Month: July 2017

Resort Updates - July 2017

Resort Updates – July 2017

Happy July! Here in California we’ve been experiencing one heat wave after another, but that hasn’t seemed to slow down Disneyland news and happenings in the slightest. We had another month of news, celebrations, and unfortunately, the loss of a Disney legend. Let’s take a look back on this month at the Disneyland Resort. DISNEYLAND […] Read more…

La Brea Express

La Brea Express

January 2001 – present LOCATION Downtown Disney – La Brea Express is part of the larger La Brea Bakery, at the end of Downtown Disney. If you head toward the park gates, you’ll see La Brea on your right; it’s the last building before you hit the esplanade between Disneyland and California Adventure. EXPERIENCE Details: […] Read more…

Lands In Pictures: Pacific Wharf

Lands In Pictures: Pacific Wharf

Pacific Wharf is one of those lands no one talks about. It’s just a couple of restaurants between Cars Land and Paradise Park, right? Wrong! Pacific Wharf brings Monterey’s Cannery Row and San Francisco’s Fisherman Wharf into California Adventure. The land’s beautiful details and sweeping waterfront make it one of the most scenic lands in […] Read more…

Town Square Cannons

Town Square Cannons

Have you ever noticed two cannons in Main Street USA’s square? These are the famous Town Square Cannons, on the street since 1955. These are real 19th century cannons, once in the possession of the French army. They were never fired in battle, and have now been sealed for permanent use as monuments. When designing […] Read more…

Halloween Season 2017

Halloween Season 2017

This may seem like an insane post to write in the middle of July, but in the world of Disney…Halloween buzz starts long before fall! Disneyland just announced the lineup for Halloween this year, which includes the coveted Mickey’s Halloween Party, brand new overlays, and all kinds of magical fun. MICKEY’S HALLOWEEN PARTY Mickey’s Halloween […] Read more…

D23 2017 Day 2

D23 2017 Day 2 Recap

Disney promised that Day 2 would be huge for Disney Parks, and they weren’t joking. The majority of annoucements involved Walt Disney World, but Disneyland got its own share of news…and drama. Here’s what happened on the Disneyland side of D23 – Day 2. CROWDS CONTINUE Good things and bad things came with the crowds […] Read more…

D23 2017 Day 1 Recap

D23 2017 Day 1 Recap

If you follow Disney on any form of social media, you’ve probably seen “D23” EVERYWHERE. D23 is Disney’s bi-annual convention, where they announce the biggest news of the year. This includes parks, animation, live action movies, Pixar, Marvel, cruise line, you name it. But since this blog is focused on Disneyland specifically, I’m going to […] Read more…

City Hall Bookcase

City Hall Bookcase

Main Street USA’s City Hall is a busy place. They can help you with basically any possible question you may have, or get you a special pin to celebrate all kinds of occasions. But as you leave City Hall, you may notice a small table to the left of the doorway. What’s remarkable about this […] Read more…

Catch A Flave

Catch A Flave

 Source: Disney Mouse Links February 2001 – September 2010 LOCATION Paradise Pier – Catch A Flave overlooked the bay and California Screamin’s launch point, on the far side of the land. Today, this space houses Paradise Pier Ice Cream Company. EXPERIENCE Details: Service Type – quick service Seating – nearby benches Entertainment – none Catch A Flav […] Read more…

Lands in Pictures: Tomorrowland

Lands In Pictures: Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is a tricky land to capture in photos. My pics tend to either be completely overwhelmed by crowds, or look too grey and industrial. But if you’re patient and a little creative, you can capture some really beautiful spots across the land. Tomorrowland is much more than Space Mountain, Star Tours, and the Astro […] Read more…

Holidayland

Holidayland

 Source: The Disney Blog  June 1957 – September 1961 BACKGROUND From the beginning, Walt and his Imagineers knew Disneyland would grow. They envisioned a resort, rather than a single park, much like we have today. So within two years of the park’s opening, Disneyland debuted an adjacent “land” outside of the park gates: Holidayland. This open […] Read more…

Ask The Duchess – Vol. 20

Welcome to Ask The Duchess Vol. 20, 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. What is the difference between Casey Jr. and the Canal Boats, just the vehicles? (submitted by Deanna) Yes and no. They cover similar ground, […] Read more…

Resort Updates - June 2017

Resort Updates – June 2017

Happy July! Is it just me, or is this year flying by? Seems like 5 minutes ago I was admiring the first spring flowers in Disneyland, and now the park is in full summer glow. June brought more Disney drama, some excitement on the Rivers of America, and some upgrades, both new and rumored. Let’s […] Read more…