​By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist to Disney Destinations and beyond

We’re just over a week into the time period when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open to the public at Disneyland® Park without a hard-to-get reservation. How’s it working so far? 
 

Getting into the land
At park opening, any guest is welcome to enter Galaxy’s Edge. Once the park has reached capacity, a ‘boarding pass’ system will be implemented. Using the Disneyland app, you can request entry. You’ll then be assigned a boarding group number. When capacity allows, they’ll start letting boarding groups into the land. You’ll be notified both via the app and by electronic signs in the park which boarding groups can enter; you have a 2-hour window to enter once your boarding group is called. 
 
So far, the boarding group process has been a complete non-issue. Surprisingly, Galaxy’s Edge has only reached capacity on June 24, the first day that it was open to everyone. I’ll be keeping an eye on this system and report back with any issues or concerns. 
 

Getting on the rides
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is the hot-ticket ride right now—because it’s the ONLY ride until Rise of the Resistance opens on January 17, 2020.. There’s no FastPass access for Smuggler’s Run, so everyone uses the standby line or single-rider line. Except for right at park opening, wait times have been very manageable in this first week; wait times have rarely been over an hour, which is unheard of for a brand new attraction. 
 

Building a lightsaber
Building a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop is for sure one of the hot-ticket items at Galaxy’s Edge. Demand has far outstripped capacity, so they’ve instituted a same-day reservation system. At 7:00 AM, you can use the Disneyland app to get a reservation, at which time you enter your credit card info to get a return time. If you don’t show up, you’re charged full price for the experience ($199.99).  Reservations have gone EXTREMELY fast in the past week, with slots for the entire day completely filled an hour or two after park opening. 
 
If Galaxy’s Edge has reached capacity and is using the boarding group system that day, your confirmed reservation acts as your boarding pass. 
 

Enjoying the cantina
The absolute hottest thing at Galaxy’s Edge has been enjoying a tasty beverage at Oga’s Cantina. The popularity of the small cantina has taken everyone by surprise, and Disneyland appears to be scrambling to come up with a system to accommodate as many people as possible. Right now, the reservation system is identical to the one for building lightsabers: at 7 AM, you can make a reservation for later that day. If you no-show, you’re charged $10/person.  Oga’s reservations are also completely gone by the first hour or two of the day. 
 

Buying other food and merchandise
There aren’t any special considerations to take into consideration when buying any other food and merchandise; there aren’t any other reservations or inside knowledge needed for anything else in Galaxy’s Edge. While building droids is very popular, it has a much higher capacity than the lightsaber experience so no reservation is needed there.   


Wrapping it up
If this past week is any indication, Disneyland has done everything right with crowd control at Galaxy's Edge. Only time will tell how things play out with crowds levels and line lengths in the future, but it's been extremely pleasant overall so far. I'm betting that Walt Disney World® Resort is keeping a close eye on how things are going on the other coast and that we may see some of these same processes in place when their version of Galaxy's Edge opens in a couple of months. 

 By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

Recently, Disneyland® Resort unveiled a new Disney FASTPASS® Service add-on called MaxPass. To clear up some confusion surrounding the new service, here’s a list of what it is and what it isn’t. From here on out, I’ll refer to FASTPASS as ‘FP’ for brevity’s sake.
 
What it is

1. A way to save time: MaxPass lets you select FPs using the Disneyland® Parks app on your phone, rather than walking to a FP machine. Once you use a FP and enter the FP line, you can immediately select another FP before you even get on the ride.
 
2. A way to get more FPs: MaxPass shortens the wait between selecting FPs from two hours to 90 minutes, allowing you to select more FPs over the course of your day.
 
3. A way to get more photos: PhotoPass service is rolled into the cost of MaxPass, so you can download all ride photos and pictures taken by PhotoPass photographers.
 
4. A way to select FPs while you take a break: Taking an afternoon break? No problem—as long as you’ve used your park ticket to enter one of the parks that day, you can use the app to select your next FP from your hotel room.
 
