From Paradise Pier to Pixar Paradise

Photo Credit: Passporttotheparks.com

On June 23rd, 2018 Pixar Pier was finally open to everyone! From changes to Ariel’s Grotto to California Screamin’, everything about the pier was about to change. After its opening, many a frequent disney goer took to the boardwalk to check it out and I think it’s safe to say that most were not disappointed. Today I’m here to give you my most honest review of the new attractions and hopefully lift some of your spirits, dampened by the changes.

 

To start, I was extremely excited for the Lamplight Lounge to open and although the line was almost halfway down the pier, I was able to snag reservations for my next Disney trip at the end of October so stay tuned for a review on that! Other new food experiences included the Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, Cookie Num Nums, Angry Dogs, Chicken wings, Senor Buzz Churros and a plethora of treats inside Bing Bong’s Sweet Shop. I was able to try food from many of these places and you can find my scathing opinions of those soon on Daretodreamer.com, I’ll keep you updated on when that’s posted!

Photo Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Moving on to the incredible, better get used to my puns they’re never going away, new attractions. First off on the list, The Incredicoaster which takes its rider on an adventure to catch baby Jack Jack with the whole Incredibles family (and auntie Edna of course). While the skeleton of the ride is exactly the same as its original, the concept was absolutely amazing. All of us Millennials waited and waited, as Pixar likes to make us do, to see the second installment of the Incredibles movie and when I finally got to see it I was so impressed that I went and saw it two more times! The new ride follows the most anticipated path to the storyline, what power will Jack Jack have??? Of course they just had to blow us all away and give him ALL OF THEM, being that he is the JACK of all trades. Haha. Back to the ride, you’ll definitely want to have your eyes open on this coaster or you’ll miss it all, just like we missed that Jack Jack’s name was a pun.

 

Next to this towering coaster will be the home of Jessie’s Critter Carousel, which doesn’t open until 2019, but I’m sure that it’s going to be a great ride for those with ones too little to ride the coaster. Neighbors to the critters is Toy Story Mania, nothing new here but that’s not to say that it’s not a good ride nonetheless! The last ride on the pier so far is the Pixar Pal Around Ferris Wheel, which also kept its original skeleton but got a new face lift to match the rest of the pier. Putting all my favorite Pixar characters on the cars did not change my opinion that the moving cars are nothing but jolly deathtraps waiting to plummet you to the water down below. Ahem. Anyways, there is rumors of changes to other parts of the park near the Ariel’s Undersea Adventure but we shall see if those pan out or if they just disappoint such as the rumor that Senor Buzz’s caliente churros had hot cheetos when they really only had crushed cinnamon candies.

Photo Credit: Dapsmagic.com

Now that Pixar Fest is officially over, Disnerds can finally reflect on the super fun summer we all had rockin’ with our favorite Pixar pals. From shorts to animations, Pixar never really falls short in any aspects. Any kid from the 90’s can attest that they grew up with Pixar movies and seeing the pier transform into this new, magical state was just the cherry on top. Although the pier is still getting some renovations done, it’s nearly at its final stage where we can enjoy stepping into a story with our favorite characters either all together, on the Pixar Pal Around, or in their own stories like the incredible Incredicoaster!