Update for November 15 – 21, 2010
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News and Views
Holiday Time is here | Anaheim family lights up “it’s a small world” Holiday | New entertainment schedule means holiday bottlenecks | Candlelight Processional details| Another makeover for Playhouse Disney | Construction and refurbishments | This and That…
Holiday Time is here
The holiday season has officially begun at the Disneyland Resort with the return of A Christmas Fantasy parade, the Believe… in Holiday Magic fireworks show, and “it’s a small world” Holiday attraction. Sleeping Beauty Castle is decked out in thousands of sparkling lights, a towering Christmas tree looks over Town Plaza, and most areas of the theme parks are decorated for the season. The decorations are lagging slightly at the hotels of the Disneyland Resort, but will be completed by Thanksgiving. After seeing images from the taping of the Disney Parks Christmas Parade some had worried that Duffy the Disney Bear had replaced the giant teddy bear on the lead float of A Christmas Fantasy Parade, but that has happily turned out not to be the case. Here are some photos taken around Disneyland this weekend to help get you into a holiday mood.
Highlights of Disneyland’s 2010 A Christmas Fantasy Parade, taken opening night November 12, 2010.
Believe…in Holiday Magic has returned for 2010. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Duffy the Disney Bear did NOT permanently replace the teddy bear on the lead Christmas Fantasy Parade float. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The ballroom float is one of the most beautiful in the Christmas Fantasy Parade. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
According to the song, “Santa always finds his way in a Christmas Fantasy.” Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Anaheim family lights up “it’s a small world” Holiday
To help kick off the holiday season at the Disneyland Resort, 8-year-old Adela Jauregui and her family flipped the switch to turn on the lights of “it’s a small world” Holiday during a ceremony Friday night. The Jauregui family also served as the honorary Grand Marshals of the first A Christmas Fantasy Parade of the season.
Adela is a patient at Children’s Hospital Orange County, and was selected by lightbulb maker Sylvania and the Disneyland Resort to receive a holiday makeover of her house, which included more than 6,200 LED lights and Disney-themed décor.
Adela Jauregui and family help kick off the holiday season at the Disneyland Resort.
New entertainment schedule means holiday bottlenecks
David Koenig wrote on his MousePlanet Blog last week (link):
Disneyland cast members are bracing for crowd control nightmares beginning this Friday, with the debut of its Believe holiday fireworks show at an earlier hour that will tempt thousands of guests to migrate, en masse, from one bottleneck to the next.
Instead of the usual fireworks start-time of 9:35, Believe will kick off most nights at 8:40—and on some nights as early as 7:30. Fantasmic, meanwhile, plays at 9:00 and 10:15 p.m.
Meanwhile next door, closing earlier during the winter has also forced Disney’s California Adventure to move up the start times of its highly popular World of Color show—on some evenings as early as 8 p.m.
The revised schedule, noted one cast member, “will not allow guests to be equally spread out throughout the resort. Guests will now be able to go from one show to the other to the other. In particular, keep your eye out on the guest flow from Fireworks to Fantasmic. Thousands of guests will be filling the walkways looking for a spot in an already-crowded show. And the addition of the snow will just add insult to injury.”
Management’s response is that the new schedule relieves guest flow on Main Street. “It does,” the cast member agreed, “but it just moves the crowd from one location to another. And Main Street is a lot wider than the crowded Fantasmic walkways.”
During the summer, World of Color played at 9, 10:15, and 11:15; Fantasmic at 9:05 and 10:30, and the fireworks at 9:35. “You see how that works out so perfectly?” he said. “That allows the crowds to be spread out evenly throughout the resort. You have one group watching Fantasmic and World of Color, while the other group is waiting for fireworks. Fireworks can be seen from anywhere, and Fantasmic has a 10:30 show, so people can still watch all three shows without overcrowding the viewing areas.”
I look forward to hearing—or should I say dread hearing—how well the new schedule disperses the crowds.
