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News and Views
Fall MouseAdventure announced!
For regular players or for anyone who wants to try it for the first time,
let it be known that this fall’s MouseAdventure will be held on October
15 and 16.
Yes, that’s right: the 15th and the 16th. This time around the two competition
categories will not be based on whether teams do trivia or not, but rather
whether they do both Saturday and Sunday or just Sunday. It’s up to you
to decide.
For those who decide to do the whole thing, the Saturday portion of event
will be a nighttime set of puzzles focused on Disneyland Park, though
you may stray into other areas of the resort. If you’re only able (or
willing) to play on Sunday, you’ll get the classic MouseAdventure experience
wholly within Disneyland Park.
As with the event this past spring, you can purchase access to a BBQ
dinner in the old Big Thunder Ranch area behind Frontierland following
Sunday’s game. Purchasing these meals allows us to procure that area for
use as the results-and-awards ceremony once everybody has eaten.
Full registration and pricing details will be provided next Monday, when
registration also opens.
Thomas Kinkade details
Details on the release of Thomas Kinkade’s 50th Anniversary painting
of Sleeping Beauty Castle have now been released.
The painting will be officially released with a breakfast and meet-and-greet
opportunity with Thomas Kinkade at the Grand Californian Hotel on Saturday,
September 10 [Note: this originally said September 20 and was erroneous]. Registration for this breakfast begins at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific)
on Friday, August 26. The breakfast-only package is $95 per person and
includes:
- Breakfast in the Grand Californian Hotel’s Brisa Courtyard
- Unveiling of the painting
- The first chance to purchase from among the 12 different editions
of the painting - A meet-and-greet with Thomas Kincade (note that the event information
does not say he will be at the breakfast or whether the meet-and-greet
will be separate from the breakfast) - A commemorative gift
For $425, you can add one night’s accommodation at the Grand Californian
Hotel and valet parking.
© Thomas Kinkade.
The painting will be available in the following editions, edition sizes,
and prices. Each different edition is numbered and unframed.
- Gicleé on canvas, 18″x27″ – 1,955 – $795
- Gicleé on canvas, 24″x36″ – 1,955 – $1,360
- Gicleé on canvas, 28″x42″ – 1,955 – $1,800
- Lithograph on paper, 18″x27″ – 1,955 – $230
- Lithograph on paper, 24″x36″ – 1,955 – $295
- Lithograph on paper, 28″x42″ – 1,955 – $375
- Artist Proof, gicleé on canvas, 18″x27″ – 390
– $960 - Artist Proof, gicleé on canvas, 24″x36″ – 390
– $1,520 - Artist Proof, gicleé on canvas, 28″x42″ – 390
– $1,960 - Artist Proof, lithograph on paper, 18″x27″ – 390 –
$280 - Artist Proof, lithograph on paper, 24″x36″ – 390 –
$345 - Artist Proof, lithograph on paper, 28″x42″ – 390 –
$425
The painting will go on public sale at The Disney Gallery with the official release from 3:30-6:00 p.m. The breakfast package does not include park entry.
River Belle makeover
It was over two years ago, back in our July 7, 2003, Disneyland Park
Update (link),
that we ran the following tidbit of gossip about the River Belle Terrace
restaurant:
“From the far-left-field department comes this completely unsubstantiated
rumor about the River Belle Terrace. We hear that the restaurant will
be closed in 2005, and rebuilt with a two-level seating area, similar
to the one at the Hungry Bear.“Both levels will be used for breakfast and lunch, with the upper
terrace reserved at night to provide a larger premium viewing area for
Fantasmic. The restaurant would reopen in 2006. If true, this rumor
should offer some small token of hope to those who fear that the days
of Fantasmic are numbered.”
At the time, we received several responses from readers who expressed
some doubt, and some even wondered if we were making things up. Well, we’ve
heard from an insider familiar with elements of this project and it appears
plans are starting to solidify, pretty much along the lines of what we originally reported. Nothing official has been announced, particularly
a start date for the project, but it looks like it will still be a bit
before the 44-year-old River Belle Terrace closes, most likely after the
2006 summer season and the end of the 50th Anniversary celebration. No
word on whether the new look will involve a new name (the area has previously
been home to Aunt Jemima Pancake House (1955-1962), Aunt Jemima Kitchen
(1962-1970), and Magnolia Tree Terrace (1970-71).
