The Disneyland Resort is chugging toward summer like the Disneyland Railroad—leisurely, but with some surprises around the bend. With Enchant and Imagine Magic Keys now blocked through late July, crowd patterns are already shifting. But don’t be fooled by the current calm… the parks are gearing up for a major mid-summer spike for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary on July 17th. Additional entertainment, additions to Small World and the Main Street Cinema, as well as the debut of the Walt Disney – A Magical Life show will mark the occasion.
But that’s just the beginning. We’ve got followups to the Coco and Avatar expansions, the early creep of Halloween Time, refurb walls popping up all over, and some not-so-magical maintenance issues. Plus a shocking incident in Fantasyland. Buckle in—there’s a lot happening this week, even if the summer crowds haven’t arrived yet.
A Look At The Future
Now that we know Imagineers plan to build the new Coco-themed boat ride between Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens and the new Avatar-themed area in the Hollywood Backlot, let’s take a closer look at what that actually means for theming and traffic patterns in California Adventure.
Coco Attraction
Disney announced that the new Coco-themed indoor boat ride will be built between Paradise Gardens and Pixar Pier, which thematically is a logical location since Coco is a Pixar movie.
Building the attraction in this location (basically in the backstage area behind the DCA parade gate) will take care of the log jam problem that caused Imagineers to abandon their original idea of putting the attraction entrance behind the Incredicoaster. But could this mean the end of parades at California Adventure? Especially since the other parade access point is behind Mission Breakout, where the Avengers Campus is currently under construction. It’s possible that the Pixar Pier parade gate will move… but where? It’s located in a very tight space between the western side of the coaster and Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta.
If we look at an overhead map, you can see that creating a new parade gate won’t be easy. A giant show building will be squeezed into this area, with a tight point of access between the restaurant and the coaster. It’s possible that part of Paradise Gardens could be shaved away for a new gate, but we are quite curious how the floats will navigate back stage after the new show building is constructed.
Pandora West
We hoped the new Avatar-themed area would be saved for a DisneylandForward expansion, which would have potentially saved Monsters Inc., Mike & Sully to the Rescue. Rather than Avatar, imagine a Door Coaster and Harryhausen’s restaurant added to a new Montropolis-themed courtyard. But unfortunately, Monster’s will close next year to make way for Pandora West, which will be themed to the second Avatar movie, “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
But Avatar will fit here. In addition to the large footprint of the current area, there’s even more new space about to be freed up.
Once the new parking garage is built behind the Harbor Blvd hotels (note the location of the new bridge in the map below in the space which was once the Carousel Hotel), Disney won’t need to send buses from the Toy Story parking lot. For more about Toy Story and what is very likely to become of that property, don’t miss our DisneylandForward News Page.
But without buses needing to load and unload next to the Esplanade, there will soon be an expansion pad for Disney California Adventure with enough room for a massive Avatar show building.
An Avatar attraction coming to Disney California Adventure will take guests on a journey to explore the wonders of Pandora, and the dangers that come along with the trek. Let’s hope it’s far more exciting than the lackluster Na’vi River Journey at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
We also won’t be surprised at all if some of the figures and props from Mike & Sully to the Rescue make their way to Orlando for the new Monsters Inc. Land in Hollywood Studios.
Halloween Time
Believe it or not, it’s only two months until the first Oogie Boogie Bash party night on August 17th; however, Halloween Time doesn’t officially kick off at the resort August 22nd, with the spooky decor, Halloween Screams fireworks, and seasonal attraction overlays (minus Ghost Galaxy on Space Mountain) continuing through Oct. 31st… So, you can pay for the after hours Oogie Boogie party, or enjoy the considerable Halloween activities included with regular park admission…
In California Adventure, Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree, Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween, and Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark are all returning.
Returning to Disneyland (though, honestly, it seems like it just left) is Haunted Mansion Holiday, which will linger for Halloween and the Holidays from August 22, 2025, all the way through January 7, 2026 (that’s about 19 weeks in case you were wondering).
California Adventure is also celebrating Día de los Muertos from Aug. 22 through Nov. 2, 2025, at Plaza de la Familia, including The Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia Celebrate The Musical World of Coco street performance, crafts, live music, and a menu of Mexican specialties at Paradise Garden Grill.
Insider Tip: Don’t miss the offrenda honoring Doc Hudson at Ramone’s in Cars Land.
In addition, the Mickey’s Trick and Treat musical stage show is temporarily replacing the recently-added Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! in Hollywood Land.
Oogie Boogie is Back
Returning for 2025 (and even before Halloween Time begins), the separately ticketed after-hours Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party will take place on select dates from August 17 through October 31st. Tickets range in price from $139 on the first night, to $199 on Halloween night.
