Disneyland Park Update

Update for August 14-20, 2006

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

News and Views

Mr. Lincoln’s demise?

Back in early 2005 when the Opera House closed for the installation of a new static display of Disneyland memorabilia and the replacement of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln by a 50th Anniversary celebration starring Donald Duck and Steve Martin, many people had doubts about whether those final shows were the last we’d be seeing of Abraham Lincoln at Disneyland. At the time there were plenty of assurances that it would be a temporary, if long, absence.

In fact, a sign out front hawking the attraction in its final two weeks went so far as to include such assurances in the fine print. But in the back of our minds there was a tickle of doubt. Mr. Lincoln has long been an overlooked attraction with smallish crowds and this wasn’t reversed by a technological updating of the attraction several years ago to make use of advanced sound effects.

And as the end of the 50th Anniversary celebration draws near, the plans for the Opera House have remained a disquietingly quiet spot in the discussion. Last May, former head of Imagineering Marty Sklar made some comments assuring everybody of Lincoln’s return, but not much has been said since then.

A source familiar with the situation has informed us recently, however, that there is currently no end-date scheduled for the current 50 Magical Years exhibit and movie presentation, and that no plans have been made to reinstate Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln or put back in place the Walt Disney Story exhibit in the lobby.

This is not quite the same thing as saying that the decision has been made to not put it all back, but simply that it will not be done immediately when the 50th Anniversary celebration ends. So long as it hasn’t been scheduled, it becomes increasingly more likely as each month passes that it will not return.

This is all still strongly in the rumor column but it seems likely at this point that if Great Moments does eventually return the process won’t begin in 2006. As more information becomes available, and we hope this one turns out to be wrong; we’ll keep everybody updated.

Musical shake-up continues

It appears that stage three of a reorganization of live musical entertainment at Disneyland Park has been announced. Phase One happened in February when the longstanding members of the Dapper Dans were informed that their services were no longer needed. They were invited to re-audition for an updated version of the Dapper Dans that debuted in April and can now be seen performing in the park. Ultimately only a couple of the previous Dapper Dans were recast for the new show.

The second wave happened earlier this month when other Main Street musical groups were disbanded. Both the Firehouse Quartet and the Main Street Mercantile Band were shut down, and selected members are being reformed into a new group that will perform on Main Street.

Something similar is now happening in New Orleans Square. Swing Souffle, the Side Street Strutters, Bayou Brass, and the River Rascals have been informed that their existences will end with the summer season on September 5. It hasn’t been said whether new performing groups will be cast for New Orleans Square. Since all of the bands that do pre-show performances before Fantasmic! are on this list (The Royal Street Bachelors seem safe for now) the wait for that show to start may be quieter for a while.

While a future New Orleans Square bereft of live musical entertainment seems unlikely (after all, if any land’s theme requires live music it is New Orleans Square). However, it does seem that management has a plan in place to bring in younger (and presumably cheaper) performers, reduce the number of unique acts, and create more rigidly scripted performances.

Over the decades countless performing groups have come and gone at Disneyland so this isn’t necessarily a sign that management is out beating “Disney magic” to death in a back shed. Hopefully, though, there is an artistic plan here and not just easy cost cutting.

More stroller tips

Another tip we want to share in addition to the detailed FAQ we ran a few weeks ago (link) is that if you are buying your park tickets when you arrive you can also pay for your stroller rental at the same time. This saves you from having to stand in a frequently very long line to pay for rentals at the distribution center. It is possible to buy only a stroller rental from a ticket booth but it would be the rare day when those lines are shorter than the regular rental queue.

If you pay for your stroller rental when you buy your park tickets, you can go straight to the pick-up line. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

For frequent renters, we have also heard some exciting news. It seems that the powers that be are currently working to add a “rental add-on” to annual passes similar to the one that exists for parking (non-Premium annual passes do not come with free parking, but for an added fee you can get unlimited parking). The new annual pass endorsement would allow unlimited rentals throughout the life of the annual pass.

Current plans are to make this add-on available beginning October 20th for $49, and it will be available for all annual passes. Unlike parking, this add-on will be a separate purchase for premium annual passholders as well. At this time we don’t have any details on limitations and rules for the rentals.