Ready for PrimeTime (Weekend) after all?
In last week’s Park Update it was mentioned that it seemed unlikely that
an ABC PrimeTime Weekend event would be held at DCA this year. With the
fall season starting in less than a month and absolutely no word from
within Disney, it just didn’t seem probable.
That said, the update prompted two emails from Australia. Both reported
that as part of a Desperate Housewives promotion, contests were
being held at radio and television stations where the winners would get
a trip to DCA in September to attend the ABC PrimeTime Weekend and meet
the stars of that show.
We have not been able to confirm this at all, so any additional information
would be greatly appreciated.
Update
Following initial publication of this update, reader Eric Ryan was good enough to point us to the contest results to determine the Queensland Desperate Housewife 2005. This was a contest held by Triple M 104.5 FM in Australia (link). The rules document for the contest (link, Microsoft Word file) list the grand prize as a trip for two to the “PrimeTime TV Preview Weekend” at Disney’s California Adventure September 10 and 11. So, while nothing has been announced locally, if you want to see the cast of Desperate Housewives and other ABC television shows, apparently that is the weekend for it.
And congratulations to Cheryl Cambridge (if congratulations is the right word) for beeing Queensland’s desperate housewife.
California Screamin’
No new official information has been released regarding the July 29 accident
on Disney California Adventure park’s California Screamin’ roller coaster
where two trains collided and a number of people were sent to the hospital
for minor injuries and observation. The California Department of Occupational
Safety and Health is still conducting its investigations. Based on observations
posted to our message board by a reader using the name phoenixfire2k5,
it appears they’re even working on weekends.
On Saturday morning, he observed the red train (which was involved in
the accident) making several runs fully loaded with dummy weights. On
each run, as the train went through brake zone 7 (where the one that should
have stopped apparently failed), the train would brake hard (link).
Oprah visit
Oprah Winfrey was in Disneyland on Friday filming an episode of her syndicated
talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. One type of episode she occasionally
does is making “dreams come true.” For this episode, a Houston
teacher wrote Oprah that she was concerned her students were missing out
on childhood due to poverty and family problems.
In response, Oprah and her show adopted the first grade class at Crockett
Elementary in Houston, Texas. They were flown out to Disneyland, stayed
at the Disneyland Hotel, and spent Friday at the park. Fantasyland was
closed 11:00 a.m. to noon to accommodate the group and filming.
Oprah Winfrey herself stayed out of the spotlight. Though an announcement
went out over the Main Street loudspeakers that some very special kids
were making their way down Main Street to Fantasyland, Oprah Winfrey’s
name was never mentioned and cast members were instructed not to tell
park guests that she was there. Though blurry, David Zacher was kind enough
to send along the following photo, in which you can see that she was not
putting herself on display and many people likely did not recognize her.
Oprah Winfrey, in pink, walks down Main Street with students from Crockett Elementary School. Photo by David Zacher.
The first graders marched down Main Street and were welcomed at the castle
by Mickey Mouse and other characters before heading into Disneyland for
an hour of rides and whatever else went into making the episode. It is
unknown when the episode will air.
Lilly Belle progress
Disneyland Railroad guru Steve DeGaetano let us know that it appears
that the Lilly Belle will finally be getting the refurbishment
it desparately needs and deserves. Apparently the restoration will be
done by a third party and the Lilly Belle may have already been
shipped out.
The Lilly Belle parlor car was built for the Bicentennial Celebration
in 1976 and used for VIP and other scheduled tours. The enclosed car is
decorated to Victorian luxury and was only pulled occasionally. Since
the late ’90s it has been awaiting both the funding and management desire
to see the car refurbished (among other things it is suffering from extensive
dry rot). Reportedly, in the process of finalizing the new Ward Kimball
engine, Disneyland President Matt Ouimet took an interest in the Lilly
Belle and has seen to it that the money was found.
Free Child’s Member pass
While supplies last if you make a $75 purchase at Downtown Disney’s LEGO
Imagination Center you will get one free child’s Membership Pass to Legoland
in San Diego, California. The pass is good for children ages 3 to 12 and
comes with unlimited park admission, special discounts, and a subscription
to the Legoland Newsletter.
