Disney is expected to finally announce its big plans for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary this Wednesday in a special media preview event, but guests visiting the parks can already see a glimpse of what’s to come as refurbishment and enhancement projects continue in both theme parks. In Disneyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle is now closed and the moat is now being drained so refurbishment work can get started. Meanwhile, the first signs of the long-rumored return of a certain specter seem to have materialized inside the Haunted Mansion. Over in Disney California Adventure, the Boudin Bakery Tour is set to reopen this week with big changes as Condor Flats‘ big transformation continues. In addition to all the work in both parks, Starbucks and Disney released special park-specific mugs last week, which have proven to be quick hits with park fans.
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!
There’s a lot to see this week, so get some fresh coffee in your new Disneyland Starbucks mug and let’s get started!
Welcome to Disneyland! |
There’s a lot closed in both parks as refurbishments ramp up to get the Resort ready for Disneyland’s big 60th Anniversary… Still, light crowds and great weather make it a perfect time to visit.
Buena Vista Street is as beautiful as ever…
Starbucksland |
At long last, Disney and Starbucks debuted new Disney Parks-branded Starbucks merchandise at its California and Florida theme parks last week. The new park-specific mugs are part of Starbucks’ “You Are Here” line and are available only at each park’s respective Starbucks location. So, if you’re looking for Disneyland’s mug, you’ll have to head to the Market House on Main Street to get yours.
The designs are really great and already big hits with park fans.
And if you want Disney California Adventure’s mug, you’ll need to head over to the Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical Cafe on Buena Vista Street.
The mugs cost $14.95 and are not available at Downtown Disney Starbucks locations.
Acrylic cold tumblers are also available for $19.95. Ceramic hot tumblers are expected to arrive sometime this week. The acrylic and ceramic tumblers feature the generic “Disney Parks” designs and will be available at all in-park Starbucks locations (but not in Downtown Disney)
UPDATE — January 26, 2:12 p.m.: It has come to our attention that the Disney Parks-branded Starbucks items at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure were completely sold out by Sunday, January 25. There is no official word on when more will be available but due to the popularity of these items we’d expect more to arrive soon.
Getting Ready for the 60th |
Work continues in both theme parks as the May launch of Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary inches closer. Disneyland is expected to host a media announcement detailing the 60th Anniversary plans this Wednesday. We’ll fill you in on all of the official announcements and plans in next week’s update.
Facade work continues on the Stroller Shop next to Disneyland’s main entrance.
The Disneyland Railroad is closed starting today and running through February 12. The closure is mostly to accommodate the it’s a small world’s facade refurbishment but hopefully the downtime will allow Disney finish the Disneyland Railroad’s sound system upgrades.
Currently, only two of the trains have received upgraded sound systems. There’s a bit of a delay in getting the other three trains upgraded as the new sound system has caused some power issues in the first two trains so far…
Despite some technical difficulties, the new sound systems are really spectacular, especially in the Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World scenes. After years of hearing the railroad narration and scores over outdated, staticky speakers, I was honestly blown away at how rich and crystal-clear the audio now is.
Below, the old speakers are still in place on three of the trains.
Below, video of the Grand Canyon and Primeval World with audio from the new sound system. The video doesn’t quite do it justice, but anybody familiar with the Disneyland Railroad should be able to note the difference.
This might be a relatively small upgrade compared to other projects going on around the parks but it’s one of those small things that makes a huge difference. Do yourself a favor and make a point to take a Grand Circle Tour of Disneyland when the Disneyland Railroad reopens in February. You won’t regret it.
Sleeping Beauty Castle is now behind walls as work starts to get underway on the Castle’s big refurbishment and overlay project for the 60th Anniversary.
Medieval-themed construction wall blocking drawbridge access.
Snow White Grotto is now closed as part of the castle refurbishment.
Refurbishment walls along the entire backside of the Castle
The Castle Walkthrough is now closed
Nearby, the Matterhorn’s refurbishment and enhancement project continues…
In the back of Fantasyland, “it’s a small world” is completely behind tarps now for its much-needed facade refurbishment.
The attraction is finally closed, starting today, to remove its holiday overlay. It’s set to reopen February 6.
Over in New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion reopened Friday following the removal of its holiday overlay.
Inside, the ride is back to its traditional state and everything looks pretty good without many big changes…
The one big change riders will notice happens just outside of the attic scene…
Riders will notice a new faux-wall added to the right of the ride track immediately after exiting the attic scene. The wall looks temporary and stylistically unlike anything else in the Haunted Mansion. This has led a lot of fans to speculate that it’s a temporary addition, likely hiding the new home or staging area for the long-rumored return of the Hat Box Ghost.
