Registration is now open for the spring MouseAdventure event on April 30. For more details and registration information, see our MouseAdventure page (link). With details having now been released making it clear that April 30 will also be the first weekend of the new Food and Wine Weekends (see next items), if you're considering visiting the park for that, we'd like to encourage you to consider making it a double bill and also trying out MouseAdventure.
For those who are registered, we'd also like to announce a hotel room deal for that weekend. If you call Howard Johnson – Anaheim and mention MousePlanet, you will get a 20% discount on whatever room type you'd like to reserve. To take advantage call 1-800-422-4228 and select option 1 for in-house reservations.
Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise eventThe Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise event was officially announced and it definitely isn't what people hoped for when thinking about some kind of big event possibly tied into the world premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest at Disneyland on June 24. In fact, it isn't even that weekend. From a project management point of view it seems a good decision to try and not commingle two events that are plenty hectic on their own but the merchandise event is left seeming kind of plain.
The merchandise event will take place on Thursday, July 6, the day before the wide opening of the movie on July 7. With Tuesday being the Fourth of July it is probably fair to expect an unusually busy week at the resort during this period and Disneyland is open until midnight on that day. There are three different registration levels, here is what is common to all of them:
This is the most basic package and is called Black Pearl. The price for this package is $225 per person. As near as can be determined from the provided descriptions the only difference between the Black Pearl package, the Wicked Wench package, and the Flying Dutchman package is that the latter two come include hotel rooms. For $450 per person the Wicked Wench package adds one night's accommodation at the Disneyland Hotel; for the Grand Californian Hotel get the Flying Dutchman package at $525 per person. As usual, a couple attending the event can get two consecutive nights of hotel.
Excuse us for editorializing, but unless there are further details to come this is entirely underwhelming. Notice another standard pricing consideration that hasn't been mentioned? There is no discount for people with annual passes. As the description pages say "Separate theme park admission is required." If you spend at least $225 to attend an event honoring Pirates of the Caribbean, unless you have a Deluxe or Premium Annual Pass you will need to pay additional money to actually ride Pirates of the Caribbean.
So why are they requiring separate park admission? The best guess is that nothing on the schedule for the event will actually require you to enter the park. The movie screening is in Downtown Disney, it can be assumed from this that the pirate encounter and Taste of the Bayou will be in a hotel ballroom. The special line for Pirates is in the park, but you aren't required to use it. The merchandise purchasing and picket up will almost certainly be in the Grand Californian ballrooms.
To recap, what does it appear you are getting for $225? A movie ticket (which will cost $10 a few hours later). A Blue Bayou tapas menu. Some kind of pirate encounter (most likely in a hotel ballroom). The chance to meet artists who will sign the merchandise you may have purchased. And, of course, the opportunity to purchase merchandise that if recent history is any example will mostly be available in the park a few days later. On top of that, if you get one of the room-included packages, you get a hotel room that you won't sleep in until after 3:00 o'clock in the morning. If you have the means you can go ride a an attraction that will have been open for nearly two-weeks. And a couple knickknacks.
We know that putting together these events is difficult for the Walt Disney Event Services people and that the hoops and bureaucratic nightmares would leave shaking our heads. Unfortunately, with this event, as currently detailed, it is nearly impossible to see where the value is coming from. The commemorative keepsakes really need to be awesome.
As always, event details are subject to change without notice and more details may be made available as time goes on. One would have to assume, for example, that the list of merchandise available for purchase would be made available around the time that registration opens on April 24 at 11:00 a.m. PST. Registration will only be available online through the Disney Gallery Web site. We'll try to keep you apprised of any changes, but you can keep an eye on things for yourself at that Web site (link). A quick note for people who don't use Internet Explorer for browsing the Web. The style sheets on the information pages are messed up and you may see what initially look like empty pages; that is just the text appearing as yellow writing on a white background. If you select the text on the page with your mouse you'll be able to read it.
