Disneyland Park Update

Update for July 30 – August 5, 2007

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

Fall MouseAdventure update | High
School Musical 2 at the Disneyland Resort | Old Dreams,
new Dreams | This-and-That

The Fall 2007 MouseAdventure is scheduled for Sunday, October 14 at the Disneyland Resort. The MouseAdventure crew is pleased to present a brand new format for our fall event — Eye Spy Adventure. In this twist on the classic MouseAdventure format, all of the quests are “tweaked” to include an Eye Spy element. (If you are new to MouseAdventure, Eye Spy are mystery photos taken somewhere in the Disneyland Resort, and the subjects aren’t always easy to find…) Teams can once again choose to compete in the Advanced, Basic, or Family divisions. MouseAdventure registration is $75 per team, which does not include theme park admission.

The game itself takes place inside Disneyland Park, with pre-game sign-in and post-game awards taking place in the Paradise Pier Hotel. While waiting for the post-game awards, participants can cool off and relax at a dessert mixer at the Paradise Pier Hotel with author and MousePlanet columnist David Koenig, who will be presenting “an Epic Multimedia Extravaganza” for your entertainment. Tickets for the optional dessert mixer are $20 per person. Awards will be presented at the Paradise Pier Hotel following the mixer, and all players are invited to come cheer for the winners.

Registration opens on August 8. And although we have slightly increased event
capacity from our Spring 2007 event, there is a firm limit on capacity and
we still expect to sell out very quickly. There is no waiting list
once we reach capacity, so we encourage teams to register as soon as possible
to avoid disappointment. Consider yourself warned: the spring event sold out
in just 6 days. Information about available hotel discounts will be provided
to teams once they register for the event.

You can read more about MouseAdventure at this link. Some of our returning teams have already begun to discuss strategy (otherwise known as taunting one another) on our MousePad forums. You can join the discussion, and ask questions of returning players and MouseAdventure crew at this link.

The AMC theater in Downtown Disney hosts the world premiere of Disney’s High School Musical 2 on Tuesday, August 14. According to the Disney Channel press release, “stars of the movie, along with director-choreographer Kenny Ortega and other celebrity guests will walk the carpet in Downtown Disney prior to the 6:00pm screening. Following the Downtown Disney festivities, they will attend an invitation-only poolside party at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.” There has been no word if fans of the film will be able to purchase tickets to the premiere, as was the case with the third Pirates of the Caribbean premiere at Disneyland, nor how (or even if) Disney will allow fans along the red carpet. We’ll post more information as it becomes available.

The High School Musical Pep Rally in Disney’s California Adventure will be replaced starting August 18 with an updated “High School Musical 2: School’s Out!” show based on the sequel. The final performance of the original Pep Rally was this weekend, giving the cast time to learn the new show.

Old Dreams, new Dreams

An old “Where Dreams Come True” banner is flanked by two new “Year of a Million Dreams” banners. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As expected, the “Where Dreams Come True” decorations have begun
to disappear from around the Disneyland Resort, and additional “Year
of a Million Dreams” collateral is popping up all around. The “CALIFORNIA”
letters in front of Disney’s California Adventure have been covered with a
cloud design, and the banners in the esplanade have been replaced. “Year
of a Million Dreams” banners also line the tram route from the Mickey
and Friends parking structure.

The metal swirls that graced the floral Mickey planter and entrance tunnels
to Disneyland have vanished, as have the decorations on the lamp posts of
Main Street, U.S.A.

The CALIFORNIA letters have a “dreamy” new look. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This and that

…Tickets for Mickey’s Halloween Treat go on sale Wednesday (August 1) to
the general public. Tickets are $39 per person. Tomorrow (July 31) is the
last day for Disney Vacaction Club members to purchase tickets for Mickey’s
Halloween Treat at a discounted rate of $24 each. Starting August 1, discounted
tickets are available to DVC members for $27 if purchased anytime up to the
day before the event. You cannot purchase these tickets online. Members must
show their DVC membership card at any Disneyland Resort ticket booth to receive
the discounted rate. Tomorrow (July 31) is also the last day for Disneyland
Resort Annual Passholders to purchase discounted tickets for $24 each. Annual
Passholders may purchase the discounted tickets online by logging into the
Annual Passholder section of the Disneyland.com Web site.

To properly kick off MouseAdventure weekend, MousePlanet readers are invited
to join their fellow readers at the Mickey’s Halloween Treat event on Friday,
October 12. More information is available on our MousePad discussion boards.
(link)

Halloween has come to the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…The closure of the Disney Gallery has been delayed by one week. The Gallery
is now scheduled to close on August 7 instead of July 31. The premium balcony
seating for Fantasmic! is currently scheduled to continued through August
5, though some Gallery Cast Members feel that there might be another extention.
The reserved seating section along the Rivers of America is being expanded
to accomodate additional guests once the balcony closes for good.

…The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the Gabrielino-Tongva Indian tribe has presented the Garden Grove city council with a proposal to build a massive casino, hotel and stadium complex on a 40-acre plot south of the Disneyland Resort. (link)

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• None Scheduled.

Disney’s California Adventure

More of the Toy Story Mania building is visible from the Sun Wheel. Photo by David Michael.

• Midway Games closed for an unknown duration. The future of the games has been somewhat questionable due to the Toy Story Mania project, but some of the games remain open for now.
• Toy Story 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.

