Disneyland This Week – Major Ride RETURNS For First Time in Year, Lunar New Year Start, Crowds UPDATE, & More

Welcome back to Mickey Visit Disneyland This Week! This is our second edition of this update with  all the essential information for your visit. Each week we'll unearth offerings and tips you could easily miss completely.

These updates are written for the frequent Disneyland visitor, but also written in a way that you can share them with friends who call on you as their Disneyland expert. Each week we cut through the noise to bring you the essential info. Click here to see our first Disneyland This Week update from last week for all my thoughts on what we are hoping to achieve with these weekly updates. Please COMMENT below if you like these updates and share anything that makes them more useful.

This week we are thinking of all those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles. Please see resources and places to donate in the section below. My name is Gavin Doyle. Each week I and members of my team including Lindsay Brookshier and Emily Midgley will work together to bring you the most essential Disneyland information. This is your one-stop resource for everything happening at Disneyland the week of January 13, 2025.

One Big Thing – Disneyland Lunar New Year Celebration Begins

The Lunar New Year celebration starts this week on Friday, January 17, 2025, in Disney California Adventure.

The Disneyland Lunar New Year celebration this year rings in the Year of the Snake with special marketplaces celebrating Asian cuisine, entertainment like Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession on select days, crafts and activities, special merchandise, and more. The Disneyland Lunar New Year foods guide was released last week. Click that link to get our FREE printable of all the foods!

This special event takes place during one of the best times of the year to visit Disneyland with many days of lower crowd levels throughout January and February. We will be there to cover the first day of the Lunar New Year event and are especially looking forward to seeing Mulan and Mushu who are an absolutely delightful character meet-and-greet experience!

Important Disneyland Dates This Week

• Haunted Mansion reopens from its refurbishment removing the holiday overlay on January 18, 2025. The ride closed right after the end of the holidays to be transformed back into the traditional Haunted Mansion. This is a big deal because due to the construction that took place on the updated queue last year, this version of the Haunted Mansion hasn't been available for over a year!
• A new Haunted Mansion bride sipper will be available at Disneyland Park starting January 14. The ride is currently closed for refurbishment to remove the holiday overlay. You can see our guide to Disneyland popcorn buckets and other novelties for more details.
• Speaking of the Haunted Mansion…we are reportedly getting a new Haunted Mansion bride animatronic. Rumors have been swirling, but we just got another solid source confirming this morning. According to MiceChat, the new bride will appear in the attic enhanced by Pepper's Ghost, projection, and animation effects. You can see a preview of her in artwork in the new Haunted Mansion shop Madame Leota's Somewhere Beyond holding a candelabra.
• The holiday overlay “it's a small world” Holiday is open through January 20, 2025 past the official end date of the Christmas celebration. The ride is closing after that on January 21 for the second part of an extended refurbishment that was split up before and after the holidays. It is expected to reopen in Spring 2025.
• We expect that the Valentine's Day food guide will be released this week. This will likely include foods for Valentine's Day and the Disneyland After Dark Sweethearts' Nite. There will be Valentine's Day offerings across the Disneyland Resort during this special celebration! You can see our guide to Valentine's Day at Disneyland for an idea of the offerings.
• This week, you can expect to see large crowds during the holiday weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day from January 18 to January 20. Many schools are closed on Friday and Monday. On our crowd calendar below you can see that we have categorized these days as “Massive Crowds.” In general, holiday weekends will always be some of the busiest times to avoid if you hate crowds at Disneyland.
• The Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe closure continues this week. There is still no reopening date listed for this favorite Disneyland restaurant at the time of writing. You can see more details on the Jolly Holiday Bakery Closure. Note that some breakfast items are at Refreshment Corner and you can find the Matterhorn Macaroon here. The popular Raspberry Mickey-shaped Macaron is being offered at Gibson Girl.
• Details on the 2025 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival bookable experiences were released last week and these are now available to book. See details about the 2025 Carthay Circle Receptions, Trader Sam's Mixology Class, and wine and beer seminars.
• Construction for the Avengers Campus expansion at Disney California Adventure just began this past weekend. This expansion will introduce the highly-anticipated E-ticket Avengers Multiverse ride called Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab based on Iron Man.
• In Downtown Disney, the sign is now lit for the Disney Wonderful World of Sweets shop, the reimagined version of Marceline's Confectionary. We expect an opening date for this soon as it is slated to open this winter.
• The Monorail and Disneyland Railroad are currently closed for refurbishment. Now would be a good time to go on the Mark Twain, enjoy the Main Street transportation, or get a last ride in on the Red Car Trolley before it closes early next month.
• Lamplight Lounge recently changed some of its menu items. One of the biggest changes is that you can now ONLY get the popular Lobster Nachos from the Lamplight Lounge Boardwalk menu (the upstairs patio location that is walk-up only). You can still order the drinks from the Disneyland secret menu.

