Disneyland Update – Poison Apples, Summer Crowds, Spider-Fail

Hello Boo

The Summer Crush

Both parks felt busier this week than last, but there were even more reservations seemingly available. We believe that Disney has been releasing a bucket of availability within 24 hours on most days depending on their staffing and confidence in being able to handle the crowds. And that means long lines at attractions and restaurants.  

There have been some very long lines at the front gate lately, much of it fueled by guests needing to have photos taken for their multi-day tickets.  We sure do wish Disneyland would simply have guests take a selfie in the Disneyland app and automatically associate it with the ticket. If a photo isn’t adequate or a guest fails to do so, the front gate attendant could still take the photo. We can’t understand why this little problem still hasn’t been fixed, especially with Disney forcing guests to do everything else in the app.  Otherwise, we’d like to see Disney create dedicated Keyholder lanes since they already have photos attached to their accounts and move through the gates much more quickly.  

Once in the parks, the crowds ebb and flow. Main Street, for example, is busy in the mornings and at the 1pm park-hopper switch and then again leading up to the Main Street Electrical Parade. Here’s what Main Street looks like about 2 hours before the parade on most evenings…

But Main Street wasn’t all that was busy…

The major pinch points were constricted. 

There has been a bit of a shift in the guest mix this week. More tourists on day tickets seem to be visiting. And that means more Genie+ and Extra Selection Lightning Lane are being purchased as well. You can tell because the Lightning Lanes have been backing up outside of the attractions (the actual Lightning Lanes and not just the standby).  

But there were some terrible-looking standby lines too this past week. As the temperatures reached into the 80s and guests began searching for relief, the line for Splash Mountain switchbacked all the way to the exit of Haunted Mansion. While the entry to Splash Mountain is located near Haunted Mansion, it is rare to see guests switchbacked here!

But as bad as things can be in some areas at some times of day, it IS possible to still find quiet spots and avoid big crowds.  The wider pathways with less things to do make Galaxy’s Edge a good spot just to meander during much of the day. If you need a quick bite to eat, you can generally standby at Ronto Roasters or Docking Bay 7 with little wait (especially if you avoid the lunch rush from 11am until about 2pm).  

And with Pirates of the Caribbean still closed, most of New Orleans Square is now easy to navigate with the new wider walkways (the elevated Fantasmic viewing platforms have all been removed and replaced with much smaller planters.)

If you have shopping to do or just want to people-watch, this is a good spot… that is until it fills up a couple of hours before Fantasmic!

Main Street is one of those areas that is boom or bust. We suggest doing your shopping here in that lull between the morning rush and the Main Street Electrical Parade seating frenzy.  

Take a walk with me. Before we get into the weeds of all the latest news and issues at the park, let’s put it all into context as you can only do if you see it for yourself. It’s sometimes easy to think it’s all negative when you are just reading the headlines, but you can see from this video that I really DO enjoy myself in the parks even when things aren’t all going as they should: 

Splatter-Man

Avengers Campus high-flying Spider-Man stunt-tronic is built to take a licking and keep on ticking… so is his landing zone. The building is built with breakaway walls to protect the expensive animatronic should he land a bit low. Within an hour of the crash landing recorded below by mdglee_szm, the breakaway slats on the building had been repositioned and the web-slinger was already flying again. Impressive! 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CemFl1tldZN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

Poison Apples Sour Snow White 

The newly reimagined Snow White ride at Disneyland (which opened on April 30, 2021) is going through a rough patch. For the last few weeks, many of the projections inside the attraction have been nonfunctional.  When the ride was reworked, much of the 2nd half of the attraction had been rebuilt to give the ride a happier ending. They also added lots of digital mapping projections to add ambiance, details, and to highlight certain scenes.  

Unfortunately, most of the new sections are now without those projections. While the attraction is still ridable, most of the gee wiz special effects are now completely missing, and in some cases, there are some obvious holes in the show. Once Snow White bites the apple in the shattered mirror scene all digital mapping for the rest of the ride is broken. Gone are the shattered mirror, rain storm for the dwarfs, rays of light in the kiss scene, animated book, and sunburst effect which now looks like a black hole is about to suck the young lovers into another dimension. 

