I’m sure everyone has wanted to take a swim during working hours. But for one Disneyland cast member, this was taken quite literally when he jumped into Rivers of America. I just hope it was his last day on the job, because it's a truly wild situation that's quickly gone viral.

According to the video, this wasn’t a first time visitor to the park, but actually a cast member working there. You can even see his white unfirom pants. Though it is currently unknown his reasoning for jumping in, or why he chose to toss his work items (reportedly threw in his keys and walkie talkie) ahead of doing so. But by the looks of it, he doesn’t seem to have any regrets. Check out the moment below:

The man simply goes for a shirtless swim and then returns to land. However, this isn’t the first time a Disneyland cast member went the extra mile to make a point. A cast member once performed a one man show after audio during the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway stopped working. While most employees are in it for the long haul, it doesn’t seem to be the case for this unidentified cast member. Not knowing why he jumped in seems to have caused a stir online as people have taken to the comments to theorize about his motivations.

Some believe he’s just that committed to quitting, while others suggest heat sickness is a factor. User Plane_jelly has a simple summary, stating, “basically said I quit, deal with it.” Meanwhile, thenatalieholtmacdonald blames the heat: “Maybe he was just freaking hot.”

But it could be as simple as a last day tradition. Laceylanham14 says, “a lot of times when people are quitting, they do pranks or shenanigans on their last day.” This idea seems to be supported by several alleged former Disney parks workers, such as kipp_hart who says, “It used to be a last day tradition to jump off the Mark Twain into the river.” Though the3obafett, claims to be in the background of the video, and provides a first-person account:

On the other side of the theories are those who feel he will be facing disciplinary action (if this isn’t his way of quitting). The_vchavez states, “[He is] most likely going to be placed on a leave of absence and then terminated.” Regardless, Disney has yet to make any statements about the incident, though a report claims they are looking into it.

No promises you'll catch any Disneyland cast members doing anything viral, but for those looking to take a trip should be aware of inevitable price increases at the park. The average increase is around 8 percent. Though there is some good news for families. Disney is offering a way to make vacations cheaper with the Kids' Summer Ticket. It is also important to note that the reservation system for the park is not going away. This should be taken into account when planning your vacation.

Chances are you won't be seeing a certain cast member there. And I recommend not taking a swim in Rivers of America.

Have you ever noticed how often Walt Disney used to point with two fingers? If you look at enough archival photos from his lifetime, you’ll notice him gesturing this way a lot. Personally, I've wondered why that was a go-to pose of his. Now, because Tom Hanks played him in Saving Mr. Banks, he actually learned the reason why Disney did this and shared the story behind it.

While Hanks was playing Mr. Disney in the 2012 movie about the making of Mary Poppins, he learned the secret behind the pose. In his words:

Whoa! I don’t know about you, but I thought Disney just pointed that way. But the secret is Walt Disney was a heavy smoker and never gave up the addiction. So, the studio ended up hiding his habit by airbrushing his cigarettes from photos later on. Reportedly, Disney didn’t want to set the example for children. As Hanks also revealed in a throwback interview on The Ellen Show:

Disney died at the age of 65 in 1966 due to lung cancer. He was diagnosed just weeks before his death when doctors discovered a tumor in his left lung, per OncoDaily. He had surgery to remove the tumor, but the disease had already advanced too far, and he died on December 15, 1966. Nowadays, the outlook for patients with lung cancer is much better than it was at the time.

Interestingly enough, cast members also point with two fingers at Disney Parks. In some cultures, it's actually offensive to point with a single finger, and from a distance it's easier to see two fingers rather than one. But now I have to wonder if it was in part inspired by Walt Disney’s smoking addiction.

When Hanks played Walt Disney for Saving Mr. Banks, he thought it was important to portray him accurately, which included bringing attention to his heavy smoking. As he shared:

If you haven’t seen it already, in Saving Mr. Banks, you can see how Hanks implemented what he learned about Disney. You can check out Tom Hanks’ performance as Walt Disney right now with a Disney+ subscription, along with numerous documentaries featuring the man himself. Hanks is also the star of the most successful Disney movie of the year so far, reprising the role of Woody in Toy Story 5. It’s now playing in theaters.

Between the advent of Genie+ and later Lightning Lane Multi-Pass in Disney World and Disneyland’s parks, there’s been a lot of added cost and inconvenience that’s rubbed parkgoers the wrong way. While we know an incredible number of parkgoers will shell out for the more premium experience, it comes with downsides. That includes things like the aforementioned prices, but also a much more complex planning structure as a whole, and the planner having to be on their phones and having to keep their phones charged through the whole day. Don’t even get me started on what happens when the app crashes.

If you go to Disney parks regularly or have been over the past several years, you should know exactly what I am talking about, here. There’s still plenty of magic to go around, but this is one wrinkle that people love to talk about. In fact, a recent article over at the Wall Street Journal went through this basic rigmarole, explaining that the person who is tied to their phone now has a “very different day” at Disney than the rest of their party. In short, it’s a lot of doomscrolling for them, but buried in this article was a tidbit that caught my attention.

Apparently, back in February Disney Experiences Chair Thomas Mazloum was asked about how Lightning Lane was going at a press event for Disneyland. Apparently, this is something those at Disney have been keeping a close eye on, as he reported:

The rest of the article mostly dives into familiar territory, like how it's better to think of Lightning Lane as “a game” (and rightfully so) and other ways you can manage your day at the parks. Yet it was this note from the Experiences Chair that really stood out to me. For a long time, it’s seemed like Lightning Lane, the app, and all of these technological complexities Disney World and Disneyland have added would be a headache forever. It at least now seems as if those working for the parks want to “simplify” the process more meaningfully. Whether or not that’s lip service remains to be seen.

After a post-pandemic boom, price increases have allegedly led to fewer crowds in 2026. Though it’s worth noting the parks have been making more money even with less volume, fewer lines have anecdotally felt like fewer people even using Lightning Lane which means more fluidity within the queue experience in the parks. We’ve run down whether Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is worth the money before, and it’s not as simple as just a yes or a no.

Beyond the pros and cons of the app and cost itself, it’s difficult to compare experiences at Disneyland and Disney World when the app is different in both parks and when Disneyland caters to a larger audience of locals. It’s also worth noting the Wall Street Journal was at Disney World when it wrote about the Lighting Lane Multi-Pass experience. So, mileage varies for sure.

Still, I often long for the days when I didn’t need to pull out my phone in the parks to order food or check the app. I think we’re fully past that time in our lives, but I do believe that if we can get to a future where the process is simple even for newbies at Disney World and Disneyland, it will be a much-appreciated change.

The cost to visit Disneyland and/or Disney California Adventure has consistently become more expensive every year. While I’ve come to expect ticket prices to go up every year, I didn’t think about the possibility of hundreds of food items getting an increase, too! Nevertheless, here we are, and we're going to discuss some of the cost increases along with several of the park offerings that will now be pricier.

It's been reported that 800 food items across both the Disney Parks in Southern California are now seeing price hikes. Mickey Visit did the math, and the average price increase among all these items is around 8 percent, or $0.62 per item. I compiled a list of some of the popular items from Theme Park IQ’s database that are now more pricey than before. You can get a sense of the situation here:

I don’t know about you but, if I’m going to Disneyland, I’m getting a three-pack of beignets, a churro and a Dole Whip for sure. And now, that will cost me over $21 rather than before, when it would have cost me under $20. Now, the House of Mouse isn’t completely robbing us with these latest changes per item, and they can easily blame inflation. However, big families will certainly be feeling their pockets lighter than before when the day at the park ends.

The confections that suffered the biggest price increases are the Chopped Salad at Jolly Holiday, the Creamy Marinara Primavera at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, and the Count Down Chicken Fusilli at Alien Pizza Planet. Each of them went from a price of $13.49 to $14.79. Quite a few of the fancy coffee beverages also cost much more than they did. I know I'm personally thankful that the famous Dole Whip only went up $0.20.

This update comes following Disneyland’s annual ticket price increase occurring last in October 2025. We’ve become accustomed to this happening every October for a few years now, with 2024’s increase marking the depressing milestone of the most expensive Disney ticket being over $200. Should there be another increase this October (as we expect to see again), it’s kind of a double whammy of extra expense for theme park goers.

Disney’s prices have been the subject of criticism in recent years, with former CEO Michael Eisner even commenting on it. Additionally, Home To Go named the two Disney Parks in California the least affordable theme parks in the United States in 2026. Universal Studios Hollywood’s prices also ranked low, but the difference between the park’s prices are still sizable.

It would appear Disney Parks certainly won’t be advertising these price changes of their own accord. Hopefully, though this word of caution can help any potential visitors budget accordingly for an upcoming trip to the "Happiest Place on Earth."

As far as early jobs on the resume go, a job at Disneyland sounds like it’d be a pretty sweet one. Unless you're Will Ferrell, in which case you only last for a day. I just learned Will Ferrell once got hired to work at the Happiest Place on Earth, but he backed out of it pretty quickly. Hijinks definitely were involved.

Before Will Ferrell found his big break as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, the comedian and actor grew up in Orange County, California. One of his first jobs was technically at Disneyland, but the gig didn’t last very long. He recently revealed all this to Amy Poehler, including what lured him away.

It’s true. Not every job title at Disneyland is as exciting as the place itself. While Josh Gad might get a celebrity pass to work rides, Mr. Ferrell was not the comedian we know today at that time. He genuinely seems unenthusiastic about ticket taking, and waiting, and I do get it. That’s not even inside the park!

Since he’d just been offered another job at a surf shop in Newport Beach his friend was managing, he decided to suddenly quit. Here’s where the story really gets good, and definitely highlights the environment Ferrell grew up in that led him to be so funny.

Will Ferrell oozes confidence these days, but his anecdote on Good Hang With Amy Poehler shows that he didn’t always have nerves of steel. What a way to quit Disneyland!

One can’t help but giggle at the story. Imagine being the person that was on the other side of the line (perhaps reading this), and realizing it was THE Will Ferrell! How funny.

Will Ferrell might have quit Disneyland before he even started, but fellow SNL alum Steve Martin definitely didn’t. The comedy icon worked at Disneyland at the age of 10 after biking over to the theme park and asking for work there. Someone allowed him to sell guidebooks there, and Martin continued to work for the Mouse for eight years. The actor started working at the park’s magic shop at 15, which gave him an avenue to perform before later heading to 30 Rock.

Ultimately Will Ferrell left his life in Orange County for Los Angeles to join the city’s local The Groundlings improv group. It was there where he was encouraged to try out for SNL producer Lorne Michaels. Ferrell was on the sketch show for seven years before launching a successful movie career. And to think, if he'd spent those seven years at Disneyland, he still probably wouldn't be manning The Jungle Cruise.

His latest project is a new series called The Hawk, which is dropping this week for those with a Netflix subscription.

Toy Story is a beloved franchise among fans, its cast, and Disney theme park attendees. Whether you’re riding the Toy Story ride, waving at the characters in a parade, or waiting for a personal photo opportunity, the Pixar box office sensation makes its mark in the parks. No one is immune to the magic and charm of the toys brought to life, especially with the 2026 movie release of Toy Story 5 riding a wave of success.

It’s no surprise that when the voice of Woody himself, Tom Hanks, takes his grandkids to Disneyland that he can feel just how special his involvement with the franchise is. According to Metro, chatting about what Toy Story means to people, Hanks explained even he couldn’t escape the joy. He said:

It’s hard to realize the impact you have on the masses until you’re faced with it at an undeniable moment or someone close to you gives you a nudge. One of those instances happened at Disneyland previously, when Hanks’ daughter pointed it out during Fantasmic!

Yes, Tom Hanks actually played Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, but that’s just not the same as watching a character you’ve voiced for more than 30 years walking around in real life and interacting with others. That has to be surreal in a way that few can understand, and you can hear the genuine appreciation from Hanks in the clip.

He's not the only actor with an appreciation for the parks. Disney guy Josh Gad took over Storybook Land canal boats as a storyteller earlier this year. While the voice of Olaf in the Frozen films clearly had a grand time on his adventure, as well as when he was previously a Haunted Mansion caretaker and a Jungle Cruise skipper, it’s still not quite the same.

When you think about the best Pixar movies, or even the best films of Tom Hanks, of course Toy Story comes to mind. The franchise started with a cowboy doll named Woody becoming jealous when he met a new spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear that replaced him as the top toy in a boy’s bedroom. It evolved into a journey of friendship, unbreakable bonds that have now lasted through five films, and plenty of quotable lines.

Since the first film hit theaters in 1995, it has become a brand with millions of fans, endless merchandise, and lovable characters. With the success of Toy Story 5, questions have been raised about whether Toy Story 6 is possible. Only Pixar and the creative team can determine whether that will happen, but it feels like a safe bet that fans, theme park guests, and Tom Hanks will see the character continue to live on in the Disney theme parks forever.

If you’ve been to Disneyland Resort in the past couple of months, you probably noticed that one of the theme park’s best rides, Pirates of the Caribbean, has been closed for refurbishment. Well, the ride is officially back up and running in Anaheim, California, and there’s a notable change to talk about.

What's New On Disneyland's Pirates Of The Caribbean Ride

Pirates of the Caribbean is considered one of Disneyland’s most classic rides, and it has a long history of changes since it was opened back in 1967. Do you know the part of the ride where a skeleton is sitting on top of gold? Well, now it's been replaced with an audio animatronic that transforms from a flesh-and-blood pirate to a skeleton. Here’s a look at him:

The Imagineers are behind the new technology, which combines projection, animatronics and robotics all in one. As explained in a new Walt Disney Imagineering video, they felt the change to the greedy pirate would allow them to “tell his full story” after 59 years of remaining stagnant. It’s explained that it enhances his lore because the audio animatronic looks at a cursed coin and becomes transformed by it before he drops the coin and the curse lifts. He’s “stuck in this loop” for eternity due to his greed. Here it is in action:

The audio animatronic technology recently came to Disneyland through a figure of Walt Disney that was added for the 70th anniversary celebration and has been popping up across Disney Parks around the world, including through a free-walking Olaf in Hong Kong and Paris.

What Fans Are Saying About It

Pirates of the Caribbean is an especially sacred ride to Disney fans because it was the last one Walt Disney was directly part of before his death in 1966 (prior to its opening). Over the years, there’s been some notable changes, like a female pirate being added and Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow also being included after the success of the movie franchise based on the ride. Here are some first reactions to the latest addition, per Instagram:

• “Not everything needs to be updated with current tech. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…There’s a nostalgia and beauty to the simplicity of original Disney animatronics, leave them alone!!” - @alicia.nestasia
• “This takes a GREAT and iconic scene and unfortunately makes it now look fake. The old way whilst not moving looks completely, COMPLETELY real. This triggers criticism and disbelief because it looks so fake...it's a fun idea but it pulls you right out of the awe of the scene. One of Pirates most iconic scenes at that. Yeah, it's a nope from me.” - @robertjkral
• “I know there are so many truly talented people that worked on this, so repectfully: no thank you 🙂‍↔️” - @hallandoatesmeal
• “can’t believe this is why it was closed on my birthday, i-” - @ericahnelson
• “Cool tech, but use on different ride please. Pirates is perfect just the way it is.” - @caseykas

To be clear, these comments come from people who likely haven’t been on the ride itself, but the response to the update is overwhelmingly negative. As I suspected, fans have a certain protectiveness over the classic attraction, and are a bit pessimistic about the changes, even though it's also pretty cool to see the scene come alive.

By my estimation, I think we’re in a shock stage of change (I feel it myself), and I think time will certainly tell if people embrace this audio animatronic over time or not. You can go check out the fresh addition to Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland now.

There are plenty of stories about celebrities getting special treatment at theme parks, from private tours to skipping hour-long lines. However, if the internet’s favorite Adam Sandler Disneyland story is true, then the Happy Gilmore 2 star handles things differently. Over the years, he has built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s nicest celebrities, the kind of movie star fans spot playing pickup basketball, eating at chain restaurants or taking pictures with strangers. Apparently, that regular-guy energy extends to family trips to the Happiest Place on Earth, where he acted like a dad in the best way possible.

A a story regarding Sandler has circulated among Disney fans for years, and it was recently posted on the House of the Mouse Instagram account in time for Father's Day. Apparently, Sandler frequently visits the parks with his family but refuses to use his celebrity status to jump ahead of everyone else. He also seems to impart that same principle to his kids. One especially funny anecdote claims the actor once rode Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion with a stranger because his wife and children ended up in a different Doom Buggy. The caption reads:

That visual alone feels like something straight out of one of Adam Sandler’s best comedy films. I also love the notion of the celebrity parent ensuring that his kids follow suit. Even better, fans keep sharing their own encounters with the actor, and they all seem to point in the same direction. One commenter, @jennifer8ad33, recalled:

Again, this is the Saturday Night Live veteran performer we’re talking about. Somehow, the idea of Billy Madison patiently waiting for a corn dog feels entirely believable. And that was not the only fan encounter shared. Another commenter, @minervanerva64, wrote:

Similar responses kept coming. Another fan added:

Part of what makes stories like these resonate is that the Big Daddy star has never hidden how important family is to him. His wife, Jackie, and daughters Sadie and Sunny have become frequent collaborators, appearing in many of his movies over the years. Most recently, both daughters starred in You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah and had major roles in Happy Gilmore 2, continuing a tradition that has quietly become one of the sweetest parts of Sandler’s career.

