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News and Views
Fire!
A small electrical fire Saturday morning at the Playhouse Disney show
resulted in the temporary closure of the Hollywood Backlot District, and
a bit more excitement for visitors who had come to ride DCA’s new Tower
of Terror. Three Anaheim fire trucks responded to the fire, which was
reportedly traced to a sign on the exterior of the Playhouse Disney building,
while tourists were evacuated from the area and redirected to other areas
of the park.
Playhouse Disney remained closed after an electrical fire Saturday morning
forced the evacuation of the Hollywood Backlot. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Although the initial report was that the fire was “visible”
on-stage, it generated nothing more than smoke and was quickly extinguished.
Nobody was injured, although the attraction did not reopen Saturday. Reports
differ on how long the Hollywood Backlot was closed, with a DCA cast member
saying the area was closed for no more than 90 minutes, and park visitors
saying the area was closed for over eight hours. The area was definitely
open by 8 p.m., and a special event dinner in the Hollywood and Dine building
proceeded without a problem.
Hints from the 50th
Attendees of the 2004 Celebration of Walt Disney Art Classics convention
got to hear a few of the merchandise plans for the upcoming Disneyland
50th Anniversary celebration. Among the items being developed for the
occassion:
- A six-disc boxed set of music from Disneyland, as well as a new official
park album by Randy Thornton, Walt Disney Records’ award-winning producer.
- A new official Disneyland souvenir book for the anniversary by Imagineer
Bruce Gordon and author Tim O’Day. - A new Disneyland souvenir DVD.
Randy Thornton, Corey Burton and Craig Hodgkins (left to right) address
the Walt Disney Art Classics convention. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Thornton also revealed some of the CD titles to be included in the third
phase of the Wonderland Music Project, scheduled for release in July:
- Tutti Camarata conducts music from The Parent Trap
- Meet Me Down on Mainstreet, with The Mellowmen Barber Shop
Quartet - A Musical Tour of France with Maurice Chevalier
- Hawaiiannette – Annette sings Songs of Hawaii
- Tubby the Tuba
Waiting for the ship to come in
Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn and Councilwoman Janice
Hahn were among the officials present to formally announce that the Disney
Cruise Line will make the Port of Los Angeles its temporary home when
the Disney Magic comes to the West Coast in May 2005.
Admiral Mickey arrives at the Port of Los Angeles. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The Hahns were joined by Admiral Mickey Mouse and
Sailor Minnie Mouse, as well as Scott Tanner, director of travel industry
sales for the Disneyland Resort, and members of the Disneyland Band.
Scott Tanner (left, next to Mickey) and LA Mayor Jim Hahn (right, next
to Minnie), announce that the Disney Magic is making the Port of Los Angeles
its temporary home. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Councilwoman Hahn said that the Port of Los Angeles
would soon be known as the Happiest Port on Earth, and related that she
and Mayor Hahn had been at Disneyland’s opening day nearly 50 years ago.
Mayor Hahn spoke of the economic impact the Disney cruises would have
on the local area, generating $2 million in spending and $500,000 in wages
for the city.
Councilwoman Janice Hahn introduces her granddaughter McKenna to Minnie
Mouse. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Mayor Hahn noted that the Los Angeles World Cruise Center is currently
the second largest in the state. “We want it to be number one, and
Disney is going to help us get there,” he said.
Scott Tanner presents the first boarding pass to Mickey and Minnie. Photo
by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The Disney Cruise Line will begin operations from the Port of Los Angeles
on May 28, 2005, when the first of 12 seven-day cruises departs for the
Mexican Rivera. The Disney Magic returns
to its home port in Florida in August.
