Disneyland Fans have been waiting for June with baited breath for months…how would the end of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reservations affect the park? Well, Disneyland’s newest land certainly had a dramatic impact…just not in the way anyone expected. Let’s take a look back at June at the Disneyland Resort.
AN EMPTY PARK…IN THE SUMMER?
Maybe it was all the annual pass blockout days. Maybe it was the peak pricing. Maybe everyone was so scared of a Star Wars stampede that they just stayed home. Most likely, it was a combo of all three. In any case, Disneyland experienced shockingly quiet crowds for June. Smuggler’s Run wait times frequently stayed under 60 minutes, virtually unheard of for a new headline attraction. And in the rest of Disneyland, attraction wait times vanished.
Absolutely incredible…in the summer, less than a month after the opening of Galaxy’s Edge! Maybe people have finally caught on, and July will flood the park with newly excited crowds.
MAIN STREET CINEMA CONTROVERSY
Disney caused quite a stir this month with a dramatic change to an original 1955 attraction. Without any sort of announcement, Disneyland opened on June 14 with a new shop: the Main Street Cinema. The iconic theater removed its turnstiles and added clothing racks inside.
Source: MouseInfo
Social media outrage was swift and decisive. Many Disneyland followers, myself included, felt insulted by the change. Disneyland seriously doesn’t have enough retail space? They can’t leave one of Walt’s originals as an experience, not a store? Disneyland responded to the outrage quickly, completely removing all merchandise by the next day. The official statement from the park emphasized it was an attempt to draw more foot traffic into the space, and they will continue testing other ways to bring attention to the Cinema. But at the very least, they did add some benches and finally let the space be what it’s supposed to be – a theater.
EMOTIONAL WHIRLWIND TAKES FLIGHT
This month also marked the grand opening of Pixar Pier’s last missing piece. Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind opened a few days ago, inviting guests of all ages to spin above Pixar Pier. If the attraction looks familiar, it is! It’s a re-theming of Flik’s Flyers from A Bug’s Land.
Source: Laughing Place
OTHER UPDATES
Disneyland’s newest parking structure, Pixar Pals, opens tomorrow. Each floor has a theme based on a different Pixar character.
Expect to see some tarps and scaffolding in Hollywood Land throughout the summer. Disneyland announced plans to re-work the theater space housing Philharmagic, shifting the entrance from the back walkway to the main street. During construction, Award Wieners will also get a new façade and reworked seating area.
And finally, Pixar Pier visitors can now meet Bo Peep outside Midway Mania. Look for her greeting guests with Woody, donning her new Toy Story 4 outfit.
Source: Disney Parks