Pixar Fest is a celebration that includes fireworks, a brand-new daytime parade, dance events, and different leisure at Disneyland and Disney California Journey–plus an enormous lineup of seasonal snacks, merchandise & extra. Now we all know that the “and extra” consists of a wide range of new characters from a few of the studio’s newer films that beforehand haven’t appeared within the parks.
A few of this was already recognized. The centerpiece of Pixar Fest is an all-new daytime parade known as “Higher Collectively: A Pixar Buddies Celebration!” at DCA throughout the celebration. This options high-energy dancing and appearances by greater than two dozen Pixar characters, together with acquainted mates like Mr. Unbelievable and Elastigirl from The Incredibles, Miguel from Coco, Mike and Sulley from Monsters Inc., and Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. Clearly, none of those characters are new to Disneyland.
Throughout the Higher Collectively Parade, there’s additionally uncommon Pixar characters: Crimson Panda Mei and her mates rocking out to their favourite boy band, 4*City; Joe Gardner and 22 from Soul celebrating the sweeter issues in life; Luca, Alberto and Giulia from Luca having fun with their time collectively on the water’s edge in Portorosso; and extra.
Except for the “Higher Collectively: A Pixar Buddies Celebration!” daytime parade, Pixar Fest additionally introduces new Pixar characters to ground-level at Disneyland for the primary time together with characters from the latest Pixar movies like Elemental, Luca, Turning Crimson, and extra.
A few of these buddies will seem on the Pixar Buddies Playtime Celebration at Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland. This can be a high-energy present, that includes interactive video games, photograph places, and actions impressed by Pixar function movies–you’ll be able to even watch a collection of Pixar shorts on the large display screen.
Throughout Pixar Buddies Playtime Celebration in Disneyland, company can have the chance to work together with characters, akin to each Luca and Alberto from Luca. Right here’s a primary take a look at these characters, who we had the possibility to fulfill for a primary look throughout the Pixar Fest media occasion:
Characters at Pixar Buddies Playtime Celebration will seem on stage, on the dance flooring, or at numerous backdrops situated across the periphery of Fantasyland Theatre.
As you’ll be able to see from our photograph above, considered one of these is a postcard-perfect backdrop of Portorosso for the Luca characters. I favored this one lots–it’s a clear and vibrant background with a little bit of dimensionality within the foreground. I nonetheless haven’t seen Luca (I do know, I do know), so I’m not fairly certain why Grumpy Cat is making a cameo, however I approve.
Tucked away behind the seating space is one other backdrop. This one is a little more generic, making it extra of a flex house that might host a wide range of totally different Pixar buddies. Sarah caught Wade and Ember from Elemental up right here.
I used to be taking images of meals or one thing whereas this occurred–I truthfully had no thought they have been even up right here. I wasn’t alone, as apparently these characters had the shortest line and have been simply neglected. Right here’s hoping that is still true and phrase doesn’t get out throughout Pixar Fest, because it’ll make these characters simpler to fulfill.
Up close to the stage and proper subsequent to the dance flooring is the van from Onward, the place Barley and Ian from that movie seem. This was by far the longest line we encountered for any characters. That most likely speaks extra to the cool backdrop and placement than the recognition of Onward, or so I’d guess.
On the opposite facet of the dance flooring is a backdrop for characters from Up:
It’ll be fascinating to see how all of those character encounters really work in apply, particularly those proper on the edges of the dance flooring and stage. Disneyland has but to verify whether or not these might be devoted meet & greets with constant set showtimes the place the characters will really pose for images with company.
This might find yourself being crowd-dependent. That means that if Pixar Buddies Playtime Celebration proves common, you would possibly solely have the ability to snap a fast selfie–or you would have the ability to get a posed photograph when it’s slower. I wouldn’t count on there to be autographs or PhotoPass photographers in any of those places. Even with the good backdrops, it’s most likely going to be extra laid again.
There additionally will most likely be some characters who begin on stage after which come out and mingle on the dance flooring. These are one other state of affairs the place the kind of photograph you’re capable of get is crowd-dependent. If it’s busy, solely count on fast selfies; if it’s sluggish, posed images (albeit fast ones) might be doable.
