We’ve reached the pinnacle of summer. The stores are beginning to stock up for the inevitable return to school, and Disney is hoping for a strong finish for the season. Unfortunately, the weather certainly isn’t making things easy for Disney or its guests. We’ve been melting and this update nearly killed us.
Today, we have news about updates to Star Wars land operations, Monorail issues, construction throughout the Resort, and our bonus guide to dealing with the oppressive heat at Disneyland.
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Crowds are Returning
For the last two months, Disneyland has been blissful. The usual summer crowds have been virtually nonexistent and that made attraction waits amazingly short. But last week, there was a noticeable pick up in attendance. Though, while busier than the last two months, crowds are still at enjoyable levels.
Because of the excessive heat (at least by Southern California standards) the masses seem to depart at mid-day to take a breather until the temperatures become more moderate in the afternoon.
And, while there were folks flooding the Pirate’s courtyard, the switchback queue outside the attraction was completely empty.
Of course, with APs blocked out of Disneyland for the summer, DCA has been much busier as a result.
Star Wars Land Update
Star Wars land is about to enter its third month of opening. It has been something of a trial period, but it looks like it’s settling into a groove of normal operations and moderate waits. There have also been some changes to how you get into Oga’s Cantina and Savi’s Workshop.
Oga’s Reservations Extended
As you read here first, Oga’s and Savi’s now offer reservations up to two weeks in advance. We expect those windows to be extended even more in the future as these attractions fall in line with the reservation process for the rest of the resort. But you’ll still be able to find same-day reservations as some are held back for day-of:
Lost in Hyperspace
While Disneyland overall has seen a bit of a boost in attendance, Galaxy’s Edge has maintained significantly lower foot traffic than expected for a brand new land. With the huge layout, the empty space is strongly felt. The only place that really feels busy on a consistent basis is the Marketplace, though you could practically shoot a laser cannon without the risk of hurting anyone in most of the land.
Guests seem to be confused by the Kylo Ren arrival moment in the First Order area of Black Spire Outpost. We’ve noted since the beginning that guests seem to expect some sort of show, but when they realize that it’s just how Kylo Ren starts his march around the land, they look around to see if there’s more and then just awkwardly walk away. It really is a golden opportunity for Disney to actually do a little show here. The guests already seem to expect it, so why not do something to fill the awkward void after Kylo walks off?
The same exact thing happens when Chewie and Rey do maintenance on the X-Wing. A crowd forms and waits for the show to start. Only it never does.
Other Notes from the Edge of the Galaxy:
There are many doors to empty spaces in Star Wars land. Since most of the land requires a bit of trial and error to figure out which doors reveal hidden shops (such as Dok-Ondar’s or the Droid Depot) and which are dead ends, some doors now have trash cans in front of them so guests won’t be so confused.
Speaking of Dok-Ondar’s, looks like there’s been a shortage of legacy lightsabers.
And due to limited supply and guests trying to find the rare black Kyber Crystals, all the crystals are now located behind the counter.
You’ll see that only the red and blue ones were in stock on Friday.
Of course, the next big thing in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is Rise of the Resistance. While the ride has been delayed until January, we do hope they can start previews early. It does feel like this land needs a shot in the arm. And, while a new attraction may take time, we do wonder why the trigger hasn’t been pulled on rolling out the droids, interactive characters, and entertainment (such as the Jedi Training Academy) that were expected with the land from the beginning.
What are your suggestions for adding a little life to Galaxy’s Edge?
Marvel Land Construction
Across the Esplanade, California Adventure has something big coming too. And judging from a certain stunt tower and recent aerialist job listings, it looks like there will be a high flying opening to this new land.
The old Bug’s Life Theater is in full renovation to become a Spider-Man attraction.
It looks like most of the framing is up. The facades should start filling in soon.
Let’s take to the sky to see what the larger area looks like.
Redwood Creek Construction
We’re still not sure what’s happening to the Camp Circle area at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
Tale of the Lion King: A Story without Dance
There’s been a cutback to the Lion King show which appears daily in the World of Color amphitheater area. The dancers are no longer part of the show, leaving just the singers to tell the story. It’s still a good show, but lacks the same energy.
