Disneyland Park Update

Update for October 24-31, 2005

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

News and Views

Time is running out

Time is running out to book travel and join us on a March trip to Japan and Tokyo Disneyland. For more information and booking information, see our Japan Tour page (link).

California Screamin’ Open

If we here at MousePlanet had a hyperinflated sense of our importance, we would think it mighty suspicious that Disney reopened the California Screamin’ roller coaster in Disney’s California Adventure park on the weekend we had announced there would be no Park Update, and almost the entire staff was otherwise occupied with MouseAdventure.

We know it was completely coincidental, but please allow us our little delusions of grandeur.

Anyway, it is old news now, but we’ll recap it anyway. California Screamin’ received final approval to reopen from the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-DOSH) and the ride reopened on Friday, October 14.

The official findings were that the accident was a result of failure in some new valves that had been installed in California Screamin’. Here’s how the official internal announcement at Disneyland announced it:

Late Thursday, DOSH issued its report on the July 29 incident on California Screamin’.

“We agree with the DOSH report that the incident was caused by ‘several pneumatic quick exhaust valve failures.’ We have taken the necessary corrective actions specified by DOSH, including replacing the type of components that failed and enhancing the brake air supply system. DOSH has approved the reopening of the attraction and we plan to reopen it tomorrow morning, when Disney’s California Adventure opens.

“We have notified all other Disney parks and verified that these particular valves do not exist on our other roller coasters. We also are sharing our Service Bulletin regarding the cause of the incident with the theme park industry via the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials and other amusement safety organizations.”

Greg Hale
Chief Safety Officer
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

The valves in question were installed in brake zone 7 on the day before the accident. Also replaced were air hoses that had shown signs of age and leakage. The failure of these valves meant that when California Screamin’ went into a cascading stop on July 29, all the trains were properly braked except for the train in zone 7, which continued on, colliding with the train stopped at zone 8.

Due to the unavailability of the parts from Intamin, the ride’s original designer—Disney has since significantly modified the attraction and Intamin no longer considers it one of theirs—Disney had opted to use valves from Legris. Though Disney had never used Legris-brand valves on any other attraction, this was not the first installation on California Screamin’. Seven months prior to the accident, the same valves had been installed on another California Screamin’s train and had operated for seven months with no apparent problems.

In their examination, Cal-DOSH compared the Intamin valves with the Legris valves and found that while external examination showed them to be essentially identical, internal examination showed slight differences in diameter. As part of its compliance efforts, Disney replaced all the valves in California Screamin’ with valves manufactured by Parker, which is the brand that has been used for decades all over the Disney parks.

As part of its compliance, Disney also did a review to confirm that these valves were not used in any other attraction.

While the report from Cal-DOSH did find that the change in valves from Intamin to Legris had not been properly documented according to procedure, this was not related to the cause of the accident and that even if properly documented the new valves would have been acceptable replacements.

All in all, this is about the best news possible for Disney. The fault for the accident has been placed squarely on mechanical failure of new parts rather than operational, systems, or maintenance failures that would more solidly place liability with Disney. More than with other recent accidents at Disney, this one seems to be in the realm of “sometimes bad things happen for no good reason.”

For those wondering whether Disney would use the time to make any other changes, it does not appear so, other than adding some new pouches inside the cars for storing stuff during the ride. Reports indicate that the brake into station at the end of the ride is very smooth. There are conflicting reports on whether the ride feels slower through certain sections. Otherwise, nothing has changed.

New pouches are now available in the California Screamin’ cars so you won’t lose your stuff. Photo by David Michael.

Hotel fire

A malfunctioning neon sign ignited a room fire at the Disneyland-area Super 8 motel (915 S. Disneyland Drive) around 2 a.m. on the morning of October 21. All guests were evacuated and about 60 percent were able to return to their rooms while the rest were relocated to other hotels.

The damage appears to be limited to a relatively small area and most of the building was unaffected. If you have a reservation at this hotel, you may want to contact them and make sure you are not impacted.

