It was a rare off-season week at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. With crowds away, the refurbs rolled on. In this update we will be sharing the progress at Alice in Wonderland and finding Nemo, while keeping you up-to-date on the other ongoing projects in the park.

disneyland resort, In The Parks: Disneyland Refurbishment Round Up

Ah Disneyland.  Walt’s original theme park.  Out in the entry plaza we see that the planting has been refreshed.

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Pink and yellow flowers add a decorative flourish.
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Mickey’s face has been recently replanted and will soon be in full bloom.
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Not sure what plant they are using for Mickey’s tongue. Sure is bright.

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The trees along Main Street have all filled in from their winter slumber and create the perfect frame for the castle.

 

Plaza Inn

Keep in mind that you won’t be able to grab a Cobb Salad or fried Chicken from this classic Disneyland establishment.  Plaza Inn is currently down for refurbishment.

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Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

Finally, the clanging of hammers on metal can be heard emanating from the subs.  It is now  evident that work, however slight, is beginning on this project.  They have 5 months to get this attraction back into ship shape.

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Incidentally, during the sub “refurb” they have turned off the sprinklers that irrigate the grass on top of the show building for the subs.

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Space Mountain

The refurb date for Space Mountain has changed yet again.  It will now be down May 27, 2014 to July 3, 2014

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Looks like they were finally doing some cleaning on Space Mountain’s dirty dome.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland continues on its refurbishment schedule with a planned return date of July4th.  Looking carefully at the construction site we see that color tests are now being done on the exterior leaves.  We can also see the steel framework for the widened outdoor path.

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There’s some patching going on.

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Pirates of the Caribbean

The marauding pirates are scheduled to return to port on May 23rd.  This is one of our favorite rides in the entire park and it just can’t happen soon enough.

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Some of the boats are being stored backstage near the Indy show building.

 

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye

Tony Baxter’s favorite of his own attractions, Indiana Jones, reopened to guests this morning after a few weeks of refurbishment. This was supposed to just be a routine maintenance, so no changes were apparent. Unfortunately, both the Mara room and the boulder rooms were broken when we rode this morning. Very bad show. It would probably be better if they’d just give the Imagineers the extra time they need and keep the attraction closed until it’s working fully. Were you able to ride today? Were the effects all working for you?

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Backstage, large pieces from the ride sit out in the sun.

Club 33

Disneyland’s private club continues its major refurbishment and expansion above the streets of New Orleans Square.  New progress can be seen as exterior work is taking place on the backside of the buildings, facing the train station.

 

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MICECHAT PODCAST

Doug Barnes, David Yeh and Dusty Sage bring you a unique and refreshing MiceChat Podcast today. They leave the studio and head out on a field trip to Disneyland! Along the way we discuss what’s going on in the park, history, Imagineering and more. We also run into lots of MiceChat readers and get their thoughts on their day in the Happiest Place On Earth. We wrap things up with a discussion on which Disney resort has the most rides . . . Walt Disney World or Disneyland.  Join the conversation and enjoy the show:

Listen on iTunes  |   Direct Download


disneyland resort, In The Parks: Disneyland Refurbishment Round Up

Disney California Adventure also enjoyed a lovely off-season week.

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Grizzly River Run

The refurbishment of Grizzly River run is now scheduled to end a day earlier.   The raft ride is set to return on June 20th.

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The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Set to reopen this Saturday, the Little Mermaid is said to have a revamped Under the Sea scene.

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Paradise Pier repair

The rotting gazebos along the water at Paradise Pier are coming along nicely and they are doing a very thorough job in replacing the bad wood.

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Fisherman’s Wharf / Boudin Bakery

More was revealed as the show building for the Boudin Bakery tour is revealed.  What we are seeing is a lot of varied colors and story being infused into what was once, just a building.  What lovely work.

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That about wraps things up for us from the Disneyland Resort this week.  It was a slow news week, but just being at the parks does something for the soul, wouldn’t you agree?  If you are ever at Disneyland on a Sunday, be sure to stop by the hub (the Walt and Mickey statue) at noon and say hello to the MiceChat crew at the weekly MiceChat noon meet.  We are a friendly group and look forward to meeting you.

Norman Gidney
Norman Gidney, also known as Fishbulb, has produced and edited many of the articles on MiceChat over the years.