Disneyland Park Update

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Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events
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Schedule/Blockout Dates

News and Views

Matterhorn climbers return to Disneyland.

MousePlanet reader Jeremiah noticed that Disneyland is currently accepting
applications for part-time mountain climbers. The job description says,
“Disneyland Mountain Climber will perform repetitive climbing and
rappelling up and down the face of the Matterhorn Mountain and perform
a rehearsed and directed show.”

If you’ve always wanted to climb the Matterhorn, visit the Walt Disney
Company Web site to see if you have the required skills for the job (link).

Haunted Mansion transformation

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion attraction reopened last week with a few
noticeable changes. Reader Zandra wrote to describe them to us:

In the hallway after you exit the expanding room and before you board
the doom buggies, the changing paintings are different. First, the May-December
one has been removed and replaced by one of a man. Second, they don’t
slowly change anymore. Now, they are tied into the lightening effects
and show the “scary” versions of the paintings at the same
time as the lightening flashes. Madame Leota’s crystal ball is now floating
high above the table. She also looks lit a little differently. Once
in the graveyard, the singing busts are definitely lit differently,
showing wonderful shadows and contours of their faces.

Keep your eyes peeled; MousePlanet will have photos of these changes
in an upcoming update.

New eats at Riverbelle Terrace

The Riverbelle Terrace in Frontierland has a new menu, including barbecue
items previously offered at Frontierland’s Rancho del Zocalo. The new
lunch menu is listed below; dinner prices are higher.

Aunt Polly’s Southern Barbecue Chicken – $10.99

1/2 chicken, served with barbecue beans, coleslaw, corn cobbette
and corn bread.

River Belle Barbecue Platter – $11.99

Pork ribs and chicken, served with barbecue beans, coleslaw, corn
cobbette and corn bread.

Southern Catfish Sandwich – $9.59

Garnished with dill sauce, lettuce and tomato. Served with coleslaw
and fruit.

Mississippi Vegetable Stew or Clam Chowder –

Served in a bread bowl with a garden salad.

Plantation Grilled Chicken Salad – $10.99

Grilled chicken breast, grilled vegetables, white corn and diced
tomatoes on iceberg and romaine lettuce. Drizzled with barbecue and
ranch sauce, topped with fried onions.

Tom’s Turkey Sandwich – $8.99

Turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato, served with coleslaw and
a pickle spear.

Soup and 1/2 Sandwich – $8.99

Bowl of vegetable stew or clam chowder, served with and 1/2 Tom’s
turkey sandwich and potato chips.

Becky Thatcher’s Fresh Fruit Plate – $7.99

Assorted seasonal fruit

Children’s meals have a barbecue option, too. Priced at $5.99 each, they
are served in a plastic “Munch, Inc.” lunch box with a child’s
drink, fun straw, fruit roll-up, and a choice of:

BBQ chicken leg, served with corn cobbette

Mini corn dogs, served with choice of chips or carrots

Mickey-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwich served with choice
of chips or carrots

A handful of Mickeys

Statue #4, “Back to School,” designed by Al Konetzni. Photo
by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As you view this week’s batch of Mickeys, we wanted to share notes from
two readers. Elizabeth passes along this tip she received from a cast
member: “At least half of all the 75 Mickey’s have a silver Mickey
head located somewhere on the Mickeys. Some are very easy to find, while
others are not so easy to find.”

Statue #6, “Believe in Your Dreams,” designed by Kevin Garnett.
Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Carolyn warns, “The 75 Mickeys do not have special lighting on them
and in fact are in some very poorly lit areas. If you’re planning a special
trip to see the Mickeys, make sure to get there early enough in the day
to be able to view them in decent light.”

Statue #7, “Big Cheese Mickey,” designed by Jeff Spohn for Otis
College. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Carolyn also asked why there was so little merchandise available for
the promotion. “With Disney being the King of Merchandise Marketing
you would think they would have had postcards and maybe even a small book
with all the Mickey’s in it. The only things they had were 8 collectible
pins and nothing else available.”

Statue #26, “Funny Bones,” designed by James Gandolfini. Photo
by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

MousePlanet’s merchandise columnist, Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix, asked
the same question. According to a merchandise manager, Disney did not
secure the merchandising rights to some of the statues, including the
very popular Elton John figure. Because of this, there was no way to offer
merchandise featuring the complete collection of statues.