5. A way to get FPs from both parks: unlike with traditional FP service, you can use MaxPass to select a FP from either park. So, for example, say you just rode Splash Mountain but you know you’re heading over to Disney California Adventure® Park in a little while. Fire up the app, and pick up a FP for Radiator Springs Racers (if there are any still available that day, of course).
 

What it isn’t
 
1. A free service: Yes, MaxPass is a paid service. It costs $10/person, per day (Annual Pass holders pay a flat fee). So for a family of four, you’re looking at an additional $40/day to use MaxPass. You can purchase it using the Disneyland app for as few or as many days of your visit as you like. (Update on July 10, 2019: current pricing is now $15/day)
 
2. An advance reservation system: A lot of people seem to think MaxPass is a way to reserve FPs in advance, just like the FastPass+ service at Walt Disney World® Resort. It’s not. You can still only select FPs the day you’re in the park, and only one at a time.
 
3. A way to ‘double-dip’ on FPs: A common misconception is that you can reserve electronic FPs using MaxPass and still pull traditional paper FPs too, effectively holding two FPs at the same time. This is not the case—while you can still pull paper FPs after purchasing MaxPass, you can still only select one FP at a time, either traditional paper FP or new electronic FP via MaxPass.
 
4. A way to still get FPs when paper FPs run out: MaxPass FPs run out, just like traditional FPs. Both paper and electronic FPs are pulled from the same pool; once they’re gone for the day, they’re gone.  (Note: there is a slight exception to this rule: if someone cancels an electronic FP for an attraction for which FP distribution has already ended for the day, it goes back into the pool and someone else using MaxPass could potentially grab it). 
 
5. A way to get those coveted Fantasmic! or World of Color FPs early: While there’s evidence that you might be able to use MaxPass to get World of Color or Fantasmic! FPs in the future, right now you still have to pull your FPs for these popular nighttime shows from a machine the traditional way. (Update on July 10, 2019: FastPasses for both World of Color and Fantasmic are now available via the MaxPass system)

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

​
It took a couple of months to get here, but I finally managed to record a trip report podcast  for my end-of-May Daddy/Daughter Disneyland trip. We packed so much into this trip, including multiple rides on the brand new Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT! ride, all the fun new superhero stuff at Disney California Adventure® Park, and an impromptu side trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood. We also stayed at Disney's Paradise Pier® Hotel, which I detailed in a previous blog post. These trips with just my daughter and me, who is undoubtedly just as big a Disney Parks fan as I am, are always a highlight of my year:

Listen to my trip report podcast at the Dis Dad's website

 By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

1. Ride in the front of the monorail
Did you know you can ride up front with the driver on the Disneyland Monorail? All you have to do is ask the driver nicely. If you’re successful, you’ll be treated to panaromic views of the Disneyland® Resort. The front of the monorail holds a maximum of four people, so you may need to wait for the next monorail if another group is already waiting.
 
2. Captain the Mark Twain Riverboat
Want to man the wheel of the Mark Twain? Ask a cast member working the dock nicely, and he or she may just put you in touch with the captain who will grant you honorary captain access to the wheelhouse. You’ll get to steer the ship and ring the bell. A nice bonus: you get to sign a guestbook and receive an honorary captain’s certificate.
 
3. Get a Jungle Cruise Map
When you disembark from you Jungle Cruise boat, ask a cast member if they have any maps available.  They may make you ‘work’ for it, in the form of telling a  joke, but you’ll be rewarded with a nice free souvenir.
 
4. Say hello to a Disneyland cat (from a distance)
A lot of people think this one is an urban legend, but it’s true—there are about 200 feral cats that live on Disneyland Resort grounds. While they’re most active at night, it’s not unusual for eagle-eyed observers to spy a feline slinking around during the day. I’ve had the most success finding them over in the Critter Country area, near the Rivers of America.
 
