MouseAdventure is Back!

Saturday, December 12, 2009 in Disneyland Resort

MouseAdventure Holiday: Reindeer Games is Full!

Event Info:

Registration Information:

Set your alarm clocks!

• Registration for MouseAdventure Holiday: Reindeer Games will be accepted starting Monday, September 14th at 8:00AM (PDT).
• Registration will close on November 30th at 8:00PM (PST), or when the event sells out.

MouseAdventure registration does not include theme park admission. All registrations are final. Registration is strictly limited by the capacity of the event venue, and teams may not change divisions or add players after registration closes. Once we are fully registered, we cannot make special exceptions or extend registration. There is no waiting list for this event.

Your MouseAdventure team must consist of at least two players and no more than four players. Some people like having four brains on their team; some teams work better with just two or three players. It is up to you to decide whether you want 2, 3, or 4 people on your team, but there are often advantages for larger teams.

Be prepared

MouseAdventure events sell out very quickly, so you’ll want to have your team’s details before registration opens:

• Pick a team captain who will be responsible for registering your team. Don’t assume your teammate is going to register for your team!
• Decide on a team name. (optional, but if you are going to have a team name, you must provide it during registration)
• Be sure to have the first name, last name, and email address for each member of your team.
• Names for personalized buttons (optional)
• If you are a team seeking additional players, or a player looking to form a team, visit our MousePad discussion board for help (link).

Additional event information:

Team Names — If you wish to use a team name, you must provide that name when you register. If you do not provide a team name at the time you register you may NOT add one later. The registration software may reject a team name if it has already been registered for the current event. We do not arbitrate disputes about the use of team names - the first team to register a specific team name is the team that gets to use it. Please keep team names appropriate for the environment; we do reserve the right to reject team names (or refuse to say them out loud).

Refunds / Cancellations / Team Changes — All events are rain-or-shine, so expect to be there unless we announce a cancellation. All registrations are final —there are no refunds once your registration is submitted, and teams may not change divisions or add players. If you need to drop a member from your team, please notify us by November 30, 2009.

Team numbers — We cannot accommodate requests for a specific team number. If your team plans to incorporate your team number in your T-shirt design, you can e-mail the event coordinator to learn your team number after registration closes.

Admission Tickets — Your registration fee does not include park admission! If you do not have an appropriate annual pass, you must make arrangements for park admission, and we strongly urge you to do so before arrival on game day. If you are purchasing single-day admission to play, be sure to note what type of admission you will need for your specific division:

• MouseAdventure Holiday: Reindeer Games players will need valid admission for Disneyland Park only.

Family Teams — If at least 10 family teams register in a division they will be ranked against the other Family teams in their division. If there are fewer than 10 Family teams in a division, the Family teams will compete against all teams in their division. The "Family team" designation is used primarily for scoring purposes, and does not impact the event schedule or rules for any of the divisions. Family teams should refer to the information and rules for the division in which you registered.

Sign In — All teams will sign in at the Paradise Pier Hotel the morning of their event. We will take team photos during the sign in process, so make sure your entire team is on time.

Parking — Teams may choose to park at the Paradise Pier Hotel at a reduced rate of $10 per day, or at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. The walk to the hotel from the parking structure can take about 20 minutes - be sure to leave enough time for this warm up stroll!

Award Ceremony and Prizes — Results of the Winter 2009 MouseAdventure Holiday: Reindeer Games will be posted on MousePlanet about a week after the event. Prizes for winning teams will be mailed directly to the person who registered the team.

Personalized buttons — For those who want something a little more permanent from their experience, we offer customized name tag buttons. These 2.25" round buttons, designed just for this event, are personalized to show your name, and are available during team check-in so that you and your teammates can wear them during the event. The cost is $3.50 per button, and is yours to keep. If you want them, you must order these with your MouseAdventure registration.

If you add buttons to your MouseAdventure registration, make sure you provide the exact text that should appear on the buttons. For best results, use 10 characters or fewer; beyond that the text is increasingly small. We reserve the right to reject any text for any reason.

The deadline for name changes on personalized buttons is November 13. We can't guarantee that any personalized button name changes submitted after that date will be accepted and printed.

