I am back! After taking a month long break from blogging, I’m catching up on the latest happenings across the happiest place on earth. And maybe I’m just out of the loop, but it doesn’t seem like anything too crazy happened while I was away…? Let’s take a look back at January at the Disneyland Resort.
A NEW NAME ON MAIN STREET
Last month, Disneyland gave its most prestigious honor – a window on Main Street – to another Disney legend.
Source: D23
Dave Smith founded and worked in the Walt Disney Archives for 40 years, collecting and preserving Disney history. He also co-authored a number of books and columns on Disney trivia. In addition, Dave served as Executive Director of the Manuscript Society, and continued to consult with Disney after his retirement – with the honorary title of “Chief Archivist Emeritus”.
Source: D23
Sadly, Dave passed in 2019, so he never got to see his name on the street. The new window is located above the Fortuosity Shop. D23 shared a video of the unveiling, with some help from the Blue Fairy to pull back the curtain with a touch of magic.
DOWNTOWN DISNEY’S TRANSFORMATION BEGINS
On the other side of the resort, the first stage of Downtown Disney’s transformation began this month with store closures on the eastern end of the district.
Source: D23
Starbucks East, Sugarboo & Co., and the Earl of Sandwich all closed in late January, making room for the new green space and stage pictured in the concept art above. The Monorail will also close for a few weeks starting in February, though I’m not sure if the track will be at all rerouted or if it’s just to steer clear of construction.
OTHER UPDATES
Lunar New Year is officially underway in California Adventure! I’m so bummed I won’t make it this year – the food carts at this festival are just so good. And I am so happy to see Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon finally in the park. I’m hoping she sticks around beyond the festival and continues meeting guests.
Disneyland’s annual refurbishment season is definitely underway. Don’t be alarmed if you visit in the next few weeks and see lots of construction walls up. This time of year, Disney uses the opportunity with lighter crowds and colder weather to work on longer-term maintenance projects, especially with water rides like Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run. For the list of current closures and tentative dates, check out my refurbishment page here.
And finally, I wanted to share a gorgeous photo I came across on Twitter this month, shared by an account called Disney Do It All! This account posts stunning photos from Disneyland and Disney World – I definitely recommend following for some Disney magic on your timeline.
Source: Disney Do It All!
I am so glad Dave Smith got a window! I had the pleasure of attending the D23 event honoring him at the park. It was so interesting!
I’m jealous! I’m sure it was a wonderful experience.