Information sources:
Disney Parks Blog | Disneyland Resort Press Releases | MiceAge.com
Orange County Register Around Disney Blog | Los Angeles Times Funland Blog | | and special contributors
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Looking for Concept Art?
These galleries contain much of the various concept art that has been released and leaked.
Buena Vista Street | Paradise Pier | Carsland | Micellaneous
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Buena Vista StreetOverall Project: Retheming of Sunshine Plaza into Buena Vista Street (originally planned to be called Walt Disney Plaza). New park icon, the Carthay Circle Theatre, Red Car Trolley transportation system, and various shops and restaurants.
Project Status: This project has gone through several false starts and re-schedulings including an early 2009, September 2011, and late 2010 start dates. The project finally began September 9 when removal of the Sunshine Plaza sun icon began, followed by the the start of the tile mural demolition on September 13. Construction will last for 18 months.
Open Date: In his August 16, 2011 column,
Al Lutz noted that Buena Vista Street will open in the fourth week of June, 2012. On March 7, 2012
Disney announced that Buena Vista Street would officially open June 15, 2012.
Carthay Circle TheatreDetails: The Carthay Circle Theatre will be built, but without the Walt Disney Story attraction. With the Walt Disney Story attraction canceled, and other rumored plans including an expanded Resort Preview Center not happening, the current plans for the space include a Club 33-style club on the top level and a signature dining location and a bar/lounge for park guests on the ground level.
Project Status: As of January 2011, the removal of the Sunshine Fountain plaza was completed and work to clear the area is underway. Construction on the theater is currently on-going.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Red Car Trolley transportation systemDetails: Reviving the gone-but-not-forgotten Pacific Electric Railway, the new Red Car Trolley system will offer trolley transportation from the entrance of California Adventure, through Carthay Circle Plaza and down Hollywood Boulevard, ending at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Project Status: Track construction completed in Hollywoodland. Track installation has yet to begin on Buena Vista Street. Trolley cars are reportedly under construction off-property.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Buena Vista Street shops and diningDetails: A new Main Street-esque street will house new shops and dining, replacing the tile murals, restrooms, lockers, and Guest Services buildings. The new shop facades will feature nods to Walt Disney's rich life history on shop windows, including "Elias & Co. Dept. Store" and "Oswald’s Gas & Oil." For more information,
see this post.
Project Status: The shops and dining on the west side of Sunshine Plaza (
Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream, Baker's Field Bakery and Engine Ears Toys) will be the first to
be closed and re-themed starting July 31, 2011. It is still unclear when the east side shops will close.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
West side shops and dining Mortimer's MarketDetails: Ads on Buena Vista Street construction walls note Mortimer's Market as having the "freshest fruit in town." The location will be an open-air snack location serving fresh fruits and other healthy snacks.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Julius Katz & Sons Appliances and MoreDetails: A new retail location.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Julius Katz Shoe and Watch RepairDetails: A new retail shop, located next to Julius Katz's appliance store.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Trolley TreatsDetails: Trolley Treats will offer "mountains of candy" and "rivers of fudge," among other sweet treats, according to its ad on Buena Vista Street construction wall. Trolley Treats will relocate the candy shop to the west-side of Buena Vista Street, next to the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Clarabelle's Hand-Scooped Ice CreamDetails: A re-naming, re-theming and expansion of the Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream shop.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Fiddler Fifer and Practical CafeDetails: Advertised as having the "most comfortable booths in town!" on Buena Vista Street construction walls. Will be home to Disney's first in-park Starbucks location, serving Starbucks beverages and signature breakfast sandwiches in the morning and a Disney-created lunch and dinner menu after noon.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Horace's Pawn ShopDetails: This shop is not featured on Buena Vista Street construction wall ads, but
was previously reported as the name of a shop by the LA Times Funland Blog in November 2007.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
East side shops and dining Oswald's Filling StationDetails: A new shop and thematic addition themed as a 1920s gas station, Oswald's Filling Station is named after Walt Disney's first cartoon star - Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The Filling Station will be located on your left hand side immediately after entering Disney California Adventure.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Los Feliz Five and DimeDetails: A new retail location which will occupy a portion of the Greetings from California store's northern space, the Five and Dime was previously illustrated as Sewards Five and Dime in concept art.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Big Top ToysDetails: The entrance to this new toy shop will be immediately under the Monorail bridge. This retail location was previously called Carolwood Trains, Craft and Hobby,
as reported by the LA Times Funland blog in November 2007.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Elias and Company Department StoreDetails: A complete re-theming of the Greetings from California store, this will likely be the primary souvenir shop of Buena Vista Street, on-par with Disneyland's Emporium.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Kingswell Camera ShopDetails: Ads for the camera shop say its located in the Elysian Arcade, suggesting the camera shop (a PhotoPass location) will stay in its current location inside Greetings from California, but the space will be carved out to appear more as a separate shop within the larger Elias and Company Department Store.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Atwater Ink and Paint Art SupplyDetails: It isn't noted as being located in the Elysian Arcade, but a small specialty store like this may be located within the space.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Trolley TreatsDetails: Trolley Treats will offer "mountains of candy" and "rivers of fudge," among other sweet treats, according to its ad on Buena Vista Street construction wall. This shop will likely be a re-theming of the current candy shop located between Elias and Company Department Store and the entrance to Hollywoodland.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Doc Sherwood ApothecaryDetails: This shop is not featured on Buena Vista Street construction wall ads, but
was previously reported as the name of a shop by the LA Times Funland Blog in November 2007.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Performance Corridor closure & Pixar Play Parade hiatusDetails: Due to construction, DCA's performance corridor will be closed in varying degrees throughout 2011, beginning in January 2011 with the complete closure of a section in the Paradise Pier area. An even larger section of the thoroughfare will be completely closed starting June 2011. Due to this, the Pixar Play Parade will be on hiatus for much of the year. Smaller "pop-up" shows will be used to offer entertainment during the parade's hiatus.
