Hey howdy hey everyone! Are you ready to party? We are busy working on all sorts of stories for you which will focus on new Disney entertainment, food, merchandise and attractions which begin rolling out later this week and branded as “Pixar Fest.” Today we have a quick Disneyland Update for you. Then, later this week we’ll have all sorts of Pixar Fest photos, news and video for you. To get it all as it happens, please follow our social media. And for additional photos and our thoughts, please check the site daily.

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, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

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Preparing for Pixar Fest

A lot of work is going into Disneyland’s upcoming Pixar Fest. Not only will the park launch a whole new multimedia fireworks show, upgrade the two existing parades, and offer specialty food, merchandise, and entertainment . . . but they are doing a Pizza Planet overlay of Tomorrowland’s Pizza Port restaurant as well.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond A similar project redressed Village Haus as Red Rose Taverne last year and is still going strong. So the possibility exists that Pizza Planet may linger on after the September 3rd end of Pixar Fest.

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The Village Haus redo was conducted at night without the restaurant needing to close at all during the day. We expect something similar at Pizza Port.

Pixar Play Parade is moving to Disneyland later this week as well. . . and that means that Disney is going to need to wrap up the parade gate relocation project on small world mall.
, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
The construction scrim was removed from around the small world clocktower. We think they were working on the parade of nations which happens every 15 minutes at the base of the clock. While we were there the parade did not happen, nor was the clock ticking back and forth.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

The walls were still up over the weekend but will be coming down shortly to accommodate the Pixar Play Parade.

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Later this week the Pixar Play Parade will begin performances at Disneyland for the first time. The show was previously shown at Disney California Adventure.  It will be enhanced with some new units from UP and Inside Out as well as being led by Pixar’s famous Luxo Lamp

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“PIXAR PLAY PARADE”  (Disney•Pixar/Disneyland Resort)

But the main attraction is going to be fireworks.  The new “Together Forever” fireworks show will use digital mapping projectors to transform Main Steet as well as the castle, small world, and the Fantasmic mist screens.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

The show is inspired by the theme of friendship in so many Pixar films.

We are really looking forward to trying the new food for you. Someone’s got to do it.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
Pixar Fest Celebration Cake, inspired by the familiar yellow Pixar Ball, at Plaza Inn at Disneyland park and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta at Disney California Adventure park.

Stay with us all week for more info on Pixar Fest as it happens.

Star Wars

Disneyand has held Star Wars events in the past, but they have tended to be available to regular day guests and last for months. This year the event is going to be a special after-hours ticketed event and will be held on May 3rd.  It has already sold out and will offer Hyperspace Mountain.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Speaking of Star Wars, the new trailer for the upcoming Han Solo film is out and I’m obsessed. PLEASE Disney, replace the Path of the Jedi show with a long trailer of Solo or at least add the public trailer to the current show in the Magic Eye Theater (old Honey I shrunk the Audience theater).

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Galaxy’s Edge Construction continues as well. It’s hard to believe but around this time next year they’ll be getting ready to begin previews.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Rockwork towers over the land and hides the show buildings.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Just a few months ago it looked like it was going to be hard for them to hide these huge show buildings. But they’ve got it all under control.  The tops and sides of all the buildings are now wrapped with rockwork scaffolds which will soon be meshed and then covered in rock.  It’s too bad that folks parking in the Mickey and Friends structure will have the illusion ruined upon arrival at the resort. But you really do get the sense of scale of the project from this side of the construction.

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And a big sign that the project is reaching a new phase is when trees start showing up.  The landscape is just starting to form.  Interesting indeed and we are so glad this won’t be a desert planet. Shade is a welcome thing in a theme park.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

So, how do all those big mountains look from inside the park? In many areas they look just fine. But they do stick out most prominently in ToonTown.

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Because they appear as mountains or rocks and not as anything iconically Star Wars, they do look mostly fine as background decoration to the Rivers of America.

