Are you heading to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California anytime soon? We just returned from a visit to the iconic park, and are happy to report a number of new experiences to enjoy across both the OG Disneyland Park, and the accompanying second gate, California Adventure. There’s even a brand new Pixar-themed hotel!
Here’s a look at what’s new at the parks and resort, and a few things coming very soon…
Tiana has arrived in New Orleans Square
While the highly anticipated new ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure won’t be open until the Summer – taking over the iconic Splash Mountain – The Princess and the Frog character Tiana has already opened her restaurant in the heart of New Orleans Square. The restaurant – Tiana’s Palace Restaurant – sits in the former site of the French Market, and like its predecessor features a take on traditional New Orleans flair like Gumbo, Po’Boys, Beignets and Gulf Shrimp and Grits.
The Swiss Family Robinson has returned to Adventureland
Not far from New Orleans Square you’ll find the Adventureland Treehouse inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson – which sits in the former home of Tarzan’s Treehouse, which sat in the former home of Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse – taking the interactive, walk-through experience full circle.
It officially reopened after two years of renovations on 10th November 2023, and for anyone who went to the park before it was revamped into the Tarzan themed attraction in 1999, expect memories of the OG 1962 Treehouse to come flooding back. But it’s important to note that this is a new experience, with a new story to be told.
It’s a great place for younger kids (and the young at heart) to run wild, while you enjoy some great views of the park, and plenty of interactive rooms and displays along the way. Also be on the look out for Easter Eggs for the original Swiss Family attraction, as well as Tarzan and the Society of Explorers and Adventurers – a fictional society that has lore across multiple international Disney Parks.
World of Color – ONE has returned, too…
Meanwhile, at the second gate, last month saw the return of the nighttime attraction World of Color – ONE, almost a year to the day after it first debuted at California Adventure as part of the Disney100 celebrations.
Like all the “World of Color” shows that date back to 2010, the spectacular show sees lights, sounds and projections placed onto a dazzling water display in the lake which sits at the centre of the park. And until February 18th, as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations, you can also enjoy “Hurry Home – A Lunar New Year Celebration” as a prelude to the main event.
Catch some food festivals at California Adventure…
Indeed, you’ll need to run out to Disneyland this week to ensure you don’t miss the Lunar New Year celebrations, as they finish up on February 18th. But it’s a great time to get your hands on some incredibly tasty treats (including Longevity Noodle Co.’s delicious Raspberry Oat Milk Tea, pictured below), and see some special events in the streets of the park – like a dragon paraded around as part of the Mulan parade! You can see more about what that’s all about HERE.
If you miss out on the Lunar New Year celebrations, you’ll still get a chance to partake in some delectable food options, with the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival returning on March 1st, and running until April 22nd. I last visited this event in 2022, and was impressed by the variety of food and drinks (alcoholic and otherwise) on offer – you can read more about what to expect HERE.
Also, while you’re at California Adventure, I highly recommend checking out the Pym Test Kitchen, which serves unique food inspired by the Ant-Man universe. It opened in 2021 and has brunch and lunch options, with certain items served “giant” and others shrunk down in size. I tried one of the brunch items – which featured “eggs two ways”, one scrambled, and one sunny-side up and shrunk down in size. Served with bread, bacon and tater tots, it was actually pretty delicious.
While there, you can also say hi to Spider-Man as part of a regular street performance that sees him (as well as a robotic version) quite literally swing and fly over the “Avengers Campus”.
Big Hero 6 has landed in California Adventure
Fans of the much-loved 2014 animated film Big Hero 6 finally have a permanent experience to enjoy at Disney Parks. Though it’s not a ride, California Adventure have rethemed their Pacific Wharf area (which has been there since the park opened) into San Fransokyo Square. It looks great, and opened back in August.
It’s still a place where iconic San Francisco companies like the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and the Boudin Bakery are on display (with the latter’s Bakery Tour still a part of the experience) – but the menus now come with a Japanese twist.
