Disneyland Resort Update

Update for November 16 - 22, 2009

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News and Views

Holiday Time at Disneyland Resort | This and That

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Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort

The resort's holiday season officially kicked off last Friday and runs through January 3, 2010, though some of the attraction overlays and decorations may linger a bit beyond that. Special seasonal events include:

• "it's a small world" holiday – both inside an out, the ride is made over with Christmas decorations. This holiday overlay will be the most lingering of the seasonal changes as the ride won't close until January 18 to remove the overlay.
• Believe in Holiday Magic Fireworks – a special holiday-themed fireworks spectacular. Showing through January 3, there is one performance each night. Showtime varies depending on the date, but is at 9:25 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
• A Christmas Fantasy Parade – Disneyland's traditional holiday parade that follows the standard parade route, performing twice a day most dates (and always on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) but some days have only one show.
• Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle – once it gets dark in the park the decorations on Sleeping Beauty's Castle take center stage, with a brief lighting effects show that happens several times throughout the evening.
• Disney's Electrical Parade to Disney's California Adventure – while there is nothing special done to the parade reflect the holidays, the holiday season does mean its return—but for only about two weeks, starting on December 18.
• Santa Claus – of course, a visit with Santa Claus is a must. In Disneyland, Big Thunder Ranch has been turned into Santa's Reindeer Round-up. Santa and Mrs. Claus are on site with several of their reindeer, and even some Disney characters dressed for the holidays. It may cause some confusion with the children, but Santa is also available for some lap time over in DCA, in his "Seaside Pavillion" at Paradise Pier.
• Gingerbread cookie decorating – Get creative with some cookie decorating outside of the AP Processing Center at Plaza Pavilion.
• Special drinks and treats – several locations throughout the parks are offering up special seasonal offerings such as peppermint stick ice cream at Gibson Girl, or egg nog lattés where specialty coffee drinks are available.
• Candlelight Processional – the traditional telling of the Christmas story will be presented on Saturday, December 5, and Sunday, December 6, and narrated by actor Jon Voight. Unless you book a special package or invitation, viewing is on a first-come, as-available basis.

Courtesy of Adrienne Krock, here's a selection of photos from the parks showcasing the holiday changes.

Mickey's sporting a Santa hat and the railroad station is all decked out. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

As always, Disneyland's Christmas tree on Main Street is quite a sight to behold. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

A close-up of the ornaments on the Main Street Christmas tree. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Characters are decked out in their holiday finest. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

You have to wait until evening for it to snow on Main Street, but snow covers Sleeping Beauty Castle all day long. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

New Orleans Square is decked out in beads, masks, and baubles. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

It isn't easy to deliver a Christmas tree to Splash Mountain. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Bad near Santa's Reindeer Round-up (aka Big Thunder Ranch), a sleigh provide a good photo opportunity. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Santa's reindeer rest up waiting for their big day. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Just remember, it's rude to shake presents unless your name is on the tag. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Unless you insist on traditional presentation only, Fantasyland always gets the best wreaths. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Now in its 13th season, the "it's a small world holiday" overlay is now almost as ingrained a part of Disneyland as the ride itself. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Toontown's tree may not be as big as Main Street's, but it is no less over-the-top. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

Seasonal merchandise includes these Candy Cane Trees... Photo by Adrienne Krock.

...And these coffee cups. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

DCA's entry sign gets it's annual makeover. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

a bug's land is the focus of themed decorations in DCA. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

DCA's tree is located near Ariel's Grotto. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

As is Santa, in his own Seaside Pavillion. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

A wide shot of Santa's Seaside Pavillion. Photo by Adrienne Krock.

