Month: January 2020

Spiderman Stuntronic Confirmed for Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized
Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure park

Earlier today Disney confirmed that Spiderman as seen in the concept art will be swinging above the rooftops of Avengers Campus when the land opens later this summer. This will be the stuntronic that Disney has been teasing us with ever since last year and again in the Imagineering Story. Disney has provided a video of this stuntronic testing in a, “top secret location”.

I am super excited this is confirmed by Disney and hopefully it will not be cut like the entertainment in Galaxy’s Edge. What do you think of this news? Are you more excited for Avengers Campus? Are you more excited for the Spiderman ride or stunt show? Let me know in the comments below and follow this blog for more updates on Avengers Campus.

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Concept Art For New DVC Tower Revealed

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

The O.C Register has revealed new concept art for the new DVC tower coming to the Disneyland Hotel. The tower will stand 12 stories and have 350 units which is the largest expansion of DVC units on the West Coast ever. The new tower is beautifully designed with a fresh modern take on the classic style of the older towers of the Disneyland Hotel.

Some people, including me, are speculating if this could be the eventual new design of the Disneyland Hotel towers as well. Ever since the now cancelled 4th hotel was proposed, rumors have been circulating that Disney was planning to tear down the older Disneyland Hotel towers one by one and the 4th hotel would be the new Disneyland Hotel. Now I still think Disney can proceed and do something similar after the DVC tower is built. They can tear one down tower at a time while keeping the other two in operation and rebuild them to match the style of the DVC tower for a brand new modern Disneyland Hotel by 2030.

What do you think will happen with the Disneyland Hotel? What do you think of the look of the DVC tower? Comment below your thoughts and follow this blog for updates on this project as well as other Disney projects!

RIP Iconic Laker and NBA Legend Kobe Bean Bryant, Kobe Tragically Passed Away in a Helicopter Crash

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized
Image result for kobe bryant
I will miss you Kobe

I know this is not a theme park story, but it is a story about a person near and dear to my heart which is why I am reporting it here.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash this morning in Calabasas, California about 1 min away from my former community. I grew up loving and watching the Lakers because of Kobe. I still watch and cheer them on to this day because of what he did for me and the team. Hard work, dedication, championships and continued ambition have paved the way and inspiration for other great NBA players such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry.

I can’t even imagine how Vanessa and the rest of the family is feeling at this moment in time.

No cause of the crash has been determined yet, but it was reported that the engine began sputtering before the copter went down. It was also very foggy last night and this morning which definitely could have contributed to the crash. Prayers to his family and everyone involved.

What is your favorite Kobe Bryant memory? Share them below and let’s reflect on his wonderful amazing life together. #RIPKOBE

BREAKING NEWS: Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disney Resort to Temporarily Close Because of Coronavirus

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

Shanghai Disney Resort announced that the resort will be closed temporarily starting January 25th because of the coronavirus. The resort released a statement regarding the issue below:

“

In response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak and in order to ensure the health and safety of our guests and Cast, Shanghai Disney Resort is temporarily closing Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown including Walt Disney Grand Theatre and Wishing Star Park, starting January 25, 2020. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and be in close contact with the local government, and we will announce the reopening date upon confirmation.

Shanghai Disney Resort will assist in the refund for guests who have purchased tickets for admission to Shanghai Disneyland, have booked a resort hotel, or have booked tickets for Beauty and the Beast Mandarin Production through the original ticket purchase channel, and we will introduce the detailed procedure and guidelines via the resort’s official platforms as soon as possible.

We wish our guests a healthy and happy Spring Festival!

Shanghai Disney Resort
January 24, 2020

“

The resort is issuing refunds to those who have booked trips starting from the 25th. The coronavirus has sickened hundreds of people in China as they start their Lunar New Year travels and has made it to several other countries including the United States. Updates to this story will come as soon as they are announced.

UPDATE: Hong Kong Disneyland stops all meet and greets due to coronavirus as well. Hong Kong Disneyland is now closed until further notice as well. Keep checking this blog for updates.

Image result for shanghai disneyland

Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run to Offer Fastpass+ at Walt Disney World

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

Starting February 19th Smuggler’s Run at Walt Disney World will begin offering Fastpass. Guests are currently able to make a Fastpass+ reservation on the My Disney Experience app. This ride will be in the same tier as Slinky Dog Dash, meaning you can only choose one or the other at one time to make a reservation.

So far this is only at Hollywood Studios, but expect it to come to the Disneyland Resort in the next couple of months as waits at the attraction are not insane. Rise of the Resistance at both parks will contiune using a virtual queue system for the time being.

What do you think of this new development? Do you think Smuggler’s Run needs Fastpass? Do you think it will bump up the stand by wait times? Let me know in the comments below!

