Disneyland Resort Update for January 13-19, 2020

Disneyland Resort Update for January 13 – 19, 2020

News and Views

Rise (and shine) of the Resistance

The early bird gets the boarding pass, and you'll need to be up with the sun if you want to be among the first to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance when it opens to the public at Disneyland this Friday.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens this week at Disneyland. MousePlanet file photo.

The highly anticipated attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida in December, and now it's time for California fans to experience what Bob Chapek. Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, calls “the most ambitious, the most immersive, the most advanced, high-energy attraction we've ever created.”

Even though the ride has been open for more than a month, in deference to those readers who—like me—are still trying to avoid spoilers, I'm again going to focus only on the operational aspects of actually getting onto the ride itself for this week's Update.

If you really, really want to know everything there is to know about Rise of the Resistance before you experience it in person, scroll down and watch MousePlanet's full ride-through video of the attraction.

Like Walt Disney World, the Disneyland version of Rise of the Resistance will not offer FastPass in the first several months, and will instead use a virtual queue to assign boarding groups and manage the wait for hopeful riders. This is similar to the virtual queue that was used to control access to the land itself when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened last year at Disneyland.

Here are our tips for using the virtual queue:

• The easiest way to join the virtual queue is by using the existing Disneyland smartphone application. Download the app before you visit Disneyland, or, if you already have it, make sure to update to the latest version before you visit. It's also a good idea to authorize the app to send you push notifications.
• Once inside Disneyland, you can request to join a boarding group as soon as the park officially opens for the day. Friday, January 17 is a Magic Morning day at Disneyland. Even though Magic Morning begins at 7:00 a.m., the virtual queue will not open until the published park opening of 8:00 a.m.
• Joining a boarding group is very similar to selecting a digital Fastpass. Users first select their party from a list of people to whom they are already linked in the Disneyland smartphone app, then click to add their party to the boarding group. The app will give you your assigned boarding group, and let you monitor the status of boarding groups.
• When it's time for your boarding group to ride the attraction, the app will send an alert to your phone. At Walt Disney World, you currently have up to two hours to make your way to the the attraction. This grace period allows you plenty of time if you're in the middle of a ride, parade, or meal when you get the alert, and we expect the policy will be the same at Disneyland.
• If you don't use the Disneyland smartphone app, you can also join the virtual queue by going to one of several cast member-assisted stations throughout Disneyland. There, you will scan your admission media and receive a paper pass with your designated boarding group. In-park signage at the Guest Relations kiosks will display the current boarding group, so that you'll know if it's time to head back to the attraction with your paper ticket.

Now for the bad news: Simply having an assigned boarding group doesn't guarantee you'll be called to ride. In the event the attraction breaks down (an expected situation for a brand new ride during the opening weeks and months), the higher boarding group numbers may not be called to ride that day (and the uncalled numbers don't roll over to the next day).

Some of the attraction merchandise released at Walt Disney World when Rise of the Resistance opened in Florida. MousePlanet file photo.

While Disneyland has posted its own tips for using the virtual queue system, there are two areas it hasn't yet addressed: what plans are in place for the inevitable overnight queue before the ride's opening day, and how visitors using the Disability Access Service (DAS) will use the virtual queue.

Since visitors can't even enter the virtual queue until the published opening of 8:00 a.m. Friday morning, there seems to be no advantage to arriving hours before the gates open. Unfortunately, that's not how it's playing out in Walt Disney World, where fans still arrive at Disney's Hollywood Studios as early as 4:00 a.m. more than a month after the ride opened.

Based on reports of MousePlanet staff and readers in Orlando, it matters less how early before park opening you arrive than how lucky you are in accessing the virtual queue servers once the park opens. Still, we expect Disneyland fans will want to line up early Friday morning, and we're waiting for Disney to provide some guidelines for the inevitable crowds.

One thing we don't expect to see at Disneyland is a repeat of a decision made by some Florida managers to open the virtual queue well before the published park opening with no advance notice. On days when this occurred at Hollywood Studios, visitors who arrived extra early were able to join the virtual queue much earlier than expected, which resulted in the virtual queue being completely full before the park was even scheduled to open. Visitors who arrived at the published opening time found themselves shut out and unable to ride that day. Disneyland managers reportedly learned from Florida's mistake, and will not repeat it here.

We also have some information to help visitors who use the Disability Access Service (DAS). All guests should first request to join a boarding group, regardless of whether they already have a DAS pass, or plan to request one.

Once in the virtual queue, guests can then visit a guest relations kiosk to renew or request a new DAS, but will still board the attraction based on the boarding group assigned by the virtual queue. The DAS does not replace the virtual queue.

