Disneyland Update: Springtime Magic, Construction & Concerns

It’s a season of change at Disneyland.  Spring floral is in full bloom in the theme parks as demolition, refurbishments, and construction are underway throughout the Disneyland Resort.  In Disneyland, New Orleans Square’s waterfront has begun its major re-imagining project to help ease crowd flow issues before the popular Fantasmic! show returns in late May.  Meanwhile, demolition of the former AMC Theaters in Downtown Disney is just about finished as plans move forward to reinvent the west end of the busy shopping district.  

There’s a whole lot of springtime fun and construction news this week, so let’s tiptoe through the tulips and take a look…

Welcome to Disneyland!

It’s a beautiful time to visit Disneyland as the park is awash in springtime color.  

Tabebuia trees in both parks are in full bloom with bright pink flowers, the definitive sign that spring has arrived at Disneyland. 

At the end of Main Street, the Plaza Point Holiday Shoppe has received its lovely springtime overlay.  Tons of springtime flowers, Victorian-style Easter eggs, and butterflies decorate the main display and the display case that is swapped out seasonally. 

The kids on the wagon are now dressed in spring outfits and are celebrating Easter as you enter the store.

There’s no real spring-specific merchandise to co-incide with the springtime overlay, so more Christmas ornaments have filled in the seasonal display space instead.

Really lovely work here. 

Gorgeous period-appropriate seasonal teapots and dishes have been swapped out on the shelves.  

The floral garland is gorgeous and lined with twinkle lights and butterflies — several of which are animated and move their wings! 

Below, check out a video of the new springtime decor in the shop, including the animated butterflies.

Crowds didn’t feel too bad over the weekend either, even as some Magic Key passes start to see weekend restrictions as the first of the annual spring break crowds begin to arrive.  

Disney California Adventure, with its smaller footprint and fewer attractions did feel a little busier as guests crowd that park’s main thoroughfares to enjoy the annual Food and Wine Festival. 

If you’re planning on visiting soon for the Food and Wine Festival, expect long lines to get food.  

Festival Failings & Mobile Mania

While the festival’s Marketplace booths are popular, their lines do tend to move quickly.  This isn’t the case if you’re looking to try the festival options that have popped up at traditional food service locations like Paradise Garden Grill.  Here, the restaurant serves both entree-sized portions and smaller portions for Sip and Savor Passes.  This is great, however, if you want a Sip and Savor-sized portion of an item here, you can only order it here — and there’s only one single kiosk for ordering.  Festival Marketplace booths let you order any item from any booth and then take your receipt to the corresponding booth for pickup, but select items at permanent dining locations aren’t included in the ordering system and the result is a single Cast Member at the last remaining cash register being overwhelmed with a massive line of park guests.  It’s just another issue caused by Disneyland’s disastrous implementation of mobile ordering at its dining locations, and one they seemingly have no intention of fixing. 

Meanwhile, existing food service locations that could help soak up some overflow crowds remain in a state of staffing flux.  Lamplight Lounge’s outdoor bar (formerly the Cove Bar) was closed for dine-in altogether on Friday. Instead, guests could walk up to the bar for to-go drinks but that was it.  No seating, no food.  The main restaurant was open, but Lamplight Lounge is a good example of large and popular dining locations still struggling to get back to being fully operational at the Disneyland Resort, even nearly a year after re-opening.  

We’ve heard on social media and seen in person similar situations happening at other locations including Carthay Circle Lounge or Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar.  Hosts and hostesses at those locations are instructed to turn away guests and tell them to keep checking the app for openings on the mobile waitlist.  More often than not, this happens while tables at these outdoor locations are sitting empty, in clear view of the guests.  From a guest’s perspective, this is not just inconvenient — it’s just really bad guest service.   Of course, we know that labor shortages have been an issue and that factors in here.  But when you do actually get a table and chit-chat with your server or bartender and they mention how slow it’s been even though the location has been inaccessible for hours because the mobile waitlist has been closed, then you know the system is totally broken.    

