Ultimate Disneyland 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration Guide
Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary is now underway, and with Paint the Night parade, new fireworks, and new World of Color, it’s drawing big crowds. This guide to the Diamond Celebration offers tips & tricks for making the most of your time at Disneyland during this anniversary year, including insight on when to go, where and when to camp out for the entertainment, and other assorted tips.
While these tips were originally written shortly after the Diamond Celebration began, they’ve been updated as of February 2016 (greetings to those of you who just watched the Disneyland 60th Anniversary Special on ABC and now want to know more!) with some thoughts on the continued crowds, plus news on how Halloween and Christmas at Disneyland will be impacted.
As a bit of prefatory information, I won’t be offering basic overview information about the new stuff, as that can be found in my Disneyland 60th Anniversary Info post nor will I be rating or making value judgments about anything, as I covered that in my Disneyland 60th Anniversary Reviews post. Many people have also asked about how construction for Star Wars Land will affect Disneyland 60th, and that’s not discussed here because it won’t. We do have a separate post on Star Wars: Season of the Force at Disneyland, and what you can expect if you visit during it, though.
With that out of the way, let’s address the two biggest questions we’ve received thus far: when will the Diamond Celebration end and when is the best time to go to avoid crowds? Disneyland has now officially announced that the Diamond Celebration will last until September 5, 2016. Makes sense, as this allows it to end just in time for next year’s Halloween Time at Disneyland festivities to start, without having to compete with the Diamond Celebration decor.
We fully expect the Disneyland Forever fireworks and Paint the Night parade to continue well beyond that, as the new non-seasonal entertainment. As of the date when we last updated this post (February 20, 2016), their popularity has proven too much for either to simply be replaced. Even right now, during a time that is otherwise the off-season, the fireworks and Paint the Night are incredibly popular. The smart money is on seasonal fireworks running for Halloween and Christmas 2016 in place of Disneyland Forever, while Paint the Night continues to run during both seasons, as normal.
The second question is a little more difficult to answer. Disneyland Resort was a madhouse last summer and fall, and remains busy this winter. Weekdays right now aren’t quite as bad as they were last year, but once Easter and Spring Break seasons arrive, crowds will spike again.
“It’s going to be busy regardless of when you go–so deal with it” probably isn’t a good answer to that second question, so let’s take a closer look and try to point out some times amongst those busy dates that might be less busy, and then take a look at some tips for seeing the entertainment…
Again, when it comes to picking a time to visit during the Diamond Celebration, I don’t think there are any dates that are going to be “slow” or “dead.” The entertainment already has strong buzz and positive word of mouth will keep it popular through this entire year. If you want a truly slow time, anytime before mid-March 2016 will be your best bet. (With surge pricing rumored for park tickets starting as soon as February 28, 2016, you might want to either buy now to lock in current pricing or make sure you visit on slow weekdays. Details here.)
Beyond that, we would recommend going on weekdays, especially in November and December when school is not out of session for most, and/or when the lowest tiers of Annual Passes are blocked out. Although this is purely speculative at this time, my reasoning for this is that local Annual Passholders have a surplus in time (the average Southern Californian works approximately 8 hours per week 😉 ) and are willing to camp out hours in advance for entertainment, which is something that most tourists with limited vacation time are simply unwilling to do.
In other words, while the days with more Annual Passholders blocked out are days that Disneyland projects to be busier (that’s why the APs are blocked out), I think that, since you’re going to be dealing with crowds regardless, it’s better to be dealing with tourist crowds. Tourists are easier to “compete” with for parade and fireworks spots.
Now, beyond that generalized piece of advice, I’d simply recommend following the tips in our When to Visit Disneyland post. Note that crowd levels will be elevated throughout the year to a higher level than for the average year, but the general trends in that post should prove true. September through early October this year will be particularly busier than normal, especially on Friday nights.
This brings us to the next big question: what about Halloween and Christmas entertainment and decorations? You won’t see certain normal elements of both seasons. Disneyland has already confirmed that the Christmas fireworks and decorations on Sleeping Beauty Castle won’t happen, but the Christmas parade will, in addition to Paint the Night.
