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!

Disney Is Opening New Rides in 2027. Here’s the Full List.

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Are you going to ride the Silly Symphony Swings once the ride reopens? Comment below! 

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.

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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.

What Makes Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris Special? You’d Be Surprised!

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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!

GET YOUR GUIDE NOW

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