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News and Views

And it’s not even your birthday – Visitors who get

Fastpass tickets for Star Tours may get a bonus — a “surprise”

Fastpass for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. The tickets are dispensed

together from the Fastpass machine, and the ticket for Honey, I Shrunk

the Audience expires at the begining of the return time for Star Tours.

At Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) park across the way, Soarin’ Over

California Fastpass tickets come with a surprise ticket for It’s Tough

to be a Bug.

Why a two-for-one offer? In Disneyland, cast members say

that this is an effort to keep visitors occupied while they are waiting

for their Fastpass return time. Rather than leaving visitors to wander

around Tomorrowland — and notice just how many rides are closed —

they can spend that time watching Honey I Shrunk the Audience.

The “Surprise” Fastpass is dispensed with the Star Tours ticket.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

At DCA, the bonus Fastpass has resulted in huge increases

in traffic to the It’s Tough to be a Bug show. One manager said

that the show hasn’t been so busy since the park opened in 2001.

Most visitors seemed pleased with the unexpected bonus,

but some are confused. Despite the name, these tickets are not really

“Fastpasses.” Visitors join the regular line, and wait with

everyone else. Both the Honey I Shrunk the Audience and It’s

Tough to be a Bug shows run every 20 minutes. A visitor who gets a

“Fastpass” for one of these shows at 12:02 is still going to

need to wait in line for the next available show, 18 minutes away.

Cast members and signs direct visitors to the temporary “Fastpass”

return line.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

“So why do we need this ticket?” asked one visitor.

“You don’t, really,” explained a cast member, “It’s more

of an invitation than a ticket — Just to let you know that there’s something

else to do while you’re waiting.”

Well, an invitation is nice. In fact, Disneyland used to do something

similar, by offering “tickets” to the Great Moments with Mr.

Lincoln attraction to visitors who rode some of the Main Street vehicles.

And some early Fastpass tickets came printed with a suggestion of what

to do while you waited for your return time. “While you are waiting

for the Autopia, why don’t you explore Innoventions?”

Tomorrowland’s Starcade is still open for

business.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

To really be a Fastpass, the ticket should list a specific show time,

and let guests wander around until the show. But — at least in Tomorrowland

— that’s the last thing Disney wants to happen.

The Columbia sets sail around Tom Sawyer Island.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Spring break notes – If you are planning a trip to the resort

during spring break, you can experience a few rare treats. Based on park

attendance, the Sailing Ship Columbia will be sailing from noon

to 4:00. On nights without fireworks, you can enjoy an after-dark cruise

on the Mark Twain — the last trip departs at 9:15 nightly.

Disneyland hosts a “Spring Break Party” featuring three artists:

LMNT, Rose Falcon and PLAY. Each band performs one set nightly, from April

22 through 26, on the Club Buzz Stage (LMNT does not perform on April

26.)

Rolie Polie Olie greets kids at Disney’s California Adventure.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Hollywood get the short “shift” – With DCA’s new

Playhouse Disney show open, the Hollywood Backlot District once again

opens and closes with the rest of the park. Well – most of Hollywood adopted

this new schedule. After spring break ends, Rizzo’s and Off the Page become

“short shift” locations, and the stores open at noon, two hours

after the rest of the park.

Because these stores will only be open six hours most days, the full-time

cast members are being transferred to other locations in the park where

they can work a full-time schedule. This change makes not much difference

at Rizzo’s, which sells Muppet plush and toys, but it has the potential

to wreak havoc at Off the Page, DCA’s art and collectibles store. All

of the long-term cast members, many with years of experience in these

high-end lines, are being transferred out of Off the Page. They will be

now working in general merchandise stores like Greetings, while part-time

cashiers staff Off the Page.

A trailer for Brother Bear now ends the

Drawn to Animation show at DCA.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Why was this change made? Cast members blame the decision

on Roy Hunt, a merchandise exec. During morning trips through the Hollywood

District, Hunt felt that there weren’t enough visitors carrying shopping

bags. Since visitors were not doing their shopping in the morning, he

reasoned there was no point in opening the stores before noon.

