This holiday season, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will welcome “Sunset Seasons Greetings”, a projection experience on Sunset Boulevard.
From November 9th through December 31st, 2017, guests can enjoy Sunset Boulevard as it is transformed into an unforgettable sight in the evenings. The billboards lining the tops of buildings on the boulevard will move and tell their own stories about the season with some memorable Disney characters, and even the Hollywood Tower Hotel (Twilight Zone Tower of Terror) will transform to tell the stories.
The Disney character moments will include:
The “Toy Story” characters making guesses at which new toys are coming to join them this Christmas as the scene becomes enveloped in wrapping paper
The Swedish Chef from The Muppets babbles as he does while turning the street into giant gingerbread houses
Mickey and Minnie looking back at a hometown Christmas as the scene turns into a beautiful Norman Rockwell-style town, starting in black and white before slowly developing color
Olaf dreaming of his holiday wish as the scene turns into a Frozen snowscape, with a beautiful Aurora Borealis and projected snowfall
This information was posted on DisneyWorld.com, but has since been removed.
The T-Rex Cafe at Disney Spring is offering a special Breakfast with Santa package on December 17th, 18th, 22nd, and 23rd from 8-10am.
The package offers a breakfast buffet, early bird shopping at the World of Disney from 9am-10am, as well as the T-Rex Dino Store. Guests will also be able to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The price is $32 for adults , $20.50 for children ages 4-9, and free for children 3 & under.
Reservations can be made at TRexCafe.com and by calling 407-828-8739.
Disneyland Reporter Conner Purzycki brings us back to the Disneyland Resort to see all that is new and exciting in his latest photo report. The Rivers of America are taking shape quickly, the tarps are growing on Tower of Terror, and a security shake-up of massive proportions is underway at the Resort, so let’s check it all out!
The Disneyland Resort has also introduced a preferred parking program. That being said, parking this far away from the parks does seem a bit insane for the price being charged.
Star Wars Land
Construction continues on the Star Wars themed land for Disneyland Park, visible from the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure.
Just below Big Thunder Mountain, you can get your first glimpse at the new train bridge (in white) for the Disneyland Railroad, which will take it past some waterfalls on the mountainside hiding the Star Wars Land from view.
A closeup also reveals some of the man-made rockwork around the bridge.
We can see more rock-work taking shape just on the other side of the ridge.
While the new Rivers of America area is speeding along, work has pretty much stalled on the rest of the site.
Security Changes and Area Enhancements
The terrible colored tile in the Mickey and Friends parking structure is finally being replaced with some more pleasant brick flooring.
It seems the new security checkpoint will be temporarily set up here until a more permanent solution is built.
To the fencing class teacher who has a free ad in the background, you can send that payment via check or PayPal.
Hopefully the finished product will look better than this…
Fences will ensure that guests who have not been screened can not enter.
Downtown Disney
This thing sis a Christmas decoration in Downtown Disney… we think…
More fencing up for another checkpoint near the Disneyland Hotel.
More Christmas obelisks… Please don’t send hate-mail.
The outdoor seating area at Tortilla Joe’s is finished.
Walls are up around the former House of Blues, which picked up and moved to the nearby Garden Walk mall. Last we had heard, a version of The Edison might find its way here.
Sprinkles opened recently with an awesome Tower of Terror costume on the front if it…
Work continues to add Curl Surf and Pandora shops nearby.
Disneyland Park
Mickey Mouse was out and about, meeting guests in Town Square.
Set-up for the Candlelight Processional is nearing completion behind the train station.
A Moana meet and greet has opened at the Aladdin’s Oasis area.
The Festival of Holidays booths may be a bit expensive, but they are popular with guests.
Conner does us proud with the customary garbage can picture of the food he ordered.
If you thought Epcot price was bad, take a look at the slider price in California…
2017 merchandise has started to arrive at stores around the resort.
A selection of California Adventure merchandise was recently released as well.
And it features the Hollywood Tower Hotel…
The grizzly bear outside of Grizzly River Run has a giant holiday sweater and it lights up at night. This is the #1 reason I am visiting DCA next week.
We conclude our report with a look at the holiday decor inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
The annual gingerbread display is amazing, as always.
The “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Holiday Party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios” has been quite popular, selling out on many evenings already. We had actually missed getting tickets to the first party when they first went on sale, but we continued to check for availability everyday. Last week, we did finally find two spots for the very first one and booked it immediately. The moral of the story is to keep checking back if it isn’t available when you first attempt, tentative guests will often cancel just a few days out.
The party starts 1 hour and 15 minutes before the show begins. Check-in begins about a half-hour before that and allows guests to obtain a wristband so they can just walk-in when the party starts. Tables are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so if you absolutely want a table with seats, get here early.
Unlike the indoors Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular dessert party (version 2), this one is held outside in the courtyard of the Great Movie Ride. While it seems a bit strange to put this outside in the colder months, especially for an evening event, the backdrop is pretty wonderful. The space was a little cramped though and it was often difficult to not find a line for food or beverage throughout the night. They may need to either add a few stations or decrease the number of guests, but I assume neither of those will ever happen “because MONEY”.
