It was a big week for Disneyland as the California Adventure Food & Wine Festival brought huge crowds and springtime flavors to the Resort. Meanwhile, Minnie takes over for Women’s History Month, construction rages, and Haunted Mansion forces a crowd crunch. We climb up onto our soapbox over a stupid Lightning Lane situation. And we also share a surprise opportunity you may want to take advantage of before Disneyland figures out how to charge extra for it and how to get those coveted eggs, cookies and more…
“You can learn a lot of things from the flowers.” — Alice in Wonderland
Let The Magic Key Madness Begin
Disneyland’s website indicates that Magic Keys will go on sale again March 5th. We’ve yet to receive any confirmation or press releases about it. However, Disneyland posted a teaser this morning (March 4th):
But best to be prepared if you need a pass. Last time they were available they began selling out within hours!
Everything you need to know about the Disneyland Magic Key program here:
LOCKED! Disneyland Magic Key Sales Paused: Everything You Need To Know
Spring Happenings!
SOOOOOO much to look forward to in the parks right now. From food fests to seasonal happenings, and a few things to keep an eye out for. I’ll start with what packed the resort over the weekend…
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
Friday was the big return of DCA’s annual food fest. You have until April 22nd to try out the 80+ dishes. We were there for the opening of the fest and tried many of the new items. The hits for me were a popsicle that tastes like an Old Fashioned (non alcoholic), a BBQ beef slider that had me going back for seconds, and an ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ Chicken Parm (plant-based but with real flavor).
The fun is exploring, so whether you agree with my favorites or not, you’ll have fun sampling latest from Disney’s culinary team (sometimes they throw us a zinger, but there were no peanut butter and jelly mac and cheese disasters this year).
The festival was VERY crowded on Friday, particularly in the evening.
But the food was fun, and we used the trick where you wait once and order all of your food (from any booth) at whichever booth has the shortest line.
If you think you’ll want to try a few items, you might consider getting the Sip and Savor Pass. It works a bit different this year. No tabs, the cast members will scan a bar code instead. But your receipt will let you know how many tastes you have left. You can get eight samples for $61 ($56 with Magic Key discount) or four samples for $31 (no discount available). We have a handy guide to help you decide how to get the most out of your Sip & Savor pass:
Make the Most of Your Sip & Savor Pass at California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
Festival entertainment… We walked by the Jammin’ Chefs and one of our team members attended the Confection Purrfection with the SuperKitties (those are Disney Jr. characters for those not in the know). But the real entertainment are all the bands scheduled for the stages in Paradise Park and the Paradise Garden Bandstand.
But for me, the entertainment highlight is the return of Soarin’ Over California for the run of the Festival.
Here’s a funny little thing… the Avocado Time booth is absent this year, but the sign has been repurposed as a photo op. AND, they’ve created some Avocado Time merch. Seems odd to celebrate a booth that isn’t serving this year.
And, of course, there’s a Spirit Jersey and Lounge Fly as well… in Cabernet colors. 
We wish they had at least some merchandise that uses the fun and colorful visual style of this year’s festival art:
Need more inspiration to visit? I’ll leave this with you… a Snickers Macaroon almost as big as your hand!
For more about the Food & Wine Festival, be sure to visit our guide (including the full menus).
Eat This! Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival 2024 Food Guide
Spring Treats
You’ll also find some Spring and Easter-inspired treats throughout the resort. Nothing too exciting. The same-old rice crispy treats and cake pops but decorated as bunnies and chicks.
But the real prize are the hand-made easter eggs.
This year, instead of lining up as soon as the park opens and getting a wrist band, you’ll need to mobile order. But buyer beware, the order opportunity tends to open up around park opening, but it could happen earlier or later than that and becomes overwhelmed quickly.
The eggs are available Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday for $14.99. Chocolate Cream and Peanut Butter were available this week. But in the past they’ve rotated with other flavors. We’ll keep our eyes open.