Take the Clam Chowder served in a Boudin Sourdough Bread Bowl- one of San Francisco’s most loved dishes, and something I’ve regularly enjoyed at California Adventure since first visiting the park more than 20 years ago. Now this dish – served at the Aunt Cass Café – comes with an added “hint of White Miso”, which was a delicious twist. Other new dishes include Soba Noodle Salad, a Shrimp Katsu Sandwich and more. And this is just one of the many dining and shopping options in the area.
Oh, and you’ll also have the chance to meet Baymax here!
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and the updated Toontown turn one!
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the newest major ride at Disneyland, opened just over a year ago – while the land it sits in, Toontown, will celebrate the first anniversary of its reopening in March. This means for most who are visiting the park this year, it’s probably the first time you’ve been able to ride the first new attraction to open in Toontown since Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (which remains one of the most popular rides in the park) opened in 1994.
Basically the entire land has been renovated, with Runaway Railway sitting at its centre. It’s a large-scale dark ride that is a replicate of the same attraction that opened in Orlando in 2020. Except here it sits in the “El CapiTOON Theatre” instead of a clone of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. So the entry and queues are different, but the ride is the same. And it’s a really impressive one, bringing in trackless technology that you’ll find on rides like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in Paris/Orlando, and Mystic Manor in Hong Kong. The mix of cartoon effects is pretty incredible, too.
There’s also new dining options, like Café Daisy, who serve things like the “Cheesy Pizza Flop Over”, which is essentially a pizza flipped in half and served with either Pepperoni or just Cheese, which I tried and was actually pretty good! Just maybe don’t eat it too quickly, it comes out hot.
They also serve wraps, hot dogs and more. It’s definitely one of the faster food options in the park – and is even faster if you pre-order through the mobile app (which the majority of dining options seem to facilitate these days). You’ll also want to use the mobile app to join the wait lists for some of the park’s more popular spots, like Oga’s Cantina in their Star Wars Land, Galaxy’s Edge. Which is a must do for any Star Wars fan (and Star Tours fans can look out for a pretty fun Easter Egg in the form of the DJ).
There’s a new hotel in Pixar Place
While Disneyland in California doesn’t have quite the breadth of accommodation options as in Orlando, there are three options that sit within the Disneyland Resort. There’s the classic, Disneyland Hotel, with a new accommodation option “The Villas”, which opened in September of last year as part of the Disney Vacation Club. You’ve got the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which is integrated into the California Adventure Park, who opened their own “Villas” back in 2009, and saw upgrades to the rooms back in 2017. And now, as of January 30th, we have the Pixar Place Hotel. Taking over what used to be Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel – which, like the Grand Californian, opened alongside California Adventure in 2001.
Unsurprisingly, the hotel – which is the world’s first and only Pixar themed accommodation option (though you will find the Toy Story Hotel in Tokyo) – features Pixar theming throughout the lobby and each of the rooms. And there’s a pool deck on the third floor with a Finding Nemo themed water slide and play area for the little ones.
Guests who stay at any of the three official Disneyland Resort hotels have access to early entry to the parks – more details about this can be found HERE.
Other things to look out for this year…
The Pixar celebrations will be sparked up a notch from April 26th to August 4th, with Pixar Fest set to take place across both parks. More details on Pixar Fest – including a returning Pixar nighttime spectacular on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – can be found HERE.
While the exact opening date has yet to be announced, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening this Summer, taking over the site of the iconic Splash Mountain. The Haunted Mansion is also going to be closed for renovations through to the Summer – so fans of that 1960’s attraction will have to wait a little longer to get to ride that once again.
I was also excited to see that a Din Tai Fung – the great Taiwanese dumpling chain – will be opening in Downtown Disney, right near the entry on the Disneyland Hotel side – later this year.
And this is no doubt just the tip of the iceberg for the iconic park…
All information was correct at the time of printing, please refer to the official Disneyland Resort website for all up-to-the-minute information about what’s happening at the parks, head to https://disneyland.disney.go.com/.
The author visited Disneyland as a guest of the parks. Photos by the author unless mentioned.
