Disneyland Park Update

It was exciting to be back in that line for the first time since it

closed on April 10, 2003. All the paint was fresh, a metallic blue-gray,

and a cool logo of sorts on the upper level in the rotunda area.

The sun had set enough that we were only in the sun for about six minutes,

which was nice. If you’re going to have to stand in line and wait,

I definitely recommend that time of day for minimum sun time. We met

some nice people both in front of us and behind us, so the time passed

even more quickly with some lively conversation.

Soon we entered the building and got to see some of the visible changes.

They’ve changed the hallways with different lighting and fixtures.

The video monitors that showed commercials previously are gone, but

the monitors showing the safety spiel are still there. It’s a new

spiel and the costumes are fantastic: Mostly white with a dark blue

collar and dark blue pants. Very clean-looking and futuristic! The “windows”

as you walk along are rethemed, although you cannot see through them,

and reflect that you are in Space Station 77. We thought that it was

a nice touch to give a nod to the year the attraction opened. You can

no longer see into the attraction while in line until the moment you

make the last turn to your left to descend down the ramp. The ship in

the loading bay has been redesigned to match the new theming. Animation

of a gas planet shows on the large video screen at the far end of the

inside of the attraction. It still shows the large “chocolate chip

cookies” spinning in space.

There are now safety gates keeping guests from darting onto the track

before the cast members want them to. The gates are transparent with

appropriate theming. It appears there is a separate area for guests

with mobility needs at the front of the loading area. We didn’t

see it in use, but the larger safety gate and aisle way led us to this

conclusion.

Windows are now decorated with an illustration of “Space Station

77,” an homage to the attraction’s opening year. Photo by Jeff Moxley.

The ride vehicles and track are new, and the track layout is

exactly the same. The ride was pleasantly very smooth. As we ascended,

the new music started. It seemed to me to be similar to Mission: Impossible

and James Bond themes: Very futuristic and foreboding of the adventure

to come. There are three speakers in each row, one on the outside for

each person and one in the middle that you share. We enjoyed the music

immensely, and would have liked to hear more, but about half-way through

it cut out, then a moment or two later came back on. When it came back

on, it sounded as if it had started the loop over again, although not

being familiar with the music, I’m not entirely certain that’s

true. Then it cut out again and we finished the ride in silence. Very

disappointing, but understandable since a soft opening is their trial

time to work out the bugs.

As soon as you leave the loading area, you can see the new lighting

effects throughout with the most impressive being on the second lift

hill. Whereas at the top of the hill it used to be a red light that

spun making you feel as if the whole tunnel was spinning, now the effect

is on the walls and gives the illusion that the tunnel is spinning.

Very effective.

We both agreed afterward that it was darker inside than we remember

it being previously. Also, the spinning “chocolate chip cookies”

in space were gone. Again, disappointing. There are just some things

you get used to seeing and miss them when they’re gone. That was

one for us. We hope it was just a temporary glitch and that they’ll

come back in the future.

The loading area now includes new safety gates. Photo by Jeff Moxley.

At the end of the ride, there used to be a white strobe effect, now

you’re in a tunnel filled with different colored shooting stars.

The ride seemed faster, but perhaps that was in part to the fact that

it was definitely smoother.

After disembarking and turning right to go up the ramp to exit, we

found a new set of stairs. Presumably there’s another way to exit

for guests with special access needs, although since we weren’t

looking for one we didn’t immediately see it.

The ship over the loading area is touched up. Photo by Jeff Moxley.

There is the requisite photo taken in the same spot as before and the

newly rethemed area to buy your ride pictures was nice. The paintings

on the walls surrounding the waiting area and bathrooms at the exit

are definitely a plus!

Welcome Back Space Mountain! You’ve been sorely missed, but your

total redo is fantastic and promises a wonderful ride!

As Karin suggested, one of the additions to Space Mountain is a separate

loading and unloading area for guests who need additional time to get

into or out of one of the ride vehicles. There is a side area at the front

of the loading area into which a rocket can be diverted. This allows the

freedom to load and unload more slowly without holding up the rest of

the ride. Once loaded, the rocket moves back onto the main track and goes

on its way.

It should also be emphasized that the track is exactly the same layout as before. Though completely rebuild nothing was changed in this regard. So if you ride it and it seems different it is either a trick of memory or because of the changes in surrounding visuals.

There is a second loading area for those needing additional time. Photo

by Jeff Moxley.

