What a week it’s been for Disney news! Following last Monday’s Disneyland Update, I spent an enlightening day at Walt Disney Imagineering, touring, and witnessing cutting-edge animatronics and R&D projects. Insights from Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro added to the intrigue. The very next day, amidst shareholder tumult, Bob unveiled concept art for an Avatar boat ride at Disneyland Resort. This week also brought confirmation about the electrification of Autopia that we’ve been talking about for years. As if that wasn’t enough, Friday heralded the launch of Season of the Force—a Star Wars extravaganza in Tomorrowland and Galaxy’s Edge. And that’s not even touching on the flurry of updates from Walt Disney World and Universal. It’s been a whirlwind of excitement—definitely an update you’ll want to read and share with your friends!
Let’s start in the past… Tomorrowland…
Tomorrowland’s Electric Future
We’re a couple of years into a California mandate that all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in the state must be zero-emission by 2035. But there are targets along the way. The rules mandate 35% of the new cars sold be low or zero-emission by 2026, 68% by 2030, and 100% by 2035.
When the law was first passed, I reached out to Disneyland to see if they’d make changes to Autopia. I was told at the time that while they had no official statement, that they would certainly need to do something. This past week they confirmed that they have a roadmap to electrify Autopia within the next few years.
This won’t be Disney’s first attempt at electric cars. Hong Kong Disneyland’s now defunct Autopia was electric. Disneyland tested some of those cars on the track a few years ago. They weren’t designed for Anaheim track’s steep hills and long roadway. But the technology has come a long way, and Disneyland is expert in finding sponsors to help with the cost and technology. The current sponsor, Honda, would be a great partner for this project.
The current Autopia vehicles, designed by Disney Legend Bob Gurr, use 2-stroke riding lawnmower engines. The fuel is a mixture of gasoline and oil and highly polluting. Not great for the environment nor for the health of cast members and guests.
But there’s an underlying story here that we shouldn’t overlook. If Autopia is being electrified… then it’s not currently on the chopping block for redevelopment with the new Tomorrowland expected to be announced at the next D23 Expo (or whatever they’re calling it now). And that means that the Subs and old Motorboat Cruise dock are probably safe as well. But that also likely means a less ambitious redo for Tomorrowland – which will focus on the Carousel building, Starcade area, Peoplemover right of way, Tomorrowland Theater (the old Captain EO and Honey I Shrunk The Audience theater), and the gardens at the front of the land, as well as some cosmetic changes to tie it all together.
As you drive through the twists and turns of Autopia, you encounter Honda concept vehicles and their robot, ASIMO… which was retired by Honda in 2022, but still in the attraction. You can absolutely imagine an update which will add Honda clean vehicle technology. The company currently has a fuel cell vehicle and new electric vehicles on the way. An Autopia partnership would allow Honda to promote their products just as California is mandating big changes to vehicles on our real-world roadways.
Does Avatar Floats Your Boat?
Disney CEO Bob Iger has been talking about an Avatar experience for the Disneyland Resort for well over a year. He brings it up over and over. This past week, he shared concept art for what the attraction ‘could’ look like and… it’s a water ride.
When will it be built and where is it going? That remains unconfirmed… for now… they appear to be holding that info for the D23 Expo. But there’s a reason Iger has been talking this up and it’s very unlikely that he’s chatting about something a long way off. With Autopia sticking around for electrification, DisneylandForward still many years away, Grizzly Peak Airfield too small for a boat ride… I still think that the current Hollywood Land is the mostly likely spot. We’ll keep a close eye on this one.
We have a deep dive on the Avatar news for you here:
Season of the Force
Can you hear all that beautiful John Williams music in your head… Disneyland’s Season of the Force has returned after a long absence. The celebration will run from April 5th through June 2nd. It brings with it new destinations for Star Tours, the return of Hyperspace Mountain, new characters and droids in Galaxy’s Edge, and new merchandise and food. There’s even a strange eye-spy game guests can play and a special fireworks experience.
The one thing Season of the Force doesn’t have this time around is any decorations. No signage, no banners, no displays. It’s a missed opportunity to give both Tomorrowland and Galaxy’s Edge a little extra color and Star Wars excitement. And, in the case of Galaxy’s Edge, this would have been the ideal time to test background music, shows, roaming musicians, and colorful banners to celebrate some fictional Batuu holiday. I sure do hope that in the $60 billion Imagineering has to spend in the next decade, that they save some of that to fill the large gaps in Star Wars land.
But, overall, Season of the Force is a lot of fun. I spent most of Friday running from place to place, riding the attractions, looking for the characters, and eating galactic goodies. Let’s take a brief look at the offerings…
New Scenes for Star Tours
Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald has been working on concepts for Star Tours since the very beginning in 1987. On Friday he unleashed new characters and destinations for the high-flying attraction. Star Tours is uniquely Star Wars and Disney in that it strikes the perfect balance of excitement and humor that makes it fun and repeatable (are you listening Galaxy’s Edge?!).
