Disneyland Resort Update for July 12-18, 2021

Disneyland Resort Update for July 12–18, 2021

News and Views

HalloweenTime is a go

After a year of cancellations, it was a great relief last week when Disneyland confirmed that some “Fall Favorites” are returning for the 2021 HalloweenTime season, which runs from  September 3 through October 31. In addition to the return of Oogie Boogie Bash (more details below), Disney confirmed that Halloween Screams will return to Disneyland nightly during the season, though in a different form most nights.

Halloween at Disneyland

The very popular Halloween Screams fireworks show will take place on weekend nights September 3 to October 31, weather permitting. On weeknights, and any night it's too windy for fireworks, the show will feature just the music, projections and special effects.

The Main Street Pumpkin Festival returns to Main Street, with hundreds of carved jack-o-lanterns decorating shops and restaurants. Main Street is also the best place to find the Disney characters in their Halloween costumes.

The Haunted Mansion Holiday returns for its 20th anniversary season this year – scroll down for concept art of the gingerbread house.

While not specifically mentioned, we're hoping the Dia de los Muertos display returns to Zocalo Park, and that the Halloween tree will take its place in Frontierland.

Halloween at Disney California Adventure

Several DCA attractions will get their Halloween makeover this year, including Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark, Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi's Honkin' Haul-o-Ween.

The Oogie Boogie takeover of Buena Vista Street will resume with seasonal decorations all around, and especially on the facade of the Carthay Circle Theater.

The Coco-inspired Plaza de la Familia will return to Paradise Gardens, with the “A Musical Celebration of Coco” street show.

Oogie Boogie Bash is back

The best news for many was that Oogie Boogie Bash is back on this year, and will be held on 25 select nights between September 9 and October 31. The after-hours event requires separate admission, and tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 13.

Carthay Circle Theater serves as a projection surface during Oogie Boogie Bash, with animated decorations taking over the structure at intervals. MousePlanet file photo.

Oogie Boogie Bash offers Disney fans young and old the opportunity to dress up and experience trick-or-treat stations, themed entertainment, the Frightfully Fun Parade at Disney California Adventure, and see Disney characters in their Halloween finery.

Jack and Sally appear with Zero in the Frightfully Fun Parade. MousePlanet file photo.

Returning this year is Villain’s Grove at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. The popular walk-through attraction featured light, sound and projections, and drew long lines. Also returning is Mickey's Trick and Treat show in Hollywood Land, designed for younger visitors, and the projected show effects on the Carthay Circle Theater.

The light at the end of the tunnel marks the exit from the Villains Grove. MousePlanet file photo.

One key element missing from Oogie Boogie Bash is the Halloween-themed World of Color show called “Villainous!,” which debuted in 2019. Disney has not resumed performances of World of Color following the pandemic.

Mickey's Trick & Treat features Mickey and pals in a not-so-scary dance party. MousePlanet file photo.

Tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash start at $114, with the most expensive tickets $169 per person, up $24 from 2019. All events run 6:00 to 11:00 p.m, and tickets include a three-hour early-admission period before the party kicks off to visit Disney California Adventure before the main event begins. We recommend that you take full advantage of that early entry to get more park time, rather than using a one-day ticket that day.

Tickets can be purchased from the Disneyland website or by calling (714) 781-4636.

Dates and prices are as follows:

California resident ticket offer

California residents can visit the Disneyland Resort theme parks three times before September 30, 2021 for as little as $244 using a new discounted ticket that went on sale last week. This is Disney's first post-pandemic ticket offer, and has a few features which are sure to make it a strong seller for Californians who have yet to make their first foray back to the Disneyland Resort.

Disney's new ticket offer is good for all California residents. Photo courtesy Get Away Today.

The California Resident Ticket offers residents of the state admission to either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure up to three times now through September 30, 2021.

You can use every day of this ticket at the same theme park, or visit different parks on different days, but you can't use it to enter both parks on the same day. The ticket is $244 for ages 3 and up, a $45 increase over the last time a SoCal-only discount was offered in January 2020.

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 $66 compared to the box office price of a three-day park-hopper ticket.

There is no “fuse” on this ticket, which means you can use the first admission in July and the final admission is September. You must, however, make your theme park reservations for all three days at the time you purchase the ticket(s). You can always change the reservation dates later, subject to availability, but you must make initial selections at the time of purchase. There are no blackout dates on this ticket, and no tiers to worry about. Disney states that all guests must be California residents; a California billing address is required for purchase, and guests may be asked to show proof of residency at the gates.

