This was your week Disney fans! After a long year of nothing . . . Disneyland isn’t just closer to reopening, but we have a decade or more of rumors of expansions, new attractions, more shopping, hotels, and even a possible 3rd park to look forward to. But how much of Disneyland’s dream is likely to actually happen? And as exciting as all that blurry Disneyland concept art is, there’s some much improved theme park guidance which fixes and clarifies some of the things many of you have been grumbling about. Of course, we have a resort update, photos, and some March Madness for you as well…

This is a fun one folks, hang on for a fabulous ride…

DisneylandForward

By now you’ve likely heard the news, and read a lot of really confusing and conflicting stuff about Disneyland’s ambitious expansion plans. There’s a good reason for that . . . they aren’t so much plans as they are a statement of desire backed up by some concept art that is just a sample of the kind of things Disney ‘could’ build. But don’t let that stop you from dreaming. It’s good that Disneyland is thinking big coming off their worst year in the resort’s 65 year history.  

So, just what is DisneylandForward? Well, it’s a statement of desire to build a new parking structure, a new mixed-use shopping/dining/entertainment/hotel project, and theme park expansions for Disneyland and California Adventure which might just end up being a 3rd park instead. That is IF Disney can convince the city, local businesses, residents, and its own unions that this is all a good idea. That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ folks. 

Let’s take a look at the three main projects and what we think is most likely to happen.  

First, the easy one . . . 

DisneylandForward Harbor Parking Structure

Moving parking closer to the east side of the resort is a dream long in the making. Disneyland has purchased the land, cleared it, even torn down a hotel on Harbor Blvd just to build a pedestrian bridge to connect to the resort to a large new structure. But poor community relations scuttled the deal the first time around. So, Disneyland isn’t going to make that mistake again. The new approach is more collaborative and consensus building than in the past.  

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Disney is in the process of working with community leaders, local business owners, and the city to develop a plan that everyone can agree with. Rather than pitching a completed plan, they are just at the intent stage at this time. They’ll wait until everyone agrees before asking for final approval.  AND, they won’t be asking for public funds on any of these DisneylandForward projects, including the parking structure (they pressured the city paid for Mickey and Friends when California Adventure was built).  

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While Disney struck out last time, we think this project is the easiest of the three to get approved this time around. As long as the hotels and shops on Harbor agree, and Disney doesn’t prevent them from getting the traffic and business they need to survive, this one should be the first to get approval and move forward. Many of MiceChat’s business partners are based within a short walk of the new structure and they don’t anticipate problems this time. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the most likely to happen) we rate this one a 9.  

DisneylandForward Toy Story Entertainment Zone

Decades ago, Disneyland purchased a strawberry field on Harbor Blvd, just across from the Anaheim Convention Center and adjacent to the 5 Fwy. They eventually turned it into the Toy Story parking lot. But it was ALWAYS intended to eventually be Disneyland’s 3rd gate. However, Disney seems to have shifted their thinking on that point. The DisneylandForward plan calls for turning this giant square lot into a mixed-use development with a hotel, shops, restaurants, entertainment, and possibly an attraction or theater as well. With the Convention Center so close, it would make a lot of sense to have facilities within such a short walk.

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The purple buildings are shopping and dining, green is hotel, yellow are parking garages, and pink is attraction space. All encircling a lagoon and garden paths.

But, as you can see from Disney’s note at the left of the image above, they do hold out the option to turn this space into a theme park instead. Which, they just might need to do if the next project we talk about doesn’t get approved as pitched.  

The Toy Story project is a good example of Disney’s new thinking for the Disneyland Resort. In the past, each of Disney’s business units was in its own separate space. The hotels were set aside in their own space, theme parks in their own spot, and the shopping and dining in a long alley connecting the parks to the hotels. But in the new plans, all of those things are mixed together to make better use of Disneyland’s extremely limited acreage. In this Toy Story redevelopment, shops are at the base of a hotel on one side of a lagoon, with a possible Broadway style theater (or other attraction) restaurants, shops, and integrated parking structures. It’s a very different feel, and a more modern approach, especially for Disney. 

