Welcome back to Dateline Disneyland! This week we take a look at Disneyland‘s various springtime refurbishments as the parks continue through the busy spring break season. Major projects underway include a major rethinking of the outdoor portion of Disneyland’s classic Alice in Wonderland attraction, the ongoing Club 33 expansion project, a new look for Disney California Adventure‘s Pacific Wharf area, and more. Meanwhile, Disney has rolled out a mixed bag of new merchandise offerings while making disappointing changes to Main Street USA‘s 20th Century Music Shop. We also take a detour from Disneyland to recap Knott’s Berry Farm‘s fantastic Boysenberry Festival, a part of that park’s larger Knott’s Berry Bloom promotion.

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at DisneylandDon’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 at today’s update! Click on any photo in today’s blog to see a larger, high-resolution version.

A big thanks to Norman and the In the Parks team for filling in for Dateline Disneyland on Mondays while I was away on my extended break! We’re back now and hope you’re all ready for a full update! Let’s get started.


Welcome to Disneyland!

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Carnation Cafe will be getting menu updates including the return of eggs Benedict for breakfast and a new sourdough bacon cheese melt. The updated menu debuts April 30.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

A look at wait times Friday afternoon.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

A look at Disney California Adventure wait times late Friday afternoon.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Refurbishmentland

[center]Temple of the Forbidden Refurbishment[/center]
In Adventureland, Indiana Jones Adventure is set to reopen by the end of next week.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Members Only[/center]
In New Orleans Square, the major Club 33 expansion continues.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The former entrance to the Court of Angels isn’t looking too hot as construction takes its toll. Looks like they may be getting ready to install the rumored stained-glass wall that will separate the average guest in New Orleans Square from the Club 33 member waiting for their reservation in the Court of Angels.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

It’s just stairs, folks.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Nearby, on the Rivers of America, the Mark Twain Riverboat will be closed today and tomorrow for a brief refurbishment.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Alice in Blunderland[/center]
In Fantasyland, the classic Alice in Wonderland dark ride is closed for its refurbishment and safety enhancement project. The “vine” portion of the ride track that takes guests outside of the ride’s show building has been trimmed and new wooden beams have gone up along the route…
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

It’ll be interesting to see how these changes will turn out. At least they aren’t removing the track entirely and building a new, shorter and less interesting track as was previously rumored.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]“it’s a Cal/OSHA world”[/center]
Over at “it’s a small world,” the boat ride is once again closed following its brief reopening for the ride’s seemingly last-minute 50th anniversary celebration.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The closure is to allow for the completion of the new Cal/OSHA safety additions throughout the attraction.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

It’s too bad the attraction’s facade isn’t getting a fresh coat of paint – it could really use it.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

It would be nice for the last remaining scrims from the “Magic, Memories and You” projection show to be removed as well.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Toon-Ups[/center]
Back in Mickey’s Toon Town, the land’s big water features as well as the Gadget Go Coaster are behind construction walls for refurbishment.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The Roger Rabbit fountain is dry for refurbishment.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Mickey fountain is also dry
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Gadget’s Go Coaster is closed through mid-May for refurbishment.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Out to Dry[/center]
In Tomorrowland, the Finding Nemo Submarine’s Voyage refurbishment continues but not much work is visible in the lagoon.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Space Junk[/center]
Nearby, Space Mountain’s new Cal/OSHA safety additions are in place, including a new “ring” around the top of the peak. Still, the mountain is covered in filth and looks worse every week.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Maybe the mountain will be cleaned and repainted when the attraction closes for refurbishment later in May.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Refurbishment Wharf[/center]
Over in Disney California Adventure, the Pacific Wharf refurbishment is starting to wrap up, revealing a brand new color scheme and it really looks great.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

