It’s time to jump into fun at the Disneyland resort as we traverse Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in a search for news you can use.  Yes, Halloween is beginning to creep into the park, with the first signs showing un in the shops on Main Street U.S.A.  Next we see that the Haunted Mansion has closed its doors to make way for Jack Skellington and his crew. There is some great news ahead for the fans of the Legends of Frontierland game. We also found an interesting new offer Disney is making to folks who get their picture taken on Splash Mountain.  All of this, plus a look at the new Ghostly Materials exhibit at Disneyana Gifts, water returning to the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, closing dates for Space Mountain‘s change over for Ghost Galaxy, and a look at the smattering of Halloween merchandise in the exit lobby of Tower of Terror.

We would also like to thank Sean Allice for his photo contributions today as they help flesh out the details as you will soon see.

But first, a special offer for our readers at the Anabella Hotel in September. If you are headed to Disneyland next month, take a look and give the Anabella a call:

  • MiceChat readers get a special 20% discount when they ask for the “MiceChat” special rate.
  • PLUS, during the month of September, in addition to the 20% discount, Micechatters that call in and mention code “B42” receive breakfast for two each day at the beautiful Tangerine restaurant.

Guests must call Anabella directly at 714-905-1050 to reserve their rooms and must mention “MiceChat” and “B42” to receive both offers.

*Offer not available September 7-10 and September 24-27.

7cf8262a-690a-46db-9d71-c1f5d6fbae4f

Tomorrowplan Crowd Estimates for Disneyland Resort from Mouseaddict

August 29 – September 5

FriDisneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You
SatDisneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You
SunDisneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You
MonDisneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You
TueDisneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You
WedDisneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You
ThuDisneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You

  • We expect this weekend to build up to normal Labor Day crowds.
  • Halloween is creeping closer, with the Haunted Mansion closed as of this week so that Jack can wreck the halls.
  • For two weeks of crowd projections, check out Tomorrowplan in the Mouseaddict app.

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.

Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Update – New Boo For You

headers_DL

Halloween Time Galloping into the Parks

Halloween is well on its way to Main Street U.S.A. The first signs are, of course, pouring into the highly detailed shops and displays. Disney Showcase is always the first to see the changeover and they are nearly all set for this year.

IMG_1841

IMG_1862

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1700

IMG_1844

IMG_1845

IMG_1846

IMG_1848

IMG_1849

IMG_1850

IMG_1851

IMG_1852

IMG_1854

IMG_1855

IMG_1859

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1703

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1704

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1705

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1833

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1834

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1842

Main Street Cinema Idea

As a nice little touch for Halloween Time, we have an idea. There are some wonderful Halloween themed early Disney animated shorts, Skeleton Dance by Ub Iwerks, Haunted House starring Mickey Mouse, The Mad Doctor starring Mickey Mouse and more.  Why not play some of those wonderful cartoons in the Main Street Cinema for Halloween Time?  Disney, if you are listening, take the idea and run with it. It will cost you next to nothing and would be a delightful addition to the theater. We invite our readers to take a look at the videos below and let us know if you like the idea of vintage spooky Disney cartoons being played in the Main Street Cinema:

Mickey Mouse in the Haunted House

The Mad Doctor

Skeleton Dance

IMG_1861

Fortuosity

The wonderful Fortuosity shop on Main street has been decorated with a murder of crows in its annual Halloween decor. Alfred Hitchcock would be pleased.

IMG_1865

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1750

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1753

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1756

IMG_1866

IMG_1867

IMG_1868

IMG_1869

IMG_1870

IMG_1871

IMG_1872

IMG_1873

Castle Bros.

While the refurb walls have come down from in front of the Castle Bros. store the sign has yet to return.

IMG_1874

China Closet

Along with the construction on the east of Main Street, Halloween has also begun to crawl into the China Closet.

IMG_1966

IMG_1967
Just inside the China Closet entrance that faces the Corn Dog Cart.
IMG_1968
The riot of autumn leaves is perched above the cash wrap.