We added this to last week's DLR Park Update after it was initially published so it is probably news to some of you. Originally the update just confirmed that Mickey's Halloween Treat at Disneyland would be returning to DCA this autumn. Then last Monday Disney actually put the tickets on sale a full six months before the events will actually be happening.
©Disney.
The event price has gone up to $29 for tickets at the gate. Annual Passholders can purchase tickets now for $19 per person. Last year they sold 5,000 tickets per date and it is unknown at this time whether that number has been increased. The dates currently available are:
Friday, October 13 (7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.)
Friday, October 20 (7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.)
Sunday, October 22 (7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.)
Thursday, October 26 (6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)
Friday, October 27 (7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.)
Sunday, October 29 (7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.)
Monday, October 30 (6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, October 31 (6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)
Some were confused by language in the disclaimers that seemed to indicate that adults would not be allowed to wear costumes to the event. It has been confirmed that what they were trying to say is that adults will be allowed to wear costumes only to the event and not into the parks prior to the event. Young children, however, are able to wear costumes into the park during regular hours.
Annual passholders can purchase tickets online through the Annual Passholders page (http://www.disneyland.com/ap then select Special Offers) or by calling 714-781-4400.
...From the category of fun things cast members have to put up with. Yesterday (Sunday), Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland suddenly closed for about 20 minutes due to a security issue. Apparently as someone called the rides control center at around 3:45 and said "I just want you to know that there is a bomb in the air conditioner. Have fun." The attraction was immediately cycled down and evacuated. Anaheim Police Department explosives dogs were quickly on scene (they're usually on property anyway) and after an check out the all clear was given.
...Somehow we've failed to mention it before but the Annual Pass spotlight offer for April is a 20% discount on lunch at Yamabuki at the Paradise Pier Hotel. The offer is only good on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and does not include alcohol.
...The Internet rumors remain strong that changes are coming to Haunted Mansion in time for Easter but we still haven't been able to confirm them with any of our sources (and it has become cyclical as we hear it from cast members who it turns out heard it form the Internet). As of Sunday, however, there still haven't been any significant show changes implemented.
...With hardly a moment to spare before the movie and attraction open in three months, the west room of World of Disney in Downtown Disney has been turned over to Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise. If you're a fan of the movie and ride you'll want to check it out.
Pirates of the Caribbean has taken over part of the World of Disney. Photo by
David Michael.
...Disney's Electrical Parade is back from winter hiatus (earlier than expected thanks to Spring Break and new sponsor Sylvania). It will run daily at 8:45 p.m. until Sunday, April 23. After that it will be dark again until Friday, May 5, at that time on Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays. It'll go back to daily when the summer schedule takes effect in June.
One of the Disney's Electrical Parade floats as it returns for the first time since Christmas. Photo by David Michael.
...The schedule went as reported last week and Saturday saw the last performances of the Dapper Dans show as it has been for years. The new crew will begin rehearsals this week and could be back in the park as early as April 29, but definitely within a week of that. The new show is reportedly a bit more staged, with reduced guest interaction but details are slim at this point.
© Disney.
The concrete shell is poured and new loading platforms have been built. Photo by David Michael.
If you know of any events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, let us know.
Food and Wine Weekends #2, #3, and #4. May 5-7, May 12-14, May 19-21 (details).
DL: Disneyland
DCA: Disney's California Adventure
Annual Pass blockout dates:
| | | | | | | |
| 4/3 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 4/7 | 4/8 | |
|
| DL: 9a-11p | DL: 9a-11p | DL: 9a-11p | DL: 9a-11p | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
| 4/9 | 4/10 | 4/11 | 4/12 | 4/13 | 4/14 | 4/15 |
| DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
| 4/16 | 4/17 | 4/18 | 4/19 | 4/20 | 4/21 | 4/22 |
| DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid | DL: 8a–Mid |
Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates 2006 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.
Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.
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