Update for December 10 – 16, 2012
Go directly to: News & Views | Join our Networks | Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Resort Events | Discounts and Promotions | Park Schedule/Blockout Dates
News and Views
Annual Passholders Descend onto Main Street for Candlelight Ceremonies | Indiana Jones Adventure Repoens | Starbucks Moving into the Market House | This and That…
Annual Passholders descend onto Main Street for Candlelight Ceremonies
The rain held off this week as thousands of selected Disneyland Annual Passholders descended onto Main Street U.S.A. for this year's Candlelight Ceremony and Processional performances. The first couple of performances last week were canceled or altered due to the wet weather. Disneyland expanded this year's performances to a record number, and, for the first time, held an Annual Passholder lottery to fill the reserved seating area in Town Square.
The large Candlelight Ceremony and Processional is held in Disneyland Town Square. Photo by Bryan Pugh.
Actor and Disney Legend Kurt Russell reads the story of the first Christmas during the Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony. Photo by Bryan Pugh.
The tradition of holding an outdoor Candlelight Processional was created in 1958 by Walt Disney as a way to show gratitude to community leaders and VIPs, and over the decades the event has grown into one of the most beloved Disneyland holiday traditions. This year has seen the largest growth since the start of the annual events, and next year we may see the event become even larger. MousePlanet's David Koenig reported earlier this week that the Entertainment division is currently planning on further increasing the number of performances and relocating the Candlelight Ceremonies to the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure park.
True, a move to Disney California Adventure would break the 54-year tradition of the Candlelight Ceremony run at Disneyland, but it would also allow Disney to accommodate more guests in attending the increasingly popular event. Furthermore, Disneyland's Town Square could be left free from the intrusive Candlelight installation during one of the busiest times of the year.
The 2012 Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony and Processional continues through December 20, 2012.
Indiana Jones Adventure reopens
Indiana Jones Adventure reopened this weekend after an extensive three-month refurbishment. The much-needed refurbishment addressed the attraction's show elements, including lighting, paint, and other special effects. Kevin Rafferty, Jr., a Disneyland Resort spokesman, told the Orange County Register that the refurbishment focused on new artwork, bridges, and enhanced lighting and animation effects.
Indiana Jones Adventure takes Disneyland guests through a mysterious archeological find. Photo by Bryan Pugh.
The attraction, which opened in 1995, is one of the most popular rides at Disneyland. Guests are taken on a treacherous journey through the Temple of the Forbidden Eye all the while encountering snakes, fire bursts and poison darts. The attraction, although well loved by guests, is known for its sudden closures. Indiana Jones Adventure remains one of the most challenging attractions ever created by Disney, and one of the more expensive to maintain.
Starbucks moving into Main Street's Market House in 2013
The Main Street Market House, a turn-of-the-century market selling coffee and baked goods to Disneyland's guests, closes in early 2013. The closure facilitates the installation of a Disneyland Starbucks location.
In April 2012, Disney and Starbucks announced that the popular coffee chain would open a retail location in each of Disney's six domestic theme parks. The first opened this past June on Disney California Adventure's Buena Vista Street. The Starbucks location was placed inside of Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe and retains a design consistent with the 1920s theme of Buena Vista Street. In fact, Disney and Starbucks made it clear during their April announcement that the coffee giant's stores would retain the appropriate theme for their location in each of the Disney theme parks.
The Market House opened along with Disneyland in 1955, and still retains much of the turn-of-the-century charm Walt built into his Main Street U.S.A. The center of the Market House, for example, still contains a wood burning stove and spot where guests can pull up a chair and play a game of checkers. It is not entirely clear how much of an impact the addition of Starbucks will have on the Market House, but one can see that Disney is committed to retaining the consistent theme of their locations by looking to Buena Vista Street.
The Disneyland Starbucks location is expected to open in 2013.
