You know that feeling you get when you go somewhere you love, but something feels off? That’s how Disneyland has been feeling to me this summer. There’s just a lack of… well… magic. Things feel stale. Pixar Fest has fizzled. Entertainment continues to be cut. And even though there’s a fantastic ticket offer for the summer, the crowds are missing. It isn’t all bad news, folks; some good things are coming sooner than expected. But Disney desperately needs a message from the great beyond because something is very, very broken with the park experience right now.
Today, we’ll examine what’s wrong, what’s coming, and why Disneyland should be worried about Bob Iger’s short stint as CEO.
Disneyland Marks The Big 7-0 (but not yet)
Disney is kicking off the Road to Disneyland’s 70th anniversary on July 13th (more than a year early)… at least for cast members, and possibly for guests in some way as well. Disneyland’s 69th birthday is July 17th, but don’t expect a big celebration as the resort is holding off for a bigger celebration next year. And what might that celebration entail? At the heart will be a Disneyland 70th exhibit in the Opera House and a whole new show in the Lincoln theater. Don’t worry; Lincoln will still be there, but some of the show may also be about Disneyland and the man who started it all, Walt Disney! This wouldn’t be the first time the Lincoln theater became the centerpiece of a major celebration, many of you will remember the Disneyland 50th celebration in the Opera House with its film hosted by Steve Martin, laced with Disney history and humor (The First 50 Magical Years). It actually sounds quite promising to me. After all, the sign out front says, “The Disneyland Story Presenting, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” A 70th anniversary is a great time to hear more of that Disneyland story the sign mentions!
This year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (the artist formally known as D23 Expo) will likely shed some light on the 70th anniversary, along with the big expansions on the way for the years ahead. And while we’d love to think that Disneyland will have some major things open in time for the major 75th anniversary in 6 years, Disney isn’t always consistent about meeting deadlines and major milestones… so… expect to get what we get when we get it.
After all, this will be the third “Expo” since they first promised a big new Avengers-themed e-ticket attraction for the Avengers Campus. Due to Chapek budget cuts, they dumbed the ride down from an ambitious cutting-edge ride system to a more cost-effective trackless motion-base type ride. For all the lost development work, new design, and years of extra labor, we could have had the more expensive ride to begin with! But whatever they finally build, if it isn’t something spectacular, fans will feel awfully disappointed after that long wait and buildup.
But here’s the good news: Disney knows they have been disappointing fans with lackluster announcements these last two Expos (and Iger needs to start selling investors on where all that promised $60 billion for Parks and Resorts is going), so Imagineering is working on overdrive to produce panels, presentations, and a major Expo booth to showcase where they are spending all that cash! Unfortunately, nearly a third of it has already been set aside for Walt Disney World, which will make Orlando a major focus of the Expo, not Anaheim. Additional funds will also go to more cruise ships, Vacation Club and Storyliving expansions, new parks and lands for Disney’s international parks, and perhaps the surprise of entirely new Disney resorts in parts of the world not yet served. But Disneyland fans shouldn’t despair. We haven’t been completely forgotten. Even if Disney isn’t quite ready to commit to a new Tomorrowland at the Expo, there are other big projects on the way beyond the long-promised Avatar and Avengers rides…
…There’s a whole lot of DisneylandForward that Disney needs to start explaining. We’ve all seen the maps of what they “could” build, but the $60 billion budget shuffle doesn’t look good for Disneyland. Third park-sized money doesn’t seem to be headed our way (at least not yet), but there are still billions of dollars in new projects that will hopefully spark the interest of tourists and locals alike. The question is… will it be enough to change the growing perception that Disneyland is overpriced for what it offers? If Disneyland can’t fill the hotels all around the resort in the middle of summer when kids are out of school worldwide, something is terribly wrong. Disneyland needs some magic and a new way of giving guests what they really want (instead of what Bob Chapek wanted them to accept and which Josh D’Amaro is still pushing).
Let’s hope Josh is watching the tea leaves and has something bigger planned than current budgets indicate because there’s good reason for us to be concerned. Bob Iger, Josh’s biggest supporter and enabler, won’t be around much longer (his contract ends in 2026 if it isn’t extended again). These projects need to get into major production before the next CEO comes to power and potentially wants to cut budgets or change things to match their own priorities (and, likely, the new CEO won’t be from a theme park background). $60 billion in potential spending now can quickly become billions in savings when budgets get whacked by a new CEO. That’s why we wish Disneyland was crowing loudly about that third park NOW… so the momentum will be too hard for a new CEO to cancel.
