We’ve been gearing up for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event for months, and it’s finally here. Disney will spend August 14-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center sharing news about the parks, cruise ships, movies, TV shows, merch, and more. But the celebration starts a day early, because Disneyland Park hosts D23 Day this Thursday, […]
Southern California summers are always hot, but they somehow still manage to take us by surprise. The last few weeks, though, the heat has also scared away some of the crowds. Add in the fact that many Magic Key holders are currently blocked out, and the parks have been relatively quiet… but Halloween is creeping […]
Are you someone who loves Disney? Do you watch all of the movies? Do you go to the theme parks every chance you get? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingidom
Each week, it feels like Disney is constantly dropping new information, details, and more, all connected to the company. Each week, we do a wrap-up of the biggest news from the week so you don’t miss a single detail. This week had some fun changes and one major milestone!
Every week is different when you’re following the Disney company! From theme parks to television to movies to hotels, there is always something changing with the company. This week included a MAJOR Disney milestone that honestly makes us emotional.
Disney’s Most Popular Lounges Changed… And Then Changed Back
Disney really played with us this week! Earlier in the week, we noticed that both GEO-82 and the Beak and Barrel finally added walk-up lists to each lounge! This means it would be easier to experience each dining option, which previously required reservations to experience.
We were thrilled! Our entire team was so excited to see this change! Sadly, it was short-lived. Disney quickly removed the option from the app. This leads us to believe that this feature is coming in the future but it wasn’t quite ready to be launched.
When it was live on the MyDisneyExperience App, it showed that both lounges were full due to high demand, so even when it was live, it wasn’t really available to guests. We’re really hoping Disney moves these two lounges back to the walk-up waitlist soon. We won’t be surprised if the company waits until after the summer rush is over.
That’s right, Ghirardelli has moved! Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop’s original location has now closed. The dessert shop is expected to reopen in Spring 2027 with new updates. The remodeled store will feature increased guest seating, more efficient guest checkout, and a “few surprises.”
Construction at the old storefront
The new, temporary location is located in the Disney Springs Town Center area, in the former Sprinkles Cupcakes location, which was more recently home to the Black Tap Crazy Shake pop-up. The new spot still has plenty of those famous chocolate squares we still love.
Ghirardelli chocolates
The reopening date for the Ghirardelli store hasn’t been confirmed yet, but we’re glad we can get our sweets in the meantime.
Finally, the biggest piece of news today is that Disneyland officially welcomed its 1 billionth guest! That’s right, one billion people have officially visited the original Disney theme park. A young boy named Andres Robles from Arizona was selected as the honorary one-billionth guest. He and his family participated in a ceremony at the train station where they got to reveal a new sign to mark the milestone.
The entire family got to meet Mickey, Minnie, the Disneyland Ambassadors, and Disneyland President Jill Estorino! After the big ceremony, they were gifted a VIP tour guide for the day. That meant they could visit historic backstage areas (like Walt Disney’s apartment) and skip the lines for the most popular rides.
We can’t help but get emotional thinking about what this means to the entire Disney team. The park officially opened in 1955, and it was only expected to welcome 15,000 guests that day. Over 28,000 people showed up that day to be part of history. Now, one billion people later, Walt’s little theme park continues to make history. What an incredible accomplishment!
What a week to be a Disney fan! We can’t wait to see what changes keep coming as the year continues. As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney news, updates, and more.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Which news are you the most excited about? Tell us in the comments.
When Disneyland Park opened to the public in 1955, it was overcrowded.
Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland
15,000 people were expected on opening day, which was initially supposed to be an invite-only preview event. However, nearly 28,000 people showed up. Counterfeit tickets and people charging visitors to climb a ladder to get into the park over the back fence made for an absolute fiasco. Opening day may have been a bit of a mess (to the point that it was nicknamed “Black Sunday”) but those guests got to experience something that over one billion people have now done…enjoy the magic that is Disneyland Park!
Yep, that’s right! One billion people have now officially visited Disneyland Park from all around the world. During a recent visit to the park, a young boy named Andres Robles from Arizona was selected as the honorary one billionth guest. He and his family participated in a ceremony on the train station that revealed a new sign to mark the milestone.
After the ceremony, Andres and his family snapped some photos with Mickey and Minnie, the Disneyland Ambassadors, and Disneyland President Jill Estorino. They were then gifted with a VIP tour guide for the day so that they could visit historic backstage areas (like Walt Disney’s apartment), as well as do popular attractions.
Disneyland Park reaches this milestone just days before its 71st birthday on July 17th. Over the past 71 years, the park has expanded to a full-blown resort with three hotels, the Downtown Disney district, and a second park, Disney California Adventure. Dozens of rides and attractions have been added, new character meets have been introduced, and visitors from all over the world have made memories in this park. What a legacy!
There’s more expansion and fun on the horizon as well, and we can’t wait to see what happens before the two billionth guest visits. The park truly lives up to Walt Disney’s idea that “Disneyland will never be complete as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Have you been to Disneyland before? Tell us in the comments!
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