Disneyland Resort Update for August 31-September 6

Update for August 31 – September 6, 2015

Go directly to: News & Views | Join our Networks | Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Resort Events | Merchandise Events | Discounts and Promotions | Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

News and Views

Half-marathon weekend at Disneyland | runDisney issues a Star Wars challenge | Disneyland Lays Out Plans to Evict Critters | Force Friday event planned at Disneyland | And now for some wild speculation | This and that… | Crowd Forecast

Half-marathon weekend at Disneyland

The 2015 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend events begin this Thursday, September 3, and continue through Labor Day weekend. The event draws tens of thousands of runners, walkers, friends, and family to the Disneyland Resort, and includes road closures and operational changes that could impact anyone visiting during this weekend. Here's what runners, tourists and spectators should know as we head into this busy weekend.

Non-runners

The Disneyland Resort is going to be very busy this weekend, which you may already know if you had a hard time finding a reasonably priced hotel room in the immediate area. The good news is that runners tend not to stay up late the night before races, so you should see lighter evening crowds than you might expect.

Staying at the Disneyland Hotel? The race expo takes place in that hotel's convention center, so expect extra crowds at the shops and restaurants. If you are staying at any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels, expect race-related noise Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings, beginning in the predawn hours, especially if your hotel room faces Disneyland Drive. If you are staying at the Grand Californian Hotel in a room overlooking Downtown Disney, expect to hear spectator cheering starting around 5:45 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

While all of the races take place before park opening or outside the parks, you may still experience traffic delays and extra crowds. Give yourself plenty of time if driving to the resort in the morning; race-related road closures are scheduled from 12:01 to 8:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 12:01 to to 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. For detailed road closure information, see page 14 of the official Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend event guidebook.

Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure open at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 8:00 a.m. early entry for hotel guests and eligible ticket holders is at Disney California Adventure on Friday, at Disneyland on Saturday, and back at DCA on Sunday.

Spectators

Disney does not allow you to view the half-marathon race course from inside either Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure unless you purchased a silver ($45), gold ($65), or platinum ($99) ChEAR Squad package. Online registration has ended, but you can still purchase packages at the race expo. There is no theme park viewing for Friday's 5K or Saturday's 10K events.

If you want to come cheer on the runners without purchasing a spectator package, or plan to cheer at the 5K or 10K events, Disney recommends specific viewing areas on property. All of these viewing areas are accessible only by foot; so walk from either the Mickey and Friends parking structure, or from your hotel if staying nearby.

View all three race courses on pages 30–36 of the Disneyland Half Marathon guidebook. You can also view individual courses at the links below:

• Half Marathon course
• 10K course
• 5K course

Detailed information for runners

Disney keeps adjusting the expo based on past events. For this year's event, they kept the 3rd day added in 2014, but changed up the hours a bit so people aren't waiting outside the Disneyland Hotel until Noon to shop on the first day. Instead, the expo opens at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, but Noon on Friday. Remember, all runners participating in the 5K must check in on Thursday.

Even with this change, Friday should still be the best time to attend the expo if all you want to do is get your race packet and get out. If you want first pick of the race merchandise, plan to arrive well before the official 10:00 a.m. opening on Thursday. If you plan to be among the early birds, please be sure to bring water, sunscreen, and a hat to protect you during the wait.

Event merchandise

The Disney Parks Blog released a preview of the event merchandise for the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. This merchandise will be sold in the official race merchandise section of the expo. Remember, you do not need to collect your race packet before you enter the expo to shop, so if you're set on purchasing a specific item and are worried about it selling out, your best bet is to shop first, then get your race packet.

Runner tracking

To register for runner tracking for yourself or another runner, visit the runner tracking website and enter the participant's name or bib number. You can register for updates via text message, email, Twitter, or Facebook. A registration kiosk will be available at the Health and Fitness Expo. You can also sign up to receive runner tracking alerts by texting “DLHM [bib number]” to 72147.

New Balance shoe sales

New Balance is again offering a virtual queue to save shoppers from having to stand in hours-long lines at the expo, and as with some of the previous events, only participants registered for the runDisney events can sign up for the virtual queue on the first day of the expo, giving them a “head start” in getting one of the exclusive runDisney shoes. Everyone else must wait until Friday to enter the virtual queue.

New Balance is introducing a new Donald Duck shoe at the 2015 Disneyland Half Marathon expo. Photo © Disney.