Eggstravaganza
The Eggstravaganza returns to Disneyland Resort from March 11 to April 9. Guests can purchase a map and stickers for $9.99 (plus tax) and embark on a quest to locate Disney character-themed eggs hidden throughout the resort. Upon completion, participants exchange their map for one of six collectible keepsakes, available regardless of whether they find all the eggs. In recent years the prize was a plastic egg with a character face. This year the prize appears to be a charm of some sort (we don’t think these are pins).
More Spring Things
Disneyland’s springtime balloon designs have returned.
The trees are just starting to bloom. No, the trees in the hub aren’t pink… yet… but we saw some tiny pink buds in a few of the trees around the resort… so the pink-ification of the resort is nearly upon us.
The Children of the Corn in the Holiday Shop on Main Street are decked out for the season. (I captured this photo just moments before they decapitated the bunny and ate the butterfly).
Props to Disneyland for keeping this store up to date. The seasonal decor is really on point.
St. Patrick’s Day Treats ☘️
This year we can also look forward to some St. Paddy’s Day foods in the resort. Oddly, the dates for the individual items aren’t consistent. Here are the highlights:
- Red Rose Taverne (Available March 1 through 19; mobile order available) – Green Stuff: Mint-white-chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, mint chocolate chips, and chocolate cookie crumbs on a shortbread cookie
- Grand Californian Craftsman Grill (Available starting March 13) – St. Patrick’s Day Cupcake & St. Patrick’s Day Donut
- Great Maple (Available March 1 through 31) – Cereal Milk Doughnut: Classic vanilla, yeast-raised doughnut with cereal milk glaze, flavored marshmallows, and gold glitter garnish (New)
- Salt & Straw (Available March 1 through April 4) – Pots of Gold & Rainbows: Hand-sorted rainbow marshmallows tossed into cereal milk ice cream
- Candy Locations Around Disneyland Resort – Mint Chocolate and Cream Cookie Marshmallow Wand & Shamrock Cereal Treat.
There’s even a St. Patrick’s Day shirt.
Construction Kingdom
You might need a snack. There’s a lot for us to share from all over the resort!
Downtown Disney:
We’ll start in Downtown Disney, which has seen some noticeable changes since our last visit.
Din Tai Fung & Parkside Market
On the West Side, Din Tai Fung & Parkside Market are coming along quickly now.
The walls are finally going up and roofing in being installed.
The walls next to the stage have new digital screens (which are so dim that you can barely see them by day).
Across from Din Tai Fung the location for multiple establishments are shaping up in the Parkside Market area. The facade of the new building uses the same masonry pattern used on the stage. The pattern carries over to the trash cans as well.
While all of the establishments in the Parkside Market have the same owner, there will be a lot of variety here… and a swanky lounge.
Earl of Sandwich Truck
Nearby, Earl of Sandwich is preparing to move to a temporary food truck until a permanent location is built on the West Side.
Paseo/Centrico/Tiendita
The construction is really starting to look like the concept art. Roofing is being installed. Huge upgrade from the old Uva Bar, which had to rely on umbrellas to keep you from sun stroke.
In addition to the outdoor bar (Centrico) and the upscale table service restaurant (Paseo), there’s a quick serve option being added to the complex as well (Tiendita).
All three of the new Mexican establishments are owned by the Patina Group, which also runs Tortilla Jo’s. Sadly, Tortilla Jo’s will close on March 31, 2024, after 20 years in the district.
The establishment is past its prime and maintenance has obviously been deferred due to the pending closure. Look at the deteriorating sign above the front door.
The quick-service Taqueria at Tortilla Jo’s next door will remain open until April 13, 2024.
It’s looking likely that Earl of Sandwich will be closing around the same time. But nothing official just yet.
Disneyland
While the spring flowers are bursting into bloom, so too are a variety of construction projects and refurbishments at Walt’s original Magic Kingdom. The far West side of the park is one long construction wall from Haunted Mansion all the way to the far end of Critter Country.
