Disneyland has one less mountain to call home. Last week, Splash Mountain took its final dive into the briar patch. And while we’ll miss Splash, we’re also looking forward to something new down on the bayou… and there’s a lot of ‘New’ going on all around the Disneyland Resort! Come along with us as we take a closer look at an amazing new animatronic soon to delight guests of Avengers Campus, a messy situation in Adventureland, major construction, and much more…
From Briar Patch to Bayou…
The last day of operation for Splash Mountain at Disneyland was last Tuesday, May 30th, and the crowds showed up in force, keeping the line at 3 to 4 hours for most of the day and well after park closing.
While the ride has always been popular on warm days, cloudy and cold days generally had waits in the 10 to 30-minute range. But even though our weather was cloudy and cool for much of the last week, Splash Mountain was the most popular ride the in park as guests made one last trip to the briar patch.
And while the park didn’t make any ‘last ride’ merchandise available, some guests came prepared with their own homemade items.
Tony Baxter, the Imagineering legend creative force behind the creation of Splash Mountain, was in the park for one last ride.
But once the ride closed at the end of its last day, Disney wasted no time wrapping the whole site in construction walls. Security tape even went up in the drop tunnel to warn workers not to take a step too far.
Asset tags were placed on items that Disney wants to keep. Some of these items may end up in the Disney Archives, or be returned to Imagineering for future use and research.
Construction walls are plastered with the one thing that fans want to know least about the new ride… That Tiana’s Foods is “Employee owned.” Yawn. We wish they would have put up some of the fantastic concept art instead. Theme park guests want to be teased with images of the thrill and story yet to come, not learn about the labor policies of a fictional character. We have a lot of confidence that this is going to be a great ride with wonderful music, magical special effects, tons of ambiance, and a slew of new animatronic critters. Why not let guests know that?! These are the things people want to see…
Not this…
We sure do hope the messaging about this ride shifts to the good stuff soon because guests walking by these construction walls are confused. We heard more than one family talking about how upset they were that one of their favorite rides was being replaced by a restaurant. Perhaps the park can pepper some additional signs and concept art on these walls so guests aren’t so disappointed.
The one bit of whimsy on the walls is a single photo op. But this is much more along the lines of what Disney should be doing to drum up a little excitement.
For more about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, be sure to check out our fully-updated coverage:
Just one day after Splash closed, the Disneyland App map had already been updated with a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure logo.
And that’s not all, the Train and the Mark Twain narration have also been updated to mention Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! Here’s what it sounds like:
The one takeaway of the new narration is that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is part of “Critter Country.” That’s the first mention we’ve seen of what land the ride will officially be located in or what that land will be called. But it makes sense folks. This ride largely takes place on a bayou filled with musical critters… The Critter Country name still fits.
We’d like to make a little suggestion. Years ago, there was a wonderful Tiana celebration parade that would march through New Orleans Square called “Tiana’s Bayou Bash.” It was later altered to board the Mark Twain and continue playing music and singing all the way around the river. It was an absolute delight. Sure would be a good way to keep the excitement high for the new ride while it’s under construction.
Here’s our video from a decade ago. Would you like to see something like this today?
“There’s been trials and tribulations
You know I’ve had my share
But I’ve climbed the mountain, I’ve crossed the river
And I’m almost there”
Young Groot Coming to Avengers Campus
I am Groot! Fans of the loveable Flora Collasus Groot have something to get excited about. We’ve heard some top-secret happenings in Avengers Campus that a young version of Groot may be headed to Avengers Campus this summer.
Disney California Adventure has been conducting small group testing of this incredible little animatronic. The lucky participants have been invited to jam out with Groot as part of a special Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Dance Off. This project has been in development for at least 2 years. Here’s a look at the technology behind young Groot from TechCrunch:
As part of the Awesome Dance Off, Groot and Star-Lord interact with each other and have a dance off. Groot is able to talk and react to Star-Lord with a surprising amount of mobility and different motions. Groot doesn’t move his legs much, but he’s an amazing animatronic.
