Secrets and Tips for Disneyland

ready to become a Disneyland Pro just by watching One dfb video cuz this is it this is the video you've been looking for today we're revealing the top Insider secrets and tips around Disney's West Coast Parks hey everybody it's AJ for Disney food blog I am so ready to reveal all of our favorite hidden gems and lesser known tricks that'll add tons of value to your soon to be Disneyland vacation so without further do let's head out west all right Fantasmic is coming back to Disneyland and we seriously cannot wait to see it reclaim its spot on the rivers of America again so after an unexpected fire destroyed the Maleficent Dragon animatronic last year that was dramatic this nighttime spectacular has been indefinitely closed while imagineers revamp the design but all those revamps are getting ready to wrap up so Fantasmic can reopen on May 24th 2024 while imagineers have had to make some pretty drastic changes to this night time spectacular since the Maleficent Dragon was unsalvageable and Disney wanted to make sure they improved the safety of this show to prevent another catastrophe we can still expect to see a lot of similarities between the old and new versions including its location in the park in the past we haven't had too much trouble finding a good view for this show thanks to those three Water Screens that help improve visibility but if you want to experience the best angle for Fantasmic make sure you got a clear view of Tom Sawyer Island AKA around that pathway connecting New Orleans square and Frontier land also don't be afraid to ask a nearby cast member where they suggest you stand for the show as long as they're not too busy helping out with crowd control they should be able to point you in the right direction for a great view before the fire Fantasmic had an everchanging schedule throughout the year sometimes it'd show twice a night sometimes only once and sometimes not at all so once this show does go live again make sure you check Disneyland's hours and events calendar so you don't miss out on the returning spectacle so Disneyland doesn't like staying stagnant which is why year round these parks are going to spice things up with exclusive events and seasonal entertainment and if you time your visit just right you might be able to experience one of these limited time shindigs yourself for example season of the force kicked off on April 5th and is going to run until June 2nd this year during this event you'll be able to watch fire of the rising moons which is a new version of Disneyland's nighttime Show featuring iconic music from Star Trek jk LOL just seeing if you're paying attention now you can watch this new show from multiple viewing areas and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge including the black Spire Spaceport the Thai Echelon docking platform and the speeder garage hyperspace Mountain has also made its return in honor of season of the forest this is my favorite favorite favorite version of Space Mountain so up until June 2nd you can experience Space Mountain with that Star Wars themed overlay you'll also be able to check out other limited time Star Wars offerings too like new photo pass opportunities exclusive merchandise novelty snack items Etc by the way I am a huge Star Trek fan I'm I'm not going to lie I'm a big TNG person so if you are too please let me know anyway along with season of the forest you can also celebrate your favorite Pixar characters during Disneyland's Pixar Fest yep you might get a double dose of celebrations if you're about to head to Disneyland soon from April 26th through August 4th 2024 you'll be able to celebrate the impact of Pixar's greatest stories all throughout Disneyland Resort which features the brand new Better Together a Pixar pal celebration parade in Disney California Adventure with more than two dozen Pixar Pals to wave at a nighttime event in DCA called Club Pixar that's going to feature an interactive DJ dance party live performances Games photo ops themed food crafted drinks and more who remembers an Alice and Wonderland situation that used to happen right they returning together forever a Pixar nighttime spectacular boy they love these long long long names for their stuff don't they anyway on the Disneyland castle this is going to have new scenes inspired by pixars onward Soul Luca turning red and Elemental and again lots of new merch that you may want to snag before it's gone there's even a Doug popcorn bucket for passholders which is super super cute now Disneyland is really riding the Pixar train not only can you explore Pixar Pier D around San FR soio I.E the new Big Hero 6 area that opened last summer and celebrate these films during Pixar Fest but you can also stay in a newly remodeled hotel completely dedicated to these movies and characters Disney's Pixar Place hotel which officially opened at the end of January 2024 is is the major overhaul of the former Paradise Pier Hotel now the hotel as Disney puts it weaves the Artistry of Pixar into its comfortable contemporary setting along with new rooms new restaurants and new places to shop you've also got the opportunity to meet exclusive Pixar characters remember Riley's imaginary friend from inside out hopefully you do because Riley doesn't sorry touchy subject moving on Bing Bong can be found wandering