Disneyland Resort Update

Update for July 12 – July 18, 2010

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

News and Views

Disneyland celebrates 55 years | D23 announces upcoming events | When Color is cancelled… again | NFFC/Disneyana Fan Club convention | 3rd annual Taste of Downtown Disney | MousePlanet celebrates 10 years | Resort Construction Update | This and That…

Disneyland celebrates 55 years

Disneyland isn’t exactly pulling out all the stops for their 55th Anniversary event, but the date won’t go completely unnoticed as some had feared. The Disney Parks Blog put out a list of events scheduled for this anniversary week and the actual July 17th celebration. From that post:

• Special edition park maps will be available all week.
• Now through July 17, select Disneyland dining locations offer commemorative 55th Anniversary cakes.
• Select merchandise locations will offer 55th Anniversary candy packaging and cupcakes with the 55th Anniversary logo.

On July 17

• At noon the dedication ceremony will take place in Town Square.
• At 4:15 pm join the cast in singing Happy Birthday to our beloved Disneyland.
• Check out the 55th Anniversary Art & Collectible merchandise event with artists Dave Avanzino, Jody Daily, Kevin Kidney and Noah will be held at The Disney Gallery from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Look for a special event taking place at Disney Vault 28 from 2 – 4 pm.
• Wear a smile from “ear to ear” with a special Mickey Mouse Ear Hat featuring premium embroidery that reads “D 55th,” July 17, 2010, available exclusively on July 17.

The Disneyland College Band is also holding a reunion during the anniversary weekend, and will be presenting a special reunion performance on Saturday, time and location to be announced.

D23 announces upcoming events

D23, the “Official Community for Disney Fans,” announced details of three upcoming events:

Star Tours: The Final Flight – July 26, 2010

Get ready to visit a galaxy far, far away one last time! After Disneyland has closed to the general public, D23 Members are invited to take an exhilarating “final flight” to the Moon of Endor before Star Tours suspends departures as it readies for its 2011 reimagining.

You will arrive at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney for your pre-boarding gathering. Guests will check in and receive their commemorative boarding pass for their trip. All guests will receive a strand of intergalactic beads (by way of New Orleans!). Enjoy a galactic beverage while mingling with fellow D23 Members and the D23 Team.

Once Disneyland has been cleared (for launch!), guests will be escorted into the park and directly into Star Tours. Bid C-3PO and R2-D2 a fond farewell as you walk past them in the pre-board area. After watching the classic 1987 safety video (love her hair!), you will enter one of the four Starspeeder 3000 vehicles where Captain Rex will welcome you one last time for your trip. We’d hope after all these flights, things will go smoothly but… we have a very bad feeling about this!

After you have safely landed, guests will be escorted back out of the park, energized to relaunch in the fall of 2011 with Star Tours: The Adventures Continue!

Tickets are available to D23 members and up to one guest at no charge, and are limited to 160 tickets. Tickets are available July 14 at 10 a.m. PDT (link). Registration for the event begins at 10pm on July 26, and prospective guests are warned “because Disneyland closes at midnight, we do not anticipate entering the park before 1 a.m., so please be prepared for a late night.”

Destination D: Disneyland ’55 – September 24-25, 2010

Destination D: Disneyland ’55 will take D23 Members on a mesmerizing journey through the design, creation, debut and magical history of the world’s first Disney theme park. The event will offer two full days of special presentations, panels, screenings and guest speakers that give fans an inside view of this fascinating era in Disney history and let them meet and talk with key figures in Disneyland’s history. Future Destination D events will explore other important aspects of Disney’s amazing creative legacy. Following its premiere in September, Destination D will alternate annually with the enormously popular D23 Expo.

Tickets are available to D23 members and up to one guest at $125 per person. Tickets are available Monday, July 12, 2010 at 10 a.m. PST. (link).

link).

