In the Parks

Welcome to a special Wednesday edition of "In the Parks".



Today's focus is the "Games of the Boardwalk", which opened up to guests yesterday in its new, upgraded version. But there will be other tidbits, and of course, Baby Ducks, and even "Pre-teen" Ducks, which are great to see, as they survived the "Circle of Life" issue the first week of their lives.

Games, will that be Cash or Credit?



The new, more "Disney" themed Games of the Boardwalk opened on Tuesday. and there are more changes than just some "theming".



While some of the games are pretty much the same, the systems that operate the games have been upgraded to a much more secure computerized system, similar to many other Amusement Parks/County Fairs.



The first step is the use of "Play Cards", which are purchased from a machine. This has a few benefits for the company. First off, CM's no longer handle money, which prevents theft. Also, the machine can handle Credit/Debit Cards, so Disney can access a larger pool of guests, aka more impulse buying. Disney is using the same system they offer at the ESPN Zone.

The cards start at $5, and are sold in $5 increments. All games cost $2.50 a play (one weird exception). Unlike most locations, there is no discount for larger purchases. $50 gets you 5,000 points (basically a point is worth one cent), and $5 gets you 500 points.



Also, all the new games (with the exception of the Fishing Game) use computers to determine winners and what prize they get. CM's are required to use a cordless scanner to scan the bar codes of the prizes handed out to winners.

This is important to the company, as they can easily watch over both the cash flow, and prize redemption, and make sure there are no abuses in the system.

So lets look at the games, going from left to right...

The first game is "Goofy About Fishin' ".



This game is pretty similar to the prior version. The nice thing is, everyone wins. You randomly pick a fish out of the "stream", and then see which of the three colors are on the bottom. You get the prize that matches up with the colored dot on the bottom of the fish.



This is more than likely the best game for families with small kids. They might get lucky, and win a big prize, but at least they get a small prize to take home.



Note, all the prizes are from the "Fiesta" company, which is well known for supplying Amusement Parks with prizes. None of the prizes are Disney themed, but they do match the basic theme of the game.



Fiesta Toy plush toys and stuffed animals. Teddy bears zoo and jungle sea life reptiles North American animals and more plush toys.



The second game is "Dumbo Bucket Brigade", which is a "water pistol" race game. Aim the water stream at the target, and the first one to the top wins a prize.



Next is Casey at the Bat. This game is a throwing game, where you need to place a baseball in a specific circle. This is also the one game where there are two price points. You get 3 balls for 250 points, and 8 balls for 500 points. But be careful, only one prize can be won each game play. So while you get two extra balls when you spend 500 points at one time, you can only win one prize, which might happen in the first or second throw.



The fourth game is a return game, but this time themed to "Bullseye Stallion Stampede".



It is a race game, where you roll a ball up a ramp, trying to get it to land in a high level hole, instead of a lower level one. The winner gets a prize, but in this game, the more players in the race, the larger the stuffed animal will be.



Overall, the area is nicely themed, the light fixtures are a nice touch.





And the pricing is reasonable (Many games were $3 in the original format).



While the games are not for everyone, the addition of "Disney" themes and much better looking facades has definitely plussed the area.

Mark VII Monorail Update

Well, Monorail Red has lost its "half" Windows, and they have been installed on Monorail Orange.


Monorail red around 3:30 PM on Tuesday, the only Monorail running, but with "Full" Windows



Monorail Orange started to allow guests to board this evening, after being signed of by the state agency DOSH.

It is expected that ONLY Monorail Orange will be on the tracks for the next few months, with a second Monorail hopefully available for the summer.

As I mentioned on Friday, be prepared for one-way trips and other restrictions if you want to ride the Monorail.

Some news and info updates....

First off, good news for Disneyland West Side CM's, they did move the Smoking Section to take it farther away from the temporary "Roach Coach" location, which is needed, as the New Orleans Square Basement Kitchen area is closed for major refurbishment.



The Bridge near the castle that both I and Al Lutz featured this week has had some minor painting, as the bare plywood got ONE coat of paint on one side of the plywood. But no primer, and clearly you can see the grain.



The plywood is needed for safety reasons, as the lattice work is rotted out, and a child might have fall into the water. But why did the lattice get in such poor condition in the first place?

And why did it take almost a week before they even tried to paint the plywood?

Cost of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

While only the merchandise section of the new store has opened, here are the prices of the makeovers...

The Coach Package includes hairstyle, shimmering make-up, princess sash, princess cinch sac and body jewels - $44.95, plus tax

The Crown Package includes hairstyle, shimmering makeup, princess sash, princess cinch sac, body jewels and nail polish - $49.95, plus tax

The Castle Package includes hairstyle, shimmering makeup, princess sash, princess cinch sac, body jewels, nail polish, princess gown of choice, wand, shoes and portrait package courtesy of Disney's PhotoPass®l Service (assorted prints in themed folder) (Price range determined by the choice of princess gown and shoes.) - Ranges from $195.85 to $205.85

Disney Parks will more than likely have much less profit this year

Yes, even after the cost cutting savings, such as Management and Entertainment cuts, and a much closer look at operating hours.

Orlando Sentinel - Another analyst downgrades Disney on Tourism Central Florida

Selected Photos from Darkbeer.Smugmug.Com


Looks like the extended hours have stopped the painting on California Screamin' until after Peak Easter Break.

















Yes, 3 PM on Tuesday, it is THAT Empty at the new Celebration Roundup and Barbecue!








Well, that should do it until Friday, when the regular "In the Parks" will be posted at MiceAge.

As always, we truly appreciate you checking MiceAge on a regular basis. I will be at Yamibuki's Saturday night for the "last" meal. I have eaten here prior to Disney buying the hotel (the former Pan Pacific/Emerald Hotel), and will truly miss the great Sushi they served!