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Disneyland Park Update

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Update for January 7 – 13, 2008

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

News and Views

Another year, another 2Fer | 2008 Disney Dreams giveaway | Art of Disney Theme Parks exhibit | New Indiana Jones LEGO toys | 101 Dalmatians at the El Capitan Theater | NFFC January event | 2008 convention calendar | Virtual MouseAdventure winners

Another year, another 2Fer

The Disneyland Resort is once again offering a special ticket for visitors who live in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. For the price of a one-day, one-park ticket, the 2008 “Southern California 2Fer Ticket” offers admission to Disneyland on one day and Disney’s California Adventure on a second day ($66 for adults and $56 for children ages 3 to 9).

Revised 1/8/08: The original announcement for this promotion did not include any mention of the discounted park hopper ticket that was offered in 2007, but the Disneyland Web site now lists a “Southern California 2-Day Park Hopper Ticket” for $91 for adults / $81 for ages 3-10. This is $25 more than the 2Fer ticket and allows you to visit both Disneyland and DCA on the same day. The offers includes much the same fine print as previous promotions:

  • Tickets valid for Southern California residents within Zip codes 90000-93599 and Northern Baja California residents within Zip codes 21000-22999.
  • Proof of residency required.
  • The 2Fer ticket is valid for one day at Disneyland park and another day at Disney’s California Adventure park , but not for both parks on the same day. The 2-Day Park Hopper Ticket may be used at both parks on the same day.
  • Tickets expire 30 days from first visit. First visit must occur between January 7, 2008 and April 24, 2008.
  • Each use constitutes one full day of use.
  • Limit 8 tickets per person, per day with valid ID.
  • Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use.
  • Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions.
  • Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

You can purchase these tickets at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths, as well as Disneyland Resort Hotels, Vons stores, The Disney Stores, South Coast Plaza Disney Desk and Disneyland.com

2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway

The second Year of a Million Dreams promotion began at Disneyland last week, with new versions of the Dream ears, FastPasses and lanyards awarded to visitors at random. The big new prize of the expanded promotion, the overnight stay in the new Disneyland Dream Suite, will be awarded starting January 31.


A kind (but bewildered) winner let us photograph one of the new Dream Fastpasses. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.


The 2008 Dream ears are darker blue and have the year printed on the back. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Art of Disney Theme Parks exhibit

A new “Art of Disney Theme Parks” exhibit opened last Thursday (on January 3) in the exit lobby of The Walt Disney Story. The exhibit features an assortment of original artwork, including pieces that were part of Disneyland’s display at the Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach this summer. The Disney Gallery Web site (link) shows many of the pieces included in the exhibit, though some of the artwork shown is on display at the Disneyana shop on Main Street. The display is very low-key, with a small cash register along one wall and two collectibles cast members on hand to answer questions (and likely to prevent damage to the original artwork).

We’ve been told that this merchandise was destined for the Disney Gallery, but the decision to close the Gallery to make way for the Disney Dream Suite left the merchants with no good place to display and sell the artwork. This temporary exhibit is said to be only a short-term solution until a permanent venue can be secured, but it’s hard to overlook that this is the second time in a year that this attraction has given up space to a store. Earlier this year, a remodel of the Main Street Mad Hatter shop took up half of the attraction’s former exit lobby. Disneyland purists have been mostly silent on the issue—after all, it’s almost expected that an attraction will exit into a store—but they will likely be far more vocal if the merchants turn their sights to The Walt Disney Story’s spacious entrance lobby.


The exit lobby of The Walt Disney Story now serves as a temporary gallery of Disney artwork. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.


A cast member peruses the collection of original Disney artwork. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

New Indiana Jones LEGO toys

The new Indiana Jones LEGO toys are on display at the LEGO shop in Downtown Disney, though the store is currently sold out of all four new sets. You can order the toys through the store, or through the LEGO Web site (link), and have them shipped as soon as they are back in stock.


LEGO collectors check out the new Indiana Jones toys in Downtown Disney. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

101 Dalmatians at the El Capitan Theatre

Disney’s El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood is hosting an exclusive theatrical re-release of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians with digitally restored with enhanced picture and sound from January 18 through 30. Goofy will be on hand live before each screening to introduce the new Goofy short “How to Hook Up Your Home Theatre,” which since it is currently only showing before the rated-PG National Treasure: Book of Secrets, is a great opportunity for younger kids to see it.

Leonard Maltin hosts an opening night filmmaker panel on Friday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m. You can purchase tickets through the El Capitan Theater Web site (link) or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6 (1-800-347-6396).

NFFC January event

The National Fantasy Fan Club’s hosts its Strictly Disneyana Show and Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on January 20, 2008 at the Anaheim Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove (with a smaller pin trading event the night before on January 19), and features hundreds of Disneyana dealers, artists and authors. The Show and Sale is open to NFFC members from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., after which the event is open to the general public. Admission is $5 for NFFC members and $6 for the public. A $1 discount coupon is available on the NFFC Web site. Details are available at the club’s Web site (link).