That Sinking Feeling
Before the Expo, I think it’s high time for Bob Iger to visit the parks… but this time without a VIP guide or a major executive at his side. Figure out the park experience for yourself and put yourself into the shoes of a guest from out of town who has never been to a Disney park before. Buy a ticket online. Make a park reservation. Park in Mickey and Friends. Take the tram. Wait in line at the front gate. Try to figure out how to get into the park without a physical ticket. Get in line at your favorite ride only to learn that other guests are zooming past you because they purchased something called a Lightning Lane, even though you’ve never heard of it before. Then try to figure out how and where to find it so you can do it too, only to learn that because you didn’t buy it at park opening you missed out on all the good opportunities. Go to Rise of the Resistance and wait in line because you didn’t know that even though you finally found and bought Lightning Lane, you needed to buy a different Lightning Lane to have a reasonable wait for that particular ride.
Figure out what to do when the restaurant refuses to feed you because you didn’t make a reservation days in advance. Or that you are expected to mobile order, when you don’t even know what that is. And that in the heat of the day, when your child is in full meltdown and your feet are throbbing, you have to search for a place just to sit in the shade because management decided that guests spend more money when they aren’t sitting. It’s easy to overlook the guest experience when a polished executive with full access to everything can explain to you how an app with a cute name allows you to extract the maximum amount of money out of each customer… But that, Mr. Iger, is why your parks are failing this summer. Your customers are priced out, fed up, and sharing their rapidly deteriorating feelings about Disney loudly on social media. If you haven’t noticed the trend, it’s being kept from you! $60 billion dollars can’t fix what’s broken because what’s broken is how you treat your customers!
Red, White & Who?
Summer used to be patriotic at Disneyland, with red, white, and blue bunting up and down Main Street, but not for the last two years.
In 2023, Disneyland was decked out in Platinum for the 100th anniversary of the company. This year, it’s Pixar Fest colors, and next year, it will be the 70th anniversary. Special celebrations have pushed out much of the seasonal decor that makes Main Street feel special and like a real small town. I sure wish they’d relocate the special celebration decorations into the esplanade, front gate area, central hub, and entry to each land. That would allow Main Street U.S.A. to celebrate the seasons as any small town would… especially one with “U.S.A.” right there in the name!
At least the Children of the Corn were celebrating.
Crazy Logic: High Season = Low Crowds
Disneyland isn’t anywhere close to the summer crowds written about in the guidebooks of the last decade. Back then, waits were measured in hours (often exceeding two hours for the E-Tickets) but now average only 15 to 45 minutes. Even Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers have frequently had waits under an hour (on June 22nd – a Saturday – one of our writers stepped into the Rise standby queue with a posted wait time of 40 minutes and only waited 20).
Savvy Disneyland fans know the pulse point for Disneyland crowds is New Orleans Square. If it is packed shoulder to shoulder and the line for Pirates switches backs through the land, the park is near maximum capacity. If guests are close together but can still easily walk, but the line for Pirates snakes over the bridge, it’s a moderate crowd level. And if the guests are spaced far apart and you can quickly enter the queue garden for Pirates, the park has low attendance.
This was Friday…
There was a small switchback in front of Pirates, but guests were not queuing over the bridge. Nor were the overflow switchbacks set up in the center of the land as would always be the case throughout the summer pre-2020.
20 minutes for Big Thunder? That’s not a crowded day!
I know some of you will scream and yell that the park was “packed” on your visit… Any wait seems like a long one in the heat, and there will always be pockets of higher crowds or certain days that are, in fact, more crowded than you see above. But Disneyland isn’t meeting its attendance projections or historical crowd levels. You might say it’s the hot weather (and that may be a small part of the reason), but kids are out of school, it’s always been hot at Disneyland in July, and heat doesn’t dissuade tourists who plan in advance and are locked into tickets, hotels, and park reservations.
The real reason the parks often feel dead these days is that many levels of Magic Keys are blocked out, so there aren’t as many locals to fill up the parks. In addition, one-day ticket prices are much higher than the average person thinks is reasonable. July one-day tickets are $154 to $194 for just one park without Lightning Lane (Off-season days for the rest of the year can be as low as $104). The pent-up demand of two years ago has been exhausted, and consumers squeezed by inflation on all sides are looking for forms of summer entertainment they can afford. Disney has countered the sluggish demand with a heavily discounted three-day ticket offer, but not everyone is willing (or able) to commit to three days for $250 (when Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are blocked out). We still think the 3-day ticket offer is worth taking a look at. You can use your ticket on any three valid days (you still need a park reservation) through September 26th, which means you can enjoy Pixar Fest and Halloween Time!
