New Downtown Disney Restaurants Opening Soon (+ More Announced)

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It’s time to ready your stomachs because two new, highly anticipated restaurants are opening soon in the Downtown Disney District! Additionally, we now have word of what’s coming to the location formally occupied by Tortilla Jo’s, which has recently permanently closed.

The two upcoming restaurants (well four, technically) I’m referring to are Din Tai Fung, Paseo, Centrico and Tiendita. These eateries were announced during the parks panel presentation during the loathed 2022 D23 expo and while progress has been slow, we’re now just a month or so away from these culinary delights making their debuts.

Let’s dive into the details of these restaurants and what we know about what’s taking over Tortilla Jo’s spot. Additionally, we’ll discuss the status of a few other eateries that have been confirmed, but haven’t yet began construction.

Paseo, Centrico, and Tiendita in Downtown Disney

As recently announced by Disney Parks Blog, this three-in-one eatery will open to guests in May. No specific date was given but considering that Mother’s Day is a massively profitable weekend for restaurants, I would imagine they would push to be open by then.

These concept restaurants are being brought to the Disneyland Resort by Mexico’s first Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytan. His dishes inspire a multi-cultural journey to his homeland of Huitzuco, Mexico, with style and technique from his culinary training in France.

I took the photo above in March and as you can see, much of the infrastructure of Centrico and most parts of Paseo are already done. Since this photo, they’ve begun installing tables and decorative features, indicating that an opening date is imminent.

In Paseo, a stunning wooden staircase leads you upstairs to the main dining room and bar lined with rich tiles, woods, textures, leathers and accents that showcase Mexico’s proud culture of craftsmanship. In addition to the main dining room, there will be an extended patio offering a unique view of Downtown Disney.

A full menu hasn’t been released yet, but a few examples you can expect include elevated versions of ceviches, roasted marinated pork, lamb barbacoa and mejillones (mussels). These dishes, and more, celebrate Chef Graytan’s love of his homeland, with nods to the French culinary style.

The courtyard bar and restaurant, Centrico, will occupy the space of the former Uva Bar in the center of the walking space through Downtown Disney. Its open, airy space designed with lush greenery and wooden elements create an upscale, yet relaxing environment for guests.

Again, we haven’t seen a full menu, but elevated quesabirria, chicken enchiladas, tlayuda (an Oaxacan, pizza-like sharable), Caesar salad and an assortment of tequila-based cocktails make up a few of the featured items.

Tiendita, the third and final element to this new concept, will serve as the quick-service location, with a variety of selections such as fish tacos, roasted corn, ice cream-stuffed chocolate tacos (you read that right) and breakfast favorites such as a chorizo burrito will be served.

This is great as the resort, Downtown Disney specifically, is severely lacking in the breakfast department. It’ll be great to have an option in the morning (and a quick one, at that) for a pre-park meal. Furthermore, Tiendita will feature self-ordering kiosks instead of traditional cashiers.

Din Tai Fung and More Upcoming Downtown Disney Restaurants

The next restaurant we’ve finally received an update on, and the one I’m personally looking forward to the most, is Din Tai Fung. Much like Paseo and Centrico, we don’t have a firm opening date yet, but Disney is advertising a summer 2024 opening.

Din Tai Fung is another Michelin-level restaurant coming to the resort, with the brand being based out of Taiwan. They’re known for the house-made baos, but also feature signiture soup dumplings, wontons, noodles, steamed buns, pork chop fried rice and a variety signature, crafted cocktails.

Furthermore, we now know the highly anticipated Ponto’s Bakery will move into the space currently occupied by Earl of Sandwich, in the building adjacent to the entrance to Disney California Adventure. Earl of Sandwich is in the process of moving into a temporary location near the Star Wars Store to accommodate this move.

Presumably, the current building will be demolished to allow Ponto’s to build a custom space. Earl of Sandwich will finally get its permanent space in the west end of Downtown Disney near the guitar pick-shaped stage.

New Steakhouse and BBQ Concepts Coming to Downtown Disney

Tortilla Jo’s, a long time Downtown Disney restaurant that’s been open since 2004, recently closed its doors for good. It simply didn’t fit in with the new aesthetic Disney is going for with the new Downtown Disney. For a while, what would take its place was a mystery. Until now, that is.

While Disney remains mum on the details, we now know that a new steakhouse and bbq concept will take the place of Tortilla Jo’s. Disneyland has been without a steakhouse since the closure of Steakhouse ‘55 at the Disneyland Hotel a few years ago and the resort has never had a proper BBQ eatery, so these will undoubtedly be welcomed additions.

It’s unclear if the steakhouse will be a revitalized version of Steakhouse ‘55 or one run by a third party. The latter of which is the most likely, as Disney already has a relationship with STK Steakhouse at Disney Springs in Florida. Personally, as long as it isn’t a Ruth Chris, I’m good either way.

Planning a trip to Disneyland? If you’re considering staying on property, read about our tour of the new Pixar Place Hotel. Additionally, get tips and advice on purchasing tickets by reading 10 Best Disneyland Tips: Tickets. Furthermore, stay updated on ride closures by reading and bookmarking my 2024 Attraction Refurbishment Calendar. Finally, to save money on Disneyland tickets and vacations packages, see my friends at Get Away Today.