An era ending

Some of the kitsch surrounding Knott’s Berry Farm is coming to an end. Both the Movieland Wax Museum and the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum closing their doors at the end of the month. Both are longtime attractions near Knott’s Berry Farm but recent years have seen marked declines in attendance.

The wax museum opened in 1962 and was purchased by the Fong family in 1985. The Fong’s expanded to open Ripley’s Believe It or Not in 1990. Both venues will be offering “Last Chance” admissions for $5 before closing their doors on October 31.

Additional SoCal discounts

Specially marked Coca-Cola products on sale in Southern California have coupons for discounts on Disneyland admission. The redeemer of the coupon must show proof of Southern California residence (a zip code of 90000-93599). The coupons expire December 15, 2005.

The coupon offers a $20 discount on a SoCal Annual Pass, or a $10 discount on a 2-day park hopper or SoCal Select Annual Pass.

Mickey’s Halloween Treat

The Disneyland Resort took the first tentative steps into the Southern California Halloween event market when it hosted the first Mickey’s Halloween Treat at Disney’s California Adventure Friday night. Originally planned to run just four nights this first year, (October 21 & 22; 28 & 29), Disney added two additional dates (October 27 & 30) when annual passholders snapped up nearly all of the available tickets before they even went on sale to the general public, though Disney insiders were quick to caution that this would not be the type of over-the-top event hosted at Walt Disney World each year.

The $15 event ($20 for non-passholders) included parking and admission to DCA for three hours. Kids of all ages could trick-or-treat at 13 stations scattered through the park, cleverly designed to look like front doors. The park map for the evening included spots to collect stickers from each of the 13 stations; unfortunately the process of stickering each park map caused the lines to slow to a crawl at many stations.

Once kids had gathered their limit of sugary snacks, a handful of activities were offered to help channel all that energy. Bands and DJs were set up in three locations, and hosted such events as Hula Hoop competitions and Hokey Pokey dances. Two craft stations let children make Halloween-theme masks and bats, and roving face painters were ready to help complete a costume here and there.

Most park rides were open during the event, and few posted wait times of more than 5 minutes. The new Turtle Talk with Crush encounter was open in the Disney Animation building, and those who were able to catch a show said that Crush’s comments about the strange “shells” (costumes) were a huge hit with the audience. Most of the Paradise Pier carnival games were open and free for the evening; contestants vied for more candy instead of plush toys.

Pairs of Disney characters took turns posing for photos around the park; Chip and Dale alternated with Donald and Daisy in the Sunshine (entrance) Plaza; Mickey and Minnie shared photo opportunity duties with Pluto and Goofy; four Disney Princesses took turns meeting their smaller counterparts near Ariel’s Grotto; and the Disney Villains held court near the Tower of Terror. Sulley, JoJo, Bear, Stanley, Peter Pan, Wendy and The Incredibles were also spotted around the park.

Despite a few minor lapses in execution, most of the members of our MousePad discussion board who attended one of the first nights seemed to have enjoyed the event. The “wish list” for 2006 includes a parade, extended hours, better communication about attraction / activity operating hours, additional entertainment offerings, and merchandise. (Can you believe Disney missed an opportunity to sell a pin?) But the fact that an estimated 30,000 people purchased tickets for an event that was barely publicized and about which few details were known in advance speaks to the incredible demand for a family-friendly Halloween event, and it seems that the Disneyland Resort has finally committed to targeting the market segment scared away from the adult-oriented atmosphere of Knott’s Scary Farm.

We’ll run a full recap tomorrow of the event tomorrow.

Little Patch of Heaven

Little Patch of Heaven, the petting farm behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, is now closed for its transition to Santa’s Reindeer Round-Up. As we reported in the September 12 Disneyland Park Update (link):

Other plans at Disneyland for Christmas include the eviction of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus from Main Street’s Town Square into the cottage at Little Patch of Heaven in Frontierland behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. In addition to Santa and his wife, the whole area will be made over for the holidays including a display of live reindeer (any rumors that they will just glue horns onto the goats already living there are completely unfounded). The picnic tables at the Big Thunder BBQ area next door may also be opened up as a holiday crafts location for children; an alternate plan for the area, though, is to use it as an overflow dining area as has been done during other recent peak attendance periods.

