Fasten your seatbelts and secure those Mickey ears – today’s Disneyland Update is set to be a rollercoaster of a ride! It’s astonishing how much news can transpire in the wonderful world of Disney in just seven days, both joyous and less so. This week, Disneyland is setting the dial to 11 even as Walt Disney World suffers some setbacks. We’ll delve into the recent shake-ups and explore the implications for Disneyland. But that’s certainly not all; we’ll update you on the leaps and bounds being made in construction projects, stretching from San Fransokyo to Downtown Disney and beyond. Plus, ToonTown’s touchups, the ticking countdown to the final splash, a multiverse mermaid, a Fantasmic setback, and so much more…
And, as always, we have loads of gorgeous photos from the parks for you. Stay tuned…
Florida’s Loss is Disneyland’s Gain
The gargantuan project to relocate 2,000 Disney Parks, Experiences & Products (DPEP) jobs to Orlando, initially slated for completion by December 2022 but subsequently delayed, has been officially canceled! We find great relief in the discontinuation of this ill-conceived plan. Regrettably, this decision came too late for the hundreds of employees who refused the move and were laid off, and for those who had already uprooted their lives and mored to Florida. While Disney intends to address employee relocations back to California on a case-by-case basis, the situation remains bleak for those who have already parted ways with the company—particularly in light of an ongoing 7,000-person layoff.
Several factors contributed to the termination of this billion-dollar initiative. Significant resistance from Disney creatives reluctant to relocate to Florida was a key factor. The mass departure from the Parks and Products division left Disney scrambling to find suitable replacements. Additionally, the unprecedented political turbulence incited by Florida’s Governor presented a considerable risk to consolidating all of DPEP in one volatile location. Fortuitously, the creative campuses for Imagineering and Disney Products in Burbank had not yet been sold.
This setback for Florida could be a substantial gain for Disneyland. Not only will more creatives be able to remain in California, but Disneyland stands to benefit from Florida’s temporary pullback with increased investment. This week saw Disneyland’s monumental push for a transformative project poised to reshape the future of the Disneyland Resort, potentially doubling its profit potential.
DisneylandForward
Disney’s project to significantly expand the capacity of its existing resort property is surging forward. Disneyland held a forum last week for city leaders, interested parties, and media that mapped out the resort’s future, including the expected massive financial windfall for the city and state.
While DisneylandForward is simply a project to change current zoning restrictions at Disneyland, it would free the resort up to make full use of its existing space. The plans Disney has laid out are ambitious. If all goes as intended, Disney would build a new shopping, entertainment and lodging district on the current Toy Story parking lot at the Eastern edge of the resort.
The Eastside project could be modeled after Disney Springs at Walt Disney World but include hotel space integrated into the development. It would also serve not just Disneyland guests but also convention-goers (The Anaheim Convention Center is just across the street).
New attraction space (likely to become a 3rd theme park) would be built on land surrounding the hotels and parking lots on the far west side of the resort. And a massive parking and transportation hub would be built behind the 3rd party hotels on the East side of Harbor Blvd.
We are frequently asked if there is enough space for Disney to build a 3rd park on the Westside of the resort. There certainly is… Here’s how Disney shows the space being use. Disney isn’t promising to build a 3rd park, they could use the land for Disneyland and California Adventure expansion instead. But, the resort and the city would make MUCH more money if a 3rd gate was built and guests extended their stay by another day or two.
The economic impact of a full build-out is estimated to double the tax base of the resort area. While the complete use of the land would take decades, if Disney doesn’t start laying the groundwork for future projects now, they could find it harder to get a future city council to support their efforts. A full build-out could result in 28,000 new jobs in addition to the 34,000 current jobs (more than before the park shutdowns).
After all, the city just realized what it’s like to try to make ends meet with over a year of little Disney tax revenue! (see the massive dip below, that’s a year with no Disney).
We have a full article for you about the project and what rides and experiences are on the way:
DisneylandForward Explained – Charting The Course For Future Adventures!
But we can’t help but look at these potential concepts Disney is floating as examples of what they ‘might’ build and be very hopeful.
There’s some additional good news confirmed during the DisneylandForward meeting. This isn’t part of the DisneylandForward project, but it is about Disneyland’s future.
The resort is still moving forward on a 3rd attraction for Avenger’s Campus. The Avengers will battle King Thanos. You can see guests sitting 4 across in front of what appears to be a screen.
