The holidays at the Disneyland Resort wrapped up last week, and the cleanup began immediately. Seasonal décor has been disappearing fast, and in true Disneyland fashion, construction walls and refurbishment signage have taken over from the holiday sparkle.
This is also the start of the post-holiday shoulder season, when the resort tries to tempt locals back with lower-priced tickets, returning entertainment, and the promise of upcoming festivals. And while much of the country is stuck in deep-freeze mode, Anaheim weather is in the paradise range right now (at least during the day, it still gets chilly at night).
As always, we’ve got the full roundup: what’s changing, what’s opening (eventually), what’s being torn up, what’s worth eating, and which attractions decided to have unplanned and very dramatic moments.
Post-Holiday News
The holiday celebration at the Disneyland Resort came to a close last Wednesday, and by Thursday, much seasonal decor was already gone, including the California Adventure tree.
But the good news is that there are plenty of post-holiday merch markdowns to be found.
Flipping the Script
In an attempt to attract local guests during the usually-slow “shoulder season” following the holiday rush, Disneyland has not only unlocked annual passes, but the resort is also offering a California resident ticket offer as well as $104 single-day tickets, and beginning on January 23, the return of the popular Lunar New Year festival.
Also returning last week to entice guests to visit is 70th-anniversary entertainment that took a break during Halloween and the holidays, including the Celebrate Happy Cavalcade and Wondrous Journeys nighttime spectacular (with fireworks on weekends only). The Paint the Night parade will be back on January 30.
We waited for Wondrous Journeys on Friday night… but due to high winds, it was presented with projections only. With snow still on the roof, icicles hanging from the eaves, and a strangely bright window left on in the center of the castle throughout the show, it didn’t make for the best viewing experience. But this is still one of the most beautiful and emotionally resonant shows Disneyland has produced in recent years.
Tier 0 Tickets
The elusive Tier 0 one-day single-park adult tickets are available once again for $104 on 12 weekdays this month, 9 in February, and 3 in March. One-day one-park Tier 0 kids’ tickets are $98 on those dates. It’s an additional $70 to add the park hopper option to any ticket.
Lunar New Year 2026
Disneyland will celebrate the Year of the Horse at California Adventure during the Lunar New Year celebration from January 23 to February 22, 2026, with festival marketplaces and appearances by Disney Characters in outfits inspired by traditional cultural attire, this year including Horace Horsecollar.
Returning marketplaces include:
- Bamboo Blessings
- Wrapped with Love
- Lucky 8 Lantern
- Prosperity Bao & Buns
- Red Dragon Spice Traders
- Longevity Noodle Co.
The event also includes Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession and Hurry Home – A Lunar New Year Celebration pre-show before World of Color – Happiness.
To learn more about the Lunar New Year celebration, check out our 2025 guide:
Ultimate Guide to Disney California Adventure’s Lunar New Year Celebration!
Menu Debuts
The end of the holidays brought the debut of a slew of new food and beverage items and a dozen new plant-based offerings across the resort. And starting January 20th, Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land will have a fully revamped menu.
We tried the new Plant-Based San Fransokyo Noodle Stir-Fry at Lucky Fortune Cookery ($12.99; mobile order available). The noodles are topped with fried tofu, broccoli, mushrooms, sesame oil, and soy sauce. A kids’ version is also available. While the amount of mushrooms and broccoli is less than we expected, it’s still a tasty dish.
We also tried the new Plant-Based Ratatouille Soup at Harbour Galley ($12.99; mobile order available). The soup is made with roasted tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, and eggplant, and garnished with roasted squash and a garlic bread topper. We found the soup to be on the spicy side, but the topper is delicious (and you can add it to the clam chowder for $1.49).
At Aunt Cass Cafe, the new Chocolate Japanese-style Fluffy Cheesecake ($7.29) is topped with cherry sauce.
Think Pink
Pink milk was also added to the Milk Stand menu in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Jan. 8. The new flavor is sweet and fruity. For comparison’s sake, blue milk also has fruity characteristics, and green milk is more citrus and tropical.
The Milk Stand signage only lists blue milk and pink milk, but green milk is still available.
The main difference is that the new flavor is made with rice milk, but the original two are made with a blend of coconut and rice milks. All three plant-based drinks are $8.99 (also available through mobile order).
