Disneyland Resort Update for March 21, 2023

Disneyland Resort Update for March 21, 2023

News and Views

Mickey's Toontown greets its first guests after renovation project

Mickey's Toontown opened to the public last weekend following a year-long transformation. Members of the media were invited to a re-dedication ceremony Saturday morning, ahead of an afternoon soft opening. The official debut was Sunday, when hundreds of fans flocked the land to check out the re-imagined attractions and eateries.

We detailed the updated land last week on MousePlanet, and I'll refer you back to that article for a breakdown of all of the changes in store for visitors. I have a few thoughts to add, having now visited with my husband and youngest son.

The Mayor of Toontown; Pete; Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock; Mickey Mouse; and Minnie Mouse helped rededicate Mickey's Toontown. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This fountain is a new focal point of Mickey's Toontown. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

 

 

 

 

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The Dreaming Tree in CenTOONial Park provides a little shade and another place for young children to climb and play. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Most curbs and barriers were removed from Toontown, making it easier to navigate on wheels. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A recurring theme in this transformation is creating an inclusive place for families to play together. To that end, the play areas are designed to be especially friendly to those who use wheelchairs, have limited mobility, or are on the autism spectrum. Being married to someone who uses a wheelchair, and as a mom of children with special needs, I very much wanted to see how my own family would experience the new areas.

We found new Toontown to be much easier to navigate with a wheelchair, which of course also benefits those pushing strollers. Curbs and barriers were largely removed from the land, so it's easier to get around. One negative my husband noted is that the soft-play surface that covers much of Goofy's How-to-Play Yard and Donald's Duck Pond is like pushing his wheelchair over thick carpeting.

Goofy's How-to-Play Yard is filled with places for visitors to climb, play, slide and explore. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Goofy watches as young visitors enjoy the roller slides in his yard. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A banner outside Goofy's House invites candy makers to step inside. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

There's an access ramp to the top of Goofy's slides, and a bit of a transfer bench at the top, which afforded my husband the first opportunity he's ever had to race my son down a slide. The slides clearly weren't designed for adults and so the transfer process isn't as easy as it could be, but the grin on both of their faces was everything to me.

The interior of Goofy's House is a kinetic wonderland, and I can see some kids spending hours in there. There are buttons and knobs and levers at heights perfect for children and those using wheelchairs, plus enough detail up high and down low to reward careful exploration.

Goofy's House in Toontown is full of kinetic motion, lights, colors and sounds. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

 

 

 

 

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Donald's Duck Pond has interactive features, and will soon offer a water play area. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Visitors use an assortment of gadgets to help drain the water from Donald's Boat. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Likewise, Donald's Duck Pond has interactive components at varying heights for accessibility. The idea here is that Donald's boat has flooded, and you're working to help drain the water by manipulating a series of pumps, dials, and levers. The variety here allows for people with differing abilities to find a control that works for them, and everyone can play. Again, this area is covered in the same soft play surface, but there's also a “wave” molded into the ground that may pose a trip or tip-over hazard for people with low vision, or those who catch a wheel just wrong.

“Popcorn Park” (the site of the former Chip 'n' Dale Treehouse) was preserved as a quiet area for guests who might need a sensory break, with a shady area and seating. During the media preview it was exactly as intended—a restful spot off the beaten path where someone could decompress and relax. On opening day, the grassy area was packed with people hoping to enjoy a picnic, buy some popcorn, or just sit for a moment. Hopefully the area drops off the radar once the reopening crowds subside, because this type of area is exactly what I wish had been available to me when one of my children was younger and struggling with theme park overload.

The fountain in CenTOONial Park has low bowls which encourage children to play in the water. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Raised pegs spell out the word “Play” in braille on one root of the Dreaming Tree. Another root displays the word “Dream”. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As of reopening day, Toontown wasn't completely finished, which isn't a surprise considering the series of winter storms that hammered Southern California these last several months. The musical garden in Goofy's How-to-Play yard is still to arrive, and the toddler soft play area behind Donald's Boat was blocked off. The water play area is still in progress—but with another storm currently crossing the area, visitors probably aren't looking for more ways to get wet at Disneyland.

I wholeheartedly appreciate the lengths Disney went to make Mickey's Toontown more accessible, and I can tell that a great deal of thought was put into accommodating guests with physical and cognitive disabilities. There are also nods to guests who have low vision or are blind, but I could hope for more on this front. Two of the oversized roots of Walt's Dreaming Tree have braille words on them, but I didn't see any further use of braille in the land. Goofy's How-to-Play Yard and House could especially benefit from some braille signage.

While there is always room for improvement in accessibility, the current iteration of Mickey's Toontown shows what is possible when a team is committed to inclusion. I applaud the efforts made here, and hope to see the lessons learned in Toontown applied throughout the park in the future.

