But does the food taste good?

The stars of the show shined brightly while the supporting cast was pretty much what you’d expect during a media preview of the eatery before its grand opening next week.

The new Power Up Cafe on Universal’s Upper Lot officially opens on Thursday, Feb. 15 following a few weeks in soft-opening mode.

I tried everything on the menu at Power Up Cafe during a media preview on Thursday, Feb. 8 and found the calzones to be delicious, the pretzel and popcorn to be standard fare and most of the specialty drinks to be plenty of fun but too sweet for my taste.

Don’t go looking for this new Nintendo-themed food stand in Universal’s new Super Nintendo World themed land on the Lower Lot. Power Up Cafe is about as far away from the immersive Nintendo land as you can get. It’s on the Upper Lot near the park entrance next to the DreamWorks Theatre.

Power Up Cafe offers a dining alternative to the often-booked Toadstool Cafe in the tightly confined new land and injects more Nintendo into the park that has seen a big boost in attendance and visitor spending since Super Nintendo World opened in early 2023.

Power Up Cafe is basically a gussied up pizza stand with a novel twist on the grab-and-go slice of pizza. The new Nintendo cafe serves a pair of $13 calzones shaped like the green and red extra-life mushrooms from the Super Mario Bros. video games.

The Italian oven-baked turnovers are almost too adorable to eat — but once you take your first bite you’ll find it hard to stop. It’s like a culinary work of art you can hold in your hand — until you just have to start eating and stop admiring the craftsmanship.

The meaty red Super Mushroom is stuffed with pepperoni, sausage, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce filling that looks like a Ragu sauce. The veggie green 1-Up Mushroom is filled with spinach, green pepper, mushroom, mozzarella cheese and basil pesto that looks like a spinach dip.

ALSO SEE: ‘Secret’ Mac & Cheese festival turns Knott’s Berry Farm into the Cheesiest Place on Earth

These are not your everyday pizza turnovers. The dough is shaped to look like the Super Mario mushrooms with red and green dye added to color the mushroom caps and mozzarella circles stuck on top to create the polka dots. The camera eats first at Power Up Cafe and you’ll be unable to resist snapping a photo for your social media feed before biting into your calzone.

I loved the meaty red Super Mushroom calzone that satisfied my meat-lovers’ appetite. But the green 1-Up Mushroom calzone is almost as good and a great veggie option. I’d recommend getting them both and sharing them with someone you don’t mind swapping bites with. Because this is a handheld food with no knives or forks necessary.

The $13 Fire Flower Pretzel is cute — but a little dry and lacking salt. This is basically the Nintendo version of the Mickey Pretzel at Disneyland — but without as much soft pretzel fluffiness.

That’s because the soft pretzel is flattened to create the Fire Flower shape. The Fire Flower Pretzel pulls apart a bit like a cardamom bun so you can dip the pretzel petals in your choice of three sauces: mustard, chipotle cheese and white queso.

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Great Maple restaurant

I liked the queso the best and found myself dipping my calzone in the cheese sauce. It would be great if Power Up Cafe offered the queso or a marinara dipping sauce for the calzones — but that’s not an option at the moment.

The $7 Super Star Popcorn was nothing special. Just butter popcorn topped with edible glitter in a Nintendo cardboard box. The glitter gets all over your hands and lips as you shovel the popcorn into your mouth. But otherwise it’s just movie theater popcorn.

The second half of the menu is dedicated to four sugary beverages. And when I say sugary, I mean there is an actual Nintendo-shaped Power Up sugar cube you drop in your drink to add some flavor, fizz and sparkle to the experience.

The sugar cubes are shaped like the Super Mushroom, 1-Up Mushroom, Fire Flower and Super Star characters from the video games and come in a yellow Question Mark Block cardboard box.

The best part of the $13 specialty drinks: The boba popping pearls that you slurp up through the super-sized straw with every sip.

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My favorite of the four Sprite-based drinks was the Super Star Fizz with lemon popping pearls and a mango pineapple Super Star Power Up sugar cube.

The close runner-up: The 1-Up Mushroom Fizz with green apple popping pearls and a lime 1-Up Mushroom Power Up.

That’s right. My two favorite drinks added lemon or lime flavoring to a lemon-lime soda. That tells you where my pedestrian tastes lie when it comes to specialty soft drinks.