We expect to hear some sort of announcement about the new character experience very soon. How does a Star-Lord and young Groot dance off sound to you?
Halloween Approaches
Oooooooooo… The spooky season is creeping just around the corner. Halloweentime at Disneyland will take place from September 1 through October 31, with plenty of good frights to be found. As of right now, there doesn’t appear to be anything new this year, but there’s still a good assortment of ways to get your not-so-scary itch scratched.
The Halloween activities around the resort are largely what you’ve gotten accustomed to for the last several years. For Disneyland, you can expect the giant Mickey pumpkin on Main Street, decorations around the park, and some new eats. Unveiled at the Halfway to Halloween announcement, Minnie and Mickey will be wearing new outfits this year.
Additionally, the third of a year-long overlay of Haunted Mansion Holiday will be returning. The Imagineers already have the concept for this year’s gingerbread house already figured out, now they’re teasing guests with shreds of a hint.
At night at Disneyland, will have nightly showings of Halloween Screams; on select nights, the show will feature a display of fireworks. In order to bring Halloween Screams to the park, the current Disney100 show, Wondrous Journeys, is scheduled to have its last performance of the year on August 31.
The bulk of the Halloween activities takes place at DCA. This year, you can expect the return of the massively-popular Oogie Boogie Bash after-hours party, the Plaza de Familia, Halloween attraction overlays, and more.
Oogie Boogie Bash will run on 25 nights from September 5 through Halloween. This year, the parties are coming with a significant price increase. The cost of the specially-ticketed event ranges from $134-189 per person. Last year, the tickets were $129-179. Tickets for this year’s Oogie Boogie Bash go on sale starting June 27 for Magic Keyholders and June 29 for the general public.
The Oogie Boogie Bash-exclusive World of Color: Villainous (that only ran during the party’s debut in 2019) has not been confirmed to be returning. We’re not sure if the show was too scary or unpopular, but it provided a much-needed spectacle during the event.
If you’re looking to go to Oogie Boogie Bash with a group, MiceChat will be holding an unofficial meetup during the first party night, September 5. If you’ll be around, we’d love to say hi!
For more info on what to expect from Halloween at the Disneyland Resort this year, take a look at our coverage from 2022:
Disneyland Crowds
It was another one of those weeks where the lower-priced days were packed and then things lightened up a bit as the more expensive days hit. That seems to be the new normal. On Tuesday, park walkways were very busy, but ride waits (other than for Splash Mountain) were mostly acceptable.
There were multiple switchbacks just to order a Dole Whip at Tropical Hideaway.
New Orleans Square and Pirates of the Caribbean in particular were incredibly popular at various times this week. If this is a must-do, ride early or late. Lines like this generally happen mid-day.
Just a tip… at mid-day when the park is busy, consider walking along the river instead of taking the bridge into New Orleans Square. The crowd above looks pretty bad… but, as you can see from the Mark Twain, those crowds are all packed into the center of the land where the Pirates overflow queue is set up and Tiana’s Palace construction hampers guest flow. Most guests ignore river’s edge. Follow the path of least resistance:
California Adventure has far fewer rides than Disneyland, so lines balloon quickly as crowds pick up. With Grand Nights being held multiple days a week, watch for crowd spikes at DCA.
But, hands down, the busiest place to be at Disneyland through the 30th was Splash Mountain. But we won’t see lines like this again until late 2024 when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is sure to create epic demand.
Parking Problems
One of our staff members shared this personal account with us. Guests arriving to the Mickey & Friends/Pixar Pals parking structure on the afternoon of Memorial Day got the ultimate runaround. After a 45-minute wait just to get from the freeway to the payment booths, guests were sent to parking levels which were completely full… slowly circling in hope that a space would open. Unfortunately, there is no way to get to another level once you have been sent to park. The only option other than circling endlessly is to exit the parking structure completely and make the long journey back to the payment booths.