around the lobby and the outdoor area on the third floor he shows up here every day of the week so you should be able to catch him at some point during your stay and now this is what I'm so excited about because soul is one of our favorite Pixar films Joe Garder can be found serenading guests on the piano in the lobby on select days throughout the week this isn't really a meet and greet situation but you can stop to listen to Joe's Jazzy Tunes as you make your way around the lobby very cool character situation there now recently there's been one treat that's been selling out in Disneyland's well I guess it's Critter country kind of it's New Orleans Square meets Critter country and That Snack is the chocolate chip cookie six-pack for just over six bucks over there at Harbor Galley while you might think there's nothing special about some lilow chocolate chip treat these cookies are freshly baked so they consistently taste like they just came warm out of the oven really really delicious especially when you're in a situation like Disneyland where a lot of stuff is prepackaged or maybe it doesn't taste as great as it does when it's straight out of the oven like homemade right but these do they're quite good and if six isn't enough for you you can always upgrade to the 13 Pack for just over $12 instead but here's the thing these cookies are very popular and as I mentioned before they do tend to sell out sometimes so if you want to make sure you get a pack for yourself you're going to want to come to Harbor Galley as soon as it opens for the day if not a little sooner just to get in line typically Harbor Galley opens at 10:00 a.m. daily but double check the Disneyland app the day of your visit just in case the hours happen to change or you can mobile order too so no it's not just a rumor Disneyland really does have 200 plus feral cats in their park they're called the Disneyland cats and they are the best they don't live here for free they've got a job to do the felines are here to keep the rodents away so sorry Remy but you may want to steer clear you know what makes this Disneyland fact even better though the cats actually have their own Instagram account well it's not theirs it's someone who actually runs an account that shows pictures of the cats called Disneyland cats where you can get to know their names and personalities there's the prim and proper margerie the black and white brooding Horatio my very very favorite super fluffy and Sassy Francisco the sleepy mostly whitefur Evelyn the gray and white and slightly disgruntled Lloyd look I could fill the rest of this video just looking at Disneyland cats and y'all probably wouldn't care but we got to keep moving forward there's a good chance you probably won't see any of these cats during your visit since the majority of them sleep the day away but that doesn't mean it doesn't ever happen so consider yourself lucky if you see Francisco over there near the Grand California now I know we talk a lot about the East Coast Parks discounts that you can find on Disney World's special offers and discounts web page but Disneyland has its own savings as well throughout the year you can find new deals on hotels and park tickets featured on Disneyland's offers and discounts web page though many of those deals will be specifically targeted towards Southern California residents and magic key holders which is Disneyland's version of annual passholders some will also be open to all guests looking to save some cash on their future Disney land visits for example one of the current featured offers on the website per the release of this video gives you the chance to save 10 to 15% on certain rooms at a Disneyland Resort Hotel on Sunday through Thursday nights from March 11th to June 6th just keep in mind that these savings opportunities do have a deadline that you'll need to book the room by in order to apply the deal for this hotel discount specifically your cutoff day is June 3rd though you'll probably want to book your room before that since these discounted rooms can and do book up quickly which is why it's always a good idea to keep checking back on that web page for future savings opportunities or you can always join our dfb newsletter family we'll tell you immediately when we see more discounts go live so Guardians of the Galaxy Mission breakout over in Disney California Adventure is a freef fall attraction where your second rideth through might be completely different than the time before if you're brave enough for a rde that is this is basically the overhaul of the Old Tower of Terror in this particular park now Mission breakout offers six different storyline experiences each featuring a different story sequence and song from the 70s or 80s as you speed to the top of the tower and get yanked down to the bottom over and over and over again the potential songs you could get on this ride include Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat benitar give up the funk by Parliament Born to Be Wild by stepphen wolf I Want You Back by Jackson 5 Free Ride by the Edgar Winter Group and burn in Love by Elvis Presley and if you come here around the Halloween season you've got a chance to not only experience a different ride scenario but a whole different level of Terri Ying intensity thanks to the Guardians of the Galaxy monsters after dark