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Disneyland Park Update

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Update for February 4 – 10, 2008

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

News and Views

Disney dreaming | 2008 Food and Wine Festival | Hotel strike threat | MouseAdventure registration update | This and That

Disney dreaming

Disneyland’s Year of a Million Dreams promotion got a media boost this week with the debut of the Disneyland Dream Suite. An overnight stay in the 2,600-square-foot suite is one of the big new prizes in the 2008 version of the promotion. The first “official” winner of the overnight stay was Christine Terwilliger of Salem, Oregon, but you have 260 more chances before December 31, 2008 to win your own chance to stay in the Dream Suite. In the meantime, MousePlanet’s Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix has posted an extensive photo tour of the suite for your enjoyment (link). Disney.com is also hosting a contest during the month of February to award an overnight stay to one winner. Visit the official contest Web site (link) for more information and to submit your daily entry.


Christine Terwilliger of Salem, Oregon (fourth from left) poses just outside the Disney Dream Suite. Photo © Disney.

Another dream came true last week when Jenifer Greenwell of St. Petersburg, Florida came to Disneyland to accept the grand prize in the “Become a Disney Pirate” sweepstakes, hosted in 2006 to promote the DVD release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. As the grand prize winner, Jenifer’s portrait will appear in the queue of Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction for one year. You can read additional coverage of the ceremony at this link.


Jenifer Greenwell and Jim Crouch, flanked by Disneyland pirates, pose with the original painting of “Mademoiselle Greenwell.” Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

Disneyland hosted its first Dream Time event last week, and several MousePlanet readers were able to win tickets to the after-hours event. Reader Terry, who contributed his impressions of the first DCA Dream Time event for last week’s Update, wrote in again with his experience from the Disneyland event.

It wasn’t difficult to find the Dream Team passing out the lanyards. They were stationed at Snow White’s Wishing Well from 11:30 to almost 2 p.m. and also gave them out at Small World mall, Big Thunder exit and Splash exit. We were able to pick up a few extra lanyards and invited others to join us. A Dream Team manager said that they only passed out 2000 instead of 3000 because they had a lot of complaints from the first event where the entire party wasn’t together when the lanyards were passed out so they declined them or didn’t use them. This time, if a group tried to decline, they were told each invite could accommodate up to 4 people. This info wasn’t on the pass and we heard it second hand but did try it by inviting a few others to join us. We were 1 lanyard short for our group and when we got to the festival arena they asked for his lanyard, said we were told we could bring “guests” and then waved right thru.

As for the event, we decided to use it to ride the Fantasyland dark rides, so headed immediately to Peter Pan, Toad, Alice, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Snow White, Pan again just because there was NO one in line, Big Thunder (twice without exiting), then on to finish with Mansion. We had a great time and we saw no lines or problems anywhere (but we didn’t go near Tomorrowland so can’t comment about subs or Space Mtn)… An example: As we boarded Alice, the teacups were running with only 1 family aboard a single teacup and no one else around. All in all, it was truly a fun event and worth braving the chilly night for (just like the old days of the private parties). One hour isn’t enough though, it really should be a 2 hour event to balance the half hour of having to stand around waiting in the backlot or festival arena with no where to sit listening to lame versions of the macarena/etc. We got a lot of rides in by doing the short rides. I’m sure some families probably ONLY got to do one or 2 rides if they chose the subs or pirates or one of the longer rides that eats up more time. We saved Mansion til the end for that reason.

2008 Food & Wine Festival

Disney announced that the third annual Food & Wine Festival will be April 11 through May 5, 2008 at Disney’s California Adventure, and several additions and changes have been made to the event. The line-up of ticketed events seems to have expanded once again, starting with the new “Taste Wine Like an Expert” seminar led by Master Sommelier Michael Jordan of the Grand Calfornian Resort’s Napa Rose restaurant. “Festival Wine Receptions” will offer wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres, along with reserved seating for Disney’s Electrical Parade.

The Napa Rose Cooking School and Winemaker Dinners return this year, as will the Taste of California Marketplace. The “Taste” event has been moved from opening night, and is now the grand finale of the event. Taste was an annual passholder-only event in 2007, but will now be open to the public. Tickets to the signature events go on sale February 15, and the most popular events are certain to sell out quickly. Additional details will likely be posted to the official event Web site as they become available. (Link)

Hotel strike threat

The Disneyland Resort has begun training non-union cast members to act as housekeepers, valets and dishwashers in the event of a strike by workers at the three Disney-owned hotels on property. A contract between Disney and UNITE HERE Local 681 ended on February 1, 2008. According to the Orange County Register, the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement about where to hold the negotiations for a new contract, and have not yet even begun to discuss the actual contract provisions. According to the OCR article, HERE claims that Disney is retaliating against the union because of the group’s support of a residential development project proposed last year by SunCal.

