Disneyland Update – Ralph Wrecks Christmas

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that your Cyber Monday brings you lots of great deals. Of course, the best deal of all is your weekly MiceChat Disneyland Update which comes at the low, low price of free!

Stay tuned for a new Wreck-It Ralph VR experience in Downtown Disney, World of Color inching toward reopening, Bing Bong under loose wraps, construction updates, and lots of holiday treats.

Wreck-It Ralph VR

Ralph Breaks VR opened at the VOID in Downtown Disney during the holiday. You can book it now at the VOID website as well as the previous Star Wars version which it will rotate with.

Scott Attula attended the opening and really enjoyed it. He’s done both versions of the attraction and you can read his review HERE.

Limited edition buttons are being distributed while supplies last.

Wreck-It Ralph Merchandise in the Parks

Of course, a hot film franchise like Wreck-It Ralph requires merchandise . . .

The much talked about princess scene even gets a playset . . .

Have you seen Ralph Breaks the Internet? Did it live up to the hype?

Disneyland After Dark 2019 events

Two new “After Dark” events have been announced. The after hours parties will be themed to Valentines on February 7th and to the 90s on March 7th. Tickets on sale for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholder on November 27th and the 28th for the general public.

Take a look at the info below and let us know which if either of these events you’ll be signing up for. If you attended previous “After Dark” events, were they worth the price?

Sweethearts’ Nite
The Happiest Place on Earth transforms into the most romantic on Feb. 7 and love will certainly be in the air! Dress to impress and bring your sweetheart to enjoy:

• Love song-themed dance parties throughout the park, as well as a “Royal Ball” experience.
• Encounters with beloved Disney couples, including Eugene and Rapunzel, Aladdin and Jasmine, and of course, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
• Immersive photo opportunities featuring romantic scenes from iconic Disney films.
• Sweetheart-themed décor, as well as romantic food, beverage and merchandise offerings.
• Unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital downloads of your photos captured during the event.

90s Nite
On Mar. 7, relive fond Disney memories and party like it’s the ‘90s! Come dressed in your ‘90s-best attire and step back in time to experience:

• Special ‘90s-themed fireworks show, throwback musical entertainment and more.
• A re-imagined Disney Afternoon Avenue with special greetings from favorite Disney characters from the ‘90s and interactive photo opportunities.
• Decade-inspired food, beverages and merchandise.
• A commemorative fanny pack and unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital downloads of your photos captured during the event.

Visit Disneyland.com for more details and pricing. Parking fees are not included in the ticket price. A limited quantity of tickets for both events will be available beginning next week.

Bing Bong

The elusive Bing Bong is just about to appear at his Sweet Stuff shop in Pixar Pier. The figure will speak and cry candy tears, a complicated mechanism, which explains the long delay in getting him installed.

You can just see the black plastic wrapped figure behind the construction wall.

Inside Out Attraction

While we are on the subject, the Inside Out attraction also remains elusive. The concrete pad from the former Maliboomer sits empty. But this is the spot where the revamped and rethemed Flik’s Flyers attraction will end up sometime next year.

World of Color

Last week we showed you signs that World of Color may soon relaunch, including the testing of the fountains. Today we see even more progress. The covered barges at the back of the lagoon, which contain extra lighting for the holiday version of the show, have been unwrapped.

Only one of the platforms was at the surface when we took these photos.

Sorry for the blur, had to snap this one on the run from a phone.

Carthay Lounge upstairs patio

Did you know that Carthay Circle has special lounge access to the outdoor patio upstairs? It serves a small lounge menu, which includes the famous cheese biscuits. But, with only 8 tables, it fills up fast.

Tropical Hideaway

The Hideaway has been “Coming Soon” for quite some time, but today’s photos show that soon might very well be this holiday season. The signs are up, much of the lighting has been installed. The bridges are in. We’re looking forward to this rest spot . . . though, we still wish they’d bring back the Tahitian Terrace dinner show.

The area has been opened up and feature the waterway which was mostly hidden previously. The “dark water” stream runs from the castle, through the Tropical Hideaway, and into the Jungle Cruise.

