Between Disney World and Disneyland, many closures and construction projects are affecting both coasts. And while we are excited to see what the future holds, we know it can be a bummer when lots of spots are closed on your trip.

Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland

Which is why we are thrilled Disneyland has quietly revealed when one popular lounge will reopen.

Several days ago, the Broken Spell Lounge, at the Disneyland Hotel, closed for refurbishment without a reopening date confirmed. However, after checking on the Disneyland website, we noticed that hours are listed as starting again on October 25th!

Broken Spell Lounge

This space has seen many different themes over the years, but this current iteration is dedicated to Sleeping Beauty. This theme is evident in the dark colors of the lounge, the tree designs on the walls, and the use of green lighting. This really is a cool place to grab a drink or a bite to eat when visiting the Disneyland Hotel, and we are happy that this closure is set to be very brief and guests can enjoy this space once again at the end of next month.

Broken Spell Lounge

However, if you are visiting in the next few weeks, there are still lots of themed locations with great food that you can check out in the meantime. Including the incredibly popular Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, or if you are taking a visit to the Grand Californian, you can go to the Hearthstone Lounge. There is so much incredible dining to be found across all the Disneyland hotels and both parks, so you’ll never be without amazing options!

Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar

We will continue to keep you informed of all the closure news across Disneyland and Disney World, so stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog so you never miss anything!

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Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have seen dozens of ride closures and refurbishments this year, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and Toy Story Mania.

Disney California Adventure

A popular Disney California Adventure ride closed back in April with no reopening date, and Disney just announced that the ride will open this week!

The Silly Symphony Swings at Disney California Adventure closed on April 27th, with no official reopening date. After a four-month-long closure, the Silly Symphony Swings will finally open soon! Disney just announced that the ride will reopen on Friday, August 28th, 2026.

Silly Symphony Swings

In Silly Symphony Swings, you’ll experience the thrill of flying as this classic ride carries you aloft for breathtaking views of Disney California Adventure’s excitement below. As music swells and the colourful canopy rotates, your swing lifts, tilts, then twirls you round and round, higher and higher into the air as you wheel above it all in graceful, soaring circles.

Silly Symphony Swings

If you’re headed to the ride for the first time, it’s a little hidden. Go to Paradise Gardens Park and walk to the back, past Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, all the way to the end of the land by the back entrance to Pixar Pier.

Silly Symphony Swings

For younger riders, the Silly Symphony Swings has a height requirement of 40 inches (102 centimeters) or taller. Riders must be at least 4 feet 5 inches tall to join in on the symphony!

Silly Symphony Swings

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on more Disneyland ride closures, refurbishments, and reopenings. Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more Disneyland news!

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You’re going to fall in love with this store’s new look at Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort!

Downtown Disney

Earlier this year, the Pandora Jewelry store closed for a massive renovation. Now that the lengthy closure is over, the renovation is officially complete. Let’s take a look at the new changes that have come to the popular jewelry store.

Disney put it best when they posted the store’s new look on Instagram — “New look. Same sparkle.” Pandora Jewelry has officially reopened in Downtown Disney, and you can now visit their beautifully reimagined space. Get ready to shop hand-finished necklaces, earrings, charms, bracelets, and so much more.

©Pandora

From the post, the store looks amazing inside! It looks refreshed, elegant, and bright. We love the Pandora logo mirror on the back wall, and the setup is perfect for browsing.

©Pandora

What we love most is the wall of Disney Princesses inside the store. The wall features rings and the Disney castle, as well as a hand-drawn art style of Ariel, Rapunzel, Jasmine, Cinderella, Snow White, and Tiana. Its design is absolutely unique and eye-catching.

©Pandora

It looks like a lot of work was put into the renovation, and we can see why it took a few months to reopen the store. So, head on over to Pandora Jewelry when you’re walking around the Disneyland Resort shopping and dining district.

©Pandora

Downtown Disney has been seeing quite a few changes over the past couple of months. Recently, a brand-new celebrity restaurant called Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby opened, and it’s been super popular! It has an outdoor terrace featuring great views of the fireworks, and it “brings the vibrant spirit of London’s legendary Carnaby Street to Downtown Disney with elevated British fare, inventive cocktails, and an energetic dining experience.”