This was taken before everyone had gotten in, but it filled in real fast.
This was later…
I often waited between 5-7 (yeah, seven) minutes for a drink at the bar, which seems like a bit much considering the amount you are paying here for a premium experience. If I’m out in the park, I understand that lines are inevitable and a part of life. If I’m paying an up-charge for something, I expect some better service. If you wait a long time at a restaurant for your food to arrive, you get angry. At $69 per adult and $39 per child (Which jumps to $79/$45 December 18th-31st), I expect not to wait very long.
Let’s talk about the food and drink…
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Holiday Party Snack Stations
I recall my very first Star Wars dessert party was disappointing as they really hadn’t prepared for it at all. That was not the case this time around as all of the stations were decorated just right. My first Star Wars dessert party still featured FROZEN-colored table cloths…
There are 4 food stations overall, two featuring the same “handheld” desserts, while another features non-dessert snacks, and the last has cakes, ice cream, and a snack mix. There are also two bars adjacent to one another and then a non-alcoholic drink station.
The chocolate cupcake with mint frosting and peppermint bark was one of the highlights for us. A larger version of this cupcake is sold in the park throughout the day now.
I also LOVED these gingerbread cookies. Sadly, no one could give me a full description of it, but it is enjoyable if gingerbread is your thing.
The lemon meringue tart was solid as well.
The ubiquitous crispy rice treats were also on hand, and tasted the same as always.
The “non-dessert” food station befuddles me. It is an expanded line from the Star Wars offerings, but I’m still not certain that all of these items need to be here.
The holiday antipasto looked kind of gross, but I took one for the team and tried it. It was surprisingly tasty.
The kale, collard and pomegranate onion slaw seemed a bit out of place, but it really wasn’t bad.
The meatballs were fine too, albeit seemingly out of place at such as event with a dessert-heavy spread.
The spinach dip was solid as well. Again, I didn’t hate any of the “non-dessert” offerings, I’m just not sure that we needed more of them. I would have rather they spent the time on the dessert line-up as it is a little thinner than the previous incarnations.
I could have done without the “warm salted caramel cottage pudding”. It was way too salty, and yes, I know that salted is in the name.
My favorite thing we had the entire night (other than alcoholic drinks) was the warm chocolate torte with cream cheese glaze and candy cane dust. It reminded me of a homemade chocolate cake and the cream cheese icing was absolute perfection. Add ice cream to this at the end of the station and you won’t regret it.
The only thing missing was the nitro-based dessert from the Star Wars party, which is a real loss. I was surprised that it wasn’t offered here, but I understand the need to differentiate these parties from one another at some point.
The winter spiced party mix was solid and fit the party well.
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Holiday Party Beverages
The bars offered two specialty beverages and a good selection of beer and wine.
I enjoyed the Apple Cinnamon Cocktail quite a bit, but the other specialty drink was my personal favorite.
The Gingerbread Martini was… everyone say it with me… PHENOMENAL. I think I ended up having three of these, including the one they handed me when I walked in. I enjoy creamy alcoholic beverages, as you might know by now, but even those in my party who usually do not found this to be their favorite offering from the party overall.
We also tried some the wines. Pictured above is the Cabernet and the Pinot Noir. Both were enjoyable, not the worst quality wines I have had in a Disney theme park.
As always, a selection of juices, teas, canned soft drinks, coffees, and water is available at a separate station.
Viewing location
The viewing area for the fireworks show was no different than Star Wars, located just off to the left side of the Center Stage area in front of the Chinese Theater. This is still the best place to see fireworks from in this park, and especially this show. There are snow and laser effects that are only best seen from this general area, so you will either need to book this party or show up at least an hour before the show to grab a spot up here. My viewing tips for the dessert party remain the same as from previous reviews, just stay off top the right of the viewing area if you want to see more of the show.
The show itself is fine, even lighter on pyrotechnics than the Galactic Spectacular show. That being said, there are two segments using the lasers that I absolutely adore, but overall, it’s fairly “meh” and far from any sort of substitute for Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, or dare I say it, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.
Overall
A dessert party is only as good as the show it is for, and I don’t think anyone was too crazy about this one. The food and beverage had a lot of good offerings, but there were a few misses. The biggest problem for me was the lines and overcrowding. Again, when you pay this much money, you expect somewhat better service. I had not waited in lines for food or drink like this at any of the 5 other dessert parties I had attended at this park, and I don’t expect it from this one.
While there was no large gift like at the Star Wars offering, guests at the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! Holiday Party get to meet Santa Goofy and also get an exclusive pair of HoloSpex glasses.
The HoloSpex glasses are cool as they make reindeer shapes when you look at lights or fireworks.
The Santa Goofy meet and greet that comes to each table is a nice gesture, but the lighting is terrible in the area for something like this.
While it some ways it feels like a downgrade from the previous incarnations, the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! is a viable option for anyone who wants to drink, eat, and be merry instead of standing in a packed crowd for an hour waiting for this nighttime show to start. While I don’t think it was as good as my previous dessert party experiences, I’m still not sure that I wouldn’t recommend it to those interested. This is a busier time of year, and sometimes avoiding crowds is just worth the uncharge if you can afford it.
