The annual Lunar New Year Festival at Disneyland Resort is ideal for foodies who like to taste and share as they stroll from one food stall to the following on an Asian-inspired culinary adventure.

I got down to sample all the recent foods available this 12 months on the six festival marketplace booths during a soft-opening preview on Thursday, January 16, at Disney California Adventure.

The 2025 Lunar New Year Festival, celebrating Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures and traditions, officially begins on Friday, January seventeenth and runs until February sixteenth at Anaheim Theme Park.

Sip and Savor passes ($48 for most of the people, $45 for Magic Key annual passholders) allow visitors to buy a prepaid card with six digital coupons good for individual items at food and drinks vendors throughout the festival are valid.

The 2025 festival, celebrating the Year of the Snake, also includes a parade-like procession starring Mulan, the Hurry Home introduction to the World of Color water show, live music and photo ops with Disney characters.

Let's take a more in-depth have a look at the five best recent edibles in the marketplace stalls of the Lunar New Year Festival.

1) Chocolate crackers

It's especially great when high expectations are exceeded.

At Disney's food festivals, there's at all times something on the menu that I hope and pray tastes nearly as good because it looks and sounds.

This 12 months's top contender was the chocolate cracker. It looks fun and tastes even higher.

The Chocolate Firecracker is strictly what I wanted. Soft mousse and tender cake inside. Discreet chocolate shell on the surface. Topped with flavorless Pop Rocks that add some surprise and crunch without competing with the triple chocolate flavor profile.

This is a fully perfect treat. If you simply eat one thing at Disney's Lunar New Year Food Festival, make it the Chocolate Firecracker. You won't be sorry.

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2) Pho Dip

Wrapped with Love Festival Marketplace Stall

What I really like about Disney's food festivals is that the chefs take a well-recognized concept and provides it a bit twist. In this case, it's a French dip sandwich with Asian flavors.

The sandwich includes a delicious flavor combination of savory beef, gorgeous pickled onions, a touch of jalapeno heat, and creamy dressing on an excellent soft hoagie bun. The highlight is the Chinese five-spice dip that mixes all of the flavors.

By Disney standards, the pho dip is a good portion at a food festival, where that isn't at all times the case.

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3) Tangerine cream puffs

Wrapped with Love Festival Marketplace Stall

From the surface, the pastry looks like a concha-style Mexican sweet bread in the form of a sliced ​​orange.

The real surprise is if you dig into dessert. You higher watch out. I like to recommend starting with a fork moderately than biting into the dough unless you should carry the cream puff filling throughout the remaining of your visit.

The inside is full of a spicy tangerine jam. The orange filling oozes like chocolate from a lava cake.

Disney is commonly too sweet with its desserts. But not here. The cream puff is excellent.

4) Light chicken wings

Stall on the Red Dragon Spice Traders Festival Marketplace

The “fire” within the wings’ name definitely delivers – but in a Disney way. I'd call this “theme park hot” – enough heat to be noticeable, but nothing that a sip of whatever you're drinking can't cool it down.

The Korean barbecue sauce was delicious and plentiful – however the chicken was a bit dry.

This is an ideal dish to share with three wings as you proceed tasting your way through the food festival.

The wings were briefly supply through the soft opening preview – and the long queues on the stand suggested they might be a preferred alternative when the festival is in full swing.

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5) Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tacos

Stall on the Red Dragon Spice Traders Festival Marketplace

Don’t let the “tacos” within the menu description idiot you. This is a single street taco – which makes the $8 price a bit high even by Disney standards.

The highlight here is the Korean flavors of an otherwise extraordinary Mexican taco.

The gochujang pepper paste gives the taco a spicy, savory and barely sweet taste.

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Char Siu pork knuckles

Stand available in the market square of the Bamboo Blessing Festival

Not all the recent foods were available through the soft opening preview – so I'll must try the pork knuckles one other time.

But that's the perfect thing about Disney's food festivals. There is at all times something recent to try next time. And luckily I still have one item left on my Sip and Savor pass.

Originally published: January 17, 2025 at 5:07 am PST

An Orange County research university within the shadow of Disneyland may soon develop into home to an educational think tank dedicated to studying Walt Disney's life's work and the Anaheim theme park's impact on the world.

Disney historian Jeff Kurtti and Chapman University Professor Brian Alter explore the feasibility of developing a Walt Disney Think Tank on the research university, positioned 5 miles from Disneyland in Old Towne Orange.

The think tank would examine the life, legacy and global impact of the Disneyland founder, in addition to his influence on art, music, culture, business, economic development, transportation, urban planning, thematic environments, placemaking, science, technology and innovation.

“A think tank on Walt Disney is such an interesting and deep area of ​​research,” Kurtti said during a telephone interview. “Even today, almost 60 years after his death, the things he imagined are still relevant. People keep coming back to them. Our intention is to explore this aspect of Walt Disney’s personality – biographically, creatively and professionally.”

Alter has taught science and education at Chapman, Harvard and McGill universities. His hottest course at Chapman: The Pursuit of Happiness and Knowledge: Charles Darwin and Walt Disney.

“Walt Disney is a visionary whose career has spanned numerous industries and continues to shape everyday life around the world. From an academic perspective, Walt Disney remains woefully under-researched,” Alter said in an announcement released by Chapman.

Almost the whole lot Walt Disney worked on either expanded an idea, evolved an idea, or pushed it forward with a brand new dynamic that continues to resonate today, Kurtti said.

“Whether it's movies, music, parks or placemaking, these are all things that Walt Disney still touches on, long after he's gone,” Kurtti said.

Kurtti visited Disneyland for the primary time as a baby in 1971 and immediately became a “huge Disney nut.” He was hired by the Disney company in 1986 and spent the following many years working on projects at Disneyland.

“For me, there's always this great feeling because it's Walt's Park,” Kurtti said. “It’s the one he got his hands on.”

Kurtti can't consider a greater place for a Walt Disney Think Tank than Chapman University.

“In the evenings I sat on my laptop and could hear the fireworks every night at 9:30 because it's so close to Disneyland,” Kurtti said. “It’s almost as if Chapman was created to have something important to do with the study of Walt Disney.”

Alters and Kurtti are expected to finish the Walt Disney Think Tank feasibility report in a couple of yr.

Originally published: November 5, 2024 at 10:18 am PST

With the introduction of an expensive latest direct option for big-spending VIPs, Disneyland's savings offering has gone from being probably the most inexpensive to the most costly amongst California theme parks.

Disneyland's latest $400 Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows visitors to skip lines on 24 rides without making a return time reservation.

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A brand new study by the Mickey visit The Theme Park Blog compares top prices at major theme parks within the United States.

According to Mickey Visit, the eye-watering price of Disneyland's latest Premier Pass is $81 to $330 higher than comparable premium perks at Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SeaWorld San Diego and Legoland California.

Disneyland's $32 Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which requires visitors to order return time for 22 rides, stays among the finest bargains in comparison with local competitors. According to Mickey Visit, Disneyland's Multi Pass is between $8 and $167 cheaper than basic perks at other SoCal theme parks.

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How do queue services compare at other Southern California theme parks? Let's take a more in-depth look.

All front-of-the-line passes at Southern California theme parks allow visitors to skip the road and get to pick out attractions faster. However, each pass has different rules, options and costs.

Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

The price of Disneyland's latest Lightning Lane Premier Pass will remain constant at $400 throughout the pilot launch from October twenty third to December thirty first. Prices range from $300 to $400 as of January 1st.

The Premier Pass allows visitors a single ride on every available Lightning Lane attraction at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure – including Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers.

The big advantage of the Premier Pass is that visitors can ride any Lightning Lane attraction at any time without setting a return time within the Disneyland app.

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Universal Studios Hollywood

According to Mickey Visit, Universal Express at Universal Studios Hollywood costs $199 to $319.

The big difference with Universal's Express Pass is that it includes admission to the park and will not be an extra charge.

Combining the fee of the Lightning Lane Premier Pass with a Disneyland ticket would bring the entire price to between $404 and $681, depending on Disney's variable pricing calendar.

Universal's Express Pass also allows visitors to skip the lines on unlimited rides – not only once per ride at Disneyland and DCA.

Knott's Berry Farm

According to Mickey Visit, the fast lane pass at Knott's Berry Farm costs between $74 and $129.

The Knott's Fast Lane wristband offers visitors unlimited rides to pick out attractions throughout the day.

Knott's limits the variety of Fast Lane wristbands sold each day and doesn’t sell them in any respect on select days of the week.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

According to Mickey Visit, the Flash Pass at Six Flags Magic Mountain costs $170 to $275.

Magic Mountain's costliest Flash Pass Ultimate offers visitors immediate access to the priority boarding lane. Flash Pass Premium cuts waiting time in half.

The Flash Pass provides a virtual spot within the queue for visitors, who could make one reservation at a time.

Sea World San Diego

According to Mickey Visit, Quick Queue Unlimited and Reserved Seating Plus at SeaWorld San Diego cost $40 to $70.

SeaWorld perks provide visitors with reserved show seating and unlimited skip-the-line access to 5 rides, in addition to one-time skip-the-line access to the Arctic Rescue attraction.

Legoland California

According to Mickey Visit, the Reserve & Ride Ultimate pass at Legoland California costs $100 to $135.

Visitors reserve attractions using the Reserve & Ride option within the Legoland app and wait in a virtual queue for his or her turn to ride. Reservations should be used or canceled before one other reservation could be made.

Legoland guarantees that Reserve & Ride will reduce wait times at 17 attractions by 25 to 90%.

Originally published: October 17, 2024 at 10:13 am

A sprawling themed land based on “Avatar: The Way of Water” and other upcoming movies within the series is being built at Disneyland Resort, promising action-packed excitement on the vast seas of Pandora.

Among the numerous recent attractions announced throughout the recent D23 fan event in Anaheim and set to launch over the subsequent five years as a part of an ambitious expansion plan is a brand new Avatar experience planned for Disney California Adventure.

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Much of the data available concerning the Avatar land coming to DCA is predicated on concept art from Walt Disney Imagineering. Disney's creative department uses concept art to visualise potential ideas and get fans enthusiastic about a project — which might change and evolve over time.

Let’s take a better have a look at seven things you might want to find out about DCA’s recent Avatar-themed land.

1) What is the story behind the brand new Avatarland?

The backstory of the brand new Avatar experience coming to Disney California Adventure ties into the $5 billion motion sci-fi franchise that can span five movies by 2031.

Disney acquired the Avatar franchise in 2019 as a part of a $71 billion deal to purchase twenty first Century Fox.

DCA's recent Avatar-themed land is predicated on the second film, “The Way of Water,” coming in 2022, the third film, “Fire and Ash,” coming in 2025, and other upcoming movies within the franchise.

Disney has not yet referred to the Avatar extension as a “theme land,” but has alternately described it as an “experience,” a “destination,” and an “area.”

Concept art suggests that the Avatar experience in DCA will likely be a large themed land on the dimensions of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (16 acres) at Disneyland and Pandora (12 acres) at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida.

“It will have a scope and level worthy of these epic stories,” said Imagineer Ali Rubinstein throughout the D23 event in Anaheim.

2) What attractions will there be in the brand new Avatar Land?

So far, Disney has only discussed one recent attraction that guarantees motion and thrills on the vast seas of Pandora.

The modern boat ride takes passengers on a journey through Pandora's rainforest, glowing in vibrant shades of blue, green and purple.

“Guests will have the adventure of a lifetime, seeking out majestic natural wonders unique to Pandora and experiencing the beauty – and danger – that the journey brings,” Rubinstein said during D23. “This will be a dynamic, intense and emotional experience on a grand scale that we know our guests will love.”

Concept art shows boaters heading toward a towering, ribbed rock structure that likely hides a large attraction constructing. The boats pass under two bridges on an unlimited body of water fed by several waterfalls.

The concept drawing of the positioning shows three other possible locations where additional attractions could possibly be situated.

An aerial photograph of the positioning shows interconnected Quonset huts which will house a second major attraction, the precise address of which has not yet been disclosed.

A series of tiered ponds with bubbling geysers resembles the brand new “Journey of Water” attraction, inspired by the film “Moana,” at Epcot theme park in Florida.

A hoop of Panopyra love flowers in an enclosed, cocoon-like area looks like a flat teacup ride, just like the Mad Tea Party in Fantasyland.

3) Which Pandora creatures will appear in the brand new Avatar Land?

Highly territorial and cooperative, viperwolves hunt in packs, devouring their prey with bone-crushing jaws. Concept art shows a pack of viperwolves stalking within the branches above the water while riders pass by in a ship below.

“This world can be beautiful, but if we lose our bearings, it can also be dangerous,” Rubinstein said during D23.

The fast and chic dart deer has characteristic sail-like membranes on its head and neck that may expand and contract.

The massive hammerhead titanothere fish with 4 eyes and 6 limbs raises its beautiful purple crest when it feels threatened or is mating.

The boat ride concept image features dart deer lining the riverbank and a hammerhead shark wading within the water.

The huge, passive, whale-like Tulkun is very smart and verbal, with strong musical and poetic abilities. Concept art shows one among the majestic sea creatures leaping out of the water to the surprise of boaters.

4) Which Pandora flora will appear in the brand new Avatar land?

Concept art of the boat ride in the brand new Avatar land shows Panopyra, Helicoradian and other Pandora plants.

The healing and nutritious Panopyra, also often known as the “love flower,” looks like a jellyfish and has a primitive nervous system.

The salmon-colored Helicoradian plant has the flexibility to quickly roll up and retract on the lightest touch.

Concept art shows Panopyra and Helicoradian dangling over boats traveling through a lush rainforest.

“Along the way, we discover dense forests filled with incredible animals and bioluminescent flora, all of which transport us to the vast open seas of Pandora,” Rubinstein said during D23.

5) What Na'vi environments and RDA structures will appear in the brand new Avatar Land?

On the sting of the Avatar-themed land, concept art shows interconnected Quonset huts and military-style base buildings built by the Resources Development Administration (RDA), which mines unobtainium.

Concept art shows triangular parasols covering the Marui villages of the reef-dwelling Metkayina clan seen in “The Way of the Water.”

Pandora's famous floating Hallelujah Mountains are connected to the bottom and to one another by cable-like vegetation bridges.

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The concept art shows a semicircular rock formation in the middle of the Avatar-themed land that appears just like the ribs of a large animal.

Nearby, a rock formation that appears like tendons winds around several pools with bubbling geysers.

6) Where will the brand new Avatar Land be built?

Disney officials have announced that the brand new Avatar experience will likely be situated at Disney California Adventure, but without specifying an actual location.

This means the Way of Water destination could possibly be built inside the present DCA theme park, within the Disneyland Forward Westside expansion area, or on the esplanade between the 2 parks.

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A possible location for a West Coast version of the world of Pandora can be DCA's unused studio lot, Hollywood Land, and the adjoining pedestrian promenade and bus depot between the 2 parks.

An Avatar experience has been hinted at as a possible Disneyland Forward expansion project. The DCA portion of the theme park expansion area is situated within the Downtown Disney parking zone south of the Pixar Place hotel.

According to Disneyland officials, DisneylandForward will allow Walt Disney Imagineering to think more broadly about the probabilities and develop ideas for the event of the Avatar destination.

7) When will Avatarland open?

Disneyland has not yet announced a start date for construction or a gap date for the Avatar-themed destination.

Of all the brand new attractions announced for the Disneyland Resort during D23, constructing an Avatar-themed land from scratch would take the longest.

A full Avatar-themed land based on The Way of Water would likely take as long to construct as Star Wars Galaxy's Edge – which took 4 years. A single Avatar attraction with no full land could possibly be accomplished more quickly.

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Given the projects planned for the Disneyland Resort, the opening of the brand new Avatar land is unlikely to occur until 2028 on the earliest – and 2029, if the brand new attractions planned for the Avengers Campus are planned before Pandora.

The prolonged timeline for constructing a brand new Avatar-themed land of epic proportions likely signifies that construction might want to begin inside the subsequent yr or so.

Originally published: September 12, 2024 at 5:52 am