Outfits and costumes — One of the great things to have happened over the years is the increasing number of teams who go all out in putting together a team "uniform." Do keep in mind that Disney does not allow "costumes" in the park, and it is difficult to know where a line might be drawn. Keep in mind as well the environment we’ll all be in, and stay age-appropriate. We reserve the right to refuse admission to teams or players with inappropriate or offensive outfits, costumes, t-shirts or accessories.

Zazzle.com offers a line of Disney-themed T-shirts that can be customized, and make great team shirts. Check it out here, and then select the Disney InkShop collection. We invite your team to participate in the T-Shirt competition described below.

Team T-shirt Competition — Keeping in mind that Disney does not allow adults to wear "costumes" in the theme parks, MouseAdventure teams are invited to channel their creative efforts and participate in the Team T-Shirt competition.

To enter the T-shirt competition, Basic and Advanced teams must submit their design(s) by Monday, November 23, 2009. Detailed instructions are available on the Event Info page (link), and will also be sent to registered teams prior to this deadline.

Communication — Team captains (the person registering the team) will receive a credit card receipt by e-mail within an hour. A detailed registration confirmation that includes your team information will be sent to your team about one week after registration closes. If you don’t receive this e-mail, don’t hesitate to drop us an e-mail here. One frequent issue we have is with spam filters blocking mass e-mails sent to all registered teams. Please take a moment to unblock e-mail from mouseplanet.com, and encourage your teammates to do the same.

Basic event rules and a preliminary event schedule are now available on the MouseAdventure information page (link). While we will be in contact with your entire team by e-mail (if you provide valid e-mail addresses for your teammates when you register), it is the responsibility of the Team Captain (the person registering the team) to make sure that all members of their team review the rules and schedule. Please make sure to review the rules well before the event, so that any questions may be addressed before game day.

We also encourage teams to participate in the MouseAdventure threads on our MousePad discussion boards. This is the place where you can ask questions of the MouseAdventure staff, and get helpful advice from returning players.

Are you game?

We hope all this sounds interesting to you, and you’re planning to join us for our Spring 2009 event. Please read the following details, and make sure you read the registration instructions.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 in Disneyland Resort

MouseAdventure Holiday: Reindeer Games is Full!

MouseAdventure is a popular and fun quest-based event produced by MousePlanet and held twice a year at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

The signature community event for MousePlanet readers, MouseAdventure is part-scavenger hunt, part-road rally, part-trivia challenge - a team-based competition that guarantees you will never look at the Disneyland Resort in the same way again. You'll notice buildings you usually walk past (do you know the address of the Main Street Music Company?), colors you might not have noticed (how many purple cars are there on the Sun Wheel?), and little details you didn't even acknowledge (cannonballs on City Hall? You bet - we've seen 'em).

Held in the fall (usually October or November) and in the spring (usually March or April) in Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure, or even in both, MouseAdventure uses various event formats with their own rules and strategies, with puzzle-based "quests" serving as their core.

The Format

MouseAdventure began with a single event format, and over the years we have modified, added, expanded and combined game elements to create a series of unique formats. Some of the most common formats include:

• Classic – solve a collection of quests, in any order and ranked in difficulty from "A" to "E," and earn points for each correct answer. The team with the highest score wins.
• Mad Scramble – requires you to correctly solve one quest before starting another. In this format, the team that correctly solves all the quests in the least amount of time wins.
• The Enchanted Race – sends you on a longer and far more challenging race to the finish line. Due to the difficulty of this event, registration is restricted to returning MouseAdventure teams only.
• PhotoAdventure – presents a novel twist - every puzzle or task leads you to take a specific photograph inside the park; EyeSpy Adventure incorporates mystery photographs into the classic MouseAdventure quests.
• MouseAdventure 101 – designed specifically for first-time MouseAdventure teams, MouseAdventure 101 provides a "taste" of MouseAdventure in a shorter event that includes game elements used in past MouseAdventures.

The Quests

If you love word puzzles, you're in luck: many MouseAdventure quests incorporate an element of popular paper-and-pencil puzzles like word searches, cryptograms, and logic problems. But don't think that you'll be sitting on a park bench all day, because teams travel far and wide both to find clues and to solve the puzzles they lead to. You may need to ride attractions, watch shows and explore far-flung areas of the resort, all the while using your keen observational skills to complete the quest.

