Disneyland Update: The Big Christmas Lock Out

Celebrate Gospel at Disneyland Park: Feb. 17 and 24, 2024

This is a sort of blink and you’ll miss it kind of thing. The Fantasyland Theatre plays host to Gospel music on just two dates. (Marvin Sapp on Feb. 17 and Tasha Cobbs Leonard on Feb. 24.)

Anaheim Ducks Days at Disney California Adventure Park: Feb. 22 and 23, 2024

Another 2 day celebration honors the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club. Disneyland and the Ducks are teaming up for a two-day event in Hollywood Land, including a celebratory cavalcade, a fan zone with themed activities, photo ops, and appearances by select current and legacy team players.

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival: March 1 – April 22, 2024

DCA’s biggest food festival returns for nearly two months this coming spring. Aside from festival food booths, you’ll find cooking demonstrations, family-friendly entertainment, and the always-popular limited-time return of Soarin’ Over California.

Season of the Force at Disneyland Park: April 5 – June 2, 2024 

There’s a two month celebration for Star Wars fans for most of April and May. Season of the Force brings the return of the Hyperspace Mountain attraction overlay and specially themed food, beverages, and merchandise. During the celebration, new adventures will debut aboard Star Tours – The Adventures Continue and a new way to experience Disneyland’s fireworks from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  Galactic music will sweep through the spires during fireworks. Nice… but we wish they did this on ALL fireworks nights!

Obviously, Season of the Force also includes May 4th, AKA Star Wars Day – as in “May the 4th Be With You.”

It’s Star Wars Day at Disneyland: May The 4th Be With You!

We have more for you below about an after-hours event for Star Wars lovers as well. 

Pixar Fest: April 26 – Aug. 4, 2024

Here’s a fun one… Pixar Fest returns! The festival was last held for the opening of Pixar Pier in 2018. This year’s similar event will include colorful décor, themed menu items, and commemorative merchandise.

The festival also includes an all-new daytime parade at Disney California Adventure called “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” and the return of “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” in Disneyland (including all-new scenes). 

During the festival, guests may spot new characters, such as Ember and Wade from “Elemental” and Red Panda Mei from “Turning Red.” We expect the parade to continue after the celebration ends. But we’ve heard nothing about the potential return of the Paint the Night Parade, which last ran during the fest with a special Incredibles float just for the celebration. It’s likely that the wonderful nighttime parade will not be returning during Pixar Fest. 

Aug. 23 – Oct. 31, 2024: Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort

Halloween starts early in 2024, launching in August!!! Halloween brings spooky eats and treats, favorite seasonal attraction overlays (and yes, further extends Jack Skellington’s already lengthy lease at the Haunted Mansion).

Over at DCA, Plaza de la Familia returns, along with an extended Día de los Muertos celebration featuring cultural crafts, foods, music, and storytelling based on Pixar’s “Coco.”

Holidays at the Disneyland Resort: Starting Nov. 15, 2024

If you are loving the holidays this year, you can expect the celebration in 2024 to be very similar. The celebration kicks off nearly a week later in 2024 than it did in 2023. While no dates have been shared, we do expect Candlelight to return the first weekend in December. 

Disneyland Resort After-Hours Events in 2024

The things above are included with your park admission. But Disneyland also offers some extra cost after hours events in 2024. Some are returning favorites, others are new. In 2023, some events sold out quickly (like Star Wars Nite, Sweethearts’ Nite, and Oogie Boogie Bash) and others never sold out. Which of the events below do you think will be hits and which are you willing to miss? 

• Sweethearts’ Nite – Jan. 23, 25, 30, Feb. 1, 6, 8, 12 & 14, 2024 (on sale December 12th for Magic Keyholders and Dec 13th for everyone else)

• NEW: Disney Channel Nite – Mar. 5 & 7, 2024 (on sale December 12th for Magic Keyholders and Dec 13th for everyone else)
• Star Wars Nite – April 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, May 2, 7 & 9, 2024 (oddly, there’s no event on May the 4th!)

• Pride Nite – June 18 & 20, 2024
• Oogie Boogie Bash – Halloween Party: The extremely popular after-hours Halloween party will return to California Adventure in 2024 with immersive treat trails, rare character sightings, and unique entertainment. Dates are not yet known. We’ll be curious to see if they start in August along with Halloween Time. 

You can read more about the upcoming events in our dedicated article: 

EXCITING UPDATES: Disneyland Events & Pride Nite Details!

What Else Is Coming To The Disneyland Resort in 2024? 

The events, celebrations, and after-hours parties aren’t the only things opening in 2024. Here are a few other things to keep your eyes on. We don’t know the dates for everything just yet…

Pixar Place Hotel: Jan. 30, 2024

The Paradise Pier Hotel is nearly ready to be rededicated as Pixar Place. The 15-story hotel will feature Pixar-themed guest rooms, a whimsical rooftop pool area and play court, and the new Great Maple restaurant (which is already open).