The ride has a 40-inch height requirement, and riders who use a wheelchair must transfer to the ride vehicle to experience the entire attraction. Guests who cannot transfer from an ECV or wheelchair may be able to experience a portion of the preshow, but Disney will make accommodations on a case-by-case basis. The new ride offers descriptive audio and handheld captioning for riders with visual or hearing impairments.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Full Experience with spoilers! MousePlanet video.

Lunar New Year festival commemorates the Year of the Mouse

The Lunar New Year festival that kicks off this Friday at Disney California Adventure is likely to be overshadowed by all of the galactic happenings at the park across the way, but visitors with park-hopper tickets should definitely make time to visit DCA for a few hours.

Disney California Adventure will celebrate the Year of the Mouse with a 24-day celebration featuring special entertainment offerings, a wide selection of food and beverage specials, and an expanded collection of souvenir merchandise.

Back for 2020 is the popular “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession,” this year featuring Mickey and Minnie in new costumes. Goofy, and Chip and Dale also join the procession in their seasonal costumes. Disney moved the procession to Paradise Gardens Park in 2019, offering a better viewing experience for the show.

At Paradise Gardens Park, Mickey, Minnie, Mulan, and Pluto will rotate through a Lunar New Year meet-and-greet photo opportunity. Disney's Three Little Pigs may also make an appearance, wearing their 2019 “Year of the Pig” costumes.

The Paradise Gardens area will also feature craft stations, Lunar New Year photo spots, live music, and the return of the Lucky Wishing Wall. A Disney press release notes that “new face painting opportunities” will be available for purchase. Disney previously offered free face painting during the festival, a treat that always garnered long lines.

Each night of the Lunar New Year festival ends with the “Hurry Home” pre-show to the World of Color nighttime show.

Lunar New Year Marketplaces and Sip & Savor Pass

Disney food festivals are always a big draw, and there are special menus and four marketplace booths as part of the Lunar New Year festival.

In addition to the seasonal menu offered at the Paradise Gardens Grill and Lucky Fortune Cookery, look for the Longevity Noodle Co., the Lucky 8 Lantern, Prosperity Bao & Buns, and the Red Dragon Spice Traders marketplaces in Paradise Gardens.

Longevity Noodle Co.

• Chicken Meatballs and Lo Mein Noodles, Cabbage Salad with Apple-Ginger Sauce ($7.50)
• Vegetable Egg Roll and Chilled Sesame-Garlic Noodles with Cilantro-Cashew Sauce and Toasted Peanuts ($7.00)
• Black Sesame Mochi Donut ($6.00)
• Vietnamese Cold Brew with Coconut Milk ($10.00)
• Tsingtao Lager ($10.00)

Lucky 8 Lantern

• Shrimp Fried Rice with Garlic-Bacon Edamame ($8.00)
• Smoked Beef Bulgogi Short Rib on Rice Cake and Green Onion Salad ($8.25)
• Mandarin Orange-Green Tea Tart ($5.50)
• Peach Sojito ($13.00)
• Hitachino Nest Beer ($14.25)

Prosperity Bao & Buns

• Char Siu Pork Bao, Chinese BBQ Pork with Pickled Red Onions and Jalapeño ($7.75)
• Mickey Chinese Hot Dog Bun ($7.00)
• Mango-Pineapple Pastry ($5.50)
• Lychee-Grapefruit Gin Spritzer ($13.00)
• Kloud Original Gravity Lager ($10.00)

Red Dragon Spice Traders

• Firecracker Three Cup Chicken Wings ($7.50)
• Shrimp & Ginger Dumplings with Soy Reduction and Sriracha Mayo ($8.25)
• Purple Yam Macaron with Crème Fraiche ($6.50)
• Bourbon Honey-Lime Green Tea ($13.00)
• Honey-Lime Green Tea ($6.00)
• Bottle Logic Hanamachi ($11.00)

Disney will again offer a special Sip and Savor Pass for the Lunar New Year festival. The pass can be redeemed for six food items and non-alcoholic beverages from the four Marketplace kiosks, or for tasting portions of select items at the Lucky Fortune Cookery and Paradise Garden Grill.

The pass is $42. The passport itself is a plastic credential with six snap-off tabs, strung on a lanyard. Passholders receive a discount and a different lanyard with an AP logo.

As always, you have to really pay attention to get the best value from this pass. The pass works out to $7.00 per tab. However, sales tax is not applied to the price of the lanyard, but is to the food items, so you also get an 8% advantage when you use the pass because you don't pay sales tax when you use them.

If you use all six tabs to purchase one each of the six most expensive items at the festival, at best non-passholders would save $5.25 (plus tax). However, every $5.50 dessert or $6 beverage you buy with a tab eats into that savings. Simply put: don't use a tab on anything that has a menu price under $7 and you'll come out even, if not slightly ahead.

