Kids rule the summer season at Disneyland in Anaheim
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The first day of summer isn’t until June 21, but Disneyland is kicking off summer vacation a little early. As the Anaheim theme park gets ready to welcome families for the busy summer season, it’s rolling out new attractions aimed at young (and young at heart) Disney fans.
In conjunction with the new film, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which debuted in theaters on Friday, the immersive “Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run” attraction gets a new mission with appearances from the Mandalorian and Grogu.
Walt Disney Imagineering partnered with Lucasfilm to develop the new narrative, where decisions made by riders determines the outcome in a choose-your-own-adventure type of story.
“In this new mission, Hondo Ohnaka has made a deal with the New Republic in exchange for the coordinates of several imperial bounties,” said Anisha Deshmane, senior creative producer for Walt Disney Imagineering. “He can collect any cargo and credits along the way, so he is sending you, you are part of the flight crew, to meet with the Mandalorian on Tatooine, chase down the bounties and bring back as much cargo as you can.”
Originally opened in 2019, “Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run” puts guests at the controls of the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” as pilots, engineers and gunners. The new storyline introduces expanded gameplay that can take riders to Bespin, the wreckage of the second Death Star near Endor or city-planet Coruscant.
“We’ve been working on this for about a year and half now, in conjunction with the filmmakers making the Mandalorian and Grogu film,” said Matt Martin, a senior creative executive at Lucasfilm. “Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni helped us out early on to figure out how Mando and Grogu can fit into this whole thing.”
There are also new interactive elements for each crew role, including an opportunity to call Grogu in real time.
Martin recommends riding multiple times, since the adventures and their outcomes will always be different.
“You’ll be able to experience not just different planets, but different paths within the planet,” said Martin. “The more you ride it, the more you’re going to see.”
Additionally, May 22 marks the return of the BDX droids to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland. Earlier this year, Galaxy’s Edge expanded its timeline by adding the characters of Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker to the existing Star Wars characters that can be found roaming Black Spire Outpost.
For “Bluey” fans
For younger Disney visitors, the recently-launched “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” continues to be popular among the preschool-aged audience.
Based on the Australian animated television series starring 6-year-old puppy, Bluey, and her sister Bingo, the Fantasyland Theatre has transformed into Fun Fair at Bluey’s School.
“We really looked at the best way to put you into the story,” said cast member, Stephanie Graves. “When you walk in, you can take pictures in the gnome village or the fairy garden, which are very iconic to the show. On stage, you have a 45-minute experience kids can come in and out of, as they please.”
Performers and musicians lead games and dance moves from the series, while the Troubadour Tavern serves Bluey-themed food and beverages. Kids can try a Pizza Girls baked potato, inspired by the “Bluey” episode of the same name, topped with pepperoni, sausage, bacon bits, marinara, mozzarella and alfredo sauce, or a lime ice block drink; a pineapple limeade with coconut milk, garnished with watermelon ice pop.
Other kid-friendly activations include the “Stitch’s Intergalactic Beach Party Blast” at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland Park and the new “Disney Friends Dance Party” in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure Park.
Kids can also pick up a complimentary “Mickey’s Park Rangers” activity book and collect stamps for a special prize when completed. If little ones need a break, the Tomorrowland Theater in Disneyland Park will screen Pixar short films throughout the day for a quick pause.
More fun will roll out throughout the summer. On July 2, Disney California Adventure Park will debut “Soarin’ Across America,” a new version of the hang-gliding flight simulator attraction designed to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Featuring U.S. landmarks from sea to shining sea, the new version joins existing “Soarin’” variants like “Soarin’ Over California” and “Soarin’ Across the World.”
“Guest will get to see iconic locations that you think of when you think of America, such as the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore,” said Oralia Neria Felix, Disneyland Resort ambassador. “But then you also get very iconic locations like the Hollywood sign for Los Angeles.”
In Downtown Disney District, guests can celebrate the traditions of historically Black colleges and universities with “Celebrate Soulfully: Summer Vibes,” beginning June 19 and continuing through July 19. The event will include drum major performances from groups like Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band, appearances from characters like Drum Major Mickey Mouse along with art and food specials that honor Black heritage and culture.
History buffs can look forward to “A Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” guided tour, debuting Aug. 14. The two-hour tour features stories about Walt Disney’s legacy, access to his private apartment at the park and more.
Guests can also continue to enjoy offerings from the Disneyland Resort 70th celebration as the year-long party wraps up on Aug. 9.
There is one more perk for Disney kids this summer: Families with children ages 3 to 9 can take advantage of the kids’ summer ticket offer, allowing kids to visit both Disneyland Resort theme parks for $50, with the purchase of a special one-day Park Hopper ticket.
For details on attractions and the kids’ summer ticket offer, visit disneyland.disney.go.com
