Disneyland Park Update

Update for August 6 – August 12, 2007

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

2008 ticket prices and promotions | Permits pulled for Disney Vacation Club Project | Another meeting, another delay | Panama cruise price increase | This-and-That

2008 ticket prices and promotions

Disney has published the 2008 prices for multi-day tickets. The new prices take effect January 3, 2008.

Discounts are available on select tickets when purchased in advance through the Disneyland Web site.

Disneyland has also released details about the first discount promotion for Spring 2008. When you buy a 3-, 4- or 5-day Parkhopper ticket, Disney adds two free days. In other words, you pay the 3-day rate ($189) and receive a Parkhopper Bonus ticket good for five days. You can maximize your savings by taking advantage of the advance purchase discount, and pay just $169,

Instead of the “buy a Disneyland ticket and visit Disney’s California Adventure park for free” or “everyone pays the kid’s price” promotions from recent years that served just to get people through the front gates, this new offer is designed to encourage visitors to spend more time at the Disneyland Resort—and has no residency requirement. The promotion offers one Early Entry admission—called “Magic Morning” in the offer—with verbiage that could indicate that your Magic Morning may take place at DCA rather than Disneyland.

The Spring promotion is available starting January 7. The ticket must be used for the first time on or before April 24 and expires 13 days after first use or on May 7, 2008, whichever occurs first.

Disney filed last week for two permits related to the pending DVC expansion at the Disneyland Resort. The first is a demolition permit for the Grand Californian Hotel to “remove architectural overhangs and portion of roof sections to prepare structure for new addition.” The second permit is for a remodel of the sales model unit located between the Paradise Pier and Disneyland hotels.

The Anaheim City Council decided during its most recent meeting to once again postpone action in the ongoing housing battle. Basically, the council needs to vote either to repeal its previous decision to allow a residential development to be built in the Anaheim Resort District, or schedule an election date to allow Anaheim residents to vote on the matter. During the August 1 meeting, the council voted 3 to 2 to delay action for three weeks in order to give developer SunCal and the Disney company more time to negotiate a potential settlement.

The Orange County Register reported that pro-housing advocates took their arguments to the lawn around the Anaheim City Hall. As some of them pitched tents and carried signs that read “kids need affordable homes,” other demonstrators, dressed as Disney Villains, “evicted” the tents from “their” land. Unless SunCal and Disney reach an agreement, the next round in the battle will be waged at the August 21 city council meeting.

Panama cruise price increase

Passengers who sail aboard the Disney Magic during one of the repositioning cruises through the Panama Canal next year were notified last month that their fare is going up by $100 per person. According to the notification letter, the fare increase is due to new per-passenger fees imposed on the cruise lines by the Panama Port Authority that operates the Panama Canal. The Terms and Conditions of the Disney Cruise Line contract allows for price hikes “where the increase results from increases in Government Taxes and Fees.”

The Panama Port Authority has been increasing fees since 2002 as part of a multi-year plan to overhaul the fee structure for different types of ships. The latest fare schedule announced this past May changed the rate structure once again. Starting in October 2007, the rates for certain types of passenger ships will be based on the number of berths rather than the size of the ship. When the Disney ships make the transit in 2008, that fee will be $100 per berth, the same amount by which Disney has increased the cruise fare.

Some passengers feel that Disney is taking advantage of the new fare structure, and question the amount of the increase attributed to the Panama toll. The original fare for the Disney cruises already included port fees as calculated under the previous formula. (Based on figures Disney provided to passengers during the 2005 Panama Canal cruises, the transit fee was approximately $200,000, which works out to about $83 per passenger on a full sailing) This new $100-per-person port fee is instead of the original (lower) port fee, not in addition to, but Disney is not issuing any sort of offset or credit for the port fee already charged to passengers.

We contacted Disney Cruise Line for comment, but we have not yet received a response.

New Halloween merchandise includes these light-up Haunted Mansion tombstones. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…The Disneyland Resort is conducting a “utilization survey” of various departments, including foods, attractions, and parking. You may spot members of the survey team stationed around the parks with clipboards and stop watches, and the cast members may ask you to rate your wait at certain restaurants, or time how long you stand in line for some attractions.

The premium seating area along the Rivers of America offers additional space for the Fantasmic dessert offering. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…It looks like time has run out for the Disney Gallery, and the location is still scheduled to close on August 7. Cast members hope for a last-minute reprieve, but consider it unlikely.

…We reported in our June 11 Park Update that the Riverbelle Terrace would close around August 15 and reopen in the fall with an expanded kitchen and seating area. We also reported that the Bengal BBQ would close at the same time. An internal Disney memo now shows that the Riverbelle Terrace closes on August 19 and reopens sometime in December, but there was no mention of the Bengal BBQ.

