We are listing updates to The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland here. The author will submit information as needed. Please check back often for the latest, or subscribe to the Unofficial Guides newsletter to stay up-to-date on all the news for Disneyland, as well as other Disney parks.
The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2026 Updates
(Updated as of 10/17/2025)
INTRODUCTION
14 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025. Each onsite hotel guest will get free Lightning Lane Multi Pass access to one ride per stay instead.
PART 1 PLANNING
25 As of 10/8/2025, one day one park ticket prices range from $104-$224. Magic Key prices increased Multiday tickets and parkhoppers increased slightly. Believe Magic Keys now coast $1474; Inspire costs $1899.
28 All tiers of Magic Keys will be for sale again as of Nov 4, 2025, but they may quickly sell out again.
36 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (formerly D23 Expo) will be held in Anaheim on August 14-16, 2026.
36-37 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025. Each onsite hotel guest will get free Lightning Lane Multi Pass access to one ride per stay instead.
42 Parking has increased to $40 for cars and motorcycles, $45 for RVs and oversize vehicles without trailers, and $50 for buses and tractors with extended trailers. For $60 you can get Preferred Parking.
44 West Side security checkpoints can be very slow moving in the mornings, but are rarely busy later.
PART 2 ACCOMMODATIONS
49 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025. Each onsite hotel guest will get free Lightning Lane Multi Pass access to one ride per stay instead.
56 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026. Hotel guests can use the Grand Californian entrance instead.
85 The Universal Hilton expansion has been canceled.
PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
98-99 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025.
99 Lightning Lane Multipass now starts at $34.
101 LLMP may sell out by 10am during peak holiday periods.
113 At Indiana Jones, single riders may receive a lanyard instead of a paper ticket.
PART 4 ESSENTIALS
122 The Star Wars villain meet and greet is inside Launch Bay.
PART 5 DISNEYLAND WITH KIDS
180 Clarabelle’s Enchanted Halloween Dinner at Storytellers Cafe costs $79 per adult ($42 for kids 3-9).
PART 6 DISNEYLAND PARK
185-186 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025.
187 The Main Street Cinema exhibit paying tribute to the Sherman Brothers is titled “So Much That We Share”
188 The Main Street Opera house closes at 8pm before the evening parade and doesn’t reopen afterwards.
193-194 Pirates of the Caribbean’s left-hand queue must merge with accessibility guests, and is slightly longer than the right side.
197 Savi’s Workshop now costs $250 plus tax.
198 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.
215 Rapunzel’s tower from Tangled is being added to Storybook Land.
227 Fantasmic is currently being performed without pyrotechnics. Lower the score by 1 star until they return.
228 All Fantasmic dining package patrons now share the same viewing area.
230 Both performances of Paint the Night start on Main Street and end in Fantasyland.
244 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.
PART 7 DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
252 Remove Pixar Place Hotel Entrance from map.
253 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026.
278 World of Color Season of Light will not be performed during the 2025 holiday season.
280 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026.
288 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026.
PART 8 DINING AND SHOPPING
301 Harbour Galley now serves a crab and shrimp roll (not poached shrimp)
304 Royal Veranda’s indoor seating is a shop again
305-306 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.
309 The AI self-checkout test at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta has been removed.
321 Napa Rose will not reopen until 2026.
327 During Halloween season, Storytellers Cafe features Clarabelle Cow and friends in costume.
333 Nectarlife is located next to Dlander in Downtown Disney.
341 USH offers a less expensive VIP tour that doesn’t include lunch or the backlot tour.
PART 9 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
341 The Universal Hilton expansion has been canceled, but two new hotels are planned for USH.
343 USH Preferred parking costs $55-$60 before 5 p.m., or $75-$80 for even closer front-gate parking.
361 USH Fan Fest Nights will return on select dates April 23-May 16, 2026.
TOURING PLANS
395 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.
The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2025 Updates
(Archived as of 9/9/2025)
Replace all references to “Genie+” with “Lightning Lane Multi Pass”. Replace all references to “Individual Lightning Lane” with “Lightning Lane Single Pass”. There are no other changes to the system at Disneyland Resort, other than the name.