The regular line to first pay for a rental is generally much longer so you will want to avoid it if you can. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A new flag retreat ceremony

One of the frequently overlooked ceremonies is the flag retreat ceremony in the Town Square end of Main Street shortly before dusk everyday. A new ceremony has been put in place that may make it a bit more of a destination event.

The entire thing is now about 15 minutes long, and begins with the Disneyland Band marching down Main Street, playing a patriotic arrangement. Upon arriving at Town Square, they surround the flag pole and are then joined by the Dapper Dans, who then sing “Oh Beautiful,” accompanied by the band.

The new version of the flag retreat ceremony adds performances by the Disneyland Band and the Dapper Dans. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

After this, the official voice of Disneyland thanks military members, veterans, and their families, and invites them to join in at the flag pole when their service anthem is played. Once all the services have been represented, Disneyland security then retires the colors, to the strains of “Retreat.” The ceremony concludes with a performance of the national anthem, sung by the Dapper Dans.

2007 Disneyland Half-Marathon

In a move that somewhat boggles the mind, the 2007 dates for the second annual Disneyland Half-Marathon have been revealed. If you are registered for this year’s inaugural event you should have recently received a packet in the mail that included your disclaimer form and a commemorative program for the event.

Inside that program is an advertisement for the 2007 Half-Marathon Weekend on August 31 to September 2. For those unfamiliar with holidays in the United States, that is Labor Day weekend. Traditionally the last long weekend of the summer and the last weekend of Disneyland’s peak summer season, it is one of the busiest holidays of the entire year. You can expect the resort will already be very crowded with regular visitors, so participants in the marathon weekend will have to find a way to squeeze in. At minimum runners should expect hotel rates in the resort area to be near upper limits and availability to be very low. Non-runners are also likely to be heavily affected by road closures, overflowing parking lots, and other unwelcome disruptions.

Registration for the 2007 event will open on Monday, September 18, following this year’s run.

Another unexpected ride closure

Track problems have taken Casey Jr. Circus Train offline for a bit longer than a week now. Unlike with Francis’ Ladybug Boogie in Disney’s California Adventure park, however, the problem shouldn’t take long to fix and we initially received several reports that it should be back in operation by the end of the week if not sooner.

While the Casey Jr. Circus Train is out of commission Storybook Land Canal Boats is so far still running. Photo by David Michael.

However, the official calendar at the Disneyland.com Web site has been updated to show the ride is out of commission, but lists the closure as extending all the way to October 28. It is certainly possible that this date is correct, and based on information that has not yet made it to our ears. Equally likely, based on past experience with the official calendar, it is just a data entry error or it was listed as an indefinite closure pending a specific date. Hopefully we’ll know for sure by next week’s update as well as exactly what caused the closure.

If it should turn out to be accurate, it would be a sign of a major problem having been found. So far, the closure has not impacted Storybook Land Canal Boats, though the two rides frequently close together since they are so intertwined.

Restrictions due to elevated travel threat condition causes carry-on challenges

As pretty much anybody with access to any news source is already aware, in the wake of a foiled terrorist plot to explode several airplane mid-flight the Department of Homeland Security has raised the threat condition to Severe, or Red, for all commercial flights from the United Kingdom to the United States, and to High, or Orange, for all other international flights and all domestic commercial aviation.

The increased security requirements due to this change will affect all air travelers, and while the percentage of air travellers is smaller for Disneyland than Walt Disney World, we thought that it would be appropriate to duplicate here the coping strategies Mark Goldhaber has in this week’s Walt Disney World Park Update.

For all flights, domestic and international, no liquids or gels of any kind will be permitted in carry-on baggage. Items must be in checked baggage. This includes all beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste, hair gel and other items of similar consistency. The only exceptions to this are baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling, prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger’s ticket, and insulin and essential other non-prescription medicines.

This caused a great deal of confusion and consternation when the change was implemented on Thursday morning, as travelers who were unaware of the changes were forced to discard enough makeup, beverages and toiletries to open a small store at each airport. On Friday, most travelers had heard of the changes, and were able to pack the offending items into their checked luggage before heading to the airport.

