Disneyland Resort Update

Update for November 24 – 30, 2008

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

News and Views

Holiday time at the Disneyland Resort | Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse | Candlelight ticket crunch | Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Merchandise Events | This and That

Holiday time at the Disneyland Resort

The holiday season is in full swing at the Disneyland Resort. This week we bring photos from the return of It’s a Small World, Santa’s Reindeer Roundup and “A Christmas Fantasy” parade. Check back next week for additional photos from The Merriest Place on Earth.

It’s a Small World Holiday

Disneyland’s iconic It’s a Small World reopened after a 9-month refurbishment. The most noticeable change comes right as you board the bright new boats, which are slightly narrower and hold fewer passengers. The changes to the interior of the attraction are more subtle, and those who were eager to see how the Disney characters would be incorporated into the show scenes will have to wait until the post-holiday refurbishment is complete. A few characters from the rainforest scene have been relocated, reportedly to make room for a new America scene after the holiday overlay is removed.

The dolls in the clock parade sport a glossy new finish. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The new boats are slightly narrower and hold fewer passengers. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The luau scene was relocated to make way for characters from the rainforest scene. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The rainforest alligator and friends make their debut in the holiday version of it’s a small world. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Santa’s Reindeer Roundup

Santa has once again set up shop in the Big Thunder Ranch area, bringing a herd of live reindeer. Santa is available to greet children in his cozy cottage between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and a nightly tree lighting is held at dusk daily. Crafts and the popular cookie decorating activity are offered at the neighboring seating area, and live entertainment is presented throughout the day. The $6 cookie decorating kit proved so popular this year that it sold out several times over the weekend, creating waits of 15 minutes or more each time until new supplies could be brought in.

Live entertainment is offered at Santa’s Reindeer Roundup. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Mrs. Claus waits to greet children next to Santa’s cottage. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Santa’s Reindeer Roundup offers several lovely photo opportunities. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

“A Christmas Fantasy” parade

The popular Toy Soldiers lead “A Christmas Fantasy” parade. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A swirling snowflake drifts down the parade route. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Chip and Dale take their new car for a test drive. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Dopey and the Dwarfs try to decorate a moving Christmas tree. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Mickey and Minnie show off their skating skills. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Santa bring a huge sack of toys to the parade. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse

The Disneyland Resort commemorated Mickey Mouse’s 80th Birthday with a brief show in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland last Tuesday, followed by a short procession down Main Street, U.S.A.

A sign inside the main gates invites park visitors to the celebration. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The Castle show was followed by a brief procession to Town Square. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Dozens of characters followed the procession, most holding wrapped gifts for Mickey. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The octogenarian mouse waves to his fans. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Candlelight ticket crunch

In what is becoming an unwelcome holiday tradition at the Disneyland Resort, demand for dining package tickets for the Candlelight Procession once again overwhelmed Disney’s computerized reservation system mere minutes after tickets sales began Tuesday night. After frustrated customers spent more than two hours trying to complete their transactions, a message appeared on the Disney Web site advising that ticket sales had been rescheduled for Wednesday evening. The situation did not seem to be much improved the next night, and MousePad members reported getting various error messages as they tried to make their purchases, depending on where they were in the process. Some readers were told that the tickets were sold out, others were told to “try again in a few minutes,” and still others saw a message that indicated the tickets would go on sale again Thursday night.

About two hours after ticket sales began—and an hour after many customers received messages saying the event was sold out—small batches of tickets were released for sale. Unfortunately, visitors to the official Candlelight Web site still saw an error message advising them to “try again later.” A few clever MousePad members found an alternate route into the ticket sales system and shared that link with their fellow readers. The link to purchase tickets from the Candlelight site reappeared just before 9:00 p.m., three hours after ticket sales were to have begun, and the entire event sold out by about 10:00 p.m. Several people reported that they bought tickets to a different seating than they wanted because their preferred seating was showing as sold out, only to check back a few minutes later to discover that the seating they really wanted was mysteriously available again.

