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…
March 2023 – present LOCATION Mickey’s Toontown – EngineEar Souvenirs marks the exit of the Runaway Railway attraction, in Toontown’s city center/downtown. To find the shop, walk toward Toontown City Hall. You’ll see the shop on your right, just beyond El CapiTOON Theater. EXPERIENCE Details: Merchandise – Clothing, accessories, stuffed animals, games, bubble wands Price Range […] Read more…
Fast pass. Genie+. Lightning Lane. Single pass. Multi pass. In the last few years, Disneyland’s “cut the line” system has changed a lot – both in name and in practice. The ever-changing system can be super confusing, especially if you’re not a frequent park visitor. So let’s take a moment to go through exactly what […] Read more…
 Source: @PixieDustVibes July 1999 – August 2010 LOCATION Disneyland Hotel – The Lost Bar sat by the Neverland Pool on the hotel grounds. Today, the pool area has been completely reconfigured, but the bar stood very roughly where the building housing Trader Sam’s and Tangaroa Terrace stands today. EXPERIENCE Visitors to the Disneyland Hotel in […] Read more…
Have you ever watched a super hero movie where a city got absolutely wrecked in the big fight and thought…yikes. Who cleans that mess up? If you have, Marvel has an answer for you – and you can see nods to it in Avengers Campus. Scattered throughout the land, you’ll find boxes labeled “DDOC”. DDOC […] Read more…
If you’ve been on any Disney-related social media at all this last weekend, you probably saw a lot of commentary on D23! D23 is a bi-annual convention held just down the road from Disneyland, where Disney shares all kinds of news on what’s coming – to the parks, to theaters, to cruise lines…basically the whole […] Read more…
San Fransokyo Square definitely changed the vibe of California Adventure’s eastern side. Before, Pacific Wharf was kind of a quiet little corner between two super loud and energetic lands: Cars Land and Pixar Pier. And while the new land doesn’t have any big rides or dramatic happenings, the color scheme and decor definitely make it […] Read more…