While plenty of celebrity parents might take advantage of every perk available, there is something refreshingly normal about teaching your kids that waiting in line applies to everyone, especially at Disneyland. Maybe it's because the Hubie Halloween funny man himself still seems genuinely excited by everyday things. The man who can headline blockbusters, most of which are available with a Netflix subscription, still looks happiest in basketball shorts, oversized T-shirts and sneakers that have clearly seen better days.

That regular-guy energy has become part of his charm. Of course, none of this should really surprise longtime fans. The comedian-turned-movie producer’s movies often revolve around family, loyalty and ordinary people trying to do right by each other. Whether he's playing a hockey player, a jeweler, a lizard or a golfer, that warmth tends to shine through.

So, on Father's Day, here's to Adam Sandler. Not just for making generations laugh, but for apparently being the kind of dad who tells his kids, "Nope. We wait like everybody else." Honestly, that's pretty cool.

As of this writing, Sandler doesn't seem to have any acting gigs lined up for the 2026 movie schedule. However, right now, fans can celebrate Father's Day by chilling with their own dads and revisiting some of the Sandman's most beloved flicks.

While I’d expect actors who worked with Walt Disney like Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Kurt Russell and Dean Jones to have great stories with the iconic businessman and film producer, I just learned that Kevin Costner had the chance to meet him, too. It’s a wild story that’s crazier because it happened before the Oscar winner had any Hollywood experience or credits to his name.

Back when Kevin Costner was 5 years old, it was the early days of big theme parks. The actor was born just a few months before the opening day of Disneyland, which was on July 17, 1955. According to the actor, he and his mother got to go to Disneyland around 1960 thanks to a man who knocked on their door and gave them tickets because he couldn’t go anymore with his wife. Here’s what happened once they were at the Happiest Place on Earth:

Kevin Costner is talking about riding the Disneyland Railroad, which was one of the opening day attractions that are still there. At the time, it was called the Grand Canyon Diorama and was much smaller than the attraction is now. As he recalled during an interview with JT Foxx, he loved the ride so much that he kept asking to go on it over and over. Along the way, he jetted past some yellow tape and ran right into someone. As he continued:

Can you even imagine? Nowadays, the closest you can get to meeting Walt Disney is through an animatronic attraction called Walt Disney: A Magical Life, but back in 1960 when Costner went, the man himself was strolling around the park, and it seemed quite normal to catch a glimpse of him. While we’d certainly believe Kevin Costner could have met Walt Disney in general because he’s such a famous actor now, this story is all the more awesome because it happened to him long before he made a name for himself.

Kevin Costner was telling the incredible story to point out how Disneyland wasn’t always a surefire success, despite Walt Disney being thought of as a visionary today. When he reflects on his brief literal run-in with Walt Disney, he realizes that it was at a time when Disney was "unbelievably doubted”. He thinks that Walt was perhaps using Costner’s genuine enthusiasm for the ride to underline, perhaps to the lawyers and accountants he was with, that Disneyland had a bright future. And obviously, he was on to something.

These days it feels like you can’t go anywhere without seeing Walt Disney’s name. There are always more upcoming Disney movies on the way, and more attractions coming to Walt Disney World and the other Disney Parks around the globe. I love that this legends meeting legends moment happened, because Costner's own Hollywood fame happened 20 years after the death of Walt Disney.

There’s no shortage of Star Wars content in the galaxy right now. From Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which just premiered on the 2026 movie schedule, to Star Wars: Starfighter, which stars Ryan Gosling and is slated for release in May 2027, the franchise is everywhere. Now, Disney Parks has joined the excitement with a brand-new mission on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, which debuted yesterday at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, featuring none other than Mando and Grogu.

I had the chance to experience the new adventure this week, and while stepping into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon never gets old, I was surprised to discover my favorite role is no longer the Pilot. Starting now, I’d gladly fight for the chance to be the Engineer.

CinemaBlend was invited to Walt Disney World this week to preview the upcoming offerings for Cool Kids' Summer, beginning May 26. That includes the updated Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets, a limited-time new flight called Soarin’ Across America, a Bluey and Bingo dance party at Animal Kingdom, and, of course, the new adventure on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

The Engineer Role Has Been Updated

When I was waiting in line and got assigned the role of Engineer, I have to admit, I was initially disappointed. For starters, you’re seated in the back of the cockpit, meaning you’re the furthest from the screen. But more importantly, in the original mission on Smugglers Run — which has been in place since Galaxy’s Edge first opened — the role never felt especially important. Outside of collecting cargo for Hondo Ohnaka or patching up the Falcon when it took damage, it often felt like you were just along for the ride.

And clearly, I’m not the only one who has felt that way over the years. The Engineer role has had a bit of a reputation among guests, so when I got the chance to chat with a Disney Imagineer Morgan McDowell about the updated mission, I was curious how much guest feedback actually played into the changes. Turns out: quite a bit, as she explained:

I can confidently say the feedback was heard, because the second the mission started, I immediately felt like I had somehow lucked out by getting the Engineer.

Why I Loved Being The Engineer

What shocked me most was just how much more there is to do now. Engineers still repair the ship and collect cargo, but they also now help determine where the mission actually goes. One of the Engineers is randomly selected to choose between Tatooine, Endor, or Coruscant, and wherever they pick becomes a huge part of the adventure that follows. So instead of feeling like you’re just pressing buttons in the background, the Engineer now plays a major role in shaping the mission.

And that’s not even the best addition. Engineers now also get their own dedicated “Grogu button,” which calls Grogu onto the screen during the mission. Honestly, that alone might make it the superior role.

To Disney’s credit, all three positions feel more dynamic now, with additional elements added, but the Engineer is definitely front and center, as McDowell also pointed out:

The Engineer easily became the highlight for me. Apparently, I enjoy being in control and responsible for babysitting Grogu. If you’re heading to Disneyland or Walt Disney World for Cool Kids’ Summer — running May 26 through September 8 — make sure to check out the new Smugglers Run mission for yourself. Just maybe don’t bring snacks aboard the Falcon, because Grogu absolutely will try to steal them, and definitely don’t blow any kisses at stormtroopers.

While it may feel like the COVID-19 pandemic was another lifetime ago, a lot has changed since it happened, including regarding what it’s like to visit Disneyland Resort. As you may recall, the California theme park was closed to the public for over a year and some things just haven’t been the same since it reopened in April 2021. But a new policy is about to go into effect next month that will harken back to its pre-COVID era, and I’m absolutely on board.

What’s Coming Back To Disneyland

Ever since Disneyland Park and Disneyland California Adventure reopened after its long closure, gone have been the days of a spontaneous Disney trip. Its reservation system has meant guests have to plan when they are going ahead of time, and currently when you choose a Park Hopper ticket, you have to pick which park we want to start at. And once you’re there, you cannot leave your chosen park until after 11 a.m. But starting June 9, guests can “park hop” as they please as long as their chosen park isn’t at capacity.

Now, when it comes to Walt Disney World, they ended their own version of the Park Hopper rule back in 2023. But at that time, Disneyland Park only cracked down more on the reservation system. For guests who like to jump from one park to another, this is great news, perhaps the only problem that could arise is if one of the parks reaches capacity while someone is park hopping.

Why I’m So Happy About It

I’ve been going to Disneyland and Disneyland California Adventure throughout my life, and I remember the old park hopping days. And obviously I've have experienced the new order of things. When I went recently, I noticed that the policy definitely incentivized me to stay in one park for the first half of the day before moving to the other side of the park, but I definitely miss getting to move to one or the other at my leisure.

As someone who loves the food at Disneyland California Adventure, and prefers the variety and sheer volume of rides Disneyland Park has, I think returning to this rule is a great idea. Particularly before 11 a.m. is a great time to run to your favorite rides at a time when they are less crowded than later in the day. Plus, for those who are just going for a day, I think it will allow guests to maximize their time at both parks. Oh, and you definitely get more steps in this way as well!

Since Disneyland reopened after its huge closure, it’s been hard to keep up with all the changes, so this is a really nice treat for longtime guests of the California park like myself.

Josh D'Amaro took over Disney from Bob Iger in March after Iger's second retirement from the company. Today, he'll be looking back on the company's second quarter earnings for Fiscal Year 2026 and looking forward to the rest of the year, which includes some big releases on the 2026 movie schedule like Avengers: Doomsday in December.

On the financial side, Disney reported strong earnings this morning, but here at CinemaBlend, we're more interested in what is ahead for the entertainment division and, of course, what is in store for Disney World and their other parks around the world.

There were three core themes that D'Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston kept coming back to: storytelling, technology, and "One Disney." One Disney is the term that was talked about a lot in the call and in a letter from D'Amaro, which is, in business terms, the synergy between all of the company's divisions.

One notable exception from the call is that Jimmy Kimmel wasn't mentioned. That's not a huge surprise that Disney did not address it, but it will remain a big question for the company, with the political pressure growing.

Here's everything they talked about.

I expect Josh D'Amaro will talk about the company's two streaming platforms, Disney+ and Hulu. He laid out their success in his letter to investors on Disney's Q2 earnings report. He'll also likely get into the upcoming movies the company has on the schedule, especially The Mandalorian and Grogu, Toy Story 5, and the Moana live action movie starring Dwayne Johnson which hits theaters in July.

On the parks side, Disney has had a good year so far, but there is no doubt macroeconomic pressures could affect attendance this summer, something he'll no doubt mention as well.

It's been a good year for the House of Mouse, according to the top line of the earnings report. Revenues were up 7% for Q2 to $25.2billion, up from $23.6 billion in Q2 of 2025. That was helped along by the huge success of Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2, both of which brought in more than a billion dollars each.

Dan Swinbrune, Executive VP of Investor Relations, is kicking off the call, explaining how the report will be different.

Josh D'Amaro has begun speaking, first thanking Bob Iger for his work as CEO. His opening statement is pretty boilerplate, talking about how Disney is unique in how to reach fans and he's moved on to the numbers for last quarter.

He's talking about how he is pleased with the revenue subscription growth both through new subscribers and advertising.

D'Amaro mentions Paradise and Love Story as great successes at Hulu and is talking about the movies now, mentioning the four big movies the company has in 2026, in addition to two movies that have already been hits, Pixar's Hoppers and last weekend's The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Past calls with Iger have usually talked about each division separately, but this new era under D'Amaro is focused more on the company as a whole and how the division will interact with each other.

Swinburne is laying out the long-term vision, that includes leaning into existing IP, but encouragingly, he has mentioned new IP they would like to develop.

The call is really focused on three things: creative IP, connecting fans through all the divisions, and building out robust technology. Those have been mentioned multiple times.

D'Amaro is now talking about streaming services and how they want to broaden the way viewers can discover new shows and movies. That's not really a surprise. As for third-party distribution, they will be selective but will continue when the fit is right.

Now they are answering a question about Disney's partnership with Epic Games, the makers of Fortnight, and how that will fit in. D'Amaro sees the partnership as "feeding" the company with younger fans especially.

On the Disney Experiences. Disney is positive on the future of attendance in parks both domestically and internationally, though there are "head winds." Domestic attendance was down, but revenue was up. They are also looking grow their cruise ship fleet up to 13 ships by 2031. That's up from the current eight.

Disney World bookings are up domestically, but they are "mindful" of fuel prices and how that could effect bookings both at parks and on cruise ships this summer.

D'Amaro is excited about the capital investments made in the last quarter, like the World of Frozen attraction at Disneyland Paris and he has teased some more projects, saying there are more things in the works worldwide at parks than at another time in the company's history.

Two questions on the content front. D'Amaro is focused on original IP and "taking creative risk" to try out new IP. He cited Hoppers as an example of this, recently.

The second content-focused question is about short-form content and user-generated content. D'Amaro says they serious about building out both of these, as they have become more important to consumers with things like vertical video in Disney+ and how its shown "promise" with engagement. I'm not sure I love this idea, but I certainly understand why Disney is leaning in.

More personalized feeds in their streaming services, like SportsCenter for You, and more interactive content are things they are also focused on in their technology.

It's no surprise that AI has come up. Obviously, Disney is saying many of the same things other companies have discussed. They are exploring it on both the content-creation side and the business side, as well as how AI can help fans plan a Disney vacation. The Experiences side of the business seems to be where AI can be implemented the most effectively, on the front-facing side.

Disney is making more than double its earnings in streaming over linear cable networks, but they are not giving up on linear TV quite yet, as they see the networks as ways to produce content that the company can spread over all its content delivery systems.

Well, that's it. D'Amaro is making his closing statement. Nothing was specifically was announced in terms of new movies, shows, or attractions, as since it was the new CEO's first call, he explained he wanted things to be broader and that's what we got.

Disneyland Resort recently rolled out a new way guests will enter the parks, and it's giving me those Tomorrowland vibes. Yes, I'm talking facial recognition. It’s a piece of tech that other theme parks have previously implemented, including the likes of Epic Universe testing it out just last month. Yet, a common grievance is starting to come up among parents.

The Big Complaint About Disneyland's Facial Recognition System That's Cropping Up Among Parents

Now Disneyland resort’s facial recognition system is in full swing, one recent Disneyland guest started a conversation on Reddit about how they noticed it’s led to fewer cast members per gate. I'm talking like two per entry lane. The thread led to a number of parents sharing their experience with the facial recognition system. As one wrote:

As someone who went to Disneyland just last week and has experienced the system myself, I didn’t find it to be very fussy. However, I’m also not the parent of a (possibly cranky) toddler. Tired parents are bringing up good points about how the new system can be tough on some kids. As another person said about their experience:

Disneyland Resort’s facial recognition system allows the park to take a picture of each guest when they enter the park which then employs biometric technology to convert those images into unique numerical values that are used to find a match. While it sounds simple enough in theory, settling down kids to take a picture has proven to be a chore for some guests. As another parent shared:

Of course we’re just talking about the complaints, here. There are surely a lot of families who’ve had a seamless process, but it’s an aspect of the changes certainly worth thinking about.

Don't Fret: How Disneyland Guests Can Override Facial Recognition Fears And Gripes

For those who are totally over (or just plain-old spooked) by the idea of the House of Mouse having a picture of you in their facial recognition system, there are some work-arounds. According to The Walt Disney Company:

So, if you don’t want to be part of the facial recognition system, there are lanes available without this system in place. This allows guests to decide for themselves what the best fit is for their family. Plus, it’s not like your picture will be stored in the system forever. After 30 days, the system will apparently delete the photo information it’s acquired.

That said, time will tell whether the non-facial recognition lines will be longer or shorter in the notoriously-busy theme parks. The good news is Disneyland has rolled out a ton of new features in the past (such as the reservation system) that haven’t worked perfectly at first, but the kinks were worked out over time.

As Disneyland Resort looks forward to an upcoming expansion in Disney’s California Adventure and the Tony Stark ride boasting “new tech”, I'm guessing even busier parks are on the horizon. Hopefully, all this facial recognition brouhaha will be solved in the meantime.

It’s a small world out there for theme park fans, many of whom don’t just ride at Disney World or Universal Orlando. Parks fans will travel far and wide for new rides, from amusingly-themed gravy boat coasters to new water attractions and plenty more. So, it’s not that easy to fool a theme park fan. Which is why I was a little surprised by a new video was touting “insane new Disney ride tech” for its new Tony Stark ride.

If you’re up on the attractions at Disneyland, you may already know that Avengers Campus is getting Stark Flight Lab, a brand new ride for fans of Iron Man and all upcoming MCU movies. I already love it 3000, but like the other Universal fans out there, I’m maybe not as enthusiastic about posts touting “new tech.”

OK, the video does look cool, and to be fair, it’s possible the “new tech” is supposed to be selling the fact that it’s new tech for Disney specifically. (Though some fans have compared it to the now-defunct Sum of all Thrills at Epcot.) Perhaps the video even meant to indicate that Tony Stark always has the latest technology in his labs. However, that’s not really how it read to parks fans, and given we know the robotic arms being used in the labs are Kuka arms like many other rides have similarly added in the past. Some of these fans did not let the comment slide.

Honestly, the snark is palpable here:

• This is Brand New Tech if you’re at Universal Studios and it’s 2010.
• So… it looks like like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Monsters Unchained at Universal?
• Welcome to the “Avengers themed Harry Potter ride with complementary 3D screen eye damage”
• Nice to see them taking ideas from Universal who has lately really been having incredible rides.