Disney Closing Critter Country Indefinitely in May (+ My Thoughts)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

Disneyland is currently in the process of reimagining the former Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and as part of that reimagining, it’s been recently announced that Critter Country, the land in which the attraction is located, will temporarily close to guests on May 1 for an indefinite amount of time.

The purpose of the closure is to transform two of the land’s current gift shops, The Briar Patch and the left half of Pooh’s Corner, into shops themed after two popular supporting characters from the Princess and the Frog movie, Louis the Gator and Raymond the Firefly.

This closure signifies to me that construction on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is moving along nicely (though still behind), and this new project puts us one step closer to an opening date. Don’t get too excited, though, as we’re still months out, with a presumed opening timeline around Thanksgiving or later.

This is in stark contrast to Walt Disney World’s version, who closed their Splash Mountain months earlier than Disneyland did, and while there’s still no hard opening date, its timeline has been recently updated from “late 2024” to “summer 2024”. Lucky them, right?

I haven’t heard anything credible regarding the opening date of Disneyland’s version but as stated above, I’m sure there’s a push from Disney to have it ready by Thanksgiving time. It could get pushed into January, but Disney likely wants to avoid the “go woke, go broke” crowd by opening it before winter, when water-based attractions typically see low wait times and give a false perception that they’re not popular.

Disney wants needs this to be a smashing success. So opening the attraction during the busy holiday season would be ideal, as demand for it would surely be off the charts. Anyway, let’s back to Critter Country.

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Which Critter Country Gift Shops Are Getting reimagined?

As mentioned above, Disney is closing Critter Country in order to transform the land’s two gift shops into themes more aligned with Tiana. First, The Briar Patch, the sole-remaining remnant of Splash Mountain’s Song of the South theme, will be reimagined into Ray’s Berets (named after Raymond the Firefly, who served as a guiding light, of sorts, for Tiana in frog form).

The gift shop will sell similar merchandise as it does currently, with selections including headware, apparel, accessories, toys and more, with Raymond and his firefly kin in the coziest cabin in Critter Country. Don’t expect a lot of Tiana or bayou-like merchandise, as Disney will likely stick with the generic stuff at this location.

With the exterior lighting package that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is expected to receive, and this gift shop being themed after a firefly, I expect the lighting package for Ray’s Berets, as seen in the concept art above, to be a nice complement to the neighboring attraction and a sight to see all its own, particularly at night.

At the other end of Critter Country, near the exit of the former Splash Mountain, is where Louis’ Critter Club (currently Pooh’s Corner) will be. Before you freak out, it’s important to note that only about a third of Pooh’s Corner will be consumed by Louis’, as part of the current shop and the entirety of the treats portion will remain as is.

Louis’ Critter Club will be themed after Louis, the trumpet-playing Alligator who befriended Tiana and Prince Neveen in the movie. The character was named Louis as a way to honor legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong, who was born and raised in New Orleans.

Disney has stated that the gift shop will offer merchandise such as apparel, accessories, home decor and more, featuring Tiana and her critter friends. This is the shop I predict will have mostly Tiana-themed merch, with some generic park-wide stuff sprinkled in.

As you’ll see in the concept art above, there will be a lot of new design elements added to this shop. There are band posters plastered on the walls of the gift shop, in addition to the “break room” porch on the roof. If you zoom in, you’ll see instruments and other musical props.

Considering Louis played a trumpet and dreamed of being accepted by humans as a legitimate jazz musician (he did so at the end of the movie), I would expect to hear zydeco music emanating from the porch or gift shop in general. If you don’t know, zydeco music was created in rural Southwest Louisiana and is a blend of blues and rhythm & blues. Pull up your preferred music streaming app for examples.

In addition to the gift shops, Disney has stated that they’ll, “continue to invest in the improvements of the pathways and other areas to provide a better guest experience”. This could mean numerous things, but I honestly don’t anticipate huge changes as I doubt this project will be a long one.

How critter country closing will affect crowds

With construction projects mandating the closure of two of Disneyland‘s biggest people-eater attractions, Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion, capacity in the park has taken a hit in recent months. When high capacity attractions close, it sends a ripple effect throughout the park, causing otherwise lower wait times at other attractions and walkways to swell.

So the addition of Critter Country to the closure list is definitely going to affect crowds. If you’re visiting Disneyland in May, or potentially even June or July, prepare for crowds to feel more dense than they usually do. Of course, how dense they’ll get entirely depends upon how much of Critter Country will be closed to guests.

I seriously question whether Disney will close the entirety of Critter Country, as that’ll only make the current capacity issue much worse than it needs to be. If they do completely close it, I don’t expect it to begin until just after Hungry Bear Restaurant in order to keep the pathway to Galaxy’s Edge open in order to maintain guest flow.

In regards to Hungry Bear itself, I presume Disney will keep it open as it’s a high capacity quick-service restaurant and they definitely do not want to lose that. Additionally, Disney will likely use this time for a quick refurbishment of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, keyword being “quick” because, again…capacity.

I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about capacity at this point, but it has everything to do with this project and thus, this post. Capacity determines how many tickets Disney can sell in a particular day. Decreased capacity means less available tickets, which equates to less money for Disney.

