Merry Christmas! Frozen Fun is here! The Disneyland Resort has soft-launched a big new lineup of Frozen-themed events, entertainment and attractions in both theme parks just in time for the busy Christmas week. The full Frozen Fun line-up won’t officially open until January 7 but until then, guests can enjoy a limited selection of the new additions. Among those new additions is the addition of Arendelle in Disneyland’s classic Storybook Land Canal Boats, a meet-and-greet with Olaf in California Adventure, and an overlay to that park’s nighttime dance party in Hollywood Land.
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 an up-close look at the magic! Don’t forget — You can click on any photo in today’s post to see a larger, high-resolution version!
Special thanks to Matt Gottula for some extra help with a few photos today.
We’ve got a fully Frozen holiday update for you today, so let’s get started!
Welcome to Disneyland! |
Christmas is almost here and Disneyland is ready for its traditional peak Christmas week. Full Cast Member and Annual Passport blackouts are in effect as Disneyland gets ready to send off 2014 and get ready to welcome 2015.
Fro-Zone |
The big news over the weekend was the soft-launch of Disneyland’s new Frozen Fun promotion in both theme parks. While the majority of Frozen Fun offerings will be found in Disney California Adventure, Disneyland is also getting in on the act with a couple of new additions as well.
Disneyland’s most notable Frozen Fun addition isn’t designed to be temporary like the rest of the Frozen additions. On Friday, Fantasyland’s classic Storybook Land Canal Boats unveiled a new Frozen vignette, depicting the movie’s kingdom of Arendelle.
The new Arendelle tableaux is a significant addition, taking over the space that once featured the three Dutch windmills from Disney’s 1937 Academy Award-winning Silly Symphonies cartoon, “The Old Mill.” The windmills have been saved by Walt Disney Imagineering, and will hopefully find another home in Storybook Land or elsewhere in Disneyland in the future.
Arendelle has a prime location in Storybook Land, being one of the first things you see rising up across the water after passing through Monstro’s mouth and being one of the last vignettes boats pass before returning to the dock.
With the addition of Arendelle, Storybook Land Cast Members got an updated script to make note of the new Frozen village as well as refreshed lines for the rest of the attraction.
Casey Jr. passes by Cinderella’s castle
The entire attraction really looks lovely
The new Arendelle addition is very nicely crafted and blends in very well with the rest of Storybook Land, especially across from the Pinocchio’s Alpine village, which features a snow-capped mountain range similar to Arendelle’s new mountain range.
Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post is hidden off to the side of the new vignette
Compare Arendelle’s snow-capped mountains to Gepetto’s village
The new Storybook Land additions are quite nice and really look lovely. Enjoy a full ride-through of Storybook Land, now featuring Frozen below.
If you’re looking for just the new Frozen part of the ride:
Nearby, Anna and Elsa have vacated their Fantasyland meet-and-greet and moved over to California Adventure, but the Fantasyland location is still decorated for the Frozen sisters.
The spot is still a popular photo-op for guests, even without the characters inside.
Olaf has just been switched to his “sleep” mode and no longer talks to guests.
Over in Fantasy Faire, the new “Frozen” stage show hasn’t debuted yet, but will by Frozen Fun’s official January 7 launch.
Most of the new Frozen Fun offerings are found in Disney California Adventure’s Hollywood Land. New Frozen Fun banners are up at DCA’s entrance.
And Hollywood Land has plenty of banners as well…
Christmas decorations were removed to put up Frozen Fun banners
The “Hollywood Studios” arches are now blue for Frozen Fun. No signage was up on Saturday’s launch, but they were by Sunday.
Muppet*Vision 3D has been evicted from its theater to make way for a new Frozen singalong show, which wasn’t ready to open for this weekend’s soft-launch.
New pine trees have been added in front of the Muppet Theater along with a kind of sad smattering of blue Christmas ornaments.
Rumor has it that the inside of the theater has pretty much stripped of its Muppet theme for the new Frozen show. That rumor is probably true, as most of the Muppet queue props and theming have also been removed.
Muppet props above the Award Wieners seating area
Also not ready to open yet, Olaf’s Snow Fest will open in Stage 17 within the next couple weeks. In the meantime, Olaf, who will be meeting guests inside when his Snow Fest is complete, is greeting guests outside.
The Studio Store is now Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post. Interestingly, and perhaps not surprisingly, so far the store seems to be the Frozen Fun offering in California Adventure that got the biggest budget. Previously a walk-up counter only, the store was opened up, allowing guests to walk into the small store to shop.
Disney Animation is home to new Frozen Fun offerings as well.
Character Closeup is no longer home to the Toy Story Zoetrope. Instead, Anna and Elsa have moved after leaving their Fantasyland home.
The inside of the meet-and-greet is designed to look like the castle interior.
Fastpasses are required for the Anna and Elsa meet-and-greet. And there’s no guarantee who you’ll meet once inside — the Fastpass is for Anna OR Elsa, depending on who is there when it’s your time. Fastpass machines are parked in front of Disney Animation.
The Animation Academy will teach you how to draw a snowman, all day, every day.
The Ursula’s Grotto section of the Sorcerer’s Workshop is closed, likely for a Frozen overlay.
And of course, the Off the Page, exit shop has a ton of Frozen merchandise
The rest of the Hollywood Studios area is filled with the new Freeze the Night Family Dance Party, a very obviously quick and cheap overlay to the recently-canceled Mad T Party.
Lots of blue and gray paint for the overlay, with only minor modifications to exiting props and structures.
New white snowflake cut-outs cover up the clock gear archways leftover from the Mad T Party.
You can see the silhouette of the clock gears behind the new white snowflake cutouts
In some places, the snowflake cutouts don’t even cover up the clock gears all the way
Clock gears fully visible on the backside
The Mad T Party stage, a giant dining table with table cloth and chairs got new snowy paint and its chairs removed for Freeze the Night. Doesn’t look great.
