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News and Views

Details announced for Disneyland’s next Pirates event – The Disneyland

Resort is hosting a merchandise special event on July 9, 2003 to celebrate the

release of the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Three

event packages are available:

Event Package A

· One (1) Night at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel(7/9/03)*

· One (1) Breakfast Voucher valid at select restaurants of the Disneyland

Resort Hotels

· Sumptuous Southern Supper at the Blue Bayou Restaurant (7/9/03) **

· One (1) Admission ticket for an evening showing of the film “Pirates

of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” at the Disneyland Resort

(7/9/03)

· Panel Discussion w/creators of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction

(7/9/03)

· Opportunity to Pre-Purchase Limited-Edition Merchandise

· Commemorative Photo Opportunity

· Commemorative Gift

Event Package A is limited to 50 Guests and will be offered for $495, per

person.

Event Package B

· Sumptuous Southern Supper at the Blue Bayou Restaurant (7/9/03)

*

· One (1) Admission ticket for an evening showing of the film “Pirates

of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” at the Disneyland Resort

(7/9/03)

· Panel Discussion w/creators of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction

(7/9/03)

· Opportunity to Pre-Purchase Limited-Edition Merchandise

· Commemorative Photo Opportunity.

· Commemorative Gift

Event Package B is limited to 350 Guests and will be offered for $195, per

person.

Event Package C

· One (1) Admission ticket for an evening showing of the film “Pirates

of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” at the Disneyland Resort

(7/9/03)

· Opportunity to Pre-Purchase Limited-Edition Merchandise

· Commemorative Photo Opportunity

· Commemorative Gift

Event Package C is limited to 450 Guests and will be offered for $55, per

person.

Notes and disclaimers:

· No discounts will be offered in conjunction with

any packages.

· Separate admission is required to enter Disneyland Resort Theme

Parks.

· *Standard accommodations; one person per room. Couples purchasing

Event Package “A” will be offered a second night hotel accommodation

(consecutive to the first night) in a standard room/double occupancy

at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® in lieu of two rooms for one

night. Subject to availability. Hotel stay as part of this event is

an additional bonus and has no monetary value. The hotel stay is non-refundable,

non-transferable and is forfeited if not used in conjunction with the

Pirates of the Caribbean Movie Experience Event.

· Please note we will be hosting TWO (2) Sumptuous Southern Suppers.

The only difference between the two experiences is the time of the dinner

seating.

Event information subject to change without notice.

Reservations for the Pirates of the Caribbean Event will be accepted only via

www.DisneyGallery.com

beginning Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Walt Disney

Event Services at 866.247.1203 or via e-mail at WDW.Event.Reservations@Disney.com.

Shhhhh — a quiet opening… The Disneyland

Resort quietly introduced two new attractions last week: the Playhouse

Disney show at Disney’s California Adventure, and The Many Adventures

of Winnie the Pooh ride at Disneyland.

Annual passholders stood in long lines to claim their preview tickets.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Annual passholders got a sneak peek at the two new additions

at preview events last Tuesday and Wednesday. Many complained about the

long check-n line the morning of the event, and some even missed their

assigned ride and show times because of the delays.

At 11:00 on opening day, the stand-by line for Pooh was only 25 minutes

long.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The newly refurbished Pooh Corner store opened on Monday,

and visitors finally got to see what had become of Teddi Berra’s Swinging

Arcade. The store has three rooms of Pooh merchandise and a new candy

kitchen.

A cute honeycomb motif decorates the walls of the new store.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

New lenses should prevent these bright lights from hurting shopper’s eyes.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The decor in the candy room ties right into the Pooh attraction,

with cute heffalumps and woozles flying around decorations from Pooh’s

birthday party, the final scene in the ride. Imagineers toured the store

on Friday, and decided on a few small changes, including placing amber

lenses over some of the light fixtures to reduce the glare.

Mugs and plush fill several walls inside the new store.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

The merchandise in the store is simply a collection of Pooh

items found elsewhere in the resort. Very little was brought in just for

this store — even the attraction-specific merchandise for the new

Pooh ride is based on the Walt Disney World version.

