Spring Break heats up at the Disneyland Resort with . . . LOWER . . . crowd levels! We’ve got some great photos for you of Easter activities, new animation on ASIMO at Autopia, and the latest from around Disneyland Park. We even have a chance for you to win a 2 night stay at The Anaheim Hotel (the renamed Anaheim Plaza Hotel which is now owned and operated by our friends at the Anabella). Read all the way to the end of this update for all sorts of goodies.
Peak Spring Break season means huge crowds . . . right? Not any more. With aggressive annual pass block outs and higher front gate prices for peak days, Disneyland is now often LESS busy on their traditionally “Peak” days. It’s a bizarre change of traffic patterns. But, as Dusty’s video below (at noon on Sunday) shows, the park had enjoyable crowd levels this week.
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1/3 of the Egg Puzzle
This year, Disney opted to have their annual Easter Egg hunt at not only Disneyland but California Adventure and Downtown Disney as well. Disneyland’s version is a classic, and they always seem to find new and interesting places to hide the eggs every year. We don’t want to give away too much of the secret on where the eggs are hidden, but we will share some subtle hints as to where you may find some of them.
The Pizza Port egg can be found fairly close to the actual entrance.
The It’s a Small World egg is tricky, so here’s a hint as to where you want to stand to find it.
If you stand near this part of Adventureland, you might spot two eggs from the same location. Glad to see the two together though, one of them probably needs his special someone to keep an eye on him.
Toad is hidden in a shop. Can you guess which one?
Pluto is also hidden indoors. You’ll just have to find him for yourself.
For the egg in New Orleans Square, their hint is “New Orleans Square Balcony.” What a fantastic hint, right? You’ll find the correct balcony if you’re standing near this location.
In case you want to cool off, there’s a well-placed egg near this FastPass entrance.
There’s a brightly colored egg just out of frame here, but where?
Hopefully, those hints give you a chance at finding some of the trickier hidden locations. You can redeem your prize (a small plastic character egg) either when you start or when you finish depending on where you purchase your map. I recommend just getting the egg first if you can, to avoid waiting in line for redemption again later.
I’m a little disappointed that when I went to Star Traders to purchase the Darth Vader and R2D2 character eggs that they had sold out. A reader last week told me about them, but they apparently ran out around Wednesday afternoon. I never saw anything online saying that were even a thing. Cast members told me that they were a limited edition item and they had run out, though, so we likely won’t see any more of them. Did any of you get one?
If you get a sweet tooth while hunting eggs, there are more Easter goodies available at the Candy Palace. The handmade fudge eggs are still available (and I noticed some different flavors), but these cake pops shaped like the character eggs look adorable and delicious. Cast members told me that they are chocolate cake dipped in white chocolate and then coated with the colored sugar!
Main Street USA
It’s been a few weeks since I last spent extra time on Main Street, but on Friday I was actually able to do so (and without making a nuisance of myself with the tripod). It’s an unusual and welcome change to enjoy an afternoon at the turn of the century without a sense of urgency.
It seems like every Main Street vehicle was out for guests to experience, even both Omnibuses.
If you happen to walk into the Opera House to watch Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, you’ll notice that there are a few displays up in the lobby. Apparently, for Earth Month, groups of cast members built art exhibits out of common recyclables and commodities from around the park. The themes, for the most part, seem to be each group’s location, like a specific attraction or department. Pretty neat stuff here if you have the time to check them out.
Nom Nom Nom
Brian Pinsky tried a secret menu item from Rancho Del Zocalo. The “Zocalo Burrito” is filled with just about everything in the kitchen. There’s chicken, steak, carnitas, rice, beans, cheese and all sorts of other stuff. Dusty recorded the first bites so you could see what’s in this beast.
Remember…Frontier Dreams Come True
I didn’t plan on stopping to photograph fireworks this week, but who could resist such a great spot? I’ll take this time for a public service announcement: you can watch the fireworks show from anywhere in the park. The best effects are on Main Street, but the fireworks themselves can actually look better from other locations in the park.
I’ve said to stake out a spot on Main Street if you want to watch this show, but I definitely recommend seeing it regardless of location, even if it’s just in Frontierland (which you can really only do as long as Big Thunder Trail is still closed), the Rivers of America, or It’s a Small World.
Still no word as of yet on if Remember…Dreams Come True will continue showing with the Main Street Electrical Parade until August. I’d love to see Disney extend this show, what about you?
Fantasyland
Over in Fantasyland, guests are now greeted with waterfalls on the Matterhorn as it moves closer to its re-opening date at the end of the month. Hopefully, the extra long refurbishment has smoothed out some of the rougher edges of the attraction.