Haunted Mansion Transformations
Big changes are afoot at the Haunted Mansion. Magnolia Gardens (the circular park in front of the train station) and the queue in front of the attraction are under major reconstruction. The newly expanded attraction queue will combine these spaces with some new story and thematic elements added. The area will also have a new elevator to make exiting the attraction easier for guests with wheelchairs (instead of having to ride the stretching room back up)
In addition to the larger queue at the entry to the attraction, there will be a new gift shop at the exit.
With the Mark Twain back in operation, we were able to get some great photos of the construction.
The hillside, queue, and most of the trees in the area have been scraped down to the dirt. But the brick wall remains (for now) and the crypt.
This is what Magnolia Gardens looks like now. There’s a small line of trees along the walkway, but all of the trees were chopped down in the center of the project. That’s Tiana’s Palace on the far left below:
And with all that construction, the walls go on, and on, and on. They’ve also been pushed way out from where they were. Guests are now pushed all the way down to a singular path along the river to navigate this area.
The popcorn and churro carts have been moved to a dead-end space.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Directly next to the Mansion are a continuing set of walls for the new Princess and the Frog themed redo of Splash Mountain. Workers were swarming the mountain on Friday and we could see and smell clouds of spray paint.
The fog you see below is paint fumes (I think). We could really smell it as we passed by.
Faux bayou plants are about to be installed. You can see the prep work below. But there are spots like this all over the mountain.
Construction Crowd Crunch
But that vast expanse of construction walls and constricted crowd-flow is causing a bit of a mess. So Disneyland has put some signs up to direct guests.
And, because two Lightning Lane attractions are closed, Disneyland has temporarily added Genie+ to Pirates of the Caribbean. Unfortunately, it RUINS the line when the park gets busy… with the standby line swelling and snaking all the way through the center of the already impacted land! ANYONE could have seen that happening… except for the suits who insist on putting profits over guest experience. Mr. D’Amaro… REMOVE LIGHTNING LANE FROM THIS ATTRACTION!
And these photos weren’t even the worst of it.
55 minutes+ for Pirates! Lightning Lane is NOT needed on high capacity attractions like Pirates, Mansion, Small World, and Little Mermaid and just causes unnecessarily long lines. Bob Chapek may be gone, but there are too many people who are still pushing his agenda.
In addition to removing Lighting Lane from high capacity rides like Pirates, Disneyland also needs to focus on ride efficiency and reliability. Lines are long enough without the slow loading and frequent breakdowns. Enough. Time for Disneyland to get serious about these issues and fix them. It’s insulting that they want to charge extra to avoid the line when they seem to no longer care about guest experience for those not paying extra.
Smaller Disneyland Projects
City Hall continues an extended exterior refurbishment.
Some of the flag poles have been removed from the castle bridge. Trash cans are being used to block the spot.
Astro Orbitor îs being reassembled. It’s nearly done now.
And in very good news, the Mark Twain has returned to service. It had been closed since September of last year. We took a ride and share the video below.
Enjoy this beautiful and relaxing theme park experience.
But with the Mark Twain returned, it’s time for the Columbia to get a quick refurbishment.
Disney California Adventure Construction
There’s not nearly as much construction at DCA. But one big project has wrapped up.
Grizzly River Run Reopened
Grizzly reopened to guests on Friday, just in time for the influx of crowds for the Food and Wine Festival.
Crews had been working on getting the geysers working again during refurbishment, but they still aren’t in operation. Worse, it looks like they decided to run pipes on top of the existing rocks and have covered them with Papier-mâché. Hard to imagine that they didn’t build themselves access to the pipes when the attraction was first constructed.
They’ll need to come up with a more elegant coverup than wads of paper once they figure out the geyser situation.
There’s also continuing construction on the Disney Vacation Club booth and new lockers.
Yes, that’s just 20 lockers for an attraction which can easily run a 90 minute wait on a hot summer day.
