Disneyland Resort Update

Update for November 10 – 16, 2014

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News and Views

Runners assemble for the inaugural Avengers half marathon weekend | Fastpass comes to Fantasmic | Ringing in the holiday season | Refurbishment update | This and that… | Crowd Forecast

Runners assemble for the inaugural Avengers half marathon weekend

The inaugural Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend events begin this Friday, November 14, and continue through Sunday, November 16. The event is expected to draw tens of thousands of runners, walkers, friends, and family to the Disneyland Resort, and includes road closures and operational changes that could impact anyone visiting during this weekend. Here's what runners, tourists and spectators should know as we head into this busy weekend.

Non-runners

The Disneyland Resort is going to be very busy this weekend, which you may already know if you had a hard time finding a reasonably priced hotel room in the immediate area. The good news is that runners tend not to stay up late the night before races, so you should see lighter evening crowds than you might expect.

Staying at the Disneyland Hotel? The race expo takes place in that hotel's convention center, so expect extra crowds at the shops and restaurants. If you are staying at any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels, expect to race-related noise Saturday and Sunday mornings, beginning in predawn hours, especially if your hotel room faces Disneyland Drive. If you are staying at the Grand Californian Hotel in a room overlooking Downtown Disney, expect to hear spectator cheering starting around 5:45 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

While all of the races take place before park opening or outside the parks, you may still experience traffic delays and extra crowds. Give yourself plenty of time if driving to the resort in the morning; race-related road closures are scheduled from 12:01 to 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, and from 12:01 to to 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. For detailed road closure information, see pages 13-14 of the event guidebook.

Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure open at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Early entry for hotel guests and eligible ticket holders is at 8:00 a.m. at Disney California Adventure on Friday, at Disneyland on Saturday, and back at DCA on Sunday.

Spectators

Disney does not allow you to view the half-marathon race course from inside either Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure unless you purchased a silver ($45), gold ($65) or platinum ($99) ChEAR Squad package. Online registration is still available, and you can also purchase packages at the Expo. There is no theme park viewing for the 5K event.

If you want to come cheer on the runners without purchasing a spectator package, or plan to cheer at the 5K event, Disney recommends specific viewing areas on property. All of these viewing areas are accessible only by foot; so walk from either the Mickey and Friends parking structure, or from your hotel if staying nearby.

View the race courses on pages 27–29 of the Avengers Half Marathon guidebook.

Detailed information for runners

With the race Expo open only two days, expect a very busy Expo experience. Between all of the 5K runners checking in on Friday, and what will likely be strong interest in the race merchandise, Friday morning will definitely be the busiest time.

If you want first pick of the race merchandise, plan to arrive well before the official 10:00 a.m. opening on Friday. Based on past events, you would be well-advised to bring water, sunscreen, and a hat to protect you during the wait.

Because the Expo remains open until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Friday afternoon may be the best time to attend the expo if all you want to do is get your race packet and get out. If you're running the half marathon, you can visit the Expo between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday to get your race gear.

Event merchandise

We recommend keeping an eye on the Disney Parks blog this week for a possible sneak peek at the event merchandise. Disney hasn't yet released any previews of the race merchandise, but whatever is available will be sold in the official race merchandise section of the Expo. Remember, you do not need to collect your race packet before you enter the expo to shop, so if you want the best selection Friday morning, your best bet is to shop first, then get your race packet.

Runner tracking

You can register to receive runner tracking updates via text message, Twitter, or Facebook. Sign up via the runDisney webform.

MarathonFoto discount

MarathonFoto, the official photography company for the runDisney event, occasionally offers a pre-purchase special for registered runners. The specific discount varies by event, but as one example, runners in the Disneyland Half Marathon 10K event in September could pre-purchase a $75 coupon code (basically a gift certificate) for $50. Visit the MarathonFoto website to view the discount for your event. You will need your bib number to log in to the website and view the discounts.

New Balance shoe sales

New Balance has tested a virtual queue at recent runDisney events, to save shoppers from having to stand in hours-long lines to get a chance at one of its exclusive Disney shoes. The system worked well at the Disneyland Half Marathon and Tower of Terror 10 mile event, but failed completely during the Wine and Dine Half Marathon event this past weekend in Walt Disney World.

New Balance is scheduled to offer the virtual queue for the Avengers Half Marathon weekend. To join the virtual queue, visit the special New Balance website the morning you plan to attend the expo, and sign up. Supply your bib number, and select one size and style to try on.

Once you've registered, you'll be assigned a group and return time. You'll receive a text message or email reminder when it's time to come try on your shoe, and must return within an hour of your assigned time. During your fitting, you can try on other styles and sizes as available. Runners can purchase up to six pairs during the expo.