The castle is still in a state of schizophrenia with its identity mixed into multiple different styles. Last week I noted that many roofs and spires looked out of place, and this week I noticed that you can even see the misplaced parts from Main Street.
On the backside of the castle, things are even more out place.
Adventureland
Adventureland now greets guests once again with restrooms. The Men’s room has finally reopened with new fixtures and sinks.
In an unrelated point, I’d love to give my recommendation for the River Belle Terrace during your next visit. I stop here for meals a lot because it tends to be overlooked and has ample space on a consistent basis, and the food is also delicious.
I’ve grown to be a big fan of the fried chicken sandwich. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a lot like the Chicken Fried Chicken at the Carnation Cafe. It is stuffed into a bun with coleslaw, fried jalapenos, and slathered in barbecue sauce. The robust flavor is amazing and is definitely one of the best items in the park.
The brisket sandwich is similar in robustness but has a generous serving of juicy beef brisket on a gourmet bun.
The baked beans are the Terrace’s specialty and are surprisingly the best thing on the plate. The green beans are fresh and savory, and the tater tots are crispy and seasoned well. If you haven’t made it out to the River Belle Terrace since the menu moved over from Big Thunder Ranch, they might just have walk-up space for you.
You might want to wait after eating that big meal before heading on this attraction, but Indiana Jones Adventure is still one of the best experiences in all of Disneyland. I hadn’t been on in weeks because the line was always insane (and often times members of my party have a hard time with the violent motion), but I was happy to ride it again.
It’s nice when I go late, I have time to photograph the queue.
New Orleans Square
After entering New Orleans Square, I was happy to see that I could actually walk through the walkways and not run into the Pirates queue. I also seem to always photograph this land of jazz and beignets the most, but I can’t resist it, especially when the crowds are light enough to look at things.
I really appreciate that Disney has addressed crowding around tables at Royal Street Veranda and Mint Julep Bar by rerouting their lines. During my tour, I noticed that the Veranda now has a sign to indicate that the entrance has indeed moved.
Later in the evening, I learned that the Mint Julep Bar closes early, which forced me to go back to the Royal Street Veranda. I’m glad it did, as I was able to grab some fritters. I totally forgot these were here, but they were banana instead of the usual apple. Regardless, they were delicious and definitely a great crispier and less sweet alternative to beignets.
The Sailing Ship Columbia’s hull has been completed with a fresh new coat of paint and is looking great.
Everything at the Pirates of the Caribbean seemed to be in order again, particularly this jolly roger behind the waterfall in the beginning of the caverns.
At the Haunted Mansion, the attraction was a walk on several hours before the park closing.
Tomorrowland
- Over in Tomorrowland, it seems Disney decided to turn on ASIMO. When you drive through Autopia now, you’ll be presented with some added animation magic. ASIMO, a robot built for locomotion, can now actually move, what a thought! Below, Dusty Sage provided an updated video of the attraction with its new moving parts.
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DON’T MISS THE 2017 GUMBALL RALLY!!!
The World Famous Gumball Rally is a contest to see who can ride the most attractions at Disneyland and California Adventure in a single day. Are you the biggest Disney fan? Let’s find out. This year’s event pays tribute to the Pirates of the Caribbean, which turned 50 years old this year and remains beloved by generations of Disney fans. If you be brave enough to face a pirate’s curse, proceed!!! GUMBALL RALLY INFO AND TICKETS HERE
| Enter to win |
The Gumball Rally is sponsored by The Anaheim Hotel (formerly the Anaheim Plaza Hotel). They are offering a great rate to MiceChat readers, and one lucky reader will win a 2 night stay on May 5th and 6th. Info below:
Introducing “The Anaheim Hotel.” Our friends at The Anabella Hotel recently purchased the Anaheim Plaza across the street from Disneyland. Today, the hotel has rebranded as “The Anaheim Hotel.” We’ll be hosting our Gumball Rally Award Party at the hotel in May and look forward to showing you the millions of dollars in refurbishments that has been poured into this property. For those of you who love a good pool, the Anaheim Hotel has the largest pool in the city! And here’s another tip, the Pizza Press (formerly at the Carousel Hotel) has JUST reopened at The Anaheim Hotel in a huge and completely renovated space! Give the folks at The Anaheim Hotel a call and ask about MiceChat rates (20% off pending availability): 714-772-5900
AND in celebration of the MiceChat Gumball Rally, you could win a 2 night stay at The Anaheim Hotel on Gumball Rally weekend (May 5th and 6th).
(multiple chances to win – you can Tweet once a day for extra entries)
And that about does it for the Disneyland Update this week, thanks for reading! Make sure to stop by tomorrow for the California Adventure Update!