Additional Star Tours Destinations Returning Soon at Walt Disney World

WDWNT on December 12, 2016

Last year, when the Jakku and BB-8 sequences were added in celebration of the release of Star Wars – The Force Awakens, those coordinates became locked at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland’s versions of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. Starting soon, those 2 sequences will be randomized like all of the others in the attraction.

Star-Tours-Poster-Crop

Beginning December 18th, 2016, the Kashyyk, Hoth,  and Tatooine sequences and the hologram transmissions from Admiral Ackbar, Yoda, and Princess Leia will be available once again, with Jakku and BB-8 added into the randomized scene process.

This will likely last until scenes from Episode VIII are added to the attraction in late-2017, so enjoy it while you can.

PHOTOS: Star Wars Rogue One Exhibit Opens at Disney World, Disneyland

WDWNT on December 12, 2016

The Star Wars Launch Bay attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park were updated over the weekend to include displays and an updated film for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

img_9214

img_9215

img_9218

img_9219

img_9220

Older display pieces from the former Episode VII exhibits have been moved into other existing showcases around the Star Wars Launch Bay.

img_9224

 The updated film at both attractions features an in-depth look at Rogue One (as well as several more mentions of the new Star Wars attractions coming to both coasts). Be sure to check it out the next time you visit either park.

Disneyland Welcomes Main Street Electrical Parade with After-Hours Event

WDWNT on December 12, 2016

sduhf231.jpg

As posted today on the Disney Parks Blog:

Get ready to celebrate the return of a Disney Parks icon! As we told you earlier this year, the Main Street Electrical Parade is coming back to the place it began – Disneyland park – for a limited time, beginning January 20. Whether you’re making new memories or reliving favorite moments, this is a homecoming celebration you’ll want to share with family and friends.

This encore performance at Disneyland park will run nightly until June 18 – that’s 45 years after it first lit up Main Street, U.S.A., in 1972! During this limited-time celebration, guests will also enjoy special merchandise and food offerings inspired by the Main Street Electrical Parade – we’ll have more to share on those very soon.

Want to celebrate the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade in style? Join us on January 19 for a special, after-hours premiere event and be among the first to experience the return of this beloved parade. After the park closes, premiere event ticket holders will enjoy a night of exclusive access to most Disneyland park attractions and select restaurants, featuring a special performance of the Main Street Electrical Parade ahead of its official debut to the public. Tickets go on sale for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders tomorrow, Dec. 6, and to the general public on December 13. Information will be available on Disneyland.com beginning tomorrow.

Join us in January as we welcome the Main Street Electrical Parade home to Disneyland park for a limited time!

Stay tuned to WDWNT as we’ll bring you more details on this event as they are released.

Disneyland is Now Selling Parade Route Pizza

WDWNT on December 12, 2016

Who’s ready for some Parade Route Pizza?

img_9994

Recently at Disneyland Park, a roaming cart selling pizza by the slice was introduced. The cart will roll down the parade route just before the daily event.

A slice is $9.00 and is of a good size. Guests can also purchase a whole pie for the discounted price of $45.00. It does not appear to be of the same style as other counter service pizza around the resort.

This cart comes at an interesting time as “bus loop pizza” was recently introduced at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Revolutionary FuelRod Portable Electronics Chargers Have Arrived at the Disneyland Resort

WDWNT on November 29, 2016

Already available at Walt Disney World, FuelRod exchangable portable electronics charging batteries are now available at the Disneyland Resort. There are currently 10 locations where guests can purchase and exchange their FuelRods at the Disneyland Resort theme parks, hotels, and Downtown Disney district. The cost for the initial rod is $30 and includes unlimited exchanges. You can read a full review of how FuelRods work at Walt Disney World here.

The locations for the Disneyland Resort are:

Disneyland Park:

  • Main Street Locker Rental & Storage
  • Starcade (near ATM)
  • “it’s a small world” Toy Shop
  • Hungry Bear (lower level)

Disney California Adventure Park:

  • Kingswell Camera
  • Treasures in Paradise

*Downtown Disney District:

  • ESPN Zone

*Disneyland Hotel:

  • Outside Business Center (Fantasy Tower)

*Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa:

  • Convention Area

*Paradise Pier Hotel:

  • Hotel Lobby Area

*Locations in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are available now, kiosks at the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort and Downtown Disney District will be installed in early December 2016.

PHOTO REPORT: Disneyland Resort 11/11/16 (Festival of the Holidays Menus, Christmas Decorations, Giant Crane, ETC.)