On Saturday, I decided to test the new schedule and see if it was possible to catch all of the major resort entertainment in one night. The short answer is yes, you can, but it requires a lot of walking and patience, and a little experience.
The silly reindeer are back to lead Santa down the parade route. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
We arrived at the resort around 1:00 p.m. and started by collecting Fastpass tickets to World of Color in Disney California Adventure park. By the time we arrived, the only tickets available were for the red section for the second show. After wandering around DCA to check out the construction progress, we crossed to Disneyland for the second performance of A Christmas Fantasy parade. We planned to watch it from the “it’s a small world” end of the parade route, where the crowds are usually lighter.
The terraced viewing area on the east side of the parade route was roped off, but cast members didn’t seem to know why. One said she’d been told it was for people with “special tickets,” but that she hadn’t had anyone present one yet. Several people had already climbed under the ropes to claim a spot along the railing, but we opted for a spot on the edge of the parade route and waited about 30 minutes for the parade to reach us.
Our second trip across the Esplanade took us to see the light cycle on display at ElecTRONica. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
After the parade we went straight to Sleeping Beauty Castle to watch the “snowfall” lighting moment, then stopped for dinner at Rancho del Zocalo to enjoy some of the holiday entrees. Then it was off to DCA to see the new light cycle on display at ElecTRONica. Afterwards, it was back across the esplanade to watch the holiday fireworks. We found a good spot on Main Street just 10 minutes before the show (it’s helpful to have some experience with how the viewing corrals are set up), and enjoyed the first “snowfall” of the year.
Our plan left us plenty of time to see some of the “minor” entertainment, like the Sleeping Beauty Castle lighting moment. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
We then entered the crush of people heading to Frontierland for Fantasmic—every bit as crowded as any New Year’s Eve I’ve seen, with thousands of people trying to cross the central hub on their way to anywhere: Main Street people trying to get to Frontierland, Castle people trying to get out of the park, and guest control cast members yelling conflicting instructions and sending people into dead ends. We were told to go a specific direction, only to be met head-on with a stream of people who were told to go the opposite direction down the same route.
We finally broke free of the crowd and crossed the bridge into Frontierland, where we were met by a series of Fantasmic guest control cast members announcing that the 9:00 p.m. showing was already full, and asking people to come back for the 10:15 show. Again, it helps to have some experience with the show, and we made our way to the far west edge of the viewing area, where we claimed a perfectly lovely side-on view of the show.
The Fantasmic dragon returned Friday night after a lengthy refurbishment. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Knowing what the crowd leaving Fantasmic can look like, we opted to leave the show a bit before the finale. My goal had really been just to see if the troubled Dragon figure had returned for a second night, and once we saw it, we decided to get a head start and leave for DCA. Once in DCA, we went to join the line for World of Color.
The projection domes are once again working in World of Color. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
It turns out that we really did not need to leave Fantasmic when we did—we wound up waiting quite some time before we were let into the World of Color viewing area. By that point we were so far back in line that we knew our chances of getting a decent view for World of Color were negligible, so there wasn’t much difference between “almost the back of the line” and “the very last person in line.” We lucked out and entered the viewing area just as the cast members were directing people to the very back row, so we could have gotten a spot along the upper railing, but we opted to go down one more level. After the show (and the incredible TRONcore), we hopped back to Disneyland one more time to catch a ride on “it’s a small world” Holiday.
We wrapped up our night with a visit to “it’s a small world” Holiday. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Anyone who has ever tried to see Fantasmic on a busy night knows what a mess the show makes of traffic flow. Trying to move the first audience out of the Rivers of America area to make room for the second audience has always been struggle, and is a really good reason to avoid the West side of the park after fireworks if you didn’t have pressing business there. I’m just not sure this schedule change really helps anything. You still have the same thousands of people leaving Main Street after fireworks and trying to enter Frontierland to see Fantasmic, only now they’re trying to enter an area that’s already full. David’s right, they really are just moving from “one bottleneck to the next.”
