Disneyland Park Update

Update for December 26-January 1, 2006

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

News and Views

We here at MousePlanet hope you had a wonderful Christmas day, whatever that involves for you and your family. And may you have a terrific new year as well.

A perfect storm?

The stars seem to be aligning for New Year’s Eve at Disneyland to be quite the logjam of people. New Year’s Eve is already generally the year’s busiest day though that has been dampened in recent years by bad weather, but this year it falls on a Sunday. A Sunday means that few people will have to work that day, allowing them to get to the park earlier. If they live farther away they’ll have Saturday to travel.

Weather doesn’t look like it will be an issue either. Forecasts a week in advance aren’t necessarily reliable, but it is looking like fair weather through the weekend. The current forecast for Sunday is 69 degrees and cloudy. Sunday’s is the worst forecast, in fact, so any delay and in the movement of various fronts, and it is easy to imagine it’ll be a clear day in the low 70s.

People able to easily travel from out of town and with none of the factors that would discourage locals should make for big crowds. You can never make safe predictions about what will happen but if you’re planning to spend New Year’s Eve at Disneyland, you should probably assume the worst case attendance wise.

Our advice would be to show up early and plan to stay until you leave for good. You don’t need to be there when the park opens at 8:00 a.m. but late morning would probably be the outside limit. As the park gets more crowded, it will begin to approach the first of two attendance limits. The first is Disney’s self-imposed limit. When this happens, new ticket sales will be suspended and no new guests will be allowed into the park (you’ll likely be encouraged to visit Disney’s California Adventure park next door instead). On-property hotel guests and hand-stamped returning guests are generally still allowed in.

If the in-park crowd continues to grow, then eventually the park will reach the fire marshal limit, and at that time all entries into the park will be suspended. We can’t say what the exact numbers are for these limits since they vary based on conditions (though with pretty much everything in the park operating at the moment they’ll be pretty high). If people leave the park in sufficient numbers they’ll eventually begin allowing people in again (hotel guests may get priority).

But there are no guarantees. So it is best that once you enter the park, you just plan to stay all day. If you do leave the park, you might want to check with someone at the gate as to the current conditions and if there are any limitations on re-entry. Groups should stay inside or exit together since it may be difficult to reunite.

Once inside the park you’ll have the best time if you go in with the attitude that you are there to experience the New Year at Disneyland and not to expect to ride as many rides. Lines will be long (and get worse as the day goes on) and normal traffic shows may be impeded. Food lines will be horrible, so try to eat at times other than the peak periods (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) but even then you’ll likely be in for a long wait. It would probably be a good idea to pack some snacks so that you don’t have to wait in lines if you don’t want to.

If you are trying to hold a viewing spot for the parade or fireworks or some other show, make sure you leave people behind to hold the space. It seems safe to say that your fellow park guests won’t have much tolerance for unattended blankets or strollers holding key viewing spots.

If your group is going to split up once inside the parks, make sure you pick a place and regular set of times for regrouping. Don’t pick the Partner’s Statue in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Everybody is going to pick that spot for the same purpose and it is also going to fill early with people camping out for the fireworks. Pick something a bit out of the way (to the right of Westward Ho store entrance in Frontierland is a good central location with less traffic).

It is also a good idea to set up a regular time for meeting up rather than a single one. If you say “meet up at X at 5:00 p.m.” then nine people are going to get pretty grumpy waiting 90 minutes for the other three who lost track of time or are stuck in a line. Instead, say “meet up at X at 5:00 p.m. We’ll wait 10 minutes and then return every hour until we’re all back together.”

Don’t let all of this scare you. A lot of people go to Disneyland for New Year’s Eve and most of them have a great time. The key is expectations and attitude. Have fun, don’t get stressed about the crowds (and if you do, go watch cartoons in Main Street Cinema for a little while until you relax again), and don’t expect it is going to be your most active day at Disneyland ever.

At the end of the day be forewarned that the trams back to the Mickey & Friends parking garage and the Lion King parking lot will likely be shut down (maybe for just an hour or so but possibly the rest of the evening). People get confused and angry about this but there is a good reason. The trams simply can’t accommodate the mass of people leaving right after the midnight fireworks. If they were running, the loading areas would quickly overfill with people and generate the uncontrolled “herds” that result in panicky calls to 911 and public relations nightmares. So expect that you’ll have to walk back to your car after the fireworks. If you can, wait until the park closes (2:00 a.m.) to begin heading back and you’ll go along way to avoid ending your day in a very unmagical human traffic jam.

Oh, and did we mention that over at the House of Blues, the Goo Goo Dolls will be ringing in the New Year? So expect some crowds over that way as well.

New Year, new prices

Speaking of the new year, it is worth reminding everybody that as of January 3, prices for multi-day ticket prices are increasing. The new prices have already been available online for quite a while and were essentially announced earlier this year when single day and annual pass prices were increased. This also means that if you are sitting on 2006 multi-day tickets that you have about 8 days to use them up or they are wasted.

The increases are as follows (children/adult):

• 2 day parkhopper up $6 to $102/$122
• 3 day parkhopper up $10 to $149/$179
• 4 day parkhopper up $10 to $179/$209
• 5 day parkhopper up $10 to $199/$229

If you’re going to be visiting Disneyland before April 26 next year and need 3-day or higher tickets, make sure you don’t pay these prices though. Visit the Disneyland tickets Web page and buy your adult tickets at the children’s price.

