Disney has pulled back on a recent decision to expand one area of Disneyland Park.
As Disney continues to pour billions into its properties, there’s a lot going on at its theme parks right now. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim – which is on the cusp of its 70th anniversary – is embarking on a major growth phase, which includes the expansion of Avengers Campus with two new rides (Avengers: Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab) and the introduction of the first-ever Coco boat ride near Pixar Pier.
The resort also plans to build a new Avatar-themed land, inspired by Avatar: The Way of Water. It will slot into part of the current Hollywood Backlot area, which requires the closure of Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! in early 2026.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney World is preparing for its largest growth period in decades. Expansions include a Cars area and a Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, a Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom, and a Monsters, Inc. land at Hollywood Studios.
Disney Reverses Expansion at Disneyland Park
Not all of the changes at its parks are quite so major.
Earlier this year, the Port Royal Curios and Curiosities store in Disneyland Park’s New Orleans Square closed its doors to guests. The move was assumed to be permanent, with the space instead transformed into an expanded seating area for the Royal Street Veranda, a quick-service restaurant that serves the likes of Monte Cristo sandwiches, cheesy biscuits, and shaved ice.
This new seating area debuted in early May. This followed the opening of Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond Gift Shop as Haunted Mansion’s new gift shop, which reduced the necessity for another location retailing merchandise inspired by the ride.
The Port Royal Curious and Curiosities shop, which was converted from a shop into additional seating for Royal Street Veranda, is being converted back into a shop at Disneyland today
byu/TheDisneyScoopGuy inDisneyland
However, it seems like Disney has abandoned this idea. Guests have since spotted Disney cast members working to reverse the changes and reopen Port Royal Curios and Curiosities as a gift shop.
Guest Reactions To Disneyland Change
Some have theorized that the move was only ever intended as a short-term test. As one Reddit user said, “I am guessing it was always an experiment, they got the data in to see if having expanded seating impacts sales for quick service. If they didn’t want to test and just make it another shop they would have just kept it open longer until the transition.”
Others have noted that the location has undergone a long line of makeovers throughout the years.
The Port Royal Curious and Curiosities shop, which was converted from a shop into additional seating for Royal Street Veranda, is being converted back into a shop at Disneyland today
The Port Royal Curious and Curiosities shop, which was converted from a shop into additional seating for Royal Street Veranda, is being converted back into a shop at Disneyland today https://t.co/6yjBe3yrhg pic.twitter.com/J4LF6FKzUg
— Matt Desmond (@DisneyScoopGuy) July 2, 2025
“That shop has been so many things through the years,” said one Reddit user. “I remember when the Pirates movie was huge and the store became an extended Pirates of the Caribbean store. Then it was Le Bat en Rouge for Nightmare Before Christmas. Then just Haunted Mansion themed merch. Then back to pirates for a while, and then back to Haunted Mansion/Nightmare mash up.”
Past rumors suggested that this space could be converted into an extended queue for the nearby Pirates of the Caribbean. At present, when the park is busy, lines for the classic ride often spill out well into the exterior pathways, causing congestion in New Orleans Square.
Whatever the reason, some have lamented the loss of some much-needed seating space for Royal Street Veranda, which has long struggled with its seats-to-customer ratio.
What do you think of Disney’s latest update to Port Royal Curios and Curiosities?
