Disneyland Resort Update: Treasures of the Tropical Hideaway

It’s only been a few days since our Monday Update filled with Disneyland news and openings, but we are back with even more openings and news from the resort. Tops on our list this week is the opening of the long-awaited Tropical Hideaway in Adventureland.

Tropical Hideaway Soft Opens

A beautiful addition to Disneyland soft opened to guests yesterday. The Tropical Hideaway has a little something for everyone: the food is delightful; the Dole Whip comes in three yummy flavors and with multiple options; and the seating has a panoramic view of the Jungle Cruise. There’s even an animatronic Tiki bird, AND the space is filled with props, in-jokes, and backstory which ties together the many thematic elements of the land.

Here’s a walk-through of the land with Dusty Sage:

We were at the park at opening to check it all out for you and were frankly delighted with the look and feel of the new space and how comfortable it all feels. We posted right away to our Facebook and Instagram pages.

The Hideaway was built on top of the old Aladdin’s Oasis space and reveals the river which ran under that space toward the Jungle Cruise. In many ways the Hideaway celebrates water with a waterfall entry sign, stream, and views of the Jungle Cruise river.

The Tropical Hideaway takes full advantage of its spot between the Tiki Room and the Jungle Cruise by embracing elements of both attractions.

Have you ever wondered what happened to Rosita? . . . Well, she’s flown the coop. Her bags are packed and she’s waiting for her Jungle Cruise boat to come in and take her on a world tour. Meanwhile, she’s telling corny Jungle Cruise style jokes to guests of the Tropical Hideaway.

The food offered at the Tropical Hideaway is great. Most folks will be drawn to the Dole Whip, which is offered in pineapple, orange and raspberry. You can get it swirled, as a float, or “loaded” with fruit and Pocky sticks!

The Pineapple swirled with Orange was my favorite.

But don’t miss trying the steamed buns. They are offered in beef, chicken and veggie. Note that the beef is likely the most approachable for most guests. It’s not spicy, and more like a beef stew in a bun. Savory and delicious. I also enjoyed the chicken, which has a heavy curry flavor. The veg bun is the spiciest of the lot. It’s good, but won’t be for everyone.

There’s also a delightful pineapple dessert lumpia which is not to be missed. It’s pineapple and cream cheese on the inside, wrapped in dough, fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Dusty didn’t get a good shot of the raman shaker salad, but it’s light, refreshing, and has a wonderful onion dressing.

As part of the project to bring the Tropical Hideaway to life, the exit walkway and disabled access lift at the Tiki Room were also reworked. The ugly lift has been completely removed and ramps are now available at both entrance and exit of the attraction.  Stairs have been installed where the lift was previously located so guests can go directly to the Tropical Hideaway if they’d like.

The Hideaway is an important part of a park-wide effort to prepare for increased attendance once Star Wars land opens. The new space allows crowds to rest and get a quick bite out of the way of busy pathways.

The Tropical Hideaway is a win for guests. They’ve taken an under-used space and turned it into something which will no doubt be a popular spot to take a breather. It has that classic Disneyland look and if you weren’t a frequent Disneyland visitor, you might just assume that the Hideaway has always been there.

A Christmas Fantasy Update

After the big Santa-fail last week (where the jolly old elf was ejected from his sleigh), his float had to be removed for repair.  Initially, Santa was moved to the Chip and Dale mailroom float and the parade ended abruptly with Buzz Lightyear. They’ve since softened the ending with dancing reindeer, carolers and a Christmas tree, while Santa remains more toward the middle of the parade. While it would be better if Santa were the final element of the parade, the new configuration will work in a pinch and feels much more show-ready.

Mrs. Claus was kicked off her float a couple of years ago and now walks the parade route.

 \ x

Naples Reopens 

Naples restaurant in Downtown Disney has been reopening in stages. First, they completed the expansive outdoor patio and bar. Then they opened the upstairs dining room and patio. And yesterday they quietly opened the downstairs indoor space. They also recently reopened their quick-dining location next door, Nappolini.

Here’s now the new downstairs dining room with show kitchen looks.

We love the whimsical new lighting.

They have upstairs and downstairs kitchens.

Construction Land

We focused on Disneyland projects on Monday, so let’s take a look at some of the DCA projects first, but we have things to show you from both parks and the hotels as well.

Bugs Land/Marvel Land Transformation: 

Marvel Land is on the move. Huge piles of dirt can now be seen over the construction walls.

On the Hollywood Side, tree clearing is noticeable.

The Tuck and Roll bumper car tent remains for now.

You can see that the giant clover and the flat rides have been removed from Bugs Land.

Also, the little billboards in Cars Land which lead to Bugs Land have been updated to try to convince you its the end of the road.

World of Color Return Delayed

Dusty shared word on Tuesday that plans to return World of Color to DCA in time for the holiday season have fallen through and the show may not return for several months at this point.

Pixar Pier

There are a few things I want to point out on Pixar Pier that don’t seem to be aging well.

