Update for March 21 – 27, 2011
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News and Views
Tokyo Disney Resort remains following earthquake | Disneyland to open Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides sneak peek | Cars 2 photo spot opens at DCA | Hungry Bear restaurant reopens at Disneyland | Resort construction update | Don’t miss the Luau: registration continues for Spring 2011 MouseAdventure | This and That… | Crowd forecast
Tokyo Disney Resort remains closes following earthquake
The Tokyo Disney Resort remains closed until further notice following the 9.0 earthquake that struck northeastern Japan on March 11. The Oriental Land Company, which operates the Tokyo resort under a license from Disney, issued a statement last week saying that inspections of the theme parks, hotels, shopping center, and monorail line revealed no serious damage, but that the resort would remain closed due to rolling blackouts impacting the area. According to reports from Jarrod Lentz (@JarrodLentz), an American performer working at Tokyo Disney Resort, Disney decided last week to allow international cast members to return to their home countries if they wished, with the option of returning to their roles in Japan once the parks reopen. Jarrod says that Oriental Land Company paid for these flights.
On Tuesday, Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Online reported that the water from Tokyo DisneySea’s Mediterranean Harbor is being used to provide water for the restrooms in a nearby municipal elementary school. The article read:
“On March 14, Urayasu City, Chiba announced that Tokyo DisneySea decided to provide Mediterranean Harbor’s water for Urayasu City’s local people. They are to use the water for the toilets at junior schools in the city. According to Urayasu, two water wagons will carry the water from Disney Sea to five schools in a week. On the 14th, almost half of all the families (37,000 families) are lacking water. Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland are closed now, and OLC says, “We want to help Urayasu as much as possible. We have responsibility as a local company of Urayasu.”
[MousePlanet thanks Twitter user @ErikoYaybee for the translation.]
The Disney Parks Blog posted an update Tuesday announcing that Disney has made a $2.5 million donation to the Red Cross, and is matching employee donations dollar-for-dollar up to another $1 million. “Our hearts go out to the people of Japan,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, in a prepared statement. “We send our continued thoughts of support and encouragement as this great nation begins the long road to recovery.”
On Thursday, Disney announced it would suspend all administrative and store operations in Japan, temporarily closing 47 stores in addition to the already announced closures of the Tokyo Disney Resort. In a prepared statement, Disney said, “Our top priority is the well being of our employees and their families during this challenging time and we will continue to closely monitor the situation as it develops.”
MousePlanet will continue to post additional news and information from Tokyo Disney Resort on our MousePad discussion forum as we receive it. We encourage our readers to visit the websites of the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Save the Children, or Google Crisis Response for information on how you can help in the earthquake and tsunami recovery, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross.
Disneyland to open Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides sneak peek
The Disneyland Resort is still keeping plans for the rumored premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides we believe will be held at Disneyland on Saturday, May 7, but last week, the Disney Parks Blog announced that a 3-D preview of the upcoming Pirates film will be presented nightly during an “exciting new pirate experience” that will start Friday, March 25 at Disneyland. A post says that the 3-D preview will be exclusive to Disneyland, and will be presented “weekend nights from March 25 to May 30, and seven nights a week from April 15 through May 1.” The preview will be held in the Festival Arena, at the back of Frontierland.
A new screen was built in the Festival Arena for the Pirates preview. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The original post provided very few details about the event, but in follow-up comments, Michele Himmelberg, Disneyland Resort Public Relations Director, said that the show will take place several times a night starting at dark, and will feature “Jack Sparrow and another Pirates star.” Himmelberg also said that the Jack Sparrow character will return for meet-and-greet opportunities during daytime hours.
The Tron: Legacy sneak peek offered in Disney California Adventure during ElecTRONica was such a hit that the preview still draws huge crowds, despite the fact the actual movie debuted three months ago and will be released on DVD in three weeks. If the Pirates preview is equally popular, the offering might help ease nighttime crowding around Fantasmic and the fireworks by luring visitors into a rarely-used corner of the park.
Cars 2 photo spot opens at DCA
A new Cars 2 photo spot opened at Disney California Adventure last week. The location is built into the construction wall surrounding Cars Land, and features Mater and Lightning McQueen each sporting a new Piston Cup Champion paint job. A Disney’s Photopass photographer is on hand to snap your picture, and you can ask the photographer to use your own camera as well. The former photo spot area across from the Soarin’ Over California attraction has been dismantled.
