Hello one and all!  It’s another edition of In the Parks at the Disneyland Resort.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye has returned from refurbishment. We’ll let you know if there’s anything new.  We next bring news that the Haunted Mansion has finally closed its doors to allow one of the most legendary characters to ever disappear from the park a grand return.  In the meantime we see that work continues throughout Fantasyland on such classic attractions as Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Peter Pan’s Flight, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds.  No real signs of the Diamond celebration have reached Disney California Adventure just yet with Frozen Fun mercifully receding from the Hollywood Land area of the park and the Grizzly Peak Airfield getting ever closer to touchdown.

Programming note: Andy Castro is taking some personal time off this week and next. Never fear though. Dateline Disneyland will return on Monday May 11th just in time to cover the 60th Anniversary celebration.

Ah Disneyland.  Just outside the gates white roses pepper the entrance.

 

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye

Hey guys, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye has returned from refurbishment!  The bad news is that many of the ride’s effects are still woefully broken.

Turning the corner into the Chamber of Destiny none of the effects were working, not one.  In fact, the entire room was pitch black as only the audio indicated what path we would take into the Temple.  One positive is that the onboard audio was cranked up and sounded crystal clear.  Thank goodness.  Otherwise we would have had no idea where we were headed.

The other effects were hit and miss as well.  Inside the chamber, the projection on Mara’s face appeared dim, far less vibrant than when it was originally installed.  A shame really.  The inner chamber of the temple was passable, with the usual effects being set off; Mara’s eye beam, the skeletons lunging at the vehicle, the green ethereal smoke coming from the cobra statues.  The problem is that for all of the work that has been done on this complicated attraction over the years, it has never consistently worked as intended.  The idea was that a variety of effects would be set off each time you rode, making the ride endlessly repeatable.  Thankfully the attraction can survive without this gimmick, but wouldn’t it be neat if they could keep the effects working?

Jungle Cruise

The upper deck queue of the Jungle Cruise continues to enjoy a refurbishment while the attraction remains open.

Haunted Mansion

Hey everybody, guess who is moving in?  Now, don’t go loosing your head over it. If all goes as planned he will be in there on Saturday. We expect Friday and the entire weekend to be packed as a result.

Fantasyland

There are a number of projects happening throughout Fantasyland as the big 60 approaches.

Village Haus/Pinocchio’s Daring Journey Façade

Here we see the façade for Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and Village Haus are getting touch ups.

Peter Pan’s Flight

Peter Pan’s Flight is set to return May 21st. A newly re-imagined Nursery scene is being installed along with other effects and animatronics throughout the ride.

Matterhorn Bobsleds

Matterhorn Bobsleds is set to return May 21st. A new Yeti and updated show scenes are being added.

 

Small World Mall

The towers along small world mall are also getting touch ups.

Tomorrowland

Meanwhile in Tomorrowland…

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

The winds kicked up in Southern California this weekend, affording a clear view of all that was wrapped in scaffolding sheets.  Here we can see the progress at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters entrance.

 

 

Merchandise Events Announced

What would a Disneyland celebration be without a chance to buy more merchandise?  The Disney Parks Blog announced upcoming shopping events to ring in the Diamond Jubilee with the presumptive “Which events have made your list of things to do?” at the end.

May 1-3: Precious Moments doll designer and artist Linda Rick will be on hand from noon to 10 p.m., each day, at Off the Page in Disney California Adventure park, as we celebrate the release of her Mother’s Day Spring collection, among other fan favorites! Learn more here.

May 2-3: Welcome Elizabeth and Mark from Hero Handmade Goods, May 2-3, 16–17 and 30-31, from 1-4 p.m., each day, at WonderGround Gallery in the Downtown Disney District. Learn more here.

May 9: Join us for a special artist showcase at WonderGround Gallery in the Downtown Disney District as we celebrate the release of new works of art by Brian Crosby, Martin Hsu, Sho Murase (not appearing), Jared Andrew Schorr and Gregg Visintainer from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more here.

Artist in Residence: Appearing at WonderGround Gallery in the Downtown Disney District throughout the month is artist Gregg Visintainer. Look for artist showcases on the following dates: May 1, 2, 8, 9, 22, 23, 29 and 30 from 6-10 p.m. Learn more here.

Still no sign of the Diamond Celebration just yet at Disney California Adventure.

 

Grizzly Peak Airfield

By May 15th we should be taking our first rides on the newly refurbished and upgraded Soarin Over California and soaking in the new theme of the Grizzly Peak Airfield.  So nice to see our Disneyland Resort version of Soarin’ getting some enhancements.

Blue Sky Cellar Meet and Greet

While the Mad T Party is getting installed, the card member meet and greet has been moved back over to the unused Blue Sky Cellar.

Embarcadero

Here we can see the detail work going into the refurbishment of the façade for the Embarcadero shop and restrooms in Paradise Pier.

Around the Park

In a break from the more newsy items let’s take a stroll around the park and take in the sights.

Luigi’s Flying Tires

Ok, back to news… Or rather the lack of it in this case.  There is still no progress visible at Luigi’s.

Mad T Party

Much to the rejoicing of fans everywhere, the Mad T Party is returning.  The cards are stacked, the colored lightbulbs installed, and in just a few weeks things will be back to “normal” in the Hollywood Studios section of DCA.

 

Frozen Fun Thawing

The Frozen Fun is slowly melting in phases in Hollywood Land.  The Olaf’ Snowfest has closed its doors and pushed the poor snowman outside again for meet and greet opportunities.

We are still not too sure what will be happening here at Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post.  However, if the sing along offers any indication, this store may be around for a while.

That about wraps things up for the update today.  We hope you enjoyed our little trip through the resort. We look forward to delivering the breaking news about the Hatbox Ghost the minute he makes his first appearance. Be sure to check MiceChat first thing every morning. We’ll see you again soon, In The Parks.

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Weekly News & Information Round-Up
[center]Closure and Refurbishment Schedule[/center]
[b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b]
Haunted Mansion: Closed May 4-8 for refurbishment. Space Mountain: Closed May 6 for refurbishment. Indiana Jones Adventure: Closed April 20-May 1 for refurbishment. Matterhorn Bobsleds: Closed for refurbishment, reopens May 21. Peter Pan’s Flight: Closed through July 1 for refurbishment and enhancements. Innoventions: Closed. Rumored to reopen in May with new exhibit for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary.
[b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b]
Soarin’ Over California: Closed for refurbishment and enhancements. Reopens May 15. Luigi’s Flying Tires: Closed for re-Imagineering into new attraction. Reopening not yet announced. Muppet*Vision 3D: Dark indefinitely while theater is used for Frozen-themed show. [B]Blue Sky Cellar:[/B] Closed indefinitely.

That about wraps up our little update from the park.  We hope that you enjoyed the more relaxed approach to today’s update and hope that maybe, just maybe it brought some Disney magic into your life.  Now, stop what you are doing, and tell the people in your life that you love them.  So much is fleeting and we should never be too busy to let our loved ones know how we feel about them.Have a wonderful week!  See you In The Parks!

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FTC-Mandated Disclosure: Promotional consideration for this edition of Dateline Disneyland was provided by the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel & Water Playground.

 

 

 

 

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