MousePlanet’s Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix shared her thoughts about the Candlelight ticket sales process in her MousePlanet blog (link).

Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Merchandise Events

It looks like Disneyland’s merchandise department has answered the “What Will You Celebrate” question with the announcement of a slew of Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Merchandise events. Next year’s summer pin promotion will be based on the Haunted Mansion, and will run June 19 through August 9, 2009. The festival will begin with a kick off event on June 20 and will end with a pin release and signing event on August 8. Tickets to the kick off event are $45 per person, and registration opens on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 11 AM Pacific time (link).

Artist Josh Agle will release a series of Haunted Mansion images at anniversary events in 2009. Photo © Disney.

Retro artist SHAG will debut a collection of images based on the Haunted Mansion at a “Spirited” cocktail reception on August 8, 2009. Tickets start at $185 per person, and registration opens Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time (link). Collectors who attend the cocktail reception will have the first opportunity to purchase merchandise based on this art, and remaining items will be made available to the public the following day at the SHAG Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary product release & signing at the Disneyana shop on Main Street.

The marquee event is the Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Merchandise Event scheduled for September 9, 2009 (09/09/09). Ticket prices start at $85 per person for the base package, or $250 for the dinner package. Two packages that include a hotel stay will also be available, but pricing for those top tier packages has not been announced. Registration for this event opens Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time (link).

The welcome news of a major merchandise special event was accompanied by the confusing announcement that each guest would have to register individually for the SHAG and 40th Anniversary events. The challenges customers experienced in trying to purchase tickets to the Candlelight event raise the very real question of what happens when one half of a couple registers for an event, but the other half can’t get a ticket due to a computer crash or because the event sold out too quickly. Hopefully Disney will reconsider this policy before ticket sales begin.
 

This and That

…The Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through is tentatively scheduled to open this Wednesday, November 26. We’ll post photos in next week’s Park Update.

…Alaska Airlines is once again offering the “Kids Fly Free to the Disneyland Resort” promotion for travel between January 7, 2009, and June 17, 2009 when you also book your hotel through the airline. Significant restrictions apply to the promotion, including blockout dates. This offer can be a good deal for some families, but make sure that you compare the total quoted package price against the same elements if purchased a la carte. You may be able to take advantage of other published airfare specials and hotel discounts to create a less expensive vacation package. Unfortunately the Alaska Airlines Web site can be sluggish, making comparison shopping time consuming, but you should definitely do your homework before you buy.

…If you booked the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Disneyland Resort, but couldn’t get the time you really wanted, it might be worth calling the Disney Dine Line this week to see if you can move your reservations. Cast members confide that reservations for the buffet have not been as strong has hoped, and that the cancellation rate has been unusually high this year. A member of our MousePad discussion board reported that the Dine Line called her to see if she was still planning to attend the dinner.

…Disneyland is promoting two movie releases with brief character appearances before each showing of “A Christmas Fantasy Parade.” The afternoon parade is preceded by Prince Caspian on horseback, and a not-too-subtle reminder that the DVD release is coming soon. The evening parade features a small unit promoting Disney’s new animated feature Bolt.

…Visitors planning trips to the Disneyland Resort should make a point to check the Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures section each week for the most recent updates. There were no changes to the schedule this week because the Disneyland Resort removed all park operating hours and refurbishment schedules for 2009 from the official Web site sometime last week. The information below is what was current as of the time that Disneyland pulled this info from their site, but it may no longer be accurate. We’ll post revised information in a future Park Update as we receive it. Be sure to check the most recent Park Update for the latest changes, as MousePlanet does not edit past Park Updates to reflect changes.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Harbour Galley – closed through December 15 for conversion from a McDonald’s french fry outlet into an unspecified food service location.
• Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams – closed through February 13, 2009. A Christmas Fantasy parade will be performed November 21 to January 4, 2009.
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed December 1-5 for refurbishment.
• Hungry Bear restaurant – closed January 5-23, 2009 for refurbishment.
• Mark Twain Riverboat – closed January 26-28, 2009 for refurbishment.
• “It’s a small world” – closed January 5 to February 14, 2009 to remove the holiday overlay.
• Haunted Mansion – closed January 5 to February 14, 2009 to remove the holiday overlay.
• Peter Pan’s Flight – closes February 2, 2009 for refurbishment.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – closes February 15, 2009 for refurbishment.