Once again, our advice is to decide what dishes you're interested in trying, and then crunch the numbers to decide if this is a good deal for you. To get the most value from the pass, you need to be prepared to pay for under-$7 items separately, which will raise your overall spending.

The Sip and Savor Pass is valid for the entire festival, so you can use it to try new dishes throughout the event. However, passholders should be sure to pay attention to the block out dates on your pass, so you use up all of the tabs before February 9, 2020.

Purchase the pass at the Sip and Savor Cart, Seaside Souvenirs, Kingswell, Elias & Co., and the four Festival Marketplaces. 

Disneyland announces Southern California Resident Ticket offers

Southern California residents can visit the Disneyland Resort theme parks three times before May 18, 2020 for as little as $199 using a new discounted ticket that went on sale January 7. Children who live outside Southern California can enjoy the same offer, but their parents pay full price, under a second deal also announced last week.

Save up to $106 on Disneyland tickets during the SoCal Resident offer.
Visit Get Away Today to book in advance.

SoCal Resident Ticket Offer

The Southern California Resident Ticket offers residents of Southern California and Northern Baja California admission to either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure up to three times between January 7 and May 21, 2020.

You can use every day of this ticket at the same theme park, or visit different parks on different days, but you cannot use it to enter both parks on the same day. The ticket is $199 for ages 3 and up, a $20 increase over the 2019 offer.

For an additional $55, you can also upgrade the ticket to a park-hopper, which allows entry to both parks each day, and which is a savings of up to $101 compared to the box office price of a three-day park-hopper ticket.

Although you can purchase tickets at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths on the day of your visit, you will save time and receive one Magic Morning admission when you purchase in advance from MousePlanet partner Get Away Today. You can also purchase by calling (714) 781-4636, or by going online at Disneyland.com.

The Magic Morning offer does not apply to tickets purchased on-site. If purchasing from another third party ticket outlet, double-check that their three-day tickets come with this feature.

There is no “fuse” on this ticket, which means you can use the first admission the day you buy it and wait until May to use the remaining admission. You must, however, purchase the ticket by May 18, 2020. Tickets expire on May 21, 2020, and unlike past years, do not have a spring blockout period. However, we estimate the peak Spring Break crowds will arrive April 5–12, 2020. so plan your visits accordingly.

Disney states that proof of residency is required for purchase and admission, and each resident can purchase up to five tickets per day.

Special Ticket Offer for Kids Everywhere

If you do not live in the qualifying ZIP codes for the Southern California Resident Ticket described above, Disney has another offer valid for travel on the same dates –  but this one is only for children ages 3-9. This ticket also comes with a 13-day fuse, so plan your visits accordingly.

The Child Ticket Offer is also valid for travel January 7 through May 21, 2020. The price is $199 for ages 3-9, and each ticket includes one Magic Morning entry when purchased in advance from Get Away Today, calling (714) 781-4636, or online at Disneyland.com.

Tickets must be purchased by May 18, 2020. You must use all entries within 13 days of the initial entry, which provides some flexibility to visit as many as three weekends in a row.

Kids can save up to $86 on spring vacations to Disneyland.
Visit Get Away Today to book in advance.

Now for the official fine print:

Southern California Resident Ticket

• Valid only for Southern California residents within ZIP codes 90000 to 93599 and Northern Baja California residents within ZIP codes 21000 to 22999; proof of residency is required for purchase and admission. 
• 3-Day, 1-Park Per Day Ticket is valid for admission for three (3) days to either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park, but not to both parks on the same day.
• 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket is valid for admission for three (3) days to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park on the same day.  
• Each day of use constitutes one full day of use.  
• Tickets expire May 21, 2020.
• May purchase up to 5 tickets per person per day with valid I.D.
• Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use.
• Offer may not be combined with other ticket discounts or promotions.
• Subject to capacity, restrictions and change without notice.

Child Ticket

• 3-Day, 1-Park Per Day Ticket is valid for admission for three (3) days to either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park, but not to both parks on the same day.
• 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket is valid for admission for three (3) days to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park on the same day.  
• Each day of use constitutes one full day of use.  
• Tickets expire 13 days after the first day of use or on May 21, 2020, whichever occurs first. .
• May purchase up to 5 tickets per person per day with valid I.D.
• Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use.
• Offer may not be combined with other ticket discounts or promotions.
• Subject to capacity, restrictions and change without notice.

