Disneyland will celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with a special fireworks finale to the park’s 60th anniversary show and special musical performances during the week. Guests enjoying Independence Day holiday at Disneyland won’t be able to take a celebratory selfie in the park, however, as Disney implements a ban on selfie sticks company-wide this week. Meanwhile, Annual Passholders will get an early chance to ride the newly enhanced Peter Pan’s Flight early this week before the ride officially reopens Wednesday. We also catch today up on some recent enhancements at Indiana Jones Adventure.
Don’t miss your weekly Disneyland Resort crowd forecast — provided by our friends at Mouseaddict — in the Weekly News and Information Roundup at the end of today’s update!
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We’ve got a big update for you today, so let’s get started!
Welcome to Disneyland! |
The summer continues to heat up with hot temperatures as crowds come to the parks to celebrate Disneyland’s 60th anniversary.
Disney California Adventure is gorgeous and always feels just a bit more manageable than Disneyland, crowd-wise.
Selfie Stuck |
Last Thursday, Disneyland notified Cast Members that it would implement a ban on selfie-sticks starting Tuesday, June 30. Disney publicly confirmed the ban on Friday, just two days after a guest attempted to use a selfie stick on the California Screamin’ rollercoaster, forcing Cast Members to stop the ride due to safety concerns.
The selfie-stick ban is a company-wide move, effective June 30 at Disneyland and Walt Disney World and July 1 at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. According to Disney’s official notice to Cast Members, selfie sticks “compromise” Disney’s ability to provide a “great experience” for all guests:
We strive to provide a great experience for the entire family, and unfortunately selfie sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our Guests and Cast.
- The use of selfie sticks also compromises our ability to deliver on the Four Keys: Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency.
- Therefore, like many other venues, Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks and DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park will no longer permit selfie sticks* effective June 30.
- Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland theme parks also will be included in this policy change, effective July 1.
These “No Selfie Stick” signs were quickly added at most thrill rides in the parks back in May. At the time, selfie stick usage was permitted in the parks, just not on attractions. We’ll see if the signs stay in place now that selfie sticks are completely banned from the parks and should be blocked at bag check.
Independence Day 2015 |
Disneyland will celebrate the Fourth of July this year with special holiday fireworks for one night only. This breaks from recent tradition of presenting Disneyland’s “Celebrate America!” Independence Day fireworks show over multiple nights leading up to the Fourth. In the past, Disneyland’s nightly fireworks show would be replaced by “Celebrate America!” on nights the Fourth of July show was presented. This year, Disneyland is opting to run its big new 60th Anniversary show with a “patriotic grand finale” to celebrate the holiday. In Disney California Adventure, the Fourth of July pre-show will be presented before nightly performances of “World of Color Celebrate!”
July 4, 2015 — 9:30 p.m.
World of Color Celebrate! with Fourth of July pre-show
July 4, 2015 — 9:00 p.m., 10:15 p.m., 11:15 p.m.
Disneyland will also offer special live music performances from U.S. military groups this week:
- 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band — July 4, 2015
- 11:30 a.m. – Downtown Disney Stage
- 4:10 p.m. – Disneyland parade route, preceding Mickey’s Soundsational Parade
- 5:15 p.m. — Disneyland flag retreat ceremony
- 7:00 p.m. – Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree, Disneyland
- The United States Air Force Honor Guard — July 2 through July 5.
- 11:30 a.m. – Paradise Park, Disney California Adventure
- 12:30 p.m. – Paradise Park, Disney California Adventure
- 1:30 p.m. – Paradise Park, Disney California Adventure
- 3:15 p.m. – Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disneyland
- 4:05 p.m. – Disneyland parade route, preceding Mickey’s Soundsational Parade
- 6:45 p.m. – Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree, Disneyland (July 4th only)
- The United States Air Force Band of the Golden West — July 5 and 6
- 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. — Downtown Disney Stage
Below, video of the 2014 “Celebrate America!” fireworks show.
If you plan on visiting the parks for this weekend’s Independence Day holiday, be prepared for big crowds. The parks are historically busy on the Fourth of July but with the holiday falling on a Saturday this year in addition to the 60th anniversary celebration — this year’s holiday will likely be even crazier than usual. Be prepared for delays at parking lots and structures, big crowds in the parks, and long lines at attractions. Don’t be surprised if Disneyland is closed to new entries at any point during the day. If you do head to the parks, be sure to bring your patience and be kind to other guests and Cast Members.
Projecting a new Destiny |
Indiana Jones Adventure recently debuted new projection effects in the “Chamber of Destiny” scene at the beginning of the ride. The scene features three doors, which used to rotate, creating the illusion that your ride vehicle entered a different “door” each time you rode.
The new projection effects added to the Chamber of Destiny follow the addition of new projection mapping effects two years ago to the “Hall of Promise” scene where riders lock eyes with Mara, leading to their doom. The new projection mapping in the Chamber of Destiny room also “fixes” the rotating door effect, which has been broken for a while now.