Dining with Miss Daisy and friends

Cafe Daisy

The media preview was our first chance to try most of the menu items from Cafe Daisy, and I was eager to get my family's opinions on the food. I had previously sampled the Spring Garden Wrap, which is filled with romaine, quinoa and roasted pumpkin seeds, all tossed in a vegan creamy lemon dressing. I really enjoyed this item, though the wrap had a somewhat mushy consistency typical of some flatbreads. It's a strong plant-based offering, and a good alternative to pizza and hot dogs.

Daisy Duck presides over the grand opening of her new Toontown restaurant. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

I had also previously sampled the pepperoni Pizza Flop Over, and wanted to see if my husband shared my opinion. We agreed that the pepperoni and cheese were both excellent toppings, but the crust and sauce reminded us of school cafeteria service. My youngest son took one look at the cheese-and-herb sprinkled flop-over and declared it to be “not pizza,” but he was happy enough with his mini pizza and apple juice.

The pizza flop-overs are a great idea in concept, but need a better sauce. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Children can choose a mini pizza with or without pepperoni. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Daisy offers a foot-long beef hot dog, served either plain or as a “dressed up” version topped with chili-cheese sauce and macaroni and cheese and potato crisps. It's messy and overkill, but my husband enjoyed it. The hot dogs are served with a side of house-made chips, which are delicious. You can also buy the side of chips for $4.49 alone, or $7.49 with a side of the chili-cheese sauce. As good as these chips are, the price is too high for the portion size.

Daisy's Goody-Goody Donuts are house-made mini donuts dusted with cinnamon sugar, and delicious when served hot. At $6 for a bag of five, they're a pricey treat, but a unique offering for the park.

Daisy's Dressed Up Dog comes with a pile of toppings. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The Goody Goody Donuts are delicious when eaten fresh from the kitchen. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Cafe Daisy has a trio of specialty drinks, each sweeter than the one before. The least cloying of the group is the Picnic Time Watermelon Lemonade, which starts with Minute Maid Zero lemonade, and adds watermelon syrup and gummy candies. Granny Goof's Garden Sweet Tea is sweet tea with added flavorings and mango boba spheres. The Specialty Cold Brew was both too sweet and too bitter for my taste, but others loved it—so if you're a coffee fan it might be worth a try. Personally, I'd skip all of the specialty drinks in favor of the Minute Maid agua fresca mango lime, available only at Cafe Daisy.

Mobile order is a must for dining at Cafe Daisy, so plan a little ahead of your meal, especially during busier times.

Good Boy! Grocers

The former Goofy's Gas Station is now Good Boy! Grocers, still offering grab-and-go snacks and bottled beverages, and adding frozen slushes to the lineup. This location is the home to three of the collectible novelty offerings in Toontown, with resulting lines on opening day.

Good Boy! Grocers replaces Goofy's Gas Station. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The Perfect Picnic Basket is $25.99, and comes with three snacks and one beverage. You can add a coordinating picnic blanket for $11.00. The snack options are arranged in baskets and tubs at a kid-friendly height, and my son loved getting to make his selections and filling his own basket. However, as any parent could predict, this was not a quick process, with my son looking carefully at every single option several times before making up his mind. I predict the traffic flow for this location will need to be tweaked in the coming days to more efficiently process transactions.

Good Boy! Grocers is set up to allow younger visitors to pick out the components for their picnic basket. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The author's son enjoys his Toontown picnic in CenTOONial Park while eying the play area under the Dreaming Tree. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This location also sells two adorable souvenir sipper cups: one of Donald Duck “diving” into his boat, and a second that re-creates the Mickey and Minnie statue atop the CenTOONial Park fountain. These are $16.99 each and come with a frozen slush.

Which is your favorite Premium from Mickey’s Toontown at @Disneyland?

* Perfect Picnic Basket 🧺
* Yummy! Popcorn box 🍿
* Donald Duck Sipper 🛟
* Minnie and Mickey Sipper 🌸

Drop an emoji below! pic.twitter.com/6mavcoYkrk

— MousePlanet (@MousePlanet) March 21, 2023

Yummy Popcorn

It's the same as Disneyland popcorn, but you can buy it in an adorable souvenir box exclusive to Mickey's Toontown. The cart is located between Mickey's House and Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster.

Yummy! Popcorn is sold at a cart near Mickey's House. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Hyperspace Mountain returning during Star Wars month

The Disneyland Resort announced Monday that Hyperspace Mountain will be returning as a Space Mountain overlay at Disneyland Park from May 1 to June 4, 2023 as part of Star Wars month.

