When Toy Story Land opens in 2018, PIXAR Place will close for an entirely new guest flow in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests will go around what is now PIXAR Place to access the park’s two new lands come next year. In preparation, the wall of landscaping that will seal off PIXAR Place from guests is now in place.
This green barrier can be seen in the Toy Story Land model. PIXAR Place and the alley behind it will be a cast member access road no longer accessible to guests.
PIXAR Place will likely close next Summer when Toy Story Land opens to guests.
We of course reviewed Fairfax Fare on Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios when the menu went tex-mex almost one year ago. Well, now a new option has joined the menu, a 7(Yeah, 7)-Layer Rice Bowl.
The rice bowl replaces the Loaded Baked Potato, which has been a staple here for the last few years.
The Coco Dulce de Leche Cupcake is also here, but is available at several locations throughout the park.
7-Layer Rice Bowl – ($11.29)
The rice bowl comes in three varieties: pulled pork, grilled chicken, or vegan chili. We went with the pork and the vegan chili versions.
Without diving into them, it is really hard to tell which one is which thanks to the plethora of other ingredients in the dish. That being said, there is plenty of the main course underneath all of that in both versions. Above is the vegan chili, below is the pulled pork, neither in an actual bowl.
The menu describes the items as “Pulled Pork served over Cilantro Rice, Black Beans, Roasted Corn Medley, Pico de Gallo and Sour Cream topped with Cheddar served with warm Tortillas” and “Vegan Chili served over Cilantro Rice, Black Beans, Roasted Corn Medley, Pico de Gallo and Sour Cream topped with Cheddar served with warm Tortillas”. You can also add “guacamole” for $1.00…
Here is the “Wholly Guacamole” you get for your dollar. It is not very good.
Overall, the rice bowls are pretty good and you likely get a lot more of everything than you would with the fajita dish from here, so the question really is do you want to eat with your hands or a fork. Personally, I think you can do a lot worse with counter service at Hollywood Studios, so Fairfax is still number 1-2 on my list. These aren’t terrible, but they aren’t life changing either, but in terms of size, they are a pretty decent value comparably with other quick serve items at the Studios.
Coco Dulce de Leche Cupcake ($5.99)
The Coco cupcake is one of the better ones in recent memory, featuring a vanilla cake, colorful icing, and a center filled with sweet dulce de leche.
It’s deftly worth a try if it’s there on your next visit.
Today, Disney shared a look at a new area planned for Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Woody’s Lunch Box.
When Toy Story Land opens in Summer 2018 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests will shrink to the size of a toy and explore Andy’s backyard. This story continues at Woody’s Lunch Box, where Andy has used his lunch box and thermos to create a walk-up quick-service window that will serve up tasty meals and old-fashioned soda floats. In the rendering above, you can see that Woody’s Lunch Box – like the rest of Toy Story Land – has been adorably strewn about with some of Andy’s favorite toys and items from his lunch. You can even spot a green army man on a nearby lookout tower, keeping watch for Andy’s return.
The Walt Disney World Resort will partner with Mini Babybel to bring this location to life.
Our latest photo report brings u back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as it prepares for a transitional Holiday season, offering up a new lineup that Disney hopes will fill the void left by the Osborne Lights over the last two years.
Christmas Shopping
Plenty of blown-glass ornaments for sale at Celebrity 5 & 10, including a new Monorail ornament.
They’re a little pricey at $19.99 each, but they are pretty cool.
Some new holiday apparel for sale.
A few new Beauty and the Beast ornaments have joined the existing collection this year, including this light up rose ornament.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse have both received their own action figures of sorts, exclusive to the Disney Parks. They retail for $14.99 each.
The new Mickey Mouse ear baseball cap is already out.
Sunset Seasons Greetings
As the park prepares for the new Sunset Seasons Greetings offering, a whole lot of new infrastructure is going into place on Sunset Boulevard. The old, white lights for the palm trees have been replaced with these beauties, capable of color changing for show elements.
Some extra hardware was also installed on the star lights, likely to be used to integrate them into the show.
The Fantasmic billboard is likely gone for good as a new billboard that can be projected onto will go in its place. Maybe it will return in some form down the road.
Behind the billboard hides the infrastructure for the projectors that will turn the Hollywood Tower Hotel into a number of holiday items during the shows.
The projectors sit on the stands you can see behind these windows.
People seem confused about a new Paradise Pier billboard that appeared recently at the Studios. I don’t see the confusion as both lands exist in roughly the same time period. Sadly, Paradise Pier will become PIXAR Pier, but this will be a nice nod to the past.
Dirt Street U.S.A.
Construction continues on Two Story Land, opening Summer 2018.
The remnants of the catwalk above the soundstage waits to be sealed in.
On the other side, we still have no idea what this weird, tall section of building is supposed to be.