Statue #65, “The Original Mouse Pad,” designed by Jamie Lee
Curtis. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Ears to the ground

…A MousePlanet reader passed along some news about Disney’s California
Adventure park’s upcoming “Block Party Bash,” the character
parade being introduced for the 50th Anniversary celebration:

The parade features 23 Pixar characters, with each float themed after
a Pixar movie

The parade includes tons of performers in the parade, including dancers,
tumblers (who perform on a trampoline), and performers on jumping stilts.

The choreography incorporates hip hop styles and even jump rope moves.

The songs are contemporary pop songs with a good dance beat, and include
“Dancin’ in the Street,” “Macarena,” “Hey Ya!”
and “Who Let The Dogs Out.”

The Green Army Men “run” the party, and escort the floats.
During a pre-show. one Green Army Man comes out and lays down the ground
rules for the parade in drill master style.

The parade is very interactive. Instead of sitting along the performance
corridor, the audience are encouraged to get up and have fun with the
characters. The dancers pull people out of the crowd to dance with them.

There will be two 10-minute show stops along the parade route.

The floats do not move out at a slow pace like traditional parade
floats.

Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips,
rumors, and comments. E-mail us here.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

Note: Disneyland is progressively refurbishing more and more attractions
as the park readies for its 50th anniversary celebration in 2005.

Mickey’s House closed thru February 4.

Mad Tea Party closed thru February 10.

Mark Twain Riverboat closed February 7 – March
3.

Minnie’s House closed February 7 – March 4.

Aladdin’s Oasis closed thru March 11.

Plaza Pavilion closed thru March 11.

Enchanted Tiki Room closed thru March 11.

Disneyland Railroad closed thru March 11.

Splash Mountain closed thru March 17.

Mr. Toad closed February 28 – March 17.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln closed February 22 – April
15 to install the 50th Anniversary exhibit in the Main Street Opera
House.

Honey I Shrunk the Audience closed April 18 – April 22.

Disneyland Railroad Tomorrowland station closed thru May 3.

Jungle Cruise closed February 28 – May 3.

Casey Jr. Circus Trains closed April 4 – May 4.

Storybook Land Canal Boats closed April 4 – May 4.

Haunted Mansion closed September 6–29 to install Haunted
Mansion Holiday overlay.

Space Mountain closed thru November 2005.

Workers have draped the abandoned mine scene with camoflage netting to
conceal the damage caused when a large tree toppled over in early January.
Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disney’s California Adventure

Jumpin’ Jellyfish reduced capacity thru March 5.
Maliboomer reduced capacity (2 of 3 towers operating) thru
March 12.
It’s Tough to be a Bug! closed April 11 – April 23.

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

January

75 InspEARations exhibit at Disney’s California Adventure.
Thru Feb. 22.

February

Chip & Dale’s Wild Wild West Pin Adventure. Feb. 3 at Disneyland.
Dining Around Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort – exclusive
annual passholder event at Joachim Splichal’s Downtown Disney Restaurants.
Monday, February 28, 4 – 9 p.m. Taste the flavors of the world
at the Patina Group’s Downtown Disney District restaurants. Visit Tortilla
Jo’s for real Mexican food and a live mariachi band, Catal for Mediterranean
cuisine, and Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria for Italian favorites. RSVP
to events@patinagroup.com or (714) 776-4000. $10 per passholder, each
guest must show valid annual passport to participate.

March

Indiana Jones Adventure 10th Anniversary event. March 3 at
Disneyland. Tickets on sale now (link).
MousePlanet’s MouseAdventure event – Sunday, March 13
at Disneyland. Registration now open (link).

May

Disneyland closed on May 4, 2005
to “put the finishing touches” on the 50th Anniversary celebration.
DCA open on May 4.
Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary celebration begins May 5.

June

2005 Summer Pin Festival. June 24 – Aug. 15, 2005 at the
Disneyland Resort. No details have been announced (link).

July

Disneyland 50th Anniversary special event. July 2005. No dates
or details have been announced, but Disney is taking an interest list
(link)
for those who want to receive e-mail updates about the event. While
Disney has not yet released any official details, several artists who
are creating merchandise for Disneyland’s 50th birthday celebration
have dropped hints about the expected merchandise special event. It
looks like the three-day event will be held Thursday, July 14 thru Saturday,
July 16, headquartered at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. This information
is completely unverified, and subject to change at any time.
July 2005 NFFC convention. July 9–13. The Show and Sale
is scheduled for July 10.

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!