Such developments have become quite popular in recent years. LA’s “The Grove” and “Americana at Brand” are similar types of projects and have redefined modern lifestyle malls. Those projects, by mega-developer Rick Caruso, have been copied by Disney to some degree in the new Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, and at Shanghai Disneyland’s Disneytown district. 

While this project is fortunately located close to the freeway, hotels, and the Convention Center, there are some residential buildings sandwiched between the lot and the freeway. And while that could cause some resistance, with so much other shopping, dining, and hotel usage in the area, we think Disney will prevail in their plans. The city has had a long time to prepare for a theme park in this spot, and a mixed-use development such as this would be a somewhat quieter project, especially ringed with tall buildings to help keep noise within the center. We’ll rate the likelihood of this one surviving (mostly as is) at a 7.  Again, it’s quite possible Disney may reverse their minds once again and make this the attraction space instead.  

DisneylandForward West Side Theme Park Development

This is the project that fans have been buzzing about . . . and also the piece with the most fluid elements. It’s important to note a few things before we go too much further. On a call we had with Disney, they made it abundantly clear that at this point they are only asking for flexible new permits which allow for multi-use development. The variety of images that they shared are an example of how hotels, theme park attractions, shopping, dining, and parking can all be intermixed. The various images show expansion space for Disney California Adventure on one side and Disneyland on the other. But, Disney creative representatives also mentioned that this could become a third park. 

Let’s take a look. In the overview concept art below, you see a theme park sprawling from one end of the west side to the other. From Katella all the way to the Pixar Pals Parking Lot.  So, we know that Disney hopes to build attractions in the space between the hotels, regardless of if this becomes a 3rd park or just expansion for existing parks (though, we’ll explain below why the 3rd park option is Disney’s best bet).  

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In an alternate overview image, Disney has colored the buildings at the top in orange and the ones at the bottom in teal. The orange represents possible Disneyland Expansion and the teal DCA expansion.  The green buildings are the two existing hotels (Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel). You’ll see mountains, boat rides, roller coasters, a spinner ride, and many large show buildings. The whole left side the the project, which backs up to a residential street (Walnut), is mostly comprised of tall show buildings and fake mountains, as well as the pre-existing Disneyland Hotel.  That’s on purpose to block most sound from flowing toward homes. 

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But even though they show potential theme park expansion in the image above, they also talk about this project in terms of being a singular “Theme Park,” as you’ll see in the caption at the bottom of the image below, just as they did on the Toy Story redevelopment. Takeaway: Disney is keeping all their options open.  

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We’ll share some closeups below and let you speculate on what you think is what. At this point, it’s highly likely that these areas are inspired by existing lands at Tokyo Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland. But they are only intended to show the interested parties what a theme park space here ‘could’ look like, not an actual blueprint of what attractions will actually be built here.  We think it’s likely that some or all of the Disneyland Hotel could be rebuilt to better accommodate the new theme park space, and the aging and ugly Paradise Pier tower could also come down (possibly replaced by the new hotel in the Toy Story lot).  But it’s easier for Disney to focus on the permits first and then redesign the project based upon what approvals and community concensus they end up getting.  

These are the existing Disney projects from other parks that Disneyland is using as examples for the new theme park developments: 

Let’s look at that detail image in smaller chunks, starting with the South/West side closest to Katella. This is the spot directly across from California Adventure. You can see that the project is almost completely separated from residential buildings off Walnut by mountains and buildings. Imagine Radiator Springs Racers hidden away from the hotels on Katella by those tall Cadillac Mountains. When you stay in those hotels or walk along the street behind the attraction, you can’t hear the ride. In fact, I’ve stayed at the Alpine Inn, which is completely wrapped by the back side of the attraction, and you wouldn’t even know what was on the other side. That’s the message Disney will have a very hard time explaining to residents in the area. 

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In this next image you can see how oddly integrated the Disneyland Hotel would be (in the upper right corner).  The Paradise Pier hotel in the lower left is at least wrapped by mountains on the park side. But neither of these hotels feel like they are really meant to be there. Which is why we don’t think they would continue to look like this in the final plan, and would likely be reconfigured or rebuilt.    

