Disneyland Resort

[Jerroddragon]

Imagine finally putting Star Wars characters in your….wait for it….Star Wars land.

I am dumb-founded it took them SIX YEARS to figure this out.

To be fair they did have SW characters they just seem to be lesser liked

No doubt people like Rey and Kylo but they aren't like legends like many others

I think Disney was just trying to push the sequels and now they are more open to just making fans happy over pushing movies you want to sell better

 

[deadbydawn]

Imagine finally putting Star Wars characters in your….wait for it….Star Wars land.

I am dumb-founded it took them SIX YEARS to figure this out.

Just to play devil's advocate, there was nothing for them to figure out. Good idea or bad, the plan was to have that land locked in a time period that focused on the Disney-created Star Wars stuff. Everything is about synergy.

For the record, I do think this is the right move. I am not personally rushing over there to see Darth Vader, but I think most casual guests will be happy to walk through those areas and see a mix of characters from all types of media, including the more recent stuff.

 

[OrlLover]

To be fair they did have SW characters they just seem to be lesser liked

No doubt people like Rey and Kylo but they aren't like legends like many others

I think Disney was just trying to push the sequels and now they are more open to just making fans happy over pushing movies you want to sell better

This is exactly it.

The land shouldn’t have been restricted to one trilogy from the start anyway.

 

[Jake S]

So, I spent some time in Galaxy's Edge on Sunday and have mixed feelings. One thing I've always loved about Galaxy's Edge is the naturalist approach they took to the space. I loved the ambient noise, the creatures rustling in the bushes and the emphasis on making the place feel "real." I think it perfectly captured the feeling of Star Wars. Of course, that was only one half of the battle; what a land like this needed to be truly successful was a huge commitment to in-universe characters, both of the movie and non-movie variety. Obviously, we all saw how that went.

Hearing the John Williams score as you walk through one of the land's three portals makes for a fun transition. Hearing it as you wander around the rest of the land ... well, it really just feels like a theme park land now. Wait! I can hear you! "Jake!" you might say. "It is a theme park land and any attempt for it to be more than that or to even be different than that was doomed to failure."

And hey, fair enough! I've always appreciated and respected the bold creative swing Imagineering took by creating a planet we'd never been to and allowing us to make our own connections to the place. I also respect that putting it at a fixed point in the timeline reinforces the commitment to making Galaxy's Edge feel like a "real" place.

But here we are. Through a combination of (as I understand it) grotesque decisions made by upper management (okay, Chapek) and the sequel trilogy devolving into yet another one of the Internet's boring-ass culture wars, we've got this. I maintain that people on the Internet are much, much more down on the sequel trilogy than regular-degular guests, but that's not me denying that having Darth Vader in your Star Wars land is, you know, kind of a no-brainer.

Anyway, we'll see what they do now that they have a much bigger sandbox to play in. I'll miss the era of Galaxy's Edge that existed before, but remain hopeful we've not seen the end of Imagineering taking big creative swings, whether they work out or not.

 

[deadbydawn]

So, I spent some time in Galaxy's Edge on Sunday and have mixed feelings. One thing I've always loved about Galaxy's Edge is the naturalist approach they took to the space. I loved the ambient noise, the creatures rustling in the bushes and the emphasis on making the place feel "real." I think it perfectly captured the feeling of Star Wars. Of course, that was only one half of the battle; what a land like this needed to be truly successful was a huge commitment to in-universe characters, both of the movie and non-movie variety. Obviously, we all saw how that went.

Hearing the John Williams' score as you walk through one of the land's three portals makes for a fun transition. Hearing it as you wander around the rest of the land ... well, it really just feels like a theme park land now. Wait! I can hear you! "Jake!" you might say. "It is a theme park land and any attempt for it to be more than that or to even be different than that was doomed to failure."

And hey, fair enough! I've always appreciated and respected the bold creative swing Imagineering took by creating a planet we'd never been to and allowing us to make our own connections to the place. I also respect that putting it a fixed point in the timeline reinforces the commitment to making Galaxy's Edge feel like a "real" place.