The T Party’s tea pot centerpiece was removed for… ice blocks.
Mad T Party were redressed for Freeze the Night
Stage 12, formerly home to ElecTRONica’s Flynn’s Arcade and Mad T Party’s Mad Arcade is closed off for now…
We will take a look at Freeze the Night at night in our next Disneyland update at the start of the new year. Until then, see great early coverage from our friends at MouseInfo.com.
Overall, Frozen Fun is an obviously incomplete experience. The full line-up debuts on January 7, and until then offerings will be limited. It’s kind of surprising Disney bothered to even launch the promotion at Disney California Adventure early on December 20 as it was essentially two meet-and-greets, a store, and a half-baked dance party overlay. Without the singalong show and Olaf’s Snow Fest, there really isn’t much to see at Frozen Fun. If you’re planning on visiting before the full lineup of events has launched, don’t get your hopes up. If you’re in the parks, be sure to stop by Storybook Land to see Arendelle, but if you have to go out of your way to see Frozen Fun in California Adventure, don’t bother until January 7.
Dateline Disneyland Holiday Gift Guide 2014 |
Give some Disney magic this year! There may only be a few days left before Christmas but it’s still not too to get great gifts for the Disney fans on your list. We’re here to make that last-minute Disney shopping a breeze. With so many great movies, books, and music from Disney and Marvel over the last year, there’s something for everybody here in our annual holiday gift guide. Today, Monday, December 22 is the last day to order with Two-Day Shipping and still get your items on time! So, sit back and check off some names from your shopping list! Help support Dateline Disneyland this holiday season! Shopping on Amazon through the links below will get you some of the best deals of the season while helping support Dateline Disneyland into 2015! Happy Holidays! Great Disney Books
Spectacular Animation Blu-ray
Great Live Action Blu-ray
Everything Frozen Amazing Marvel Releases Search for that special gift using the search box below: |
Refurbishment Roundup |
[center]Royal Remodel[/center]
In New Orleans Square, the Royal Courtyard continues construction after being reworked for another Club 33 expansion.
[center]In Crust We Trust[/center]
In California Adventure, the Boudin Bakery Tour continues its refurbishment project that is expected to bring a new show to the bread factory tour.
Retro HoJo fun is just steps away from Disneyland magic! |
You really can’t beat watching Disneyland fireworks from your balcony, seeing the Monorail pass by poolside, or walking less than 10 minutes from your hotel before stepping onto Main Street, U.S.A. — and for nearly 50 years guests of the Howard Johnson Anaheim have enjoyed these luxuries thanks to the HoJo’s incredible location.
Indeed, the HoJo’s seven beautiful acres are nestled comfortably across the street from Disneyland, giving HoJo guests great views of the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Disneyland Monorail. These views, along with a short 8-minute, half-mile walk to Disneyland’s turnstiles have been a big draw for guests since the HoJo opened in 1965. Below, a 1960s-era brochure for the Howard Johnson Anaheim showcases its spectacular tower room views and excellent location “opposite of Disneyland.”
The interior of that same brochure really highlights how close Disneyland is.
Of course, there are plenty of other hotels in Anaheim that offer rooms within walking-distance to Disneyland, so why all the fuss over the HoJo? Well, unlike other nearby hotels, the HoJo also sits on seven spacious, landscaped acres, providing plenty of elbow room, pools and garden areas that aren’t on rooftops or in parking lots. With plenty of space, the HoJo is also one of the last remaining Disneyland-area hotels to offer ample free parking to its guests. Lots of space while being just steps away from Disneyland — it’s the best of both worlds!
HoJo guests enjoy 500 feet of Monorail track running alongside the hotel grounds, more than any other Anaheim hotel except for Disney’s own Grand Californian Hotel. Disneyland guests aboard the Monorail get prime views of the HoJo, too, catching glimpses of the HoJo’s Castaway Cove water playground, the wonderful William L. Pereira-designed mid-century modern hotel tower, and the adjacent Mimi’s Cafe Restaurant. Below, a 1960s-era view of the HoJo’s main pool with the Matterhorn rising behind it and a view of that same pool area today, now featuring the Castaway Cove water playground.
Of course, no day at Disneyland is complete without fireworks, and that’s extra true at the HoJo! Do you ever get too tired after a day in the parks but don’t want to miss the fireworks? Well, guests staying in the HoJo’s main tower can just step out on their balcony to see the show only a mere 900 feet away!
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 December 22-28, 2014 |
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[B]Disneyland Park[/B] | [B]California Adventure[/B] | |
Mon.-Tue.: 8 am – 12 am Wednesday: 8 am-11 pm Thu.-Sun.: 8 am – 12 am |
Mon.-Tue.: 8 am – 10 pm Wednesday: 8am-10 pm Thu.-Sun.: 8 am – 11 pm |
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[CENTER]For a complete listing of theme park hours, visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar[/CENTER] |
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[center]Closure and Refurbishment Schedule[/center] | ||
[b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b] | ||
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[b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b] | ||
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[b][center]Downtown Disney and Disneyland Resort Hotels[/center][/b] | ||
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December 22-28, 2014
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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[center]Headline Roundup A quick look at noteworthy Disney theme park headlines from around the web.[/center] |
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Alright, that wraps up this week’s edition of Dateline Disneyland. What do you think of the new Frozen offerings so far? Fun or not? Let us know in the comments section below!
Your donations really do help keep Dateline Disneyland alive! We’re still here because of your help. If you enjoy getting your weekly Disneyland fix from Dateline Disneyland, please consider helping us with a safe and fast PayPal donation — 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! |
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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. |