Mickey and Friends Tram Plaza Construction
Disney’s newest forest is being planted in the old tram load/unload plaza at Mickey and Friends. When complete, guests will load the trams under the new Pixar Pals Parking (as they do now), but they’ll be dropped off in the old Mickey and Friends plaza.
Those are some pretty big trees and the area already looks like it’s going to provide a lot of shade. Nice!
It looks like a new elevator shaft is also being constructed for the Mickey and Friends lot.
Bridge Construction
We are about a month or so away from the opening of the new bridge and pathway to Downtown Disney.
Guests from street level will be able to loop up onto the path as well.
Because so much of the Downtown Disney lot is currently closed for the construction, the remaining lot is being used as Disneyland Hotel employee parking.
Pop-Up Disney Closes September 2nd
Pop-Up Disney will soon be popping out. If you need to take those last-minute selfies with Mickey and Minnie, do so before September 2nd.
Beat the Heat at Disneyland
Disneyland has been flirting with 90° temperatures for the last week. And while I can just feel those of you in the rest of the nation rolling your eyes into the back of your heads, for us poor, fragile Californians, this is truly weather that makes us wilt.
And while Disneyland just wasn’t built with all the big air-conditioned queues that you’ll find out in Walt Disney World, there are ways to make your visit more comfortable. Here are our top tips for beating the heat.
Opera House Mansion Exhibit + Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
The Opera House is the perfect place to cool down after a long walk to the park, or when you’re on the way out. The rotating exhibit (and blessed air-conditioning) is always a perfect way to learn about some Disney history or current movie (right now, the exhibit features Haunted Mansion concept art for the attraction’s 50th anniversary) and cool off at the same time. If you’ve got more time, you can also sit a spell with good ol’ Abe Lincoln.
Walk Through the Main Street Shops
The shops are more than just the temptresses of Main Street. Yes, they have all sorts of Disney paraphernalia and trinkets, but they also have air-conditioning and shade. The majority of the shops are interconnected, so you can pass through most of them from end to end. This is also a handy tip to avoid the crowds during parades and fireworks.
Main Street Cinema
Now that there are seats in the Cinema, it has become a very inviting location to sit and watch some classic Mickey toons. The only thing that could make this any better would be the addition of some movie theater snacks, especially on hot days like these.
The Enchanted Tiki (Air-Conditioned) Room
Where the birds sing words and the flowers croon, in the tiki tiki tiki air-conditioned room! This is a no-brainer when it comes to beating the heat. This tropical oasis offers Dole whip and a show. It’s great even when it isn’t hot.
Get Wet
There are a few Disney rides which will cool you off and get you wet. But as temperatures rise, so do the waits. Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Rapids can reach waits in excess of an hour and a half, not so great for staying cool . . . Unless you take advantage of Single Rider.
Ride the Epics
Disneyland is blessed with some rides I like to think of as the Epics. These are long indoor rides with high capacity . . . and air conditioning! Rides like it’s a small world, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean are always fun to ride, but divinely so on hot days.
Thankfully, the heat also flushes the crowds out of the park. An empty queue and a quick wait mean a nice long and relaxing ride indoors.
Sleeping Beauty Walkthrough
One attraction you never have to wait for, but is always worth the effort, is the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-through. Though, we must say, that on our visit this week it was way too warm in the upper reaches of the building to look around casually.
Sit a Spell
If you can stand having “Love is an Open Door” stuck in your head for the remainder of your Disney day, watching the Frozen show is a great way to escape the midday heat for a full hour.
Art of Animation Building
Need some emergency relief from the heat? Head to the Animation Building. There are some benches in the lobby (if you are lucky enough to snag a spot) and the music and visuals are distracting enough to keep you occupied for as long as you need to recover. We popped in to take these photos for you and had the hardest time forcing ourselves to leave.
Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Disney’s California Adventure isn’t as friendly on sultry days as Disneyland, there just aren’t as many air-conditioned high capacity attractions in this park. So we list the Little Mermaid ride because it has a nice sheltered queue and rarely has a long wait.
