On Friday, July 8, Disney finally released some more information about events surrounding the 50th Anniversary scheduled for July 17…and it still isn't very helpful. Touting a “week-long series of events,” the list is actually only five days long and the general public is only invited to three of the five events. As for what will be happening on the 17th, not much more is known. At 10:00 a.m. there will be a ceremony of some sort in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle with Mickey Mouse, Michael Eisner, Robert Iger, Art Linkletter, and Diane Disney Miller.
Based on information given to MousePlanet with our media credential for the event, it sounds like the media presence will be more contained than on May 5 (read our coverage here). If you don't want to tussle for good direct viewing, Jumbotron-type monitors will be set up around the park so that everyone will, hopefully, be able to watch it in some form. Five locations will have screens: Town Square, Central Plaza (the Hub), Small World Mall, somewhere in Tomorrowland, and the Rivers of America.
As for what else is going on that day, nothing has been officially announced. Every guest entering the park will receive a pair of gold Mickey Mouse ears, the ears are different than the ones sold in the park and can not be embroidered. There has been some back-and-forth on how to distribute the birthday cupcakes, and it now looks like they might be a gift with purchase at any "foods" location (this excludes OCV carts). There is still some talk that vouchers might be distributed as guests enter the park, and it definitely won't be a free-for-all as with past milestone birthdays. The press release says “a day-long series of special events” without saying what they will are; in the absence of official information, many rumors swirl about. One certain event will occur at 4:45 p.m. when Walt's dedication speech will be played over the park's P.A. system, there will be no video on the large monitors and no "central area" for the event, it will just play over the entire park. There is some information floating about of a limited edition pin release with a complex procedure for claiming and purchasing the pin.
The most frequent question we've been getting at MousePlanet lately is, “What will the crowds be like on the 17th, will I get in?” It is going to be very crowded on the 17th and there is no guarantee that you'll get into the park. It is very likely you will, but the only guests with guaranteed access are participants in the merchandise event who will be inside the park before it opens. Beyond that, if the fire marshal decides the park is at capacity (likely somewhere between 70,000 and 80,000 people), then there is no guarantee for anybody. Being a guest at one of the three on-property hotels may get you preferential entry, but if the gates are closed they are closed completely.
Once the gates close, even reservations inside the park (Blue Bayou, Club 33, Fantasmic seating, tours, etc.) inside the park are no guarantee of entry. If the gates do close, the sale of tickets will stop (though there is some talk that the ticket booths may not even open on the 17th) and nobody will be allowed into the park, regardless of whether they are trying to get in for the first time or to reenter after having been in earlier. Before leaving the park for any reason, confirm at the gate that they are still allowing people into the park.
So what time should you show up to be sure you get in? Even if the park quickly fills up, there will not be 70,000 people in line when the park opens on July 17. It should be fine (though there are never any guarantees) to show up around 8 a.m. and be fine getting in. It will likely be several hours before the park fills, and it is possible it won't fill until late afternoon when people start arriving for the afternoon parade and evening fireworks (a lot of people are hoping that Remember… Dreams Come True will be part of one of the special events in the day-long series).
If you do want to camp out here is the setup:
At the end of the day, it isn't going to be much better. As guests who were at the park on the Fourth of July were reminded, when Disneyland has huge crowds leaving all at once, they stop running the trams and require you to walk back to your car (the tram loading areas would quickly overload and lead to logistical nightmares). If you leave Disneyland on the 17th after the fireworks, don't be surprised if you have to walk back to your car.
Finally, for those people not able to visit the park this weekend, keep checking in with MousePlanet for continuous coverage. We're not sure how much interest there will be, but our intent is to cover the weekend as we did the celebration kickoff on May 4 (link). Most of the MousePlanet staff will be at or around the park this weekend and we'll provide updates every time we have one. All of this will start on Friday morning when we'll have information from the July 14 ceremony in Hollywood where Disneyland will be getting a star on the Walk of Fame near the El Capitan Theater, and continue with the official openings of Turtle Talk with Crush and Space Mountain. Saturday will likely be pretty quiet, and who knows what is coming on Sunday? We'll cover it all, though.
Here is the press release announcing some of the events
ANAHEIM, Calif., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The countdown to July 17 and the actual 50th anniversary of Disneyland has begun. Various memorable events are planned throughout the week of July 11 to commemorate what U.S. President Ronald Reagan called “one of America's national treasures.”
