St. Patrick’s Day is behind us and the Little Man of Disneyland has bestowed springtime splendor upon the Disneyland Resort. This season of rebirth brings pink trees, tulips, poppies, and true horticultural magic. But there’s much more than just flowers blooming at the Disneyland Resort… some big projects are sprouting some new surprises. From Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s fake floral to mountains of dirt at the Haunted Mansion, we’ll show you what’s new.
And while the big updates are still months away, there’s some technical changes just around the corner, and big festivals too! Let’s take a look around the Disneyland Resort. There’s a lot to see, so stick with us until the very end for gorgeous tribute to spring… yes, there are pink trees ahead!
Today’s Update is brought to you by Mike Kindrich and Dusty Sage. We hope you enjoy the wealth of information and photos…
UPDATED! New Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Shops Revealed
The progress on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland, which you can find more on later on in this Update, has reached a new milestone, the announcement of re-themed neighboring shops. Along with this reveal came the announcement that Critter Country would temporarily close on May 1, 2024. But in the meantime, let’s meet the shops!
First up is Ray’s Berets (formerly the Briar Patch). Disney touts the venue as a location with merchandise, including headwear, apparel, accessories, and toys, themed to the Firefly Ray and his family.
The other new shop, Louis’ Critter Club, will take the place of the left-hand portion of the Pooh Corner at the end of the Critter Country cul-de-sac. The store will stock apparel, accessories, home decor, and more featuring the bayou’s critter residents and of course, Princess Tiana.
The other portion of Pooh Corner will remain the destination for guests searching for Pooh merchandise and the store’s confectionery offerings (Tigger tails, anyone?).
New Fangled Gates
Modern new automated turnstiles are on the way to Disney California Adventure and (later) to Disneyland. The gates themselves are clear panels that swing open when valid admission is scanned (or tapped). The first set of gates was installed last week but are not yet in use. The gates are optimized for MagicBand and feature screens for photo identification. We believe that one cast member will be able to manage two gates at once.
“Welcome – Scan Ticket Or Device To Begin”
The new gates are wide enough for strollers and wheelchairs and should be easier to navigate.
We have so much to share today. But I’d like to skip ahead to two back to back construction projects which seem to have captured the curiosity of Disneyland fans…
Haunted Mansion Mischief
They’re busy digging up the bodies around the Haunted Mansion. If you had any hope that the fountain and trees in Magnolia Gardens would be saved, they are all long gone. Huge piles of dirt now take up space in the old park while a big hole is dug for a new ADA elevator and the reworking of the soon-to-be-expanded queue.
Massive diggers are ripping out the old front lawn of the Mansion.
It’s fascinating to see the hillside stripped and revealed in the photo below. The train travels just behind this spot.
The hillside “berm” is an important visual trick, it hides the train tunnel and the humongous show building for the attraction. It keeps the outside world from ruining the magic.
There’s a large boxed tree in front of the New Orleans train station. Judging from the thin trunk, we’d assume this is a new tree being positioned for the reworked area between the Mansion and Tiana’s Palace.
Both sides of the Mansion are being reworked. Here’s how part of the queue will look:
And the Madame Leota-themed exit gift shop.
We expect the attraction to open as “Haunted Mansion Holiday” in time for the spooky season at the end of August. The new queue and gift shop may not be done by then, but that shouldn’t keep the ride from reopening (with a few surprises inside).
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Blooms!
You don’t have to walk far for the next big thing. There is some exciting progress on the former Splash Mountain. The top of the hill now sports faux flowers as the former mountain becomes a bayou salt dome (whatever that is). Crews are also busy painting the hillside various shades of green.
The barn-like structure over the 2nd lift hill has been stripped and is being re-roofed.
It’s not exactly what I thought a “Salt dome” would look like, but I’m happy to see foliage and color instead of something dreary.
Here’s an interesting video showing how they give a natural texture to the paint by flicking it onto the hillside:
On the Critter Country side of the project, a new covered section is being built over what was once an open-air flume. This ride will have more enclosed show scenes than Splash Mountain.