Novel Novelties
Two new novelties arrived last week, including the new Jiminy Cricket Sipper available for $22.79 at the following locations (while supplies last):
- Disneyland park: Alien Pizza Planet, Bayou Country Fruit Cart, Churros near Haunted Mansion, Churros near Sleeping Beauty Castle, Churros at small world Promenade, Galactic Grill, The Golden Horseshoe, Harbour Galley, Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree, Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, Little Red Wagon, Main Street Fruit Cart, Refreshment Corner, Stage Door Cafe, Tomorrowland Fruit Cart, Troubadour Tavern
- Disney California Adventure park: Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, Chiller at Paradise Gardens Park, Corn Dog Castle, Fairfax Market, Mortimer’s Market, Paradise Garden Grill, Popcorn at Grizzly Peak Airfield
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa: GCH Craftsman Grill
The new Disneyland 70th Mad Tea Party Teacups Bottle Topper is also now available for $9.75 at the following locations (while supplies last):
- Disneyland park: Bayou Country Fruit Cart, Churros & Lemonade in Bayou Country, Churros near Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, Lemonade at small world Promenade, Pretzels near Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, Pretzels at small world Promenade, Ship to Shore Marketplace, Troubadour Tavern
- Disney California Adventure park: Churros near Goofy’s Sky School, Churros near Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Señor Buzz Churros on Pixar Pier, Willie’s Churros at Buena Vista Street
Check out our guide for more 2026 foodie news:
New Year, New Eats: Disneyland Rolls Out New Menus, Treats & Favorites
Constructionland
Following the holiday lull, construction projects and crews are back out in force…
Downtown Disney
Last week, we told you about the demolition of the two western-most ticket booths to accommodate the new XXL Porto’s Bakery & Cafe, and sadly, several mature palm trees have now also been removed to make room for the restaurant.
The old Earl of Sandwich (originally La Brea Bakery) building will soon be gone as well.
But don’t be too sad. Work on the new two-story Earl of Sandwich is also moving along on the other end of Downtown Disney.
And… a delicious little surprise. Cathy’s Cookies, which has twice parked their food truck on the west side of Downtown Disney, will be getting a permanent kiosk in the vicinity. And it looks like it’s just about ready to open.
California Adventure
Work has started for the new Coco-themed boat ride coming to the Paradise Gardens area in California Adventure.
Beyond the Pixar Pier parade gate, construction trailers are now on site and construction walls are going up.
You can no longer access the sidewalk on the DCA side of Disneyland Drive, as part of the area in the red box (image below) will contain the new Coco ride show building. Note that half of the giant hidden Mickey garden (look for it in the image below, Disneyland Dr cuts it in half) will likely be lost in the process.
One major construction project that didn’t pause for the holidays is the Avengers Campus expansion.
You can frequently spy the Avengers ride construction from Cars Land.
And new this week is construction in the previous FastPass distribution area for Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout. The covered area has been hidden behind construction walls as a new quick-service dining location is added to the rapidly expanding land.
Disneyland
While not listed on the official refurbishment calendar, we spotted the Snow White grotto with no water on Friday.
Napa Rose
Napa Rose restaurant at the Grand Californian is still closed while it undergoes a major remodel, including the addition of a new patio.
The project is dragging on much longer than originally anticipated, but will be a luxurious refresh when complete.
Refurb Repercussions
Several attractions in California Adventure all began refurbishment projects at the same time. With the Emotional Whirlwind, Incredicoaster, AND Grizzly River Run all closed, guests were forced into the remaining attractions… in a park without a lot of attractions to begin with. Making it more frustrating than usual to visit DCA.
At just before 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, the standby queue for Goofy’s Sky School was 60 minutes, Soarin’ Around the World was 90 minutes, and Radiator Springs Racers was 140 minutes.
The conditions continued on Friday and throughout the weekend. Plan your DCA visit wisely. This might be a good time to invest in Lightning Lane and prioritize Disneyland instead.
Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar
Haunted Mansion, Lamplight Lounge, and the Mark Twain all start refurbs today. New to the calendar this week are Jat Kaa’s Coolers and Jungle Cruise, and the ending date for Oga’s Cantina has also dropped off the calendar, signaling a more extensive closure than expected.
Currently Under Refurbishment
- Grizzly River Run: January 5 – TBA
- Incredicoaster: January 5 – February 5
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind: January 5 – 22
- Mark Twain Riverboat: January 12 – 15
- Lamplight Lounge: January 12 – 15
- Haunted Mansion holiday overlay removal: January 12 – 22
Upcoming Refurbishments
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: January 20 – TBA
- Oga’s Cantina: January 20 – TBA
- Jat Kaa’s Coolers at Resistance Clearing: January 20 – 24
- it’s a small world holiday overlay removal: January 26 – TBA
- Sailing Ship Columbia: January 26 – 29
- Jungle Cruise: February 17 – TBA
NOTE: You may have seen social media posts that Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar in the Disneyland Hotel is closing for refurbishment on Feb. 17, but that’s not entirely true. While indoor renovations will begin on that date, the establishment will remain open (with only outdoor seating available).
This & That
This is always a fun section. Let’s explore a few more tidbits of Disney news…
Disneyland Live @ 5
Due to technical difficulties… and the premiere of Disneyland Handcrafted, last week’s Live was a day late (but worth the wait) as Mike Kindrich took us on a surprise tour of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, including views of their new-ish nighttime parade. Some of you might like it even more than Paint the Night. Take a look and let us know what you think…
Disneyland Handcrafted
Dusty attended the premiere of Disneyland Handcrafted last week at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, and the film serves as a powerful reminder that Disneyland’s success was anything but guaranteed.
