Disneyland Park Update

Update for August 4 – 10, 2008

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News and Views

Earthquake rattles Disneyland Resort and some nerves| Disneyland Resort raises ticket prices | Updated Disneyland Resort Fall refurbishment schedule released | This and That

Earthquake rattles Disneyland Resort and some nerves

[Editor’s note: Given the excess of media coverage for last week’s earthquake that resulted in some minor damage but no deaths or serious injuries, we debated whether to mention it at all. However, since it provides us with an opportunity to look at the way the Disneyland Resort handles emergencies and natural disasters, we are sharing  some observations from our staff and readers who were there during the quake. We hope these reports can illustrate what you might encounter in a similar event while visiting the Disneyland Resort. Our thoughts are with those who suffered any damage or loss from the quake.]

A 5.4 earthquake rattled windows and nerves shortly before noon last Tuesday, prompting temporary evacuations throughout the Disneyland Resort. The quake was centered approximately 20 miles from the Disneyland Resort, and was felt as far away as Las Vegas. MousePlanet’s Jeff Kober was in the balcony of the Golden Horseshoe watching Billy Hill and the Hillbillies when the shaking began, and he said, “Let me tell you, the balcony swayed!” He said that stage lights went out and all the performers ran off the stage. Jeff left the Golden Horseshoe and said that a number of people he observed in Frontierland did not seem to notice the earthquake. “They just kept on eating their churros, and finally someone said ‘did you feel that?’ “

Jeff said that cast members immediately began to shut down the attractions, and were especially diligent with evacuating Tarzan’s Treehouse. Jeff watched as they emptied Pirates of the Caribbean, and said he thought Indiana Jones had been closed all morning prior to the earthquake. Cast members tell us that the standard response following a moderate earthquake is for all attractions to immediately “E stop” (emergency stop), and that each ride is then emptied of passengers according to that attraction’s specific evacuation plan. For some attractions, that means that riders are walked off or out of the ride; for others the ride vehicles are cycled back to the station one at a time. Reports from cast members around the park indicate that every attraction was completely evacuated within about 20 minutes of the quake.

Jeff exited the park to return to his hotel shortly after the earthquake. While he didn’t notice any electrical outages in the resort, the Main Street shops and restaurants had been evacuated pending a building inspection. He noted that main entrance cast members were still allowing guests to enter Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks when he left. He said that he didn’t notice any real concern or panic among other park visitors. “Most everyone was just going along until they began to realize that they weren’t going to get far because the rides weren’t open,” he said.

MousePad discussion forum member “june1st1997” said that she was on Main Street when the shaking started. “Everything was evac[uate]d in minutes. Characters disappeared instantly. No one was allowed on the sidewalks on main street. It was a very well oiled machine. I was impressed,” she said. After the quake ended, she walked toward Coke Corner and observed cast members standing outside all the stores instructing people not to stand on the sidewalk and not to enter the stores. When she left the resort, she said that the World of Disney was open and pretty busy and Rainforest Cafe was open, while Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Express was closed.

MousePad member Malela9 said, “I didn’t feel any shaking, but my family and I were walking into Disney’s California Adventure (under the monorail bridge) when it started. The cables on the bridge started clanging and the sound made me turn around. I didn’t think too much of it until I got to Paradise Pier and all the attractions were closed.”

One MousePlanet reader told us that the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel were briefly evacuated after the quake, but that the Grand Californian Hotel was not evacuated, reportedly because it was built on rollers. She said some cast members were observed handing out balloons to children at the hotel, and that several guests checked out of the hotel early after the quake. The Howard Johnsons Hotel on Harbor Boulevard sent out an e-mail shortly after the quake to alert everyone that the hotel and nearby Mimi’s restaurant were just fine, with no injuries or damage reported.

Less than two hours after the earthquake, Disneyland Resort spokeswoman Lisa Haines issued the following statement: “As a result of today’s earthquake, we are assessing operations at the Disneyland Resort and have found no reports of injury or damage, The safety of our Cast and Guests is our highest priority—and as per our normal operating procedures, we are currently testing all of our attractions. We will reopen our attractions as soon as we can ensure their safe operation—and we will continue to monitor the situation.”

Workers use the “mule” to inspect the Monorail beam after last week’s earthquake. Photo by Ethan Smith.

MousePlanet reader Ethan Smith shared his experience and some photographs from the resort.

My wife and I were in the Five and Dime store in Toontown when the quake hit. I’m a native Californian and have been in several earthquakes, including the quake in 1989 when I was a student at San Francisco State University. This one seemed different to me in that it hit hard and then rolled just a bit. All of the pins and hanging merchandise at the Five and Dime made a clockwise rotation and my wife said, “It’s an earthquake!”