New business names on the sides of Pacific Wharf buildings
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Nearby, the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain is now handing out samples of the new Ghirardelli Minis instead of their regular-size chocolate squares.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Left: A regular Ghirardelli square. Right: The new Ghirardelli Minis, which have replaced the regular squares as the free samples for guests.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]The Little Refurbishment[/center]
On Paradise Pier, the Little Mermaid attraction is wrapping up its refurbishment and will reopen by the end of next week. The enhancements you’ll see when the ride reopens include a black light-based re-Imagining of the “Under the Sea” room and another new hairdo for Ariel in that scene. Plans to rework the ending of the attraction didn’t make it through this refurbishment but are still expected to come at a later date.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Across the bay, one of the gazebos that originally served as extended queue for Toy Story Midway Mania and later meet-and-greet space for Toy Story characters is behind walls to address some wood rot issues.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Challenged Trail[/center]
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail has reopened after its extended closure. The attraction reopened without any noticeable changes, although all of the suspended bridges and net crawl-throughs in the Squirrel Scramble area remain closed.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Dry Run[/center]
Nearby, Grizzly River Run is now dry for refurbishment just as temperatures are about to heat up.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The attraction, a popular one during the hot summer months, is scheduled to be closed through mid-June. Maybe not the best planning?
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]It’s Tough to be Maleficent[/center]
Over in “a bug’s land,” the new 3D preview for Disney’s Maleficent is pulling in decent audiences after opening a couple weekends ago.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The preview is a really minor overlay of the Bug’s Life Theater but the setting works for the film.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

All of the Bug’s Life Theater faux movie posters have been removed entirely for the Maleficent preview.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The preview itself is a ~20-minute extended preview of the movie that incorporates some of the theater’s built-in special effects. If you have even a slim interest in this upcoming film, the preview is worth checking out and might help sway you either way in seeing it.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

One step forward, two steps back…

Disney recently rolled out a couple new lines of theme park merchandise that are worth taking a look at. First up, a new line of retro Disneyland kitchenware has hit store shelves. Plate, $6.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

All of the new plates, bowls and serving dishes in this line can be found at the China Closet on Main Street and are made of plastic. The designs are really fun and colorful and would be great for parties. Retro bowls and platter, $29.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Unfortunately, none of it is microwave-safe and only partially dishwasher-safe. It’s a bummer because that’ll likely be a sticking point for a lot of folks who would like to buy this stuff, which could translate to poor sales and that could be used by Disney as evidence that there’s not enough interest in items like this. Fantasyland bowl, $4.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Why make all this great stuff but kill it with microwave and dishwasher-safe problems? Ceramic mug, $14.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Really fun designs. Small plates, $4.95. Large plates, $6.95.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Also released alongside all of the new retro Disneyland stuff was a bunch of great stuff that was obviously made with Walt Disney World in mind but designed just loosely enough to also sell at Disneyland. Over the weekend it seemed the most popular of these new items were the Disney trashcan salt and pepper shakers…
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

These new trashcan shakers are a fun idea, but it would have been even better if Disneyland and Walt Disney World got separate designs.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Salt and pepper shakers are $8.95 each.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Similar to the trashcan salt and pepper shakers, a new line of Adventureland merchandise was also rolled out and is largely based on Walt Disney World’s Adventureland.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Casual guests won’t notice the difference, but still, is it too much to ask to get truly resort-specific merchandise after paying $90+ to enter the gate? Ceramic mug, $14.95.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Cloth napkins, $4.95 each
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

New plates weirdly branded as “Disney Adventureland,” using Walt Disney World’s Adventureland logo. $14.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Wine glass, $12.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The Tiki Room-themed stuff is nice. Stackable tiki mug, $29.95. Jose plate, $14.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Tiki bowl, $24.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Green tiki mug, $16.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Tiki Room pillow, $34.95
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

New ceramic “ALOHA” plates featuring the Tiki mascot from Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Resort. $12.95 each.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

My personal favorite of the new Adventureland items is the ceramic Jungle Cruise elephants.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Also new are a few new Orange Bird items, which is totally inexplicable since the Orange Bird is a uniquely Walt Disney World character.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Ultimately, all of the new merchandise is a good step in the right direction. More well-designed merchandise, especially park, land and attraction-specific merchandise is needed and it’s great to see Disney continuing what they started with the recent line of excellent Haunted Mansion merchandise. It’s just too bad that everything has to be designed to be sold on both coasts. Sure, production costs are a valid issue but with the ever-increasing cost of admission as well as the price Disney charges for a lot of these items ($34.95 for a pillow!), separate items made of quality materials that are truly unique to Disneyland and Walt Disney World really isn’t that much to ask.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Unfortunately, whatever baby step forward that was made with the Adventureland and retro merchandise was undone when Disneyland turned Main Street’s 20th Century Music shop into a pin trading location.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The shop has dramatically scaled back its books, DVD and music selection to make way for walls of pins and pin lanyards.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Only a single wall in the back of the store remains of the music and movie selection.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