WDWNT on November 18, 2016

Reporter Tim Alcoser returns with another fantastic photo report from the Disneyland Resort as the holiday season descends on Anaheim. Who’s ready for food, decorations, and an inexplicable giant crane? WELL THEN, LET’S GO!!!

20161109_103937

The Festival of the Holidays Begins

20161109_110051

The Festival of the Holidays has kicked off at Disney California Adventure.

20161109_110241

The entire park is already in its holiday finest as well.

20161109_110310

20161109_110357

20161109_110445

20161109_110510

20161109_110533

20161109_110829

An archway near the Carthay Circle Theater welcomes guests to the Festival of Holidays.

20161109_110859

20161109_110921

Banner sup around the main thoroughfare.

20161109_111002

Booths had lines before they even opened for the day.

20161109_111016

20161109_111057

20161109_111108

20161109_111137

20161109_111152

20161109_111222

20161109_111303

20161109_111350

20161109_111459

20161109_111514

The drummer group is particularly enjoyable, catch them if you can!

20161109_111529

20161109_111553

20161109_111618

20161109_111657

Some extra carts tacked with holiday merchandise have been rolled out for the season.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Cars Land

20161109_111755

The ever-popular Cars Land goes overboard with decorations celebrating the California car culture.

20161109_111841

20161109_111940

20161109_112019

20161109_112058

20161109_112139

20161109_112247

20161109_112341

Even Stanley gets a Santa cap!

20161109_112413

This and That

20161109_112847

Work continues on the conversion of Tower of Terror into Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout.

20161109_112958

While MagicBands are never coming, so many of these touch point readers have been installed around the resort. One has to be curious if they will find some way to utilize them in a new system.

20161109_113001

20161109_113055

While the show is being retooled, FROZEN: Live at the Hyperion is down to just two shows a day.

20161109_113251

The Doctor Strange preview is currently running at the Sunset Showcase Theater, former home to MuppetVision 3-D.

20161109_113406

An actual costume from the film is on display inside.

“Come with Me to Disneyland”

20161109_120121

The holiday season is in full swing at Disneyland Park as well.20161109_120144

20161109_120210

20161109_122832

The Jingle Cruise has returned to Adventureland.

20161109_123002

There is a massive crane parked outside of Pirates of the Caribbean…

20161109_123014

It is boxed in a small fenced area, but it is really, really, really hard to miss.

20161109_123111

20161109_123125

Work continues on the Rivers of America and a whole new Fantasmic show.

20161109_123137

20161109_123138

20161109_123511

The Columbia is getting ready for the Pirates of the Caribbean sequence.

20161109_123557

20161109_123622

20161109_123646

20161109_123729

Star Wars land off in the distance.

20161109_123732

20161109_123822

The borders off the land that will separate it from the rest of the park are already taking shape, but the same can not be said for anything else in the project.

20161109_124247

“Story”.

20161109_124511

20161109_124657

20161109_124741

We’re waiting too. This remote outpost planet is taking too long!

20161109_125305

The Main Street Vehicles are decorated for the season.

Trams, Cars, and Security Checkpoints

20161109_130908

 Work continues on the new tram lanes.

20161109_130921

20161109_130927

20161109_130944

Not only will the tram lanes be changing, but guests will also need to go through security before they enter the Downtown Disney area.

20161109_130950

20161109_131053

Star Wars land construction, as seen from the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure.

20161109_131055

20161109_131056

20161109_131101

20161109_131103

20161109_131105

See ya; real soon from the Happiest Place on Earth.

Disneyland Resort To Move Security Screenings to Include Downtown Disney

WDWNT on November 8, 2016

Security checkpoints at the Disneyland Resort are moving to include Downtown Disney

Security checkpoints at the Disneyland Resort are moving to include Downtown Disney

From the OC Register:

ANAHEIM – Disney is moving one of its security checkpoints so that Downtown Disney is pulled inside its secured area.

The move was expected to be completed by year’s end.

“We are moving the location of our bag-check and metal detectors to the point where guests enter our property through Downtown Disney and the Mickey & Friends parking structure,” a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman said.

Guests would be checked as soon as they left the Mickey & Friends parking structure before boarding the tram toward Downtown Disney.

Two other checkpoints are set to be added: one of them will be between ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe and the other between ESPN Zone and Earl of Sandwich restaurant. Officials said these would likely service guests coming from the hotels.

