TRIP REPORT: Disneyland Resort - April 30/May 1-2, 2019 (Disneyland After Dark: Heroes Assemble)

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I recently went down to attend the Disneyland After Dark: Heroes Assemble event at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. I had originally not planned to attend as I didn't think they'd have any heroes than they normally would have out, but then word got out that Iron Man would be there along with Mickey & Pals in their Marvel bounding outfits they wear during Marvel Day At Sea on the Disney Cruise Line and I had to go!

First up was a visit to the new Mickey's PhilharMagic which has moved into the Sunset Showcase Theater. I'm fine with it. The 3D still looks nice and I can always enjoy anything with Disney music. Do I think it's better than Muppets 3D? No. But, since it looks like it's sadly never going to return, this is a nice substitute.

I then walked by the animation building and, maybe they've been up there for awhile, but I just noticed they added Pixar's Coco and Disney's Moana to the Art of Animation building! How cool!

Next, I visited Captain Marvel who had moved to her permanent meet-and-greet area since the first time I was able to meet her. Her new meet space is very cool, loaded with Easter Eggs!

For example, there are crates around paying homage to the great Stan Lee (the two numbers represent his birth date and death date):

Brie Lason:

And Captain Marvel co-creators Roy Thomas and Gene Colan:

Even the Fonz Lunchbox from the movie is located here!

And then it was time to meet the marvelous Captain Marvel:

During the day, they had a few heroes out already in celebration of the $1.2 billion made by

Avengers: Endgame in one weekend. I was glad to see them out so I didn't have to worry about them at Heroes Assemble.

Other heroes I met that were out were Captain America...

Spider-Man...

Black Widow and Hawkeye...

Thor and Loki...

and Black Panther and a member of his Dora Milaje...

After this, I headed over to Pixar Pier where I finally got a chance to ride Jessie's Critter Carousel. One thing people might not know about me is I love a good carousel. I actually really loved Triton's Carousel with its beautiful and unique sea animals. But, I have to say that if they were going to change it, Jessie's Critter Carousel is a lot of fun, bringing its own unique animals to it and the song that plays while the carousel is going is quite peppy and cute. Overall, I liked it quite a bit!

I then stopped and watched one of my favorite bands at the Disneyland Resort - the Pixarmonic Orchestra. I absolutely adore them. Here they are singing "Touch The Sky" from Pixar's Brave...

After, I went over to the Blue Sky Cellar to get my wrist band and other registration items for the event! I was ready to go!

Soon, the evening was upon us and I just had a feeling Iron Man would be the most popular. So, I wanted to get in line for him first. And, I'm glad I did because it was a mad house. Fortunately, I ended up fairly close to the front.

From there, I paid a visit to Star-Lord and Gamora...

And then it was off to see Mickey & Pals. This was another area that I thought would be a nightmare. I was afraid they would alternate all the characters which would lead to a giant frustration of seeing the characters I wanted to see. But, to Disneyland's credit, they did this in a really smart way. They set up two meet-and-greet areas, each with two sets of twos, who would continually come out and meet. That way, you wouldn't miss anybody. I LOVED THIS IDEA. DISNEYLAND, IF YOU ARE LISTENING, ALWAYS DO THIS! LOL

First up was Chip 'n' Dale aptly bounding Thor 'n' Loki...

Then, it was Goofy & Pluto as Iron Man and Avengers themed dog...

Next, I made my way across the street to see Mickey & Minnie as Captain America and Spider-Man (Spider-Gwen?)...

And, finally, Donald and Daisy as the Hulk and Black Widow...

After this, I paid a visit to the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange...

I had now managed to meet all the heroes I needed to meet. I thought I might try to go back to Iron Man, but, his line was still at an hour and I was getting tired. So, I headed over to meet the Krylorian Girls before I left...

All in all a really fun evening. I know these events can be really pricey, but, I think there were several things Disney got right with this event. One: it was held over the series of two nights making it less crowded (except for Iron Man); Two: it had some great photo locations and; Three: it did the Mickey & Pals meet and greets perfectly. I would also like to give thanks to all the cast members working the events, from those that kept the registration process easy and moving to the numerous cast members that made sure lines were accessible to me. The only thing I wish could happen is more time. Four hours is really a short period of time. I didn't get to try any of the event food because I was trying to get to all the characters. Otherwise, overall, it really was a great event and I might even say my favorite Disneyland After Dark event so far in terms of organization and offering!

The next day, I didn't have a lot of time as I had to leave for Los Angeles to see Avengers: Endgame at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood (Trip Report on that to come). But, I did get a chance to see some characters.

I always love to see Mickey & Pals in their "Get Your Ears On" outfits celebrating Mickey's 90th birthday!

And, I had a fantastic visit with Pluto in ToonTown! He was so playful and fun!!!

And, after all the play, I went to see the Aladdin sneak peek over at the Disneyland Opera House where they also had some costumes and props. I am all for a sneak peek, but I wish they wouldn't do it at the expense of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. That said, I have to say that the sneak peek really got me excited for the movie. It had only been in the back of my mind until now, but I think I'm even more excited for this than I was Beauty And The Beast.

Before we end, I gotta talk about some food I got to try.

First up was a burger I had at the newly opened Black Tap. I had the All-American Burger with truffle mayo and some fries. It was a decent burger. I always get the regular burger as a baseline as to how everything else might taste. The burger was juicy and didn't require much sauce. The fries were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside - the way I like my fries. The only detractor is price. I know burgers at Disneyland are not much cheaper, but I don't really eat burgers at Disneyland either. So, the chance of me going here for lunch is probably slim. But, I would like to try one of their famous shakes they're known for. So, I'll probably try that next time.

Next up was the Cookies & Cream Bread Pudding that is a "Get Your Ears On" offering from Pacific Wharf. I am not going to be afraid to say that it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. It tastes exactly as advertised - a cookies & cream bread pudding. I would most definitely have this again!

Another thing I had was something I had before, but can't remember if I wrote about it. It's the Loaded Dole Whip over at the Tropical Hideaway. Now, this is truly heaven in a bowl. You get the glory of dole whip, but with fruit and all these other delicious textures. I really love this and it is something I would get every time I would go to Disneyland.

Finally, I haven't been over to Cafe Orleans in a long time and had a chance to try to Shrimp & Grits. Wow was that a great dish! It had a nice kick to it, but it wasn't overbearing. The grits were nice and tender and the shrimp and Andouille sausage were perfect.

And, that's it for my latest trip! My next trip will most likely be when I go down for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge where we successfully managed to get a reservation! #SoExcited