The second loading area has a rocket ready to load. Photo by David Michael.

Turtle Talk

Over in Disney’s California Adventure park, Turtle Talk with Crush has

also experienced some soft openings in preparation for its official debut

on July 17. In the newest addition to the Disney Animation Building in

the Hollywood Studios Backlot area, advanced computer-animation technologies

are combined with an off-stage cast member to allow Crush from Finding

Nemo to interact directly with the audience. In addition to Crush,

Dory (not voiced by Ellen Degeneres) also makes an appearance, teaching

the audience how to speak whale.

Crush speaks to Dory. Photo by Matthew Bassett.

The entrance of the attraction currently displays a soft opening sign.

Photo by Matthew Bassett.

Kimball on the tracks

July 23 was the official dedication day for the Ward Kimball,

Disneyland Railroad’s newest engine. Author Steve De Gaetano was fortunate

enough to attend the dedication, and posted this recap to MousePad (link),

MousePlanet’s message board, as well as the Disney Railroads discussion

board (link)

at Burnsland.com (link).

The day began early—about an hour earlier than I expected—at

3:00 am. I had promised to give Preston, the college student who did

the drawings for my book, a wake-up call, but in my flurry of activity

the night before, I had placed his number in my camcorder manual! My

wonderful wife Alice found it, and I called Preston. Happily, he was

already awake, and 5 minutes from my house! He had stayed up all night,

and needed no wake-up call.

We headed out, and got to the park around 5:30. We checked in with

security, and began walking to the roundhouse. The sun was up and it

was a bit overcast. As we walked to the TDA compound, we saw Chris Allen

and Ken Kukuk checking in, and we walked the rest of the way to the

roundhouse with them. Chris, well-know in the large-scale live-steam

modeling community, was heavily involved with restoring the Ward. Ken,

an aficionado of pipe organs, had fashioned the little classification

lamps that you see on ol’ No. 5.

When we got to the roundhouse, the little engine was already under

steam, having undergone additional testing with two trainsets in tow

the night before. Dale Tetley, a good friend of mine and a roundhouse

operating engineer, was polishing the tiny beast. Sucker that I am for

strenuous polishing work, I volunteered to help. Dale handed me some

rags and brass polish, and I went to work. I recruited Preston to help,

because he looked like he needed to sweat a little.

We were even then under the assumption that the engine would be released

for service later that day, and we were determined to make the Ward

Kimball sparkle on her big day, in the best tradition of a Disneyland

steam locomotive. I polished the brass bands and one cylinder casing;

Preston got the steam dome, running board edges and the other cylinder.

I also climbed up and put some elbow grease to work on the headlight

top and bezel.

In the midst of all this frantic polishing other invited guests showed

up. I suspect that Paul Boschan, president of Boschan Boiler and Restoration,

Inc., organized this very special occasion as a sort of “thank

you” for his friends and associates who helped wit the project.

There were maybe 10 or 15 people total.

As I finished the headlight and stepped down off the pilot deck, I

saw a gentleman off to the side, admiring the work (as many of the others

were). This gentleman was dressed better than we were, and seemed to

be enjoying watching the little engine get primped and preened. I had

seen his face before—maybe once—and as I drew closer, I looked

at the gold cast member name tag he was wearing. His name was Matt.

I walked over and introduced myself, and we exchanged pleasantries.

Mr. Oiumet said that the restoration crew had done a remarkable job,

to which I heartily agreed. I told him that I thought he was doing a

wonderful job at the park, and thanked him for his efforts. He immediately

deflected that praise, and said it was not he who had done anything

special, but that it was really them—and he pointed to Dale and

some of the other cast members working on the engine. Then I said, “I

have a friend who would very much like to meet you.” Matt said,

“Well, it would be my pleasure to meet him.” I tapped Preston’s

shoulder, and told him I’d like him to meet someone. Preston stepped

down, and shook Matt’s hand. We again thanked him, but there was

work to be done and we didn’t want to take up his time, and so

we returned to our “chores.”

The polishing continued. Pledge furniture polish was used on the jacket

and paint work. Soon enough, the engine shone to a high sheen. I asked

Paul if I might climb into the cab one last time, as I knew this opportunity

would never happen again, and I wanted just a minute more with the 103-year-old

steamer. Paul obliged, and I climbed up. She was beautiful, inside and

out. It was getting late, and Paul indicated it was time to move the

engine for her morning blowdown. Paul mounted the cab, and the headlight

and class lamps were turned on. It looked awesome. Two toots of the

whistle, steam screaming from the cylinder cocks, and slowly, inch by

inch, the engine rolled 40 feet past the door of the roundhouse.

