Disneyland Park Update

Update for June 11 – June 17, 2007

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

News and Views

The Voyage begins | The queue | Alternate viewing | Find Nemo on your computer | More time to find Nemo | This-and-That

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opens today, ending a nine-year vacancy in Tomorrowland’s Submarine Lagoon. This morning’s “resurfacing” ceremony follows days of “soft opening” previews for Disney cast members, annual passholders, radio contest winners, and lucky park visitors who happened to be in the right place at the right time; as well as a “blue carpet” arrival and celebrity party Sunday evening.

The stage is set for the “resurfacing” of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Spoiler warning: The following is a detailed description of the attraction, with photos. If you prefer to avoid all spoilers, click here to go to the next item in the Update. If you want all the information you can get your hands on, be sure to check out Thursday’s MouseStation Podcast for more from the grand opening events.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage does not offer Fastpass. With little room to create the type of themed queue that other recent additions to the Disneyland Resort feature, the line begins under the Monorail track, winds through a series of switchbacks, and then stretches around the Lagoon towards Fantasyland.

The Nemo queue includes exotic-looking plants. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The extended queue was not utilized during previews, but current plans call for the line to snake as far as Mickey’s Toontown. Disney has thoughtfully arranged to have outdoor vending units stationed along the line.

A rock planter outside the attraction’s entrance lends an aquatic touch. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Closer to the entrance, a rock planter is surrounded with plants that are unfortunately too close to the walkway and have already been trampled.

These succulent plants can’t stand up to the bruising of little feet. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Just past this area, a Cast Member groups passengers and directs them to one of three loading areas. Each submarine holds up to 40 passengers.

Passengers are directed into one of three loading areas. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Ramps allow access to the sub’s hatch. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Fold-down ramps at the front and back of each sub allows access to the loading hatch. Passengers cross the ramp and enter the subs via a steep spiral staircase.

Passengers must navigate a steep spiral staircase to enter the subs. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A Nemo cast member waits for his next load of passengers. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Each sub has two rows of fold-down seats. Each of the 20 seats has its own porthole, each outfitted with a vent that supplies fresh air. Speakers are concealed above the portholes.

Passengers eagerly await their voyage. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A view from the porthole before the voyage begins. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As the submarine leaves port, your view is briefly obscured by bubbles. Your porthole clears, and you can see rock formations and colorful seaweed. The captain tells you that this area is popular with divers who are seeking exotic fish. From your porthole, you catch a glimpse of the first animatronic figure—Darla Sherman, the fish-abusing little girl from the film. You move past the scene quickly, but not before you notice that her latest catch is not smiling.

Darla proudly displays the catch of the day. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A crew member announces that a lost city is dead ahead, and the captain advises her to stand by for a weather watch (a nod to the narration from the original Submarine Voyage). The captain goes on to say that your destination is a newly erupting deep water volcano.

The lagoon is filled with coral reefs like this. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The sub continues to travel through what is described as the remnants of an ancient civilization. All around you see carved “ruins” that your captain says remained hidden until unearthed by a tremendous volcanic event. You pass another diver, and enter the coral reef.

The remains of an ancient civilization are guarded by a fishy friend. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A crew member warns that the radar indicates a surface storm, and the captain says not to worry, that they’ll take the sub down “fast and deep.” Bubbles obscure your porthole, and when they clear you find that you have entered a dark cave structure. The captain tells you that the sub’s sonar hydrophones will allow you to actually hear the fish talk, and with that all resemblance to the submarine ride you used to know ends.

The first voice you hear is Marlin, calling for his son Nemo. Other noises and voices fade in and out, and then you hear Mr. Ray welcoming the “explorers.” You pass another rock, and then you see the animated Mr. Ray and his class. Sheldon protests that they can’t go exploring without Nemo, and Mr. Ray replies that they are sure to spot him any minute.

Not all treasure hides in chests. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This is a stunning effect, and even though you may know how it is created,

it’s seamless. The characters appear to swim behind and around rock, and there

is never a point where the effect is distracting or unrealistic. If animated

fish could swim in real water, it would look like this.

Just as you find Nemo in the next scene, his friend Squirt talks him into

riding some “tasty” waves in the EAC (East Australian current). The captain

advises the helm to take the sub into the EAC, and explains to you that the

powerful flow of the EAC acts as a highway for sea creatures. Here you find

Crush, and he leads the kids into surfing the EAC. You can feel the sub rocking

a little in the current, but the physical effect does not match the force

of the “current” you can see and hear outside the sub.

