There’s been a swarm of news in the last week from the Disney Parks universe. We’ve covered a good amount of that already but there were a few crumbs left that we hadn’t swept up, especially from Disneyland Resort. That includes a new RunDisney event, a pool bar at the new Disneyland Hotel Villas and a show ending inside of Disneyland. In this post, we’ll cover the news and add commentary where we see fit.

Halloween Half Marathon Coming to Disneyland Resort in 2024!

We’ll start with the new Disneyland RunDisney event! After RunDisney returns to Disneyland in January for the first time since the mid-2010’s, the resort will be adding another race in September of 2024. Taking place Sept. 5-8, 2024, the Disneyland Resort will be hosting the Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend with four days of events, including yoga, Kids Races, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Challenge, all themed to the 2024 Halloween season. General registration will open on February 13th.

Along with that, RunDisney announced all of their events from mid-2024 to mid-2025. Noticeably absent is the return of any foreign events but those could be added later. Here’s a graphic with all of the dates!

I’m excited about another event coming to Disneyland Resort. If memory serves, the Halloween Half Marathon will be taking place on the same weekend (Labor Day) as what the Disneyland Half used to be. With that event sliding to the winter months, it made sense to add something to September where the weather is far more mild than it is at Walt Disney World.

I am curious about how the course would be much different, to host two separate events. I understand that many (probably the majority) runners do these events for the characters and entertainment but I’m more drawn to the course maps. Walt Disney World is big enough that the races really differ from race to race. That doesn’t seem entirely possible with Disneyland Resort and Anaheim. I think that’s part of the reason for the focus on Halloween? With this being so far out, it’s hard to hypothesize at the differences. For now, I’m just happy for another addition on the west coast!

Palm Breeze Bar Opening at Disneyland Hotel Villas

We recently toured the new Villas at Disneyland Hotel and now it looks like the final additions to the DVC wing are complete. Opening on November 2nd, the Palm Breeze Bar will reside by the new pool area at the Villas. It remains to be seen if the dining option will be available to guests who aren’t staying at the hotel. I would think so because every other Disney hotel restaurant or bar is but this one is gated so… We’ll find out very soon!

Here’s hoping that Palm Breeze Bar is open to everyone because the menu looks delicious and the Disney Resort hotels at Disneyland consistently offer delicious food. If it is available to everyone, I’m eager to try a number of things on the menu. Below is a list of what’s offered!

Shareables: 

• Coctel de Mariscos: Fresh market fish, gulf shrimp, snow crab claw, and avocado
• Ahi Tuna Tataki: Aji Amarillo ponzu, persillade, and crispy wonton
• Avocado & Lime Hummus Dip: Crudite vegetables, espelette, and crispy pita
• Cheese Fry Poutine: Demi-glace, cheese sauce, chive sour cream, and pimento
• Cocktail Chicken Wings: Bourbon barbeque glaze, chile aïoli

Salads: 

• Heirloom Beet Salad: Roasted and marinated beets, baby kale, Persian cucumber, whipped Stracciatella mozzarella, candied walnut, and herb vinaigrette
• Southwest Salad: Little gem lettuce, avocado, black beans, charred corn, heirloom tomato, cheddar and Jack cheeses, and cilantro dressing (Also available with grilled chicken breast, salmon filet, or grilled prime flat iron steak) 

Sandwiches: 

• Jumbo Lump Crab Roll: Tarragon and lemon aïoli and fresh dill on a brioche bun served with potato chips
• Palm Breeze Burger: Sun-dried tomato and basil pesto, burrata, and arugula served with french fries
• Spicy Crisp Chicken Sandwich: Zesty slaw, spicy aïoli, and bread and butter pickles served with french fries

Artisan Personal Pizzas: 

• Charcuterie Pizza: Artisan-cured prosciutto, pepperoni, sausage, and sun-dried tomato
• Four Cheese California Pizza: Mozzarella, cheddar, and Jack cheeses with chevre, marinated tomato, and fresh basil
• Garden Pizza: Plant-based cheese, Romesco sauce, soy chorizo, cilantro-mint chimichurri, shaved asparagus, crimini mushroom, and sun-dried tomato (Plant-based) 

Kid’s Menu:

• Power Pack: Yogurt smoothie, mandarin orange, and whole grain fish crackers
• Cheesy Grilled Cheese: American cheese on toasted brioche and served with seasoned french fries or fresh fruit
• Cheeseburger Sliders topped with American cheese and served with seasoned french fries or fresh fruit
• Grilled Chicken Breast with brown rice, fruit, or seasonal vegetables

Desserts: 

• Beignets filled with chocolate, passion fruit, and mixed berry
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich: Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream 
• Molten Chocolate Cake: Hot fudge, whipped cream, and slivered almonds

Non-alcoholic Beverages: 

• Pineapple Cooler: Pineapple shrub, orange juice, and grenadine (Non-alcoholic beverage)
• Citrus Ginger Ale: Orange juice, lemon juice, grenadine, and ginger beer (Non-alcoholic beverage)
• Non-alcoholic Fifty-Five-Fifty: Frozen coconut purée, peach juice, and mint (Non-alcoholic beverage)
• Non-alcoholic Chilly Mango: Frozen mango purée, mint, chamoy, and chile lime seasoning (Non-alcoholic beverage)

Alcoholic Beverages: 

• Signature Breezy Marg: Código Reposado Tequila, charred Meyer lemon juice, Cointreau, and agave nectar garnished with charred Meyer lemon wheel
• Tropical Shandy: Flor De Caña Rum, pineapple shrub, lime juice, and Smog City Mango Pango Ale 
• Seasonal G & T: Sipsmith Gin, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, black pepper, rosemary syrup, charred Meyer lemon juice, and elderflower tonic water
• Basil Grapefruit Sour: Del Maguey Mezcal, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, grapefruit syrup, egg white, and Thai basil with a Thai basil garnish (Egg white substitute available upon request) 
• Strawberry Thyme Fizz: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Cynar, strawberry-thyme syrup, lemon juice, and prosecco
• Blue Bee’s Knees: The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, lemon juice, organic honey, and blueberry wine
• Oaxacan Old Fashioned: Ilegal Mezcal, agave nectar, and grapefruit bitters
• Nouveau Negroni: Sipsmith Gin, Gran Classico, Montenegro Amaro, Cocchi Storico, orange bitters, and garnished with an orange twist
• Orange Bourbon Punch: Angel’s Envy Bourbon, lemon, simple syrup, and strong brew orange tea
• Marcie ’55: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Malahat Cabernet Rested Rum, Averna Amaro, Fernet Branca, plum and burlesque bitters, and lemon essence
• Chilly Mango: Don Julio Blanco Tequila, frozen mango purée, chamoy, and chile-lime seasoning
• Fifty-Five-Fifty: Selva Coconut Rum, frozen coconut purée, peach juice, and mint
• An assortment of wines and beers

Tale of the Lion King Ending on January 7th, 2024

In less positive news, Tale of the Lion King will be closing at the beginning of the new year at Disneyland. The show debuted shortly before the pandemic in DCA before moving to Fantasyland Theatre in 2022. There hasn’t been a reason given for the upcoming closure but Tale of the Lion King has had many unexpected closures on the day of and hasn’t ever been the most popular show.

That said, I do enjoy it quite a bit! I thought Tale of the Lion King was an improvement over Mickey and the Magical Map, offering wonderful performances and interesting choreography. A 20 minute retelling of The Lion King isn’t especially original or ambitious but this show offered a nice entertainment option for guests looking to get off their feet for a bit.

Hopefully this clears the way for a brand new show to come in but I won’t hold my breath. I’m worried that the Fantasyland Theatre will sit empty for at least several months. Disneyland Resort desperately needs a stage show as they don’t offer anything of the like, now that the limited run of Rogers: The Musical ended. Adding something new here would give the park energy and life.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that this makes the way for expansion. This area of Fantasyland has been rumored for demolition and a new section of the park for many years and letting the theatre sit empty will only add to those rumors. I do think there are some logistics to making this work but there’s surprisingly little on the Disneyland future projects calendar. This may add a little intrigue to the closure. Either way, it’s sad to see this show goes and I hope something great replaces it!

What do you think about this Disneyland news? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. Need tickets to Disneyland? We’ve got discounted options here! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!