Passengers traveling from the U.K. to the U.S. are subject to even more stringent restrictions, as they must comply with a very tightly restricted list of items that they are allowed to carry on the plane. All electronic and battery-operated devices are banned, and must be checked, including laptop computers, mobile phones, noise-cancelling headphones, and portable music players. The only items allowed on flights from the U.K. (preferably within a clear plastic bag) are:

• Travel documents essential for the journey, such as passports and travel tickets;
• Pocket-size wallets and pocket-size purses plus contents, for example, money, credit cards, identity cards, etc.(handbags not allowed);
• Prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight, such as a diabetic kit, except in liquid form unless verified as authentic (you will need a prescription to carry on medicines);
• Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases;
• Contact lens holders, without bottles of solution;
• For those traveling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger), and sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, such as diapers, wipes, creams, and diaper disposal bags;
• Female sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, if unboxed, i.e., tampons, pads, towels and wipes;
• Tissues (unboxed) and/or handkerchiefs;
• Keys (but no electrical key fobs).

In addition, for U.K. travelers, any food purchased in the international departures lounge must be consumed before boarding. All passengers must be hand searched, and their footwear and all the items they are carrying must be X-rayed. Any liquids discovered must be removed from the passenger. Wheelchairs and walking aids must be X-rayed, and only airport-provided wheelchairs may pass through the screening point.

For all flights, beverages purchased in the “sterile” area between the security checkpoint and the gate must be consumed before boarding the plane. If you have anything left in your cup or bottle and they call your flight, chug it and toss it because you can’t take it.

The Transportation and Safety Administration makes the following recommendations to ease your travel:

• Pack lightly, without clutter to facilitate easier screening;
• Check with your air carrier well before your flight departs for information on when you should arrive at the airport;
• Cooperate with TSA personnel at all checkpoints and gates because TSA Security Officers will be checking carry-on baggage at the gate;
• Be attentive and vigilant to any suspicious activity.

The full TSA advisory can be found on their Web site (link).

Many airlines are allowing passengers to check extra bags at no charge when traveling to and from the U.K. due to the additional restrictions. Airlines are posting information about the travel restrictions on their web sites, so please check with your airline regarding any changes to ticketing and baggage policies.

As to planning your travel, you’ll need to rethink your packing strategy if you normally carry beverages and toiletries on the plane with you.

Plan to rely heavily (if necessary) on the in-flight beverage service if you tend to dehydrate. It depends on each airline on whether they offer bottled water, or only provide you with whatever local water is supplied into their reservoir. In addition, don’t plan on purchasing any alcohol or perfume in duty-free shops at the airport, since you can’t take it on the plane with you.

Toiletries provide an additional complication. The liquids and gels in a toiletry kit may have a combined weight of several pounds. With the lowered weight restrictions that most airlines have been implementing, the additional weight may very well put you over the limit, costing you quite a few bucks in overweight charges.

The toiletry restrictions also will affect those who frequently travel with only a carry-on bag. Liquid and gel toiletries will either have to be checked in a separate bag that you’ll now have to wait for, be purchased again at your destination, or done without.

Kelli Grant on SmartMoney.com provides several good tips (link) about traveling with substitutes for liquids and gels that you might normally carry on your flight. For example, bring Wet Ones moist wipes instead of hand sanitizer gel, Oral B Brush-Ups instead of toothpaste, Listerine Pocket Packs instead of mouthwash, caplet forms of Dramamine and Pepto Bismol instead of liquid or gel capsules and so on.

As always, the most definitive information as to what is and isn’t allowed, and what the current policies and procedures are, will come from the TSA, your airline and the airports that you’re traveling to and from. Make sure to check with them before you leave, just to make sure that you have a correct understanding of what you should do.

This and that…

…In last week’s update we had a short blurb about a Food Network food challenge that was held at Disney’s California Adventure on Sunday, August 6. The challenge was to set a new world record for the tallest sculpture made entirely out of popcorn. At the time we had to write the update the event hadn’t finished so we weren’t sure about the outcome. All you readers who were worried can breath a sigh of relief that a new record of 19 feet, 8.5 inches, was set. We’ve also been told that the episode will first air during the week of October 9.

