Update for February 18 – 24, 2008
Go directly to: News & Views | Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events | Discounts and Promotions | Park Schedule/Blockout Dates
News and Views
A new House of the Future for Disneyland | 2008 Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival schedule announced | Hotel strike update | This and That
A new House of the Future for Disneyland
The Disneyland Resort has finally unveiled the long-awaited plans for a renovation of the Innoventions building in Tomorrowland. The lower level of the building has been closed for weeks, and cast members have been mum about the work going on inside. In a press release issued last week, Disney announced five-year alliance with Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and home builder Taylor Morrison that will manifest as the Innoventions Dream Home attraction, scheduled to open in May. The Dream Home will introduce the fictional “Elias” family to showcase a variety of current and potential technology. The full press release is available from our MousePad discussion boards. (link)
2008 Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival schedule announced
Tickets for the “Signature” events of the third annual Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival went on sale on February 15th, and none of the events had sold out as of press time. Signature event details and prices are listed below, full details of each event are listed at the official Web site. (link)
Taste
Date: Saturday, May 3, 2008
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Location: Stage 17, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, Disney’s California Adventure Park
Price: $125 per person (tax and gratuity included, no discounts apply)
Celebrity Chef Dinner with Guy Fieri
Date: Sunday, April 27, 2008
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Napa Rose Restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
Price: $185 per person (tax and gratuity included, no discounts apply)
Winemaker Dinners
Dates:
April 11 – Chappellet Winery – Phillip Titus, Winemaker
April 18 – Twomey Cellars – Daniel Baron, Winemaker
April 25 – Nickel & Nickel Single Vineyard Wines – Darice Spinelli, Winemaker
May 2 – Pride Mountain Vineyards – Steve Pride, Proprietor
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel
Price: $125 per person (including tax and gratuity, no discounts apply)
Napa Rose Cooking School
Dates: Saturdays, April 12, April 19, April 26 and May 3
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Napa Rose Restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
Price: $400 per person (including tax and gratuity, no discounts apply)
Festival Wine Receptions
Dates: Friday and Saturday, April 11, April 12, April 18, April 19, April 25 and April 26
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Lower Patio of the Golden Vine Winery
Price: $55 per person (including tax and gratuity, no discounts apply)
Taste Wine Like An Expert with Michael Jordan, M.S.
Dates: Sunday April 13, April 20, April 27 and May 4
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Napa Rose Restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
Price: $45 per person (including tax and gratuity, no discounts apply)
It is also worth noting that this event is no longer limited to weekends. The “Taste of California” Marketplace, as well as the festival wine and gift shops, will be open every day from April 11 to May 5, 2008. The event Web site does not list a detailed schedule for the cooking demonstrations and the wine, beer and spirits seminars, and we are uncertain at this time if those sessions will be held daily as well.
Hotel strike update
Leaders and members of Local 681 of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees (HERE) union staged a rally in front of the Paradise Pier and Grand Californian hotels last Friday to protest the lack of progress in negotiations for a new contract for hotel workers. The previous contract expired on January 31, and so far Disney and the union have been unable to agree even on where to hold the talks. According to the Orange County Register (link), the union insists that the negotiations be held at an on-property location for the convenience of cast members; Disney wants the talks to be held at the union headquarters or at a neutral location. As the two sides continue to argue about where to hold negotiations, cast members continue to work without a contract.
This and That
… Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders can register to win an opportunity to tour the new Disney Dream Suite at Disneyland. To enter, visit the Disneyland Annual Passholder Web site at this link and verify or update your e-mail address and the bar code on your pass. The bar code changes each time you renew your pass, so you will need to provide your most recent bar code number. The tours will be offered March 3-6, and each winning passholder may bring up to five additional passholder guests.
… Disney’s California Adventure is offering Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders the opportunity to attend one of three previews of the new Playhouse Disney show on March 13, 2008 at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. or 3:15 p.m. No advance registration is necessary; just present your valid AP at the attraction entrance before the show. Theater capacity is limited. The attraction officially reopens on March 14. The park is also hosting a “special preview performance” of the new Pixar Play parade for passholders on March 13 at 5:15 p.m. The first official public performance is the following day at 5:15 p.m.
… The New York Times published an extensive preview of the new Toy Story Midway Mania attraction last week. The Disneyland Web site also has an interactive preview page, including concept art and a video interview with Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald. (link)
… Time is running out for first-time teams to register for the inaugural MouseAdventure 101 division, designed exclusively for new teams and players. Registration for the 101 division closes on February 29, 2008 or when the division sells out, whichever comes first. [Note: Registration for the Basic and Advanced divisions of the Spring 2008 MouseAdventure filled up in only 38 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)
Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Disneyland
- “it’s a small world” – closes January 22 for a nine-month refurbishment, and should re-open in late November 2008.
- Jungle Cruise – closed January 28 to March 7 for refurbishment.
- King Arthur Carrousel– closed through April 4 for an unscheduled refurbishment.
- Matterhorn Bobsleds – closed Feb 25 – 27 for refurbishment.
- Carnation Cafe – closed February 25 to 29 for refurbishment
- Mr. Toad’s Wild ride – closed April 21 to 24 for refurbishment.
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed April 28 – May 1 for refurbishment.
- Gadget’s Go Coaster– closed April 28 – May 22 for refurbishment.
Disney’s California Adventure
- Pizza Oom Mow Mow – closed February 7 to March 13 for refurbishment.
- Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! – closed February 12 to March 13 for refurbishment.
- It’s Tough to be a Bug – closed May 12 to 23 for refurbishment.
- Four of the Midway Games on Paradise Pier are open but the rest are closed, with the new Toy Story Mania attraction still under construction and expected to open summer 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.
February 2008
- Peter Pan 55th Anniversary product release and signing – Saturday, February 23 (link)
- Yvette Mandell Trunk Show – Saturday, February 23 at Disney Vault 28 (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. A “special preview” for Annual Passholders is scheduled for March 13 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).
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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. |
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Two Day Park Hopper Regularly $132/$112 Southern California 2Fer Ticket |
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:
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. |
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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). |
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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). |
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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. |
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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
| 2/18 | 2/19 | 2/20 | 2/21 | 2/22 | 2/23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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| 2/24 | 2/25 | 2/26 | 2/27 | 2/28 | 2/29 | 3/1 |
| DL: 8a–12a DCA: 10a–10p SL |
DL: 10a–8a DCA: 10a–6p |
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 |
| 3/2 | 3/3 | 3/4 | 3/5 | 3/6 | 3/7 | 3/8 |
| DL: 8a–12a DCA: 10a–10p SL |
DL: 10a–8a DCA: 10a–6p |
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/DX |
| 3/9 | 3/10 | 3/11 | 3/12 | 3/13 | 3/14 | 3/15 |
| DL: 8a–12a DCA: 10a–10p SL |
DL: 9a–11a DCA: 10a–9p |
DL: 9a–11a DCA: 10a–9p |
DL: 9a–11a DCA: 10a–9p |
DL: 9a–11a DCA: 10a–9p |
DL: 8a–12a DCA: 10a–10p |
DL: 8a–12a DCA: 10a–10p SL/SC/DX |
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.