What makes all of this worse is that 90 minutes later when he was finally able to find a spot, our staff member was told by security that the lot was completely full and they didn’t know why cars were still being allowed to enter at all. For the $30 parking fee, there was no staff on the parking levels and the payment booths didn’t seem to know they were sending guests into parking hell.
When situations like this happen, the parking lot is supposed to be closed and guests sent to other lots. At the time, the Toy Story lot was uncrowded with plenty of parking spots available. For the high cost of parking at the Disneyland Resort, guests deserve better than this.
Matterhorn Returns
With Splash Mountain now closed, the return of Matterhorn on Friday was much needed. Lines remained long all weekend. And, no, the ride is not any smoother. It’s as bumpy and painful as ever. Some love the Matterhorn just the way it is, but one ride was enough for me for quite some time.
Auf wiedersehen!
A Walk in the Park
Our Disneyland video this week was filled with news, including the stories above, plus a live in the park look at crowds, construction walls, and rides on the Mark Twain and the Matterhorn. Catch us every Friday at 5pm on our YouTube or Facebook Pages. Be sure to subscribe to get notifications! Now enjoy a visit to Disneyland…
Disneyland Resort Construction
Yet another week of change at the Disneyland Resort. So many projects, let’s take a closer look…
Adventureland Treehouse
The Adventureland Treehouse is inching closer to opening. The highest room in the structure is being completed right now. Still to be completed are the water wheel and conveyor system.
Support beams for the upper levels still need to be covered to look like bark.
The uppermost room now has a thatched roof, but is still undergoing active construction.
The ground-level kitchen and art studio is now under construction as well. The Tarzan props have been removed and rocks are being demolished in order to make way for the new concept. The new idea is to bring elements of the upper level downstairs for guests that can’t climb the stairs.
Tiana’s Palace + Mint Julep Bar
Work continues on the reimagining of the French Market. There’s not much to report on, but we’re hoping to see the smokestacks installed on the roof soon.
Toontown Tuneups
The walls around the Dreaming Tree have come down, unveiling a new rubberized surface around the base of the tree. The new surface is a bright light green, while the surrounding area is significantly darkened with use. The land just opened in April and this area in particular has been hit hard by hoards of rambunctious tiny humans.
The problem was the planter for the tree wasn’t level with the rest of the area before the spongy surface was applied, creating a possible tripping hazard. Unfortunately, many of the trees in the land have the same issue and the park is using benches to prevent guests from walking over the areas.
The empty spots from the seesaws that were removed from Goofy’s Play Yard last week have been filled with rubberized blocks. It’s an odd choice that they didn’t opt for large planters with flowers or other large items to hide the obvious missing elements.
The water play area of Donald’s Boat STILL isn’t working. When we asked about plans to open it, the cast members guarding the entrance said it’s not broken, it’s just not ready — we still don’t know when it will open.
Red Rose Tavern
Construction scrims on the exterior of Red Rose Tavern have been slightly extended from last week. Since the restaurant and restrooms are still open, this is just a touchup on the roofing and facades.
San Fransokyo
Walls are expanding throughout the Pacific Wharf at DCA as it transforms into San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6.
Portions of the Bread Tour building are wrapped as paint and graphic details are added.
The beer truck has been removed. The area is now behind walls. This is where the Baymax meet and greet will be located.
There’s a bit of construction nearby next to the pickup windows at Cucina Cucamonga.
A new beer window is being constructed on the corner of the restaurant nearest the bridge. When the park first opened, this spot was a fortune cookie factory.
Across the way, the restrooms have received some new details.
This isn’t an overly complicated project, mostly cosmetic.
Downtown Disney Construction
A week ago we showed you vertical construction starting on the Downtown Disney westside lot. Things are moving pretty fast now.
Din Tai Fung and a permanent location for Earl of Sandwich are expected to be built here as well as a smaller shopping plaza.
The former Uva Bar has been leveled. A new restaurant and bar complex is under heavy construction.
