We’re officially halfway to Halloween, so you know what that means…Disneyland is locked and loaded with this fall’s festivities. This year’s celebration will run from September 1 to October 31, with nonstop celebrations and excitement. Source: Disney Parks Blog ATTRACTION OVERLAYS DISNEYLAND Haunted Mansion Nightmare Before Christmas – This special overlay lasts from Halloween to […] Read more…
Main Street USA might just have the most hidden gems of any land at the resort. From the windows above your eye line to details at your feet, you’re completely engulfed by Imagineering magic with every step. One of my favorite little details can be found outside the Disneyland Emporium: The Windows of Enchantment. Sometimes […] Read more…
Source: Wikimedia December 2000 – March 2020 LOCATION Paradise Pier Hotel – The PCH Grill was Paradise Pier Hotel’s central dining spot. Guests entering the lobby of the hotel would find the restaurant at the end of the hallway, on the opposite side from the front desk. As of writing this post, this space remains […] Read more…
Grizzly Peak towers of California Adventure. This mountain range forms the shape of a grizzly bear, growling up at the sky. In Walt Disney Imagineering lore, the early people inhabiting this land held grizzly bears in particularly high esteem, believing the native land embodied the bear’s traits: strength (from the granite hills), pride (from the […] Read more…
February 2020 – present LOCATION Fantasyland & Main Street USA – The parade starts in Fantasyland, at the plaza in front of It’s A Small World. From there, it winds down past the Mad Tea Party and the Matterhorn, along the right side of the castle, and down Main Street USA. The parade then ends […] Read more…
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. We’ve been invited by a ghost host to tour this mysterious estate in New Orleans Square. Shall we enter the gates? Our tour beings in the gardens. There’s a strange organization here; despite the mansion long being abandoned, the exterior and landscaping are in pristine condition. Apparently a […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 76, 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. Why is Star Tours in Tomorrowland if Star Wars Land is a separate area? (submitted by […] Read more…
Blue skies and sunshine! Summertime is in full swing at the Disneyland Resort, but so is construction. With ride overhauls, restaurant overhauls, new hotel towers, new characters, and Halloween info trickling in, there’s a lot going on at the resort. Let’s dive into the recap. THE FINAL DROP INTO THE BRIAR PATCH On May 30, […] Read more…
Source: Disneyland Resort ? – present LOCATION Disneyland Hotel – Disney’s Fantasia Shop is located inside the Disneyland Hotel’s Fantasy tower. To find the shop, walk underneath the sorcerer hat toward the pool, keeping to the right. You’ll see the shop’s marquee straight ahead, next to the Coffee House. EXPERIENCE Details: Merchandise – MagicBand+ accessories, […] Read more…
Pixar Pier is one of those instances where Disneyland didn’t exactly design from the ground up. Instead, Paradise Pier broke apart, with the boardwalk area getting some new coloring and details – but the bones were there. That’s largely why so much of the concept art is remarkably accurate compared to most imagery we see […] Read more…
Some queues in Disneyland are brutally boring; weaving back and forth in close proximity with absolutely nothing to look at. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin is not one of them. Let’s take a walk through downtown Toontown. First, our tour takes us down the avenue. There are so many cute doorways with colorful front lights […] Read more…
Source: Mickey Mouse Park July 1955 – February 1960 LOCATION Tomorrowland – Space Station X-1 hovered near the entrance to Tomorrowland, on the left side if you were facing the land from Main Street. Today, this space is part of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. BACKGROUND When Disneyland first opened, Walt didn’t quite have enough cash […] Read more…
Whenever I visit Disneyland, I try to squeeze in a little time by the Rivers of America waterfront. There aren’t a ton of seating areas right by the water, so you have to be a bit intentional about spending time here when you’re not racing to rides or watching Fantasmic!. But a few years ago, […] Read more…
With the weather heating up and the California rainy season finally coming to an end, I’ve got summer on the brain. I’m so ready for beach afternoons and mudslides! But springtime is pretty magical at Disneyland too, with flowers of every color blooming and warmth before the sweltering heat sets in. If you’ve got a […] Read more…