With Dale and Craig Ludwick, Roundhouse Lead, in the cab, Paul went

down and opened the blowdown manually. Steam blasted out, and the lower

portion of the firebox was cleared of boiler-damaging sediment. Then

the engine was backed up and coupled onto car 201, the first stock car.

Paul, almost demurely, said, “Well…All aboard!”

We climbed aboard the car with the other guests. Paul was in the cab

with Craig and Dale, and another gentleman whom I did not know. Two

more toots, and we began moving down the lead tracks to the main line.

The switch at Tomorrowland was thrown, and away we went!

What an amazing sight to see the park so empty, save for maintenance

workers hosing down walkways and watering plants. We rolled through

Tomorrowland station, and entered the dioramas. There were only bird

sounds in the Grand Canyon, and the sounds of thunder in the portion

where it rains. No Grand Canyon Suite, and no Mysterious Island in the

Primeval World. The engine up front steamed well, and we rolled to a

stop in front of Main Street Station. There, we disembarked. Folks were

already camping out in front of the entrance gates below, and one can

only wonder what their thoughts were, as this little train, one car

only, rolled to a stop.

Now we were able to wander around the engine some more and take more

pictures. Cast Member Matt was here, having walked over from the roundhouse.

Group photos were taken of the Boschan crew, and of the DRR CMs standing

next to the 1902 Baldwin. Matt posed for a few as well. After the pictures,

Matt said a few words—nothing formal—and expressed his thanks

to the Boschan crew for their outstanding work on the Ward Kimball.

He said the Fred Gurley would be coming up soon for work, but indicated

that would, in all likelihood, be done after the Lilly Belle is brought

back. Paul, ever the salesman, noted, “We do coaches too!”

Afterwards, Paul and Matt had a few words to themselves while others

continued to look the engine over, and I heard Paul compliment Matt

for working to bring the park back to its former glory. Again, Matt

said it wasn’t him who was responsible, but the thousands of cast

members to whom that honor should go. I commented that it took teamwork.

Matt agreed completely. Then he bade his good-bye, and began his walk

back to TDA.

We went out of the station and walked down to the Floral Mickey, and

took a few pictures from that location. Main Street was deserted except

for CMS still hosing the street and performing minor maintenance. We

climbed back up to the train, and boarded again. This time, a veteran

Disneyland Railroad engineer properly attired in blue stripes and a

red bandanna ascended the cab steps. His name was Earl, and he took

off like someone who has been running trains a long time, and who knew

the road ahead like the back of his hand. The cylinder cocks were opened,

and the steam spewed forth in a rhythmic “Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss…”

Paul was now back with us in our “private car,” trying not

to stay seated and not perform any of the apparent dance moves that

are now prohibited in the cars, according to the safety placards. Our

conductor, Tracey, seemed to enjoy the antics.

We rolled into Frontierland and stopped shortly. Then we took off again.

We rolled along the quite Rivers of America, which were completely tranquil

and very relaxing in the early morning hours. Paul and I tried to extend

our cameras out the side of the car on curves, but I don’t think

these came out very well. We rolled to a stop near the mainline switch,

and Earl disembarked. Paul got back on and we headed to Tomorrowland,

where we stopped again. Both Craig and Dale were taking turns firing

and pulling, and we once more took off for Main Street. Once there,

Paul looked back at me as I stared rapt into the cab, and silently motioned

me forward. I could not believe what was about to happen. Preston and

I stepped out of the cattle car, and reverently climbed the steps of

the cab. The three of us—me, Preston and Paul—stood while

Dale pulled the throttle and Craig fired. Two toots, and we were off!

At the risk of sounding sexist (and I do apologize in advance if I

do), I can say with certainty that before women became engineers, barber

shops and steam locomotive cabs were two of the last refuges of men.

And true to form, some of our conversations can’t be repeated in

polite company. But I can say that it was a magical experience being

in this cab. The sounds of the engine were loud and soothing all at

the same time. Licks of flame sometimes shot out of the peephole in

the firebox door, and I could feel the heat radiating from the backhead.

Craig was masterful with the firing valve and injector, keeping the

needle pegged at 150. Dale pulled like a pro. Paul, standing inches

from Dale, who was seated on the cushion, complained that all he could

see was the back of Dale’s head. But Paul could hang out the gangway

and take in the cool breeze, a respite from the warm cab.