Although the Disneyland “Happiest Homecoming On Earth” 50th anniversary celebration festivities continue through 2006, the actual anniversary is one of this summer's highly anticipated events. To commemorate this milestone occasion, the following special events are planned to salute 50 years of Disneyland:
July 13 -- Fred Segal
Famed Hollywood boutique Fred Segal salutes the 50th anniversary of Disneyland with an invitation-only evening of high, fun fashion as its Santa Monica locale debuts the new “Disney Vintage” apparel line saluting Disneyland during a star-studded evening Wednesday, July 13.July 14 -- Hollywood Salutes Disneyland
The stars will shine on Thursday, July 14, as Disneyland is honored on the occasion of its milestone 50th anniversary by the Hollywood Historic Trust and Johnny Grant, honorary mayor of Hollywood. In recognition of its 50th anniversary, Disneyland will receive the coveted Award of Excellence star adjacent to the “Hollywood Walk of Fame” during a 10:30 am ceremony next to the El Capitan Theatre. Accepting the award in person on behalf of Disneyland and its 20,000 cast members will be Michael D. Eisner, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger, CEO-elect and president of The Walt Disney Company and Mickey Mouse. Joining them will be an additional eye-popping cast of 49 Disney Characters on-hand to celebrate the moment.July 15 -- Space Mountain Returns/Premiere of Turtle Talk With Crush
The Disneyland Resort will welcome two new attractions to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure on Friday,Space Mountain blasts-off into a new era of thrills as the popular Disneyland attraction reopens in a ceremony attended by legendary U.S. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on the lunar surface of the moon (August 11,1969). The high-speed interstellar adventure reopens following nearly two years of being re-Imagineered for the 21st century. As the signature attraction of Tomorrowland, “Space Mountain” beckons guests anew to its special brand of intergalactic thrills.
A new wave of fun washes ashore at Disney's California Adventure as Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Amanda Beard helps to open Turtle Talk with Crush, an all-new attraction inside the park's “Disney Animation” exhibit. The California native and four-time Olympic medalist will introduce guests to the park's new and unbelievable encounter experience with Crush, the sea turtle from the Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film “Finding Nemo.”
July 16 -- An Evening of Magic
On Saturday, July 16, there will be stars over the Pacific and aboard the Disney Magic in the Port of Los Angeles as The Walt Disney Company salutes the Make-A-Wish Foundation and 50 years of making dreams come true. Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries will be aboard to help raise money for this renowned organization.July 17 -- 50 YEARS OF DISNEYLAND MAGIC
Sunday, July 17, Disneyland celebrates its actual 50th anniversary with a day-long series of special events highlighted by a heartwarming rededication ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at 10:00 am, featuring Mickey Mouse, Michael D. Eisner (chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company), Robert Iger (CEO-elect and president of The Walt Disney Company), Art Linkletter (Host of the Disneyland opening day live TV broadcast in 1955) and Walt Disney's eldest daughter, Diane Disney Miller.
Following the London bomb attack on July 7, Disneyland Resort increased security in certain areas, although the Department of Homeland Security only increased the alert level for mass transit systems and airlines.
Security cast members began wearing their orange vests, which they do whenever the alert level goes up, to increase visibility and awareness of security. Prior to the park's opening on July 8, the Anaheim Police Department brought in its K-9 units and performed a thorough search of both parks. The Anaheim Police Department's dog wagon was left near the Downtown Disney tram loading area for most of the day (without dogs), apparently as another visibility effort.
Though bag checks at the security checkpoints were a bit more vigilant, they still did not seem sufficient to keep any serious contraband out of the parks.
Though no specific threat against Disneyland is known, the huge crowds for the park's anniversary on July 17 must be a period of heightened concern, even without the London attack. During the evening of July 9, a suspicious package in the short-term parking lot on Harbor Boulevard triggered a response from security and the Anaheim Police Department. The lot was closed for a period, and the Timon parking lot tram service was interrupted. An investigation showed it to be a false alarm.
We have heard that single day passes to the annual NFFC (National Fantasy Fan Club) convention are still available. The convention started on Saturday, July 9, and runs through Wednesday, July 13. Single-day passes can be purchased at the door, as available, and cost $60. The convention is being held at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove. For a schedule of events and further information, visit the NFFC Web site (link).
Last week's update mentioned a Disneyland tour awarded to Virtual Magic Kingdom members who complete the three available quests from the VMK kiosk in Tomorrowland. The item included several misleading or incorrect pieces of information. When it was described as a “behind-the-scenes” tour, it was not our intent to imply that the tour would go backstage at Disneyland. Rather it provides “behind-the-scenes” information about the online Virtual Magic Kingdom game.
A cast member familiar with the tour informed us that the tour is only two hours long rather than three, and access is given to three attractions rather than five, and then only on a time and availability basis. This is how the tour is defined and should be all you can expect. However, based on reports from people who have been on the tour, it seems there is some variety in length of tour and number of attractions offered.
Frequent photo contributor David Michael took the tour on July 3, and has an extensive photo-journal of the experience (link).