These types of robotic arms are famous at Universal Orlando in the Islands of Adventure Hogwarts Ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It’s also famously one of the more puke-inducing rides in the park, but Universal really perfected the technology with Epic Universe’s great attraction Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.

However, they’ve been used in other theme parks, too, and others were very quick to point this out.

• lol. New tech. Legoland had this ride 25 years ago.
• Soooo…. Sum of all Thrills from Epcot? Knights Tournament from Legoland in 2005? Forbidden Journey and Monsters Unchained at Universal?

Stark Flight Lab is going to be a little different in that it will start on a track and then shift upwards thanks to the aforementioned robotic arms. It will also mark the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, which is very cool. There is a ton of excitement for the upcoming Disney attraction, but theme park fans are going to troll all those who call the tech brand new.

Inflation has entered pretty much every corridor of our lives at this point, including vacation fun. There’s been a lot of talk about the increased cost of taking a family to a theme park over the last five years. Like everything else, inflation has impacted vacation prices, and the Happiest Place on Earth is not immune from price increases, particularly when the parks get busy. With dynamic pricing, some days costs have gotten significantly worse just when it comes to entry, but this summer there’s a $99 reason to give Walt Disney World a whirl.

$99 Dollars Is A Super Cheap Disney World (Or Disneyland) Day

Sure, there are other extra costs when you stay at Walt Disney World, but there are going to be some days this summer where Disney World and Disneyland are rolling out cheaper tickets for families. Right now, the base price day in the parks costs $119, and that's not even factoring in Park Hopper or Park Hopper+ costs. Do you and your family want to visit over a holiday season?

Well, in that case, prepare to shell out far more, with one-day tickets sometimes costing as much as $209 dollars. If you are a family of four or more, those costs add up really fast. This summer, some dates will be cheaper in the hot months of August and September, per usual, but there's also a 4-park deal Walt Disney World is rolling out that will give families access to one of the parks per day for four days. The cost works out to $99 per day, and you can read more on Disney's site.

Summer used to be a prime time for families to visit Walt Disney World, but it's getting increasingly warm and sticky, and to top it all off, hurricane season blows through Florida between June and November. This might be Disney's way of getting more people into the parks during this window, but honestly, it's not a problem to me. A deal can be made for selfish reasons by a company, and still be a good deal for the families involved.

One thing is clear: the Disney Parks on both coasts are certainly pushing the summer experience in 2026.

Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum said in a statement (via USA Today) the company wants to make the summer really “count” this year. That means new experiences and more options for families to head to both Disney World and Disneyland.

When I first moved to Los Angeles well over a decade ago, my husband and I could nab Disney parks tickets for under a hundred bucks. Things have changed drastically in terms of prices since then, and I'm not just talking about the entry fee. I'm talking about things I took for granted: like the loss of the Fast Pass in favor of Lightning Lane, the loss of the Magical Express at Disney World and so much more. Some things have changed for the better though, and there's no doubt the ride experiences and the food options in most of the parks have gotten better and better.

So, if you haven't turned out in a while, there's 99 reasons to go back this year.

Most theme parkgoers recognize there are some major differences between Disneyland and Disney World. The former has two parks and fits its best attractions in a tight space in Orange County, CA. The latter has four sprawling parks spread across 40+ square miles and with its own road system. They each have their charms, but they aren’t the same thing. So, I recognize that Disneyland and California Adventure would have more attractions per park than their Florida counterparts. And yet, I did not fully realize the insane differences between some of the parks.

A recent post created by the Disney Lemons popped up while I was perusing Instagram the other day, and it totally blew my mind out of nowhere. Here’s the breakdown of rides at each of the Disney parks built in the United States:

• Disneyland: 35
• Magic Kingdom: 26
• California Adventure: 19
• Epcot: 11
• Hollywood Studios: 9
• Animal Kingdom: Noted as 6 (*Let's talk this number out)

Listen, I knew Animal Kingdom was on the lower end of ride experiences when it came to Disney theme parks but the difference between it and Disneyland is truly shocking. Yes, it’s been exacerbated by recent changes in the parks, but still, there are 29 more rides in Disneyland than Animal Kingdom, and 29 is still a number larger than the park with the second most attractions (Magic Kingdom).

While there are some heavy hitters at Animal Kingdom between Expedition Everest and World of Pandora stuff, AK is going through some changes recently. The entirety of Dinoland, U.S.A. was shut down. While I was fine with Primeval Whirl going the way of the dinosaur (pun very much intended), it was a much sadder day when Dinosaur shut down, and that honestly cuts the number of “rides” even lower.

Right now Animal Kingdom has: Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Na’vi River Journey and if you count, Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Rafiki's Planet Watch Train, that's six rides. If you aren’t counting the latter two as "rides," there are only four rides currently open in the park, plus a slew of shows, experiences, walking trails and more.

I’m just saying, the difference between the value of what you get at Disneyland or even California Adventure trumps the parks, at least individually, at Disney World. What you get at World though includes many permutations of park hopping, world class restaurants, fun transportation including boats and the Skyliner, and great hotels at many different price points.

The good news? A Tropical Americas section of the parks is allegedly going in where the dinosaurs used to roam. AK will also be taking a note from Disneyland and putting an Indiana Jones ride in where Dinosaur was, which makes all the sense in the world since both rides were similar to begin with. It's also worth noting an Encanto ride is going into the area. All the construction has been great, but it's been a concern on many theme park fans' minds for a while.

Change is afoot, and I’m excited to see the Florida parks expand a bit in the coming years. I do think I should leave you on one final note. The post mentions that between the two parks in California, there are more rides in total than all four parks in Florida combined! (Though Disney World still has some of the best attractions.) I’d never thought about it, but when you put it that way it does give you fodder for thought.

Normally, April is my favorite time of the year. The weather is nice, my roses start budding, and April 25th is the perfect day, obviously. This year, though, there’s been a lot of rain and personal upheaval, and April has not been doing it for me. That is, until Walt Disney World dropped an amazing video of Josh Gad acting as a greeter at Disneyland.

Honestly, what’s not to love about wholesome content like this? From the early morning dawn light splayed on the guests, to Josh Gad’s hot take train jabs, this video has it all: Surprise, humor, and most of all, a little magic. Take a look.

This wouldn’t be the first time Josh Gad has taken over someone’s job at a Disney theme park. This time, he thought he would be becoming a storyeller on the relaxing Storybook Land Canal Boats ride (a middlingly-ranked Disneyland attraction). Instead, a cast member assigns him as a “barker,” which is certainly a lesser-ranking job and he jokingly seems unamused about.

Early in the full video, when Gad does get recognized, I’m obsessed with his first impulse, which is comedy. When a fan asks if “that’s Josh Gad,” he turns around and hollers, “Where?” I've interviewed the actor before, and he really is a larger-than-life personality, so I can't imagine running into him unexpectedly in a theme park setting. I'm sure it was amazing.

Eventually, he does steal the mic and crack jokes about Pinocchio whale endoscopies and having more fun than the guests on the “train.” You can see more from his unexpected day in the parks, below.

Josh Gad was also supposed to be on hand for a World of Frozen event at Disneyland Paris earlier this month, but had to bail on the event due to a family health issue that took him back home. It is nice to see he did make it to one of the parks this month, even if he missed the “intense” malfunction of the Olaf animatronic over in Europe. The good news is his mom was rushed to the ER in time, and in his last update he mentioned she’s slowly gotten better. Since then, he’s been able to get back to “work.” Which, in this case means amusing his fans with funny Disney commentary, and heading to Japan. It's not a bad gig, being an actor.

Gad’s a longtime Disney guy, and he has work outside Frozen for Disney right now too. In fact, he recently did voiceover work for the DisneyNature Orangutan doc, which is set to be available to those with a Disney+ subscription on Earth day. You can see more of what's heading to streaming with our 2026 TV schedule.

Reboots, revivals, and spinoffs seem to be the norm these days, both in film and television. In Disney’s case, it always feels like a reboot is being plotted, and it’s not just with their films. There have been a handful of Disney Channel shows getting the reboot treatment; however, Kim Possible is not one of them. Now, following a night at Disneyland that highlighted the animated show, its star, Christy Carlson Romano, has called out an executive who said a reboot of the series was irrelevant, even though the 2000s show still holds up as an adult.

Disney Channel Nite returned to Disneyland, and Millennials and Zillennials got together to celebrate the golden era of the children’s network. They dressed up in costumes pertaining to fan-favorite characters, ate themed meals, and danced and sang along to all the classics. Some Disney stars even made the trek out to the event, including Romano, who surrounded herself with plenty of people dressed like her titular teen heroine. At the same time, she proved one exec completely wrong, as she shared on Instagram:

Kim Possible did actually get a reboot, albeit a live-action DCOM in 2019 that was not like the original. But if Phineas and Ferb can make a comeback years after it ended, why not KP? As someone who grew up on Kim Possible, I would love nothing more than for the show to come back with Romano, Will Friedle, and others reprising their roles. If Disney Channel Nite proves anything, it’s that fans clearly still love the series. They know that, Romano knows that, if only Disney knew that.

Romano’s post also sounds like she might have, at one point, tried to get a Kim Possible reboot off the ground, hence the executive’s response. Clearly, that executive was wrong, considering how many people dressed up like Kim at Disney Channel Nite, and that’s probably not even everyone. Kim Possible ended in 2007 after four seasons and a Disney Channel Original Movie. To this day, it remains a favorite and is one of the best animated TV shows of all time. Who wouldn’t want to see a girl who can be a cheerleader and a high school student and someone who can save the world all at the same time?

Kim Possible is definitely among the Disney Channel shows that need to be revived, whether it’s a new season or a new movie. I just don't want a live-action remake like in 2019. It needs to get the Phineas and Ferb treatment. Same cast, same creators, same animation, just a new season. That formula certainly seems to work. Disney just needs some convincing.

Whether a reboot will ever actually happen for Kim Possible remains to be seen, but it’s obviously still relevant, so perhaps the executive will change their mind. Stranger things have happened. Fans will just have to settle for watching the original series with a Disney+ subscription for now.

Ever since it opened, Galaxy's Edge has been a very popular destination at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. In recent years, Galaxy's Edge has been going through some changes, namely dropping the original timeline in order to bring classic characters from George Lucas' original trilogy (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) into the fold. Case in point: we just got our first look at Han Solo in the parks, and fans are definitely not being shy about sharing their opinions about the beloved character's appearance.

Back in March of 2025, we got our first look at Luke Skywalker at Galaxy's Edge, to the delight of longtime fans. Folks have been waiting to see classic Leia Organa and Han Solo join the fun, and the latter will be arriving later this month. And fans are already having a strong reaction to everyone's favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder.

See Han Solo's Debut At Galaxy's Edge

Han Solo will debut at Disneyland on April 29th, and I have to assume that folks will be clamoring to get a photo with the smuggler turned Rebel leader. Obviously, Harrison Ford is synonymous with this role, so whatever theme park actors play him are going to have some big shoes to fill. You can see what he'll look like roaming around Batuu below:

And just like that, the fan favorite Star Wars hero has been brought back to life in the Galaxy's Edge. While the land's original timeline was set after Han's death in The Force Awakens, that's no longer the case. And fans are making their voices known about seeing this first look at Solo.

What Theme Park Fans Are Saying About Disneyland's Han

Star Wars fans are known for being super passionate, as are theme park enthusiasts. So it should come as no surprise that the responses and comments section in these Han Solo posts are blowing up. There's a ton of discourse happening over on Twitter, with one popular response criticizing his appearance. It reads:

I feel this. The tweet is a reference to the cast members playing Peter Quill/ Star-Lord in Disneyland's Avengers campus. While some Marvel characters wear outrageous costumes, Star-Lord looks more like a regular guy. And that's a criticism that's already being directed at Han Solo's look in The Galaxy's Edge. To be fair, this actor doesn't look all that much like Harrison Ford.

While some folks wish that Han has a stronger resemblance to the beloved actor, others are still caught up in the way the character's inclusion further breaks the timeline of the Star Wars land. As one person tweeted:

Obviously this change to the timeline happened long before Han Solo was introduced to Galaxy's Edge, but it's clearly irking certain corners of the fandom. Meanwhile another fan took the opposite stance, posting:

Honestly, the more classic Star Wars characters the better. While Darth Vader used to be in the parks before Galaxy's Edge opened, eventually Kylo Ren replaced him as the primary antagonist of the theme park. And since Han and Chewie will be able to interact in the parks, why not bring in more OGs?

Another critical response of this Han Solo sneak peek was all about his costume. More specifically, the hair unit used to bring the character to life. As someone tweeted out:

Meanwhile, another fan thinks they've seen the actor shown in the Han Solo video before. Specifically playing another character in the theme parks. As they posted:

Theme park superfans attend the parks time and time again, so it's not uncommon for them to clock actors who are playing multiple roles. Hopefully the Han actor being recognized for possibly playing Gaston previously doesn't end up negatively affecting him. The actress who previously played the Evil Queen at Disneyland was reportedly fired due to so many fans recognizing her and helping her go viral online.

Han Solo will debut at Disneyland on April 29th. Star Wars will return to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which hits theaters May 22nd as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see what classic characters show up at Batuu next.

When it comes to thrilling and fun theme park rides, Disney is still the company to beat. In just the last few years, Disney World has seen everything from the groundbreaking Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to the thrilling Tron: Lightcycle Run. Whatever sort of rides you are looking for, Disney World has some of the best, but there’s one particular type of ride I’m afraid we’ll never see again.

Expedition Everest celebrates its 20th anniversary this week, and the roller coaster is one of my favorite rides in the resort. It’s also likely going to make history because, at this point, it seems all but certain that it will be the last Disney World ride to open not inspired by a Disney franchise.

Expedition Everest Was Walt Disney World’s Last Non-IP Attraction

When Walt Disney first opened Disneyland, the theme park had plenty of rides inspired by the studio’s film output. Fantasyland had multiple dark rides that took guests through the stories from the films. Dumbo alone had two rides in the form of the classic spinner attraction and the Casey Jr. Circus Train.

However, many of the most popular rides at Disneyland in years to come would have no attachment to films. Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain were all original concepts with their own stories to tell.

Expedition Everest was already something of an anomaly due to its lack of franchise association when the coaster was built. It has a story that sees guests visiting the Mimalayan Escapes travel company to ride a train through the iconic mountain range. Unfortunately, an interaction with a massive Yeti causes things to go awry.

It’s a great roller coaster with the largest audio-animatronic ever built, even if it’s never worked quite right.

In the years since Everest opened, however, Disney has made a hard pivot toward IP rides, and even seemingly shown contempt for anything that didn’t have a franchise attached to it. In a conversation with Barons back in 2019, then Disney CEO Bob Iger touted all the IP-themed creations coming from Disney and said…

This not-so-veiled shot at Expedition Everest is all one needs to see to know how Disney felt about non-IP rides. Certainly, Bob Iger had no plans to ever build anything like it again.

Franchises Can Still Start With Theme Park Rides

In the years since, we have seen not only rides but entire theme park lands built around a single IP. Lands like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and World of Frozen are the rule, not the exception. Of all the upcoming Disney World attractions, we're set to see entire lands themed around Cars, Monsters Inc., and Disney Villains

Clearly, we’re never going to get a non-IP attraction when the land the attractions are in has such a theme, but even in places like Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s upcoming Tropical Americas land, which isn’t specifically themed to a franchise, the rides we’re getting are based around Indiana Jones and Encanto.

It’s frustrating because there’s no reason that an original theme park ride can’t also become part of a franchise. Disney’s most successful live-action franchise, not called Marvel or Star Wars, was born from Pirates of the Caribbean. Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise have become films as well (to varying degrees of success).

That certainly wasn’t the intention when the rides were built, but why couldn’t it be? While the practice now is to launch a film franchise and then build the theme park ride to go with it, there’s no reason things couldn’t go the other way. Design an incredible theme park ride with a compelling story and fun characters, then expand on it with a movie or a Disney+ series.

There’s always the possibility the media side of the franchise wouldn’t take off, of course, but there’s a reasonably easy way to overcome that. If the ride you make is good enough, nobody will care. Nobody avoids the Haunted Mansion because the movies flopped at the box office. If the ride you make is great, people will ride it and love it, and that love might even help the movie be successful where it otherwise might not.

Disney has a new CEO and a new head of Disney Experiences, so maybe under the new regime, truly original theme park attractions aren’t entirely impossible. I would love to see Walt Disney Imagineering given the freedom that would come with not being forced to tie an attraction to a franchise. Unfortunately, I think that era is over, and it ended with Expedition Everest.