Fastpass comes to Fantasmic

Disneyland last week announced a major change to the way visitors will watch Fantasmic. Starting December 12, 2014, Fantasmic will introduce a Fastpass system similar to the one used for the World of Color show in Disney California Adventure. With Fastpass comes a new Fantasmic Dining Package program, with four different options ranging from a grab-and-go picnic at Aladdin's Oasis, to a new 3-course table service dinner offering at River Belle Terrace.

Disneyland will debut Fastpass for Fantasmic viewing starting December 12, 2014. MousePlanet file photo.

All together, there will be 6 different ways to see Fantasmic, and as many as 6 different viewing areas. The workings of this new program are so detailed that Disney published a 6-page guide for cast members, including answers to 44 likely questions from guests.

Reservations for the new dining offerings begin online via Disneyland.com on Tuesday, November 12. Due to the complexity of the new offering, we've written a separate article about the new Fantasmic Fastpass and Dining Plans, which is published today on MousePlanet. We also reached out to Disney for answers to questions we had that were not covered by the FAQ.

The new plan has generated quite a bit of discussion on our MousePad forums. Some readers are thrilled by the opportunity to guarantee a spot for Fantasmic without having to camp out for hours before the show. Others are just glad to see the end of the “blanket camps” which formed every day before the first performance.

Still, this change marks the end of every trick frequent park visitors have used to snag a prime viewing spot for the past 22 years, and is one more thing that vacation planners need to schedule in advance of their trip.

Once you've read all the details of the new program, we invite you to share your thoughts about the changes.

Ringing in the holiday season

The Holidays at the Disneyland Resort officially begins this week, bringing returning classics and new offerings to both parks.

The first public performances of A Christmas Fantasy Parade and the Believe… in Holiday Magic fireworks show actually took place last Friday, November 7. As announced, Anna and Elsa joined the parade this year, riding on the Frozen float previously added to Mickey's Soundsational Parade.

This new unit was built atop the ice rink float from the Christmas Fantasy Parade, which previously featured Mickey and Minnie. The duo has been relocated this year to the Santa's Workshop float, displacing Mrs. Claus from the mail room.

Nightmare Before Christmas decorations accent New Orleans Square shops. Photo by Mark Hahn.

Fortunately for fans of Mrs. Claus, Santa's wife still plays host at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree. The area features the traditional meet-and-greet with Santa, along with crafts, cookie decorating, and shows by a new “troupe of traveling performers.” This is also a good area for character meet-and-greet opportunities with Pluto, Chip and Dale.

“it's a small world” Holiday is now open for the season. There is a nightly lighting moment for the attraction each evening around dusk – check with cast members for an exact time when you visit if you'd like to see the showing.

This Thursday, November 13, should be the debut of World of Color: Winter Dreams. According to the Disney Parks Blog, the show has been revised for 2014, and features even more music from Frozen.

The balcony above the former entrance to the Court des Anges in New Orleans Square is decorated for the holidays. Photo by Mark Hahn.

The Frozen theme continues in Downtown Disney with the return of Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink and the Downtown Disney Winter Village.

Jungle Cruise will open for the season as the Jingle Cruise on Saturday, November 14.

Each night at Disneyland, you can catch the Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle light show. There are three different performances each night, with the final show taking place just prior to the start of the Believe… in Holiday Magic fireworks.

Refurbishment update

Another week, another update to the ever-changing refurbishment schedule. As of this week, the scheduled refurbishments of Pinocchio's Daring Journey and Snow White's Scary Adventures, both previously scheduled for November 12 & 13, are off the calendar.

Jungle Cruise will open for the season as the Jingle Cruise on November 14.

The Hollywood Studios sign in Disney California Adventure is decorated for the holidays. Photo by Mark Hahn.

The refurbishments of Muppet*Vision 3D and Character Close Up both end on December 20 according to Disneyland.com. If the rumors are true and those two areas are being transformed into a Frozen wonderland, expect December 20 to be the debut date.

An internal calendar has The Bakery Tour now reopening on January 27, 2015.

Finally, we have been told that the 2015 refurbishment schedule previously released to cast members was in error, and the dates of the related projects have changed. As such, we have removed the 2015 dates from our refurbishment schedule below, and will post updated information as soon as we have it. For now, the published calendar runs only through the end of January.

This and that…

…runDisney debuted the medals for the upcoming Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend events at the race expo for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon this past weekend in Walt Disney World. The Half Marathon medal is based on the Medal of Bravery given to Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The medal ribbons – now emblazoned with the logo of the race sponsor – resemble belts worn by Star Wars characters.