Rose Bowl teams

If you’d like to get a change to see the players in the 2007 Rose Bowl at Disneyland (and maybe spin a tea cup next to one), then you need to stop reading (if it is still Tuesday) and get yourself to the park. The players and coaches from the #8 ranked (and Pac 10 champions) USC Trojans and the third ranked University of Michigan Wolverines will be at the park doing interviews and enjoying themselves.

At 2:00 p.m. there will be a short ceremony with the coaches of both teams and key players in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. The two teams will play in the 93rd Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on January 1.

The Monorail returns

The Disneyland Monorail did not make its original target date of December 15 but it was back in service by December 22. It is operating in shuttle mode, which means it does not do the full loop but rather reverses direction at each station and every trip is one way. Guests boarding in Tomorrowland will have to disembark in Downtown Disney and get back in line to return.

The area in front of the monorail station has been cleaned up and is once again accessible. The new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction sign we showed you last week has now been covered. Likely to keep guests from getting confused and so that the paint job doesn’t spend six months fading before the ride actually opens. Over at Autopia, the full entry and exit lanes are back in service so the entry queue is no longer a two-way street.

This and that…

…It looks like the pirate retheming of Tom Sawyer Island, originally reported at the Web site MiceAge, is moving forward. A long closure of the island is now on the official Disneyland calendar. It will close on Monday, January 12, and stay closed until late May, though it will presumably open in time for the Memorial Day opening of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (and even earlier if, as expected the premiere is again held at Disneyland). A several week closure of Fantasmic! was already on the calendar for January but it looks that has also been extended to match the general island closure.

The extent of the retheming is not known at this time but with the amount of time available and the abbreviated time Imagineers had for planning it is likely to be more cosmetic than fundamental. If the idea is pursued and successful then more far reaching alterations will likely occur in the future. Fort Wilderness would have to be rebuilt and the back half of the island is currently completely inaccessible to the public and is used for show elements visible from the river as well as an executive ropes course and meeting area.

…According to a sneak peak article in this last Friday’s Orange County Register the official date for the opening Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage will be June 11, 2007.

…If you’re interested in such things we figured to share a link that pops up on Disney message boards every once in a while and has recently been making the rounds again. The Orange County Health Care Agency is responsible for performing restaurant inspections and the publish their reports publicly on the Internet. Here is the page for their reports on Disneyland eateries. A couple notes on reading the reports.

When you click a restaurant name, you’ll see links if there were any particular violations. If you click that violation it will take you to a page that lists every single possible violation. Don’t get confused and think that the restaurant had all those issues, this page just explains what each possible issue means. Also, the examples shown with the description are general examples, not examples of what was observed at the restaurant.

…A five-day California Screamin’ closure has been added to the calendar for the period of February 5-9. This is almost certainly due to construction on Midway Mania beneath the ride and not because of anything particular on the roller coaster.

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

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Disneyland Monorail closed August 21 – December 14 for station remodel and queue construction for Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Will likely close again in January.
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant closed January 8 – January 17 for refurbishment.
• Haunted Mansion closed January 8 – January 18 for removal of Christmas Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.
• Mark Twain Riverboat closed January 15 – January 19 for general maintenance and painting.
• it’s a small world closed January 22 – February 1 for removal of Christmas overlay.
• Gadget’s Go Coaster closed January 22 – February 2 for refurbishment.
• Splash Mountain closed January 23 – early May for major refurbishment. No major changes are expected but lift mechanics are being replaced.
• Professor Barnaby Owl’s Photographic Art Studio closed January 23 – early May due to closure of Splash Mountain (store is primarily for sale of Splash Mountain ride photos).
• Disneyland Railroad closed February 5 – March 29 for track work and to allow heavy equipment access to Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride closed February 19 – March 29 for an extensive refurbishment.
• Fantasmic! dark February 20 – late May due to work on Tom Sawyer Island.
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is currently under construction and will open sometime around June 11, 2007.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Golden Zephyr closed January 8 – January 11 for maintenance.
• Orange Stinger closed January 16 – March 23 for full refurbishment.
• Grizzly River Run closed January 22 – January 25 for maintenance.
• Midway Mania under construction. Opens 2008.

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.

December

• 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.

• Nightmare Before Christmas at El Capitan Theater. October 19-January 4. (link). After November 3, it is only two late shows per day.
• The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause at El Capitan Theater. November 3-January 4 (link). Screening includes a stage musical show before each show.
• Believe Holiday Fireworks show. Beginning November 9 for daily holiday fireworks show that will run through the end of the year.
• A Christmas Fantasy parade. Beginning November 17 for daily parade that will run through the end of the year.

January

• Mary Poppins at El Capitan Theater. January 11-January 31. (link).

February

• Peter Pan at El Capitan Theater. February 1-February 15. (link).
• Bridge to Terabithia at El Capitan Theater. February 16-March 22. (link).

March

• Meet the Robinsons at El Capitan Theater. March 30-May 20. (link).

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.

As we are approaching the end of the year, the information below is for 2007 tickets. These tickets and prices are effective for first use after January 2, 2007. If you are still planning travel for the end of December, make sure you purchase 2006 tickets, which must have a first use of January 2, 2007. As of January 3, 2007, prices for multi-day parkhopper tickets will increase.

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

2007 Resort Dream Vacation Package – This official Disney travel package (link) start at $389/per person for two adults per two-nights. The $389 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), a collectible Dream Coin, and Walt Disney Travel Company collectible pin and lanyard, luggage tag, and California Fun Book. Travel using this package must be booked by March 10, 2007, and completed by March 15, 2007.

2007 Good Neighbor Dream Vacation Package – This official Disney travel package (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.