A sign outside of Little Patch of Heaven informs guests of the coming change. Photo by David Michael.

Railroad plussing

Steve DeGaetano posted the following story of a minor (but significant to those who love trains) plussing of the Numbers 1 and 2 engines of the Disneyland Railroad to our message board (link). For more detailed information from Steve on the Disneyland Railroad, see his article last week on the history of the Lilly Belle private car (link).

Here’s another “detail,” or example of “plussing” that you might want to keep an eye out the next time you’re at the park.

Virtually all steam locomotives built in the 19th and 20th centuries had “builder’s plates” affixed to them. These plates were essentially the locomotive’s “birth certificate,” and indicated the date of construction, a serial number, and the location where the engine was built. Often, the president or manager of the locomotive builder would be indicated as well.

Many of you know that DRR engines 3 and 4 (and now 5), feature the round builder’s plates of the Baldwin Locomotive Works on the gray smokeboxes (the part where the smokestack is).

For an unknown reason, DRR engines 1 and 2 did not have builder’s plates—a common detail that by all rights should have been included.

Carolwood Pacific Board member Michael Campbell noticed this missing detail, and with Michael Broggie, work got underway last year to meet with Matt Ouimet and Marty Sklar to see if the situation could be rectified, maybe in time for the 50th. In addition, this might be an opportunity to recognize a few of the people who were involved with the construction of the Disneyland trains. Everyone thought it would be a nice addition to the engines, and the “go” was given.

The first task was to try and figure out what the name of the fictional “Locomotive Works” that built the Disney engines should be. “Retlaw Locomotive Works” was thrown around, in homage to the company that ran the trains for many years, but Retlaw hadn’t been formed yet in 1954/55, when the engines were built. Through much discussion, it was determined that WED, the design and construction arm of Disney, built the engines. So it was logical to assume that it was the “WED Locomotive Works” that built Disneyland’s first two steam engines.

The next bit of research included trying to find out if the engines truly had serial numbers. There are several numbers associated with the engines, including the original Dixon boiler numbers of 12544 (Holliday) and 12555 (Ripley), but these represented only the boilers, and not the complete engines.

I had seen the numbers “642” and “641” on the boiler backheads, but these turned out to be National Boiler certification numbers, also not suitable for the entire engines.

The number on builder’s plates represents the serial number, or actual number count, of engines built. It was therefore decided that engine No. 1 would have serial number 1 on its builder’s plate, and the Ripley would logically have the number “2” on its builder’s plate, even though it looks like the engines’ numbers were merely copied. But if the WED Locomotive Works had built two engines, and these were its first two engines, it seems logical that they would have the serial numbers 1 and 2.

Since the C.K. Holliday and the E.P. Ripley are meant to represent two different eras (and manufacturers), the thought was to have two different plate designs. Michael got to work designing the plates.

The C.K. Holliday represents a typical Central Pacific engine of the 1870s. Based on Walt’s “CP-173” which itself was based on a Central Pacific engine built by Norris Bros. Most likely, the prototype engine had its builder’s plate mounted on an ornate fixture hung between the two big drive wheels. This wouldn’t work on the Disneyland engine, because the engine’s brake system is between the drivers, and access for maintenance would be needed.

Since many engines of the Central Pacific’s successor, the Southern Pacific, were built by Baldwin, a round design was chosen. This plate, to my knowledge, hasn’t been affixed yet to the C.K. Holliday.

The E.P. Ripley is based on an engine from the 1880s built by the Rogers Locomotive Works for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. The Rogers plates of the era were usually rectangular, often with decorative “notched” corners. Unfortunately, the Rogers plates were often devoid of much textual information, just featuring the word “ROGERS” and a small date and serial number.