My belief is this project won’t be a long one and Critter Country will presumably reopen prior to the peak tourist season in July, if not, definitely before the beginning of the Halloween season in late August. That’s also when I’m predicting the Haunted Mansion, with its Nightmare Before Christmas overlay intact, will also reopen.

Regardless of how much of the land closes, it’ll definitely have an effect on crowds. Not necessarily more people, as all this construction will keep some away, but because of the decreased capacity, the remaining walkways around the park will become dense. I doubt it’ll reach the levels of Main Street U.S.A after a fireworks showing, but it’ll be noticeable.

‘The Bayou’ - a missed opportunity?

I’m going to turn to commentary now and discuss some blue-sky ideas of my own. I’m sure I’m going to get pushback in the comments over this, but I feel like Disney maintaining the “critter” theme of the area is a missed opportunity.

Before we get too deep into this, realize that this isn’t meant to be perceived as hate or disdain for Critter Country or Winnie the Pooh, as I’m a fan of both. The original animated movie was a favorite of mine as a kid and the older I get, the more I appreciate the serene environment of Critter Country, with its obvious ties to Hundred Acre Wood.

My position has more to do with immersive, continuous theming than anything else. Walt Disney himself stated that he never wanted Disneyland to become a museum, but rather, continue to evolve and improve. Sometimes, that means replacing beloved attractions, lands and elements.

So what is my idea? From the start, when Disney first made the announcement of Tiana’s takeover of Splash, I hoped and prayed that Disney would do away with the Critter Country theme, Winnie the Pooh included, and simply rename the land, “The Bayou”, a mini-land acting as a natural extension of New Orleans Square.

Keep an open mind and think about it for a minute. Tiana’s gift shop, Eudora’s Chic Boutique, and restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, are both located in New Orleans Square proper, which in this scenario would act as New Orleans, the city. Tourists visiting Tiana‘s locations in the “city”, would then have to make their way to “The Bayou” in order to experience her tourist attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, much like they do in actual New Orleans with bayou boat tours.

Over in “The Bayou”, the two aforementioned gift shops would receive the same re-theming they are getting now, with Hungry Bear becoming “Louis’ Gator Shack”, or something to that effect. Structurally, Hungry Bear wouldn’t need to change at all. Simply swapping out signage, a refreshed menu and music elements would be all that’s needed.

Now let’s address the yellow bear in the room and discuss what they would do with the Winnie the Pooh attraction and meet n’ greet. Personally, I would’ve loved to have seen the attraction reimagined into one themed after Raymond the Firefly, or even Mamma Odie. The ride vehicles could easily become fireflies in their current form and neither the track or layout would need to change. All that would be needed are new ride elements, lighting and props.

The neighboring meet and greet, where Winnie the Pooh and friends currently meet guests, would feature characters from the movie, such as Louis, Prince Naveen, Dr. Facilier, Tiana herself and perhaps even Mama Odie. Speaking of Mama Odie, she could takeover Pooh’s Corner. The storyline being she uses her magical powers to concoct delicious bayou treats for guests.

You can tell that I’ve thought a lot about this. As much as I would love to see these ideas become reality, I fully understand and acknowledge Disney’s desire to keep Winnie the Pooh featured in Disneyland, as that little, yellow bear is a merch-moving monster.

However, I have a potential solution. Over at Walt Disney World, their version of the Winnie the Pooh attraction is located in Fantasyland. At Disneyland, there isn’t much space in their Fantasyland, but they could remove the seldom-used Fantasyland Theatre and transform that area into a mini-land themed to the Hundred Acre Wood.

Considering pooh-bear can move merch like none other and is consistently one of Disney’s most popular IP’s, I think giving Winnie his own, dedicated land is more than justified. Plus, Disney would be doing what, exactly? Increasing capacity! It’s a win-win in my eyes.

Still, depriving Pooh fans of their favorite bear, even for the short-term, is a gamble Disney probably isn’t willing to make. I get it, I understand it, but I stand firm on my opinion that the current Critter Country should be transformed into “The Bayou”. Perhaps it will be in the future, but I’m not holding my breath.

Planning a trip to Disneyland? If you’re considering visiting in May, when Critter Country closes, read A Guide to Visiting Disneyland in May. For tips and advice regarding dining, read 10 Best Disneyland Tips: Dining. Additionally, be sure to keep up with ride closures and future projects by reading my 2024 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar Guide. Lastly, check out my friends at Get Away Today for deals on Disneyland tickets, vacation packages, hotels and more.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Are you planning to visit Disneyland in May or even into the summer months? What is your opinion of the Critter Country makeover? Are you excited for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? What do you think of my ideas about removing Critter Country and retheming it into The Bayou? Anything to add? Sound off in the comments below.

Disney Installs Test Models for New Entry Gate at Disney California Adventure (Photos Included)

Back in late January, this site reported Disney’s announcement of new entry gates, similar to the ones used at Disneyland Paris, being installed at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

This new entry gate signifies Disney’s commitment to investing in the guest experience, making the entry process, which is currently somewhat painful to partake in, a more seamless experience.

There was no word as to an exact date of construction for these new gates, other than a statement from a company spokesperson proclaiming, “later this year (2024)”. Little did we know that they would begin the testing phase so quickly.

Sometime during the weekend of March 9, Disney installed two of the new entry gates at Disney California Adventure, Disneyland’s sister park. This bodes well with their prior statement that DCA would be the first to receive the upgrade.