That also explains why I didn’t like the way too sweet Super Mushroom Fizz (strawberry popping pearls and strawberry sugar cube) and the slightly spicy Fire Flower Fizz (orange popping pearls and a mango habanero sugar cube).

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While I appreciated the themed storytelling the Nintendo-shaped sugar cubes added to the drink experience, I didn’t care for the chunks of sugar that came up the straw with every sip of the Sprite and boba pearls.

The sugar cubes will eventually dissolve on their own, but you’re encouraged to mash the cute little stars and flowers with your big boba straw to activate the flavors, change the color and add a sparkling fizz to the drink.

The drinks also come in $20 Super Mushroom or 1-Up Mushroom collectible sipper cups while the popcorn is also available in a $40 Super Star souvenir bucket.

Universal’s new Power Up Cafe fits neatly into the hottest trend in the fast food industry right now: Snacks.

Snacks fall into two broad categories: That fourth meal of the day to carry you over between breakfast, lunch and dinner and those upsell items that get you to spend a few more bucks beyond your basic order.

Think of the entire menu at a Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s new concept CosMc’s and you get the general idea behind the snack trend.

Power Up Cafe scratches this itch. If you’re like me and like to snack your way around the park in between rides and meals, then this new Nintendo grab-and-go shop will hit the spot. Just as long as you don’t mind chomping on a few of your favorite Super Mario Bros. characters.

The 2024 Knott’s Peanuts Celebration runs through Feb. 25 with stage shows, live music, character meet-and-greets and themed food and merchandise at the Buena Park theme park.

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Great Maple restaurant

I’m a huge fan of Mac & Cheese and consider the dish one of my five basic food groups.

By my count, 10 of the 21 Peanuts Celebration food and beverage items on this year’s Peanuts Celebration menu feature Mac & Cheese — making Knott’s the Cheesiest Place on Earth for the next few weeks.

“It’s kind of a secret menu,” Knott’s Berry Farm Vice President of Food & Beverage Laura Brubaker said of the preponderance of Mac & Cheese items. “We did advertise it to some degree, but not like we do with other events.”

ALSO SEE: Knott’s Berry Farm sets dates for 2024 festival lineup

Making Mac & Cheese the star of the culinary show made sense with the kids-centric Peanuts Celebration, according to Brubaker.

“If you like Mac & Cheese, why not put it into anything?” Brubaker said via email. “I thought it would be fun to hone in on this item. Mac & Cheese is very versatile and goes with a lot of different things — like burgers, with ground beef and on fries.”

Cheese has been a recurring theme during the annual Knott’s festival celebrating Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Pig-Pen and the rest of the Peanuts gang from the newspaper comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz.

Grilled cheese — another kids menu staple — went over well as the culinary star of the Peanuts Celebration a few years ago, according to Brubaker.

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If Knott’s can have an entire festival dedicated to the Boysenberry, why can’t Knott’s have a Mac & Cheese festival as part of the Peanuts Celebration?

“Mac & Cheese has legs and many people love eating it,” Brubaker said via email. “I do think there could be a larger celebration dedicated to it, however this is a pilot this year and may grow.”

Here are all of the Mac & Cheese items on the menu at this year’s Peanuts Celebration.

1) Franklin’s Mac and Cheesy Noodle, Cheddar and Broccoli Soup (Ghost Town Bakery)

2) Schroeder’s Fluffy Breakfast Mac and Cheese Pancake served with a side of Bacon and Maple Syrup (Sutter’s Grill)

3) Lucy Van Pelt’s Mac and Cheese Waffle Cone topped with Pulled Pork (Sutter’s Funnel Cake)

4) Cornbread Funnel Cake with Mac and Cheese and Pulled Pork with a BBQ Sauce Drizzle (Sutter’s Funnel Cake)

5) Snoopy’s Mac and Cheeseburger with Burger Sauce (Wilderness Dogs and Drinks)

6) Linus’ Mac and Cheese Bites over French Fries served with a Spicy Aioli (Strictly-on-a-Stick)

7) Pig Pen’s Ham and Mac and Cheese Loaf (Boardwalk BBQ)

8) Jose Peterson’s Swedish Meatball on top of Mac and Cheese and French Fries (Papas Mexicanas)

9) Charlie Brown’s Burrito with Mac and Cheese, Ground Beef and Queso (Casa California Restaurante)

10) Fully Loaded Funnel Cake topped with a Cheesecake Batter and Mac Gummies (Log Ride Funnel)

The Walt Disney Company announced plans on Wednesday, Feb. 7 to invest $1.5 billion in Fortnite-maker Epic Games and collaborate on new video games and entertainment universes.