Disney just shared a look at the new rooms. Let us know what you think: 

Fantasmic! Returns: May 24, 2024

We have good news and bad news on the big return of Fantasmic!  The good news first, the Peter Pan scene, which had been replaced with the live-action version of Pirates of the Caribbean, will be returning! That’s very good news indeed. Now the bad… there will be no physical Maleficent Dragon in the show and the climatic scene between Mickey and Maleficent is being rewritten with new special effects. We’ll have to wait to see how it turns out… but it’s hard to imagine the show without a big fire-breathing dragon! 

If you’ve been living under a rock, you may have missed the destruction of the Maleficent dragon in a horrible April 2023 incident:

Breaking News: Disneyland’s Fantasmic Gets A Reopening Date!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: Late 2024

Splash Mountain is rapidly being transformed into the same ride… but with a whole new theme and soundtrack. All about the new ride: 

GUIDE: Everything You Need to Know About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!

Downtown Disney Restaurants: Various Dates in 2024

A new permanent stage and seating area recently opened in Downtown Disney, but just beyond the construction walls surrounding it are a variety of new eateries and bars. 

On one side of the stage is the upcoming Parkside Market building, which will contain a number of establishments. 

And on the other side is Din Tai Fung, a popular Dim Sum restaurant. 

In the center of Downtown Disney is the Paseo and Centrico project. The upscale Mexican restaurant and outdoor bar complex is expected to open in 2024. The circular outdoor bar is being covered in wooden slats now: 

And, finally, Earl of Sandwich will soon be displaced once again and a new Portos will be built. The project was announced at the last D23 Expo and STILL hasn’t broken ground. That’s how slow things often move at Disney, with everything years in the works. 

Check out our recent article for more news about what’s coming to Downtown Disney:

Downtown Disney Transformed: Updates on New Restaurants & Shops!

Earthquake Shakes Things Up!

Last Monday night, a 3.5 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter near Disneyland hit the resort area. A 3.5 is a minor shaker and would not be expected to cause any damage. However, it was big enough to shut ALL of Disneyland’s attractions and cause guests to be evacuated from attractions and wait outside for an extended period while attractions where inspected. While this was just a minor inconvenience for guests, it does remind us that Southern California is earthquake territory and a big shaker could happen at any time. 

Dusty felt the quake at home and immediately checked the Disneyland app. He watched as one attraction after another reported itself temporarily closed. When he posted this to social media, 17 attractions were reported closed. But just minutes later, all of the moving rides were down: 

3.5 earthquake strikes near Disneyland. At least 17 attractions currently closed. Damage, very unlikely, but guests will be inconvenienced while rides are inspected. pic.twitter.com/gNkdyAQu1K

— MiceChat (@MiceChat) December 5, 2023

Magic Key Lock-Out

Tis the season… Magic Keys are locking up for the season. The highest level (Inspire Key) will lock out from December 20th through January 2nd. There will be two weeks during the holidays when every guest will need a ticket, and there won’t be any pass holders (unless they buy a ticket, of course). 

As of last night, there were just 2 days still available for new reservations (today and tomorrow) through the end of the year for the Inspire Key (keep in mind that reservations do open as other guests cancel their reservations): 

Magic Key reservations are a hot topic for many Disneyland fans. While having reservations ensures more walking room within the parks, it can be difficult to secure reservations during popular times of the year, especially on weekends. Some appreciate the benefit of reservations and others hate it. 

Disney World has loosened Annual Pass reservations. Starting in January, there are a number of small changes that will make a big difference: 

• Passholders may visit a park after 2:00 PM without a theme park reservation––except when visiting Magic Kingdom park on Saturdays and Sundays. Pass blockout dates will continue to apply.
• “Good-to-go days” for Passholders will begin sometime in January, which means the theme park reservation calendar will be updated periodically to show Passholders select days when they may visit a Disney World theme park without needing a theme park reservation. Pass blockout dates will continue to apply.
• Beginning January 9, 2024, Guests with a ticket with Park Hopper benefits or an Annual Pass will be able to visit another theme park at any time of day during park hours (subject to capacity limitations).

We wouldn’t be surprised to see Disneyland follow Walt Disney World’s lead in some way… but keep in mind that Disney World is much larger than Disneyland and has far fewer pass holders. So, unless you want your parks beyond-packed on busy days, more restrictions are likely still necessary at Disneyland Resort. 

Lightbulbgate

When guests pay a premium for park tickets, especially on top-tier holiday days (many days are now $194 for a one-day/one-park ticket), they expect a certain level of show readiness at the resort. Unfortunately, Disneyland has been missing the mark lately on unexpected attraction downtime, upkeep, and cleanliness. Walt Disney sought to differentiate Disneyland from the amusement parks of the day by having it always look as perfect as possible. 