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And in the final image on the far North end of the project next to Pixar Pals Parking, you see the connection from Downtown Disney under the Monorail beam in the lower left with a pathway leading to the Disneyland Hotel and a parking structure for the hotel in the upper left.  Some think that this necessary connection to the hotel means that the project can’t be a single theme park . . . but Universal Orlando proves otherwise. Their new Epic Universe park will have a very similar bifurcated design with an open middle section available to all guests for shopping, dining, and hotel access, even without a theme park ticket. Guests will flow in and out of the theme park sections via facial recognition (which both Universal and Disney have been testing in Orlando). So, whether Disney ultimately decides to build a single theme park or two expansion zones for existing parks, flowing back and forth won’t really be an issue. 

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The area you see in the lower left is approximately where the old ESPN Zone, Rainforest Cafe building, and AMC Theater buildings are today. Additional shopping and dining would be built into the new spaces here and in the Toy Story lot.
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A panoramic image of the Downtown Disney connection to the Disneyland Hotel as it appears today.

You already know that this part of the project will be the hardest for Disney to get consensus on. Hotels, shops, restaurants, and business leaders in the area are likely to be very supportive, especially if Disney ultimately decides to pitch this as a 3rd park. Extra guests and extra hotel days mean more money for Anaheim as a whole, and a huge tax base increase for the city. But it’s not all about money. There are people who live just steps away, including members of MiceChat’s staff. 

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Mailers have been sent to residents living close to the proposed projects.

In fact, residents in the area have already received their first communication from Disneyland about the new project. One of our staff members received a mailer explaining the project in general terms, along with a method for receiving additional information and updates, and a simple question asking if she is likely to support the project. 

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Disneyland’s President has penned a letter to Anaheim residents. Note that although it sounds like they are saying they aren’t going to build more hotel rooms, that’s not at all what they really mean. They are currently allowed to build almost twice as many rooms as they have. So, they will absolutely build more rooms, they just aren’t asking for additional above and beyond that limit for now. 

The package Disneyland sent to Anaheim residents focuses on Disney’s commitment to the community and the opportunity the project would bring for residents: thousands of new jobs, local hires, a workforce development program, affordable housing initiative, support of local nonprofits, and other promises: 

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We think it would be shortsighted for Disney to fail to build a 3rd park, either here or in the Toy Story lot, as that is crucial to their getting guests to stay an extra night in hotels and further help the Anaheim community and economy recover and grow. The Disneyland Resort’s two theme parks already have approximately the same number of attractions as the four parks at Walt Disney World combined (Which Disney Resort Has More Rides). Yet, guests stay on average more than twice as long at Walt Disney World as they do at Disneyland because there are more parks there. Just adding more attractions to existing parks does not guarantee the extra room nights the way splitting those attractions into a new park would. The economics of that is very likely to be the direction Disney goes . . . IF they can get approvals from the city.

In a worst case scenario, the hotels would likely stay as they are, new shopping and dining could be built instead of attractions, and a small 3rd park would likely be shoehorned into the old Toy Story lot instead (the original plan from the early 2000’s).  

There’s much more to all of this of course, a possible Star Wars hotel, transportation issues between the Toy Story lot and the rest of the resort, the need for Disney to eventually obtain the GardenWalk mall to connect everything neatly (not in the DisneyForward plans), and the length of time that it’s going to take to make all of this happen. 

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A Star Wars hotel had been under design for Disneyland and suddenly canceled some years ago. But it was always hoped that the plan could be revisited after Orlando’s version opened. The Florida project was delayed by park shutdowns, but is back on track. There are several spots such a project could go within the bounds of the existing Disneyland Resort. Though, it does not appear to be indicated on the current DisneylandForward concept art (let us know if you spotted any clues)

At present, Disney thinks it will take a couple of years to obtain the initial rezoning and permits they need before they can create finalized plans. Then it will likely take years of design, hundreds of individual land and building permits, inspections, and construction. This project isn’t going to happen over night . . . especially if the economy doesn’t rebound as quickly as Disney hopes it will. Disney is a risk-adverse company. Projects get pitched, promoted, and canceled just as quickly all the time. But when things go just right . . . Disney is capable of creating true magic. Let’s hope the stars align for them and that a city reeling from a year of little income will embrace the prospect not just of Disneyland reopening but expanding and increasing their fortunes along with it.  