This event is the debut of the Fresh Foam Donald Duck Boracay shoe, and demand is expected to be strong. But the restriction in the virtual queue process addresses complaints many runners have expressed about having the limited inventory of Disney shoes snapped up by non-runners looking to resell the popular styles.

Once you've registered, you'll be assigned a group and return time. You'll receive a text message or email reminder when it's time to come try on your shoe, and must return within an hour of your assigned time. During your fitting, you can try on other styles and sizes as available. Runners can purchase up to six pairs during the expo.

Running, walking, or cheering during the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend events? Join Team MousePlanet!

runDisney issues a Star Wars challenge

Last week runDisney officially announced an East Coast edition of the Star Wars Half Marathon weekend. The “Star Wars Half Marathon – the Dark Side” events are scheduled for  April 14–17, 2016, taking the place of the Expedition Everest event, which had its final run this spring. As suspected, the Florida offering is themed to the “Dark Side” of the force, where the California race is all about the Rebels.

While this news from Florida may not matter to most Disneyland visitors, runners already registered for Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland in January 2016 should take note, because runDisney has just issued a new Coast to Coast challenge to you. Runners who both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Star Wars half marathons in 2016 are eligible for the Kessel Run Challenge, with an exclusive Millennium Falcon medal.

Registration for the Walt Disney World event opens September 22. If you have already registered for the Disneyland Resort event, all you need to do is register for the Walt Disney World version and you're set for the coast-to-coast medal.

If you decided to skip the California event next year but now simply must find an entry, several charity groups still have spaces open for the Star Wars event at Disneyland in January.

If you'd like a recommendation as to which charity to work with, several MousePlanet staff members register for runDisney events through Team Muscle Makers for UCMD, an official runDisney charity partner organized by MousePlanet reader Melissa Mayorgas. We checked with Melissa after this announcement, and she confirmed that the group still has space for the 10K and half-marathon events, but only one spot left for the Rebel Challenge. Visit the team website for more information.

Runners who were planning to run the Boston Marathon should note that the marathon is scheduled for Monday, April 18, a day after this new Walt Disney World half-marathon.

Disneyland Lays Out Plans to Evict Critters

David Koenig reports:

Earlier this week, Disneyland announced that the Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue would be closing by January 11, 2016, to make way for construction of the Star Wars land. What wasn’t shared is that January 10 is also slated to be the last day for the adjacent petting farm.

“Both locations will enjoy one more Christmas season before disappearing. There is nothing planned for Halloween, as in the past, but around Christmas, Santa is supposed to be there,” a cast member shared. “It is sad to see these locations close—a lot of memories and the loss of another quiet place in the park. The goats, cow, mule and lambs have found new homes—except they will not be with Disneyland.”

The Happiest Horses on Earth will be moving to a new home as soon as January, 2016. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

That will leave employees of Disneyland’s “Circle D Ranch” with just Main Street trolley horses to care for. These operations will be moved off-property, necessitating the horses to be trucked to and from their shifts via surface streets.

In addition, when the current Circle D is closed, the historic Pope House (Circle D’s 1,300-square-foot offices, the last remaining structure on property from the orange grove days, and former home to Owen and Dolly Pope, who ran the Pony Farm for its first 15 years) must also be relocated. Its new site will be a portion of the Team Disney Anaheim visitor parking lot (about half the lot will be closed off and landscaped around the house), where it will be transformed into a fancy cast member conference center.

If nothing else, the timeline gives credence to my suspicion that, with Harry Potter landing in Hollywood next spring, Disney will not be content to wait five years to bring Star Wars to Anaheim.

Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch will close to make way for Star Wars Land. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Force Friday “pay to pay” event

For those who aren't tuned in to the marketing arm of the Force, this upcoming Friday, September 4, has been declared Force Friday by your local toy megastore. Target and Toys”R”Us are leading the charge by opening selected stores at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning to debut merchandise from the upcoming movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Disneyland will host a Force Friday shopping event. Photo © Disney.

Now Disneyland and Walt Disney World have joined the fray with special “pay to pay” events that promise attendees the first opportunity to “purchase new Star Wars and Star Wars: The Force Awakens-themed merchandise, including Disney Theme Park Merchandise exclusives and licensed products, including apparel, toys, pins, Magic Bands, Vinylmation and more.”

The actual merchandise that will be available at the events won't be revealed until the shopping opportunity begins at 12:01am., and the same merchandise—assuming it doesn't sell out—will be sold at the resort shops when they reopen for their regular business hours later that same day. This ambiguity—and the $50-per-person price tag—may explain why tickets are still available for the events several days after they went on sale.

