Disney California Adventure celebrated the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort last week with a one-day celebration featuring cultural performances, food, and more. On the other side of the park, the new Soarin’ Around the World opened, taking guests on a flight over some of the world’s most notable landmarks. In Disneyland, the massive new Star Wars expansion continues to take shape as the historic Skyway Chalet building comes down.
We continue our huge glowing away celebration today with another week of giveaways! June marks the end of Dateline Disneyland and to celebrate, we’re giving back to all of you with our Dateline Disneyland Farewell Season Giveaway! We had nearly 1,200 giveaway entries last week! We’re thrilled that all of you are celebrating our 8 year run with us before we glow away — Winners will be notified soon! And even if you entered last week, you can still enter again in this week’s giveaway, so don’t miss out! Find out what you can win and how to enter in today’s blog!
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!
Get a closer look! Don’t forget that you can always click on any photo in Dateline Disneyland for a closer look with a larger, higher resolution version of the image!
It’s our penultimate edition of Dateline Disneyland! Let’s get started!
Welcome to Disney California Adventure! |
A summer heatwave hit Southern California over the weekend, bringing high temperatures to the parks.
Dateline Disneyland Farewell Season |
Dateline Disneyland is glowing away! After more than eight years of Dateline Disneyland, we simply can’t glow on like this! But to thank all of you for your readership and support over the years, we’re celebrating the end of the blog by giving back to you! As we wrap up Dateline Disneyland in June, we’re giving out spectacular prizes from our friends at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground, Courtyard Marriot Anaheim Hotel & Waterpark, Progress City Press, POP! Comics & Culture Emporium, and TouringPlans.com! Even if you entered in last week’s giveaway, you can enter this week for another chance to win! Find out what you can win and how to enter below! Enjoy a 2-night getaway at Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel or the Courtyard Marriot Anaheim Hotel! One (1) Grand Prize Winner will enjoy a two-night stay at the Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Hotel & Waterpark — the HoJo Anaheim’s beautiful new sister property. Located next to the HoJo Anaheim, the Courtyard Marriot Anaheim Hotel is only a short five minute walk to Disneyland’s front gate. The new Courtyard Marriott features an array of amazing amenities including rooms that sleep six and boast over 530 square feet of space with WiFi and Netflix streaming! Guests can enjoy Starbucks Coffee in the lobby, great dining, and the elevated Surfside Waterpark — a watery oasis that features six water slides, a 400-gallon drench bucket, swimming pool, kid’s pool, and dazzling views of Disneyland’s nightly fireworks! Explore Disney history with the Progress City Primer! Win Disney comics from POP! Comics & Culture Emporium!
Win a year subscription to TouringPlans.com! Enter-To-Win! Prize Breakdown
Thank you for your support over the last eight years! |
Disney Shanghai Adventure |
On Thursday, Disney California Adventure celebrated the grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort with a small festival in Hollywood Land.
Live entertainment was presented on the Backlot Stage.
Coloring pages were available for the kids
Informative displays with information about the park and concept art were out, never mind the typos.
Mulan, in her new costume, along with Mushu were out to meet guests, drawing long lines
Potstickers, almond cookies and tea were also available
Soarin’ takes flight |
On Friday, Disney California Adventure and Epcot in Florida debuted the new Soarin’ Around the World film at the popular Soarin’ attraction. The new film that takes guests around the world to landmarks including the Matterhorn, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, Sydney harbor, and the buttes of Monument Valley and, unlike its California-based predecessor, features new CG scene transitions.
Fastpass is recommended here, as Disney has now eliminated the Single Rider option for this attraction
Disney is also enforcing a long-standing but unenforced no photography/video recording policy with the new attraction film, which we followed. Video ride throughs can be found online, however.
Overall the new Soarin’ is a nice update. The California film had become a classic but simulator-type, film-based rides like this are made to be updated. The highlight of the new Soarin’ film is the flyover of Disneyland — it’s very well done and it’s nice to see the park in its traditional state instead of perpetually dressed for Christmas like the original Soarin’ film. The new CG scene transitions are perhaps the worst aspect of this — most of the transitions come from CG animals, for example, a whale splashing water across the screen, or elephants kicking up dust in the African savannah. After a couple of the CG transitions, the whole thing becomes gimmicky and with each scene I was trying to guess what the next transition would be instead of focusing on the otherwise gorgeous visuals. And the visuals are gorgeous. This film is a lot more polished than the original California film, and it’s nice to see the improvement. In some ways it makes the ride feel more like a Disney experience, while at other times making it feel less like real footage. As for the theme, it’s definitely a shame that one of the last remaining California-themed offerings in Disney California Adventure is now gone but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out the new global Soarin’ next time you’re in the park.
The Frontier Awakens |
Disneyland’s new Star Wars project will be unprecedented in terms of scale for the park, dedicating 14 acres to a single property with massive new facades, rock work, and massive E-Ticket attractions that dwarf even Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones Adventure. Below, a map showing how the new land is expected to impact Disneyland’s landscape once completed in late 2018.
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Over in Disneyland, construction continues on the new Star Wars expansion. Looks like cement footers are getting ready to be poured in some areas…
With Disney blocking views from the back of the Hungry Bear Restaurant, there’s not much to see in terms of Rivers of America construction from within the park…
You may have noticed in the photos from the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure, but the old Fantasyland Skyway Chalet has been removed. Perhaps long overdue, but it still stings to see yet another historic structure removed from the park.
This & That |
In Downtown Disney, work continues on the new Starbucks location next to the DVC Sales Center
Nothing new to see at the former House of Blues…
Splash into fun at Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Presented by the Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Hotel & Waterpark |
The Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground changed the game for Anaheim hotels when it added the family favorite Castaway Cove Water Playground, so it’s no surprise that the HoJo’s new sister property followed suit and opened with its own fanciful waterpark.
The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance‘s spectacular 20,000 square foot Surfside Waterpark features a charming California surf theme that complements the ocean mural accent walls in the guest rooms, transporting your family to a watery oasis where the parents can relax and the kids can burn off some afternoon energy.
The kids will find no shortage of fun in the Courtyard’s huge waterpark, which features six water slides — two of which take you on an exhilarating 30-foot ride. Kids can also enjoy the expansive wet deck, which features a 400-gallon drench bucket (listen for the bell!), water cannons and shooting fountains. Playful interactive features including Willie the Whale can be found surrounding the wet deck. Younger kids can enjoy the 1-foot-deep kids wading pool, which features beach-style entry. Parents looking to relax on a lounge chair next to the all-ages pool or soak in the huge 15-person hot tub.
And if you’ve turned in early for the night but don’t want to miss Disneyland’s famous fireworks, don’t worry! The Courtyard’s Surfside Waterpark is a great spot to watch the show, providing a stunning panoramic view of Disneyland.
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 13-19, 2016 |
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Disneyland Park | California Adventure | |
Mon.-Fri.: 8 am – 11 pm Saturday: 8 am – 12 am Sunday: 8 am – 11 pm |
Daily: 8 am – 9 pm | |
visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar |
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June 20-26
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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A quick look at noteworthy Disney theme park headlines from around the web. |
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Alright! that wraps up our penultimate edition of Dateline Disneyland! We’ve got another round of giveaways this week, so even if you entered last week, be sure to enter-to-win in this week’s Farewell Season Giveaway!
Special thanks to our Dateline Disneylanders!
Mark D., Bruno, Casey, Hastin Z.! Don’t miss 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. |
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