Immediately after the quake we walked out of the building and stood in the open near the fountain by the Roger Rabbit ride. One fellow shouted out, “Welcome to California and our earthquakes,” but not much else was happening and nobody was panicking. The staff at the Five and Dime closed the doors to the shop but opened them again after only 5 to 10 minutes.

Since we weren’t sure if the park was going to be evacuated or if there were going to be aftershocks, we decided to sit in the shade near “it’s a small world.” While we waited, I got a couple of shots of a crew checking the monorail track. Most people were milling around, buying ice cream and wondering how big the quake was during this time. I felt bad for the folks on the Nemo submarines because they just sat there for 10 to 15 minutes

We heard an announcement soon after that the safety of guests and cast were the most important thing to Disney and that attractions would be reopened as soon as it could be determined that nothing was damaged and the attractions were safe to operate. We waited a bit longer and then went to our lunch reservation at the Blue Bayou. Most everything was open again after a couple of hours.

I felt like Disney did a good job. It might have been nice to have heard that the park was not going to be evacuated early on, but how could they have known what was going to happen next? I was amazed to see people lined up at City Hall for refunds. Remember people, acts of God are not Disney’s fault. My biggest complaint was that any hope the Indiana Jones attraction had for opening that day were pretty much dashed by the quake.

From all reports, the majority of the shops, restaurants and attractions at the Disneyland Resort reopened within two hours. MousePad member “with_5” was in line for the Tower of Terror at Disney’s California Adventure when the quake began, and reported that the stores were closed immediately after the quake but that she was able to get lunch. “When we were leaving the park around 1:00, we asked at the information booth about rides re-opening. We were told they should start up again around 2:00 and if we wanted we could get the entire day refunded,” she said. “There were quite a few people in line at Guest Services when we left.”

MousePad member “Foodie” was vacationing from Washington and reported that cast members brought out barriers to block off Paradise Pier from people after the quake and said that Grizzly River Run and Tower of Terror were still closed at 4:00 p.m.

According to a number of individuals, the line for Disneyland’s City Hall extended down Main Street as far as the Crystal Arcade. MousePad member “sthgecko” said, “There was a huge line of people back to Carnation and I joked to my son that [that] was the line to get out. When we saw that the line was to City Hall, all we could think was, ‘You got to be kidding—what do people expect Disney to do?’ Well, we found out. Cast members were going up and down the line and handing out passes good any time for the next two years to those that didn’t want a refund—trying to get them out of the line. It was quite a spectacle. The line at DCA for Guest Services ran all the way across the entry to the locker entrance.”

By Thursday, there was no sign of the previous day’s earthquake at the Disneyland Resort, and all attractions that were not closed for scheduled refurbishment reopened as normal.

Disneyland Resort raises ticket prices

The Disneyland Resort raised ticket prices this weekend, and in an unusual move announced the new prices in advance through a press release issued late Friday afternoon. The new prices went into effect Sunday, August 3:

All four Annual Passports also increased in price $5 or $10:

• Southern California Select: $134 ($5 increase)
• Southern California: $174 ($5 increase)
• Deluxe: $269 ($10 increase)
• Premium: $389 ($10 increase)

As always, the Disneyland Resort will honor tickets you may have purchased before the price increase, so don’t worry that you’ll need to fork over an extra few dollars to use the ticket you purchased last week at the Disney Store.

Updated Disneyland Resort fall refurbishment schedule released

The Disneyland Resort updated the fall refurbishment schedule after we published last week’s park update, and the new information included return dates for several open-ended refurbishments.

According to the new schedule, Fantasmic! returns on November 7 and Pirates of the Caribbean is now scheduled to reopen on November 15. Gadget’s Go Coaster has been removed from the refurbishment schedule entirely. Burger Invasion, Harbor Galley and Conestoga Wagon are all scheduled to reopen on September 27, but at this time we have no information about what will be served from these former McDonald’s locations.

A reader who is a stage technician wrote with some information about the lengthy refurbishment scheduled for the Hyperion Theater, which begins September 2 and continues into December.

The stage rigging and machinery in any theater requires rebuilding on a periodic basis, and the Hyperion is due for one. The rebuild interval is based on both time and usage because the system ages both in operation and just sitting there under tension. A Broadway theater, which sees eight shows a week, and a touring stage, which might see only eight shows a month, have weeks of downtime between shows and can go years between heavy maintenance. The Hyperion, which might see as many as 28 shows every week, burns through its life cycle much faster than a typical theater.