When the fireworks started immediately after the first performance of Fantasmic ended, there was really no way to watch Fantasmic and then make it to Main Street in time to watch the fireworks. There was only a three-minute gap, and so you had to make a choice. Now the gap between fireworks and Fantasmic is about 10 minutes, which changes everything. By making it possible to get from one show to the next, Disney has guaranteed that people are going to try to do it, just because they can. After all, doesn’t it look like Disney deliberately set up the schedule so you could show-hop? I’ve been told this schedule change was just a test, and it will be interesting to see if Disney tweaks the timing of the fireworks and Fantasmic to once again make it difficult or impossible to get from one to the next.
Candlelight Processional details
MousePlanet reader Heather has been in repeated contact with the Disneyland Resort in an effort to get details about the 2010 Candlelight Procession, and shared with us the reply she received last week confirming the dates, speaker and lack of dining package option for the 2010 Candlelight Processional. According to the e-mail, Candlelight will be held on December 4 and 5 (Saturday and Sunday) as previously reported here, and the performances are 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. each night. Actor Tom Skerrit serves as the narrator for all four performances.
Disneyland is not offering any dining packages this year, much to the disappointment of many regular Candlelight attendees. The Resort first introduced dining packages in 2003 but was never able to completely address the recurring problems that plagued the registration system. Last year, D23 offered an expensive Candlelight package, but has apparently decided not to repeat that offering. Club 33 members and invited guests have access to a reserved seating area, but everyone else will have to find a spot in the standby viewing area. As of this past Sunday, Disneyland’s Guest Relations department could not provide any details about how this viewing area will be managed. We’ll try to get further information for readers who want to try to see the show.
Another makeover for Playhouse Disney
The Disney Parks Blog announced last week that Playhouse Disney will be updated in 2011 with a new show called “Disney Junior – Live on Stage!” (link). Disney Junior is a new Disney marketing brand set to launch in 2011, and will be the title of a new Disney cable channel in 2012 (replacing the SOAPnet channel). Headlining the brand is Jake and the Never Land Pirates, which will be prominently featured in the new theme park show. The Disney Parks Blog said that the new show will still include the Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins characters, so it seems that the “My Friends Tigger and Pooh” segment will be retired when the current show closes on January 24. Disney has not officially confirmed the debut date for the new show, but we’ve been told it will be March 25.
Construction and refurbishments
Be sure to check out the Refurbishments and Attraction Closures list below, which we’ve updated with the preliminary Spring 2011 refurbishment schedule. The biggest news is that Splash Mountain will close January 18 – May 26, 2011 for refurbishment, but there are minor refurbishments that may impact your travel plans. It looks like the next phase of Disneyland’s Main Street paving project will begin on January 18 and continue through the first week of March. It also seems that the refurbishment of the Village Haus restaurant is lagging a bit. Village Haus was originally scheduled to reopen December 20, but that date has changed to December 23. Once the peak Christmas to New Years week is over, the restaurant will close again for another week. The next restaurant scheduled for a makeover is the Hungry Bear, which will close with Splash Mountain on January 18, and reopen in early March.
Disney California Adventure park may be partially decorated for the holidays but no amount of garland can hide the massive construction project underway inside the park. Here’s a look at the changes from the past week.
DCA entrance
Work continues to remove the east side of the main entrance mural, and we’ve been told the work is scheduled to be complete by Christmas Eve. The construction walls begin before you ever step foot inside DCA, and you won’t walk more than 10 feet before noticing that something looks very different inside the park. The Sun icon was removed in October, but the support structure and trees have been demolished, leaving an odd new line-of-sight across the entrance plaza. Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular has reopened, but the only access to the Hyperion Theater is still through a bug’s land while work wraps up on the tracks for the Red Car line.