When Color is canceled… again

Last week I wrote about the way Disney handled customer complaints the very first time a showing of the World of Color was cancelled, and shared the disappointment and frustration of some MousePlanet readers over Disney’s dinner package refund policy. This past Wednesday, Disney got the opportunity to revisit that same policy when all three World of Color performances were canceled following a mild earthquake in Southern California. The trembler was not large enough to cause any major issues at the Resort — as is usual, most rides and attractions closed for a short period after the quake so engineers could inspect them, but quickly reopened — but the story was very different inside Paradise Bay. First one boat, then a second, then a team of divers turned up to inspect the show platform, and an announcement was eventually made that all three of that night’s scheduled performances could not be presented, due to “technical difficulties.”

Crowds wait outside the World of Color viewing area Wednesday night to learn if the show would be canceled. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As it happened, I was actually one of the people impacted by the show’s cancellation, having been invited to join friends for the World of Color dinner package at Ariel’s Grotto, and I wrote about my own experience with Guest Relations on our MousePad discussion boards (link). Though my group eventually received what we’d originally asked for — the ability to return another night to see World of Color from the preferred dinner package viewing area once the show was operational again — it required talking to a manager that night, and making a follow-up call the next day. Those who weren’t as persistent were initially turned away almost empty-handed — Guest Relations’ opening offer was a Fastpass to use at another attraction that night. I later heard that Disney regrouped not long after we left Guest Relations, and started issuing replacement viewing area tickets on the spot so picnic and dinner package guests could return another night to see the show. Readers who waited until the next day to talk with Guest Relations — something I strongly recommended via Twitter that night, given the hour-long line outside Guest Relations — reported that they had a much easier time in exchanging their unused dining package tickets for tickets to that night’s World of Color show.

A boat waits for divers to return from their inspection of the World of Color show platform Thursday afternoon. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

As I wrote when describing my experience, “This is not the first time World of Color has been cancelled, and it won’t be the last. If Disney plans to continue selling these dinner “packages,” they need to come up with a guest-friendly policy for dealing with the inevitable situation when the show is cancelled. If not, they’re likely to see a drop in sales when people realize that ‘dinner and a show’ really means ‘dinner, and a show if all goes well.’ ” I’m very glad to see that Disney did in fact come up with a better option that evening, and hope that when – not if – the show is cancelled again, they just skip the whole “the ticket is a gift” opening ploy, and jump straight to offering a reasonable accommodation for those guests who didn’t receive the entire package they purchased.

The World of Color returned Thursday night without incident, and all subsequent shows have been presented as scheduled. A Disney spokesperson said on Thursday that they did not know the cause of the damage.

NFFC/Disneyana Fan Club convention

The NFFC/Disneyana Fan Club is holding their annual convention this week at the Crowne Plaza Resort Anaheim-Garden Grove. The event starts Tuesday night with an opening welcome reception dinner / “Bayou Mardi Gras party” featuring guests of honor from Disney’s “Princess and the Frog” Scheduled to appear are Jennifer Cody, the voice of Charlotte LaBouff, and Michael Leon Wooley, the voice of Louis. The event continues with special events and seminars all week, concluding with Disneyland’s 55th Anniversary celebration on Saturday. A full schedule of events is available online (link). You can purchase tickets to individual events or to the entire convention – visit the club’s Web site for additional information (link).

On Sunday, the club presents their popular Show and Sale event, featuring thousands of Disney-licensed products. The Show and Sale opens at 9am for convention attendees, 10am for NFFC/Disneyana Fan Club members and 11am to the general public. In an effort to minimize lines for those wishing to shop at the Mickey’s of Glendale booth (the normally cast member-only store brings a huge selection of Imagineering-logo merchandise for public sale), the club will issue a sort of “fastpass” to shoppers as they enter the show. Customers will be called by groups when it’s their turn to shop from the Mickey’s of Glendale booth, and can browse the other booths while they are waiting.

Crowne Plaza Resort Anaheim-GardenGrove
12021 Harbor Boulevard
Garden Grove, California 92840-4001

3rd annual Taste of Downtown Disney benefiting CHOC Children’s

Children’s Hospital Orange County is hosting their 3rd annual Taste of Downtown Disney event on Thursday, August 12. Join MousePlanet staff and readers for a night of food, wine and spirits from most of the Downtown Disney restaurants with live entertainment, free valet parking and the opportunity to help out an outstanding local charity. Tickets are $50 per person, and all proceeds benefit CHOC Children’s. If you’ll be attending, please let us know on our MousePad discussion board (link).