The entry building for the queue is under major reconstruction. This is where you will enter “Tiana’s Foods” before heading off on your adventure in the bayou.
And crews are preparing the area at the front of the attraction for some big new trees and swamp plants.
Meanwhile, the turnabout after the big drop has been marked for what we believe is going to be sound and lighting enhancements.
We’ll have to wait until the end of the year for the new ride, now for something coming very soon…
Pixar Fest Preview
For years we’ve been preaching that the Disneyland Resort needs another big festival once Food and Wine wraps up in the spring. We’re about to get a new festival which will bridge that gap from spring into summer. Pixar Fest will launch on April 26th and will run through August 4th. The celebration will feature a parade, fireworks, a food festival, special merchandise, themed treats… and lots of character opportunities and themed decor. We’re really looking forward to this ambitious celebration which will take over the whole resort. This is a much bigger deal than you remember from last time this festival was offered in 2018. It’s akin to the Food & Wine Festival but with lots of extra entertainment and offerings spread across both parks. Here’s what we know so far about Pixar Fest, including some new details and concept art (most of it good, but not all of it)…
Pixar Parade
Let’s start with what may be the sketchiest part of the celebration…
The “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” parade will take place daily at Disney California Adventure. The parade features more than two dozen Pixar characters, including Luca, Red Panda Mei, Joe Gardner, and others. Concept art for two floats was released last week. The new images, combined with the previously released Turning Red float, give us an idea about what to expect. These appear to be bare-bones floats. Hopefully, the music and energy will make this parade more compelling than it appears at first glance.
The use of streetwear, keyboards, bicycles, and banners with flags and balloons feels lackluster in the concept art. But we’ll give it a chance and hope to be surprised by something heartwarming and fun.
NEW: Soul Float
NEW: Luca Float
Previously Released: Turning Red
Pixar Fireworks
“Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular”
A popular Pixar fireworks show will return to Disneyland with some new moments from “Onward,” “Soul” and other Pixar films. The show makes good utilization of projections on Main Street and the castle, and is most memorable for giant inflatables on the rooftops of Main Street (a good excuse to watch from Main Street and not crowd around the castle and hub areas). Here’s our teaser from the original run:
Pixar Parties
There will be a couple of new entertainment offerings for Pixar Fest this time around. Both Disneyland and California Adventure are getting character dance parties. The DCA version certainly looks more compelling and less forced.
Club Pixar will be located in the Hollywood Backlot in Disney California Adventure Park. Many dance parties have already been hosted in this area over the years since there’s a built-in stage and a large courtyard. This party seems like an easy fit, especially with Monster’s Inc as the backdrop.
Less obvious is the Pixar Pals Playtime Party which will take over the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland Park. The stage, lighting, sound, and covered roof should all help, but an empty seat-filled theater may make this party feel a bit too cramped and lifeless. We’ll have to wait and see. We sure do miss the flex-space of Big Thunder Ranch, which would have been a much better location. Perhaps Disneyland should reinvent the current Fantasyland Theater as an event/festival/entertainment flex space to make up for what they lost when Galaxy’s Edge consumed the Ranch.
Pixar Food
The big change this time around is the addition of a food festival element. There will be a number of Pixar-themed food opportunities in both parks (and Downtown Disney). Most ambitiously, 6 festival marketplaces will be available at Disney California Adventure starting May 10th! We love the idea of this and hope the offerings are creative and tasty.
DCA Pixar Marketplaces:
Each Marketplace is inspired by a different Pixar film:
-
- Portorosso Pasta from “Luca”
- Gusteau’s To-Go from “Ratatouille”
- The Elemental Table from “Elemental
- 4*Town Fav*4*ites from “Turning Red”
- The Spark, inspired by “Soul”
- Hanger Management from “Inside Out”
In addition, Paradise Garden Grill will feature a Coco-themed menu. And over at Disneyland, Troubadour Tavern will feature a Pixar-themed menu and Plaza Inn will offer a special Pixar cake.
Pixar Merchandise
Of course, there will be plenty of items to buy, including lots of apparel options so you can dress for the Pixar theme.
