Happy September! Halloween time has once again transformed the Disneyland Resort into a world of pumpkins, ghosts, and this year…even car spiders. Let’s take a look back at yet another busy month at the Happiest Place on Earth!
DISNEYLAND HALF
On Labor Day weekend, Disneyland hosted the Pixar Half. Runners could participate in 5k, 10k, the half marathon, or a race called the “Double Dare”, totaling 19.3 miles. Each race came with a medal featuring a different cast of Pixar characters.
Disneyland’s half marathons take runners through Downtown Disney and both parks, and loop around Angels Stadium. For more information about Disneyland’s runDisney events, visit the official page here.
HALLOWEEN ARRIVES
With Halloween parties, overlays, and décor coating the park in orange, Disneyland has officially switched over to Halloween mode. This year, California Adventure joined in on the fun too!
Oogie Boogie now looms over the gate, daring guests to enter his new lair.
Don’t spend too much time on Buena Vista Street, or the headless horseman might have his revenge.
The most dramatic makeover happened in Cars Land. Car spiders, buildings with eyes, cone jack-o-lanterns…surprises await around every corner. Cars Land’s Halloween overlay looks spectacular.
ROSE GOLD EARS
Every so often, Disneyland comes up with a product that immediately sends visitors into a frenzy. This month, Disneyland (and Disney World) became inundated with guests searching for the latest coveted souvenir: Rose gold ears.
The ears have been selling out rapidly at every location. Like with the Red Rose Sippers, many guests have expressed frustration that visitors buy dozens at a time for resale. To curb this issue, Disney has placed quantity limits at most locations, but this hasn’t stopped visitors from immediately buying out stores. I’m very curious to see what (if anything) Disney does to address the resale problem, since it’s partly the reason coveted souvenirs fly off the shelves so fast.
OTHER UPDATES
It may not even be Halloween yet, but Disneyland has already announced the holiday lineup. Many fans were shocked to discover that this year, the Jungle Cruise will not have its holiday overlay. Currently, two major theories have emerged, since Disneyland did not provide an official explanation. First, the holiday overlay is arguably the weakest in the park, and is in need of a revamp. And second, with current crowd flow problems, Disney does not want to close the major crowd draw for the time it would take to set up and then take down the overlay.
More and more lucky fans are getting the opportunity to interact with a talking Mickey across the resort. Disneyland seems to be testing the talking characters, but Disney has not announced any formal plans to roll them out on a larger scale.
New drive in posters and signs painted on the walls in Cars Land sparked new rumors that a Drive In could be headed to Cars Land. Very early concepts for Cars Land featured a drive-in, much like the popular one in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. Currently, one of the buildings near Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is not accessible to guests. Could that be the future location of a brand new restaurant? Only time will tell.
And finally, an extraordinary Disney cast member just announced his retirement. Oscar Martinez, chef at the Carnation Café, began his career at Disneyland in 1956. He is currently the longest tenured Disney cast member, with a career spanning over 60 years. Many fans (myself included) believe Oscar deserves a window on Main Street…preferably above the Carnation Café.
Oogie Boogie!!!
Does the Haunted Mansion switch to Nightmare Before Christmas after Halloween?
The Haunted Mansion is already in full Nightmare Before Christmas mode! This overlay runs September – early January every year, since the film covers both Halloween and Christmas.