Tomorrow, Walt Disney Records releases two theme park-focused CDs, new and old. For those who have purchased the six-disc 50th anniversary A Musical History of Disneyland set but do not have the equipment to play the bonus vinyl record included in the set, fear not; tomorrow, you can buy Walt Disney Takes You to Disneyland on CD (buy). In 1956, the album was the first record released by Disneyland Records, which later became Walt Disney Records. Walt Disney narrates a tour through Disneyland, which features music from all lands of the park.
If you'd rather sing along to theme park tunes without having to compete with the original voices, Disney's Carafe Series: Theme Park Favorites (buy) is being released the same day. Featuring songs such as “: Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me),” “There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” “it's a small world” and the new Happiest Celebration anthem “Remember When,” the CD also is coded in CD+G format so that it will display lyrics on a screen when using a karaoke machine while still being able to play in a standard CD player, and includes both instrumental and vocal versions of eight songs.
...A second piano has been added at Refreshment Corner in Disneyland. The new piano is in the same location as the first piano, which was moved several months ago to the porch at Plaza Pavilion, about 30 feet away. Hopefully this is a sign that Rod Miller will be returning soon, and it also sparks some interesting thoughts of “dueling pianos” type entertainment.
...MousePad poster MonorailChris recently posted information (link) that may be of interest to any former cast members at the now-gone Monorail Café. A reunion picnic is being held on July 31 for these cast members and their families. See the post for further details. Also, for anybody else hosting similar unofficial events, feel free to send us your information and we'll see about helping you get the word out.
...Don't expect that the sudden end to the feud between Roy Disney and Michael Eisner means that Disney will be at the park for the 50th Anniversary celebrations. Roy Disney is already committed to participate in the 43rd Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawai'i. Disney has competed in the biennial race 15 times since his first in 1975; the only race he missed was in 1997, due to a broken leg. The 75-year-old Roy Disney has announced that this will be his last race, meaning it is his last chance to break the race record, which he set in 1999. Diane Disney Miller will be the family representative on hand for the event at Disneyland.
Don't keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. E–mail us here.
Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For convenience sake, 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 which works best for you. And keep those tips coming – let us know if you find a better / different offer, so we can share it with other readers!
| One Day |
Southern California 1–Day Park Hopper ($68/$58) – Residents of Southern California (zip codes 90000–93599) and and northern Baja California, Mexico (zip codes 21000–22999), can buy discounted one–day park hoppers. You can purchase up to eight tickets at a time, one order per day, and two orders in any seven–day period. Valid ID showing zip code will be required with ticket for admission. |
| Two Days |
AAA Flex Passport ($98/$78)– Some AAA offices offer a 2–day Flex Passport at $98 for ages 10 and up, or $78 for ages 3–9. This ticket does not require a hotel or package purchase—check with your local office to see if the ticket is available in your area. A reader let us know that AAA offices in Oregon and Idaho do not offer the 2–day version of this ticket, but instead offer a 3–day pass. Advance Purchase 2–Day Park Hopper ($105/$85)– Available for online purchase directly from Disney (link) or Northern California, Nevada, and Utah AAA offices (link). Annual Passholder 2–Day Park Hopper ($86/$66)– Annual passholders can purchase 2–Day Parkhopper tickets for their friends and family at a $20 discount. Each passholder can purchase eight tickets per day. Offer expires June 17, 2005, and tickets expire the earlier of 13 days after first use or June 30, 2005. |
| Three Days |
AAA Flex Passport ($129/$99)– Some AAA offices offer a 3–day Flex Passport at $129 for ages 10 and up, or $99 for ages 3–9. This ticket does not require a hotel or package purchase – check with your local office to see if the ticket is available in your area. |
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City Pass($185/$127)– The cost of a CityPass increases to $185 for ages 10 and up, but decrease to $127 for ages 3–9. The pass includes a 3–Day Disneyland Resort park hopper bonus ticket (includes a $10 ESPN Zone game card and one early admission), one day admission to Knott's Berry Farm, Sea World San Diego, and either the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park. The CityPass still expires 14 days after first use. Purchase CityPass through the Disneyland Web site, at the Disneyland Resort, at the other theme parks included in the pass, or directly from the CityPass Web site (link). The Southern California City Pass can also be purchased online from Costco at a cost of $164.99/$112.99 (link). | |
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3–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($109/$109)($139/$109)– The park hopper bonus tickets currently include one early entry admission to Fantasyland, and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount as detailed above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. The first visit must occur before January 2, 2006. Both offers are available at the Disneyland Web site (link) and from AAA. You must buy these tickets in advance; they are not available at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Several readers wrote to tell us that the Safeway stores in Central and Northern California, and Vons stores in Las Vegas, are also offering the 3–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets. Check with your local Safeway store for details, as the dates and benefits may differ. | |
| Four Days |