Ears to the ground
…We’re hearing some extremely vague rumors about a new E-ticket attraction
being considered for Disney’s California Adventure. Continuing the park’s
transformation into Pixarland, the ride would be based on last year’s
movie The Incredibles. Now you’ve heard everything we have, though
this may just be an alternate of the rumor of a new attraction based on
next year’s Pixar feature, Cars. We’ll provide more details if
they ever materialize.
…For train buffs, it should be noted that the Disneyland Railroad is
once again allowing guests to ride in the engine with the engineers. Only
two of the park’s five trains are set up to accommodate extra passengers,
so you will need to wait for either engine #1, C.K. Holiday, or
engine #2, E.P. Ripley. To ride in the engine, you must board at
Main Street Station and make a full round trip. Inquire with a cast member
at Main Street Station to confirm that one of the trains is running and
when it will next come around.
…It has been there for several weeks, but it should be noted that there
is now a model of Space Mountain in the exhibit area of the Main Street
Opera House.
Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips,
rumors, and comments. E–mail us
here.
Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips,
rumors, and comments. E–mail us
here.
Disneyland
- 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.
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is currently under construction
and will open sometime in 2007. - Disneyland Monorail closure beginning sometime in January
2006. Not yet announced, though expected involve almost a complete rebuilding
of Tomorrowland Station to accommodate Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage,
a complete refurbishment (though not reconstruction) of the track, and
hopefully new monorails to replace the existing vehicles.
Disney’s California Adventure
- Monster, Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue is under construction
and will open in early 2006.
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).
August
- Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg book release and signing
– Aug. 28 at Grand California Hotel (link).
September
- Thomas Kinkade painting release and breakfast. September
10. Details not yet released (link).
- Robert Olszewski merchandise release. Postponed to September
17 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.
October
- Mickey’s Halloween Treat. October 21, 22, 28, and 29 at Disney’s
California Adventure. A separately ticketed trick-or-treating event
at DCA from 7:30-10:30 each night. Tickets are $20, and until September
15, Annual Pass holders may pre-purchase tickets for $15 at 714-781-4400.
Online ticket purchases are available through the Disneyland Annual
Pass Web site. Tickets can also be pre-purchased on site at the Disneyland
Guest Services window (link).
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 | Southern California 1–Day Park Hopper ($68/$58) |
| Two Days | AAA Flex Passport ($98/$78)– Some AAA offices A reader let us know that AAA offices in Oregon and Idaho Advance Purchase 2–Day Park Hopper ($105/$85)– |
| Three Days | AAA Flex Passport ($129/$99)– Some AAA offices offer |
City Pass($185/$127)– The cost of a The Southern California City Pass can also be purchased online | |
3–Day Park Hopper You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount Both offers are available at the Disneyland Web site (link) Several readers wrote to tell us that the Safeway stores in | |
| Four Days | 4–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets($159/$129) You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount These tickets are available through the Disneyland Web site (link) |
| Five Days | Disney’s AAA Passport Plus Package 2005($169/$139)–
An additional handling fee of $10 is charged per mailing address. Several readers report that their local AAA offices do not MousePlanet has contacted AAA offices around the country and The Auto Club of Southern California (ACSC) is not participating |
5–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets($139/$139) ($169/$139) You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount Both of these ticket offers are available through the Disneyland | |
Alaska Airlines “Kids Fly Free” promotion through | |
| Six or Seven Days | Disney’s AAA Passport Plus Package 2005– The Parkhopper
An additional handling fee of $10 is charged per mailing address. Several readers report that their local AAA offices do not The Auto Club of Southern California (ACSC) is not participating |
Special thanks to MousePlanet reader David Michael for some of | |
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 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” from 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.
Free Child’s Member pass
While supplies last if you make a $75 purchase at Downtown Disney’s LEGO
Imagination Center you will get one free child’s Membership Pass to Legoland
in San Diego, CA. The pass is good for children ages 3-12 and comes with
unlimited park admission, special discounts, and a subscription to the
Legoland Newsletter.
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 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
Sun | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat |
| 8/8 | 8/9 | 8/10 | 8/11 | 8/12 | 8/13 | |
| DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
| 8/14 | 8/15 | 8/16 | 8/17 | 8/18 | 8/19 | 8/20 |
DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
| 8/21 | 8/22 | 8/23 | 8/24 | 8/25 | 8/26 | 8/27 |
DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
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.
