If you’ve ever seen or attended a media event involving any of the Disney Parks, you’ve probably seen Disney Ambassadors. These figureheads (now appointed for roughly a year term each) make appearances at big events, travel to promote their respective parks, and host special VIP visitors, among other miscellaneous promotional duties. But this program started […] Read more…
In Mickey’s Toontown, the place to catch a show (and maybe a ride on a runaway train…?) is none other than El CapiToon Theater. This building arrived in Toontown in 2023, and has become one of the most photographed and popular places in the land. Let’s take a closer look. El CapiTOON Theater’s name spoofs […] Read more…
January 1976 – present LOCATION New Orleans Square – Tiana’s Palace sits along the Rivers of America waterfront in the square. To find this spot, head through the land toward the Haunted Mansion. You’ll see the courtyard on your left, just before the walkway to the train station. EXPERIENCE Details: Service Type – quick service […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 91, 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. If I have to cancel a planned Disneyland trip, can I change the name on the […] Read more…
Welcome to October! The Disneyland Resort is in full swing for all things spooky, and I can’t wait to celebrate at Oogie Boogie Bash in a few weeks. September kicked off full-swing Halloween time at the resort, and with it came some heartwarming stories, a heartbreaking video, and some new offerings across the resort. Let’s […] Read more…
From time to time, the Disneyland Resort leverages something they already have to make something new. A few examples: Flik’s Flyers became the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, and animatronics in America Sings moved into Splash Mountain or Star Tours. And sometimes, these redesigns happen on a much smaller scale. Let’s head over to Frontierland to […] Read more…
You know the old adage, “underpromise, overdeliver”? Well, I unfortunately think Avengers Campus is a really good example of doing the exact opposite. I was looking through concept art for this pretty new land, and was amazed at some of the big differences between what we saw then and what we see now. It’s not […] Read more…
If you walk into El CapiTOON Theater in Toontown to visit Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, you’re immediately entering a historic toon theater. And what good theater doesn’t have some concessions? Let’s check them out. This concessions stand is quite special – as it’s loaded with references to Disney animation. Just take a look at […] Read more…
 Source: Inventing Disneyland July 1955 – November 1994 LOCATION Main Street USA – The Kodak Camera Center stood on the southwestern side of the street, just as guests made the turn around the Town Square toward the castle. Today, this real estate is largely part of the Disneyland Emporium shop. EXPERIENCE Details: Merchandise – Cameras […] Read more…
March 2023 – present LOCATION Mickey’s Toontown – Good Boy! Grocers sits along Toontown’s main thoroughfare, right in between “downtown” and Mickey’s neighborhood. To find the snack spot, turn left when you walk into Toontown. You’ll see the green marquee on your right, across the walkway from Goofy’s house. EXPERIENCE Details: Service Type – quick […] Read more…
I’ve talked at length on this blog about the powerful ability Disneyland has to create nostalgia, joy, and real *magic* for park visitors. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned about a new book: How Does Disney Do That? How Disney Makes Us Feel and Why It Matters. The book is all about […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 90, 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. Can I walk from the convention center to the park, or is it too far? (submitted […] Read more…
I hope all of you US-based readers had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! August seems like a blur to me, and with D23, construction projects, and Halloween seasoning kicking off at the resort, it was a little bit of a blur for Disneyland too. Let’s take a look back at all the happenings last month. […] Read more…
Today is a special day for me…it’s my birthday! I know that technically summer has a few weeks to go, but growing up my birthday always signaled the start of the school year, so in my head it’s still the end of the season. Old habits are hard to shake! So to mark the “end” […] Read more…