The entrance to DCA looks dramatically different following the removal of the sun icon and fountain. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The ElecTRONica stage has been brought forward, and does double duty during the day as the stage for the High School Musical show. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The demolition has opened up new sight lines through DCA. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Aladdin has reopened, but you still have to go through A Bug’s Land to get to the Hyperion Theater. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Cars Land
It seemed that the first section of the Cadillac Range that will surround Cars Land took a while to take shape, but the newest sections are filling out much more quickly. A look over the construction walls of the former Bountiful Valley Farm area shows little more than mounds of dirt where the farm once stood. If you’re interested in the Cars Land construction, it’s worth spending some time in the Blue Sky Cellar to get a feel for the layout of the area, and then taking a trip around Mickey’s Fun Wheel to check the progress of the construction. Several structures are visible in the construction site, including the pit for Luigi’s Flying Tires attraction and parts of Flo’s V-8 Cafe.
The former Bountiful Valley Farm area has been reduced to bare dirt. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The former Bountiful Valley Farm area has been reduced to bare dirt. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
A look over the construction walls, towards Cars Land. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
An aerial view of Cars Land shows the progress of the Cadillac Range. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
An aerial view of Cars Land shows the pit for the Flying Tires attraction. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Little Mermaid
More decorative trim is visible on parts of the building, while other sections are still open to the elements. Again, it’s worth checking out the drawings in the Blue Sky Cellar to get a sense of what the finished Little Mermaid building might look like.
More detail is visible on the Little Mermaid building. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
A sketch from the Blue Sky Cellar shows one concept for the finished building. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The shape of the entrance mural is visible over the construction wall. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
More decorative moulding is visible on the east side of the building. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
A birds-eye view of the Little Mermaid building. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Goofy’s Sky School
The mural around the former Mulholland Madness ride has been removed. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
With the mural gone the mad mouse ride track is exposed. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Some of the panels remain in place, but murals were removed. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
A look at the construction site from Mickey’s Fun Wheel. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Paradise Pier restaurants
The S.S. Rustworthy has been completely demolished. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The new seating area is under construction, with lots of pits and trenches visible . Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
This image from the Blue Sky Cellar shows the plan for this area. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
This and That…
…A replica of the lightcycle used in the upcoming Tron: Legacy movie is now on display in Disney California Adventure as part of the ElecTRONica promotion. For some reason, few ElecTRONica cast members seemed to know about the new addition, which was advertised by Disney through Twitter, Facebook, and a post to the Disney Parks Blog. Some of them told guests that the cycle had not yet arrived and to check back next week. You can view the lightcycle at the exit of the Muppet*Vision theater after you watch the Tron: Legacy preview trailer. You can also ask the attending cast member if you can just go up to the display between loading cycles of the theater.
A model of Sam Flynn’s light cycle from TRON: Legacy is on display during ElecTRONica. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
…The Annual Passholder early-shopping opportunity is scheduled for Saturday, December 4, 2010 from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney (link). Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders can shop before the store opens to the public, and take advantage of special offers that Disney says include “incredible discounts of up to 50 percent and 75 percent off select items, plus door busters, surprise markdowns and more.” A free gift is offered to the first 1,000 shoppers. D23 members and Disney Vacation Club members also have access to this shopping day. You must present your valid Annual Passport, D23 membership card, or Disney Vacation Club card to enter the store during the sale period, and you may not bring any unqualified guests; all members of your party must have their own pass or membership. In conjunction with this sale, the Resort is also hosting a Toys for Tots drive. Shoppers are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy worth $10 or more to donate to the Toys for Tots representatives.
The troublesome Fantasmic dragon has rejoined the cast of the show. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
…After falling on its snout during a performance on August 28, the accident-prone Fantasmic dragon, nicknamed “Murphy” by cast members and fans alike, finally returned to the show last Friday night. The Flotsam and Jetsam eel characters have also returned, as has the barge that carries Snow White and her Prince during the show.