We had videos and still cameras with us, and while we rolled down the

line, we began to do “interviews.” Craig and Dale are cast

members from the old school, and they “get it.” Craig said

he was honored to be part of the Disneyland Railroad, and took very

seriously his charge to keep Walt’s legacy running.

Through the tunnels, the brass gauge lamps glowed warmly, and we rolled

along to Tomorrowland, where we again stopped. Paul wished to give cab

rides to those who wanted to go, and at each station stop, new riders

could come aboard. Preston and I climbed down, and a man and woman took

their places in the cab for the trip to Main Street. Once there, they

disembarked and came back to the cattle car. The woman said, “Gee,

it sure is hot in there!” Paul came back and asked who else wanted

a cab ride. Preston and I knew we had our opportunity, and we knew we

had to “share.” But out of the 15 of us in the car, no one

else volunteered to go! I was shocked, but before we took off again,

I caught Paul’s attention in the cab, and asked if we could board

again. Paul nodded.

So again, Preston and I entered the cab for another trip around the

park. Both Preston and I got some whistle time, and I made sure when

I yanked the lever, that the whistle would be heard throughout Anaheim.

Paul said I blew it so loud that the sound would travel into outer space,

and that one day, an alien in the form of a 40 foot tall whistle would

emerge from its flying saucer and wonder where its brethren was.

Paul was at the throttle now, and we rolled past the switch to the

roundhouse, where we stopped. Our adventure was almost over. A truck

unloading a container backstage was straddling the track, however, and

we had to wait until they moved before backing in. Paul stepped down

to go back and throw the switch, and gave his seat to Craig. When we

were ready to go, we began backing in, whistle blowing three times along

the way. Slowly, we backed in until we came to a gentle stop in the

same place that the day began.

Craig shut everything down, and stepped off. Dale stayed a few more

minutes with us and chatted. He asked me to turn off the main header

valve, to which I obliged. Some discussion took place about the nature

of the throttle lever. It’s a bit shorter than the others, and

it is placed farther back on the backhead. Making it feel slightly different

from the other engines. It is also somewhat tight.

Preston and I stepped out of the cab for the last time, and I compulsively

grabbed a rag, and polished a little bit more. The engine may burn diesel,

but soot was still deposited on the flat surfaces of the engine. We

had a few more pictures with the engine. Paul wanted to get one of me

posing with the headlight art, for some reason. The Boschan crew was

getting ready to head out for breakfast, and Preston and I would soon

be doing the same, so we said our good-byes. Dale and Craig got back

to work keeping Walt’s trains running. I thanked Paul for the utterly

magical experience he had given us today, and he walked away, the back

of his dark blue overalls now proudly embroidered in red thread “Boschan

Boiler.”

I did not want to say “good-bye” to this little engine that

I’ve come to know so well, but I knew that the next time I see

her, it will be from behind a gate at Main Street Station. We began

to walk back to the car, but before doing so, I went back, and gave

the little teakettle one last pat on the number plate.

Now, I look forward to the day when I will go to the park again with

my family (maybe in September, after the kids go back to school?). I’ll

climb those steps at Main Street Station, wander its waiting room, and

head out to one of the platforms. There, wrought iron gates and a friendly

conductor will impede my attempts to get closer to this engine, and

I will have to content myself with hearing her first from around the

bend, and then watching, as she grows larger and larger as she approaches.

The bell and whistle will sound, and she will roll past. I will wave

at the engineer, and silently think about cherished memories. And then

I will board the first passenger car, as close to the front as I can

get, and I will point out the cab interior to my 16-month-old son Chris,

wondering if an experience like this will shape him as it shaped me.

My wife Alice will look at us with lovingly condescending bemusement.

And then, we will all enjoy a ride or three behind the locomotive Ward

Kimball, at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Unfortunately, it seems the Ward Kimball was taken off-line on

July 1 for a couple of weeks of tweaking, and returns in time for July

17. For those wondering what is next for the Disneyland Railroad, Disneyland

Resort President Matt Ouimet makes some remarks at the dedication that

indicate work on the Lilly Belle may proceed before the Fred

Gurley is taken off-line for refurbishment.

DVC announces Disneyland perks

The Disney Vacation Club has announced a list of perks for DVC members

visiting Disneyland. The perks cover various admission, dining and shopping

purchases. It also does not appear that you must be staying at a Disney

resort on DVC points in order to reap the benefits.