I had seen a plate from the Schenectady Locomotive Works at a friend’s house, which I suggested be used. This plate looked a lot like a Rogers plate, with a bit more information, like the name of the works president, and the general manager. Through discussion, it was decided that, obviously, “W.E. Disney” would be the fictional locomotive works president, and that R.E. Broggie, head of the studio machine shop and directly responsible for the construction of the engines, would be the “Gen. Manager.”

So, while these plates represent a fictional locomotive works, the designs are based on actual historical builder’s plates. I’ve suggested that a good word to describe them is “historically suggestive;” they are not based on any specific actual builder’s plates, but take their cues from several historical sources.

We hope you enjoy this little bit of added detail that brings just a bit more to these already beautiful locomotives.

You can see a picture, by Matt Walker, of the E.P. Ripley plate here. If you’re a fan of the Disneyland Railroad, try to catch a glimpse of this and watch for the eventual installation of the C.K. Holliday plate.

Are you chicken?

The Esplanade between Disneyland and DCA is getting awfully crowded with commercial messages. In addition to the fair-sized miniature Space Mountain installed for Honda’s Coolest Ride in the Galaxy promotion, a large Chicken Little balloon was installed last week over the DCA soundstages. Response, so far, has not been positive.

A large Chicken Little balloon now towers over the Esplanade. Photo by David Michael.

Prices up

We failed to confirm this after reporting in September that it would happen. At the beginning of October, food prices at Disneyland Resort were almost universally raised 10 percent (quickly negating the 10 percent discount recently given to non-Premium Annual Pass holders).

Maybe next you’ll be able to buy a Bugs Bunny shirt

Though the connection between Nightmare Before Christmas and the new movie Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is obvious, it is still somewhat surprising to see that Corpse Bride apparel is available at New Orleans Square’s Le Bat en Rouge store. Corpse Bride is a Warner Brothers movie.

Rod Miller

Fans of Rod Miller, the longtime institution at the piano outside Refreshment Corner periodically wonder when he’ll return to his post. He has been out for most of the year following several surgeries to relieve a pinched nerve in one of his legs. While his returns is still a bit off, word is he does hope to return to his piano sometime this year.

Monorail closure

The Disneyland Monorail will be closed for the next two weeks due to construction at the new Monsters, Inc., ride at Disney’s California Adventure. The construction would otherwise put workers too close to the electrified monorail track for safety.

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Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Disneyland Monorail closed October 24 – November 7 due to construction at DCA.
• Snow White, An Enchanted Musical closed. On hiatus during off season; expected to return for final season in summer 2006.
• it’s a small world closed October 24 – November 10 to install holiday overlay; closed January 9-25, 2006, to remove overlay
• Pirates of the Caribbean closed March 6 – June 16, 2006 for major refurbishment and possible show updates.
• 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.
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is currently under construction and will open sometime in 2007.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Department of Untapped Hilarity (D.U.H.) on hiatus. May return.
• Disney’s Electrical Parade on hiatus for the off season, except for a two week run starting December 16.
• Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue is under construction and will open in early 2006.
• Rizzo’s Props and Pawn Shop closed and is being rethemed into a mixed Monsters, Inc./Muppets store.

Downtown Disney

• Anne Geddes. New flagship store for baby stuff designer. Taking up part of former location of MainSpring. Opening in October.
• Sunglass Icon. A new sunglasses store owned by Oakley. Signage indicates a summer opening, no word of actual date.

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

October

• Mickey’s Halloween Treat. October 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, and 30 at Disney’s California Adventure. A separately ticketed trick-or-treating event at DCA from 7:30-10:30 each night. Tickets are sold out.

November

• SHAG Park Map release. November 12. Details have been posted at the Disney Gallery Web site (link).

December

• Candlelight Processional. December 3 and 4. Full details not yet available, though it is known that Dick Van Dyke will be host and narrator.

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 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 during “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

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.