Project Status: Starting January 4, construction walls in Sunshine Plaza will be extended further, resulting in a tighter walkway through the park's entrance plaza. The Pixar Play Parade will go on hiatus January 4, which is expected to last until November. During this time, smaller "Pixar Pop-Up" shows will entertain guests elsewhere in the park in lieu of a full parade.
Temporary Park EntranceDetails: A temporary park entrance has been long-rumored while heavy construction on Buena Vista Street renders the park's main entrance inaccessible to park guests. The entrance was previously rumored to utilize Stage 12 in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot and then later rumored to use the utility gate between Condor Flats and Grizzly Peak Recreation Area. It was later confirmed by the OC Register's Around Disney blog that guests would enter through the park's new Pan-Pacific turnstiles, make a hard right turn and pass through a backstage corridor behind Soarin' Over California and enter the park near the Condor Flats/Grizzly Peak utility gate.
Project Status: Temporary entrance rerouting expected to start in August with the only solid date being August 29, 2011, as reported in a December 2010 article.
Open Date: August 29, 2011.
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HollywoodlandOverall Project: Various re-theming and enhancement projects, including the addition of the Red Car Trolley route, will transform Hollywood Boulevard into a 1930s-era portrait of Hollywood. The Hollywood Pictures Backlot will be renamed Hollywoodland.
Project Status: Red Cars are in progress, but most other Hollywoodland remodeling will begin in Phase 2.
Open Date: Various
Hollywood Boulevard placemakingDetails: Signage and facade enhancements will help make Hollywood Blvd. fit a 1930s Hollywood theme.
Project Status: Unknown.
Completion Date: Unknown
Hyperion Theatre placemakingDetails: A new facade and indoor lobby for the Hyperion Theatre has been a long-rumored project.
Project Status: Unknown.
Completion Date: Unknown
Muppet*Vision 3D replacementDetails: Various ideas have been considered for this venue ranging from Mickey's PhilharMagic from WDW, a "flex-theatre," and a Chronicles of Narnia special effects show. Currently, Muppet*Vision will remain, and it is unknown what will eventually replace the show.
Project Status: Unknown.
Open Date: Unknown.
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Paradise PierOverall Project: Retheming of Paradise Pier to Victorian-style seaside amusement zone includes the addition of Toy Story Midway Mania attraction and the retheming of Games of the Boardwalk, Mullholland Madness, Sun Wheel, Orange Stinger, and dining locations. Also included is the removal of Maliboomer and Golden Dreams with the addition of Paradise Park and The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
Project Status: In Progress
Project Completion/Soft Open: First phase concluded with the opening of Toy Story Midway Mania! and the surrounding area's re-theming with soft-openings in April 2008 and a official opening in July 2008. Additional phases of this project are on-going.
California Screamin' queue and eastern Paradise PierDetails: Work would remove the tacky aesthetic of Paradise Pier from California Screamin' to King Triton's Carousel and would re-theme the area to match the 1920s seaside amusement zone theme of Toy Story Midway Mania and the Games of the Boardwalk.
Project Status: Delayed indefinitely.
Open Date: Unknown
Paradise Pier shopsDetails: Point Mugu Tattoo, Man Hat N Beach, and Sideshow Shirts will close and be re-themed inside and out, including new facades.
Project Status: Previously expected begin Fall 2009, the project has yet to begin. Rumored to be indefinitely delayed. Al Lutz noted in
his 11/9/10 column that the project was canceled, but that the shops and Maliboomer area may become the entrance/queue space of a future attraction.
Open Date: Unknown
Jumpin' Jellyfish removalProject Status: Jumpin' Jellyfish was originally slated to be removed before the spring 2010 premiere of World of Color, but it will remain in place for the indefinite future.
Completion Date: Unknown.
Princess Palace RestaurantDetails: Ariel's Grotto will be re-themed and renamed Princess Palace, a character dining location with a focus on Disney princesses.
Project Status: Unknown.
Open Date:
Unknown.