New Concept Art Revealed For Magic Happens Parade at Disneyland Park!

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

Disney today released some new concept art for some of the floats in the Magic Happens Parade debuting February 28th. Disney revealed the images for the Sword and The Stone, Cinderella, and The Princess and the Frog floats along with a new video offering a sneak peek at the behind the scenes action of the making of the parade.

Sneak Peek of the Awe-Inspiring ‘Magic Happens’ Parade
Cinderella

Here is a look at the all new Cinderella float as she is going to the ball and undergoes her magical transformation into a princess.

The Sword in the Stone float
The Sword and the Stone

Next we have The Sword and the Stone as Arthur pulls out the stone for the first time on his way to become king!

The Princess and the Frog float
The Princess and the Frog

Lastly, we have the magical moment that Tiana and her prince transform from being frogs to the beautiful couple they are meant to be.

That is all the new concept art Disney has given out, if you want to see the concept art for the other floats click right here! What do you think of the new floats? Are you excited for this new parade to come to Disneyland next month? Let me know in the comments below!

Last Day To Ride Wild Arctic At Sea World San Diego Was January 10th

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

Last Friday was your last opportunity to ride Wild Arctic at Sea World San Diego. The simulator ride was 25 years old and is rumored to be replaced by a family multi launch coaster. The Wild Arctic exhibits are staying though and will hopefully even get a refresh.

This new coaster is rumored to open in 2021 and be a family launch coaster similar to Wavebreaker at Sea World San Antonio. This coaster will have a max height of 30 feet and have a speed around 42 mph. Below are the proposed plans for the coaster.

Image result for emperor construction sea world
Image courtesy of Behind The Thrills

We should see construction start sometime in the Spring right after Emperor opens as this coaster will be built in the current staging area for Emperor. So I would expect demo to occur on the former ride for the next few months until Emperor opens sometime in April or May.

What do you think of Sea World’s aggressive coaster expansion in all of its parks? Are you happy they are focusing more on rides than animal shows? Let me know in the comments below!

Universal Studios Hollywood Lunar New Year Celebration!

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Lunar New Year starts January 23rd and goes through February 9th. It will be located in the main plaza where all of the events at the park are held and for the most part seems like a repeat of the offerings from last year.

This year Universal will be offering:

  • Character Meet and Greets featuring characters from Kung Fu Panda, Minions, and Transformers
  • Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop with savory Asian dishes
  • Wishing Trees where you can make a wish and hope it comes true
  • Feng The Place Artist’s Stand where you can draw your favorite characters from the Kung Fu Panda movies
  • Special Food Offerings
  • Cultural Entertainment

Will you be going to this year’s Lunar New Year festival? What of the above offerings are you looking forward to the most? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and follow this blog for constant theme park updates!

Disney Announces Resident and Hotel Discounts For 2020 and With Me You Can Get Them Cheaper!!

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

Welcome to 2020! Disney is giving everyone who lives in Southern California a great ticket deal for this off season! There are two discounts I have here for all of you and I am going to break them down for you right now.

The first is the 3 Day one park per day or parkhopper ticket. For $199 you can get a 3 Day non consecutive one park per day ticket to the Disneyland Resort and for $254 you can get a 3 Day parkhopper non consecutive ticket to the resort. Both tickets must be used by May 21, 2020 and have a one week blockout period during Spring Break. Now if you combine the tickets with a two night hotel stay you can save an extra $10 off your package. You may purchase those tickets here!

For the next special it is the same one as above, but without the hotel and is only for Southern California residents. You may purchase those right here!

During these next few months the Disneyland Resort will welcome Rise of the Resistance in ten days, Lunar New Year in a few weeks, Califronia Adventure’s Food and Wine Festival as well as a brand new daytime parade, so go ahead and buy those tickets so you can enjoy the plethora of new entertainment and attractions coming to the resort!

Will Disney Raise Ticket Prices Soon?

by socalthemeparkwizard, posted in Uncategorized

Today marks exactly one year since the last price increase for the Disneyland Resort. Many people are wondering if Disney will raise their ticket prices again soon especially considering Rise of the Resistance opens in two weeks.

Disney usually gives little to no warning on when they are going to raise prices, but the most tell-tell sign is when the website is going down for maintenance which usually happens for a few hours overnight.

My question is how high can Disney raise the already expensive prices? This summer crowds were non-existent due to fear or Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, but come this past holidays the resort was bursting at the seams. My guess is that since I am sure the low crowds this past summer hurt Disney’s bottom line, I do not think there will be a price increase at least until closer to the Avengers Campus opening this summer.

What do you think will happen? Will Disney raise prices and when? Let me know your thoughts down below!