Hey @Disneyland when are you finally going to figure out the walk up situation at Trader Sam’s? This is like 10x too many I’ve seen most of bar empty yet it show no walk up or reservations available in app. It’s so unfair to the CMs. pic.twitter.com/6kPSCSPbOk

— Carly Caramanna (@CarlyCaramanna) March 10, 2022

 

When multiple tables at these locations are sitting empty on a daily basis but the best help Cast Members are allowed to offer is to keep checking the app, it’s just bad customer service for a variety of reasons, including because these restaurants are geo-fenced.  So, in order to keep checking the app to (maybe) get on the waitlist you must stand nearby the restaurant, hoping that maybe you’ll get lucky eventually. This is terrible for guests looking for options and downright awful for Cast Members, many of which rely on tips to supplement their low wages.  At a certain point, it seems like Disney is too busy saving a few bucks on labor costs by understaffing these locations (and underpaying their employees), all while letting money fly out the window from guests they’re turning away.

Still, the return of the Food and Wine Festival is mostly a hit, with a great selection of food offerings and entertainment this year.  Festivals continue to be a great way to inject life into California Adventure.  And at this time of the year, the park is even more alive with gorgeous springtime color.

Re-Imagining the Riverfront

The big news this week was the start of the major reworking of the New Orleans Square waterfront as it prepares to once again host Fantasmic! when it returns later next month.  The project, as we previously told you about here on MiceChat, will flatten out the multi-level, tiered setup currently found along the river.  That tiered platform viewing design was added decades ago to help guests get better views of the popular Fantasmic! show but with crowds at all-time highs and Genie+ impacting wait times at Pirates of the Caribbean, the tiered viewing area is no longer working.  

Walls currently stretch along the entire front of Cafe Orleans and the French Market, so if you were hoping for a Monte Cristo you’ll have to settle for the calories without a view right now.  

The path between Cafe Orleans and the construction walls is tight and can get crowded at times, so be aware as you navigate the land during this project.

The entrance to the French Market is especially tight due to the work underway and can be easy to miss.  Be assured, the popular spot is open for business! 

Classic Pirates of the Caribbean concept art decorates the walls, with select pirates removed so you can step in and pose for a photo.  Fun! 

The concept art walls feature a Pirates of the Caribbean 55th Anniversary logo, commemorating the attraction’s milestone which just passed on March 18 (the ride was already closed for refurbishment).

A look at the work underway behind the walls…

Expect the removal of many steps and gardens like the ones in the photos below to disappear. The goal is to make the way down to the waterfront a more gradual slope with fewer obstructions and steps to improve crowd flow. 

With Pirates of the Caribbean closed, the waterfront is wide open, free from the sea of strollers that come with long Pirates wait times. It really shows you the impact that the proliferation of modern monster-sized strollers has on the park. 

Speaking of Pirates, the attraction is closed while the riverfront project is underway.  This is so New Orleans Square doesn’t become completely gridlocked with extended queues and stroller parking as construction walls block walkways. But they are taking this opportunity to give the attraction a tuneup. And they’ll be doing some replanting in the pirates queue area as those two big trees are diseased and need to come out. 

A look over the construction walls…

Meanwhile, work continues on fixing up Fantasmic! in time for its late-May return.

The Sailing Ship Columbia is also dry-docked and getting some TLC in preparation for Fantasmic’s return. 

Toon-Up Time

At the back of the park, Mickey’s Toon Town is now officially closed as it begins a major yearlong re-imagining project that will bring new green spaces, better crowd flow, and fresh new life to the land as it prepares to welcome the massive new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction next year.

Previously-released concept art of the land’s re-imagining and of the upcoming attraction are featured on the walls.

Downtown Demolition

Over in Downtown Disney, the large AMC Theaters complex, including the smaller Starbucks location and Earl of Sandwich, is mostly gone. When complete, Downtown Disney’s west end will have new shops, green spaces, and entertainment.

The entire theater building is gone and really all that remained over the weekend was a lot of rubble and the facades of the storefronts that flanked the theater’s entrance.

Starbucks no more.

Views from the Monorail give a pretty good look at how much space is available now as part of this Downtown Disney redevelopment project.

