Last Week at Disneyland Resort (12/23/2012 – 12/29/2012)
Did you get all the gifts you asked Santa for last week? The Disneyland Resort found exactly what it wanted under the tree this holiday season: record-setting crowds overrunning both its parks. Heavy attendance will hang around for the first couple weeks of the new year, when the resort returns to its pre-holiday look as the Cristmas decor comes down.
Crowd Calendar
Quietest Day: Monday 12/24 was an 8 out of 10 at the resort, with 7.6 at Disneyland, and 7.9 at DCA.
Busiest Day: Thursday 12/27 was an 10 out of 10 at the resort, with a 10 at Disneyland, and 10 at DCA.
Subscribe to the Touring Plans Disneyland Crowd Calendar for full details on predicted attendance for the next 30 days.
Special Events
- Disneyland's Holiday season concludes on 1/6/2013, with the Holiday Fantasy daytime parade performing daily. Guided VIP tours of Disneyland's holiday offerings are still available through 1/6.
- The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade was broadcast on ABC, featuring footage of Disneyland Resort.
- Players from the Wisconsin Badgers and Stanford Cardinals college football teams toured Disneyland together on December 26 prior to their Rose Bowl face off on New Years Day. A Cars Land-themed float will be a highlight of the Tournament of Roses parade on Tuesday.
- Disneyland will celebrate the Hispanic holiday Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes Magos) with special food and entertainment at Big Thunder Ranch on 1/4-6.
- Check out this cute video of the “roastie-toastie” dolls found inside Disneyland's popcorn vending carts.
- The Disney Parks Blogs released compilations of their Top 10 YouTube Videos and Top Disneyland-related stories from 2012.
- As part of the 2013 Limited Time Magic promotion, a tribute to the classic Golden Horseshoe Revue will be performed Thursday through Monday from January 10 to February 4. No word yet on how admission to the sure-to-be-popular revival will be distributed.
- Now through 1/6, the Believe…In Holiday Magic fireworks show at Disneyland Park interacts with Glow With The Show light-up mouse ear hats. Temporary exclusive viewing areas for Glow With The Show hat holders have been established for Believe, Fantasmic!, and World of Color for the next couple weeks.
- Holiday decor, seasonal songs, and nightly “snowfalls” have been added to DCA's Mad T Party now through New Years. The party will go to midnight on 12/31 with pyrotechnics at 12.
- The final 2012 days for freshly-made candy canes were 12/24 at Disneyland and 12/25 at DCA.
- Santa Claus posed for (paid) photos in the mornings at the Paradise Pier hotel, and in the evenings at the Grand Californian and Disneyland hotels.
- A modest “holiday village” of merchandise and snack vendors continues operating near the ice skating rink in Downtown Disney through 1/6.
- Disneyland Resort is now checking photo IDs for all guests holding multi-day tickets. This results in slow entry procedures; be prepared this holiday season to arrive extra early (at least 45 pre-opening) to be one of the first people into the park.
Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments
- Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.
- MuppetVision 4D has been temporarily replaced with the Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice 3-D short film for the holiday season. The Muppets should return after 1/6.
- A Prep & Landing sequence has also been temporarily added to World of Color performances through 1/6.