That’s been our expertise with dance party-like eventualities at Disneyland, and we really generally favor this to the lengthy strains of devoted meet & greets. Don’t get us improper–these are nice and it’s good to have the understanding and in addition hugs and autographs for company who need them, however it’s good that Disneyland has all kinds of character encounters. This additionally permits for free-flowing interactions and roaming characters–it’s a extra laid again strategy that works properly at Disneyland.
By far the best new character showing for the primary time throughout Pixar Fest is Dug the canine from the Pixar movie Up! Whereas it’s doable you’ve met Dug earlier than, this model is new–it’s speaking Dug! He’ll seem at Disney California Journey throughout Pixar Fest.
We had the possibility to fulfill Dug in a unique setting as a part of the Pixar Fest media occasion–you’ll be able to hear all kinds of his strains right here:
That is completely superior, to the purpose that it made me I can’t imagine they didn’t do that earlier than! As a result of his voice modulator (or no matter it’s), Dug is the right character for a speaking meet & greet like this.
He’s such an apparent candidate that I can’t imagine Disney didn’t use him when testing this idea over time. I’m additionally only a sucker for Dug and assume his strains from Up are hilarious, so it’s superior to have them recited for an in-park meet & greet.
Though, technically Dug isn’t a meet & greet within the sense that he doesn’t have a devoted location. Dug might be off-leash, a free roaming character in Grizzly Peak in entrance of Redwood Creek Problem Path. Friends can test the Disneyland app for look occasions (just like the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge characters, count on to see a spread of occasions, slightly than a set schedule).
I wouldn’t be shocked to see Dug moved again to the Grizzly Peak bypass path, as I feel having him as a free roaming character out in the principle walkway goes to create crowd circulation points and switch this right into a pinch-point. Possibly I’m simply overestimating the recognition of Dug and canine, although.
All in all, I’m fairly happy with the entire characters that Disneyland Resort is rolling out for Pixar Fest. There may be one slightly giant exception to that–the panda within the room, if you’ll. Whereas I respect the added characters and the entire love Turning Crimson has been getting at Disneyland Resort (beginning with Lunar New Yr and persevering with with a giant presence in Pixar Fest), it nonetheless boggles the thoughts that Crimson Panda Mei isn’t a meet & greet character!
In case you haven’t seen Turning Crimson (not that anybody cares, however it’s my favourite Disney or Pixar film since Coco–I prefer it much more than the fan-favorite Encanto), there may be actually a meet and greet with Crimson Panda Mei within the film itself. It’s such an apparent concept that it’s wild to me Disney hasn’t finished it but. Crimson Panda Mei is cool and all within the parade, however that is essentially the most huggable Disney character in ages, and is begging for a meet & greet. It will pay for itself within the merchandise and plush gross sales it could assist push. I’m not even kidding!
Lastly, it’s essential to notice that Disneyland is billing all of those characters as showing for a restricted time solely throughout Pixar Fest. It’s doable that a few of them might be prolonged past that “by common visitor demand,” however we’re inclined to take Disney at its phrase right here. Disneyland particularly hasn’t been afraid to lock common issues into the Disney Vault to generate FOMO and hype for his or her returns (see Wondrous Journeys and Rogers: The Musical, amongst many different issues), and I wouldn’t be shocked to see that occur with parts of Pixar Fest.
To that time, Pixar Fest will return to Disneyland Resort by way of August 4, 2024. There are additionally occasions and choices overlapping with Pixar Fest. Now till June 2, there’s Season of the Drive at Disneyland–together with Duckling Droids, Hyperspace Mountain, new Star Excursions locations and specifically themed meals and beverage, merchandise and extra for a restricted time. Then there’s the modified Fantasmic, which makes its long-awaited return to the Rivers of America on Might 24, 2024.
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Your Ideas
What do you consider Pixar Buddies Playtime Celebration or Higher Collectively Parade? Excited to come across new characters from Luca, Turning Crimson, Elemental, and different current Pixar films? Excited to expertise Pixar Fest once more, or want Disneyland would’ve finished one thing totally different for Summer season 2024? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions—even if you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
