When designing an out-of-this-world land, Imagineers have to have out-of-this-world imaginations, with concept art to match. But as I was looking through Galaxy’s Edge concept art, I was amazed to discover that most of it is remarkably close to the final product, especially compared to other lands at the resort. While sometimes scale is a little […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 80, 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. As a first time Disneyland visitor, I’m trying to weigh prioritizing California Adventure over Disneyland because […] Read more…
Now that it’s October, Disneyland is in the home stretch of one of my favorite seasons of the year. In “normal life” I really don’t care that much about Halloween, but the park knows how to get even indifferent Halloween fans like me into the spirit. Bright fall colors, pumpkins, TONS of villains roaming the […] Read more…
I don’t think it’s much of a surprise to most that the Disneyland Hotel looks dramatically different than it did in 1955. But did you know that it once had its own marina? Source: OC Register From 1970 – 1988, the hotel had a decently sized waterway complete with remote control boats. The marina also […] Read more…
For some, visiting Disneyland is a bravery test. Not everyone loves the thrill and intensity of the “bigger” rides, and it’s especially tough when you’re the only one in your group feeling the pressure. In those cases, you might have a minute of bravery getting in line…and then have immediate regrets. If that’s the case […] Read more…
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hearing there are a lot of interesting things going on at the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (WEB). They’re having an open house today at their Avengers Campus location…should we stop by? Our tour of the facility starts in the courtyard. This whole building houses a program funded by […] Read more…
If you’ve ever wandered New Orleans Square, you might’ve noticed some strange plaques on some of the building walls. There are 5 in total, scattered throughout the land. These are fire marks. In the 1800s, buildings in New Orleans used these to signal which fire brigades would respond to a building during an emergency. While […] Read more…
As a self admitted map nerd, I’m fascinated by Disney parks ones in particular. I just find it so interesting which landscape features artists choose to feature, how lands transition, and what new rides emerging does to change the overall look from above. So imagine my excitement when I found a book on shopDisney focused […] Read more…
Immersion seems to be a polarizing topic for theme park fans. Some LOVE it; they want to fully live in the world’s they’re visiting. And others…just kind of think it’s silly. And in some cases, they’ll say it can arguably make the theme park experience too complicated or even worse. So, where’s the happy medium? […] Read more…
If you’ve ever seen a Marvel movie, read a Marvel comic, or watched a Marvel tv show, you’ve seen the work of Stan Lee. A writer, editor, publisher, and producer, Lee was the primary creative director of Marvel Comics for more than 20 years, co-creating some of the most famous superheroes in the world. It […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 79, 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. Do you have any idea how much it will cost to stay at the Disneyland Hotel? […] Read more…
I know technically summer goes for a few more weeks, but for me, September means it’s officially fall. Disneyland certainly seems to feel that way; with Halloween decor fully up and Oogie Boogie Bash starting up tonight. But not to be overshadowed, summer went out with a bang at the resort. A new land, the […] Read more…
California Adventure 1.0 was a little confusing. There were big, clearly defined lands, like Paradise Pier and Sunshine Plaza. And then there were weird, little lands that were sometimes referred to as their own thing, and sometimes referred to as part of the larger “Golden State” region. Golden State was the most “California” part of […] Read more…
In the era of Disney blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels, fans have access to more behind-the-scenes information than ever before. I’m loving the newfound excitement around celebrating Imagineering and celebrating contributions of particular Imagineers, which is why I started this “Imagineer Influence” series. Unfortunately, there are still tons of amazingly talented people that remain in […] Read more…