Welcome to a new edition of the DLPReport! This week we celebrated May The 4th, said goodbye to Disney Village memories, and went.. Up! Let’s take a look.
We’re going up up up
This week Disney announced that another scene was going to be replaced in “Pays des Contes de Fées”, as the Oz scene would be transformed in a vignette from Pixar’s Up!
Up! joins two stories already being installed in the Attraction: Frozen and Winnie the Pooh. Reactions were mixed, with about half the readers excited for the change, and the other half lamenting the loss of Oz and the not-really-a-fairytale nature of Up!
On this topic, this week we got a peek at the North Mountain and Elsa’s Ice Palace being installed in the Attraction. I guess this is the size S Ice Palace, while the size M is being installed at Walt Disney Studios Park.
Disney also used this occasion to low key drop that the Attraction would be sponsored by (mostly plastic) bottled water company Vittel, a Nestle Brand interestingly as we’re about to get M&M’ed by junk food competitor Mars.
“Pays des Contes de Fées” is scheduled to reopen later this summer.
May The 4th
As per tradition, May The 4th in the Disney Parks you will celebrate. This year was no exception, with a fun list of one day only happenings.
The big surprise was a meet and greet with Darth Maul! Of course it was absolute chaos with long wait times and line cutting but hey- fun!
R2 was rolling around Discoveryland
Two shows were on offer for the day, the traditional First Order March (video above)
And a light version of the Jedi Training Academy – without the set.
Food has done their homework with a special Chewbacca donut which wasn’t a catastrophe.
Merchandise arrived on time this year and featured a great Star Tours zip hoodie/jacket.
This was also the occasion to release this fantastic Rex themed collectible key.
And Guests could also collect two Star Wars Cards and one “Park Icon” Star Tours card.
Disneyland Paris has gotten pretty good at throwing these one day events that are maybe a bit chaotic but that’s all part of the fun!
Slicing up Disney Village
As with any milt year projects that are conducted while keeping most of the businesses open, Disney Village is being sliced up on little pieces each and every day. The area of interest currently is the Disney Gallery to Disney Fashion Jr. stretch, and it shows.
On Sunday we said goodbye forever to the Disney Gallery, a 90’s throwback shop which was cherished by collectibles fans. The location was a shell of its former self, with dated furnishing and closed off dusty areas. Still, another page gets turned. Thank you for all the rare items, limited releases and artist signings. Hopefully there will be a new location for these types of merchandise at Disney Village.
While it’s not as iconic, we also say goodbye to Disney Fashion.
Both stores will merge together into one big Disney Style and Fashion venue as part of the Disney Village remodel.
Next door, the LEGO Store is also closing in its current iteration, but will temporarily reopen in the Arcade space late May, until the original space has been transformed.
With all this unsightly construction everywhere, a lovely new colorful Spring/Summer backdrop has been installed.
The Disney Village transformation is a multi year project that was slated to take at least 5 years back when it was announced in 2022 so needless to say, we’re not done with this mess!
Construction and Refurbishments
We start at Disney Adventure World with World of Frozen which is taking shape each and everyday, especially the rock work for the North Mountain at the moment. Where Ice Palace Size M will go.
At “Raiponce Tangled Spin”, the main roof structure is complete and awaiting covering, while the queue structure is assembled. Part of the turntable was uncovered, possibly for the first tests of the ride vehicles.
Good progress is also being made in the “Regal View Restaurant and Lounge”. Looks like it’s gonna be nice.
Across the way, the Adventure Bay show control tower / snack / restrooms building is also coming along nicely.
And in the background, trees have been planted and parasols installed for the “Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Back to Wonderland” queue and waiting area. The show premieres on May 25, with previews from May 18.
Staying at Walt Disney Studios Park, the Studio 1 restrooms have reopened – separated from the construction site by a wall and giant tarps.
Between the two parks, the “Park Full” sign has finally been themed a bit.
At Disneyland Park, walls are down on Flower Street after refurbishment work that includes accessible counters.
In Fantasyland, a new section is closed near the Dumbo exit for further repaving.
The Molly Brown has returned to the Revere of the Far West this week after a refurbishment that included a paint job, especially near the water line. It was needed!
In Discoveryland works have started for the construction of an additional maintenance bay.
And talking about pavement – the land could really use some love.
This and That..
From June 1, 2024:
- Disney Stars on Parade will move to 11:30am
- “A Million Splashes of Colour” will move to the afternoon and the evening: 2pm / 3:25pm / 5:50pm / 7:05 pm – providing entertainment later in the day this summer.
3 Avengers Campus shows will return on Wednesday May 8, bringing the land back to its full slate of entertainment:
- Heroic Ceremony
- The Incredible Spider-man
- Avengers Unite
“TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure” has completed its current run. The show will return on June 8 with 5 shows performed daily instead of 4.
There’s a new Mickey brownie in Discoveryland and IT’S GOOD.
And casting calls have revealed that “Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Back to Wonderland” is set to return in 2025 sometime between February and September.