I can’t help but feel like Disney is missing out on a huge opportunity to release rare theme park audio. After the huge success of the Disneyland 50th Anniversary box set, you’d think Disney would have been eager to cash in on the portion of their audience that will pay big money for high-quality theme park audio collections.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

A single display case has what’s left of the book selection. The sheet music that was previously available at this shop is now gone entirely.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Meanwhile, in Frontierland the shops are now selling generic “western”-themed merchandise that is in no way related to Disney. On one hand I’m not opposed to this – I think it’s good to have variety but at least some of it should be made by Disney and unique to Disneyland/Frontierland. Instead anything “western” that you currently find in Frontierland shops likely has no relation whatsoever to Disney. That’s unfortunate and hopefully the Adventureland merchandise, despite its issues, will be successful and encourage Disney to launch a line of Frontierland-specific items or, at the very least, a couple Big Thunder Mountain Railroad-themed souvenirs.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

These new books on the American west are a great touch and would compliment a selection of Disneyland/Frontierland-specific items nicely.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Oh.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

A Berry Good Time

Over the weekend I visited Knott’s Berry Farm to check out their spring Knott’s Berry Bloom promotion before it ended for the season. The main draw for me was the Boysenberry Festival in the park’s historic Ghost Town. I went to the event after hearing good things and didn’t plan to feature it in this blog but I was so impressed that I thought it was worth mentioning.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Knott’s Berry Bloom was a quick three-week springtime promotion that included the really outstanding Boysenberry Festival.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The Boysenberry Festival paid homage to Knott’s history with a recreation of the farm’s original berry stand, which acted as an information booth and a place to buy preserves and other items during the festival.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

What was really nice was that all of Ghost Town was transformed into what felt like a real, down-home local festival. Oversized boysenberry decorations were scattered around, pop-up food booth served up specialty food items for the festival, and you could find events like boysenberry pie-eating contests.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Signage with historical photos and information could be found throughout Ghost Town.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Boysenberry signs throughout Ghost Town indicated special boysenberry items available for purchase.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Food locations throughout Ghost Town all sold specialty boysenberry-flavored items. Tasting cards were available for $20 and let you sample six of the most popular items. Something like this at Disney would have easily cost at least $50 and portions would have likely been much smaller.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

The spicy boysenberry BBQ chicken wings were amazing.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Hand-painted signage at the Festival BBQ stands were a very nice touch.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Roasted corn with farm-fresh boysenberry butter
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Flank steak skewers with boysenberry BBQ sauce
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Spectacular boysenberry-stuffed churros
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Deep-fried boysenberry ice cream!
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

Lots of special boysenberry treats available to take home as well.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

For theme park enthusiasts, Knott’s has recently become a really interesting place to visit. Over the last few years Knott’s has completely restored its iconic Ghost Town area, revitalized and turned an area in the back of the park into a pleasant new Boardwalk area, and transformed its classic Log Ride into one of the best dark rides in Southern California. The park management is simultaneously working to reverse some of the mistakes of the past, restore classic experiences, and update the park so it can truly compete in 2014. It still has a long way to go, but so far what’s been done has proven that Knott’s has what it takes to really become a significant player in a way that it never was before. While rethinking major areas of the park, adding new rides, and revitalizing classics are the big headlines, events like the park’s Knott’s Berry Bloom and the Boysenberry Festival are examples of Knott’s really doing things right on all levels. Kudos to Knott’s for taking its own park history and tastefully using it to create a really engaging experience for guests with the Boysenberry Festival — this sort of thinking is something Disney could learn from. Southern California theme parks like Disneyland, Knott’s, Universal and even Magic Mountain are rich with unique history that people are have emotional connections to and are interested in learning more about. Everybody loses when that history is underutilized, ignored, or lost. I can’t wait until next year’s Boysenberry Festival.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