Disneyland News in the Last Week

• The Palisades fire began on Tuesday of last week, and there have been several destructive fires in Los Angeles County. Our hearts are with those who have been affected by these fires and all of the brave efforts of the first responders. For those visiting Disneyland this week, you can check the air quality via AirNow for Anaheim.
• Deadpool and Wolverine are no longer appearing regularly at Disney California Adventure, and their very popular Story Time With Deadpool show has ended. We are a little sad about the Storytime with Deadpool show ending as it was pretty unique for Disneyland and brought some new excitement to the park.
• The new premium Cafe Orleans Fantasmic! dining package debuted last week on January 10, 2025.
• The Disneyland restaurants released new seasonal menu items after the end of the holiday celebration last week.
• New Disneyland merchandise has been released to replace all of the Christmas merchandise that is being taken down.
• The new Parkside Market food hall with four new restaurants recently opened in Downtown Disney with four new dining locations. See more photos and details on Parkside Market dining.

Magic Key Benefits Continue in January

Special perks for Magic Key Annual Passholders continue this month and into the next. These are a way for them to incentivize passholder visits during what is a slower time for vacation goers.

• Magic Key Annual Passholders get 50% off the purchase of Lightning Lane Multi Pass from January 6, 2025 – January 31, 2025. Typically pass holders get 25% off the purchase of the add-on.
• Magic Key Annual Passholders get $2 popcorn refills January 8, 2025 – February 19, 2025 when they purchase a special stitch popcorn bucket.
• Magic Key Annual Passholders can take a special Disney PhotoPass Magic Shot with a complimentary digital download from January 8, 2025 – January 31, 2025. Shot is available at the walkway from Tomorrowland to Matterhorn Way from 5 pm-10 pm Monday-Thursday and 5-8 pm and then 10 pm to park close Friday-Sunday.
• Magic Key Annual Passholders can pick up a special pin-trading set featuring Disney characters and also take photos with Disney characters at a limited-time PhotoPass location in the Starcade near the Star Trader in Tomorrowland. This will be popular on the first days that it is offered and they may run out of the pin sets.

Disneyland Operational Updates

• Disneyland and Disney California Adventure recently shifted to reduced hours following the holidays. Disneyland Park now closes at 10 pm during the week and the Disney California Adventure closes at 9 pm most nights. The weekends maintain the longer park hours.
• Disneyland has not yet announced the parade that will be offered in the time between now and the 70th anniversary celebration (click here for details), Disneyland will be bringing back Paint the Night and Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration starting in May 2025. We really hope that we at least get a cavalcade before the debut of the new shows.
• The World of Color – One show runs each night along with the Mickey's Mix Magic projection show. Fireworks will be shown along with the projection show Friday-Sunday. Fantasmic! will also play on the weekends.

What We're Thinking About This Week

This week we are all thinking about those who have lost their homes and communities to the Los Angeles fires and the firefighters who have been fighting tirelessly. We cannot imagine the anguish of those affected who are having to rebuild their lives in the wake of this devastation.

For those impacted by the Los Angeles fires, there are discounted rates being offered from the Disneyland Resort hotels and a number of the hotels near Disneyland. You can see a resource from Visit Anaheim of all the hotel discounts being offered.