The park admission benefits give DVC members and members of their immediate

family residing in the same household a $20 discount on Deluxe or Premium

Annual Passports. This basically allows members to get a new Annual Pass

for the cost of an AP renewal. There is no discount on AP renewals. (The

family eligibility requirements parallel those for discounts on Walt Disney

World APs.)

Benefits also include discounts on food at two locations inside Disneyland

Park, four locations in Disney’s California Adventure and 11 locations

in Downtown Disney. Shopping discounts are available at 14 locations in

Downtown Disney, and admissions discounts are available for adults at

the AMC Theatres complex in Downtown Disney.

In addition, those who take advantage of the Annual Passport discounts

can also reap the benefits of Passholder discounts. Please note that all

adults must show valid driver’s license or government ID to prove same-household

status for the Annual Passport discount.

These perks are available now, and no end date has been announced. Members

must show their membership card to take advantage of any of these discounts.

See the Disney Vacation Club members-only site (link)

for details.

A busy weekend for the fire department

In two calls that had nothing to do with fireworks, two small fires made

things exciting around the resort over the weekend. At the Mickey &

Friends parking garage a small engine fare happened on the third floor

but otherwise didn’t cause any damage.

The second fire caused a bit more ruckus. Starting in a fryer in the

second-floor kitchen at Downtown Disney’s Rainforest Cafe, this fire didn’t

do a whole lot of damage but did make fore plenty of smoke. The restaurant

and Disneyland Monorail station were evacuated and the Downtown Disney

parking behind the restaurant was closed for a period. In the end the

restaurant was closed for about eight hours before opening again for dinner.

Though they are temporarily reduced to using just the downstairs kitchen,

diners are still being seated upstairs.

Mickeys for sale

The 75 six-foot-tall Mickey statues of the “75 InspEARations”

display, which began their national tour at Walt Disney World on Mickey’s

75th birthday (November 18, 2003), have been scheduled for auction by

Sotheby’s auction house. The statues, which were decorated by Disney legends

and other celebrities, will be auctioned off on September 27, with proceeds

to benefit charities selected by each artist. The 700-pound statues are

expected to bring in a combined total of over $1 million.

In the run-up to the auction, 15 of the statues will be displayed in

locations around New York City in August, including the New Amsterdam

Theatre and the World of Disney store. A full exhibition takes place from

September 20-26 in Sotheby’s third floor galleries, and will be free and

open to the public.

A catalogue featuring all 75 statues is available for purchase, and the

first 5,000 to buy the catalogue also receive a limited-edition Tuxedo

Mickey pin. You can order the catalogue in advance now by logging on to

www.sothebys.com or by calling 888-752-0002. The price for the catalogue

is $41 including shipping and handling.

You must register if you wish to bid in the auction. You can register

in person at the Sotheby’s New York headquarters any time before the sale,

or via fax when submitting an absentee bid form. Please call the Sotheby’s

Bid Department at 212-606-7414 for further information. Bidding may take

plae either in person, by phone, by an absentee bid or by Internet at

ebayliveauctions.com.

For more information on the charity auction, visit the auction’s web

site (link).

It is only fair

After chronicling the complaints of participants in the 50th Anniversary

merchandise event, it is only fair to report the vast improvement in mood.

Late last week, participants began receiving their Random Selection Process

assignments for both merchandise and seminars. Despite concerns, every

person who reported in to our message board noted getting everything they

had asked for.

Time will tell if the event actually lives up to expectations, but for

the moment people are happy again.

Ears to the ground

…In order to help reduce the crowds that leave Disney’s California

Adventure to catch the fireworks at Disneyland, the Disney Electrical

Parade in DCA has now reversed direction, running from Paradise Pier to

Sunshine Plaza. The course reversal makes it pretty much impossible to

watch the parade and then quickly shift back over to Disneyland for the

fireworks. In the past, guests could watch the parade at its beginning

in Sunshine Plaza near the park entrance, then quickly leave to go to

Disneyland to watch the fireworks. This is no longer possible, as watching

the parade at Paradise Pier means being farthest away from the Esplanade

courtyard between two parks, and it takes too long to wait for the parade

if you wait at Sunshine Plaza. Park guests will now have to choose one

or the other.

Disney’s Electrical Parade floats now head the other way. Photo by David

Michael.