…We neglected to mention that Disney removed self-service kiosks that allowed guests to place their own orders at Taste Pilots Grill earlier this spring. Location cast members say the official explanation is that the kiosks did not integrate with a new computer system installed at the location, but we suspect that the kiosks were not as efficient as hoped. Walt Disney World is running its own tests, having installed the touch-screen kiosks at Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom and Captain Cook’s Snack Shop at the Polynesian Resort.

Vault 28 features a new BLOC 28 collection. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…Vault 28, the boutique-cum-gallery in Downtown Disney, hosted a launch party for the new BLOC 28 collection last week. The collection features pieces by five artists, plus a new selection of accessories and home décor items. To advertise the new collection, the store’s front windows sport graffiti-print decals and neon signs and the interior walls are decorated with spray-painted skulls.

BLOC 28 includes works by five artists. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…We incorrectly stated the ticket prices for Mickey’s Halloween Treat in last week’s Update. Tickets are $29 if purchased in advance, or $39 the day of the event. DVC members can still purchase advance discounted tickets for $27 at the ticket booths.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Riverbelle Terrace closed August 19 – December for remodel.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train closed September 4 – October 5 for refurbishment.
• Haunted Mansion closed September 4 – 20 to install the holiday overlay.
• Alice in Wonderland closed October 8 – November 20.
• “it’s a small world” closed October 22 – November 8 to install the holiday overlay.

Disney’s California Adventure

Construction continues on the Midway Mania project in DCA. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

• 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.
• Golden Dreams closed September 11 – 20 to install the Halloween show.
• Golden Dreams closed November 1 & 2 to remove the Halloween show.

Construction continues on the Midway Mania project in DCA. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Construction continues on the Midway Mania project in DCA. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

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

• 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. Includes 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.
• Homeschool Day at Disneyland (unofficial event) September 19 (link)

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 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 or 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 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 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).

Hotel / 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.

Disney’s Good Neighbor Dream Vacation Packages – This package is valid for arrivals June 29 – August 30, 2007, and starts at $214 per person. Package includes two nights at a Good Neighbor hotel; Park Hopper ticket (with admission to one Early Entry and/or one Toontown Morning Madness depending on ticket purchased and days visited); preferred seating at a DCA show; souvenir coin, luggage tag and lanyard with pin; a Downtown Disney Fun Card; and a “Character Call” from Mickey, Minnie or Goofy. (Sample pricing is for two adults and two children under 9 years-old sharing one room at the Jolly Roger Hotel, and includes a 3-day park hopper ticket per person. Other hotels and ticket combinations are available at a higher price) Reservations must be made by August 27, 2007. Call (866) 279-7165 for more information.

4th Night Free at Good Neighbor Hotels –This package is valid for arrivals September 2 to December 16, 2007, and starts at $257 per person. Package includes hotel accomodations; Park Hopper ticket; admission to one Early Entry and one Toontown Morning Madness; preferred seating at a DCA show; souvenir coin, luggage tag and lanyard with pin; a Downtown Disney Fun Card; and a “Character Call” from Mickey, Minnie or Goofy. (Sample pricing is for two adults and two children under 9 years-old sharing one room at the Best Western Pavilions, and includes a 3-day park hopper ticket per person. Other hotels and ticket combinations are available at a higher price) Reservations must be made by December 13, 2007. Call (866) 279-7165 for more information.

4th Night Free at Disneyland Resort Hotels –This package is valid for arrivals August 19 to December 12, 2007, and starts at $345 per person. Package includes hotel accomodations; Park Hopper ticket; admission to one Early Entry and one Toontown Morning Madness; preferred seating at a DCA show; souvenir coin, luggage tag and lanyard with pin; a Downtown Disney Fun Card; and a “Character Call” from Mickey, Minnie or Goofy. (Sample pricing is for two adults and two children under 9 years-old sharing one room at the Disneyland Hotel, and includes a 3-day park hopper ticket per person. Other hotels and ticket combinations are available.) Reservations must be made by November 12, 2007. Call (866) 279-7165 for more information.

2008 “2 Days Free” offer –When you buy a 3-, 4- or 5-day Parkhopper ticket, Disney will add two free days. In other words, you’ll pay the 3-day rate ($189) and receive a Parkhopper Bonus ticket good for five days. You can maximize your savings by taking advantage of the advance purchase discount, and pay just $169. The Parkhopper Bonus ticket includes one Early Entry admission. The Spring promotion is available starting January 7. The ticket must be used for the first time on or before April 24 and expires 13 days after first use or on May 7, 2008, whichever occurs first.

Other Discounts

Disney Vacation Club membershave 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 $27 if purchased anytime between August 1 and the day before the event. Members cannot buy these tickets online, and 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.