But here we are. Through a combination of (as I understand it) grotesque decisions made by upper management (okay, Chapek) and the sequel trilogy devolving into yet another one of the Internet's boring-ass culture wars, we've got this. I maintain that people on the Internet are much, much more down on the sequel trilogy than regular-degular guests, but that's not me denying that having Darth Vader in your Star Wars land is, you know, kind of a no-brainer.

Anyway, we'll see what they do now that they have a much bigger sandbox to play in. I'll miss the era of Galaxy's Edge that existed before, but remain hopeful we've not seen the end of Imagineering taking big creative swings, whether they work out or not.

Not sure that I've ever resonated with a response on this forum more than this one!

 

[Jerroddragon]

Just a reminder as well, the GE in Florida is the OG version

I know its not a huge difference but I do like both versions being different. That's just me

From what I've seen online I'll like it, I love Vader and rather talk to Han and Luke then Rey and I saw a video that Fennec Shand was also still walking around, so we've only officially lost Kylo (who is in tommorrowland) and Vi Moradi.

Also Villains land will be the test to see what Disney has learned from this land and Epic Universe

 

[Jerroddragon]

David Koenig: Disneyland Security Mulling Historic Strike

David Koenig: Disneyland Security Mulling Historic Strike

Disneyland Security preparing for first ever strike. Workers reject Disney's latest offer, authorizing a first-ever strike. Alld the info ⬇️

www.micechat.com

 

[Jake S]

This is pretty gross:

• Walk-time, which currently allows officers to be prepared to clock out 20 minutes before their scheduled off time, may be dramatically reduced. Disney states the benefit is intended only for those who wash their own costumes or must return equipment.

For those not familiar, Disneyland provides employees with 20 minutes of "walk time" at the end of their shift. So, if your shift ends at 8 p.m., you clock out at your location at 7:40 p.m. Sounds great, right? Well ... sort of. I budgeted 30-45 minutes from the time I parked my car to the time I clocked in at my location ... and that was when I arrived in costume, ready to go. If I needed to go to costuming? Add another 30 minutes.

And then you've got at least a 15-20 minute walk to your car if you're of the lucky few that get to park at Ball lot (next to Mickey and Friends). Most employees must walk all the way back to Harbor Pointe (next to the Disneyland main entrance, more or less) and take a 10-minute shuttle to their lot.

All told, you're likely to spend anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour of your time off the clock. This isn't working at Target, where you show up five minutes before your shift starts wearing a red shirt and khakis. The problem? Many Orange County Targets, you know, pay better than Disneyland.

Anyway, Disney has a long, storied history of crushing organized labor and it certainly doesn't help that it seems the union representing these employees is, uh, I'm not sure what they're doing. And I mean this as no disrespect to the scabs independent contractors that may be called upon as replacements but ... it is going to put a damper on the premium experience guests have a right to expect given how much they're shelling out to visit this place.

 

[Jerroddragon]

This is pretty gross:

For those not familiar, Disneyland provides employees with 20 minutes of "walk time" at the end of their shift. So, if your shift ends at 8 p.m., you clock out at your location at 7:40 p.m. Sounds great, right? Well ... sort of. I budgeted 30-45 minutes from the time I parked my car to the time I clocked in at my location ... and that was when I arrived in costume, ready to go. If I needed to go to costuming? Add another 30 minutes.

And then you've got at least a 15-20 minute walk to your car if you're of the lucky few that get to park at Ball lot (next to Mickey and Friends). Most employees must walk all the way back to Harbor Pointe (next to the Disneyland main entrance, more or less) and take a 10-minute shuttle to their lot.

All told, you're likely to spend anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour of your time off the clock. This isn't working at Target, where you show up five minutes before your shift starts wearing a red shirt and khakis. The problem? Many Orange County Targets, you know, pay better than Disneyland.

Anyway, Disney has a long, storied history of crushing organized labor and it certainly doesn't help that it seems the union representing these employees is, uh, I'm not sure what they're doing. And I mean this as no disrespect to the scabs independent contractors that may be called upon as replacements but ... it is going to put a damper on the premium experience guests have a right to expect given how much they're shelling out to visit this place.