5. Ride with the conductor on the Disneyland Railroad
Ask the conductor nicely, and he or she may let you take a ‘tender ride.’ You and one guest will get to ride on a small seat directly behind the conductor. Warning: this can be a difficult one to get. You can only do tender rides from the Main Street, U.S.A. train station, and only if that train is not scheduled to take on water at the New Orleans Street train station. They also won’t do tender rides if it’s too hot, as it can get extremely warm in the tender seats.
 
6. Ride in the Lilly Belle train car
This is perhaps the biggest ‘get’ on this list. Many Disneyland® Park buffs still haven’t scored this elusive freebie: ride the historic Lilly Belle Presidential Train Car, which is only out on certain days—when it’s not too hot, not too rainy, and not too cold. The stars have to align exactly right.  Visit the Main Street, U.S.A. train station first thing in the morning and ask if it’s running that day. If so, you may be rewarded with a coveted ticket which will tell you what time to return for your ride. There are rumors that the Lilly Belle may be put into retirement for good very soon, so give it a go while you still can!

7. Find Hidden Mickeys
Perhaps the best known of all the ‘Disneyland Resort freebies,’ looking for hidden Mickeys can take over an entire vacation if you let it. Hidden Mickeys are loosely defined as anything that looks like a profile of Mickey’s head—a large circle topped by two smaller circles representing his ears. These hidden Mickeys have been hidden all over the Disneyland Resort. There are a myriad of websites, apps, and books devoted to finding hidden Mickeys.
 
8. Find Walt’s apartment
When designing Disneyland Park, Walt Disney had an apartment built for himself above the firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A. He spent many a night there dreaming up many of the things we know and love today. While the apartment isn’t open to the public, there’s always a lamp shining in its window to symbolize Walt’s presence always being in Disneyland Park. It's become our family's tradition to stop and say 'goodbye' to Walt at the end of every trip.
 
9. Find the Country Bears
Lots of people still miss the Country Bear Jamboree, which went away to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh many years ago. But did you know if you look REALLY carefully, you can still find an homage to the Country Bears? While riding Winnie the Pooh, keep an eye out behind you right before the ride ends, and you might just see Max, Buff, and Melvin.
 
10. Play Musical Chairs with the Mad Hatter and Alice
This one is the best, seriously. It's probably my personal favorite unadvertised thing at Disneyland Resort. Every afternoon next to Refreshment Corner at the end of Main Street, U.S.A., the Mad Hatter and Alice suddenly appear and start an impromptu game of musical chairs with the kids. They do an exceptional job of making it fun and entertaining, even when a kid gets eliminated. It's a real testament to their skills that out of the half a dozen times that I've seen this, I've never seen a single child in tears after they're eliminated. It's not in any entertainment guide anywhere, so how do you know when to show up? In the morning, stop by Refreshment Corner and ask the piano player entertaining guests outside. He plays piano during musical chairs, so he'll know what time it will take place that day. 

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

Rocket and Groot have finally made their debut at Disney California Adventure® Park with last weekend's debut of Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT! The hot new ride, anticipated since its announcement months ago, opened May 27, and this Mouse Master was on-hand that very first day. 

First, let's get over the big elephant in the room: yes, it's essentially the same ride as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™. You get in an elevator, you shoot up to the top of the tower, drop, rinse and repeat. But Disney has re-themed Twilight Zone Tower of Terror with Peter Quill, Gamora, and all the other Guardians to create a thrilling new headliner attraction. 

The new concept of the ride: the tower is home base for Taneleer Tivan (the Collector), who true to his name has amassed a collection of artifacts from all over the galaxy. He's decided to add the Guardians to his collection-- but Rocket escapes and has enlisted your help to break out his compatriots. 