overlay so this happens for a limited time in the evenings typically starting around September lasting up until Halloween and features a whole new Hard Rock soundtrack and a fresh plot line where you have to help rocket save Groot from the clutches of a rather terrifying monster good luck next up look out for those new restaurants there are so many new restaurants coming to downtown Disney and some of them will be opening their doors really really soon so let's go over what we know about each of these upand cominging dining establishments so far Porto Bakery and Cafe that's a Southern California favorite that already has six locations in the state the spot's going to bring sweet pastries and savory Cuban food to downtown Disney although we don't know the menu for the downtown Disney location just yet current Porto locations have stuff like guava and cheese strudel an array of empanadas and me pie cettas breakfast pasteries and cakes freshly baked breads soups and salads and more now poo is one part of a Mexican restaurant Trio that's opening in Downtown Disney in May 2024 the other two restaurants are centrico the courtyard bar and restaurant and Dand a quick service option these are taking over the spot where Catal and U Bar used to be as well as the sprinkles cupcake shop that closed back in April 2023 dinai Fong is a family-owned award-winning restaurant that's opening in Downtown Disney this summer it's going to be located on the west side in what's been called a creative space near the new lawn Pavilion the restaurant will serve Chinese dishes family style including its famous soup dumplings which are typically handcrafted right on site last but not least the new Parkside Market area is actually for restaurant locations all Under One Roof this is also going to be located on the west side of Downtown Disney first you've got soul sister which will deliver a Korean forward menu with a California twist next up is Sip and sa a black women-owned location that specializes in signature lattes as well as fresh treats frozen drinks and Caribbean inspired bites your third choice here is going to be GG's chicken shop where you can grab family style chicken salads and classic dinner sides and finally you've got the Parkside Market Second Story Rooftop Bar which is going to feature a wide variety of cocktail options made with local ingredients by mixologists with selections like frozen lemonades froes espresso martinis sharable cocktails and spiritfree elixir so let's talk Genie plus and when to buy it in Disneyland Disney Genie plus Works differently in Disneyland than it does in Disney World they're both premium Services that'll help you you book lightning Lanes throughout the day so you can skip over the main cues of the rides but the way you purchase Genie Plus in Disneyland versus Disney World is a horse of a different color there are two ways to add Genie plus to your Park visit in Disneyland while you can only get Genie plus over in Disney World on the day of each Park visit starting at midnight you can actually purchase Genie Plus in Disneyland as a park ticket add-on for $30 per ticket per day before your visit however if you choose to purchase Genie plus ahead of time you'll have to pay for this service for every single Park day instead of getting the chance to pick and choose which days you're actually going to buy it for that's why some folks still prefer to purchase Genie plus the day of each of their park days after Park opening so they can choose to skip the added expense if they don't think they're going to need it that day and yet waiting to purchase Genie plus until the day off can still be quite a gamble when you purchase a service before your trip you're locked into the $30 per person per day price point but when you purchase Genie Plus on the day of the prices might hike up depending on the demand of the service that day so if you know you're going to be visiting during a busier time of the year like spring break or the holiday season you might be better off pre purchasing Disney Genie Plus for Disneyland but if you're going to be visiting during one of those offseason times like at the beginning of the year or when the kids all head back to school you might be better off waiting and seeing if you really need to purchase Genie Plus on the day you're in the Parks ooh one last important note for Genie plus if you decide to park hop while using Genie plus keep in mind that Disneyland still has parkhopper rules in place where you can't park hop until after 11: a.m. so you can still book rides in the other Park that you're currently visiting before you hop but if you want to book a lightning Lane for the other Park you're going to have to wait for the rides lightning Lane distribution time to be listed for after 11:00 a.m. before you can select it okay that was a lot of words let me see if I can give you an example instead if you start your day at Disney California Adventure but you want to book a lightning Lane for Disneyland Parks Indiana Jones which of course you do then you'll need to keep an eye on Indy's lightning Lane distribution times via the Disneyland apps tip board once that ride says you can book a lightning Lane for it at 11:00 a.m. or later then you can actually book it if you started in Disney California Adventure even if it's still several hours away