Category: California

2024 Lunar New Year at California Adventure

Celebrate the Lunar New Year at Disneyland California Adventure Park from January 23 – February 18, 2024!

This multicultural celebration is filled with auspicious wishes for health, luck and prosperity throughout the new year, the Year of the Dragon.

Don’t miss Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession honoring family, friendship and the potential for a fortune-filled new year. Follow Little Lantern on a journey to return home for the annual celebration of good luck and fortune in the World of Color preshow, Hurry Home.

Catch live entertainment throughout the day from several Asian groups. Check your Disneyland app for showtimes.

Luna Lee – modern rock Gayageum, a traditional Korean string instrument, performer
Melody of China – premiere Chinese music ensemble playing Chinese folk, classical and contemporary instrumentals
New Tradition – pop band promoting diversity through their versatile musicianship and Vietnamese cultural roots
Vocal Seoul – acappella group of Korean-American singers

Sample a variety of Asian-inspired dishes prepared with a Disney twist at specialty Lunar New Year Marketplaces (view full menus).

– Bamboo Blessings
– Wrapped with Love
– Lucky 8 Lantern
– Prosperity Bao & Buns
– Red Dragon Spice Traders
– Longevity Noodle Co.

New for this year, take a photo with Meilin Lee and her mom, Ming Lee, from the Disney and Pixar film, Turning Red. Catch a photo with other Disney characters dressed in colorful Lunar New Year inspired attire as well.

Stop by the Lucky Wishing Wall located in Paradise Gardens to add your special message of hope, health, and happiness for the upcoming year.

Partake in the many crafts and activities and of course, there will be plenty of merchandise for your shopping pleasure as well.

Come join in the fun! I wish you a happy and healthy year!

Disney Parks Early 2024 Ride Closures

This time of year is usually when the Disney theme parks like to do annual maintenance on their rides, especially water rides. Make sure to check each park’s refurbishment calendar when planning your trip dates to make sure a favorite ride won’t be closed. Below are just some main ones that I’m seeing as of this writing.

Disney World

Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, Hollywood Studios – Jan 8th-Summer 2024
Frozen Ever After, EPCOT – Jan 24th only, then Nov 2-6th
Big Thunder Railroad, Magic Kingdom – Jan 16-20th
Country Bear Jamboree, Magic Kingdom – Jan 27-Summer 2024
Splash Mountain, Magic Kingdom – already closed for the retheming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, scheduled to open sometime this year
Kali River Rapids, Animal Kingdom – Jan 8-tbd

In addition to the rides, the Disney Skyliner Gondola will be closed for annual maintenance from Jan 16-21st, and until Jan 27th between the International Gateway at EPCOT and the Riviera resort. Buses to the parks will be provided if you’re staying at the Skyliner resorts.

Also, Blizzard Beach is open but Typhoon Lagoon is now closed until they both reopen for the warmer months.

Disneyland

Haunted Mansion, Disneyland – Jan 22-tbd
“it’s a small world”, Disneyland – Jan 7-17th
Splash Mountain, Disneyland – already closed for the retheming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, opening date tbd
Grizzly River Run, California Adventure – Jan 8-tbd
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, California Adventure– Jan 22-Feb 8th
World of Color One, California Adventure – Jan 8-18th

In the park calendars below, change the date, click on the park icons of all of the ones you want to check, and then scroll down to the Closed for Refurbishment section of each park.

These calendars also show the park hours and scheduled times for the numerous shows and fireworks (of course, subject to change and some won’t get posted til it’s closer to that date but checking closer dates can give you an approximate idea), so it’s good to check them often if you want to plan dining reservations or ride times around certain ones.

Disney World Calendar

Disneyland California Calendar

Check the calendars often, especially if your trip is still several months or even weeks away, since closures and dates for their reopening can fluctuate. Closures do happen year-round, not just in January and February.

Of course, this applies to any other theme parks, or any other attraction/location, that you may be interested in going to as well. Always check their websites before you lock in your travel plans and before your trip dates, for any closures and changes. Or, you can use a travel agent, like me, who will stay on top of any changes for you. 😁

Feel free to contact me if you want any help planning your future trips.