As for Halloween Time at Disneyland, we’ve visited a few times since it started, and the decorations have definitely been scaled back and integrated with the 60th decor (as you can see in the photo above). As we shared in our Mickey’s Halloween Party Tips post, some elements of the party this year are being changed to account for the 60th. (For example, there’s no Halloween Cavalcade this year.)
In other words, when it comes to Christmas and Halloween, expect scaled back seasonal offerings. If you are planning a trip during either time of year, you’ll see a hybrid of seasonal and Diamond Celebration offerings, but not the full slate of seasonal stuff that would have been shown in past years. This is not a bad thing–frankly, the Diamond Celebration offerings are far superior to a lot of the seasonal offerings. You should get the best of both worlds those times of year.
Now, let’s turn to some tips for the entertainment itself…
Disneyland
The primary entertainment in Disneyland is the Paint the Night Parade and the Disneyland Forever! fireworks. Currently, guests are grabbing spots for Paint the Night about 2 hours in advance of the parade. During busier seasons, people start camping out as soon as Mickey’s Soundsational Parade. That’s roughly 5 pm for a nighttime electrical parade that starts at 8:50 pm. Roughly 4 hours of potential waiting. The upside to this is that you can get a spot that will be good for both Paint the Night and the Disneyland Forever fireworks, which occur back to back. The downside: 4 hours.
Now, you don’t have to arrive this early to get a curb spot, but you do need to arrive at least 2 hours in advance, and this remains true even following the summer tourist season. I really expected the popularity to die down a tad from the initial mania (and it has to a degree), but Main Street is incredibly packed for the first parade and fireworks hours in advance, and we’re now in the “slow” season (slow, my @%#$.) In my estimation, the only way that’s worth it is if you bring an iPad full of ALF episodes and watch them while waiting…even then, I’d much rather be enjoying Disneyland than sitting on a curb watching ALF.
Instead, what I would recommend doing is chilling in Tomorrowland during the first Paint the Night, and start moving towards the Main Street curb walkways (do NOT use the back alleys to exit) as the Frozen float passes. Time this so you’re to Main Street as Mickey passes, and then make a mad dash for the center of Main Street just south of Refreshment Corner as the parade ends. If you’re only viewing the Disneyland Forever fireworks once, this is a great “last minute” spot because it allows you to see some of the Main Street projections while still being able to see the Matterhorn and the Sleeping Beauty Castle projections. I have other viewing spot recommendations in my Best Disneyland Forever Fireworks Viewing Spots post.
When the fireworks end, quickly retreat to the curb, where you should be able to grab a front-row spot for Paint the Night (if you’re quick) while “only” waiting a little over an hour for the next running of the parade. This will be an excellent spot for Paint the Night, too. (Even if you’re back a row or two, it’s a great spot with limited waiting.)
Alternatively, if you don’t like really heavy crowds or don’t want to wait as long, the ‘it’s a small world’ mall also offers a great location following the same fireworks -> second Paint the Night strategy. Unfortunately, if you’re used to this being a dead zone as it was for previous fireworks, you will be sorely disappointed. Due to this being along the Paint the Night parade route, it will have pretty heavy crowds for the fireworks, just not quite as heavy as Main Street.
The upside about this spot is that the same projections shown on Sleeping Beauty Castle are projected onto the facade of ‘it’s a small world’. The downside is that you can’t see Nemo fly, or numerous other effects that make Main Street the unquestionable “best” spot for the fireworks. You miss a lot of the show from back here, so I’d recommend just sucking it up and dealing with heavier crowds.
I think that about covers it for Disneyland entertainment, so let’s head over to DCA for World of Color…
Disney California Adventure
The situation at Disney California Adventure is a much simpler one, as World of Color: Celebrate is the only new piece of entertainment, and it has FastPass. So long as you have separate days for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (which I’ll assume you do), seeing World of Color should be a piece of cake.