​While I was a disappointed to see Twilight Zone Tower of Terror go and had a lot of initial reservations about the new Guardians ride, I couldn't be happier with the result. They've taken what was a very good ride, and amped it up into an excellent, not-to-be-missed experience. The story is comprehensive from start to finish-- while Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was creepy and thrilling, I never felt it had a particularly strong or comprehensible storyline. The queue is spectacular, allowing riders to view Tivan's collection up close-- and there are LOTS of hidden easter eggs among the collection for not only Marvel fans, but Disney fans too. 

The new ride features six different songs and lots of different scenes that can be intercut to tell the overall story of rescuing the Guardians (similar to how Star Tours intercuts several different scenes to give you different experiences). Repeatability is a big factor on how popular this ride will be-- I heard park-goers comparing notes all weekend about how many of the six songs they had experienced so far. My daughter and I experienced three of the six songs and can't wait to ride again to hear 'I Want You Back' by the Jackson Five and 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' by Pat Benatar. 

Lines? They will be long for quite some time to come. On day one, the standby line topped out at five hours, and FASTPASSes were all gone within two hours of park opening. They're letting people into the park early to queue, and I'd expect waits of *at least* an hour, even on slower days. Riding Guardians with a short wait will hinge on two key factors: FASTPASS and early entry (and remember-- only guests staying on-property get early entry to Disney California Adventure Park!). Using those two things in conjunction, my daughter and I were able to ride Guardians three times within two hours of the park opening for early entry. 

Bottom line: this one is a huge hit in my eyes. It's going to be the linchpin for the upcoming rumored 'Marvel Land' expansion plans for Disney California Adventure Park. If it's any indication of what's to come, I can't wait!

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist
 
After ongoing performances since 2003, the Disney Junior- Live on Stage show is closing in just a few weeks. The perennial favorite with the younger crowd featured characters from Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The show is slated to vacate its Hollywood Land location at Disney California Adventure® Park in early April.
 
But all is not lost, Dinsey Junior fans! On May 26, a brand new show takes its place: the Disney Junior Dance Party takes its place in Hollywood Land. While the exact location hasn’t been disclosed, this Mouse Master has a strong feeling it will remain in the same theater that housed the previous show.
 
While the new show will also feature popular characters from Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins, characters from two new shows join the mix: The Lion Guard and Mickey and the Roadster Racers.
 
While details on the new show are scant, the Disney Parks Blog promises an interactive concert format that will encourage audience participation. Music and characters from popular Disney Junior shows should be a huge hit with the younger crowd!
 
I can’t wait to see this new show! The description brings back memories of one of my all-time favorite Disney California Adventure Park hidden gems: Dancin’ With Disney, where kids (and adults) could interact and dance with an eclectic mix of Disney characters in the Stage 17 building.
 
I happen to already have a trip of my own scheduled for that weekend, so I’ll be giving a full review of not only this new show, but also the Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT! attraction, which opens that same weekend. It always amazes me that after dozens of trips to Disneyland Resort, I can still experience at least one new thing on every trip.
 
Stay tuned for a full report on the Disney Junior Dance Party!

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

​On February 24, Disneyland® Park welcomed the Red Rose Taverne, a Beauty and the Beast-themed eatery coinciding with the release of the live-action Disney film on March 17.
 
Early reports indicate the food is delicious, but the lines are lengthy as everyone is excited by a brand new eatery themed around such a popular Disney film.
 
Located in the former ‘Village Haus’ restaurant in Fantasyland, the quick service Red Rose Taverne features an entirely new menu based on Belle and her friends. Enjoy brand new offerings like the vegetarian Enchanted Cauliflower Sandwich, featuring a grilled cauliflower steak, spicy lime aioli, tempura-battered green beans, lettuce and tomato on a toasted roll.
 
Most exciting to me? The Grey Stuff finally arrives at Disneyland Park! While it’s not exactly the same Grey Stuff offered at Be Our Guest restaurant at Walt Disney World​® Resort, Disneyland Park guests can now try the Grey Stuff Gateau – a white chocolate mousse and red velvet cake with a sweet raspberry center.
 
