Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2023 Edition

My family member's phone is also a medical device that provides the data to administer medication and assess medical device. The phone needs to be "on" your body to work.
That's something really cool I didn't know existed. Out of curiosity and feel free to not answer but would your family member be able to ride Tron with their condition?
 
Why is Universal requiring folks to leave their stuff before even going into the line?
Because we can't have nice things, namely...
people lost change and it hit another train (Dueling Dragons was notorious for this).
...it's widely discussed that at least some of those people didn't "lose" change so much as threw it. As a joke. Which is apparently funny.

(And before you think "Only Universal guests would do that" take a good look at all the crap at the top of the first Everest switch-track.)

If they can't figure that out when smaller parks do
This depends a lot on the ride. Cedar Point has bins on most of their platforms, and they definitely slow down load/unload--which is something that you might not want to do on a popular attraction. Some can't do that because load and unload are in different places--Millennium Force and the dearly-departed-but-possibly-reincarnated Dragster come to mind. And one (Steel Vengeance) absolutely forbids any loose articles, including no phones-in-pockets--and having ridden it many times, I understand why. Yes, if they are in zippered pockets, they won't go anywhere, but there is no easy way to make sure that that's what people are doing. They've used a bunch of different approaches to enforcing this, but since people are jerks and we can't have nice things, they eventually gave up and installed metal detectors.

TRON is no Steel Vengeance, but the seating configuration makes it much easier for things to fall out.
 
Downtown Disney District Welcomes Back Earl of Sandwich this February, More District Updates
This year is set to be another full of magic here at the Disneyland Resort with so much to see and do. In just a few short days, the Lunar New Yearcelebration kicks off at Disney California Adventure park (Jan. 20 – Feb. 15, 2023), followed by the Disney100 Celebration at the Disneyland Resort beginning Jan. 27, 2023, and so much more! Over in the Downtown Disney District, we’re also gearing up for some amazing projects on the horizon.

Earl of Sandwich

For those of you who crave delicious, handcrafted sandwiches, you will be delighted to learn that the fan-favorite Earl of Sandwich will be returning to the Downtown Disney District this February! Soon you can once again look forward to one of their hot sandwiches on artisan bread, with grab-and-go options at Earl of Sandwich or table service options at Earl of Sandwich Tavern, both of which will be temporarily located at the La Brea Bakery location. La Brea Bakery is exiting the restaurant business, and we thank them for two decades of partnership in the Downtown Disney District. Keep your eyes peeled for Earl of Sandwich opening in the coming weeks!

And that’s not all for the east side of Downtown Disney District – as we previously shared at D23 Expo, Porto’s Bakery will be bringing their famous Cheese Rolls, California-Cuban cuisine and more to the district. Plans are underway to design and construct an all-new Porto’s location near the Esplanade on the footprint of the La Brea Bakery location. We look forward to sharing more about these exciting plans in the future.

  • Specialty glazed beignets from Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
  • Grilled Lobster BLT Po’ Boy from Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
As we look to the heart of the Downtown Disney District, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen continues the evolution of their location into Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio. Soon, you’ll be able to enjoy the open, warm and welcoming ambiance across the outdoor patios, veranda and dining rooms. In fact, recent diners have already begun to enjoy the updated second floor space! Jazz Kitchen’s “all-day” menu will feature the popular Pasta Jambalaya and Gumbo Ya-Ya, plus fresh riffs using coastal-inspired ingredients like the new open-faced Grilled Lobster BLT Po’ Boy, pictured above. Signature hand-crafted beignets will continue to be a staple, with an expanded menu including specialty glazed beignets that are dipped, drizzled and sprinkled in jazzy signature and seasonal flavor combinations. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen is closed for a short time to accommodate continued work in the first floor dining space and will debut its exciting new look and menu soon!

Disney Home and WonderGround Gallery are temporarily closed to accommodate some behind-the-scenes interior construction. But don’t worry, you can easily head over to World of Disney to pick up some favorite home decor, and enjoy a temporary pop-up WonderGround Gallery location near Star Wars Trading Post for fantastic artwork and prints!

Concept art for the Din Tai Fung restaurant coming to Downtown Disney District

And to end this Downtown Disney District update on one more delicious note, we’re super excited to reveal another look at concept art for the Din Tai Fung restaurant, which will open on the west side of the district in the future. I for one can’t wait to enjoy some dumplings in this incredible new space!
 

Row 1: BI 14,007,645 Tron Official High Score
Row 2: US 13,21,2023 - Maybe April (1+3) 21, 2023 for Tron MK opening?
Row 3: TL 12,172,010 Tron Legacy Release Date (12/17/2020)
Row 4: JB 12,041,949 Jeff Bridges Birthday (12/04/1949)
Row 5: MK 10,011,979 Magic Kingdom Opening (10/01/1979)
Row 6; DL 07,171,955 Disneyland Opening (07/17:1955)
Row 7: KF 07,091,982 - Kevin Flynn Tron Release Date (07/09/1982)
Row 8: LB 07,049,504 - Something associated with Lora Baines? Group 7 access?
Row 9: SD 06,162,016 Tron Opening Date at Shanghai (06/16/2016)
Row 10: CM 04,482,023 - April 4-8, 2023 CM previews?
Tron opening that late in the spring would be incredibly disappointing. A week after Springtime Surprise and after a lot of spring break weeks.
 