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Disney CEO Bob Iger discussed during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday how he sat down with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro to brainstorm ways to integrate Disney intellectual property into Fortnite games.

“What if we create a gigantic Disney World à la Fortnite that could live next to Fortnite and be completely interconnected with it?” Iger said on the call with analysts. “A world where people can play games that we create and could create their own games.”

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Concept art of the Disney-centric video game interface envisioned for the Fortnite partnership looks like a theme park with multiple Disney castles at a gleaming central hub surrounded by at least eight islands populated with visual nods to familiar Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox brands, films and shows.

The theme park-like islands are filled with references to “Wreck It Ralph,” “Monsters Inc.” and “Lilo & Stitch” that sit alongside video game copies of the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and Cars Land themed lands at the Disneyland resort. A themed land dedicated to “The Nightmare Before Christmas” sits next to Radiator Springs.

Other islands are dedicated solely to recreations of Peter Pan’s Neverland, the Hallelujah Mountains of Avatar’s Pandora and the icy Star Wars planet of Hoth.

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Great Maple restaurant

“Our new relationship with Epic Games will create a transformational games and entertainment universe that integrates Disney’s world class storytelling into Epic’s cultural phenomenon Fortnite, enabling consumers to play, watch, create and shop for both digital and physical goods,” Iger said on the call. “This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of video games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion.”

Like Epic Games, Disney uses the Unreal Engine 3D design tool to create content for its portfolio of video games, films and TV shows. Walt Disney Imagineering has also used Unreal Engine to help design more than 15 attractions at Disney theme parks — including Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The shared use of technology will help streamline collaboration between Disney and Epic.

“This will enable us to bring together our incredible collection of stories and experiences from across the company for a broad audience in ways we have only dreamed of before,” D’Amaro said in a statement released by Disney. “Epic Games’ industry-leading technology and Fortnite’s open ecosystem will help us reach consumers where they are so they can engage with Disney in the ways that are most relevant to them.”

Disney’s partnership with the maker of the popular Fortnite video game follows the lead of rival Universal Studios that teamed up with Nintendo to bring Super Mario and Donkey Kong rides to its theme parks in Hollywood and Japan and soon to Florida and Singapore.

A Disney camera crew searches for the Chiefs star of the game through the red and gold confetti raining down on the Super Bowl victory celebration as “When You Wish Upon a Star” plays in the background.

“Travis Kelce,” intones the sports broadcaster narrator. “You and the Kansas City Chiefs just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do next?”

Pop star Taylor Swift gives Kelce a big victory kiss and the pair turn to the camera.

“We’re going to Disneyland!” Kelce and Swift shout in unison.

Could it happen? Anything is possible when you wish upon a star.

A lot of stars would have to align for the “Swelce” celebrity couple to end up on a Super Bowl LVIII victory float along Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland on Monday, Feb. 12.

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For starters, the Chiefs would have to beat the San Francisco 49ers, who are two-point favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11.

Then Disney would have to choose Kelce as the star of the game to feature in the annual Super Bowl television commercial. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went to Disneyland last year after Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory.

ALSO SEE: Patrick Mahomes wants Disney to build more parks for his Super Bowl MVP ‘world tour’

Disney arranges in advance for representatives from each team to serve as the in-the-moment spokesperson — so the player selections for both teams have likely already been made. The possibility of a Kelce-Swift visit to the Happiest Place on Earth would be awfully difficult for the Disney brass to resist.

Then there’s the question of whether Swift could actually make it from a Tokyo tour date to the Super Bowl in Vegas — which is not going to be an easy task.

ALSO SEE: Knott’s Berry Farm kicks off Peanuts Celebration with Camp Snoopy under construction

Fortunately, the Associated Press has mapped out what it would take for Swift to make the 6,000-mile Tokyo-to-Vegas trip and settle into her luxury box seat just in time for kick off.

