And just like that, it’s November. As you’re recovering from your candy coma, Disneyland is already hard at work transforming the resort into a holiday wonderland. But don’t let the impending festivities overshadow Disneyland’s Halloween finale; this month went out with a bang. Between tiki mug madness, Downtown Disney openings, and attraction rumors, Disneyland kept fans on its toes this October.
BRINGING MAGIC TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST
Last spring, Disney announced an initiative to transform children’s hospitals all over the world, hoping to comfort and encourage not only patients, but their families as well. Some of Disney’s most recognizable actors (most notably Johnny Depp, Chris Pratt, and Chris Evans), periodically visit children’s hospitals in character. And now, Disney is taking the magic one step further.
This month, Disney confirmed the first hospital to partner in this initiative will be the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, CHOC. Disney will add characters, interactive experiences, and entertainment for children staying in CHOC. Details remain scarce at this point, but Disney did confirm the hospital will launch a Turtle Talk With Crush show, and Disneyland will continue to host its annual CHOC Walk in the Park fundraiser.
To learn more about this initiative, check out the official announcement here.
WORLD OF DISNEY REOPENS
After going through refurbishment for almost a year, World of Disney finally reopened this month with its new look. Some of the original Mouseketeers joined the cast members for the event.
Gone are the 90s bright and bold colors, swapped in with a more contemporary, warehouse vibe. The new look seems to have mixed reception on social media – are you a fan of the changes?
RUMOR ROUNDUP
Two big rumors swirled this month around new attractions. I hestitated putting this in the update at all, since they are 100% unconfirmed by Disney, but they’ve been so prevalent in Disney news I figured they were worth mentioning. So full disclaimer: Disney has NOT confirmed or denied any claims in any of these rumors.
First, we have a possible lineup for the new unnamed Marvel Land. According to this report, Marvel’s new land will roll out in two phases.
Phase 1, which opens in 2020, will include:
- Central hub with Avengers symbol
- Spider-Man attraction (screen based, like Midway Mania!) in the former A Bug’s Life Theater
- Strange meet & greet in private courtyard
- Counter service restaurant
- Ant-Man Microbrewery
And Phase 2, which will open between 2021 and 2022, may include:
- Avengers E-Ticket attraction, likely a roller coaster
According to this report, neither phase will impact Hollywood Land. But one land that WILL be impacted by an alleged project is over in Disneyland: Mickey’s Toontown.
The second rumor this month is the arrival of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This attraction is already in the works in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. For the west coast version, the railway will occupy the current Gag Factory retail space and some backstage space behind it.
OTHER UPDATES
Did you see the social media hysteria over the Hatbox Ghost Tiki Mug? This exclusive Halloween mug went for sale at Trader Sam’s this month, and more than 1,000 vistitors lined up to grab one!
This isn’t quite news at this point, but Disneyland finally released the formal announcement of the 4th hotel cancellation. The Earl of Sandwich also reopened this month, and the Rainforest Café has expressed interest in reopening as well.
And finally this month, Disneyland visitors got an exciting surprise: SpaceX flew over California, leaving some incredible views in the sky.