A special Pizza Planet popcorn truck is sure to be a popular item.
Over the weekend, our merchandise maven, Natalie Kipper, shared some new Pixar-themed items that have just arrived at the resort.
Pixar Characters
The Pixar theme will carry over to the decor in both parks and both parks will also offer Pixar character interaction and meet and greets.
Season of the Force
There will be some overlap between Disneyland festivals. Season of the Force, a Star Wars celebration, starts April 5 (a few weeks before Pixar Fest opens) and runs through June 2nd.
The celebration will bring the return of Hyperspace Mountain, plus themed food and beverage offerings in Tomorrowland and Galaxy’s Edge… but we’re most looking forward to new Star Tours destinations and Star Wars music over the fireworks when you watch from Galaxy’s Edge (shouldn’t it always be that way?).
There will also be 8 nights of extra-cost after-hours parties called “Star Wars Nites.” In the past, the Star Wars after-hours events have been among the most popular of the year—so much so that Disneyland doubled the number of nights and raised the price. The result? Only one of the 8 nights has sold out so far.
Starting at $159, that’s a steep price for a 4-hour event. Here’s how Disney describes the event:
Enjoy Character sightings, event-themed menu selections and exciting entertainment—including a lightsaber instructional and the Fans of the Force Costume Cavalcade, a celebration that invites Guests dressed in Star Wars costumes to join in a march down Main Street, U.S.A.! Plus, discover special Star Wars-themed photo opportunities, merchandise and more!
Does that sound like a $159 event to you? The lack of fireworks on event nights is a turn-off for sure.
Disney is trying to ignite some interest by promising more than 20 new event treats, a group photo in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, a lightsaber instructional at “it’s a small world,” and the appearance of Captain Phasma and her elite unit of Stormtroopers.
Do you think the problem is the price? The offerings? Star Wars event fatigue? Some combination thereof? We’d like to hear what you think would make this event a force to be reckoned with.
Spring Break Crowds
Like the weatherman watches for storms, which we’ve had plenty of this year so far, we’ve been watching for spring break crowds. The resort has had some hit-and-miss days recently. It has been packed over at California Adventure, where the Food & Wine Festival has been very popular, but Disneyland has been boom and bust. There have been times when it feels downright uncomfortable in the walkways, and others when the waits, even for the big rides, are reasonable. The worst of spring break is just ahead of us.
Judging from the one-day/one-park ticket prices, this is high season in Disney’s opinion – with $194 being the top price for such a ticket (add $65 to that if you’d like to park-hop). Tickets bump up to that highest level starting next week and through the first week of April. Then they drop sharply the week of April 15th. But a sharp drop in prices could also bring a sharp increase in park visits.
Construction and crowds don’t mix well. Disneyland is taking extra measures right now to help the traffic flow on busy days. But it’s going to take more than a random sign or two near the Haunted Mansion/Bayou Adventure construction to ease traffic snarls.
CONSTRUCTION TIME!
It wouldn’t be a Disneyland Update without construction, construction, construction. We started this week’s update with two of the biggest projects… but there is… so… much… more!
Astro Orbitor
Tomorrowland’s spinner is just about ready for relaunch. Just about every element of this attraction was disassembled, repaired, repainted, and put back together again. Impressive.
Fantasmic!
A journey beyond your wildest imagination returns on May 24th – with some changes… including the return of the original Peter Pan scene!!! But there’s a lot of work left to do to get ready, including a complete refurbishment of the fountain system.
One thing that won’t be returning is the incredible dragon animatronic. That segment of the show will be re-choreographed.
City Hall Refurb
The refreshing of City Hall has been going on for weeks. One element we want to highlight is the return of the bell above the Firehouse. It had been missing for months.
Grizzly Peak – Multiple Projects
While Grizzly River Run has returned from its refurbishment, a variety of projects remain. The old lockers were moved to a new spot across from the attraction’s entry. Meanwhile, the space that once held the lockers on one side and the Disney Vacation Club kiosk on the other is being reworked to give all the space to DVC.