Colorful plants grow beneath the water. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

You can hear Marlin calling for his son, but Nemo and Squirt seem oblivious as they discover the wreckage of a boat. Sharp-eyed passengers may have caught a glimpse of Dory before now, but now she joins in the hunt for “Fabio.” As Marlin and Dory bicker, and Nemo and Squirt frolic around the rocks, you suddenly come face-to-face with Bruce the shark.

Bruce tells you that there’s nothing he likes better than canned food, but

then you hear Chum and Anchor remind Bruce that “people are friends, not food.

He also warns you be be careful of the “balloons” (sea mines) you

can see outside your porthole. Just as you think you are safely past Bruce

and friends, a bright flash erupts outside the subs – a mine has exploded,

and warning lights fill the cabin. Take a quick glimpse at the ceiling during

this sequence, and you’ll see newly installed fiber optic effects.

The voyage continues, and you find that the sub is surrounded by mysterious

blue lights. If you remember the film, you at the “pretty lights” belong to

wicked-looking deep-ocean angler fish, and two of these monsters appear to

jump at the portholes as your sub gets close. This entire sequence is immediately

followed by a period of near-total darkness, and can be very frightening to

young children who might already be a little apprehensive about being in such

a confined space.

A diver photographs the ruins. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Nemo and Dory reappear, just in time to swim through a cluster (or a “smack”) of jellyfish. They emerge unscathed, and Dory shouts that she’s found a “hot tub.” Through your porthole you can see bubbles that indicate you have arrived at your destination—the deep-water volcano. Nemo and friends are seen enjoying the periodic erruptions, much to the dismay of his father. Marlin is just ecstatic that he and his son “survived an erupting volcano,” but all Nemo can ask is, “Can we do it again, Dad?”

As Nemo, Marlin and Dory are reunited with Mr. Ray and his class, Squirt

notices a pod of whales. Nemo says that whales only eat krill, and Squirt

replies, “so why is that whale eating that yellow submarine?” Suddenly you

notice that you are passing what appear to be very large teeth. Squirt exclaims,

“That’s one hungry whale!” as you vanish into the dark.

Sea turtles enter the EAC. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Never fear—Dory arrives to translate for the whale and tells you to

hold on tight. Your sub is expelled through the whale’s blow hole, and Dory

bids you farewell.

A crew member asks the captain if she should enter any of this in the log, and in another nod to the former Submarine Voyage, he tells her no—”nobody would believe it anyway.” He goes on to say that the sub should return to the surface before you have an encounter with a sea serpent or a mermaid. If you look very, very closely at the rock formations outside your porthole during this exchange, you may be able to see another tribute to the old attraction.

The scary portion of the ride includes a visit from these deep water creatures. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

With that, you arrive back at the pier a little under 14 minutes after you left. If there is a delay at the pier, your sub may sit in or just beyond the final cave until a space opens up.

Mr. Ray and class swim through the coral. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The Marine Observation Outpost offers an alternative viewing opportunity for people who cannot or do not wish to board a submarine for the voyage. The outpost is located in a small room near the attraction entrance. The room has space to position two wheelchairs or EVCs, with a bench on either side that can each accommodate two or three more people, for a total of eight people per viewing.

The Marine Observation Outpost offers an alternative for people who can not or do not want to board the submarines. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The front of the room contains storage lockers for diving equipment, and is outfitted with a large flat panel screen. The idea is that you will be able to watch the video feed captured by a sub that is going through the attraction. The camera used to record the video appears to have been mounted facing out to the left side of the sub, so you get the same view you would if you were sitting on that side. The image is much wider than you would get through one porthole. The video in the Observation Outpost includes graphics that are not present in the real attraction, as well as a “depth meter” on the side of the screen.

The seating arrangement includes two benches and space for two wheelchairs or ECVs. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The presentation takes about 13 minutes plus load in/out, which means the capacity of the room is only a little more than 20 people per hour. Although the queue for Nemo is fully wheelchair-accessible, CMs maintained a separate queue for the Observation Outpost during preview days and the wait was rarely more than one show long.

The video is presented on a large screen, and gives a wider view than that available on the ride. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The Marine Observation Outpost is really an excellent option for those who may be concerned about the steep and narrow stairs or fitting on the narrow seats in the sub, dislike dark confined spaces, or are not sure how their children will react to being enclosed in the sub for an extended amount of time. The audience can exit the Observation Outpost at any time during the show, which is perfect if a small child becomes too frightened by the images.

The presentation includes enhanced graphics. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Unfortunately the limited capacity may create conflict between those who have physical limitations that prevent them from boarding the submarines and those who simply prefer to experience the attraction from the Observation Outpost, especially if the lines a grow too long. This may be the first time that the wheelchair-accessible version of an attraction is more interesting than the mainstream ride—you certainly don’t see people clamoring to ride in the non-spinning Buzz Lightyear vehicle or in the wheelchair-accessible boat on “it’s a small world.”

