Theme Park Bits: Lunar New Year at DCA, Six Flags’ New Coaster, and More

Pixar Pier concept art

In this edition of Theme Park Bits:

Six Flags Magic Mountain unveils a snazzy new coaster.
DCA is celebrating Lunar New Year.
And more!

If you’re familiar enough with theme parks, you know that Southern California isn’t just the domain of Disneyland and Universal Studios. No, there’s also a Six Flags in the area, Magic Mountain, and it’s just unveiled a brand-new roller-coaster attraction. West Coast Racers, as it’s called, might not seem like the most intimidating roller coaster, but as documented in that Theme Park Insider article, it’s going to give you some impressive G force, and its smaller size may be a sneaky way to lure you into complacency before it thrills you off your feet.

Every January, Disney California Adventure likes to celebrate Lunar New Year, commemorating traditions of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures. And this year, they couldn’t ask for a better tie-in. Why? Well, this Lunar New Year is the Year…of the Mouse. Yes, really. So, from January 17 to February 9, you can join the celebration with special character encounters, Asian cuisine, a procession featuring characters from Mulan and a special nighttime water show prior to World of Color. No better year than this one to celebrate Lunar New Year.

If you are in DCA during the Lunar New Year celebration, you might want to head over to Downtown Disney afterwards. You may still have a hankering for some unique Asian-inspired cuisine, and lucky for you, there’s a new establishment designed to satisfy that need. Asian Street Eats is now open in the Downtown Disney District, offering a variety of Asian dishes in takeout form. The new hot spot is located in the west side of Downtown Disney, but from the looks of it, it’s worth the walk.

Of course, you might be reading this and thinking, “Yeah, this is all well and good, but it costs money to go to Disneyland, and I’m not overflowing with cash.” Well, good news, especially if you a) live in the Southern California region and/or b) have kids. Disneyland is offering some special ticket discounts for the first few months of 2020 to make things a bit easier on your wallet. Through mid-May, Southern California residents and kids ages 3-9 can go to Disneyland on one-park, one-day tickets for just $67 per day. That’s not the cheapest price, sure, but it’s a lot less than the regular price, so if you qualify (or if your kids do), plan yourself a trip for the spring.

We don’t often talk about the overseas Disney parks, but it’s high time we highlighted Hong Kong Disneyland. Why’s that? Well, simple: the Disney resort is in the middle of a land dispute with the Hong Kong government. No, you didn’t read that sentence incorrectly. And yes, the government of Hong Kong, concerned over the high cost of living there, is trying to take back 148 acres of land that Hong Kong Disneyland had earmarked for expansion purposes. There’s a lot in flux here, but it’s safe to say that expansion might take longer than expected.

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