Poor Luxo Jr. He’s brand new and already at reduced function. Several of our staff had noticed that while there is some motion on the head of the figure, the motion base was no longer working . . . leaving the figure continually looking out toward the lagoon as if it was pondering the delayed return of World of Color.

It’s a shame they weren’t able to add any Christmas decorations to Pixar Pier this year.

They didn’t even reuse the decor Midway Mania had last year.

Some new blue shade awnings have been installed at the carousel construction site.

The Incredibles Plaza fountain is suffering from discoloration again.

There are also broken lights in the fountain.

There’s some work being done on the future Inside Out attraction.

Jumping over to the Disneyland Hotel . . .

Hotel Quick-service Construction

Tangaroa Terrace is getting a complete remodel which will alow for alcohol sales.

White Water Remodel

Over at the Grand California, White Water Snacks has closed and is being expanded. A new structure will be placed overlooking the pool area that will most likely be the bar expansion as well as an area to order food. 

At Disneyland, the construction walls have come down from in front of Peter Pan . . .

Peter Pan Wheelchair Queue

A former garden is now a queue for disabled guests.  This should help prevent disabled guests from blocking the tight walkway between the Carousel and the attraction.

Honestly, it looks pretty good. The small garden in the middle with lamppost is a great little details

Mickey and Friends Parking Structure Expansion

The escalators are going in on the new side of the parking esplanade.

Tram Script 

A few weeks ago Disney updated audio on the trams. We note that they now push multi-day tickets and Max Pass instead of Annual Passes

Tram Audio to Esplanade:

And back to the Structure, Disney updated to now advertise upgrading your day tickets to an Annual Pass through the app:

This and That

New yellow premium popcorn buckets

It’s finally fall here in SoCal. We only get three seasons in California, and though it is forecast to be in the upper 70s and 80s this week, some of our trees are finally starting to drop leaves so they can get ready for spring, This is as close to winter as we get folks.

Festival of Holidays is a fun activity with festive entertainment and food. Unfortunately, it’s expensive to eat at the festival booths.  And as a result, you’ll often find that most booths have no wait.

But that doesn’t mean that the park isn’t busy. The parade route is filled with people standing around and celebrating the holidays. They just aren’t waiting in long lines they way they do at Food and Wine Festival.

I suspect that if they lowered prices a bit, they’d actually make more money in increased volume at the booths.

Now One of the things I really do love about the Festival is the entertainment featured as each of the groups are amazing and help hit all the points that the food booths don’t and really make this Festival a Disney festival.

Love this show.

Hollywood Backlot needs some nighttime entertainment that is continuous, like Sunset Seasons or Osborn Family of Light at Walt Disney World, or even bring back and ElecTRONica-style dance party to help balance crowds across the parks/resort. What do you think folks? What activities should they be doing at DCA to get you to spend your evenings there instead of at Disneyland?

Is it just me, or is Raph should not be that pink?

The terrazzo compass in the esplanade between the parks has been deteriorating for years. They have patched bits of it as potholes form, but it’s probably just too fragile for such a high traffic area. Would you rather see them make patches or remove it entirely? We’d like to see them finally build that fountain which was always planned for this space.

Join us for NYE at Universal Studios Hollywood

Join your MiceChat pals for a New Year’s Eve like no other. Ring in 2019 and party until 2 AM at Universal Studios Hollywood’s special park-wide event – EVE – which features multiple party areas with DJ’s, live musical performances, dancing and a traditional New Year’s Eve countdown at midnight with spectacular fireworks displays seen from multiple viewing locations. Our exclusive MiceChat event kicks off at 6 pm and includes admission, Universal Express™ access including one-time express access to each heart-pounding ride and attraction and seated show, as well as a $15 meal voucher (valid at in-park restaurants). All of this for just $129 per person! Tickets are sold directly by Universal. You’ll check in with MiceChat in front of the park (to the right of the front gate near Guest Relations between 5:30 and 6pm) to pick up your meal voucher.

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

Gumball Rally February 9th, 2019 – TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

Save the date! The world-famous Gumball Rally returns with some exciting twists which take the event back to its roots and celebrates the 50th anniversary of an iconic classic Disneyland attraction!!! Don’t miss out on our ghostly mischief. Info and Tickets HERE

MiceChat Anniversary Weekend February 8th through 10th, 2019

In addition to the iconic Gumball Rally, we’ll also have a weekend of events, receptions, panel discussions, celebrity meet and greets and much more. Add your name to the Info List HERE for more information and an exclusive discount on tickets and hotel rooms.

Join the chat:

• MiceChat Events Mailing List
• MiceChat Newsletter Mailing List
• MiceChat Discussion Forums
• MiceChat Facebook Page (for news and information)
• MiceChat Facebook Discussion Group (for fan discussions)
• MiceChat Sunday Fun Days in Southern California
• MiceTube YouTube Channel
• MiceChat Twitter
• MiceChat Instagram