Important Details about Magic Morning at Disneyland Park

• Magic Morning admission allows admission into selected attractions at Disneyland Park before the park opens to the general public on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. 
• Each Guest must have valid, eligible theme park admission.  
• To enhance the Magic Morning experience, it is strongly recommended that Guests arrive at least one hour and 15 minutes prior to regular park opening. 
• Magic Morning admission is based on availability and capacity.
• Applicable theme park, days and times of operation and all other elements including, but not limited to, operation of attractions, entertainment, stores and restaurants and appearances of characters may vary and are subject to change without notice.
• Subject to restrictions and cancellation.

This and That…

…Star Wars fans and popcorn bucket collectors have a new souvenir to track down at Disneyland. The Millenium Falcon popcorn bucket is enormous, and features light effects and a carrying strap. You can get it for $24.99 at the popcorn cart in Tomorrowland, or filled with french fries from the Galactic Grill for $24.99 plus tax.

The new Millenium Falcon popcorn bucket is available at the popcorn cart and the Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland. Photo by Todd Pickering.

The Millenium Falcon popcorn bucket has light effects is bigger than a dinner plate. Photo by Todd Pickering.

…The much-needed second bank of elevators is nearing completion at the Mickey and Friends parking structure.

The Mickey and Friends parking structure will soon have double the elevator capacity. Photo by Todd Pickering.

…Potter & Potter Auctions has announced a large auction featuring Disney collectibles gathered from theme parks around the globe, with a special emphasis on Haunted Mansion and Adventureland items, theme park props and cast member souvenirs. The auction contains over 750 lots, including posters, costumes & uniforms, signage, original drawings, blueprints, animation art, park maps & memorabilia, and much more. The live auction takes place on February 8, but prospective buyers may place online and absentee bids in advance of the sale.

…The MousePlanet Newsletter is here! The newsletter contains a recap of the week's articles (in case you miss a day), news that may have developed since the weekly Updates were published, and tips about what's happening at the Disney theme parks for the coming weekend. We'll also include a fun bonus, such as an Eye Spy or a trivia question. To subscribe to our free newsletter, just enter your email in the box below.

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Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Note: Not all attraction closures have been officially confirmed by Disney, and are all subject to change at any time. All refurbishment schedules are estimates only. We recommend checking for updates as you plan your visit. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, visit Disneyland.com or use the MyDisneyExperience smartphone application on your iOS or Android device.

The Mark Twain Riverboat is in dry dock at Disneyland. Photo by Todd Pickering.

View the different areas of the Resort by scrolling horizontally and selecting the one you want to read about.

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Resort Events

Check here to see if a large convention, competition, or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail.

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2020

2021

We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it's best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.

Non-Disney Resort Events

Notable events at parks and attractions around Southern California. If you know of an event that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail.

Current Discounts and Promotions

Disneyland prices as of January 6, 2019.

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update. Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the number of days the tickets are valid. Check out the category that best matches the amount of time you plan to spend at the resort, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket-only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.

Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside the gates stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Disneyland admission, and may result in denial of entry. It is also common for criminals to shoplift inactivated Disney theme park tickets from supermarkets to resell them. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks. Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or travel agency like MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today.

Ticket Prices and Promotions

New! Just click the number of days or ticket type you want to view.

Additional Discounts

Did we miss an offer? If you know of an authorized discount on Disneyland Resort tickets, standing offers for Annual Passholders from non-Disney vendors, or other promotions which might interest our readers, please drop us a note!

New! Just click the category you want to expand (or close).

Everyone

Annual Passholders

Disney Rewards VISA Credit Card Holders

Southern California Residents

Disney Vacation Club Members

Service Members

Hotel & Travel Packages

If you can't see the categories, please let us know!

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

• DL – Disneyland
• DCA – Disney California Adventure

Annual Pass blockouts:

• SL – Southern California Select Annual Pass
• SC – Southern California Annual Pass
• DX – Deluxe Annual Pass
• SG – Signature Annual Pass

Flex Pass blockouts:

• Good to Go – may enter park without prior reservation
• Reservation only – must make advance reservation to enter park
• Blocked out – may not use pass to enter park

Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website:

• MM – Magic Mornings for 3-plus day ticket holders and promotional “bonus” tickets.
• EMH – Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests
• EA – Early Admission for Annual Passholders (not currently offered)

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• F&W – Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• GN – Grad Nite. 2019 dates: May 10, 11, 17, 18, 21, 22, 28, 29, and 31; June 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 14
• OBB – Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure

Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland. As always, specifics are subject to change without notice (or occasionally, without us noticing) so when information conflicts between what is presented here and that presented by Disney, it is best to assume Disney's information is correct.

Visit the Park Hours section of our Disneyland Park guide for additional details about Magic Morning and Toontown Morning Madness, including available attractions. Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.

The Seasons calendar is published on the Disneyland website for the next eight to 11 months.

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