…Is Disneyland planning more Magic Mornings in December? This may be a database error, but the Disneyland.com calendar is currently showing Magic Mornings scheduled every day between December 19 and 28, with the lone exception of December 22. Magic Mornings are usually scheduled only on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and usually only change dates if there is some other event (like a Grad Night) that would prevent the park from opening early on a scheduled Magic Morning day. A call to Disneyland’s ticketing office confirmed that the dates on the Web site match the dates showing on that department’s internal calendar, but the cast member could not explain the schedule change. This may very well be a data entry error, so we recommend that you check back closer to your visit to see if the schedule changes. If this is an intentional schedule change, it will be a very nice perk for guests staying at the Disneyland Resort Hotels during the holiday season.
…The Disney Family Thanksgiving Feast at the Disneyland Hotel is now sold out for 2010. If you’re still looking to make on-property Thanksgiving dinner reservations, contact the Disney Dine Line (714-781-3463) to ask about possible openings at Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, Storytellers Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel, or PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier Hotel. If you’re planning to spend the day in the parks, a special Thanksgiving menu will be offered at the Carnation Cafe, Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans and Wine Country Trattoria. Reservations are becoming scarce at the table-service restaurants, so make your plans now. If you find yourself without a reservation, Plaza Inn, Rancho del Zocalo, and Red Rocket’s Pizza Port also have holiday-themed entrees.
Boudin Bakery has turkey-shaped bread loafs for your Thanksgiving centerpiece. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
…Boudin Bakery is selling a specialty sourdough loaf shaped like a turkey now through Thanksgiving. The loaf is $7.40, and is available at the Pacific Wharf Cafe as well as at the Boudin Cart. After Thanksgiving, the bakery offers holiday loafs in candy cane, wreath, and snowman shapes.
The demitasse cups were a no-show this weekend, but the holiday yule log cake was a popular dessert option. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
…In other foods news, the much-anticipated Snowman Mickey popcorn buckets we wrote about in last week’s Update did not go on sale this week as expected, nor did the holiday demitasse cups. We’re checking for updated release dates for these items, and will post any news in a future park update. You can also keep an eye on what has turned into a Snowman Mickey tracking thread on our MousePad discussion forum (link).
Holiday Duffy may be a hard-to-find gift this season. so don’t wait too long to buy yours. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
…If you planned to slip a holiday Duffy Bear into someone’s stocking this year, you might want to grab one on your very next trip. Though Duffy has not been the retail hit Disney’s merchandise department was hoping for, sales of the holiday bear, the first of a planned series of special-edition costumed critters, are reportedly strong. We’ve heard that Disneyland may sell out by December.
…You can meet Disney Channel stars and help “Drive Out Hunger” at a special food truck event this Wednesday, November 17 from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., in the parking lot of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine. Parking and event admission are both free, but you will need to bring a donation of 10 non-perishable canned or dry good items to gain admission to the celebrity meet-and-greet area. Disney Channel starts currently scheduled to appear include Rachael Bell (Disney’s Suite Life on Deck); Doug Brochu (Sonny with a Chance); John and Steven French (Disney’s Suite Life: 2 for the Road); Raini Rodriguez (Disney’s Prom) and Kaycee Stroh (High School Musical 1, 2 & 3). Additional celebrities include singer Taylor Dayne and Heroes actor James Kyson Lee, as well as BooBoo Stewart and Bronson Pelletier from the Twilight Saga. More information is available on the MousePad discussion forum (link) and on the event Web site (link).
Disneyland’s new lockers use a keypad entry, and allow you to choose your own combination. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
…The Disneyland Resort replaced its rental lockers last week, installing a new system that is supposedly more efficient. Customers visit the rental kiosk just once to pay for their locker, and input a four-digit code of their choosing. After that, renters can return directly to their locker and enter the code into a keypad installed on each one to reenter the locker, instead of returning to the rental kiosk. Locker rental is $7 for all-day access. The new lockers seem to be a bit narrower but deeper than the previous version, and it feels that the aisles in the locker area are now a bit narrower. MousePlanet reader Lynette told us via Twitter that the placement of the rental kiosk in the Main Street locker room caused a bottleneck at the entrance.