A weird lenticular picture of one of the bat stanchion toppers from the ride’s interior queue is in a fake window on the wall.
Below, a short video passing by the new wall.
Do you think the new wall is to hide the Hat Box Ghost while Imagineers prepare him for his big return?
Elsewhere in New Orleans Square, La Masquerade d’Orleans is still closed for refurbishment.
Steps away from the Haunted Mansion, Critter Country is closed while Splash Mountain is down for refurbishment.
In Tomorrowland, the Magic Eye Theater is now closed indefinitely for refurbishment. The Big Hero 6 signage is still up and at this point it’s unlikely we’ll see Captain EO return to this space anytime soon.
This venue will likely remain a flex venue, open only for the occasional 3D movie preview and not much else until big Tomorrowland plans are finally approved and get underway.
Meanwhile, Innoventions may soon see some big changes for the park’s 60th anniversary. MiceChat recently reported in an Editor’s Note that the lower level of Innoventions may soon close to be transformed into a special anniversary for the park’s Diamond Celebration.
The lower level of Innoventions is currently home to the Innoventions Dream Home, an interactive exhibit of expensive (but not necessarily cutting-edge) technology for your home.
The Dream Home is sponsored by Microsoft, HP, and Taylor Morrison Home Builders, so it’ll be interesting to see if this significant exhibit from multiple sponsors survives much longer.
It’s worth noting, however, that the outer ring of the lower level which was originally home to several preshow areas now sit unused, roped, or curtained-off.
So, if the sponsorship deal means the Dream Home must remain in place, there’s still plenty of room to install an exhibition to celebrate Disneyland’s Diamond Anniversary.
Will we soon see diamonds instead of curtains?
Over at Disney California Adventure, work is moving along briskly in Condor Flats as it is transformed into the new Grizzly Peak Airfield.
From the Monorail, guests can see that much of the land’s pavement is now torn out…
Note that pile of metal on the ground…
…You may recognize it as the remains of Soarin’ Over California’s original marquee. Looks like we’ll be seeing a new period-appropriate logo and signage for the attraction when Grizzly Peak Airfield opens later this spring.
Meanwhile, Grizzly River Run is now closed for refurbishment
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail remains closed as well
In Cars Land, Luigi’s Flying Tires is still open after dropping off all refurbishment and closure schedules. Did this ride get saved last minute or is Disney trying to hush rumors of its removal until its ready to publicly announce it?
Over in the Pacific Wharf, the Boudin Bakery Tour should reopen today, but walls came down over the weekend revealing a wonderfully refreshed bakery exterior.
The Bakery Tour has new red and white-striped awnings, a vintage delivery truck, and nicely-designed new signage and graphics.
The new vintage delivery truck parked out front is a nice touch and really helps lend some additional authenticity to Pacific Wharf.
Don’t expect to see Rosie O’Donnell or Colin Mochrie the next time you visit this bakery…
With such nice enhancements outside, I’m excited to see what Disney did inside with this previously easy-to-skip walk-through attraction.
Meanwhile, work continues on the Pacific Wharf Cafe…
Over in Paradise Bay, World of Color’s refurbishment continues…
Over at the Grand Californian Hotel, Storytellers Cafe is closed for refurbishment through February 6.
Napa Rose hosts a character breakfast during Storytellers’ closure, with a dinner buffet offered in one the hotel’s ballrooms.
Meanwhile, pools are closed at both hotels, including the smaller pools at the Grand Californian Hotel and the Monorail pool/slides at the Disneyland Hotel.
Fall safety work continues at the Disneyland Hotel.
This & That |
Downtown Disney’s Winter Village and Olaf’s Frozen Ice Skating Rink is still up for a couple more weeks.
No replacement has been announced for the Apricot Lane Boutique’s former home… but you’ll most likely see something brewing up here soon…
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Weekly News & Information Round-Up | ||
Weekly Theme Park Hours January 19-25, 2015 |
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[B]Disneyland Park[/B] | [B]California Adventure[/B] | |
Mon.-Tue.: 10 am – 8 pm Wednesday: 9 am – 6 pm Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm Friday: 9 am – 12 am Sat.-Sun.: 8 am – 12 am |
Mon.-Tue.: 10 am – 8 pm Wednesday: 9am – 10pm Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm Friday: 9 am – 10 pm Sat.-Sun.: 8 am – 10 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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January 26-February 1
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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Ok, that wraps up this week’s update. What do you think of the new Starbucks mugs? What do you think’s happening in the Haunted Mansion? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
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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. |