Disneyland Resort Update

Disneyland

• Star Tours – closed for refurbishment and addition of elements for Star Tours 2.0. Expected to open in May 20, 2011.
• Village Haus Restaurant – closed through December 19 for refurbishment.
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – closed through December 16 for refurbishment.
• it’s a small world – closed October 25 to November 11 to install the holiday overlay.
• Space Mountain – Close November 1 to remove holiday overlay.
• Sailing Ship Columbia – closed November 1–3 for refurbishment.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – closed November 2–3 for refurbishment.
• Blue Bayou restaurant – closed November 2–3 due to Pirates of the Caribbean refurbishment.
• Jungle Cruise – closed November 15–18 for refurbishment.
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – closed November 29 to December 2 for refurbishment.

Disney California Adventure

Seasonal refurbishments:

• It’s Tough to be a Bug! – closed October 25–29 for refurbishment.
• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – closed November 1–18 for refurbishment.

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.

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).

Fall

• HalloweenTime at the Disneyland Resort – through October 31.
• Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland – October 26, 29, 31. Advance-purchase tickets are on sale now for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders via the AP section of Disneyland.com; Disney Visa Card holders and Disney Vacation Club members can also purchase tickets by phone by calling 714-781-4000. Tickets are to the general public via Disneyland.com.
• Nevada Day (observed) – Friday, October 29 (in Nevada). This state holiday creates a three-day weekend, and many families head to the Disneyland Resort. This year some school districts, including Clark County (Las Vegas) have added two “professional development” days, creating a school holiday October 29 to November 2.

Winter

• Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort – November 12, 2010 to January 2, 2011.
• Christmas parade taping – November 6 & 7 (unconfirmed). Disney never officially confirms the dates that the West Coast segments of the annual holiday parade will be filmed at Disneyland, but DanceTheMagic.com, a Web site that offers travel packages to dance groups hoping to participate in the filming, lists the dates as November 6 and 7 (link). There is no indication yet as to which, if any, celebrities will be on hand for the filming.
• 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.
• Annual Passholder early shopping day – Saturday, December 4 from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. No specifics have been announced, but Disney generally offers special discounts and gift-with-purchase opportunities at these events, which can draw thousands of customers.
• Candlelight Processional – December 4 & 5 (unconfirmed). Disney has not yet formally announced the dates for the annual Candlelight Processional, but members of the cast member choir that sings at the annual event tell us it will be Saturday and Sunday, December 4 & 5. The narrator has yet to be announced, and there has been no word if Disney will offer dining packages this year.
• Cast member holiday parties – December 13 & 14 (unconfirmed). Disneyland usually closes early one or two nights each holiday season for the annual cast member parties, but the dates have not yet been announced. The calendar on Disneyland.com shows the park closing early on December 13 and 14, and one source confirms that these are the cast party dates.

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!
• Sixth annual Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival – April 29 to June 12. No additional details are available at this time.
• 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.

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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
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).
Disneyland Resort Annual Passports	No discounts currently available for new purchases. Southern California residents can take advantage of the monthly-payment plan when purchasing any but the Premier Annual Passport. Premier Annual Passport: $700 [Valid at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort] Premium Annual Passport: $459 Deluxe Annual Passport: $329 Southern California Annual Passport: $239 SoCal Select Annual Passport: $184 Parking Add On: $99
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.

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).

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)

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.