Replace all references to “Critter Country” with “Bayou Country”
INTRODUCTION
6 Disneyland Resort will celebrate its 70th anniversary from May 16, 2025, through the summer of 2026.
9 In Fall 2026 construction will begin on a 6,000 car parking structure (which may eventually expand to over 17,000 cars) off of Manchester Avenue, with a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard to access the Esplanade, allowing the expansion of Disney California Adventure into the current Toy Story bus loop.
12 Disneyland vs WDW chart:
- Change “Genie+ can be purchased after midnight on the morning of your visit.” to “Lightning Lanes can be purchased from 7 a.m. starting 7 days before your visit for on-site resort guests, or 3 days before for all others.”
- Change “Make first Genie+ reservation at 7 a.m. from outside the park. On-site guests can buy
- individual Lightning Lane at 7 a.m., off-site at park opening.” to “Can pre-arrange 3 Multi Pass reservations and 1 Single Pass when purchasing Lightning Lane.”
- Add: “DL: Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions are not divided into tiers./WDW: Must select one attraction from Tier 1 and two from Tier 2 when prearranging Multi Pass reservations.”
- Add: “DL: Can use ‘two hour rule’ to stack multiple Lightning Lane reservations./WDW: Maximum of 3 simultaneous Multi Pass reservations.”
- Add: “DL: 15 minute grace period for Lightning Lane reservations./WDW: 119 minute grace period for Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations.”
- Add: “DL: Lightning Lane Premier Pass covers both parks, can be purchased by all guests up to 7 days in advance./ WDW: LLPP covers one park, can only be purchased by onsite guests up to 7 days in advance, and by all guests up to 3 days in advance.”
- Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025. Each onsite hotel guest will get free Lightning Lane Multi Pass access to one ride per stay instead.
PART 1 PLANNING
20 Admission Options chart (adult/child):
- One-Day, One Park (depending on season) $104–$206 $98–$196
- One-Day Park Hopper (depending on season) $169–$281 $163–$271
- Two-Day, One Park Per Day $330 $310
- Two-Day Park Hopper $415 $395
- Three-Day, One Park Per Day $415 $390
- Three-Day Park Hopper $505 $480
- Four-Day, One Park Per Day $474 $444
- Four-Day Park Hopper $569 $539
- Five-Day, One Park Per Day $511 $476
- Five-Day Park Hopper $616 $581
- Imagine Key annual pass $599 $599
- Enchant Key annual pass $974 $974
- Believe Key annual pass $1,374 $1,374
- Inspire Key annual pass $1,749 $1,749
21 Disneyland is offering kids tickets for as little as $50 per day for use between January 7 and March 20, 2025.
22 Admission prices increase from time to time, often in early October.
25 Imagine and Enchant magic key passes went on sale again on August 26, 2025. Believe and Inspire keys are currently sold out. Hopeful passholders can sign up for email alerts when they go back on sale. Compared to purchasing single-day park-hoppers, Magic Keys can pay for themselves with between four visits (Imagine) and 11 visits (Inspire).
27 MagicBand+ can activate touchpoints inside Disneyland that dispense free 70th anniversary souvenirs.
29 Top 10 Theme Parks chart
| 2023 Rank | THEME PARK | 2023 Attendance | AVG DAILY ATTENDANCE |
| 1 | Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom | 17.720 | 48,548 |
| 2 | Disneyland Park | 17.250 | 47,260 |
| 3 | Walt Disney World’s EPCOT | 11.980 | 32,822 |
| 4 | Disney’s Hollywood Studios | 10.300 | 28,219 |
| 5 | Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure | 10.000 | 27,397 |
| 6 | Disney California Adventure | 10.000 | 27,397 |
| 7 | Universal Studios Florida | 9.750 | 26,712 |
| 8 | Universal Studios Hollywood | 9.660 | 26,466 |
| 9 | Disney’s Animal Kingdom | 8.770 | 24,027 |
| 10 | SeaWorld Orlando | 4.342 | 11,896 |
32 RunDisney’s Halloween Half-Marathon Weekend is scheduled for Sept. 4-7, 2025. RunDisney footraces (late January and early September, rundisney.com) are going on indefinite hiatus after the half-marathon in early 2026 due to construction around the resort.