In addition to the core quests of each game, a variety of side games add another element to the competition. Teams might receive a sheet of EyeSpy photos and be directed to identify mystery pictures taken within the parks, or be asked to find and obtain a list of scavenger hunt items. A trivia portion is usually optional, but a strong grasp of Disney minutiae can help set your team apart. Some quests may even require you to find, interact with or perform for MouseAdventure crew members!

Since MouseAdventure attracts both die-hard veterans as well as brand new competitors, we usually offer varying levels of difficulty to accommodate those wanting to spend a fun day learning something new about the Disneyland Resort and those who prefer a more intense game (usually returning teams or new teams glutton for punishment).

Sign up for our NEW MouseAdventure Mailing Lists to receive updates about future events as they are available. Please note, these are opt-in only mailing lists, which means that we have not already added the names of former MouseAdventure players to these lists. If you would like to receive these updates, you will need to sign up for the appropriate list.

Sign up for the Disneyland MouseAdventure Mailing List!

Sign up for the WDW MouseAdventure Mailing List!

The next MouseAdventure's a holiday-theme
(for people who thought Fall MA was a dream).
It's at Disneyland on the 12th of December;
sign up for our list if you want to remember.

Read the rules (link). Every member of your team should have and review these rules well before the event so any questions can be addressed before game day.

Familiarize youself and your team with the event schedule (link), so you know where to be and when to be there. Points can be lost by missing important deadlines.

Wear comfortable shoes; your team will walk considerably during the event.

Eat breakfast so you have energy, and can manage with quick snacks during the event.

Although you need only show up with a writing instrument, consider bringing the following in a hands-free backpack (or a hydration pack):

• Water – a bottle in a holder or hydration pack such as a Camelbak. You can always buy a bottle of water and a bottle carrying strap in the park, but be aware that water is expensive to purchase in the park. Note: Dehydration can lead to a serious medical issue. We expect each player to drink ample amounts of water during the event.
• Comfortable shoes – make sure they are broken in; never wear brand new shoes.
• Sunblock – the higher the SPF the better.
• Writing instrument(s). Pens, pencils, highlighters, markers – you can never be too prepared.
• Clipboard – your team should have at least one clipboard, although having one clipboard per team member might not hurt. You will be dealing with lots of loose paper and potentially small, easy-to-lose game materials.
• Sunglasses.
• Hat or visor that provides shade over your eyes.
• Scratch paper. Some teams also like to bring graph paper. You just never know.
• Small snacks – raisins, nuts, and energy bars to munch on during the event.
• Rain poncho or large garbage bag (poke arm holes) – if weather calls for drizzle.
• Adhesive bandages – if you're prone to blisters on your feet. Consider a proactive measure and put them on your sensitive spots beforehand.

MousePlanet is pleased to offer a new opportunity to experience the fun of MouseAdventure on your own.

After every MouseAdventure, we always have lots of people asking if they can buy a copy of the game so that they can play on their own. Some people want a chance to go back and do the things they missed. Others were unable to join us on the day of the event and want to see what they missed.

For a lot of reasons, we have always been somewhat reticent to do this. For one, the games are constructed to a specific time in the park, and the frequent changes within the park can render specific puzzles insolvable or nonsensical. Also, we like to think that there is something special about being part of the larger event.

However, following the last event we received the usual requests to buy a copy of the game. The same concerns apply, but we've decided to try it out and give people what they want. At least this one time we're offering the game packet used on November 16, 2008 for sale. It won't be 100% identical as we have removed those pieces of the game that absolutely required the larger event to make any sense. We also can't guarantee how long any particular puzzle will continue to work as we wrote it.

Each copy will come in a spiral bound format for easy use with an answer key in the back providing some explanation of the puzzles, the correct answers, and how you should have found those answers. The price is $25.00 per packet, which we recognize may seem steep but we don't want to encourage people to avoid the real event and just wait for a potential solo version after the fact. We've also limited purchases to 4 packets per purchase so that you can play with friends, but not to hold your own large event. If you have a large party that would like to do something like MouseAdventure, please get in touch with us and we'd be happy to see if something could be worked out.

If you'd like to purchase game packets, click the link below. Orders will be shipped once a week, so delivery may take up to 2 weeks; all orders will be shipped first class mail.

Order MouseAdventure Packets