Disneyland surprised us this year with a brand new festival- Pixar Fest! Combine that with May the Fourth, now is the perfect time to visit the parks. There is so much to discover in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure from new foods, parades, characters and more.
Disneyland
Immediately upon entering the parks guests are greeted with colorful Pixar Fest displays and banners down Main Street. Iconic characters are all around the parks, be sure to find your favorite!
Food
Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy's Edge has some of the highest quality theme park food out there, and the new arrivals for the Season of the Force did not disappoint. The two seasonal menu items I would recommend are the Fried Chicken Baos and the Dewback Chili Noodles. Both are a little spicy, so definitely be prepared, but so delicious! The food here always tastes fresh and full of flavor.
At first I was really excited to try the Adventure is Out There Cold Brew from Troubadour Tavern, because of the colorful toppings and fun flavors. Unfortunately I would not recommend it, the dark chocolate and butterscotch tasted very chemically. This is a very photogenic drink but if you're looking for a delicious cold brew, I would check out the Black Caf Cold Brew pictured above.
Activities
If you love the annual Easter Egg hunts or Hide and Squeaks at EPCOT, you will love the new Season of the Force Seek and Find Scavenger Hunt at Disneyland.
This free activity sheet can be picked up at The Star Trader in Tomorrowland, but most of the hunt will take place in Galaxy's Edge. Below is an example of the hidden canisters.
There are multiple steps to the puzzle so this should take a good chunk of your day to complete! Take on the challenge alone or as a team to find the clues and use the decoders around Tomorrowland to find the answer to the riddle and win a prize! Prizes can be redeemed back at The Star Trader. Personally, I think the prize itself was a bit of a letdown, but it was free! There are a variety of different Aurebesh translation cards you can win, but we did not get to chose. Luckily we got R2!
SOLUTION BELOW
At Disneyland you can also meet several of your favorite Pixar characters at the Fantasyland Theater. The theater has been completely revamped for Pixar Pals Playtime Party, with general admission all throughout the day. Guests can take advantage of the various photo opportunities at any time, and interactive performances take place on the stage periodically. Never before seen characters such as Luca and Alberto, Ian and Barley, and Wade and Ember have a rotating meet and greet schedule just outside the theater.
Disney California Adventure
California Adventure also has new colorful character banners at the entrance of the park- so adorable! There is a lovely Pixar statue that you can take photos with as well.
Pixar Fest is the main highlight of this park, so if you are visiting mostly for May the Fourth- stick to Disneyland!
Food
For Pixar Fest the Cozy Cones have a new Pesto Tortellini Cone- the perfect savory treat. The flavors are nothing special but it's definitely a comfort food that everyone will love.
The best part were the bread crumbs and mini mozzarella balls.
Additional food booths will be added to the festival at a later date.
Activities
Club Pixar has taken over the Hollywood Backlot! This little oasis is the perfect spot to grab a drink and play games or watch a Pixar short. Styled like a drive-in movie theater, guests can sit in a "car" bench and watch cartoons, or play a variety of carnival games based on the shorts themselves!
An absolute must-see at Pixar Fest is the Better Together parade, running through California Adventure at 4pm and 6:30pm. This all new spectacular includes over two dozen Pixar characters across several beautiful floats.
If you're looking for a more relaxing, less crowded activity that still celebrates Pixar Fest, the Animation Academy will be highlighting your favorite Pixar characters throughout the day. Stop in to check the schedule outside of the attraction, so you can plan your day around who you want to draw! We drew Alberto from Luca in his sea monster form!
Both Pixar Fest and the Season of the Force make for an absolutely action packed day at the parks. There are so many new and fun foods to try and sights to see. So if you can, I highly recommend visiting the parks this May!
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