It was another busy weekend at the Disneyland Resort as a little bit of Hollywood invaded Main Street for the taping of the annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. While the parade recording brought comedian Nick Cannon and TV cameras to Disneyland, work continued over the weekend on installing holiday decorations throughout both parks. Over at California Adventure, construction projects continued as construction walls around the new Carthay Circle pump house came down, revealing a first look at the park's new Buena Vista Street entrance complex. Outside the parks, the Disneyland Hotel's remodeled E-Ticket Pool was filled with water as work crews put finishing touches on the area as it nears its completion. The holidays are almost here and now is the perfect time to check out our friends at TouringPlans.com, who can help you make the most of your holiday visit. So don't miss TouringPlans' special offer only for Dateline Disneyland readers featured in today's column!
As always, you can always click on any photo featuring a Project Tracker watermark to learn more information on the project or join on-going discussion on the MiceChat forums!
We've got a huge update for you today, so let's jump right in!
This week should be relatively slow, as Christmas decorations continue to go up around Disneyland. TouringPlans.com can help you navigate the parks with our per-park Crowd Calendar, Lines - Mobile Wait Times App that gives access to current and estimated wait times for attractions, and Touring Plans detailing the best plan of attack for hitting the attractions. With holiday crowds on the horizon, it's a good time to subscribe to TouringPlans.com to plan your strategy to avoid the crowds!
Below are the predicted resort-wide crowd numbers for select days generated by the TouringPlans professional statisticians as measured for the upcoming week. For the access to the full year and per-park crowd level predictions, visit our Crowd Calendar.
— Fred Hazelton Statistician, TouringPlans.com
| Crowd Calendar Prediction | Crowd Tips |
DISNEYLAND RESORT | |
| Mon., Nov. 7 | 2/10 | Here are some quick-hit notes that we hope you'll find helpful as you prepare your visits for the week:
- Partial AP blockouts this weekend.
- Disney California Adventure's low day will be Thursday, when it's a 3.4.
- Disneyland park's lowest day will be Monday when it's an 1.1.
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| Tue., Nov. 8 | 3/10 |
| Wed., Nov. 9 | 4/10 |
| Thu., Nov. 10 | 2/10 |
Crowd levels are based on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the least crowded conditions and 10 being most crowded. |
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Subscribe to TouringPlans.com and get 365 days of access to premium
Disneyland Resort trip planning tools including crowd predictions,
wait time estimates and access to touring plans for 25% off!
Use promo code DATELINE25 when subscribing! Click here to join TouringPlans.com today! |
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Banners are up in Downtown Disney for the holiday season.
HOLIDAY ROUND-UP
A look at the holiday goings-on around Disneyland...
PARADE TAPING
Saturday marked the taping of the Disneyland portion of the annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade.
Nick Cannon again hosted the Disneyland festivities from Town Square as portions of Disneyland's Christmas Fantasy parade, Mickey's Soundsational Parade and Phineas and Ferb's Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party made their way down Main Street.
Guests were invited to line the street to be a part of the taping, but were warned repeatedly that the taping would be an all-day event with multiple takes and crowd participation and patience.
The Central Plaza was also home to Hollywood for the day with a stage in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for performances for the Christmas Day parade as well as a performance by One Republic for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.
SEASONAL SNOW
Work continues on installing the snow overlay at Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Looks like some work on patching up the cracks was done.
Hopefully something can be done about this...
NOLA NOEL
Work has wrapped on the facade refurbishment at Pirates of the Caribbean as the attraction enters the final stretch of its refurbishment.
More decorations have gone up in New Orleans Square
In the back of New Orleans Square great new "garland" made of wooden branches and colored bottles has gone up at the voodoo priestess' balcony
Really cool!
Le Ornament Magique is open again for the holidays
The New Orleans Square train station got some holiday wreaths as well
By night, the land lights up beautifully. Not everything is plugged in and working yet, but it looks great so far...
CRITTER CHRISTMAS & FESTIVE FRONTIERS
Christmas decorations are up in Critter Country
Over in Frontierland, Big Thunder Ranch is in the process of changing over to Santa's Reindeer Roundup.
"IT'S A HOLIDAY WORLD"
Back in Fantasyland, the Santa hat is up on the "it's a small world" facade.
