Disneyland Update: The Real Nightmare Before Christmas

The man in the red suit is coming and that means out with the spooky and in with the holiday cheer… starting tomorrow. Happy Halloween, MiceChat readers, and welcome to the spookiest update of the year. Today we’ll have a look at the demise of Halloween, holiday creep, MagicBands, crowds, and some exciting progress for Toontown. We are also scratching our heads over some statements made recently by Disney’s CEO that we’re not sure you’ll agree with.

Now let’s have a look at how Jack has wrecked the halls…

Pumpkins and Peppermint 

Today (October 31st) is your final chance to enjoy Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. Tonight will be the final showing of Halloween Screams and the last rides on Monsters After Dark. Within a week and a half, all of the fake pumpkins will be packed away and the Holiday celebration will be in full swing on November 11th.

Although, holiday installation has already begun. Before that, though, there is something sticking around for a few days…

Dia De Los Muertos

With the Mexican holiday of Dia De Los Muertos beginning tomorrow, Disney’s celebration of the Day of the Dead will continue until Wednesday, November 2nd. That means you still have a chance to see the wonderful “A Musical Celebration of Coco” for a few more days.

Plaza De La Familia also hosts regular performances by the Mariachi Divas, a meet and greet with Miguel, a memory wall, and some crafts. 

Elsewhere, you can enjoy decorations like these calacas of a mariachi band in Frontierland, next to the meet and greet with Mirabel. 

Or Ramone’s skeleton car and ofrenda for Doc Hudson in Cars Land.

‘Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas…

Every year, the holidays creep in sooner and sooner with more and more snowflakes and garland appearing near pumpkins and skeletons. The entire resort is in a temporary state of the Nightmare Before Christmas.

…It is sort of funny seeing holiday decor pop up right over the pumpkins. 

The castle is coming along quickly. Usually, the snowfall happens the week of Halloween, but this year many of the snowcapped rooftops and icicles started going up nearly two weeks before Halloween. 

Frontierland feels very confusing right now. Between Halloween, Dia De Los Muertos, and Christmas, it’s celebrating three holidays simultaneously. 

My favorite is pumpkins from the Ray Bradbury Halloween tree hanging directly over the holiday garland. 

The party’s begun in New Orleans. Almost all of the mardi-gras-inspired holiday decorations are up. 

Br’er Rabbit and friends have begun decorating for what will likely be their final year of holiday celebration. 

Grizzly Peak has been festive for a few weeks now. And even the Little Mermaid is now in the spirit.

Seeing the Villains Grove juxtaposed with the holiday decorations is quite the sight…

Pacific Wharf is dressed in garlands and is another land that will see some light changes in the future with its upcoming San Fransokyo retheme. 

Magic(Bands) For All!  

The MagicBand+ craze is in full swing now that the bands are out of preview and available to everyone. 

The Tomorrowlanding shop has FINALLY reopened… and offers new MagicBand+ of course. 

They seem to be available in quite a few locations, even the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure. While that seems an odd location, it actually makes sense. One can purchase their band just before boarding the tram, then utilize the band to enter the park. 

A major draw is the Batuu Bounty Hunters game in Galaxy’s Edge, where MagicBand+ is required to play. 

One would think there would be somewhere in Galaxy’s Edge selling the bands. They are considered “in-canon” since they’re required to play the game; even SWGE cast members are allowed to wear them as long as the band has in-universe characters/designs.

Yet, there is nowhere in Black Spire that carries MagicBands. You must venture into Frontierland to a mobile cart that carries non-SWGE Star Wars merch and choose from one of three bands: black, Darth Vader, or Mandalorian/Grogu. I’m surprised by this, but then again, we have SWGE-themed carts in Frontierland that are operated by cast members in SWGE costumes selling non-SWGE merch— it’s not like things aren’t already confusing. 

More members of our team have purchased and tried the new MagicBand+ and reviews remain mixed. That also goes for the Batuu Bounty Hunters game. For the most part, our team members who have kids seem to like the game. And the rest think it’s an interesting one-time diversion. It’s essentially a scavenger hunt experience where you tap your MagicBand+ on random door panels until it turns purple. It’s not un-fun, but it’s also not highly repeatable. 

The best part is returning the bounty. Although, this is the part that ends up with the longest line throughout the day (lines were long at times, even into the evening). 

Return your bounty and a digital bounty hunter character will speak to you briefly through the door. It was described to me as “mild magic” mostly because it’s the kind of thing that was intended to be included in SWGE to start with. Maybe there would’ve originally been more utilization than a pair of eyes on a screen, but interaction is finally here— although as something much more simplistic. 

