Hey there, Theresa. Welcome back to planDisney. Ahhhh! I'm so excited to hear that you will be attending
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. I always look forward to this incredible event, and I can't think of a better way to kick off the festivities than with a visit to the Disneyland Resort.
As Walt famously said, "As long as there's imagination left in the world, Disneyland will never be complete." There's a lot of progress happening around the resort and I'm happy to share some suggestions for new things to experience since your last visit.
Let's start with Disneyland Park. The resort has been
celebrating its 70th anniversary, although sadly, the festivities are scheduled to wrap up on August 9th, just before all the D23 fun starts. The good news is that something that's been a big part of the celebration will be sticking around, and that's the
Paint the Night parade. If you haven't had a chance to experience this parade yet, or even if it's been a while, I highly recommend adding this to your must-do list. When it comes to attractions, Walt Disney - A Magical Life is a great one to add to your list. This attraction made its debut last summer during the beginning of the anniversary celebration. You'll also find Miguel and Dante, who are new additions to "it's a small world," and a new
Tangled tower featured on the Storybook Land Canal Boats.
Hopping over to Disney California Adventure Park, Soarin' Across America will make its debut on July 2nd. And if you didn't get a chance to catch World of Color – ONE during your last visit, I highly recommend adding this experience to your list as well. This nighttime spectacular will make a return for a limited time starting August 10th. The
Star Wars and Marvel scenes are standouts for me.
California Adventure also celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, and Mickey and Minnie are celebrating in new outfits on Buena Vista Street for a limited time. Hopefully, they're still sporting these fabulous fits during your visit for a picture.
There are also a lot of new things to explore in
Downtown Disney District with new, whimsical stores like The D-Lander Shop and Disney Storyland Boutique.
Before we wrap things up, we can't forget about the snacks. A few notable snacks include the cookies from Harbour Galley. Nothing beats a soft cookie right out of the oven. The Garlic Cheesy Pretzel Bread (with or without Bratwurst) from Maurice's Treats is another fan favorite. If you aren't already, I also recommend following
@disneyeats on Instagram for all of the new offerings as you get closer to your visit.
Finally, keep an eye on
Disney Parks Blog for all of the updates and happenings for D23 - especially when it comes to D23 Day. There were so many great things happening around the parks
last time around, I can't wait to hear what's in store for this year.
Theresa, I hope this gives you a good starting point for your upcoming visit. It's going to be a visit overflowing with magic and I'm so excited for you. Please come back to see us with any other questions that you might have. Until then, here's wishing you an amazing D23 convention and magical time at the Happiest Place on Earth!
Michelle