Disney’s California Adventure

Storybook Land buildings are decorated for Christmas. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

• Hyperion Theater – closed through December 11 for refurbishment.
• Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular – closed through December 11.
• Sun Wheel – closed for refurbishment and to install the new Mickey face. No reopening date has been announced, but an employee publication lists April 24, 2009 as the return date.
• The Vineyard Room – now closed. No announcement has been made about a potential replacement for this restaurant, but an employee publication lists October 4, 2009 as the return date.
• Golden Dreams – now closed. This attraction will eventually be replaced with the new Little Mermaid ride.
• Burger Invasion – now closed. No announcement has been made about a potential replacement for this former McDonald’s location, but an employee publication lists June 25, 2010 as the return date.
• Games of the Boardwalk – now closed install a new facade and new Disney-themed games. No reopening date has been announced, but an employee publication lists April 24, 2009 as the return date.
• Boudin Bakery & The Bakery Tour – close February 9, 2009 for refurbishment.

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.

Park Events

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

November 2008

• Holiday season at the Disneyland Resort – Friday, November 21 to Sunday, January 4, 2009. “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade and the “Believe…In Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular will be performed daily.

December 2008

• December Watch of the Month release – Monday, December 1 at the Fortuosity Shop on Main Street (link).
• Candlelight Processional – Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7. The narrator has not yet been announced. Dining package tickets will go on sale 6:00 p.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, November 18 via the Disneyland Web site (link).
• Robert Olszewski Product Release & Signing – Saturday, December 13. Miniaturist Robert Olszewski will be on hand for the release of his latest Disneyland in Miniature piece, the Dumbo Flying Elephants attraction, and the new Nightmare Before Christmas addition to his Gallery of Light collection. The Dumbo Flying Elephants attraction sculpture will also be available for purchase through the Disney Gallery Web site beginning December 2, 2008 for those unable to attend the event (link).
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol 25th Anniversary watch release – Friday, December 19 at the Fortuosity Shop on Main Street (link).
• Holiday season at the Disneyland Resort – Friday, November 21 to Sunday, January 4, 2009. “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade and the “Believe…In Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular will be performed daily.

2009

• 4th Annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – September 4-6, 2009. Registration is now open (link).
• Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival – Daily, April 24 to June 7, 2009. No additional details are available at this time.
• Summer Pin Festival Kick-Off Event – Saturday, June 20, 2009 (link).
   
• Summer Pin Festival – Daily, June 19 – August 9, 2009 (link).
• Pinbassador Inspirations Pin Release & Signing – Saturday, August 8, 2009 (link).
• SHAG “Spirited” Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Cocktail Reception – Saturday, August 8, 2009 (link).
• SHAG Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Product Release & Signing – Sunday, August 9, 2009 (link).
• Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Merchandise Event – Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (link).
   

Current Discounts & Promotions

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.

This information is pulled from many sources but much thanks go to 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).

