Lighthouses, Construction, Grand Californian Hotel, (Almost) Halloween, +MORE

Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland! Fall bunting, Tomorrowland repaving, Edelweiss Snacks California Construction The latest Disney's California Adventure construction photos. World of Color & Paradise Park Viewing Area The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure & Cars Land Silly Symphony Swings Grand Californian Expansion New hotel wing gets ready to open This and That Jumpin' Jellyfish, Big Thunder Trail, Downtown Disney projects. Around the Parks Photos from around the parks Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, Dick Cook leaves Disney, Napa Rose loses its manager.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND!
Halloween Time's orange bunting has replaced the traditional red-white-and-blue on Main Street buildings.


Halloween Time kicks off on Friday, September 25.



Repaving continues in Tomrorowland. Construction walls have been pushed out as more of the entrance gets the old Tomorrowland '98 pavers replaced.


The Plaza Inn restrooms are open again after area repaving was finished.





The new Edelweiss Snacks stand in Fantasyland is progressing nicely as it rapidly approaches its September 25 opening.




Thematic details on the new building are rather nice.








CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
Let's hop over to Disney's California Adventure to track the progress of the park's on-going $1 billion makeover and expansion.

WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA


Slowly, but surely, the new Paradise Park area is coming together.






Stone work, details.















New equipment/lighting towers for World of Color have been installed in Paradise Bay.


Stylistically, they match the general look of the Toy Story Midway Mania facade, but up close these things look awkward and plastic-y. It'll be interesting to see how these odd rooftops look just sitting in the bay throughout the day when the World of Color show isn't playing.









New rock work is being installed to cover up the World of Color cables by the California Screamin' launch.






THE LITTLE MERMAID & CARS LAND
The Little Mermaid dark ride site continues to be prepped for construction of the new E-Ticket ride.


You can see the difference in elevation that they've started dig out.



And similar work continues back in the future home of Cars Land.





SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS







GRAND CALIFORNIAN EXPANSION
The new wing of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is all finished and ready to welcome its first Disney Vacation Club guests Wednesday, September 23.




The new daycare center


And a new arcade:


No big lobby for the DVC wing.



THIS AND THAT
Jumpin' Jellyfish in DCA is currently operating with only one tower open as the towers rotate through regular refurbishments.


Parts of Big Thunder Trail got a coat of black slurry. Hopefully this is a precursor to the remaining portion of unthemed Frontierland walkways getting themed pavement.


And in Downtown Disney, work on the storefront next to the Build a Bear Workshop continues...





And Tortilla Jo's walk-up window is getting redone as a new Taqueria Margarita Bar. The main restaurant is still open.








AROUND THE PARKS
We'll finish up our photo update this week with some shots from around the parks...

THEME PARK HOURS SEPTEMBER 21 - 27
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday: 9 am - 6 pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday: 9 am - 12 midnight
Saturday - Sunday: 8 am - 12 midnight

Disney's California Adventure Park
Monday - Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Friday - Saturday: 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 9 pm

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• The Enchanted Cottage: Closed through November 4.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• Space Mountain: Closed through September 24 to install "Ghost Galaxy" Halloween overlay.
• The Haunted Mansion: Closed through September 24 to install Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed through September 24 to install Halloween overlay
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed through October 26
• The Disney Gallery: Opens October 3, 2009 in the Bank of Main Street
• Pirates of the Caribbean & Blue Bayou Restaurant: Closed September 28 through October 2.
• Sailing Ship Columbia: Closed October 5 - 7.
• Indiana Jones Adventure: Closed October 5 - 8.
• Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years/Main Street Opera House: Closed. Reopens as The Disneyland Story: Featuring Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln December 17, 2009.

Disney's California Adventure Park

• Orange Stinger: Closed for retheming. Reopens Spring 2010
• Jumpin' Jellyfish: Attraction remains open while towers rotate through refurbishment.
• The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure: Under construction.
• Souvenir 66 and Corn Dog Castle: Store and dining location closed for remodeling through May 2011.
• Paradise Bay: Drained for construction of upcoming Disney's World of Color show.
• Disney's World of Color Nighttime Spectacular: New show under construction. Debuts Spring 2010.
• Golden State Park and Amphitheater: Closed. New, larger amphitheater for Disney's World of Color viewing under construction in same location. The new amphitheater will open December 2009.