…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. We’ve updated that section with some of the first refurbishments of 2011, which should help those planning post-holiday visits. Notable is a lengthy refurbishment for Splash Mountain. 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.
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Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Disneyland
- Star Tours – closed for refurbishment and addition of elements for Star Tours 2.0. Currently expected to open May 20, 2011.
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters – closed through November 18 for refurbishment.
- Little Green Men Store Command – closed through November 18 for refurbishment.
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – closed through December 16 for refurbishment.
- Village Haus Restaurant – closed through December 22 for refurbishment.
- Jungle Cruise – closed November 15–18 for refurbishment.
- Chip ‘n Dale’s Treehouse – closed November 17 for refurbishment.
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – closed November 29 to December 2, and again December 6–10 for refurbishment.
- Haunted Mansion – closed January 3–13, 2011 for removal of the holiday overlay.
- Mark Twain Riverboat – closed January 10–13, 2011 for refurbishment.
- it’s a small world – closed January 18–27, 2011 for removal of the holiday overlay.
- Horse Drawn Streetcars – closed January 18 – February 15, 2011 due to Main Street paving project.
- Main Street Vehicles – closed January 18 – March 4, 2011 due to Main Street paving project.
- Splash Mountain – closed January 18 – May 26, 2011 for refurbishment.
- King Arthur Carrousel – closed January 31 – February 2, 2011 for refurbishment.
- 20th Century Music Company – closed January 18 – February 1, 2011 for refurbishment.
- Village Haus Restaurant – closed January 4–11, 2011 for refurbishment.
- Bengal Barbecue – closed January 6–14, 2011 for refurbishment.
- Hungry Bear Restaurant – closed January 18 – March 8, 2011 for refurbishment.
Disney California Adventure
Seasonal refurbishments:
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – closed November 29 – December 16 for refurbishment.
- Muppet Vision 3D – closed December 9
- Grizzly River Run – closed January 3–20, 2011
- Animation Building – closed January 24–27, 2011
- Playhouse Disney – closed January 24 – March 24, 2011
Construction-related closures:
- Burger Invasion – closed through May 24, 2011 for conversion into Paradise Garden Grill.
- Corn Dog Castle – closed due to construction in the area. An employee publication lists March 30, 2011 as its return date.
- Souvenir 66 – closed due to construction in the area. An employee publication lists March 30, 2011 as its return date, and “Seaside Souvenirs” as the new name of the store.
- Pizza Oom Mow Mow – closed through May 24, 2011 for conversion to Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta.
- Mulholland Madness – closed through April 20, 2011 for conversion to Goofy’s Sky School.
Downtown Disney & Disneyland Resort Hotels
- Disneyland Hotel Guest Laundry – closed due to construction. Hotel guests can use the laundry facility at Disney’s Paradise Pier hotel during the refurbishment.
- Disneyland Hotel Fitness Center – closed due to construction. The fitness center equipment has been relocated to one of the hotel meeting rooms; ask the front desk for the most recent information as you check in.
- Lost Bar, Croc’s Bits ‘n’ Bites, Hook’s Pointe and the Wine Cellar – closed. These four locations will be replaced by a new bar and fast casual restaurant during the ongoing Disneyland Hotel courtyard renovation project. During construction, the only remaining bar at the Disneyland Hotel is the Lounge at Steakhouse 55, which has extended its operating hours, and will be closing at 1:30 a.m. nightly.
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 in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).
Winter
- Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort – November 12, 2010 to January 2, 2011.
- Candlelight Keepsake Doll by Marie Osmond release – November 16, 2010 (link).
- Disney Traditions by Jim Shore product release & signing – November 20 & 21 (link). Disney Traditions artist Jim Shore will introduce two Disney-exclusive figures, Minnie Mouse dressed as a Tour Guide Hostess, and Mickey Mouse dressed as a Railroad Engineer.