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Construction and Pending Projects

But Star Wars isn’t the only project in the park, nor the only area in need. While in ToonToon looking for the Star Wars mountains, we couldn’t help but notice the poor shape Mickey’s mountains are in.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

The rooftops are faded and in bad shape throughout the land. But it’s the hills behind Mickey and Minnie’s that are the most noticeable.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
This is really bad show. Mickey’s ToonTown has always been hard to maintain. Bright colored paint fades quickly in the California sun and the hands of kids touching everything breaks the interactive elements. But this is above and beyond the normal wear and tear and should have been fixed long before it became obvious to the naked eye.
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The paint is washing off the hills in many areas with cracks now visible.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Splash Mountain Drops Back In This Week!

Splash will return this weekend and is testing now. We happened upon the attraction as logs were dropping down a waterless Chick-a-pin Hill.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

With no water on the drop, I didn’t even think twice about looking for testing. But then I saw something moving in the flume.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

It was logs moving through the flume. But surely they couldn’t make the drop.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Sure enough, they were dropping. The boats have wheels which allow them to navigate the dips in the cavern of bees as well as the various drops throughout the ride.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

You can watch a log filled with test dummies (large water-filled jugs which simulate the weight of riders) in our Instagram video below.

Tropical Hideaway

No progress yet at Aladdin’s Oasis, which is scheduled to undergo a transformation into a tiki-themed refreshment area later this year.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
THE TROPICAL HIDEAWAY IN ADVENTURELAND AT DISNEYLAND PARK (ANAHEIM, Calif.) – The former Aladdin’s Oasis will soon be transformed into The Tropical Hideaway in Adventureland at Disneyland park. Guests will find an exotic traders’ market, featuring all of the sights, sounds and flavors of the tropics. (Disneyland Resort)

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Dumbo

The classic Disneyland spinner remains behind wraps but is being reassembled now. If testing goes well it will return on the 18th.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
Just beyond Monstro is the Dumbo construction.

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A new queue is tucked behind the attraction, rather than near the Fantasyland walkways.  It’s all part of the many queue and garden reconfiguration projects designed to open pathways and remove as many roadblocks as possible.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Speaking of reconfigured gardens, a fenced garden was removed from outside Pinocchio. The trees remain, but the flowers have been replaced by strollers.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
Is it just my eyes playing tricks on me or are strollers getting bigger by the day?! No wonder Disney needs to remove their pretty gardens . . . these giant strollers need somewhere to park because it wouldn’t take many of them to completely block many of Disney’s tighter walkways.
, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
The cobblestones on the left are the normal Fantasyland pavement. The larger bricks and the round cobbles are part of the reworked area.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

This and That

While at the parking structure shooting the Star Wars construction, we popped our heads around the corner to look at the massive parking lot expansion as well.  Groundwork is now well underway and it won’t be long before the structure goes vertical.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
Trams unload outside, with security and loading inside the structure.

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
Spring blooms area really lovely.
, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
While this shot makes the park look busy, it wasn’t nearly as crowded most days of Spring Break this year that we have become accustomed to. At least it didn’t seem as busy. This shot was on Saturday and Space Mountain had only a 50 minute wait.

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, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond , Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond
I’m nostalgic about these pink flowers on Big Thunder Trail. As a child in Kansas, my grandmother had Coral Bells just like these. Reminds me of her.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
Thank you for joining us today.

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, Disneyland Photo Update – To Infinity and Beyond

Dusty Sage
Dusty is the founder and CEO of MiceChat.com. When he's not visiting theme parks and writing, editing or speaking about Disney and theme parks worldwide, Dusty is involved in multiple Disney related projects and charities. He helped save and restore the charming Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago, launched the Dick Van Dyke Foundation, and is the curator of Walt Disney's historic 1930's estate in Hollywood. If you've got news or photos to share with the MiceChat community, or would like to book Dusty for an upcoming event, please contact [email protected]