Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland! The Holidays are here! Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow "The Disneyland Story" gets new props, displays. California Construction New photos of California Adventure's on-going $1 billion remodel and expansion World of Color and Paradise Park Viewing Area Silly Symphony Swings The Little Mermaid & Cars Land This and That Fighting the flu, French Market's new doors, Building bridges Around the Park Shots from around the park. Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, Jay Rasulo and Tom Staggs switch jobs at Disney, Disneyland attendance increases

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND
The Holidays have arrived at the Disneyland Resort.













The snow/ice sculptures are back atop the Disneyland entrance




Mickey Mouse is donning a Santa hat for the holidays


And his balloons are made from poinsettias











Cookie decorating is available at the Plaza Pavillion








Over in Frontierland, Santa's Reindeer Roundup is back




Big Thunder Barbeque is decorated for the season, too





"it's a small world" holiday is back as well, the first time the overlay includes the new Disney characters.














The tacky North America room is dressed up for the holidays, too. The holiday decorations are as tacky as the rest of the room -- corn cob wreaths on the farm!




Dreamcatchers oddly dangle over the heads of the Native American children for the holidays







Over at California Adventure, the park isn't nearly as decked out as Disneyland, but with the park going through such noticeable growing pains, you can't really fault it for seeming to skimp on the holiday decorations for now.












With DCA's former Christmas Tree Point behind construction walls (and with a new lighthouse sculpture in its place) the park's tree has been moved onto the Paradise Pier boardwalk.










YESTERDAY, TODAY, & TOMORROW
"The Disneyland Story" displays in the Main Street Opera House lobby continue to get little additions here and there. The entryway has gotten two new props, including an actual Merry-Go-Round horse on loan from Griffith Park, where Walt Disney dreamed up Disneyland.






...a peanut cart, like the one Walt might have bought peanuts from when at Griffith Park with his daughters.





A display case at the back of the Disneyland Story portion of the Opera House lobby was uncovered, after being obscured by black-out curtains when the new Opera House exhibit opened last month.


The display case showcases photos and concept art from past, present, and future Disneyland attractions, including the upcoming Star Tours overhaul.




Yes, they actually include the ill-fated Rocket Rods.












The redesigned Star Speeder.



CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
A look at the on-going California Adventure remodel and expansion

WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA










New palm trees have gone in around the Paradise Park hub area































SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS















THE LITTLE MERMAID & CARS LAND
There's some new foundation progress going on in the Little Mermaid pit









And Cars Land is starting to come along...







THIS AND THAT
Hand sanitizer dispensers have gone up around the parks to help prevent the spread of the flu





The Carnation Plaza Gardens bridge is down for refurbishment









And the French Market's new health code-friendly entryway is out from behind construction walls




The rear entry is now behind walls





And the Enchanted Cottage at the Fantasyland Theatre was still behind walls over the weekend as it prepares to reopen as Troubador Tavern selling bratwurst and baked potatoes





AROUND THE PARK














DISNEYLAND WEEKLY HOURS AND INFO

THEME PARK HOURS NOVEMBER 16 - 22
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

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

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

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• Jungle Cruise: Closed November 16 - 19
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• The Enchanted Cottage: Snack stand reopens as Troubador Tavern November 16.
• "it's a small world": Closed through November 12 to install holiday overlay.
• King Arthur Carrousel: Closed December 8 - 10.
• 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
• 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. Expected to be refilled mid-October 2009.
• Disney's World of Color Nighttime Spectacular: New show under construction. Debuts Spring 2010.
• Golden State Park and Amphitheater: Closed. New, larger viewing area for Disney's World of Color viewing under construction in same location. The new viewing area is scheduled to open February 2010 as Paradise Park.

DISNEY SWITCHES UP EXECUTIVES
Disney announced the flip-flop of two company executives last week -- Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo and CFO Tom Staggs will switch jobs at the end of the year:

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE CHANGES
BURBANK , Calif., November 12—In line with The Walt Disney Company’s goals of advancing its global businesses and brands while providing new opportunities and challenges to executives, Disney President and Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger announced today that two of the company’s most senior leaders would assume new roles at the end of the year.

Thomas O. Tom Staggs, Senior Executive Vice President and Disney’s Chief Financial Officer and 20 year Disney veteran, will become Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. In his new position, Staggs will preside over the company’s vacation businesses, which span three continents and include five-world class destinations, a top rated cruise line and the most popular resort locations in North America, Europe and Asia.