Gordon Ramsay at the Carnaby

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Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby is now open at Downtown Disney, and it’s already super popular. Not only is it a brand-new, one-of-a-kind concept by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, but it’s every Disney fan’s dream, with an outdoor terrace featuring great views of the fireworks.

Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips

So it’s really no surprise that all reservations until the end of September were snatched up within 15 minutes of the booking launch. But if you also lost the OpenTable War trying to get a reservation there, then today is your lucky day. It just got easier to dine at The Carnaby!

After selling out initial reservations through September, Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby has now increased its nightly dining capacity, expanded dinner hours, and released new reservations as part of its phased opening. You can reserve these newly released tables right now for dates through December 30th, 2026, on both OpenTable and the restaurant’s website.

Beef Wellington

Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby is now open nightly for dinner from 4 PM to 10 PM, adding an extra half hour from the previous 4:30 to 10 PM hours. Reservations are open for nearly every day until the end of the year at every hour and half hour. They also accept walk-ins, which should be successful with their increased availability, but The Carnaby still strongly recommends advance reservations.

Parker

“The excitement surrounding The Carnaby has exceeded even our highest expectations,” said Robert Earl, founder of Earl Enterprises, which is a co-owner of The Carnaby in collaboration with Gordon Ramsay. “Seeing initial reservations sell out within minutes affirmed what we believed from the beginning: guests were ready for a dining experience unlike anything else at Downtown Disney. As we thoughtfully expand capacity, we’re excited to welcome even more guests while maintaining the exceptional hospitality and culinary experience that define The Carnaby.”

Gordon Ramsay at the Carnaby

If you’re headed to The Carnaby for dinner, we strongly recommend the Parker Rolls for a starter, which are warm and fluffy brioche rolls. The Beef Wellington is famous for a reason, and it was utter perfection! As for side dishes, the Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese was thick and creamy with a strong smoke flavor. And to finish with dessert, the Sticky Toffee Pudding is a warm, decadent must-have!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the super popular Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby restaurant. Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more Disney restaurant news!

REVIEW: “Utter Perfection.” We Ate at Disneyland’s Newest Celebrity Chef Restaurant, and We’re in Love.

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Are you going to eat at Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby? Comment below! 

Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort has been going through a TON of changes recently. But no restaurant has probably seen as many changes in the shopping and dining district as Earl of Sandwich.

Grand opening!

This restaurant has changed locations so many times that we were starting to get worried about it until Disney announced it was building a brand NEW permanent location for the dining spot. Well, that new location is now open for business, and we recently attended the grand opening. Let’s check it out together!

That’s right, Earl of Sandwich’s days of playing musical chairs in Downtown Disney are over. Its new location is all shiny, new, and open. We got to attend a media event celebrating its opening, so we can share some of what we know about the new location. Even Mickey Mouse showed up to celebrate the new Earl of Sandwich location!

Even Mickey was there!

Inside, it looks just like the same Earl of Sandwich you know and love. It’s a bright interior with pops of red and blue.

Interior

There’s also plenty of seating available inside, which we appreciate!

Seating

The menu is the same Earl of Sandwich items you’re already familiar with.

Menu

This includes The Earl’s Club, The Original 1762, The Full Montague, Holiday Turkey, and more. Breakfast sandwiches are also available, as well as wraps, salads, soups, and more.

Sandwiches

For dessert, you can grab a variety of cookies and other sweets

For your sweet tooth

Be sure to stop by the new location the next time you visit Downtown Disney to check it out for yourself. We’ll also be keeping an eye out for more Downtown Disney developments, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

Disneyland Hits Major Milestone Just Days Before 71st Birthday

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What do you think of the new Earl of Sandwich location? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disneyland to attend the of Earl of Sandwich at its new location. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

If you love great food, then you’ll want to hear this Disneyland news. Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby is officially opening tonight!

Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby, a British-themed restaurant (Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)

This brand-new restaurant is opening in the Downtown Disney District of Disneyland, and you can visit today, so let’s dive into everything you need to know.

This is a vibrant new British dining experience that will feature three distinct dining environments. There will also be a terrace overlooking Downtown Disney, and it will even offer a great view of the fireworks on select nights. The restaurant will serve dinner nightly from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. If you are looking to make a reservation, you can do so on OpenTable, and walk-ins will be welcome based upon availability.

Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby, a British-themed restaurant (Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)

Some of the highlights on the menu include:

• Hallmark signature dishes, including beef Wellington, fish and chips, and sticky toffee pudding.
• Classics like bangers and mash and cottage pie.
• A selection of globally inspired dishes including branzino, chicken Milanese and a chickpea tikka masala.

Gordon Ramsay At The Carnaby

We are so excited to check out this new Downtown Disney spot, and we will make sure to bring you our full review when we do! If you are visiting Disneyland or are in the Anaheim area tonight, July 13th, then take a trip over to Downtown Disney to check out this all-new restaurant on opening night.

Gordon Ramsay At The Carnaby

We will continue to bring you all of the Disneyland news, so stay tuned to Disney Food Blog so you never miss anything!

REVIEW: The Long Line Is WORTH It At This NEW Downtown Disney Restaurant!

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Will you be checking out this new restaurant? Let us know in the comments!

A dining spot has finally reopened in Downtown Disney, and to say we’re thrilled would be the understatement of the century.

Earl of Sandwich is BACK!

We’ve had an Earl of Sandwich in Disney Springs for years now, and now it’s finally returned to Downtown Disney, the shopping and dining district of the Disneyland Resort, in its NEW spot! Disney has said they are officially open, and the grand opening ceremony is happening on July 15th! Let’s just say this spot is just as fantastic as we remember.

The new Earl of Sandwich is now open in its new two-story location, and while the line was long when we arrived, it moved super smoothly. Just like the old location, you order at one kiosk and then pay at another. On the menu, you’ll find classic favorites, as well as some fun new items, and we loved the huge assortment of freshly baked cookies and cakes.

Earl of Sandwich

For our main entree, we grabbed the Whole Roasted Pastrami Sandwich for $18.99, and this was fantastic.

Whole Roasted Pastrami Sandwich

The meat is carved to order, and the sandwich is prepared fresh on the spot. The marbled rye bread was soft, fresh, and flavorful but not too strong. The pastrami was melt-in-your-mouth perfection, and the Swiss cheese and sauerkraut were proportioned well so they didn’t take away from the pastrami flavor. The Dijonaise spread is the perfect condiment for this sandwich. The portion is giant, so though the price tag is a little hefty at $18.99, its quality is comparable to a nice sandwich you’d get at a table service meal.

This was incredible!

For dessert, we had to snag the Cinnamon Toast Crisp Cookie for $5.99, which we watched them make right in front of us!

Cinnamon Toast Crisp Cookie

The cookie is giant, super soft, with lots of flavor. It’s very sweet and perfect for sharing! Ours was made seconds before we tried it, so the cereal was crunchy and so fresh. For $5.99, this is a generously sized treat that’s absolutely shareable.

We can’t get enough

We also tried the peach lemonade, which was very refreshing. The main downside here is that there’s not a ton of seating like the old location. The patio is much smaller, and there’s not a whole lot of indoor seating, so you may find yourself wanting to take your food elsewhere.

Earl of Sandwich

Looking for more recent Downtown Disney news? Check out our posts below!

We’ll be sure to keep you updated with all the latest Disneyland news, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB!

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How do you feel about this new location for this popular spot? Tell us in the comments!

Pirates of the Caribbean. Is there any more beloved classic Disney ride? It’s become so popular that it even launched a series of highly successful movies, and we’re not going to get tired of it any time soon.

Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean

As most folks believe, the Disneyland version of Pirates of the Caribbean is far superior because it’s longer and has more scenes, but the ride recently reopened in Disneyland with some changes that could prove…dare we say…controversial? So let’s talk about it.

Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean closed back in May for a lengthy refurbishment. Well, the ride reopened today, but with some HUGE changes. Those changes concern the animatronics tech. Walt Disney Imagineering recently posted a video about these changes, calling it the “next level” of animatronics.

©Disney

Disney calls this a “hybridized technology,” and it combines…wait for it…mixing animatronic movement with…projected faces. Now, we know what projected faces look like on animatronic figures because of Disney World’s previous version of Frozen Ever After. Many Disney fans did not like the look of those faces, and Disney eventually replaced them with full animatronics.