This and That

...Now that the Christmas season is underway in full force, it is also time to start planning for the post-Holiday period. As always, January is a time when major maintenance tasks are begun and closures become more common. The windows for holiday removals and many off-season projects are now known, including a five month closure of Rivers of America (and all its dependent attractions) until things start to ramp up for Memorial Day. Visitors planning trips to the Disneyland Resort should make a point to check the Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures section each week for the most recent updates. The Disneyland Resort Web site currently only publishes refurbishment information about six weeks in advance. Be sure to check the most recent Park Update (link) for the latest changes, as MousePlanet does not edit past Park Updates to reflect changes.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Casey Jr. Circus Trains – closed through November 19 for refurbishment.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats – closed through November 19 for refurbishment.
• Jungle Cruise – closed November 16 through 19 for refurbishment.
• King Arthur Carrousel – closed December 8 through 10 for refurbishment.
• Main Street Opera House theater – closed through December 16 to return Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln . A portion of the lobby has reopened, and Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years is playing on a very small screen in the lobby.
• Haunted Mansion – closed January 4 through 14 for removal of the holiday overlay.
• Big Thunder Ranch Petting Farm – closed January 4 through 12 for removal of the holiday overlay.
• Main Street Cinema – closed January 4 through February 1 for refurbishment.
• Starcade – closed January 4 through February 1 for refurbishment.
• Le Petit Chalet Gifts – closed January 4 through February 10 for refurbishment.
• Corn Dog Wagon – closed January 4 through May 4 for refurbishment.
• Tomorrowland Terrace – closed January 4 through May 4 for refurbishment.
• Rivers of America – closed January 4 through May 6 for major refurbishment. This also closes all attractions requiring use of the river: Sailing Ship Columbia, Mark Twain Riverboat, Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island (closed until May 14), and Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes.
• "it's a small world" – closed through January 18 through 28 for removal of the holiday overlay.

Disney's California Adventure

Construction-related closures: 

• Grizzly River Run – closed January 4 through 8.
• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – closed January 11 through February 19 for refurbishment.
• It's Tough to Be a Bug! – closed January 20 through 21.
• Francis' Lady Bug Boogie – closed January 25 through February 4.
• The Vineyard Room – closed. No announcement has been made about a potential replacement for this restaurant.
• Golden Dreams – closed. The building that once house this film-based attraction has been demolished, and will eventually be replaced with the new Little Mermaid ride.
• Burger Invasion – closed. No announcement has been made about a potential replacement for this former McDonald's location, but an employee publication lists May 24, 2011 as the return date.
• Paradise Pier Lagoon – currently drained while workers complete several construction projects in the area. The Lagoon is expected to be refilled any day now.
• Golden State Amphitheater – area closed for construction of new viewing area for Disney’s World of Color water show. The area is now scheduled to reopen in Spring, 2010.
• Corn Dog Castle – closed due to construction in the area. An employee publication lists March 24, 2011 as the return date. During the renovation, corn dogs are available at Bountiful Valley Farmer's Market.
• Souvenir 66 – closed due to construction in the area. An employee publication lists March 24, 2011 as the return date.
• Orange Stinger – closed through April 28, 2010 for refurbishment and renovation into the Silly Symphonies Swings.

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.

Park Events

If you know of any events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, let us know.

Winter

• Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort – November 13, 2009 to January 3, 2010
• Candlelight Processional – Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6. The narrator is reportedly Jon Voight. No dining packages will be offered to the general public this year, beyond the D23 event listed below.
• D23 Candlelight Spectacular event at Disneyland – Sunday, December 6 (link). Private event open to members of the D23 club and their guests. $275 per person. Tickets are still available.
• D23 Disney and Dickens event – Thursday, December 10 (link). Private event open to members of the D23 club and their guests. $95 per person. Tickets are sold out.
• MouseAdventure Holiday: Reindeer Games – Saturday, December 12, 2009 at the Disneyland Resort (link). There is still room for your team to join our first-ever holiday edition of our popular MouseAdventure event. This family-friendly format is a great way to enjoy the holiday season at Disneyland, and is perfect for new teams who want to try their skills at MouseAdventure.

