With the end of spring break season and the start of early summer crowds, April is always an exciting and busy time at the Disneyland Resort. This month, guests were greeted with unusually warm temperatures, bright sunshine, and lots of buzz as the park’s 60th anniversary draws closer and closer.
SPARKLE AND SHINE
As the resort’s refurbishments and enhancements for the Diamond Jubilee near completion, walls are gradually coming down to display beautiful and updated facades and décor. The castle’s diamond overlay is the most dramatic change, and the glittery rooftop details are particularly striking.
WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK
With less than a month to go, the Disneyland Resort is now in high gear finishing the last of the refurbishment projects to be completed before the Jubilee celebration on May 22nd. The center of Fantasyland is now almost entirely covered, though all dark rides except for Peter Pan remain open. The buildings will receive fresh coats of paint and the former Frozen Meet & Greet space is being redone, likely to become a meet and greet space for a new set of characters.
In California Adventure, several buildings along Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier, and Grizzly Peak will also receive some touch ups. The Painted Ladies are currently being fixed up, and the boardwalk games booths have been refreshed as well.
SPRINGTIME FUN
Despite all the construction, the resort had lots of special spring season activities this month. In Frontierland, the Springtime Roundup overlay is coming to a close. During Easter, guests could view eggs painted with different Disney scenes and characters, or participate in an Easter egg hunt around the resort. Eggs were hidden in different places across the park, and guests checked them off a special map once they spotted them. The Springtime Roundup also had several beautiful floral displays, and Woody & Jessie stopped by periodically to greet guests and pose for photos.
On Main Street USA, guests noticed a temporary structure outside of the entrance to the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire. This mini-stage served as the backdrop for a special episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos, taped on Saturday, April 18th. AFV filmed in the park to celebrate the show’s 25th season, and winners on the show reportedly received a trip to the resort during the 60th anniversary festivities.
OTHER UPDATES
The Build-A-Bear in Downtown Disney now has Avengers merchandise. Guests can build an Iron Man, Captain America, or Hulk bear, and the shop has a series of other Avengers merchandise including clothing, accessories, and collector sets.
Critter Country is back in full swing, with all of its attractions and the Hungry Bear Restaurant resuming full operation. There have been no major changes to this land, though all of the buildings are freshened up and ready for summer crowds.
And finally, the resort is offering limited edition Frozen Fever desserts. In the bakeries, you can purchase a Frozen Fever cupcake, and in all ice cream parlors except Ghirardelli, you can try an Olaf birthday cake sundae.
Note: I thought the cupcake was just ok, but the sundae is delicious. Fair warning, it’s pretty large…two scoops stacked on top of one another!