It’s still Hot. I know, I know. We’re still talking about the heat. I believe it’s a Southern California tradition to complain about the weather when it isn’t nice out. And lately, Disneyland has been an oven! As the climate changes and Southern California gets hotter and dryer, Disneyland is going to have to invest in better air conditioning, add more shade, and create more air-conditioned indoor space. As a Floridian, I rarely complain at Walt Disney World. Yeah, it’s hot, but just pop into 1 of 15 nearby stores/attractions/exits/shady trees/etc. for some instant relief. At Disneyland, relief is few and far between when it comes to the heat. However, it seems the Disneylanders cannot be kept out of the heat for long, as this week brought intense crowds several days leaving much of the park gridlocked and HOT! Do you feel sorry for me yet? OF COURSE NOT!! I get to go to Disneyland and I don’t have to live in Florida anymore! I’m the luckiest gal!

Let’s start with a quick update over at Disney California Adventure because the day after we posted the article they started opening new stuff!

We told you that they took down the walls in front of Bing Bong’s Sweet Shop and then it opened this past Saturday. I sent Dusty to shoot some photos for you and he says that while it isn’t quite finished, the shop is lively and full of character and color.

Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff

There’s a covered outdoor portion of the store which has some merchandise racks and a portable register.

The store uses an overlay of the Generic Pixar Pier costume. Castmembers of the store add a hat and apron with Bing Bong’s flower affix

There are lots of rainbows in this store.

Various characters from Inside Out adorn the walls. . .  but mostly Bing Bong.

Bing Bong is made mostly of candy . . . so . . . staying true to character, there’s lots of candy in the store! Most of it is Pixar, and particularly, Inside Out themed.

There’s also a candy counter with frozen drinks, dipped apples, fudge, cake pops and other treats.

It was opening day and they were having trouble with the slushy machines. But the flavors look colorful. Though, it’s hard to tell from the names what they will taste like.

The other half of the store is merchandise, clothing, and plush characters.

Some other Pixar characters make an appearance here too.

Pixar Shorts Film Festival Returns

The Incredibles 2 preview has finally reverted back to the Pixar Shorts Film Festival. This time with three different selections. It is currently showing Bao (which was the short attached to Incredible’s 2), Sanjay’s Super Team, and La Luna. The experience is a people-eater and provides a welcome refuge from the heat. Also, between the relief from the sun and the incredible shorts, it’s enough to make me cry.

There’s another new DCA photo wall. This one is inspired by Disney/PIXAR’s UP. It’s located next to the Buzz Lightyear photo op.

Let’s go walk around Disneyland…this park is now 63 years old after celebrating her birthday on Thursday.

A Day at Disneyland

A romp through Disneyland reveals a number of projects at Tiki Room, Adventureland, Big Thunder, New Orleans Square, and Star Wars land (of course). Let’s take this one trip report style . . .

Let’s take a ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat and see what we see.

Once this rock work for Star Wars Land is complete, I think it will blend in nicely with the  waterfalls in the foreground.

Who is this kooky baby? This is my favorite anthropomorphized beaver, lovingly referred to as the “Murder Beaver” by the MiceChat crew. He’s got a job to do and he doesn’t care who he kills to get these logs for his dam.

Murder Beaver may look vicious, but he knows not of what he does. Beavers have poor eyesight and he likely doesn’t understand steam train technology.

Seriously!!! More. Of. This. Give me cute animatronic animals and I’ll be happy.

These abandoned tracks from Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland are one of my favorite hidden treasures at Disneyland. The long extinct attraction was gone before I was even born, but I’d give anything to experience those Rainbow Caverns.

You can see some of the mountains from Star Wars Land just over the roof of the load building. Personally, I hope they’ll be painted more tan or Big Thunder-ish colors.

Let’s look at the Star Wars Land construction from another angle. . . Tarzan’s Treehouse. . .

Look how the shape of the Star Wars rocks looks not unlike Big Thunder. . .

You can see how the rock formations are coming together. But will they blend with Big Thunder Mountain or stick out? We shall see.

Speaking of Big Thunder, it is currently down for refurbishment. The goat out front should have told ya.

 

In the loading station, they’ve placed a board with mandated HR rules and information. I’m sure this is just for the information of the construction workers. But it looks like the break room at work.

Let’s head through New Orleans Square…by the way, This is my favorite bush at Disneyland. Oh it’s a tree, you say? No it isn’t! The horticulturists at Disneyland coerced this bush into growing very tall and it uses the railings to hang on! Show it to your friends! Our favorite bush!

New Orleans Square can bottleneck at almost any time of the day when the park is busy. Unfortunately, Pirates of the Caribbean is about to get Fastpass, which can significantly lengthen the standby lines, forcing even more people into those busy walkways. Hopefully, Disneyland management will review the situation and refrain from opening Fastpass for this attraction. It will make this area of the park completely unmanageable, which doesn’t make sense given the other efforts in the park to ease congestion.