32 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (formerly D23 Expo) will be held in Anaheim on August 14-16, 2026.
33 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025. Each onsite hotel guest will get free Lightning Lane Multi Pass access to one ride per stay instead.
37 add DVC Tower to Disneyland Hotel map.
42 ART buses offer frequent service in the mornings but too few departures at night. The app can be confusing, with buses often late or missing from the tracking map.
PART 2 ACCOMMODATIONS
45 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025. Each onsite hotel guest will get free Lightning Lane Multi Pass access to one ride per stay instead.
47 Grand Californian Hotel will receive a full renovation through 2026, refurbishing all rooms and adding a two-story club lounge overlooking the main lobby. The Art of the Craft tour, held on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at 2 p.m., is only for registered guests of Disneyland Resort on-site hotels.
49 The High Key Club concierge lounge is open at Disneyland Hotel. The expansive VIP lounge themed to early Disneyland is located atop the Adventure Tower, offering a custom soundtrack and views of the fireworks.
51 The Lounge at Disneyland Hotel is open Wednesdays-Sundays, with live jazz music on Thurs-Sun.
53 Pixar Place Hotel is adding family suites themed to Coco and Incredibles 2.
53-54 From Feb 7 through June 1, 2025, the Pixar Place Hotel pool deck is hosting a Pixar Putt mini-golf course. It’s open 10 a.m.-8:30 pm. Daily and costs $28-$33 for the general public, $25 and up for hotel guests and Magic Key passholders; reservations recommended.
54 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026. Hotel guests can use the Grand Californian entrance instead.
69-70 Anaheim Majestic Garden has a vintage school bus style shuttle which often has a long wait..
72 Del Sol Inn offers valet parking only, and retrieving your vehicle from the cramped parking lot can be an ordeal.
74 Grand Legacy has a Korean and Chinese take-out (not Hawaiian)
82 Hilton Universal has a nice koi pond that was recently refurbished. The planned Universal Hilton expansion has been canceled.
PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
86 Security is set up to the east of the Esplanade between the two parks for guests entering from Harbor Boulevard, and on Downtown Disney’s west end (for Disneyland Hotel guests) and south side (for those coming from Pixar Place or off-site hotels).
The checkpoints for guests from the Disneyland and Pixar Place Hotels are usually far less crowded, except before rope drop.
In the evenings, locals arriving after work can sometimes balloon the wait for security at Harbor Boulevard to 20 minutes or more.
96 Tip: If you’re using a touring plan in Lines, check the “rope drop” box to let the optimizer know you’ll be at the front of the morning crowd.
96-97 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025.
97-98 As of October 23, 2024, Disneyland Resort is offering an additional option called Lightning Lane Premier Pass (LLPP), which provides one-time access to each attraction with Lightning Lane Multipass or Single Pass without needing to schedule a return window. LLPP can be used once per day at each participating attraction in both parks, and may be redeemed at any time during operating hours. LLPP costs $300-$400 per person per day, and can be purchased up to 7 days before your visit, starting at 7 a.m. PT. Quantities are limited; the pass can be purchased by on-site and off-site guests, but you must already have admission and a park reservation.
98 Lightning Lane Multi Pass costs $32 in advance or $32-$36 on the day of.
107-108 Virtual Queue is no longer offered at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Haunted Mansion Holiday.
110 Indiana Jones Adventure offers single rider (intermittently). Toy Story Midway Mania no longer offers buddy passes.
115 At the conclusion of a VIP tour, you may have the opportunity to purchase limited edition merchandise featuring the guides’ signature plaid.
115 Walt’s Main Street Story tour is currently suspended for A Story of Celebration: 70th Anniversary Guided Tour. The 2-hour tour costs $120 per person, and includes VIP entry to the Riverboat and Railroad with Lightning Lane for a select third ride, plus reserved seating for Paint the Night, but not access to Walt’s apartment above the firehouse.