There are no direct flights from Tokyo to Vegas, so Swift would have to fly aboard her private jet — which AP estimates would take 11 to 12 hours.

Accounting for time zones, AP estimates Swift could just make the 3:30 p.m. Super Bowl kickoff in Vegas if she heads for the airport immediately after her show at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome ends at 9:30 p.m. local time.

After that, it’s just a question of whether Swift wants to endure the madness of a Disneyland appearance with her Super Bowl champion boyfriend. She doesn’t have to be anywhere until Feb. 16, when her record-setting Eras Tour resumes in Australia.

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Social media has been awash with Swifties talking about the possibility of the pop singer and her squeeze taking over Disneyland on Monday, Feb. 12, according to Theme Park Insider.

“It’s all likely a longshot, but that’s enough of a chance for many Swift fans to consider buying a ticket to the park for even the slight opportunity to see their favorite singer in person,” according to Theme Park Insider. “Magic Key reservations for Feb. 12 already are booked out, but reservations for daily ticket holders on that date remain available.”

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San Francisco 49ers fans are hoping quarterback Brock Purdy or running back Christian McCaffrey are on the Disneyland parade float rather than Kelce and Swift. Both 49ers players are engaged — Purdy to his college girlfriend Jenna Brandt and McCaffrey to actress and 2012 Miss Universe winner Olivia Culpo.

The good news for fans of the Super Bowl winning team? Fans of the losing team traditionally cancel their Disneyland Magic Key reservations just after the Super Bowl ends — freeing up more last minute annual pass spots for the winning side.

For related news, see: Relentless storm leads to eye-popping rainfall totals in Southern California

The choice whether to close completely, close early or stay open during the heavy rains that have pummeled the Southland since Thursday has been a game-time decision each morning for the area’s weather-dependent theme parks.

Disney California Adventure moved up its closing time on Tuesday, Feb. 6 from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Disneyland app.

Disneyland is set to close early at 8 p.m. on Tuesday to empty the Anaheim theme park of daily visitors so the separate admission Sweethearts’ Nite after-hours event can get started. Disney offers no refunds for Disneyland After Dark events due to inclement weather.

Knott’s Berry Farm and SeaWorld San Diego closed on Tuesday due to the rain, according to the parks’ social media accounts.

Knott’s tickets purchased for Tuesday are valid any day through Feb. 25.

SeaWorld’s Weather-or-Not program provides a free return visit when rain, thunder, lightning, hail, winds, heat, snow or a hurricane force the closure of the park.

Universal Studios Hollywood and Legoland California remained open on Tuesday despite the bad weather.

Universal Studios tickets are rain or shine with no complimentary admission to return another day when it rains.

Legoland California offers a “Rainy Day Promise” that allows visitors to return within a year when storms ruin the day.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the winter season.

The latest rainfall hammering Southern California is thanks to a Pineapple Express weather system carrying heavy rain from the tropical Pacific – specifically from the Hawaiian islands area.

• For related, see: Emergency declared as Southern California storm is called potentially catastrophic and life-threatening

Disneyland moved up its closing time on Monday, Feb. 5 from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Disney California Adventure will also close at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than scheduled, according to the Disneyland app. Disneyland and DCA each closed an hour early on Sunday due to the rain.

Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain closed on Monday due to the rain, according to the parks’ social media accounts. Magic Mountain was closed on Sunday and Knott’s closed at 5 p.m. Sunday due to the rain.

SeaWorld San Diego also closed on Monday due inclement weather, according to the marine park’s website. SeaWorld’s Weather-or-Not program provides a free return visit when rain, thunder, lightning, hail, winds, heat, snow or a hurricane force the closure of the park.

• For related, see: Rain map: Orange County’s wettest spots from atmospheric river

Knott’s, Magic Mountain and SeaWorld often close on rainy days while Disneyland quietly closes early on rainy days that diminish crowds at the Anaheim theme park. Local parks typically make the decision whether to close each morning due to weather conditions.

Legoland California offers a “Rainy Day Promise” that allows visitors to return within a year when storms ruin the day.

Universal Studios tickets are rain or shine with no complimentary admission to return another day when it rains.