We also wanted to include some links where you can donate to support those impacted by the Los Angeles fires:

• California Fire Foundation: DONATE HERE. According to their website, “The California Fire Foundation is working with local fire agencies and community-based organizations to provide direct financial support to impacted residents as details of the damage emerge. Your donation to the CFF Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund directly supports victims of wildfires and disasters throughout California.”
• Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation: DONATE HERE. According to the LAFD Wildfire Emergency Funding Alert on their website, “Your local LAFD firefighters need your help to save lives and protect property during this wildfire. The LAFD Foundation is actively seeking funds to equip our LAFD members battling wildfires with equipment and supplies” including emergency fire shelters, hydration backpacks, and wildland brush tools.
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: DONATE HERE. According to their website, “The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and our partner agencies provide food assistance to people throughout LA County in normal times and times of crisis. Your support empowers our work so we can continue to provide relief from the Greater Los Angeles Wildfires and other disasters.” They are accepting financial donations and food donations at their two distribution centers. You can also see the Los Angeles Fires updates page on their website for a list of food and non-food items needed by the community.

Where In Disneyland Is This?

Can you tell where this is from at the Disneyland Resort? Hint: you'll find it in a really cool, underrated attraction. Comment your answer below and we'll reveal the spot next week.

Answer to last week's “Where In Disneyland Is This?”: the Sorcerer's Workshop in the Animation Building in Disney California Adventure!

Disneyland Crowd Calendar This Week

In our Disneyland crowd calendar this week, we anticipate a mix of average and below normal crowds for most of the week leading up to the start of the Lunar New Year celebration. During the holiday weekend, we expect massive crowds through Martin Luther King Jr. Day. You can see our rating of all upcoming dates in our Mickey Visit Disneyland Crowd Calendar.

New Disneyland Ride Closures This Week

During this slower time of year after the holiday celebration, we will often see more rides down for standard refurbishments or closures to remove holiday overlays.

• The Disneyland Railroad closed for refurbishment today on January 13

Here are some of the other current closures that are continuing into this week:

• The Disneyland Monorail closed last week for refurbishment
• Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe closed last week for refurbishment
• Haunted Mansion Holiday closed last week to return from its seasonal overlay to the original Haunted Mansion.
• Grizzly River Run closed for refurbishment last week
• Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind closed for refurbishment last week

You can see the other Disneyland closures on the calendar and reopening dates listed in our list of scheduled Disneyland ride refurbishments.

Other Disney Content We're Watching

Each week we'll share some of our favorite information and fun content from across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube in an effort to spotlight some of the great creators who work so hard to share details from Disneyland.

First, is there a new Disneyland Haunted Mansion bride animatronic coming? See this YouTube video from Five Fires discussing what it might look like…

Next up, these new Royal Street Veranda offerings reviewed by Megan @themagicalmillenial look SO good!

@themagicalmillennial_ NEW New Orleans Square goodies 😋 *I will donating all funds made from my 1min+ videos this weekend to organizations aiding in the relief from the LA fires. Thank you for watching. ❤️ #disney #disneyparks #disneyland #newfood #disneyfoods #neworleans #cheesybiscuit #montecristo #foodie #disneydate #hubby #foryou #disneyfyp ♬ original sound – Megan The Magical Millennial

And a helpful look at the Disneyland rides best for preschoolers from Lindsay @chasingmagicdaily!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lindsay – Disney Creator & Disney Mom (@chasingmagicdaily)

Heads up! Reservations Open for Disneyland Dining / Park Reservations

For any trips before the below dates you should be considering booking park reservations and dining reservations.

• Today is the 60-day window for Disneyland dining reservations for March 14, 2025.
• Today is the 180-day window for making Disneyland theme park reservations for July 12, 2025. This applies to most non-Annual Pass tickets.
• For Magic Key Annual Pass Holders, the 90-day window from today to make theme park reservations is April 13, 2025.

See our top tips for getting Disneyland dining reservations and the best Disneyland restaurants we would recommend.

Disneyland Lightning Lane Cost This Week

• Today, the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service costs $36 if you purchase it when you arrive.
• For the two Lightning Lane Single Pass rides, the cost is $27 for Rise of the Resistance and $19 for Radiator Springs Racers.

You can see our guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disneyland for our expert tips on making the most of the service.

Read More Disney Planning Advice

For the best resource and helpful information for planning your Disney trip, make sure to subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter​. We’ll provide you with helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest-priced Disney tickets anywhere.