The New Pixar Pier
July 25, 2018Who has been to the new Pixar Pier? I will admit, as a Disney lover, I was quite skeptical about whether our family would accept the changes they were making to the Pier.
We had a soft spot for Paradise Pier and my children had been going to it since they were very small.
In fact, watching this video brought my oldest son to tears. All things Disney have a special place in our hearts and I am the first to admit I am resistant to change.
All of that being said, Pixar Pier won us over!
Lets start with the show stopper... the Incredicoaster!
The work they have done on this coaster is well, Incredible! Pun Intended. (hehe) The premise of the coaster is that Jack Jack has run away and the family is chasing him through the coaster carrying you along the way. It is very well done! The ride track is the same as the California Screamin' track so if you have ridden it in the past you know a bit of what to expect. Toss in some Incredibles fun and some super fun music in your ears and you have the Incredicoaster.
Another amazing addition to Pixar Pier is the Lamplight Lounge. I loved Ariels Grotto, but I have to admit Lamplight Lounge had me excited when I first read about it and it did indeed live up to the hype.
We chose to sit out on the patio where you can only order appetizers and drinks. We were able to make an entire meal out of appetizers. We ordered a couple new items and of course had those amazing lobster nachos that they used to have at the Cove Bar. They are still delish!
Other food that is worth mentioning on the Pier is Jack Jack's Cookie Num Nums which is found right next to the Incredicoaster. They had a yummy deep dish chocolate cookie that is served warm which my kids loved. I personally adored the Incredicookie which is a gluten free short bread with a blackberry filling in the middle. I wanted to have another it was so good. I love that Disney is offering more gluten free options.
There is also Angry Dogs which serves spicy hot dogs. Don't worry if you don't want a spicy dog you can order a slightly annoyed dog which is not spicy. I love the theming of this stand!
Poultry Palace serves fried chicken is super cute. We didn't eat there, but I have read good things about it. If you try it, please let me know if it is worth a try!
Bing Bongs Sweet Stuff just recently opened and is basically a candy store serving prepacked Inside Out themed candy along with cake pops, candied apples and other items you may find in the other Disneyland candy stores. The thing that sets this store apart are the Memory Refreshers which are flavored slushes that come in different colors and flavor combinations. I think these are super clever!
You can find Pixar characters milling around from time to time on the Pier. We saw Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc and also Woody and Sally from Toy Story!
The Boardwalk Games have been reimagined as well.
The only Paradise Pier game remaining is the Bullseye Stampede which was already a Pixar themed game. They have added Heimlich's Ball Toss, which I must say is the hardest game to win. There is a Wall-E game which involves shooting a stream of water at a target. In this one you can win a Wall-E or an Eva.
The final game is a gauranteed prize win, which is always a plus if you have small children. It is a fishing game where your prize is determined by what you catch. How cute are these little stars they give away as prizes?
A change that many people may not even catch is the rooftop color change. Prior to the renovation the buildings on the actual pier had rooftops that were a reddish terra cotta color. Now for Pixar Pier, the rooftops are a nice blue. I think it really pops and looks more playful. I really love this subtle change. Way to go Disney!
As a person who was very skeptical about Pixar Pier I must say Disney won me over with this one. Partly because my kids like the Pixar movies and I love to see them represented in a big way in the parks, but also because I think they did a really nice job with the theming of the area.
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