If you’ve ever played A Pirate’s Adventure or Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, this sort of scavenger hunt type of game isn’t very new for Disney; it’s the MagicBand+ integration that is. Yet, those WDW experiences offer multiple adventures that send you to see and do different things… and that actually cause magic to happen in the land. Cannons fire, a ship in a bottle sinks, and darts are shot at you; it feels like you’re discovering the clues. Unfortunately, the Bounty Hunter game doesn’t really do any of that. But the MagicBand+ technology creates a great opportunity to do some fun interactive things in the future. They just aren’t doing much at the moment.  

For all the information about Disneyland’s MagicBand+, check out the article below.

Everything You Need To Know About Disneyland MagicBand+

Trader Sam’s Gargoyle Mug

It’s been a busy week at everyone’s favorite watering hole at the Disneyland Hotel, but when there’s a Haunted Mansion mug release at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, things get especially crazed. Thanks to our friends at Enchanted Tiki Bar for sending us the photos and info.

This year the bar released a 2nd Edition Gargoyle mug just in time for Halloween. The mug was glazed in teal this time, making it the fourth version of this mug to date (two from Club 33 and one prior from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar).

Last Monday, the bar closed its doors during normal operating hours for the first time to allow two separate Mixology classes, one at 4:30 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. The two 2-hour sessions were not officially announced by Disneyland but still quickly sold out after word of mouth spread.

Lead by bartenders Skipper Kelly and Skipper Melissa, folks attending the $202 session (after tax and gratuity) learned how to craft the new cocktail “Gothic Jungle” before heading outside to the fire pit for another cocktail called the “Disquieting Metamorphosis,” along with assorted eats.

Each attendee also received the new Teal Gargoyle ahead of its Friday release, included with the cost of the mixology class.

Come Friday, the 2nd Edition Gargoyle was made available for anyone who could pick up the mug between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. They were limited to two per person at $85 each but while mobile ordering on the Disneyland app seemed easy for many, it was overly complicated for others, leaving many longing for the days of lining up at 5 a.m.

On Saturday, the mugs were made available for all who came to the bar, with no mobile ordering necessary. Guests were given the option of buying up to two mugs by themselves or with the “Gothic Jungle” cocktail at no additional charge.

With all said and done, the continued popularity and success of the Halloween mugs should suggest that there will be more to come in the future!

Bob Chapek Said What???

Something seems amiss with the Disney CEO’s grasp of the park reservation system and its impact.  

“We want to guarantee a great guest experience no matter when people come…No matter what day you come, you are guaranteed to get that magical experience that creates magical memories that last a lifetime.”

Disney CEO Bob Chapek appeared on The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event this past week. Among the topics, Chapek delved into the park reservation system. 

“You either let way too many into the park where they don’t have a great experience. Or you manage it by just turning people away at the gate. So what we developed…is the reservation system so we can plan like every other business out there…that’s got fixed capacity like an airline, hotel, cruise industry, we developed a reservation system so people would know ahead of time whether they were going to get in or not.”

But a cruise ship doesn’t sell more tickets than they have rooms… yet Disneyland and Walt Disney World seem to be selling (and/or reserving) spots for far more people than they can comfortably manage on the busiest days.  

Chapek also mentioned the pricing strategy.

“And then, we practiced yield management…which every other company in the world can do so that we have pricing be a reflection of how many people we can actually let in and still guarantee that great experience. So for some of our fans, that’s heresy. But I think it’s not only good business practice in terms of maximizing shareholder value but more importantly, it protects the guest experience so that when you get into the park you can have confidence that it’s not going to be overcrowded.”

These all seem like good talking points for a shareholder… Fixing capacity with a reservation system and curbing demand with flexible pricing, all while ensuring that Disney knows exactly how many people will be in the parks for minimal staffing expenses… it all sounds great. After all, supplying guests with magical memories that last a lifetime isn’t just good business, it’s Disney’s core business. But is that what’s really happening right now?

The problem is that Disneyland often feels more crowded than it ever has. That’s not to say that crowding is even the biggest issue. This column reports on quality issues on a regular basis. Indiana Jones Adventure shouldn’t even be allowed to operate under such poor show conditions. And while rides have always broken down, they seem to be doing so more frequently and in greater numbers in recent months. Guests have trouble finding food at the last minute if they don’t Mobile Order in advance, and may not find easy seating even if they do manage to buy food at busy times. 

Bob may make light of the “heresy” fans feel about how the parks are currently operating, but all one needs to do is visit Disneyland and wait in a two or three-hour line for an attraction that shouldn’t be passing show inspection to see that the “yield” has increased, but the quality has declined in many cases.