Old Frozen Ever After animatronics with projections

But at least one character in Pirates of the Caribbean is getting this updated look, although it’s combined with a partially articulated animatronic face underneath it that can also move. The video talks about how this allows the characters to cry and emote in ways they haven’t been able to before.

©Disney

It seems Disney only used this new tech on one character in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and it’s the static skull character you see sitting on top of all the pirate loot. He’s generally seen as a static skeleton.

©Disney

Now, though, this skeleton comes alive and tells his story of how he touched the cursed gold, which turned him into a skeleton. He also drops the coin, which turns him back into a human.

©Disney

You can watch the whole video below explaining the process.

View this post on Instagram

If you want to see this technology for yourself, Pirates of the Caribbean has reopened in Disneyland with this new animatronic. At around 9:15 A.M., the wait time was only about 20 minutes, too, so now is a good opportunity to ride this classic attraction and decide for yourself if this new technology works for it.

We’ll keep an eye out for more Disney ride updates, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

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What do you think about this change? Let us know in the comments.

Well, this is exciting!

Downtown Disney

There’s been a lot happening in Downtown Disney at Disneyland with new locations opening left and right, and now something new is coming — and we’re thrilled.

Big Boi Lumpia Co. is coming to Downtown Disney! This is a Los Angeles-based company that serves Filipino comfort food. There currently isn’t an opening date, but in their Instagram comments, they said very soon!

View this post on Instagram

A lumpia is a traditional Filipino and Indonesian spring roll that can be sweet or savory. They’re wrapped up in a thin pastry and are usually deep-fried. The crispy shell on the outside is our favorite part, but we do love trying different fillings, too.

Lumpia at EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival

This isn’t the first local business at Downtown Disney. Ballast Point Brewing Company is a San Diego-based brewery with a location in Disney Springs and Din Tai Fung, which originated in Arcadia, California. We love when local businesses get a chance to shine.

Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Recently, Happy Ice opened in Downtown Disney, as well. It’s the first permanent Black-owned dessert company in the shopping and dining district.

This was amazing!

In the meantime, make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more Disney news you need to know before you head on your next Disney vacation.

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Disneyland’s Downtown Disney has gone through some SERIOUS changes. We’ve seen restaurants and shops close, while new restaurants and shops have opened. Even Marceline’s Confectionery went away to make way for The Wonderful World of Sweets (and honestly, we LOVE the new sweets shop).

Rainbow Rocket from Happy Ice

We recently passed on the news about a new snack stand coming to Downtown Disney, called Happy Ice. Well, BIG news…Happy Ice is opening sooner than you may think…as in TOMORROW.

That’s right, Happy Ice will be opening its Downtown Disney cart tomorrow, June 19th, which is also Juneteenth. Happy Ice was founded by Lemeir Mitchell and is a Los Angeles Black-owned Philadelphia Italian ice brand known for its fruity flavors and frozen desserts. Happy Ice’s opening in Downtown Disney will mark the first permanent Black-owned dessert company in the shopping and dining district.

Happy Ice Food Truck

To celebrate its grand opening, the first 50 people who order at Happy Ice will get a FREE Happy Ice T-Shirt, while the next 50 will get a FREE Happy Ice tote bag. The cart opens at 11 A.M. and will stay open until 11 P.M. So head on over to Downtown Disney early to grab a delicious treat AND some freebies! Here’s a first look at the cart in Downtown Disney:

View this post on Instagram

You’ll be able to enjoy Happy Ice’s first all-natural menu, with treats made with real fruit, pure cane sugar, and premium ingredients. You’ll also be able to order the JOY-LATI layered dessert with Italian ice, vanilla sweet cream, sauces, and fresh fruit with flavors like banana pudding and strawberry shortcake. We’re already drooling!

Happy Ice Food Truck in Downtown Disney in 2022

We’ll be checking out Happy Ice on its opening day, so stay tuned to DFB for more details and a full review!

REVIEW: Disneyland Dropped 4 New Snacks, and They Might Be The Prettiest We’ve Ever Seen

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Will you be trying Happy Ice in Downtown Disney? Let us know in the comments!