Officials hope the change will make it easier for guests: They could leave Disneyland or Disney California Adventure for Downtown Disney, a shopping and restaurant district, and return to one of the parks without going through a checkpoint for a second time.

Guests can already pass from one park to the other without going through a checkpoint.

The checkpoint on the east side of the parks, near the Harbor Boulevard entrance, is not moving for now.

Paint the Night Parade Returns November 18th on Select Evenings Through Holiday Season

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

Disney’s Paint the Night Electrical Parade will return to Disneyland Park for the busy holiday season starting November 18th, 2016 on select evenings.

paint-the-night-signage-better-800x533

As of now the parade will be performing during the busiest holiday weeks and on weekends through the season. The new parade times appear to be 6:30PM and 10:30PM, a pretty big departure from the original Summer schedule for the parade (despite Disneyland Park still being open until midnight on those evenings).

The Main Street Electrical Parade will return to replace Pain the Night in January for what is being promoted as a limited time run.

REVIEW: Disneyland Park Introduces Insane Cereal & Candy-Topped Doughnuts

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

Disneyland Park is home to some of the most epic theme park snacks of all time: the Dole Whip, the churro, and the Mickey Pretzel, just to name a few. Now, as of this past weekend, it is home to specialty doughnuts. BUT DO THEY LIVE UP TO THE RICH LEGACY OF JUNK FOOD AT DISNEYLAND? You are about to find out…

Disneyland doughnuts can be found here, at the hub coffee cart

Disneyland’s doughnuts can be found here, at the hub coffee cart

The hub coffee cart is home to the crazy creations, an interesting spot to say the least. This location already can boast some pretty hefty lines (even without selling Starbucks Coffee), never mind with these colorful treats glistening in the visible display case.

Each doughnut is $5.75 each

Each doughnut is $5.75 each

All 3 doughnuts we found upon visiting are $5.75 each. Enough yapping, let’s eat some “family-based treats” at the Happiest Place on Earth.

The doughnuts of Disneyland

The doughnuts of Disneyland

Chocolate Doughnut with Peanut Butter Cups & Crispy Orange Sprinkles ($5.75)

Chocolate Doughnut with Peanut Butter Cups & Crispy Orange Sprinkles ($5.75)

Chocolate Doughnut with Peanut Butter Cups & Crispy Orange Sprinkles ($5.75)

The peanut butter cup doughnut was OK. It tasted like a donut with a peanut butter cup on top… which I suppose is what it is. The chocolate icing was nice in flavor, but the actual donut was meh. In fairness, it was 10pm in the evening when these were obtained, so they just might have been sitting there for too long to be perfect.

Lemon Doughnut with Fruity Pebbles ($5.75)

Lemon Doughnut with Fruity Pebbles ($5.75)

Lemon Doughnut with Fruity Pebbles ($5.75)

Now the lemon doughnut covered in Fruity Pebbles… this one is amazing. The lemon icing mixed with the fruity pebbles is simply magically. Even though the doughnut underneath wasn’t very fresh, the tartness of the lemon mixing with the sweet Fruity Pebbles makes for one of the absolute best snacks in all of Disneyland.

Lemon Doughnut with Fruity Pebbles ($5.75)

Lemon Doughnut with Fruity Pebbles ($5.75)

Vanilla Doughnut with M&M’s Minis, Rainbow Sprinkles, & Waffle Cone Bits ($5.75)

Vanilla Doughnut with M&M's Minis, Rainbow Sprinkles, & Waffle Cone Bits ($5.75)

Vanilla Doughnut with M&M’s Minis, Rainbow Sprinkles, & Waffle Cone Bits ($5.75)

This vanilla donut was just alright. It is really, really sweet, In fact…

In-joke for my fellow wrestling fans...

In-joke for my fellow wrestling fans…

The waffle cone bits were soft and not crunchy which is not what we expected. The M&M’s Minis actually worked very well on the doughnut. This one isn’t a bad choice if you have picky eaters or kids in your party who want to get in on the fun.

Vanilla Doughnut with M&M's Minis, Rainbow Sprinkles, & Waffle Cone Bits ($5.75)

Vanilla Doughnut with M&M’s Minis, Rainbow Sprinkles, & Waffle Cone Bits ($5.75)

OVERALL

We should probably try them again when they are fresh, but regardless, the Fruity Pebbles doughnut is the real winner. This thing can go toe-to-toe with the best of them as far as Disneyland snacks are concerned. Be sure to give that one (and maybe one of the other two) a shot on your next trip to Disneyland Park.