When you walk through Esplanade between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, your favorite Pixar characters greet you on banners from above.  Primary colored signs above the entrance to both parks welcome guests to “Celebrate Friendship &  Beyond” through September 3, 2018.  On April 13 Disneyland Resort launched Pixar Fest, a summer long experience that incorporates your favorite Pixar characters throughout the park in parades, fireworks, merchandise, and food.

The new Pixar Pier at DCA will open with the newly themed rides and attractions on June 23.

The Pixar Play Parade returned and moved to Disneyland. A fun filled parade with characters from Monsters University, Toy Story, Incredibles, Inside Out, and Finding Nemo.  There is lots of activity on the street and watch out because all of the floats seem to have the ability to squirt water into the crowd.  The parade is running twice a day at 3:30pm and 6:00pm. I found a nice view about 15 minutes prior to the start time across from It’s a Small World with a view of the floats as the left the backstage area. On my visit, I was able to see the new Inside Out float, but their was no sign of the UP floats that have been promoted.

The new fireworks show, Together Forever, launches nightly at [9:30]. Disneyland has brought back the projections on Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Main Street buildings. According to the times guide and my experience from the 60th fireworks, the projections will display on It’s a Small World and the water spray in the Rivers of America.  Tip: If you have a Fastpass for Fantasmic, stay put and catch the fireworks from the riverbanks. In the past, it was a nice view with the fireworks above Big Thunder Mountain.  I don’t recommend my method of continuously walking up and down Main Street for your view. But if you want to try: walk up the right side of Main Street, when you get to the Camera Shop rush back down to Town Square using the backstage passage way and start over.

Since last fall, Downtown Disney has added holiday themed topiaries to their planters. Pixar Fest has brought a collection of unique topiaries to continue the theming throughout the resort.

Next time: Merchandise, Food, and Paint the Night.