Disneyland Magic Key Passes on Sale Again

Disneyland Magic Key sales will resume on January 10, 2024 no earlier than 9am PST!

Disneyland Magic Key program is the current name for the Annual Pass program at the Disneyland Resort in California. All four Magic Key types will go back on sale after being paused on and off for the last few years. Based on past experience of high demand, it is anticipated that there will be a virtual queue to purchase and a long wait. Plan accordingly.

The passes come in four different tiers (Inspire, Believe, Enchant, Imagine) with various levels of theme park access, retail and dining discounts plus special benefits just for Magic Key holders. Throughout the year, Magic Key holders will be able to experience “Extras Unlocked,” which are special offerings including Magic Key-themed merchandise, special extras and experiences, dining opportunities and discounts, and more.

To purchase or compare the different tiers, visit the Magic Key page.

Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about annual passes or any Disney trip.

©Disney

New Years Eve at Universal Hollywood

Be part of Universal Studios Hollywood’s EVE event on December 31, 2023, where you can party til 2am!

There will be multiple party areas with music, dancing, and a midnight countdown celebration with fireworks.

EVE festivities are included with valid theme park admission for Dec 31st. Entertainment begins at 9pm and ends at 2am. Select rides and attractions will close early during the event. All rides and attractions will close by 1am.

In the meantime, celebrate the holidays at Universal Hollywood’s You Do Yule festivities with new foods, shows, and more!

Feel free to contact me if you want me to help you plan your Universal trip.

Happy Holidays!

Holidays at Universal Studios Hollywood 2023

Celebrate the holidays at Universal Studios Hollywood from November 24, 2023 – January 1, 2024!

Enjoy the music and fun of Grinchmas™ at the Who-tacular Celebration. Meet the Grinch, his dog Max, and other Who-ville residents. Catch the lighting of the one-of-a-kind Dr. Seuss inspired tree and other Who-ville decorations.

Join the celebration in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter as Hogwarts™ castle lights up for the holidays and festive decor brightens up the streets of Hogsmeade™. Listen to seasonal melodies from the Frog Choir while you sip on delicious Butterbeer™. (If the hot one is available, give it a try. It’s my favorite one!)

Of course, there will be plenty of holiday-themed food for your belly and merchandise for your shopping list around the park. You can also meet some characters in their holiday finest.

Don’t miss the beautiful tree, dining, and shopping in CityWalk either.

Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about a Universal trip.

Pics © Universal Studios

Holidays at Disneyland California 2023

Now that Halloween is over, are you already planning for Christmas? I’ve already posted about the holiday festivities planned for Disney World and Universal Orlando. Let’s go over to the other coast to see what festivities are planned for Disneyland in California next. The celebration there will run from November 10, 2023 – January 7, 2024.

The Christmas Fantasy Parade will take place at Disneyland Park each day, usually at 3:30pm and 6:30pm, though check your app for the latest showtimes. Your favorite Disney characters will join Santa Claus for a merry musical celebration down Main Street, U.S.A. Gotta love those toy soldiers too!

Some rides, including the Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world”, Mater’s Jamboree, and Luigi’s Rollicki’ Roadsters, will have holiday overlays.

Of course, there will be holiday decorations all over the parks and resorts too. Sleeping Beauty’s castle will be extra shimmery!

Don’t miss the nighttime shows! Disneyland Park will have the “Believe…In Holiday Magic” fireworks and California Adventure Park will have the “World of Color – Season of Light” spectacular.

California Adventure Park will host the Festival of Holidays, a celebration of diverse cultural festivities with music, food and fun from the traditions of Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three King’s Day.

Be sure to catch Disney ¡Viva Navidad! – a fun street party featuring live musicians with folklórico and samba dancers along with Mickey and Minnie in their fiesta best!

Of course, there will be plenty of other holiday foods, decor, and seasonal merchandise around both parks and Downtown Disney.

