Disneyland Resort Update: Topped Off

Disneyland Park, Anaheim, CA

Another week, another Disney update.  We're at the end of August and very nearly the end of the summer, and while we all bake in this typical Southern California end-of-summer heatwave, lets check out what's been going on at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

The biggest development over the past week has been the topping off of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.  Earlier last week, the steel that will mark the highest point in the new "Star Wars" Land was hoisted up and installed into place.  As you may remember, the new uncharted outpost planet guests will be exploring features a fair amount of mountainous peaks, and this will be the highest of them all. 

Aside from that, the Millennium Falcon and First Order buildings continue growing like a ravenous sarlacc--the Millennium Falcon building especially.  Soon, we'll be able to board the sequel to Mission: Space as well.  Hopefully, Gary Sinise will play a Resistance commander or something, now that he has been removed from the original Mission: Space safety video at EPCOT (may he never be forgotten).

Rivers of America: Part 2 - Watercraft Boogaloo

A couple updates ago, we covered the reopening of the Disneyland Railroad.  What we didn't have time to look through was the reopening of the Rivers of America attractions.  Yes, although the new train route was major news, the return of the Mark Twain, S.S. Columbia, and Davy Crockett Canoes provided new opportunities to enjoy the redesigned backside of the Rivers of America and unique glimpses at the future Star Wars expansion.  Lets go ride on a fantastic voyage around Tom Sawyer Island to see what's changed!

Miscellaneous: The Other One(s)

Finally, we've got Splitsville progress and a new Starbucks "You Are Here" mug available at Market House inside Disneyland.  The mugs alternate being in and out of stock, but the past week has seen more regular availability after the initial rush has died off.

In general Resort news, Disney also announced a nighttime Halloween overlay to the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction at Disney California Adventure.  Named Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark, the spooky alternate will see Rocket and friends go back into the Collector's Fortress to save Groot, who was unintentionally left inside, because apparently, the Guardians are kind of dicks.  The attraction runs after dark at DCA and is part of a push to move a lot of popular Disneyland content over to its neighboring park to balance out the eventual crowds that will flood the original Magic Kingdom once Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens.  In the meantime, this year, Mickey's Halloween Time will touch California Adventure with Halloween decorations in Cars Land, a Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired Halloween atmosphere set onto Buena Vista Street, as well as other goodies. 

New park ambiances are always a good thing, especially since Disneyland's Halloween decorations had gotten stale, so it's great to see the Resort's seasonal events freshened up!  Of course, traditional Halloween favorites like Space Mountain: Goats--I mean Ghost Galaxy and the Haunted Mansion Holiday return to Disneyland Park.

We'll close things off with a few more follow-up photos of the recently unveiled area between Frontierland and the future Star Wars expansion, showcasing the ambiance under sunnier lighting conditions than last time!

That does it from the Disneyland Resort this week.  Tomorrow marks the start of September, and before you know it, Halloween season will be upon us again!  Yes, our favorite and spoopiest time of the year.  Are you excited?  You should be.

Boo bah!!

Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.