The candy case is filled with clever chocolate creations.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A candy maker (left) dips strawberries in dark chocolate. On the

wall behind her (right photo) is a tribute to the bears evicted

by Pooh.

Photos by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The only truly creative offerings can be found behind the

candy counter. Caramel apples decorated like Eeyore or Hunny Pots sit

beside Tigger Tails (dipped marshmallows on a stick), and chocolate Owl’s

Nests. The store has a viewable dipping kitchen, a concept proven sucessful

at Marceline’s in Downtown Disney.

Pooh Corner is a haven for children, with little for adults.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As the store stretches towards Splash Mountain, the decor

becomes more rustic and less fanciful, blending into the Critter Country

theme. These rooms are filled with Pooh-themed clothing and accessories,

with a heavy emphasis on children’s apparel.

These signs announced the bad news for those who missed other

announcements.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Across the esplanade, Disney’s California Adventure park

was introducing yet another show. [One MousePlanet reader quipped that

DCA isn’t a theme park, it’s a theater park.] Signs at the parking toll

booths and the entrance to DCA warned visitors that popular children’s

group The Wiggles would not be at the Playhouse Disney premiere.

The group was originally scheduled to appear as part of a Disney Channel

event, but the Australian quartet’s performance was cancelled after the

war in Iraq began.

Those waiting in the permanent queue were able to catch the next show.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Even though the original and larger Disney Channel event

was cancelled, a small press event Friday allowed the media to see the

new attractions on opening day. Over a dozen radio stations had live broadcasts

from DCA, and camera crews lined the walls during the first Playhouse

Disney performances.

Those waiting in line on Hollywood Boulevard had at least a one-show wait.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The queue for for Playhouse Disney was much longer than

that for the Pooh ride. While the permanent queue holds about 500 people

— just enough to fill the theater — an overflow line on opening

day snaked down Hollywood Boulevard, almost meeting the line for the Aladdin

show in the Hyperion Theater. At noon, the line for Playhouse Disney was

two shows long — those just joining the line would not enter the

theater until the 1:30 show. The crowds prompted many visitors to ask

where to get Fastpass tickets for the show.

The Playhouse Disney theater has floor seating for 500 people.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Bear takes the stage in the opening scenes.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The Playhouse Disney show is basically identical

to the Walt Disney World version. The show’s live host “Jamie,”

(performed by male and female actors), interacts with a series of puppets

through five scenes. Children — and anyone familiar with the Disney

Channel — should recognize the stars: The Bear in the Big Blue House,

Rolie Polie Olie, Stanley, and Winnie the Pooh and his friends.

Bubbles fall from the ceiling during the Rolie Polie Olie segment.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Children dance along with Tigger.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Children are encouraged to sing and dance along with the

characters, and to play with the confetti streamers and bubbles that fall

from the ceiling. Despite the low-tech effects, the children truly seemed

excited by the show. The “oohs” and “aahs” as each

set of puppets took the stage were real — the children loved the

show.

Stanley and his gorilla friend seemed to be the most popular part of the

show.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Visitors towards the rear of the theater have a poor view of the rather

small puppets.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Bear and Luna sing the “Goodbye Song” to the delight

of the tots in the audience.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

While parents may be tempted to sit on the benches that

line the outer walls, the best view of the show is from the front of the

theater. Many of the puppets are fairly small, and are more difficult

to see from the back of the house.

Snack boxes provide a quick lunch while you wait for the next show.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Stanley has joined the DCA character line-up.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

For parents who decide to combine waiting time with lunch

time, an outdoor vending cart offers a $6.50 plastic “snack box”

of a crustless peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich, a bag of snack crackers,

a bag of cookies, and a juice box. A new Stanley character greets children

as they wait in line.

