If you pay any attention to Disney Park news (or Twitter), you know the last few weeks have been non-stop announcements…and dramatic reactions. Well, the change train hasn’t slowed down in the slightest this month! There are new closures on the horizon, new arrivals in the works, and some exciting Halloween changes in full swing. Here’s a breakdown of the latest and greatest Disneyland happenings.
RACE ACROSS DISNEYLAND
This month kicked off with the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, which actually included a 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon race. The 5k and 10k start and end in Downtown Disney, while the majority of the races weave through Disneyland and California Adventure. This map shows the full 5k route:
The Half marathon takes runners through the streets of Anaheim, including both parks! You can find more information about the upcoming runDisney events here.
OUT WITH THE BLUE, IN WITH THE ORANGE
The 15-month celebration of Disneyland’s 60th anniversary finally came to a close on Labor Day weekend. In the next few days, the diamond accents, blue streamers, and bedazzled candies disappeared from the park, to be replaced by full Halloween décor. Now, the park is glowing orange, pumpkin Mickey has taken residence on Main Street, and both the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain are welcoming visitors with their spooky holiday overlays.
The Haunted Mansion boasts a few upgrades this Halloween! There are new tombstones in the rear graveyard, extra cobwebs in the foyer, and a massive new gingerbread house in the ballroom.
You may have heard that the Haunted Mansion overlay also has a brand new animatronic. I won’t spoil it (here‘s the reveal if you’re curious); but this addition was sorely needed, and I’m glad that character has a bigger presence in the ride!
HOUSE OF BLUES
It seems like the changes will never stop at Disneyland! The latest announcement involves the fate of the House of Blues. Disney filed permits to demolish the building, but have not formally announced its replacement. Frankly, this is not really a surprise; the space was completely underutilized, if not abandoned at certain times of the year. Let’s hope Disney comes up with a creative idea; the House of Blues is in a great location and has a lot of space to play with.
OTHER UPDATES
On September 11, park guests gathered in Downtown Disney for the first annual memorial walk. Many visitors walked through the district hand-in-hand, and held a moment of silence to mark the 15th anniversary of the event.
There are two new passes available this month. Costco is selling a California Adventure “Fun Pass”, which is like a restricted annual pass. With this card, guests can visit California Adventure (not Disneyland) for one year, minus a series of blackout dates. They also receive a 10% discount on food and merchandise, and receive a limited edition DCA pin. In addition to the Fun Pass, Disneyland is also bringing back the SoCal Pass. This ticket is a discounted annual pass for southern California residents, with lots of blackout dates (details available here).
Starting in October, the currently empty theater in Hollywood Land will show a 10-minute exclusive sneak peak of Dr. Strange, the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Cupcake fans rejoice…Sprinkles is coming to Downtown Disney! The shop will open in November, and will give Marceline’s some serious competition.
And finally, Disney decided to remove the Tower of Terror sign from the building (kind of adding salt to the wound, don’t you think?). The ride remains open until January, but now the hotel is even more bare and abandoned. Get your merch while it’s still in the park…
Disneyland is so cute in the fall.