Spring is in the air and the ducklings are bringing the cute.
if interested in the latest from the parks.
We are back with another update from the Disneyland Resort. As usual, we are focusing on the ground at the latest finds from our most recent trips. Spring is in the air and the ducklings are bringing the cute. With Captain Marvel lighting up the box office, it's no surprise that we are funding new merchandise each time we visit. This all pairs nicely with the new meet and greet that has been open since opening on 3/7. While Captain Marvel is Disney's latest hit, there's another piece of merchandise from a classic that most grabs our attention. This Madame Leota piece is small in stature, but large in price ($120). That said, we can't stop debating whether or not we need the pricey piece. While the Food and Wine Festival continues to serve up tasty treats, it brings with it even busier than normal crowds to DCA. With just a little over 5 months until D23 Expo returns to the Anaheim Convention Center, a new poster has hit the Esplsnade. Meanwhile, the one (or two) thing sitting on the shelves with few sales to be seen is the two latest Funko Pops!. The price point seems to have finally gotten to a point where the collectors are turned off. If all eyes are on Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the opposite must be true of the Astro Orbiters which's set for return in the next week. With equally little fanfare, Path of the Jedi has returned. Over in Frontierland, more projects are underway to improve space and shine things up for the big summer ahead. With the new Aladdin movie moving into the on-deck circle, new merchandise begins to make its way into the parks. Is that a new Indiana Jones shirt on Adventureland? First we've seen of it. Alright, that's a wrap for this visit. Please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast/Stitcher & follow along on social media
if interested in the latest from the parks.
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March 1, 2019We are back at the Disneyland Resort, where the Food and Wine has begun at DCA and a Dumbo preview has moved into Disneyland. First up, there were some Fun announcements on Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. That said, from our vantage point things have looked pretty much the same for awhile. Much easier to see is the progress at the new parking structure. Next, we tried some food and found a few items we'll definitely be having this season. We did our first ever tasting vlog that you can check out here: Lastly, we made our way to Disneyland where a Dumbo preview has taken over Great a Moments with Lincoln. Not excited about anything infringing on this area, but it's undeniable that the location was busy on this particular visit. Here's a video of the offerings: Alright, that's a wrap for this visit. Please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast/Stitcher & follow along on social media if interested in the latest from the parks.
February 22, 2019It has been a bit since we've posted a Disneyland Resort update in this format, so here's the latest from our visit on February 22nd, 2019. At the Disneyland Hotel, new patio furniture is out. Over at Tangaroa, a CM informed us the coconut cake is gone forever because Disney ended its relationship with the company that made them. Ugh... Meanwhile, in DTD, we found the the Tri-Tip Man Truck has joined the collection of food trucks and Habit was MIA as of 5PM on this Friday. With Captain Marvel opening in just two weeks, the merchandise machine is fired up as Danvers, Fury and Goose are making their way across the parks and in DTD. Over at Marceline’s, the bunny’s are front and center. The dining area adjacent to Award Weiner's has several new posters on display. At the Collector's Warehouse, more Captain Marvel merchandise is available. With just one week until the opening of DCA's Food and Wine Festival, the food booths are out and signage is up. We also found that many spots in DCA have made the transition to paper straws. They are...papery. Lastly, the same Captain Marvel merchandise in DCA is also available at the Emporium in Disneyland. Both spots also have 10-15 Songbirds that they just can't move. Alright, that's a wrap for this visit. There has been steady progress at the parking structure and Galaxy's Edge, but we'll focus on that next time. Please subscribe on YouTube, most podcast providers, & follow along on social media , if interested in the latest from the parks.
February 8, 2019We've made our way back to Disneyland Resort a few times since our last report, but there hasn't been a whole bunch to share. With the previously reported seasonal events fully underway, there's only been a smattering of new merchandise available and the visuals haven't offered more to see besides some refurb progress here and there. With all of that said, let's get to it and take a look. First up, Tangaroa Terrace has finally re-opened. With added bar space and the doors ripped off, the it feels more as if it's an extension of Trader Sam's than its own autonomous restaurant. We have video of it all, including the menu: While Get Your Ears On officially began a month ago, we still keep finding new, small additions. On our latest visit, there was a new photo op in front of the old Rainforest Cafe. Over at World of Disney, a new "it's a small world" merchandise display has taken center stage. More 2019 merchandise has appeared around the parks as well. Not exactly sure how the sphere sipper fits into the year-specific merch, but that's how it's being marketed. We also found Haunted Mansion patches in Elias & Co. not sure if they've been out for awhile, but including the little HauntFix. While there wasn't any hoopla for DCA's 18th birthday, there was celebration by the little ones when Vampirina joined the popular Disney Junior Dance Party. Over in Disneyland, there continues to be work on the castle, but it has a shiny new photo-friendly wrap for the moment. Lastly, over at the new parking structure, we are getting close... Alright, that's a wrap for this visit. Please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast/Stitcher & follow along on social media if interested in the latest from the parks.