DISNEY STUDIO CHIEF DICK COOK RESIGNS
In an unexpected turn of events, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook resigned abruptly Friday afternoon, rattling Hollywood. Both Dick Cook and Disney CEO Bob Iger issued statements on the news:

STATEMENT FROM RICHARD W. COOK, CHAIRMAN, THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

I am stepping down from my role as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, effective immediately.

I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney…from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland’s steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. To wrap up my Disney experience in a neatly bundled statement is close to impossible. But what I will say is, during my time at the Studio, we have achieved many industry and Company milestones. Our talent roster is simply the best in the business. I believe our slate of upcoming motion pictures is the best in our history. But most of all, I love the people, my colleagues, my teammates, who are the most talented, dedicated and loyal folks in the world. I know that I leave the Studio in their exceptional hands.

I have been contemplating this for some time now and feel it’s the right time for me to move on to new adventures…and in the words of one of my baseball heroes, Yogi Berra, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

STATEMENT FROM ROBERT A. IGER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

“Throughout his distinguished 38-year Disney career, Dick Cook’s outstanding creative instincts and incomparable showmanship have truly enriched this company and significantly impacted Disney’s great legacy,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger. “We thank Dick for his tremendous passion for Disney, and his many accomplishments and contributions to The Walt Disney Studios, including a very promising upcoming film slate. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we wish him the best with all the future has to offer.”

Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood blog has more information and gossip on Cook's departure: Deadline Hollwood: EXCLUSIVE! Dick Cook Fired From Disney; Hollywood Registering Shock At News; "Never Saw It Coming" vs "Had A Choice"

NAPA ROSE MANAGER LEAVES DISNEY
Another surprise resignation, Michael Jordan, manager and Master Sommelier at Napa Rose has left Disney, reportedly to pursue other interests. The OC Register's Around Disney blog has details:

Award-winning Disney restaurant manager resigns
The award-winning general manager and wine expert at the Napa Rose restaurant in the Disneyland Resort has resigned, saying he plans to start a wine company and pursue other interests.

Master Sommelier Michael Jordan also served as the global manager of wine sales and standards for the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide.

Jordan, who has received many awards for the restaurant and wine selection, has headed up the upscale restaurant inside the Grand Californian Hotel since it opened in 2001. He is considered a leader in the food and wine industry in Southern California, previously running his own restaurants, serving as general manager for other eateries and educating his employees and others about pairing wines.

In 2007, he earned the title of master sommelier by the International Court of Master Sommeliers. At the time, he was one of only 167 people worldwide to have that title.

Jordan sent a letter to colleagues last week about his departure. He left over the weekend.

“While the decision was a difficult one and I am saddened to leave the friends and the ‘family’ we created together, I will cherish the memories from nine amazing years of working together at Disneyland Resort and internationally to create magic for our guests,” Jordan’s letter states.

For the full article, visit the OC Register's Around Disney blog: Around Disney: Award-winning Disney restaurant manager resigns

Alright, that should wrap up this week's Dateline Disneyland. Time to get ready for Disney's Halloween Time! Many thanks to all of you for reading. Be sure to discuss this week's update in the comments section below! Your support keeps these updates coming! Without you they couldn't happen. We all know times are tough, so any amount of support helps. If you can donate to Dateline Disneyland please consider doing so via a safe and quick PayPal donation. To donate, click here. Don't forget that MiceAge and MiceChat has loads of new content weekly! If Dateline Disneyland isn't enough to satisfy your Disneyland itch, then don't miss David "Darkbeer" Michael's In the Parks column which runs here every Friday and is packed full of Southern California theme park news, photos, and gossip. And if you want even more Disney theme park goodness, don't miss MiceChat's Weekend Update, which takes a look at Disney theme parks and other international landmarks, curiosities, and oddities every Saturday! Don't forget - Dateline Disneyland is on Twitter! If you still haven't checked us out on Twitter, head over there today and see why 4,700 other Disneyland fans have already started following Dateline Disneyland! The Dateline Disneyland Twitter is updated throughout the week with links to breaking news, mini updates, photos, and links to newsworthy MiceChat discussions. Head over to Twitter.com/DatelineDisney, or check out the widget to the right to follow us! See you here again soon! -Andy

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