Disneyland Resort Update — New Security Procedures Arrive Along with Holiday Crowds

By far the biggest update to the Disneyland Resort for this month is the new security stations that were rolled out on December 15th. The Mickey and Friends loading area has been reconfigured, and now every guest entering Downtown Disney must pass through one of two security screening areas.

At the north side of Mickey and Friends, work has been done near the security building

This also served to open up areas immediately to the west of the esplanade that had not been enjoyed by the public for over a decade. Meanwhile, other checkpoints have been added to the end of Downtown Disney near the Disneyland Hotel.

This month work continued on Star Wars Land and unexpected opening of the Big Thunder Trail offered some new perspectives on the work being done on the Frontierland side of the site. For more photos of the what can be seen from the Trail, be sure to see our separate report.

 

The trail was opened in response to the crowds that have filled Disneyland during the final weeks of the holiday season. New Year’s will not mark the end, but rather the start of the final week of the Disneyland holidays. January 8th is the closing day for many venues.

Other changes to the Resort include the demolition of the House of Blues to prepare the structure for conversion to Splitsville Bowling Alley, and the opening of the new Pandora shop. Mid-month also saw the arrival of Walt Week at Disneyland Park.

Lastly, this twinkling Big Big float was spotted backstage, all ready for the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade to Disneyland.

That’s all for now, but be sure to check back for more updates from the Disneyland Resort soon… and Happy New Year!