Source: MouseInfo July 1991 – June 1996, October 1998 – July 2004 LOCATION Fantasyland – The one-of-a-kind villain gift shop loomed within central Fantasyland, in the shadow of the castle. When crossing the drawbridge, guests would find the shop immediately to the right, in the stone hall before Peter Pan’s Flight. Today this space has […] Read more…
June 2016 – present LOCATION Grizzly Peak – Soarin’ occupies the largest building in Grizzly Peak, so it’s hard to miss. If you turn into the forested land from Buena Vista Street, you’ll see the entrance on the right, just beyond the Smokejumper’s Grill. BACKGROUND Soarin’ Over California, the predecessor to Around The World, had […] Read more…
Source: MouseInfo October 2006 – August 2012 LOCATION Fantasyland – The Enchanted Cottage was part of the original Fantasy Faire, a princess meet & greet inside Fantasyland Theatre. Today, the theater is home to Mickey and the Magical Map. The Enchanted Cottage remains, though it has been re-themed as the Troubadour Tavern. EXPERIENCE Details: Service […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess Vol. 15, a monthly Q&A post covering a variety of resort-related topics. Ask The Duchess answers questions submitted by readers. If you have a question you’d like answered, send me a message here! 1. Is Downtown Disney considered a park? (submitted by Gabrielle) Nope. You don’t need a ticket to get in. It’s a neighboring shopping center with […] Read more…
Happy 2017! This year certainly came in with a bang, in the form of major rain at Disneyland. In fact, the weather got so crazy, the park actually closed down early due to safety concerns. Disneyland has only closed down early three other times in its history, in response to: JFK’s assassination, the Northridge earthquake, […] Read more…
My favorite land at the Disneyland Resort is New Orleans Square. It’s uniquely designed to be an intricate series of alleyways, rather than an open space. Every street has its own personality, and the shop fronts are absolutely gorgeous. Here are just a few photos of Disneyland’s magical little square on the waterfront. Read more…
So much of Disneyland takes place in fictional worlds: enchanted kingdoms, an all-encompassing jungle, an outer planet. But Main Street USA brings you right back home to classic Americana. Main Street boasts quaint popcorn carts, horse-drawn trolley cars, and in the 1950s, a magnificent bandstand. Source: Farm 4 Originally, Walt and his team envisioned the […] Read more…
Happy Lunar New Year! January 28th marks the beginning of the year of the rooster, and California Adventure is hosting a huge party to celebrate. Source: Find The Mouse Head over to Paradise Pier to join in on the fun. You can listen to live Chinese and Vietnamese bands, watch acrobats, get your face painted, visit […] Read more…
Disneyland Twitter exploded over the last two days, flooded with pictures of a nighttime parade. It’s not Paint the Night, and people are EXTREMELY excited about it. So what’s going on? Source: TWIMG Thursday night marked the limited return of a classic Disneyland parade: The Main Street Electrical Parade. This nighttime show debuted in Disneyland in […] Read more…
Disneyland has tons of resources available for guests with disabilities or special needs, including care centers, ECV rentals, and even accommodations for service animals. Disney defines a service animal as a dog or miniature horse specifically trained to support an individual with a disability, and service animals must wear their vests at all times in […] Read more…
June 2012 – present LOCATION Buena Vista Street – Elias & Co. anchors the end of Buena Vista Street, right where it opens up to the larger plaza. You’ll find it’s stylish marquee on the corner, between the entrance to Hollywood Land and the main street. EXPERIENCE Details: Merchandise – Clothing, accessories, Disney collectibles Price Range […] Read more…
Mid-January through early March is Disneyland’s unofficial refurbishment season. Holiday overlays come down, and with lighter crowds, attractions in need of more complex maintenance shut their doors for a few weeks. With all of the closures due to Star Wars Land construction, additional refurbishments are actually significantly lighter than usual. But there are still some […] Read more…
Disneyland sent shock waves throughout its community this morning with the announcement of a new fast pass option: MaxPass. What is it, and how will it affect the existing system? Source: OC Register First of all, this is NOT FastPass+, which is used in Walt Disney World. You will still not be able to book […] Read more…
When you spend all day running from attraction to show to parade, it’s easy to get really tired, really fast. Sometimes you just need a quiet place to rest, think, and regroup before you jump back into the action. So where should you go? Here’s my picks for the top 5 hidden seating areas at […] Read more…