so just to reiterate you do not have to wait until it's 11:00 a.m. or until you park hop to reserve rides in your second Park of the day you just have to wait until lightning lanes for that specific ride are listed for an 11:00 a.m. return time or later I know it's a lot of info all at once but if you want a little more help figuring all the ins and outs of Disney Genie out for both Disney World and and Disneyland we got a full web page that's going to help you learn about all the fun quirks of this service so you aren't caught by surprise during your vacation I'll go ahead and Link that post down in the description for you time to talk high scores want to know the secret to scoring Mega points on Buzz Lightyear asro blasters then stay alert when you reach the second room of the ride in this room Zerg stands and turns revealing and concealing targets with his cape but don't mind those clearly labeled targets there's a small Z on Zur B's chest that doesn't look like all the other targets but it totally is one and it's a big one worth 50,000 points fair warning this target can be very difficult to hit even if it looks like you squarely got it and it only registers about half the time but when the stars all aligned the point payoff is pretty great we're heading to Goofy's Kitchen for this next tip now goofy doesn't just cook in his kitchen he also Fashions off the latest seasonal Styles the character dining Buffet Goofy's Kitchen over at the Disneyland Hotel has been switching things up in a s IL way that you'll find over at Disney World's Hollywood and dine character Buffet this past Halloween Goofy and some of his friends got to support their creative costumes during Goofy's Kitchen Halloween experience and during that time you could enjoy special Foods prepared just for the Halloween season with enhanced menu offerings for brunch and dinner as well as themed decor and music and Disney photo pass downloads and little Halloween themed button trinket for you to keep for memory sake and then when the holiday season approached goofy traded in the spiderwebs and cauldron for Garland and snow during Goofy's holiday dine which had similar limited time offerings just Christmas ified and then when spring rolled around the restaurant kicked off its new Sensational Springtime Buffet which will run until May 12th now during this celebration you can meet Goofy and some of his bestest Pals in their Dapper Springtime outfits including clarabel who's making her first appearance at a Disneyland restaurant we are here for the clarabel representation and as far as I'm concerned if you can see her you should now warning Disneyland does have a special cancellation policy for The Sensational Springtime Buffet so if something happens and you need to get rid of your reservation you'll have to do so at least one day prior to avoid a per person cancellation fee of $25 that's a lot per person get ready because land expansions are on the way Disneyland's got a lot of big big big hopes and dreams for expanding their parks and those dreams all rest in the hands of the Disneyland forward project Disneyland forward is the large expansion proposal that Disney been working on for quite a while now which could change areas of their property that were traditionally zoned for specific uses like hotels or parking lots the way the zones are designed currently prevents Disney from creating anything other than what's in that zoning so in layman's terms Disney's looking for flexibility to use its own land for what it actually wants to do with it and not just what the Zone specifies but what does Disney want to do with this land if the proposal Works in their favor well they've bounced around a lot of different ideas so far but each one of those ideas has included a major expansion for the Disneyland Park some of the proposed projects that have been tossed around have included IPS like Coco black panther tangled frozen zootopia Peter Pan Tron and Toy Story don't get too excited just yet though because there's a lot of behind the scenes meetings and approvals and business e things that need to happen before Disney decides to move forward with any of these new lands in the meantime we do know one of Disneyland's expansion projects that's starting to take the next baby steps forward and that's the potential Pandora world of Avatar that that could come to Disneyland in the near future during the last shareholders meeting at the beginning of April we got to see early concept art of this maybe could be land and it looks pretty cool so far and also slightly different than the world of Avatar we've already got in Disney's Animal Kingdom over in Disney World again this project isn't a 100% guarantee yet we're still in blue sky but the fact that we're hearing about it and seeing concept art for it now is a good sign that it might someday see the light of day now you've probably heard about the tunnels beneath Magic Kingdom in Disney World you've maybe even heard about the tunnels weaving underneath Epcot but just recently we learned about a secret tunnel in Disneyland that leads to absolutely nowhere stick with me this is interesting stuff former imagineer Bob G shared a video on Instagram earlier this year that shows off a hidden tunnel in Frontier land you can find it if you're really really looking for it since it's pretty