Please join us Thursday, August 12th 2010 for the 3rd annual Taste of Downtown Disney

Celebrate an evening of Wine, Food and Friends at the Downtown Disney District

Join us as we taste and savor the flavors of fine cuisine, wine and spirits while enjoying the unique ambience and flair of the Downtown Disney District. Top off the evening by indulging in decadent desserts and coffee. Live entertainment will also be featured throughout the evening for your listening pleasure.

Guests will enjoy a champagne reception, tray-passed appetizers, olive oil tasting and select wine/spirits/beer pairings at Catal Restaurants & Uva Bar, ESPN Zone, House of Blues, La Brea Bakery Cafe, Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen and Tortilla Jo’s

• Please arrive at 6:00 p.m. at Downtown Disney.
• Complimentary valet parking will be provided.
• Check-in at CHOC Welcome table by Valet Loop
• Festival will begin at 6:00 pm

Ticket Price: $50
Visit choc.org/tasteofdowntown to purchase tickets

Proceeds benefit CHOC Children’s

MousePlanet celebrates 10 years

Once Upon a Time… isn’t that how all good stories start? How about, “It All Started With a Mouse?” In our case, it actually started with a dog… or whatever Goofy really is.

Once upon a time, a group of Disney fans who first met at the Goofy statue inside Disneyland decided to take their passion for Disney and share it with the world through a new web site called MousePlanet. We decided it was fitting to officially “launch” the site on July 17th, Disneyland’s anniversary, and this Saturday marks our 10th Anniversary. Over the years we’ve bid farewell to some of those original folks, and we’ve welcomed new writers, photographers and technical staff onto our “Planet.” We’ve created, we’ve innovated, we’ve adapted, and we’ve grown into the site you’re reading today. We’ve come a long way since those early days of writing HTML code by hand and sketching page layouts on the napkins at the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ, and we’re still working every day to make the site more informative and easier to use.

As CEO, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone — and I truly do mean everyone — who helped to dream up, create and grow MousePlanet. I especially wish to thank the staff members who work so hard to bring you the site every day. Some names you may see every week, others you perhaps have never heard of, but they are all an important part of MousePlanet. To each and every one of them, I extend my most sincere thanks, and my best wishes for a Happy Anniversary:

Mark Goldhaber; Adrienne Krock; Kevin Krock; Tony Phoenix; Lisa Perkis; Andrew Rich; Jennifer Rich; David Koenig; Karl Buiter; Stephanie Wein; Sheila Hagen; Steven Ng; Shoshana Lewin; Jeff Moxley; Lani Teshima; Alex Stroup; Mike Demopoulos; Wade Sampson; Jeff Kober; Frank Anzalone; Chris Barry; Steve Russo; Joe Stevano; David Perry; Amanda Smith; Julie China; Mike Morizio; Britt Winslow.

Sometimes it’s a little lonely behind a keyboard, writing for an audience we know we’ll mostly never meet, but then we’ll get an e-mail, a Tweet, a call, or even an in-park shout-out from a reader, and it reminds us of why we do what we do. We’re so privileged that you welcome us into your computers, phones, iPads and MP3 players; into your homes and offices and on your vacations. This site would simply not exist without you, and so again, I say thank you.

Resort Construction Update

Disney launched a new Disneyland.com Web site this week, and posted updated park maps from Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. (Yes, they’re still mostly referring to the park by the old name, despite press releases giving it a new name and logo last month.)
Burger Invasion, the Corn Dog Castle, Souvenir 66 and the Golden Dreams building were removed in previous versions of the official DCA map, but the latest version is missing the illustration of the Maliboomer. The ride still appears in the list of attractions next to the map, and is still identified by an interactive dot ON the map, but it’s pretty clear that the ride’s days are numbered. I asked someone why the Maliboomer didn’t appear on the Fall refurbishment list I got two weeks ago, and the answer was basically “rides that are closing aren’t considered refurbishments…”

The new DCA map seems to be missing a not-so-little ride. Image from Disneyland.com

The Little Mermaid building is still growing, and crews are adding insulation to frames and then covering them with GlasRoc sheathing. The roof is becoming increasingly crowded with the addition of plastic-wrapped pallets.