In our latest photo report, the Magic Kingdom’s mountain range is getting spruced up and more and more holiday decorations are covering the park. Let’s jump right in, shall we?
Space Mountain
Scaffolding is up around Space Mountain as cosmetic changes continue in Tomorrowland.
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom
Decorating at the Magic Kingdom wasn’t quite finished in our last photo report, but every last wreath and tree is up now:
The Magic Kingdom times guide is now separated by land.
The Christmas tree on Main Street U.S.A. was installed.
The wreaths on the Main Street facades are up as well.
Christmas in Fantasyland
Belle’s village has been decorated for the season as well.
Some new Beauty and the Beast art for sale in Bonjour Village Gifts, in both giclee and print form.
Rollin’ on the Rivers of America
It can be unmercifully hot aboard the Liberty Square Riverboat during the summer months, but I often find myself aboard once the weather cools down at this time of year. Also, it offers a great view of the ongoing work on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is set to reopen on November 18th.
The questions continue as to if we will be getting the explosive finale scene already featured at Disneyland.
New nighttime lighting has been installed on the mountain as part of the ongoing refurbishment:
Facade work on the Haunted Mansion continues as well.
This and That
Guests still can’t seem to understand signage…
The Enchanted Tiki Room issue #1 is finally available in Adventureland. It is not a park exclusive cover, but it is a variant cover from the normal issues available elsewhere.
Decorations are now up on the back of Cinderella Castle.
I don’t often take artsy pictures, but Storybook Circus is so photogenic at night.
As always, the Magic Kingdom is beautiful in the evening, but it takes on a special glow during the holiday season.
The newly remodeled Uptown Jewelers is decorated for Christmas quite nicely.
The Christmas cups are now available at most counter service eateries.
GOOOOOAAAALLLLLLLLL!
Mickey Mouse Major League Soccer pins are now for sale at the parks, including Orlando’s own Orlando City team.
New limited release MagicBands for sale include Christmas and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror designs.
A seat cushion is now being sold at the parks, perfect for parade and nighttime show viewing according to the tags.
A new Little Green Men castle photo holder for sale.
When Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire debuted at the Magic Kingdom, we were promised that the show would introduce seasonal show finals that would differ based on when you were seeing the show. Well, yesterday, the Christmas season version of the Cinderella Castle stage show made it’s debut:
You can also watch the full show below if you prefer:
While we have already seen most of the new merchandise for Christmas 2016 at the Disney Parks, Disney today shared a look at some limited release items that will be hitting store shelves next week.
The three Dooney & Bourke handbags – Tote, Crossbody, and Wristlet – will be released on November 11 at Cherry Tree Lane in the Marketplace Co-Op at Disney Springs Marketplace, and in select Disneyland Resort merchandise locations. Guests may also find limited quantities available via the Shop Disney Parks app that day.
The limited release holiday t-shirts pictured above will be available on the Disney Parks online store from November 7-13, 2016. The shirt was designed by Disney Design Group artist Richard Terpstra. There will be both a Disneyland Resort and a Walt Disney World Resort version available. During this limited release offer, look for another t-shirt with artwork from the 1952 animated short, “Pluto’s Christmas Tree.”
In our latest photo report, we visit the Magic Kingdom as the Christmas holiday season kicks off early. The park is already fully decorated and new entertainment for the season has already debuted. There’s also plenty more new and exciting things happening around the park, so let’s check it all out.
Merry Christmas
November 2nd was the official start of the holiday season at Walt Disney World as the Magic Kingdom is fully decorated and several holiday offerings are now in full swing.
The Jingle Cruise poster is back under the train station. We’ll check in on that a bit later in the report.
IS IT ART?
IS IT? IS IT ART?
Be sure to take a look at our daytime video tour of the decorations below:
Uptown Jewelers Reopens
Uptown Jewelers has been closed for months but reopened over the weekend. The store was completely remodeled and now seems just jewelry and bags for women.
Baked Potato Moves
The baked potato is gone from Liberty Square Market, but don’t fear. It has moved to the nearby Sleepy Hollow Refreshments.
The Jingle Cruise Returns
The Jingle Cruise is back for 2016! The annual holiday overlay began its third season at the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday. We have a video of our first ride of the season for you below:
This and That
The lighting on the Storybook Circus sign is being replaced, so it is just some flat lettering right now.
A Snowman Tote is now available as a purchase-with-purchase gift for $19.95 when you spend $25.00 or more.
Pins from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party still linger in Big Top Souvenirs.
Elena of Avalor Meet and Greet
The Elena of Avalor meet and greet, scheduled to begin on November 24th, 2016, is already in a soft-opening phase. Elena can be found next to Cinderella at Princess Fairytale Hall at random.
We have video of our excellent experience with Elena of Avalor for you:
“it’s a small world” Merchandise
Some new “it’s a small world” merchandise is now available around the resort.
Mousecellaneous
Even though the crane is gone, work continues behind Cinderella Castle.
The holiday finale of Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire debuted yesterday. You can see video of the finale below:
