Welcome back! It’s a new week at the Resort and with the run up to the holidays it’s been relatively quiet. We still have a few interesting news and updates to let’s take a look!
2025
With the new year just around the corner, the traditional garish collection has hit the shops! T-shirts, hooodies, mug, pens and .. a bus – take your pick to celebrate the new year and never wear it again!
This year, Disneyland Paris is once again not having a hard ticket event but instead will add a bit of pizzazz to the evening’s schedule. On the menu: two performances of Disney Illuminations, two dance parties, a few special character interactions and of course the traditional midnight show which in recent years has featured fireworks and drones (weather permitting of course).
The parks are sold out on Dec 31 (if you don’t already have your hotel package, dated ticket or park reservation of course), but if you’re locked out you can still celebrate at Disney Hotels and Disney Village.
Construction and Maintenance
This week Walt Disney Imagineering celebrated the arrival of new trees for the Disney Adventure World project and more specifically on Adventure Way, the landscaped area that will link the old to the new. From Disney, on the installation of the tallest tree in the expansion, standing nearly 16 meters tall: “This majestic Quercus phellos (Willow Oak) will proudly overlook Gazebo Garden, where guests can enjoy a range of entertainment in an elegant setting, inspired by English-style gardens. This tree species can reach 30 meters in height when fully grown.
In total, more than 1,000 trees of various species will be planted throughout the park’s expansion, further immersing visitors in the themed lands.”
The area behind Tower of Terror will be (very imaginatively) called Gazebo Garden, “where guests can enjoy a range of entertainment in an elegant setting, inspired by English-style gardens”. And this is where the Willow Oak is headed.
In Toy Story Playland, loosely themed Cars kiosks have been installed. They appear to simply be a version of the ones that used to be on Hollywood Blvd, adapted for the area. While the project is not ambitious, it is a nice F&B addition for this land which never featured any.
The menus are pretty basic but will appeal to families looking for a sweet treat or a quick meal.
Closer to Cars Road Trip, another kiosk has appeared but the menu board is the only thing themed to cars.. the menu is themed to .. Belgium.
At Disneyland Park, things are getting serious at Castle Stage with the floor for the new stage now in place. The venue is being new backstage rooms for performers, a redesigned stage, tech and infrastructure upgrades. In recent years it’s become clear that the stage setup was obsolete for most of the shows the Resort was looking to create and so this in-depth project should address the situation. It’s expected to be ready in Spring / Summer 2025 with hopefully a new show soon after that.
The Dumbo fountain has finally been cleaned and the Tea Cups one too!
The next water feature in need is ‘it’s a small world’. Send help.
At Disney Village, glass doors are being installed at the LEGO Store, and the awnings are making good progress. This project, and the nearby stores owned by Disney are for for a first quarter 2025 opening.
In the Resort Hub, walls are finally down at the remodeling project of the security screening area and nearby resort gates. The project which, granted, took a while, has greatly improved the arrival sequence. Works are moving and continue into Disney Village as part of that area’s remodel.
This and That..
The Mickey- shaped “Galette des Rois” (kings cake, filled with almond custard) has already arrived at Market House Deli (€6.50). Photo by us.
Recrutement in various roles has begun for a third restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel. The gastronomic venue will offer a “brand new revolutionary culinary concept” in collaboration with a “world famous french chef”. Contract start dates range from Jan 15 – Feb 5, 2025.