The roof of the Little Mermaid building is getting increasingly crowded. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A peek over the walls of the Little Mermaid construction site. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A peek over the walls of the Little Mermaid construction site. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A peek over the walls of the Little Mermaid construction site. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

A peek over the walls of the Little Mermaid construction site. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Over in Cars Land, the berm wall is growing larger and wider each week, and has fairly well obscured most of the Radiator Springs Racers track from view from the Fun Wheel.

The berm around Cars Land just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This and That…

Streets around the Disneyland Resort will close for the MLB All Star Parade on July 13. Mapquest image edited by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

…If you’re planning to be in the Disneyland area this Tuesday, don’t forget about the road closures related to the MLB All Star parade. The map above shows the parade route and impacted streets, and full details were posted in last week’s Disneyland Resort Update.

All Star Apples are just some of the baseball-theme items offered at Disneyland this week. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

…Baseball fans should be sure to check out the stores at the Disneyland Resort this week for All Star Game merchandise, including Mickey Mouse ears decorated with Dodgers and Angels logos.

…Tickets for Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland go on sale to general public on Friday, July 16 via Disneyland.com. Advance-purchase tickets are on sale now for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders via the AP section of Disneyland.com; Disney Visa Card holders and Disney Vacation Club members can also purchase tickets by phone by calling 714-781-4000. The event will be held October 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 and 31 inside Disneyland Park.

…Though signs outside the attractions state that they will close at night due to the World of Color performances, readers have reported that King Triton’s Carousel and the Silly Symphony Swings are reopening for about 30 minutes between the end of the first and the start of the second shows. Toy Story Midway Mania remains open until posted park closing time each night.

…Visitors planning trips to the Disneyland Resort should make a point to check the Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures section each week for the most recent updates. The Disneyland Resort Web site currently only publishes refurbishment information about six weeks in advance. Be sure to check the most recent Park Update (link) for the latest changes, as MousePlanet does not edit past Park Updates to reflect changes.

Join our networks
Facebook MousePlanet MouseAdventure The MouseStation Podcast THIS IS AN EMPTY BOX! Please do not pay attention to any printing you may see in this box. We only wrote this to let you know that this is an empty box. With nothing in it. Except this message.	Twitter @MousePlanet @MousePlanet @MouseStation @MouseAdventure @MousePlanetAVP (Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix) @MPMark (Mark Goldhaber) @MPSteven (Steven Ng) @MPStephanie (Stephanie Wien) @MousePlanetJeff (Jeff Kober) @MPAndrew (Andrew Rich)

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters – closed July 19 to 23 for refurbishment.
• Star Tours – closes July 26 for refurbishment and addition of elements for Star Tours 2.0. Expected to open in May 20, 2011.
• Haunted Mansion – closed August 30 to September 16 to install the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.
• Village Haus Restaurant – closed August 30 to December 19 for refurbishment.
• Horse Drawn Streetcars – closed September 7–30 for refurbishment.
• Main Street Vehicles [Horseless Carriage, Omnibus, Fire Engine] – closed September 7–30 for refurbishment.
• Newsstand – closed September 7–30 for refurbishment.
• Space Mountain – closed September 12–16 to install the Ghost Galaxy overlay.
• French Market – closed September 13–17 for refurbishment.
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – closed September 20 to December 16 for refurbishment.
• Indiana Jones Adventure – closed September 22 (one day)
• Mark Twain Riverboat – closed September 27–30 for deck oiling.

Disney’s California Adventure

Seasonal refurbishments:

• Toy Story Midway Mania!– closed August 30 to October 10 for refurbishment.
• Catch-a-Flave – closed September 7–16 for refurbishment.

