2The nightmare continues for Disney.
The Disneyland Resort is home to many incredible rides and attractions, as well as some amazing live entertainment and dining options. Guests are encouraged to lose themselves in the immersive-themed lands at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Whether that be Tomorrowland and Fantasyland or the new San Fransokyo, guests will no doubt have a magical time at “The Happiest Place on Earth.” San Fransokyo is the newest addition to the Disneyland Resort and is based on Disney’s Big Hero 6 (2014).
The new expansion was first announced in 2022 during Disney’s annual D23 Expo event. In San Franskoyo, guests will find lots of places to grab a bite to eat, like Fortune Cookery and Port of San Franksokyo Cerveceria. The land also features characters from movies such as Baymax and Hiro. Guests will find this land located in Disney California Adventure, one of two parks at the original Disneyland Resort.
Disney California Adventure features some of Disneyland’s most popular and thrilling rides and attractions, such as Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, The IncrediCoaster, Grizzly River Run, and Radiator Springs Racers. For classic rides like Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, guests should head over to the original Disneyland Park. However, for thrills and chills, guests should look no further than Disney California Adventure.
At the original Disneyland Park, guests will also find Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Adventureland, all of which feature some of the most legendary theme park rides of all time. Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and “it’s a small world” are just the beginning, with fantastic new experiences always on the way.
One of the new, upcoming attractions at Disneyland will be found at Avengers Campus, a land dedicated to Marvel superheroes and villains. Here, guests can embark on an adventure alongside characters like Thor, Loki, Iron Man, Spider-man, Black Widow, and many more. We learned more about the upcoming ride coming to Avengers Campus at Disney’s Destination D23 event in September. This new ride will feature a state-of-the-art ride system and feature the MCU’s biggest threat to date, Thanos.
Related: Amber Heard’s Latest Movie Reportedly Had Audiences Walk Out of Screenings
Speaking of lands, another iconic destination received a major facelift earlier this year. We’re, of course, talking about Mickey’s Toontown, a bright and colorful area designed for guests of all ages. This had been a part of the original Disneyland Resort for years, but back in 2022, Disney closed this land entirely as part of a major refurbishment project. This project was completed in early 2023, with the revamped Mickey’s Toontown opening to guests.
Now, guests can find some brand-new areas and attractions, with the biggest new addition being Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railway. This ride is a trackless dark ride that utilizes some incredible projection technology to create an immersive and fun adventure where guests go on a trip with Minnie, Mickey, and their dog, Pluto.
Unfortunately, it seems like Mickey’s Toontown was not 100% ready when it opened, with Disney Imagineering having to fix multiple areas after it opened. Just days after Mickey’s Toontown reopened to the public, we saw Disney construction crews deal with several problems. This nightmare continues to this day, with the entire CentTOONial Park area closed off to guests.
While there are certainly a lot of fun things to do in Toontown, there are also quite a few areas for guests to relax in. Unfortunately, the fountain area is now walled off completely.
New photos reveal that along with the floor, the Minnie and Mickey fountain is also being torn up and rebuilt.
Shortly after the new Toontown opened, we saw many problems arise. The paint was chipping, items were stolen, and several areas needed more paint. At one point, Disney had to dig a large hole to solve an issue. Eventually, things got back on track, but it seems as though the land may not have been totally ready to open when it did. Reporter Scott Gustin recently revealed more information regarding Mickey’s Toontown, sharing that the fountain was leaking.
“In Centoonial Park, workers are repairing a leak under the fountain and replacing a section of artificial turf in a high-traffic area with brick pavers (see photo). In Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard, “play elements will be added and repaired,” said Disneyland officials.
The speed at which Mickey’s Toontown was announced and then completed is quite interesting. It’s possible Disneyland wanted to give guests something to do after Splash Mountain closed at the theme park. The iconic log fume ride closed permanently earlier in 2023, meaning guests would not have access to it during the hotter months of the year. Splash Mountain closed to make way for a new attraction called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, themed to the 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog.
This new ride will feature an all-new story as well as new theming and music to really seal the deal. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is expected to open sometime in 2024 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, with Tokyo Disneyland’s version of Splash Mountain remaining open indefinitely. While we’re incredibly excited about this new take on a Disney park classic, a lot of guests were not big fans of the announcement. As soon as The Walt Disney Company revealed its decision to close Splash Mountain forever, factions formed, with some sitting on the side of Tiana and others on the side of the original Splash Mountain.
This decision came after decades of backlash regarding the ride’s original inspiration, Disney’s highly controversial 1946 animated/live-action film Song of the South. This film has effectively been banned by Disney, with the company neglecting to give it an official release in decades. The film will also not be found on Disney’s Disney+ streaming service. Characters were removed entirely from the theme parks, as were merchandise and other elements themed around Splash Mountain.
As we stated earlier, some fans did not agree with the change, with some of the more passionate fans going as far as to create a petition to “Save Splash Mountain.” This, of course, went nowhere, but it was certainly interesting to see just how divided the Disney community became as a result.
As we stated earlier, Mickey’s Toontown is home to several fun attractions, with the newest being Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railway. This attraction first opened in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World and quickly became a fan favorite. Disney World is also home to a few new rides, most notably two new roller coasters.
The first new roller coaster to open recently at the Walt Disney World Resort can be found at EPCOT. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind takes guests on a Marvel-inspired journey alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy. The roller coaster is Disney World’s first-ever reverse-launch coaster, but that’s not all that makes it unique. The ride also features one of six randomly selected songs, making each and every ride a mystery.
The second new ride to open at Walt Disney World can be found over at the iconic Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland. While Space Mountain has entertained guests for decades, it was admittedly quite dated. This marked the perfect spot for a brand-new, state-of-the-art coaster to open, which is exactly what Walt Disney Imagineering did. TRON Lightcycle/Run is a copy of a ride found in Shanghai Disneyland, but just as thrilling. Heavily inspired by Disney’s TRON franchise, this ride takes guests on an exhilarating journey through “The Grid.”
Do you enjoy Mickey’s Toontown? What’s your favorite area at Disneyland?