Disneyland Park Update

Update for October 8-14, 2007

Go directly to: News & Views | Current

Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events

| Discounts and Promotions | Park

Schedule/Blockout Dates

News and Views

S.O.A.R. seeks support from Anaheim residents | Disney

finally says “Aloha” to a Hawaii resort | Snow

White anniversary event | Bonjour, Hola and Guten Tag

| A little extra HalloweenTime | Princess

breakfast at Ariel’s Grotto | Rewards on the move

| Mickey’s Halloween Treat reminder | Radio

check | This and That

S.O.A.R. seeks support from Anaheim residents

The Disney-backed “Save Our Anaheim Resort” (S.O.A.R.) group (link)

has asked Anaheim residents to attend the October 9 Anaheim City Council meeting

to protest council action that would place a third zoning initiative on the

June 2008 ballot without requiring the initiative’s supporters to qualify

the measure for the ballot through the petition process.

A Disney-backed referendum qualified for the ballot in June after supporters

collected over 21,000 resident signatures. This referendum could overturn

a 3-2 city council vote that would allow developer SunCal Companies to build

residential units on land currently zoned as part of the Anaheim Resort District.

S.O.A.R. supporters then gathered over 31,000 voter signatures in an effort

to qualify a second measure, this time giving Anaheim voters a vote on future

zoning changes in the Anaheim Resort District. The first referendum has been

scheduled for the June, 2008 election; the second is expected to qualify for

and be placed on the same ballot.

In July, a SunCal-backed group known as the Committee to Protect and Defend

Anaheim (CPDA) filed a counter-initiative specifically targeting Disney. The

Anaheim Voter Empowerment Initiative (link

to a PDF) would require Anaheim voters to specifically approve any develop.m.ent

on 53 acres of land (the former strawberry field, or what the initiative refers

to as “Farm Proprty” ) owned by Disney near the corner of Harbor

Boulevard and Katella Avenue.

If the initiative passes, Disney would need to prepare a specific develop.m.ent

plan for the property, prepare an environmental impact report and then obtain

voter approval before they could begin any develop.m.ent of the property.

The wording of the initiative could also modify or nullify any competing

measure on the same ballot. If voters were to approve both it and another

“competing” initiative (the AVE initiative specifically cites the

SOAR measure as an example of a competing inititative) and the AVE initiative

receives more votes, the competing initiative becomes voided.

If voters were to approve both initiatives, but the AVE initiative receives

fewer votes than a competing initiative, both measures would go into effect.

It’s a clever bit of writing, wrapped in public-minded sentiments about encouraging

“comprehensive public participation,” in deciding the fate of the

“largest and last remaining pieces of undeveloped, agricultural”

land in the Anaheim Resort District—and the Anaheim City Council may

vote to place the measure on the June 8 ballot without a petition.

S.O.A.R. supporters protest what they term an “attempted backroom deal,”

and are encouraging their members to contact City Hall and the Anaheim City

Council to complain, and also to attend Wednesday’s meeting.

Disney finally says “Aloha” to a Hawaii resort

Disney announced last week plans to open an 800-room resort on a 21 acre

property on Oahu. The resort is scheduled to open in 2011, and will feature

both traditional hotel rooms and Disney Vacation Club timeshare units. The

announcement has some speculating on a possible tie-in with the Disney Cruise

Line, which is adding two new ships to its fleet in 2011 and 2012. There has

been no word as to when DVC will start selling the new resort.

The DVC expansion of the Grand Californian Hotel will be joined by a new Hawaiian

resort in 2011. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Snow White Anniversary event at Disneyland

Disney celebrates the 70th anniversary of Snow White on November 16.

Disney photo.

Tickets are still available for the Snow White Anniversary Event at the Disneyland

Resort, and Disney has just released additional information about the panel

discussion and a spiffy new event logo. According to Disney, the following

panelists are scheduled to participate in the panel discussion as part of

the Poisoned Apple package.

• Don Hahn (Disney Animator/Producer) – Moderator
• Marge Champion (Animation Model for Snow White)
• Roy E. Disney
• Glen Keane (Disney Animator)
• John Lasseter (Pixar Executive Vice President)
• Leonard Maltin (Film Historian)
• Lella Smith (Art Historian)

Tickets are available through the Disney Gallery Web site (link).