The future of Disneyland Resort is going to be big. A massive expansion, called DisneylandForward, is currently in the early stages and will radically transform the entire resort destination. However, a new report claims that one of the most significant parts of that expansion may now end up not happening at all.

Could Disneyland Cancel The Planned Avatar Land?

It’s been several years since then-CEO Bob Iger announced a planned “Avatar Experience” at Disneyland. We now know that the plan is for an Avatar-themed land at Disney California Adventure park, which would replace the current Hollywood Land. However, The Wrap now suggests those plans may be getting rethought.

Even before the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, James Cameron was managing expectations regarding the planned two additional movies. He suggested that even if the movie made a lot of money, it might not make enough and that the final two films could be significantly delayed, or possibly not happen at all.

The questionable future of Avatar as a film franchise may, The Wrap suggests, mean that the planned Avatar theme park land is also being reconsidered. If fans aren’t as excited about the films as they once were, they may not be that excited about the theme park land either.

There is reason to believe there’s some truth to this. Originally, Disneyland announced that Monsters Inc: Mike & Sully To The Rescue, the major attraction in Hollywood Land, would close in early 2026 as the first step in constructing the new land. That closure has now been delayed into early 2027.

I attended a business update at Disneyland Resort a couple of months ago with then-Disneyland President, now Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum. It was there that we were first told that Monsters Inc. wouldn’t be closing as scheduled. At the time, it was suggested this was done as part of a greater effort for Disneyland to appeal to families by having more attractions for young kids, and that the delay wouldn’t slow any future construction plans.

It’s certainly possible that the delay was actually due to the fact that construction was put on hold because Disney Parks was rethinking things. No information about the Avatar land was provided, and maybe that's because things were changing. It all fits.

One Suggested Alternative To Avatar Would Be Much Better

I love Avatar as much as anybody, probably more than most, and I was certainly excited for the potential Avatar attractions coming to Disneyland. The prevailing theory was that the water ride teased in concept art would use the same ride base as the incredibly popular Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Shanghai Disneyland. That said, I’ve never been a big fan of transforming part of Disney California Adventure into Pandora, because the alien world simply doesn’t match any of the other lands found in my favorite Disney theme park.

Of course, if Avatar doesn’t come to DCA, what could? Former Disney Imagineer Jim Shull spoke to The Wrap and suggested a fairly obvious alternative: Disney’s other property that came out at the end of 2025, but did much better at the global box office. Zootopia. Shull said:

Honestly? I don’t hate this. The Zootopia land at Shanghai Disneyland is incredibly popular, and it has its own E-ticket attraction, which, while not as revolutionary as the Shanghai Pirates attraction, still would be a lot of fun.

The other benefit is that Zootopia would mean transforming the current land into an area that would still be primarily a cityscape, which, since the area borders DCA’s Buena Vista Street, would be a far better transition than Avatar.

It should be reiterated that the idea of replacing Avatar with Zootopia is just one former Imagineer’s theory, though the story does cite a person "familiar with the plans at Disneyland," indicating that operations teams are interested in a Zootopia idea as well. That said, the theory comes from somebody with experience and education in the ways of theme park design. If this is one Imagineer's opinion, it's likely that of others as well.

With D23 set to take place this August, it’s a safe bet that whatever the future is for this theme park land, and the Avatar movie franchise, it will be discussed more then. I'll be there, and I'll be very curious to see where this is all going.

Usually when I see somebody’s video from Disneyland on social media, my prevailing emotion is one of jealousy. Because if I’m not at Disneyland on any given day, I wish I were. However, the most recent viral video from the happiest place on earth has generated an entirely new emotion in me, burning fury.

Last night a guest at Disneyland was capturing video of the excellent Paint the Night parade, when they caught a guest who apparently decided he needed an extra special photo op, and jumped into the parade route to get a photo while he sat on the parade float of Mack from Cars. Check it out.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

This video absolutely infuriates me. I can abide some amount of guests having fun in the parks that might bend the rules slightly, but this is obviously one of those things that we all know we shouldn’t be doing. What’s more, these sorts of actions have the potential to cause real problems. There was no way to know the float could even handle this sort of activity, and damage to the float would have, at the very least, ended the parade for the night... or possibly longer.

Disneyland Guests Behaving Badly Cause A Lot Of Problems For The Park

I recently attended a business update at Disneyland Resort where one of the interesting pieces of information was that, in any given year, somewhere between 10-15% of unsheduled attraction closures are due to the behavior of guests.

The parade completely stops after the guest jumps on the float, and we see a Cast Member walk over. After a few moments, the float begins to move again. As somebody who especially loves the Paint the Night parade, I really hate to see this happen to it. If something happened that forced the parade to be cancelled, even temporarily, that would be heartbreaking.

The good news is that this transgression did not go unpunished. The post has a comment from somebody else who was apparently in the crowd, who says Disneyland security dealt with the individual shortly after their special photo. They probably thought that the parade crowd and the darkness worked to their advantage, but the fact is that hiding from Disneyland is nearly impossible.

While what happened is unknown, I feel confident that being banned from Disneyland was in his future. People have received lifetime bans for doing stuff in the parks that is arguably less egregious than this. The only question would be whether the ban was temporary or permanent.

From Cast members getting doxxed by fans to angry guests swearing up a storm to people getting into fistfights in ToonTown, there’s seemingly no limit to the guests behaving badly at Disney Parks. If the only people who had their day ruined by these actions were the people themselves, that would be one thing, but these sorts of actions impact the people around them. Can we all just…not?

In March of 2005, Bob Iger began his (first) tenure as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. He wouldn’t wait long to leave his mark on the House of Mouse, as less than 12 months later, it would be announced that Disney was acquiring Pixar. It would be the first of several major acquisitions for Disney under Iger, including Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and ultimately, 20th Century Fox.

Today, 20 years after Bob Iger acquired Pixar, a new CEO is taking over The Walt Disney Company. Josh D’Amaro, as Bob Iger did in the weeks before stepping down, has indicated that Disney isn't contemplating any major mergers on par with the recent Warner Bros./Paramount deal. That said, I will be shocked if there isn’t a smaller, but no less important to Disney, acquisition on the horizon.

Disney Is Going To Own Bluey Soon, Right?

I’m thinking about Ludo Studio, the Australian studio behind Bluey, the animated family show that is one of the most popular IPs in the world right now. Bluey is big business for Disney, which is why I fully expect Disney to own the Bluey business eventually.

There’s no way to undersell how big the little blue dog is right now. Bluey has been the most popular series on any streaming platform for the last couple of years. More Bluey has been streamed than anything else, which, considering episodes are only a few minutes long, is even more of an accomplishment. Disneyland just opened the first Bluey attraction in one of its parks, and the line for it ran halfway across the park. Bluey is becoming such a big part of Disney; a lot of people probably don’t realize Disney doesn’t own it.

What Works For Disney, Becomes Disney

Star Wars, Pixar, Avatar, and even the Muppets all appeared in Disney Parks before Disney actually owned them, but ultimately all of them came under the Disney umbrella. Paying licensing fees rather than having to actually manage a brand can be preferable in some cases, but Disney, even before Bob Iger, saw things differently, preferring to have control over everything.

And there is some evidence that Bluey is already becoming part of Disney in everything but name. In addition to being added to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World this year, there have apparently been talks about doing crossovers between Bluey and The Simpsons. Disney Jr. even released an animated short recently that had Bluey and her family dancing with Mickey and the gang.

This sort of Disney "synergy" isn't usually spent on licensees. Disney is very protective of even its own properties. We didn't get the first "official" Disney and Pixar crossover until 2021. Mickey Mouse doesn't dance with just any old cartoon.

If Bluey were merely successful, simply profitable, that would be one thing, but Bluey is arguably the most valuable brand Disney has at the current moment. The fact that the company doesn’t own it means that it can potentially lose it. That would be bad for Disney.

At the same time, simply buying Bluey isn’t enough. You need the creative minds that made Bluey successful if you want to have confidence that it will remain successful. This is why if you want Bluey, you need to buy all of Ludo Studio.

It certainly wouldn’t be a deal on the scale of the ones Bob Iger did, but it would allow Josh D’Amaro to make a mark and to improve Disney’s portfolio, without spending nearly as much money as it cost to buy Fox. It also means not having to share what is likely to be an incredible box office when the Bluey movie comes out next year.

And if this is going to happen at all, there's no reason to wait. I think, like Captain America, Luke Skywalker, and Kermit the Frog before her, Bluey is going to be a Disney property one day, and that day will probably be soon.

The opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was such a big deal that Bob Iger once joked that Disney wouldn’t ever need to promote it; just announce it was open, and the people would come. For the most part, he hasn’t been wrong, as the land is still incredibly popular, if only for the fact that Rise of the Resistance is one of the best theme park rides ever created.

And yet, not everybody loves the Star Wars land that we got. While many fans hoped that the theme park land would let guests visit popular Star Wars locations from the past, the decision was instead made to create a new Star Wars planet to set the land, and that decision came directly from the top of both Disney and Lucasfilm.

Bob Iger And Kathleen Kennedy Killed The Original Plans For Galaxy’s Edge

In an interview with WDW Radio, which has recently resurfaced, former Walt Disney World VP Dan Cockerell discussed the fact that originally, Walt Disney Imagineering had the idea to build a version of Star Wars desert planet Tatooine, and were reasonably far into design of the land when they got a call telling them to change direction. According to Cockerell…

Tatooine wouldn’t just be killed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but also at Disneyland, as near identical versions of the land were built on each Disney coast. The world that was Tatooine became Batuu, a planet that is in the galaxy’s outer rim. The land was also set in the middle of the Sequel Trilogy, with only the characters from those films available to meet with guests.

The Idea Had Promise, But It’s Been Proved A Failure

On paper, the reasoning behind the decision to go with an original location makes a lot of sense. The future of Star Wars was bright at that point, and the expectation was that we’d be getting lots of Star Wars movies from Disney every year after the Sequel Trilogy was completed. However, that didn’t happen. The franchise stalled, and while many loved Rey, Finn and the rest, they, like Star Wars more broadly, haven’t been embraced by younger audiences the way the original characters were in their generation.

Over time, we’ve seen Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge slowly ignore its timeline, bringing in Boba Fett, the Mandalorian and other characters from the era between Original and Sequel trilogies. Next month, Disneyland will officially abandon the Sequel era timeline and bring in several original trilogy characters, including Luke, Han Solo, and Leia.

This, combined with the fact that modern Star Wars series on Disney+, like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, routinely return to Tatooine as a nostalgia play, would seem to make clear that trying to move the theme park away from that was the wrong call.

Still, Kathleen Kennedy wasn’t wrong. When The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives this summer, Disney will have made as many Star Wars movies as George Lucas ever did. When Star Wars: Starfighter comes out next year, we will have crossed the pivot point, where most Star Wars movies have been made by Disney. There is still likely more Star Wars in front of us than behind us, so Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will likely continue to change as it does.

Last week, we saw a major shakeup in the entertainment industry as Josh D’Amaro took his place as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. And since D’Amaro’s previous job had been as head of the Disney Experiences division, which handles the Disney Parks, we saw a game of musical chairs as people all through the division got promotions to fill D’Amaro’s old job, and all the jobs below it that were open as a result.

This means the landscape of executives at Disney parks are very different now than they were a week ago, and while I’m not really expecting this change in leadership to have massive repercussions, the Disney Parks are very much in a “It’s not broken, don’t fix it” place right now, if I could make one request, there is one thing I’d love to see the new regime never do again.

Please Don’t Open Unfinished Lands At Disneyland Anymore

While most of the highlights of Bob Iger’s tenure as CEO of Disney surround the movie studios he acquired, he did more than his share for Disney Parks as well. While he only saw one new park open during his time there, Shanghai Disneyland, we saw many of the existing parks undergo radical transformations, including major overhauls of both Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, which is about to change its name to go along with the redesign, becoming Disney Adventure Park.

The addition that Bob Iger will likely be the most attached to, however, was the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. A whole land dedicated to one of the biggest franchises in the world was one of the biggest moments in theme park history.

Today, I think Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is pretty great, but what it is today isn’t nearly what it was the day it opened, because Galaxy’s Edge opened with only one of its two major attractions, and the one that is by far the lesser of the two. Rise of the Resistance would go on to be, in my opinion, the best ride at Disneyland, but the decision to open the land without it made it far less amazing at the beginning.

We’re Still Waiting For Avengers Campus Phase Two

If this had been a one-time situation, I’d let it go, but then two years later, we had the same thing happen when Avengers Campus opened up. In that case, we were told from a much earlier point that the land would only open with the planned Spider-Man ride, and that an anticipated Avengers Quinjet attraction would be part of a future “phase two.”

And here we are, five years later, and “phase two” has been completely redesigned at least once, and is only now even under construction. There’s a lot that I love about Avengers Campus, but it has always felt half done. It’s going to be at least another year before the current construction is done, and it’s a safe bet that the two attractions being built will open separately, so it could be even longer before all work is complete.

Avengers Campus is a prime example of why opening half-finished lands shouldn't happen. Sometimes you run into problems that result in delays that you didn't expect. Then those delays cause additional delays, and then you find yourself with a major theme park land that's spent half a decade not finished. You can avoid this problem by just doing it right the first time and finishing the job.

With Walt Disney World currently undergoing major construction on three different lands at three different parks, I really hope the people in charge don’t do to the Cars-inspired Piston Peak or the Monsters Inc. land at Disney's Hollywood Studios what they did with Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus. Please wait until these lands are ready before debuting them to the public.

If you have kids, then the popularity of Bluey on Disney+ does not need to be explained. And even if you don’t have kids, you’re probably aware that the Australian animated series about the Heeler family has been the most-watched streaming series on any platform for the last few years. If anybody thought the popularity of Bluey was in any way slowing down, you can forget it.

Yesterday was the opening of Bluey’s Best Day Ever, a new show being held at Disneyland’s Fantasyland Theater. While one certainly would have expected the first day of the new show to be well attended, I didn’t expect anything quite like the crowds the park saw. As my friend and colleague Mr. Daps showed on Twitter, the line stretched literally halfway across the park.

This episode of Bluey is called: The longest line I’ve seen at Disneyland in a long time.

For anybody who has never been to Disneyland and doesn’t know the geography of the park, the Fantasyland Theater is at the far end of Fantasyland, next to the entrance of Mickey’s Toontown, which is at the far north end of the park. Sleeping Beauty Castle is pretty close to the middle of the park, so this line is very nearly running all the way from one end of Disneyland to its center.

Bluey’s Best Day Ever was meant to run continuously, with guests able to enter and exit at their leisure, and stage performances happening on a regular schedule. However, according to some in the park yesterday, that plan had to be scrapped because the excessive crowds simply didn’t allow it. Instead, it was run on a regular show schedule with guests entering, watching the show, and then exiting for the next group.

Disneyland has been making a concerted effort to appeal to families with young children in 2026, and the addition of Bluey’s Best Day Ever has been just one element in that. It appears to be working, as it wasn’t just kids at the show, although there were likely a few parents without kids too…

To be fair, it’s not entirely crazy that there would be more parents than children at a show like this. If two parents are at Disneyland with one child, they will always up the ratio of parents to kids, and when extended families visit together, you may end up with more adults than children. That said, there’s no denying that Bluey is as attractive a show for adults as it is for kids. Children may love Bluey and Bingo, but Bandit and Chilli are absolute parenting goals.

It will be interesting to see if this reaction was an opening day blip or if crowds remain like this for a while. If it does, we could see the show institute a virtual queue to keep the line from getting like this again. I know my next Disneyland trip with my kids will certainly include Bluey’s Best Day Ever. Hopefully, it won't also include the longest line ever.

While Disneyland may have been the passion project of one slightly obsessive guy with a dream, it took dozens of like-minded creative people and hundreds of workers to make that dream a reality. While the vast majority of those people were men, this was 1955 after all, a not insignificant number of them were women, and just in time for Women’s History Month, a new tour has been added at Disneyland that celebrates these incredible ladies.

The New Women Who Make The Magic Guided Tour Celebrates The Women Who Made Disneyland

I’ve written about several of the wonderful women who not only helped make Disneyland the place it is today, but who helped make it happen at all. From Disney Legends like Harriett Burns and Mary Blair, to women who should be Disney Legends, like Ruth Shellhorn, many notable women are set to be given the spotlight in this new tour.

Shellhorn was a landscape architect who was brought onto the Disneyland project only months before it was scheduled to open. She developed the pedestrian traffic plan for the entire park and helped Main Street U.S.A. and the four adjacent lands connect, allowing them to each be separate locations, while still feeling like part of the same park.

Harriett Burns is the first lady of Walt Disney Imagineering, as the first woman hired to work for the fledgling organization. She’s credited with designing the first models of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and several other key Disneyland attractions.

