Disneyland Park Update

Update for September 17 – 23, 2007

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

News and Views

David Koenig reports… | Blue September | More House of Blues heavy metal shows canceled | Garden Grove council rejects casino plan | Incredible on ice in Manchester, England | Disneyland places mid-range in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards | Best time to ride Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage? | Mickey’s Halloween Treat dates selling out fast | She doesn’t look a day over 50

David Koenig reports…

This Christmas season expect to see snow and icicles on Sleeping Beauty Castle. The semi-realistic covering is supposed to give the castle a “wintery, holiday feeling.”

By late October, the two surviving monorails will be covered in plastic film hyping the “Year of a Million Dreams.” The covering will be the same type used to turn Monorail Red into a giant yellow sub for the opening of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. The new overlay will be blue with clouds on it. As one monorail driver quipped, “I am going to feel like a #&*@! bus driver!”

From Mouse Tales’ David Koenig

Blue September

The end of the summer travel season traditionally brings a wave of blue construction walls around Disneyland, and this September is no different. Areas under refurbishment include the River Belle Terrace in Frontierland and the facade and entry/exit doorways of Store Command in Tomorrowland, as well as other smaller installations. We hope you’ll enjoy the selection of construction photos in this week’s update

The Frontierland show light tower used for Fantasmic! is surrounded by blue construction walls. Photo by Andrew Rich.

More House of Blues heavy metal shows canceled

Following Disney’s cancellation of the September 7 show of heavy metal band Machine Head at the House of Blues in the Anaheim Downtown Disney, music news site Pollstar.com reports that the band’s September 15 concert at the House of Blues in Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney, had also been canceled (link).

A statement from Machine Head read in part, “While no one is willing to provide evidence that would prove unfavorable to Disney, sources close to events have suggested that once again, vague threats of liability, and now threats on job security may have been levied, successfully resulting in the show being moved off of Disney property.”

Garden Grove council rejects casino plan

A unanimous vote by the Garden Grove City Council appears to have permanently killed a proposal for an Indian casino on Harbor Boulevard near Disneyland (link).

“We made a very strong statement with that 5-0 vote,” said Councilwoman Dina Nguyen. “It will give the casino developers a hint that it will not be that easy to get into Garden Grove again.”

The casino proposal was competing for a 40-acre parcel, which will now be offered to Colorado-based McWhinney Enterprises for development of the InternationalWEST hotel, retail and entertainment complex, which will also include a water park (link).

The facade over Store Command, itself a false front covering the only remaining intact Mary Blair tile mural in Disneyland, is hidden behind a colorful canvas structure; construction walls surround the entrance to Store Command and exit from Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Photo by Andrew Rich.

Incredible on ice in Manchester, England

Disneyland Adventure, the latest Disney on Ice production, will visit the MAN center in Manchester, England October 3 – 7 (link). This original story picks up after the end of Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles, as the family of superheroes vacations at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Bob, Helen, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack try to blend in with normal Southern California tourists as they enjoy Disneyland’s famous attractions, meeting Disney characters including the Fab Five, princesses, Buzz Lightyear, and more.

Disneyland places mid-range in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards

Legoland, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Knott’s Berry Farm took top honors in their categories in the 2007 Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards, an annual rating of theme parks worldwide (link). Disneyland scored no better than third, in the “Cleanest Park” category behind Holiday World (Santa Claus, Indiana) and Busch Gardens Europe (Williamsburg, Virginia), and in “Best Outdoor Night Production” for Fantasmic! behind Illuminations at Epcot and the nighttime show at Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio). Disneyland also scored fifth in “Best Park” and “Friendliest Park Staff” and took fourth and fifth place in “Best Dark Ride” with the Indiana Jones Adventure and Pirates of the Caribbean (link).

Inside the River Belle Terrace during the current refurbishment project. Why is the “Personalize Pewter and Leather Goods” sign from Frontierland here? Photo by Andrew Rich.

Best time to ride Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage?

This question comes up over and over on our MousePad discussion board, and now Theme Parks writer Brady MacDonald of the Los Angeles Times has weighed in with his findings: Get in line as close as possible to park closing, and you’ll ride with perhaps a 45-minute wait—much better than the two- to three-hour waits we’ve seen reported during summer days (link).

Mickey’s Halloween Treat dates selling out fast

Mickey’s Halloween Treat at Disney’s California Adventure is now sold out for Friday, October 12. The only remaining Friday night is October 5. Many MousePlanet readers and staff members will gather at the Halloween Treat on October 12th to kick off MouseAdventure weekend (link).

The “Disney Gallery” sign has been removed. At night, the interior lights are on revealing… not much. Photo by Andrew Rich.

She doesn’t look a day over 50

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Events, Product Releases & Promotions department issued a “teaser” announcement for a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 70th Anniversary Celebration, to be held November 16, 2007. (link). No additional information is available yet. Thanks to MousePlanet reader cstephens for the tip.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• River Belle Terrace closed through December 14 for remodel.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train closed through October 5 for refurbishment.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats closed through October 5 for refurbishment.
• Disneyland Monorail closed through September 20.
• Haunted Mansion closed through September 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.
• Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years will be closed September 17 ? 28.
• “it’s a small world” reportedly will close at the end of January 2008 for a nine-month refurbishment, and should re-open in late October.

A covered balcony over the River Belle Terrace’s outdoor eating area has been removed. Photo by Andrew Rich.

Disney’s California Adventure

• California Screamin’ may open at 1:00 PM Monday – Friday through Fall 2007 due to construction for Toy Story Mania!
• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue will be closed from November 26 at least through the end of 2007.
• 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 through September 20 to install the Halloween “Golden Screams” show.
• Golden Dreams closed November 1 & 2 to remove the Halloween show.

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.

September

• Unofficial Not Back-To-School Day at Disneyland. Wednesday September 19th, 2007. This event is open to all homeschool and alternative schooling families (link).
• Downtown Disney Summer Fun Sweepstakes.Enter for a chance to win three magical prizes in the Downtown Disney Summer Fun Sweepstakes ? including three $1,000 Downtown Disney shopping sprees, a screening for 20 at AMC Theatres and a party for 10 at ESPN Zone Restaurant! Ends September 30, 2007. (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 are $39 per person if purchased the day of the event. $29 advance-purchase tickets currently available through the Disneyland Web site (click on the “tickets” link). $27 discounted tickets are currently available to Annual Passholders via the Disneyland Annual Passholder Web site, and to Disney’s Vacation Club Members at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths.
• 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. Registration is now closed.
• CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park Sunday, October 21 (link)
• Nevada Day. Friday, October 26. All Nevada public schools closed to commemorate the admission of the state of Nevada into the union, possibly resulting in unusually high crowd levels at the Disneyland Resort. (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.

November

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 70th Anniversary Celebration. November 16, 2007. No additional information available yet (link).

December

• Candlelight Processional Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2.

February 2008

• Unofficial Homeschool Day at Disneyland. Friday February 1st, 2008. This event is open to all homeschool and alternative schooling families (link).

Spring 2008

• Disney’s California Food & Wine Weekends. Spring 2008 (link)

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. 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 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 $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.

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, 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 (All dates currently sold out) – 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.