IMG_1969

IMG_1970

IMG_1971
Windows are decorated already.

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1746

IMG_1972

Main Street Windows

Along Main Street, more and more windows are becoming festooned with festive pumpkins.

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1714

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1715

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1716

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1717

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1724

Ghostly Materials at Disneyana Gifts

The Haunted Mansion recently celebrated its 45th anniversary with the obligatory merchandise event and gallery show.  You can check out the new pieces of art at Disneyana Gifts in the new Ghostly Materials exhibit.

IMG_1828

IMG_1830

Taking up only the second room of the gallery, the exhibit is a mansion fan’s dream.  It is also notably heavy on Hatbox Ghost ephemera. Shall we begin crossing our fingers again for his eventual return?

IMG_1832

IMG_1833

IMG_1834

IMG_1835

IMG_1838

IMG_1839

Legends of Frontierland Extended

The popular interactive game, Legends of Frontierland: Gold Rush, has been extended for an unspecified period of time.  To Quote Disney…

 Originally scheduled to ride off into the sunset on September 1, this guest favorite will be around a bit longer

IMG_82401-610x381

Adventureland Trading Company

© Disney
© Disney

Today is, apparently, the last day for the Adventure Trading Company game in Adventureland.  As a special send off, they will be collecting the stories of the local Juju Traders with story packets, available for sale at Indiana Jones Outpost. Inside each story packet is a Story Tag, which adventurers can use to record their greatest Juju tales. They will then report to Aladdin’s Oasis, where Adventure Trading Company representatives and local historians will be on hand to collect their stories and thank the “head storytellers” of Adventureland with a special mystery Juju. It’s all led to this folks!

Haunted Mansion Holiday

Master Gracey and the usual ghosts and ghouls are now out of the mansion until next year.  The Mansion is currently down until the morning of Friday, September 12th when it returns as the wildly popular Haunted Mansion Holiday.

IMG_1880

 

IMG_1882

Splash Mountain

In an ingenious evolution of technology and visitor behavior, Disney began offering digital versions of on-ride photos at Splash Mountain.

IMG_1886

When the feature was first introduced, a sign near the photo screens at the exit of the attraction offered a price of $4.99.

IMG_8294

Later in the week the price had dropped.

IMG_1896

Instead of stationing a cast member to shoo away guests attempting to take watermarked, bootleg pics at the viewing screens, Disney has gotten clever. Guests can now ask to have a digital copy of their on-ride photos sent to their smart phones. As you can see, however, they are still finding that sweet spot on the price. Put this in the, “Why didn’t they think of this sooner?” file. We LOVE the idea.  But only if the pics are $2.99 😉

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is on track for a September 27th reopening.  The Lagoon was in the process of being filled this week, slowly lifting the brightly-colored tendrils of kelp and seaweed.  What is notable about this refurbishment is that while the ride has been down for nearly a year, very little substantial work seems to have been done.

IMG_1914

The bleached surface of the lagoon floor remained virtually untouched while only the accents, like the orange coral and plastic fauna were plucked out and replaced.  According to a recent MiceAge update, the lagoon that holds 9 million gallons of water and is still as leaky as ever.  The subs themselves may have received a light maintenance package, but as we can see, their exteriors were not touched up.

IMG_1933

IMG_1936

IMG_1940

IMG_1942

IMG_1946

IMG_1949

IMG_1951
The colorful accents in the lagoon stand in contrast to the ashy looking subs.

The fact of the matter is that the lion’s share of the work, theoretically, has taken place inside the massive show building that sits under the sprawling Autopia track.  Have they replaced the projectors?  How do the show scenes look?  Have they been spiffed up?  Are the dry-for-wet scenes now indiscernible from the submerged ones? We will know on September 27th. Let’s hope they actually did some restoration during this mostly cost cutting “refurbishment.”

