DISNEYLAND UPDATE: Pumpkins, Projects & Pixie Dust!

Halloween Time has descended on Disneyland, but the resort isn’t just about pumpkins and projections. The park’s 70th anniversary celebration is still hanging on, while construction walls keep sprouting up, characters don new costumes, and even Napa Rose shows off a refreshed look. From refurbishments to rare celebrity sightings—and a few new novelties to keep collectors busy—this week’s Disneyland Update has plenty to keep you in the know. Let’s take a lap around the resort and see what’s brewing.

Secret Celebration

It may be difficult to tell with all the Halloween decor, but Disneyland’s 70th-anniversary celebration is still happening.

What of the 70th celebration is still in:

The Sherman Brothers tribute film has returned to the Main Street Cinema after a short hiatus while Jon Favreau and his crew filmed the Oswald series on Main Street. Also still going strong are the nightly Tapestry of Happiness projection show on the Small World facade and the Paint the Night parade in Disneyland, as well as World of Color – Happiness in California Adventure. 

New 70th-anniversary merch and food items have also recently been added to the line-up, including Walt’s Chili in a Mickey-shaped bread bowl ($13) at Aunt Cass Cafe in San Fransokyo Square.

What’s Out:

Temporarily paused for the Halloween and the holiday season is the Wondrous Journeys fireworks and projection show (replaced by seasonal shows), the Celebrate Happy Cavalcade (replaced by a Halloween cavalcade), and the Carthay Circle projection show. 

For all the details about Disneyland’s 70th-anniversary celebration (continuing through Summer 2026), check out our guide:

UPDATED DISNEYLAND 70TH ANNIVERSARY GUIDE: Celebrations, Tributes & What’s New

Special Disney Character Halloween Costumes

This year Mickey and his pals have new Halloween costumes inspired by their colorful 70th-anniversary outfits. 

You won’t want to miss Mickey as a wizard, Minnie as a witch, and Goofy in a Buzz Lightyear-esque space-themed costume. Clarabelle, Chip and Dale also have cool new costumes for the spooky season. 

You can meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Daisy, Clarabelle, and others in Town Square. Check the “Characters” tab at the top of the map in the Disneyland app and then click on each character to see their meeting times.

Insider Tip: if you’d rather not take photos with the characters in their Halloween garb, they are generally in their regular outfits in ToonTown. 

Parkside Market Joins the Halloween Party

As Halloween Time gets into full swing at the Spookiest Place on Earth, Parkside Market in the Downtown Disney District has added a few treats if its own, including specialty cocktails, fall coffee flavors, and new seasonal bites, all available through October 31^st (while supplies last).

Vista Parkside Market (the bar upstairs with the killer view):

• Sleepy Hollow ($19) – Myers Rum, Disaronno Amaretto, Lime Juice, Chai Simple Syrup, Vanilla (+ $55 served in a souvenir tree glass)
• Starry Night ($23) – Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon, Earl Grey, Angostura, Orange Bitters
• The Raven ($18) – Tito’s Vodka, Coffee Liqueur, Sip & Sonder Expresso

Vista Parkside Market is also offering “Flocktail Hour” on Mondays through Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Flamboyance ($15) – Frosé with Chapoutier Belleruche Rosé (also available as Frosé with Giesen 0% Rosé)
• On The Wing ($15) – St. Elder, Mumm Sparkling Brut Rosé
• Sangria by the Glass ($9) – Red or White
• Duck Beer ($10)

Sip & Sonder:

• Spiced Pumpkin Latte ($7.25)
• Toasted Marshmallow Mocha ($7.25)
• Poison Apple Cider ($7.25) – Spiced toffee crunch apple cider
• Cinnamon Rolls($9.25) – Maple Pecan Praline, Sweet Potato Marshmallow

Seoul Sister:

• Dragon’s Breath Bokkeum ($18) – Spicy Pork Belly and Kimchi Stir-Fry, Rice
• Boo-Berry Bubble Pop Lemonade ($12)

GG’s Chicken Shop:

• Graveyard Dirt Pudding ($8) – Chocolate Pudding, Oreo Crumbles, Mickey Mouse Sprinkles, Gummy Worms, Tombstone Cookie

For all the Halloween Happenings across the Disneyland Resort, check out our guides:

• Your Ultimate Guide to Disneyland Halloween Time 2025
• Disney California Adventure: Oogie Boogie Bash 2025 Event Guide
• Disneyland 2025 Halloween Merchandise: Mickey, Villains & Haunted Mansion Galore
• DISNEYLAND HALLOWEEN TREATS 2025: Eat, Drink & Be Scary!

New Animated Window

We recently told you about a new Zootopia-themed animated window on Main Street U.S.A., and now there’s a second new window themed to Moana.

Constructionland

It seems like there’s always construction going on at the Disneyland Resort, which often disrupts foot traffic or creates pinch points, but sometimes (and preferably), they happen backstage, which is the case with the current Avengers Campus project and upcoming Coco-themed ride coming to California Adventure.