Our suggestion for Disneyland? Loosen park reservation requirements on weekdays at Disneyland and every day at California Adventure, and implement “Good to Go” days for all passes that allow Magic Key holders to visit on a blocked-out day if it looks to Disney like the day may not meet their attendance targets. We don’t want to see Disneyland packed to the gills, but we risk additional entertainment cuts (and even the delay of new projects) if finances don’t improve quickly.
Let Me Entertain… Who?
Speaking of entertainment cuts, due to a lack of crowds heading into summer, Magic Happens looks like it will close around August 22nd. While the park may bring back some cavalcades, Disneyland will remain without major daytime entertainment until the Christmas season!
Hello Everybody, listen to the silence… here at The Golden Horseshoe! The stage is now completely empty. No piano or any entertainment in the theater where Walt and Lillian held their 30th anniversary on July 13, 1955. It’s shameful. Disneyland can do better for $194 a day! Wondering why people don’t see the value in visiting during the summer? Entertainment cuts don’t help justify increased ticket prices!
We have more about entertainment cuts at DCA further below. But if Disneyland really wants to save its summer, it should bring back the Main Street Electrical Parade until the Holiday season in November. That would help it fill up the park and sell all those three-day ticket packages.
This was always summer to me (and note the bunting up and down Main Street as well)…
Oogie Boogie is Sold Out… But There’s Still a Way to Get In.
Due to an increase in days for the event, Oogie Boogie Bash took a while to sell out this time around, which is good! If you wanted tickets, you likely got them, even if your preferred day sold out. But now that the tickets are gone, we’re being flooded with questions about how to buy tickets.
If you missed out on party tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash, there’s still hope (though it comes at a price). Oogie Boogie Bash VIP Tours are still available! The 8-hour Oogie Boogie Bash VIP experience is for up to 8 guests. It includes event admission (with access to both parks starting as early as 2:30 p.m.), a $30 food and beverage credit per guest, priority access to Villains Grove Trail and other fan-favorite attractions, exclusive VIP character meet & greet, reserved VIP viewing of Frightfully Fun Parade (with sweet treats), plus an exclusive VIP Tour Oogie Boogie Bash pin, a Jack-o’-Lantern Candy Holder, and valet parking! That’s a lot of stuff…
But what does it cost? Oogie Boogie Bash VIP Tours range from $7,500 to $8,500 depending on the date you choose. Intrigued? To learn more about pricing and book this tour, call (714) 300-7710 or email DisneylandVIPTours.
We also have a bit of important advice for you. We’ve learned over the years that the minute an event sells out, posts from folks who “bought too many tickets” and want to sell them or can no longer attend on the date they selected and need to unload them (sometimes at a discount), flood social media and chat rooms. PLEASE BE CAREFUL. Every year, we hear sad stories from folks who get scammed. If you need tickets desperately, only buy them from someone a friend or family member can vouch for. Disneyland doesn’t allow the reselling of tickets, so there’s really nothing you can do if your name doesn’t match the name on the ticket or the tickets never arrive because you are doing something Disneyland doesn’t support. Buyer beware!
For everything you need to know about Disneyland’s after-hours Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party, including the VIP Tour, check out our guide:
Stay In Your Lightning Lane…
Starting July 24th, there will be a small but helpful change to Disneyland’s paid expedited entry system. Instead of confusing terms like Genie+, Lightning Lane, and Individual Lightning Lane Entry, you’ll just need to know two new (but similar) terms: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. The Multi Pass is the old Genie+ lightning Lane, including a collection of popular rides. The other option is the Single Pass, which is for the most popular rides like Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers, which aren’t included with the Multi Pass and that you need to pay for individually.
Disney World is making the same name change but will also allow guests to schedule rides before their visit instead of only on the day of the visit. Disneyland isn’t taking that step yet. Which would you prefer? For those who are wondering, the free “Genie” service, offering wait times, dining reservations, mobile orders, etc., will remain available.
For details about the Lightning Lane changes (both at Disneyland and Disney World), be sure to read our guide:
Construction Update Time…. Let’s Get Spooky!
There are a lot of projects small and large from Disneyland to Downtown Disney and even a few little things in California Adventure… but we know you really want to hear about Bayou Adventure and even more so about the Haunted Mansion. Well, you’ve come to the right place!
Haunting Again Soon!
According to several of our sources, the Haunted Mansion (in the form of Haunted Mansion Holiday) will likely reopen later THIS month. Haunted Mansion’s 55th anniversary is August 9th, and come hell or high water, they want the attraction to open well before that date. Unfortunately, the new queue and shop won’t be ready in time, but they have a plan to manage crowds using Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane so the extended queue won’t be needed.