Here’s what the attraction looked like when it reopened in April of last year (Pay attention from the mirror cracking scene at 2:31 into the video until the end of the ride): 

And here’s what it looks like now (you’ll note the changes starting at 1:26 in the video below): 

We aren’t sure what is going on with this attraction or why it is taking so long to fix. But at what point should Disney warn visitors that the attraction they are about to wait 30 minutes for is not up to full show standards? Even a simple sign warning “We’re having some technical difficulties but still invite you to join Snow White on an enchanted adventure,” would suffice. But we’d rather that they just fix the attraction. 

Construction Kingdom

There’s always too much construction going on to cover it all… but we’ll do our best. Lot’s to see this week. We’ll start by diving in…

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage resurfacing soon (but no official date yet):

The hatches to the subs were open when we shot our photos this week. 

The buoy that normally hosts the “Mine, mine, mine” seagulls has returned, sans birds. 

A lone rock remains covered elsewhere in the lagoon… we have a very strong suspicion that the Finding Dory Sea Lions have been added. 

Could be these guys… what do you think? 

Show building lights have been on inside the attraction building.

Unfortunately, the construction walls all the way around the lagoon remain up even though the bulk of the work on the lagoon itself is complete.  We’re looking forward to this view returning.  

New Orleans Square:

You won’t have to wait too much longer for Pirates of the Caribbean. The refurbishment on the attraction is wrapping up soon and the ride is expected to reopen to guests on July 1st. 

Meanwhile, the restaurant inside Pirates has reopened. If you’d like to dine at Blue Bayou, you can add yourself to the waiting list from the Disneyland app on the day of your visit. The establishment isn’t currently offering reservations (but will soon).  Be forewarned that there is a construction wall up between the dining room at the beautiful bayou inside the attraction. I took a look this week: 

But if you want a sit-down lunch or dinner in the air conditioning, this might still be a good option for those with a little extra cash to spare.  For the time being, it’s pretty easy to get a table here.  

Meanwhile, over on the river, there’s STILL a bit of refurb work going on. Some of the Fantasmic support items (speakers, etc) are still covered by scrims instead of prop boxes. And one of the docks on the island is also covered in scrims.  

And steps away the old entry to the Tarzan Treehouse is no more. The old stump has been removed and paved over. A tiny sliver of a garden is all that remains of the spot. In its place is a much-expanded walkway between Adventureland and New Orleans Square.

Imagineer Kim Irvine and team are working on a new concept for the treehouse. More on that soon.  

Tomorrowland’s Entry Gardens are finally getting some plants. Until now they’ve been grass. But last week they were stripped down to dirt. Over the last few days they’ve been planted and by the time you read this, they should be done.  

But those of you who have been following this project know that Disney released concept art about 3 years ago for mid-century modern gardens that were supposed to go into this spot: 

So we’re still waiting to hear what’s really happening here or if the concept art has been scrapped.  

Plaza Point’s back room reopened this past weekend. Earlier in the week there was a construction wall up inside Plaza Point at the exit into the main shop next door. That wall has come down to reveal pretty much what was there before, but with a new floor and some new wallpaper. It is currently merchandised with items from the China Closet. However, the design of the space is close enough to Plaza Point that they can easier take over the spot with holiday items whenever necessary.  

Inside the shop, the Children of the Corn are just waiting to eat your soul… I mean… dressed in red, white, and blue!

This shop really has some fantastic seasonal decorations. We love seeing how they transform this space every few months.  

The renovated space compliments the holiday shop. 

On opening day, the room had only one set of ornate shelves and that’s it. No tables or displays in the center of the space. It felt empty. But you can see the potential. 

New wallpaper trims the ceiling. This will look nice once they’re able to add some decor and more merchandise.  

And… because so many of you have been asking… The Silhouette Studio nearby remains closed with the lights out. We’ve enquired about the shop and haven’t been able to get any answers. However, it’s a good sign that the shop remains decorated and ready to go. 

Let’s park-hop…

DCA walkways… There are small boxes of construction going on throughout Disney California Adventure. They all appear to be walkway repaving projects. 

Most are located along the parade route. 