The new gates are located on the far right side of the gate, if you’re facing the park directly. In the photo above, you can see a tablet-like device, with a camera in the shape of a hidden Mickey at the top. This is where guests will take their pictures when using their ticket or Magic Key for the first time.

Below that is the scanner where you’ll scan your digital ticket or MagicBand+ to gain entry. When the system verifies that the ticket is valid, the transparent gates in the background will automatically open, allowing the guest to enter.

This will be quite the change for Disneyland fans, as for years there have been cast members stationed at each entry point scanning tickets and taking pictures, along with having to navigate the old-school turnstiles.

Interestingly, the new gates will not have a cast member at each entry point. Instead, there will be just a handful stationed at the gates to assist guests with issues with their tickets or with the gate itself.

It should be noted that the gates you see in the photos in this post are test models of the actual thing and may not be the final design. It’s unclear how long these gates will be in the testing phase for, but when they’re done, the models will be removed and construction will begin.

Construction is still set to begin this year and will occur in phases to minimize guest impact. As of the publishing of this post, Disney California Adventure is still expected to receive the new gates first. The project is expected to be completed in early 2025.

While many are excited about this project, just as many are disappointed that Disneyland isn’t getting the gate-less entry that Walt Disney World has, but I believe I know the reason why.

Walt Disney World is its own city, with many of the parks being isolated from the city streets. This makes having a gate-less entry a fairly low-risk endeavor, with slim chances of trespassers walking into the park in the middle of the night.

At Disneyland, the resort is literally surrounded by city streets. Disneyland has cages that enclose their current entry when the parks are closed to prevent trespassers from getting in. If they indeed installed gate-less entry, all anyone would need to do is walk right in.

They would certainly be more convenient, for sure. No argument from me about that. However, they’re just not practical or realistic for Disneyland. Guests at Disneyland Paris love these gates, so I’m excited for the possibilities they’ll bring to the guest experience.

BREAKING: Disneyland Magic Keys Going On Sale Again

On the morning of March 4, 2024, Disney made the surprising announcement that Magic Keys, Disneyland’s post-covid annual pass, would go on sale once again on March 5, no earlier than 9am.

It’s surprising because Magic Keys just went on sale a couple months ago on January 10. In prior years, there were much longer gaps between sales and at least a week’s notice. This time, Disney is giving less than a 24 hour heads up.

Additionally, Disney announced a few new features to the buying process that’ll hopefully improve the customer experience. That’s good because the last few sales were disasters. Especially the one on January 10.

Due to many online glitches, potential Magic Key buyers who were stuck in an hours-long virtual queue were never given the opportunity to complete their purchases. I know because I was nearly one of them.

I waited in the virtual queue, literally staring at the screen so it wouldn’t go black, for nearly six hours before I was finally let into the checkout area. Then, due to a glitch in the checkout process, I nearly missed my chance. Thankfully, the Disney Gods were kind as I was able to get back in to buy my Magic Key.

Many, however, were not that lucky. They would wait for many hours longer than I did, all to be told later that evening that sales would be paused until the next morning. Then, shortly after sales resumed on January 11, all Magic Keys would sell out. Leaving many people out in the cold.

For the sale event on March 4, there will be a few welcomed changes that’ll make the virtual queue and buying process a little less anxiety inducing. They are:

• The “Notify Me” option that was introduced during the Star Wars Nite virtual queue. This will be the first time that this option will be available for Magic Key sales. Simply provide an email address and Disney will notify you when it’s your turn to enter the checkout area.

• The waiting room will notify potential buyers of their chances of being able to buy a key by updating them on Magic Key availability. Essentially, if you’re aiming to buy a Believe Key, but they sell out while you’re in the virtual queue, you’ll be notified so you’re not waiting around for nothing. This feature was somewhat in effect during the January 10 sale, but it wasn’t updated all that often. Hopefully it’ll work better this time around.

• The checkout process will better remind customers that they need to be logged into their Disney account in order to see payment options for Magic Keys..

What You’ll Need to Do

I cannot stress this enough. You need to be logged into your Disney account PRIOR to when sales begin. Disney states “no earlier than 9am”, but few know that you can actually enter into a virtual waiting room of sorts starting at 8:45am.

Disney doesn’t advertise it, but it exists. Be sure to take advantage of that extra 15 minutes because it could literally mean the difference between buying a Magic Key and going without.

Furthermore, don’t try to enter the virtual queue directly from within the Disneyland website. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but going that route nearly cost me my chance.

Instead, go to Google and search, “Disneyland Magic Key Sale”, right at 8:45am. Click or tap on the first non-sponsored link from Disney you see, and that’ll take you straight into the virtual queue.

Once you’re in, you have no choice but to be patient. You could get into the purchasing area in less than an hour, or you could end up waiting all day. Getting into the virtual queue early increases your chance of a short wait, but it’s far from a guarantee.

To see current pricing, benefits and tiers of Disneyland’s Magic Key program, go here. Good luck to you.

Big Change to Early Entry at the Disneyland Resort in 2024

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

In August 2022, Disney brought back the fan favorite Magic Mornings program under a new name - Early Entry. Many Disneyland fans were delighted with this news.