January 25, 2019On January 25th, Disneyland Resort continued their efforts to layer events on top of each other with their Lunar New Years celebration joining Get Your Ears On and Valentine's month as seasonal events all offering different elements. Additionally, Mickey's Soundsational Parade made its return. This year feels like the most cohesive version of a Lunar New Celebration we've seen at DCA. They've widened the footprint and with that has come little extra touches of theming that make it feel more planned out and better produced. The greatest improvement with the fleshing out of things is bringing Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession all the way out to Paradise Park. This gives a bit more of a parade feel and brings the show to a setting that makes for much easier viewing. We talk much more about this on an upcoming podcast, but for now take a look at the video and judge for yourself. As in the past, characters are at the heart of this event. Big lines formed wherever characters were found. We put together a short video that gives a feel for what they event offers: Outside of the Lunar New Year festivities, it was interesting to find that Disneyland seemed to take it up a notch with Get Your Ears On and finally rolled out new guidemaps and character costumes. Adding to this was the launch of a nighttime Get Your Ears On dance party in Tomorrowland (not pictured) and the return of Mickey's Soundsational Parade. It was interesting in that it felt as if this were the true opening day and the 18th (the officially announced start of the event) were more of a soft opening. Regardless, the return of Soundsational brought out many fans. Although the parade has never been a favorite for us, the excitement of the crowds was obvious with the masses swaying and singing along from the outset. We have snippets of the new pieces on our YouTube channel as well as full video. Here are a few pics as well as the parade in its entirety: Outside of these two larger scale events, we only found one other item worth sharing. On our walk out to the parking structure, we found a new Captain Marvel Instagram walk on the ESPN Zone facade. While it seemed so small we nearly didn't post it at all, people seemed pretty excited with hundreds of "likes" on social media so we figured we'd include it here: Alright, that's a wrap for this visit. Please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast/Stitcher & follow along on social media if interested in the latest from the parks. January 22, 2019We are back at Disneyland, where Get Your Ears On just began Friday and the park has already layered in a Valentine's Day celebration. Before we get to that, let's stop in at the Grand Californian Hotel where White Water Snacks has re-opened. While there is no physical menu sign, you can view the full menu on the Disneyland app (yes, they have nachos). Just outside the Grand, World of Disney continues their food merch push and have added a food cart that currently is filled with plush pizza. At Disneyland, there have been a number of touches to theme things for Valentine's Day that range from as minor as heart stickers added to Mickey and Minnie signs to full photo ops. Similar to the Easter scavenger hunt DLR has had for years, this year there is a Valentine's Day Version. A map is $6.99, but the purchase of two maps secured you both sets of cards prior to even doing the hunt. All in all, pretty reasonable for a fun little hunt around the parks. We will only show two of the items being hunted, so as to not spoil all of the fun. While Disneyland has been adding hearts, DCA has been adding elements for this Friday's opening of Lunar New Year. Booths, with menus, have started popping up as well as other pieces of decor. On the merchandise front, DCA's Big Top Toys had a couple re-stock/new items. Alright, that's a wrap for this visit. Please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast/Stitcher & follow along on social media if interested in the latest from the parks.
January 18, 2019It was only 11 days ago that Disneyland Resort was celebrating the holidays and already the page has turned to a new season with Get Your Ears On. With a very rainy week in the rear view mirror, the resort attempts to transition with mixed execution. A little bit of everything seemed to be missing on opening day. Upon entering the park, there was a noticeable absence of any decor above the entry turnstiles. While there was some bunting, no characters or signage of any sort. Also, noticeably absent were new park guides or the food guides promoted on social media. Inside the park, there weren't additions of much in decor from the previous day. That said, everything on display fits and is a nice touch for Get Your Ears On. Can you go wrong with a focus on Mickey and Minnie? No new outfits for the characters on this day. We were surprised to find none of the new popcorn buckets available for purchase in Disneyland. The popular Mickey sipper from last year's birthday celebration did return. Although the primary focus of the day was Get Your Ears On, we'd be disingenuous to say that the original Haunted Mansion opening back up wasn't a highlight of the day. Although it's 50th anniversary is sure to be overshadowed by the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, it definitely will still be a focus for us. Getting back to Get Your Ears On, there isn't much more to say about decor or characters for opening day. We found some nice little touches in Mickey's ToonTown, but nothing very memorable anywhere in the park. With the focus of the event seeming to primarily be food and merchandise, we did make an effort to try a few more items than normal. In the end, we purchased a cake pop ($6), the new bow-tie pasta ($10.49) at Alien's Pizza Planet and the 90th Burger ($15) at Smokejumper's Grill. The pasta was the highlight. Very tasty item with cute presentation. The cake pop was standard. Nothing much to say on that one. The burger was interesting. At $15, with no fries, it just seemed like a standard overpriced burger with a more appealing aesthetic. That said, it was quite tasty. It has been awhile since we've eaten at Smokejumper's so we can't compare very accurately to what their burgers normally are. Be advised it's a lot of meat and cheese. We split it for dinner and still left a bit uneaten. It appears the