Back once again is the Frightfully Fun Parade, the walk-through Villains Grove experience, and character-hosted treat trails. This year’s characters are Ernesto de la Cruz from “Coco,” Dr. Doofeshmirtz from “Phineas and Ferb,” Agatha Harkness from “Agatha All Along,” Robert Callaghan aka Yokai from “Big Hero Six,” Judge Doom from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” and one additional villain still to be “unleashed.”
Tickets go on sale beginning June 24th for Inspire Key Holders and June 25th for Inspire, Believe, Enchant, and Imagine Key Holders. Tickets go on sale for everyone else on June 26th.
Several of the Disneyland 70th entertainment offerings will continue through Halloween Time, including Paint the Night and Tapestry of Happiness in Disneyland and World of Color Happiness in California Adventure.
Our Disneyland Halloween Time Guide has all the details:
Disneyland Halloween Time 2025: Oogie Boogie Bash, Broken Spell & Beyond
For even more Halloween news, check out our guides for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando. These will be updated as haunted houses and scare zones are announced.
Prices Are Up But Crowds Are Not
Don’t get us wrong, Disneyland is busy, but it isn’t summer vacation busy. Why? Largely because of prices.
For the last several years, the most in-demand days have usually been less crowded due to high prices. To deal with the high cost, many guests have shifted their visits to more affordable days, which makes previously low crowd periods noticeably busier
Another reason crowd levels fluctuate is Magic Key block-out dates. With the lower two tiers of Magic Keys now blocked out, we can expect crowds to be a bit more comfortable in the days ahead.
Time for many Key holders to take a long summer nap…
Constructionland
The work never stops at the Disneyland Resort!
Downtown Disney Construction
Construction is advancing at a number of projects in the ever-evolving Downtown Disney.
ESPN Reborn
The former ESPN Zone has made some design changes which help it fit in better with the mid-century modern style of Downtown Disney’s west side. New tenants, Lululemon and Funko are on the way…
The New, New, New Earl of Sandwich
The new Earl of Sandwich is still behind scrims, but since the Earl’s current location at the east side of the district will close July 25th, we hope work on their west side location will speed up.
Arthur & Sons Steakhouse and Pearl’s Roadside BBQ
The old Tortilla Jo’s is no more. Vertical construction will soon begin on a new steakhouse and adjacent BBQ. The radical shift in dining at Downtown Disney has been dramatic… and mostly better than what was there before… but we’re missing well themed establishments like Rainforest Cafe and the original Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen. Hopefully someone at Disney will rediscover what themed dining is all about and start working on something irresistibly creative.
Disneyland Construction
The train station welcome garden is behind walls once again. This time, new lamp posts are being installed. The new lamps have a gas look to them, but actually use regular light bulbs which have been wrapped in a mesh mantle to give them a vintage look.
Here’s what the completed lamps look like…
Over in Bayou Country, there’s some work going on just behind the new Rey’s Berets store.
Enchanted Tiki Room
The Tiki Room is just about ready for guests.
Pixie Hollow
Tinker Bell may finally be returning soon, after nearly half a year of refurbishment on her meet and greet location.
California Adventure Construction
Front gate enhancements
Across the esplanade, a new Carthay Circle Theater emblem has been installed at the new entrance turnstiles.
On the Disneyland side, they’ve added a “D.”
Disneyland Blues
It’s been awhile since we sang the Disneyland Blues, but it’s time for us to point out a few quibbles…
A new window at the the Main Street Emporium features the live-action Lilo and Stitch. That’s neat! Unfortunately, it’s one of the least inspired things on Main Street.
But the real problem is they weren’t able to fit the full insert into the window… There’s all sorts of wrapping and a huge gap on both sides of the window that make it feel unprofessional.
And it looks like Ray didn’t pay his water bill because his previously-lush grass rooftop is completely dead. The former version of this shop used ferns, but Ray’s uses grass. The ferns were much more hearty. It might be smart to switch to a foliage that can handle the heat.
Here’s how the old Briar Patch looked…
The new Disney Jr. Clubhouse show has been open for weeks… but there’s still no permanent sign, just a temporary printed vinyl sign tacked up on the marquee.
Over in the relatively new San Fransokyo, some of the decor is fading fast. The red lanterns in the land have some serious sun-bleaching going on.
In the ‘that looks disturbing’ catagory, they’ve tied off the water buckets at the Adventureland Treehouse in a way that just looks horrible.
The rope is tied off in a way that pulls the whole thing off to the side.
But it may have been necessary to do so for safety as it looks like the rope was being worn through.
And the small lagoon across from Big Thunder Mountain has some really ugly foam floating on it, making the entire lagoon appear stagnant. A little water circulation would work wonders. Though, we were disgustingly told by a cast member in the area that the seasonal goose invasion is fouling the water all over the resort.
And don’t miss the This and That section below, we have a shocking maintenance item to share.
Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar (updated 06/13/25)
Currently Under Refurbishment
- The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln adding “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” show to theater: April 16, 2024 – July 16, 2025
- Pixie Hollow: September 16, 2024 – June 28, 2025
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room: April 28 – July 2
- Matterhorn Bobsleds: May 5 – TBA
Upcoming Refurbishments
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue: June 30 – TBA
- Pixar Pal-A-Round: July 14 – 24
- Main Street Cinema: July 15 – 16
- Storybook Land Canal Boats: July 21 – TBA
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – Villains Grove Install: July 21 – August 2025
MiceDeals
Disneyland’s 70th-anniversary celebration has also brought a 70th-anniversary ticket deal from $94 per day for a 4-day 1 park per day ticket (valid for travel through August 14, 2025).
This & That
Live at 5
I hit the streets of Disneyland once again to check out what’s new. If you missed the fun, you can watch it here:
I also spent a day in the park with the one and only Bob Gurr. He’s a true legend and a wonderful human being. I’ll have more to share soon about why we were together.
Mr. Toad’s VERY Bad Day
As I was getting ready for our live video on Thursday, I saw some medics running toward Fantasyland. When I wandered through the area later, I noticed that the queue for Mr. Toad had been roped off and there was an older woman having a loud conversation with some cast members about her grand child. It seems that one of the slate shingles slid off the roof of Toad Hall and hit a young guest waiting in the queue. According to the grandmother “There was blood everywhere.”
This roof was recently redone. Someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do.
You can see the missing shingle in this image.
Autopia Activation
The one remaining 70th Magic Band touch point has finally been activated in Tomorrowland. But was it worth the wait?
We love the touch points on Main Street and in Adventureland and Frontierland that spit out cool souvenir tickets (one per band per day) and in Fantasyland that activate a cute animated window, but this one… just makes car sounds.
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Disneyland 70th Book Signing
From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on June 21, a 70th-anniversary book signing will be held at Wonderland Gallery for the following books:
- The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland by Don Hahn and Christopher Merrit
- Groundbreaking Magic: A Black Woman’s Journey Through the Happiest Place on Earth by Martha Blanding with Tim O’Day
- Disneyland Park (a Pop-Up Park Tour) by Matthew Reinhart
- Dream Chasing: My Four Decades of Success and Failure with Walt Disney Imagineering by Bob Weis
Au Revoir Leaning Tower of Eiffel
We’re happy to report that Soarin’ Around the World has been updated to fix the infamous leaning (or bending) Eiffel Tower. Nice work, pals.
Hey Howdy Hey, Rex!
We caught up with Rex at his new meet-and-greet location on Pixar Pier. He’s so cute!
Summer 2025 Events
July 5: A Bear-y Special Opportunity
MiceChat is hosting a bear-y special event on July 5th at Knott’s Berry Farm. The 50th anniversary of Knott’s Bear-y Tales, Imagineer Rolly Crump’s artistic masterpiece, will be celebrated with an incredible lineup that includes:
- Theme park admission
- Early Entry to Knott’s Berry Farm
- Gourmet Buffet Brunch at the all-new Mrs. Murphy’s Steakhouse in Ghost Town
- Guided Walk-Through of the Knott’s Bear-y Tales attraction (past and present)
- Special Presentation by Knott’s Bear-y Tales book authors – theme park designer Christopher Merritt and Knott’s historian Eric Lynxwiler – featuring an exclusive video ride-through of the original attraction
- Panel Discussion with Rolly Crump’s original 1975 design team and VIPs from the making of Bear-y Tales!
- Silent Auction of rare Bear-y Tales treasures
- Book Signing with Knott’s Bear-y Tales authors and the original ride designers!
- Commemorative Gift Bag
July 17: MiceChat Meet-Up at Disneyland
Meet your favorite MiceChatters! The next MiceChat Meet-Up is on Disneyland’s birthday – July 17th. Stop by at noon in the central hub of Disneyland next to the Walt and Mickey statue. Meet friends old and new. And then join us for some lunch and possibly even a ride (as wait times allow)
June 13 – Aug. 10: Universal Mega Movie Summer
Universal Studios is stepping things up this summer with enhanced Studio Tour, new character interactions, more dinosaurs, fantastic beasts, and lots more…
June 13 – Sept. 1: Knott’s Berry Farm Summertime
Knott’s has kicked off their summer celebrations: Ghost Town Alive by day and the musical Summer Nights in the evenings. Find all the details…
Ultimate Guide to Knott’s Berry Farm Summer Nights & Ghost Town Alive 2025
MiceShots
“To all who come to this happy place… welcome.”
It was a beautiful week at the resort. Some days were crowded, some weren’t… but there was plenty of construction and news.
The Children of the Corn in the Main Street holiday shop have dressed themselves for 4th of July.
We spotted lots of guests using those $60 electronic keys.
And we love the new key location off Big Thunder Train on the way into Galaxy’s Edge. A soap barrel has been added to the front of the stage
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