The first thing to know here is that FastPass for World of Color has changed–at least for now. When World of Color debuted, you had to make a mad dash for FastPass when the park opened if you wanted to see the show. Currently, Disneyland Resort management has (quite cleverly) decided to offer virtually unlimited FastPass for World of Color. Per Cast Members with whom I spoke at the distribution areas, FastPass for the second show would be offered “at least until 9 pm” from now on.
This seems counter-intuitive when you consider it’s a new show that a lot of people probably want to see, but consider the alternative: more people in Disneyland trying to see the nighttime entertainment there. Since World of Color is now the less popular nighttime entertainment (despite having its own new version), offering unlimited FastPass for it helps redistribute some crowds and keep some guests in Disney California Adventure at night.
Think of it along the lines of those “surprise!” FastPass that used to be given out for Carousel of Progress as a bonus when you got a Space Mountain FastPass at Walt Disney World–Carousel of Progress has never needed FastPass, but people who got a “coveted” FastPass for anything were more likely to use it, thus increasing ridership at Carousel of Progress. Same idea here, although World of Color is slightly more popular than Carousel of Progress. Giving out more FastPass to World of Color is effectively a way to manipulate crowds and prevent Disneyland from being (even more) overwhelmed by guests wanting to watch Disneyland Forever and Paint the Night.
The unfortunate side effect of this is now that the World of Color FastPass area packs in guests like sardines (and has been expanded to include areas that aren’t all that great views of the show). This makes it more important to show up early for your FastPass return and get a spot as soon as possible. As in, show up right when the return window opens. In other words, because it’s now easier to get a FastPass for this popular show, you now have to wait longer for it.
With that said, I’d recommend watching the late show, and trying to get a FastPass for the Yellow Section. The section is a matter of preference, but with the late showing, you’re more likely to find a smaller crowd. (However, if you have only one day in Disney California Adventure, I recommend late night Radiator Springs Racers rides with minimal waits, meaning you should do the first World of Color: Celebrate instead and then head to Cars Land immediately after it’s over.) For the most part, my World of Color Viewing & Photography Tips post still applies.
I’ve always been a big fan of the front row for the original World of Color, and that remains my position for World of Color: Celebrate. However, I have to present a huge caveat with that. This new show might as well be named “World of Color: Monsoon,” as you are virtually guaranteed to get drenched in the front row (or even farther back). With the old show, how wet you got depended upon the wind. You might get soaked, you might only get a light spray on your during the Buzz Lightyear blast off–it all depended upon which way the wind was blowing.
Now, there are water jets that are basically aimed at the audience, and you’ll get drenched regardless of wind. I don’t know what the World of Color: Celebrate team was thinking with this, but it’s pretty awful. I had heard this warning from a friend, but I assumed he was underestimating the impact of the wind, so like a passenger aboard Indiana Jones Adventure, I did not “take heed.” I brought my rainsuit with me, but didn’t put on the paints during my first viewing because I didn’t think they’d be necessary. (And I didn’t want to intimidate other guests with my totally rad fashion statement. BTW, if you get this rainsuit–and I recommend it–go all out and get the bright yellow version. Go big or go home, right? 😉 ) I left the show with soaked shorts.
Even if you’re going during the summer months, don’t stand in the wet section unless you have a full-on rainsuit. A poncho will be insufficient, and Southern California summer evenings are chilly, especially if you are wearing wet clothes. If you do have a rainsuit, the front row is the best option, as it will be the least crowded. Apparently few guests bring rainsuits to theme parks? (Fools!)
During my viewings from this area, I fortunately had a poncho on my camera, but the constant spray during the show meant I had to fight a losing battle wiping water droplets off my lens. If you’re planning on taking photos of World of Color: Celebrate from the front row, make sure to protect your camera gear. The show can easily ruin a camera–even a weather sealed one.
For now, that’s what I think you need to know about World of Color: Celebrate…
60th Anniversary Plussed Attractions
In addition to the new entertainment, several attractions have been and will be enhanced, or “plussed.” Personally, I was really hoping that the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh would be “plussed” into Country Bear Jamboree, but thus far, that has not happened. It remains pooh, in more than one sense of the word.
