Back to Disneyland!

 

Sleeping Beauty's Castle: awake again!

We couldn't wait any longer and so have already been to Disneyland twice since it reopened on April 30. I thought I would cry once we entered, but it felt so natural to be back that we just walked right in as if we hadn't been gone for 14 months. What a relief!

May 5

Due to COVID restrictions, attendance was capped at 15% when the parks first reopened. Crowds were minimal and Main Street practically deserted. We walked right onto the Star Tours ride and "it's a small world."

Deserted Main Street

No line at "it's a small world"

We did wait in line for the Haunted Mansion, which was "updated" during the closure. I looked forward to the changes, but couldn't see a thing thanks to my fog-inducing mask. Though I'm completely "pro-mask," sometimes a glasses-wearing gal has got to see! A good excuse to return to Disneyland once masks are no longer a thing . . .

In line at the Haunted Mansion

Disneyland's newest ride, "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance," broke down the last time we visited the park back in March 2020, so we were determined to get aboard this time. Luckily, Tim was able to get us virtual passes on the first try. Unfortunately, however, we had to wait 4 hours before we could board. Nevertheless, the ride was amazing: lots of cool video effects and animatronics, but definitely overwhelming, especially with foggy glasses. Another attraction to ride once all mask mandates are lifted.

Greeted by a battery of storm troopers on Rise of the Resistance

"Park-hopper" tickets are available for those wanting to visit both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (DCA) on the same day. But, unlike the Before Times, "park-hopping" is now strictly regulated in order to limit attendance in each park. Guests choose whether they want to start their visit in either Disneyland or DCA and then have to wait till 1PM to cross over. It was well after 1PM when we exited Rise of the Resistance, so we high-tailed it over to DCA, where there was absolutely no waiting for our favorite rides: Soaring' Around the World, Radiator Springs Racers, and Toy Story Mania. Talk about your silver lining! We returned to our hotel room several hours later, tired but happy.

Racing through Radiator Springs

June 8

A month later, Disney opened Avengers Campus, the highly-anticipated new "land" dedicated to all things related to the extremely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). We purposely timed our second visit to the parks until after "Marvel Land" opened on June 4.

To enter Avengers Campus, guests must either physically wait in line—sometimes for up to 6 hours!—or get a virtual boarding pass for the land's only new ride, Web Slingers. Virtual passes are available only twice a day at 7AM and noon. We were standing in the middle of Disneyland's Adventureland when Tim whipped out his phone to try getting our passes. Apparently, everyone around us was doing the same thing, because at noon a collective cheer erupted! We all made the virtual queue! Now all we had to do was wait 5 hours till our group number (122) was called. Meanwhile, we rode the newly renovated Snow White ride (not worth the 20-minute wait) before heading over to DCA.

Waiting in line for Snow White

Disneyland popcorn for lunch

Our group number was finally called at 5:15PM, Not only were we going on Web Slingers, we were now allowed inside Avengers Campus. Yay! What a long day, but well worth the wait. The ride uses advanced 3D arcade technology. Except instead of shooting with "guns," you flick your hands as if slinging webs a la Spider-Man. Frantic but fun. So glad my glasses didn't fog-up!

In line inside Stark Industries warehouse

Avengers Campus entrance

Afterward, we strolled around Campus, where there are plenty of shops to buy Marvel merch, plus the Pym Test Kitchen. The best part, though, was seeing various Marvel characters interacting with the guests. We were too tired to stick around to see them perform—climbing walls, fighting villains, and flying (Spider-Man)—but did see Iron Man (my favorite), Loki (Tim's fave), Thor, and Spider-Man pose for photos. We then hobbled back to our hotel, where we collapsed in a happy but exhausted heap.

Iron Man

Loki

Avengers' Quinjet atop Stark Industries building

Words of Advice

Although the parks are still not operating at full capacity, 35% attendance in June was noticeably more crowded than 15% the month before. In May it took less than 20 minutes to go through security before lining up to get into Disneyland. The wait was twice as long this week.

Hundreds (thousands?) of people ahead of us on the security line

Besides virtually queuing up for the newer rides, guests must also order their meals through the Disney app. One of the most hyped attractions of Avengers Campus is Pym Test Kitchen, where food comes in all kinds of crazy shapes and sizes. The menu sold-out almost immediately, leaving us with only popcorn for lunch!

Disney parking doesn't open till 7:30AM, so don't arrive too early. Also, because of social distancing, there are no shuttles carrying guests from the lot to the parks. Everyone has to walk. We stayed in a hotel across the street and walked in from Harbor Blvd.

Because of social distancing, physical queues look much longer than they are. In our experience, the lines actually moved pretty quickly.

Finally, the parks are still not fully staffed, so some attractions, eateries, and shops remain closed. Make sure your favorite ride is actually open before schlepping all the way to Anaheim. 

And, oh yeah. Don't forget to have a magical day!