You can see all sorts of posts sticking up from behind the construction wall. Some are to stretch the new shade coverings, others are for lighting and signage.

Those bags hanging like sleeping bats are lighting. They’ll be uncovered once construction is complete.

The white tarp covers a sign.

Evacuation Drills In The Parks

Here’s something you don’t see every day . . . but we were glad to see it. Disney conducted safety drills in Critter Country last week. Critter Country contains a major emergency exit from the park which lets out on the tram route near the parking structure. In the event of an emergency, cast members need to know how to get you out of the park quickly and efficiently. It’s strange to see something like this during the day, but it’s essential that random drills be conducted for your safety.

Mary Poppins Spoon 

As the Executive Director of the Dick Van Dyke Foundation, I’m particularly excited to see the new Mary Poppins film this Christmas. A bit of merchandise has already hit the parks. You can get a Mary Poppins spoon at Jolly Holiday and Gibson Girl Ice Cream while supplies last. The spoon by itself is $7.99, it’s included with a couple of the treats.

Parking Structure Construction

The parking structure expansion continues to grow skyward. The new side of the structure will be smart. Sensors will feed available spots to signs on each level. Now, if it could just wash my car . . .

Star Wars Construction

The biggest project at the resort is the billion dollar Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge expansion at the back of Disneyland. It doesn’t look much different to us than the last time we showed you these images, but a tremendous amount of work is going into the fit and finish detailing, prop installation, ride installation and testing, and even into the entertainment you’ll soon be experiencing in the new land.

Holidazed

While Christmas has been scaled back a bit at Disneyland, there is so much going on throughout the resort that we still haven’t been able to bring it all to you in our previous holiday coverage.

Disneyland continues to be the star with a Christmas parade, holiday fireworks, Haunted Mansion and Small World holiday overlays, special holiday treats, and characters in holiday outfits. But it’s DCA that has been packed to the gills. The Festival of Holidays has been a big hit. Now, if they could just get World of Color going so crowds won’t flood into Disneyland after dark. . . 

Candlelight

The annual Candlelight Processional will be on December 1st and 2nd this year. While the actual seats in Town Square aren’t available to regular guests, you can still get a good spot in the area to enjoy the music and enjoy the spectacle of it all. If you do want to catch the show, plan on arriving early and staking out your spot. This is a very popular show with an extremely limited capacity. The show will be offered just twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday.

The park is already setting up for the big show.

Thanksgiving at the Disneyland Hotel

Every year Disney offers an expensive Thanksgiving at the Disneyland Hotel. They transform the ballroom into a giant restaurant for the day. The buffet looked pretty good, but we gave up on this offering years ago when the price surged over $100 per person. This year the cost for this dining event was $120 for adults and $35 for children (ages 3 through 9), plus tax and gratuity. OUCH!

And even at that high price, the line to get into the dining room stretched all the way to hotel registration.

Grand Californian gingerbread display update

The Grand Cal built their gingerbread house again this year. It smells and looks great.

And next to the gingerbread house you’ll find a treat stand.

Holiday sweet treats

The Festival of Holidays gets all the attention on the food front, but Holiday offerings are available throughout the Disneyland Resort. Look for the blue holiday signs to try other seasonal food and treats.

For the candy cane obsessed, the candy kitchens of Disneyland and DCA are now producing these popular treats. Get to the park before opening and ask for the candy cane line. They’ll give you a wristband to secure your spot in line.  

Today’s update was a bit different than normal. Due to the holiday weekend and very tight schedule, we pooled the resources of several of our staff between their holiday activities. As a result, most of the photos were shot on phones. But we are most thankful to the entire crew for helping us pull together an update filled with info.

Just in time for Cyber Monday, we’ve relaunched our store for you. Don’t miss our blockbuster attraction vehicle ugly sweater! We also now bring you discount theme park tickets! Next year is going to be epic with the opening of Star Wars land, Food and Wine Festival, new shows and more at local attractions and always something going on. So pick a date, grab some tickets and book a MiceChat partner hotel! You’re welcome!

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