Space Mountain cast members try to explain the sudden closure to confused

visitors.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

… and an even quieter closure – The reports

started flowing in Thursday afternoon: Space Mountain did not open

with the park that morning. Fastpass tickets were issued to some visitors,

others waited in a stand-by line until about 10:30, at which time cast

members announced that the ride would not open for the day. In a memo

issued Thursday afternoon, resort cast members were told that the planned

rehab project, during which the ride would be rebuilt for the park’s 50th

anniversary celebration, was going to start six months ahead of schedule.

The ride is now scheduled to remain closed until 2005.

Faster than a talk-radio show, the conspiracy theories began

to fly on Disney discussion boards across the Internet. Clearly, something

must have happened to the ride that forced Disneyland to close it just

before the peak spring break season, just one day before a resort-wide

press event, and with absolutely no notice. One poster on our MousePad

message boards speculated that the ride “must have experienced the

mother of all 101s.” [Disney-speak for an attraction breakdown.]

Certainly, the closure was unplanned. The ride was staffed

that morning — the opening crew had completed the pre-opening checklists,

and sent through several test rockets. An attractions manager called the

location and told the staff not to open for the day. Then, at a hastily

assembled gathering, the crew learned that the ride was closed for

good.

Space Mountain photo is suddenly out of business.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Although many assume that there was a serious reason to

not open the ride, one cast member reports a very simple explanation.

New parks chief Jay Rasulo was at the Disneyland Resort this past

Wednesday, and reportedly attended meetings about the 50th anniversary

celebration. Imagineers have supposedly expressed concerns that

the ride would not be ready in time for the anniversary if construction

was not allowed to begin until September.

Rasulo wanted to keep Space Mountain open until the Submarine

Voyage attraction could reopen. The condition of the subs makes their

return during this calendar year questionable, if not entirely unlikely.

Since the subs could not be reopened before Space Mountain had to close,

Rasulo listened to the concerns of the Imagineers, and approved the immediate

closure of the attraction so the rehab could begin at once.

The Starcade was open even after Space Mountain closed.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…Or maybe it really was the “mother of all

101s.” Despite the flurry of theories, we may never know. No matter

the reason, the abrupt closure is wreaking havoc in Tomorrowland. The

schedules for the attraction and the Space Mountain photo shop were published

for the next two weeks. The sudden closure has the staffing department

scrambling to reassign dozens of cast members on short notice.

Although the initial reports also said that the Starcade

was closed, and the video games removed, the arcade was completely open

on Friday. Merchandise managers in Tomorrowland have said that the arcade

would remain open for the time being, but would eventually close as the

rehab progresses.

The Mark Twain and canoes once more circle Tom Sawyer Island.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Once more around the river bend. During a busy week

of attraction openings and closures, the Rivers of America opened to traffic.

The Mark Twain and Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes both opened on

Thursday, allowing happy visitors to again paddle around Tom Sawyer Island.

The raft dock is completely rebuilt.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Work continues on the Fantasmic mist screens.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The river is open again, and work continues on the Fantasmic

infrastructure.

the-mouse.com may become the next MouseAdventure Masters.

Photo by Lani Teshima.

A MouseAdventure update – Confusion from a previous

MouseAdventure caused us to miscalculate the track records of two teams,

The Denton Affair and the-mouse.com.

In last week’s Park Update: Disneyland,

we announced that The Denton Affair was the first team to earn three first-place

wins. In fact, the-mouse.com shares that honor. Both The Denton Affair

and the-mouse.com earned their third first-place titles, in their respective

categories, at the Fall 2002 MouseAdventure. With their most recent win,

The Denton Affair took home a fourth first-place title, becoming

the first team to be named MouseAdventure Masters, and was retired from

future competition.

Since The Denton Affair was retired on the occassion of their fourth

first-place win, we have decided to allow the-mouse.com to try

to match that achievement. Should the-mouse.com earn another first-place

finish, they will also retire from competition, and join the ranks

of MouseAdventure Masters.

Going forward, teams will become MouseAdventure Masters and retire from

competition on the occassion of their third first-place win.

We applaud both The Denton Affair and the-mouse.com for their exceptional

MouseAdventure track record, and we look forward to having enough Masters

teams to host a separate category of competition.