Tickets must be purchased in advance, and of course we recommend that you purchase from MousePlanet partner Get Away Today. You can also purchase by calling (714) 781-4636, or by going online at Disneyland.com. If you have already purchased tickets through Get Away Today and qualify for the new offer, you can switch their tickets to the new ticket offer—it's one of the benefits of booking with our partner.

We should note that these tickets will be valid for travel during the earliest days of the HalloweenTime promotion, and the first few Oogie Boogie Bash events. If you plan to visit during this time, we recommend that you take advantage of the early entry offered on Oogie Boogie Bash for a little extra time in the parks, but don't waste one of your three admissions on the same day you're attending the after-hours party.

The Disneyland Resort has released its first hotel discount offer of the year.

Last month, we shared the Disneyland Resort had already released its first discount offer of the year, for travel through October 2, 2021.

Visitors who book by September 16 of this year can save up to 25% at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and up to 20% at the Disneyland Hotel. There are no current offers for the Paradise Pier Hotel. All three Disneyland Resort hotels are now open, though all are operating with reduced amenities and dining options.

You can book hotel and ticket packages through the Disneyland website, or through MousePlanet's official travel partner, Get Away Today. In addition to Disneyland tickets and hotel packages, Get Away Today is once more offering discounted tickets for Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood and LEGOLAND. See all of their Southern California attractions ticket offers on their website.

Jungle Cruise sets sail once more in Adventureland

The World Famous Jungle Cruise is once more accepting passengers for a trip through Adventureland, though the ride is officially still in soft-opening mode following refurbishment. The official reopening is this Friday, July 16, and visitors this week may find the attraction closed while Imagineers install the final props and set pieces of the renovation. We should note that these photos were taken while Imagineers were still working on the attraction, and may not represent the finished project.

The World Famous Jungle Cruise is back in business at Disneyland. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

An paint box belonging to Rosa Solo Dominguez hangs in the Jungle Cruise queue. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Members of the media were invited to preview the ride last Friday morning, just before the first park visitors were surprised by the opportunity to see the enhanced ride a week earlier than expected.

Disney has previously released details about the attraction's new storyline, in which ownership of the Jungle Navigation Company Ltd. is in the hands of one Ms. Alberta Falls, following the mysterious disappearance of her famed grandfather Dr. Albert Falls. Ms. Falls does not appear in the attraction herself, but you'll see her office in the queue. Also displayed on the walls of the boat house are objects belonging to some of her ethnically-diverse friends, who have come for a VIP trip through the Jungle.

This crate is one of several nods to S.E.A. members you might find in the Jungle Cruise queue. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The gorillas have taken over an explorer camp in a classic scene. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Downstairs, you're sure to pass a crate labeled “Hightower,” a reference to Harrison Hightower III, for whom the Hotel Hightower of the Tower of Terror attraction at Tokyo Disney Sea was named. In the Disney Theme Parks Universe (if that's not already a thing I hereby create it), Hightower was a notorious member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.), which itself is a reference to the shuttered Adventurer's Club in the defunct Pleasure Island.

Disney has been planting S.E.A. references throughout the theme parks and Disney Cruise Line for years, with several additions made at Disneyland, including a series of oars inscribed with the names of S.E.A. members on the wall of the Tropical Hideaway. Entomologist Dr. Kon Chunosuke is famously one of the members of the S.E.A. , and a member of the party which has traveled to visit the Jungle Cruise. You may spot some of his butterfly sketches on the upper levels of the queue, but only if the line is long enough to utilize the second floor.

Once you board your Jungle Cruise boat, the skipper may tell you about the hapless Felix, a new skipper on the river, who was tasked with taking out the VIP guests. As your cruise unfolds, you'll discover what happened to Felix, his passengers, their boat and cargo.

The VIP tour ended badly for Felix and his friends. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The five explorers are hoping to get out of harms way. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Gone are several problematic depictions of indigenous peoples—the boat full of skulls, (the “native arts and crafts—Art is the one on the top”); the dancing villagers, spear-wielding natives, and of course, Trader Sam himself. The headhunter no longer appears in person in the attraction, but is said to be off collecting new merchandise for the lost-and-found/gift shop at the attraction's end.

While some will argue that those scenes could have been left alone, the attraction loses nothing with their removal. The new hippo pool scene pays off a decades-old joke, and is really quite fun. When you finally encounter the lost safari, it turns out that Felix truly was the low man on the totem pole. There are so many new elements that a repeat ride—from the opposite side of the boat—is absolutely warranted.