August

• “Disneyland in Miniature” Product Release & Signing. Saturday, August 4 at Disneyland. New releases include the Plaza Pavilion/Enchanted Tiki Room/Aladdin’s Oasis sculpture and additional Main Entrance accessories


• Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand book signing. Sunday, August 5 at the World of Disney. Author Gail Carson Levine and illustrator David Christiana will be on hand from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. to sign the latest Disney Fairies book.


• Fall 2007 MouseAdventure registration opens. Wednesday, August 8. (link)


• Bats Day in the Fun Park (unofficial event) Friday-Sunday, August 17-19. (link)

September

• Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. September 2 and 3. Family Fun Run 5K on Sunday, September 2, Half Marathon on Monday, September 3 (link).

Run 5K on Sunday, September 2, Half Marathon on Monday, September 3 (link).

• Los Angeles Unified School District schools closed. Thursday, September 13th. This annual “no school” day usually results in huge crowds at the Disneyland Resort.


• The Art of Disney Parks – Where Dreams Come True event. September 13-14 at the Disneyland Resort. Will include an auction of artwork from the Festival of Arts exhibit and 50th Anniversary. Registration now available at Disney Gallery Web site. (link).


• Downtown Disney artist weekend. September 15-16. An exhibit “dedicated to the art of local artist participants.” No additional details are available at this time.

October

• Gay Days at Disneyland (unofficial event) Friday, October
  5 through Sunday, October 7. Event attendance will be higher at Disneyland
  on Saturday, DCA on Sunday (link).


• Mickey’s Halloween Treat. October 5, 12, 19 and 26; 7:30
  pm. – 11:30 pm. and October 4, 11, 18, 25, 29, 30, and 31; 6:30 pm. – 10:30
  pm. Tickets currently available to Annual Passholders via the Disneyland
  Annual Passholder Web site.


• MousePlanet night at Mickey’s Halloween Treat (unofficial event)
  Friday, October 12. Join your fellow MousePlanet readers and MousePad members
  at Mickey’s Halloween Treat to kick off MouseAdventure weekend. More information
  is available on our MousePad discussion boards. (link)
  


• MouseAdventure. Sunday, October 14. (link)


• CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park Sunday, October
  21 (link)
• 2007 UEA convention. October 29 to 30 (in Utah). Many Utah public
  schools close so teachers can attend the Utah Education Association convention,
  which creates a four-day weekend for the students. Expect the resort to
  be busy that weekend—some claim ‘UEA’ stands for ‘Utah Escapes to Anaheim.’
  One reader has told us that his Utah school district is closed for a “Fall
  Break” October 11 – 15th, so crowds may be more dispersed throughout
  the month than in past years.

Summer 2008

• Disney Magic returns to Pacific Ocean itineraries. May 25-August
  17, 2008.

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. This first section is a list of discounts on ticket only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at 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.

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

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 Vacation Club members have a new discount at the Disneyland Resort. DVC members can now purchase discounted tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Treat at Disney’s California Adventure. Tickets are $24 each if purchased before July 31, or $27 if purchased anytime between August 1 and the day before the event. Unlike the discounted tickets available to Disneyland Resort annual passholders, you cannot buy these tickets online. Members must show their DVC membership card at any Disneyland Resort ticket booth to receive the discounted rate.

50% off Disneyland souvenir books. Disneyland is offering a 50% discount
on two souvenir books, “Remember the Moments” and “Disneyland
Then, Now & Forever.” The discount is valid while supplies last,
or through September 4th, 2007. The books are available at most large shops
at the Disneyland Resort, including the World of Disney and Emporium.

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.

Yamabuki and Steakhouse 55. Disneyland Resort annual passholders save 30% off the entire check (excluding alcohol) Mondays through Wednesdays through August 15th. The discount is valid for lunch and dinner at Yamabuki, and breakfast and dinner at Steakhouse 55.

Pirates watch and litho offer. May 20 through August 18. Customers can purchase a Pirates of the Caribbean watch and lithograph set for $10 with a qualifying $50 purchase at select store locations at the Disneyland Resort. Visit the promotion Web site for a complete list of stores and restrictions.

2 for 1 Festival of Arts tickets for Disneyland Resort annual passholders. July 1 ? August 31. Disneyland Resort annual passholders can purchase 2 for 1 tickets to the Festival of Arts by presenting their current passport at the box office. This offer does not include tickets to the Pagent of the Masters. Tickets are regularly $7 for adults, $4 for students and seniors.

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, which can make a huge difference on busy days. 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.

Free Metrolink and ART weekends – Disneyland Resort annual passholders can participate in a joint promotion with Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) and Metrolink. As part of Metrolink Weekends, Passholders can use Metrolink to travel for free to the Anaheim Metrolink station, then use a free ART pass to get to the Disneyland Resort. The offer is great for those who live in the Inland Empire or southern Orange County, but those who live north of Disneyland will have to get there the old fashioned way. The list of eligible origin stations is limited, and none of the southbound trains coming from LA are included in the promotion.

To take advantage of this promotion, you’ll first need to visit the promotional Web site at this link. (link) Use the username “train” and password “ap” to login. Once you register, you will receive by mail:

• One 4-trip ticket from Metrolink to be used on the Weekend Train
• One round-trip ticket for the ART system from Metrolink station to the Disneyland® Resort (a $5 value)
• A free 7-day pass on Metrolink (one 7-day pass per household).
• The Metrolink Weekends schedule is available at this link, and the ART operating schedule is available at this 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

Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates 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.