Military salute – MousePlanet reader Marla shared

the good news that the Disneyland Resort is extending the expiration date

of Annual Passports for military service members who have been deployed

because of the Gulf War. These extensions are handled on a case-by-case

basis. Affected passholders should contact the Annual Passholder hotline

at (714) 781-4546 for assistance.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

The sign above The Golden Horseshoe has been removed as work continues

to prepare the area for the Pirates premiere.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disneyland

• Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough – indefinite
• Space Mountain – through 2005

Workers paint the faux rock on Tom Sawyer’s Island.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Superstar Limo – indefinite

The river has reopened, but the rafts are still closed to the public.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Future Attraction Closures

• Mad Tea Party – April 28 – May 15
• Pirates of the Caribbean – April 28 – May 30
• Blue Bayou Restaurant – April 28 – May 30
• Indiana Jones Adventure – September 2 – October 24

Note: Refurbishment schedules are estimates

most recent updates, call Disneyland at (714) 781-7290.

Park Events

Disneyland Resort Pin Trading Night – Thursday, April

24. Pacific Ballroom, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel from 7:00 to 10:00

pm.

Jose Hess Jewelry Trunk Show – Saturday April 26, from 10

a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Century Jewelry on Main Street, U.S.A.

ABC Super Soap Weekends return to Disney’s California

Adventure this spring. Stars from All My Children and One Life

To Live will attend May 31 and June 1, while General Hospital

and Port Charles celebs will be featured on June 7 and 8.

Hotel packages are available for the event, and include

an exclusive breakfast with the stars and a commemorative gift. Further

details are available on our MousePad

message boards. To book your package, call 714-520-5050.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl – World

Movie Premiere. A private world premiere of the new Disney movie,

based on Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl – Merchandise

Special Event. Wednesday, July 9, 2003 at Disneyland. This event will

include a preview screening of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Complete details are now available on the Disney Gallery Web

site.

Haunted Mansion Holiday Exclusive Dinner – Wednesday, October

1, 2003.

Haunted Mansion Holiday Event – Thursday, October 2, 2003

Tickets for the Haunted Mansion Holiday events go on sale in late August

or early September – check this page for updates.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Free coffee on Main Street, revisited – Receive a

free small coffee when you buy a mug at the Market House on Main Street,

USA. This offer is only valid at the Market House, and is for a limited

time only. The Market House has just begun serving the Mickey’s Really

Swell Coffees as part of this promotion. Now you can try the Disney Blend,

Disney Decaf, French Vanilla and Hazelnut flavors sold at the parks.

Annual passholder discounts at Alamo – California residents

get discounts of up to 20% off Alamo’s retail rates in the United States.

Disneyland annual passholders can get a free Disneyland Resort Character

Breakfast voucher when the rent their car for 3 days or more from March

24th through August 31, 2003 at the Los Angeles Airport location. For

more details and the discount code you’ll need for this offer, visit the

annual

passholder section of the Disneyland Web site.

ESPN Zone discounts for annual passholders – Disneyland annual

passholders can get a Season Ticket Frequent Dining Card at the Downtown

Disney ESPN Zone. The Season Ticket entitles you to a free soda with your

meal purchase of $6.99 or more. Once you have made four meal purchases,

you’ll receive the fifth meal and soda free, and receive a chance to win

a pair of tickets to the ESPY Awards in 2004! See location for more information

and details.

City Pass now available with AAA packages – You can now purchase

the Southern California CityPass with Walt Disney Travel Company packages.

With a Southern California CityPass booklet, you receive admission to

five separate entertainment options. Admission includes:

• Three-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket
• One-Day ticket to SeaWorld Adventure park
• One-Day ticket to the World-famous San Diego Zoo
• One-Day ticket to Knott’s Theme Park.

Instead of a Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket currently included

in Walt Disney Travel Company-California packages guests can be select

a Southern California CityPass for an additional charge of $47 per CityPass

for guests ages 10 and up, and $32 per CityPass for guests ages 3 through

9.