2008 convention calendar

If you are planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, make sure to visit the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau Web site (link) to see if there are any conventions that may impact hotel pricing, room availability, and park crowds on your preferred travel dates. Here are some of the highlights for Spring 2008:

  • January 17 – 20 – NAMM (International Music Products Association, formerly the National Association of Music Merchants). By far the largest convention in town, the 75,000 NAMM attendees (and their families) fill area hotels and restaurants. This is not a good weekend for last-minute travel, and streets immediately near the convention center will be extremely crowded at times.
  • February 20 – 24 – USA All Stars. This cheer-and-dance competition is based at the Anaheim Convention Center, but groups often visit Disneyland during their trip.
  • February 27 – March 2 – Religious Education Congress. An estimated 40,000 people attend this event at the Anaheim Convention Center, making hotel rooms scarce.
  • March 1 – 2 – USA Junior Nationals. This competition is hosted at Disney’s California Adventure.
  • March 7 – 9 – USA Spirit & Dance Drill Nationals. This competition is based at the Anaheim Convention Center, but groups often visit Disneyland during their trip.
  • April 28 – May 6 – California Dental Association (30,000 attendees)

Virtual MouseAdventure winners

377 MousePlanet readers entered our first-ever Virtual MouseAdventure, and 56 intrepid players managed to correctly solve all six quests. One lucky winner was selected at random from those 56 players, and we are pleased to award a copy of David Koenig’s latest book, Realityland: True Life Adventures at Walt Disney World to veteran MouseAdventure player Mike Shearin (“Mr. Abominable” on our MousePad discussion boards).

We also hosted a special division of this event for MousePlanet readers who attended MouseFest in Walt Disney World, and Kate Tillan is our grand prize winner. Congratulations to everyone who participated! If you’d like to see how you did, the correct answers are posted on our MousePad discussion boards. (link)

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

Disney’s California Adventure



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.

January 2008

  • National Fantasy Fan Club’s January pin trading event – January 19 at the Anaheim Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove. (link)
  • NFFC’s annual Strictly Disneyana Show and Sale – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. January 20, 2008, at the Anaheim Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove (link), open to NFFC members from 9:00 a.m., open to the general public from 10:30 a.m. Admission is $5 for NFFC members and $6 for the public. A $1 discount coupon is available on the NFFC Web site. (link)

February 2008

  • Unofficial Homeschool Day at Disneyland – Friday, February 1. This event is open to all homeschool and alternative schooling families (link).
  • WDCC “Jailhouse Scene with Dog” Product Release & Signing – Saturday, February 2, (link)
  • Disneyland Martial Arts Festival – Saturday, February 16 (link)
  • Peter Pan 55th Anniversary product release and signing – Saturday, February 23 (link)

March 2008

  • Robert Olszewski Product Release & Signing – Saturday, March 29 (link)

April 2008

  • Julie Andrews appearance and book signing – Tuesday, April 8 (link)
  • MouseAdventure – Sunday, April 13 (link)

Spring-Summer 2008

  • Disney’s California Food & Wine Weekends – Spring (dates not yet announced) (link)
  • The Disney Magic cruise ship returns to Pacific Ocean itineraries – May 25 to August 17.

August 2008


  • Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – Friday, August 29 to Sunday, August 31 (link)
  • 2008 Disneyland Half Marathon – Sunday, August 31 (link)


Current Discounts & Promotions

Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, 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 that 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 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).

One Day, One Park Regularly $66/$56

One Day Park Hopper Regularly $91/$81

Southern California 1–Day Park Hopper – Disney is not currently offering a discounted Southern California 1-Day Park Hopper at the Web site. Southern California AAA offices and Vons Supermarkets may be selling these tickets, but call ahead to confirm. Proof of residency will be required when redeeming them at Disneyland (Vons will happily sell you the ticket voucher regardless of where you are from but you still need to be an appropriate resident to use it. If you do see these available anywhere, e-mail us to let us know.

Two Day Park Hopper Regularly $132/$112

Southern California 2Fer Ticket
$66 / $56

2008 “Southern California 2Fer Ticket” ($66 / $56) – Offers admission to Disneyland on one day and Disney’s California Adventure on a second day for the price of a one-day, one-park ticket. The tickets are available for sale at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths, as well as Disneyland Resort Hotels, Vons stores, The Disney Stores, South Coast Plaza Disney Desk and Disneyland.com, and the following restrictions apply:

  • Tickets valid for Southern California residents within Zip codes 90000-93599 and Northern Baja California residents within Zip codes 21000-22999.
  • Proof of residency required.
  • Admission valid for one day at Disneyland park and another day at Disney’s California Adventure park , but not for both parks on the same day.
  • Tickets expire 30 days from first visit. First visit must occur between January 7 and April 24, 2008.
  • Each use constitutes one full day of use.
  • Limit 8 tickets per person, per day with valid ID.
  • Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use.
  • Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions.
  • Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

AOCVCB 2-Day Bonus Ticket ($119/$100) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $3 (adult) and $2 (child) and shipping on all orders is at least $10 (link). So if you are ordering more than 10 days in advance and your discount would be less than $10, you’ll still come out ahead by ordering at the Disneyland Web site.

