Disneyland Updates—New Entrance Testing, Din Tai Fung Construction, and More!

This week at Disneyland, we have a look at the new entry gate being tested out at Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney updates as construction and reimaginings take place. While a large portion of the Downtown Disney construction has recently subsided with the opening of three new Mexican restaurant concepts, Paseo, Céntrico, and Tiendita, construction continues on the west side of the shopping and dining district.

For a look at the Haunted Mansion, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and Critter Country construction, see our recent park updates for everything you need to know about the progress being made. Make sure to keep up-to-date on the rides currently closed or under construction by reading our Disneyland refurbishments guide.

Keep reading for an update on what is happening at Disneyland this week with photos!

Downtown Disney Turning Red Ground Painting

Also at Downtown Disney, a new Turning Red ground painting of Red Panda Mei is in the works! Pixar Fest is in full swing at the resort, with exciting offerings including a new daytime parade at Disney California Adventure, Pixar-inspired marketplaces, character meet-and-greets with favorite Pixar characters, and more.

See the bio for the artist of the painting, Pei Jun Tang, below:

👉🏾 CLICK HERE to See the Super Cute Freebie That Will Make Your Child Feel Even More in the Magic!

New Disney California Adventure Entry Gate In Testing

Recently, we shared the news that new entrance gates would be coming to Disneyland, and a new test entry gate was installed at Disney California Adventure. These new gates will open automatically when a guest's ticket is scanned and take/validate their photo.

These gates are being tested for a limited time before they are installed in phases at the resort's two theme park entrances and Downtown Disney Monorail entrance. The testing is so that Disney can gather information on the guest experience using them before they are installed across the resort. The project is expected to reach completion sometime in 2025.

A member of our Mickey Visit Disneyland team recently had the opportunity to try the test gate at Disney California Adventure. She says the experience of using the test gates is “Very smooth! A CM scanned my passes before entering the area (assuming this is just something they are doing while testing). Then I proceeded toward the display screens where I scanned my passes. After each one, we had to take a picture of the pass holder using this small camera attached to the display screen. It was nice because my son was sitting in his stroller and I didn’t have to take him out to be able to take his photo (which it originally seemed like I would have to). I was asked to push him closer to the screen and they were able to get his photo. (Interesting because I never saw the camera move or angle down, so I was curious how they did it.) Then we were able to walk right through. Easy!”

Cart Open for Marceline's Confectionary During Shop's Reimagining

Downtown Disney is undergoing some big changes as new dining experiences are being added to the area, and Marceline's Confectionary is being reimagined as Disney is designing an “all-new, expanded and completely reimagined confection experience.” While the shop is unavailable, there is a cart available outside of the entrance that is offering Marceline's popular treats like caramel apples, churro toffee, and more.

Downtown Disney Construction

Construction is still active on the west side of Downtown Disney. You can see a look at the construction taking place for Parkside Market, which will be located across from Din Tai Fung and introduce four dining concepts including Seoul Sister, Sip & Sonder, GC's Chicken Shop, and a second-story bar. This is still in the very early stages of construction, and an opening period has not yet been shared for this new addition. You can see more details about Parkside Market and the other new dining experiences coming to the area in our full Downtown Disney expansion guide.

Progress is also being made on Din Tai Fung, which Disney recently shared will be opening this summer. We don't yet have an exact opening timeframe, but we're looking forward to this new addition! This is one of our favorite restaurants as you can see in our review of another Din Tai Fung location with tips on what to expect.

👉🏾 CLICK HERE for the Coolest Moment of the Day at Disney California Adventure You Won’t Want to Miss

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