Update for October 31-November 6, 2005
Go directly to: News & Views| Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures| Park Events| Discounts/Promotions| Park Schedule/Blockout Dates
News and Views
Japan Reminder
As we head into the new year, space is beginning to fill up on MousePlanet.com’s Japan/Hong Kong Disney Adventure (March 2006).
For only a small deposit ($400-600 depending on itinerary) reserve your place today. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!
We have also been able to secure a FREE half-day sightseeing tour and a hotel upgrade to the Nikko Hotel in Hong Kong. (Participation in the Hong Kong pre-tour is needed.) Space is filling quickly so please secure your spot on this wonderful vacation. See this page for more details.
Small World fireworks
We have heard that new pyrotechnic effects will be added to Remember…Dreams Come True starting Friday, November 4. The new effects, rumors of which have been swirling for months, would be launched from around the area of “it’s a small world” and be another step in improving that area as a viewing location for the show.
This news needs to be taken with a grain of salt, though, as we had also been told that final tests would be done during the show last Friday. Either they were not, or the new effects are not particularly obvious as none of the observers noticed anything.
Bring a friend
Between November 11 and December 14, people with annual passes will be able to take advantage of the returning “Bring a Friend” ticket discount program. For $86 ($66 for kid’s tickets), a $20 discount, you can purchase 2-day park hoppers. Up to eight tickets can be purchased each day of the promotion, and the tickets expire December 15, or 14 days after first use.
Backlot construction
Some of the changes in Hollywood Pictures Backlot are beginning to show up. One change will be a stronger differentation between the Hollywood Boulevard look of the main street through the Backlot and the studio backlot look of the area around MuppetVision and the new Monsters, Inc., ride. A new gate has gone up between MuppetVision and Schmoozies that labels that back area as Hollywood Studios.
A new sign is now visible behind the construction walls in Hollywood Pictures Backlot. Photo by David Michael.
Christmas tree details
The new Disneyland Annual Passholder newsletter is arriving in mailboxes and has some information about this year’s Christmas trees at Disneyland this year. In honor of the 50th Aninversary, the Disneyland Christmas tree will be predominantly gold in its decoration with more than 2,400 gold ornaments and 2,700 golden bows. The lights will be gold and white.
As usual, the Disneyland tree is enormous (60 feet tall) and is currently visible backstage, waiting for its installation around November 11. Decorations have already gone up in areas of the park, but November 11 is the official start of the holiday season at Disneyland.
Disneyland’s 60-foot Christmas tree is visible from the tram as you reach Disneyland. Photo by David Michael.
The newsletter also reveals that Disney’s California Adventure will be getting a 30-foot Christmas tree of its own, in the amphitheater area opposite Golden Dreams. Apparently this tree will have a “magical Disney moment” in its lighting, though no word on what that will be.
Anne Geddes
Though a bit later than originally announced, the Anne Geddes store in Downtown Disney finally opened on October 26. So, if $150 diaper bags are your thing (or vaguely creepy—if you’ll allow an editorial comment—baby photography) be sure to check it out.
The main entrance to the new Anne Geddes store. Photo by David Michael.
Of course, the store is family friendly, with a separate entrance ramp for strollers. Photo by David Michael.
Little dolls are sold, for some reason, in rabbit or bear outfits. Photo by David Michael.
Inside the store, the space is wide open. Photo by David Michael.
The new neighbor store for Anne Geddes is Sunglass Icon, which is taking even longer. The outer signage is up and the store should be opening soon.
Sunglass Icon, another new store for Downtown Disney looks to be just about ready to open. Photo by David Michael.
Dinosaur Jack
Dinosaur Jack’s Sunglass Shack in the Paradise Pier area of Disney’s California Adventure is done being repainted and the scaffolding is down. Rather than returning in a fresh coat of pink paint, Jack is now a very bright green (though if the paint fades as fast at the pink stuff did, it’ll stop causing momentary blindness in a few months).
Dinosaur Jack’s Sunglass Shack is now a very bright green. Photo by David Michael.
In a change that is about three-and-a-half years too late, Dinosaur Jack no longer has a strap on his sunglasses. Logically the strap made sense, since he has no ears to hold the glasses on, but the strap quickly broke and for much of the time since the park opened it remained in that condition.
The sunglasses no longer have the constantly broken strap of the previous version. Photo by David Michael.
A classic souvenir updated
Building on the sucess of the 50th Anniversary “Golden” Mickey Mouse ears, Disneyland has introduced three new variations: pink floral, blue tie-dye and one with character images on the hat and ears. The pink floral is available in Infant, Youth and Adult, the character in Youth only and the tie-dye in Adult only. The character pattern can not be embroidered, (since any embroidery would cover the image of Pluto on the back side) but the pink and tie dye ears can be embroidered. The youth ears once again feature a chin strap, a much-requested feature that should make parents happy.
So far, the pink floral pattern has been popular, though the tie dye and character pattern have had a tepid response and some people complain that Disney has gone too far by tampering with the “classic” Disneyland souvenir. The nay-sayers will have a lot more to complain about next year – these three hats are the first of some 20 new designs scheduled to be introduced in 2005-2006, including Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Lilo & Stitch patterns. Walt Disney World has previously offered holiday and sport variations on the Mickey Mouse ears, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that Disneyland would latch on to these as an inexpensive souvenir. After all, you porbably wouldn’t buy a pair of black ears each time you visit, but perhaps a new color or design might entice you to open your wallet.
Three new versions of the classic Mickey Mouse ears are now available with many more to come. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Whitewater Arcade
With the video arcade at Grand Californian Hotel closed to allow for the expansion of the Eureka Springs Health Club (it is expanding its spa services), several video games have been given a home at the entrance to Whitewater Snacks. Hopefully this is just temporary, as it isn’t a good place to have kids bunched up (though with Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga, they are more likely to draw crowds of 35-year-old men).
Video games can now be found at the entrance to Whitewater Snacks. Photo by David Michael.
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
- 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
- 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
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!
| One Day | Southern California 1–Day Park Hopper ($61/$71) – 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. | |
| 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 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
| | | | | | | |
| 10/24 | 10/25 | 10/26 | 10/27 | 10/28 | 10/29 | |
|
| DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
| 10/30 | 10/31 | 11/1 | 11/2 | 11/3 | 11/4 | 11/5 |
| DL: 9a–10p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
| 11/6 | 11/7 | 11/8 | 11/9 | 11/10 | 11/11 | 11/12 |
| DL: 9a–10p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | DL: 9a-8p | 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.