How likely do we think this ambitious part of the project is to be completed with theme park expansions or 3rd park? At the moment we are going to give it 50/50 odds at a 5 on our scale. But we’ll keep a close eye on this. Now that the word is out to the community, we’ll start hearing about what residents think, we’ll learn who supports the plan and who is opposed. AND, most importantly, we’ll see how Disney responds to the concerns. In their effort to assure affordable housing, Disney might just launch a campaign to buy out residents who aren’t happy with the plan and offer those residences at affordable rents to cast and the community. Every problem has a solution . . . and a cost. 

Chloé and I discuss the expansion in detail on the latest MiceTube Live: 


Disneyland Reopening and NEW Theme Park Guidance

The reopening timeline for theme parks and what they’d be allowed to operate has been a strange dance of conflicting information and uneven treatment. Earlier this month, the state suddenly announced that theme parks could reopen in the Red Tier (2nd stage of the 4 tier reopening blueprint), as soon as April 1st.  Unfortunately, the Red Tier only allows for 15% guest attendance. Other restrictions nixed out of state visitors, indoor dining, and there was unclear language on if indoor rides would be allowed. Well, the final guidelines have been released at last and they clear up most of those items for the better. 

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There may be some resistance for Rise.

First the bad news — as long as the state maintains the current travel advisory, there will be no out-of-state visitors allowed to buy theme park tickets. That restriction will likely be rescinded when the state ends the travel advisory. 

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The Disneyland gates are closed, but new safety signage is everywhere.

Now the good news — indoor attractions are definitely allowed to operate at reduced capacity and with health and safety procedures in place. Though, they can only do so if they are under 15 minutes long and have only outdoor queuing.  The other big item is that restaurants will be allowed to have 25% capacity in the Orange Tier and 50% in the Yellow Tier. 

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While many indoor attractions will reopen, there are a few things that might keep some of them closed a while longer:

1) Length of attractions not to exceed 15 minutes  – Some rides, like Rise of the Resistance, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, are just about at or over that time limit (unless they can be sped up or altered in other ways).

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The Mickey floral is freshly planted, and the front entry of Disneyland is calling to us.

2) Guests must queue outside – Some attractions have long and elaborate indoor queues which might be difficult to easily route guests through or around (ex. Rise of the Resistance, Indiana Jones, Guardians of the Galaxy). And while some will simply leave pre-show doors open and route guests straight through to the ride portion, that won’t be easily accomplished everywhere. Rise of the Resistance will either have to give up on all those preshows and mini-ride sections or remain closed. 

3) Ability to easily clean and disinfect the attraction – Other attractions require lots of physical touch (like Smuggler’s Run, Midway Mania, and Buzz Lightyear). You can tell an adult not to rub their eyes or touch their face after touching the jump to lightspeed button, it’s harder to do that with a child.

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If we zoom in on Main Street through the entry tunnels, you can see safety and distancing signs throughout the area.

4) Masks can be safely worn during the ride – While most rides at Disneyland should be safe in this regard, the park will have to make sure that masks stay in place on rollercoasters and spinning attractions. But the bigger problem will be rides that potentially soak a mask (such as Grizzly River Run or potentially Splash Mountain). 

We’ll be interested to see the final list of attractions which will open on April 30th, and what mitigation efforts Disney is willing to take to keep some rides open.  .  

@disneyparksOur excitement as we get closer to reopening day for Disneyland ??? ##Disney ##DisneyParks ##Disneyland ##CastMember ##Attraction ##CaliforniaAdventure♬ original sound – Disney Parks

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Downtown Disney News

With all that news about DisneylandForward, we’ve got a lot to contemplate. But in the meantime, we’ll take a quick look around what’s been happening at the areas of the Disneyland Resort we can visit. Here’s some updates around Downtown Disney from this week. 

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Although Spring Break has started for some schools, the crowds at Downtown Disney aren’t really reflecting too much of a change. With the county operating in the Orange Tier that allows for higher capacity limits for shops and restaurants, it was surprisingly easy to navigate. We took advantage of the special MiceChat parking rate at The Anaheim Hotel (don’t worry, we’ll include it for you to use too!) and entered through the Harbor-side entrance, we walked straight into Downtown Disney. This side has little to no wait, and it’s our go-to entrance, even when visiting A Touch of Disney

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One of the first things we noticed was how easy it was to get into the shops. It used to be common for the stores of Downtown Disney to accumulate long queues, but with the stores operating at a higher capacity, those lines have effectively been quelled.