There’s also finding a nice spot for indoor dining (Carthay Circle, Plaza Inn, Pizza Planet, Flo’s, the hotel restaurants), taking a mid-day break to go to the pool at your hotel (if you are lucky enough to be staying nearby), or . . . um . . . checking the weather and visiting on a more comfortable day . . . but who are we kidding? We know you are going to go regardless of the temperature.
What are your favorite hot weather tips?
This and That
WAIT. . . THERE’S MORE!!! Here are some of the odds and ends from the Disneyland Resort.
Award Weiners Construction
Off the Wall
Over at the Thor meet and greet spot, one of the logos had fallen off the wall on the day of our visit.
Duke Caboom Roastie Toastie
On the Pier, you’ll find that the popcorn cart has been upgraded with a new mechanical man from the Toy Story 4 film.
Roof Toppers
Some fancy new roof decorations have also appeared on the Pier. The Toy Story themed toppers popped up recently. Likely in celebration of the latest film.
New Mobile Ordering Locations
Since we last checked, a number of food service locations have added Mobile Order. At this point, just about every popular spot in the resort offers the ability to place an order on your phone and then pick up without waiting in line. Have you used the service? What are your thoughts?
Dim Sum and Then Some
A new menu is on the way to Lucky Fortune Cookery. We’re ready for something new. Will you miss the rice bowls?
Closed Lemonade Stands
This item left us scratching our heads. The heat was SO oppressive on the day we shot this update that I was worried I had heatstroke. By the time we got to DCA, I felt physically sick and overheated. We did as much of our guide to the heat as we could, but needed to get all of our shots in before dusk.
One thing that I really wanted was a frozen lemonade. I first got the thought in my head when we were in Tomorrowland. But the cart near Launch Bay was strangely closed. We laughed about how the most refreshing stand in the park was closed on the day it was most needed. But when we passed the stand in Paradise Park, it was closed too?
Yet, strangely, they leave the attractive permanent stands closed while rolling out the ugly outdoor vending carts. What’s the reason for that?
Parade Route Lighting Upgrade
On the South side of the Hub, Disney has updated the parade route lighting to LED. Disney has already installed a few in Fantasyland along Small World Mall. Should help make the Electrical Parade extra dazzling for its debut next month.
We are likely to see all the lights in at least Disneyland updated to LEDs very soon as many of the spotlights on the rest of the route have been burnt out for a few weeks now.
What’s This?
It seems like the Opera House receives a lot of exterior refurbishments. And it wasn’t long ago that this one was completely repainted. But look at that sign. . . Hard to see the peeling paint at first. But when you look closely, the sign is clearly coming apart at the bottom.
And in DCA, the rooftops of the Churro and Sun Glass huts in Paradise Park are suffering from some paint issues. Again, we’re being much pickier than the average guest . . . but it won’t be much longer until that just looks like neglect. A quick overnight paint job would fix that right up.
Unless you are zooming in like we are, you won’t be bothered with these sorts of paint problems for now, but it won’t be much longer until it’s really noticeable to the casual eye.
Black Panther Moves Again
Black Panther has been moved around the Hollywood Pictures Backlot a few times since landing at DCA. His new spot is sort of hidden behind the refreshment stand and not far from Captain Marvel.
New Purchase with Purchase
Mickey and Minnie Plush $25 with any merchandise plush at various locations.
Collectible Ears from Noah
We LOVE these new limited edition ears from artist Noah.
Monorail Hours and Condition
The Monorails have switched to a new summer operating schedule which has it closed from 11am until 6pm. While it certainly helps the resort save money, there’s just no way that our un-air-conditioned Monorails could operate during the heatwave we’ve been having.
But what really has us concerned is the crumbling Monorail beam. We’re sure it’s still safe, but the beam sure does look in rough condition. Not just the remnants of a long past paint job, but the broken joints and jagged edges of the beam itself. Not a reassuring appearance. Perhaps Disney can put the saved labor aside for future repairs.
Tortilla Joes 1/2 Tacos and Burritos After 10pm
Looking for a great deal? Tortilla Joe’s Taqueria offers half off tacos and burritos after 10pm. It’s a great late-night snack.
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The Original Disneylanders!
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My sincere thanks for the amazing Dusty Sage and ever watchful Brian Pinsky for their photos and assistance with today’s update!
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