Bonjour, Hola, and Guten Tag

Disneyland Resort is making foreign-language maps easier to find. Photo by

Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Walt Disney World has offered them for years, as has Disneyland if you knew

where to look, but the Anaheim resort has finally made foreign language park

maps readily accessible to visitors. New kiosks in Disneyland and Disney’s

California Adventure offer park maps translated into Spanish, French, German,

Chinese and Japanese.

A little extra HalloweenTime

New MousePlanet staff member David Perry contributed some great photos for

our September 27 HalloweenTime 2007 At Disneyland Resort photo tour (link),

but readers asked why there were no pictures of Woody’s Halloween Roundup.

In response to reader requests, and to show off the cute Halloween costumes

the Disney characters donned just this past week, here are some additional

Halloween photos.

Disneyland’s Dapper Dans sport pumpkin-colored costumes for Halloween. Photo

by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Constable Chip and Jail Bird Dale greet young visitors on Main Street. Photo

by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

In that costume, Goofy’s just fur and bones. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Minnie preens in her pretty witch dress. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This display outside Woody’s Halloween Roundup makes a lovely photo backdrop.

Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The path between Big Thunder Ranch and the former BBQ location has reopened

to allow access into Woody’s Halloween Roundup. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A pumkpin carving demonstration yields some amazing designs. Photo by Adrienne

Vincent-Phoenix.

Farley the Fiddler entertains children and adults alike. Photo by Adrienne

Vincent-Phoenix.

A pretty display of seasonal produce. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Princess breakfast at Ariel’s Grotto

We have been remiss in writing about the new Princess Breakfast at Ariel’s

Grotto in Disney’s California Adventure park. A MousePlanet reader stopped

by last week, and reports that the newest character meal is served family-style

like at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Walt Disney World. Your server first brings

selection of sliced fruit, cold cuts, cheese, bread and breakfast pasteries,

followed by a platter of scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage. Juice,

coffee, milk and soft drinks are included. Breakfast is $32.21 for persons

age 10 and up, and $17.34 for children (ages 3-9), tax and gratuity included.

The Disney princesses circulate from table to table during the meal to pose

for photos and sign autographs.

Rewards on the move

Now that Ariel’s Grotto is open for breakfast, the Disney Rewards Visa cardholder

Character Meet ‘n’ Greet has moved to the small Seasons of the Vine theater

building next to the Golden Vine Winery in the Golden State District. Card

members and up to five guests receive a Meet ‘n’ Greet session with Disney

characters and one complimentary 5″ x 7″ group photo. The Meet ‘n’

Greet is offered for 90 minutes after California Adventure opens each day,

and you must show your valid Disney Rewards Visa Card for admission.

Mickey’s Halloween Treat reminder

Tickets are still available for just four of the Mickey’s Halloween Treat

events:

• Thursday, October 11

• Thursday, October 18

• Monday, October 29

• Tuesday, October 30

The remaining event dates are sold out.

Signs outside the bag check tents remind guests that costumes are limited

to DCA. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As a reminder, Disney does not allow adult visitors to wear costumes into

Disneyland before or after Halloween events, though younger kids usually get

a pass if they are dressed as Disney characters. The rules are somewhat subjective—a

child dressed as an M&M was turned away at the gate this weekend, while

another child dressed as Boba Fett sailed right through. This restriction

often causes complaints from those who leave DCA at the end of the Halloween

Treat event and want to spend the remainder of their evening at Disneyland.

If this is your plan, consider bringing a change of clothes and renting one

of the lockers outside DCA or Disneyland.

For those attending the Halloween Treat event, Disney asks that costumes

be “child friendly” and not “obtrusive or offensive.”

They also ask that you leave large props in your vehicle.

Radio check

MousePlanet staff member Kevin Krock and his young son were surprised to

be stopped at the bag check outside Disneyland last weekend after the cast

member searching their bags saw that Kevin, a licensed amateur radio operator,

was carrying a ham radio in his bag. The cast member said she was unsure if

Disney allows guests to bring 2-way radios into the park, and so called her

lead (manager) for clarification. The lead was also uncertain about the policy,

and so called a Disneyland security officer, who called a security manager,

who in turn called the Anaheim police officer stationed in Downtown Disney.