- Noah TRON: Legacy Vinylmation Signing – November 21, 2010 (link)
- Annual Passholder early shopping day – Saturday, December 4 from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney (link).
- Robert Olszewski Snow White’s Scary Adventures Product Release & Signing – December 4, 2010 (link).
- Candlelight Processional – December 4 & 5. Performances are 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. each night, and actor Tom Skerrit will narrate. Disney has confirmed that they will not offer dining packages this year.
- Cast member holiday parties – December 13 & 14. Disneyland closes early for the annual cast member parties.
2011
- West Coast 2-night “Cruise to Nowhere” on the Disney Wonder – January 21–23. Over 100 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. Tickets for the D23 Expo 2011 are now on sale (link).
- Sixth annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – September 2–4. Registration for the 2011 event is scheduled to open Jan. 3, 2011.
- Fall 2011 MouseAdventure – no details yet. Visit MouseAdventure.com to sign up for our newsletter.
We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau Web site (link). When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the Resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it’s best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.
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). Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.
One Day, One Park Ticket – Regularly $76/$68 One Day Park Hopper – Regularly $101/$91 |
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. |
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Two Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $151/$136 Two Day Park Hopper – Regularly $161/$146 |
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. |
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Three Day Park Hopper – Regularly $206/$185 |
Disney Military Promotional 3-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($99) – A discounted price offered to active or retired U.S. military personnel or their spouses. Based on past offers, Disney defines “Eligible Service Members” as active or retired members of the U.S. military, including active members of the National Guard or Reservists and active or retired members of the U.S. Coast Guard. This discount is available at MWR/ITT offices at your military base, or at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Valid military ID is required. The price is the same for adults and children, and total of six tickets may be purchased per military member, regardless of who purchases the tickets (the member or their spouse). Tickets must be purchased by September 28, 2011 and used by 10/1/2011. The ticket has the following blockout dates: 12/24/10-1/1/11; 2/18/11-2/21/11; 4/17/11-4/23/11; and 7/1/11-7/4/11. As far as we can tell, there is no “fuse” on this ticket, so you may have more than the standard 13 days from first use to use the remaining two admissions, but we highly recommend you contact your base MWR/ITT office for more details before making travel plans. Please note that this ticket is not a “bonus” ticket, and so does not include an early admission day. Advance Purchase 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($186/$165) – 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 (a $15/day value). |
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Four Day Park Hopper – Regularly $231/$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 (i.e., 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 ($201/$178) – 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 $15/day value). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011. |
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Five Day Park Hopper – Regularly $251/$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 through September 30, 2010. The tickets are NOT available at the Resort ticket booths, you must pre-purchase from the Disneyland Web site (link). Advance Purchase 5-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($211/$186) – 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 $15-per-day value). |
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Six Day Park Hopper – Regularly $256/$230 |
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 through September 30, 2010. The tickets are not available at the Resort ticket booths; you must pre-purchase from the Disneyland Web site (link). .Advance Purchase 6-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($216/$190) – 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 $15/day value). |
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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] |
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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 or a cardboard placard that you must trade for ticket books prior to leaving Costco! |
Hotel/Travel Packages
Fall discount offers – Disneyland has extended two discount offers for the three Disneyland Resort Hotels, with extra room-only discounts for travelers who book their trips before the end of September.
If you need a room and theme park tickets, Disneyland is offering a discount of up to $300 on a four-day, four-night vacation package, which includes 4-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper bonus tickets and four nights at a Disneyland Resort hotel. This package also includes admission to one Magic Morning at Disneyland (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday), admission to Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness at Disneyland (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday), one Walt Disney Travel Company pin and lanyard per person, preferred seating to select shows in Disney’s California Adventure Park (where available; note that Aladdin will be on hiatus for much of the fall), and a Disney Character Call from Mickey, Minnie, or Goofy (offered to guests who book online).The offer is valid for arrivals from October 1 through December 16. Packages can be booked through December 1, and travel must be completed by December 20.