Space Mountain

The awesome Ghost Galaxy is returning to Space Mountain this fall for Halloween Time.  In order to spook up the stars, Space Mountain will be closed for refurbishment September 8, 2014 to September 11, 2014.  The attraction will reopen on Friday, September 12th.  You can already see the preparations being made in the exterior areas for the frightening overlay.  Digital projectors and the ear-splitting sound system are visible now.

IMG_1953

IMG_1954

IMG_1957

IMG_1958

 

headers_DCA

Halloween in DCA

The Halloween bug is also invading Disney California Adventure.  Here on Buena Vista Street, Julius Katz and Sons has begun selling the usual Hallow-merch.

IMG_1793

IMG_1790

IMG_1792

Gazebo Watch 2014

It now appears that both gazebos are behind wraps.  Will this refurbishment ever end?

IMG_1812

IMG_1810

Tower of Terror

The exit lobby of the Twighlight Zone Tower of Terror has become a sort of dumping ground for the maudlin merchandise for the Halloween season. But it all works well enough. If they aren’t going to keep this shop as a Tower of Terror exclusive, at least it’s still spooky themed.

IMG_1976

IMG_1979

IMG_1981
Haunted Mansion shirts in the Tower of Terror folks. If you don;t get them here, well, get them at another store.

IMG_1984

IMG_1985

IMG_1986

IMG_1989

IMG_1991

IMG_1993

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1670

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1672

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1673

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1674

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1675

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1676

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1678

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1683

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1684

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1686

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1688

MiceChat_Halloween_2014-1690

Park Shots

As the summer winds down and the parks prep for fall, we stroll around Disney California Adventure for a few pictures.

IMG_1794

IMG_1796

IMG_1804

IMG_1806

IMG_1807

IMG_1809

IMG_1815

IMG_1817
Presidio Video seems to have had to close its doors. The window has seen better days.

MiceChat Podcast

AN ALL NEW MICECHAT PODCAST IS HERE!  The MiceChat crew returns to Disneyland to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion and ponder the upcoming enhancements to the Fantasyland dark rides. As Disneyland prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary, there’s lots for us to talk and speculate about. So, join Doug, David and Dusty as we take you for a walk in the park. It’s an amazing audio adventure. Then, we’ll transport you to Scare LA, where Disney Legends Bob Gurr and Alice Davis have a few things to say about the amazing Haunted Mansion.  Be sure to stick through to the very end of the show for a special surprise!


Micechat Tickets

Join us, if you dare, in the fog-shrouded streets of Ghost Town for the 8th annual MiceChat Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt 2014. Leave the real world behind and enter a dream-land of spooky fun with fellow MiceChat readers.

There are two ticket types:

MiceChat Knott’s Haunt event ticket (Basic) – $119.99*

  • Admission into Knott’s Scary Farm
  • Backstage tour of a new maze before the event
  • All you can eat Private Pre-scare Boofet dinner
  • Special insider presentation during dinner.
  • Early entry into Haunt
  • Front of the line access to all mazes (excluding the up-charge Trapped maze)
  • Skeleton Key access to select mazes
  • Priority Seating for Elvira Ring-Mistress of the Park

MiceChat Knott’s Haunt event ticket with TRAPPED VIP Maze – $129.99*

  • All of the above PLUS ADMISSION INTO TRAPPED: The New Experiment – special upcharge maze (Purchasing this ticket will gain you admission into the Trapped maze with the MiceChat group. By purchasing this ticket you will be randomly assigned a return time during event check-in at the beginning of the night. If you miss the reservation time you will forfeit your ticket.)


* Plus tax and PayPal processing fees

That’s right. You could buy your own ticket and wander around, aimlessly from line to line, starving to death from hunger, without a single person to hang out with. OR, you could pay one simple price and get an entire night of food, entertainment, friends, frights, and fun and exclusive insider opportunities!


 

Don’t forget to return next week as we explore the construction and Halloween preparations being made over at Universal Studios Hollywood.  See you soon, In The Parks.

 

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