One Day, One Park Regularly $69/$59 One Day Park Hopper Regularly $94/$84	Southern California 1-Day Park Hopper – Disney is not currently offering a discounted Southern California 1-Day Park Hopper at the Web site. Vons Supermarkets may be selling these tickets, but call ahead to confirm. Proof of residency will be required when redeeming them at Disneyland (Vons will happily sell you the ticket voucher regardless of where you are from but you still need to be an appropriate resident to use it. If you do see these available anywhere, e-mail us to let us know.)
Two Day Park Hopper Regularly $143/$123	AOCVCB 2-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($141/$121) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $2 off the box-office price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $1 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths (link).
Three Day Park Hopper Regularly $199/$169	Advance Purchase 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($179/$149) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. Available at the Disneyland Web site (link) where shipping is included if you order more than 10 days prior to your travel date. Also available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and certain travel agents may also sell these tickets. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. “Bonus Tickets” include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value) Advance Purchase 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($179/$149) – available through the Disneyland Web site (link). You can print these tickets at home, though the tickets from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (see below) are slightly less expensive. AOCVCB 3-Day Bonus Ticket ($174/$144) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link). Advance Purchase 2009 Everyone Plays for the Kids’ Price! 3-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($149) – This promotion is valid January 6 through April 30, 2009, and includes one one Magic Morning admission. Currently available for purchase through the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (link). “Disneyland Resort Resident 3-Day Celebration Pass” ($94 – $99) Available through selected employers, school or credit unions that offer discounted admission tickets to Southern California attractions. This three-day Park Hopper ticket expires 45 days after first use, and first use must occur by December 18, 2008. This ticket is blocked out December 19 – 31, 2008.
Four Day Park Hopper Regularly $224/$194	Advance Purchase 4-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($194/$164) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. Available at the Disneyland Web site (link) where shipping is included if you order more than 10 days prior to your travel date. Also available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and certain travel agents may also sell these tickets. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. “Bonus Tickets” include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value). Advance Purchase 4-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($194/$164) – available through the Disneyland Web site (link). You can print these tickets at home, though the tickets from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (see below) are slightly less expensive. AOCVCB 4-Day Bonus Ticket ($189/$159) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link). Advance Purchase 2009 Everyone Plays for the Kids’ Price! 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($154) – This promotion is valid January 6 through April 30, 2009, and includes one one Magic Morning admission. Currently available for purchase through the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (link). Costco Disneyland Resort Play 4 Days Exchange Certificate – Available through the Costco Web site (link), this $139 ticket (for ages 3 through adult) is good for four one-day admissions to Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure. The tickets are non-transferable—the same person must use all four admissions. The ticket expires once the four admissions are used, or on July 31, 2009, whichever comes first. This is not a park-hopper pass, although you could probably use one admission per day at each park, in effect using the four admissions as a two-day park-hopper. The tickets are available only to Costco members who are residents of Southern California. Tickets must be purchased at Costco, with a limit of eight tickets per member per day. It is important to note that the item you purchase at Costco is an “Exchange Certificate,” not a valid park passport. Members must exchange the certificate at the Disneyland Resort Ticket booth to receive the Play 4 Days ticket. Proof of California residency in zip codes 90000 through 93599 is required to exchange the certificate for a valid ticket.
Five Day Park Hopper Regularly $244/$214	Advance Purchase 5-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($204/$174) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. Available at the Disneyland Web site (link) where shipping is included if you order more than 10 days prior to your travel date. Also available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and certain travel agents may also sell these tickets. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. “Bonus Tickets” include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value). Advance Purchase 5-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($204/$174) – available through the Disneyland Web site (link). You can print these tickets at home, though the tickets from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (see below) are slightly less expensive. AOCVCB 5-Day Bonus Ticket ($199/$169) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link). Advance Purchase 2009 Everyone Plays for the Kids’ Price! 5-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($164) – This promotion is valid January 6 through April 30, 2009, and includes one one Magic Morning admission. Currently available for purchase through the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (link).
