The Disneyland Resort survived the 4th of July with ease as low crowd levels made the holiday weekend an absolute dream for those with access to the park. Meanwhile, a brand new type of interactive park experience launched this week with mixed reviews. Legends of Frontierland, a new interactive game, began on Wednesday in the saloon and pathways of Frontierland.  While interesting, there did seem to be a few kinks to work out. Meanwhile refurbishment of the front gates of Disneyland continues as another bank of turnstiles goes behind construction walls.  There is finally some visible work on the arcade/alley that is being constructed behind the eastern side of Main Street, U.S.A. The new First Aid station has opened its doors where the old locker location was.  Plus, we’ve got construction shots from around the park for you.

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Mickey would like to welcome you to Disneyland

Main Gate Work

As the western side of the entry turnstiles finished refurbishment, the eastern set, near the stroller rentals was surrounded with walls.  This minor refurbishment should be completed in just a few weeks.

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The newly refurbished gates on the western side of the gate are fully operational.

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Between the news stand and the western gate, above guest heads, a themed conduit has been installed above the gate. We believe that it carries power supply to the refurb project on the other end of the gates.

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It also spans the center gate.

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Main Street Arcade

Inside the park work has begun on the much needed arcade along the eastern side of Main Street.   This will allow for more foot traffic along the back side of the street while parades and other things are happening along the main corridor.  The irony is that the foot traffic will still need to wait for a break in the parade floats since this is the side of the street where the parade steps off.

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The meet and greet area (former Egg House) near the step off gate for the parade is behind construction walls and scrims now.

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In conjunction with the construction, the First Aid station has been moved to Center Street, where the old Main Street Lockers once stood.

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On the far end of Main Street, the old First Aid station and Make-A-Wish lounge are now behind walls.

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Legends of Frontierland: Gold Rush

A new interactive game, Legends of Frontierland: Gold Rush, began play in Frontierland on Wednesday.  Billed as a new way to create your own story, Legends has players pick a side between Rainbow Ridge and the Frontierland citizens in a land war with gold at the heart of the matter.

 

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The Disney Parks Blog states…

Create Your Character: You can be whoever you want to be in the Wild West of Frontierland. You can be a peacekeeper, an outlaw, a miner … it’s all up to you! You will even be able to create a new name for your character. Whenever you enter Frontierland, that’s who you will be!

Choose a Side: Rumors of gold have led to a struggle for land. Which side will you take … joining the peaceful Frontierland citizens or the opportunistic Rainbow Ridge townsfolk?

Players are essentially sent to run errands, solve riddles, and carry out games and tasks to collect currency to help buy land.

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While the first day suffered its share of kinks, the game seemed to be fun for those who played.  You can read our full review from Monorail Man here.  The sad casualty of the game moving into the Golden Horseshoe is that the popular Laughing Stock Co. was asked to leave.  Their final performance was on July 8th.

Space Mountain

Over at Space Mountain the work continues on opening up the exit area for the attraction.  Construction walls are still up at the moment.  There is even a set of walls inside the Starcade.  Interesting.

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Walls in the Starcade? Interesting.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

We see some nice progress happening over at the Finding Nemo Submarine voyage.  The finite details are finally being addressed on the intricate coral in the lagoon.

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 Club 33

Next up, we get to see a few of the new overhead walk ways that have been constructed for the expanded Club 33.  Access is still very limited in New Orleans Square as teams of artists and construction workers play ‘Beat the Clock’ to meet the July 16th opening date.

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Above Pirates of the Caribbean a new wall is revealed.
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Across the way from Blue Bayou the alley dead-ends leaving guests with only left or right as options.

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Inside the shops, construction walls that butt up against the courtyard construction are pretty noticeable.
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The Crystal shop to the right is also a dead end.
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In front, below what will be the Grand Salon, Cafe Orleans diners enjoy the shade.

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Above French Market, the Jazz Club (dubbed the Salon Nouveau) is nearly complete too.

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The alley near Cafe Orleans that led to the Court of Angels is walled off.  Above, a new access walkway connects the Grand Salon (the name for the old Club 33 dining room) to the Salon Nouveau.

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Still a bit of work to do.

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King Arthur’s Carousel

The King Arthur Carousel got its canopy back. Shade has been restored.

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Shots from the Park

Closing this update we share a few shots from the park.  Summer is here and the park is finally beginning to operate at full steam again, save for the submarines and Club 33.  It’s a beautiful time to enjoy the park.

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POP Event

Are you looking for something really fun to do this weekend? Join us at the ESPN Zone on Sunday morning for a look  back in history at Pacific Ocean Park. Chris Merritt, author of Knott’s Preserved, has penned a new book with co-author Dominic Priore about the long lost park on the pier.

Panel Discussions |  Breakfast | Author meet and greet | Book Sales | Signing
Date: Sunday, July 13th
Time: 8am until 10:30pm (Due to the schedule of the authors this will be an early event)
Location: ESPN Zone Downtown Disney
Tickets: This is a special ticketed event, walk-ups will not be admitted. Buy your tickets today!
Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles' Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier
Meet the amazing authors behind Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles’ Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier and hear all about this one of a kind Los Angeles destination which has been all but lost to history. The authors will lead us through a colorful presentation about the park, followed by a book signing. As with all of our ESPN Zone events, there will be a fabulous breakfast.
Pacific Ocean Park was extraordinary in both its glamorous rise and spectacular fall.  The park was so popular at one time that attendance briefly surpassed that of Disneyland.  Christopher Merritt and Domenic Priore’s book includes hundreds of images, most of them unseen elsewhere, including original ride designs and illustrations, including Tiki-rich, space age, and nautical rides. P.O.P. was often widely seen in movies and television shows throughout the ’60s. Its Cheetah auditorium hosted important early rock shows, including those by Ritchie Valens, The Doors, and Pink Floyd.
To hear more about the park, listen in with Doug Barnes and Dusty as they chat with Chris about the fascinating history of this mid-century marvel of a park:

Don’t miss this fabulous one of a kind history event. REGISTER HERE

 

 

That about wraps things up for this edition of ITP in DIsneyland.  Check back with us next week as we cover Universal Studios Hollywood and fill you in on the multiple projects happening there.  Till next time, see you In The Parks!

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