116 Disneyland Railroad Guided Tours resume March 21, 2025. The tour is 90 minutes and costs $145. The tour is offered up to four times each day, between 8:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
PART 4 ESSENTIALS
117 Hollywood Land has a Visa meet & greet with a Disney character from 11:30am-1:30pm, and a Marvel super hero from 3-6 pm. The Star Wars villain meet and greet is inside Launch Bay.
117 The Disney app now offers MyWallet payments for billing purchases in the parks to your credit card without an onsite hotel room.Tap “Payment Method” in the “My Profile” menu to set it up
122 Fuel Rods cost $38 each. The new models have higher capacity and USB-C ports. FuelRod’s newer kiosks also offer MAX10 batteries with larger 10,000 mAh capacity and MagSafe wireless charging. FuelRods can also be found in airports and malls for about $30, or two for $40 on Amazon.
125 Scooterbug (scooterbug.com/anaheim; 800-726-8284) is authorized to drop off and pick up at Disneyland’s onsite hotels, as well as offsite, for $215 for 5 days.
126 Guest Experience kiosks have green umbrellas.
127 DAS enrolment is valid for 240 days.
128 Guests in wheelchairs & ECVs can request Location Return times from most attractions in Fantasyland and Adventureland, as well as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Return times are received by scanning your ticket or MagicBand+ and can be viewed (but not modified) in the app.
PART 5 DISNEYLAND WITH KIDS
173 The Darth Vader meet and greet is located inside Star Wars Launch Bay, but most of the exhibits inside remain closed.
176 Goofy’s Kitchen and Storytellers Cafe both offer autumn-themed character brunches starting in early September. Goofy’s Kitchen Breakfast costs $55 for adults ($33 kids), while dinner costs $64 ($37 kids), although around holidays like Easter and Halloween it can be as much as $75 ($39 kids). Storyteller’s Cafe has a Donald’s Tales of Adventure Dinner Buffet with barbecue and s’mores bread pudding. Clarabelle’s Enchanted Halloween Dinner at Storytellers Cafe costs $79 per adult ($42 for kids 3-9)
PART 6 DISNEYLAND PARK
178 To prepare for the deployment of new turnstiles, the trees that inhibited queues from forming at gate 14 & 19 have been moved.
181-182 Early entry is being discontinued at Disneyland Resort as of January 5, 2025.
184 Opening July 17, 2025, “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” is a multimedia biography of the company’s eponymous creator, climaxing with the first-ever animatronic figure of Walt himself. The Main Street Opera House lobby will host a gallery charting the evolution of Disneyland and its audio-animatronics technology, including a collection of over 30 artifacts – like Walt’s Emmy award original fire station apartment furniture – from the Walt Disney Family Museum. After the 70th Anniversary celebrations end, the new show will perform in rotation with Mr. Lincoln. The Main Street Opera house closes at 8pm before the evening parade and doesn’t reopen afterwards.
184 During the 70th anniversary, the Main Street Cinema’s standard programming will be preempted for “The Last Verse,” a documentary about the Sherman Brothers, the songwriting duo behind Disney classics from “Feed the Birds” to “it’s a small world.” The Main Street Cinema exhibit paying tribute to the Sherman Brothers is titled “So Much That We Share.”
188-189 Haunted Mansion has returned to offering standby and Lighting Lane multi-pass, with no Virtual Queue. The new exterior queue offers more shade and garden decor, and new elevators allow disabled guests easier access. The classic Haunted Mansion reopened with a new floating animatronic Bride in the attic, who no longer speaks or wields a hatchet. The hitchhiking ghosts’ mirrors at the end now use digital projections, and a gift shop themed to Madam Leota is now open at the ride’s exit.. Haunted Mansion Holiday will run Aug. 22, 2025 through Jan. 14, 2026.
189-190 Pirates of the Caribbean no longer offers Lightning Lane. The left-hand queue must merge with accessibility guests, and is slightly longer than the right side.