Six Day Park Hopper Regularly $249/$219	Advance Purchase 6-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($209/$179) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. Available at the Disneyland Web site (link) where shipping is included if you order more than 10 days prior to your travel date. Also available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and certain travel agents may also sell these tickets. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. “Bonus Tickets” include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value). Advance Purchase 5-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($209/$179) – available through the Disneyland Web site (link). You can print these tickets at home, though the tickets from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (see below) are slightly less expensive. AOCVCB 5-Day Bonus Ticket ($189/$159) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link).
Deluxe Annual Passport Regulary $269	Costco $50 bonus gift card offer – Costco members can receive a $50 Disneyland gift card when they purchase a Deluxe Disneyland Resort annual passport for $269 at a participating Costco location. The offer should be available at all Southern California Costco stores that currently sell Disneyland admission, but the vouchers may not have arrived in all locations yet. [A list of the 37 Costco locations within 50 miles of the Disneyland Resort is available on our MousePad discussion board (link), and we have noted which locations are confirmed to have these tickets available. If you are a Costco member and live near one of the stores that is not confirmed, please check the next time you’re there and then let us know so we can update the list.] There are no residency restrictions on this ticket, and it can be upgraded to a Deluxe with parking or Premium passport. Better still, the $50 gift card can be applied towards the cost of the upgrades, which nearly pays for the $59 parking option or drops the net cost of a Premium Annual Passport to just $339. Save $30 on a Deluxe Disneyland Resort Annual Passport – If you can’t take advantage of the Costco offer listed above, you can still receive a $30 discount on a Deluxe Disneyland Annual Passport by purchasing your pass online. The offer is valid only on new purchases, and does not apply to renewals. The offer expires 12/31/08. These tickets must be purchased using a special Web site: disneyland.com/deluxeoffer.
2008 Southern California CityPass $247/$199	2008 Southern California CityPass ($247/$199) – This pass includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort park ticket (including one early-entry day), and single-day admission to either San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park, as well as SeaWorld San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood. The CityPass expires 14 days after first use at any location. Purchase CityPass through the Disneyland Web site (link) or onsite at the ticket booths of Disneyland Resort or the other theme parks included in the pass. You can also purchase directly from the CityPass Web site (link) though this has a minimum $7.50 shipping charge (no shipping charge from the Disney Web site if purchased more than 10 days in advance). You can also purchase the Southern California City Pass online from Costco at a cost of $217/$174 (link), 5% surcharge if not a Costco member, and shipping fees apply. Booklets may be available for sale in some stores but varies widely. If you want to buy in person it would be best to call ahead and confirm availability. If you do buy at a Costco, you will initially purchase a large plastic container that you must trade for ticket books prior to leaving Costco! Note: The 2008 Southern California CityPass is valid for use if the first day of your visit is January 5, 2009 or earlier. If you are planning to start your visit on January 6th or later you will need to purchase the 2009 City Pass.
2009 Southern California CityPass $259/$219	2009 Southern California CityPass ($259/$219) – The 2009 CityPass offers the same admission tickets and benefits as listed above, at a slightly higher price. The 2009 CityPass is currently available through the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (link). The 2009 CityPass will be available through the CityPass Web site starting November 1, 2008 and from theme park box offices starting January 6, 2009.

Hotel / 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.

Disney’s Resort Magic and Good Neighbor Magic Packages – Package includes accomodations one of the three resort hotels or at one of 40 Good Neighbor hotels; Souvenir Park Hopper ticket with voucher for admission to Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness, plus one Magic Morning (early entry) for three-day or longer Park Hoppers; preferred seating at four DCA attractions (Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, Muppet*Vision 3D, It’s Tough to be a Bug!, Golden Dreams); Preferred Showing of Turtle Talk with Crush (Priority Viewing at the first Turtle Talk with Crush show of the day, on any one day – one voucher per Guest); Disney Dream coin keepsake (one per package), luggage tag and lanyard with pin; a Downtown Disney Fun Card; and a “Character Call” from Mickey, Minnie, Goofy or Crush. Contact Disney Travel or your favorite travel agent.

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. This offer is valid only at the Main Gate rental locations at each park.

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 two 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.

Downtown Disney Patina Restuarant Discounts – Three Downtown Disney restaurants operated by the Patina Group are currently offering lunch and/or dinner specials. Check at the restaurant for menu and price details.

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

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• MM – Magic Morning at Disneyland
• TT – Toontown Morning Madness at Disneyland
• Grad Nite
• MTT – Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party at DCA

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.