Disneyland celebrated the Denver Bronco‘s Super Bowl victory last week with a special parade featuring Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. Meanwhile, work continues to get underway on Disneyland’s massive new Star Wars-themed expansion, as trees are cleared along the Rivers of America and backstage facilities begin relocation and demolition. Elsewhere in the Resort, refurbishments continue from Critter Country to the Disneyland Hotel.
Dateline Disneyland is a work of love and we appreciate your readership! If you’d like to support what we do, please consider donating via PayPal or by becoming a patron on Patreon (and get fun rewards in return!). Thanks!
Don’t miss your weekly Disneyland Resort crowd forecast — provided by our friends at Mouseaddict — in the Weekly News and Information Roundup at the end of today’s update!
Get a closer look! Don’t forget that you can always click on any photo in Dateline Disneyland for a closer look with a larger, higher resolution version of the image!
We’ve got a quick off-season update for you today, so let’s get started!
Welcome to Disneyland! |
Work continues at 20th Century Music and on the China Closet facade
A couple of readers asked to see the antique orchestrion we showed you last week in Frontierland in action. Below, a video clip:
He went to Disneyland! |
On Monday, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning celebrated his Super Bowl 50 win with a visit to Disneyland. The quarterback was featured in the post-Super Bowl victory parade down Main Street, U.S.A., a Disney Parks tradition since the late-1980s. (Photo © Disney)
Passholder Perks |
Disneyland continued their AP Days last week with the “Live the Adventure” theme. In reality, the offerings didn’t change much from the week prior, save for a a few details including a new collectible button being given out and a scavenger hunt pamphlet.
Below, the scavenger hunt pamphlet given out for last week’s “Live the Adventure!” theme.
A look at last week’s “Main Street to Mickey Mouse” pamphlet:
A look at the offerings in Disney California Adventure’s Stage 17.
Table Service Terrace |
The River Belle Terrace reopened last week with its new southern barbecue-style table service menu. The new BBQ menu fills the void leftover from the loss of the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ, but serves up barbecue dishes at high prices without the Ranch’s all-you-can-eat service.
Blogger at Touring Plans and friend of the blog Guy Selga shared photos from his meal at River Belle Terrace last week and noted that the Pork Spare Ribs tasted just like those served at Big Thunder Ranch. For comparison, the Pork Spare Ribs entree (with four ribs and two sides) at River Belle Terrace comes in at $23 and the all-you-care-to-eat dinner at Big Thunder Ranch was about $32. Which is the better value?
My River Belle Terrace meal: the spareribs. They taste exactly like BTR BBQ pic.twitter.com/TJyKOkSvLC
— Guy Selga (@guyselga) February 12, 2016
As for the outdoor patio, most of it is currently still open. The large section between the River Belle entrance and Stage Door Cafe is open for all guests, which is great for the average guest and those picking up quick service meals from Stage Door Cafe or the Golden Horseshoe.
The small patio area between the River Belle’s entrance and the Pirates of the Caribbean queue is what’s currently reserved exclusively for River Belle guests. Diners can also sit inside the restaurant.
The Frontier Awakens |
Disneyland’s new Star Wars project will be unprecedented in terms of scale for the park, dedicating 14 acres to a single property with massive new facades, rock work, and massive E-Ticket attractions that dwarf even Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones Adventure. Below, a map showing how the new land is expected to impact Disneyland’s landscape once completed in late 2018.
[beforeafter][/beforeafter]
The Circle D Ranch and stables look like the first major backstage facility to glow away as part of the Star Wars expansion construction.
Inside the park, trees along the Rivers of America are behind removed. Guests can get a hazy glimpse at the removal of the wilderness through the scrims on the upper level of the Hungry Bear Restaurant.
Meanwhile, the Mark Twain Riverboat is ramping up its entertainment offerings while the River is closed.
Princess Tiana, Louis the Alligator and Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog can be found wandering the Riverboat throughout the day. Dr. Facilier was on deck when we visited.
Tables and chairs have been added to the lower level as well as in front of the stage on the second level.