Additionally, Disneyland employees are moving toward a $20.50/hr minimum wage for entry-level jobs by Oct 2026 (California’s current minimum wage is currently $15.50).
Space-Out!
The big shift of Disney jobs from California to Florida isn’t the only thing Disney is canceling in Orlando. Disney has also announced the pending closure of the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. The final voyage will be at the end of September. A failed creative experiment. But, was it the multi-day interactive Star Wars experience that guests didn’t want… or was it the outrageous price? Perhaps a bit of both?!
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Regardless of why the Starcruiser failed, there were some really neat things about it that we hope won’t be lost forever. We sincerely hope that Bob Iger will take a hard look at the lackluster offerings in Galaxy’s Edge and ask himself what can be ported over from the Starcruiser to spice things up. Here’s what we’d like to see moved to Galaxy’s Edge ASAP:
- Gaya, the singer in the Sublight Lounge aboard the Starcruiser should be saved. She was originally set to sing in a dinner theater in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge before Bob Chapek and his merry band of accountants decided to rob the new land of any real entertainment – perhaps to entice guests to pay extra for the Starcruiser. Both Disneyland and WDW should get dinner theaters in Galaxy’s Edge. It’s a great way to add entertainment and for Disney to make some extra money simultaneously. JUST DO IT!
- More and better dining options in Galaxy’s Edge. There were some very creative dishes in the Glactic Starcruiser that should make their way to Docking Bay 7 and an eventual dinner theater. If Oga’s Cantina can be expanded, perhaps it can have more robust small bites as well (And/or a 2nd Star Wars lounge in the land).
- Entertainment. While Galaxy’s Edge has occasional walk-around characters… that’s largely all they do: walk around. But on the Starcruiser, they frequently had roles to play. Rey even has a lightsaber battle with Kylo Ren! These are things that need to happen in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge!
- Adventures. Various adventures and training sessions happened on the Starcruiser which could also make their way into the land. There is so much unused space in Galaxy’s Edge which could be host to lightsaber training, character interaction, escape room-esque adventures, and more.
- Droids! We had been promised droids for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. But they were budget cut at the last minute. But the Starcruiser had at least one. Let’s get this back into the plans for the land. It’s time!
These are just things from the Starcruiser which could enhance the land. There’s so much additional entertainment, stunt shows, music, and additional attraction space needed in Galaxy’s Edge. And, for god sake, please kill the unnecessary period-specific time-lock on Galaxy’s Edge and just let it be a Star Wars Land that embraces ALL of the Star Wars stories, characters, and John Willams music that GUESTS HAVE BEEN BEGGING FOR SINCE DAY ONE!!!
It’s time for Disney to reinvest in Galaxy’s Edge and revisit all the entertainment and attractions cut from the project before the land opened, lest it too becomes a failed Star Wars experiment.
Reservation Modification
This week, Disneyland implemented a significant change to the park reservation system. Effective immediately, guests can now modify their reservations without needing to cancel first. This includes changing their starting park and even the date of their visit. However, there is an important detail to remember: if you have a reservation for the following day and decide not to go, you must either modify the reservation to a different date or cancel it entirely by 11:59 pm the night before your visit to avoid incurring a no-show penalty.
While reservations are still around for the time being, being able to modify them (which has been around at Walt Disney World for ages!) makes things a bit easier.
Which brings us to an interesting comparison. Over the weekend, Universal Studios Hollywood was so packed with guests that it was nearly impossible to enjoy.
The brand-new Toad Stool Cafe in Super Nintendo World sold out all dining reservations within minutes of opening. Attraction lines were aggressively long, and restaurants all over the park ran out of popular items.
The lesson? Theme park reservations work. While Disneyland was sold out all weekend and had some very long lines, it was also still enjoyable compared to Universal Studios, which has no park reservations. We all forget how bad things were at Disneyland before the park shutdowns when the big complaint was that Disneyland was too crowded to enjoy.
A Fantasmic-less Summer
Now some very sad news. We found out on Friday that Disneyland has notified cast members that Fantasmic will be down for the entire summer season. Here’s the note sent to cast.
That’s both bad and good news. Sad that the beloved show will be delayed, and very unfortunate for the cast who will have to find other work at the resort during the closure. But also, very positive that Disney is seeking alternate entertainment for the summer. There are a few things that are likely being considered right now.
The obvious easy thing for Disneyland to do is to return the Main Street Electrical Parade, which received a Small World-inspired update last summer.
