Update for September 12-19, 2005

Go directly to: News & Views| Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures| Park Events| Discounts/Promotions| Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

News and Views

MousePlanet Events

Just a reminder that registration is now open for the autumn edition of our MouseAdventure game. Details and registration can be found on our MouseAdventure page (link).

Also, MousePlanet has organized a group trip to Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland in Spring 2006. If you might be interested, see the details here.

Coolest Car Details

For those who were pleased at the return of relative silence to the Esplanade between the two parks with the removal of the Block Party Bash traffic cone (which blared a commercial for the parade on a continuous loop), it turns out that the respite was a short-lived.

A large display area has been set up in the Esplanade for the Coolest Car in the Galaxy promotion. Photo by David Michael.

Last Thursday, the official stage for the Coolest Car in the Galaxy Sweepstakes promotion was intalled in the Esplanade and it includes a large monitor presenting historic clips from Disneyland.

Between now and the end of the month, the area is simply there to hype the upcoming promotion. Beginning October 1 and ending October 31, one new Honda will be given away everyday. The full rules can be found at the Disneyland Web site (link) but the basics are this:

Upon first entrance into one of the two parks, each guest (age 3 and over) will receive a game card, and only one game card per day. Seven of the cards given out each day will win the first prize (2 deluxe annual passes) and each of those will be eligible for the grand prize (the car) at a ceremony held in the Esplanade every day at 4:00 p.m. At that ceremony, each first prize winner will get a key that may start that day's car.

A fair sized model of Space Mountain provides a tenuous park connection for the promotion. Photo by David Michael.

What is not clear from the rules is whether all seven game cards are guaranteed to be distributed every day (if they have alloted 58,000 games pieces per day and only 40,000 people show up, presumably some were in the 18,000 game cards not distributed). Also, only residents of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are eligible to win, so if a winning card is issued to a citizen of another country, that would take it out of contention. If there is a guarantee that all seven winning cards will be distributed every day then attending on the lowest attendance days will give you the best chance of winning; if not, then it doesn't make much difference how many other people enter the park on a given day.

Since law requires that purchase not be necessary to participate, one game piece per day is available from the Guest Relations window to the left of DCA's gates.

A large monitor plays vintage footage of Disneyland attractions. Photo by David Michael.

Show Stop Clarification (Block Party)

Several cast members wrote in to ask that we clarify last week's item about Block Party Bash going down to just two show stops. This change is for the Monday and Tuesday performances only and the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances will still have three show stops (the parade is not being performed on Wednesdays and Thursdays). If attendance is low on a weekend day the third stop may be cancelled, and if attendance is high on a Monday or Tuesday it may be restored. We're assured that attendance would never cut the second show stop and the only contingency for a single stop is for very high temperatures (though we were told by different parties that this temperature is 95 degrees or 100 degrees).

Olszewski's December release

There has been no official announcement, but MousePlanet reader Cindy Stephens passes along that a representative of Olszewski Stuidios mentioned at this last weekend's product release that the next release would be December 10, 2005. The new sculptures would be a Carnation Cafe/Blue Ribbon Bakery/Gibson Girl Ice Cream Palor/Penny Arcade piece for $185 and a Candy Palace/Refreshment Corner piece for $165. The Mark Twain, originally scheduled for December will be in February 2006, instead.

As always, until things are officially announced things can change, and even once announced things can change.

Candlelight Processional

We're still hearing conflicting dates for this year's Candlelight Processional. Different sources are either saying the weekend of December 3 and 4, while others are saying December 10 and 11.

One MousePad member contacted Guest Services and was given the December 3 and 4 dates (link) so it would appear that weekend is the winner. However, until Disney has officially announced it (and if they have, we haven't seen it), you probably should not make any plans.

Halloween Treat

[We initially misstated which dates were new and which sold out. The four original dates have all sold out and the two new dates are October 27 (Thursday) and October 30 (Sunday) and tickets remain available.]

There was quite a bit of disappointment on September 15th when tickets for Mickey's Halloween Treat went on general sale. Prompted by warnings last week that tickets were quickly running out they were upset to learn that in the last days of the Annual Pass purchase period, all four of the dates had sold out.

Disney has since announced two additional dates for the event (Thursday, October 27, and Sunday, October 30). If you're interested in the event you should call as soon as possible and hope that October 27 and October 30 are still available.