In Florida, before magic bands and Fastpass+, Pirates was a lovely 5-20 min wait most days (Disneyland’s Pirates can reach 30 minutes to an hour even without the Fastpass). We always did it as our last ride because no matter the time of day, you could go on it. After magic bands and Fastpass+, the wait was consistently 45 min or more every day. Now the only way to ride it without waiting in a long time is to Fastpass it, and on busy days they go quickly. I’m afraid that the only way to stop this at Disneyland is to be vocal that you don’t want Fastpass on this attraction.

This gate between Stage Door and River Belle Terrace continues to be repainted. The paint job is really vibrant and lovely. Can’t wait to see the final result!

Here’s another new thing this week. . .

The Mint Julip Bar now has two registers outside and only uses the windows for pickup. This process seemed to speed up the line, as it wasn’t very long much of the day. A welcome plussing.

But what is this? They sawed off the old wrought iron gates that divided the Mint Julip area from the French Market. There is no divide now as they’ve really pushed the boundaries of the area by installing the registers.

There are walls up in front of Tarzan’s Treehouse, but it remains open. At first I thought this might be to add Fastpass machines for Pirates, but there’s not really room here (as you’ll see from the photos from the Treehouse).

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The Tropical Hideaway is moving along as well in the old Aladdin’s Oasis area.

The construction outside of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room continues. At least the walls have this fun old concept art.

The Dole whip bar was trying a new way to order. They have a cast member walking the line with a tablet, taking your order. When you get to the cash register, you pay and receive your Dole Whip right away. I’m glad Disneyland is actively trying to shorten lines, keep people moving, and get people out of walkways.

Two things we are curious about are what is happening to the restrooms (are they to be removed or perhaps converted into a family bathroom?) and the disability lift (might it be replaced with a ramp?).

Very exclusive picture here, folks. Little did I know, but sometimes it gets so busy they open Disneyland’s Main Street bypass and it happens to go right by the Jungle Cruise boathouse. Let’s go behind the scenes!

Let’s take the train over to it’s a small world, one of my favorite attractions to photograph.

This fox family is still missing its babies. They used to live inside the log.

Hopped on Matterhorn because it’s another one of my favorite attractions. Someday I’ll get a picture of the Yeti. But not this time.

The upper floor of Star Trader, which for years was unused space, is now a new indoor queue area for Space Mountain. This is another welcome addition to get people out of the heat. It looks like a beautiful space! The lighting and props, from the photos, make it feel spacey. I’ll have to check it out next time. Thanks to Brian Pinksy for such great photos!

I’m tired!

There have been a lot of updates to the park recently and it almost feels like they’re listening to what we’ve been saying! The worst aspects of visiting the parks continue to be the crowds that spill into the walkways on hot days. Next year we will gain a little capacity with two new rides in Star Wars Land, but will that and the new land be enough to absorb the crowds? Does a day in heat and crowds tire you out?

 

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My thanks to this week’s sponsor, The Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort.

When I have a long visit to Disneyland, I usually book myself a room at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort and Water Playground so that I don’t have to make the long drive back to Burbank. Recently, I got the chance to visit the refurbished hotel with a bunch of my friends! As a recent transplant to Southern California, I am still learning my history of all the hotels around Anaheim. What initially drew me into the Howard Johnson Anaheim is the incredible architecture and mid-century lines. I’ll let my good friend Charles Phoenix tell you all about the history and overview of what’s new:

I KNOWWWW!

As some of you know, I’m a photographer for Dapper Days. Since I have lots of friends who enjoy dressing up for Disneyland, I invited them to wear their best dapper vacation duds and did a little photo shoot at this mid-century marvel.

Let’s take a peek at the redesigned rooms. They have these adorable mid-century style cups in the rooms that are look-a-like’s for the old vintage paper cups. They even sell a porcelain version in the gift shop!

I just can’t say enough good things about my experience staying at the newly renovated Howard Johnson Anaheim! The staff are genuinely friendly and thoughtful.  I can’t believe how cheap it is to be that close to Disneyland!

HoJo is an original MiceChat partner. We’ve had many events there over the years and they’ve sponsored the site and events since the beginning. But we haven’t had a chance to show you how they’ve changed and the huge investment they’ve made in the property. So, next time you’re considering a hotel room in Anaheim, think about the gorgeous stylings of the Howard Johnson Anaheim. Be sure to ask for the MiceChat rate for an even better deal.

Thanks so much to Charles Phoenix and all my friends for joining me for what was a super fun day!!

And as always, If you’re looking for an incredible photographer, please consider hiring me if only to help make me a success out here in California. I love to shoot live shows, events, weddings and park sessions. Go to www.photographybystephenie.com and mention that you found me on MiceChat for a special rate!

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