There is always a lot going on at the Happiest Place on Earth especially during the last few months of the year with Halloween, Christmas and the New Year all being the busiest times of year at the resort. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights that were recently announced including refurbishments, rumors and more.
Tale of the Lion King
I heard a very disturbing rumor this weekend that the Disneyland Resort confirmed today. The Tale of the Lion King live show at the Fantasyland Theatre will take it’s final bow on January 7, 2024. Disneyland did not indicate what, if anything, would take the shows place in the Fantasyland Theatre but they did hint at a potential new show. The announcement about the Tale of the Lion King closing stated “we will continue to look for ways to bring fan-favorite stories and experiences to life for our guests at the Disneyland Resort”.
Unfortunately, that statement could really mean anything or nothing. For years, there have been rumors that the Fantasyland Theatre would be demolished to make way for a new attraction or land at Disneyland Park. Even though it may seem like a small area, the area is connected via a tunnel under the Disneyland Railroad to a backstage area between ToonTown and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge which could house a show building. With this being the only theatre currently at Disneyland Park for live entertainment, I am hoping that the theatre will remain for years to come. Or if the Disneyland Resort does decide to eventually take over this area for a new attraction or land, I am hoping that those plans will also include constructing a new theatre within Disneyland Park for live entertainment shows.
In past years, Disneyland has used the Fantasyland Theatre in February as part of their celebration of Black History Month with ‘Celebrate Gospel’ performances taking place in the theatre showcasing Gospel music stars and community choirs. Since this has been taking place for several years, I assume the theatre will be used again this coming February for ‘Celebrate Gospel’. After February, I am hopeful for a new stage show in the theatre. Based on past years, if a new stage show is announced, it will most likely premiere sometime in late May or June when the summer season kicks off. That would mean that the theatre would be dark for a few months, but I am hopeful for more Disney Live Entertainment in the theatre.
Oogie Boogie Bash
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 will be the final Oogie Boogie Bash for 2023. This popular special ticketed event is sure to return in 2024, but tickets sell out really fast so keep that in mind if you are hoping to attend the event next year. This year, tickets sold out within a few hours of going on sale to the public. If you are prepared and online when the tickets go on sale, you might be lucky enough to snag tickets so plan on taking the day off work to spend online attempting to purchase tickets.
The event highlights include early admission to Disney California Adventure Park at 3pm on the night of the event, immersive treat trails featuring some rare Disney Villains that you don’t normally see in the theme parks like Ernesto de la Cruz, Madam Mim, Yokai from Big Hero 6, Mother Gothel and Oogie Boogie himself, just to name a few. There is also a Frightfully Fun Parade staring Mickey, Minnie, your favorite Disney Villains and more. Then there is Mickey’s Trick and Treat live stage show that is really cute with candy given out at the end of the show. Other special experiences during the special ticketed event include Villains Grove, special character experiences around the park and unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass digital photos captured during the event.
If you have never attended Oogie Boogie Bash, I definitely recommend it. Yes, it is a special ticketed event and prices this year ranged from $134 to $189 per event guest but I feel like it is a Disney Experience that every Disney fan should experience at least once, if not every year.
Here’s a clip of one of my recordings of the Frightfully Fun Parade from the event this year.
Disneyland Park Nighttime Entertainment
Disneyland Park’s Halloween Screams has it’s final performance on Halloween night, October 31, 2023 but will be replaced with Mickey’s Mix Magic starting November 1st through November 9th. Note that Mickey’s Mix Magic is a projection only show during weekdays and includes fireworks only on the weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights). Then, the Christmas holiday season takes over on November 10th with “Believe…In Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular through January 7, 2024.
A Musical Celebration of Coco
As the holidays continue to transform at the Disneyland Resort, another one of my favorite entertainment offerings is coming to an end. ‘A Musical Celebration of Coco’ will take it’s final bow for this year on this Thursday, November 2, 2023.
If you follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel, you know that this is one of my favorite entertainment offerings during the Halloween season. The show includes an adorable Miguel marionette puppet as well as the Grammy® Award-winning Mariachi Divas, a storyteller and fabulous dancers.
Here is one of my favorite recordings of the show from this year.
runDisney
Today, runDisney announced a second half marathon event coming to the Disneyland Resort in 2024. Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend will take place September 5 – 8, 2024 with registration beginning February 6, 2024 for Club runDisney Gold and Platinum Members and February 13, 2024 for the general public. The event will offer multiple race distances including a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Challenge, as well as Kids Races and Yoga.
Space Mountain
On Friday, October 27, 2023, Space Mountain reopened after a short refurbishment with new projections inside the attraction as well as new neon colors projected on the outside of the attraction building. I like the colors at night so I hope this sticks around. In addition to the new projections, there were some repairs done to the attraction along with new paint and cleaning.
Conclusion
Those are only a few news items from Disneyland this past week and today. There is a lot more going on including the Downtown Disney construction, Christmas decor popping up everywhere and more. I’ll keep you all posted as I learn more news, but until then, let me know your thoughts. Are you excited about the new Space Mountain projections? Are you going to miss Tale of the Lion King? What do you think will happen with the Fantasyland Theatre? Are you excited for Christmas at the Disneyland Resort? Please send me a message. I would love to hear from you!