Three Day Park Hopper Regularly $189/$159

Advance Purchase 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($169/$139) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. Available at the Disneyland Web site (link) where shipping is included if you order more than 10 days prior to your travel date. Also available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and certain travel agents may also sell these tickets. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. “Bonus Tickets” include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value)

Advance Purchase 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($169/$139)

2008 “2 Days Free” offer – Buy a 3-day Parkhopper ticket and receive a 5-day Parkhopper Bonus ticket which includes one Early Entry admission. The Spring promotion is available starting January 7, and you must purchase tickets in advance, as this offer is not valid at the Disneyland Resort ticket booth. You must use your ticket for the first time on or before April 24 and its expires 13 days after first use or on May 7, 2008, whichever occurs first.

Southern California CityPass ($235/$189) – This pass includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort park ticket (including one early-entry day), and single-day admission to either San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park, as well as SeaWorld San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood. The CityPass expires 14 days after first use at any location. Purchase CityPass through the Disneyland Web site (link) or onsite at the ticket booths of Disneyland Resort or the other theme parks included in the pass. You can also purchase directly from the CityPass Web site (link) though this has a minimum $7.50 shipping charge (no shipping charge from the Disney Web site if purchased more than 10 days in advance).

You can also purchase the Southern California City Pass online from Costco at a cost of $209.99/$169.99 (adults/child), 5% surcharge if not a Costco member, and shipping fees apply. Booklets may be available for sale in some stores but varies widely. If you want to buy in person it would be best to call ahead and confirm availability. If you do buy at a Costco, you will initially purchase a large plastic container that you must trade for ticket books prior to leaving Costco!

AOCVCB 3-Day Bonus Ticket ($155/$126) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $4 (adult) and $3 (child) and shipping on all orders is at least $10. So if you are ordering more than 10 days in advance and your discount would be less than $10, you’ll still come out ahead by ordering at the Disneyland Web site. Tickets include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link).

Four Day Park Hopper Regularly $214/$184

Advance Purchase 4–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($184/$154) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. Available at the Disneyland Web site (link) where shipping is included if you order more than 10 days prior to your travel date. Also available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and certain travel agents may also sell these tickets. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. “Bonus Tickets” include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value).

Advance Purchase 4-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($184/$154)

2008 “2 Days Free” offer – Buy a 4-day Parkhopper ticket and receive a 6-day Parkhopper Bonus ticket which includes one Early Entry admission. The Spring promotion is available starting January 7, and tickets must be purchased in advance – this offer is not valid at the Disneyland Resort ticket booth. 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.

AOCVCB 4-Day Bonus Ticket ($174/$145) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 (adult) and $4 (child) and shipping on all orders is at least $10 Tickets include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link).

Five Day Park Hopper Regularly $234/$204

Advance Purchase 5–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($194/$164) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. Available at the Disneyland Web site (link) where shipping is included if you order more than 10 days prior to your travel date. Also available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and certain travel agents may also sell these tickets. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. “Bonus Tickets” include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value).

Advance Purchase 5-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($194/$164)

2008 “2 Days Free” offer – Buy a 5-day Parkhopper ticket and receive a 7-day Parkhopper Bonus ticket which includes one Early Entry admission. The Spring promotion is available starting January 7, and tickets must be purchased in advance – this offer is not valid at the Disneyland Resort ticket booth. 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.

AOCVCB 5-Day Bonus Ticket ($183/$154) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $6 (adult) and $5 (child) and shipping on all orders is $10.

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 Resort Magic and Good Neighbor Magic Packages – Package includes accomodations one of the three resort hotels or at one of 40 Good Neighbor hotels; Souvenir Park Hopper ticket with voucher for admission to Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness, plus one Magic Morning (early entry) for three-day or longer Park Hoppers; preferred seating at four DCA attractions (Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, Muppet*Vision 3D, It’s Tough to be a Bug!, Golden Dreams); Preferred Showing of Turtle Talk with Crush (Priority Viewing at the first Turtle Talk with Crush show of the day, on any one day – one voucher per Guest); Disney Dream coin keepsake (one per package), luggage tag and lanyard with pin; a Downtown Disney Fun Card; and a “Character Call” from Mickey, Minnie, Goofy or Crush. Contact Disney Travel or your favorite travel agent.

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 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 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. This offer is valid only at the Main Gate rental locations at each park.

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.


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

  1/7 1/8 1/9 1/10 1/11 1/12
 
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
SL/SC
1/13 1/14 1/15 1/16 1/17 1/18 1/19

DL: 8a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
SL
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
SL/SC
1/20 1/21 1/22 1/23 1/24 1/25 1/26

DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
SL/SC
DL: 9a–10p
DCA: 10a–8p
SL
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
SL/SC
1/27 1/28 1/29 2/1 2/2 2/3 2/4

DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–9p
SL
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–8p
SL

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.

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