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News and Views
MouseAdventure
MousePlanet’s twice annual MouseAdventure event is now open for registration. The event is being held Saturday, October 15, and Sunday, October 16. Full details and registration information can be found at our official MouseAdventure page (link).
The Greatest Game Ever Played screening
MousePlanet has received 10 passes (each good for up to four people) to a September 1 screening of The Greatest Game Ever Played. The screening is at 7:30 p.m. at the Downtown Disney AMC Theater. Possession of a pass does not guarantee admission since more passes are usually distributed than seats in the theater, so you will want to show up early to have the best chance at getting in. If you’d like one of our remaining passes, email Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix for information (link).
New Ariel meal
As of August 16, Ariel has some new Princess friends at her character meals at Ariel’s Grotto in Disney’s California Adventure. Minnie Mouse and many of her friends has moved into the old home of the Princesses at Disneyland’s Plaza Inn. Below are some pictures from a recent meal at Ariel’s Grotto.
The logo for Ariel’s Grotto Disney Princess Celebration. Photo by David Michael.
Belle is one of the princesses at the meal. Photo by David Michael.
A portion of the menu available at the meal. Photo by David Michael.
To simplify the logistics of getting her to the meal, Ariel appears in her legged form. Photo by David Michael.
Staffing update
The staffing problems at Disneyland seem to be stuck in an interesting vicious cycle. Earlier this year when Disneyland management began enforcing some old shift rules as well as creating some new ones, it led to quite a few cast members (particularly in the Foods division) to quit out of frustration or be fired for violations.
The resulting staff shortages put extra pressure on the remaining cast members, and management was put in the position of scheduling long mandatory shifts and allowing for a minimum of time off in order to maintain the necessary staffing levels.
This in turn resulted in existing cast members taking an increasing number of unapproved absences or showing up for shifts late as they attempt to deal with issues requiring time off, which they can’t get approved. In response to this, a new program is being empahasised to make cast members aware of the need for them to show up when scheduled and on time or penalties will quickly accrue. To avoid the negative connotations of “Absenteeism” the new program is being called “Presenteeism.”
Somewhat ironic is that Disney is using the word “presenteeism” in a way that contradicts the standard usage in Human Resources circles. Disney is emphasizing that cast members need to show up when they are scheduled, with very few valid reasons for not doing so. Generally, human resources consultants use the word to describe the reduction in productivity that occurs when people report in to work under conditions (such as mild illness) that would keep them at home under less stringent conditions. See this article for more information regarding this phenomenon.
It isn’t hard to see this cycle continuing, unfortunately.
Fireworks enhancements
We mentioned the new light projections at “it’s a small world” during the Remember…Dreams Come True fireworks show, but it was just this last weekend that we were able to finally see them for ourselves. The new projections are more than just shapes and colors, but also include video and other items of interest.
The spot just in front of the castle remains the best location for viewing the fireworks, but Small World Mall is now a close second. The projections provide context for the fireworks that may actually be more helpful for first time visitors or other guests who won’t remember the music for Adventures Through Innerspace. If you don’t want to camp out for a spot in the overcrowded Central Plaza, give strong thought to viewing them from in front of it’s a small world.
The following photos give a sense of the projections, though they are not really the best pictures.
A full-color projection on its a small world. Photo by Alex Stroup.
During the Main Street Electric Parade section of the fireworks, parade floats are projected onto it’s a small world. Photo by Alex Stroup.
Madam Leota makes an appearance during her portion of the show. Photo by Alex Stroup.
Video of the roller coaster is projected during the Big Thunder Mountain sequence. Photo by Alex Stroup.
Disney Magic drydock work
Beginning October 1, 2005, the Disney Magic cruise ship will enter drydock in a Norfolk, Virginia, facility for ten days. During the visit, changes include an expansion of the Vista Spa and Salon with three new suites and almost doubling the size of the fitness center. 1,700 square feet will be added to the area. Three conference rooms on Deck 2 will be converted into a fifth location dedicated to children. The new space, called Ocean Quest, will include a replica of the ship’s bridge, allowing children to take the captain’s seat and work through steering simulations.
Additionally, a new LED screen will be installed on Deck 9 near the family pool, allowing films and other video to be presented. Parrot Cay, one of the ships three rotational restaurants will also receive a makeover, allowing the theme and atmosphere change from night-to-night during a cruise. Disney Magic will return to its routes on October 15.
Ears to the ground
…The former ticket booth near the Downtown Disney is now behind a construction wall for its conversion into a new pin-buying location. An internal contest has just begun among cast members to name the new location.
This former ticket booth near the Monorail station is turning into another pin location. Photo by Alex Stroup.
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) – Residents of Southern California (zip codes 90000–93599) and and northern Baja California, Mexico (zip codes 21000–22999), can buy discounted one–day park hoppers. You can purchase up to eight tickets at a time, one order per day, and two orders in any seven–day period. Valid ID showing zip code will be required with ticket for admission. |
| Two Days | 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 and Idaho do not offer the 2–day version of this ticket, but instead offer a 3–day pass. Advance Purchase 2–Day Park Hopper ($105/$85)– Available for online purchase directly from Disney (link) or Northern California, Nevada, and Utah AAA offices (link). |
| 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. |
| City Pass($185/$127)– The cost of a CityPass increases to $185 for ages 10 and up, but decrease to $127 for ages 3–9. The pass includes a 3–Day Disneyland Resort park hopper bonus ticket (includes a $10 ESPN Zone game card and one early admission), one day admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, Sea World San Diego, and either the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park. 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). The Southern California City Pass can also be purchased online from Costco at a cost of $164.99/$112.99 (link). | |
| 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. You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount as detailed above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. The first visit must occur before January 2, 2006. Both offers are available at the Disneyland Web site (link) and from AAA. You must buy these tickets in advance; they 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 differ. | |
| Four Days | 4–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets($159/$129) – The park hopper bonus tickets currently include one early entry admission to Fantasyland, and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount as detailed above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. The first visit must occur before January 2, 2006. These tickets are available through the Disneyland Web site (link) and from AAA. 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:
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. You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount as detailed above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. The first visit must occur before January 2, 2006. Both of these ticket offers are available through the Disneyland Web site (link), and from AAA. You must buy these tickets in advance; they are not available at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. | |
| Alaska Airlines “Kids Fly Free” promotion through June 29, 2005 – 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 June 1, and travel must be completed by June 29. 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:
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. | |
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
| | | | | | | |
| 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.