There’s even a large wall up along the side of the Animation Building between Hyperion Theater and Guardians of the Galaxy. PLEASE tell me they are going to do something to theme this eyesore of a building (this feels like backstage, not a walkway to a major attraction inside a ‘theme’ park)! 

Paradise Souvenirs remains behind construction walls while the nearby Paradise Pier hotel gate has finally opened. It’s a project we’ve been following since the very beginning. 

The Paradise Pier hotel gate has been completed and guests have been previewing their new private entry into Disney California Adventure.  

The walkway is well landscaped and has its own security tent for bag check. 

Still no date for the return of the Red Car Trolley… but it shouldn’t be too much longer. 

They are still putting merchandise carts on the trolley tracks. This will have to go once the trolley starts running again.  

Nearby, some walls have gone up around the ATM structure near the front gate. 

‘The PYM Test Kitchen and Taste Lab have oddly had a portion of their patios closed to guests for a few weeks now. This is a burden for customers since table space was already so hard to come by. We don’t understand why so little table space was built to begin with considering this is the only restaurant in the land (although there are some food carts). 

Huge portions of both patios are now closed.

Some tables have been huddled together under umbrellas near Avengers HQ. By night this is a good temporary solution, but during the day it gets really hot here. Avenger’s Campus is an uninviting furnace in summer. It feels like zero effort was given to shade or comfort in this poorly designed land.  We like the idea of a place for the Marvel characters, but some improvements need to be made (and start building that promised E-Ticket while you are at it). 

Leaving DCA, we’ll check out the (lack of) construction progress on the old AMC lot in Downtown Disney…

Disneyland Resort Refurbishment Guide

The refurb list is finally narrowing…

• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: (July 12th, 2021-TBA)
• Tarzan’s Treehouse: (September 1st, 2021-TBA)
• Mickey’s Toontown (March 9th, 2022-2023)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: (March 14th-June 30th)
• Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree: (June 13th-16th)

Attractions Returning to Operation:

• Space Mountain: July 5th
  • Hyperspace Mountain will end its run after July 4
• Red Car Trolley: (Summer 2022)

Updated Magic Key Terrace 

We finally had a chance to try the new menu at the Magic Key Terrace in DCA. 

Thanks to David Yeh and some MiceChat friends, we tried quite a few of the dishes. The sliders were a hit and are a subtle nod to the “Three Little Pigs” story.  If you like lobster, there’s a special corn dog for you. And I had the vegan sausage flatbread (if it hadn’t said “Vegan” on the menu, I wouldn’t have known).  

We were seated on the outdoor patio and noticed some unique new tiles installed on the posts. Turns out that they are inspired by a cat that roams Grizzly Mountain. Her name is Nutmeg. She’s really a very sweet cat and often comes right up to the restaurant. Imagineer Kim Irvine was so taken with Nutmeg that she made her the icon of the establishment. 

There’s even a painting of Nutmeg by the restrooms.  

There is some additional decor and furniture that the restaurant is still waiting on, so each time you visit you’ll see a little more of the transformation. 

 The Great Popcorn Bust

It’s no surprise that people love Disney collectibles. But the craze for certain popcorn buckets can cause hours-long lines for the latest molded plastic thing-a-majig. While the Elliot dragon bucket didn’t quite reach the fervor that EPCOT’s Figment (another dragon) caused, it was close enough. The Main Street Electrical Parade popcorn buckets and sippers  first released in late April to massive demand and long lines. By the end of the first weekend, they were sold out. Disney got small shipments in here and there and they would instantly sell out again. Well, no more. There are plenty of buckets now in stock. So many that no one seems to be lining up for them anymore. We saw cart after cart loaded down with dragon buckets and no lines to buy them all weekend.  

Speaking of popcorn buckets, there’s been a new release this week. The newest one is the familiar Mickey Balloon shape but with a metallic ombré twist available at DCA. 

What do you think about all these plastic collectibles that will inevitably end up in a landfill a few years down the line? If you collect popcorn buckets or sippers, what’s your rationale? I’m genuinely interested in learning what draws you to these.