While the front portion of the queue will be accessible, As you can see from these photos, there’s still a lot of work left to do on the rest of the new themed queue.
A retaining wall holds back the hillside (which the Disneyland Railroad passes behind). Before it opens to guests, this will need to be themed.
At the exit of the attraction, a new shop will be built, but it hasn’t even gone vertical yet. So there’s still many months worth of work to be done here. A pathway from the exit will remain available to guests so you can bypass the store construction.
Critter Country Closure
As of today, everything from Harbor Galley to Galaxy’s Edge is now unavailable, including all of Critter Country, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, and Hungry Bear Restaurant.
The pathways and shops in Critter Country are undergoing major renovation. During the closure, even the Hungry Bear Restaurant will have its kitchen refreshed.
But it won’t be closed for too long. We are already hearing rumblings that Tiana’s may start previews as soon as August and could open in time for D23 Day and/or the D23 Expo. But from the photos below, it’s very hard to believe.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Construction on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is moving along quickly now, and since everything was produced in duplicate for WDW and Disneyland, most of what Disneyland needed for our version was ready to be installed, with no waiting necessary. Plus, due to the extra time Disneyland had, Imagineering was able to make important tweaks to the programming, lighting, and special effects.
But there is still work to be done. For example, the roof is still being laid on the second lift hill.
And there are open sections on the mountain which must still be enclosed, patched, and painted.
The pathways around the attraction are all still dirt.
Unfortunately, one thing the Imagineers were not able to address before opening is the giant story hole in the scene before the big lift and drop, which is causing the bulk of the negative reviews at the Magic Kingdom. Whether that’s due to no creative consensus on what to do or not enough time to do it, Disneyland’s Bayou Adventure is set to experience the same fan reaction. Nearly every current and former Imagineer we’ve spoken to (who wasn’t involved with the project) has expressed some level of frustration, concern, or anger over the Bayou Adventure project, and the group thinks that’s what allowed Disney to ignore guest entertainment in favor of the desire to push a story that has nothing to do with the movie it was based upon. We’re confident the issues will be corrected in time but don’t expect it to be any time soon (after all, we’re still waiting on fixes for Tomorrowland and Galaxy’s Edge).
Get ready to head into the Bayou; check out our comprehensive attraction guide, which includes ride videos, music streaming, our honest thoughts, and background on Disneyland’s upcoming thrill ride:
GUIDE: Everything You Need to Know About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
Downtown Disney Disruption
Earl of Sandwich is still in a strange limbo between their current temporary building, their upcoming temporary food truck, and their yet-to-be-built permanent location.
For months now, it has looked like Porto’s might not follow through on taking over the current Earl location due to a combination of figuring out how to shoehorn a large new building into a tight space and hardball negotiations on the new lease. Did you know Downtown Disney charges both rent AND takes a HUGE cut of the profit? 50%+ for some tenants! Still, some negotiation is possible (at least some of what this delay is all about), but we are assured that Porto’s is still expected to eventually begin construction here.
Meanwhile, on the west end of Downtown Disney, the final stretch of adding a variety of shops and restaurants is nearing completion.
The building above will house a bar upstairs and some restaurants downstairs.
Next to the Parkside Market are some soon-to-arrive storefronts, including Nectar Bath Treats (which also has a location at Universal CityWalk).
There may also be changes coming soon to the old ESPN building, with new shopping expected in this location (we don’t know if the current building will stay or be replaced), but redevelopment is finally on the horizon here.
Sleepy DCA
Over at DCA, things are getting a little stagnant with no big entertainment in the Hyperion and smaller shows like Dr. Strange and the DJ and Dancers at Club Pixar recently canceled. The Pixar Fest offerings in this park are also falling flat. Food booths are mostly ignored by guests due to the lackluster offerings and totally insane pricing for sample sized portions.
In addition, the old Golden Vine Theater (later the Blue Sky Cellar) along the parade route is ready to open as a Disney Vacation Club sales center, replacing yet another interactive guest experience with an offering only available to some.
We know the venue is opening this month because it’s listed as one of the locations where DVC members can take advantage of “Welcome Home Weeks.” If you are a Vacation Club member. Disneyland and Walt Disney Would will offer complimentary Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bars, coffees and breakfast treats, Wednesday wine mixers, character opportunities on select dates and locations… including the new sales center in DCA. There will also be a one-time 20% mobile order discount offered (but those details are not yet available. If you are a DVC Member, bookmark the DVC Special Events page.
Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar (updated 7/05/24)
Ok, we’ve been through a lot of the photos and info, but here’s a quick guide to the current and upcoming listed refurbishments. Note that things have been changing quickly so what you see below could change in the coming days.