This and That

Back at Disneyland, Downtown Disney hosted a pitching contest over the weekend to promote the upcoming Million Dollar Arm movie.
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
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Weekly News & Information Round-Up
Weekly Theme Park Hours
April 28 — May 4, 2014
[B]Disneyland Park[/B] [B]California Adventure[/B]
Mon.-Thu.: 10 am – 9 pm
Fri.-Sat.: 9 am – 12 am
Sunday: 8 am – 12 am
Mon.-Thu.: 10 am – 8 pm
Fri.-Sat.: 9 am – 10 pm
Sunday: 8 am – 10 pm
[CENTER]For a complete listing of theme park hours,
visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar
[/CENTER]
[center]Closure and Refurbishment Schedule[/center]
[b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b]
  • [B]Mark Twain Riverboat:[/B] Closed April 28 and 29, 2014 for refurbishment.
  • [B]King Arthur Carousel:[/B] Closed April 28 through May 1, 2014 for refurbishment.
  • [B]Indiana Jones Adventure:[/B] Closed through May 8, 2014 for refurbishment.
  • [B]Plaza Inn Restaurant:[/B] Closed through May 15, 2014 for refurbishment.
  • [B]Gadget’s Go Coaster:[/B] Closed through May 15, 2014 for refurbishment.
  • [B]”it’s a small world”:[/B] Closed through May 22 for fall safety equipment installation
  • [B]Pirates of the Caribbean:[/B] Closed April 28 through May 22, 2014 for refurbishment.
  • [B]Space Mountain:[/B] Closed May 12 through June 26 for refurbishment.
  • [B]Alice in Wonderland:[/B] Closed through July 3, 2014 for enhancements and safety redesign of outdoor portion of ride track.
  • [B]Matterhorn Bobsleds:[/B] Closed August 25-November 13 for refurbishment.
  • [B]Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage:[/B] Closed through September 26, 2014 for major refurbishment.
[b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b]
  • [B]The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure:[/B] Closed through May 9, 2014 for refurbishment and rumored enhancements.
  • [B]Grizzly River Run:[/B] Closed through June 19, 2014 for refurbishment.
[b][center]Downtown Disney and Disneyland Resort Hotels[/center][/b]
    None.
[center]springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
A weekly look at projected crowd levels at the Disneyland Resort.[/center]

April 28-May 4, 2014

MON
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
TUE
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
WED
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
THU
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
FRI
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
SAT
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland
SUN
springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

We expect smaller crowds this week…

  • Temperature forecasts are in the 90’s this week. Please be very careful to pace yourself and stay out of the sun as much as possible.
  • Hotel rooms are plentiful, including at the Disney Resort hotels.
  • To ensure accurate and up-to-date wait times and crowd estimates, don’t forget to report your wait times in Mouseaddict by tapping on the attraction’s wait bar. Thank you!

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.

springtime refurbishments, Springtime refurbishments and merchandise mishaps at Disneyland

[center]Headline Roundup
A quick look at noteworthy Disney theme park headlines from around the web.[/center]
  • Disney refutes claims that its new Disability Access Service discriminates against autistic children (Deadline)
  • Universal Studios Hollywood is in the process of a $1.6 billion overhaul that includes major new attractions aimed at taking business from Disney. (New York Times)
Alright, that wraps up this week’s edition of Dateline Disneyland. What do you think of the new Adventureland merchandise? Do you like it or do you wish it was more Disneyland-specific? Let us know in the comments section below!

Dateline Disneyland is only here because of you. We’ve been able to bring Dateline Disneyland to you each week because of your generous donations. Consider helping us out by donating via PayPal, click here!

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!
[B]- Andy[/B]

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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.
Andy Castro
Andy is a Southern California native and a life-long fan of Disney theme parks and animation. From 2007-2016, Andy wrote the weekly Dateline Disneyland photo, news and opinion blog here on MiceChat. Today, Andy continues to produce occasional Dateline Disneyland articles and additional special guest content for MiceChat.