Yeah, this is part of the reason it would be sooooo hard for me to work at Disneyland. Like Once I park my car basically I want to be paid and their system really isn't set up well for this and maybe the new parking lot they are building will also have CM's spots but even then its going to take a while to get into the park and on an 8 hour shift and then like...almost 45-90 mins of getting in and out of the resort like thats just insane leaving you with maybe 14 hours to sleep and do what you want and thats not counting driving there

 

[Mad Dog]

This is pretty gross:

For those not familiar, Disneyland provides employees with 20 minutes of "walk time" at the end of their shift. So, if your shift ends at 8 p.m., you clock out at your location at 7:40 p.m. Sounds great, right? Well ... sort of. I budgeted 30-45 minutes from the time I parked my car to the time I clocked in at my location ... and that was when I arrived in costume, ready to go. If I needed to go to costuming? Add another 30 minutes.

And then you've got at least a 15-20 minute walk to your car if you're of the lucky few that get to park at Ball lot (next to Mickey and Friends). Most employees must walk all the way back to Harbor Pointe (next to the Disneyland main entrance, more or less) and take a 10-minute shuttle to their lot.

All told, you're likely to spend anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour of your time off the clock. This isn't working at Target, where you show up five minutes before your shift starts wearing a red shirt and khakis. The problem? Many Orange County Targets, you know, pay better than Disneyland.

Anyway, Disney has a long, storied history of crushing organized labor and it certainly doesn't help that it seems the union representing these employees is, uh, I'm not sure what they're doing. And I mean this as no disrespect to the scabs independent contractors that may be called upon as replacements but ... it is going to put a damper on the premium experience guests have a right to expect given how much they're shelling out to visit this place.

Yes, you make some good points. Disney has a history of retaliation dating back to early Walt. More recently, live entertainment and then costumed entertainment negotiated significant contracts. Then, entertainment started disappearing and/or cut back......International union leadership often uses local union contracts/disputes to further their aims rather than the best interest of local members/unions. It's the main reason the 750 member union I was President of for 18 years always stayed an Independent Union, and stayed away from the big union leadership that are sometimes as malicious/bad as the management side. More than a few times a couple of international unions tried to make inroads and manipulate my membership to cause internal trouble, but we were always able to thwart them and show the real intent.

It's almost impossible to get memberships to strike more than a couple of days in the 21st century environment. People have too much to risk by long term striking so they generally won't. So, we'll probably see and hear some saber rattling here, but they'll mostly just be empty rhetoric, both sides will compromise, and they'll end up settling in some form.

 

[Jake S]

In unrelated news: Disneyland will now replace the gas-powered Autopia fleet with electric cars in early 2027. I can't find any clear information on what deal Disney needed to strike with the California Air Resources Board, but ultimately that probably isn't all that important or interesting. This does seem to confirm that Autopia will be sticking around for quite a while longer. I think it's notable that no such announcement has been made at Disney World, though...

 

[Freak]

In unrelated news: Disneyland will now replace the gas-powered Autopia fleet with electric cars in early 2027. I can't find any clear information on what deal Disney needed to strike with the California Air Resources Board, but ultimately that probably isn't all that important or interesting. This does seem to confirm that Autopia will be sticking around for quite a while longer. I think it's notable that no such announcement has been made at Disney World, though...

Welp that means there are no plans in the next 10 years at least to put anything in that spot.

 

[Freak]

Used the last day of my three day ticket and hit up Roger Rabbit yesterday. Yeah, I hate the new change.

I actually wouldn’t be opposed to automated spinning if, you know, it actually spun more. It also has to face in the direction you need to face and not run backwards most of the time.

Unless they’re able to tweak it to not face backwards the whole time, they need to change it back. This is quite the downgrade.

 

[Tobias]

Earlier this week I had another trip down to the resort, definitely a lot sooner than I thought I'd return, but a planned trip I had to Texas in March got cancelled due to work not approving the time off, and there was a Spring sale going on for DL at the time so I jumped on the opportunity!