A dirt wall now seals PIXAR Place, which eventually will be no more once Toy Story Land opens and the entrance to Toy Story Midway Mania moves there.
Just before this dirt wall will lie a cast access road, with PIXAR Place then becoming a backstage area.
The construction walls behind Muppet Vision 3-D expanded outward, now coming into the attraction’s exit.
Here we see the building for the “Battle Escape” attraction in Star War’s Galaxy’s Edge.
This and That
Sunset Showcase courtyard was open, being used for extended queue for Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, as well as some character meet and greets.
The show building for Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster was recently repainted blue to blend into Toy Story Land better. It’s too bad it now doesn’t blend with anything on this side of the park. Why is every “soundstage” building a different color?
Work on Echo Lake continues, with the “logs” under the water now repainted.
With the Coco preview coming soon, the final room of Walt Disney Presents is pretty barren at the moment. The stickers on the walls were taken down and only on display case remains in use.
New this week is the release of new ceramic tumblers at all Starbucks locations across Walt Disney World. Earlier this week we showed you the Magic Kingdom version, now we’re bringing you a closer look at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version available for $21.99 at Trolley Car Café.
A closer look reveals the Hollywood Tower Hotel, Disney Animation, Fantasmic, Carthay Circle, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Today, the “strategic partnership” between Siemens and the Walt Disney Company comes to an end officially. Siemens has released a statement summarizing the twelve years of the deal coming to a conclusion today:
When Siemens and Disney began to explore the mutual benefits and opportunities of forming one of the largest marketing alliances in the technology sector for the entertainment space, it was a natural fit. The two organizations have many share values such as Innovation, Service, and Quality as well as a worldwide brand presence. Since 2005, the opportunities to leverage this technology alliance extended across The Walt Disney Company including theme parks and resorts, studios, networks, publishing, and digital. On October 10, 2017, the Siemens-Disney Alliance reached a mutually agreed upon conclusion.
Sponsorship Activation Timeline:
October 2005 Siemens US and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Sign 12-year agreement
October 2005 ABC SuperSign at Times Square, presented by Siemens
October 2005 IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [July 2013, presented by Siemens]
November 2005 Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [November 2013 – 15, presented by Siemens]
January 2006 – April 2010 Disney’s Electrical Parade at Disney California Adventure, presented by Sylvania, a Siemens Company
January 2006 – November 2008 Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company
May 2007 Siemens VIP Center at Epcot Opens [private executive meeting and guest lounge]
February 2008 Spaceship Earth, presented by Siemens
March 2008 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Epcot, presented by Siemens
April 2008 – March 2015 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Disneyland Innoventions, presented by Siemens
November 2010 it’s a small world at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [August 2013, presented by Siemens]
About Siemens USA
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis. With approximately 351,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of $88.1 billion in fiscal 2016. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.4 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Siemens technology was also used to create several new theme park attractions, including Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.
Guests will also encounter some signs pertaining to Jake as they roam around Tomorrowland. The test is occurring on most days, and Jake is being attended to by a undercover Imagineer who is watching over him.
This is good, because by the looks of the video below, Jake is going to need some protection…
The droid takes quite a beating during the short period where we watched him, getting kicked and pushed around by some children who he meets. Luckily, Jake was designed to handle such events, but one has to wonder just how much such a complicated piece of machinery can take. Well, this is why he is being tested years before his debut in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019.
Disney has stated that multiple droids and alien creatures will be roaming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens at both Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
They may not be pretty, but the structures for the Sunset Seasons Greetings offering at Disney’s Hollywood Studios have gone up.
A temporary structure with a large screen has emerged at Sunset Ranch Market, meanwhile, a large permanent structure has risen next to the Tower of Terror.
As well, the classic Fantasmic billboard has been removed.
Sunset Seasons Greetings debuts November 9, 2017 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Work continues on the new Grand Avenue area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with reports now indicating that the Baseline Tap House will open to guests sometime before the end of the month.
While the street itself doesn’t look quite finished, Baseline Tap House looks just about ready to open.
As you can see, signage is up, but a look through the walls reveals a mostly finished product.
For a better look at the site from a few weeks ago, here is a look at Grand Avenue completely revealed thanks to Hurricane Irma:
In preparation for Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, almost the entirety of the old Soundstage 4 building has been demolished.
This building was home to portions of the Backlot Tour and Backstage Pass attractions when the park opened, in later years hosting the Narnia walkthrough exhibits, as well as the infamous Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow. It will now be the entrance to Toy Story Land, opening Summer 2018.
I’m still anxious to see how they will theme this area as an entrance to the Toy Story area.
A strange tall section of the soundstage is apparently staying, for what reason, we do not know. Again, we’ll have to wait and see exactly what this will be, but it still looks like a soundstage on one side.