For any poutine fans, the classic Canadian dish makes its Disneyland Park debut. The Red Rose Taverne offers both a classic Slow-Cooked Beef Poutine and a Poutine Flatbread.
 
While they have not yet announced a closing date, Disneyland Park says that Red Rose Taverne is here for a limited time only, so you should come in and be their guest soon. You can view the complete menu at the Disney Park Blog
 
Have you tried Red Rose Taverne already? What are your favorites? 

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

Big news from Disneyland® Resort today: Toy Story Midway Mania® in Disney California Adventure® Park and Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland® Park will both be getting FASTPASS service soon! In addition, Disney is unveiling a new 'MaxPass' option later this year that will allow park guests to book and redeem FASTPASSes using the Disneyland Park mobile app on their phones. 

I’m particularly excited about having FASTPASS at Toy Story Midway Mania. This attraction is consistently one of the longest lines in the park, and, with no previous FASTPASS option available, guests arriving at park opening had to make a choice: rush to get a FASTPASS for Radiator Springs Racers before they run out, or rush to get in line for Toy Story Midway Mania before the line grew too long. Having a hot new FASTPASS option available at Disney California Adventure Park could also alleviate start-of-the-day FASTPASS demand for Radiator Springs Racers, allowing those FASTPASSes to remain available later in the day than they are now. 

The new MaxPass option is an interesting concept-- it doesn't replace the traditional FASTPASS option, but enhances it. Traditional paper FASTPASSes will still be available, but for a small fee (initially $10/day, which also gives you unlimited PhotoPass downloads), guests can use the mobile app to book FastPasses. This new option could eliminate a LOT of walking-- you could be at Splash Mountain, for example, and book a FASTPASS clear across the park at Space Mountain! If it works similarly to the way you book FastPass+ at Walt Disney World® Resort, you could also book your next FASTPASS immediately after redeeming your last one, allowing you to obtain your next FASTPASS much more quickly. 

I do have some reservations about the 'nickel-and-diming' aspect of the additional fee, but in my opinion the fee isn't exorbitant, particularly since PhotoPass downloads are included. I’m also concerned that the initial announcement says the $10 fee is an introductory price, which probably means they’ll raise the price later. 

See the original Disney Parks blog announcement.

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

I just recorded a podcast detailing my family's recent trip to Disneyland® Resort at Holiday Time, complete with a surprise side-trip to Universal Studios Hollywood for my Harry Potter-obsessed daughter. Take a listen here.

Our trip began with a Universal Studios day, where we splurged on a VIP tour to ensure we saw and did everything. Our focus was definitely on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but we got to see a lot of other fantastic stuff too, including the Universal backlot. We even got to walk around the outside sets for one of our favorite new shows, The Good Place! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter certainly lives up to the hype. Just like with Cars Land at Disney California Adventure® Park, it literally feels like you're walking into the books or movies. The walk through Hogwart's is amazing, and it has the added bonus of culminating in a ride on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey! And where else can you walk around Hogsmeade, sipping on butter beer?

We then drove down to Anaheim and spent five days at the Disneyland® Resort, exploring all off the new Holiday Time offerings detailed in my previos blog entry 2016 Holidays at the Disneyland® Resort Dates and Events Revealed. Highlights included seeing a brand new holiday World of Color (even splurging for the Dessert Party so we could sit down for the show!), experiencing the Disneyland® Park Christmas Fantasy Parade for the first time, and exploring the fantastic new food booths at the Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure Park. We also finally got to ride the brand new Soarin' Around the World for the first time (yay!) and ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ for the last time (boo!). 

All-in-all, it was a fantastic trip, It amazes me that after dozens of Disney trips, we can still fill a trip with surprises and find at least one new thing to experience every day we're in the parks. Of course we're already planning our return. Next up: the fourth annual 'Disneyland Daddy/Daughter Trip' this spring, followed by a long-delayed return trip to Walt Disney World® Resort in August.  

Listen to the podcast of my trip report