Disneyland always commands a certain amount of magic, but add a light misting of rain, as was the case off and on this week, and you have a transcendent, surreal playground.  As the fair weather guests disappear from the park the remaining park goers are rewarded with a tranquil, magical wonderland.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
A light rain fell on a smaller than expected crowd on Tuesday

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
The Matterhorn, beckoning only the most durable of visitors.
Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
Space maxed with a wait time of 25 minutes.
Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
Fantasyland’s cobblestone streets glisten

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
Quiet moments
Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
The few bursts of sun weren’t enough to dry the teacups enough to ride.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

THE DISNEY GALLERY

The Disney Gallery unceremoniously opened a reconfigured exhibit called Realms of Fantasy.  Instead of being Castle-centric, this exhibit focuses more on the inhabitants of Fantasyland and lands of fantasy in the Disney parks.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
The Disneyland Paris castle remains in the center of the back gallery.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
The Little Mermaid corner

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

We also get a look at some of the released artwork for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster in the yet to be completed New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Check out this exhibit sometime.  It’s great.

FANTASY FAIRE VILLAGE

The new princess project near the castle continues construction.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

MOTORBOAT CRUISE DOCK

On kind of a downer note, the tranquil dining area, formerly known as the Motorboat Cruise Dock, is showing signs of real disrepair.  Rust is now fully visible at water level, which could very well be spelling the demise of this beloved spot.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Let’s hope that Disney is willing to spend a little money on keeping up this relatively quiet portion of the park, even though it doesn’t add to rider capacity or revenue.

FANTASYLAND THEATRE

The archway for the Fantasyland Theatre was revealed Tuesday.  It looks pretty much the same as before, freshly painted and awaiting proper signage.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
Just waiting for signage

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays
Hooks for temporary banners.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

JINGLE JANGLE HOLIDAY

The wonderful Jingle Jangle Jamboree continues its run in the Big Thunder Ranch area of the park. We highly recommend a visit to this far corner of Frontierland as it offers nearly wait-free access to a rotation of very popular characters and, if you’re lucky, obscure ones too.This area closes with Christmas Time.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

RIVERS OF AMERICA

Pointed out by members of the MiceChat discussion boards, a tree has fallen along the banks of the Rivers of America.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Frankly if it wasn’t pointed out you really wouldn’t notice it. Looks rather like the wilderness if you think about it.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

In Disney California Adventure the park is handling the the culminating holiday season with as much panache and polish as its older sibling next door. While news out of this park this week was slow, there are a few interesting bits of info.

For instance, Andy Castro reported days ago that Stage 17 was used to test a new type of interactive entertainment being developed by imagineering. While the test was running, the terrible, “Dancin’ with Disney” offering was scuttled.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Mercifully, Dancin’ has not returned.

CALIFORNIA CANDY CANES

Disneyland isn’t the only place that candy canes are made.  The new candy shop on Buena Vista Street goes through the same painstaking process.  Here is a look.

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

Disneyland, In The Parks: Disneyland Resort Prepares for Final Week of the Holidays

A slow news week but a wonderful time to soak in the final days of Christmas at the Disneyland resort.

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Norman Gidney
Norman Gidney, also known as Fishbulb, has produced and edited many of the articles on MiceChat over the years.