Just some notes and observations on some things going on or upcoming at the Disneyland Resort.

As I posted in my recent blog entry, the new Celebrate! A Street Party opened on March 27. This not a traditional parade – it’s more of a traveling dance party with three performance stops, so getting a good viewing spot is a little more of a challenge.

The Celebration Roundup and BBQ at Big Thunder Ranch opens on April 2.

According to Disneyland.com:

“Want to do something out of the ordinary to celebrate your special occasion? Have a cowboy-style party in the spirit of the Wild West!

* Authentic Western favorites like barbecued ribs and chicken, corn on the cob, beans, cole slaw — and a surprise dessert
* Delightful live entertainment
* Disney Character appearances
* A Critter Corral”

Priority seating can be made by calling Disney Dining at 714-781-DINE (3463).

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique opens in Fantasyland on April 17 at the site of the former Once Upon a Time shop behind the castle. Call 714-781-STYLE (7895) to make reservations.

According to the Orange County Register the Yamabuki restaurant at the Paradise Pier is scheduled to close on April 11. http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/2009/03/26/39-disney-employees-told-restaurant-will-close/6929/

Last week I noticed that they were handing out pamphlets near “it’s a small world”. These contain a list of the Disney characters that can be found in the updated attraction, as well as some idea of where to find them. People in line for the attraction were perusing it and seemed to be enjoying the idea of hunting for the characters. (While I guess I can’t take credit for it, I *did* suggest in my blog right after the attraction reopened that having some kind of guide would be a good idea. 🙂

We saw the new Monorail Orange on the track last week.

Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival starts on April 24. We saw some signs and banners advertising the upcoming Festival, as well as a glossy info sheet at the Wine Tasting Terrace at DCA.

Points at the Disney Vacation Club’s Grand Californian Villas went on sale to the public on March 27. If you missed it, I have photos of the models and a writeup of the “Hard Hat Tour” I took of the site last week in this blog entry.

I had a nice chat with a CM at the “Birthday Party” kiosk outside of the Plaza Inn. She showed me her box of “What Will You Celebrate” buttons, and said she had lots of new ones – like “I Graduated”, “Happily Ever After”, “Just Engaged”, and “Family Reunion”. They have a lot of fun stuff available at the restaurants for people celebrating birthdays – there’s a pop-up Disneyland Castle centerpiece, Goodie Bags, and a Princess or Pirate-themed birthday treasure chest. At the Plaza Inn there’s an afternoon birthday celebration with Pat E. Cake (and Mickey and Minnie!) for $15.99/person.

My last item will probably be old news to you by the time you read this blog entry – but I’ll mention it any way. Disney Cruise Line is planning to establish a permanent presence on the west coast by homeporting the Disney Wonder at the Port of Los Angeles in 2011. You can read the press release here. It will be interesting to see what new itineraries there might be in addition to the Mexican Riviera cruises they’ve done in the past. My friend Masayo suggested one that I had not considered – Hawaii, anyone? 🙂