One Day	No discounts offered to the general public for single-day admission. You might find discounted tickets, starting at around $41 for ages 10 and up, through your employer, student organization or professional association. Check with your group activity office or human resources department.
Two Days	Southern California 2Fer Ticket ($53/$43) – The spring “resident salute” discount is a 2Fer ticket, with one admission to Disneyland and one admission to Disney’s California Adventure on two different days. Purchase the “ticket card” in advance at Southern California-area Vons and Pavillions grocery stores, scanned and activated at the time of purchase. Walk up to the main entrance, present the ticket card and proof of Southern California residency to gain admission. Tickets: $53 for ages 10 and older, $43 for ages 3 to 9. You must use the second admission within 30 days of the first admission, or by April 28, 2005, whichever comes first. According to the official promotion details, Southern California residents can buy up to eight 2Fer tickets per day, but each member of your party must be able to provide proof of Southern California (zip codes 90000 through 93599) or Baja California (zip codes 21000 through 22999) residency to use the tickets. Reader James tells us that he purchased these tickets at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths, and was allowed to purchase the tickets for his out-of-state relatives. He says his relatives were never asked for proof of residency.
	Good Neighbor Hotel Park Hopper Plus tickets ($105/$85) – Disneyland resort Good Neighbor hotels can offer a 2-Day Park Hopper Plus ticket at $105 for ages 10 and up, or $85 for ages 3 and up. (Adults and children pay the same price) No advance purchase is required, and some hotels may even sell them to visitors who are not staying at that property. These tickets are valid through April 28. 2005.
	AAA Flex Passport ($98/$78) – Some AAA offices offer a 2-day Flex Passport at $98 for ages 10 and up, or $78 for ages 3-9. This ticket does not require a hotel or package purchase – check with your local office to see if the ticket is available in your area. A reader let us know that AAA offices in Oregon / Idaho do not offer the 2-day version of this ticket, but a 3-day pass is available.
Three Days	AAA Flex Passport ($129/$99) – Some AAA offices offer a 3-day Flex Passport at $129 for ages 10 and up, or $99 for ages 3-9. This ticket does not require a hotel or package purchase – check with your local office to see if the ticket is available in your area.
	Good Neighbor Hotel Park Hopper Plus tickets ($114/$114) – Disneyland resort Good Neighbor hotels can offer a 3-Day Park Hopper Plus ticket for $114, ages 3 and up. (Adults and children pay the same price) No advance purchase is required, and some hotels may even sell them to visitors who are not staying at that property. These tickets are valid through April 28, 2005.
	City Pass [through March 31, 2005] ($172/$129) – The CityPass includes a three-day Disneyland Resort park hopper ticket, one-day admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, one-day admission to SeaWorld in San Diego, and one-day admission to either the San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The CityPass is $172 for ages 10 and up, and $129 for ages 3-9, and expires 14 days after first use, or April 1, whichever comes first. You can buy CityPass at the Disneyland Web site, at the Disneyland Resort, at the other theme parks included in the pass, or directly from the CityPass Web site (link).
	City Pass [effective April 1, 2005] ($185/$127) – Starting April 1, 2005, the cost of a CityPass increases to $185 for ages 10 and up, but decrease to $127 for ages 3-9. The pass also comes with one early admission into Disneyland. The CityPass still expires 14 days after first use. Purchase CityPass through the Disneyland Web site, at the Disneyland Resort, at the other theme parks included in the pass, or directly from the CityPass Web site (link).
	Costco City Pass promotion ($149.99/$114.99) – Costco is offering the Southern California CityPass for $149.99 for adults, and $114.99 for children ages 3 to 9. You must use the first admission by March 31, 2005, and the pass expires 13 days after the first admission is used. Available at Southern California Costco stores or at the Costco Web site (link). Non-Costco members can buy the tickets via the Web site with a 5% surcharge. A shipping fee applies to Internet orders.
	3-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($109/$109) ($139/$109) – The park hopper bonus tickets currently include one early entry admission to Fantasyland and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. If the Disneyland resort portion of your trip concludes by May 11, 2005, you can take advantage of the “Adults Play for the Kids’ Price” special. Through this advance purchase offer, 3-day park hopper tickets for ages 3 and up are $109, a savings of $20-50 off the main gate price. Expires 13 days after first use or May 11, 2005, whichever comes first. If you plan to visit the Disneyland resort after April 28, take advantage of the Advance Purchase discount to save $20 per ticket, as detailed above. Expires 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. Both offers are available at the Disneyland Web site (link), some Southern California AAA offices, some Disney Stores, or your travel agent. Must be purchased in advance, and are not available at the Disneyland resort ticket booths. Several readers wrote to tell us that the Safeway stores in Central and Northern California, and Vons stores in Las Vegas, are also offering the 3-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets. Check with your local Safeway store for details, as the dates and benefits may be different.
Four Days	Costco Play 4 Days ticket ($89/$89) – Costco offers a discounted 4-day Disneyland Resort ticket at $89 per person, ages 3 and up for Southern California Costco members (zip codes 90000-93599). Not a park hopper; each day is valid for either Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure admission. Unlike the CityPass, you must buy these tickets in person at Costco. You get a voucher to exchange at a Disneyland Resort ticket booth for a valid pass. Proof of local residency is required to exchange the tickets, with a limit of 5 tickets per day. Tickets are non-transferable. The ticket is valid through June 23, 2005, or until the fourth admission is used. The ticket is not valid March 19 – April 2, 2005.