A new Cars 2 photo spot opened last week at Disney California Adventure. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Rolling doors provide an alternate background when the Cars 2 photo spot is closed.. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Hungry Bear restaurant reopens at Disneyland
Disneyland’s Hungry Bear restaurant reopened last week with a new menu featuring items such as a fried green tomato sandwich; chili-covered cheeseburger; sweet potato fries; fresh warm blueberry pie and “hunny” lemon cupcake. We have posted the complete menu in our MousePlanet dining guide, and you will see a full review of the restaurant with comments from the chefs who designed the new menu from writer Britt Winslow soon.
Fried green tomato sandwich and sweet potato fries headline the new Hungry Bear menu. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Resort construction update
The new entrance to Disney California Adventure is really taking shape, with the structures on the roof visible over the construction wall.
The new DCA main entrance structure is taking shape. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Tarps surround the new structures on top of DCA’s new main entrance. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Disney Junior: Live on Stage is set to open on Thursday, and the new entrance was unveiled last week. Some of the neon in the Disney Theater sign is still missing, and it looks like Imagineering is still tinkering with the colors of the beautiful lit entrance. Most of the entrance is fitted with white light bulbs, but one small section has pink, purple and green bulbs.
The new Disney Junior signs are in place on the Disney Theater in DCA. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
One section (top right in this photo) is fitted with colored bulbs, while the rest of the entrance is lit with white bulbs. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
A peek behind the wall at the construction in the Sunshine Plaza reveals a lot of rebar. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Work continues on the Cadillac Range surrounding Cars Land. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Don’t miss the Luau! Registration continues for Spring 2011 MouseAdventure
Aloha, teams! Grab your grass skirts and get ready to hula, as MouseAdventure presents our Spring 2011 event: MouseAdventure Luau on Sunday, April 10! Registration for both Basic and Advanced divisions have already reached capacity, but there is still space in our 101 Division, designed especially for first-time MouseAdventure teams:
For brand new teams who just want to get an idea of what this MouseAdventure thing is all about without the stress of competition, our MouseAdventure 101 event is for you. Try your hand at a series of classic MouseAdventure puzzles from past events in Disney California Adventure in a relaxed, noncompetitive setting.
Register now at MouseAdventure.com. Registration closes on Thursday, March 31, 2011, or when the event sells out, whichever comes first. Visit the site for more information, and sign up for the MouseAdventure Newsletter.
This and That…
…A big thanks to everyone who came out in the rain this weekend to help update our Disneyland Resort menu listings. We’re busily typing up all of the changes to the menus, and appreciate the help!
The exterior of the Star Tours ride building is still under wraps. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
…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 website currently only publishes refurbishment information about six weeks in advance. Be sure to check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update for the latest changes, as MousePlanet does not edit past Park Updates to reflect changes.
Disneyland Resort crowd forecast
Crowd information and forecasts are provided by TouringPlans.com, the website of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, to help you better plan your trip to the Disneyland Resort. TouringPlans.com gathers wait time data from a team of in-park researchers and users of their Lines mobile phone application, and then predicts crowd levels for the next 365 days. Using a scale from 1 to 10, TouringPlans.com has a 90 percent accuracy of predicting the crowds to within 1 point, helping visitors prepare for their trips so they can “Do more. Wait less.”
The start of the spring break season brought high crowd levels through St. Patrick’s Day and the weekend. Our Disneyland Research team and fabulous Lines users submit wait times year round. Last year, here’s what our statistical team measured for the upcoming week:
This year, going into the second week of spring break season, the crowds will reach a Crowd Level 8 or higher all week:
Get wait time predictions on your Mobile Phone. Do more. Wait less.
Current Refurbishments and Attraction ClosuresDisneyland
Disney California AdventureSeasonal refurbishments:
Construction-related closures:
Downtown Disney & Disneyland Resort Hotels
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 EventsCheck 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. 2011
We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. 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 & PromotionsSeveral 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. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.
Hotel/Travel PackagesSpring discount offers – In addition to the Promotional Park Hopper bonus tickets listed above, the Disneyland Resort released two hotel discounts for Spring 2011. We definitely recommend comparing prices on these offers before you buy, as it may be less-expensive to book the hotel and ticket separately.
Book online at the Disneyland Resort website, call Walt Disney Travel Company at (714) 520-6425, or contact your favorite travel agent and ask them to look for the “Spring 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.
Other DiscountsCharacter Dining Vouchers – Discounted character dining vouchers are available for purchase online, in advance of your trip, through Get Away Travel. 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 website for details. 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 at ESPNZone.com 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. Park Schedule/Blockout DatesDL: Disneyland DCA: Disney California Adventure Annual Pass blockout dates:
Disneyland Resort Special Events:
MousePlanet Special Events:
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: This week’s entertainment schedule on the Disneyland Resort website.
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