The re-flooring project has wrapped up at the "it's a small world" Toy Shoppe
TOON TREES
Back in Mickey's Toontown, new holiday decorations have rolled out. Interestingly, Disney
has promoted the new decorations as if the holidays are new for Toontown. In fact, at the Christmas Day Parade Taping on Saturday, the emcee announced to the crowd that Toontown would be decorated for the "first time ever."
The reality of the situation is that Toontown has been decked out for the holidays for years now, with clever decorations specific to the various storefronts and facades throughout the land. Disney made a point to specifically mention the new Christmas trees in Toontown in its annual press release this year:
Nearby, in Mickey’s Toontown, the centerpiece of the new holiday décor is an 18-foot cartoon-style Christmas tree in front of Toontown City Hall. Sculpted garlands and wreaths adorn the Toontown gazebo and add holiday cheer to the Gag Warehouse. The personal Christmas trees in the front yards of Mickey’s and Minnie’s houses also carry the “toon” theme.
The new trees are actually not new at all. Christmas trees have routinely been put up in front of Toontown's City Hall and Mickey and Minnie's houses, and while these trees are new for Disneyland, they aren't new for Disney theme park guests.
These new trees are from Walt Disney World's now-defunct Mickey's Toontown Fair, which has since closed to make way for the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland expansion. It's interesting that Disney has done away with Toontown's old Christmas trees to bring in old decorations from Florida and is now marketing them as all-new offerings.
These new plasticky "toon" trees aren't really the greatest, but they aren't terrible. They're also not necessarily as good (or as big) as the themed Christmas trees used in Toontown in previous years.
CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
Work continues on the remainder of California Adventure's $1 billion-dollar remodel and expansion...
BUENA VISTA STREET
The holidays have, somewhat surprisingly, made their way over to Disney California Adventure's new main gate and temporary entrance corridor.
The new garland on the Pan Pacific gate looks great.
Inside the park, work continues on the new Buena Vista Street facades
The new Christmas wreaths along the temporary main entrance path are a great touch.
The wreaths are lit with mini LED Christmas lights, but aren't turned on at night yet.
The new Carthay Circle Red Car Trolley stop (the pump house) was unveiled on Friday. It's great to get this sneak peek at this little corner of Buena Vista Street. It's a great taste of what Buena Vista Street will offer when it opens in 2012 and it's really pretty exciting.
New details
The Condor Flats transitional theming with the dinosaur fossils survived the area's remodel. They seem to blend in nicely and give the area some added visual interest.
At night the area lights up and looks fantastic.
CARS LAND
Progress continues to be made at Cars Land...
Mater's junkyard shack
The new seaside bluffs
PARADISE PIER
New holiday decorations are up along Paradise Pier. First, Duffy's outpost is all decked out for the holidays.
The globe constantly blows snow
The new Paradise Garden dining area also has a couple new decorations. Looks good!
DISNEYLAND HOTEL REMODEL
The Disneyland Hotel remodel is entering its final stretch as well, with the E-Ticket Pool now filled.
Another new directional sign
New grassy area by the pool
Additional details going up here
THIS & THAT
This is the last week for the Disney Gallery's Mary Blair exhibit, which is set to close Thursday to make way for a new show
themed to Disney theme park trains which opens Saturday.
A short walk from the park, HoJo Anaheim is conveniently located next to Disneyland with nearby dining and freeway access. For more information on HoJo Anaheim, room rates, or to book your stay today, visit HoJoAnaheim.com/MiceChat.
Rooms now available for as low as $59 per night! The HoJo Anaheim is now offering deeper discounts for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders! On select nights, Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders can get rooms for as low as $59 per night, plus tax. 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.
See Disneyland from the comfort of home with the HoJo Mattercam! See Disneyland from home via a live rotating video feed of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park from the rooftop of Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel - Anaheim Resort! The HoJo Anaheim's newly upgraded Disneyland webcam now features new views including video feeds of Disneyland's nightly fireworks! Check it out now! |
WEEKLY NEWS AND INFORMATION ROUND-UP |
| Weekly Theme Park Hours November 7—13, 2011 | 
|
Disneyland Park | Disney California Adventure |
Monday-Wednesday: 10 am - 8 pm
Thursday: 9 am - 10 pm
Friday-Saturday: 8 am - 12 midnight
Sunday: 8 am - 11 pm | Monday-Thursday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday: 10 am - 10 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 9 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm |
|
|
Disneyland Park | Disney California Adventure |
LOW-MEDIUM 1.1—7.3 out of 10 | LOW-MEDIUM 2.8—7.0 out of 10 |
Crowd levels are based on a scale from 1 to 10,
with 1 being the least crowded conditions and 10 being most crowded.