It’ll be interesting to see this re-imagining of Downtown Disney progress in the coming months. 

 

Disneyland Refurbishment Roundup

Let’s take a look at some of the other projects underway in both parks…

Main Street refresh

The souvenir stand next to the Disneyana shop as you enter Town Square is closed for refurbishment. 

Near the end of Main Street, the China Closet’s facade refurbishment has wrapped up and looks fresh and new again. 

Looks great! 

The shop’s marquee hadn’t returned yet by Saturday but should be back soon.

 

Royal Reveal

Over in Fantasy Faire, the Royal Theatre has emerged from its refurbishment looking fresh with vivid color.

We hope this means a return of theatrical entertainment here soon. 

Tarzan’s Fixer-Upper

In Adventureland, the very lengthy refurbishment of Tarzan’s Treehouse continues…

(Still) Fixing Nemo

Work continues on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage refurbishment, which has blown through its closure timeline several times. 

The lagoon looks bright and colorful again and it’ll be nice to see it filled and operating again. Currently the guide rails are covered so they can be painted. 

Tomorrowland Dance Party

Nearby, the Pixar Pals dance party has returned to the Tomorrowland Terrace.  The overlay is an eyesore, but luckily it’s installed every evening before showtime.  

Hollywood Land Refresh

In Disney California Adventure, work continues in Hollywood Land, where the sidewalks are being repaved. 

The old Captain Marvel meet-and-greet overlay has (finally) been removed from the front of the former Hollywood & Dine soundstage and construction walls are up.  No word yet on what might be moving in here.

Old photo-op murals have been revealed again.

World of Color Prepares for Return

Over in Paradise Bay, work on the new World of Color lighting and projection towers continues as the show gets ready to reopen in just about a month from now.

Grizzly River Refurb

Grizzly River Run is still dry for its seasonal refurbishment but is expected to return March 30.

Disney Imagineers ask to stay in California

Last week, The Wrap published a pretty significant look inside of the turmoil at Walt Disney Imagineering as the storied creative arm of the Disney Company has been hemorrhaging talent in the months following the announcement Disney would be moving the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP) segment of the company to Florida.  Imagineers finally broke their silence regarding the move, which has been imposed by Disney CEO Bob Chapek and carried out by his right hand man Josh D’Amaro.  Plans for the move were announced in the throes of the historic closure of Disneyland.  Bob Chapek took the opportunity to cut costs and take advantage of a major tax break in Florida.

Of course, these plans were hatched before Chapek’s failed response to Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill and now Disney Imagineers, many of which are LGBTQ+ people, have been emboldened to speak out on the move and ask Disney leadership to change course and keep their division in California and Imagineering at its historic Glendale campus.  The plans to move Imagineering to Lake Nona, Florida have resulted in well over 50% of Imagineers leaving the company, with even more expected to leave before the move is finalized.  Less than 100 long-term Glendale-based Imagineers are reportedly left, with even more expected to be lost.  

The impact this could have on Disneyland and the Disney theme park experience has the potential to be devastating.  With such massive losses to the creative workforce, decades of institutional knowledge will be lost and this erosion of culture and know-how will certainly be felt throughout the theme parks, cruise line, and resorts as Imagineering is left without the impressive talent pool that keeps it at the top of the industry.  

Is Chapek’s plan to decimate Imagineering, leaving it as a small organization on the other side of the country that contracts out most of its work to third parties? The sad answer appears to be yes. Imagineering was once a creative powerhouse that helped differentiate Disney from other entertainment companies by producing bigger, better and more creative product for the parks and resorts. Unfortunately, it seems like that level of creativity and quality is no longer important to Bob Chapek’s Disney as short term cost savings trump long term vision. The potential devastation to the Disney we all know and love is deeply concerning. 

Let’s discuss!

Alright, that wraps up this week’s Disneyland update.  Are you looking forward to seeing how New Orleans Square’s new waterfront turns out or worried about the changes? As much a fan of the springtime color as we are? Frustrated with mobile order and mobile restaurant reservations? Concerned by Disney’s abandonment of Imagineering? Let us know your thoughts on that and all of the other news this week in the comments section below!  

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