190-191 Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opens November 15, 2024, in the newly renamed Bayou Country (formerly known as Critter Country). Tiana’s Bayou Adventure no longer uses Virtual Queue; standby, Lightning Lane multi-pass, and Single rider are all available. Enter single rider at the main entrance, not exit. Many guests report getting much wetter on Tiana’s than they did on Splash Mountain. The attraction may close by 10 p.m. when the park is open late.
191 Tiana’s single ride queue, whose entrance is located alongside Lightning Lane’s, can be a walk-on when the standby wait is over an hour; as a bonus, singles tend to stay dryer in the back rows.
195 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.
196-197 A new Smugglers Run mission starring the Mandalorian and Grogu will debut on May 22, 2026 (the same day as their big-screen film), that starts on Tatooine, and gives guests the choice of visiting Bespin, Endor, or Coruscant, accompanied by the Din Djarin and The Child (who Engineers will interact with).
198 A single rider queue has been added to Rise of the Resistance in Walt Disney World, but not in Disneyland.
201 The Dead Man’s Grotto, sunken chest hoist, and blacksmith shop have all indefinitely off-limits.
202 Most Fantasyland attractions (except for Casey Jr. at Mad Tea Party) close at least 90 minutes before the fireworks, and reopen about 30 minutes later.
204 Pixar Pals Playtime Party returns to Fantasyland Theatre for the summer starting 5/23/2025.
205 During the Christmas season, Santa Claus meets guests in the Fantasyland Theater.
205 A new third verse penned by original songwriter Richard Sherman prior to his passing is being added to the finale of it’s a small world. Miguel and Dante from Coco have been added to the ride’s Mexico section.
206 “Tapestry of Happiness,” a new projection show for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, transforms the facade of it’s a small world into a moving mosaic of Mary Blair-inspired artwork, accompanied by the “Celebrate Happy” anniversary theme song.
219 As of September 2024, guests can once again request to sit with the monorail pilot in the nose cone cockpit on a first-come/first-served basis.
221 Hyperspace Mountain will return for Season of the Force from March 28 through May 11, 2025.
221-222 Space Mountain’s single rider queue is outside the exit on the left. Estimate 10-15 minutes for each full switchback, or 25-50% of the standby wait.
224 Starting January 10, Cafe Orleans offers a Fantasmic lunch or dinner package with 3 courses for $58 adults/$32 children (plus tax & tip). Fantasmic dining is not offered at Blue Bayou. Cafe Orleans dinner packages are a $42-$52 value ($56 with +$10 short rib option).
225 All Fantasmic dining package patrons now share the same viewing area.
226 Paint the Night returns to Disneyland on May 16, 2025, replacing the Magic Happens parade. Paint the Night (★★★★★) is patterned after the processional that debuted at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2014 (with a few new additions) and was part of Disneyland’s Diamond Anniversary entertainment additions in 2015. Inspired in part by the original Main Street Electrical Parade, these brand-new floats are covered in 1.5 million LEDs. Each float represents a classic Disney or Pixar film, as scenes from Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Frozen are brought to life by a cast of more than 75 performers, who bounce down the route to the upbeat sound track of Wreck-It Ralph’s “When Can I See You Again?” by pop artist Owl City. Keep an ear out for musical nods to “Baroque Hoedown,” the old Electrical Parade’s synth-tastic theme song. These superbright displays go far beyond earlier nighttime pageants and include character puppets with digitally animated faces, a tractor-trailer full of floating 3-D designs, and a kinetic Sorcerer’s Apprentice sculpture whose twisting motion defies description. In our opinion, Paint the Night is one of Disney’s best nighttime parades ever—not to be missed. On nights with two scheduled Paint the Night parades, both performances of Paint the Night start on Main Street and end in Fantasyland. Most guests watch from Central Plaza or Main Street. The viewing area in front of It’s a Small World will fill up last, so we recommend checking there if you need a spot. The parade route will fill up a couple of hours early for the first showing, so we recommend grabbing a spot for the fireworks, and then immediately getting a spot for the second performance of Paint the Night. Any spot along the parade route will offer the same experience, so you shouldn’t worry if you can’t see the parade on Main Street. Once the parade has started, count on gridlock all along the route, especially on Main Street. Due to aggressive crowd-control restrictions on the sidewalks, you’re best off entering or exiting the park via the backstage breezeways (if open) or Emporium shops.
