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News and Views

Let
it Snow

Snow White and Prince Charming sing to the audience at the Fantasyland Theater
during one of the first public dress rehearsal performances of Snow White –
An Enchanting New Musical show last week. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disneyland
held the first dress rehearsal “soft-opening” performances of Snow
White – An Enchanting New Musical last week. MousePlanet readers who
attended one of the preview performances gave mixed reviews. One reader said,
“It’s very magical, almost entrancing,” while another said, “The
sets and mirror are great, but the plot is not there.”

By all accounts,
several major effects were missing from these preview performances. By the time
the show makes its formal debut in two weeks, the entire concept could be turned
on its ear. For now, you can see photos from the first public performance (link),
but check back for our coverage of the official opening weekend.

Lights,
Tower, Action

The anti-triskaidekaphobics were out in full force at Disney’s
California Adventure on Friday, February 13 for the official lighting of the park’s
newest E-ticket, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, in the Hollywood Pictures
Backlot.

But this was no ordinary lighting. Unlike other areas of the resort,
the Tower of Terror lights aren’t powered by imagination nor by Hewlett-Packard.
In a nod to Monsters Inc., this runs on screams.

But even Disney
can’t control the when the sun will set, so prior to the lighting, a sextet of
musicians in bell hop uniforms performed ’30s-era tunes while waiting for night
to approach. Then wacky comedian Gallagher revved up the crowd, sans his traditional
watermelon and sledgehammer. The former gubernatorial candidate was told he could
only bring things that wouldn’t hurt anyone, so he used a tennis racket to toss
streamers, candy bars and marshmallows into the crowd—the custodial department
probably had a great time scraping up the sticky residue from the area outside
the Hyperion Theater.

Gallagher tries to give the crowd a sugar high. Photo by David Michael.

As
dusk approached, three amateur screamers tested their lung power before being
joined by Jill Drake, the Guinness Book of World Records holder for the
“loudest scream,” who was brought in from England for the occasion (Drake’s
scream reached 129 decibels, louder than a train whistle). If the screams were
loud enough an old-fashioned elevator set up on the stage as a “scream-o-meter”
would reach 13 (which also represents the number of floors guests will plummet
down while on the attraction) and the lights would turn on.

Two blood-curdling
screams later, the arrow reached 13 and sparks flew out of the sign on top of
the tower.

Like a scene out of Monsters Inc., The Tower of Terror is powered by the
screams of Jill Drake. Photo by David Michael.

For those guests who have
been to the attraction in Florida, or even just seen the outside of it, there
is an immediate difference in the outer look of the two attractions. The one at
DCA is considered (Southwestern Native American) Pueblo deco, according to Barry
Braverman, senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), who added
that Tower of Terror was high on the list for one of the first attractions to
be added to DCA.

The story centers on a dark and stormy Halloween night
in 1939 at the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Four guests and a bellhop entered the elevator,
but never made it to their destination. The building was hit by lightning and
the five were sent into the “Twilight Zone.”

Park guests have
a chance to make the same journey via a dilapidated service elevator. But only
the Imagineering department knows what happens once the doors close.

“[We
have] a new special effect not in Florida,” Braverman told MousePlanet. “It
involves the guest in a way that is quite unexpected, quite amazing, mysterious
and equally dazzling to the ‘disappearing’ hallway—which is here, [too].”

“This
ride represents the best of Imagineering’s art form, blending storytelling, theming,
technology, physical experiences—you are immersed in this storyline,”
said Braverman, who added that he is a big fan of the original Twilight Zone
TV series (his favorite episode is “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” with William
Shatner).

“It is exactly the same story [as in Florida],” noted
Cory Sewelson, senior show producer at WDI and leader of creative development
for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. “It has the same suspenseful aspects
of the ‘Twilight Zone.’”

So when guests come the park in early May,
Braverman said they won’t have a hard time finding the new attraction.

“Guests
will be able to hear the screams as soon as they enter the park,” he said.

Gimme
a D! Gimme a C! Gimme an A!

What’s that spell? A potential headache for
tourists planning to visit DCA this spring. The United Spirit Association is holding
several Nationals events at the Disneyland Resort. The competitions are scheduled
for the weekends of February 21 to 22, March 19 to 21, March 26 to 28 and April
9 to 10.

Because the Fantasyland Theater has been turned over to the Snow
White production, the cheerleaders will instead compete inside DCA’s Hyperion
Theater. Performances of Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular will be cancelled
during these events.

[Note: Although the cheerleaders will be out in force
during this spring’s MouseAdventure, MousePlanet’s signature event takes places
across the esplanade at Disneyland. We do not expect there to be any conflict.]

Ears
to the Ground

…In what appears to be a permanent change for the remainder
of the off-season, Friday and Sunday showtimes for Fantasmic have been changed
to 8:30 and 9:30. [Note: This item originally reported that Saturday showtimes
had changed as well, that was incorrect.]

Current
Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Indiana
  Jones Adventure closed through April 2.
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
  closed through February 19.
• Mark Twain Riverboat rehab extended,
  originally through February 9, but still closed.
• Sleeping Beauty Castle
  walk-through closed indefinitely.
• Space Mountain closed through
  2005.
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed through March 9.
• Tomorrowland
  Railroad Station closed through February 22.
• Autopia –
  Fastpass unavailable through February 22.

Disney’s California
Adventure

• Orange Stinger closed through March 12.
• Superstar
  Limo closed indefinitely (rumored to reopen May 4).

Future Attraction
Closures

• Dumbo closed March 8 to April 1
• Peter
  Pan’s Flight closed April 19 to May 22.
• Enchanted Tiki Room
  closes in September for a two-month rehab.

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.