James A. Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts and a 23-year Disney veteran, will become Senior Executive Vice President and Disney’s Chief Financial Officer. In his new role, Rasulo will oversee the company’s worldwide finance organization, corporate strategy and development, brand management, corporate alliances, investor relations, treasury and risk management activities, controller functions, information systems, corporate responsibility, real estate and taxes.

Both will remain members of the senior management group reporting to Iger.

“Jay and Tom are both dynamic and versatile executives, who have done a great job over the last several years and have helped me to shape Disney’s strategic direction,” Iger said. “By giving them exciting new challenges that build on both their strengths at a time when each of their respective areas are on the right strategic track, the change is good for them and good for the company.”

For the full press release, and commentary from Deadline Hollywood, visit: Deadline Hollywood: EXCLUSIVE: DISNEY'S BIG JOB SWITCH

DISNEYLAND ATTENDANCE UP, GUEST SPENDING DOWN
The Disneyland Resort saw a big spike in guest attendance in the last fiscal quarter, whereas Walt Disney World in Florida saw a small dip. The attendance spike at Disneyland wasn't all good news, though - guest spending is down at all domestic parks and resorts.

Disney park attendance increases
Attendance at Disney’s local theme parks spiked 15 percent in recent months as the company offered deals to lure more guests.

Walt Disney Co.’s latest financial report showed that the two Disneyland Resort parks increased visitation even with the economic downturn. On Thursday afternoon, the company released its figures for the end of the fiscal year, which concluded Oct. 3.

From July through September, Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure brought in 15 percent more visitors than they did during the same period last year, said Thomas Staggs, Disney’s chief financial officer, during a conference call. At the same time, visitation in Disney’s Florida parks dropped 3 percent.

Overall, however, Disney tourists bought fewer Mickey ears and princess dresses: Visitors spent about 10 percent less on merchandise at the domestic parks, Staggs said.
Both locations saw hotel bookings dip during that three-month period.

Disneyland Resort’s three hotels had 4 percent fewer hotel stays compared to the previous year, Staggs said. That meant an 84-percent overall occupancy - the same as Disney’s Florida properties.

For the full article, visit: Around Disney: Disney park attendance increases

Okay, that should wrap up this week's edition of Dateline Disneyland. 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! Dateline Disneyland is on Twitter! We now have over 5,200 followers! If you still haven't checked us out on Twitter, head over there now for updates throughout the week with links to breaking news, mini updates, photos, and links to newsworthy MiceChat discussions. Visit Twitter.com/DatelineDisney, or check out the widget to the right to follow us! See you here again soon! -Andy

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The newly refurbished Court of Angels area inside New Orleans Square is host to a new meet and greet with the stars of Disney's Latest film, The Princess and the Frog.

Along with the meet and greet is a new processional along the waterfront of the Rivers of America and right onto the Mark Twain itself. Lucky guests can join in on the jazzy fun and become part of the show. Tiana's riverboat review is performed on the Mark Twain and can be viewed from the banks of the River. The riverboat stops center stage (just in front of the center tower for Fantasmic!).

Camera equipment and stages were in place for the weekend-long filming of the Disney Parks Christmas Special to be aired on Christmas Day. Park guests were asked to dance and clap to a rockin' version of Let It Snow while the first half of the parade passed in front of them.

Passage through the castle has been blocked off

And on Sunday Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana, filmed her own segment along the rivers of America.

Ms. Rose sits for a post taping interview

As mentioned, the Holiday is continuing to take over the resort well ahead of the official November 13th starting date.

Toon Town's fanciful decorations are up and are certainly the most colorful and fun.

Small World is getting ready for it's Holiday overlay - which opens November 13th

Holiday merchandise fills the shelves of the Main Street shops.




Please Santa, don't leave any coal

The Gates Of Both Parks Are Already In The Spirit


Disneyland turnstiles have received the ice and snow treatment

DCA has it's candy cane lettering up










DCA's Christmas tree

The Casey Jr. Circus Train and Storybook land Canal boats continue their extensive refurbishment.














The new structure for stroller and wheelchair rentals is still soldiering on.

Over in Disney's California Adventure, the construction progress is coming along slowly but surely. Paradise Bay continues it's waterlogged working conditions as the final touches get put on the World of Color fountain platform. Paradise Bay's fountain landmark gets a new metal topper and the last vestiges of the Orange Stinger are finally gone forever.