Ride vehicles now always pass through the center door with projection mapping effectively “changing” the door so every ride is different again. Below, photos of the door’s projection effects for the Chamber of Earthly Riches doorway.
The new projection effects look great and are a nice way to “fix” the original, broken effect. Still, with the rotating doors now locked in place and changing only through projection, it’s a bit less of a “how’d they do that?” moment than before.
Below, video of the new Observatory of the Future projection sequence.
Birthdayland |
To celebrate Disneyland’s 60th, a 3-foot tall Sleeping Beauty Castle cake has taken shape in the Grand Californian Hotel lobby.
The cake, actually made mostly of rice krispy treats, is a lot of fun to check out. The pastry team was still putting finishing touches on it last week and chatting with guests about the cake’s creation.
Refurbishment Roundup |
Refurbishment projects are still underway in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, along with the installation of an all-new ride at Luigi’s Flying Tires in Cars Land.
Peter Pan’s Flight is set to reopen on Wednesday, with Annual Passholder previews set to take place today and Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Last week, Disneyland gave a sneak preview of the newly-enhanced nursery scene riders will see at the beginning of the ride.
Meanwhile, no change at the store space next to Pinocchio’s Daring Journey…
Work continues on stripping the outer graphics and decorations from the lower level of Innoventions as major work is underway inside. Last week, Disney blogger and author Dave Koenig reported that the rumored Disneyland 60th anniversary history exhibit has been scrapped in favor of a new Star Wars universe experience.
It looks like we’re still a ways away before Innoventions reopens to guests and Disney has yet to officially announce what’s going on inside the massive facility. We’ll keep you posted on what happens here as it develops.
The late-1990s graphic on the side of the building continue to be removed…
The Tomorrowland Theater remains closed even though all of the signage for the “Tomorrowland” movie sneak preview is still up
The Starcade is still completely closed as well, with a curtain up blocking the entrance to the now-closed “Tomorrowland” movie exhibit.
In Disney California Adventure, Luigi’s Flying Tires remains closed while a new ride is installed.
Views of Cars Land/Luigi’s from Mickey’s Fun Wheel:
This & That |
In Downtown Disney, the Summer Celebration has returned, bringing special menu items to select Downtown Disney restaurants.
Work on the Grand Californian Hotel facade above the World of Disney is getting some work done.
At the far end of Downtown Disney, a new Disney Performing Arts stage is up for visiting school and performing arts groups.
Enjoy retro fun just steps away from Disneyland at Howard Johnson Hotel & Water Playground A short walk from the park, HoJo Anaheim is conveniently located next to Matterhorn Mountain at Disneyland with nearby dining, freeway access, FREE parking and FREE Wi-Fi. For more information on HoJo Anaheim, room rates, or to book your stay today, visit HoJoAnaheim.com/MiceChat Save with MiceChat & Passholder Discounts Every Day! The HoJo Anaheim is now offering daily discounts for MiceChat members and even DEEPER discounts for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders! For more information visit the HoJo Anaheim Innsider Boards which features an up-to-date listing of available nights, or call (714) 776-6120 and ask for In-House Reservations to book. If your date isn’t listed, the HoJo Anaheim still offers rooms for 20% off their best available rate if you call (714) 776-6120. |
Weekly News & Information Round-Up | ||
Weekly Theme Park Hours June 29—July 5, 2015 |
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[B]Disneyland Park[/B] | [B]California Adventure[/B] | |
Daily: 8 am – 12 am | Daily: 8 am – 10 pm | |
[CENTER]For a complete listing of theme park hours, visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar[/CENTER] |
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[center]Closure and Refurbishment Schedule[/center] | ||
[b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b] | ||
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[b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b] | ||
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[b][center]Downtown Disney and Disneyland Resort Hotels[/center][/b] | ||
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June 29 — July 5
The free Mouseaddict app for iPhone and iPad features more than five dozen categories of searchable resort information, weather forecasts, park and show schedules, the latest news and articles from MiceChat, and more. Download free on the App Store or at mouseaddict.com. |
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[center]Headline Roundup A quick look at noteworthy Disney theme park headlines from around the web.[/center] |
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Ok, that wraps up this week’s edition of Dateline Disneyland. What do you think of the selfie stick ban? Will you be visiting the parks for the Fourth of July holiday? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks to MiceChat’s Norman Gidney and our friend @hintofspy on Twitter for help with selfie stick photos today! Special thanks to our Dateline Disneylanders!
Benjamin! To help support Dateline Disneyland and get some fun swag in return, visit our Patreon page now! For more Disneyland news, be sure to read MiceChat’s weekly In the Parks blog. And be sure to check out our sister blog, Dateline Disney World – a fantastic weekly photo blog covering Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! Thanks for reading. See you at Disneyland! |
FTC-Mandated Disclosure: Promotional consideration for this edition of Dateline Disneyland was provided by the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel & Water Playground. |