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Golden State
Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory Tour and Soda FountainDetails: The Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory would take guests through a small chocolate factory exhibit and empty into an accompanying soda fountain and chocolate shop in the space formerly occupied by the Mission Tortilla Factory. Al Lutz had details on the expanded exhibit and soda fountain in
his April 30 column. On December 1, 2011, the
Disney Parks Blog confirmed that a Ghirardelli soda fountain and retail space would open in the former Mission Tortilla Factory space "late-spring" 2011. Disney made no mention of a chocolate-making or factory exhibit of any sort.
Project Status: In progress. On May 30 the Mission Tortilla Factory officially closed and the windows at the attraction were covered in black cloth, hiding all views into the space.
Open Date: Late-spring 2012.
Condor Flats rethemeDetails: The desert airstrip theme will be removed and the area will be re-themed to match the Grizzly Peak Recreation Area's state parks theme.
Project Status: Unknown
Open Date: Unknown
Soarin' Over the World
Details: The California theme of the attraction will be removed and a new on-ride film will take guests on an aerial tour of the world.
Project Status: Unknown
Open Date: 2013 (Rumored)
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Cars LandOverall Project: Utilizing 12 acres of the former Timon Parking Lot, this is new land will feature three new attractions including the major new Radiator Springs Racers "E"-Ticket attraction, as well as new shopping and dining experiences themed to Disney-Pixar's
Cars Project Status: In progress. Walt Disney Imagineering officially broke ground on the Cars Land project July 8, 2009, according to the
July 9 MiceAge.com Editor's Note by Al Lutz. On October 13, 2010, Al Lutz
offered detailed information on the shops and restaurants coming to Cars Land in 2012 in the MiceChat Round-Up. On March 7, 2012,
Disney announced that Cars Land would officially open June 15, 2012.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Radiator Springs RacersDetails: A brand new E-Ticket attraction, utilizing Epcot's Test Track ride system technology in conjunction with state-of-the-art Audio Animatronics and special effects, Radiator Springs Racers will bring the story of Cars to life in a new an exciting way. The attraction will conclude with a high-speed race through Radiator Springs.
Project Status: In progress. Heavy construction continues on the attraction, from the ride experience to the themed mountain peaks.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
The CourthouseDetails: The Radiator Springs court house, located at the end of the land's main street, will act as the entrance of the Radiator Springs Racers attraction.
Open Date: Will open June 15, 2012 as part of Radiator Springs Racers attraction
Ramone's House of Body ArtDetails: This merchandise location will serve as the exit gift shop for the Radiator Springs Racers attraction.
Open Date: Will open June 15, 2012 as part of Radiator Springs Racers attraction
Mater's Junkyard JamboreeDetails: The Bountiful Valley Farm area of A Bug's Land was closed September 7, 2010. The area will become home to the main entrance of Cars Land as well as one of the land's new rides, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.
Project Status: As of January 2011, the land has been cleared awaiting construction.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Luigi's Roamin' TiresDetails: Utilizing a new version of Disneyland's old Flying Saucers ride system, Luigi's Roamin' Tires will offer a unique ride on floating bumper cars themed as giant tires.
Project Status: In progress.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Fillmore's Taste-InDetails: Located in a geodesic dome near the entrance to Cars Land, Fillmore's Taste-In will be a snack bar themed to the hippy VW minibus from the Cars film. The Taste-In will serve fruit themed smoothies and healthy snacks.
Project Status: Construction not yet underway.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Cozy Cone MotelDetails: A faithful recreation of the five-cone motel from the film, the Cozy Cone Motel will serve as a food court serving snacks, light meals and drinks. Food offerings will playfully include the word "cone" in their name, such as "Chili Cone Carne," "Popcone," or "Cone on the Cob"
Project Status: In progress.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Flo's V8 CafeDetails: Flo's V8 Cafe will be Cars Land's largest and most prominent foodservice location and will serve traditional American fast-food fare including hamburgers, milkshakes and root beer floats. Service will be counter-service, much like Disneyland's Tomorrowland Terrace and dining space will be on a sprawling outdoor patio. The dining location may also include a stage for live music.
Project Status: In progress.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Radiator Springs CuriosDetails: Serving as the primary merchandise location in Cars Land, Radiator Springs Curios is expected to offer unique merchandise items themed to roadside Americana and the Cars films.
Project Status: In progress.
Open Date: June 15, 2012
Sarge's Surplus HutDetails: Themed to the Sarge character in Cars, the Surplus Hut is set to be another merchandise location, but will not open with the rest of Cars Land in 2012. The shop may open at a later date which will be decided based on guest demand.
Project Status: Construction not yet underway.
Open Date: Building will be visible to guests entering Cars Land in 2012, but it is unknown when it will open to guests.
Cars Land Drive-In RestaurantDetails: A full-service dining location, the Drive-In Theater-themed restaurant would bring a fourth foodservice location to the Cars Land area. Plans for the locations were put on hold and the restaurant may be built at a later date, depending on guest demand.
Project Status: On indefinite hold. Possibly to be built in Phase 2 expansion.
Open Date: Unknown
