Last week Disneyland announced some notable enhancements coming to three classic attractions this May as part of the park’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration. In Fantasyland, the classic Peter Pan’s Flight will get a re-imainged nursery scene along with special effects upgrades throughout the rest of the ride. Nearby, the Matterhorn‘s Abominable Snowman will be getting a makeover, making your encounter with him even scarier than before. And in New Orleans Square, a long-lost ghost and his hat box will soon be reappearing in the Haunted Mansion. Meanwhile, work continues on Sleeping Beauty Castle and in the former Condor Flats as those areas continue to get ready for the 60th.
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!
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We’ve got another full update for you this week, so let’s get started!
Welcome to Disneyland! |
The recent beautiful spring weather has made a visit to the parks even more appealing this time of year…
Setup for the taping of America’s Funniest Videos is taking place in the hub and in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Taping is planned to take place this weekend.
Spring break crowds continue to hit the parks. A look at wait times Friday afternoon.
It was the last weekend for the Springtime Roundup egg decorators in Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree. Other Springtime Roundup features will continue on weekends through early June.
Over in California Adventure, spring break is winding down as well…
A look at some spring break wait times Friday afternoon
Getting Ready to Dazzle |
The parks continue to get ready for the big 60th Anniversary before it kicks off in late-May.
Sleeping Beauty Castle’s 60th Anniversary overlay looks like it’s pretty close to being finished, which will allow time for programming and testing of the nighttime lighting package the overlay will feature.
Love it or hate it, the overlay is here to stay for about a year and luckily finishing touches including the diamond spires have really seemed to help bring the whole thing together.
These plastic domes look less cheap and tacky with the pointy diamond spires.
Looks like there will be some small sections of roof that won’t be getting covered, but they probably won’t be noticeable to too many guests.
Unfortunately, the silver straps still look unfinished and poorly-planned. I’ve seen some fans refer to it as silver or bedazzled duct tape.
It’ll be exciting to see just how the castle looks lit up at night. There’s a lot of power built into this overlay
Last week, the Disney Parks Blog released a video showing some behind-the-scenes footage of the making-of Sleeping Beauty Castle’s overlay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSnLbZ6-1-Y
The backside of the Castle is much simpler, with new bunting up.
Last week Disney confirmed long-standing rumors of major show upgrades coming to two Fantasyland classics.
Peter Pan’s Flight will reopen in May with a reimagined nursery scene as well as numerous special effects throughout the attraction.
Not far away, the Matterhorn Bobsleds will also reopen in May with Disney promising we’ll see the Abominable Snowman “in ways you’ve never seen him before.”
From the look of the concept art, the Abominable Snowman looks like he might be a lot scarier than before!
Meanwhile, work continues on the Pinoccho’s Daring Journey facade…
And work has mostly wrapped up at “it’s a small world.” The clock tower is now out from behind tarps and looks beautiful but as of Friday, wasn’t yet functional.
Tarps still up around the area of facade that was slightly damaged in the recent fire.
In New Orleans Square, Disneyland confirmed another long-time rumor last week. The Hat Box Ghost is officially coming back, and will return to the Haunted Mansion in May, just in time for the park’s 60th Anniversary kick-off.
Disney released some concept art along with the announcement…
The announcement comes after years of rumors and Disney teasing the possible return of the character, including an animatronic mock-up of the ghost at the 2013 D23 Expo.
In Tomorrowland, the Magic Eye Theater has been repainted as it prepares to host the new sneak preview for Disney’s upcoming sci-fi film, “Tomorrowland.”
The “Tomorrowland” sneak peek opens on Friday along with a special exhibit in the Starcade next door, featuring props and production artwork from the film.
Lots of the Magic Eye Theater got repainted in light blues and silvers…
…but there’s still plenty left in the old unfortunate brown color scheme from before.
Meanwhile, Innoventions remains behind walls, rumored to be getting a new 60th Anniversary exhibit installed.
Over in California Adventure, the Grizzly Peak Airfield continues to take shape behind construction walls.
A new park ranger lookout tower has been installed in front of Soarin’ Over California. Looks great.
New steel support in place for signage.
Views from the Monorail… lots of trees in place now!
A better look at the new park ranger lookout tower in place in front of Soarin’
This change isn’t totally new, but something we missed when it happened. The arches in Paradise Park have been removed and it doesn’t look like they’ll be coming back.
They were just cut off at the base…
In Cars Land, no visible changes from the guest view at Luigi’s Flying Tires
Dive into Fun at the HoJo! Presented by the Howard Johnson Hotel & Water Playground |
As you know from our last visit to the HoJo, the iconic Anaheim hotel is a top-ranked family destination recognized throughout the industry. One of the reasons the HoJo is so popular with families is not only because it’s just an 8-minute walk to Disneyland, but because of its many water features that help its guests beat the heat during Anaheim’s warm summers. After all, what’s better than taking a break from the parks and relaxing poolside? Today we’ll take a closer look at HoJo Anaheim’s many water features that keep guests from around the world coming back over and over again.
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. |
This & That |
In Downtown Disney, the new Disney Vacation Club sales center still isn’t open yet but should be soon…
Still no official word yet on what’s brewing for the rest of the building…
Weekly News & Information Round-Up | ||
Weekly Theme Park Hours April 13-19, 2015 |
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[B]Disneyland Park[/B] | [B]California Adventure[/B] | |
Mon.-Thur.: 9 am – 10 pm Friday: 9 am – 12 am Saturday: 8 am – 11 pm Sunday: 8 am – 12 am |
Mon.-Thur.: 9 am – 9 pm Friday: 9 am – 10 pm Saturday: 8 am – 9 pm Sunday: 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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April 13-19
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. Are you excited for the return of the Hat Box Ghost? Let us know in the comments section below!
Special thanks to our Dateline Disneylanders!
Benjamin, and Jackie A! To help support Dateline Disneyland and get some fun swag in return, visit our Patreon page now! 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! |
FTC-Mandated Disclosure: Promotional consideration for this edition of Dateline Disneyland was provided by the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel & Water Playground. |