The hippos finally got one of the boats that have eluded them all these years. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The other half of the boat is in the hands of this band of chimps. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

On any given Jungle Cruise, 99% of the people won't know about S.E.A., wouldn't recognize the reference to Lord Henry Mystic in the queue, and couldn't begin to explain how it all ties back to a decades-old Florida nightclub. They won't have read the entire Disney Parks Blog series introducing the new characters, probably won't make it far enough into the queue to even see all of the supporting props, and could even wind up with a skipper who forgets—as ours did—to even mention poor Felix and his VIP tour.

You would think an entomologist would know better than to bring non-native species into a jungle, but Dr. Chunosuke did, and now the butterflies are part of the ecology. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Trader Sam is now running a gift shop from the former lost & found. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Fortunately, the new scenes work just as well without any knowledge of the overly complicated back story created for the attraction. Many will argue that this level of detail is what sets Disney apart from other theme park operators, but at what point does the effort cross the line from necessary place-making into self-referential fan service?

Are visitors more likely to point out the stenciled crate because of the Hightower name, or because that's… not how stencils work? And when Imagineers spend so much time creating such a rich and detailed environment, it's disappointing to find an Adventures by Disney advertisement with an anachronistic toll-free number hanging on the wall.

If you're ready for more adventure, Adventures by Disney would love for you to give them a call. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The 1% of Disney fans who eat up anything that mentions S.E.A. will have a field day with this new attraction, and the Florida version set to open later this year. And for everyone else, they can sit back and enjoy the ride without ever needing to know what that one monkey is holding.

The first group of park visitors returns from their cruise on the newly-refurbished Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Halfway to the Holidays

The Disney Parks Blog has declared this week to be the halfway point to the holiday season, and posted a series of articles on Monday to give a preview of what visitors can expect at Disney destinations in the U.S. and Europe. Specific to the Disneyland Resort was the release of concept art for the 20th anniversary edition of the Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house. The 2021 creation pays homage to the 18 houses that came before it, and Disney published a list of the design elements included in the sculpture.

The 2021 Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house features elements from the 18 houses which came before it. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

While Walt Disney World has announced their holiday events will begin November 12, 2021, the Disneyland Resort has not made an official announcement of its own plans. We are waiting to learn if the Festival of Holidays will return to Disney California Adventure, and what the holiday festivities might look like at Disneyland.

Walt Disney World's announcement also contained no mention of the popular Candlelight Processional, and we're also waiting for word on whether the performance will return to Disneyland for 2021. Walt Disney World canceled all of their Candlelight performances in 2020, and of course the Disneyland theme parks were still closed due to state regulations.

Toy Story parking lot set to reopen

The Toy Story parking lot is scheduled to reopen on Sunday, July 18, giving Disneyland Resort visitors an option to the Mickey and Friends parking structure. The Toy Story lot may prove to be more popular than normal once it reopens, as Disney has confirmed that bus service will run to and from the lot. All passengers must wear masks while on-board the bus regardless of vaccination status, but many may consider this a small price to pay for the convenience of having transportation back to their car at the end of a long day.

Disney has not yet resumed tram service from the Mickey and Friends parking structure, and many visitors complain about the half-mile trek to and from the theme parks. We reached out to Disney for an update on when tram service may resume, but they did not have any new information to share at this time.

This and That…

…Kat Saka's Kettle is scheduled to reopen this Thursday, July 15. The popcorn kiosk is the last eatery to reopen in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

…Last week Workers United Local 50 shared via Facebook another wave of recalls of Disneyland Resort theme park food service workers which, in their words, “are expected to bring everyone back from furlough and layoff between now and the week ending August 28th.” This union represents theme park workers in quick serve, table serve, outdoor vending and park banquets. Among the jobs specifically mentioned were the Boudin bakery staff needed to reopen Pacific Wharf Cafe in Disney California Adventure.

…The MousePlanet 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 for keeping the Disney magic going at home. 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.

Join the MousePlanet Newsletter Email:

Join Our Networks

@MousePlanet on…

On Facebook:

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Attraction, restaurants, and stores that are closed for refurbishment are noted below. All other closures should be presumed to be due to COVID protocols, and are subject to change at any time without notice as the state of California issues new guidance.

All information was current as of this article's publication date. MousePlanet does not edit past Updates; for the most up-to-date refurbishment calendar, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update, visit Disneyland.com or use the Disneyland smartphone application on your iOS or Android device.

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

Please let us know if the menu bar doesn't work on your screen.

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.

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

2021-2022

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 February 2020.

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

Legacy 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

Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website:

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

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• F&W – Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• GN – Grad Nite.
• OBB – Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure

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

Share, Links, Comments & More