4–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets($159/$129) – The park hopper bonus tickets currently include one early entry admission to Fantasyland, and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount as detailed above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. The first visit must occur before January 2, 2006. These tickets are available through the Disneyland Web site (link) and from AAA. You must buy these tickets in advance; they are not available at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. |
| Five Days |
Disney's AAA Passport Plus Package 2005($169/$139)– The 5–day Passport Plus park hopper ticket is $169 for ages 10 and up, and $139 for ages 3–9. This package includes:
An additional handling fee of $10 is charged per mailing address. These tickets are available to AAA members only when purchased through participating AAA offices. Several readers report that their local AAA offices do not offer this ticket, or that the benefits differ. You may remember that this also happened with the 2004 version of this package. MousePlanet has contacted AAA offices around the country and encountered the same problem. If your local AAA office does not offer the ticket, check with another AAA office in your area. The decision to offer this ticket seems to depend on which regional AAA “club” you belong to, and in some cases rest with the office manager at each location. The Auto Club of Southern California (ACSC) is not participating in this offer, and AAA Oregon/Idaho offers the 5–day tickets. Some readers have also been told that the California Diamond Fun Book is no longer available. |
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5–Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets($139/$139) ($169/$139) – The park hopper bonus tickets currently include one early entry admission to Fantasyland, and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. You can take advantage of the Advance Purchased discount as detailed above. These tickets expire 13 days after first use or January 15, 2006, whichever comes first. The first visit must occur before January 2, 2006. Both of these ticket offers are available through the Disneyland Web site (link), and from AAA. You must buy these tickets in advance; they are not available at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. | |
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Alaska Airlines “Kids Fly Free” promotion through June 29, 2005 – If you have to fly to Southern California, Alaska Airlines has a package that includes either a free 5–day park hopper with each paid adult ticket, or an adult 5–day park hopper for the children's price. You must book packages by June 1, and travel must be completed by June 29. Visit the Alaska Airlines Web site (link) for more details. | |
| Six or Seven Days |
Disney's AAA Passport Plus Package 2005– The Parkhopper Plus package may be available in 6– or 7– day increments at participating AAA offices. Check with your local AAA office for availability and pricing:
An additional handling fee of $10 is charged per mailing address. These tickets are available to AAA members only when purchased through AAA offices. Several readers report that their local AAA offices do not offer this ticket, or that the benefits differ. You may remember that this also happened with the 2004 version of this package. MousePlanet has contacted AAA offices around the country, and encountered the same problem. If your local AAA office does not offer the ticket, check with another AAA office in your area. The decision to offer this ticket seems to depend on which regional AAA “club” you belong to, and in some cases rests with the office manager at each location. The Auto Club of Southern California (ACSC) is not participating in this offer, and AAA Oregon/Idaho offers the 5–day tickets. Some readers have also been told that the California Diamond Fun Book is no longer available. |
Special thanks to MousePlanet reader David Michael for some of this information. | |
Get a fourth night free if you stay at any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels for three or more consecutive nights. Visits must happen August 28 through December 18, 2005 (link).
This package (link) for couples includes two nights' lodging and a park hopper tickets. Travel must occur “value seasons” now through July 2, 2005; August 28–November 21, 2005; and November 27–December 23, 2005.
Two versions of the package are available. For $349 per person (double occupancy) you can stay at one of the on–property Disney hotels. For $229 per person (double occupancy) you can get the same package while staying at the Jolly Roger Hotel or Red Roof Inn Maingate.
The Happiest Homecomings on Earth package has been revised for the new year. The previous promotion was good only for three–night stays at the Disneyland Resort hotels; the new offer is valid on longer stays and includes Good Neighbor Hotels as well.
Instead of the 50th anniversary commemorative clock and Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour, the new packages include all the following:
The “Happiest Homecoming on Earth” package is available for arrival dates through December 31, 2005. The package must be booked online through the Disneyland Web site (link) by December 28, 2005.
Alaska Airlines “Kids Fly Free” promotion through June 29, 2005 – Alaska Airlines has a package that includes either a free 5–day park hopper with each paid adult ticket, or an adult 5–day park hopper for the children's price. You must book packages by June 1, and travel must be completed by June 29. Visit the Alaska Airlines Web site (link) for more details.
Holders of a Disney Visa card can get up to two free stroller rentals per day at the Disneyland Resort. This offer is valid through September 30, 2006 and you must present a valid Disney Visa card at time of rental.
If you sign up online for ESPN Zone's MVP Club (link), you can receive a $20 voucher (for food, merchandise, or game cards), a 40–point game card (about $10 worth), and an ESPN Zone mini–cooler. ESPN Club in Orlando is excluded from this offer. You must pick up these items in person, although they do not have to be used as the same store from which you get them. There are some fairly strict requirements for registering and getting your rewards, so make sure you read the details carefully (link).
DL: Disneyland
DCA: Disney's California Adventure
Annual Pass blockout dates:
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Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates 2005 page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland.
Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.
(Send an email to MousePlanet Staff)