The tour will also celebrate two generations of female Imagineers with Leota Toombs and Kim Irvine. Toombs worked on several of the attractions that were part of Disney’s contribution to the 1964-65 World’s Fair, before they were moved to Disneyland. She’s also the face of the fortune teller in the crystal ball in the Haunted Mansion, named Madame Leota in her honor. Her daughter, Kim Irvine, would go on to work for Imagineering as well and become the face of Madame Leota during Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Mary Blair’s contributions to Disneyland are two-fold. She worked for many years at Walt Disney Animation, creating the look of many of the films that would go on to be represented in the park. Later, she would return to Disney to help design It’s a Small World, one of the most popular theme park attractions ever made.

Disneyland Tours Are A Great Way To See The Classic Park In A Fresh Way

Guided Tours are often overlooked as offerings at Disneyland, but for the guest who has seen and done it all before, they offer a new way to look at the park, and frequently offer access to locations that aren’t usually available to guests.

While I’m sure this tour began in March specifically to coincide with Women’s History Month, I hope it isn’t a limited-time offering. These women are worthy of long-term recognition

The Women Who Make the Magic Guided Tour is available for a $110 per person (Disneyland tickets and reservations are also required).

It's a new era at the House of Mouse. Today, Josh D'Amaro officially takes the reins of The Walt Disney Company as Bob Iger ends his second term in the position. Dana Walden has also become Disney's first-ever Chief Creative Officer alongside her new role as President.

D'Amaro will start his tenure on a big stage at the Walt Disney Company's Annual Shareholders Meeting. There will undoubtedly be a lot of eyes on D'Amaro, both from Wall Street analysts and Disney fans who want to get a sense of what the future of Disney will be like under him. We can expect updates on all the things that will make both groups happy, like upcoming movies, theme park attractions, Disney Cruise Line details, and more.

Last year's Shareholders Meeting only gave us one significant announcement, in the form of the news that Coco 2 was in development. Since a lot of people are going to want to get an idea of what Josh D'Amaro will be like as CEO, I would expect that we'll be getting more than just updates on projects that Bob Iger started this year, but time will tell.

In just a few minutes, the Shareholders Meeting will be getting underway. The first question of interest is how much of Bob Iger we'll see. He is staying with Disney through the end of the year, and technically, this meeting is about the prior year's performance, so he may still be a big part of it, but since this is essentially the coming-out party for Josh D'Amaro and Dana Walden, I expect they'll be the main focus.

As such, I'd expect a bit more in the way of "new" announcements as it will get Disney fans excited and hopefully signal to Wall Street, the people this event is really about, that Disney will continue to make money going forward.

Disney's Shareholders Meeting gets under way with a sizzle reel showing many of the company's biggest hits on screen and in theme parks. Everything from Hoppers to Avatar and small pieces of stuff to come like Toy Story 5. Ill tell you, stuff like this makes it really exciting to be a Disney fan. They are so good at this.

Chairman of the Board James Gorman opens the meeting in a pre-recorded message. He was the man who led the CEO hunt. He calls out D'Amaro as the new CEO and Walden as President. He also thanks Bob Iger for his time as CEO.

We're now getting a second sizzle reel that is basically a thank you to Bob Iger, showing off all his achievements. And to be fair, there are a lot. He transformed Disney in a big way. The addition of Pixar, marvel, Lucasfilm, and Fox, changed entertainment.

We're getting a pre-recorded message from Iger saying goodbye. Clearly, we won't be seeing Bob again during this meeting, otherwise, they'd probably leave this goodbye for later. It's Josh D'Amaro's company now.

Iger says "leaders don't create the magic" and he thanks those he worked with for making it. He ays he "believes" in Josh D'Amaro as the new CEO. Calls Dana Walden's area "critical."

Goodbye Bob, thanks for everything.

And Josh D'Amaro was just "welcomed" as the Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. The new era has begun.

D'Amaro's main message is that Disney is in a class by itself in the industry. There's a lot of use of the word "one" already today. D'Amaro released a memo earlier where he referred to the different parts of the company as One Disney. Expect that to be a major branding concept going forward.

The first IP gets dropped when D'Amaro starts talking about Toy Story. We're getting a look at a scene where Jesse confronts Lilypad.

D'Amaro runs through the 2026 and 2027 movie slates. Then we got release dates for live-action Lilo & Stitch 2, May 26, 2028, and Incredibles 3, June 16, 2028. That's really fast work for Stitch.

On Experiences, D'Amaro calls out World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris and the expansion of Avengers Campus. I was hoping for a bit of new theme park info, but it doesn't look like anybody is ready for that yet.

D'Amaro does announce the name of the ninth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Believe

That wraps D'Amaro's portion of the meeting, which means we're now shifting to the actual voting portion of the meeting. The 2028 release dates for Lilo & Stitch and Incredibles are certainly going to be important. Those are two blockbuster franchises that will almost guarantee that 2028 will be a solid year for Disney at the global box office.

The first three votes for the Shareholders meeting are standard: re-electing the board of directors, affirming the company's accountants, and confirming the executive compensation package. They will pass without issues.

The other three proposals are from shareholders. These are usually pet causes from individuals with an ax to grind. Shareholder proposals almost always fail, but not always. These proposals are about Disney's charitable giving policies, changing the method for board member elections, and reviewing Disney Parks' disability policies. This last one might succeed.

Unsurprisingly, the three proposals from Disney were approved, and the three shareholder proposals were not. We now shift to the Q&A

D'Amaro is on hand, and the first question is about changing out the Pixar films in the Imagination pavilion at Epcot. D'Amaro says there are "no plans to bring new shorts" to the theater, which was not at all the question. Something new needs to be done with that theater.

The second question is about the decision-making process behind making original movies versus sequels. D'Amaro talks about Disney's ability to build on stories between the different aspects of the company. D'Amaro says there will be more new and existing stories.

The next question is about where to find information about the backgrounds of the Board of Directors, which is a somewhat surprising question for this sort of meeting.

Question four is about how D'Amaro is incorporating the principles of Walt Disney into the company.

It's honestly amazing how often this sort of question is asked. Nobody asks David Zazlav how he incorporates the principles of Jack Warner at Warner Bros. D'Amaro focuses on Walt's embrace of technology and his ability to look to the future.

The next question is about Disney's use of AI. D'Amaro talks about the efficiency that AI can bring, but insists that AI will be used to "empower creativity, not replace it."

An Experiences question about balancing theme park revenue with making the experience great for everybody. D'Amaro says he looks at experience ratings and "intent to return" to be sure guests are having the great experience they want. D'Amaro mentions the kids' ticket offer at Disneyland as a way that the parks try to make it affordable.

D'Amaro says he's "looking at the landscape," but doesn't indicate any plans for new mergers.

A question about changing the disability access at Disney Parks. D'Amaro says the current approach was come to by working with experts and professionals. Doesn't indicate any plan to revisit.

A question about the amount of legacy content that Disney has access to, and how the company decides what to put on Disney+, since a lot of that content isn't there. D'Amaro doesn't really answer or indicate that any more legacy content will be going up anytime soon.

Question about the differences between Lighting Lane offerings at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. D'Amaro says that guest experience at each resort is very different, so Lighting Lane is handled differently to best match the way people use the parks.

The last question is about Figment. Could there be a movie or other Figment content? D'Amaro laughs and mentions the recent Disney+ animation short that included Figment. D'Amaro says there's nothing new to announce, but indicates that Disney is always exploring new ways to use characters. There is certainly a hint that there may be a future for Figment, who was voiced by Neil Patrick Harris in the short.

That ends the meeting. It was certainly interesting hearing Josh D'Amaro answer all the Q&A questions. It's a new voice and a pretty new approach. A couple of major release date updates was nice, but I was hoping for a little more. Still, with D23 coming up this summer, we'll get plenty of news on upcoming movies, series, and theme park attractions. The Josh D'Amaro era hasn't started with a bang, but it has begun. It will be exciting to see what happens next.

Walt Disney Imagineering has never ceases to amaze, but today we’re seeing the technical achievements in Disney Parks reach new levels. The newest groundbreaking creation from WDI is a free-roaming robot of Frozen’s Olaf the snowman. He looks just like the character from the film, and it turns out that’s not the only thing he has in common with his animated predecessor.

I recently got a chance to see the new Olaf robot up close and speak with two members of the team behind its creation, Kyle Laughlin and Mortiz Bächer. They revealed that one of the challenges of making Olaf work, somewhat fittingly for the character, was heat. Laughlin explained…

Without getting too deep in the mechanical weeds, the issue was that Olaf’s physical model involves a very large head attached to a very small neck. Since these proportions were fixed, otherwise the robot wouldn’t look like Olaf, it limited the components that could be used in the neck to small ones, which resulted in Olaf overheating and breaking down.

The solution was to use simulation, previously only used to model the mechanical systems of the robot, to model the thermal dynamics. Now, much like Olaf in Frozen 2, who has the benefit of permafrost, the robot is able to manage its own temperature and always stay cool. Mortiz Bächer said…

This is a massive technical achievement in humanoid robotics, but that’s not all it is. The fact that the Olaf robot is able to do this has real-world benefits to fans visiting theme parks, like Disneyland Paris, where the robot Olaf will make his official debut with the opening of World of Frozen later this month. Because Olaf is able to keep from “melting,” there should be less need for the robot to be pulled due to technical problems. Laughlin explained...

While those of us who can’t make a trip to Disneyland Paris or Disneyland Hong Kong may not get a chance to see Olaf up close anytime soon, it’s clear there are long-term plans not only for Olaf, but for the future of robotics in Disney Parks. The fact that these technical hurdles have been overcome means that when that day comes, there’s a better chance that the robots won’t fail because the Orlando or Anaheim sun got too hot.

Josh Gad is a true Disney Legend. He achieved that status two years ago at D23, but even outside of the award, he’s been a mainstay for the studio, appearing in everything from Frozen to Disney+ documentaries to Marvel Studios’ Wonder Man. He’s also seen often in Disney Parks as he's part of a YouTube series where he takes on Cast member jobs. Unfortunately, his most recent appearance at a Disney park had to be cancelled as his mother is apparently quite ill.

Gad recently posted to Instagram that he had only just arrived in Paris in order to see the new World of Frozen that is part of the newly redesigned Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris, when he had to turn around and head home to deal with a medical emergency. He wrote in part…

This is certainly going to be heartbreaking to Josh Gad’s many fans, and I certainly hope everything turns out ok. Nobody wants to learn about a close family member having what is clearly a serious medical problem, especially when you’re thousands of miles away.

Of course, family comes first, and Josh Gad is asking all his followers to keep his family in their thoughts right now. Whatever is going on is clearly serious. He added at the end of his post…

The new World of Frozen is set to open at Disney Adventure World on March 29, so Gad was clearly on hand to get an early peek at the new land. It likely would have been filmed as part of the park’s new promotion. This is Disney Parks' second Frozen-themed land, the first opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2023. It includes a version of the first Frozen ride that you’ll find at Disney World’s Epcot, but also has other attractions, including a family coaster.

The land will also spotlight one of the newest innovations from Walt Disney Imagineering, a free-roaming Olaf audio-animatronic that I can only imagine would have been something Josh Gad was looking forward to seeing.

I will certainly be keeping Josh Gad and his mother in my thoughts. I hope everything turns out ok for everybody, and the worst thing that comes of this is a postponed Disneyland experience.

If there’s one thing that you know you’re going to do at Disneyland, it’s wait in lines. There are lines for food, there are lines for photo ops, and of course, there are lines for the rides. Nobody likes waiting in the ride lines, to the point that people are willing to pay money to skip the lines, and many are willing to spend a lot of money to skip the lines. However, some people apparently attempt to take advantage of some of the ways that exist to make lines shorter, and that needs to stop.

Too Many People Don’t Understand How The Single Rider Line Works

An Instagram post shows off the fact that Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run sometimes shifts its Single Rider line to a Double Rider line, allowing two people to use the line together, and remain in the same party. This is honestly great, but it doesn’t change the primary issue with the Single Rider Line on this particular attraction. As one commenter pointed out…

I have called the Single Rider Line on this attraction and even called it the Engineer’s Line, because if you use the Single (or Double) rider line, you are almost guaranteed the role of Engineer rather than Pilot or Gunner, because it's usually the least desirable position.

It seems clear that some people don’t actually understand that the Single Rider Line is used to fill in open spaces with other parties. It is a secondary option. The main line, which, by the time it reaches this point holds everybody from both the standard Stand By line and the Lightning Lane line, will always be the primary focus of the attendants. If you use the shorter line, you are accepting the greater possibility that you will end up in less-than-desirable seats. This is just how it works.

If you want more control over your placement on any attraction, use the standard line. Even then, it may not always be possible to accommodate every request, but Cast Members will always do their best, within reason.

Things May Change On Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run Soon

In just over two months, Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run will be undergoing a major change. The story of the attraction will change, alongside a major shift in the timeline for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as a whole. The ride will add The Mandalorian and Grogu, as well as give guests options for where their adventure takes them.

While there’s a lot we still don’t know about how the attraction will change for guests, one item we’re aware of is that those in the Engineer role will be responsible in some way for keeping an eye on Grogu. This may make that particular role more desirable, because who doesn't love Baby Yoda? This might open up roles like Pilot for more people who haven’t had a chance to do it.

Spending a day at Disneyland Resort means you’ll usually be exposed to all kinds of amazing smells of things like nearby popcorn, churros, ice cream and such – and a group of cast members who reportedly see a very low turnover . However, on Tuesday, an “unknown odor” resulted in multiple cast members getting sent to the hospital at California’s original Disneyland theme park in Anaheim.

As KTLA has reported, this odor “was detected” at the backstage area of the Star Tours attraction in Tomorrowland. Around 12:30 p.m., the Anaheim Police Department arrived to the scene, and seven cast members were taken to local hospitals after experiencing dizziness and shortness of breath for evaluation. Other cast members were also treated at the resort by paramedics, but had milder symptoms and were released rather than taken offsite.

Based on what’s known about the incident thus far, the temporarily threatening smell was caused by building materials being used by a contractor that produced the odor. As a precaution, guests were promptly cleared from the immediate area, and there have been no reports from affected guests, per Anaheim police’s Sgt. Mark Sutter. Star Tours is currently back up and running (per the Disneyland App) at the time of this article’s publication.

We have no other information about this recent incident. At this time, there are no known big construction projects that we know are happening at this section of the Disneyland Resort. You can check out footage of the authorities responding to what happened from earlier today in the post below:

There are several changes coming soon to its sister park, Disneyland California Adventure, however, particularly through an expansion of Avengers Campus. The expansion will add two new attractions to the land, including an Iron Man ride called Stark Flight Lab and another one called Avengers Infinity Defense, which are expected to come out in 2027. Additionally, there’s going to be a Coco attraction, which is expected to open in either 2027 or 2028. The park's Monster’s Inc. ride in DCA was originally planned to be torn down in 2026, but was recently saved from closure.

In an earlier report on Tuesday as well, it was claimed that the next head of Disney Experiences was found following a new Disney CEO recently being named last month. While there always seems to be news happening around Disneyland Resort, from what we know about what happened near Star Tours on Tuesday, it was a mild incident that was quickly attended to and cleared up. Hopefully the cast members who were affected get a positive bill of health, and all will resume as normal at "The Happiest Place on Earth" that continues to celebrate its 70th anniversary until August.

It’s been about a month since it was announced that Josh D’Amaro would be the next CEO of the Walt Disney Company. With that, in just over a week, he will officially take over as the head of one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. Needless to say, a lot of eyes will be watching the first decisions D'Amaro makes, and one of the most important will come very soon, as he needs to decide who is going to take his old job.

D’Amaro is currently the head of Disney Experiences, the division of the company that manages the theme parks, Disney Cruise Line, and Disney Consumer Products, the major profit drivers within Disney. Arguably, the next head of Disney Experiences might be a more important appointment than the CEO or Dana Walden as the new President of Disney.

A Front Runner For The New Head Of Disney Experiences Has Emerged

A new report in Bloomberg indicates that a decision on the new leader of Disney Experiences may have already been made. It claims that Thomas Mazloum, the current President of the Disneyland Resort, is close to being named to the post, and an announcement could come this week. I’d fully expect the confirmation to be made no later than the Disney Shareholders Meeting, when D’Amaro officially takes charge next week.

Mazloum would be a solid choice in the role. He previously led Disney Signature Experiences (which includes Disney Cruise Line) before being named President of Disneyland Resort. The Cruise Line specifically has been an ever-growing part of the Disney portfolio. Joe Schott, the current head of that division, was also believed to be in the race for Disney Experiences' job.

Putting Mazloum in the top theme park job makes a lot of sense, and it answers one major question. Yet it also leads to another.

Who Will Take Over Disneyland Resort?

The new head of Disney Experiences, whoever it ends up being, will certainly be promoted from within the company, which means that while one job will be filled, another will be left vacant. If Thomas Mazloum takes the job, Disneyland will need a new President. It would be an important position under any circumstances, but I feel like it’s especially important right now.