I hope that protecting the guest experience is indeed Disney’s long-term strategy, because Disneyland memories should be magical ones that last a lifetime… but, sadly, many of the memories currently being made are of the negative sort.. crowds, ride failures, confusing technology, hyper-planning, and stressful encounters with guests and under-trained cast. Not at all the sort of things being told to shareholders. 

Constructionland

On to something more exciting! Construction and projects throughout the Disneyland Resort!

ToonTown 2.0

The eagle-eyed might notice a new sign visible through the trees around the Toontown Train Station. The El CapiTOON marquee has been installed!

We’re getting closer to the January opening for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Even more exciting than a sign are some aerial photos of Toontown under construction.

The walkway that leads into the land is nearly complete. New trees have been planted and building refurbishments are well underway. 

That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot of work still to be done. The facade for Railway seems to be mostly done, but everything in the square around it is still dirt piles. Keep in mind that while the new ride will open in January, the rest of the land will remain under construction until summer. So they really just need a walkway to get you to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway for now.  

The roller coaster that was once “Gadget’s Go-Coaster” has been repainted, but we have yet to see signs of the new theme. 

Donald’s Boat (below) has been taken down to its steel frame on the lower deck. New peek-ins will be created so guests can see into the boat. 

The area that used to be Goofy’s garden has been dug up to make room for a new play area.

Small World… Big Holiday

it’s a small world is down for its annual holiday install and will return on November 10th.

Le Petit Chalet

Nearby, Le Petit Chalet is behind walls. But, not all of it. The registers are still open and some of the racks are in front of the walls. 

Monsters Inc.

During a recent wind storm, Monsters Inc had its covering rolled up and we got a peek at the paint job on the facade. It looks nice and vibrant again. 

Here’s the full list of current and future refurbishments:

Currently Under Refurbishment at Disneyland:

• • Tarzan’s Treehouse: (September 1st, 2021-TBA)
  • Mickey’s Toontown (March 9th, 2022-January 27th, 2023)
  • it’s a small world Holiday Install: (October 24th-November 10th)

Upcoming Refurbishments at the Disneyland Resort:

• • Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: (November 1st-November 10th)
  • Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!: (November 1st-19th)
  • Indiana Jones Adventure: (November 14th-16th)

Pixar Place Hotel

The Paradise Pier Hotel is in the process of becoming the Pixar Place Hotel.  

Both the former Paradise Pier and Disneyland Hotel have been getting new paint jobs. The fun retheme to the new Pixar Place Hotel concept is going to take some time. 

I’m not sure how to feel about the cold grey and stark black color scheme. It feels a bit bleak and soulless to me; it could really use a splash of color. Based on the concept art, we probably won’t see much more, at least on the exterior. 

Disneyland Hotel

The Disneyland Hotel, on the other hand, now has a cooler blue color scheme that feels much more inviting. 

But there’s a lot of noise coming from the construction of the new Disney Vacation Club tower. It’s hard to get any relaxation at the Disneyland Hotel pool right now. 

The New Downtown Disney

The dirt pit that will eventually become new dining and retail space for Downtown Disney is…still a dirt pit. Holes get dug, dirt moves around… but this project is taking a VERY long time to go anywhere. 

Some utilities are being installed. 

This & That

The Tomorrowland entrance concept art has been up so long, it’s starting to yellow from sun damage.

This figure outside of Dok-Ondar’s shop looks like he has lost part of his nose! We showed images of the paint chipping on this figure months ago… and it’s getting worse. 

On the Fantasyland entrance to SWGE, the red wagon is still missing, replaced by a few crates. 

Some fun, whimsical Small World-themed backdrops have appeared just opposite the old motorboat cruise dock. These are for character photos since Mickey and friends can’t use their current ToonTown locations. 

Photos From Around the Resort:

Some photo fun. This was such a joy to shoot. As much as you may think we only complain about things… that’s just us pointing out what’s going on at the moment news-wise, but there are a lot of beautiful, joyful, and seasonal things to see and do…

Let’s Hear From You

And that wraps up yet another MiceChat Monday Disneyland Update. It was my pleasure to take over for Dusty this week as he reviews the brand new Norwegian Cruise Line ship, the Prima! Looking forward to hearing all about it. 

How are you feeling about Bob Chapek’s recent comments? Is he mischaracterizing Disney’s use of the reservation system, or do you think he’s sincere? With Halloween about to have its final scream, are you ready to jump right past Thanksgiving to a Merry Christmas… or does it take you a while to get into the spirit of the season? Looking forward to the January reveal of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Disney100? The typical off-season sure is shaping up to be a blockbuster this year.  

Let’s hear from you folks… oh, and have a very happy Halloween! 

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