I say that because prior to covid, anyone with a three, four or five day park ticket were able to access Disneyland Park one hour prior to the official opening time, once per ticket.

When the resort reopened from its covid shutdown in 2021, quite a few perks and features were absent, notably; park hopping, character dining, FastPass and, you guessed it, Magic Mornings.

Roughly a year later, when things began to normalize again, Disney made the announcement that they would be bringing this benefit back. Albeit with a few, rather unpopular changes.

What were those changes? For starters, it was no longer based on your ticket type. Now, the only way you can take advantage of this perk was if you were staying at one of the three resort hotels.

Secondly, Disney cut the early entry time in half to just thirty minutes. As stated above, in the before times, you were permitted to access the park a full hour prior to opening time.

So essentially, now, you enter the park at the same time as those who’re rope dropping, but you get to bypass the rope at two lands at Disneyland and a quite a few major attractions at Disney California Adventure.

One positive change that guests actually celebrated was you could now access either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure, as both were available daily.

However, that perk has changed. As of January 20th, 2024, only one park will be accessible during Early Entry each day. The park calendar on the Disneyland website states which park will be available.

Many fans have voiced their displeasure of this change on X (formally known as, Twitter) but as many point out, this appears to be nothing more than Disney reverting the program back to its original form, only with DCA being an option and not just Disneyland.

For now, every other aspect about the Early Entry program remains the same. You must be a registered guest at one of the resort hotels and you still get a thirty minute head start.

Many believe thirty minutes isn’t enough and while I agree to a point, I can testify that it’s enough time to get a small handful of attractions done. Especially when you consider you still have the normal two hour rope drop window.

At Disneyland Park, you get early access to two lands, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Provided there aren’t any on the refurbishment schedule, most of the attractions in each land are open during Early Entry, including:

• Space Mountain

• Peter Pan’s Flight

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant

• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

• Star Wars - The Adventures Continue

• and more

In this case, the attractions are in close proximity of one another, making it easy to knock out two, maybe three before rope drop. If you head straight for Peter Pan’s Flight, though, prepare for that one to potentially be the only one you get done during Early Entry.

Over at DCA, it’s a whole different beast. The attractions that are open during Early Entry at this park are spread out, making it difficult to get the same amount done that you could at Disneyland.

A few examples of DCA’s Early Entry attractions include:

• Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission BREAKOUT!

• Incredicoaster

• Soarin’ Around the World

• WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure

• Monsters Inc - Mike & Sulley to the Rescue

• and more

You should notice a significant difference between those two lists. DCA has several E-ticket level attractions open during Early Entry, compared to Disneyland’s one. And because rope drop is much harder to do at DCA, having that extra thirty minutes could make all the difference.

Since they’re so spread out, it’s imperative to check the refurbishment calendar (you can read and save mine here) so you don’t waste precious time hustling all the way to Incredicoaster, all to find out it hasn’t opened yet.

At times, cast members will inform you of which attractions are closed, but I recommend playing it safe by reviewing the calendar before you arrive. Having a predetermined game plan, with contingencies in mind, is the only way to go.

Unfortunately, Radiator Springs Racers isn’t open during Early Entry. You can queue up for it outside of Cars Land, though. If you do, queue up at the transition between Cars Land and Avengers Campus. There will be much less competition over there and it’s closer to the attraction.

Early Entry may not be as good or popular as its predecessor, but it’s one of those situations that better we have this than nothing at all.

On one hand, people who usually stay at an off property hotel lose a perk they once had but on the other, those who’re shelling out huge sums of money to stay on property have gained an exclusive perk that helps to justify the price a bit more.

I don’t stay on property often but when I do choose to, I do like accessing the parks earlier. I, like many, believe it should be moved back to an hour, though. Thirty minutes may be better than nothing, but a full hour would make this perk so much better.

Both Disneyland Resort Theme Parks Closing Early Amid State of Emergency

On Monday, February 5th, 2024, the Disneyland Resort will close both of its theme parks (Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure) early amid a declared state of emergency (they closed early on February 4th as well).

Currently, there are eight counties in the southern region of California that are under several wind and flood advisories from an ongoing atmospheric river - a phenomenon in which a body of water vapor in the air transforms into a massive volume of rain and/or snow.

According to PBS News, atmospheric rivers can have twice the flow of the Amazon River, on average. To prepare for this, California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency.

Orange County, where the Disneyland Resort is located, is one of those eight counties being affected. As a result, and in an abundance of caution, Disney has decided to close both theme parks early. The new hours for Monday, February 5th are:

• Disneyland Park will now close at 8:00pm, rather than 10:00pm.

• Disney California Adventure will also close at 8:00pm, rather than 9:00pm.

It should be noted that this is a rare situation for the resort. The parks typically only close early for previously announced events such as After Dark or corporate events. Closing early for weather related issues happens more at Walt Disney World than over here in California.

In addition, neighboring theme park, Knott’s Berry Farm, closed early on Sunday, February 4th and will remain closed for the entirety of February 5th.

Confirmed: Disney to Revamp Entry Gates at Both Parks This Year

A new project is set to commence this year at the Disneyland Resort. Park officials have confirmed that both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure will be getting an expansion and upgrade on their respective entry gates.