To commemorate the resufacing of Disneyland’s submarine fleet, Frank Anzalone has created a series of desktop images for your computer. Click here and pick your favorite image, then follow the easy directions to save it to your computer.

More time to find Nemo

In an effort to handle the crowds expected to flock to see the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction, Disneyland announced last week that they would create a “virtual 8th day” to allow more visitors to ride. guests will be allowed to join the queue until official park closing and the subs will continue their voyages to find Nemo for up to 2 1/2 hours after park closing. Based on the estimated capacity of the ride, (and assuming that all of the subs are running during the extended hours), this could allow more than 2,000 people to ride after the park closes each day.

To feed and entertain the people who may be waiting over two hours to ride, Disney has prepared an “activity guide” and games, and will keep outdoor vending locations near the queue open.

… A new guided tour called “Cruzin’ Disney’s California Adventure Park” will launch on this Friday, June 15. We’ll have a review of the new offering in an upcoming update.

… A portion of the Downtown Disney parking lot is under construction to add additional disabled parking spaces to the lot.

Downtown Disney is about to have more disabled parking spaces. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

… There have been many rumors surrounding the fate of the Bengal BBQ restaurant in Frontierland, but our latest and most reliable information indicates that the location will close, along with Riverbelle Terrace, on or around August 15. Riverbelle Terrace will reopen in the fall with an expanded kitchen and seating area as well as a new menu, but the Bengal BBQ as we know it will not return. There are plans to move some of the Bengal BBQ’s most popular items to other food service locations in the resort. This might be a good time to try the breakfast menu at Café Orleans.

… Remy and friends are set to invade Café Orleans around June 29, and it looks like the former pirates performance stage outside the restaurant in New Orleans Square may return as a meet-and-greet location for Remy and Linguini.

… Construction continues on the Garden Walk project across from Disneyland, and vertical structures are visible.

Construction continues as Garden Walk prepares for its projected opening this fall. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Tarzan’s Treehouse is still closed for refurbishment, and a lot of scaffolding can be seen from ground level. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Fantasmic! dark through June

  14 due to work on Tom Sawyer Island.

• Mark Twain Riverboat closed through June 18.

The Main Street train station is back under wraps at Disneyland. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Midway Games close June 20 for an unknown duration. The future of the games has been somewhat questionable due to the Toy Story Mania project.
• Toy Story Mania under construction. Opens 2008.

Note: Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, call Disneyland at (714) 781–7290.

Events

If you know of any events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, let us know.

June

• Grad Night events: Wednesday, June 13;

  Thursday, June 14 and Thursday, June 21

• Camp Pin-E-Ha-Ha. June 16-17. A pin collecting event. Registration

  opened March 21, 2007 (link).

July

• The Art of Disney Parks ~ Where Dreams Come True exhibit. July 1 ? August 31 at the Festival of Arts. For information about the Festival, visit the official Web site (link).
• Adora Belle Disneyland Dream Breakfast with Marie Osmond. July 7 at Disneyland. Tickets for the event went on sale June 4th. See the event Web site (link) for more details.
• “Disneyland in Miniature” Product Release & Signing. Sunday, July 8 at Disneyland. The Disneyland marquee accessory will be available for purchase as part of a larger Disney Gallery anniversary event.
• “Disneyland in Miniature” Product Release & Signing. Saturday, July 28 at Disneyland. New releases include the Plaza Pavilion / Enchanted Tiki Room / Aladdin’s Oasis sculpture and additional Main Entrance accessories. (This date is tentative and subject to change)

August

• Bats Day in the Fun Park (unofficial event) Friday-Sunday, August 17-19. (link)

September

• Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. September 2 and 3. Family Fun Run 5K on Saturday, September 2, Half Marathon on Sunday, September 3 (link).
• The Art of Disney Parks ~ Where Dreams Come True event. September 13-14 at the Disneyland Resort. Will include an auction of artwork from the Festival of Arts exhibit and 50th Anniversary. Keep an eye on the event Web site for updates as they become available (link).
• Downtown Disney artist weekend. September 15-16. An exhibit ‘dedicated to the art of local artist participants.’ No additional details are available at this time.