226 The 70th Anniversary Celebrate Happy Cavalcade, running afternoons through summer 2026, is a mini-parade through Disneyland featuring Mickey and Friends, plus Duffy and ShellieMay from Disney’s Asian parks.
227 A 3-course Paint the Night Dining Package is available at Plaza Inn, featuring a baby wedge salad, mushroom gravy-glazed meatloaf, and pea purée over creamy mashed potatoes, served with herbed crispy carrots and a themed dessert (kids’ meal option available).
228 Wondrous Journeys will resume performances on May 16, 2025.
230 Star Wars music is now played inside Batuu every night that fireworks are scheduled, not just during Season of the Force. Starting during the Season of the Force celebration (March 28-May 11, 2025) “Fire of the Rising Moons” will perform nightly inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with new projection effects to accompany the music, and fireworks on select nights. Rising Moons is the fourth-best way to watch the fireworks, but it can be seen near the Falcon or First Order shuttle.
A “Fire of the Rising Moons” fireworks dining package with dinner at Docking Bay 7 and reserved viewing will be offered starting in November 2024. The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo Nighttime Gathering costs $89 (tax and tip included) for a selection of savory and sweet snacks, a souvenir beverage cup, and access to standing-room viewing of the fireworks from the overlook near the Millennium Falcon. Reservations are available between 8 and 8:30 p.m. on nights when fireworks are scheduled.
230 Starting March 28, 2025, the nightly “Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga” projection mapping show will display images from the first 6 films on the spires surrounding the Millennium Falcon, accompanied by selections from John Williams’ iconic scores. Shadows of Memory (3 ½ stars, 11 min long) can only be viewed near the :Falcon, and the area may be blocked off 30+ minutes before showtime on busy nights. Find a spot at least 15 minutes early, preferably near the stairs to Docking Bay 7.
231 The Flag Retreat takes place around 4:15pm daily.
242 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.
246 Candy canes are made on 18 select days per year (9 in each park). Guests who arrive early in the day receive a wristband to join the queue; later guests may join a mobile wait list.
PART 7 DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
250 Remove Pixar Place Hotel Entrance from map as of January 5, 2026.
252 The entrance for Pixar Place Hotel guests direct to DCA’s Paradise Gardens Park is open until noon. The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026.
252 Toy Story Midway Mania no longer offers Buddy Passes.
253 The Red Car Trolley will be closing on February 8, 2025, for the expansion of Avengers Campus.
255 Repeat sketchers should look for the Mickey symbol designating advanced classes on the Animation Academy schedule.
255 Only Elsa appears now at Character Close-Up inside Disney Animation.
256 Disney Junior Dance Party is now Disney Jr Mickey Mouse Club Live! Based on the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ series. Disney Jr. has limited bench seating in the back. The new show has one DJ character, bubbles and snow (instead of streamers) plus Mickey and friends, and is more coherent than the last version. Arrive at least 5 minutes before the first show of the day, and 15+ minutes before later showings.
258 Monster Inc Mike & Sulley to the Rescue will close in early 2026, and the area around it will become an Avatar land anchored by a boat ride.
259 Construction has begun on the expansion of Avengers Campus, which will feature Avengers: Infinity Defense, a multiverse dark ride with Hulk and Ant-Man through New York, Wakanda, and Asgard; and Stark Flight Lab, where pairs of riders are flipped around by Kuka robotic arms under the direction of Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man.