2010

• 5th Annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – September 3-5, 2010. Registration is now open (link).

Current Discounts & Promotions

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).

One Day, One Park Ticket - Regularly $72/$62 One Day Park Hopper - Regularly $97/$87	Southern California 1-Day Park Hopper
Two Day Park Hopper - Regularly $151/$131	AOCVCB 2-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($149/$129) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $2 off the box-office price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $1 per ticket net savings isn't enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you'll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths (link). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011.
Three Day Park Hopper - Regularly $204/$174	Advance Purchase 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($184/$154) – 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 (an $11/day value) AOCVCB 3-Day Bonus Ticket ($179/$149) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn't enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you'll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011.
Four Day Park Hopper - Regularly $229/$199	Costco 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket ($159.95) – A special offer for Costco members who are also residents of Southern California (link). Unlike some recent offers, this ticket has no "fuse" - you can use the first admission today, and have almost a full year to use the remaining admission days before the ticket expires on August 23, 2010. The ticket is blocked out the week between Christmas and New Years (inclusive of both holidays), and for the week of March 26 to  April 4, which gives you an idea of what Disneyland expects to be the peak Spring Break period. The ticket is not blocked out on any other holidays - including Labor Day, Thanksgiving or even the 4th of July - and can be upgraded to any Annual Passport except the SoCal Select pass. The Costco Web site states in three different places—including a bold, bright red headline—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 (ie, 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 ($199/$169) – 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 $11/day value). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011. AOCVCB 4-Day Bonus Ticket ($194/$164) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn't enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you'll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link).
Five Day Park Hopper - Regularly $249/$219	Advance Purchase 5-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($209/$179) – 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 $11/day value). AOCVCB 5-Day Bonus Ticket ($204/$174) – The discount (from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau) is $5 off the advance purchase price for both adults and children. You can now print these tickets at home, though a $1 per-ticket convenience fee applies. If the $4 per ticket net savings isn't enough of an incentive to pre-purchase your tickets, think of all the time you'll save by not having to stand in line at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Tickets include one early admission day (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) (link). These tickets are now valid through January 3, 2011.
Six Day Park Hopper - Regularly $254/$224	Advance Purchase 6-Day Park Hopper Bonus tickets ($214/$184) – 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 $14/day value).
Disneyland Resort Annual Passports	No discounts currently available.
2009 Southern California CityPass $259/$219	2009 Southern California CityPass ($259/$219) – This pass includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort park ticket (including one early-entry day), and single-day admission to either San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park, as well as Sea World San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood. The CityPass expires 14 days after first use at any location. Purchase CityPass through the Disneyland Web site (link) or onsite 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 $227/$192 (link), 5% surcharge if not a Costco member, and shipping fees apply. 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 that you must trade for ticket books prior to leaving Costco!

Hotel/Travel Packages

Save $400 on a 4-Day/4-Night Disneyland Resort vacation package. The offer is valid for arrivals August 23 through December 20, 2009, and starts at $87 per person, per day with accommodations at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel and a four-day park hopper ticket. The offer is not valid November 25–27, 2009. Annual passholders can book the same package—without the ticket requirement—through Costco travel or directly through the Walt Disney Travel Company, though the Costco version of the offer also includes the perks listed below.

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 accomodations 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% at either Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure. This offer is valid only at the Main Gate rental locations at each park.

Rainforest Cafe Safari Club – Membership in the Rainforest Cafe gets you a 10% discount on entrees for up to four people. It also gets you priority seating if available, which can make a huge difference on busy days. 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).

AAA Restaurant Discounts – AAA (American Automobile Association) members can receive a 10% discount (excluding alcohol) at Plaza Inn, Wine Country Trattoria Ariel's Grotto, PCH Grill, and Goofy's Kitchen.

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

DL: Disneyland

DCA: Disney's 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
• MTT - Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party at DCA

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.