At almost 20 feet tall, a Sorcerer Mickey made entirely of popcorn set a new world record. Photo by David Michael.

…High winds in Anaheim have caused quite a few cancellations of the Remember…Dreams Come True fireworks show. This always leads to plenty of complaints at City Hall and more than a few emails to us asking if this is some kind of conspiracy since the winds didn’t seem that bad. So it bears repeating. No, it is not a conspiracy to rip off park guests and save a few bucks. Disneyland does not want to end the day by irritating tens of thousands of people, but there are predefined guidelines for the conditions under which Remember…Dreams Come True can be performed. In fact, despite the overall glowing reviews for the show the big technical complaint about it is that it is so complex that the wind guidelines need to be too narrow and cancellations are too common. Unfortunately there is no way for Disneyland (or Weather.com) to predict whether the show can go on until right before it starts. In fact, occasionally they even have to stop in the middle because winds kick up. Also keep in mind that it isn’t the wind at ground level that matters but the winds a couple hundred feet high.

…During the closure of Yamabuki at the Paradise Pier Hotel, a limited selection of menu items is being offered at PCH Grill, also at Paradise Pier Hotel. The appetizer options are edamame, California roll, crunchy roll, or spicy tuna hand roll. For entrees, which come with miso soup, salad, and rice, you can get chicken, beef, or salmon teriyaki.

…A MousePlanet reader has let us know that the reservations people for the Disney hotels are giving out the dates of August 21 through December 15 for the closing of the Disneyland Monorail. So far we haven’t seen this on official schedules but the information seems reasonable. The monorail needs a lengthy closure so that work can be done on the Tomorrowland station to make adjustments for Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opening next year.

Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. E-mail us here.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Matterhorn Bobsleds closed August 28 – November 22 for complete refurbishment.
• Haunted Mansion closed September 11 – 28 for installation of Haunted Mansion Overlay.
• Golden Horseshoe closed September 5 – October 6 for refurbishment, kitchen update, and menu change. No word yet on what will be done with Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show during closure.
• Snow White – An Enchanted Musical ends September 4. Last performances ever will be on this date. No replacement show has yet been announced.
• Disneyland Railroad closed September 18 – 22 for unknown reasons, probably general maintenance.
• it’s a small world closed October 23 – November 9 for installation of Christmas overlay.
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is currently under construction and will open sometime in 2007.
• Gadget’s Go Coaster closed beginning October 2 for approximately six weeks. General maintenance with no ride changes expected.

The “rockwork” connecting the new show building to the old cave is proceeding quickly. Photo by David Michael.

Some of the submarines docked under cover have received their new paint jobs. Photo by David Michael.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Francis’ Lady Bug Boogie closed until at least January 2007. One-month refurbishment in June/July 2006 was unexpectedly extended indicating major repair work is needed.
• Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular dark September 11 – October 1. Rumors of permanent closure appear unfounded as new cast members have signed contracts through April 2007.
• California Screamin’ closed October 2 – 5. Everybody was expecting a long maintenance closure so this information is suspect at this time and will most likely eventually be changed to show a multi-month closure.

Downtown Disney

• Disney’s Vault 28 under construction and expected to open Fall 2006.

Paradise Pier Hotel

• Yamabuki closed July 31 – September 8 for complete refurbishment.

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

If you know of any events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, let us know.

August

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest at El Capitan Theater. July 7 – September 4. Accompanying the run of the movie will be props and costumes from the movie.

• Registration for October 7 Precious Moments event. August 14 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (link).
• Fantasia at Hollywood Bowl. August 18 and 19. Live orchestral performances of songs from Fantasia with video clips from movie. Conducted by John Mauceri. August 18 (linklink)

• 64th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon). August 23-27 at the Anaheim Convention Center (link).

September

• Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. September 15-17. For more information and registration see the official Web site (link, warning: horribly annoying embedded music)

• Olszewski Main Street Pieces release. September 23 from 9:00 a.m. to noon (link).
• Little Mermaid at El Capitan Theater. September 7-17. Restored edition in conjunction with DVD re-release. First screening will be accompanied by panel discussion (link).

