Hello! Come along with me on a loop through the Disneyland Resort and see what I got up to! With the Halloween season nearly here, there is a lot going on at the parks and I’m exited to bring you with me.
Halloween Merch Restocks at the Main Street Shops
Starting my day in the Emporium, I was delighted to hear that some sold out merchandise had been restocked.
The Pastel Ghost collection that sent everyone wild had a restock of the Pink Tote Bag, which had been missing from the parks for a few days. The ear headband is back, but they’re behind the registers, and you have to ask a Cast Member to purchase one.
The sought-after Black Spiderweb Mickey Pillows were in abundance throughout the park as well.
The Mickey and Minnie Pumpkin Spice Crewneck Sweatshirt was back in the previously sold out sizes and was being picked up by guests faster than the Cast Members could restock it.
NEW Tangled Ornament
On my way down Main Street, I stopped into Crystal Arts and saw this beauty sparkling on the counter. This ornament, modeled after the suns from Disney’s Tangled, is the newest debut from the Arribas Brothers.
Toffee Nut Cold Brew… I have thoughts.
I mobile ordered my breakfast from Jolly Holiday and decided to give the new-ish Toffee-Nut Cold Brew a try. As a recovered sweet coffee lover, I feel it is my personal mission to try every theme park specialty flavored coffee just to see how far I’ve come.
Disney especially likes to gear their beverage flavor profiles to children, which just makes so much sense for cold brew, but I digress. I’ll give credit where it is due, Space Coffee in Galaxy’s Edge is the bomb diggity and a must try for anyone who likes coffee and the nostalgia of Coco Puffs.
This offering of the signature Disney Cold Brew, quite delicious on its own, is paired with a VERY sweet Toffee-Nut (I guess…) syrup and a Vanilla Foam, which I usually enjoy. I got through most of this coffee, and it wasn’t offensively sweet, but not far off. That being said, I’m not sure if they were going for more Toffee or Hazelnut, but I don’t think I tasted either.
This was a 3/7. Somebody out there will (probably) love it, but I don’t need ever to get it again.
I paired it with the Bacon Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich, which has been a long time favorite.
Mickey Silhouette Sunglasses are back!
The Mickey Silhouette Sunglasses have made their return to Disneyland after a prompt sell out. Found at the Emporium, these give even the most drab of outfits a little pixie dust!
Sorry. That was gross, I know. But it was right there.
We interrupt your regularly scheduled park day for… Jon Favreau
Film crews popped up in New Orleans Square today for production of the new Oswald series coming to Disney+ . Royal St and Orleans St were closed to guests for multiple hours while filming was taking place in and around the shops. It looked to be that they spent a good deal of time in front of the Blue Bayou, and a team of Cast Members were waiting at the exit of Pirates of the Caribbean to direct you away from the set.
I saw both Jon Favreau and Kathryn Hahn throughout my time in the area, and you can see more photos of filming from earlier in the week here.
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and the surrounding area were also closed to guests for around four hours of filming later in the afternoon.
Are you excited for this new series? I want to hear your thoughts!
Haunted Mansion Migrating Spooky for the Winter
The yearly Haunted Mansion closure is upon us as the attraction undergoes its seasonal transformation into Haunted Mansion Holiday, the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. Reopening on August 22 with the official kick off of the Halloween season at Disneyland Resort, this attraction will boast elevated wait times for the remainder of the year.
Now most people love this dual holiday overlay and, as it is a large decoration overhaul, I can understand from a logistical standpoint why Disneyland chooses to keep the ride in its festive state for… close to half the year (it typically stays “Nightmared” until mid January).
However, as a lover of the original Haunted Mansion AND all things Halloween, I have a bone to pick. Let me start by saying, the overlay is truly a work of art and a brilliant use of theming. BUT, it is far too Christmas-y to be up throughout the Halloween season.
The Haunted Mansion is spooky and scary all on its own, already serving as the epitome of a Halloween-esque ride. Now the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay leans heavily towards Christmas in its design, and would be a perfect way to make the darker ride festive and jolly! Starting in November.
Just like the movie it’s based on, it would be Christmas with a Nightmare-ish twist! But the citizens of Halloween Town didn’t need any help being ghoulish and ghostly for their respective holiday, and neither does the Haunted Mansion.
Thank you for coming to my TEDx Talk.
Edelweiss Refurbishment
Continuing on my walk through Fantasyland, I noticed that Edelweiss Snacks was all wrapped up for refurbishment. Hopefully, it’s unveiled soon because I definitely missed the classic exterior, especially its iconic wooden sign. That very hard to read banner was not cutting it!
Early Signs of Oogie Boogie
The first glimpses of the Oogie Boogie Bash continue to appear throughout the park as I hopped over to Disney’s California Adventure. These walls are nestled in the Redwood Creek area close to the soon-to-be Villains Grove.
I don’t know about you guys, but the Villains Grove is one of my favorite parts of the party. Let me know what you are most looking forward to at Oogie Boogie Bash this year in the comments!
Avengers Campus Construction
We are seeing some activity happening in Avengers Campus beyond the construction walls. There was definitely some operating of heavy machinery going on back there.
I am excited to see some more progress being made on the land expansion and what looks to be the construction of one of the ride buildings. Here’s to hoping we have a more concrete timeline for, let’s face it, the upgrade this land definitely needs, by the end of the year.
NEW Limited Release Halloween Spider-Bot
Making my way out of Avengers Campus, this cute little guy caught my eye. A special edition Halloween Spider-Bot with his own fangs and everything!
DCA Continues its Attraction Based Merchandise
We are seeing more and more merchandise collections in the parks themed to specific attractions, and Cars Land is no exception. This new Radiator Springs Racers line dropped this week and can be found at Sarge’s Surplus Hut. The star of the show is the adjustable crossbody, and you can find a more in depth look at it here.
Finishing my loop of DCA, I enjoyed seeing these new merch items for Grizzly River Run. Though this might not be my favorite ride in the park, this collection is a winner! The line feels familiar in the best way, with its similarity to US National Parks merchandise and signage colors. As someone who grew up camping and spending a lot of time in the great outdoors, I just might have to bring that crewneck home with me.
It’s Officially Halloween in Downtown Disney
Upon exiting the park, I was thrilled to see that Halloween had made its way to Downtown Disney. We have had merchandise in the stores for close to two weeks, but other than Oogie Boogie himself appearing over the California Adventure sign and some of the other party preparations, this is the first real showing of seasonal decorations in the parks! As a certified Halloween Girly, I’m eagerly awaiting the official kickoff of Spooky Season, and this is a wonderful preamble.
Get a closer look at all the Halloween decor here.
Cast Member Magic
And to end today, I wanted to share this lovely Mickey that I came across on Pixar Pier. He was somewhat tucked away, minding his own business and looking beautifully fabulous with his pink flower petals. I drew some attention to him as I believe my delight was audible upon discovery. So I had quite a few other guests come over and join me for their own photoshoot.
This is just a gentle reminder that Cast Members truly are the magic that make up our favorite parks. Without their smiles, helpful assistance, and joy, the Happiest Place on Earth just wouldn’t be the same.
I’d love to hear about your and your family’s favorite Cast Member interaction that made your trip to a Disney Park all the more special! Let me know in the comments below.
Goodbye for now, and I’ll see you on Main Street!
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