The event does come with an exclusive Force Friday Logo Messenger Bag, which may sweeten the deal a bit. You may also have a less-chaotic shopping experience than you might if you wait until Friday morning, as Disney will limit the number of shoppers in the store at any time. But you really won't save much time in the end, since check-in for the event begins at 9:00 p.m., and shoppers will be randomly assigned a “shopping experience” time starting at 12:01 a.m.

Attendees of the Force Friday event receive this exclusive massager bag. Photo © Disney.

Unless the messenger bag or the exclusive shopping hour really call to you, we advise skipping this event and just heading to the Star Trader store in Tomorrowland as soon as Disneyland opens Friday morning. The store is scheduled for a complete overhaul Thursday night, and will be Disneyland's Star Wars merchandise headquarters. You'll have to deal with lines and crowds, but you can put that $50 towards a really cool Star Wars souvenir.

As a reminder, the LEGO store in Downtown Disney will also have Force Friday merchandise available on September 4, so don't forget to check that out, too.

And now for some wild speculation

We don't know what it means, but on July 29, 2015, Disneyland filed a for a permit with the Anaheim Fire Department that reads simply, “Open flames and torches 'Tahitian Terrace'.”

Due to inconsistencies with the way the fire and the building departments of Anaheim record permits with the city databases, one could draw very different conclusions from the different ways this permit is recorded:

• One listing gives the permit number and title, “Open flames and torches 'Tahitian Terrace',” and indicates that the permit was issued for the parcel of land occupied by Disneyland. Could this mean the rumors are true, and Disney plans to reopen the Tahitian Terrace in the current Aladdin's Oasis space? Fans have been clamoring for the return of the dinner show/Polynesian revue since it closed in 1993.
• One listing matches the same permit number to a Los Angeles Pediatric Society trade show being held in October at the Paradise Pier Hotel. However, although the Anaheim Fire Department does require venues to obtain permits for trade shows, the Disneyland Resort is made of up more than a dozen land parcels, and the Paradise Pier Hotel sits on a different parcel.
• A reader noted that the Disneyland Hotel hosted a “Tahitian Terrace” event earlier this month at Trader Sam's, and speculated that the permit was filed for that event. That's also a possibility, but the Disneyland Hotel is also a separate parcel of land than Disneyland park, with Disneyland Drive marking the line between them. Also, this permit is not yet marked as having been issued, so it is unlikely it was filed for an event that has already taken place.

Does Disney have plans to reopen the Tahitian Terrace in Adventureland? Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Unfortunately detailed fire permits are not public record in Anaheim—just their existence and some basic details—so we really don't know what Disney is planning. But it's clear from our reader reaction that there is quite a bit of interest in the potential return of the Tahitian Terrace. After we mentioned this on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, it was the most-discussed and most-shared topic of the week.

We'll definitely keep a lookout for additional information, and will share it as we learn more.

If the Tahitian Terrace was a bit before your time, here are two videos showing what you missed. The first is taken from the 1956 “A Trip Thru Adventureland” with Walt Disney. The second is a tourist video from 1992.

The Tahitian Terrace at Disneyland. YouTube video.

The 1992 version of the Tahitian Terrace at Disneyland. YouTube video.

This and that…

…Tickets for Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland are now sold out on September 25, October 25, and Halloween nght. All other nights still available as of publication.

The Haunted Mansion is closed to install the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…The Tomorrowland popcorn cart was replaced last week with a new Space Mountain-themed cart. This new cart features a figurine modeled after the Tomorrowland Space Woman in place of The Rocketeer. {Trivia: apparently these figures are officially known as “Popcorn Animation Dolls” or “Roastie-Toasties.”

The Tomorrowland popcorn cart has a new look. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The new Tomorrowland popcorn cart has a Popcorn Animation Doll modeled after the Tomorrowland Space Woman. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…The MousePlanet Newsletter is here! The newsletter contains a recap of the week's articles (in case you miss a day), news that may have developed since the weekly Updates were published, and tips about what's happening at the Disney theme parks for the coming weekend. We'll also include a fun MouseAdventure bonus, such as an Eye Spy or a trivia question. To subscribe to our free newsletter, just enter your e-mail in the box below.