The documentary clearly shows just how enormous a risk Walt Disney took in building Disneyland, pushing his company to the financial brink on an idea many believed would fail. Watching it today, it’s hard not to come away with a deeper appreciation for what Disneyland represents… not just creatively, but personally, for Walt and the people who believed in him.
If you love Disneyland and want a better understanding of why it is unlike anything that came before it (or after), you won’t regret the time spent watching this film. Disneyland Handcrafted premieres on Disney+ and YouTube on January 22nd.
Read our full review and coverage of Disneyland Handcrafted here:
Disneyland Handcrafted: The One-Year Gamble That Nearly Cost Walt Disney Everything
New Parking Structure
One of the first concrete signs of DisneylandForward progress is a permit filed for the new parking structure, which will be part of the reimagined transportation hub on the east side of the resort.
Monorail Mishegoss
Sixty unlucky guests were stuck on a Monorail for HOURS and had to be evacuated by the Anaheim Fire Department by ladder last Thursday afternoon. The Anaheim Police Department reported that a power outage caused the attraction to shut down, but confirmed there were no injuries.
The Monorail remained closed on Friday but was back up and running on Saturday.
Last Wednesday, another attraction mishap was reported on social media by park guests who were literally soaked when their Tiana’s Bayou Adventure log completely filled with water. Impacted guests did note that Disneyland provided vouchers for them to purchase dry clothes and shoes.
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A Gnu Canoe
Disneyland recently replaced the outrigger canoe, which guests see as they prepare to board their Jungle Cruise boat. The 3D-printed canoe is inspired by the original and represents the first time an attraction prop has been created with this technology.
The new canoe replaced the ride’s original canoe prop (seen below), which was scanned to create the replacement. A 1960s photo of the original canoe was also used as a reference.
Duck Day Eats
Anaheim Ducks Day at California Adventure is on Feb. 22, and the one-day event features appearances by Ducks players and Ducks-themed bites and sips.
Chicken-fried Steak Burrito at Studio Catering Co.: Sautéed vegetables, egg, and country gravy with potato bites
Ducks Day Brownie Cheesecake at Schmoozies that looks like a hockey puck: Cookies and cream cheesecake with a brownie base covered with a dark chocolate shell
Quacktail Cooler at Hollywood Lounge: Vodka and orange juice slushy with beer foam topping
For more details about Anaheim Ducks Day, check out our 2026 event guide:
UPDATED! Disneyland 2026 Events Guide: What’s Coming, When to Visit & Key Dates to Know
Disneyland After Dark Ticket Tracker
All tickets for Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite have sold out, but both party dates are still available for the new Disneyland After Dark: 70 Years of Favorites events on March 3 and 5.
The remaining Disneyland After Dark events are not available for purchase yet, and neither is Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party.
Casting Call
Teagan Groft and Milo Manheim have been cast as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in the live-action “Tangled” movie.
Teagan Croft is known for her role as Rachel (also known as the superhero Raven) on the DC series Titans, based on the comic Teen Titans, and Milo Manheim is known to Disney fans for playing Zed in the Zombies franchise (he also placed second on season 27 of Dancing with the Stars).
View this post on Instagram
According to BroadwayWorld.com, Kathryn Hahn is being considered for the role of Mother Gothel, but there’s been no official casting announcement yet.
Cast Member Tribute
Cast member Richard Ruiz is being celebrated for 55 years of service at the Disneyland Resort. Richard was one of the first custodial bussers to work on Main Street, U.S.A., and has continued to bring joy to park guests for over five decades. Be sure to say hello if you spot him in the park!
Did You Know?
Each week, Dusty recaps all the news from the Monday Disneyland Update in a “Disneyland Minute” video. Be sure to subscribe to MiceChat’s YouTube channel and TikTok so you don’t miss it!
Here’s our latest video:
@micechat DISNEYLAND UPDATE ☔️ A soggy start to 2026, hotel perk cuts, returning 70th anniversary entertainment (with a catch), and a lot of construction walls going up across the resort. There’s good news. There’s “hmm” news. And there’s definitely some Disneyland Blues worth talking about. 👇 What’s your take right now? What are you excited about… and what’s giving you pause? Full Disneyland Update with photos, videos, construction details, and refurbishments is up now on MiceChat. (Link in bio / comments) Thank you @Dusty Sage ♬ New Year 2026 – PeriTune
MiceShots
And now… a moment to relax and reflect on our week at Disneyland.
The castle still had snow during our visit, but the wintery finials had been removed.
One area that typically keeps some holiday sparkle is New Orleans Square, which morphs Christmas into Mardi Gras through mid February.
DCA didn’t need to remove the holiday decorations from the front gate this year… because they never bothered to put them up in the first place.
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Let’s Hear From You!
Now let’s hear from you. Is the post-holiday shoulder season actually a good deal right now? What’s your tolerance level for construction walls? Will you try any of the new food items? And which closure is the biggest bummer this month?
And if you were one of the unlucky guests caught in the Monorail situation or drenched on Bayou Adventure last week, we definitely want to hear your story.
Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