Currently Under Refurbishment:
- Splash Mountain Conversion to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: May 31, 2023 – Late 2024
- The Haunted Mansion: January 22 – TBA
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: March 4 – July 22
- The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: April 16 – TBA
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: May 1 – TBA
- The Briar Patch Remodel to Ray’s Berets: May 1 – TBA
- Pooh Corner Remodel to add Critter Club: May 1 – TBA
- Davey Crockett’s Explorer Canoes: July – TBA
- Hungry Bear Restaurant: July 8 – TBA
- Critter Country Fruit Cart: July 8 – TBA
Upcoming Refurbishments:
Appearently, summer ends on August 5th this year, just look at all the refurbishments dropping that same day…
- Disneyland Railroad: August 5 – TBA
- Space Mountain: August 5 – TBA
- Animation Academy: August 5 – TBA
- Turtle Talk with Crush: August 5 – 15
- Anna & Elsa’s Royal Welcome: August 5 – 15
- Disneyland Monorail: August 12 – TBA
Disneyland LIVE
If you’re not quite sure you believe the photos you saw above, or want to hear more of my thoughts about the parks, join our hour-long walk through Disneyland from this past Friday. We ride the Mark Twain to look at Mansion and Bayou Adventure construction, walk through some of the generally congested parts of the park, and peek at DCA as well. Let’s take a stroll…
Food News
We have several food-related items for you today…
New Carthay Circle Lunch Menu
Beginning on July 12th, Carthay Circle Restaurant will debut a new lunch menu that includes the following items:
- Ginger and Soy Glazed Tri Tip
- Pan Roasted Shrimp
- Grilled Chicken Meatloaf
- Green Garbanzo Bean Fritters
- Greek Style Salad
Tiendita Breakfast
Great news for early risers! Tiendita in Downtown Disney is now serving breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m… But, good luck finding a place to eat it, there’s no seating nearby. For goodness sake, did no one think a restaurant would need tables??? This location has been open for a while now, and there’s still no solution. Honestly, this is unacceptable, and Disney should never have allowed this location to open if it didn’t offer at least the minimum guest conveniences. To add insult to injury, this location also offers a Magic Key discount, but because you have to order at a self-service kiosk, you must flag down a staff member to come over and manually give you a discount. The one saving grace… the food is actually pretty good.
Something is Oozing Again
Starting July 6th, Pym Test Kitchen began serving The Ooze Cauldron (again), but this time, it’s filled with a strawberries and cream drink topped with fresh strawberries and served with a side of strawberries and cream mini churros with a strawberries and cream glaze. Yum.
Din Tai FUN!
We are loving Din Tai Fung. Reservations have sold out fast, but you can still do standby for a table or find a spot at the bar. And while I’m addicted to the soup dumplings, rice cakes, and spicy wontons, there’s one thing this location needs to do since it’s located in Downtown Disney: Offer Disney character dumplings as some of the restaurants in the Asian parks offer!
Here are some of my favorite dishes:
But here’s what I think they are missing… Character dumplings like some of Disney’s Asian restaurants offer:
MiceShots
We love to wrap up our Updates with photos of things we love and found interesting this week in the parks. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this quick tour…
Let’s do a little window shopping…
Some parade fun…
Our favorite ToonTown popcorn buckets…
If you want to see Mickey and Minnie in ToonTown, you need to get in line well before they wrap things up around 7:30PM. But I just found out that they come back out again after fireworks from 10pm until Midnight when the park stays open late. This time around, they do it from their front porches!
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Let’s Hear From You!
I know we covered a lot today, but there are surely things that resonated with you or that you have thoughts about. Please share. Is it time for Disneyland to relax reservation requirements? Would “Good to Go” days help fill the parks when they’re empty but passes are blocked? Are you worried about Disneyland’s slow growth pace, especially as Iger’s time with the company is rapidly ticking away? And what about all these wild entertainment cuts and empty theaters? This is not the Disney I know and love; frankly, I’m worried.
As we head into another D23 Expo next month, remember these things: Are they just wowing us with big new rides but leaving family entertainment by the wayside to make up some of the cost? What are the key ingredients to a Disneyland day that are missing? And what’s going well that you’d like to see more of? If you get the chance to speak to anyone important at the Expo, let them know your thoughts. Don’t just wildly cheer for any big executive who walks on stage. Wait to hear what they say first. We’ve been promised so much in the last four years that hasn’t happened (or ended up being a disappointment).
Disney defenders often say that “Disneyland is a business.” That’s quite true. They are in the business of entertainment. It’s time for the Disney executives to stop acting like Bob Chapek and start acting more like the man under whose name they conduct that business under—Walt Disney!