On Friday afternoon, World of Disney was approximately a 5-minute wait to get in, and the new Star Wars Trading Post location only had a 10-minute wait— that’s certainly an improvement over the 4-hour long virtual waitlist from a few weeks ago.

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Wonderground Gallery has a fun mix of items and had no wait whatsoever. If you’re looking to get some cute Disneyland 65th anniversary merch, that store’s your go-to spot.

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The only store that hasn’t benefited from the upping of capacity limits remains Marceline’s Confectionary. Because the space is so small and only able to accommodate a handful of parties at any given time, the wait times remain 30+ minutes. Since Buena Vista Street’s Trolley Treats has been absorbed into the Touch of Disney event, Marceline’s remains very popular.

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This long line stretching around Catal’s tower is all for Marceline’s. About a 30 minute wait on Friday afternoon.

There was one other location with a surprising line: the churro cart in Downtown Disney. In fact, there were more people in line for a churro than at the Star Wars store!

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For the last few weeks, Jazz Kitchen has had an expanded patio space out into the walkway. Now that indoor dining has returned, it’s been reduced back to the normal patio.

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And a quick aside, there are a few restaurants at Downtown Disney planning for Easter Brunch. Both Tortilla Jo’s and UVA Bar are accepting reservations for a special holiday menus. Just remember that space is limited, so if you’re interested you should act quickly.

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After an extended closure, the smaller Starbucks on the west side of Downtown Disney has reopened. 

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There are still a few closed locations around Downtown Disney. Sprinkles and Splitsville are both closed with no signs of apparent life. Although who knows, something might revive them with the restrictions being less stringent now. Additionally, Nappolini is closed for take-out pizzas, but it’s being used by Naples as additional service space for the restaurant.

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While you’re meandering through Downtown Disney, don’t forget about the Egg-stravaganza Easter Egg Hunt. You can purchase the map at World of Disney and the Pin Trader. Be on the lookout for eggs decorated with classic Disney characters around Downtown Disney!

Do you see it….

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Keep in mind you don’t need to purchase the map to participate, but if you do buy one, you can redeem it for a small prize (even without fully finishing it). 

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Disneyland March Madness – MiceChat Reader Photos

How can you pick a favorite attraction at Disneyland? For some of us it’s like being asked to choose a favorite child. But now that we’ve had over a full year to reflect on which attraction we miss most at the Disneyland Resort, the answer has gotten to be much clearer. This week, we asked the MiceChat Facebook group to participate in a March Madness to determine a favorite. We’ll share some of the responses with you, and ask you to participate in our poll as well! 

With a classic attraction like Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s no surprise why this would be a popular choice for a favorite. Skeletons, treasure, exciting pirate ship battles— who could ask for more?!
 
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“For me it’s Pirates of the Caribbean by a hair over Haunted Mansion. Besides the ride being so cool it is a long lasting ride. It will get you out of bad weather like rain or heat. It is a fast moving line with wait times usually no more than 30 minutes. In fact anytime I watch the Fantasmic show at the end of the night I would be able to walk straight onto a boat the second the show is over as most people are heading for the park exit. When I get off the ride the park has cleared out.” – George

Storybook Land Canal Boats is an easy to overlook classic. With miniaturized versions of Disney stories and with a touch of whimsy, this is definitely an attraction meant to be repeated over and over again. But it just missed a Sweet 16 spot. 

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“Although it’s not as popular, my family’s favorite attraction is storybook land canal boats. We love the story retelling, magic, and knowing that it was one of Walt’s favorites!” – Brianna

The Haunted Mansion is a highlight for many Disneyland visitors. It’s a blend of scary elements that’s been turned just a hair past frightening to comedic. The Haunted Mansion is the culmination of Imagineering skill and creativity.

