It was a BIG week in Disneyland this week! In fact, this might have been the biggest week since the parks closed a year ago! That’s because for the first time, guests were allowed into a FULL Disney California Adventure!

While no rides are available, guests who purchased tickets to A Touch of Disney are able to say “hello” to some of their favorite characters, eat some yummy treats, and stroll around the vast majority of California Adventure. With that and much, much more, let’s take a look at what’s new around Downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney General Updates

The esplanade (which is just a fancy word for that space in between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure) got a bit of a makeover in preparation for A Touch of Disney. Social distancing markers were added outside the gates of Disney California Adventure for guests to line up on each day.

There are around a dozen of these lines that stretch across the length of the esplanade.

We also spotted new banners along Downtown Disney that advertise A Touch of Disney.

These stickers and banners will likely stay as the parks prepare to reopen in late April, so we’ll keep an eye on them to see how Disney plans to manage socially distanced queues for both parks!

Click here for a first look at our trip to A Touch of Disney!

Downtown Disney Food Updates

Starbucks

This week, Starbucks West officially reopened! This is the smaller of the two Starbucks, located right next door to the LEGO Store.

To welcome guests back to their location, the team at Starbucks featured a new drink: the Spring Forward Strawberry Matcha. We were also told that this drink was inspired by WandaVision, which is already a win in our book!

We found the drink to be a nice, refreshing sip that blended together flavors like green tea, pineapple, and strawberry! 

Now that both of the Starbucks locations have reopened in Downtown Disney, there are even more ways to get your caffeine fix on your busy day of shopping and dining.

Click here to read our full review of the “Welcome Back” drink from Starbucks West!

A Touch of Disney

We can’t talk about our weekly roundup from Disneyland without mentioning A Touch of Disney! The ticketed event in Disney California Adventure kicked off on March 18th with TONS of classic Disneyland food items we haven’t had in over a year!

Now through April 19th, guests can enjoy classic treats like Dole Whip…

…the famous Monte Cristo Sandwich…

…and even some chicken wings from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar!

A Touch of Disney also includes some fan-favorite California Adventure Food and Wine Festival dishes as well! Be sure to follow along for more coverage from A Touch of Disney in the coming weeks!

Click here to check out a first look at our return to Lamplight Lounge during A Touch of Disney!

Downtown Disney Merchandise Updates

World of Disney

The big find this week at World of Disney were these new Disneyland Ears! Well, almost new. These ears bore a striking resemblance to those Annual Passholder ears we spotted a couple of months ago in Disney World, although the bow on these are a different color and there is no broach in the middle (these ones aren’t AP ears either — they’re available to everyone!) They retail for $29.99.

We also found a couple of new mugs to spruce up your kitchen cabinet! The mugs have a hand-made look to them, with a classic Mickey pattern all over. The mugs are available in a rich, dark blue color with a glossy finish…

…as well as a blush pink color with a more matte finish! Both mugs retail at World of Disney for $19.99.

You can also now purchase the map for Downtown Disney’s 2021 Eggstravaganza Easter Egg hunt!  We spotted a couple of the eggs around Downtown Disney recently, but now you can track them down with a handy dandy map!

We also saw the prizes you can earn for completing your map: adorable collectable eggs of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Chip, and Dale! The map and one prize egg together cost $7.99.

You can also purchase a separate set of “it’s a small world” eggs for $14.99.

Happy egg hunting!

Click here to see more photos of the newest Disneyland ears!

Dress Shop

Over at Dress Shop, we spotted two new t-shirts from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar (which would match perfectly with the chicken wings you can get at A Touch of Disney!). There’s a women’s t-shirt for $27.99…

…as well as a men’s t-shirt for $29.99!

At this time Disney hasn’t announced reopening plans for Trader Sam’s or for the Disneyland Hotel, but these t-shirts are certainly testing our patience!

Can’t wait for Trader Sam’s to reopen in Disneyland? Find out how you can enjoy one of their food items in the meantime!

WonderGround Gallery

Finally, we spotted a few new pieces from the Jerrod Maruyama collection in WonderGround Gallery! If you’re on a mission to complete your collection, be sure to stop by and pick up some Tupperware for $24.99…

…a coaster set for $24.99…

…a silicone baking pan for $34.99…

…and stickers for $4.99 each!

Click here to find out how to score some of these items online!

Our trips to Disneyland keep getting more and more exciting! We’re counting down the days until April 30th, but until then, you can expect to hear more from our trips to the Disneyland Resort as we cover what’s new in Downtown Disney, and now what’s new in ALL of Disney California Adventure (well, most of it…YOU KNOW WHAT WE MEAN!)

Click here to read about WHO will be able to visit a reopened Disneyland first.

Do you have tickets to A Touch of Disney? Let us know in the comments!

The post What’s New at Downtown Disney: A Touch of Disney Begins, Sparkly Minnie Ears, and Starbucks Reopens! first appeared on the disney food blog.