The Great Maple restaurant serves as the flagship eatery in the newly renovated Pixar-themed hotel that debuted on Tuesday, Jan. 30.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel is like walking into an animator’s studio

As part of the hotel’s gradual transformation, Great Maple opened in November with a menu that includes hamburgers, fried chicken, ribs, fish, steak, seafood, pasta and salads.

During a media preview, I tasted about a dozen items from the Great Maple menu. Here are five of my favorites:

1) Fried Chicken & Doughnuts

It’s pretty hard to resist the buttermilk fried chicken and maple bacon doughnuts topped with a healthy dose of maple syrup. It’s always a good sign when a restaurant’s signature dish lives up to its reputation.

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2) Portobello Mushroom Fries

Billed as “Everyone’s Favorite Starter,” the parmesan-crusted portobello mushroom spears are topped with red pepper flakes and basil pesto aioli. This was the biggest surprise on the menu — and an open secret for Great Maple regulars.

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3) Soda Pop Baby Back Ribs

The fall-off-the-bone slow-braised and grilled half rack of ribs comes with hot honey slaw and a white cheddar biscuit. It was hard to stop eating these sweet, sticky and finger-licking good ribs.

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4) Steakhouse Burger

The thick and juicy burger is served with aged white cheddar, arugula, tomato, pickled red onions and aioli with a side of French fries, parmesan truffle fries, champagne maple vinaigrette salad or mini Caesar. Everyone does a gastropub burger — but this one stands out from the pack.

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5) Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is one of my five basic food groups — so I have a high bar when it comes to this American comfort food staple. Great Maple’s corkscrew pasta with aged white cheddar, American cheese and herb panko gratin comes with an option to add maple chili bacon. When has bacon not made anything better?

Southern California-based Great Maple has other locations in Fashion Island, Pasadena Paseo and San Diego.

Knott’s closed on Thursday, Feb. 1 due to inclement weather, according to the Buena Park theme park’s official Twitter page. Knott’s tickets purchased for Thursday are valid any day through Feb. 25.

ALSO SEE: 10 rainy day closures cost Knott’s Berry Farm millions in early 2023

SeaWorld San Diego also closed on Thursday because of inclement weather and will reopen on Friday, Feb. 2, according to the marine park’s website. SeaWorld’s Weather-or-Not program provides a free return visit when rain, thunder, lightning, hail, winds, heat, snow or a hurricane force the closure of the park.

The latest rainfall hammering Southern California is thanks to a Pineapple Express weather system carrying heavy rain from the tropical Pacific — specifically from the Hawaiian islands area.

Other Southern California theme parks remained open despite the back-to-back storms forecast to wallop the Southland through early next week.

ALSO SEE: Bing Bong brings his rainbow wagon to Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel

Disneyland is set to close early at 8 p.m. on Thursday to empty the Anaheim theme park of daily visitors so the separate admission Sweethearts’ Nite after-hours event can get started. Disney Lovebirds will want to bring a raincoat, boots and an umbrella along with their romantic intentions.

Across the esplanade, Disney California Adventure is scheduled to remain open until 9 p.m. on Thursday.

Universal Studios Hollywood is scheduled to close at 6 p.m. on Thursday while Legoland California will stay open until 4:30 p.m.

Legoland California offers a “Rainy Day Promise” that allows visitors to return within a year when storms ruin the day.

Universal Studios tickets are rain or shine with no complimentary admission to return another day when it rains.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the winter season.

The Celebrate Soulfully event honoring Black culture with authentic food and music will run throughout February at Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel.

ALSO SEE: Bing Bong brings his rainbow wagon to Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel

The annual Celebrate Gospel musical tribute returns to the Fantasyland Theatre on Feb. 17 and 24 with a pair of headliner musicians and a host of Southern California community choirs.

The Feb. 17 show will be headlined by Marvin Sapp and the Feb. 24 show will feature Tasha Cobbs. Local musical groups will include the Sacred Groove acapella vocalists and the Singers of Soul gospel choir.

The Downtown Disney stage will feature music every night in February — ranging from Gospel to Soul to Doo-Wop. The February lineup of bands playing the Downtown Disney Live stage include Singers of Soul, LALA Brass, Del Atkins and the Lyfe, Denean’s Soul Foundation, Doo-Wah Riders, Apollo Bebop, Forward Motion and the Honeydrops.