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

 

Disneyland Hotel

 

The opening of any new ride at Disneyland is cause for celebration. But the new “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” seems to have captured the whole world’s attention—well, at least the attention of everyone who loves Star Wars. Not only is this just the second—and most highly anticipated—attraction in Disneyland’s relatively new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge “land,” it is, according to many critics, the single best ride ever created: 20 minutes of highly interactive thrills—in other words, every Star Wars fan’s dream.

To manage demand, access to “Rise of the Resistance” is handled via “boarding passes” allotted as soon as Disneyland opens. If you are not in the park right at “rope drop,” you'll miss your chance at getting a group number allowing you to board the ride later in the day. We’ve heard stories of annual-pass-holders showing up at 9AM, when the park opens, only to leave again at 9:15AM because they weren’t able to get a numbered boarding pass. Much like the villains that populate Batuu, the Galaxy’s Edge home planet, getting a boarding pass to “Rise of the Resistance” can be cutthroat.

Thus, we decided to avoid Disneyland for a while . . . that is, until last week when we canceled prior vacation plans (due to coronavirus fears) and suddenly had an open calendar. Hmmm . . . Might we have a better chance getting into “Rise of the Resistance” on a weekday in early March? And why not spend the night before at the Disney resort to ensure early arrival at the park the next morning? We quickly reserved a room at the Disneyland Hotel.

Tim already got a tutorial from a friend who knew how to snag “Resistance” boarding passes online via the Disney app (far too complicated for me!). But when we checked into our hotel, the gal at the registration desk convinced us that getting paper boarding passes in Tomorrowland was a much better way to go. Besides, as hotel guests we could get into the park an hour early (i.e., “Magic Morning”) and, therefore, be first in line at the boarding pass machines. As soon as we unpacked, we ran over to Disneyland to scope out where to go in Tomorrowland the next morning. This might just work!

 

 Tomorrowland after dark

After a night filled with Disney fun—new Disneyland parade, Food and Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure, and dancing to a free Beatles cover band in Downtown Disney—we got up early the next morning and started walking over to the park. Seems like every hotel guest had the same idea because the security lines were longer than we’ve seen them in a while. We stepped up our pace zipping through Downtown Disney, only to find even longer lines at the Disneyland gates. It was 8:15AM before we got to Tomorrowland. Breakfast would have to wait.

The park opened at 9AM, so we had 45 minutes to wait. Despite getting there early, we were  second in line at the “Resistance” boarding pass machines, behind three Japanese tourists. Disneyland cast members stood nearby to answer questions about the process. Though they encouraged everyone to use the Disney app to get the boarding pass online, people continued to queue-up behind us. The closer it got to 9AM, the bigger and more tense the crowd became. Three guys standing next to were hoping to get 15 boarding passes. I inwardly rolled my eyes and wished them luck.

 

 Waiting at the board pass machine, counting down to 9AM

At 8:55AM, the cast members directed us to line-up in front of the boarding pass machines. To get the boarding pass, we had to stick our paper Disneyland tickets into the machine. I couldn’t stand the pressure, so gave Tim my ticket. And then suddenly it was 9AM! 

 

 Crowd getting restless

People at the other machines were madly jamming their tickets into their machines, while dozens of other people tried accessing the Disney app. Those who were successful yelled in glee, while I waited for Tim to tell me our boarding numbers. We got in, but . . . though he had stuck one ticket in just a half-second after the other, I was in group 10 while he was in group 39—probably two hours difference in boarding times! We could go on the ride, but not together.

 

 Boarding passes: groups 10 and 39

Catching our breath, we hurried over to Galaxy’s Edge to see when I could board. . . only to find that the ride was down. While waiting for it to be fixed, I chatted with a nice young woman who had just started working for Disney a month before. She had come in on her day off in hopes of going on the ride herself. She encouraged me to ask if Tim could go on the ride with me, even though his boarding number was much higher. And, indeed, a few minutes later, we both went in, walking along an outdoor path which eventually led to a large cave-like room where we saw Star Wars-style screens and one of our favorite android characters, BB-8. We were wondering what was next when a hologram of Rey, the main character from the most recent Star Wars films, appeared, asking for our help. The doors then opened. 

 

 BB-8

 

Holographic Rey, asking for help

 

“Bad news,” a cast member, dressed like a resistance fighter, said. “The ride is still down.” He then gave us passes to return in two hours. We left Disneyland and had breakfast in Downtown Disney. It was now after 10AM.

At 11AM, we checked out of the hotel and took the Monorail back into Disneyland. It was noon when we returned to “Rise of the Resistance.”

The ride was still down with no foreseeable resolution. In all our plotting and scheming, we hadn’t counted on a broken ride!

So we went home and took a nap. A good excuse to go back another day.