You can again order online (link), which may have a price advantage over ordering in person by phone. The pre-purchase price for Annual Pass holders was $15 per ticket (compared to the gate price of $20). The general pre-purchase price is supposed to be $18 per ticket, and that is what it says on the page linked above. However, when you go to checkout the system is still charging $15 per ticket.

If you're preferred dates have sold out you should continue to check the ticket ordering page regularly in case additional tickets are sold or additional dates are added.

Disneyland announces its own half-marathon event

MousePlanet's WDW Marathon Guide editor Lani Teshima reported back in July (link) that Disney had registered the disneylandhalfmarathon.com domain name, and rumors were abound about what Disneyland might have in store. Those registered for the WDW received the following email last week:

We have some exciting news to share with you about a brand new Disney running experience that you're going to want to be a part of. And as a past participant of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, we're telling you before the rest of the world finds out.

Today it's our great pleasure to introduce to you the Inaugural Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend—September 15-17, 2006—the Happiest Race on Earth! After 12 years of marathoning at Walt Disney World Resort, we decided it was time to take this show on the road—the streets of Disneyland Resort and Anaheim, California to be exact.

You'll find out lots of important information about the race weekend when you visit our new web site, www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com, which we're guessing you're going to do right away because you already can't wait to register to be part of the inaugural year of this event. But when you get to the site you'll see that registration will not open to the public until October 15, 2005. What you won't see, however, is something that will be very important to you. We are going to give you, as a past Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend participant, a limited period of time to register for the Disneyland Half Marathon before registration is available to the general public. This race, like many nowadays, is going to have a capacity limit, and we expect it to fill up before race day. So this early registration window is your chance to make sure you get in.

How do you take advantage of early registration? On October 1, we are going to send you another e-mail with a secret link that will direct you to register on-line. It will be that simple. Here's another tip: The best hotel rates for this event are probably going to go quickly as well, so if you know you're going to register on October 1, you can go ahead and start making your travel reservations now by calling the Disneyland Sports Travel team at 877-814-3528. And just like at the Walt Disney World Marathon, be sure to plan some extra time in your trip to visit the Disneyland theme parks. If you've never been, you're in for a real treat, especially since our race weekend coincides with the final phase of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary celebration -- the Happiest Homecoming on Earth!

This is a lot of information, we know, so please check out the web site and you'll get a better feel for what we have in store for you, including a cool new finisher medal! (We know how everyone loves a new medal.) And then when October 1 rolls around, youÕll probably want to act quickly, as it's anybody's guess as to how soon this race might sell out!

That's enough rambling for now. It's just that we've been working on this for many months, and we're so excited to finally share the news with you! We'll be in touch again on October 1.

Further raft details

In response to last week's item about the new river raft that can be seen during the day next to Hungry Bear Restaurant, on cast member was kind enough to send along this additional information.

Here are a few more details on the new rafts for Tom Sawyer Island. Only two rafts have been made to replace the original three. Once the new rafts come into use one of the old rafts will be kept down at the Hungry Bear restaurant for use during paramedic runs or evacuation of the island. The new rafts are not able to dock at the dock in front of the Grist Mill because they do not fit, this could delay emergency evacuations. Because only two rafts exist the Island will experience more frequent closures if one raft breaks. Guests are not to be taken to the island if only one of the rafts is working because if the one remaining raft has trouble the guests are trapped. Once these new models of rafts are put into normal operation anyone riding the old raft will be required to wear a life vest, this is why these various models of vehicles create such a mess. As mentioned in the posting, the new rafts are not very cast member friendly. The new raft which had been in front of the burning cabin has been removed to have its tiller redesigned because it was too heavy. Because these rafts sit so high in the water they will require a wheelchair ramp for loading guests with wheelchairs. And though these rafts sit higher they seem to lower with fewer guests which means that they may end up holding less people than the existing rafts. These "new" rafts have been in and out of the Rivers of America for over 4 years and are still full of problems, hopefully they won't sink anymore as one of them did a few years ago.

Note the mention of needing a new wheelchair ramp due the higher ride of the new rafts. This ramp has already been installed and is hidden away in a new wood box next to the New Orleans Square loading dock.