A few weeks ago, I attended a business update at Disneyland Resort, where I met and spoke with Thomas Mazloum. A great deal was discussed during that period, everything from the decision to delay closing an attraction and the future of the reservation system to ride maintenance, Cast Member training and retention.

Something that was clear by the end of it all was that Mazloum was focused on making Disneyland more accessible to everybody. He said he was dedicated to making Disneyland vacations simpler for people to achieve and was dedicated to making sure they had a quality experience once they were there. It’s an important goal as regular price increases continue to make Disney vacations feel out of reach for many. Disneyland’s current President clearly had a vision for the resort. So what happens if he leaves?

Certainly, if Thomas Mazloum is the next head of Disney Experiences, then he will be the one making the decision of who takes over as Disneyland Resort President, and one assumes he’ll pick somebody that he thinks will do the job well, in line with his own goals for the division. But, ultimately, the new President will also have their own feelings about what Disneyland needs. As somebody who covers the park professionally, and is also a fan, I’ll certainly be watching to see what happens.

I have a pretty great job as it allows me to write about the theme park industry, and not infrequently visit those theme parks that I love. If there is a better job that I can think of, it would be one that would mean visiting a theme park every day, which is why Disneyland Cast Members may have the best of all possible jobs.

For many, working at Disneyland is truly a dream job. It’s clear when you’re talking to many of them how much they know they are in a special place, but recently I came to realize just how much people love working at Disneyland.

Disneyland Sees Far Less Turnover Than Most In Its Industry

I was one of a small group invited to participate in a recent business update at Disneyland Resort, and while it revealed some information that guests will love, like the fact that Disney California Adventure’s Monsters Inc. ride will remain open this year, a significant portion of the discussion was focused on Cast Members.

Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum brought up the fact that the tourism and hospitality industries see some of the greatest employee turnover of any profession, upwards of 40% annually. However, Disneyland’s last fiscal year saw its turnover at 15%. That’s a remarkably low number. It shows that people who work at Disneyland truly enjoy their jobs because they don't leave.

Most Disneyland Cast Members Are In For The Long Haul

Not only are Disneyland Cast Members staying around, but they plan to stay for a while. Mazloum mentioned that a recent survey of Disneyland Resort’s 36,000 Cast Members revealed that nearly three-quarters of them (74%) planned to stay for five years or more. Many of Disneyland’s jobs would be considered “entry level,” and the fact that many maybe don’t get paid what they should has been said. Still, people don’t look at working at Disneyland as a short-term situation.

This may be because advancement within the Disneyland Resort is a real possibility. According to Mazloum, two out of every three salaried and managerial positions are filled by people who started as hourly employees. The Disneyland President thinks that’s important, as it means people in higher positions have experience on the ground and understand the importance of the guest experience.

Disneyland Resort’s Napa Rose Saw (Almost) All Its Cast Members Return Following Reopening

I happened to see just how committed Disneyland Cast Members were firsthand recently. I got to have dinner at the Napa Rose, the Disneyland Resort’s fine dining restaurant at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, ahead of its grand reopening following a major remodel. The restaurant was closed for nearly a year, which means the staff was furloughed. They had to work elsewhere in the interim, but their spot was guaranteed if they chose to return.

At the event I was at, I was told that 100% of Napa Rose Cast Members choose to return. That is, obviously, quite the testament to Disneyland generally and the Napa Rose specifically.

I did speak with one Cast Member who told me that, technically, the number of returning Cast Members was actually 99%. According to them, one former staff member moved over from the Napa Rose to Club 33, Disneyland's exclusive members-only club, which is also overseen by Chef Andrew Sutton, and decided to stay there due to the hours. Another, the only one to leave Disneyland, got a job at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Orange County during the closure and opted to stay there. Currently, only one theme park restaurant has a Michelin star, Walt Disney World's Victoria and Albert's.

Even if the number is only 99%, that’s still incredible, and a testament to what it means to so many to work at Disneyland Resort. When people love their jobs, they tend to do them well, and that means great experiences for the guests who interact with them.

Theme park fans love complaining about theme parks, and while I try to look on the bright side of most decisions, like the reported changes to Disney World’s Villains Land, it’s not like I don’t have those things I wish theme parks would do.

I was recently part of a small group of journalists and influencers who were invited to take part in a Disneyland business update. Over the course of several hours, we got something of a behind-the-scenes understanding of how a lot of Disneyland Resort is working, and while we got some news that made me quite happy, I also began to understand why some things I'd like to see the resort do will probably never happen.

Disneyland’s Reservation System Is Here To Stay

When theme parks all reopened following the global pandemic, they did so with a limited capacity, which required that tickets, which by and large had not previously been attached to specific dates, include dated reservations to prevent overcrowding. As rules were relaxed, most theme parks eventually removed their reservation requirements. The most notable exception that has kept them has been Disneyland.

I understood why the reservation system needed to exist at one point, but I’ve always hated it, and when Walt Disney World removed its reservation system for the general public, I waited to find out when Disneyland would do the same. During the meeting with Disneyland President Thomas Masloum, we did learn that park hopping restrictions were being eliminated later this year. However, it was also made fairly clear that the reservation system is not going away.

There are two reasons for this. First, reservations allow Disneyland Resort to better staff the parks. If Disneyland knows ahead of time how many people are going to be in each park, then it knows how many people it's going to need to work that park. Guests won’t get shortchanged by the problems that come with understaffing, and Disneyland doesn’t have to pay wages for unnecessary overstaffing.

Beyond that, however, Mazloum indicated that one thing the reservation system has succeeded in doing is balancing crowds. Most people, for obvious reasons, used to visit the parks on weekends, while weekdays were far less crowded. However, with reservations, when weekends are full, guests are filling in during the week, leading to a more balanced load, which should make the Disneyland experience more consistent for everybody.

MagicBand+ Functionality At Disneyland Won’t Match Walt Disney World

One of the more interesting pieces of kit that you can buy at Disney theme parks is the MagicBand (now the MagicBand+). The device is worn like a watch, and it is your all-access pass to all things at Walt Disney World. It can contain your park ticket, your Lightning Lane passes, your hotel room key, your credit card for buying food and merch, it holds all your Photopass photos (many without you needing to do anything), and the new version lights up and vibrates alongside different events like parades and fireworks.

I’ve found the devices quite convenient when visiting Walt Disney World, and I was quite excited when it was finally announced that the MagicBand+ would be added to the Disneyland resort arsenal, but thus far, while the device is a useful tool at Walt Disney World, it’s just a fun toy at Disneyland. Outside of its light-up features, the band can only be used for your park ticket and Lightning Lanes, and it looks like that’s all it will ever do.

I specifically asked Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum about it, and he was surprisingly honest that it simply doesn’t make financial sense. Walt Disney World has over two dozen hotels on property, meaning that a significant percentage of guests (upwards of 40% according to some estimates) are staying on property. Only 7% of Disneyland Resort’s guests do the same. It makes the investment to make MagicBands work as hotel keys simply not make sense.

This makes a lot of sense, since Disneyland Resort only has three hotels, of course only a small fraction of guests are staying on property, but I had never really considered that the number of on-site guests was quite so low. I would still love to see MagicBands get more use at Disneyland, but I at least understand why it doesn’t pencil out.

These things still certainly could change, of course. If Disneyland Resort finds the money to improve MagicBands, it could come back to them in more sales of them. And it’s also possible that once park hoppers no longer have restrictions due to reservations, that reservations themselves could become less useful to Disneyland and go away. I still hope these changes happen, but if they don’t, I can’t argue that the decisions don’t make sense.

As a big fan of Disney’s theme parks, a significant use of my Disney+ subscription is watching content about the parks when I’m not inside them. There are several walkthrough videos of Disneyland rides and lands that give me a vicarious feeling of still being there. But the truly special shows on the service are those that look back at the history of Disney Parks.

One of the best things to be found on Disney+ today has been there since day one. It’s The Imagineering Story, a documentary series from Leslie Iwerks, granddaughter of Disney Legend Ub Iwerks, which traces the history of Disney Parks through Walt Disney Imagineering, the group responsible for creating the attractions. Her newest endeavor, the film Disneyland Handcrafted, is equally special.

I was invited by Disney Experiences to attend a recent screening of Disneyland Handcrafted at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. While I loved watching the movie at home, it was even better in a real theater environment, surrounded by like-minded fans. It’s a beautiful film made up entirely of footage captured while Disneyland was under construction, using largely footage that had never been seen before. It’s so good I couldn’t believe how hard it was to make the film. During a post-screening Q&A, director Leslie Iwerks explained that while everybody who saw her rough cut loved the movie, apparently nobody wanted to pay to finish it. She explained…

It’s wild that a documentary film about the building of Disneyland couldn’t generate enough interest at Disney to get finished. The final cut of Disneyland Handcrafted is only about 74 minutes, so the 60-minute cut was most of the way there. Whatever Leslie Iwerks needed to finish it wouldn’t have been much, at least not when it comes to the normal cost of making movies.

Of course, all the different corners of the Disney machine have other things they want to spend their money on. As much money as the company makes, budgets are not unlimited and spending money to finish the movie would have meant not having the money to do some other thing.

Somewhat ironically, while Disney has a side to its company that's entire job is making movies, it was the other side that eventually came to the rescue. Iwerks revealed that it was Jason Recher, a Vice President at Disney Experiences, who became the movie's champion, putting himself in charge of fundraising. Iwerks continued…

Disneyland Handcrafted ultimately became the first movie by Disney Experiences. It’s available with a Disney+ subscription but is also available entirely for free on YouTube, where it has currently amassed 1.6 million views. Clearly, there was an audience for this film.

Disneyland is called the Happiest Place on Earth, and as somebody who goes there as often as I can, I don’t disagree with that statement. It’s a truly wonderful place that I loved when I was a kid, and I still love it now that I'm an adult. I love it just as much as a parent, introducing my love of theme parks to my kids.

But introducing that love isn’t cheap. It’s well understood at this point that everything at Disneyland can get expensive, from tickets to hotels to food. As somebody who has overspent at Disneyland, I understand this as well as anybody. However, Disneyland clearly understands that price increases have made the park more difficult for families. I was part of a small group invited to a recent Disneyland Business Update, which, among many other topics covered, discussed the variety of things being done to help make the parks easier and more affordable for all.

Disneyland Is Expensive, And For Families, It’s Only Moreso

Disneyland is expensive. That’s not exactly news. Ticket prices and other costs go up every year like clockwork, and while I’d argue that a ticket to Disneyland or Walt Disney World still has incredible value (your average arena concert ticket costs more for fewer hours of fun), that value is less relevant if the price itself puts the experience out of reach. When we’re talking about families, that means tickets, food, hotel rooms, and merch for multiple people. The price adds up.

It’s been said that Disney Parks are focusing too much on adults, specifically the “Disney Adults” who frequently don’t have kids, and thus often have more disposable income to spend on higher-priced options when in the parks. This is certainly true to some extent (before I had kids, I was that person), but what’s also true is that if you don’t replenish the fanbase with more kids who love Disney, eventually you’ll run out of adults who love Disney.

This is why I particularly love to see the collection of changes and updates that are happening to make the resort more accessible to guests of all ages, and a bit more affordable to families for whom saving money is a necessity to make a Disneyland experience happen.

The New Kids’ Summer Ticket Offer Is An Incredible Deal

The first step is the tickets. One of the more frustrating things for any parent is that a “child’s ticket” to Disneyland is, most of the time, only about $20 cheaper than an adult ticket. That’s not exactly a massive savings,

This makes the Kids’ Summer Ticket Offer (available for purchase now for dates between May 22 and September 7, 2026) all the more incredible. A ticket for a child aged three to nine (kids under three are already free) starts at $50 and includes park hopping. That’s about half the price of a normal kids ticket during most dates in the same period for a single park, so the park hopping gets thrown in for free.

Disney offers ticket deals a lot, and some of them can be quite aggressive, but frequently they’re offered during less-than-convenient periods, especially if you have kids in school. The fact that this offer starts right around when kids are getting out of school, and runs until they go back, makes a Disneyland summer vacation a real possibility.

The Monsters Inc Ride Will Stay Open Through 2026

Of course, once you get the family to the resort, they have to have something to do. A lot of the newest attractions at major theme parks, not just Disney Parks, have been major thrill rides that are going to have height requirements that not everybody will meet. As a previously short kid who has grown into a short adult, I know this pain.

Disneyland Resort’s second gate, Disney California Adventure, has been a park that has always struggled to have rides for younger guests, especially since It’s A Bug’s Land closed to make way for Avengers Campus. This is why it was great news when officials revealed in our business update that Monsters Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue, which had previously been scheduled to close in 2026, will now stay open until 2027. It’s one more ride that kids can do.

The decision to keep Mike & Sully open was specifically explained in the business update in terms of appealing to families and younger guests. Officials are making a point to be sure that kids enjoy their day at Disneyland Resort.

Bluey Is Coming To Disneyland

Of course, while Mike & Sully may be hanging around, they are not the animated team that is going to be getting most of the attention from kids in 2026. Bluey is insanely popular among kids and their parents, right now, so you can be sure that when Bluey’s Best Day Ever debuts at the Fantasyland Theater in March, it’s going to be huge.

While all we’ve seen of the Bluey show is concept art, it looks to be a much more immersive and detailed show than some of the other events that have used the Fantasyland Theater space in recent years. It will be an event that runs throughout the day, giving families plenty of Bluey fun to share together.

Bluey's Associated Kids' Meal Is A Steal

So, now that we have a steal of a ticket price, and plenty of attractions for families to enjoy together, we just need to feed everybody. Disneyland has that covered, as well, as alongside the debut of Bluey’s Best Day Ever, will be a special Bluey-themed kids’ meal for the honestly shocking price of $5.99. That price will get the kid a hot dog, a drink, and a Cuties mandarin orange.

Needless to say, that much food for six bucks is such a good deal. I might pick one up as a snack myself. It’s inexpensive, and it’s the sort of food that most kids will eat without complaining. It’s quite a win.

A Disneyland Resort Summer Vacation Is More In Reach Than It Has Been In A Long Time

I still remember my first Disneyland vacation. It was a special experience which had an incredible impact on the adult I became, as demonstrated by the fact that I now cover theme parks for a living. I’m certainly not alone in being an adult with incredible memories of early trips.

I’m sure that those trips cost my parents a pretty penny (adjusted for inflation) decades ago. Disneyland hasn’t been a cheap place to visit for a very long time. That said, I do still think it’s worth it. This summer, however, the value is only increasing. While these deals certainly won’t last forever, I certainly hope we see more like them in the years to come so that the Disneyland Resort remains the Happiest Place on Earth for as many people as possible.

The one constant at Disneyland is change. While that usually means new attractions and shows everybody loves, it isn't always good news. Sometimes. change means beloved attractions closing. And while there may be something wonderful, once the work is done, nobody likes to see attractions they love disappear.

Disney California Adventure has been getting ready for a major update with an Avatar land on the way that is going to require the closing of the fan favorite Monsters Inc attraction, Mike and Sully to the Rescue. The ride was set for closure in early 2026, basically any day, but the reason no closing date has been revealed is that it's not happening, at least not yet.

Mike & Sully To The Rescue Will Remain Open in 2026

I was part of a small group of journalists and influencers recently invited to a special Disney business update. Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum spoke with our group, and among the variety of topics discussed, it was revealed that, in an attempt to better stagger out ride closures as part of the massive DisneylandForward expansion that is just getting underway, Mike & Sully, which had been planned to close in early 2026, will be staying open until sometime in 2027. This is certainly great news for fans who weren't quite ready to say goodbye yet.

The decision to keep Mike & Sully around is part of a larger focus on promoting Disneyland Resort to families with children. A new child's ticket was recently introduced, allowing kids 9 and under to get a park hopper ticket for only $50. And with new attractions on the way for the younger set, like the upcoming Bluey's Best Day Ever show at Disneyland, the decision was made that a ride like Monsters, Inc., that would attract a younger guest, needed to stay open a while longer to give those kids more to do.

While we have almost no details on the upcoming Avatar land, and there has been no indication of even what year the land is expected to be done, it was stated that the delay in closing Mike and Sully will not delay the new land's eventual opening, based on whatever internal timetable Disneyland has for the new land.

As a Disney dad of small children. I wholeheartedly endorse this plan. I was once a kid who fell in love with Disneyland, which is what turned me into an adult who loves Disneyland, and my kids are certainly heading down that path.

However, as an adult Disneyland fan, it was another piece of news that had me a bit more excited for the future of the resort.

