It’s the last day of June, which means we’re halfway through 2023. I hope the year has been good to you so far, and that more goodness is yet to come. The Disneyland Resort’s busy 2023 shows no signs of slowing down in the second half of the year, with new shows, new events, new restaurants, new characters, and new lands all on the horizon. Let’s take a quick look back at this month across the resort.
PRIDE NITE LIGHTS UP THE PARK
This year, Disneyland After Dark added its first “Pride Nite” to the lineup, celebrating love in all forms and illuminating the park in rainbow magic.
Source: Mindy Joy
The two night event, falling during pride month (June), included special entertainment and treats. Mickey, Minnie, and friends wore special rainbow costumes, lands across the park hosted dance parties, and the Matterhorn transformed into a rainbow mountain.
Source: ThrillGeek
This year’s Pride Nites have concluded, but stay tuned – the events sold out and will likely come back as part of next year’s Disneyland After Dark lineup.
ROGERS THE MUSICAL OPENS TODAY
Today, the new Rogers the Musical show debuts in Hollywood Land. The show will run multiple times per day in the Hyperion Theater, and does not require an extra ticket. A few days ago, Disney released a “behind the scenes” video with a teaser of what’s to come:
HALFWAY TO THE HOLIDAYS
Despite the fact that we just started talking about the Halloween lineup for this year, Disneyland has already moved on to planning for the holiday season. I’ll have a more detailed post in a few weeks as more details emerge, but for now, here are the highlights.
Source: Disney Parks Blog
- Mickey and Minnie will don new costumes for the season (pictured above)
- It’s A Small World holiday is coming back (no word yet on other overlays, but I’d assume they’re returning as well)
- As expected, the Haunted Mansion‘s holiday overlay will continue from the Halloween season on through the new year.
NEW EATS & SHOPS IN A NEW LAND
As San Fransokyo continues to take shape in California Adventure, Disney released additional information about the dining options and stores available in the new land. First, the following restaurants will survive the transformation with just some tweaked menus:
- Cocina Cucamonga
- Ghirardelli Soda Fountain
- Lucky Fortune Cookery
- Rita’s Baja Blenders (with a very slight name change to “Rita’s Turbine Blenders”)
One restaurant will have a slightly more significant transformation. The Pacific Wharf Cafe will become Aunt Cass Cafe. While the cafe will keep its beloved sourdough bread bowls, the menu items will change from sandwiches and comfort food to Japanese-inspired dishes.
Source: Disney Parks Blog
Somehow, San Frankoskyo will also squeeze two new stores into its small space as well. Here are the descriptions from the Disney Parks Blog:
- Hamada Bot Shop – “where the Big Hero 6 team builds and innovates their hi-tech gear”
- San Franksokyo Maker’s Market – “a storefront stocked with unique apparel, homewares and more featuring Baymax and friends”
Source: Disney Parks Blog
These shops and restaurants will open on a rolling basis as the land’s evolution continues through August. For the full announcement, check out the Disney Parks Blog post here.
OTHER UPDATES
Have you ever noticed how much wasted space there is next to Splitsville in Downtown Disney? Well, that courtyard is finally being put to good use. The space is currently being transformed into “The Alley”, a new adjacent area with interactive games, live music, lounge seating, and some dining seating. Disneyland hasn’t released a timeline for the opening yet, but construction is well underway (hard to even notice with so much other Downtown Disney construction at the moment!).
This month, Imagineers confirmed they have started testing a free-roaming Baby Groom animatronic. While there’s no current timeline for his debut in the parks, they confirmed they are testing “unique traits, gaits, and capabilities.” You can check out a video of Baby Groot’s testing here.
In both parks, new characters have arrived on the scene. In Avengers Campus, guests can now meet Nick Fury himself. And in Adventureland, keep your eyes peeled for Indiana Jones, who will be exploring the jungle in between jeep trips into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
If you’re heading to Disneyland for the 4th of July, you’ll have the chance to try some special holiday treats. Check out this Disney Parks Blog post to get the foodie guide.
And finally, some special guests visited New Orleans Square this month. Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and LaKeith Stanfield stopped by for some promos for the new Haunted Mansion movie, even sporting cast member costumes when visiting the ride. The movie is schedule for release on July 28th.
Source: Jamie Lee Curtis