Disney Legends induction ceremony

If you're not only a fan of the Disney theme parks but also a fan of the people behind the magic, you might want to see if you can arrange your schedule to be at Disneyland late Tuesday (September 20) morning. This year's Disney Legends inductions were delayed from the 50th Anniversary weekend due to time and attention contraints, and will be held in a private ceremony Tuesday morning. However, once that is done there will be a procession down Main Street at 11:30 a.m. and then a brief ceremony at Sleeping Beauty Castle at 11:45 a.m.

In his article last week, David Koenig provided the following list of inductees (link):

Chuck “Mr. Matterhorn” Abbott (Disneyland Operations)
Milt Albright (Magic Kingdom Club originator)
Hideo Amemiya (WDW & Grand Californian Hotels)
Hideo “Indian” Aramaki (Disneyland Foods)
Chuck Boyajian (Disneyland Custodial)
Charles Boyer (Disneyland's master illustrator)
Randy Bright (Disneyland Operations, WDW, Imagineering)
Jim Cora (Disneyland Operations)
Bob Jani (Disneyland & WDW Entertainment)
Mary Jones (Disneyland Community Relations)
Art Linkletter (Disneyland Opening Day host)
Mary Ann Mang (Disneyland Public Relations)
Steve Martin (actor/comedian who got his start at Disneyland)
Tom Nabbe (original Tom Sawyer at Disneyland, WDW Facilities)
Jack Olsen (Disneyland & WDW Merchandise)
Cicely Rigdon (Disneyland Guest Relations)
Bill “Sully” Sullivan (Disneyland & WDW Operations)
Jack “The Voice of Disneyland” Wagner
Vesey Walker (first leader of the Disneyland Band).

It is not known, however, who will be present for the induction and following ceremony. Unfortunately, about half of the inductions are posthumous.

Standing up at Remember

In our original coverage of the Remember...Dreams Come True fireworks, we noted that there was some dissension among watchers at the prime viewing location in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Most people wanted to sit (especially since they were camping for hours before the show began) while a few would remain standing, much to the chagrin of everybody else.

Over the course of the summer, sitting evolved into the standard. There were many who didn't like the sitting since more people could be put into the area if everybody would stand. In the ever-changing attempts to find a good crowd control policy, cast members are now switching over to everybody stands. Unfortunately this is catching frequent visitors off guard and there has been some arguing. Also bothersome is inconsistent information about when everybody would be required to stand, with some cast members saying it would be 15-20 minutes before show time and other cast members coming around and telling people to stand as early as 45 minutes before the show begins (standing still in one spot for 45 can be very tiring).

While this policy makes sense from a crowd management perspective (more people can get in, and it is easier to push through a crowd of standing people than walking over a crowd of sitting/reclining people) it does mean that guests restricted to wheelchairs or ECVs can no longer really consider this a usable location for watching the fireworks. They'll end up surrounded by standing people.

Sitting continues to be allowed at the Small World Mall viewing area.

Another change is how moving traffic is being routed around the Central Plaza hub during the show. Early efforts directed everybody from the Tomorrowland side all the way over to Frontierland, from where they could turn around and get back to Main Street and exit the park. Now the hub is being used as a large “roundabout” (if you're from London) or “rotary” (if you're from Boston). Essentially, all traffic is being routed in a counter-clockwise circle around the edge of the Hub. So if you are coming from Tomorrowland and want to get down Main Street, you'll actually turn right, walk right in front of the castle and then around by the Frontierland and Adventureland entrances until you reach the access to Main Street. If you forget to exit, you'll eventually end up back at Tomorrowland.

Early reports are that this is making for reasonably smooth traffic patterns (once angry guests get over being told to turn right when they want to go left) but it means that there is a contstant flow of moving guests in front of the people who camped out for hours for a prime spot in front of the castle. Worse, it means cast members with light wands constantly telling people to keep moving.

DCA Fastpass changes

Fastpass guru Darkbeer was good enough to post a slight change to DCA's Fastpass systems this off season (link). Tower of Terror will now only use Fastpass over the weekends (Friday through Sunday). This means that until California Screamin' reopens, the only Fastpass attraction at DCA on a normal weekday will be Soarin' Over California. Grizzly River Rapids and Mulholland Madess were already on a weekend only schedule.

The difference a picture can make

In the park update following Labor Day weekend, we ran a photo of Disney's California Adventure park, appearing to show a very light crowd on the Sunday afternoon of a long weekend. Reader Ruben sent in an email saying that in his experience the park was crowded at the time the photos were taken and he wondered if we had staged (or waited patiently for a lull in the crowd) the photo to show something that wasn't true.