Stage rigging and machinery must provide dozens of individually controllable lift lines in a limited space, unlike a passenger elevator which is engineered and heavily constructed to provide millions of unattended operations without heavy maintenance. The stage must be cleared of fixed scenery, lights must be struck, and scenery must be taken down and stored before linesets, blocks, and pulleys can be replaced. Then, the show has to be put back in again and tested, and any changes made as a result of the rehab rehearsed with the cast.

Another reader sent in some information about the work being done on “it’s a small world.” Most of the flume has been replaced and the new boats are beginning to be delivered to the park. The renovation hit a slight snag when the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health determined that the existing ride operator towers were unsafe and required Disney to replace them. Workers are scheduled to begin refilling the flume on August 20, after which the attraction will begin a 10-week test-and-adjust process. Assuming the testing phase goes smoothly, the current plan is for the attraction to reopen on November 29 with the holiday overlay.
 

This and That

…The first female to be hired by Walt Disney Imagineering, Harriet Burns, passed away at age 79 on July 25. Burns, who worked on such Disneyland attractions as Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Pirates of the Caribbean, died from complications from heart surgery.

…Thanks to the incredibly generous contributions of our readers, Team MousePlanet was in fourth place in fundraising efforts for the 2008 CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park as of press time. This annual event is the single largest fundraising event for Children’s Hospital Orange County, and draws 15,000 participants for a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) walk through the Disneyland Resort. If you wish to walk or raise money with Team MousePlanet, please visit our team Web page (link). To donate or sponsor a Team MousePlanet walker, please visit our MousePad discussion board for more information (link). The current members of Team MousePlanet have set a combined fundraising goal of $1,800 for our inaugural team effort, and we have raised over $700 towards that goal so far!

…Tickets for Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party are now on sale to the general public. The event is a separate ticket costume party at Disney’s California Adventure, and will be hosted October 3, 10, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, and 31. The advance purchase price is $29 per ticket; Annual Passholder can purchase tickets for October 3, 16, 22, 23, 28, and 29 at $25 each. Tickets purchased the day of event are $37 and all tickets for the October 31 event are at that price regardless of advance purchase. (link) The second annual MousePlanet night at Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party is scheduled for October 3rd.

One section of the Department 56 store is being closed to make room for a new tenant. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…Workers set up two construction walls around the Department 56 store in Downtown Disney last week. One section of the store is being closed to make room for a new, unidentified tenant. The second project was to replace the store’s unused 3rd entrance with a display window.

…Downtown Disney vendor “Old Guys Rule” has moved into the former magazine and sundries kiosk originally built for Compass Books near the Disneyland Hotel, and was more recently occupied as another location of the Arribas Bros Crystal shop.

…Ticket and food prices are not the only thing going up at the Disneyland Resort. The cost of a silhouettes went up by $2 or more depending on style, and the frames are slightly more expensive as well. The cost of the premium embroidery offered at the Showcase Shop on Main Street is reportedly going from $7 to $10 per line “any day now.”

…Some cash registers of the Disneyland Resort received a programming update last week, and cast members at most stores will now swipe your Annual Passport through a card reader in order to deduct your discount from a transaction. This new system is said to be designed only to verify that the customer is eligible for the discount, and will not track purchases.

…The resort has also updated its merchandise return policy, and the new fine print can be found on the back of your cash register receipt. The biggest change is that Disneyland no longer accepts returns of items purchased at the World of Disney Store in New York, Disney Store locations, and the Disney Studio Store in Burbank. The new policy states that the Disneyland Resort will now accept returns of items purchased from “Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort owned and operated locations ONLY,” and customers have 90 days to return most items. The Disneyland Resort still will not accept returns of items purchased from Disney outlet stores, DisneyShopping.com and the Disney Cruise Line ships.

The policy slightly rephrases the conditions under which “collectible” or “memorabilia” merchandise may be returned, though those designations are not clearly defined. Pins and bean bag plush are specifically identified as being “collectible” items and must thus be returned within 30 days, but presumably any item marked “Disneyland” could be considered “memorabilia.” Cast members have advised customers that anything marked “limited edition” or “exclusive” may also be considered “collectible” for the purpose of the return policy. As the receipt also now includes language that the policy is “subject to change” without advance notice and for “any or no reason,” it seems that such decisions may now be in the hands of the store leads who must approve each return. If you want to be completely safe, make any returns within 30 days, and be sure to hang on to your original receipt.