Star wars: Galaxy's Edge

 

Batuu

 

Soon after announcing that Disneyland's new Star Wars land, Galaxy's Edge, would open this summer, Disney blocked current and retired employees from entering the parks for free. The main concern: overcrowding. But potential visitors, also fearing massive crowds, stayed away in droves. And so we were soon welcomed back with open arms. After all, employee money is better than no money at all!

We, of course, had been anticipating Galaxy's Edge since Disney's initial announcement in 2015. Though I worried that a Star Wars addition might take Disneyland far, far away from Walt's original vision, we nonetheless were anxious to see the new land and so went as soon as our passes were unblocked.

The setting of Galaxy's Edge is Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, a remote planet that has never appeared in a Star Wars movie. The evil Empire, which suspects the rebel alliance has taken hold of the outpost, is an ominous presence. Storm troopers are known to stop visitors and ask what they're doing there.

We entered Galaxy's Edge from the Fantasyland side and, after a short transition space, were immediately thrust into the world of Star Wars. The outpost is so unlike any other part of Disneyland that it's truly like being on another planet. In fact, it is impossible to see the rest of the park from Batuu. Nor is Batuu visible from the rest of the park. 

 

Our first view of Batuu (east entrance from Fantasyland)

 West entrance from Frontierland

The ambiance is similar to a Middle Eastern marketplace: extremely visual and noisy. Though you can't see them, you can hear spaceships and land speeders taking off and landing throughout. Parked in the middle of everything is the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo's former ship and now home to Smuggler's Run, the outpost's only ride. (A second ride will open in January.) The Falcon is the most easily identifiable attraction in Batuu and is obviously a huge draw for fans. It looks so real, I could barely take my eyes off it!

 

In front of the Falcon

 

The Falcon: such attention to detail!

 

 Parked Falcon 

Surrounding the Falcon are mostly eateries and shops that, in some cases, seem more like Star Wars museums than stores. You can build your own version of R2D2 at Mubo's Droid Depot and your own lightsaber at Savi's secret workshop—but be discreet when asking where it is. You don't want to draw storm trooper attention.

 

Mounted animal heads at Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

 

Tim being silly at the build-a-droid depot

 

You, too, can become a storm trooper

for $6600!

One of the most popular spots is Oga's Cantina, where you can buy light refreshments and alcoholic beverages. Modeled after the cantina in the first Star Wars movie, the space is dark, loud and mysterious. The DJ is Rex, the robot from Disneyland's Star Tours ride, spinning tunes and spouting advice to the mostly distracted crowd. The snacks and drinks aren't cheap, but at least it's cool inside. Be sure to make a reservation as soon as you arrive in Batuu!

 

The bar at Oga's—DJ Rex, voiced by a very funny Paul Reubens,

in the background

 

Drinking an exotic lemonade

You can watch Disneyland's fireworks at night from Batuu, but don't expect to see any other hints of the park or Disney characters. The point here is to be totally immersed in another world. So far so good. 

  

Black spire that gives the outpost its name

  

Batuu architecture

  

Gritty ambiance

   

Modest crowds on a sunny Tuesday

 

Docking bay

 

Heroic statue

 

Batuu at night

 

Fireworks over Black Spire 

That's From Disneyland!

 

Auction catalog cover, designed by SHAG

 

I've been extremely busy working on several big writing projects and so let the blog languish these past two months. But even though I'm still neck-deep into writing, there's always time for Disney, especially when there are one-of-a-kind items to buy!

On August 25 and 26, the Van Eaton Galleries will auction nearly 800 items from talent agent Richard Kraft's private collection of Disneyland memorabilia, some of which I've never seen for sale before. The collection includes just about everything from stationary and pins to posters to cars from several Disneyland rides. 

A public exhibit of Kraft's collection opened last Wednesday in a former two-story Sports Authority storefront in The Valley. I beat the crowds by going Friday, but then returned with Tim on Sunday so we could attend a signing with our favorite artist, SHAG, who designed the cover of the auction catalog. The Valley was roastingly hot and the store crowded. Still, it was worth the schlep over the hill to see Kraft's stuff and meet SHAG.

Enormous "D" from atop the Disneyland Hotel

 

Main Street window display of the Cindrella cartoon movie 

 

Frontierland posters, an animatronic dog and Davey Crockett's canoe

 

48-ft-long serpent from the old Submarine Voyage ride 

 

Small Tomorrowland souvenirs--I'll be bidding on the Autopia

notepad holder

 

Miniature man from the Adventure Thru Inner Space

(aka Monsanto) ride

 

Cars from Space Mountain (rear) and Rocket Jets (front) rides

 

Looking down at the crowds

 

José, the animatronic bird, from the Enchanted Tiki Room

 

Hatbox Ghost souvenir from the Haunted Mansion

 

it's a small world dolls

 

Pirate ship car from Peter Pan ride and 

it's a small world trashcan

 Dumbo display doll

 

Mr. Toad ride car

 

Dolls from Snow White ride

 

Me with family favorite Dumbo

 

Wearing our SHAG shirts to meet SHAG!