This is my absolute favorite time of year. The bugs go away, the beach crowds go away…but the weather is still so nice and warm! August was a fairly sleepy month news-wise across the resort, so this is an easy update. I hope your summer is ending on a high note as we turn to the very busy Halloween season at the happiest place on earth.
D23 RECAP
In the past, I’ve dedicated full posts to Disneyland news stemming from D23. But to be honest, this year’s Disneyland announcements were honestly either slight extensions of news we’ve already heard, or vague plans that may never materialize.
First, we got just a little bit more detail about the two new attractions coming to Avengers Campus in 2028. Disney re-shared the update from SXSW last year about Stark Flight Labs, where riders will sit in two-person pods to simulate flight.
Then, we got a teaser description of Avengers Infinity Defense:
You will be surrounded by massive physical sets blending seamlessly with huge media scenes, putting you into the middle of the action as you feel like you’re hurtling across many worlds. “The fun part about Avengers Infinity Defense is how we get to use every single trick in the Imagineering book – and inventing some new ones – to create this attraction.” You’ll travel to iconic locations like Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City, next to heroes you’ve come to know and love, while (spoiler alert!) coming face to face with King Thanos himself.
Source: Disney Parks BlogYou can read more about the land expansion here.
Next, we got some more teasers about the upcoming Coco attraction:
The attraction storyline will pick up a year after the events of the original film. The queue, which will begin in Pixar Pier next to Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, welcomes you to a “casa museo” dedicated to the music of Miguel’s great-great grandfather, Héctor Rivera. From there, you’ll join Miguel and travel by boat through his memories of the Land of the Dead. It will truly be a beautiful, moving experience full of fun and surprises, leaning heavily into the music and emotion of the cherished Pixar film while inviting you to live Miguel’s journey alongside your own friends and family.
Source: Disney Parks Blog
And finally, the other noteworthy update was a suggested transformation of Tomorrowland. However, we got no timeline, no concept art, and no specific changes. This is all that Disney shared:
The transformation of Tomorrowland will honor the legacy of the original land while reimagining its future. Disneyland Resort will strive to preserve what guests cherish most, while also introducing new experiences and possibilities for the next generation of fans.
Like I said, not much to go on there!
A NEW WINDOW ON MAIN STREET
This month, former Disney CEO Bob Iger received Disneyland’s highest honor: a window on Main Street.
The window sits above the Disneyland Emporium, right at the front of the street. Current CEO Josh D’Amaro paid tribute to Iger in a ceremony on Main Street, sharing:
“He expanded Disney storytelling around the world, he was unrelenting in his focus on creativity and innovation, and he honored our past while always keeping his eye on the future.”
You can see more photos of the window here.
OTHER UPDATES
Disneyland continued its 70th celebration with a Happiest Day in Anaheim initiative, to celebrate the community surrounding the resort. To learn more, check out the Disney Parks blog recap here.
And finally, I came across a video this month I thought was worth sharing! Back in July, the Wall Street Journal did a report on how Disneyland’s 36,000 person workforce operates the park on a daily basis. I thought it was a really interesting watch – you can check it out on YouTube.