…Paloma Esquivel at the Los Angeles Times reported this weekend that the City of Anaheim will spend $90,000 on “tourist-friendly training for police, emergency workers, cab drivers, hotel workers and others in the city’s Resort District, which includes Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney.” (link). 

…Just a reminder that registration for the Fall 2008 MouseAdventure will open next Friday, August 15. If you are a team seeking additional players, or a player looking to form a team, visit our MousePad discussion board for help (link). We expect the Advanced and Basic divisions of this event to sell out in less than two days, so be prepared with your team information as soon as registration begins. Team captains must provide the first and last name for each member of their team, and we do request an e-mail address for each player if at all possible.

 Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• “it’s a small world” – closed for a nine-month refurbishment, and is currently scheduled to reopen on Saturday November 29, 2008. The nearby Toy Shop is also closed during the renovation.
• New Century Timepieces – closed through the first week of October for conversion into the Fortuosity Shoppe.
• Mark Twain Riverboat – closed August 25 to 27
• French Market – closed September 2 to 14 for refurbishment.
• Conostoga Wagon – closed September 2 to 27 for conversion from a McDonald’s french fry outlet into an unspecified food service location.
• Harbor Galley – closed September 2 to 27 for conversion from a McDonald’s French fry outlet into an unspecified food service location.
• Fantasmic! – closed September 2 to November 7.
• Sailing Ship Columbia – closes September 2 to October 25 for refurbishment.
• Haunted Mansion – closed September 8 to 25 to install the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – closed October 13 to November 15 for refurbishment.
• Jungle Cruise – closed October 20-22 for refurbishment.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Flik’s Flyers – closed September 2-12 for refurbishment.
• Hyperion Theater – closes September 2 for refurbishment.
• Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular – closed September 2 to mid-December.
• Sun Wheel – closes September 11 for refurbishment and to install the new Mickey face.
• Burger Invasion – closed September 2-27 for conversion into a non-McDonald’s restaurant.

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.

Spring-Summer 2008

• Disney’s Summer Pin Festival 2008 – Mickey’s Pin Odyssey – June 20 to August 10, 2008 (link).
• The Disney Magic cruise ship returns to Pacific Ocean itineraries – May 25 to August 17.

August 2008

• Pinbassador Pin Release & Signing – Sunday, August 10 (link).
• Registration opens for the Fall 2008 MouseAdventure. The event is Sunday. November 16 at the Disneyland Resort (link)
• Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – Friday, August 29 to Sunday, August 31 (link).
• 2008 Disneyland Half Marathon – Sunday, August 31 (link).

September 2008

• Disney’s HalloweenTime – Friday, September 26 through Sunday, November 2, 2008 (estimated dates).

October 2008

• Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party – October 3, 10, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, and 31. A separate ticket costume party at Disney’s California Adventure. Annual Passholder discounts are available for October 3, 16, 22, 23, 28, and 29. Standard price is $29 per ticket; Annual Passholder price is $25. Tickets purchased the day of event are $37 and all tickets for the October 31 event are at that price regardless of advance purchase. (link)
• MousePlanet night at Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party – Friday, October 3. Come meet some of the MousePlanet staff and your fellow readers at the first Trick or Treat party of 2008. Purchase discount tickets in advance through the Disneyland Web site.
• 11th annual Gays Days at the Disneyland Resort (unofficial event) – Friday, Oct 3 – Sunday, October 5. Event attendance will be higher at Disneyland on Saturday, DCA on Sunday (link).
• 2008 UEA convention – October 16 & 17 (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.’
• CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park – Sunday, October 19 (link) If you’re interested in walking or raising money with Team MousePlanet please visit our team Web page (link). If you would like to donate or sponsor a Team MousePlanet walker, please click here for more information.

November 2008

• Nevada Day (observed) – Friday, October 31 (in Nevada). This state holiday creates a three-day weekend, and many families head to the Disneyland Resort.
• Bats Day in the Fun Park (unofficial event) – November 8 & 9. Join 5,000 goths for the annual celebration. (Link)
• MouseAdventure – Sunday, November 16 at the Disneyland Resort. Registration opens Friday, August 15. (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).

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.

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.

Downtown Disney Patina Restuarant Discounts – Three Downtown Disney restaurants operated by the Patina Group are currently offering lunch and/or dinner specials. Check at the restaurant for menu and price details.

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

Disneyland Special Events:

• MM – Magic Morning
• TT – Toontown Morning Madness
• Grad Nite

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.

Visit the Park Hours section of our Disneyland Park guide for additional details about Magic Morning and Toontown Morning Madness, including available attractions.

Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.