	Good Neighbor Hotel Park Hopper Plus tickets ($134/$134) – Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor hotels can offer a 4-Day Park Hopper Plus ticket for $134, ages 3 and up (Adults and children pay the same price). No advance purchase is required, and some hotels may even sell them to visitors who are not staying at that property. Valid through April 28, 2005.
	4-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($129/$129) ($159/$129) – The park hopper bonus tickets currently include one early entry admission to Fantasyland, and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. If the Disneyland resort portion of your trip concludes by May 11, 2005, take advantage of the “Adults Play for the Kids’ Price” special. Through this advance purchase offer, 4-day park hopper tickets for ages 3 and up are $129, a savings of $30-60 off the main gate price. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or May 11, 2005, whichever comes first. If you plan to visit the Disneyland Resort after April 28, you can still take advantage of the Advance Purchase discount and save $30 per ticket, as detailed above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. Both of these ticket offers are available through the Disneyland Web site (link), through some Southern California AAA offices, through some Disney Stores, or through your travel agent. You must buy these tickets in advance; they are not available at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths.
Five Days	Disney’s AAA Passport Plus Package 2005 ($169/$139) – The 5-day Passport Plus park hopper ticket is $169 for ages 10 and up, and $139 for ages 3-9. This package includes: Disneyland Resort Park Hopper ticket $10 ESPN Zone Arena game card Preferred seating at select shows in Disney’s California Adventure park California Diamond Fun Book (one per package – may not be available when you order) Free parking at Disneyland Resort theme parks Early entry into Fantasyland on select days An additional handling fee of $10 is charged per mailing address. These tickets are available to AAA members only when purchased through participating AAA offices. Several readers report that their local AAA offices do not offer this ticket, or that the benefits differ. You may remember that this also happened with the 2004 version of this package. MousePlanet has contacted AAA offices around the country and encountered the same problem. If your local AAA office does not offer the ticket, check with another AAA office in your area. The decision to offer this ticket seems to depend on which regional AAA “club” you belong to, and in some cases rest with the office manager at each location. The Auto Club of Southern California (ACSC) is not participating in this offer, and AAA Oregon/Idaho offers the 5-day tickets. Some readers have also been told that the California Diamond Fun Book is no longer available.
	5-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($139/$139) ($169/$139) – The park hopper bonus tickets currently include one early entry admission to Fantasyland, and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. If the Disneyland Resort portion of your trip concludes by May 11, 2005, take advantage of the “Adults Play for the Kids’ Price” special. Through this advance purchase offer, 5-day park hopper tickets for ages 3 and up are $139, a savings of $40-70 off the main gate price. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or May 11, 2005, whichever comes first. If you plan to visit the Disneyland Resort after April 28, take advantage of the Advance Purchase discount and save $40 per ticket, as detailed in above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. Both of these ticket offers are available through the Disneyland Web site (link), through some Southern California AAA offices, through some Disney Stores, or through your travel agent. These tickets must be purchased in advance, and are not available at the Disneyland resort ticket booths.
	Alaska Airlines “Kids Fly Free” promotion – If you have to fly to Southern California, Alaska Airlines has a package that includes either a free 5-day park hopper with each paid adult ticket, or an adult 5-day park hopper for the children’s price. You must book packages by March 21, and like most current promotions, travel must be completed by April 28. Visit the Alaska Airlines Web site (link) for more details.
Six or Seven Days	Disney’s AAA Passport Plus Package 2005 – The Parkhopper Plus package may be available in 6- or 7- day increments at participating AAA offices. Check with your local AAA office for availability and pricing: Disneyland Resort Park Hopper ticket $10 ESPN Zone Arena game card Preferred seating at select shows in Disney’s California Adventure Park California Diamond Fun Book (one per package – may not be available when you order) Free parking at Disneyland Resort theme parks An additional handling fee of $10 is charged per mailing address. These tickets are available to AAA members only when purchased through AAA offices. Several readers report that their local AAA offices do not offer this ticket, or that the benefits differ. You may remember that this also happened with the 2004 version of this package. MousePlanet has contacted AAA offices around the country, and encountered the same problem. If your local AAA office does not offer the ticket, check with another AAA office in your area. The decision to offer this ticket seems to depend on which regional AAA “club” you belong to, and in some cases rests with the office manager at each location. The Auto Club of Southern California (ACSC) is not participating in this offer, and AAA Oregon/Idaho offers the 5-day tickets. Some readers have also been told that the California Diamond Fun Book is no longer available.
	Special thanks to MousePlanet reader David Michael for some of this information.