Walk this way
The Disney VoluntEARS Walk Team invites MousePlanet readers to join Disneyland
Resort Cast Members in an upcoming walk to raise money for the AIDS Services
Foundation of Orange County:
The Disneyland Resort VoluntEARS are putting together their seventh Disneyland has always reached out to the community and this is It’s really easy to join the Team. Simply visit www.aidswalk.org/oc We’d love to invite your readers to join us. Together we can make |
In addition to signing up as an official VoluntEAR, MousePlanet readers
are invited to join Team MousePlanet informally for the walk. Our team,
which will be led at the event by MousePlanet staff Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix,
will be unofficial, and not registered as a formal group with the event.
Team MousePlanet is a casual group that provides support, encouragement
and camaraderie for those wishing to lead a healthy lifestyle. Follow
Team MousePlanet on our MousePad
discussion board.
Mickey’s new Mini
Mickey Mouse has some new wheels. A new mouse-themed Mini Cooper has
arrived at the Disneyland Resort. The car is an official company vehicle,
and will be used in park cavalcades and to shuttle VIPs around the area.
Keep your eyes peeled for Mickey’s new ride. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The custom-decorated car is so new it doesn’t have license plates yet—Disney
is still waiting for word from the DMV if the vanity plate they want is
available.
Corrections
In the May 3 Update, we provided incorrect requirements for children
riding attractions alone. A cast member sent in this correction about
the new policy.
“To ride alone you must be at least 7 years old. This is verified
of course by simply asking the Guest how old they are. If you’re under
7, you must be accompanied by a ‘responsible party,’ that’s at least
16 years old or 54 inches tall. Most of the rides have more specific
requirements that require the responsible party to be in the same row,
or perhaps same vehicle as the child. This can create issues if there
aren’t enough responsible parties to share a row/vehicle with each child.
In that case they’d have to do the standard child switch procedure.”
In the May 3 Update, we incorrectly reported about what online Fastpass
vouchers could be redeemed for if the park had run out of Tower of Terror
passes. The vouchers may be redeemed for Fastpass tickets to Grizzly River
Run or California Screamin’.
Got any interesting news or rumors? Contact us
here.
Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Disneyland
- Peter Pan’s Flight closed through May 28.
- Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through closed indefinitely.
- Space Mountain closed through 2005.
Disney’s California Adventure
- Superstar Limo closed indefinitely.
- Francis’ Lady Bug Boogie closed indefinitely.
Future Closures
- Alice in Wonderland closed June 1 – July 3.
- Sleeping Beauty Castle closed June 21 – October 2.
- Snow White’s Scary Adventures closed August 23 – September
11. - Enchanted Tiki Room closes September 8 – October 30.
- Haunted Mansion closed September 13 – October 1 for installation
of Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay. - Matterhorn Bobsleds closed September 13 – November 5.
Disneyland Resort Hotels
- Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel Pool closed May 3–8.
- Disneyland Hotel Grand Ballroom closed July 2–16.
- Disneyland Hotel Convention Center lobby, upper level &
lower level closed July 16 – September 1.
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
May
- Grad Nights: 20, 27
June
- Grad Nights: June 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17
September
- 2004 Haunted Mansion Holiday Event Thursday, September 30.
Reservations will be accepted at the Disney Gallery Web site (link).
May 24 at 9:00 a.m. PDT.
October
- CHOC Walk – this fun-walk through Disneyland park is a
fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (link).
October 3.
May, 2005
- Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary celebration begins May 5.
Current Discounts & Promotions
50th Anniversary Package
If you book a three-night resort stay at any of the Disneyland Resort
hotels during the 50th anniversary promotion, your package includes a
four-day Park Hopper ticket, a special 50th anniversary commemorative
clock and a Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour.
The “50th Celebration Package” is available only for
three-night stays, with arrival dates May 5 through December 31, 2005.
The package can be booked through the Disneyland Web site (link),
or by calling (714) 520-5060
The Disney Treasures offer for APs
Annual Passholders can receive a copy of The Disney Treasures book,
worth $60, when they apply for a Disney Visa card. The book will be mailed
after the cardholder uses the new account. Apply by phone at 1-800-640-5306,
and mention card code 26FF.