October

• Gay Days at Disneyland (unofficial event) Friday, October 5 through Sunday, October 7. Event attendance will be higher at Disneyland on Saturday, DCA on Sunday (link).
• Mickey’s Halloween Treat. October 5, 12, 19 and 26; 7:30 pm. – 11:30 pm. and October 4, 11, 18, 25, 29, 30, and 31; 6:30 pm. – 10:30 pm. Tickets currently available to Annual Passholders via the Disneyland Annual Passholder Web site.
• CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park Sunday, October 21 (link)

Summer 2008

• Disney Magic returns to Pacific Ocean itineraries. May 25-August

  17, 2008.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For convenience sake, 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 which works best for you. And keep those tips coming – let us know if you find a better / different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket only purchases. 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.

This information is pulled from many sources but much thanks must go to MousePlanet sponsor MouseSavers.com for providing the bulk of the information. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line (link).

Travel Packages

Costco Travel Packages – Many different travel packages

including visits to Disneyland and Disneyland hotels are available through Costco.com.

When purchasing a Costco Disneyland travel package extras that will be included

are: Mickey’s Toontown Madness admission (currently available Mondays, Wednesday,

Fridays, and Saturdays), a character breakfast per person, a $20 Disneyland

Resort gift card, a collectible pin and lanyard, and a Costco luggage tag.

Other Discounts

Disney Visa Free-Stroller Rental – If you have a Disney Visa card you can rent up to two strollers for free at either Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure.

Yamabuki and Steakhouse 55. Disneyland Resort annual passholders save 30% off the entire check (excluding alcohol) Mondays through Wednesdays through August 15th. The discount is valid for lunch and dinner at Yamabuki, and breakfast and dinner at Steakhouse 55.

Dream Ears offer. Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders can purchase two “Where Dreams Come True” light-up ear hats for only $20, plus tax, at the World of Disney Store in the Downtown Disney District. A valid Disneyland Resort Annual Passport must be shown at time of purchase. Offer valid while supplies last. No discount will be offered in conjunction with this promotion. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

Pirates watch and litho offer. May 20 through August 18. Customers can purchase a Pirates of the Caribbean watch and lithograph set for $10 with a qualifying $50 purchase at select store locations at the Disneyland Resort. Visit the promotion Web site for a complete list of stores and restrictions.

2 for 1 Festival of Arts tickets for Disneyland Resort annual passholders. July 1 ? August 31. Disneyland Resort annual passholders can purchase 2 for 1 tickets to the Festival of Arts by presenting their current passport at the box office. This offer does not include tickets to the Pagent of the Masters. Tickets are regularly $7 for adults, $4 for students and seniors.

Rainforest Cafe Safari Club – Membership in the Rainforest

Cafe gets you a 10% discount on entrees for up to four people. It also gets

you priority seating if available, which can make a huge difference on busy

days. Additionally, after signing up, your membership card will be mailed to

you and be accompanied by a $10 award good for your next visit to a Rainforest

Cafe. So if you know you will be eating there while at Disneyland and have a

Rainforest Cafe local to you, it may make sense to prejoin the Safari Club so

that you can use the award during your trip. See the Rainforest Cafe Web site

for details (link).

ESPNZone MVP Club – Membership in the MVP Club does not offer any discounts on food. However, once a member you can make an online reservation for your party up to three days in advance and will get a 25% increase in points purchased when playing games in the Sports Arena (and 40 bonus points at activation). You must register online and your membership card will then be mailed to you within 2-weeks. The card must then be activated at any ESPNZone by the person who signed up for the card and ID will be required (link)

AAA Restaurant Discounts – AAA (American Automobile Association) members can receive a 10% discount (excluding alcohol) at Plaza Inn, Wine Country Trattoria Ariel’s Grotto, PCH Grill, and Goofy’s Kitchen.

Free Metrolink and ART weekends – Disneyland Resort annual passholders can participate in a joint promotion with Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) and Metrolink. As part of Metrolink Weekends, Passholders can use Metrolink to travel for free to the Anaheim Metrolink station, then use a free ART pass to get to the Disneyland Resort. The offer is great for those who live in the Inland Empire or southern Orange County, but those who live north of Disneyland will have to get there the old fashioned way. The list of eligible origin stations is limited, and none of the southbound trains coming from LA are included in the promotion.

To take advantage of this promotion, you’ll first need to visit the promotional Web site at this link. (link) Use the username “train” and password “ap” to login. Once you register, you will receive by mail:

• One 4-trip ticket from Metrolink to be used on the Weekend Train
• One round-trip ticket for the ART system from Metrolink station to the Disneyland® Resort (a $5 value)
• A free 7-day pass on Metrolink (one 7-day pass per household).
• The Metrolink Weekends schedule is available at this link, and the ART operating schedule is available at this link.

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

DL: Disneyland
DCA: Disney’s California Adventure
Annual Pass blockout dates:

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

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.

Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.