265 Jessie’s Critter Carousel may close 30 minutes before World of Color.
266 Pixar Pal-A-Round closes 90 minutes before World of Color.
266 Toy Story Midway Mania is celebrating Disneyland’s 70th with special targets.
267 Toy Story Midway Mania no longer offers Buddy Passes.
269 Silly Symphony Swings may close 30 minutes before World of Color.
276 Soarin’ has updated the Eiffel Tower scene so it is no longer as distorted from the side seats.
277 A new version of World of Color will debut during Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. World of Color Happiness will feature music from 4-Town and Powerline, as well as newer Disney & Pixar films, including Frozen, Tangled, Encanto, Wish, and Little Mermaid. World of Color – Happiness begins with a preshow message from Joe the Legal Weasel and The Muppets. The new show includes a cover of “Rainbow Connection” by Boyz II Men, and an original song by Fitz and the Tantrums titled “Makes Me Wanna Move”.
280 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026.
277 World of Color Season of Light will not be performed during the 2025 holiday season.
280 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026.
280 The Better Together parade, which ran in Spring and Summer 2024, will return in 2025.
280 The Better Together parade dessert party cost $94 per person.
281 The Avengers Assemble stunt show has been canceled.
281 Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Dance Off no longer includes Mantis or Groot (but he occasionally makes morning appearances)
281 The Spider-Man “stuntronic” will fly above Avengers Campus more frequently as of November 17, accompanied by more character meet-and-greets. However, the tumbling portion of the show may be eliminated.
281 Deadpool and Wolverine appeared in Avengers Campus during summer 2025, performing a storytelling show outside Hyperion Theatre, and participating in the Avengers Assemble and Awesome Dance Off show. They are no longer regularly in the parks.
283 The Mariachi Divas no longer perform at DCA.
283 DCA’s Food & Wine Festival runs from February 28 through April 21, 2025.
284 Oogie Boogie tickets cost $139-$199
284 The Frightfully Fun parade runs twice each night during the Oogie Boogie Bash parties. The Trick or Treat stage show has been moved to the daytime instead. For more information see https://theunofficialguides.com/2024/09/24/unofficial-guide-to-oogie-boogie-bash-2024-at-disney-california-adventure/
284-285 New shows featuring Coco and Encanto were staged in DCA during the holiday season (Nov 15-Jan 5). Santa Claus greets guests at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail through Christmas.
288 The exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance into DCA is permanently closing as of January 5, 2026.
PART 8 DINING AND SHOPPING
300 You can no longer request a fresh bowl at Alien Pizza Planet. The artisanal personal pie is a big step up from the standard pizza and big enough to share. Free soda and coffee refills are available.
301 Galactic Grill has chicken and waffles for breakfast.
301-302 Harbor Galley lobster roll is gone, replaced by a crab and shrimp roll and corn chowder.
302 Hungry Bear Restaurant is becoming the Hungry Bear Barbeque Jamboree, featuring regional BBQ dishes and background music paying tribute to the Country Bears. Hungry Bear Barbeque Jamboree’s menu features house-smoked spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, and sausage links, served with slaw and baked beans; plant-based corn “ribs”, beer-battered fries topped with pork and queso. Banana pudding and funnel cake fries for dessert. Flavored lemonades in a souvenir mason jar.
303 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.
305 Royal Street Veranda has seating inside the former store. The snack-sized Monte Cristo, cheesy biscuits, and strawberry pecan salad are all recommended.
306 Tropical Hideaway offers Mobile Order for Dole Whips only; for hot food, bypass the first queue.
307 Aunt Cass has a shrimp and crab salad “California roll” sandwich.
308 Order for Cozy Cone using the mobile app, or at the centralized cashiers behind the motel office. Picnic tables are available across from Luigi’s exit in Red’s Community Garden.
313 There are no Fantasmic packages at Blue Bayou; they have moved to Cafe Orleans.
314 Cafe Orleans dinner packages are a $42-$52 value ($56 with +$10 short rib option). The inside dining room is very noisy, ask for the patio.
317 Din Tai Fung has reservations, walk-up wait list, bar service, and take-out. The spicy noodles will numb your mouth in the best way.
317 Goofy’s Kitchen: $55-$75 ($33-39 kids ages 3-9)
319-320 Napa Rose will undergo a major renovation in 2025.
322 Construction on Porto’s should begin in early 2025.
323 Splitsville now has an outdoor bar called “The Alley” and late-night happy hour discounts after 9 p.m. on Sundays-Thursdays.