Car rental discounts
Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders save up to 20 percent on car rentals
from Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental. Restrictions apply—get
full details and the necessary discount codes on the Annual Passholder
Web site (link).
Anaheim Angels tickets
Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders can save 50 percent off the regular
price of tickets for the following home games of the Anaheim Angels baseball
team, which plays at nearby Angel Stadium of Anaheim (formerly Edison
Field):
- Baltimore Orioles: Saturday, May 22, 7:05 p.m.
- Cleveland Indians: Friday, June 4, 7:05 p.m.
- Oakland Athletics: Monday, June 21, 7:05 p.m.
- Boston Red Sox: Thursday, July 15, 7:05 p.m.
- Seattle Mariners: Sunday, August 1, 1:05 p.m.
Prices are: Terrace Box, $12.50 (reg. $25); Lower View Box, $7.50 (reg.
$15); and Upper View, $6.00 (reg. $12).
Although there is no limit to how many tickets a passholder can purchase,
you must use mail or fax in the order form provided at the Annual Passholder
Web site, and you cannot purchase these tickets online or obtain them
at the ticket window on the day of the game. See the passholder Web site
for details (link).
AAA-Disney’s Resort Magic Packages
If you are a AAA member, you can take advantage of these packages that
include hotel nights and theme park tickets, along with extra ammenities:
- 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.
- New – Preferred seating at a choice of select shows in DCA
- 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)
Sample prices include:
AAA Disney’s Resort Magic: Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel for
two nights from $269/adult, $127/ages 10-17, $97/ages 3-9
AAA Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Magic: Jolly Roger Hotel
for two nights from $193/adult, $127/ages 10-17, $97/ages 3-9
These packages require a minimum two-night hotel stay, and are good for
travel between April 18 to July 1, August 29 to November 21 and November
28 to December 23, 2004. You can book this package through your local
AAA affiliate travel agent.
Disney’s AAA Passport Plus Package 2004
If you don’t need a hotel room, the Passport Plus Package offers AAA members
a discount on Park Hopper tickets, and comes with extra benefits:
- 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:
- 5-day: $129 (children: $99)
- 6-day: $159 (children: $129)
- 7-day: $184 (children: $149)
An additional handling fee of $10 is charged per mailing address. These
tickets are available to AAA members only when purchased through AAA offices.
AAA ticket offers
For shorter stays, AAA offers 2- and 5-day tickets for the Disneyland
Resort:
- 2-day adult Flex Passport $98 (children: $78)
- 5-day adult Flex Passport $129 (children: $99)
These tickets include free parking (the back of the passports note the
free parking, so you will need the passport with you when you park your
car).
CityPass
The Southern California CityPass 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 either the world-famous San Diego Zoo or San Diego
Wild Animal Park
- 1-day ticket to Knott’s Theme Park (includes a free Knott’s Berry
Farm T-shirt with each child’s City Pass)
The CityPass is $172 ($129 for children).
You can purchase the Southern California CityPass with Walt Disney Travel
Company packages. 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 for an additional
charge of $47 per pass ($32 per pass for children 3 through 9).
Note: The Southern California CityPass 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.
Park Schedule/Blockout Dates
DL: Disneyland
DCA: Disney’s California Adventure
Annual Pass blockout dates: SoCal – Southern
California Annual Pass. Sel – Southern California Select Annual Pass.
DX – Deluxe Annual Pass.
Sun | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat |
| 5/17 | 5/18 | 5/19 | 5/20 | 5/21 | 5/22 | |
DL 10a–8p | DL 10a–8p | DL 10a–8p | DL 10a–8p | DL 9a–11p | DL 8a–Mid | |
| 5/23 | 5/24 | 5/25 | ||||
DL 8a–11p | DL 9a–8p | DL 9a–8p |
Visit our Annual
Passholders Blockout Dates 2004 page to see more dates.
Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule
for May 10 to 16 at Disneyland.com here.