If you don’t need theme park tickets, you can save as much as 40 percent on a room-only reservation with a minimum two-night stay for both standard and concierge-level room rates:
Book October 1 and December 1, and save:
- 20 percent off at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel
- 25 percent off at The Disneyland Hotel
- 30 percent off at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
Room-only packages include admission to one Magic Morning at Disneyland (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday).
Book online at the Disneyland.com Web site (link), call Walt Disney Travel Company at (714) 520-6425, or contact your favorite travel agent and ask them to look for the “Fall Package Offer.”
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.
Contact a MousePlanet sponsor travel agency for assistance in booking your next trip
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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%. This offer is valid only at the Main Gate rental location between Disneyland and Disney 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 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
- MHP – Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland
MousePlanet Special Events:
- MA – MouseAdventure (www.mouseadventure.com)
11/14 | 11/15 | 11/16 | 11/17 |
11/18 |
11/19 | 11/20 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DL: 8a-11p
DCA: 10a-10p SL MM |
DL: 10a-8p
DCA: 10a-8p
TT |
DL: 10a-8p DCA: 10a-8p MM |
DL: 10a-8p DCA: 10a-8p TT
|
DL: 10a-8p
DCA: 10a-8p
MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM / TT |
11/21 | 11/22 | 11/23 | 11/24 |
11/25 |
11/26 | 11/27 |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p
TT |
DL: 8a-12a DCA: 10a-10p MM |
DL: 8a-12a DCA: 10a-10p TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-9p SL/SC/DX MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX TT
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DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM / TT |
11/28 | 11/29 | 11/30 | 12/1 |
12/2 |
12/3 | 12/4 |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL MM |
DL: 9a-8p
DCA: 10a-8p
TT |
DL: 9a-8p DCA: 10a-8p MM |
DL: 9a-8p DCA: 10a-8p TT
|
DL: 9a-8p
DCA: 10a-8p
MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM / TT |
12/5 | 12/6 | 12/7 | 12/8 |
12/9 |
12/10 | 12/11 |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL MM |
DL: 9a-8p
DCA: 10a-8p
TT |
DL: 9a-8p DCA: 10a-8p MM |
DL: 9a-8p DCA: 10a-8p TT
|
DL: 9a-8p
DCA: 10a-8p
MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM / TT |
12/12 | 12/13 | 12/14 | 12/15 |
12/16 |
12/17 | 12/18 |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL MM |
DL: 8a-6p
DCA: 10a-9p
TT |
DL: 8a-6p DCA: 10a-9p MM |
DL: 8a-12a DCA: 10a-9p TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-9p
MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM / TT |
12/19 | 12/20 | 12/21 | 12/22 |
12/23 |
12/24 | 12/25 |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM / TT |
DL: 8a-12a DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM |
DL: 8a-12a DCA: 10a-10p TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM |
DL: 8a-9p
DCA: 10a-8p SL/SC/DX MM / TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM / TT |
12/26 | 12/27 | 12/28 | 12/29 |
12/30 |
12/31 | 1/1/11 |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM / TT |
DL: 8a-12a DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM |
DL: 8a-12a DCA: 10a-10p TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM |
DL: 8a-2a
DCA: 10a-1a SL/SC/DX MM / TT
|
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX
|
1/2 | 1/3 | 1/4 | 1/5 |
1/6 |
1/7 | 1/8 |
DL: 9a-11p
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC/DX MM |
DL: 9a-10p
DCA: 10a-8p
TT |
DL: 9a-8p DCA: 10a-8p MM |
DL: 9a-8p DCA: 10a-8p TT
|
DL: 9a-8p
DCA: 10a-8p
MM |
DL: 8a-12a
DCA: 10a-10p TT
|
DL: 9a-11p
DCA: 10a-10p SL/SC MM / TT |
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.