters on the other side.
They’ve been working hard on the bridge all week.
Not long now folks… Stay tuned, we’ll be there when it opens!
Downtown Disney West End Construction
The Din Tai Fung restaurant is going up quickly. It seems like they moved dirt around for a year and then suddenly this building popped up fast.
And toward the center of Downtown Disney is the large construction zone for Paseo and Centrico. This is a massive project and is essentially demolished in the interior.
Refurbishments
Currently Under Refurbishment:
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- Tarzan’s Treehouse Transformation: (September 1st, 2021-2023)
- French Market – Remodel to Tiana’s Palace: (February 17th-September 6th)
- Mint Julep Bar: (February 17th-September 6th)
- Splash Mountain – Conversion to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: (May 31st, 2023-Late 2024)
- Disneyland Monorail: (July 5th-August 31st)
- Schmoozies!: (July 30th-September 7th)
- Haunted Mansion – Holiday Install: (August 14th-31st)
- Paradise Garden Grill: (August 25th-30th)
- Sorcerer’s Workshop: (August 28st-September 6th)
- Golden Zephyr: (August 28th-September 28th)
Upcoming Refurbishments:
-
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island: (September 5th-7th)
- Sailing Ship Columbia: (September 11th-14th)
- Mark Twain Riverboat: (September 17th-TBA)
- Space Mountain: (September 18th-Fall 2023)
This & That
We’re nearly done for this week. Let’s wrap up a few of the other stories from around Disneyland.
Ahsoka Lands in Galaxy’s Edge
Star Wars fans, you’ve got a new reason to head back to Galaxy’s Edge. Ahsoka Tano has made her Disneyland debut.
The character walks around the Marketplace area (like Mando and Grogu) pausing briefly to interact with guests.
Ahsoka’s in-park appearance is synergistically motivated to promote the new Disney+ series, Ahsoka. For more details about the show, Ahsoka’s face character appearance, and even specialty merchandise, explore the article below:
DISNEY NEWS: Ahsoka Tano Arrives at Disneyland and on Disney+
Hallelujah
At long last, the Main Street animated windows are all lit and mostly working. For over a year, we’ve been following the sad state of the charming animated windows of the Disneyland Emporium on Main Street. They’d get fixed, break, be turned off, and then just sit there in the darkness.
Broken on the left and fixed on the right:
We understand that things break… but why can’t they be fixed? And, rides often have a “B-Mode” for important show pieces when the break so guests still get an adequate experience. Which is why we’ve never understood why these windows are turned off when they break instead of leaving the music running and lighting them dramatically. They are still highly detailed dioramas from favorite animated films, even if they aren’t moving.
Well, this week every window was lit, with music on, and most of them were working as well. That doesn’t mean they’ll still be working on our next visit, but we felt like we won the lottery. And, hopefully, they’ve found a way to at least make these windows not feel like they are broken… even when they are!
Hallelujah!
MiceChat Meetup
MiceChat events are always a great way to make new friends and meet fellow Disney fans. There’s an upcoming opportunity to get to know your MiceChat pals with a MiceChat noon meet-up on September 24 (the last Sunday of September). We meet in the central hub of Disneyland (next to the Walt and Mickey statue), as we have for over 20 years. Make your reservations now because we’d love to see you there.
MiceChat Parking Offer at The Anaheim Hotel
Our popular parking deal with The Anaheim Hotel has returned! Located directly across the street from Disneyland on Harbor Blvd, the hotel offers MiceChat readers discounted parking for the day (when space is available). Make sure you are following MiceChat on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and bring a printout of this offer with you.
Disney Parks Ticket & Travel Offers!
You can snag the latest Disney travel deals from our partners at Get Away Today – INCLUDING THE NEW CALIFORNIA TICKET OFFER:
The new California ticket offer is even cheaper if you get it from MiceChat and Get Away Today than those offered by Disneyland directly. The new 3-day ticket comes with options to add park-hopping, Genie+ and options for week-day only or weekends included.
Not a California resident? We have great deals for you too!
Check out the latest offers for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm, including new low hotel rates, extra days and nights for free, special perks, and a “4-Park Magic Ticket” to Walt Disney World:
- Disneyland California Resident Ticket Offer – HERE
- Book Discount theme park tickets, hotels, and exclusive packages – HERE
(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
Although it seems like Disney is really cutting it close in terms of readiness for Halloween, they have decades of experience of making decorating magic happen over night. And with the full return of Magic Keyholders to the parks, you can surely expect that everyone will want to see the seasonal offerings this year. Don’t forget to make those park reservations.
With all the events, food, restaurants, and mini-land on the way, what are you most excited about? Will you be exploring the fully-finished San Fransokyo Square this Thursday? Has Disneyland priced themselves into a corner with those $159+ weekend tickets? What do you think the right weekday and weekend pricing should be? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Now, a little thank you gift for joining us today. How about some fun photos…
Have you noticed the image below at the Disneyland Resort? Let me know where it’s located…