Some of the medals for the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon weekend at Disneyland on display at the runDisney race expo. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

…Fastpass is now available for Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Nightmare Before Christmas decorations accent New Orleans Square shops. Photo by Mark Hahn.

…Hiro Hamada and Baymax, stars of the new Big Hero 6, are welcoming visitors to a new meet-and-greet area set up in the Starcade in Tomorrowland. The lumbering Baymax is every bit as huggable as you would hope after seeing the movie.

…Artist Jerrod Maruyama posted this photo of new Baymax balloons available for sale at Disneyland. Fans of Marumaya's work can follow the artist on Instagram.

 

repost via @instarepost20 from @jmaruyama Cute light-up #Baymax balloons. #Disneyland #AllAboutBaymax

A photo posted by MousePlanet (@mouseplanet) on

Nov 11, 2014 at 5:31pm PST

…Marumaya also posted a photo of a new Baymax souvenir sipper cup available for sale at the Disneyland Resort. The sipper cup sold out the first weekend of release, but additional shipments are expected this week.

 

Cute! #Baymax #Disneyland #BigHero6

A photo posted by Jerrod Maruyama (@jmaruyama) on

Nov 11, 2014 at 1:25pm PST

…Taping of the Disneyland Resort portions of the Disney Parks Christmas special, known this year as the Disney Frozen Christmas Celebration, took place last weekend. Instead of the traditional parade, the taping was limited to stage performances in both parks, featuring artists like Tricia Yearwood, Lucy Hale and Trey Songz.

Segments of the Frozen Christmas Celebration were taped at Disneyland this weekend. Photo by Mark Hahn.

…The MousePlanet Newsletter is here! The newsletter contains a recap of the week's articles (in case you miss a day), news that may have developed since the weekly Updates were published, and tips about what's happening at the Disney theme parks for the coming weekend. We'll also include a fun MouseAdventure bonus, such as an Eye Spy or a trivia question. To subscribe to our free newsletter, just enter your e-mail in the box below.

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Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Note: Not all of attraction closures have been officially confirmed by Disney, and are all subject to change at any time. Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. We recommend checking for updates as you plan your visit. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, call Disneyland at (714) 781–7290, then select option 1 > option 1 > option 4.

Disneyland

2014

• Jungle Cruise – closed through November 13 for refurbishment.
• Mark Twain Riverboat – closed through November 25 for refurbishment.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats – closed December 1–19 for refurbishment.
• Casey Jr. Circus Trains– closed December 1–19 for refurbishment.

Disney California Adventure

2014

• Muppet*Vision 3D – closed through December 19.
• Character Close-Up – closed through December 19.
• The Bakery Tour – closed for refurbishment through January 26, 2015.
• Goofy Sky School – closed December 1–8 for refurbishment.
• California Screamin' – closed December 9–11 for refurbishment.
• Blue Sky Cellar – closed through October 2, 2015.

Disneyland Resort

• None scheduled

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

• Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend – November 14–16. All events are sold out. Details at the runDisney website.
• Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort – November 13 to January 6, 2015.
• Candlelight Processional – December 6 and 7 (unconfirmed). Performances times and narrator(s) have not yet been announced.

2015

• Viva Navidad – Three Kings Day activities – January 2–6, 2015
• Inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend – January 15–18, 2015. This new event weekend includes 5K, 10K, and half-marathon, along with runDisney kids races, event expo and Wookie Welcome party. All running events sold out within hours of registration. Details at the runDisney website.
• 2015 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend – May 7–10, 2015 (Mother's Day weekend). All events are sold out. Details at the runDisney website.
• 2015 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – September 3–6. Registration opens February 10, 2015. Details at the runDisney website.
• 2015 Avengers Half Marathon Weekend – November 12–15. Registration opens April 7, 2015

2016

• 2016 Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend – January 14–17. Registration opens June 16, 2015.
• 2016 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend – May 5–8. Registration opens August 11, 2015.

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 2014.

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.

Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside the gates stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Disneyland admission, and may result in denial of entry. It is also common for criminals to shoplift inactivated Disney theme park tickets from supermarkets to resell them. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks. Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or travel agency.

Other Discounts

Did we miss an offer? If you know of an authorized discount on Disneyland Resort tickets, standing offers for Annual Passholders from non-Disney vendors, or other promotions which might interest our readers, please drop us a note!

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 Mornings for 3-plus day ticket holders, promotional “bonus” tickets, and Southern California CityPASS
• EMH – Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests
• EMH – Early Admission for Annual Passholders (not currently offered)

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• GN – Grad Nite.
• MA – MouseAdventure (www.mouseadventure.com)
• MHP – Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland. September 26, 30; October 3, 6, 8, 10, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31.

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.