David Koenig

For the first time in years, I returned to the Orange County Superior Courthouse to check up on the latest legal accusations against the Disneyland Resort. The biggest surprise? To see just how many lawsuits involved the disabled—roughly a...

Of all the cast member misadventures I’ve shared over the years in books like Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland, the most eye-opening stories frequently involve untoward behavior by the characters. There was the crazed visitor who pulled...

More than 29 months after going dark, Disneyland has reopened its beloved Silhouette Studio on Main Street. The offerings are the same (at $11.99 per face) and the space looks familiar—though in recent weeks Disney refreshed the wallpaper and upgraded...

David Koenig explains the April 30th reopening date for Disneyland and the need for patience in reopening the Disneyland Resort — and for precautions following a recent incident.  Disneyland's Reopening Timeline Here's the official announcement:  I’m hearing two distinctly different reactions to Disney’s...

Remember me? The last time you heard from your weary correspondent was back in early June, to share news that cast members had begun murmuring that Disneyland was about a week away from announcing plans to finally reopen on...

Disneyland should be weeks—if not days—away from a long-awaited announcement! All signs point to a mid-July reopening of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, predicted by cast members who are starting to return to work after a near-two-month furlough. Since the start...

It’s been two years since I last visited the Orange County Courthouse to see who’s prosecuting the Mouse at the Halls of Justice. As expected, many of the cases sounded familiar, but there were plenty of new wrinkles. Disorder in...

Last week, I sat on a Career Panel for Chapman University’s Club 55 Disney club, along with an Imagineer just back from a month in Japan. He was working on Tokyo Disneyland’s New Fantasyland, which is swallowing part of...

Four years ago, for its 60th anniversary, Disneyland honored 10 members of the prestigious “Club 55” during a flurry of special activities. The festivities began on July 15, when former Parks head Dick Nunis hosted a private dinner for...

Happy Anniversaries! That’s Number 64 to Disneyland, and Number 25 to my first book, Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland, published July 17, 1994. Little did I know that day, as I signed and dated the first 151...

One of the defining characteristics of a culture is its language. The newly inducted citizens of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge have been given a list of phrases to use with their guests from planet Earth. I'll let you decide...

It will come as no surprise to our readers that the force rising at the back of Disneyland will change many things. And how will Disney keep Galaxy's Edge from overflowing with tourists? Advance reservations! I've got a number...

I've got something old and something new for you today. First up, a piece of Disneyland's earliest history has been unlocked. Then, we'll take a look at security changes at the Disneyland Resort. And finally, a welcome holiday surprise...

From one end of Disneyland's history to the other. I have two new items for you today which span the earliest days of the park with some additional detail on the upcoming Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. And please read...

When they arrive for work, Disneyland Resort cast members may soon be having their bags and purses checked by an X-ray machine and walking through a metal detector just like at an airport. The possibility was discussed at a recent...

In researching the early history of Disneyland, I recently spent a day at UCLA poring through the personal papers of Ruth Patricia Shellhorn. Ms. Shellhorn was a celebrated landscape architect best known for creating a new landscaping style for...

David Koenig checks in with a few little Disneyland rumor mill items for you today. Time for the Star Wars shuffle. . . Changes in resort parking, Galaxy’s Edge A source in Resort Transportation & Parking says guests and cast members...

We have a special short Disneyland update from David Koenig today: Back on Track With the installation of all-new streetcar track completed along Main Street, Disneyland’s horse-drawn trolleys will be returning to service this Thursday, March 29. Portions of the removed rail...

It won't open until next year, but Star Wars Land is already having a profound effect on everything that’s happening in every corner of the Disneyland Resort. This week’s announcements of the repurposing of restaurants in Adventureland at Disneyland and...

Frank Pfannenstiel, the last of the original Disneyland cowboys, has ridden off into the sunset at the age of 92. Born in Fort Hays, Kansas, Frank was a real wrangler, having spent his early years on a wheat farm before...