It’s officially spring! With warmer weather, spring break crowds, and Food and Wine festival in full swing, March was a very busy month at the Disneyland Resort. I hope you’re feeling renewed energy too…summer is so close! FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL IN FULL SWING As I mentioned above, the Food & Wine Festival kicked off […] Read more…
Grizzly Peak is the Disneyland Resort’s current “bear country”, but it wasn’t always that way. And one hidden gem inside of this land pays tribute to the Bear Country that came before it. Let’s go find Big Al. To visit him, let’s head toward the Grizzly River Run. To the left of the attractions entrance, […] Read more…
July 2025 – present LOCATION Main Street USA – Walt shares the same venue as President Lincoln at the front corner of Main Street. When you arrive in the park, turn right and you’ll see the theater toward the end of the block, next to the Disney Gallery. BACKGROUND To mark Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, Disney Parks […] Read more…
I absolutely love looking through old Disneyland photos. It’s so interesting to see how lands change and grow over time…and some of the guest fashion eras are so fun to look back on! With that in mind, please enjoy a new series that I hope is as fun to read through as it is for […] Read more…
January 2025 – present LOCATION Downtown Disney – Disney Storyland Boutique sits on the western side of Downtown Disney, on the main walkway between the park gates and hotels. To find the shop, head toward the Jazz Kitchen. You’ll see the Boutique next door, between the Jazz Kitchen and Centrico. EXPERIENCE Details: Merchandise – Custom […] Read more…
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is one of the most incredibly detailed, elaborately designed lands at the entire resort. So it’s not surprise that the hidden gems extend from the rooftops of the tallest buildings down to the floor beneath your feet. Which brings us to the subject of this post: the Batuu footprints. There are […] Read more…
When Disneyland was a startup project within a larger company, the early Imagineering team had to be scrappy. They had limited time, limited resources, and one big opportunity to “get it right”. The team members who helped make this project happen had to be an equal mix of talented and adaptable, able to work on […] Read more…
Regardless of the actual equinox date, in my brain it’s finally springtime when Food & Wine returns. Great news one and all – we’re finally in spring! California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival is back now through April 27. Source: Disneyland Resort California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival is a daily experience open to all park […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 106, a monthly Q&A post covering a variety of resort-related topics. Ask The Duchess answers questions submitted by readers. If you have a question you’d like answered, send me a message here. Is Rise of the Resistance worth the individual Lightning Lane, or should I just rope drop […] Read more…
I am so, so happy it’s March. This winter has been really brutal for me (and I’m sure many of you), and I’m so anxiously awaiting sunshine, warmer weather, and just the energy of spring! in February, the Disneyland Resort didn’t show much winter gloom. With celebrations, new happenings, and a sneak peek at what’s […] Read more…
Adventureland is one of those spaces in the park that’s intentionally dense. You’re surrounded by thick trees, and you don’t get much variation of landscape unless you hop on the Jungle Cruise or venture into the Temple. So when I look through photos of this area (my own included), I tend to see the same […] Read more…
When we think about Disneyland, usually very vivid images come to mind: your favorite roller coasters, the castle, the mountains. But in between these epic moments are the subtler sights and sounds that work together to give Disneyland its atmosphere. And one of the Imagineers that lent her hand to these details is Joyce Carlson. […] Read more…
The 2026 Disneyland After Dark Lineup is well underway, but I still wanted to take a moment to explain everything coming this spring! Disneyland After Dark is a series of ticketed evening parties in Disneyland, on select nights. Like the Halloween parties, these events offer guests smaller crowds, special offerings, character encounters, and unique photo […] Read more…
Since becoming Bayou Country, this area of Disneyland still feels very familiar. You still have the sweeping river views, the mountain (though dressed a little differently), and the creek where Pooh and friends hang out. So for me, Bayou Country is still a wonderful place to visit after the sun goes down. Most of the […] Read more…