Construction-related closures:

• Golden Dreams – closed. The building that once house this film-based attraction has been demolished, and will eventually be replaced with the new Little Mermaid ride.
• Burger Invasion – closed. No announcement has been made about a potential replacement for this former McDonald’s location, but an employee publication lists May 24, 2011 as the return date.
• Corn Dog Castle – closed due to construction in the area. An employee publication lists March 24, 2011 as its return date. During the renovation, corn dogs are available at Bountiful Valley Farmer’s Market.
• Souvenir 66 – closed due to construction in the area. An employee publication lists March 24, 2011 as its return date, and “Seaside Souvenirs” as the new name of the store.
• Tower of Terror Fastpass – not offered through August 15 due to construction of the connector between Bug’s Land and Tower of Terror.
• Bug’s Land / Tower of Terror connector – the temporary connector path is closed through August 15 to allow construction of a more permanent route between the two lands.
• Pizza Oom Mow Mow – closed September 7, 2010 – May 24, 2011 for conversion to Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta.

Downtown Disney

• None at this time.

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.

Resort Events

Check here to see if a large convention, competition or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

Summer

• Summer Nightastic! at the Disneyland Resort – Daily, June 11 to Aug. 29. The summer promotion includes Fantasmic and the “Magical” fireworks show in Disneyland, plus the new World of Color show. DCA has extended park hours to 11:00 p.m. and added a third World of Color show on most nights since the show opened.
• Vinylmation Signings at D Street – July 25; August 7 (trunk show), 14 & 21; September 11 (link).
• 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game – Tuesday, July 13. Angel Stadium plays host to the 2010 All-star Game. The Anaheim Convention Center also hosts the Major League Baseball All-star FanFest July 9–13. Both events should bring added crowds to the Disneyland Resort during what might already be a busy week as Disneyland marks its 55th Anniversary.
• Disneyland 55th Anniversary – July 17. The only in-park event commemorating the anniversary so far announced is a merchandise release on Saturday, July 17 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Disney Gallery on Main Street. See the Art of Disney Parks 55th Anniversary page for details.
• MousePlanet’s 10th Anniversary Party – Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of MousePlanet and the 55th Anniversary of Disneyland than with Charles Phoenix’s Retro Disneyland Slide Show. Tickets are now sold out.
• NFFC–Disneyana Fan Club 2010 Disneyana Convention – July 13–17 (link).
• NFFC–Disneyana Fan Club All Disneyana Show and Sale – Sunday, July 18 (link).
• Sizzling Summer Sale at the World of Disney Store – July 24, 2010, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (link).
• Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow book signing by Ridley Pearson – Saturday, July 24, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. (link).
• 3rd annual Taste of Downtown Disney benefitting CHOC Children’s – August 12, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. (link).

Fall

• 5th Annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – September 3–5. Registration is now closed.
• 4th Annual Not Back to School Days Rally and Conference (unofficial event) – September 8–11. Event includes education and social opportunities for home educators (link).
• Vinylmation Signing at D Street – September 11 (link).
• Destination D – September 24 & 25 at the Disneyland Resort (link). Open only to D23 members, tickets will be available this summer.
• 13th annual Gays Days at the Disneyland Resort (unofficial event) – October 1–3. Event attendance will be higher at Disneyland on Saturday, DCA on Sunday (link).
• Utah Education Association convention (UEA, a.k.a. “Utah Escapes to Anaheim”) – October 14–15. (Link). Expect unusually large attendance levels October 14-17 as Utah students and families take advantage of a 4-day weekend created by their school’s participation in a state education convention. Not all Utah schools or teachers close for or attend UEA, but the impact on the Resort is usually noticeable enough to mention.
• Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland – October 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29, 31. Advance-purchase tickets are on sale now for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders via the AP section of Disneyland.com; Disney Visa Card holders and Disney Vacation Club members can also purchase tickets by phone by calling 714-781-4000. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 16 via Disneyland.com.
• MousePlanet Night at Mickey’s Halloween Party (unofficial event) – Friday, October 15. Come meet your fellow MousePlanet readers and start your trick-or-treating off right with some MousePlanet goodies. Be sure to stop by our MousePad discussion board to let us know if you plan to attend so we can have enough treats for everyone!
• 2010 CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park – Sunday, October 17. Mark your calendars and come join Team MousePlanet as we help raise funds for Children’s Hospital Orange County in their annual charity walk through the Disneyland Resort. Registration is now open. If you’d like more information, visit the Team MousePlanet discussion to chat with other participants