Park Hopping Restrictions Will Go Away At Disneyland Resort In 2026

Of all the changes that we saw at Disneyland following the pandemic reopening, the one I like least is the reservation system. Guests visiting the park must decide which of the two Disneyland Resort parks they wish to visit first on any given day. Guests who buy a ticket that allows them to visit both parks on the same day have had to wait a few hours after the parks open to visit their second park.

However, Thomas Mazloum also informed our group that at some point, and the exact date was not released, later this year, all restrictions on park hopping will be gone.

Mazloum made it clear during the discussions with our group that he understood that a Disneyland vacation wasn't necessarily the easiest thing for families to do, but he's committed to, whenever possible, making the experience simpler for both new and returning guests. In a statement, he said...

Considering how important I think park hopping is at Disneyland Resort at Walt Disney World, I can take it or leave it. This is a fantastic change. While I would love for the reservation system to disappear entirely, at this point, it does not appear that's going to happen anytime soon. While there are some details left to be ironed out regarding how this change will work, reservations will be less of a hindrance to park hoppers soon, and that's not nothing.

These are two high-profile changes at Disneyland Resort that appear to be part of a larger commitment to making the experience better for everybody. I can't wait to see what's next.

I'm still the first to argue that going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World is worth every penny, but it’s certainly true that a trip to either park is going to cost you a lot of pennies. Disney Parks are expensive, and they’re only getting more expensive as time goes on. Lots of people complain about the fact that Disney seems to continue to find new ways to add costs to vacations, and even former Disney CEO Michael Eisner thinks it's gone too far.

Michael Eisner Is “Not Wild” About How Expensive Disney Parks Are

In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger (via Boardwalk Times), Eisner talks about his time at Disney, as well as what has happened at the House of Mouse in the years since. He’s largely very complimentary of the state of DIsney by saying the company is in “great shape” and calling soon-to-retire Bob Iger an “excellent CEO.” However, he does part ways with the current regime in one area: the cost to go to Disneyland and Disney World. On that, Eisner says…

There’s certainly no argument that, as a business, the Disney Parks have been run “well.” Despite all the price increases, there has been no noticeable impact on attendance, indicating that guests are willing to pay the asking price. Disney's Experiences division reported record revenue last quarter. That said, there is a lot of frustration because of things like Lighting Lane, which allows guests to skip lines, a service that used to be free, but now costs money.

It used to be a goal at Disney Parks to have “everybody be a VIP,” as Eisner says, but that’s simply not the case now. If you can afford to pay for all the various additional services, you can have an amazing time, but those who can’t afford it get left out.

To Be Fair, Michael Eisner Kinda Started It

It is interesting to hear Michael Eisner say this, because it’s hard to argue that this didn’t start under him. When Eisner became CEO in 1984, he didn’t think the parks were charging what they were worth. Disneyland tickets were about $18 in 1984 when Eisner took control. When he left in 2005, that same ticket was nearly $60.

That said, we saw a lot of great new attractions added to Disneyland, as well as several new Disney theme parks all over the world. But Eisner’s ticket price increases continued under Bob Iger, and we’ve seen price increases every year. Today, a single-day ticket at Disneyland can cost over $200 during the high season. Some families simply can't afford the price to get in the gate because it's so expensive.

It’s nice to hear that Michael Eisner does think that charging for additional perks is a step he might not have taken. FastPass was started under Eisner and remained free throughout his time and for years after, while many other theme parks began charging for line skipping. Perhaps this was because Eisner was against the idea.

Maybe we’ll be lucky and discover that Disney’s next CEO feels the same way. While it’s unlikely that we’ll see any massive shifts in the way Disney Parks go to market, since D’Amaro was the head of the Experiences division previously, maybe now that he’s in charge, he’ll take the comments of this former CEO to heart. It's unlikely that things will revert to the way they were, but if they don't get worse, that's something.

Disneyland Cast Members are the ones who make the magic happen daily at the Happiest Place on Earth. Great Cast Members are doing great work every day, but most of the time, the people getting the most love from guests are the ones playing characters, and few have been as popular over the last few years as Disneyland’s Evil Queen.

The Evil Queen’s interactions with guests frequently went viral, as while she might have been “evil,” she could also be quite funny. However, one of the last viral videos appears to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back, as performer Sabrina Von B, who played the Evil Queen at Disneyland, now says the video is the reason she was let go.

The viral video in question hit TikTok during the Halloween season last year and had the Evil Queen revealing that the character would be taken out of rotation in the park, and suggesting fans tell Disneyland if they wanted her to stay. When it was revealed Von B had been let go, many fans assumed the video had been the reason why.

However, in an interview she gave later, the video was never brought up, and the implication was that Von B may have been let go due to overzealous fans trying to track down her identity. It's an issue that has been a problem in the past with Disney Park Cast Members. In a new interview with NewsNation, Von B specifically states her “virality” was not the reason she was given for being let go. She said…

When asked point-blank why she was fired. Sabrina Von B, while clearly choosing her words carefully, ultimately confirms that the viral video that had her discussing backstage workings of Disneyland was the “broken rule” that led to her dismissal. She also doesn’t have the nicest of things to say about her old “boss,” adding...

Disney is frequently referred to as “The Mouse” as Mickey and Disney are largely inseparable. That’s not the term used here. Referring to “the rat” certainly indicates there’s at least a little bad blood left behind due to this whole situation.

It’s certainly unfortunate if a few words spoken on TikTok ultimately doomed things for the Evil Queen. Von B played other characters in the park as well, and likely would have continued despite the Evil Queen going on the shelf for the time being. In the end, however, Disney works hard to preserve the magic, and it appears that this was just a bit too much reality.

Walt Disney said that Disneyland would always be in a state of becoming, and 70 years after Disneyland opened, and 25 years after Disney California Adventure opened, that has certainly proven true. Today, Disneyland Resort is in the early stages of one of the biggest transformations in its history, a massive expansion called DisneylandForward, and one of the most exciting elements of the expansion is the addition of two major attractions to Avengers Campus.

Avengers Infinity Defense, which will see a multiverse of Marvel heroes fight King Thanos, and Stark Flight Lab, which will see Robert Downey Jr. return as Tony Stark, are two rides coming to Disney California Adventure’s Avengers area. The show building, which will house both attractions, has been under construction for several months. However, yesterday, according to the Instagram post of a Disneyland Resort Cast Member, it hit a very special milestone, as Cast Members signed a steel beam that will then be raised into place as part of the building.

The beam signing is a tradition that goes back a long way. Traditionally, when it is time to place the beam that will be located at the highest point of a structure, Cast Members at Disneyland Resort add their autograph, as well as messages, before it goes up. The beam is rarely, if ever, in a place where it can be seen later, but those who signed it know it's there, and thus know they’ll be part of the attraction for decades to come.

This is a reasonably big moment in any attraction's development. Reaching the literal peak of construction means that while there’s still plenty of more work to be done, things are well on their way. Which leads to the question: when will it all be done?

At this point, neither Avengers Infinity Defense or Stark Flight Lab have any sort of opening date or even a season window to give us a general idea. Considering there’s still a lot of 2026 left to go, there’s a chance we could see something happen before the end of the year, but a 2027 opening date certainly seems more likely at this point.

Avengers Infinity Defense is the larger of the two rides, the E-ticket in theme park parlance. Its size alone would seem to indicate it will take quite a while before it's done. Maybe even 2027 is optimistic. That said, the ride system appears to be based on the same design as Peter Pan’s Never Land adventure at Tokyo DisneySea, which means Imagineers have done this before.

On the other side, Stark’s Flight Lab is a smaller attraction, but it's using a new twist on a Kuka arm design that will pick up ride vehicles from a track, shake them around, and then put them back on the track. It’s a design that likely doesn’t look to have a lot of margin for error. Maybe it will require more time.

While both rides will exist in the same show building, that doesn’t mean they’ll open at the same time. If one is ready long before the other, it will likely open in much the same way Rise of the Resistance opened several months after the rest of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

As far as when an announcement might come, the next D23 Event is set for this August, and it feels like a safe bet that it will be the place where we’ll get more information about the future of Avengers Campus and when we’ll get to experience all the fun.

This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of Disney California Adventure. The second gate at the Disneyland Resort has undergone a lot of changes in the last quarter century, but one place that has remained much as it was all that time ago is the Grand California Hotel & Spa. It’s the resort’s premier hotel, which is home to the resort’s premier restaurant, the Napa Rose.

I’ve been missing the Napa Rose for the last several months as it's been closed since last March for a massive refurbishment. It’s a place to slow down from a busy theme park day and enjoy great food in a fine dining atmosphere. I was invited to preview the transformed dining room and menu at Napa Rose ahead of its February 6 reopening, and I can’t believe the best just got better.

The Brand New Napa Rose Is A Work Of Art

The Napa Rose has received a glow-up that I simply was not expecting, with an emphasis on the “glow.” The old Napa Rose was a brightly lit affair, with a fairly open floor plan. The new Napa Rose has lowered the light level, not so much that things are too dark, but in a way that makes the atmosphere of the restaurant feel far more intimate.

That intimacy is only enhanced by a redesigned floor plan. Wine has become a centerpiece of the design, with many of the Napa Rose’s 13,000 bottles now on full display. These displays also act as buffers between different parts of the dining room. This helps dampen the sound, so even a full dining room is never too noisy, nor does a full dining room even feel that full, since you can’t see all of it at once like you once could.

One of the great unsung talents of Walt Disney Imagineering is its lighting design. Whether you’re walking down Main Street U.S.A at dusk or watching the neon light up at Cars Land, lighting creates moods, and the Napa Rose is no different. Creative chandeliers and other lighting fixtures make the dining room truly shine.

The Napa Rose Embraces The Real California Adventure Next To Disney’s Second Gate

The Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is attached to Disney California Adventure, the second theme park of the Disneyland Resort. When the park first opened, it was designed to give guests a full California experience in one place, with different lands dedicated to different parts of the Golden State.

Over the last quarter-century, we’ve seen the park shift away from the focus on California to more of a focus on Disney, as more of the House of Mouse’s franchises and IP have entered the park. However, at the Napa Rose, the focus is still squarely on California.

The new cocktail menu contains a variety of drinks, each inspired by different parts of the state. Much of the menu is made from locally sourced ingredients. In much the same way a Disneyland attraction might transport you to the worlds of Star Wars or Marvel, the Napa Rose transports you from an Anaheim theme park to the wine country.

That’s not to say there are no Disney touches inside this fine dining establishment. The classic Hidden Mickey can be found throughout the interior. A series of stained glass accidentals, remnants from other projects, can also be found, which are made from glass used on various Disney Parks projects throughout the world.

The Napa Rose Menu Is Amazing, Because Of Course It Is

Wine is the driving force behind the new Napa Rose. In addition to it being all over the new restaurant as part of its new look, the Napa Rose wine collection also drove much of the new menu. In many cases, the dishes of the new prie fix menu were designed based on what would go well with certain wines. This is not to say that if you do get wine pairings with your meal, you’ll be drinking the same thing as everybody else. The staff has been trained and encouraged to choose wines based not only on the dish but also on the guest.

I may be burying the lede when it comes to the food at by only discussing it now, but that’s because to say the menu at Napa Rose is exceptional goes without saying. Still, it should be said that Chef Andrew Sutton has team have done remarkable work. Sutton is in charge of all of Disneyland Resort’s most exceptional dining rooms, including the exclusive Club 33, the exceptional (and exceptionally expensive) 21 Royal, and Carthay Circle inside Disney California Adventure.

If you’ve never been to Napa Rose, I recommend it now more than ever. If you can’t stop long enough for the full dinner experience, grab a drink and a bite in the lounge and take it all in that way. It’s not to be missed.

As somebody who not only enjoys visiting Disneyland, but also has studied it in depth, it’s rare for me to come across information I didn’t know or something I haven't seen about the iconic theme park. This is part of what makes Disneyland Handcrafted the new documentary film from Leslie Iwerks (available with a Disney+ subscription or free on YouTube) so special. It’s full of film footage of the actual construction of Disneyland, much of which has never been released before.

However, the construction footage isn’t the only thing to look at during Disneyland Handcrafted. There are also numerous scenes of Walt Disney himself hosting the television series Disneyland, which was created specifically to promote, and pay for, the theme park of the same name. While I had seen some of that before, I hadn’t seen it all, in part because it’s not available on Disney+.

Disney+ Needs To Pull More Classic Television Out Of The Vault

Most people’s first look at Disneyland came on television on the series hosted by Walt Disney. The show would air a variety of different programming, with episodes based on themes of the four main lands of Disneyland: Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. The series would continue after Disneyland opened in 1955 and eventually be replaced by a variety of anthology series. The Wonderful World of Disney, which still airs from time to time on ABC, is the spiritual, if not the direct successor to Disneyland.

There have been over 2,000 episodes of the various Disney anthology series, and while several of the TV movies that premiered as part of the show are currently on Disney+, as with so many streaming platforms, older material just isn't there. While some of Disney's early efforts on television can be found on Disney+, and a few episodes of Disneyland are available, most are not.

I have watched “The Pre-Opening Report From Disneyland,” which is one of the few Disneyland episodes available on the platform, because I am just that sort of nerd. I would watch all the other early episodes if I could. Unfortunately, they’re only available in clips as we got in Disneyland Handcrafted.

Disney+ Needs More Walt Disney

The lack of classic Disney television on Disney+ is strange because the show is the primary place to see Walt Disney himself during his time leading the company that bears his name. For a company that so clearly reveres the man, that has statues of him and even audio-animatronics of Walt in its theme parks, you’d think it'd want to spotlight Uncle Walt more.

This company has 100 years of content to choose from, yet there is far too little of it available on Disney+. I'm glad movies like Disneyland Handcrafted can show us things we've never seen before. Now I need Disney+ to show us things that haven't been seen in decades.

One of the biggest jobs in all of entertainment has been the talk of Hollywood for a couple of years now. We've known ever since Bob Iger returned as CEO of The Walt Disney Company that he wouldn't be there forever. The question of who would succeed him came down to two major names: Disney Experiences head Josh D'Amaro, Disney Entertainment co-head Dana Walden

Well, the game of succession has now come to an end. This morning, The Walt Disney Company officially announced Josh D'Amaro will be the next CEO of Disney. However, I'm not sure that's the biggest piece of news to come out of this, because Walden has also received a major promotion within Disney. She will become Disney's President and its Chief Creative Officer.

Both promotions are effective March 18, 2026, which is a lot sooner than we thought. Bob Iger's contract doesn't end until December 31. Initially, the plan was that the new CEO would be working alongside Iger for several months and would take over Disney on January 1. Apparently, it's been decided that D'Amaro and Walden don't need to wait. Or maybe Bob Iger is just ready to go.

Dana Walden's Promotion Is History Making

While most eyes will be on the new CEO, I don't think we can undersell the promotion of Dana Walden as both President and Chief Creative Officer. This makes Walden the highest-ranking woman in Disney's history, and it demonstrates the company's recognition of her importance. While they may not have chosen her as CEO, they did not want her to leave.

While many studios within Disney have Chief Creative Officers, I don't believe they've ever had that position at the corporate level. In the role, she'll oversee the creative direction of both the entertainment side and, one assumes, the theme parks as well.

Disney also hasn't had a person in the role of President of Disney since Bob Iger stepped down from the largely redundant position in 2012. There hasn't been a person in the role of President who wasn't also CEO in nearly three decades.

Disney had to make a place for Dana Walden, but the company did that for her. It's not uncommon for people passed over for the top job in a company to go looking for greener pastures. Disney did not want that here; it knew it had two top candidates, and it wanted them both at the top.

The Pairing Harkens Back To Some Of Disney's Most Successful Times

While Josh D'Amaro may be the man at the top, it seems clear that the plan is for these two executives to work together. Walden is recognized as a talent in the creative field, while D'Amaro's success at Disney Experiences has been a key driver of the company's profits.

It looks very similar to the 1980s when Michael Eisner came in as CEO and Frank Wells was named President. The duo ushered in the Disney Decade and brought a floundering Disney back to prominence. It also bears a striking resemblance to the original duo of Walt and Roy Disney. Walt was the creative talent, Roy handled the money.

This feels like the right move for Disney. It prevents the "brain drain" that often follows new leadership, and the people who have been a big part of Disney's success for the last several years will be able to keep doing that. It will likely result in a shakeup of leadership within Disney Experiences, but Josh D'Amaro clearly cares about the parks, and he'll find the right people to lead that ship, likely with some input from the new President.

I was half expecting to start this quarter's live blog with news of who the new CEO of the Walt Disney Company is. The current rumor is that the Disney Board of Directors will be making that vote soon, sometime this week, but it apparently hasn't happened yet. That means If the new CEO, who will take over in 2027, joins Bob Iger on future earnings calls, that means this could be his last one without the new boss in tow.