Kevin, a communications volunteer for his local police department, said that

he was delayed about 30 minutes while a growing group of people debated whether

ham radios were allowed inside Disneyland. Kevin said that he was repeatedly

questioned about whether his radio could listen in on Disney’s frequencies,

and was asked who he would be using the radio to talk to. He was also told

by one cast member that “since September 11th,” Disney policy has

been that ham radios are not allowed into the park; but after producing his

law enforcement volunteer identification and explaining the nature of his

equipment to the Anaheim police officer, Kevin was eventually allowed to enter

the park with his radio.

This scene may come as a surprise to the ham radio operators who regularly

use handheld radios to communicate with others inside the Disneyland Resort,

not to mention the members of the Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service (DEARS),

who maintain a repeater station on top of the Disneyland Hotel. DEARS hosted

a field day inside Disneyland on the date of the park’s 50th anniversary,

and members of the Orange County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)

group helped provide communications support for the 2006 Disneyland Half Marathon.

After this incident, MousePlanet asked the Disneyland Resort for clarification

about the policy, and learned that the Disneyland Resort did not actually

have a formal policy about the use of amateur radios inside the resort before

this incident. Guidelines are now being communicated to main entrance cast

members, and Disney will allow guests to use amateur radio handsets for personal

communication inside the theme parks—but hams should expect an extra

measure of scrutiny from Disney security if they see you using your radio.

MousePlanet now recommends that licensed amateur radio operators carry

theme park, along with a little extra patience. If you are stopped at

the bag check tables, or if Disney security approaches you inside the park,

consider it a teaching opportunity.

This and That

Visitors to DCA’s Animation Building have the opportunity to enjoy the intricate

zoetrope. Photo by Lisa Perkis.

…Have you ever wondered what happens to the Disney ride vehicles that are

sold at auction during events like last month’s Dream, Imagine, Create event?

A MousePlanet reader sent us this

link to a video showing a People Mover vehicle arriving at its new home.

…The SoCal City Pass has been updated to reflect the new ticket prices at

the Disneyland Resort. When purchased at Costco, the SoCal City Pass is $204.99

for adults ages 10 and over, $164.99 for children ages 3-9. The ticket includes

a 3-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus ticket (which includes one Early

Entry), plus one-day tickets each to Sea World and Universal Studios Hollywood,

and a one-day ticket to either the San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Wild Animal

Park. CityPass tickets are available at some Costco stores, and can also be

ordered through the Costco Web site (shipping fees and a 5% surcharge for non-members

apply).

The Princess themed room at the KB Homes Placentia location. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…KB Homes last month announced a partnership with Disney to provide Disney

character accents in new KB Homes starting in 2008. The company is also sponsoring

the KB Home Magical Dream Sweepstakes. Ten winners will receive a Disney character-theme

child’s bedroom set. Visit a KB Home community (link)

to enter the sweepstakes. You can obtain official rules and instructions on

entry by mail or at their Web site (link).

Entries must be received by November 25, 2007.

…We mentioned last week that a Toy Story Zoetrope had been added to DCA’s

Animation Building, and it was only a matter of time before someone posted a

video of the device on YouTube. Click

here to see the zoetrope in action.

…Disney is offering a personalized Disney Character Call (link)

from Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and/or Goofy when you book a Disneyland Resort

vacation package online through Disneyland.com. Once your vacation package is

confirmed, you will receive instructions on how to schedule the call.

…The refurbishment of Casey Jr. Circus Trains and Storybook Land Canal Boats

has been extended another week, and the two rides are now expected to reopen

on October 12. The Alice in Wonderland refurbishment is now scheduled to begin

on October 15.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• River

  Belle Terrace closed through December 14 for remodel.

• Casey

  Jr. Circus Train closed through October 11 for refurbishment.

• Storybook

  Land Canal Boats closed through October 11 for refurbishment.

• Alice

  in Wonderland closed October 15 – November 20.

• “it’s

  a small world” closed October 22 – November 8 to install the

  holiday overlay.

• “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.

Disney’s California Adventure

• California

  Screamin’ may open at 1:00 PM Monday – Friday through Fall

  2007 due to construction for Toy Story Mania!

• Golden

  Dreams closed November 1 & 2 to remove the Halloween show.

• 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.

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.

October

• Mickey’s Halloween Treat. October 12, 19 and 26; 7:30

  PM – 11:30 PM and October 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 ? 15, 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. See MousePlanet’s October 2, 2007 Disneyland Resort update for details (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.

Fourth 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.

Fourth 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 two 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.