2011

• West Coast 2-night “Cruise to Nowhere” on the Disney Wonder – January 21-23. Nearly 60 MousePlanet readers and staff members have booked this weekend getaway, the first West Coast Disney Cruise for 2011. For more information about this cruise, visit our MousePad discussion boards or contact your favorite travel agent. If you’ve already booked, please add your name to the roll call!
• Spring 2011 MouseAdventure – no details yet. Visit MouseAdventure.com to sign up for our newsletter.
• D23 Expo – August 19-21, 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center (link). Tickets for the D23 Expo 2011 go on sale August 19, 2010.

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.

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 Ticket – Regularly $72/$62 One Day Park Hopper – Regularly $97/$87	No discounts currently available to the general public. Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them.
Two Day Park Hopper – Regularly $151/$131	AOCVCB 2-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($149/$129) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $2 off the box-office price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $1 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths (link). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011.
Three Day Park Hopper – Regularly $204/$174	3-Day Summer Fun Pass ($108) and 3-Day Summer Fun PLUS Pass ($129) – The 2010 3-Day Summer Fun Pass is $108, $9 more expensive than the 2009 version, and offers Southern California residents (ZIP Codes 90000–93599) and Northern Baja California residents (ZIP Codes 21000–22999) three one-day admissions to either Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure within a 45 day period. The ticket is the same price for adults and children. Unlike the 2009 offer, this base ticket is NOT a park hopper, and allows admission to only one park per day. For an additional $21 per person, you can upgrade the Summer Fun Pass to a Summer Fun PLUS Pass, a 3-day Park Hopper ticket that allows admission to both parks each day. Both tickets have a 45-day “fuse,” (instead of the usual 13- or 30-day limit), giving you more time to plan your return visits, but have more block out dates than last year: July 2-4 and August 22-23. The first use of the pass must be between June 11 and August 29, 2010. The Summer Pass can be purchased at www.disneyland.com, the Disneyland Resort box office, Disney Stores, Disneyland Resort Hotels, and a variety of southern California supermarkets and retail chains, including Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Stater Bros., Food 4 Less, Gelson’s and Deardens. Disney states that “resident ID is required,” but MousePlanet readers who purchased these tickets from off-property retailers last year consistently reported that they were not required to provide proof of residency at the time of purchase. However, be aware that Disneyland Resort Main Gate cast members can—and may—require proof of residency when you first use the tickets. Whether this will happen to you is an oft-debated topic on our MousePad discussion boards, but we feel it would be irresponsible for us to not at least make our readers aware of the “official” policy, regardless of what the park’s actual practice may be. Advance Purchase 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($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) AOCVCB 3-Day Bonus Ticket ($179/$149) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011.
Four Day Park Hopper – Regularly $229/$199	Costco 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($199) – A special offer for Costco members who are also residents of Southern California, this ticket is currently not sold online but must be purchased in Costco stores. Unlike most other park hopper tickets, this ticket has no “fuse” – you can use the first admission today, and have until May 31, 2011 to use the remaining admission days before the ticket expires. The ticket is blocked out August 22-23 and the entire period between Dec 15, 2010 – Jan 1, 2011, and has an “upgrade value” of $151. The ticket states that visitors “Must reside within ZIP codes 90000-93599” and that “Proof of residency required upon redemption.” The ticket you purchase at Costco is a valid admission ticket, and you can take it directly to a main entrance gate to use it. We’ve been told that, to prevent the unauthorized “transfer” of tickets between visitors (ie, you use the first two days of the ticket and give it to a friend to use the second two days), visitors will be required to write their name on the ticket when it is first used for admission, and to show ID with that same name upon subsequent admissions. Obviously minor children will be exempt from the ID requirement, but will also be required to write their name on the ticket when it is first used. Adults should plan to have ID with them to use the ticket. Advance Purchase 4-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($199/$169) – 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 (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011. AOCVCB 4-Day Bonus Ticket ($194/$164) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link).
Five Day Park Hopper – Regularly $249/$219	5-Day Park Hopper® Bonus Ticket for the Price of 3 Days ($184/$154) Disneyland’s Summer Park Hopper Bonus ticket offer includes two days free and one Magic Morning admission. These tickets are valid for use from May 1, 2010 thru September 30, 2010. The tickets are NOT available at the Resort ticket booths, you must pre-purchase from the Disneyland Web site. Advance Purchase 5-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($209/$179) – 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 (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (an $11/day value). AOCVCB 5-Day Bonus Ticket ($204/$174) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn’t enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you’ll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011.
Six Day Park Hopper – Regularly $254/$224	6-Day Park Hopper® Bonus Ticket for the Price of 3 Days ( $199/$169) Disneyland’s Summer Park Hopper Bonus ticket offer includes two days free and one Magic Morning admission. These tickets are valid for use from May 1, 2010 thru September 30, 2010. The tickets are NOT available at the Resort ticket booths, you must pre-purchase from the Disneyland Web site. Advance Purchase 6-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($214/$184) – 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 (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (a $14/day value).
Disneyland Resort Annual Passports	No discounts currently available for new purchases. Southern California residents can take advantage of the monthly-payment plan when purchasing any but the Premier Annual Passport. Premier Annual Passport: $700 [Valid at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort] Premium Annual Passport: $439 Deluxe Annual Passport: $299 Southern California Annual Passport: $219 SoCal Select Annual Passport: $169
2010 Southern California CityPass $269/$229	2010 Southern California CityPass ($269/$229)– This pass includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket (including one early-entry day), a one-day admission to either San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park, as well as one-day admission to Sea World San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood. The CityPass expires 14 days after first use at any location, and the first use must occur by January 3, 2011. Purchase CityPass through the Disneyland Web site (link) or on-site 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 $239.99/$204.99 (link), which includes free UPS shipping. A 5% surcharge for non-members, and shipping fees to members in Alaska and Hawaii may also apply to your purchase. 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 Costco, you will initially purchase a large plastic container that you must trade for ticket books prior to leaving Costco!