For daily crowd predictions for the next 365 days, visit
 |
Closures and Refurbishment Schedule |
Disneyland Park |
- Disneyland Monorail: Running on a shortened schedule due to Buena Vista Street construction. Monorail opens late at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Monorail operates normally Saturday and Sunday.
- "it's a small world": Closed through November 10 to install holiday overlay.
- Pirates of the Caribbean and Blue Bayou Restaurant: Closed through November 23 for refurbishment.
- Jolly Holiday Bakery Café: Opens January 2012 in location of the former Plaza Pavilion.
- Blue Ribbon Bakery, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Palace: Food service locations and shops close January 2012 for major restaurant and shopping expansion projects affecting current spaces.
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Disney California Adventure |
- It's Tough to be a Bug! Closed through November 11 for refurbishment.
- Toy Story Midway Mania! Closed November 15 — 17 for refurbishment.
- Buena Vista Street: Re-themed main entrance including new Red Car Trolley attraction are under construction through summer 2012.
- Cars Land: New 12-acre land in former Timon Parking Lot opens summer 2012.
|
Downtown Disney & Hotels of the Disneyland Resort |
- Fantasyland Tower lobby areas, E-Ticket Pool: Areas closed for remodel and re-theming. Hotel remodel set to be completed in November 2011.
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New details available for Disneyland hotels
From the Disney Parks Blog: |
New Disneyland Resort Ticket and Hotel Deals Available Today
Now is the time to plan your Disneyland Resort getaway – we’ve got some great new offers available for purchase and booking today!
First, starting today you can get a 3-Day Park Hopper ticket for just $199! The ticket is valid for 13 days after the first day of use beginning January 4 through May 28, 2012, and must be purchased prior to arrival. Visit Disneyland.com/3dayPH for more information, including restrictions and blockout dates. Plus – this special 3-Day Park Hopper ticket also allows you one Magic Morning admission, so be sure to check the daily park hours and restrictions prior to arriving.
And while you’re planning your stay here at the Disneyland Resort, take advantage of these two special hotel offers:
- Save up to 35%* on stays for most Sunday through Thursday nights at a Disneyland Resort hotel for travel between January 2 through February 29, when booked before February 29. More information here.
- Save up to $500 on a 4-day, 4-night Disneyland Resort vacation!** Package includes four-night stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel and 4-Day Park Hopper ticket. Offer available for arrivals between January 2 through February 26, when booked before February 26. Click here for offer details.
Also, stay at any Disneyland Resort hotel from January 4 to February 29 and receive 2 Disney’s FASTPASS tickets for each person in your party (ages 3 and older)!*** Valid theme park tickets are required, of course.
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| Full story: Disney Parks Blog: New Disneyland Resort Ticket and Hotel Deals Available Today |
Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer wins award
From the Around Disney Blog: |
Disney’s chief medical officer honored
Pamela Hymel, MD, the Chief Medical Officer for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, has been honored with the 2011 Global Leadership in Corporate Health Award.
The award is sponsored by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the National Business Group on Health.
Hymel was honored for implementing health and wellness programs while at Hughes Electronics, Cisco Systems and at Disney Parks & Resorts.
Since joining Disney in September 2010, Hymel set up a company-wide health and wellness strategy for the Disney theme parks, cruise lines and vacation clubs, including an electronic medical records system.
She is also responsible for monitoring the health and safety of the employees and the visitors to the parks.
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| Full story: Around Disney: Disney’s chief medical officer honored |
 Alright, that wraps up this week's huge edition of Dateline Disneyland. Big thanks for reading and be sure to check out our friends at Touring Plans! With their special 25% offer for you, a Dateline Disneyland reader, why not subscribe?
Join the discussion! What do you think of the new Carthay Circle pump house? Doesn't it look fantastic?
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See you at Disneyland!
- Andy
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