If we look closely through the windows of the Catal tower we can see that the interior has been gutted.
Disneyland Resort Refurbishments
The summer season is just about here, but these days refurbishments can be expected all year round. Here’s the latest calendar for what’s going on around the resort:
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)
- Boudin Bread Cart: (May 28th-July 1st)
- Pacific Wharf Distribution Co.: (May 30th-TBA)
- 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-29th)
Upcoming Refurbishments:
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant: (July 3rd)
- Alice in Wonderland: (July 5th-TBA)
For some reason, Alice is back on the schedule after its June refurb. We’re curious what’s going on there.
- Disneyland Monorail: (July 5th-TBA)
- Soarin’ Around the World: (July 5th-TBA)
This & That
There are always a variety of smaller projects and things to note. Let’s explore…
Wondrous Journeys Playing at Rivers of America
Since the catastrophic Fantasmic fire in April, Rivers of America ceased nightly entertainment. While Disneyland had been offering nighttime rides on the Mark Twain in the meantime, things have taken another step back towards normal. As of this week, the Rivers of America is now showing Wondrous Journeys projections once again.
If you are looking for a great spot to watch Wondrous Journeys without too much of a crowd, this is a good place.
As a reminder, Wondrous Journeys is set to have its last showing on August 31 before Disneyland switches to Halloween Screams.
At this time, it appears that Fantasmic will remain dark through at least Labor Day.
Adventureland Mess
If a pipe breaks in Adventureland and there are hundreds of guests there to witness it, does it make a mess? It sure does! For much of a busy Saturday at Disneyland, parts of Adventureland had to be barricaded due to a burst water pipe. By the time we got to the park the next day, construction walls were up around the source of the leak, the men’s restroom and waterfall in front of it.
Pride Month & Black Music Month Kicks Off
The Disneyland Resort is celebrating two month-long events in June, Pride Month and Black Music Month. The offerings are mostly low-key with a couple displays, photo ops, and som special food. Here’s a quick look at what’s going on this month:
Pride Month
Around the resort, there are a few eye-catching displays full of rainbow colors. In Downtown Disney, there’s an updated Pride silleta.
The Emporium window nearest the Fire Station has been updated to celebrate Pride Month.
The florist carts in the middle of Center Street on Main Street have received a colorful makeover:
There’s also a rainbow metallic popcorn bucket available for sale at select popcorn carts.
There are also two sold-out after-hours Pride Nites on June 13th and 15th.
Black Music Month
June also is a celebration of Black Music. To commemorate the occasion, there’s all sorts of entertainment around the resort. You can find daily performances of live music at stages in Downtown Disney, DCA, and at the Grand Californian Hotel. The performances vary in terms of genre and style, so whenever you stop by, you’ll be treated to something special.
You can also get a special bite to eat at Award Wieners or the Studio Catering truck:
In New Orleans Square near the Pandora shop there’s a new PhotoPass Magic Shot location that lets you pose with Tiana. As with all Magic Shots, you’ve just got to trust the process since you’re imagining what the end result will look like. Here’s Nathan demonstrating for us…
World of Color Elemental Preshow
Disney/Pixar’s upcoming movie Elemental is set to debut on June 16. To promote the film’s release, there’s a new preshow tag to World of Color that features snippets of Element City and the characters of the movie.
It’s really just an advertisement, so don’t get too excited:
The tag is playing for a limited time, though there’s no specific end date announced just yet.
Disney100 Jungle Cruise Boat
If you’ve been collecting the Disney100 re-releases of popular Disneyland souvenirs, there’s a new item to add to your shelf. This week, Tropical Hideaway debuted a new version of the incredibly-popular plastic Jungle Cruise boat in Disney100 colors, purple and platinum.
The Jungle Cruise boat (meant to serve as a dessert bowl) is $25.49 and includes a pineapple Dole Whip.