We didn't, of course, and have dozens of other pictures showing similarly light crowds, but Ruben does raise a very valid point of how photographs aren't necessarily the best means of show attendance and we've agreed to run one of his photos to make the comparison.

This is the photo that Ruben took on the afternoon of September 4.

This is the photo we ran, taken around the same time. Photo by David Michael.

Hack attack

Ultimately not very important, but somewhat amusing, is the fact that at least a week ago one of the photomosaic terminals next to Mad Hatter in Town Square was hacked to show a scrolling message that read "Disneyland needs a new IT manager" and then gave a Yahoo e-mail address. Disneyland was aware of this by at least last Tuesday and, amazingly, the terminals and message were still in place as of Thursday. We have received no recent word as to whether it is still in place.

If you are interested in being a Disneyland IT manager, it goes without saying that emailing that address won't be very helpful.

New Century Closure

Our item last week that New Century Timepieces was closed for September was a bit too expansive. Last Tuesday the watches and clock portion of the store reopened with a very nice new floor. The jewelry portion of the store, however, remains closed and barricaded from the rest of the space. It will reopen around September 30.

New Century Timepieces has a very nice new floor. Photo by David Michael.

New Century Jewelers remains closed and behind a construction wall. Photo by David Michael.

Hollywood closed off

While we were writing the words last week that much of DCA's Hollywood Pictures Backlot would soon be walled off, the walls were actually going up. The entire back area of the Backlot is now inaccessible. MuppetVision remains open, but there was nothing else back there to do anyway. The area will undergo a "beautification" and Rizzo's Prop & Pawn Shop will be rethemed to a mixed Monsters, Inc., and Muppets merchandise location (no word on what the name will be or how these themes can be mixed.

The back area of Hollywood Pictures Backlot is now blocked off by a wall between Schmoozies and MuppetVision on end. Photo by David Michael.

At the other end, the wall runs between the stage and Hollywood & Dine. Photo by David Michael

Construction trailers and dumpsters are already in place behind the wall. Photo by David Michael.

---

Don't keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. E–mail us here.

---

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Snow White, An Enchanted Musical closed. On hiatus during off season; expected to return for final season in summer 2006.
• Haunted Mansion closed September 12–29 to install Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay; closed Jan. 9–25, 2006 to remove overlay.

  
  The signs are up telling people what to expect in the Haunted Mansion holiday overlay. Photo by David Michael.

• Kodak Photo Supply closed for refurbishment until approximately October 1. While closed official photo pickup has been relocated to a tent in the Esplanade.
• New Century Jewelers closed for refurbishment until approximately October 1.
• it's a small world closed October 24–November 10 to install holiday overlay; closed January 9-25, 2006, to remove overlay
• Pirates of the Caribbean closed March 6–June 16, 2006 for major refurbishment and possible show updates.
• Disneyland Monorail closure beginning sometime in January 2006. Not yet announced, though expected involve almost a complete rebuilding of Tomorrowland Station to accommodate Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, a complete refurbishment (though not reconstruction) of the track, and hopefully new monorails to replace the existing vehicles.
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is currently under construction and will open sometime in 2007.

Disney's California Adventure

• California Screamin' is still closed following an accident on July 29, 2005. Reopen date has not yet been announced.
• Department of Untapped Hilarity (D.U.H.) on hiatus. May return.
• Disney's Electrical Parade on hiatus for the off season, except for a two week run starting December 16.
• Drawn to Animation closed to be replaced with Animation Academy September 17, 2005 (Note: Did not open as expected, new date TBD).
• Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue is under construction and will open in early 2006.
• Rizzo's Props and Pawn Shop closed and is being rethemed, most likely into something Monsters, Inc., related.

Downtown Disney

• Disney's Pin Traders. A new pin-trading and sales booth to be opened in October in the old ticket booth next to the monorail station.
• Anne Geddes. New flagship store for baby stuff designer. Taking up part of former location of MainSpring. Opening in October.
• Sunglass Icon. A new sunglasses store owned by Oakley. Signage indicates a summer opening, no word of actual date.

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.

Events

September

• Gay Days. September 30-October 2. Unofficial event at Disneyland Park (information).

