MickeyBlog News for January 29th, 2024
This past week, we said goodbye to an opening day attraction at Magic Kingdom.
Also, we’ve learned an astounding amount about Disneyland Resort, and we just learned about food trucks in a surprising place.
We’ve got plenty to cover in this week’s MickeyBlog News.
Saying Goodbye Again
Late last January, MickeyBlog covered the final day of Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom.
Now, almost exactly one year later, history has repeated itself with the closure of Country Bear Jamboree.
As is the case with Splash Mountain, the former Country Bear Jamboree will receive an updated theme later this year.
Disney fans remain a loyal bunch, and we’ve known for a while now that this announcement had impacted the attraction.
During the first few years I covered Walt Disney World wait times for MickeyBlog, Country Bear Jamboree’s average was always the same.
People deemed the show a walk-up attraction that they could enter as soon as the next show had ended.
That changed in the wake of the D23, as Country Bear Jamboree’s wait time tripled.
While I haven’t checked this week’s data yet, MickeyBlog’s excellent reporters covered the story on Friday.
They tracked long lines early in the day that remained until the final show last evening.
MickeyBlog’s Allison Fricker noted estimated waits of 60-90 minutes during the final performances of Country Bear Jamboree.
Thankfully, we haven’t seen the last of our favorite bears. They will return later this year.
The sole difference is that the show will update its 1971 soundtrack to include Country & Western versions of many Disney classic tunes.
So, this change isn’t quite as dramatic as with Splash Mountain, but the level of support yesterday underscored a simple truth.
Disney fans remain extremely loyal to the classic 20th-century attractions that are available at the park.
The Disneyland News Update
Disneyland Resort provided plenty of announcements this week.
We had previously learned about the menu and entertainment for the already sold-out Sweethearts’ Nite events.
Now, we just found out that an amazing patch is also available!
Some lucky fans have already attended. Here’s a quick look at the 2024 version:
Objectively, the bigger news of the week involves Haunted Mansion, which has officially closed for a while.
Historically, Disney has used this time to transition from Haunted Mansion Holiday back to the original version.
In 2024, we’re witnessing a more ambitious change as Disney updates the grounds surrounding the attraction.
When the Haunted Mansion campus reopens, we’ll get a new gazebo, fountain, gardens, and Madame Leota-inspired store.
The only catch is that we don’t know exactly when that will happen.
Currently, parts of Haunted Mansion hide behind the construction walls.
Speaking of Haunted Mansion, we can safely expect it back this Fall.
I’m saying that partially because of Haunted Mansion Holiday and partially because of the recently announced runDisney theming.
From September 5th through September 8th, Disneyland Resort will host a 5K, 10K, Half-Marathon, and Thrills & Chills Challenge.
All these events will feature a Halloween theme! Disneyland’s runDisney races are back in force this year!
At Disneyland’s front gates, plans call for a major overhaul of the entrance.
According to the Orange County Register, Disney will add 62 automated entrance gates as part of a $4.8 million admission overhaul.
More Disneyland Resort News
Guests at Disney California Adventure are in for a treat right now.
We’ve got a returning character greeting and an entirely new one as part of the Lunar New Year celebration!
The returning character is Raya, and I’m happy to report that DCA has really nailed her look!
Also, Turning Red fans will be delighted to know that Mei and her mother are appearing in 2024.
I don’t often do this, but I was counting down the seconds until we had park reporter photos for this one. I love Turning Red so much!
Disneyland Resort has three other news items you should know this week.
First, you can order Hungry Bear on the Go now, and I know your eyes just lit up at the thought of that. Here are the full details.
We’ve also got new intel on the upcoming dining options at Downtown Disney. The times, they are a-changin’ at DD.
Finally, Disneyland has updated Disney Genie+ as previously indicated.
Yes, you can choose Pirates of the Caribbean as one of the options right now!
Park officials have suggested that this change isn’t permanent, so enjoy it while you can.
Walt Disney World Miscellany
Obviously, the biggest Walt Disney World news involves Country Bear Jamboree, which opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971.
Still, we do have some other items to cover. For instance, we just learned the height restrictions for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Also, MickeyBlog got a huge scoop the other day while our reporters were at Disney’s BoardWalk.
We watched a food truck roll up and set up shop on the BoardWalk itself!
Yes, as of now, Disney plans to make daily food trucks an option for BoardWalk guests, which is a 10 out of 10 announcement for me.
In this area, I’ll add that the Disney Skyliner is back up and fully operational after its planned annual maintenance.
Everything was up and running again as of January 27th, with some of the lines actually opening sooner than expected.
Disney’s decision to commit to the Skyliner service has proven brilliant. Now, please expand it!
At EPCOT, Disney just revealed the packages and pricing for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival’s Garden Rocks series.
Dinner and a Garden Rocks concert will cost adults anywhere from $36 to $78 plus tax, depending on which restaurant you pick.
Of course, EPCOT is still running an entirely different festival, and that one just got a bit better.
The 3-D chalk art has returned, and it’s truly mesmerizing.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
Feature Photo: Disney