On the opposite side of the mountain, the old Blue Sky Cellar continues its transformation into a Disney Vacation Club lounge.
Disneyland Resort Refurbishment Calendar
*Currently Under Refurbishment:
-
- Splash Mountain – Conversion to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: May 31st, 2023-Late 2024
- Astro Orbitor: November 27th, 2023-March 21st, 2024
- The Haunted Mansion: January 22nd-TBA
- Incredicoaster: March 4th-14th
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: March 4th-TBA
*Upcoming Refurbishments:
-
- Incredicoaster: April 8th-TBA
THIS AND THAT
A little bit of this and a little bit of that…
Mobile Madness
We mentioned in our spring section that you have to mobile order the specialty chocolate easter eggs this year. But another popular treat is now available via mobile order… the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies at Harbor Galley. Note that they do have standby when available, but the line can be VERY long. To keep it from snaking through the seating area, they’ve created a queue into Fowlers Harbor. If the Mobile Order is available, it may be your best option. But by mid day on Friday, all slots for the whole day were already filled.
New Photopass Costumes
Disneyland’s official photographers have ditched their old khaki clothes and vests (which were not unlike Jungle Cruise costumes) for bright Buzz Lightyear colored outfits which make them easier to spot in a crowd.
The photographers have a few different options for hats and jackets, including a fun puffer vest for chilly days. The jacket has zippers on the sides to accommodate camera equipment strapped to the waist. The new outfit is growing on me, but it sure does look like it comes straight from EPCOT.
Photopass Safari
In other Photopass news… they are testing a “Photo Safari” that gives you access to a Photopass photographer for 10 to 15 minutes for no additional fee. If you have Genie+ it includes your photos and magic shots. But even if you don’t have Genie+, you can buy your photos at Photo Services (located just outside the Disneyland Front gate at the Newsstand) or will take photos with your own camera if you’d like.
They are currently testing in Frontierland and Adventureland. To participate, you line up on the Frontierland bridge (you’ll see a small queue set up). When it’s your turn they ask where in Frontierland, Adventureland, or the nearest parts of Fantasyland and the Hub you’d like to go. But we recommend you ask them for the most photogenic locations and best places for magic shots. In most cases they’ll have the best spots in mind.
They took Suzanne and I to the exit of Jungle Cruise, near the petrified tree stump (that Walt famously gave his wife as an anniversary present), and to Big Thunder.
They hope to continue testing this location for another week or two and if all goes well will text over at California Adventure as well.
Of course, we can’t imagine current Disney doing anything for free for very long… so enjoy it while it’s available.
Wondrous Returns
Wondrous Journeys, my favorite Disneyland fireworks show since “Remember… Dreams Come True,” returns March 22 through April 14.
Make your plans now, Fantasmic returns May 24th if all goes as planned. For a reminder on why Fantasmic has been missing for the better part of a year, visit our complete coverage:
Breaking News: Disneyland’s Fantasmic Gets A Reopening Date!
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Join Dusty On A Disney Cruise!
MiceShots
It was one of those weeks when there was so much going on that we had far more photos than we have space (and bandwidth) to share. We hope you enjoy these great shots from Mike Kindrich, Andy Castro, and myself of the various springtime activities at the Disneyland Resort.
We saw some custodial magic on Friday. This Castmember was incredibly talented.
The images below are all made out of water. Appreciate them when you see them because the evaporate fast.
For Women’s History Month, the floral Mickey at the front gate has become Minnie!
And Tilly in the Main Street Cinema is supporting a “Votes for Women” sash (just like Mrs. Banks wore in Mary Poppins).
Let’s Hear From You
Well folks… that’s what we’ve got for you, what do you have for us? Share your thoughts on Food & Wine, springtime offerings, Lightning Lane where it’s not needed, major construction projects, and anything else we covered today. We look forward to hearing from you!
“Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime.” — Bambi