But there’s another nighttime show that has been in storage for much longer that we’d really like to see return, Paint the Night! This show is more expensive to run, and would need some maintenance due to the length of time it’s been on ice (there have also been reports of performer injuries due to some costume design that would need to be addressed).
Finally, Disney could do a 2nd performance of fireworks, either 2 showings of Wondrous Journeys or two separate fireworks shows.
Finally, we think it would be very wise to help pull more guests over to the much less busy DCA in the evenings with a nighttime parade and perhaps even a summer food festival. Perhaps even Electrical Parade at Disneyland and Paint the Night at DCA (or vice versa).
What are your thoughts on suitable nighttime entertainment for the Disneyland Resort in this Fantasmic-less summer?
Meanwhile, the Fantasmic stage has been cleaned up and there is no obvious sign of the massive fire that consumed the Maleficent Dragon. The stairs, which had been singed, have been rebuilt. They were briefly uncovered but looked too new compared to the older set across from them. So, they’ve again been covered up, perhaps so they can be aged to match the rest of the stage.
For more on the Fantasmic Fire and aftermath, please see our dedicated article:
The Crowd Situation
We’re getting accustomed to seeing busy days around Disneyland at all times now. We visited the resort several times this week, both during the week and on the weekend, and every day was filled with people. Particularly the days when $104 tickets were available! But days when Grad Night is happening are the worst, as after-hours event guests mix into the parks it gets extra busy.
During the week, tickets were priced lower (as low as $104/per person), so that pricepoint is an attractive reason to make a workday visit. And despite prices being higher on the weekend (this weekend was $159-169), there was still a strong crowd presence.
Most of the attraction wait times have stabilized to be an hour or less on most days. With a few of the big draw E-Ticket rides commanding the highest waits in the park, often reaching well over an hour. Thursday was nearly the same as the weekend in crowd level.
With Splash Mountain’s closure just around the corner (more on that later), the flume ride has drawn a large crowd looking to see Br’er Rabbit’s antics one more time before he goes away entirely.
DCA seemed to fare a bit better on our trips to the resort. Lots more walking room.
There are some new graduates ready to celebrate their accomplishments. Now that Grad Nites are taking place regularly, we’ve noticed an influx of younger guests in the park. We heard a little bit of gossip that Disney has oversold a few Grad Nites, meaning that the parks can feel extra busy before the party starts at DCA. There would normally be around 5,000 attendees on Grad Night, but on Friday there were nearly 14,000.
Constructionland
With so much going on at the resort right now, you’ll need to hang in here with us as we show you around.
ToonTown Tuneup
Now that ToonTown has been open for a few months, it’s time to fix and adjust some things. We immediately noticed that the park at the front of the land has been walled off to fix some uneven ground treatment around the Dreaming Tree. The spot was a potential tripping hazard and had been temporarily blocked off with benches.
They’ll level the ground in the tree’s planter and then reapply the spongy surface treatment.
And, as long as the area is walled off, they are repainting the tree’s roots. They take a beating from kids climbing over and under them and the original paint wasn’t able to withstand the daily wear and tear. We hope they’ve found a better solution.
Another issue in the land are all of the water features. Nearly every one of them is either inoperable or not functioning as planned.
The Chip and Dale fountain does not spit water. Chip is supposed to shoot water into the cup Dale holds on his head.
The centerpiece fountain in the land is forever stuck in a basic default mode. But it’s supposed to be programmed with all sorts of different effects.
The scallops, lily pads, water lilies, and other features aren’t functional yet. There’s also some rust starting to form.
But the biggest non-functional water element is Donald’s Boat water playground. It remains blocked off to guests.
Some painting was done near the exit to Mickey’s House in the quiet area behind the popcorn cart.
And Goofy’s Play Yard is also doing a little maintenance.
An interactive birdhouse (that was never fully functional) has been removed. There’s currently a rock in the spot (that we saw a child trip over).
And the gate at the exit to Goofy’s Yard was missing when we visited.
And one last observation. While guests are enjoying the lawns to relax with the family, we didn’t see anyone having a “Perfect Picnic.”
Adventureland Treehouse
On Thursday, the treehouse was briefly uncovered, giving us a look at the lower level.
When we returned on Friday, the treehouse scrims had been reinstalled.
The scaffolds have been bumped out in front from where they had previously been to accommodate the installation of the waterwheel system and water tower.