Hotel/Travel Packages

Disneyland Resort Two More Days & Nights Free offer –This latest deal offers a five-night, five-day Disneyland Resort vacation package for the price of a three-night, three-day package, giving you two “free” hotel nights and two additional days of theme park admission. The offer is valid for arrivals May 1 and Sept. 26, 2010, and you must book by September 1, 2010 to receive this discount. You can choose to stay either at a Disneyland Resort Hotel or at one of the Good Neighbor Hotels. To book, call your favorite travel agent, book online at Disneyland.com, or call the Walt Disney Travel Company at 800-854-3104.

Disneyland Resort Summer hotel discounts–If you are a Disneyland Resort annual passholder or already have valid admission for your next visit, you can take advantage of a second promotion that offers discounts at the three Disneyland Resort hotels with a minimum 2-night stay. The discounts are 40% at the Grand Californian Hotel, 35% at the Disneyland Hotel and 30% at the Paradise Pier Hotel. The offer is valid for arrivals May 1 and Sept. 26, 2010, and you must book by September 1, 2010 to receive this discount. To book, call your favorite travel agent, book online at Disneyland.com, or call the Walt Disney Travel Company at 800-854-3104.

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 collectible pin and lanyard, and a Costco luggage tag per person, plus a $20 Disneyland Resort gift card per package.

Disney’s Resort Magic and Good Neighbor Magic Packages – Package includes accommodations 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

Character Dining Vouchers – Discounted character dining vouchers are available for purchase online, in advance of your trip, through MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Travel (link).

Disney Visa Discounted Stroller Rental – If you have a Disney Visa card you can rent up to two strollers at a discount of 50% at either Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure. This offer is valid only at the Main Gate rental location between Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Rainforest Cafe Safari Club – Members of the Rainforest Cafe get priority seating when available (which makes a huge difference on busy days), and a 10% discount on entrees for up to four people. 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).

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 Resort Special Events:

• MM – Magic Morning at Disneyland
• TT – Toontown Morning Madness at Disneyland
• Grad Nite
• MTT – Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party at DCA
  

MousePlanet Special Events:

• MA – MouseAdventure (www.mouseadventure.com)

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.