MickeyBlog News for February 27th, 2023

The Walt Disney Company just confirmed a themed land opening this summer, a hotel this fall, and a festival…RIGHT NOW!

This is a fun week for MickeyBlog News!

Welcome to San Fransokyo Square!

Credit: Disney

Here’s the best update of the week! Disney California Adventure (DCA) had previously confirmed a conversion of Pacific Wharf.

This stylish but underwhelming part of the park has always matched its twin, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.

As you know, Disney will spend the next year re-theming the resort into Disney’s Pixar Pier Hotel (or something similarly named).

Imagineers are updating the hotel so that it will better align with the new-ish Pixar Neighborhoods at DCA.

Credit: Disney

At that point, Pacific Wharf would have done the unthinkable at a Disney theme park. It would have lacked a cohesive theme befitting the park.

So, management announced a re-theme last year. This change creates a de facto Pixar Neighborhood. Now, we have a name and a target date for it.

Credit: Disney

San Fransokyo Square will bring the world of Big Hero 6 to life…and sooner than you think!

Imagineers have performed their jobs so efficiently that the new themed land will debut this summer! Folks, that’s only about four months from now!

Credit: Disney

Disney also updated information about the new themed land. Specifically, Baymax will hold court at a permanent character greeting here!

Also, beer fans will delight in this new locale, which embraces the marriage of Tokyo and San Francisco lifestyles.

Photo: D23

So, you’ll find a beer garden and the San Fransokyo Cerveceria. Disney will also re-theme some vendors to bring them in line with the new, futuristic look.

We’ll find out more as summer approaches, but this Baymax superfan is already ecstatic about the proposed changes!

Surprising News at Disney’s Newest Rides

We’ve got three stories I’ll lump together here since they involve the same Disney theme park.

For starters, Disneyland Park provided a surprise announcement that thrilled guests!

Carnival scene

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has already dropped its virtual queue!

The attraction’s high throughput volume reduces the necessity for such queuing. So, Disney has already introduced a standby line queue instead!

Folks, that change occurred less than a month after the ride debuted. Mickey’s Toontown won’t even officially reopen for another four weeks.

Disney has beat even the most optimistic expectations for the Runaway Railway timeline. You can just go to the park and ride it as of now. How great is that?!

In less great news, we’ve had a terrible week for Disney TikToks. Stupid has ruled the day here, and the worst problem involved a Disney California Adventure ride.

Some park guests have attempted a viral TikTok trend. It calls for riders to loosen or unbuckle their safety harnesses on Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

Photo: Disney

That’s like telling an astronaut to remove their helmet before going on a spacewalk.

Disney officials grew so worried about this trend that they provided new guidelines. Anyone caught attempting this will be removed from the park immediately.

Photo: Disney

Also, there was a weird thing where some TikTok influencers posted a clip encouraging parents to pad their children’s shoes.

The hack – if you could call it that – allowed kids to pass height requirements that they couldn’t otherwise.

Photo: Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG

Disney fans on TikTok absolutely revolted against the idea, which is legitimately one of the dumbest and most dangerous things you can do at the park…other than unstrapping your safety harness.

Folks, just read MickeyBlog’s TikToks. They’re safer and better.

Other Disneyland Resort Updates

Photo: Disney

Disney also revealed the opening date for its latest Disney Vacation Club (DVC) expansion tower.

The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will open to the public in September. Due to the nature of DVC bookings, reservations will start next month.

Photo: Disney

DVC trains its members to book seven-to-eleven months before their visit. So, this is actually a tight window by DVC standards.

Current DVC members may book cash rooms starting on March 15^th for hotel stays in September.

Photo: DVC

Magic Key annual passholders may book on March 16^th. Then, the general public may schedule reservations on March 17^th.

DVC has lacked hotel rooms at Disneyland Resort for more than a decade now. Demand at the Grand Californian vastly exceeds supply.

Credit: Disney

For this reason, you should expect the 350-room hotel to book quickly. The Villas at Disneyland Tower represents the fourth tower at the hotel.

You’ll find this expansion overlooking the legendary monorail slide at the main pool at the Disneyland Hotel.

Photo: KAYAK

In more current Disneyland news, the impossible has occurred. This past Friday and Saturday, Disneyland Park closed early due to inclement weather.

Yes, frost and snow concerns have closed the Happiest Place on Earth an hour early the past two days. That happens roughly…never.

Disneyland Disney 100 Celebration

Finally, we’ll get something new and spectacular at DCA this summer. The Hyperion Theater will host daily performances of Rogers: The Musical!

I’m not saying that’s the greatest park news ever, but it’s high on my list!

Disney Park News Part I

Disney just provided some new dates for previous stories. Each of the three merits an update.

Park officials previously turned resort parking into a free amenity for guests staying at the hotels. This change occurred immediately on January 10^th.

Photo: Disney/The Street

One of the other amenities announced that day, a Disney Genie+ enhancement, will start on March 20th.

On that date, guests gain free ride videos as part of the Disney Genie+ package.

Disney Genie+

Disney indicates that more than a dozen attractions automatically record ride photos now.

So, you don’t need to splurge on PhotoPass to get them if you’re already paying for Disney Genie+.

Finally, Park Hopping grows easier on April 18^th.

Starting on that date, annual passholders may Park Hop without a Park Pass at 2 p.m. daily.

Photo: Attractions Magazine

Disney notes one caveat. This rule doesn’t apply to Magic Kingdom on Saturday or Sunday. All other parks are fair game!

Annual passholders have loudly complained for a while that the Park Pass system diminishes the value of their pass.

Credit: Disney

That argument goes away for good on April 18^th.

Disney Park News Part II

The 2023 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival opens this week. MickeyBlog has already posted images of some of the remarkable shrubs.

We also published the full list of menus for this year’s event. It’ll make you hungry!

Speaking of food, Narcoossee’s will reopen at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on April 1^st.

In attraction news, Enchanted Tales with Belle finally reopened the other day. Several MickeyBlog reporters experienced its triumphant return.

Along those lines, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith has closed for refurbishment. It’s time to play the game of, “Is Disney finally re-theming it?”

Thus far, park officials have shown no indication for this move, but the filed permits at least allow for the possibility.

So, stay tuned for what’s almost certainly nothing…but not definitely nothing.

Disney also announced some after-hours ticketed events for 2023. H2O Glow After Hours will return later this year, while EPCOT After Hours is entirely new.

You can check the dates and learn other details here.

In closure news, we can confirm that the last day of operation for Trail’s End Restaurant in its current form appears to be April 17^th.

Trail’s End Disney

Finally, Disney released this video for World of Frozen, a themed land coming to three international theme parks. 

Hoo-hoo 👋 Want a look at how Imagineers build a land? This land animatic of #WorldofFrozen coming to Hong Kong Disneyland shows in video what it will look like once finished. Used alongside models & concept artwork, this ensures all teams are on the same page! #FirstLookFromHKDL pic.twitter.com/ahSSF8zBO8

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) February 23, 2023

It’ll make you want one in America!

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Feature Photo: Disney