But here’s the part that really bothers us… Grizzly River Run Pipe Problems… Work continues to repair the geysers. At the moment, there’s only steam. Unfortunately, to repair the geyser effect, new pipes are being run ON TOP OF THE ROCKS, which is far too evident in their current state. Camouflage netting has been thrown over all the pipes and repainted to help mask them.
There are areas where holes have been punched in the old rocks. Again, netting is being used to hide the damage.
And across the back of the flume where the big drop is, there is a long stretch of pipe which comes up out of the flume and runs about a foot above the top of the rock.
It’s too bad they weren’t able to fix these issues during the attraction’s extended downtime. Trying to fix this while the attraction is still operating is bad show, but the park desperately needs the operating capacity during this busy time of year. DCA is desperately in need of more attraction capacity.
Meanwhile, around the corner, the scaffolding and scrims have been removed from Grizzly Peak Airfield…
That’s a whole lot of construction… but there’s MORE… lots more!
Paseo/Centrico/Tiendita
Patina’s new Mexican restaurant complex has leaped forward in the last week. The Centrico bar that took over the old Uva Bar space has really come together. The lighting has been added, and some faux greenery is going in as well.
Note the greenery dripping from the beams below. (You can see the worker looking up at it)
Din Tai Fung
Next to the west side stage is the future dim sum restaurant.
The roof line has been trimmed up and we’ll hopefully see more details soon.
Trading Post Walkway
The last bit of pavement is being replaced on this side of Downtown Disney. Unfortnately, that means a tight squeeze to get into the shop for the next few weeks.
Yes, the store is still open… it just doesn’t look like it.
Tortilla Jo’s
Say your farewells to Tortilla Jo’s. It will close on April 8th. There is no word on what’s next for this location.
Wonderground Reimagined
It’s farewell for now to Wonderground. The location has closed and the windows are blacked out. Disney is refreshing this and other spots around Downtown Disney. We’re keeping our ears open to what else may be closing and what’s coming next. We have heard that a Nectar Bath and Beauty may be headed to Downtown Disney, but we aren’t sure where.
Disneyland Refurb Calendar
Let’s recap the refurbishments…
- 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)
- Sailing Ship Columbia: (March 4th-29th)
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: (March 4th-TBA)
Upcoming Refurbishments:
- Boudin Bread Cart: (March 23rd-April 16th)
- Incredicoaster: (April 8th-18th)
- Matterhorn Bobsleds: (April 15th-25th)
- The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: (April 15th-TBA)
THIS AND THAT
We’re almost there… Just a few more things of note…
New Cast Member Nametags – We spotted some of the new cast nametags out in the wild. Soon, all the 100th Anniversary tags, which included the cast member’s favorite character, will be gone. Managers are passing out the new tags as they arrive.
The Little Man of Disneyland – Did you stop by to see Patrick Begorra for St. Patrick’s Day? His humble abode was decked out with greenery, a pot of gold, and a rainbow ribbon.
Haven’t heard of the Little Man of Disneyland? He’s a very important fellow… without his approval, Walt wouldn’t have been able to build the park… at least according to the Golden Book. Don’t miss our article about the Little Man of Disneyland, where to find him, and all about his incredible story:
MiceChat Live – Did you catch our Friday live at 5? Don’t kick yourself for missing it, press play below!
Cute Chuby Popcorn Bucket – Did you catch this adorable new popcorn bucket headed to ToonTown? Our staff is already trying to figure out who is available to stand in line.
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MiceShots
Now… let’s take a moment just to enjoy the beauty and drama of the last week. Disneyland is bursting with color…
Let’s Hear From You
And that brings us to the end of a wild Disneyland update. New gates ‘might’ make it easier to enter the parks… or could just slow things down as guests try to figure out how to do things on their own. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is getting greener… it looks better? The geysers at Grizzly are a travesty, should this be happening while the ride is still open? Couldn’t they just wait until the next major refurb? Why do you think Star Wars Nites aren’t selling out? This was truly a gorgeous week at the Resort, and we are genuinely excited about the expanded Pixar Fest offerings (mostly). We’ve done our part… now it’s your turn. We look forward to hearing from you in the comments below.