Tron opening that late in the spring would be incredibly disappointing. A week after Springtime Surprise and after a lot of spring break weeks.
Agreed! My nephew and his son will miss previews by a week-ish. His son is special needs and was so excited about the possibility of being there for previews, something we are never in town for. My nephew is a high school Dean, so his schedule is very limiting. Can't just fly in on a preview invite anytime. Bummer!!
 
Downtown Disney District Welcomes Back Earl of Sandwich this February, More District Updates
This year is set to be another full of magic here at the Disneyland Resort with so much to see and do. In just a few short days, the Lunar New Yearcelebration kicks off at Disney California Adventure park (Jan. 20 – Feb. 15, 2023), followed by the Disney100 Celebration at the Disneyland Resort beginning Jan. 27, 2023, and so much more! Over in the Downtown Disney District, we’re also gearing up for some amazing projects on the horizon.

Earl of Sandwich

For those of you who crave delicious, handcrafted sandwiches, you will be delighted to learn that the fan-favorite Earl of Sandwich will be returning to the Downtown Disney District this February! Soon you can once again look forward to one of their hot sandwiches on artisan bread, with grab-and-go options at Earl of Sandwich or table service options at Earl of Sandwich Tavern, both of which will be temporarily located at the La Brea Bakery location. La Brea Bakery is exiting the restaurant business, and we thank them for two decades of partnership in the Downtown Disney District. Keep your eyes peeled for Earl of Sandwich opening in the coming weeks!

Man, Earl of Sandwich just jumped right back in there with LaBrea closing! That's great news - and closer to the Parks entrances. Welcome back, Earl!
 
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One thing I’ll say about this Tron puzzle is it seems weird to have the general US opening date listed at 2 and then the CM preview at 10 (and no AP preview?) Trying to be optimistic!
 


That's something really cool I didn't know existed. Out of curiosity and feel free to not answer but would your family member be able to ride Tron with their condition?
It is absolutely amazing and life changing. The phone controls two implanted medical devices, and the three parts essentially communicate with each other. One device reads the data, and then the phone/software feeds it to the device that administers the medication pretty much constantly and instantaneously. The factors are multiple and ever changing, so there are even alarms that go off when there's no signal (and also for changes in levels). The technology has saved my kid's life more times than I can count, and we're still new to this.

On most days, there's no problem with the ride itself. We have been utilizing the DAS in the almost 3 years since diagnosis, and she's getting better at understanding and assessing what works for her. Thrill rides don't seem to be an issue while riding - we just got back form our first trip to Universal since diagnosis, and they have lots of lockers. (Disney allows bags on everything, so that wasn't an issue; at our local amusement park, they allow her to tag her bag as a medical bag, and carry it on everything). We had called ahead and talked to their staff and read some message boards for recommendations. Universal allows three pronged attached bags and/or zippered pockets on all rides but one. On that one, they have medical lockers right at the ride entrance. So barring a ride breakdown (which of course I worry about as the parent), she was away from her phone less than 2 minutes on that one ride.

Thanks for asking :)
 
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Yahooo!!

Does anyone recall of D23 and AP were before or after CM previews for guardians?
D23 and AP were the last groups. IIRC (and I may not be) for GotG, it was CM & press around the same time, DVC and Golden Oak/Club33, AP, then D23.
 
D23 and AP were the last groups. IIRC (and I may not be) for GotG, it was CM & press around the same time, DVC and Golden Oak/Club33, AP, then D23.
Thanks! I went down a rabbit hole last night and found some articles, if the thought is right cm is April 4-8 that’s way less days then guardians got. And the time between April 4-8 till April 21 is much shorter then guardians so will be interesting to see how they handle this.

I’m hoping we get some more news/clus today.
 
And apparently on Universal's! Like, on smaller parks I've been you just literally put your stuff in lil cubbies right by the tracks and pick them up when you un-board, it takes 10 seconds. Why is Universal requiring folks to leave their stuff before even going into the line???!? Makes zero sense.

It takes a little longer than that, but when you’re dealing with high capacity rides at large parks every second counts. As much as I love parks like Dollywood, their ride ops are not nearly as efficient as Disney. Having separate loading / unloading areas and more than double the ride attendants really helps with wait times.

I really think people are overthinking it. If they do a virtual que like with Guardians, I don’t think they’ll have problems with lockers and the line should move pretty fast.
 
I am almost positive Tron will open April 21. We have a scary crazy success rate for having trips we’ve booked that were intended to be “quieter” weeks turning into crowded chaos due to new ride openings. We booked quiet trips way in advance and were on-site for SWGE, Rat, Guardians openings completely unintentionally. The only one I think we missed was MMRR. We have a nice quiet spring trip booked for April 18-22…

LOL.
 
Possible change to Disney Skyliner refurbishment planned for January 2023

Disney Skyliner's refurbishment was initially scheduled from January 22 through January 29, 2023, but overnight, all mention of the closure was removed from the Disney Skyliner page on the official Walt Disney World website.

Confusing matters is that the closure remains listed on individual resort hotel and theme park web pages, including EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Art of Animation and Riviera Resort.

It isn't clear if it is simply an error on the webpage or if there has been a deliberate change to the Skyliner refurbishment timeline.
 

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