I was down there from the 10th-13th, and for the hotel this time I stayed at the Grand Californian since the prices were actually affordable for me! To no surprise whatsoever, just like the other two Peter Dominick hotels at Disney (Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge), I absolutely loved this hotel. From the big atrium lobby, to the many details big and small with plenty of cozy vibes, it had everything that I enjoy from the two WDW hotels. And this one lived up to the "Grand" title in both its location, and the CM's who were really top notch. Right off the bat when I arrived there was a CM outside who led me in to the check-in area which was rather busy, and from there a second CM quickly got my room key since the room was already ready. That kind of service just carried on through the stay, right to the end when the bellhop got my bag and made sure I was all good to go on leaving.

That kind of overall experience makes the price pretty worth it for me, doubly so considering the security checkpoints to either Downtown Disney or DCA were always quick or non-existent with the lines. An absolute far cry from the waits I had last year!

Now since I was here not too long ago, the rest of the report will be fairly brief. The new facial recognition for the gates worked just fine for me, I was already accustomed to it thanks to Universal Orlando, so it didn't bother me.

As for the new controlled movements for Rodger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. I'm in agreement with @Freak that this was a miss. I'm not opposed to the idea, but the cars were often facing backwards or not the most ideal directions for scenes. And that's ultimately not a good look since if you were facing a strange direction previously, that was on you. But now they're more in control, so that's now on them for the wonky viewpoints.

Thankfully, that was the only bad thing about the trip for me. Everything else was running just fine, and it was so good to have Soarin' Over California and Hyperspace Mountain back. (That was another factor on this trip, being able to see both of those again.)

Finally got to see Paint the Night and Wonderous Journey's proper, both were really good nighttime shows and a great way to cap off the first night.

I also saw Walt Disney - A Magical Life, and that ended up being a nice little show! The Walt AA looked fine enough to me from the seats (and not up close in pics), and I think the choice of the audio being archival was the smart way to go. Yes, there's still a strange aspect to it all, but Kevin from Defunctland put it best in his AA video that yeah, Walt himself ended up bringing this upon himself, go figure!

Food-wise, I tried a bunch of new options for me and there wasn't a bad choice. Tiana's Palace made for a consistently good lunch with both the Gumbo and Shrimp and Grits, Pym Test Kitchen provided a nice breakfast and lunch/dinner with Chilaquiles and the new Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese. Paseo once again provided a great brunch with Mole Dobelas. And the Mickey Beniegts in NOS and Poffertjes in Troubadour Taverne made for great dessert snacks.

I got to go back to Carthay Circle and that's still one of my favorite park restaurants. Love the decor, menu (Went with the Duck Confit Quesadilla and Wild Mushroom Paella), service and the place absolutely knows how to make a good drink. Was a little too hot for anything boozy that night, but their Wildberry Lemonade hit the spot.

Finally, I got to go to somewhere I couldn't last time, and it's been on my radar for quite a while...Napa Rose.

I'm very happy to say this place did not disappoint. It fits right at home in the GCH as the place looks great, the staff were super friendly and knowledgeable, and the food delivered. From a Amuse Bouche shooter which tasted like a Chai Tea, to a light and refreshing Hiramasa Crudo. There was also a Sweetbread Anolini Pasta which was freakin' devine, and a really well done Rack of Lamb. Capping things off was a beautiful and tasty Valrhona chocolate bar with hazelnut, and if that wasn't enough there was some tasty parting nibbles of chocolates and pâtés de fruits.
Also, I had a campfire smores inspired drink which got me tipsy in the best way.

Just like Takumi-Tei at Epcot, Napa Rose is fine dining in a cozy, relaxed environment. It's not stuffy, and with the overall experience and food you get, it's worth saving up to experience if it's your speed.

Other than that, after 20+ rides or so since 2019, I finally got to experience the "Free Ride" profile on GotG Mission: Breakout, and that's now one of my favorites of the regular programs. Finally, I saw some dude named Bob filming something in DL Monday morning, you would think he'd be on vacation at this point, but who knows.

All in all, a much-needed trip for me. Hope to be back again in the near future!