There’s also one more room that needs to be built at the top of the tree. The Birdwatcher room:
Tiana’s Palace + Mint Julep Bar
There doesn’t seem to be much visible progress on this project. We’re curious why they aren’t using the printed scrims — they’re just sitting rolled up at the top of the structure! It’s certainly a lot more visually interesting than the current beige.
New Orleans Square Train Station
Scrims have gone up around the building that had an overnight fire last year. This project appears to have had no progress at all. The fire occurred last December and has significantly impacted Disneyland Railroad operations. The park currently runs a maximum of 2 trains at a time. That’s why wait times have been so long for the Railroad this year.
Matterhorn Bobsleds
We saw bobsleds lined up to cycle through the attraction this week. The refurb doesn’t end until June 1st, according to the calendar, but it’s nice seeing things moving here.
San Fransokyo
It won’t be long now. The project to turn the Pacific Wharf into a Big Hero 6-themed area is well underway and slated for a summer open. The new signage is mostly complete on the side of the land facing the parade route.
With some surprises held back. “San Fransokyo: Proud Home Of ______ ”
The Bakery is undergoing a conversion to the Lucky Cat Cafe. It will still be a cafe and bakery that features Boudin baked goods, and the Bakery Tour is also expected to remain largely the same.
The seating along the lagoon next to the bakery has returned.
On the inside of the land, along the bakery building, scaffolds cover almost everything.
Across the way, the bathrooms next to Lucky Fortune Cookery are covered (but still open).
And all sorts of work is happening at Cocina Cucamonga, where the Cerveceria is being built.
The Cerveceria is being constructed to replace the beer truck, which will be removed to make way for a Baymax and friends meet and greet.
But the biggest element of the land will be the new San Fransokyo Gate Bridge towers, which have yet to be installed.
Hyperion Theater Queue
A new musical will hit the Hyperion Theater stage on June 30th. Rogers the Musical tells the story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. The queue for the theater is currently hidden behind hedges as the park gets ready for the new show.
Downtown Disney West-End Lot
At long last, we saw something worth writing about in the big empty lot where the AMC Theater was! This week, we noticed that a large crane was stationed at the construction site:
There’s finally a foundation going in! This week, we watched two spaces get filled in. Progress will hopefully be a little quicker now.
Disneyland Hotels
Ready to make a splash? Disney shared a look at the brand-new Steamboat Willie-inspired splash pad pool area under construction at the new DVC tower at the Disneyland Hotel.
The pool area at the Villas is themed around the beloved character Mickey Mouse and his iconic role in “Steamboat Willie.” Here, you’ll find the Palette Pool, a dedicated space for relaxation, the Palm Breeze Bar, and the fun splash pad. A key feature is a large grayscale boat model of Mickey’s steamboat brimming with interactive water play features that transform from grayscale to vibrant colors as night falls.
For full details about the Villas at the Disneyland Hotel, plus info on how to book it, check out this article:
The Villas at the Disneyland Hotel – Rooms, Photos, Reservations
Refurbishments
Currently Under Refurbishment:
- Tarzan’s Treehouse Transformation: (September 1st, 2021-2023)
- French Market remodel to Tiana’s Palace: (February 17th-TBA)
- Mint Julep Bar: (February 17th-TBA)
- Matterhorn Bobsleds: (April 17th-June 1st)
Upcoming Refurbishments:
- Splash Mountain Conversion to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: (May 31st, 2023-Late 2024)
- The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure: (June 5th-7th)
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: (June 5th-15th)
- Alice in Wonderland: (June 5th-15th)
- Peter Pan’s Flight: (June 5th-TBA)
Celebrate Soulfully at Disneyland
As Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month winds down, Disneyland is gearing for the next month-long celebration: Black Music Month. This June, you can find ways to groove around the Disneyland Resort. You can find live music at Downtown Disney— there are more than 17 different musical groups that will be performing nightly throughout June. Similarly, there is daily music scheduled through June 30 at the Hollywood Backlot Stage, and live music at the Grand Californian Hotel.
And it’s not a celebration without food. During Black Music Month, you can find specialty food and beverages, including the BBQ Hot Link Sandwich at Award Weiners, through July 4. Additionally, the Black-owned food truck Happy Ice will be serving their signature water ice desserts from June 9 through July 4 at Downtown Disney.