Haunted Mansion, the Matterhorn, and Peter Pan’s Flight are the attractions that have been plussed. As a result, these two attractions have seen incredible spikes in popularity, with Haunted Mansion now even offering FastPass at certain times. There’s no FastPass at Matterhorn, and it’s now the longest wait in the park.
Haunted Mansion is easy to do with or without FastPass, and I wouldn’t recommend rope dropping it. However, now that it’s Haunted Mansion Holiday, lines are quite a bit worse for it.
Still, your early morning time is still better spent in Fantasyland, as you can grab a FastPass (if available) for Haunted Mansion in the middle of the day. Matterhorn, by contrast, is now either an attraction to do early or via the Single Rider line. Even if you’re going as a family, I’d highly recommend the Single Rider route. There’s no ‘communal’ aspect to Matterhorn’s seating and no on-ride photo, so there’s really no reason to ride together.
Personally, I like doing it right before sunset and at the end of the night, as the ambiance is radically different both times. With that said, I wouldn’t recommend doing it more than twice unless you want to punish your body on that rackety track. (I recently met someone while in line for Matterhorn who was in a “Matterhorn Single Rider” social club who said he all he does when he comes to the park is ride Matterhorn, and that he once did it “70 times in a day.” He exhibited no signs of brain damage and walked perfectly fine, so perhaps the ride isn’t so bad for you.)
Since this post was originally published, Peter Pan’s Flight has reopened (and looks great). Since it has neither Single Rider nor FastPass, lines for it are insane. You will want to race here right at rope drop or do this at the very end of the night. It’s the longest wait at Disneyland of attractions that don’t have FastPass.
For now, that’s it on the topic of 60th Anniversary attractions…
Other Stuff
There’s tons of merchandise and foods for the Disneyland 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, but thus far, outside of some cups with the 60th design, I have yet to try any of these!
I figured it more important to get the article up with strategy for those of you heading to the parks soon than wait until I can offer comprehensive coverage of every bit of minutiae of the Diamond Celebration, so stay tuned!
Overall, the Diamond Celebration is already proving to be pretty…dare I say…dazzling, and I would highly recommend any and every Disney fan to visit and experience this all for themselves. Don’t be discouraged by the crowds–they are worth the hassle given the quality of the Diamond Celebration. I realize a trip to California is not exactly an inexpensive prospect, but it is something that virtually anyone who vacations to Walt Disney World (and flies to get there) can make a reality. With the Florida parks offering nothing new of consequence this year or next, why not head to Disneyland to see all of this awesomeness instead? Unless you’re a fan of humidity and afternoon rain showers, I see no reason not to take a summer vacation to Southern California instead of Central Florida! 😉
As for figuring out the rest of your Disneyland trip, check out some of our other popular Disneyland Resort trip planning articles:
- Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets
- Disneyland-Area Hotel Reviews & Rankings
- Disneyland Resort Restaurant Reviews
- Disney Parks Unique Packing List
You can find a number of our trip planning tips & tricks, and links to additional resources in our comprehensive comprehensive Disneyland Trip Planning Guide!
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Your Thoughts…
Are you looking forward to the Disneyland 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration? What excites you the most? Planning a trip specifically for the new entertainment and other festivities? Hearing from you is half the fun, so if you have additional tips for Disneyland’s 60th or any questions, please share them in the comments!
I will be in a wheelchair for our Sept. trip. Is there a special viewing spot for the parade and fireworks for people who are not able to stand?
I am a huge fan of Disneyland I have a dream is to be a disney princess
Hi! I love your blog! So I just won tickets to go to Disneyland which is amazing because I wanted to go for the anniversary just for 1 day so we could see it and experience it! So now we get to go for 2 days! Yay!
Anywho,
so now the dilemma is when do we go? We want to go when it wont be too crowded so we were thinking the first week of December but I was worried that they wont have any 60th anniversary because thats when they celebrate the Holidays. Then I was thinking the end of September but then I believe thats when they celebrate Halloween.
I called Disneyland but they didnt have an end date in mind.
From your experience, you think they will still have all the fireworks and parades for the 60th anniversary even during these seasonal celebrations?
