Another round of openings are just about to hit the Disneyland Resort. Salt and Straw and World of Disney are both preparing for big reveals. Two new gastropubs are also getting closer to launch. Meanwhile, all sorts of projects continue at Disneyland and the Enchanted Tiki Room will return later this week. Plus, the Disneyland Resort has crowned two new Ambassadors. They’re going to be very busy with everything the resort is about to open! Lots to see today and we look forward to your comments.
World of Disney
The half of World of Disney closest to the parks has reopened, while the other half has once again closed to add the final touches. The newly opened side still isn’t complete, there is still some “new magic” which they plan to add. There’s also quite a bit of backstory which has been developed to explain the look of the new store . . . it involves an abandoned warehouse, the legendary Nine Old Men of Disney Animation, and “finding” original brickwork and advertising from a defunct bus company. The average guest isn’t going to know or care about that story, it’s entirely a nod to the diehard Disney fans.
They are still promoting a “Fall 2018” reopening, but judging from how complete the other side was when it was closed for final touches, we’d guess that they are very close to an opening date. Meanwhile, you can visit a portion of the new store right now.
Let’s take a look at some of the new details. . .
You can see the remnants of the old bus company signage on the brickwork.
Displays feature Walt’s nine old men.
Nine of the check-out desks have drawings and sketches. Each desk represents a one of the nine old men.
String art throughout the store represents the animation color palette.
Here’s a quick video walkthrough:
TODAY’S UPDATE SPONSORED BY:
The Anaheim Hotel
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New Ambassadors
Two new Disneyland Ambassadors have been announced for 2019-2020. Justin Rapp, a Jungle Cruise veteran, and Rafa Barron, a working lead for Tomorrowland attractions, were selected from over 100 applicants to be official Disneyland representatives. I was able to speak with both of the new Ambassadors as well as Diane Killeen who oversees the Ambassador program.
Good luck guys . . . you are going to be extra busy next year when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens.
Tiki Room
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is just about to reopen. According to one of our friends it was running Saturday, but when we went to the park Sunday to shoot these photos, the attraction was still closed. The Disneyland Resort website shows the attraction reopening on Tuesday of this week. However, the courtyard has reopened.
Aside from refreshed Tiki gods, the remodel of the lanai also removed the ugly wheelchair lift and replaced it with a wheelchair accessible ramp. The new ramp runs along the far eastern side of the patio and ends where the bathrooms once were.
At the exit, new stairs have been built, the lift removed, and huge construction walls separate the Tiki Room from Tropical Hideaway construction.
Tropical Hideaway
Construction for the Tropical Hideaway is well underway, there is certainly a lot of work going on in this little spot, but it’s still a long way off from complete.
Here’s what the project will look like when done. The Hideaway will be open to the Jungle Cruise river on one side. The old stage and all blocking structures have been removed.
The courtyard fountain will remain.
The concept art shows seating on the upper patio of the Tiki Room.
What appears to be an animatronic bird is also featured in the area.
Two of the gable roofs, which have long since been removed, how have some plastic sheeting on them…..
Hub Walls
On the west side of Disneyland’s central hub, work continues. . . though not at the same fast pace as some other projects in the resort.
But on the inside of those construction walls, not all that much has been done.
Matterhorn
Matterhorn Mountain finally has a return date. If all goes well, you can start riding again on November 16th.
The waterfall facing the Sub Lagoon has noticeable scaffolding.
Trees are being replanted in the area in front of the attraction. The gardens and walkways have been reworked to better accommodate Fastpass and Single Rider.
Gay Days
This past weekend was unofficial Gay Days at the Resort. It’s no surprise that the park was filled up to near capacity for most of the weekend. On Saturday, the security check line wound up reaching Harbor Boulevard. Additionally, the FastPass system was down for the better half of the day as well.
This and That
Earl of Sandwich is back from the dead. It’s all the way you remember it. . .
With Earl reopened, the food trucks have been moved around. . . which actually looks nicer and helps fill up the area a bit more. There’s also daily entertainment on the stage.
Black Tap and Ballast Point continue their long construction projects. And while it doesn’t look like they’ve made much progress, Ballast Point recently held a job fair and hopes to open before the end of the year. They are requiring all applicants to be available throughout November and December of this year.
Here are some additional concept images of Ballast Point.
Another project which is just about to open is Salt and Straw. Staff are already in the location and product is now in-house as well. They could soft open at any time.
Over in DCA, a preview for the live action Nutcracker and the Four Realms has opened. Unlike recent previews, this one doesn’t include a display of costumes or props.
Nothing to see here yet. No obvious hints of construction other than the removal of the Bugs Land sign.
A new line of Cinderella products has been popular. Dishes, cups, candle holders and Christmas ornaments mark the collection.
Broadway to the Rescue
The update this week is a little short because we’ve been swamped with Halloween coverage and working on our charity event – Broadway to the Rescue on October 13th in Hollywood. It’s a show that features over 30 Broadway stars, many of whom have performed in hit Disney shows on Broadway. With a total cast of nearly 100, this will be an incredible night of entertainment. AND, this year’s show will be entirely from the Disney songbook!! We’ve got a special way for you to save on tickets to this special event. Just use discount code MARYPOPPINS (all in caps) at checkout to save 20% off any ticket type. Keep in mind that tickets are going fast, and this is something you don’t want to miss out on because all proceeds will benefit Hope of the Valley, an organization that works to help solve LA’s epidemic homelessness problem. TICKETS HERE (GET THE VIP TICKETS TO JOIN THE STARS AT THE AFTER PARTY!!!)
Use Promo Code MARYPOPPINS to save 20% (TICKETS HERE)Join the chat:
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