The main new scene is inspired by the Ahsoka series on Disney+… space whales. Not only is the scene beautiful, but there’s a fun new trick that R2D2 plays on C3P0 and everyone riding along. Here’s a very short clip of the whales that doesn’t give away too much.
For more about the new Star Tours adventures, including the charming new transmission from Grogu and the Mandalorian, please read our dedicated story from Laura Gonzales and her son Johnny.
New Star Tours Adventures Now Departing at Disneyland & Walt Disney World!
Hyperspace Mountain Returns With Enhancements
You won’t all agree with me, but I absolutely LOVE the Star Wars overlay of Space Mountain. The music and projects make it an exciting experience for me and strikes just the right amount of nostalgia. But there’s a bit of new technology at work here – brighter and sharper projections really make the experience pop this time around!
I took some iPhone video of the ride for you. While I didn’t do a great job filming, you can clearly see how fantastic the projections are now.
“Fire of the Rising Moons”
While there’s not a proper Star Wars fireworks show, they have added Star Wars music in Galaxy’s Edge during Wondrous Journeys. But here’s the big tip. Currently, it’s just Star Wars music playing but not fully synched up. The real effort was put into syncing the music to the upcoming Pixar Fest fireworks (Together Forever) April 26th through August 4th.
These Are The Droids You’re Looking For
After a one day test late last year, the ADORABLE BD-X droids have arrived in Galaxy’s Edge. But see them soon. They will only be here during Season of the Force.
While the droids look autonomous, they are remote controlled. But that doesn’t take away from how cute and expressive they are. (you can see the two handlers in the background of this photo).
Check out our video of the droids in action. You’ll find them at various times and locations in Galaxy’s Edge throughout Season of the Force.
New Character: Sabine Wren
There’s another small addition to Galaxy’s Edge during the celebration. Sabine Wren, a character from Ahsoka and Star Wars Rebels, now appears in the land.
Galactic Grub
There’s all sorts of food available during Season of the Force.
There are two drinks from the discontinued Galactic Starcruiser that have made their way to Oga’s Cantina. Like many of the drinks at Oga’s, they are overly sweet, but the glasses are nice.
Popcorn buckets and sippers are always popular, and there are 4 to choose from right now. But the Jabba the Hut bucket is the real winner. When you lift his head to open the bucket, you hear his guttural laugh!
Disneyland’s Season of the Force Eats & Treats Include Galactic Starcruiser Sips
New Star Wars Merchandise
There’s new goods in the stores as well, including some fun Star Tours inspired items. Our Natalie Kipper has them all for you in a dedicated article:
Cylinder Hunt
There’s an eye spy type game going on right now, but it’s a bit more complicated than it needs to be. You start by picking up a card from a cast member and then go in search of 6 small cylinders hidden in Galaxy’s Edge (the cylinders are about the size of a can of soup, so they are hard to spot).
Do you see the cylinder in the photo below?
No? Here it is…
Once you’ve located them all… then you need to go to Tomorrowland and search for decoder signs. One sign for each of the 6 cylinders.
Once you’ve solved the puzzle, you can collect your prize… ready for it… A trading card sized decoder card.
MiceChat Live
Our Friday LIVE at 5 focused on the Autopia and Season of the Force. Click play and enjoy a trip to Disneyland with Dusty Sage and Scott Solo:
Construction Updates
Let’s shift gears and look at some of the construction projects around the resort.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Gets Greener
What a difference from last week. Some large (fake) trees have been installed around the front of the attraction with greenery and spanish moss.
You can clearly see one of the new trees front and center in the image below.
A new covered section of the flume has been fully enclosed. We’re curious to see how this will be disguised.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday I visited Imagineering and got to see many of the animatronics headed to the attraction. Most of the human figures are slightly larger than a real person and with very large heads. It helps make them look more like cartoons and not like real people.
When in operation, the figures move fluidly. The Mama Odie had her audio on when I passed by. She said “I see you Juju” as he tries to steal some beignets off a plate.
There are some new characters we’ll see in the attraction, including Prince Naveen’s brother, and his parents the King and Queen of Maldonia.
The voice of Louis the Alligator, Michael-Leon Wooley, sees his animatronic for the first time:
But there are also lots and lots of animatronic critters throughout the ride. Many of them playing musical instruments. Below are some sketches of the critters, but I got to see one of the completed figures and he was super cute.
There are just the critters Disney has decided to show us, but there’s even more!
Don’t miss the updates to our Bayou Adventure coverage with more info on story reveals, attraction poster for Walt Disney World and more…
🐸 Tiana’s Bayou Adventure NOW OPEN at Disneyland – Guide & Tips 👑
Haunted Happenings
Disney is scaring up some big changes at the Haunted Mansion. The project to expand the queue and build a new gift shop are screaming forward.
To the left of the Mansion, the old queue area has been scraped clean and some of the hillside has been excavated. 
An elevator will be built in the space near the crypt. It will be used to help disabled guests exit the attraction.