Thank you!!!
I have a quick question. A friend recently told me that Captain EO is no longer at Disneyland! Is it gone for good? I have four friends coming for a visit in September and that’s the first thing they mentioned was visiting Disneyland specifically for CEO!
I went earlier this summer and there was an extended Tomorrowland movie preview showing. I was at the park recently and that is closed too. I don’t think Captain EO is gone for good.
I am so incredibly disappointed that this is going to get in the way of the holiday celebrations. I’m finally going to be in Disneyland for the winter holidays; it’s absolutely 100% my favorite time of year to visit. I was in Disneyland for the 50th anniversary, and it was fun (I particularly liked the “Remember Dreams Come True” fireworks show narrated by Julie Andrews), but when I finally got to go right before Thanksgiving it was amazingly awesome. It’s still possibly the best Disneyland trip I’ve ever taken, although the weekend I did my first half marathon is a close second.
I’m going to be in Disneyland again in mid-January, so I’ll see the 60th stuff, then, but even if I weren’t I would still trade all of this for the holiday celebrations. I was so excited about being there for the holidays, and now…not so much. Sad day.
We are in the same boat–First trip to Disneyland for my husband and two kids and we are going in December because we wanted to experience the holiday happenings which may be pared down for the 60th. However any trip to Disneyland is so much better than no trip. I am just worried about crowds since we will be there right before Christmas, arriving on the 18th and leaving on the 22nd. It will be interesting to see what is planned for the holiday season once they announce hours, entertainment etc. which I am guessing won’t be until mid-September. Love all of the great information here
Enjoyed the post as it will help me plan a bit for the logistics of the new entertainment this summer (unless I have you as a personal escort/VIP Guide)!
The scuttlebutt I’ve heard is 18 months for the 60th with Paint the Night and DL Forever both remaining ‘indefinitely’ after. The WoC show is almost assuredly going to be replaced after the 60th ends as not many folks are happy with the way it turned out (Chewie, We’re Home!??! REALLY?!?!)
I don’t think it is definite yet, but they are leaning toward moving the Halloween Party back to DCA this fall. I still wouldn’t count on that. But it did begin there.
Hi Tom,
Really enjoyed reading your post. I will be going to Disneyland this week, before we are blocked for the summer. Quick question: would you recommend maybe sitting at Plaza Inn or Jolly Holiday Bakery for the parade and fireworks show? What do you think?
Thanks!
Hey Tom – Hoping to make it out to DLR in October. Is there a typical time they announce the Halloween party dates? I was hoping on planning to hit up on days when the party ISN’T happening…but if it’s not happening, then I won’t need to worry about that in my planning at all. My guess is they’re holding off on deciding about the party until they get a firmer grasp on tourist reaction to the 60th stuff but would love to hear your thoughts/expectations/what’s typically be done in terms of announcements in the past.
Hello Tom,
Any idea how long the celebration will be going on?
We will be there Aug 31st – Sept 5th.
Thank you for another great post!
-Dustin
Had a great time at the 24 hour party, arrived at 5:00am and was in Disneyland at 6:00am with my 11 year old great niece. We got on a lot of rides which I didn’t expect. Longest wait all day was about 20 minutes. Had a lot of 5 minute waits including Splash Mountain at around 9am. Left the park at 12:30pm to go to the hotel for a nap and returned around 5:00pm. If you had the hand stamp you were let back in. A lot of people waiting outside who were not getting in. It appears most people came for the fireworks and parades so the rides were empty that night. There were long waits for food but we had reservations for dinner at Aladdin’s Oasis which was like a real oasis, very quiet there, great place to find a peaceful place to relax for a while. We left around 2:30am and had a great time.
Next night we were at California Adventure and she asked about the Frozen meet and greet, didn’t even know she was interested. They told us you needed a fast pass but the animation building was empty. We walked around and when we walked past it again a cast member just grabbed us and brought us in. Have to say it was like meeting American Royalty, and my niece was star struck. Anna asked us to find Elsa and I was expecting her to come out of the wall or something and we didn’t see her behind a curtain where any 5 year old would have spotted her. It was a great way to end our trip to Disneyland Resort.