Please note: The Southern California Citypass does not include

the $10 ESPN Zone Arena Game Card, the Walt Disney Travel Company-California

feature to collect multiple Fastpass tickets at one time or two extra

days of Disneyland Resort Theme Park admission for free.

Anaheim Marriott Disney Package available for Marriott Rewards members

– Make your Disneyland vacation as easy as saying “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”

with a Disneyland package at the Anaheim Marriott. For a low rate of $419,

through May 31, 2003, you’ll find dreams really do come true with this

fabulously priced package.

Anaheim Disney Package includes:

• 2-nights in a luxury guest room
• 3-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper tickets for two adults
• Free breakfast for two adults
• Kids, ages 3-9, eat for $1

Some restrictions apply. Membership in the Marriott Rewards program

is required. Click to learn more about this offer and for complete terms

and conditions.

SoCal Salute – The Southern California resident discount

ticket program runs January 6 through May 16, 2003. Instead of a discounted

ticket, residents get two one-day admissions for their $47/$37 –

one for Disneyland, and one for Disney’s California Adventure.

This ticket is good for only one admission to each park (meaning you

cannot go to Disneyland twice on separate days). The two admissions do

not have to be used on consecutive days, but the first admission must

be on the same day as the ticket purchase, and the second must be used

by May 16, 2003. And while the ticket is not intended to be a park-hopper,

which would allow you to visit both Disneyland and DCA on the same day,

some readers have reported that they were allowed to use the ticket as

a one-day park hopper.

These tickets are nontransferable. You must provide proof of residency

at the time of purchase, and you will be asked to print your full name

on the tickets. When you return for your second admission, you need to

show ID matching the ticket. This offer is limited to 5 tickets per qualifying

person.

Alaska Airlines airfare and hotel specials – Alaska Airlines

is offering two specials for travel to the Disneyland Resort. A MousePad

member

alerted us that the airline is again offering the popular Kids

Fly Free special, which includes airfare, hotel, park-hopper tickets,

and more. This special offer can only be booked by calling Alaska Airlines

at 1-800-468-2248. Adults traveling without kids can take advantage of

other special hotel and air packages by booking at the Alaska

Airlines Web site.

The “Get a 5-Day Park Hopper ticket for the price of a 3-Day

ticket” promotion has been extended through January 5, 2004 –

These tickets are available when you order online from Disneyland.com.

Restrictions apply – see

site for details.

AAA Passport Plus Package – For $122.75, you can get a 5-day

park hopper and the following extras:

• Multiple attraction FastPass (The “Unlimited” option)
• Breakfast in the park (one per person)
• Free ESPN Zone arena game card ($10 value)
• AAA Free parking at the Disneyland Resort Theme Parks

A $13.75 FedEx fee applies to each reservation, (not per person). This

package is available without an air or hotel purchase, and must be purchased

at your local AAA affiliate office at least 5 days before you plan to

use the tickets.

Many readers have experienced difficulties when trying to purchase this

package from their local AAA affiliate. Be sure to read this

thread on our MousePad discussion boards, for more information

about the package and tips on how to help your AAA travel agent book your

package.

AAA / Disney’s Resort Magic Package – This package requires

a minimum 2-night hotel stay, and includes:

• Accommodations at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel,

  or Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel

• Disneyland Resort Hotel self-parking and Fitness Center access
• Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket – valid for entry into Disneyland

  park and Disney’s California Adventure park with full park-hopping privileges

• FREE ESPN Zone® Arena Game Card – $10 value (one per person)

• NEW! Collect FASTPASS tickets for multiple attractions at one time.

  Preferred Seating at a choice of select shows in Disney’s California

  Adventure

• EXCLUSIVE! Walt Disney Travel Company collectible pin and lanyard

  (one per person)

• EXCLUSIVE! Walt Disney Travel Company California Fun Book (one per

  package)

• EXCLUSIVE! Disneyland Resort Magical Pocket Guide (one per package)

You can book this package through your local AAA affiliate travel agent.

Park Hours

Entertainment Schedule