Disneyland is still working with the old school-style turnstiles. At each one, a cast member has to scan each individual guest’s ticket in order to gain entry. Then, each guest has to squeeze through the (rather small) turnstiles, which often causes a traffic jam.

It isn’t unheard of the see the queue at the gate to stretch across the esplanade to the opposite park, causing queues to mix and become a hodgepodge of confused park-goers, wondering if they’re even standing in the correct queue.

The expansion is expected to solve (or at least, minimize) these issues. According to a Disneyland Resort spokesperson, they will be modeled at those at Disneyland Paris, where, after a cast member validates the guest’s ticket, a gate automatically opens, allowing the guest to seamlessly enter the park.

Additional features coming with this upgrade include additional gates, with some designed for those who’re differently abled and others that are more stroller friendly than the current set-up.

The same Disneyland Resort spokesperson also confirmed that construction on the project will be done in phases in order to “minimize impacts to arrivals” and would begin later this year.

This is just one of a few major projects happening at the park in 2024, including the expansion of the Haunted Mansion’s grounds, queue and exit, and the reimagining of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Confirmed: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to Contain Several Nods to Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain, which opened at Disneyland in 1989, was a mega-popular attraction. One adored by fans worldwide. It became so popular that it spurred copies of the attraction at both Magic Kingdom in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland.

In 2020, the first announcement of Disney’s intention to reimagine this fan-favorite into a ride themed after Disney’s first African-American princess, Tiana, was made.

In the proceeding few years, Disney would release tidbits of details of what to expect, but it wouldn’t be until the spring of 2023 where we finally received confirmation that Splash would take its final bow in May of the same year.

While most people (myself included) are excited for this new attraction to open, we can’t help but feel a bit melancholy about Splash Mountain’s demise. If you’re one of them, this news may cheer you up a bit.

Splash isn’t the first Disneyland attraction to receive a re-theme. In 2001, the Country Bear Jamboree closed to make way for what is now The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. In 1998, Submarine Voyage shuttered and reopened nine years later with a Finding Nemo theme. There are countless other examples.

As is tradition with Disney Imagineers, whenever they replace one attraction with another, they leave behind a few nods to the original attraction as a way to honor it. Many were wondering if they would do the same for the iconic Splash Mountain. Well, we finally have confirmation.

Recently, a representative from NOLA.com conducted an interview with some of the Imagineers working on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure during a walkthrough of the attraction in Florida.

During the walkthrough, Ted Robledo, Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering, confirmed that Tiana’s WILL feature several nods to its beloved predecessor.

We already know that both the ride vehicle (logs) and the track itself will go untouched and Robledo did stop short of going into too much detail, he did mention these “subtle” nods included the architecture of the interior (rocks and boulders), as they’ve been retained.

Most of the original flora and fauna has been changed, though, as they work to transition it into a bayou/swamp environment.

I’m willing to bet that the rocks and boulders aren’t the only nods we’ll find within the attraction. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to discover Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox hidden somewhere in the bayou (much like the Country Bears in the Winnie the Pooh attraction).

Until the attraction opens in late 2024, we can only speculate. Tiana’s is going to be a fantastic attraction regardless, but I do hope they go beyond just landscape to honor Splash Mountain.

Most Affordable Dates to Visit Disneyland in 2024 (Prices Included)

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Disneyland is an expensive place to vacation at. By the time you factor ticket prices, hotel rates, meals and merchandise, your final tally could be well into the thousands.

Thankfully, there are many ways to save money and bring that total down a bit. There are dozens of hotels with a wide range of nightly rates to choose from, you can split meals or bring your own food and you could, in theory anyway, skip out on the merchandise all together.

Ticket prices, however, are usually set in stone and there aren’t many discounts offered these days, right? Wrong! For the last couple years, Disney has offered winter and spring-time ticket deals to locals and out-of-area guests alike.

Additionally, there are days on the Disney calendar where single-day tickets are at the low end of their dynamic pricing structure. These “low demand” days can save you a bundle if you’re looking to visit for only one day.

Below, I’m going to detail the most affordable dates to visit Disneyland and the pricing of special offer tickets to help you get the most value. Be sure to read through to the end because I’m going to reveal an amazing Disneyland ticket offer for those looking to visit the resort for a full week and want to save money in the process.

*Quick Note: If you’re looking to book a vacation to the Disneyland Resort (or Disney World, Disney Cruise, Universal and more) consider tapping/clicking the above image to visit our partners at Get Away Today. Going through them is the same as going directly through Disney only through them, you’ll receive personalized service by Disney experts and receive the absolute best price and any accompanying discounts. By going through Get Away Today, you’ll be getting the best price on your vacation and support our website at the same time.

To see their amazing deals on Disneyland tickets, click/tap here

Value (Low-Demand) Days (weekdays in January)

If you’re looking to visit the Disneyland Resort for just one day, you need to be aware of Disney’s pricing structure for single-day tickets.

Beginning a few years ago, Disney switched to a dynamic pricing structure for single-day tickets. It’s similar to what the airlines use to sell you plane tickets.

Pricing is based on a few factors, but the biggest driver is demand. Disney has years worth of historical visitation data and based on said data, if they predict a particular day is going to be busy, you’re going to pay more to go on that day.

Conversely, if they’re fairly certain it’ll be a day where visitation will be low, they’ll lower the price to entice you to visit on that day, helping to boost sagging attendance.