Tale of the Lion King Returns                                             

Tale of the Lion King has returned to the Fantasyland Theater stage! Last week we reported that the show had abruptly been put on pause with no future showtimes lined up. When we visited the park on Friday, we got a chance to see the cast on-stage rehearsing (sans costumes) in prep for their Saturday (June 11) return to the spotlight. 

This is a fantastic show, one that I highly recommend you take the time to watch. Plus, it’s a chance to sit in the shade, which is great for the warm days ahead. You won’t be disappointed!

More about Tale of the Lion King HERE

This & That

Ah, yes. This is the signal that the Update is coming to an end. Here are the smaller stories from around the resort this week!

Character News

Good news to all you folks out there who enjoy character interactions! The Disneyland app has recently re-added the Character category on the map that will tell you where various characters are appearing around the parks. Just go to the map icon, select the dropdown menu for the category you want to search for, and then it’ll show you where characters are meeting.

If you’ve been keeping up with the Marvel movies and series releases, you’re likely already aware that the brand-new show Ms. Marvel has started streaming on Disney+ (and it’s a show that our reviewer has thoroughly enjoyed!). We were looking forward to seeing Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) out at Avengers Campus this weekend, but we were told by one of the character hosts that “she had a last-minute field trip she went on” so she couldn’t be there for her big reveal on Saturday. We checked on her status all weekend and got similar stories. We hope to see her soon!

Planning to visit #AvengersCampus at #DisneyCaliforniaAdventure soon? You may run into mega-super hero fan Kamala Khan! https://t.co/V9IgPZSANv pic.twitter.com/EUDbumfmbo

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) June 8, 2022

That’s not all for character news. There’s also a disturbance in the force that’s bringing Darth Vader to Tomorrowland. As part of a promotion for the Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you can find Darth Vader just outside the still-closed Star Wars: Launch Bay. It’s sad that we can’t see Darth Vader in Galaxy’s Edge due to the limited vision Imagineering placed on the land when it opened. Is it time for Disneyland to take control of this land and just make it a celebration of all things Star Wars? 

Nearly 90% of you agree with us. It’s hard to get poll results like this on ANYTHING in this country… and yet Disney still has to keep Tomorrowland as Star Wars land 2 due to the limitations on Galaxy’s Edge. Meanwhile, Galaxy’s Edge is a GIANT land with tons of unused space and empty buildings that can’t accommodate a classic character like Darth Vader because of a pig-headed and limited view of what a theme park land should be (all other lands at Disneyland are MUCH more flexible in what they can contain). A pathetic state of affairs.  

And yet… they are now allowing Boba Fett to wander around a very specific area just outside of the Marketplace… as long as no other characters see or interact with him… What?!  So, the land may finally be opened up partially to some characters outside the timeline (The Mandalorian and baby Grogu are coming soon). Unfortunately, The majority of the land will remain in character and locked to a stupidly specific period in time. Mental gymnastics that I’m just not willing to do. It’s a theme park Disney, just let this land be a happy place for all things Star Wars and stop the insanity! 

Tomorrowland Terrace Dance Party

There’s a new dance party over in Tomorrowland that happens nightly. The previous Pixar-themed party has been replaced for the summer with Stitch’s Interplanetary Beach Party Blast. This out-of-this-world dance party features some of your favorite characters in space suits and groovy dance moves. The dance party runs from 7pm-11pm nightly and some quirky and fun character costumes (it feels like Halloween, but we’re all for it). 

Glorious Disneyland

Now that we have the news covered, it’s time to enjoy some pretty pictures from around the park. We’ve got photos from Dusty Sage and also from Mike Kindritch for you below. We hope you enjoy these!

Mike took a trip into the Jungle (Cruise) on his visit to Disneyland… and he came back with some amazing photos!

Today’s Disneyland Journey Comes To An End

I’ll be honest, it was a frustrating week for me at Disneyland… crowded, hot, broken effects at attractions, the absolutely confounding Galaxy’s Edge issues, the Disneyland app glitching only at times I need it (like when trying to enter the parks), crazy Lightning Lane lines continue to prove that it isn’t about making anything better it’s all about the money… but as frustrating as the park gets when it is busy and not operating to its full potential (or staffing), there were still many moments of joy.  I’ll leave you with one of those now. And please join the discussion in the comments below. I really appreciate hearing from you!