short return of Paradise Garden Grill was just a tease. Although the original menu returned after the departure of the holiday season, the counter service spot hasn't opened yet and now has just a couple days before they reopen in the Disney Lunar New Year mode. On the way to setting up to record Mickey's Mix Magic show, we stumbled upon a couple of the Get Your Ears On Food Guides on a counter, at Plaza Inn. We had inquired at a few food spots throughout the day and no one seemed to know what we were talking about. Anyway, it was nice to get a look at the physical guide. We put together a quick video of it, for any that are interested. You can also find a version on the Disney Parks Blog. Closing out the night, we finished with the debut of Mickey's Mix Magic. This new nighttime show utilizes projection mapping on Main Street and "it's a small world" and lively music to entertain. This 10 minute show is high energy and fun from start to finish. That said, it doesn't have the grandeur of a traditional "kiss goodnight" and rather feels like it should run multiple times a night. The current schedule of one showing per evening brings to many crowds for such a small scale show. All in all, we enjoyed it but just think the time investment should be minimal. We managed to grab video from two different angles, so check them out if interested. Also, we have individualized video for each song. Thanks for joining us for this big day of coverage! More to come soon. January 17, 2019Welcome back! The rain didn't hold us back from getting a second update in at the Disneyland Resort this week. Here is what found on the dreary night. First up, the new parking structure continues to show progress. It feels like each visit it is noticeably further along. Meanwhile, at the Disneyland Hotel work continues on Tangaroa. You can now see a bit of the new wallpaper and the classic photos are not up (yet?). Also, the soda machine is now a Coke Freestyle. Additionally, work on the pool is still happening. At the Downtown Disney Lego Store, everything is awesome as the store continues to make the newest Lego Movie the center of its displays. The massive "Welcome to Apocolypseberg" set is the newest centerpiece display. Not to be outdone by World of Disney, Disney Home has added a big food merch display for Get Your Ears On. Also, Marceline's has the Steamboat Willy candy apple added to its treats. More displays have been added for Get Your Ears On at the center of World of Disney. Although the rain has slowed work, there are a few new signs of Disney Lunar New Year. With only a week to get there, lots of advances should be seen by Monday. Disneyland kicks off Valentine’s Day season on 1/22, so signs of that are also starting to appear in DCA. We finally got the Get Your Ears On banners we've been looking most for, as they are up at the entrance of Disneyland and on Main Street. Cast Members at the turnstiles said more decor will come tonight above the entryway. New Haunted Mansion keychains. With the 50th this year, the merch train will be difficult to keep up for Haunted Mansion fans. Last up, today, is our quick video of the latest from Get Your Ears On. We'll be back, tomorrow, with much more. Follow along, with us, on our social channels and YouTube. January 15, 2019Welcome! This is a brand new addition to the way we cover parks on our routine visits. We don’t plan to do anything different with our social media updates, but we do want to add this spot to include a bit more. In short, there’s only so much we can post on social channels. So, follow along with us there and here! Our first park update from Disneyland comes on this rainy night. Take a look at Get Your Ears On progress, refurb projects, new merchandise and more. Enjoy! Let’s start things out with Get Your Ears On. This new seasonal event officially kicks off Monday with a new nighttime show, but banners, merchandise and other nods have been showing up for over a week. If not subscribed to our YouTube channel, you might have missed our first two updates on the event. You can catch up here: And here: On this visit, there wasn’t a ton new, but the esplanade has been taken over by the event banners and we have our third video in the series here: In the realm of new merchandise, we found a few new things. First up, World of Disney extender their focus on food-related items with a new display filled with a celebration of Disney treats. Here is a look at it all: Beyond food items, we found a new Mary Poppins Returns Lenox set in Elias & Co.if purchasing the entire set it retails for a shade under $300. Over on Main Street in Disneyland, the plush section of Emporium features new Steamboat Willie Mickey and Minnie 1928 knit dolls. They can join Oswald for $28 each. In Pieces of Eight, we found a new Loungefly Pirates of the Caribbean backpack ($75) and wallet ($50). While Get Your Ears On begins January 18th, Disney Lunar New Year begins just one week later (January 25th) in DCA. The Paradise Garden Grill and surrounding area are transitioning out of Viva Navidad mode. Currently kabobs are back on the menu, but that should change very soon as the Lunar New Year theming sets in. As is typical this time of year, lots of refurb projects are underway. This “off-season” is particularly important as it’s the last one before the addition of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The projects getting the most attention now are Astro Orbitor and Sleeping Beauty Castle, although there’s much more than that in progress: Haunted Mansion is undergoing its usual eviction process of Jack Skellington and crew and returns to normal operations on January 18th as the 999 ghosts prepare to celebrate their 50th anniversary this August: Finishing up outside the park, we’ve already touched on the Get Your Ears On touches, but we’ve not looked at the updates to Tangaroa recently. The area has been busy with workers and the spot is being consistently lit at night. The biggest update recently in Downtown Disney occurred this weekend where Ballast Point Brewing Company quietly opened Saturday evening. While the grand opening ceremony occurs on January 16th, people have been enjoying already for several days. Here is our video of it all: Alright, that’s a wrap for this update Thanks for joining us! Please leave any comments below.
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