Can you believe it’s already November?! This year is flying by so fast. Just two days after Halloween, Disneyland is already in full holiday mode, this year covering the castle in snow before All Hallow’s Eve! But don’t worry, Halloween still dominated the last two months, with spooky décor everywhere in the parks.
FIRE AND FURY
All through October, southern California suffered from some extreme weather. Different heat waves drove temperatures above 100 degrees a week at a time, and strong Santa Ana winds unfortunately helped spread a major wildfire.
The Disneyland Resort did not close during the fire, but poor air quality and ashy residue frightened many visitors. Thankfully, the fire was contained fairly quickly, and did not cause any damage near the resort grounds.
PIXAR FEST STIRS CONTROVERSY…AGAIN
Remember the D23 announcement for Pixar Fest? This past week, Disney provided an update on what to expect this spring. Starting April 13, Disneyland and California Adventure will both play host to a Pixar Celebration, featuring new shows, food, merchandise, and an increased presence of Pixar characters. The events will include:
- Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular (fireworks show)
- Paint the Night Parade (returning, this time appearing in California Adventure)
- Pixar Play Parade (returning, this time appearing in Disneyland)
- Pixar Shorts film festival (classic short films playing in Hollywood Land)
- Character meet & greets
For more information, check out the official announcement here.
FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 4TH HOTEL
Disneyland mentioned their intent to construct a 4th hotel many months ago, but this month, Disney Parks officially made the formal announcement. This new hotel (no name yet), will have 700 rooms, and will be themed around landscaping and extensive water features. The hotel will sit right in front of the Disneyland Hotel, and the monorail station will move right into the new structure. The lower level will have new shops and restaurants, and the top level will have a lounge and restaurant with prime firework show views.
Based on the concept art, Disneyland fans are concerned about the fate of Earl of Sandwich, ESPN Zone, and Rainforest Café. These restaurants are missing from these images, but here’s hoping the locations are just moved rather than completely demolished. To read the full announcement (and see another concept image), check out the original post here.
RUNDISNEY HITS A ROADBLOCK
This month, the resort shocked runDisney fans with the announcement that Disneyland will stop hosting events in 2018. The announcement comes with the news of the fourth hotel construction, Downtown Disney reconfiguration to accommodate the hotel, and Star Wars Land construction.
Disney did not state whether or not the races would return after the construction ends, but many west coast runners are hoping for runDisney’s triumphant return.
OTHER UPDATES
Mark your calendar! The Last Jedi scenes will appear in some of the Star Tours sequences starting November 17.
In other Star Wars news, Tomorrowland visitors have been reporting periodic visits from a new droid. These droids will be out and about in Star Wars Land, but until then, Tomorrowland seems to be their temporary home.
And finally, for the first time, Disneyland will offer fast pass for It’s A Small World’s holiday overlay. Disney confirmed that this a test for the attraction, and should it prove popular/successful, fast pass may become a year-round option.
