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…
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…