Disney's earnings report for the quarter has been released. It's generally good news, including $10 billion in revenue for the Disney Experiences (which includes Parks and consumer products), a first for the company. This is a good time for that particular division to be setting records, since its head Josh D'Amaro is one of the two who are believed to be in the race for the Disney CEO.

Of course, the other name in that race, Disney Studios co-head Dana Walden, had her own big win last quarter with Zootopia 2, the highest-grossing animated movie ever, and Avatar: Fire and Water, which may not have matched the previous films in box office, but was still a force.

My only request of the next CEO of Disney is that they not host earnings calls at 5:30 in the morning. Can we get a new chief executive who sleeps?

The earnings call is officially underway. VP Carlos Gutierrez is giving the standard "forward looking statements" statement. Bob Iger will likely give his opening statement after that. If there's any big "news" to hit, it usually arrives during that part of the call.

Iger opens with Disney's $6.5 billion 2025 box office, the third biggest in history. He highlights Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash and Lilo and Stitch as the three that crossed the billion dollar mark.

On streaming, Iger says their getting "encouraging results" in local programming internationally. Iger says short form content from Sora will be coming to the platform following the Disney deal with OpenAI.

ESPN has been going strong thanks to Monday Night Football and NBA games. Disney's purchase of NFL Network has been completed.

Disney Experiences: Iger mentions the $10B in revenue. Mentions the World of Frozen opening at Disneyland Paris next month. Disney Adventure cruise ship will launch next month as well.

Iger's opening statement is short and sweet, no major announcements, but now we'll see what happens with the Q&A.

First question: Asked About Iger's view on the battle for Warner Bros. and how he sees it. Iger mentions that the Disney deal for Fox was "ahead of its time." Iger says the deal was "well priced." Iger celebrates the cross-promotional appeal of IP across company, successful movies lead to theme park attractions. Iger doesn't see a need for new IP.

Second Question: Improvement in domestic parks attendance overall, looking for info on Walt Disney World bookings, and future outlook.

CFO Hugh Johnstone, says WDW had strong attendance and pricing performance. Bookings are up 5% for the full year.

Question the Third: Mentions Iger's big moves when he first became CEO. Asks if Bob sees any opportunity for big moves from the next CEO.

Bob Iger says a lot needed "fixing" when he came back, but he also set up the company for future growth. Iger says Disney is in better shape. He specifically brings up success of the success of Disney Experiences being in a good place to grow going forward. (A possible nod to Josh D'Amaro?)

Question Four: Asks about new bundle initiatives for streaming, looking for opportunities for growth.

Iger talks about the value of new content and new technology. Says that streaming is seeing reduced churn, and bundles are a big part of that. Hulu's "fully integrated experience" on Disney+ is expected by the end of 2026.

Next Question: Asks about OpenAI deal and how that will manifest.

Iger says deal allows users to create 30 second videos with 250 characters, that do not include a voice or face. Disney can then post those videos to Disney+. Iger hopes to use Sora to allow Disney+ users to crate videos themselves on the Disney platform.

Next question leads to a discussion on streaming and the turn around on profitability. Iger thinks the reorganization on streaming under Bob Chapek didn't lead to enough "accountability." He thinks that's key to whatever structure any future CEO might implement.

Question asks about the drivers for the upcoming quarter and the year for Disney Entertainment. Johnston says the theatrical slate for the second part of the year is strong. Upcoming Disney movies like Toy Story 5, live-action Moana, and Devil Wears Prada 2 are called out.

Iger also mentions that the first Zootopia and first two Avatar movies saw a huge boost when sequels hit theaters. Expects the new movies hitting streaming will be big.

Another question on Sora and when it will start arriving, will there be longer videos?

Iger says no specifics on Sora are being announced, but he expects it will be this year.

Johnston responds to next question and the fact that Disney Entertainment won't be breaking down details between streaming versus linear networks, because Disney basically creates content for all channels.'

Final Question asks Bob Iger and the growth of Parks business over his tenure. Does he see Experiences driving the profits of the company for years to come or will things be more balanced?

Iger says his major acquisitions (Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm) opened the door to new Parks experiences. Iger is bullish on its ability to grow, but also thinks the Entertainment side has a strong future. He thinks either side has the ability to be the driver.

That wraps the Q1 earnings call. No major bombshells, but Disney is in a strong place on both the Experiences and Entertainment side. Whoever the next CEO is will likely inherit a strong organization. We should find out who that will be very soon.

See you all in about three months when we'll do this all again. By then we'll know who's taking the reins of The Walt Disney Company.

When Disneyland was first built, it was surrounded by a berm, an earthen wall designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, to see the world outside the park. This wasn’t really an issue 70 years ago when Disneyland opened, and Anaheim was little more than orange trees, but in the years that followed, Anaheim exploded, adding restaurants, hotels, and more to cater to tourists visiting the Happiest Place on Earth.

Disneyland Resort has three amazing hotels of its own, but there’s little argument that they can be quite expensive. For this reason, many choose to stay at one of the dozens of hotels within a few blocks of the area. This is usually no big deal because there is a convenient shuttle service, the Anahim Resort Transit (ART), that will take you from your hotel to Disneyland for just a few bucks each way. Or at least, there was.

Anaheim Resort Transit Will Be Shutting Down In Two Months

In a shocking move reported by the Orange County Register, the governing board of the Anaheim Transportation Network, which runs the ART bus system, has voted to wind down operations. ART will stop operating after March 31. The system was reportedly running at a financial deficit, and had been for some time, so it seems it just became too expensive.

This is going to make getting from many hotels in the area to Disneyland an absolute pain. While there are lots of them that are walking distance from the gates, a lot of people who likely would have used ART are now going to have to look at walking much further than they thought, paying for a rideshare or cab, or driving just a few blocks and paying for Disneyland parking, which only gets more expensive. Unfortunately, there’s a potential problem there too.

Bus Service From The Toy Story Parking Lot Is A Question

There are two major parking lots that currently serve Disneyland Resort (until one that recently began construction is done). The Mickey and Friends Parking Garage on one side has a tram system to deliver guests to the theme parks and Downtown Disney. The Toy Story parking lot has bus service to transport people a few blocks to the resort. That bus service had operated under a contract with ART.

At this point, it’s unclear what’s going to happen to the Toy Story Lot. Will Disneyland be able to implement its own transportation in time to prevent a disruption to service? Will guests simply have to walk from the lot? Is there another company that can pick up the contract? I reached out to Disneyland to see what might be happening, and Disneyland officials responded...

I do not doubt that this issue will be resolved, and some sort of replacement transportation will arrive. Disneyland is already working on it. The question is simply how quickly it will all happen, as the clock is ticking.

As somebody who has frequently used ART buses when staying off property, and who generally uses the Toy Story Lot when parking at Disneyland, whatever happens here certainly has the potential to change how I get to Disneyland a lot of the time. Those Disneyland Hotels may be expensive, but they’re certainly looking a lot more attractive right now.

When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland, it was not an understatement to say it was among the biggest days in the history of the 70-year-old resort. It was the biggest single expansion the park had ever seen, and it brought one of the biggest franchises ever to Disneyland in a way that people had never experienced before.

One of the unique concepts that came with it was the idea that the land would be set during the sequel trilogy, so only characters from the later films would appear. This made it a big deal when it was recently announced that this would be changing, as Han, Luke, Leia, and more are set to come to Disneyland in April. It’s exciting for a lot of reasons, but it’s also a bit upsetting for another reason.

The End Of The Timeline Is A Step Backward For Themed Entertainment

Universal Orlando Resort is credited with starting the trend of building theme park lands around single franchises. The first Wizarding World of Harry Potter encouraged guests to put on robes, purchase wands, and become part of the Harry Potter movies. Disney attempted its first land like this with Pandora: The World of Avatar, but it took it to another level with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

This wasn’t just a land themed to Star Wars, but a land that encouraged guests to live a Star Wars adventure, to play a role in a story that was taking place around them. It wouldn't sell Star Wars t-shirts; it would sell the things you might expect to buy on a Star Wars planet. It was a new level of themed entertainment inside a theme park that offered immersion into the story that hadn’t been available before.

The immersion was even deeper at Walt Disney World when the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opened. It offered a Star Wars story playing out around you for multiple days, with a variety of ways you could choose to take part in it. It was a huge step forward in themed entertainment.

Of course, the Galactic Starcruiser closed for business, which was the first nail in the coffin of this new era of Disney themed entertainment. The end of the timeline is the next one. At this point, it seems unlikely Disney will be trying anything like it again anytime soon, and if Disney couldn’t make it work, we probably won't see any other theme parks try it either.

Original Trilogy Characters At Galaxy’s Edge Is Still Cool

To be clear, I’m not saying that I am upset or frustrated that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is abandoning its timeline. Having these classic characters in the land is still going to be incredible. For a lot of people, this was a trade worth making.

And, Walt Disney World is still moving forward with the original vision for the land. Perhaps it will continue to add to it and find a way to create the Star Wars story that fans will embrace. Although if Disneyland's new version is a runaway success, a transformation in Florida eventually seems likely.

As a fan of themed entertainment broadly, I wanted what Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was to succeed. It was a new frontier that Disney Live Entertainment and Walt Disney Imagineering clearly wanted to pursue. If it had worked, there were any number of new things we might have seen at Disneyland or Disney World that would have expanded on the concept, creating new types of attractions we’d never seen before.

Maybe theme parks just aren’t the right place for this kind of more immersive entertainment? It's maybe not a surprise, but it's still a bummer.

When Walt Disney first conceived of Disneyland, pretty much everybody thought he was crazy. The idea of an amusement venture that would be bigger, better, and cleaner than the traveling carnival or the local carousel was something nobody had ever tried before. A great deal has been said, written, and filmed about just how Disneyland came to be, but the new documentary film from Leslie Iwerks, Disneyland Handcrafted, available on Disney+, delves into the story in a way that’s literally never been seen before.

Disneyland Handcrafted isn’t about how Walt Disney came up with his idea or the way he had to go into debt up to his eyeballs to pay for it all. It’s focused on a specific period: the 10 months that transpired between Disneyland breaking ground in Anaheim, CA, and opening day in July 1955, and specifically on the physical construction of the park. The story is told almost exclusively through video that was shot while construction was happening but that has been buried in the Walt Disney Archives for 70 years – much of which hasn’t been seen since then, if ever.

Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland is the star, everything else is in the supporting role.” Disneyland Handcrafted takes that ethos to heart in its production. The seven-decade-old footage is all the new film ever shows us. There is no narrator, there are no visual cutaways to modern or even archival interviews.

The only audio we get is the occasional voiceover from the different people involved in Disneyland’s development. Walt himself is there, of course, though not as much as you might expect. You’re more likely to hear from Art Director Dick Irvine or Admiral Joe Fowler. The voices help focus whatever you’re seeing on screen, but they never take control of the narrative. That's the video’s job.

Disneyland Handcrafted lets Disneyland be the star.

The real focus of Disneyland Handcrafted is the work. It’s the discussion and the display of the artisans, the fabricators, the landscape architect, and the landscapers. What you see in the new documentary are all the steps that come between the idea and the idea being realized. Disneyland may have happened because of Walt Disney, but he didn’t build it with his bare hands. Here, you get to see a lot of the work being done. It’s not glamorous, but it’s no less important.

Disneyland Handcrafted is the fourth time director Leslie Iwerks has focused her attention on Disney. Her first film, The Hand Behind the Mouse, told the story of her own grandfather, Ub Iwerks, co-creator of Mickey Mouse. Since then, she’s given us The Pixar Story and, most recently, The Imagineering Story, the definitive look at the creative talents that make Disney parks happen.

In that way, Handcrafted works as almost a companion piece to her other Disney+ project, showing the “boots on the ground” that set the stage for the popular attractions. The attractions themselves aren’t even a major focus here, beyond the physical construction of tracks and the painting of ride vehicles.

Director Leslie Iwerks again shows that there is nobody better at Disney history.

Iwerks has Disney in her blood, and maybe that’s why she has shown herself so capable at telling the story of Disney. Each of her documentary projects is unique in its own way, but each also celebrates a new piece of this massive, century-old organization – with Disneyland Handcrafted being the latest to do so.

Disneyland is a place capable of transporting us to new places, or those that never existed, and making us feel like we’re part of a story. Disneyland Handcrafted certainly does that, taking us back to a point in the past and making us feel like we’re there, watching history be built right in front of us. Serious Disney fans will love to get this new perspective on such a well-known place. Everybody else will still appreciate watching the incredible undertaking that was Disneyland come together.

Riding on a great theme park attraction is like going to a magic show. We know that a magician isn’t really making something disappear in a puff of smoke or transporting something across a room, but the fact that it so seamlessly appears that’s what’s happening is no less incredible. Such is the case with a great theme park ride, making you feel like you’re on an incredible adventure, but the best trick of all is the one you don't even realize is happening.

Rise of the Resistance is the best ride at Disneyland. It’s also the best ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It’s in fact the best theme park attraction I’ve ever experienced, though some of the best rides at Epic Universe give it a run for its money. It’s an incredible attraction in scope and scale, just like Galaxy's Edge itself. It has some quite impressive set pieces like massive AT-AT walkers and cool effects, like Kylo Ren attempting to cut through a ceiling with a lightsaber.

However, YouTuber Zach Wally recently made me aware of one effect that may be better than any other, not because it’s particularly massive or complex, but it’s actually quite simple. It’s so simple, I had never actually realized it was there.

Rise Of The Resistance’s Transports Are Not As Big As They Appear

The effect in question happens during one of the multiple Rise of the Resistance pre-shows. After getting their mission from Rey, guests board a transport that’s supposed to take them off Batuu. It’s being commanded by Lt. Bek and piloted by Nien Nunb. The popular Star Wars sidekick can be seen on video screens, and guests who look past Lt. Bek see the back of his head as he’s flying the transport.

However, it turns out Nien Nunb isn’t actually where you think he is. There’s actually a mirror behind the Bek audio-animatronic, that’s reflecting the ship’s cockpit, which is at a 90-degree angle to the rest of the ship. I’ve looked at that setup quite a few times, but it never even crossed my mind that it could be happening.

Sometimes, The Creativity Of Walt Disney Imagineering Is In Its Simplicity

This wasn’t done for any particular impressive reason. It simply allows the transport model to be slightly smaller than it appears, allowing three of them to fit on the turntable that rotates guests between the pre-show area and the First Order ship portion of the attraction. It’s a creative way to fix a functionality issue. Check out Zach Wally’s video for a complete look at how it works.

After learning about this, I am certainly going to be taking a closer look the next time I ride Rise of the Resistance. Not only that, I’ll be taking a closer look at all my favorite rides. I wonder what other cool effects I’ve never noticed before.

Disneyland is a place that people go to enjoy themselves and spend a small amount of time in fictional worlds. Unfortunately, every once in a while, the real world intrudes and makes things less fun for all. As a major tourist attraction, there’s always been the fear that the park could end up a target for something terrible and, last summer it looked like that might happen. Now, criminal charges have been filed a man involved in that situation.

Threats Were Made When JD Vance Visited Disneyland

Last summer, Vice President JD Vance and his family went on vacation in California, and they spent some time at the happiest place on earth. On the same day that happened, someone posted threats to Disney’s Instagram page, claiming that pipe bombs had been placed in preparation for Vance’s arrival. The Orange County Register reports that an Anaheim man, Marco Antonio Aguayo, has now been arrested in connection with the threat.

Aguayo allegedly made at least two other posts in relation to the initial threat, including one that offered “good luck finding all of them” in relation to the pipe bombs allegedly placed around Disneyland Resort. There were no bombs, but the threats were investigated nonetheless. Aguayo reportedly denied making the posts initially, when he was confronted by Secret Service agents, claiming his account had been hacked. However, he later admitted to posting them but claimed they were only meant as a joke he forgot to delete.

The punishment is no joke. If convicted, Aguayo could face up to five years in federal prison for the threats.

Disneyland Has Been Popular Among Politicians For 70 Years

Disneyland celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2025 (the actual celebration is still going on in the park) and, during that span of time, it has welcomed numerous political leaders. Richard Nixon was on hand for the launch of the Disneyland Monorail when he was Vice President. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev famously attempted to visit the park during a U.S. trip in 1959. He was unable to do so, however, reportedly due to security concerns.

JD Vance and his family's visit to Disneyland took place last July. His appearance drew a lot of attention, as he and his brood walked through the park with an entourage including Secret Service agents. I actually visited Disneyland Resort and arrived at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa while he was there. The increased security at the hotel was evident, though that have simply been because of the Vice President's presence rather than due to any threats.

It certainly doesn’t appear that the threats kept the VP or his family from enjoying the parks. Vance praised Disneyland Resort and specifically loved riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. His sentiments on that particular ride prove significant, considering the attraction has been at the center of a culture war battle since it was announced to be replacing Splash Mountain. As for Marco Antonio Aguayo, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for him.