ALSO SEE: Knott’s Berry Farm kicks off Peanuts Celebration with Camp Snoopy under construction

The Disneyland Hotel Lobby Lounge will host live jazz and contemporary music by Standard Mel and Kirk Andres on Fridays and Sundays in February.

Catch live jazz and contemporary music by Dedrick’s Dynamic Duo, Carmel Helene and Roderick Chambers on Thursdays and Saturdays in February in the Hearthstone Lounge at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.

Chalk artist Marcella Swett will create Black heritage chalk murals at Downtown Disney on Feb. 21-23.

Select restaurants in Disneyland and at the Disneyland Hotel will offer Black History Month menu items throughout February.

Cafe Orleans

• Deviled Eggs & Pickled Vegetables with Bread & Butter Pickles, Teardrop Peppers and Brussels Sprout Leaves
• Prix Fixe Dinner with Gumbo or Caesar Salad and Cornmeal-Fried Fish, Hushpuppies, Steamed Rice, Succotash with House-Made Cocktail Sauce and Hot Sauce and Turtle Cheesecake

River Belle Terrace

• Brunch Platter with Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Biscuits and Gravy and House Slaw
• Dinner Platter with BBQ Brisket, Fried Chicken, Buttery Mashed Potatoes and Biscuits and Gravy

Troubadour Tavern

• Fried Chicken Bowl with Spicy Honey-Glazed Fried Chicken, Four Cheese Mac and Cheese, Smoked Turkey Collard Greens and Sweet Potato Cornbread
• Sweet Potato Pie Casserole with Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie

Disneyland Hotel Lobby Lounge

• Barrel-Aged Smoked Old Fashioned with Uncle Nearest 1884 Bourbon, Peach, Turbinado Sugar, Angostura Bitters, Peychaud’s Bitters and a Luxury Ice Cube
• McBride Sisters Sparkling Rose
• Crowns & Hops Pilsner
• Shrimp & Grits
• Sweet Potato Fries Poutine with Sweet Potato Fries, Gravy and Cheese Curds

Bing Bong from the 2015 Pixar animated film is now posing for photos at Disneyland’s new Pixar Place Hotel in his first appearance at any Disney theme park resort worldwide.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel is like walking into an animator’s studio

The multimillion-dollar transformation of the former Paradise Pier Hotel into the new Pixar Place Hotel debuted on Tuesday, Jan. 30 after three years in the making at the Disneyland resort in Anaheim.

Bing Bong is the imaginary friend of 11-year-old protagonist Riley Andersen, who is guided by the emotions Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness in the control center of her mind in Pixar’s “Inside Out” film.

With the head of a pink elephant, fuzzy tail of a purple cat and a body of cotton candy, Bing Bong looks unlike any other character in animated film history, clad in a brown plaid jacket, mini bowler hat, fingerless gloves, polka dot bow tie and a rainbow flower on his lapel.

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Bing Bong was voiced by actor Richard Kind who has also voiced characters in “A Bug’s Life,” “American Dad,” “Family Guy” and “Big Mouth.” The “Inside Out 2” sequel hits theaters on June 14.

The Bing Bong meet-and-greet character at Pixar Place Hotel is massive with a prodigious belly of pink cotton candy and a towering height of more than 7 feet. He poses for photos in front of his Rocket Wagon with broom boosters and cardboard wings carrying a swooping inflatable rainbow arch.

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For now, Bing Bong can only be seen during select times at the Pixar Shorts Court play area near the Pixar Place Hotel rooftop pool. Anybody can come and visit with Bing Bong — not just hotel guests or theme park visitors.

Other “Inside Out” characters like Joy and Sadness often appear for meet-and-greet photos near the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind ride in Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure.

Posing for group photos at the neon rainbow display in Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff candy shop with one of Disney’s more flamboyant characters has become an annual tradition during the unofficial Gay Days Anaheim mix-in event.

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Bing Bong’s for our group photo today!#GayDaysAnaheim #Disney #Disneyland pic.twitter.com/PRmK1DU4FP

— Gay Days Anaheim (@GayDaysAnaheim) October 6, 2019

Bing Bong isn’t the only Pixar character making appearances at the new Pixar Place Hotel.

Joe Gardner — the central character in Pixar’s “Soul” — plays jazz songs from the animated movie on a baby grand piano under a staircase just off the main hotel lobby.