This and That…
… Three Kings Day, a traditional Hispanic Christmas celebration, is returning to Disneyland on January 4, 5, and 6 of 2013. Last year, Three Kings Day was celebrated in Frontierland, near Rancho del Zocalo restaurant. This year the celebration takes place in the Big Thunder Festival Area. Guests can enjoy live performances from Folklorico Dancers and the Mariachi Divas. Disney characters will be dressed for the occasion and special foods, including sweet corn tamales. Rancho del Zolaco is offering Rosca de Reyes (King's Bread).
… Walt Disney Imagineering tested a new concept improv show on Disney California Adventure park guests this past week. The “playtesting” took place on Wednesday, December 5 and Thursday, Decemeber 6, and was held in the Stage 17 building in Hollywood Land. Guests who were recruited to participate in the test were presented with a World of Color Fastpass.
… Fantasy Faire construction continues to make progress at Disneyland. Some building design has become visible as the former Carnation Plaza Gardens is transformed into a royal courtyard for character meet-and-greets.
Building design, consistent with the look and feel of Fantasyland, is visible above the construction walls. Photo by Bryan Pugh.
The Royal Courtyard in the central square will contain a maypole for the daily Royal Ribbon Parade. Photo by Bryan Pugh.
Interior locations are visible for what will most likely become retail space or character greeting locations at the Fantasy Faire. Photo by Bryan Pugh.
… The Holiday edition of The Buena Vista Bugle is now available on Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure park.
The free Buena Vista Bugle newspaper highlights the events of Buena Vista Street and Disney California Adventure park. Photo by Bryan Pugh.
Crowd Forecast
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Advertisement 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.”
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Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Note: Not all of these have been officially confirmed by Disney, and are all subject to change at any time. We recommend checking for updates as you plan your visit.
Disneyland
- Haunted Mansion – closed January 7–17, 2013 for removal of Haunted Mansion Holiday.
- Primeval World – closed January 7–23, 2013 for refurbishment, will not effect the operation of the Disneyland Railroad.
- Fantasmic! – dark January 7 to February 14, 2013 for refurbishment
- Mark Twain Riverboat – closed January 7 to March 28 for refurbishment
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed January 7 to October 30, 2013 for a major refurbishment.
- Princess Fantasy Faire/Fantasyland Theater – closed until Summer 2013 for refurbishment of the Fantasyland Theater. The Princess meet-and-greet is relocated to the terrace near “it's a small world” until the new Fantasy Faire opens.
- Troubadour Treats – closed until Summer 2013 for refurbishment of the Fantasyland Theater. An internal document lists May 23 as the reopening date, but this may just be a placeholder.
- Plaza Gardens – closed until January 2014 for the construction of the new Fantasy Faire.
Disney California Adventure
- Silly Symphony Swings – closed for refurbishment January 7 to February 17, 2013.
- Grizzly River Run – closed for refurbishment January 7 to February 28, 2013.
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).
2012
- Holidays at the Disneyland Resort – through January 6, 2013.
- Candlelight Processional – Nightly, December 1–20. Performances times, narrator(s) and details available here.
2013
- 2013 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend (sold out) – January 18–20.
- Grad Nite events – this party for high school seniors graduating in 2013 will be held on 22 dates in 2013: May 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31; June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21. The 2013 event includes admission to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure during regular operating hours, and a private party in Disneyland after the park closes to the public for the night.
- D23 Expo – August 9–11. Tickets for the three-day convention are now on sale.
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 & Promotions
Disneyland prices as of May 20, 2012.
Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update.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. 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 $87/$81 One Day Park Hopper – Regularly $125/$119 | 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, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $170/$158 Two Day Park Hopper – Regularly $200/$188 | Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells two-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 2-day Park Hoppers are $197 for adults and $185 for children; 2-day 1/park/day tickets are $168 for adults and $156 for children Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them. | |
| Three Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $220/$205 Three Day Park Hopper – Regularly $250/$235 |
Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells three-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 3-day Park Hoppers are $245 for adults and $230 for children; 3-day 1/park/day tickets are $217 for adults and $202 for children 2012-2013 Disney Military Promotional 3–Day Park Hopper Ticket ($125) – A discounted price offered to Eligible Service Members or their spouses. Disney Military Promotional 3-Day Park Hopper Tickets may be purchased August 17, 2012 through September 26, 2013, and are valid October 1, 2012 through September 28, 2013. Disney defines “Eligible Service Members” as active or retired members of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, Reservists and the U.S. Coast Guard. Valid military identification will be required for purchase. This discount is available at MWR/ITT offices at your military base or other at participating U.S. military sales outlets. The tickets are not available for sale at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. 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 are blocked out December 23, 2012 to January 2, 2013; February 15–17, 2013; March 25 to April 5, 2013; and July 4, 2013. 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. Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if other discounts are available through them. |
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| Four Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $245/$225 Four Day Park Hopper – Regularly $275/$255 |
Costco 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket plus $50 Costco Cash card ($259.99) – The Fall 2012 version of this discount offer is a bit different than past deals, with several important changes:
At face value, the ticket is only $15 less than the rack rate for a Disneyland Resort 4-Day Parkhopper ticket purchased at the Main Entrance booths, and is more expensive than the child's ticket. The real “savings” comes in the form of the $50 Costco Cash Card. If you were already in the market for a 4-day Parkhopper and plan to spend $50 at Costco, this deal will save you $65.00, but it may not be a real value if you aren't an avid Costco shopper. Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells four-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 4-day Park Hoppers are $270 for adults and $250 for children; 4-day 1/park/day tickets are $240 for adults and $220 for children Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them. |
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| Five Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $260/$240 Five Day Park Hopper – Regularly $290/$270 |
Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells five-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 5-day Park Hoppers are $285 for adults and $265 for children; 5-day 1/park/day tickets are $255 for adults and $235 for children Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them. |
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| Six Day, One Park per Day Ticket Six Day Park Hopper | No longer offered by Disneyland. Some travel providers may offer 6-day or longer tickets to international customers as part of a package; residents of Canada, Australia or the U.K. should check with local travel agencies to see what options may be available to you. | |
| Disneyland Resort Annual Passports |
No discounts currently available for new purchases. California residents can take advantage of the monthly payment plan when purchasing any but the Premier Annual Passport.
Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if other discounts are available through them. |
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| Southern California CityPASS $279/$239 Southern California CityPASS PLUS $311/$263 |
2012 Southern California CityPASS ($279/$239) – includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket (including one early-entry day), a one-day admission to Sea World San Diego and a one-day admission to Universal Studios Hollywood. The CityPASS expires 14 days after first use at any location, and the first use must occur by December 31, 2012. Purchase CityPASS through the Disneyland website 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 website, though a shipping charge may apply depending on how quickly you need the ticket. 2012 Southern California CityPASS PLUS ($311/$263) – includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket (including one early-entry day), a one-day admission to Sea World San Diego and a one-day admission to Universal Studios Hollywood, PLUS one-day admission to either San Diego Zoo or San Diego Safari Park. The CityPASS expires 14 days after first use at any location, and the first use must occur by December 31, 2012. This upgraded pass is only available for purchase directly from the CityPASS website. Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if other discounts are available through them. |
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Hotel/Travel Packages
Costco Travel Packages – Many different travel packages including visits to Disneyland and Disneyland hotels are available through Costco.
Disney's Resort Magic and Good Neighbor Magic Packages – Package includes accommodations in 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 three DCA attractions (Disney's Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, Muppet*Vision 3D, It's Tough to be a Bug!); 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
Annual Passholder offers – Disneyland has once again extended the 20% merchandise discount offered to Premium annual passholders. The discount is now valid through December 31, 2012.
Purchase with Purchase offers – Disneyland Resort shops frequently offer a reduced–price souvenir (often a tote bag, watch, or blanket) with a qualifying minimum purchase. These are offered at Disney-operated stores only, and generally can not be combined—you must choose one of the eligible offers. If you're a passholder, the minimum purchase is calculated after your discount, and your discount does not apply to the promotional item. The current offers are:
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Disneyland shops
- Mickey tote bag for $15.95 with a minimum purchase of $25.
- Pin Trading Starter Set for $18.95 with a $40 purchase.