well hidden when you're in fantasy land heading over towards Galaxy's Edge now as G describes this tunnel didn't always lead to Nowhere for years a train ran through it that went around Big Thunder Mountain before it was Big Thunder that is and that ride was called the M Train through Nature's Wonderland which was later removed to make way for Big Thunder Mountain nowadays there isn't really any use for this secret tunnel but it also doesn't make Financial sense to get rid of it either therefore there's just some Rando small tunnel hiding out in Disneyland for no Rhyme or Reason let me know in the comments if you've ever spotted this little tunnel before and if you haven't try keeping an eye out for it next time you're there all right it's finally happening Disney is playing planning on replacing the pure gasoline engines that have powered autopia cars for years and years and years now with new electric or hybrid power sources many Disney fans have wanted the company to transition the autopia vehicles to an electric power source both for environmental reasons as well as eliminating the strong smells and sounds associated with the engines while there's no exact timetable for this autopia switch up yet the ride is slated to completely go from gas to electric by Fall 2026 people have been pretty fickle toward how they feel about this particular change and I can understand why at the end of January Disneyland updated their early entry benefit for guests staying at disney-owned hotels during their trip before Hotel guests could enter either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure 30 minutes before the general public could but now Disney will alternate out which Parks offer the early entry benefit each day so one day it'll just be DCA the next it'll just be Disneyland this is how it used to work but then they changed it anyway while this can be frustrating for Disney hotel guests at first the early entry schedule is listed on the Disneyland website so you don't have to plan your Park days without knowing when you can use this benefit hey need a helping hand with your Disneyland plans scan the QR code you see on the screen now or head to disneyfoodblog docomond versus Disney World comparisons recommendations for when you should get in line for rides dining suggestions and more all right welcome to an episode of Extreme Makeover Haunted Mansion Edition Haunted Mansion is currently closed as imagineers work to expand upon the queue and overall story of this classic Dark Ride the refurbishment will include a bigger outdoor queue with additional theming for guests to be immersed in the imagineering lore behind the Haunted Mansion is that it was built by a sea captain and ever since the staff has been devoted to taking care of the haunting grounds the expansion of the grounds will also introduce some new Garden spaces directly inspired by Master Gracie Madame Leota and the oneeyed cat literally why is Disneyland so obsessed with cats JK I am too every Garden space will be unique and have special elements like water fountains gazebos statuary themed landscaping and a new Greenhouse listen this Mansion might be Dusty on the inside but that lawn is going to look amazing along with a bigger queue Disney will also be making the queue more accessible by installing a new elevator it but wait it's not just the Haunted Mansion Q imagineers are working on the Haunted Mansion will also be getting its own Standalone retail store this new store will be operated out of the Carriage House of the mansion and owned by the spectral Diva we love and fear Madame Leota while this shop could be similar to momento Mory and Magic Kingdom it could also be completely different either way we're excited to see this whole new area open up at some point so the big downside about purchasing Disney Genie Plus for Disneyland is that a good chunk of the rides aren't even lightning Lane eligible but one ride just became lightning Lane eligible and it's all because of the Haunted Mansion refurbs starting on January 22nd right after Haunted Mansion closed for their major que overhaul the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland Park received a genie plus option Pirates of the Caribbean isn't normally available with Genie Plus in Disneyland but it will be for a while to help make the genie plus purchase a little more worth it during haunted mansion's extended closure we're not sure how long this light Lane will be available but we're crossing our fingers that'll stick around even after Haunted Mansion finally reopens so I appreciate this little secret I really really do one of the light bulbs at the Coca-Cola refreshment corner at the top of Main Street is painted half white and half red as The Story Goes while Disney was walking through Disneyland one day and even though these light bulbs are supposed to alternate between white and red he noticed two white light bulbs right next to each other he called a painter over and add him paint half of the second white bulb red to correct the pattern I get it I would have done the same thing so this is probably my new favorite thing at the Villas at Disneyland hotel right now right behind the cheese fry poutine you can order from the Palm Breeze bar cuz that stuff is seriously tasty the pallet pool area at this new DVC location features a splash pad