Update for October 30-November 4, 2007
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News and Views
Disneyland Resort weathers the fires | Candlelight
package details | This and That
Disneyland Resort weathers the fires
Though the Disneyland Resort is far removed from any of the fires that
ravaged Southern California for much of the past 10 days, the resort was
affected by the smoke, ash and loss of tourism caused by the blazes. Though
Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure remained open all last week,
some entertainment offerings were canceled or modified due to weather and
air quality. Readers report that all parades and fireworks have returned
to normal operation as of press time.
Disney spokesperson Bob Tucker told the Los Angeles Times that Disney-owned
hotels will cancellation fees for visitors who canceled trips due to the
fires. The Walt Disney Company also announced a $2 million donation to aid
victims of the Southern California fires.
Candlelight package details confirmed
Disney’s dining reservations Cast members have been given official information
about the Candlelight Processional dining packages, and some of the details
differ from the rumor we shared in last week’s Disneyland Park Update. Tickets
will be offered starting Monday, November 19 at 10 a.m. (PDT), but they
will not be sold through Tickets.com as we previously reported. Instead,
Disney will once again offer the tickets directly through www.disneyland.com/candlelight.
(This link was not yet active at press time) Disneyland Resort annual passholders
who have registered their e-mail address through the Disneyland Web site
will receive a link to the registration page in an upcoming e-mail newsletter.
To recap, three levels of tickets will be offered.
-
$75 per person, includes dinner at Storytellers Cafe
or Hook’s Point. ($25 increase from 2006) - $100 per person, includes dinner at Steakhouse 55, Vineyard Room or Yamabuki.
($25 increase from 2006) - $125 per person, includes dinner at Napa Rose, available to Disneyland
Resort Annual Passholders only. (Same price as 2006)
All prices include nonalcoholic beverage, tax and gratuity. Diners must purchase
their tickets in the same transaction in order to be seated together, and
there is a limit of 6 tickets per transaction.
Given the limited capacity of the venue and the speed in which tickets sell
out each year, Disney has little incentive to make changes to the program,
but it’s still disappointing to find that the event planners have not addressed
many of the recurring concerns. Though the Candlelight Processional itself
is an annual tradition for many local families, it’s clear that the premium
dining package is not intended to be family-friendly. At press time there
was no information about a child’s ticket, and one phone representative said
it was unlikely that one would be offered this year. Worse, the new 6 ticket-per-transaction
rule is sure to be frustrating for larger families or groups.
As with last year, customers will dine before their chosen Candlelight performance,
so those who request tickets for the earlier show will once again be sitting
down for dinner around 3:30 in the afternoon. In the earlier years of the
program, when diners would receive their performance tickets only after meeting
a specific spending threshold at a participating restaurant, it was slightly
more understandable that Disney would require guests to dine before the show.
However, the new fixed-price ticket and set menu eliminates that operational
requirement. Disney should be able to send each customer their performance
tickets as soon as their reservation is confirmed, and allow diners to set
their dinner reservations before or after the performance as they prefer.
Finally, we can only hope that Disney has addressed the system problems that
caused so many problems last year. Tickets to the 2006 event sold out in just
three days, after Disney’s servers were overwhelmed by the demand the morning
tickets went on sale.
This and That
…The 2007 CHOC / Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park, held October 21,
raised a record $1.6 million for Children’s Hospital Orange County.
…MousePlanet reader Suzanne alerted us to a discount she found in a recent
issue of Westways magazine. Southern California residents save $10 off the
cost of a Disneyland Resort Annual Passport when you purchase online at
www.disneyland.com/westways.
…The Pixar Story, an independent documentary by Oscar nominated filmmaker
Leslie Iwerks, began a small Oscar-qualifying run in 14 cities across the
Unites States last week. The only Southern California tour dates are scheduled
for November 6 – 8 at the Landmark La Jolla Village Cinemas in La Jolla,
CA. Call (619) 819-0236 for ticket information and showtimes.
…If you haven’t had your fill of the debate about proposed development
in the Anaheim Resort area, Cal State Fullerton’s Real Estate and Land Use
Institute has scheduled a public forum to further discuss the issue Thursday
evening. Representatives of the Anaheim City Council and the Disney Resort
will make presentations and take questions from the audience. The forum
begins at 6:45 p.m. in the Portola Pavilion at the Titan Student Union.
…Disneyland Resort annual passholders can pre-purchase the DVD or Blu-Ray
releases of Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End and receive a
promotional limited-edition matte art piece. The single-disc DVD is priced
at $19.99, the 2-disc Limited Edition DVD and the Blu-Ray version are priced
at $24.99. Shipping is $3 per order. Contact Disneyland DelivEARS at 800.362.4533
or via e-mail at dl.delivears@disney.go.com to place your order.
…Just because we’re often asked for these dates, “A Christmas Fantasy”
parade will be presented November 16 through January 6 at Disneyland.