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Disney California Adventure shops
- Disney tote bag for $15.95 with a minimum purchase of $25.
- Expandable duffel bag for $17.95 with a minimum purchase of $25.
- Mickey Mouse watch for $17.95 with a $30 purchase.
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Downtown Disney/Disneyland Resort Hotel shops
- Expandable duffel bag for $17.95 with a minimum purchase of $25.
- Coastal tote bag for $15.95 with a minimum purchase of $25.
- Pin Trading Starter Set for $18.95 with a $40 purchase.
Character Dining Vouchers – Discounted character dining vouchers are available for purchase online, in advance of your trip, through Get Away Travel.
Disney Visa – Cardholders have access to a private Character Meet 'N' Greet photo opportunity at Disney California Adventure, and receive one free 5×7 photograph per visit. Cardholders also receive 10% off qualifying merchandise purchases of $50 or more from Disney–operated retail stores, 10% off at selected Disneyland Resort restaurants, (Big Thunder Ranch, River Belle Terrace, French Market, Cocina Cucamonga, Steakhouse 55, PCH Grill and Storyteller's Café), and 20% off the “Welcome to Disneyland,” “A Walk in Walt's Footsteps,” and “Discover the Magic” guided tours. See the Disney Visa website for terms and conditions.
Landry's Select Club – Members of the Landry's Select Club get priority seating at the Rainforest Cafe when available (which makes a huge difference on busy days), and a 10% discount on retail purchases. This club replaces the former Rainforest Cafe Safari Club as of March 31, 2012. If you are already a Safari Club member, you can migrate your membership to the new Landry's Select Club at no charge, and start to earn points in the new program. The new Select Club eliminated the entree discount and free appetizer offer that was included with the Safari Club, replacing them with a point-based system that gives you a $25 gift certificate after you spend $250. If you are not yet a member of either the Safari Club or the Landry's Select Club, you can pre-purchase your membership before your trip. Membership now costs $25, but comes with a $25 reward.
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 blockouts:
- SL – Southern California Select Annual Pass
- SC – Southern California Annual Pass
- DX – Deluxe Annual Pass
Early Admission: – full description available on the Disneyland website)
- MM – Magic Morning for 3-plus day ticket holders
- EMH – Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests
- TT – Toontown Morning Madness at Disneyland. Ends December 31, 2102.
Disneyland Resort Special Events:
- Grad Nite
- CCP – Candlelight Ceremony and Processional
- MA – MouseAdventure (www.mouseadventure.com)
| 12/2 | 12/3 | 12/4 | 12/5 | 12/6 | 12/7 | 12/8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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DL: 8a-12a None DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 9a-9p TT DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 9a-9p EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: DCA: AP Events: CCP |
DL: 9a-10p EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a TT DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM/TT DCA: AP Events: |
| 12/9 | 12/10 | 12/11 | 12/12 | 12/13 | 12/14 | 12/15 |
|
DL: 8a-12a None DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 9a-9p TT DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 9a-9p EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 9a-10p TT DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 9a-10p EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a TT DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM/TT DCA: AP Events: |
| 12/16 | 12/17 | 12/18 | 12/19 | 12/20 | 12/21 | 12/22 |
|
DL: 8a-12a None DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-11p TT DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-11p EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-11p TT DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: CCP |
DL: 8a-12a TT/EMH DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM/TT DCA: AP Events: |
| 12/23 | 12/24 | 12/25 | 12/26 | 12/27 | 12/28 | 12/29 |
|
DL: 8a-12a EMH DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 10a-12a TT/EMH DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a TT/EMH DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH / MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a TT/EMH DCA: AP Events: None |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM/TT DCA: AP Events: |
| 12/30 | 12/31 | 1/1 | 1/2 | 1/3 | 1/4 | 1/5 |
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DL: 8a-12a EMH DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-2a TT/EMH DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a None DCA: AP Events: |
DL: DCA: AP Events: None |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH DCA: AP Events: |
DL: 8a-12a EMH/MM DCA: AP 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: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.