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“One of my favorite attractions is is the Haunted Mansion. It’s a perfect combination of spooky and silly. Plus, “Grim Grinning Ghosts” is a classic! Also, who doesn’t love the Haunted Mansion Holiday when Halloween rolls around?” – Andrew

One of the hallmarks of a great Disney attraction is that you’re left humming the music well after you exit the attraction. And there’s no ear worm quite like the Enchanted Tiki Room. In a world of fast-moving rides, the Tiki Room is the perfect place to take a breather and step back in time to a world where the birds sing words . . . in an enchanted air conditioned room!

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“Enchanted Tiki Room – is the perfect place to cool off and rest your toes with a yummy Dole Whip on a hot day! And equally wonderful place to duck in out of the rain with a Dole Whip on those days!!” – Debbie

About that thing I just mentioned about music getting stuck in your head? Well based on the sheer catchiness of it’s a small world, that’s a song that will never leave your head once you’ve been on the ride. And it’s a charming experience that has delighted Disneyland fans for generations. 

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“The message of its a small world and seeing all the dolls and different parts of the world make it unmatched me and my grandpa before he passed away favourite” – Darin

Although we’ll always fondly remember the Tower of Terror, its modern incarnation of Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout has revamped the attraction to make it more exhilarating. 

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“The best ride is also one I was the most upset about changing. Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout has all around party vibes. From the soundtrack to the anticipation of the first drop, the singing, the dancing, the laughing, the screaming—everyone together having a blast breaking them out. I cannot wait to do that over and over again to my favorite song on the playlist, hit me with your best shot.” – Jessica

A more leisurely attraction is taking a few minutes and enjoying the serenity of the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain Riverboat. Sure, it may not get your blood pumping quite like the E-Tickets, but there’s something almost surreal about listening to the audio and taking a trip along the river and back in time. While not in the top 16, its sister attraction, the Disneyland Railroad is. 

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“A leisurely cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat, ” Princess ” waving to everyone on the riverbank is a favorite of ours.” – Steven

Another classic attraction that just missed the list was the King Arthur Carrousel. Its bright colors and cheery music add a certain panache to Fantasyland. It’s nothing less than iconic. 

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“King Arthur Carrousel shines as not only a Disneyland original but one attraction that kids and kids at heart can enjoy every visit. Plus, it’s a joy seeing through the drawbridge of Sleeping Beauty Castle day or night.” – Terrance

And while Rise of the Resistance was only operating at Disneyland for less than two months, it’s made quite the impact on guests who were able to give it a whirl. Many think this ride has transformed what guests expect from a modern theme park attraction. Those are pretty big words to live up to!

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“My new absolute favorite has to be Rise of the Resistance.. the entire thing is so immersive from the time you enter the queue in Galaxy’s Edge to the preshow with Rey and just the overall experience of something with a complete story from start to finish.” – Peter [Editor’s note: this picture was taken at Walt Disney World’s version, but the one at Disneyland is identical.)
Of course, these were just a handful of options. March Madness contains 16 of the most popular attractions at the resort. Take a moment to select the attraction that’s your family’s current favorite! 

Thank you to everyone who shared a photo with us this week! We love hearing from our community and think it’s special that we’re able to share some of what happens in the MiceChat Facebook group with our other readers.


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(Discount Theme Park Tickets and Travel Packages)

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Let’s Hear From You

We’re not sure what we’re more excited about, Disneyland about to reopen after more than a year of closure, or the ambitious expansion plans which rethink the resort from end to end. Are you hoping that Disney ultimately opts for a third gate or do you wanted to see Disneyland and DCA expanded? What attractions or lands would most appeal to you? And do you see anticipate any major roadblocks for Disney in their quest for an expanded resort? Now that the state has clarified reopening guidance, which attractions do you think Disneyland won’t be able to reopen on April 30th? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 

And if you enjoyed reading this article, please show us some love and take a moment to click one of those share buttons!

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Touch of Disney video: Dusty Sage

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Dusty Sage
Dusty is the founder and CEO of MiceChat.com. When he's not visiting theme parks and writing, editing or speaking about Disney and theme parks worldwide, Dusty is involved in multiple Disney related projects and charities. He helped save and restore the charming Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago, launched the Dick Van Dyke Foundation, and is the curator of Walt Disney's historic 1930's estate in Hollywood. If you've got news or photos to share with the MiceChat community, or would like to book Dusty for an upcoming event, please contact [email protected]