October

• CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park. October 2. Fundraising charity event for the Children's Hospital of Orange County (link).
• MousePlanet's MouseAdventure. October 15 and 16. MousePlanet's in-park game will be held on this weekend. Registration is open (link).
• Mickey's Halloween Treat. October 21, 22, 28, and 29 at Disney's California Adventure. A separately ticketed trick-or-treating event at DCA from 7:30-10:30 each night. Tickets are $20, and until September 15, Annual Pass holders may pre-purchase tickets for $15 at 714-781-4400. Online ticket purchases are available through the Disneyland Annual Pass Web site. Tickets can also be pre-purchased on site at the Disneyland Guest Services window (link).
• "To the Head of the Team, Zero!" October 22 at Disneyana. A new Nightmare Before Christmas sculpture release in the Walt Disney Classics Collection. Artist Dave Pacheco will be on hand for the release and signing (link).

November

• SHAG Park Map release. November 12. Details not currently available (link).

Current Discounts & Promotions

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!

Fourth Night Free

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 through December 18, 2005 (link).

2005 Resort Magic Package

This package (link) for couples includes two nights' lodging and a park hopper tickets. Travel must occur “value seasons” from August 28–November 21, 2005; and November 27–December 23, 2005.

• 50th Anniversary commemorative certificate (one per package)
• Park Hopper bonus ticket, which includes one early entry into Fantasyland and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. (Park hopper tickets can be upgraded to an annual pass for an extra fee)
• Preferred seating to select shows at Disney's California Adventure
• Entry into Mickey's Toontown Madness
• Walt Disney Travel Co. lanyard and pin (one per person)
• Walt Disney Travel Co. luggage tag
• Walt Disney Travel Co. fun book (one per package)

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.

50th Anniversary Package

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:

• “Enchanting” commemorative certificate (one per package)
• Park Hopper bonus ticket, which includes one early entry into Fantasyland and a $10 ESPN Zone game card. (Park hopper tickets can be upgraded to an annual pass for an extra fee)
• Preferred seating to select shows at Disney's California Adventure
• Entry into Mickey's Toontown Madness
• Walt Disney Travel Co. lanyard and pin (one per person)
• Walt Disney Travel Co. luggage tag
• Walt Disney Travel Co. fun book (one per package)

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.

Free Child's Member pass

While supplies last if you make a $75 purchase at Downtown Disney's LEGO Imagination Center you will get one free child's Membership Pass to Legoland in San Diego, CA. The pass is good for children ages 3-12 and comes with unlimited park admission, special discounts, and a subscription to the Legoland Newsletter.

Free Stroller Rental

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.

ESPN Zone MVP Club

If you sign up online for ESPN Zone's MVP Club (link), you can receive 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).

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

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.

Don't keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. E–mail us here.

PSST!

Did you recently notice something new or different in the park? Are you a CM with something intriguing to share? Heard any good rumors lately, or know of something our readers will wanna know? Send them in so we can follow up on them!

PREVIOUS UPDATES

2005

• January: 3, 10, 17, 24
• February: 1, 7, 14, 21, 28
• March: 7, 14, 21, 28
• April: 4, 11, 18, 25
• May: 2, 9, 16, 23
• June: 1, 6, 13, 20, 27
• July: 5, 11, 19, 25
• August: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
• September: 6, 12, 19, 26
• October: 3, 10, 24, 31
• November: 7

2004

• January: 5, 12, 19, 26
• Febuary: 2, 9, 16, 24
• March: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
• April: 5, 12, 19, 26
• May: 3, 10, 18, 24
• June: 1, 7, 14, 21, 28
• July: 6, 12, 19, 26
• August: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
• September: 7, 13, 20, 27
• October: 4, 11, 18, 25
• November: 1, 9, 15, 23, 29
• December: 7, 13, 20, 27

2003

• Jan: 6, 13, 20, 27
• Feb: 3, 10, 17, 24
• March: 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
• April: 7, 14, 21, 28
• May: 5, 12, 19, 27
• June: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
• July: 7, 14, 21, 28
• August: 4, 11, 18, 25
• September: 2, 8, 15, 22, 29
• October: 6, 14, 20, 27
• November: 3, 11, 17, 24
• December: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

2002

• Dec: 16, 23, 27

Don't forget our Park Updates: Walt Disney World, published on Mondays.