A Walk Through Disneyland
You’ve read all of the news about the resort, but why not see what things were like this week for yourself? Every Friday at 5pm, we live stream what’s happening in the park on our Facebook and Youtube pages. Here’s the most recent video if you weren’t able to catch it live. (Note that we learned about the delay of Fantasmic just after this video was recorded):
This & That
Let’s round out today’s Disneyland Update with a few of the unexpected stories from around the resort.
50th Medallions Replaced
Over the last few weeks, we’ve noticed that the missing 50th-anniversary medallions in the Esplanade pavers have been replaced. It’s quite noticeable which ones are new since they’re very bright brass.
Splash Mountain Countdown
We’re just a little over a week away from the final drop on Splash Mountain. The last chance to take a trip through the br’er patch is May 30. It will then close permanently for the major Tiana’s Bayou Adventure overhaul.
Long lines of guests have been queuing up to ride one last time.
Are you planning a special trip to take one last drop?
You can get all the info you need about what’s ahead for Splash Mountain in the article below:
Disneyland Splash Mountain Closing Date Set for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Transformation
Ariel Multiverse
The newest Disney live-action remake, The Little Mermaid, is set to hit theaters this week. The same day as its theatrical release, Ariel will begin making appearances at Disneyland… in both her animated and live-action forms.
The new live-action movie version of ariel will be meeting guests near Small World; the animated version will be located at Fantasy Faire.
There’s also a third Ariel located in the resort as well… and she’s pretty sandy. In the Esplanade, there’s a new sand sculpture sponsored by Pandora Jewelry. Meet Sand Ariel!
There’s also plenty of merchandise around the resort featuring both animated and live-action Ariel.
Take a look at the article below for full details about the latest merchandise from The Little Mermaid.
Animated Windows Update
This is one part news and one part blues. This week, we saw that two of the six animated windows on Main Street were working again: Toy Story and Cinderella.
However, the four other windows are still unlit and frozen (the Princess and the Frog window has been completely covered, so we can’t see it at all).
Pride Nite Sold Out
The next Disneyland After Dark event, Pride Nite, is just under a month away on June 13 and 15. After being on sale for a month, both nights of the party are now sold out.
Learn more about Pride Nite and other Disneyland After Dark events below:
Disneyland After Dark Events Continue with First-Ever Pride Nite
Around the Parks
Now that we’ve covered all the news in today’s article, let’s finish with a collection of pretty photos from our park visits.
Spring is well underway, and summer is right around the corner! This is one of the best times to visit the Disneyland Resort to see all the magnificent blooms. One flower that particularly stands out is the Disneyland Rose— and it is absolutely stunning this year!
Want to learn more about the Disneyland Rose and where to get one for yourself? Take a look at the article below:
While these aren’t Disneyland Roses, these pinkish-white roses near Casey Junior are simply gorgeous.
Of course, there are plenty of other flowers to check out around the parks as well.
You can find some out-of-this-world kinds of foliage in Galaxy’s Edge.
The weather this week was pretty dreary, but that didn’t stop people from visiting Disneyland in droves!
Disneyland isn’t just home to Mickey Mouse; we caught this Black-Crowned Night Heron just chilling out at the old Motorboat Cruise Dock.
And we saw some cute lil ducklings in the park too:
Did you know there’s a river that runs from the castle all the way under the Tiki Room and cascades into the Jungle Cruise?
Most guests probably never even see this because it’s fairly hidden.
We stopped inside the Disney Gallery to look at the Disney100 exhibit again. There’s a lot of really neat history there.
Imagine a Storybookland where you splash down into the ride.
Or a sleeping giant under that patchwork quilt of flowers.
I’m particularly fond of the old hag and wish she was still operating in the park!
We’re like magpies, always distracted by shiny objects like popcorn buckets.
Disneyana is selling more wooden memorabilia. The neat Haunted Mansion plaque will run you a cool $2,300. They’re still selling slices of the tree that got cut down at Pirates for a small fortune.
This week’s MiceShots article is all about the Haunted Mansion. Give it a read if you dare. Lots of gorgeous photos await you… along with 999 ghosts!
We’ll never get over the mannequins at 5 & Dime/Elias & Co in DCA. They’re all so unhappy looking.
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Let’s Hear From You
This week really was a wild ride for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. With DisneylandForward on the horizon, there’s a lot to be excited about, but a lot left for Disneyland to get approved. Do you think that some of the Galactic Starcruiser interactive elements could end up in Galaxy’s Edge? What are your thoughts on a Fantasmic-less summer? Which of the entertainment options should Disneyland implement instead? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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