There is a lot of work being done to Disneyland Park to get it ready for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But that doesn’t mean that Disney California Adventure is being forgotten about. On the contrary, lots of things are happening at this park, too. Here’s a look at what’s going on at Disney California Adventure on our latest trip.

Disney California Adventure

Right as we walk in, we are met with a quite a crowd of guests. Due to Spring Break season and Food & Wine Festival, Disney California Adventure Park has been experiencing a very high crowd index lately.

We spotted the new Dapper Yellow Spirit Jersey at Elias & Co. and it looks like they have plenty in stock, with no signs of it selling out. Guests can purchase the newest Spirit Jersey for $64.99.

As we head for Hollywood Land, we start to get the full effect of how many guests are in Disney California Adventure today.

Guardians of the Galaxy––Mission: Breakout! has quite a long line forming. Today, the line of guests stretches across the Trolley tracks and along the wall that separates the construction of Marvel Land.

Speaking of Marvel Land, we can catch the smallest of glimpses at the work being done. We recently shared new details on the Spider-Man attraction coming to Marvel Land and we cannot wait to see this area finished. For now, there is still a long way to go.

As we leave Hollywood Land to explore the rest of the Park, it appears many guests are doing the same and heading for the Food & Wine Festival.

Despite Disney California Adventure being built with wider walkways than Disneyland, it’s still very difficult to navigate through the huge amount of people here today. The Festival Marketplaces don’t help much, as guests tend to stop and stare at the booths, which causes more foot traffic.

The main path in Cars Land is slightly better, so this detour to the rest of the Park is a good route to take.

And today we happened to see both Lightning McQueen and Cruz Ramirez out for meet and greets. These meet and greet experiences are fun on days like today, when the lines for attractions are rather long.

One of the best hidden-gems about Cars Land, maybe even all of Disney California Adventure, is this section by Radiator Springs Racers. It tends to be fairly quiet and doesn’t experience a ton of foot traffic. So if you find yourself needing a place to sit and relax away from the crowds, we recommend making a pit-stop here.

After we reported that Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop had stopped handing out chocolate samples to guests, they appear to have temporarily resumed this practice. Today we were given this bunny-shaped Milk Chocolate and Caramel sample.

And if you’re a fan of Easter, you can find these adorable bunny and baby chick bags filled with premium chocolate assortments. They are available for $16.95.

As we head for Pixar Pier, we are met with––suprise––more people. It appears almost every area of Disney California Adventure can’t escape the impact of Spring Break crowds.

We stopped by Knick’s Knacks, where we found the new fuzzy Sulley headband on the shelves. This headband is a great alternative for guests who aren’t fans of the Mickey and Minnie Ears but still want to wear something festive. This Sulley headband can be purchased for $27.99.

Despite not being fully finished, Pixar Pier continues to be the most popular area of the Park. The line for Incredicoaster extends far out onto the Pier walkway.

Jessie’s Critter Carousel is finally open for some good ol’, down-home twirlin’. Check out our full tour and video of the new attraction here!

Before we check on the progress at Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, we spotted this cute t-shirt for $34.99. We’re definitely feeling all the things about the new concept art that has been added to the construction walls.

While this concept-art isn’t new, it was newly added to these walls. And seeing it this blown up has us so excited to see this space on Pixar Pier transformed.

From what we can tell, it looks like there will be giant Disgust and Fear statues that guests can pose with, similar to Jessie at Jessie’s Critter Carousel. And there will also be Joy, Sadness, and Anger throughout the attraction.

If you want to see what’s going on beyond the construction walls, you can check out the photos from our last Disney California Adventure photo report.

The Festival Beer Garden in Paradise Garden Park is another quiet area where guests can sit and relax. If you’re interested in doing so with a cold glass of beer in hand, check out our review of the Festival Beer Garden.

One of the biggest signs of a crowded day at Disney California Adventure is when the queue for The Little Mermaid Ariel’s Undersea Adventure extends out onto the Paradise Gardens Park walkway. This has been a familiar sight nowadays, and we’re thinking it’s best to get used to it now. This queue is likely to be the new norm when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in May. 

There is still plenty of Food & Wine Festival merchandise still available for purchase, despite it looking a little less stocked than it did a couple of weeks ago.

For guests who hope to score a FastPass for World of Color viewing, be advised: we saw this sign at 12:30 PM. So if you’d like to get a FastPass, we suggest getting to the Park as early as possible to get one.

Thankfully the smoking area in Grizzly Peak has been temporarily moved to Silly Symphony Swings while it is being refurbished. This comes after many complaints about the Golden Dreams Marketplace being located right next to this smoking section. Now guests can eat their Festival food in peace.

We decided to exit the Park by taking the route through Grizzly Peak to Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and this turned out to be a great decision. Somehow, this area remains less populated than most of the other areas. Here and Cars Land might be the go-to escape spots moving forward.

That’s all we have on this recent trip to Disney California Adventure. Don’t miss our updates on everything happening at Downtown Disney right now.