Alaska Airlines “Kids Fly Free” promotion returns

Alaska Airlines is repeating the popular “Kids Fly Free” promotion
for travel to the Disneyland Resort, and is offering park ticket and hotel
discounts as well.

If you book an Alaska Airlines Southern California Vacations package
for travel between January 4 and June 29, 2005, one child (age 2-11) can
fly free with each paid adult ticket. The package also includes four nights
at the Holiday Inn Buena Park and airport transfers via Karmel Shuttle
(children 2-11 are free). The packages, including airfare and hotel, start
at $429 per person.

Even better, if you travel between January 4 and April 28, you also receive
a free child’s 5-day Disneyland Resort park hopper for each paid adult.
If you are traveling without children, you can instead purchase the adult
5-day park hopper ticket at the children’s price. Be aware, however, that
Disneyland considers 11-year-olds to be adults for the purpose of admission
pricing.

If Buena Park is too far away from Disneyland for you, you can upgrade
to a Disneyland Resort hotel and receive up to $200 Disney Dollars with
a stay of four nights or more before April 24, 2005.

Finally, if you book the package through alaskaair.com, you get 1500
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Bonus Miles per passenger. For more information,
visit the Alaska Airlines Web site (link).
You must book packages by March 21, 2005.

Disneyland Resort Annual Passholder offers and promotions

Get January AP rates at the Disneyland Resort, starting at $79 per night
at Paradise Pier Hotel. Promotion valid Sunday – Thursday for arrivals
January 2–31, 2005. Additional restrictions apply. Call (714) 956-MICKEY
(714-956-6425) to book.

50th Anniversary Package, revised

The Happiest Homecomings on Earth package has been revised for the new
year. The previous promotion was good only for three-night stays at the
Disneyland Resort hotels; the new offer is valid on longer stays and includes
Good Neighbor Hotels as well.

Instead of the 50th anniversary commemorative clock and Walk in Walt’s
Footsteps tour, the new packages include all the following:

“Enchanting” commemorative certificate (one per package)

Park Hopper bonus ticket, which includes one early entry into Fantasyland
and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. (Park hopper tickets can be upgraded
to an annual pass for an extra fee)

Preferred seating to select shows at Disney’s California Adventure

Entry into Mickey’s Toontown Madness

Walt Disney Travel Co. lanyard and pin (one per person)

Walt Disney Travel Co. luggage tag

Walt Disney Travel Co. fun book (one per package)

The “Happiest Homecoming on Earth” package is available for
arrival dates through December 31, 2005. The package can be booked through
the Disneyland Web site (link),
or by calling (714) 520-5060.

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

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
	1/31	2/1	2/2	2/3	2/4	2/5
	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 9a–10p DCA: 10a–8p	DL: 9a–Mid DCA: 10a–9p SL/SC
2/6	2/7	2/8	2/9	2/10	2/11	2/12
DL: 8a–11p DCA: 10a–9p SL	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 9a–11p DCA: 10a–8p	DL: 8a–Mid DCA: 10a–9p SL/SC
2/13	2/14	2/15	2/16	2/17	2/18	2/19
DL: 8a–11p DCA: 10a–9p SL	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 10a–8p DCA: 10a–6p	DL: 8a–Mid DCA: 10a–9p	DL: 8a–Mid DCA: 10a–10p SL/SC/DX

Visit our Annual
Passholders Blockout Dates 2005 page to see more dates. You can
see future calendar schedules at Disneyland.com here.

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

Author

Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

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