Also loved the way they had the Matterhorn erupt during the Fireworks as they projected the volcano scene from the fish tank in Finding Nemo.
Thanks for the great info! I’m headed to Disneyland in July and only there for three days, two nights. Currently strategizing my night touring plans. I’ve never seen WOC, so I made a reservation at Carthay that includes the FP for reserved viewing with dinner. But based on the above, I’m wondering if it’s worth it. Part of me wants to just try and grab a spot at Cove Bar and watch from afar. Advice?
I haven’t seen the new WOC show but I’ve seen the previous show at least 20 times, nearly all of those times from the Cathay Cir. FP area. The show is massive and really best appreciated from the center of the viewing area (which you get with CC FP). The first time I saw WOC, right after it opened, I saw it from one of the side viewing areas and was really let down (after all the hype about how fantastic it was). Shortly after that I saw it from the center and it was a completely different experience. So my 2 cents is to go for the best viewing area possible which is CC FP. Get there as soon as the viewing area opens and ask a cast member where they recommend you stand. Then be prepared to wait for an hour +. But to me, it’s totally worth it.
How do you get a CC FP, since you don’t get to choose your seating area? Is that the first seating area that’s distributed?
I was also immensely disappointed when I saw it the first – and second – time. This was partially because, at the time, it had replaced “Fantasmic” – which is my favorite Disney show – and people told me WoC was even better. Also, both times my view was blocked by either people in front of me or the pole that for some reason I didn’t notice when we chose our seats. I want to do it properly, next time, and get the best seat possible in the hopes that it gets better if you can see it properly.
Any ideas on where you can buy the new ‘Disneyland Resort, A Celebration of New Magic & Fond Memories’ book online?
I can seem to find it anywhere…
Thanks
No, but here’s a recent tweet from me on the topic that might make you want to rethink the purchase: https://twitter.com/Tom_Bricker/status/602626910540050432
I’d still like to buy it but can’t find it anywhere online!
Amazingly helpful post that I’ll read religiously before my next trip to Disneyland. Thanks. 🙂
I have a couple of questions…do you know if that camera poncho would work for “bridge” cameras that don’t have detachable lenses/filters? I really want to get myself some of those.
Also, did you happen to get pictures/video of the Matterhorn during the Finding Nemo segment of Disneyland Forever? I’ve been dying to see it but haven’t seen anything so far :/
Oh yeah…one more question. Is it pretty easy to get a spot near Partners/the castle during Disneyland Forever? That would be my spot of choice 🙂
That poncho will be way too big for a bridge camera. You might try a DIY method for that, as I don’t think smaller camera ponchos are commonplace.
A spot for the fireworks near Partners is do-able, but you have to rush that spot right when Paint the Night ends. It’s a popular location (as is everywhere on Main Street right now), so you’ll need to be quick. You will be behind the VIP seating area, not directly behind Partners, FWIW.
Can we please start a petition to bring Country Bear Jamboree back to Disneyland?! I’ll take anything… throw some of the singing bears right in with the Winnie the Pooh ride if they must… oh and add dinosaurs with laser guns just because!
I’m holding out hope that the project going on in Innoventions is just one giant mashup of all the great extinct Disneyland attractions…with the Peoplemover circling the inside.
It’ll actually probably be something Marvel, but I can dream!
I will dream right along with you! There’s so many old attractions that I miss – I really don’t know why they just don’t put the Peoplemovers back in since they’re not using the track. Here’s to wishing!
Hey Tom,
Really appreciate the in-depth posts. We’re traveling to Disneyland for the first time (Our first to any Disney park) the weekend of July 4th. Certainly not the ideal time to go it seems, but due to our schedule it’s the only time we can manage to do so. My girlfriend hasn’t looked up anything on Disneyland and suffice it to say I’ve been combing through your posts for tips and tricks to maximize our weekend there. Your one-day guides to both parks have set up a loose itinerary for me to surprise her with, so I appreciate all your effort and hard work!