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Crowd Forecast

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MousePlanet

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Note: Not all of attraction closures have been officially confirmed by Disney, and are all subject to change at any time. Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. We recommend checking for updates as you plan your visit. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, visit Disneyland.com – this information is no longer available from the automated phone service.

Disneyland

• Le Bat en Rouge – closed through September 3 for refurbishment.
• Haunted Mansion – closed through September 10 for installation of Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.
• Space Mountain – closed September 7–10 for installation of the Ghost Galaxy overlay.
• Sailing Ship Columbia – closed September 8–11 for refurbishment.
• Pirates of the Caribbean– closes September 14–29 for refurbishment.
• Tomorrowland Theater (Captain EO) – closed; reopening date unknown.
• Starcade – closed for renovation; reopening date TBD.
• Innoventions – closed; reopening date unknown.

Disney California Adventure

• “it's tough to be a bug” – closed September 7–17 for refurbishment.
• Ariel's Grotto– closed September 15–17 for refurbishment.
• Blue Sky Cellar – closed; reopening date now TBD.
• Luigi's Flying Tires – closed. Ride to be removed and replaced. Reopening date unknown.
• Muppet*Vision 3D – closed indefinitely due to the Frozen Fun overlay.

Resort Events

Check here to see if a large convention, competition, or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

2015

• 2015 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – September 3–6. All events are sold out. Details at the runDisney website.
• Halloween Time – September 11 through November 1.
• Dapper Day Fall Soiree – (unofficial event) September 18. Details at the Dapper Day website.
• Mickey's Halloween Party – September 25, 28, and 30; October 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31. Tickets available now via the Disneyland website, by calling (714) 781-4400, or in person at a Disneyland Resort ticket booth. September 25, October 25 and Halloween Night are sold out as of this Update; all other nights still available.
• Gay Days at Disneyland – (unofficial event) October 2–4. More information on the event website.
• 2015 CHOC Walk in the Park – Sunday, October 11 at the Disneyland Resort. Registration is now open via the event website. MousePlanet readers, friends, and family are invited to register with Team MousePlanet and walk with our group.
• Utah Education Association convention (UEA, a.k.a. “Utah Escapes to Anaheim”) – October 15-16. Expect unusually large attendance levels October 16–20 as Utah students and families take advantage of a 4-day weekend created by their school's participation in a state education convention. Not all Utah schools or teachers close for or attend UEA, but the impact on the Resort is usually noticeable enough to mention.
• 2015 Avengers Half Marathon Weekend – November 12–15. Most events are sold out, but space remains in the half marathon race. Details on the runDisney website.

2016

• 2016 Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend – January 14–17. All running events are sold out, but ChEAR Squad packages are still available. Details on the runDisney website.
• 2016 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend – May 5–8. The 5K and 10K events are sold out, but the half marathon and Pixie Dust Challenge are still available. Details on the runDisney website.
• Utah Education Association convention (UEA, a.k.a. “Utah Escapes to Anaheim”) – October 20–21.

We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it's best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.

Merchandise Events

Current Discounts & Promotions

Disneyland prices as of February 2015.

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update. Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the number of days the tickets are valid. Check out the category that best matches the amount of time you plan to spend at the resort, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket-only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.

Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside the gates stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Disneyland admission, and may result in denial of entry. It is also common for criminals to shoplift inactivated Disney theme park tickets from supermarkets to resell them. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks. Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or travel agency.

Other Discounts

Did we miss an offer? If you know of an authorized discount on Disneyland Resort tickets, standing offers for Annual Passholders from non-Disney vendors, or other promotions which might interest our readers, please drop us a note!

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

• DL – Disneyland
• DCA – Disney California Adventure

Annual Pass blockouts:

• SL – Southern California Select Annual Pass
• SC – Southern California Annual Pass
• DX – Deluxe Annual Pass

Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website):

• MM – Magic Mornings for 3-plus day ticket holders, promotional “bonus” tickets, and Southern California CityPASS
• EMH – Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests
• EA – Early Admission for Annual Passholders (not currently offered)

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• GN – Grad Nite.
• MA – MouseAdventure (www.mouseadventure.com)
• MHP – Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland. 2015 dates: September 25, 28 and 30; October 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31.

Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland. As always, specifics are subject to change without notice (or occasionally, without us noticing) so when information conflicts between what is presented here and that presented by Disney, it is best to assume Disney's information is correct. Visit the Park Hours section of our Disneyland Park guide for additional details about Magic Morning and Toontown Morning Madness, including available attractions. Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.