 

 

 

 

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The month-long commemoration is good news for fans who may have missed out on getting tickets for the Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nites, but still want to visit around Star Wars Day on May the 4th. Disney promised more details on “epic encounters, exciting flavors and more,” so we'll keep an eye out for updates.

It appears that the installation of the Hyperspace overlay will be an overnight project, and Space Mountain is not currently scheduled to be closed for refurbishment. Disney says the classic version of Space Mountain will reopen June 5, 2023.

EggStravaganza

I missed this last week, but EggStravaganza is back at the Disneyland Resort, and runs through April 9, 2023. Egg hunters are invited to explore Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney looking for one dozen oversized eggs themed to different Disney characters.

Eggstravaganza 2023 is on throughout the Disneyland Resort. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

There are three different hunts offered this year, one each for location, though the prizes are the same in each location. Egg hunters first purchase a special map and stickers to help locate these eggs, then place the stickers on the corresponding spots on the map.

Once complete, participants return the map to a redemption location to claim their prize—one of six different two-inch-tall “eggs” featuring Mickey and friends. The maps are $9.99 plus tax, and no discounts apply. You can purchase up to six maps per person, giving you the opportunity to collect all six of the eggs.

Maps are sold at select merchandise locations in Downtown Disney, Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and at the Disneyland Resort Hotels, but all locations will not carry all three maps. There are two redemption locations in Downtown Disney, at Disney's Pin Traders and the World of Disney Store. The redemption location in Disneyland is located at the Disney Showcase, and the Disney California Adventure redemption station is located at Elias and Co.

If you are only in it for the eggs, you don't need to complete the egg hunt to claim your prize—just buy your map at a redemption center and receive your egg. In the earlier years of this event the eggs were awarded randomly, but in recent years participants have been able to choose their favorite character, while supplies last.

Indy is back

I would be remiss not to mention the reopening of the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland last week, though I didn't get a chance to check out the refreshed attraction for myself. However, Brady McDonald with the Orange County Register had the opportunity to ride and talk with Imagineers about the project, so I'm just going to link to his article for those who have an Orange County Register subscription, or haven't reached their limit of free articles for the month.

A Word from our Sponsor

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As a Disneyland Resort Hotel guest, you’ll be able to enter Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park 30 minutes prior to park opening with Early Entry Access. This means you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite attractions before the parks officially open every day of your stay. Theme park reservations are available now for this offer, so don’t wait to book!

Book now at Get Away Today or call 1-855-GET-AWAY, and be sure to mention you saw them on MousePlanet.

This and That

…Tickets are still available for both Disneyland After Dark: Throwback Nite events in April. You can get more details via the event website.

…This is your last week to enter to win one of three grand prizes in the Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary Sweepstakes. Enter daily through March 23, 2023

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Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Attraction, restaurants, and stores that are closed for refurbishment are noted below. All other closures should be presumed to be due to COVID protocols, and are subject to change at any time without notice as the state of California issues new guidance.

All information was current as of this article's publication date. MousePlanet does not edit past Updates; for the most up-to-date refurbishment calendar, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update, visit Disneyland.com or use the Disneyland smartphone application on your iOS or Android device.

View the different areas of the Resort by scrolling horizontally and selecting the one you want to read about.

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Resort Events

Check here to see if a large convention, competition, or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail.

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2023

We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it's best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.

Non-Disney Resort Events

Notable events at parks and attractions around Southern California. If you know of an event that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail.

Current Discounts and Promotions

Disneyland prices as of October 11, 2022.

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update. Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the number of days the tickets are valid. Check out the category that best matches the amount of time you plan to spend at the resort, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket-only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.

Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside the gates stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Disneyland admission, and may result in denial of entry. It is also common for criminals to shoplift inactivated Disney theme park tickets from supermarkets to resell them. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks. Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or travel agency like MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today.

Ticket Prices and Promotions

New! Just click the number of days or ticket type you want to view.

Additional Discounts

Did we miss an offer? If you know of an authorized discount on Disneyland Resort tickets, standing offers for Annual Passholders from non-Disney vendors, or other promotions which might interest our readers, please drop us a note!

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Everyone

Magic Key Holders

Disney Rewards VISA Credit Card Holders

Southern California Residents

Disney Vacation Club Members

Service Members

Hotel & Travel Packages

If you can't see the categories, please let us know!

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

• DL – Disneyland
• DCA – Disney California Adventure
• DCA – Downtown Disney

Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website:

• MM – (Not currently offered) Magic Mornings for 3-plus day ticket holders and promotional “bonus” tickets.
• EMH – (Not currently offered) Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests.

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• LNY – Lunar New Year
• F&W – Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• GN – Grad Nite.
• OBB – Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure.
• DaD – Disneyland After Dark

The Ticket Tier calendar is published on the Disneyland website for the next eight to 11 months.

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