The train station is also getting some important work done as the fire-damaged building behind the water tower is getting the renovation it needs. While all this work is in progress, guests are held on the train at this stop and no one is allowed to enter or exit until the next stop. 
Rivers of America/Fantasmic
It won’t be long now. Fantasmic returns on May 24th. But there’s a lot of work that’s going into making sure that the infrastructure is ready. Fountains are under restoration, as well as the projection boxes at river’s edge.
Unfortunately, the dock across from the riverboat landing remains behind scrims. It’s been this way since Fantasmic returned in May 28, 2022. Whatever the reason is for this, Disneyland needs to come up with a better solution. Construction scrims shouldn’t remain up for years. Especially when they start to sag and deteriorate.
Fantasmic’s Maleficent Dragon went up in flames on April 23, 2023. The beloved show has been closed ever since as Disneyland worked to figure out what happened, fix the broken infrastructure, and make changes to the show for its eventual return. We won’t be getting an animatronic dragon when the show returns, but we will see the restoration of the Peter Pan scene which had been replaced by Jack Sparrow in the last big update.
Un-dressed
The Disney Dress Shop has moved from its location near the entry to the Grand Californian Hotel to the former location of Wonderground. Oddly, the item the shop doesn’t sell much of any more is the thing in the title… Dresses! I only spotted one dress and one long shirt dress.
The old location is closed…
The new shop looks a lot like the old one and many of the displays and signage were moved from one location to the other.
Lots of Spirit Jerseys, Loungefly, and ears… but dresses are not the featured item in the dress shop…
Paseo/Centrico/Tiendita
The construction obstruction in the center of Downtown Disney is about to clear. Major construction on the former Patina/Catal site is just about to wrap up. The central bar, Centrico, has been dressed, tables are on site, fake greenery has been placed, lights have been strung, it’s just about ready to go…
The same is true for the indoor restaurant, Paseo.
Potted plants are already on the patio.
Earl of Sandwich Musical Chairs
The constant moving around of poor Earl of Sandwich is almost comical… to us… but certainly not for the managers and staff who are facing yet another change of operations and staff reduction. The popular sandwich shop will offer a limited menu from this temporary location until their new building is ready.
Dumplings
Some glass went up this week at Din Tai Fung. That’s a good sign that things are progressing. Once the building is fully enclosed, we’ll see a lot more progress.
Downtown Disney West Side Security
How and where you enter Downtown Disney on the west side of the complex is about to change. A new permanent location has FINALLY been built! It has only taken them since 2001 to figure it out.
Trees have been planted, gardens are being prepped, looks like it is pretty close to opening.
Pixar Fest
The first of the Pixar Fest decorations are starting to show up at the resort. This wonderfully weird mid-century inspired tower has shown up in Downtown Disney (across from Earl of Sandwich). We’ll have much more for you about Pixar Fest as we approach the April 26th launch.
Refurbishments
With Spring Break about to wrap up, another wave of projects will impact the resort… much of it at Disney California Adventure.
Currently Under Refurbishment:
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- Splash Mountain: Conversion to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: (May 31st, 2023-Late 2024)
- The Haunted Mansion: (January 22nd-TBA)
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: (March 4th-TBA)
- The Bakery Tour: (March 22nd-April 17th)
- Boudin Bread Cart: (March 24th-April 16th)
- Incredicoaster: (April 8th-18th)
Upcoming Refurbishments:
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- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island: (April 12th-14th)
- Matterhorn Bobsleds: (April 15th-18th, 22nd-25th, 29th-May 2nd)
- The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: (April 15th-TBA)
- Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill: (April 29th-TBA)
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: (May 1st-TBA)
My Travel Locker
Good news for MiceChat readers. There’s a new service in town for frequent Disneyland visitors, and they have a special offer just for you. If you visit Disneyland often and looking for an easy way to keep a few items here in town so you don’t have to pack or buy new each visit, “My Travel locker” may be for you.
You place your items in a sturdy tote/bin and My Travel Locker collects and stores it securely in a climate-controlled facility. You can even have then bring you bottled waters along with your tote on your next visit.
My Travel Locker is offering a special deal for MiceChat readers to get started. Save $29 off your set up fees with promo code: MC2024
MiceShots
It was another week of unpredictable weather in Anaheim. There were warm days, cool days, and a rainy start to Season of the Force on Friday.
Mike and I were at the park about an hour before opening on Friday. The combination of rain soaked streets and no crowds was pure magic.
But all the recent showers have certainly brought us beautiful flowers.
Astro Orbitor haș reopened after a long refurbishment and looks gorgeous… but it still belongs on top of the PeopleMover platform in my opinion.
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Let’s Hear From You
And with that we come to the end of another packed Disneyland news and construction update. Are you glad to hear that the Autopia will be electrified or were you holding out for the Autopia and Subs to be replaced by a major Tomorrowland redo? Where would you like to see the new Avatar land go (though I know many of you are going to answer that you don’t want it anywhere)? Are you ready for Season of the Force? Did you see something in the Update you’d like to comment on? Share your comments below and please do us the favor of sharing the link to this article on your favorite social network.