The tables and chairs on the second level provide great seating for the Strawhatters, who now perform throughout the day on the Mark Twain’s second-level stage.
It is an absolute treat to enjoy some live music on the Twain. This is a not-to-be-missed experience!
Enjoy a bit of live music on the Riverboat:
Back on Big Thunder Trail, a peek past Big Thunder Mountain shows that work has begin clearing out Big Thunder Ranch and Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree.
The stage and awning structure are still in place but it looks like the area around is being cleared so the rest can be dismantled and removed next.
Walls and CAUTION tape can be seen through the foliage on the hillside near the area where the abandoned mine tunnel from Nature’s Wonderland is.
We expect the Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland tunnel to remain, but the surrounding area will be redeveloped as the Native American village moves closer to the tunnel on the Rivers of America side, and a new pathway to Star Wars Land will open up just north of the tunnel and pond.
Refurbishment Round-Up |
In addition to the major Star Wars expansion, several other projects continue in both parks.
In Tomorrowland, work continues on the Autopia as it gets a fresh look for its new sponsor.
In Critter Country, Splash Mountain is closed through Feb. 18 for refurbishment.
Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters is still behind walls… hopefully it’ll open soon…
The Boy Wizard up in Hollywood has begun soft openings but the only new ride at Disneyland this year — and a minor ride at that — is still behind walls.
Nearby, the Blue Sky Cellar is still getting some exterior work done.
In the Esplanade, a couple of ticket booths on the Harbor Blvd. side of the plaza are closed for refurbishment.
Over at the Disneyland Hotel, the E-Ticket Pool is still closed for refurbishment.
Goofy’s Kitchen has reopened following its refurbishment
And the new tram fueling facility in the Pinocchio lot looks to be near completion.
Enjoy retro fun just steps away from Disneyland at Howard Johnson Hotel & Water Playground A short walk from the park, HoJo Anaheim is conveniently located next to Matterhorn Mountain at Disneyland with nearby dining, freeway access, FREE parking and FREE Wi-Fi. For more information on HoJo Anaheim, room rates, or to book your stay today, visit HoJoAnaheim.com/MiceChat Save with MiceChat & Passholder Discounts Every Day! The HoJo Anaheim is now offering daily discounts for MiceChat members and even DEEPER discounts for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders! For more information visit the HoJo Anaheim Innsider Boards which features an up-to-date listing of available nights, or call (714) 776-6120 and ask for In-House Reservations to book. If your date isn’t listed, the HoJo Anaheim still offers rooms for 20% off their best available rate if you call (714) 776-6120. |
Weekly News & Information Round-Up | ||
Weekly Theme Park Hours February 15-21, 2016 |
||
Disneyland Park | California Adventure | |
Monday: 8 am – 12 am Tue.-Thu.: 9 am – 10 pm Fri.-Sat.: 8 am – 12 am Sunday: 9 am – 9 pm |
Monday: 8 am – 10 pm Tue.-Thu.: 9 am – 9 pm Fri.-Sat.: 8 am – 10 pm Sunday: 9 am – 10 pm |
|
visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
February 15-21
The free Mouseaddict app for iPhone and iPad features more than five dozen categories of searchable resort information, weather forecasts, park and show schedules, the latest news and articles from MiceChat, and more. Download free on the App Store or at mouseaddict.com. |
||
A quick look at noteworthy Disney theme park headlines from around the web. |
||
|
OK— That wraps up this week’s edition of Dateline Disneyland. Hope everybody had a lovely Valentine’s Day — did you celebrate at Disneyland? Let us know in the comments section below!
Special thanks to our Dateline Disneylanders!
Mark D., Bruno, Casey, Hastin Z.! To help support Dateline Disneyland and get some fun swag in return, visit our Patreon page now! Don’t miss our sister blog, Dateline Disney World – a fantastic weekly photo blog covering Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! Thanks for reading. See you at Disneyland! |
FTC-Mandated Disclosure: Promotional consideration for this edition of Dateline Disneyland was provided by the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel & Water Playground. |
You must be logged in to post a comment.