While the first version was the hot-ticket item when it was released, we didn’t see too many people walking around with the Disney100 iteration. But it’s quite cute, so it might still catch on once more people know about it.
The NEW Jazz Kitchen Now Open
The hotly debated reimagining of Jazz Kitchen — full name Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill and Patio— has officially opened. We’ve had a lot to say about the look of the restaurant, mostly that it doesn’t belong in (what used to be) a themed space like Downtown Disney.
Now that the restaurant has wholly opened, we were able to take a look at the menu. As is the trend for the Disneyland Resort, prices are sky-high. Take a look for yourself:
Considering that there is still a tremendous New Orleans influence on the menu, it’s a real shame that the Big Easy was eradicated from the design of the establishment.
The only element of the previous, New Orleans-themed incarnation of Jazz Kitchen is hanging on the wall of the lower courtyard. The lid of the bedazzled baby grand piano now serves as a wall decoration… which is placed oddly off-center.
The attached Beignets Expressed is now open as well.
The quick-serve establishment specializes in beignets and offers a handful of drink options.
You can see workers rolling out dough and cutting the fritters to fry.
You can also find a few items of merchandise for sale as well.
We have yet to actually eat at the new Jazz Kitchen, and at these prices we may opt not to.
Join the MiceChat CHOC Walk 2023 Team!
MiceChat is more than just your go-to source for Disneyland news. This summer, we’re supporting the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) with the 2023 CHOC Walk. This early-morning walk through Disneyland and DCA helps raise money to support healthcare programs, education, and research at CHOC Children’s Hospitals.
We regularly participate in the CHOC Walk, and we’re looking forward to doing it again on August 20! You can help us reach that goal in two ways:
First, you can join our MiceChat CHOC Walk team— we’d love to walk with you! This is a great way to meet fellow MiceChatters while supporting a great cause. You can find the details for joining the MiceChat team HERE!
The other way that you can support MiceChat for this year’s CHOC Walk is by donating to our team. However you decide to support us, your help is deeply appreciated!
We’ve had a number of new team members join this week, and we can’t wait to add some more! We’re looking forward to seeing you all in August!
Mickey Maxx MiceChat Meet Up: A Tribute to Luis DeLucy
Join us as we go retro on Sunday, July 9, at noon for a Disneyland meetup in honor of everyone’s favorite MiceChat moderator Lu DeLucy (AKA Mickey Maxx). We’ll gather at the hub (next to the Walt and Mickey statue) to reminisce, share stories, and celebrate Lu’s vibrant spirit.
After a little chit-chat, we’ll head to lunch and enjoy some of his favorite attractions.
Whether you had the pleasure of knowing Lu personally or not, we are sure he would have been delighted to meet you and would have felt deeply honored knowing that the MiceChatters were reuniting in his memory.
GRAB YOUR DISNEYLAND RESERVATION FOR JULY 9TH NOW!
Around the Parks
And now a little photo fun… Oh, and see if you can find the hidden Dusty…
The casting door on Main Street got a new coat of paint.
The live-action Ariel is still a popular character to meet with.
Do you keep Disneyland Roses?
It looks like its antler shedding season. On a ride around the Mark Twain, we noticed that a moose has lost an antler. The ducks like to sit on the backs of these guys.
After watching the Elemental preshow, we stuck around to watch the rest of World of Color: One. The flame throwers were disabled in the show following the Fantasmic incident.
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Check out the latest offers for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm:
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Let’s Hear From You
You’ve caught up on your Disneyland news for today! We’re going to miss Splash Mountain, but we’re already looking forward to heading into the Bayou. It sure was a busy week with the closure of a popular attraction, reopening of another, test of an amazing animatronic, Adventureland flood, and construction, construction, construction. Let us know what stands out to you. Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Huge thanks to Mike Kindrich for his amazing photo support, and to Nathan Villamor for writing and researching so many of today’s news sections. And to everyone who assisted, sent photos, tipped us off to news, or who interact with and share our articles… THANK YOU!
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