They do this because, based on general consensus, the more people that are in the park, the more food, merchandise and Genie+ services they’ll sell.

So if you’re keen on visiting for only one day and you’re on a budget, you’ll want to keep an eye out for these “value” days on the park calendar.

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many on the calendar for 2024 as there were last year. They’re all in January, are weekday dates and cost $104 per single-day adult ticket. If you’re looking to save, these dates are the lowest you’ll pay for one day:

• January 9th - 12th

• January 16th - 18th

• January 22nd - 25th

• January 29th - 31st

Kids $50 Ticket Offer (1/8 - 3/10)

Here’s a date-based ticket where you can save a whole lot of money, particularly if you have littles between the ages of 3 and 9; the $50 kids ticket offer.

It costs exactly what it says - $50, and you can get up to three days on a single ticket. Keep in mind that it’s $50 PER DAY. So if you purchase three days on your ticket, it’ll be $150 (which would normally cost $365!)

Before you get too excited, there are a couple things you need to know about this ticket:

• This ticket is only good between January 8th and March 10th, 2024.

• You MUST use all days on the ticket by March 10th (unused days will be forfeited)

If you already have dates booked in that timeframe or you’re positive you will (and have kids, of course) this ticket is a no-brainer. Depending on the number of kids you have, the savings can soar into the hundreds when compared to normal prices.

This special offer ticket is available to purchase through our partners at Get Away Today - an official Disneyland ticket concessionaire and Disney Travel Agency.

Click/tap the ad to see offer.

SoCal Resident Disneyland Ticket Offer (1/8 - 6/2)

SoCal residents with a zip code between 90000 - 93599 can take advantage of this amazing deal that, dependent upon which version you choose, lowers the per day price of an adult ticket to just $75 and $92, respectively.

I say “version” because there are two to choose from. The $75 per day ticket is valid only on weekday dates (Monday - Thursday). Conversely, the $92 per day ticket is valid on any day of the week.

Let’s simplify it. Say you’re wanting to do a three day, three night stay-cation. Your first day in the park will be on a Sunday, and your remaining two days on Monday and Tuesday. You would opt for the $92 per day option as it’s valid on all days instead of just weekdays.

If you’re a local who has days off during the week, then you’d opt for the $75 per day ticket, as this variant cannot be used on weekends, but offers the greatest savings for those who can go during the week.

The other caveat to this ticket is, unlike the kid ticket offer, it cannot be purchased in one day increments. It’s a three day ticket. So if you purchase the weekday ticket, your total would be $225 ($75 per day).

Here are the fine print details of this ticket offer:

• The price is the same for both children and adults.

• It is valid from January 8th - June 2nd. It cannot be used before or after those dates.

• Any unused dates after the expiration date will be forfeited.

• It is for one park, per day (you can purchase the park hopper option for $70 per ticket).

• It is only available to SoCal residents (ID’s will be checked).

• You’ll still need to make park reservations.

This ticket is a great option for those who’re locals, but aren’t magic key holders. They can be purchased through my partners at Get Away Today (as a bonus, you’ll save even more on this ticket through them).

If you missed the boat on the $50 per day kids deal, this ticket is the next best thing as even at $75 or $92 per day, it is still cheaper than the normal price of a three day kids ticket. The savings are truly substantial.

By the way, if you’re not a SoCal resident, but you know someone who is, as long as they purchase the ticket (and one of their own) and are with you on the first day of use, you too can take advantage of this offer.

Once a cast member has scanned the tickets at the gate for the first time and checked their ID, that person just needs to link your ticket to your account in the Disneyland app and you’re good to go for the remaining dates.

If you’re visiting Disneyland in March, April, or May and you live in Southern California (or know someone who does), this is the ticket for you.

Click/tap the add to see offer.

Get Away Today’s ‘Extra Day Free’ Offer

For those of you who want to spend an entire week at the resort, my partners at Get Away Today have an incredible offer - a five day ticket for the price of four.

Unlike the tickets above, this one is available to anyone, regardless of your zip code or age. However, it is ONLY available for purchase through Get Away Today.

• The normal price of a five day, one park per day, adult ticket from Disney is $480. Through Get Away Today, it is $445. A savings of $35.

• For a five day, one park per day, kids ticket, the price through Disney is $450. Through Get Away Today, it is $420. A savings of $30.

What’s great about this ticket is you'll have until December 31st, 2025 to use it and since you’re only able to make park reservations 180 days in advance, you won’t have to initially commit to reservations when purchasing it (you’ll eventually need to make them, though).

As we all know, Disney raises the prices of its tickets at least annually. Sometimes twice, annually. Almost always in the fall and sometimes just before summer.

If you’re certain you’ll visit Disneyland sometime in either 2024 or 2025, you can purchase this ticket now and lock in the price. Essentially, this ticket is a hedge against future price increases (which WILL happen).

I can say with certainty that Disney will raise their prices again in the fall of 2024, just in time for the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. That isn’t a guess - it’s a premonition.

Another great feature about this ticket - and Get Away Today in general - is they allow you to put your tickets (or vacation package) on an interest-free layaway plan.

This is advantageous because as far as I know, they’re the only company that allows you to make payment installments strictly on tickets. Disney does allow you to pay in installments, but only on vacation packages with hotel bookings.