Park Events

February

• Snow
  White – An Enchanting Musical premieres February 23; dress rehearsal
  “soft opening” previews began February 9.
• Snow White
  – An Enchanting Musical “Reserved” Annual Passholder showtimes
  February 23 to 27 & 29 at 6:00 p.m.

April

• Tower
  of Terror event, details available at the Disney Gallery Web site (link).
  April 22 & 23.

May

• Twilight Zone Tower
  of Terror Opening at DCA. May 4.
• A Celebration of Walt Disney
  Art Classics – “A Disney Blast to the Past” May 14 to 16.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Disney’s
Passport Plus Package for 2004 includes:

• Disneyland Resort Park
  Hopper Ticket
• $10 ESPN Zone Arena Game Card
• Preferred Seating
  at select shows in Disney’s California Adventure Park
• California Diamond
  Fun Book (one per package)
• Free parking at Disneyland Resort Theme Parks
  

Prices are as follows:

• 5-day: $129 (children: $99)
• 6-day:
  $159 (children: $129)
• 7-day: $184 (children: $149)

An additional
handling fee of $10 will be charged per mailing address.

New SoCal Salute
announced; two parks, two days at one-day price

The Disneyland Resort
is offering a new version of the Southern Californian resident salute through
Friday, April 30. Residents may spend a day at Disneyland and a day at Disney’s
California Adventure for the price of a one-day ticket.

Eligible residents
can purchase up to five “2fer” tickets per day with proof of Southern
California residency (zip codes 90000 through 93599, or Northern Baja California
residents within zip codes 21000 through 22999; valid ID required). “2fer”
tickets are priced at the regular one-day ticket prices for the Disneyland Resort
theme parks—$47 for ages 10 and up, $37 for ages 3 through 9—and are
available at Resort ticket booths as well as at the Disneyland Web site (link).

The first day of use must occur on the date of purchase; the second day
of use must occur within 30 days of purchase or before April 30, whichever occurs
first.

New AAA tickets

AAA announced new ticket plans for the Disneyland
Resort:

• 2-day adult Flex Passport $98 (children: $78)
• 5-day
  adult Flex Passport $129 (children: $99)

The new prices took effect
December 24, 2003, and all tickets include free parking.

Disney’s Wildfire
Heroes Salute

“Disney’s Wildfire Heroes Salute” entitles active
California firefighters, law enforcement and rescue personnel, with proper organization
and photo ID, to one free three-day park hopper ticket. They can also make a one-time
purchase of up to five three-day park hopper companion tickets for $39 each. Discounted
hotel rates are also available at the three Disneyland Resort hotels.

The promotion is valid through March 31, except for blackout dates of February
14 to 16. For more details, visit Disneyland’s Disney’s Wildfire Heroes Salute
Web page (link)
or call (714) 520-5069.

Annual Passholders nights at the Disneyland Resort
hotels

Annual passholders can book a room at the Paradise Pier hotel for
$59. This offer is valid only on Sunday nights, through March.

Annual Passholders
can also book rooms at the Paradise Pier hotel for $79 a night, Sunday through
Thursday.

Weekend rates and discounts for the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s
Grand Californian are higher. Make reservations at 714-956-MICKEY, and ask for
rate plan APN. Note: these offers run concurrently. If your trip includes
a Sunday night stay, be sure to ask for the lower rate for that night.

Get
5 days and 4 nights for the price of 3

Book a package at the Disneyland
Resort for a minimum four-nights through the Walt Disney Travel Company, and the
package price includes one night’s free accommodations at participating hotels.
Your package will also include a five-day Disneyland Resort park hopper ticket
for the price of a three-day Disneyland Resort park hopper ticket. Click
here for a list of participating hotels and dates.

City Pass available
with AAA packages

You can purchase the Southern California City Pass with
Walt Disney Travel Company packages.

A Southern California City Pass booklet
includes admission to five separate entertainment options:

• 3-day Disneyland
  Resort Park Hopper Ticket
• 1-day ticket to Sea World Adventure park
• 1-day
  ticket to the World-famous San Diego Zoo
• 1-day ticket to Knott’s Theme Park.
  

Instead of the Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket currently included
in California packages from the Walt Disney Travel Company, guests can select
a Southern California city’s for an additional charge of $47 per pass ($32 per
pass for children 3 through 9).

Note: The Southern California City’s does
not include the $10 ESPN Zone Arena Game Card, or the California package’s
feature that allows guests to collect multiple Fastpass tickets at once for free
in advance.

AAA-Disney’s Resort Magic Package

This package requires
a minimum 2-night hotel stay, and includes:

• Accommodations at Disney’s
  Paradise Pier Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel, or Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel
  
• Disneyland Resort Hotel self-parking and Fitness Center access
• Disneyland
  Resort Park Hopper Ticket – valid for entry into Disneyland park and Disney’s
  California Adventure park with full park-hopping privileges
• Free ESPN Zone
  Arena Game Card – $10 value (one per person)
• New. Collect Fastpass tickets
  for multiple attractions at one time. Preferred Seating at a choice of select
  shows in Disney’s California Adventure
• Exclusive – Walt Disney Travel
  Company collectible pin and lanyard (one per person)
• Exclusive – Walt
  Disney Travel Company California Fun Book (one per package)
• Exclusive –
  Disneyland Resort Magical Pocket Guide (one per package)

You can book
this package through your local AAA affiliate travel agent.

Park Hours/Blockout Dates

DL: Disneyland

DCA: Disney’s California Adventure
Annual Pass blockout dates: SoCal
– Southern California Annual Pass. DX – Deluxe
Annual Pass

Visit our Annual
Passholders Blockout Dates 2003-2004 page to see more dates.

Entertainment Schedule