February is honestly one of my favorite times of year to visit the Disneyland Resort. You get lucky with rainy days lessening crowds, on sunny days it’s beautiful and not too hot, and the resort tends to start teasing what’s coming the rest of the year.
Let’s take a look back at this month at the Disneyland Resort.
THE COZY CONE GETS COZIER
Over in Cars Land, walls came down to unveil some changes that in my opinion made the guest experience a little better. First, there’s a new adorable theming to the seating area near the Cozy Cone Motel: Red’s Community Garden.
Source: Raider Lost in the Parks
This area is one of the less-decorated parts of the land, so I think the little bridge into the seating adds some needed personality. And second, the quick service spot has tried to streamline the ordering process for guests. Now, all orders go through the central counter, and you pick up your order from a specific cone, rather than ordering at each individual cone.
Source: Theme Park Obsession
The only downside…this new setup has significantly obstructed the view into Sally’s Office, which I think is an adorable hidden gem in the land.
NEW OFFERINGS COMING FOR SEASON OF THE FORCE
Over in Galaxy’s Edge, we’re finally getting sneak peeks at what’s coming for Season of the Force (I’ll have a post dedicated to the celebration coming soon!). But the two major teasers we got this month:
- The hero who started it all – Luke Skywalker himself will visit Black Spire Outpost to meet planet travelers throughout the day.
- New nighttime spectacular – A new projection show will play in the land during the nightly fireworks. Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga will run throughout the season.
Source: Disney Parks Blog
Season of the Force starts March 28, and concludes on May 11. For more details about what’s been announced so far, check out the official event page.
70TH ANNIVERSARY SNEAK PEEKS
This month we also got some teasers of what’s to come for the resort’s upcoming 70th celebration! Like with Season of the Force, I’ll have a full post coming soon dedicated to the event. But for now, here are the latest offerings that were revealed in February:
- A new verse for It’s A Small World – Disney legend Richard Sherman composed a final verse to the original song as his final contribution to Disney. The new verse will be added to the ride starting on July 17.
- A tribute to the Sherman Brothers – Over at the Main Street Cinema, screens will be showing a 3.5 minute film talking about both the new verse and the original story behind the attraction’s iconic song.
- Three new exhibits at the Opera House – The Main Street Opera house will host three new collections for the duration of the anniversary celebration. One will focus on the evolution of Walt’s dream for Disneyland, one will explore the history of Audio-Animatronics technology, and one will feature personal items from the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Disney teased that these collections will contain images, art, and artifacts, “some never before seen”.
Source: Disney Parks Blog
For more information about the 70th anniversary celebration, check out the official event page.
OTHER UPDATES
Want to build a droid, but completely forgot to plan ahead? No worries. Moving forward, the Droid Depot will no longer offer reservations – all builds will be walk-ins.
If you’re looking for new some spring fun at the resort, check out Pixar Putt at the Pixar Place Hotel. This pop-up offers tee times every 30 minutes, with each hole featuring interactive experiences based on Pixar classics. To sign up, check out the official site here.
To honor first responders, active-duty military, and healthcare workers who helped with the recent Southern California wildfires, Disney is offering a special Heroes Ticket deal. Eligible participants will receive two complimentary 1-day park hopper tickets, valid Monday-Thursday from May 5 to August 7. For more information about these tickets, check out the announcement page here.
And finally, this month marked the end of the line for the iconic Red Car Trolley. This classic attraction has become a staple of Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land, and I’m so sad to see it go. Mickey and Minnie were the guests of honor that took the attraction’s final ride down the street.
Daps Magic captured an excellent video of the trolley’s final sendoff. We’ll miss you, old friend.
I loved the Red Trolley… it was a true head-nod to the old LA before the car and gasoline magnates bullied them out of action. I loved seeing Mickey riding and waving up front (or down back) and am certainly happy to have been there to photograph him on a couple of visits.