Cast members dispute his observation, saying that most

customers choose to have their heavy, bulky and fragile purchases sent

to their hotel room, or mailed to their home. They certainly don’t wander

the park with a $1200 painting any time of the day.

While this cutback may save a few staffing hours here or there, the decision

will almost certainly cost money in the long run. Simply put, it takes

training and experience to sell high-end collectibles. Part-time cast

members may be able to ring up a $20 stuffed toy, but they won’t have

the knowledge necessary to sell $300 animation cells, or $600 Walt Disney

Art Classics sculptures. The Art Classics line was pulled from most Disney

Stores for just this reason — it was too difficult to train, and

retrain, the constantly changing staff. It’s simply too bad that DCA needs

to relearn the same — and expensive — lesson.

Artwork from Brother Bear and Finding Nemo

is now on display in DCA’s Animation Building.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Visitors react to Playhouse and Pooh – A week ago,

the Disneyland Resort opened two new attractions, Playhouse Disney

– Live on Stage and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

We know how Disney feels about these two shows. During last week’s Cast

Blast presentations, Disneyland Resort president Cynthia Harriss

declared the new Pooh attraction to be “a hit,” and encouraged

cast members “to go over [to Playhouse Disney] to see just

how much the children enjoy it.”

We know how the media reacted — according

to L.A. Times staff writer Robert Niles, the ride was “sweet,

but it’s a retread.” And we know how our readers reacted. Patrick,

a former cast member who posts on our MousePad message boards as DsneNut,

said of the new ride, “I had a good time on it. I thought the sets

and characters were really cute and the story flowed pretty well. And

I especially liked the music score, it was very clear and easy on the

ears.”

The new Aladdin ticket policy may now be

unnecessary.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Other members were not so kind. In fact, several threads have been devoted

to debating the pros and cons of the new ride. But Disneyland executives,

local media and annual passholders are not the real test, and everyone

waited to see how the public reacted to the new attractions.

Based on the lines and crowds during the first week of spring break,

the response seems to be collective yawn. At noon on a fairly busy day

last week, when Disneyland’s attendance was enough to bring out the Sailing

Ship Columbia to soak up the crowds, the standby line for Pooh ride

was just 40 minutes. At the same time, the standby line for Splash Mountain

was 85 minutes, and Pirates of the Caribbean — which has a much higher

hourly capacity — had a 45-minute wait.

Over at DCA, Playhouse Disney is popular, but has not reached its 500-person

capacity since opening weekend. Even so, the attraction has had an unexpected

side effect — it seems to reduce the lines for the Aladdin

show. Since Playhouse Disney opened, cast members report that lines for

Aladdin are much shorter than normal. Perhaps visitors can only

take so many theater-based attractions in one day.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

A worker paints a fence along the Rivers

of America, while passengers board the Columbia.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Disneyland

• Mad Tea Party – April 28 – May 15
• Pirates of the Caribbean – April 28 – May 30
• Blue Bayou Restaurant – April 28 – May 30
• Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough – indefinite
• Space Mountain – through 2005

Some exterior detail is now visible on

the Tower of Terror.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Disney’s California Adventure

• Superstar Limo – indefinite

Workers paint the caves on Tom Sawyer Island.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Future Attraction Closures

• Indiana Jones Adventure – September 2 – October 24

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.

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 Premier. A private world premier 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.

Further details will be released on April 14 — keep an eye on the

Disney Gallery Web

site for more details.

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

Park hopping in Northern California – AAA members

in Northern California can now purchase 2-day Park Hopper tickets at their

local CSAA office. The tickets will be available from April 17 through

June 19, 2003. The adult price is $99.00, kids 3-9 pay $79.00.

This ticket is also available at Disneyland ticket booths,

or at Disneyland.com.

The second day of the ticket must be used within 13 days of the first

use.

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 an “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 5th 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 will 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 – May 16, 2003. Instead of a discounted

ticket, residents will 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