While waiting hours for Candlelight on Main Street last week, I couldn’t help but notice all the burnt-out lightbulbs on the Train Station.

The Firehouse…

Almost every building with lights on it has at least some bulbs burnt out. 

The little gift shop across from Small World may have more bulbs burnt out than lit. 

I was at Knott’s Berry Farm over the weekend and couldn’t help but notice the sharp contrast between the two parks… Knott’s was clean, crisp, and well-lit. We noticed very few of the popcorn lights at Knott’s were burned out. I never thought I’d need to use Knott’s as an example of show readiness. But at just $79.99 (the online price for a Saturday ticket) Knott’s was a GREAT value. 

And, since many of you are blocked out of Disneyland or can’t get a reservation, be sure to check out our holiday guide to Knott’s Merry Farm. It’s well worth a visit for, and don’t miss the touching ice show! 

A Calico Christmastime: Your Guide to Knott’s Merry Farm 2023

Current Disneyland Refurbishments

• Splash Mountain: Conversion to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: (May 31st, 2023-Late 2024)
• Mark Twain Riverboat: (September 17th-TBA)
• Astro Orbitor: (November 27th-TBA)

Upcoming Disneyland Refurbishments

• Blue Bayou Restaurant: (January 7th-19th)
• “it’s a small world” – Holiday Takedown: (January 8th-19th)
• Sailing Ship Columbia: (January 8th-11th)
• Grizzly River Run: (January 8th-TBA)
• World of Color: (January 8th-TBA)
• Paradise Gardens Park: (January 8th-TBA)
• Haunted Mansion: Not yet listed, but will be scheduled soon. Holiday take-down and construction of ADA Elevator, New Shop, and New Queue

This and That

There’s always more when it comes to Disneyland…

Pet a Clydesdale:

It doesn’t happen very often, but if you are in Disneyland and see a short line to greet one of Main Street’s gorgeous horses, take the opportunity to say hello. On Saturday, we were in the parks at about noon and saw Chip greeting guests and taking photos next to the Firehouse. 

Astro Orbiter Refurbishment:

Not much has visually changed at the Astro Orbiter refurbishment. Around the construction wall, there are informational signs about the attraction and attractions like it in Disney parks all over the world. But the #2 plaque had some incorrect information on it at was removed. Well, now it has returned with corrected text!

Toontown:

Over in Toontown, things seem to be coming back together little by little. While the Splash Pad by Donald’s Boat is still behind construction walls, the playground toys in Goofy’s How to Play Yard are all back.

As an aside – one thing that really confuses me is Donald’s mailbox being covered by a fence that runs in front of it. The design of the mailbox itself is really wonderful. It’s just a shame that the fence doesn’t run behind the mailbox so we can see the whole thing. Odd placement and something so easy for Disney to fix. 

Over in Goofy’s How to Play Yard, the birdhouses have returned. Dusty reported on it last week, but I was able to get some great night photos that make it easier to see inside the windows. Each little house has its own miniature scene if you look into the windows. Charming…

Toys for Tots:

World of Disney has made it even easier to give this year. Every Year, there are bins set up to drop off toys for the long-running program that is put on by the U.S. Marines. There was a Cast Member standing at a display next to World of Disney with toys you could purchase and put directly into the bin. Smart! Donation made!!

There are lots of discounts in the stores right now. Some of the discounts are quite good. 

Merry MiceShots

And to wrap things up, I’d love to share some of my favorite photos from the week. This may have been my last visit for the year, so I was feeling particularly nostalgic about the Christmas displays and decorations. 

The tree on Buena Vista Street is really a treat. If you haven’t stopped for a close look, it’s absolutely filled with vintage Disney details. Love this tree. 

Another out-of-the-way spot to check out is Redwood Creek. While it’s a kids’ play area, it’s also a charming rustic Christmas display. 

I had wanted to see Santa in his cabin in the woods… but the line was at least an hour long. I’ll catch you next year big guy. 

Grizzly will be going down for its seasonal refurbishment on January 8th.  

Did you know that Storybook Land Canal Boats has a seasonal overlay? It’s true! I wrote a column about it on Friday: 

MiceShots: Discover the Magic of Storybook Land’s Holiday Makeover at Disneyland

Decorating with birdhouses! Why didn’t I think of that?!  You’ll find these artful trees inside Plaza Inn. 

Not ready for today’s Disney magic to end? It doesn’t have to…

Disneyland Live 

Join Dusty and me on the latest MiceChat’s weekly walk through Disneyland. It’s a journey that starts on Storybook Land and continues through the park. You won’t want to miss it…

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