…It may not be an issue as important to many as it is to frequent

MousePlanet contributor David Michael (or, as he is generally known, Darkbeer),

but he was very pleased to see that draft beer is once again available

from the Cove Bar at DCA.

Beer taps are back in at the Cove Bar. Photo by David Michael.

…If you took the 50th Anniversary tour of Disneyland and did not

receive your gifts, the word out of Tour Guide Garden is that they have

finally been received and will be mailed within the next couple weeks.

…A substantial prize has been introduced for people who do the in-park quests for the online Virtual Magic Kingdom game. If you visit the Virtual Magic Kingdom kiosk in Tomorrowland and complete all three quests available, you’ll receive a voucher for a threehour behind-the-scenes tour of Disneyland that also includes back-door access to five attractions. The tour is held a couple times per day and depending on availablity can be scheduled for the same day. The voucher is good through the end of the year.

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rumors, and comments. E–mail us

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Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Space Mountain opens July 15 (with ongoing soft openings now).

• Haunted Mansion closed September 6–29 to install Haunted

  Mansion Holiday overlay; closed Jan. 9–25, 2006 to remove overlay

• Pirates of the Caribbean closed October 3 through December

  13 (this closure does not have an official announcement supporting it;

  it should be taken as strong rumor and not certain fact). New rumors

  say that this refurbishment may be pushed out to early 2006 and be as

  long as four months. As soon as anything is confirmed, we’ll say so.

• Submarine Lagoon is currently beginning work on a new Finding

  Nemo attraction; still unofficial at this time with an opening date

  unannounced.

Disney’s California Adventure

• The former SuperStar Limo building is now the future Monster,

  Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue which will open January 2006.

• Turtle Talk with Crush is being installed in Animation Building;

  opens mid-July.

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

June

• Magical Milestone – A Pin Celebration. June 24 –

  Aug. 15 at the Disneyland Resort (link).

July

• Disneyland star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. July 14. Disneyland

  will get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, no details have yet been

  released.

• Disneyland 50th Anniversary special event. July 15–17.

  Three days of merchandising events with multiple purchase plans (link).

• July 2005 NFFC convention. July 9–13. The Show and Sale

  is scheduled for July 10.

• Robert Olszewski merchandise release. July 16 at Grand Californian

  Hotel. The first non–Main Street piece in his “Disneyland

  in Miniature” collection: Mad Tea Party. Also Main Street Train.

September

• Robert Olszewski merchandise release. September 10 at Disneyland

  Park. Several new pieces in his “Disneyland in Miniature”

  collection: Disney Showcase/Magic Shop/20th Century Music and Jungle

  Cruise as well as a pin trading cart and a marching band character pack.

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!

Fourth Night Free

Get a fourth night free if you stay at any of the three Disneyland Resort

hotels for three or more consecutive nights. Visits must happen August

28 through December 18, 2005 (link).

2005 Resort Magic Package

This package (link)

for couples includes two nights’ lodging and a park hopper tickets. Travel

must occur “value seasons” now through July 2, 2005; August

28–November 21, 2005; and November 27–December 23, 2005.

• 50th Anniversary 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)

Two versions of the package are available. For $349 per person (double

occupancy) you can stay at one of the on–property Disney hotels.

For $229 per person (double occupancy) you can get the same package while

staying at the Jolly Roger Hotel or Red Roof Inn Maingate.

50th Anniversary Package

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 must be booked online

through the Disneyland Web site (link)

by December 28, 2005.

Kids Fly Free

Alaska Airlines “Kids Fly Free” promotion through June 29,

2005 – 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 June 1,

and travel must be completed by June 29. Visit the Alaska Airlines Web

site (link)

for more details.

Free Stroller Rental

Holders of a Disney Visa card can get up to two free stroller rentals

per day at the Disneyland Resort. This offer is valid through September

30, 2006 and you must present a valid Disney Visa card at time of rental.

ESPN Zone MVP Club

If you sign up online for ESPN Zone’s MVP Club (link),

you can receive a $20 voucher (for food, merchandise, or game cards),

a 40–point game card (about $10 worth), and an ESPN Zone mini–cooler.

ESPN Club in Orlando is excluded from this offer. You must pick up these

items in person, although they do not have to be used as the same store

from which you get them. There are some fairly strict requirements for

registering and getting your rewards, so make sure you read the details

carefully (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 2005 page to see more dates. You can

see future calendar schedules at Disneyland.

Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort

schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.