In Disneyland construction continues in Fantasyland, with expansive walls stretching all the way across Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr.

One piece of good news is that Edelweiss Snacks has finally emerged from behind scrims and construction walls, revealing a fresh roof and paint.

Across the esplanade, work continues at a very un-Disneylike pace on the expansion of Avengers Campus as the show building for one of the new attractions is showing a lot of progress very soon after “going vertical.”

Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar (updated 08/30/25)

New to the list is a second day for Dumbo’s refurbishment and the addition of Goofy’s Sky School and Mickey PhilharMagic, but the good news is that Star Tours reopens this week after a fairly lengthy closure.

First Look at Napa Rose

Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel has been closed since spring for refurbishment, but now we’ve gotten our first look at what we can expect when the award-winning fine dining restaurant reopens with a refreshed dining room.

A major part of the project is an enhanced outdoor patio, which will feature two new fireplaces.

Star Sightings 🤩

There have been plenty of A-List celebrities out and about at the Disneyland Resort. Did you spot any of them? 

On August 26th, Disney Legend Josh Gad and Disneyland superfan John Stamos celebrated the news of Taylor Swift’s engagement with the Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by John Stamos (@johnstamos)

And on August 28th, Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon celebrated his daughter’s birthday at Disneyland (but took time out to pose with Donald).

To commemorate World Princess Week, a collection of iconic Disney Princesses, including Jodi Benson (voice of Ariel, “The Little Mermaid”), Auli‘i Cravalho (voice of Moana, “Moana 2”), Paige O’Hara (voice of Belle, “Beauty and the Beast”), and Anika Noni Rose (voice of Tiana, “The Princess and the Frog”) performed a concert in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. 

You can see the performance here:

Gumball Rally 2026

Get ready for a wicked good time at the 2026 MiceChat Gumball Rally on February 7, 2026. 

What is Gumball Rally?

The Gumball Rally is fun for the whole family, but it’s also a challenging event. Your team of family and friends will race through Disneyland Park to see how many attractions you can ride in a single day. The reward for the winners is the coveted Gumball Rally trophy (and bragging rights, of course). Along the way, you’ll discover aspects of the Disney Parks you may never have noticed before. 

For more information about the event and how to register, visit our Gumball Rally page. 

This & That

Live @ 5

With Dusty on his way to Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights, Mike was joined by YouTube sensation @HeyBrickey. The guys wander Disneyland to talk about the news, and their views on all the current topics. 

Dusty returns this Thursday at 5 on our Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to subscribe for notifications. 

D23 Returns to Anaheim in 2026

During Destination D23 in Orlando, we learned the dates for the next D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim will be August 14-16, 2026.

You can read more about D23 here:

NEWS: D23 Expo Returns to Anaheim in August 2026

New Disneyland Documentary

Coming to Disney+ this winter, Disneyland Handcrafted is a new film from Oscar and Emmy nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks that provides an up-close look at the creation of Disneyland as it was being built more than 70 years ago.

This unique film was constructed using only rarely seen footage from the Walt Disney Archives, depicting the thoughtfulness that went into every aspect of Disneyland’s development.

The reason there’s so much footage from the project is that Walt Disney tasked several cameramen to capture the park’s construction leading up to opening day, providing a rare first-hand look at many of the artists, craftsmen, and Imagineers who were instrumental in the creation of The Happiest Place on Earth. 

During production, Leslie discovered historical reels, including raw 16mm footage that was never used for “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” and because this film had been stored in the vaults for years, Leslie and her team were able to restore beautiful, once-forgotten shots of the early days of Disneyland.

You can watch the official Disneyland Handcrafted trailer here:

Cute Collectibles

Themed popcorn buckets, mugs, and themed sippers have become extremely popular collectibles, and there are a few new ones to add to your collection… or to start one!

Holiday Christmas Tree Truck Bucket – Available this holiday season at Disneyland Resort (plus at Aulani Resort and on select Disney Cruise Line ships)

Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar Holiday Zombie Mug – Available this holiday season in two versions (gold and red thread)

Monsters, Inc. Scream Canister Bucket – Coming to Disneyland Resort (plus on select Disney Cruise Line ships)

Little Green Men Jetpack Sipper – Coming to Disneyland Resort (plus Hong Kong Disneyland and select Disney Cruise Line ships)

Winnie the Pooh & Piglet Spring Bucket – Coming next spring to Disneyland Resort (plus select Disney Cruise Line ships)

Leota Welcomes Jack

Madame Leota has rolled out the haunted carpet to welcome Jack Skellington and the residents of Halloween Town with new decor at her shop.

Pooh Pennies

A new Winnie the Pooh-themed pressed penny machine has appeared in Bayou Country.

MiceShots

As we settle into Halloween Time, let’s take a look at all the spooky decor.

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