themed to the steamboat Wily short so of course that means you're going to find a large grayscale model inspired by the boat in Steamboat Willie with Mickey Mouse at the helm now this Splash Pad is cool no matter when you visit it cuz it's got all these fun little water Play features including a waterfall right on the boat it's also got fog effects pop Jets and fountains but here's where things get truly magical after the sun sets the splash pad transforms from black and white to Vivid color with the help of some artistic lighting so Tiana's Bayou Adventure is replacing Splash Mountain in both Disney World and Disneyland at the moment and we've been watching the construction on both coasts for a while but along with the updates to this classic vog flum attraction it looks like we're going to see some new shopping opportunities start popping up too Disney announced changes to two gift shops that are currently in Disney's Critter country first there's Ray beray named after the Firefly from Princess and the Frog which will replace the Brier patch here you're going to find headwear apparel accessories toys and More in addition to that update the left hand side of poo corner will become Lewis's Critter Club this shop will have apparel accessories and Home Decor featuring some of your favorite buou Critters the right hand side of Po corner will remain for 100 Acre Wood themed treats and merchandise though to make way for these changes Critter country will be temporarily closing starting on May 1st 2024 during these construction updates Disney plans to work on improving the overall pathways through the area as well the updated paths shops and Tiana's Bou Adventure are set to open in Disneyland later this year so The Country Bears may not serenade guests in Disneyland anymore not since The Many Adventures with Winnie the Pooh replaced their show but that doesn't mean the whole cast has disappeared for good actual audio animatronics for Max buff and Melvin the mounted animal heads from the old show are inside the attraction and you can see them for yourself if you look behind you right as you enter the honey room during the ride Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland has been at the Forefront of our minds lately ever since we heard that a similar ride could someday appear in Disney's Animal Kingdom after dinoland USA is retheme of the tropical Americas but for now let's sh the potential Indiana Jones ride and look at one of the rides we already have over there in Adventure Land on the west coast Indiana Jones adventure takes you on a winding bumpy journey to escape the wrath of Temple God Mara an unstable Bridge a chamber of mummies a giant boulder hurdling your way all in a day's work for Indie you're right on Indiana Jones Adventure will be different each time you decide to Journey with him in two unique ways first off there are three doors you could potentially drive through at the start of the ride the door of Youth riches or knowledge wish I could choose because riches would sure be nice after a Disneyland vacation but along with those three simple options each Indiana Jones Jeep is also preloaded with a variety of movements that have the potential of creating almost 160,000 different moving combinations so when I say your rideth through will be different each time you ride I mean it no true rideth throughs will be exactly the same even though it might feel the same at times so if you can hit Disney California Adventure doing one of their seasonal festivals you're in for a good time whether it be Lunar New Year food and wine or Festival of the holidays these limited time events bring exclusive entertainment and food booths into an already funfilled Park ooh and don't forget we got Pixar Fest added in this year as well but if you decide to visit Disney California Adventure during food and wine you'll get the added bonus of saying hello to an old friend for the past few food and wine festivals DCA has brought back the original saurin Over California to take the place of saurin around the world for a limited time if you've never gotten the chance to ride the OG soring over California basically to Glide above California's natural and man-made wonders accompanied by a score from Academy award-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith people are pretty split on which version they like better California or around the world but I'm just glad both versions still exist in some way shape or form food and wine typically happens during March and April so the 2024 Festival just wrapped up not too terribly long ago but we'll be sure to let you know when we hear more about the 2025 food and wine season to come so it's wild to think about how many secrets and updates are happening inside Disneyland Park as we speak but keep checking back with us for more tips tricks and hidden gems to come because I know they've got more that they're about to announce with this Disneyland forward stuff going on and don't forget to head over to disneyfoodblog docomo Parks thanks for listening everyone and thanks for watching as always this is AJ for Disney food blog and we'll see you real soon

Channel: DFBGuide

Views: 43,389

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Id: uYDq_7qlZd4

Length: 28min 32sec (1712 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 30 2024