We were there last December and the holiday atmosphere definitely made it extra magical and fun. If you want to chat about planning a Disney trip, feel free to contact me.

Pics ©Disney

Disneyland Price Increases

In case you haven’t heard already, Disneyland in California increased prices for tickets and other items effective October 11, 2023. Here’s the rundown.

Magic Key Annual Passes increased by $50 for the “Imagine” and “Inspire” tiers, and $150 for the “Enchant” and “Believe” tiers.
Single-day tickets increased up to $15 depending on date. The lowest tier price remains unchanged. There are now date-based dynamic pricing tiers for tickets.
Multi-day tickets increased by $25 – $65 depending on length.
Park Hopper add-ons for multi-day tickets increased by $5 – $15 depending on length.
Genie+ add-ons increased $5 per day for pre-arrival purchases, but you can add them up to 120 days in advance now.
Genie+ day-of purchases start at $30 and go higher depending on the date. Magic Key holders still get a 20% discount for day-of purchases.
Parking at the theme park and Disneyland resort lots increased by $5.

For a bit of good news, Disneyland has announced a Child Ticket offer (ages 3 to 9) for as little as $50 per day for some visits between January 8, 2024 and March 10, 2024. These tickets will be available for purchase beginning Oct. 24, 2023.

Also, the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure rides will be added to Genie+.

As always, feel free to contact me if you want to chat about planning a Disney trip.

Disneyland Small World Closing for Holiday Overlay

Heads up! The It’s a Small World attraction at Disneyland Park in California will be closed from Oct 23, 2023 through November 10, 2023 for its annual holiday overlay. Just be aware if you have a trip planned for this timeframe. It starts next Monday.

It’ll be gorgeous when it’s done. The above pic is from our trip there last December. Look at all those lights! There are holiday overlays inside the ride too. Beautiful! Check it out if you can.

As always, feel free to contact me if you want to chat about planning a Disney trip.

Disney 100 Celebrations

October 16, 2023 is officially the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Company. This was the day when Walt and Roy Disney signed the contract to create their first animated short in a little humble studio in California soon after arriving from their hometown in Missouri. The rest, as they say, is history.

To celebrate these 100 years of great stories and characters, Disney debuted a new short film featuring over 500 beloved characters from its long list of featured films. Once Upon a Studio is available now for streaming on Disney+.

In addition, Disney has restored a 4K version of its first full-length feature animation, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, now also available for streaming on Disney+. There is a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version too.

TikTok and Disney have partnered together to create a unique Disney100 interactive experience on TikTok that features “unique Disney videos, trivia challenges, ‘Character Cards’ of favorite Disney characters to collect and trade, unique profile badges, and more. The new destination also lets you participate by creating your own videos with custom Disney effects and music. You can engage and connect with Disney fans while reliving favorite memories”. TikTok is also creating a Disney100 Playlist featuring popular hits from the Disney catalog.

Disney100: The Exhibition is traveling to various museums around the world still, currently in Chicago and London. The exhibit features tons of items from the Disney Archives and provides a look at the company’s achievements in films, parks, and many other facets.

If you’re going to any of the Disney parks worldwide, you’ll see new decorations, events, foods, merchandise, and more commemorating this milestone. Some new rides and attractions are opening and for the next few months, there will be new Disney100 PhotoPass Magic Shots. Join in the festivities!

It’s been an amazing 100 years of unforgettable stories and memorable experiences. Do you have a Disney story?

Happy Disney100!

Pics ©Disney

Disneyland California Closing Early

Due to Hurricane Hilary, Disneyland Resort in California just announced some changes as they continue to monitor the impending storm.

Disneyland Resort theme parks will close early tomorrow, Sunday Aug. 20, 2023 with Disney California Adventure Park closing at 9 p.m. and Disneyland Park closing at 10 p.m. The Downtown Disney District will close at 11 p.m.

Our resort hotels will remain open to serve our guests staying with us on property.

Check the Disneyland site often for any further changes if you have a trip planned for the next few days.

Be careful if you’re in Southern California or nearby regions. Keeping our fingers crossed for you!

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