324 Storytellers Cafe World of Color package is $15 more per person. During Halloween season, Storytellers Cafe dinners feature Clarabelle Cow and friends in costume.
324 Tangaroa Terrace has a new menu. Entree range is now $17-$29. Breakfast has coconut French toast with candied pineapple, vegan avocado toast, and scrambled eggs with kalbi short rib. Lunch and dinner feature poke bowls, tropical salads with chicken or salmon, and a Wagyu Hawaiian cheeseburger with bacon and caramelized pineapple with sweet potato fries. The delicious macaroni salad was replaced by stir-fried vegetables.
335-336 Downtown Disney
The two-story Earl of Sandwich will feature the Carnaby Tavern table service restaurant upstairs, themed to the British swinging 1960s. The new Earl of Sandwich will open late 2025.
Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori will oversee the table service steakhouse and quick service barbecue restaurants replacing Tortilla Joes’s. Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon will be a table-service location serving steaks, seafood, and cocktails, while Pearl’s Roadside BBQ will be a quick-service location next door serving pulled pork, beef brisket and smoked heritage turkey with house-made sauces, along with craft beers and moonshine cocktails.
Parkside Market is now open. You can order from individual vendors downstairs, or have any of them delivered to you on the second floor.
New stores now open in Downtown Disney’s Parkside Market area include the Avengers Reserve super hero shop, and D-Lander fashion boutique. Marceline’s has been expanded and reimagined as Disney Wonderful World of Sweets. Disney Dress Shop is now Disney Storyland Boutique, offering popular plush toys previously exclusive to Japan. Lululemon athletic apparel will open Downtown Disney’s former ESPN Zone building. Nectar Life, and Bopo Go! Asian Cafe are other additions to the district.
338 Anaheim GardenWalk has been showing some signs of life, with many storefronts marked coming soon. Heat Nightclub is still open, and Odyssey Virtual Reality is opening.
PART 9 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
341 Universal Studios Hollywood will build a 500-room hotel on the small parking lot immediately outside the park’s entrance. The nearby Hilton is also adding an 18-story expansion tower.
341 Preregistering with IBCCES is not mandatory to receive an Attractions Assistance Pass at USH, but guests with an IAC can use a special expedited queue.
345 USH now sells an Express Pass add-on without admission for $80-$165, and an Express Select pass ($40-50 plus admission) that only includes Jurassic World, the Studio Tour, and WaterWorld.
346 USH Gold & Platinum annual passes now include free parking after 6 p.m. (except Friday-Sunday in April-May & September-October.)
346 Universal’s CityWalk is getting an Escapology (https://www.escapology.com/en/citywalk-ca) escape room complex with seven different themes, including Scooby-Doo and Batman.
347 By 2026, Universal Hollywood will be relocating its security checkpoint to the parking garages before entering CityWalk. The current security plaza and front-gate parking lot is planned to become home to a new resort hotel.
347 Prices for some USH annual passes have changed, see https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us/pass-members/pass-types-and-benefits
347-348 Early Entry no longer includes Express access to the Studio Tour before 11 a.m., but it does allow early entry into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
353 Universal Studios Hollywood’s special 60th anniversary offerings ended on August 11, 2024.
353 Fast & Furious: Supercharged closed March 10, 2025. A new studio tour attraction will be announced in the future. There is speculation that the former Fast & Furious projection tunnel could be repurposed with another intellectual property, or demolished entirely for a park expansion.
366 During Halloween Horror Nights 2024, the DreamWorks Theater hosted a live talk show with Chucky.
367 During the Christmas season, Super Nintendo World will sport seasonal decor – including Mario and Luigi snow men photo-ops – and Toadstool Cafe sells holiday treats.
367 Toadstool Cafe now offers advance reservations via Universal’s app.
368 A Hello Kitty & Friends Cafe with cakes and sweet drinks has opened at Universal CityWalk, and Dongpo Kitchen has closed. Slice House by Tony Gemignani pizzeria is coming to CityWalk.
395 Oga’s cantina no longer offers advanced reservations, only same-day walk-ups.