Happy Holidays one and all! Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Have you picked the perfect location to spend New Year’s Eve? We did, and we have. More on that below. . . along with Rose Bowl teams at Disneyland, new details from Star Wars land, and Christmas Day photos from the merriest place on earth.

You Haven’t Won The Rose Bowl Yet . . . Where Are You Going?

The answer is Disneyland of course . . .

Yesterday, Wednesday the 26th, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Washington Huskies stopped by the Disneyland Resort to “play” off the field on the way to the 2019 Rose Bowl, as is tradition!

The teams made their first official pregame appearance in a ceremony at Disney California Adventure park. During the ceremony, Ohio State head coach, Urban Meyer, and Washington head coach, Chris Petersen, were welcomed by Disneyland Ambassador, Alexa Garcia, and Resort President, Josh D’Amaro, along with Tournament of Roses President, Gerald Freeny. Players and coaches from both teams posed for a photo with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible after the ceremony.

Representing the Buckeyes on stage were wide receivers Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin, and safety Jordan Fuller. Representing the Huskies were quarterback Jake Browning, running back Myles Gaskin, linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven and defensive back Jojo McIntosh.

Here’s the little ceremony they did on Paradise Bay:

The teams are set to face off in the 105th Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day.

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge

The land that ate Disney is coming soon. Did you catch the teaser for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during the Disney Christmas Day Parade special? Here it is again for quick review . . . discussion to follow:

So what did we learn from all that . . .

First, Star Wars land is coming soon and it’s going to be huge. But we knew that already. Images of the ride vehicles for the new land and some images of the land itself have really got us thinking.

It appears that the Millennium Falcon will seat 6, with the two in the front getting the best view. In this screen capture from the trailer, the folks in back seem to be struggling to see the screen:

The restraints also appear to be minimal, so this likely isn’t a wild ride.

Lots of buttons to push. I hope there’s an autopilot mode, because I don’t like having to push buttons and switches on attractions . . . or even operate a blaster (as on Buzz Lightyear’s ride). I’m old school, I want a ride to entertain me, not make me work. So, if the other 5 people in the Falcon are waiting for me to push a switch at the right time . . . they are all going to die.

The Falcon herself looks absolutely amazing. I just can’t wait to take a selfie here . . . just kidding. . .  but this is going to be one of the most photographed things in the universe when the land opens. I can sense a line forming in the force as I type this.

The other big attraction, the one Disney says is their most amazing ever at the Disneyland Resort, is the Rise of the Rebellion attraction. This is the one I’m most excited to see in person.  We got a little taste of this one too in the trailer.

The vehicle appears to contain two rows of 4 seats each.

There were even a few construction shots of the land. The mountains (petrified trees) are nearly finished. 

The folks at Rogue Aviation took some aerial shots of the new land on a recent fly-over. The scale and detail is mind boggling:

Do you see the Millennium Falcon center middle of the photo below?

See more aerials from Rogue Aviation at flyrogue.com

Ho Ho Ho

I got a calling on Christmas . . . half way through a delightful holiday with my sister in San Diego, I packed up the car and headed to the holy land, Disneyland. Made it just before sunset. It was crowded, but very merry. Since almost all annual passes and most castmember tickets are blocked at the moment, the parks were mostly filled with tourists.

While the queue lines were filled, with switchbacks fully extended, the walkways kept moving at a slow pace, with very few stoppages.

All eateries at Disneyland were PACKED, with at least a 40 minute switchback line to get a tamale from the ODV (outdoor vending) cart near the hub on Christmas evening.  However, over at DCA, the lines weren’t too bad and Festival of Holidays booths were mostly empty (even at dinner time).  We left Disneyland to take advantage of the short lines at the Festival of Holidays. Glad we did too, while expensive, it was delicious. (Turkey & Stuffing Tamale, Chorizo Queso Fundido, Braised Pork Belly Adobo, and a Nashville Hot Fried Turkey for good measure.

Here’s a short video with clips of Christmas evening at Disneyland:

Wait times were long on Christmas (and yesterday too), but not the longest lines of the year by a long shot.

Over in DCA, things were quite a bit different than Disneyland. While the park felt busy, it wasn’t nearly as densely packed as it’s sister park. Without a big nighttime draw, most folks head to Disneyland after dark for the big shows. Even Festival of Holidays had mostly empty booths.

We stopped to enjoy the delightful snowfall on Grizzly Trail. Every 20 minutes, the lights dim, the music changes, and it snows. It’s pretty dark, but you can still get a sense of the show from this video. The whole experience is just a few minutes long:

Did you do Christmas time at Disneyland this year? what were your favorite holiday activities:

White Water Rebuild

The quick-serve restaurant at the Grand Californian Hotel is under major reconstruction and expansion. The new facility will stretch all the way to the pool area. The image below shows a lounge and dining space by the pool side.

Christmas at Disneyland was really magical. I’m so glad I followed the urge to go. Yes, it was busy, but I had such a good time seeing the shows, used MaxPass to ride Small World Holiday, and was able to share a little bit of it with all of you. That’s a successful Christmas outing in my book.

Now . . . what to do about New Year’s Eve? Well, we have a plan for that too . . .

New Years Eve at Universal Studios Hollywood

Join your MiceChat pals for a New Year’s Eve like no other.  Ring in 2019 and party until 2 AM at Universal Studios Hollywood’s special park-wide event – EVE – which features multiple party areas with DJ’s, live musical performances, dancing and a traditional New Year’s Eve countdown at midnight with spectacular fireworks displays seen from multiple viewing locations. Our exclusive MiceChat event kicks off at 6 pm and includes admission, Universal Express™ access including one-time express access to each heart-pounding ride and attraction and seated show, as well as a $15 meal voucher (valid at in-park restaurants).  All of this for just $129 per person!

This is Universal’s best offer for the night – Tickets are sold directly by Universal Studios – but you’ll check in with MiceChat in front of the park (to the right of the front gate near Guest Relations between 5:30 and 6pm) to pick up your meal voucher. Anyone can purchase these tickets. While MiceChat will offer a suggested itinerary for the evening, you are welcome to purchase these tickets and head into the park to do your own thing.  Please share the word on this amazing offer. To get the deal, you’ll need to use this link:

TICKET AVAILABLE HERE

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MiceChat Anniversary and Gumball Rally
Feb 8th through 10th

MiceChat Anniversary is an opportunity to meet with your fellow MiceChatters and enjoy Disney events, social opportunities, win prizes, and have a wonderful time at the happiest place on earth. We’ll have more information for you very soon. Part of our celebration weekend is the world-famous Gumball Rally. . .

The event that you’ve been waiting for is here at last! The Gumball Rally is a race through Disneyland to see who can ride the most attractions in a single day. This year’s event is being held on February 9, 2019, and we’re switching it up a little to keep you on your toes and offer you a much lower price. It also appears that this year’s Rally is . . . . well . . . haunted. After 50 years of being cooped up in their Mansion, Disney’s 999 ghosts have decided to have a little fun and join your adventure!

Tickets are available right now at an early-bird price of just $25 per person. That’s more than half off last year’s price. Act fast! For more information about the game and how it’s played VISIT THE GUMBALL RALLY INFO PAGE HERE

or sign up now on EventZilla:

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Discount tickets! We have discount theme park tickets for you folks as well. Before you head to the parks, always check here for the best deals!
Discount Disneyland and Attractions Tickets HERE

MiceTrip 2019

Walt Disney World and Caribbean Cruise

For information on this magical MiceTrip, please contact:

[email protected]