First time to ANY Disney park July 4th weekend? Wow, that’s certainly trial by fire. Hope you have a good time, but remember to pack your patience.
The closest equivalent I can think of is having your first visit to Best Buy be on Black Friday.
Gabe,
You should check out touringplans.com. They have a book called the Unofficial Guide Disneyland and have scientifically proven if you use their day to day plans that it will save you 4 hours of waiting in line. Also if you pay the $8 for a year subscription you can make a personalized plan for the rides, meals, and shows you would like to do and they will tell you when to go on the ride and obtain fast passes for which rides. They give you how many minutes you will wait in line, be on the ride, the free time between rides, and how long it will take to walk to your next ride. They also have an app called “DLR Lines” that will give you the posted wait times and the actual expected wait times for each ride, along with your step by step plan if you choose to go that route.
Hope this helps! Have fun.
I highly recommend the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland (I haven’t had the privilege of testing out the companion volume for Disney World). My wife and I used it to assist our research and planning for a three-park-day trip last year and it was great! It is worth nothing though that the full-featured app does require a (cheap) subscription.
Wow, I’m sorry Ben. I just realized you had already mentioned the subscription. Totally worth it!
Any idea how the Paint the Night parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks will affect the Fantasmic schedule? I was so looking forward to doing the Blue Bayou Fantasmic dining package for our first trip to Disneyland this October and am really hoping I will still get to do this.
They don’t really seem to affect it, at least not yet. Since Fantasmic is on the other side of the park, you can expect it to run regularly because it provides good counter-programming.
We were there for the 60th opening. Waited until sunday to see the parade, fireworks and Fantasmic. Saw the first parade, waited for the fireworks (did the small world area which is basically right under the fireworks show) and then booked it to fanstasmic. worked pretty well and had awesome viewing for fantasmic.
Great post. I live in Australia and have been to Disneyland 4 times, coming for our 5th visit in September, it will be my partners 1st visit, he’s been warned if he doesn’t love Disneyland it’s a deal breaker. Your posts are always great to read and give me a giggle. We are then going on to Florida to do our first visit to Walt Disney World. Just wanted to say thanks for putting in so much info, it’s making my planning a lot easier. Karen
You’re welcome. Hopefully it’s a good trip…for the sake of your relationship! 😉
I am in Australia and go in a few months and this is the first thing on Disneyland I’ve read… Very informative! However it sounds like I’ve better get reading some things!
Do you think there’s any chance they may leave the Hatbox Ghost in place within the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay? We’ll be there the first week of October and I’m bummed that I may miss it.
I would guess they move the Halloween party to DCA this year. Less 60th decor to deal with and with the recent expansions since the last time DCA had Halloween, the park can handle it.
Great post, do you have any thoughts on when Peter Pan’s Flight will reopen? Our trip is June 30th – July 3rd (avoiding the 4th craziness…we hope)
That’s a tough question. It was originally supposed to reopen by now. There must have been a really good reason not to open with the rest of the 60th stuff: either they wanted to go all out and really redo it right, or they found unexpected structural issues with the ride system that necessitated further delay.
If the former is the case, as soon as they knew they would miss the Memorial Day weekend launch, they would have no rush to have it open before July 4, so that became the new target date. If that is the case, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a soft opening in late June.
If there were structural issues that caused the delay, having the attraction open for July 4 might very well be wishful thinking and a goal on the operational side of things. It may actually be the case that fixing those problems takes longer than expected.
So really…all I’m doing is guessing based on conjecture. Not really helpful to you at all–but I guess what I’m getting at is that I wouldn’t hold my breath for it to open early or even on time. Go in with no expectations so you aren’t disappointed.
What I’ve heard is July, but I don’t know the exact date. But definitely not before that.
on the touring plans website says that it might be reopened by july 1st 🙂
I love to visit Disney Land but I don’t know how to process my visa from Nigeria. Do I need any form of invitation or confirmation letter from Disneyland about my intentions.
On the Mouse Wait app it says July 1st, and so far they have been accurate. So hopefully you’ll have it open for your trip!