For those on a tight budget who’ll have four or five tickets to purchase, this is a huge help. You can make payments as you go in any amount you can afford. Alternatively, you can set up automatic payments. The choice is yours.

As long as you pay your balance in full on or prior to the date specified at checkout, you’re good to go. Again, it is only available through Get Away Today. Tap/click here to read more about this deal.

Cocktails Coming To Three Disneyland Park Restaurants

2 minute read | may contain affiliate links

Things are about to get a lot happier at the, ‘Happiest Place on Earth’. Starting September 12th, 2023, you will be able to indulge in your favorite libations at three additional table-service Disneyland Park restaurants:

• Carnation Cafe (Main Street U.S.A)

• Riverbelle Terrace (Frontierland)

• Cafe Orleans (New Orleans Square)

All three locations will offer a variety of selections, including beer, wine and exclusive specialty cocktails. This is part of a park-wide effort to expand menu options and adjust to evolving guest expectations.

Previously, there were only two in-park locations where adults could order alcoholic beverages (aside from the ultra exclusive Club 33); Oga’s Cantina and Blue Bayou. However, this wasn’t until 2019 and 2021, respectively.

Prior to 2019, the members-only Club 33 was the park’s only location where alcohol was served. The rest of the park had been “dry” since opening in 1955 due to Walt’s insistence of the park being a place for families.

The same belief wasn’t upheld for Disney California Adventure (DCA), though, as alcohol has been served at several of its restaurants since its 2001 opening.

Overall changing attitudes towards alcohol (and a desire for huge profit margins, undoubtedly) caused Disney to switch gears at Disneyland Park, proper. Despite opposing pleas from Walt Disney purists, this latest addition strongly signals Disney’s desire to expand upon this offering.

Where Else Is Alcohol Served At Disneyland?

To recap, there are now six Disneyland Park locations that serve alcohol. They are:

1. Blue Bayou (New Orleans Square)

2. Cafe Orleans (New Orleans Square)

3. Carnation Cafe (Main Street, U.S.A)

4. Club 33* (New Orleans Square)

5. Oga’s Cantina (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)

6. Riverbelle Terrace (Frontierland)

*Must be a member to access

Additionally, there are several DCA restaurants that serve alcohol. They are:

• Pym Tasting Lab (Avengers Campus)

• Carthay Circle Lounge & Restaurant (Buena Vista Street)

• Clarabelle’s Hand-Scopped Ice Cream (Buena Vista Street)

• Flo’s V8 Cafe (Cars Land)

• Smokejumper’s Grill (Grizzly Peak)

• Award Weiners (Hollywood Land)

• Hollywood Lounge (Hollywood Land)

• Magic Key Terrace (Must be a Magic Key holder or guest of one to access)

• Mendocino Terrace

• Sonoma Terrace

• Wine Country Trattoria

• Lamplight Lounge (Pixar Pier)

• Rita’s Turbine Blenders (San Fransokio)

• Lucky Fortune Cookery (San Fransokio)

• Cocina Cucamonga (San Fransokio)

• Aunt Cass Cafe (San Fransokio)

• Port of San Fransokio Cerveceria (San Fransokio)

Outside the parks, you’ll find alcoholic offerings at just about every restaurant in Downtown Disney, The Disneyland Hotel, the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the upcoming Pixar Place Hotel. A few of my favorites include:

• Tiki Bar (Disneyland Hotel)

• Hearthstone Lounge (Grand Californian)

• Napa Rose (Grand Californian)

• Ballast Point (Downtown Disney)

It’s important to note that while in DCA you can order your drinks to-go and walk around the park with them, you won’t be afforded that same luxury at Disneyland Park, proper. You’ll only be able to enjoy them at your table.

Where Could Disney Expand From Here?

If this move proves to be successful (and it likely will), Disney will definitely look to identify additional opportunities around the park. But where?

Earlier this year, Disney closed the French Market Restaurant in order to transform it into, “Tiana’s Palace”, a new restaurant featuring the namesake, Princess Tiana. It’s tentatively scheduled for a fall 2023 opening.

While this new eatery isn’t going to be table-service, I can easily see Disney adding one or two speciality cocktails to the menu (spiked Mint Julep, anyone?).

Whether Tiana’s Palace will offer alcoholic drinks or not is anyones guess, but I’d wager that any future park expansion plans will be inclusive of them.

In fact, this could open the door to two of my personal blue-sky ideas I’ve always wanted Disney to do…

1. A speakeasy style bar on Main Street, simply called, “Walt’s”

2. A Haunted Mansion themed lounge/bar (think Oga’s Cantina, but Haunted Masnion themed)

Will either ever happen? Probably not. But I can certainly dream.

Personally, I’m perfectly fine with this change. Disneyland serving alcohol wouldn’t have an effect on my visit. Good, bad or otherwise. Others, though, feel much differently. And their feelings are valid. To them, Disney should uphold Walt’s original ideals and ethos as much as possible.

While I agree to a point, I also know that Walt was as much astute businessman as he was creative genius. It’s feasible that had he been alive today, he would feel that change was necessary in this segment of the park’s offerings and at minimum, be open to it.

Despite how any one person feels, the change is happening. Let’s just hope some nimrod doesn’t have a few too many and decides to take a crack at climbing the Matterhorn.