A Disney spokesperson told the Orange County Register that the union has not yet accepted an offered contract extension, though union workers are still on the job at all three Disneyland Resort hotels. In the interim, Disneyland Resort managers, who in 2006 trained as ride operators in preparation for a possible strike by theme park workers, are now preparing to make beds and park cars, and anxious vacation planners are wondering if they should be looking for rooms in hotels not impacted by a possible strike.

MouseAdventure registration update

There is still room for first-time teams to register for the inaugural MouseAdventure 101 division, designed exclusively for new teams and players (returning teams should not register for this division). Registration for the Basic and Advanced divisions of the Spring 2008 MouseAdventure sold out in a record 30 hours. The Spring event will be held on Sunday, April 13 at the Disneyland Resort. Additional details about this event are available on our MouseAdventure information page. (Link)

This and That

… Disneyland is recognizing the “Year of the Mouse” with a photo location in Town Square. Mickey and Minnie will don Asian-inspired costumes, and signage in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese will explain the history and celebration of the Lunar New Year.

… Eli Manning, the quarterback for the New York Giants football team and winner of yesterday’s Super Bowl XLII against the heavily favored and unbeaten New England Patriots, was selected as the game’s official Most Valuable Player to utter the famous “I’m going to Disneyland!” slogan after yesterday’s big game. Manning makes an official appearance at Disneyland today, February 4 and be recognized in a Noon parade down Main Street, and can likely be spotted around the park throughout the day with a camera crew in tow. We’ve heard he will also spend Monday evening in the Disneyland Dream Suite.
Update @ 11:30 AM PST: Apparently Eli Manning missed his flight and so will not be appearing at Disneyland today. We haven’t yet heard whether his appearance will be rescheduled or simply cancelled.

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.

February 2008

  • The Aristocats Special Edition DVD release – Tuesday, February 5. (link) The DVD will be offered at $19.99 through March 3, 2008.
  • Disneyland Resort Pin Trading Night – Friday, February 8 at the Paradise Pier hotel ballroom. (Link)
  • Disneyland Martial Arts Festival – Saturday, February 16 (link)
  • Peter Pan 55th Anniversary product release and signing – Saturday, February 23 (link)

March 2008

  • 101 Dalmatians 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD Release – Tuesday, March 4. (link) The DVD will be offered at $19.99.
  • Disneyland Resort Pin Trading Night – Sunday, March 9 at the Paradise Pier hotel ballroom. (Link)
  • Pixar Play Parade debut at Disney’s California Adventure – Friday, March 14 at 5:15 p.m.
  • Robert Olszewski Product Release & Signing – Saturday, March 29 (link)

April 2008

  • Julie Andrews appearance and book signing – Tuesday, April 8 (link)
  • Disney’s California Food & Wine Weekends – April 11 through May 5, 2008 (link)
  • MouseAdventure – Sunday, April 13 (link)

Spring-Summer 2008

  • 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





  2/4 2/5 2/6 2/7 2/8 2/9
 
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 9a–7p
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–9p
SL/SC
2/10 2/11 2/12 2/13 2/14 2/15 2/16

DL: 9a–11p
DCA: 10a–10p
SL
DL: 9a–10p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8p
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 8a–12a
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 8a–12a
DCA: 10a–9p
SL/SC
2/17 2/18 2/19 2/20 2/21 2/22 2/23

DL: 8a–12a
DCA: 10a–10p
SL/SC/DX
DL: 8a–12a
DCA: 10a–8p
SL/SC
DL: 9a–10p
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 9a–10p
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 9a–10p
DCA: 10a–8p
DL: 9a–12a
DCA: 10a–9p
DL: 8a–12a
DCA: 10a–10p
SL/SC
2/24 2/25 2/26 2/27 2/28 2/29 3/1

DL: 8a–12a
DCA: 10a–10p
SL/SC/DX
DL: 10a–8a
DCA: 10a–6p
SL/SC
DL: 10a–8a
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8a
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 10a–8a
DCA: 10a–6p
DL: 9a–12a
DCA: 10a–10p
DL: 8a–12a
DCA: 10a–10p
SL/SC

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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