October

• Gay Days. October 6 – 8. Unofficial event (link).

• Precious Moments “A World of My Own event and product release. October 7. Hard ticketed merchandise event with open sale to follow (link).
• CHOC Walk. October 8. An annual charity walk at Disneyland to raise money for Children’s Hospital Orange County (link).
• Mickey’s Halloween Treat. October 13, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30, and 31 at DCA. (See Disneyland AP page for details)

• Pirates of the Caribbean Sculpture Series. On sale October 14. Series by Walt Disney Classic Collection goes on sale at Disneyland Resort (link).

November

• Nightmare Before Christmas at El Capitan Theater. October 19-31 (link).
• Lion King returns to Pantages Theater. Beginning November 16 for eight week run. Call 323-463-4367 for details and tickets. Perusal tickets are available to Annual Passholders and Disney Visa members through June 10.

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!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are still rarely see deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts.

Unless otherwise states, all tickets currently available for purchase must be first used by January 2, 2007. All multi-day tickets expire 13 days after first use.

This information is pulled from many sources but much thanks must go to MousePlanet sponsor MouseSavers.com for providing the bulk of the information. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line (link).

Travel Packages

2006 Resort Magic Package ? This official Disney travel package (link) is $452/per person for two adults per two-nights. The $452 price is for the Paradise Pier Hotel and goes up for Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian Hotel. In addition to the hotel room, the package includes appropriate park hopper tickets, one early admission (early admission days are currently Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays), a virtual prize for the Virtual Magic Kingdom online game, admission to Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness (currently available Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays), and Walt Disney Travel Company collectible pin and lanyard, luggage tag, and California Fun Book. Travel using this package must be booked by August 28, 2006, and completed by September 2, 2006.

2006 Good Neighbor Magic Package ? This official Disney travel package (link) starts at $277/per person for two adults per two-nights. The $227 price is for the Jolly Roger Hotel and goes up for other Good Neighbor hotels. In addition to the hotel room, the package includes appropriate park hopper tickets, one early admission (early admission days are currently Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays), a virtual prize for the Virtual Magic Kingdom online game, admission to Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness (currently available Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays), and Walt Disney Travel Company collectible pin and lanyard, luggage tag, and California Fun Book. Travel using this package must be booked by August 28, 2006, and completed by September 2, 2006.

Costco Travel Packages ? Many different travel packages including visits to Disneyland and Disneyland hotels are available through Costco.com. When purchasing a Costco Disneyland travel package extras that will be included are: Mickey’s Toontown Madness admission (currently available Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays), a character breakfast per person, a $20 Disneyland Resort gift card, a collectible pin and lanyard, and a Costco luggage tag.

Other Discounts

Disney Visa Free-Stroller Rental

? If you have a Disney Visa card you can rent up to two strollers for free at either Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure.

Rainforest Cafe Safari Club ? Membership in the Rainforest Cafe gets you a 10% discount on entrees for up to four people. It also gets you priority seating if available. Additionally, after signing up, your membership card will be mailed to you and be accompanied by a $10 award good for your next visit to a Rainforest Cafe. So if you know you will be eating there while at Disneyland and have a Rainforest Cafe local to you, it may make sense to prejoin the Safari Club so that you can use the award during your trip. See the Rainforest Cafe Web site for details (link).

ESPNZone MVP Club ? Membership in the MVP Club does not offer any discounts on food. However, once a member you can make an online reservation for your party up to three days in advance and will get a 25% increase in points purchased when playing games in the Sports Arena (and 40 bonus points at activation). You must register online and your membership card will then be mailed to you within 2-weeks. The card must then be activated at any ESPNZone by the person who signed up for the card and ID will be required (link)

AAA Restaurant Discounts ? AAA (American Automobile Association) members can receive a 10% discount (excluding alcohol) at Plaza Inn, Wine Country Trattoria Ariel’s Grotto, PCH Grill, and Goofy’s Kitchen.

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 2006 page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland. As always, specifics are subject to change without notice (or occasionally, without us noticing) so when information conflicts between what is presented here and that presented by Disney, it is best to assume Disney’s information is correct.

Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.