The Paradise Bay Amphitheater is taking shape.


Some are not too fond of the metal topper.
We'll have to see what the final version looks like.









Little Mermaid's pit has bottomed out

The World of Color Platform is coming along nicely


Notice the size of the domes compared to the workers around them








The filters are working overtime as all the soot from the months of construction is washed away by the new water



The Orange Stinger's elevator has no more bees on it and has been stripped down for a new theme

Big Thunder Ranch: Closed through November 12 to install winter holiday overlay.
Jungle Cruise: Closed November 16 - 19
Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
The Enchanted Cottage: Snack stand closed through November 4.
"it's a small world": Closed through November 12 to install holiday overlay.
King Arthur Carrousel: Closed December 8 - 10.
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.

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. Expected to be refilled mid-October 2009. Disney's World of Color Nighttime Spectacular: New show under construction.
Debuts Spring 2010.
Golden State Park and Amphitheater: Closed. New, larger viewing area for Disney's World of Color viewing under construction in same location. The new viewing area is scheduled to open February 2010 as Paradise Park.

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Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... Magic on Main Street Houdini moves into the Main Street Magic Shop Pixies and Princesses New Orleans Square gets ready for Princess Tiana and Pixie Hollow welcomes Terence California Construction New photos of California Adventure's on-going $1 billion remodel and expansion World of Color and Paradise Park Silly Symphony Swings This and That A look at the Disneyland Hotel renovation, Fantasyland refurbs Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, the Disney Dream sets sail January 2011, New apps for iPhone and Verizon Wireless phones connect fans to the magic.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND
Halloween Time just ended on Sunday, but while Main Street was still celebrating with jack-o-lanterns, orange bunting, and fall floral, Sleeping Beauty Castle took a cue from major retailers and started stringing up lights and fake snow during the last week of October.


With the holidays starting a week earlier than last year, the now-annual Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle overlay needed to start going up even before the giant Mickey Mouse jack-o-lantern in Town Square could be moved out for the season.









Even on the way into the parks, keen-eyed guests will spot the Town Square Christmas tree being prepped to be moved on-stage.



The seasonal Halloween merchandise has been cleared out from store shelves and displays like the Disney Showcase on Main Street and replaced with Christmas merchandise.











Back in Fantasyland, "it's a small world" is closed while it gets its seasonal overlay installed.



And always one of the first areas to get the holiday treatment, New Orleans Square is all dressed up for Christmas.









Over in California Adventure, the oversized Christmas decorations have gone up in Flick's Fun Fair




MAGIC ON MAIN STREET
The Main Street Magic Shop has reopened after a month-long closure while the new vendor, Houdini, moved in.








Lots of Harry Houdini references throughout the store now.







PIXIES AND PRINCESSES
Pixie Hollow welcomed its newest resident last week,Terence, a boy dust-keeper fairy.







Meanwhile New Orleans Square is getting ready to welcome Princess Tiana later this week when Tiana's Showboat Jubilee! begins daily performances on the Mark Twain Riverboat along the Rivers of America.


Mardi Gras-colored bunting has been strung up on the Mark Twain for the upcoming 15-minute show, which is scheduled to start on Friday, November 6.

Disney’s Newest Royalty, Princess Tiana Arrives in Disneyland Friday, Nov. 6

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Starting Friday, Nov. 6, Disneyland guests will be treated to appearances by Princess Tiana, star of the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated feature film “The Princess and the Frog.”

Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and other characters from the motion picture will star in “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee!,” a rousing, colorful procession with a jazz-filled Mardi Gras theme. The good times will roll as festively dressed, bead-tossing revelers lead Disneyland guests to the Mark Twain Riverboat dock. The party moves onboard as the Mark Twain paddlewheels its way along the river to singing, dancing and all that jazz.

Songs composed by Randy Newman for the film energize the show, which will be performed four times daily in New Orleans Square. Daytime pyrotechnics, colorful streamers and whimsical puppetry round out the 15-minute spirited production.

The experience will dazzle guests at Disneyland through Jan. 3, 2010. “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee!” is also performing in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, through Jan. 3, 2010.

Guests also will be able to greet Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen at designated times at the Court of Angels in New Orleans Square, Disneyland.

A hilarious movie adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana, “The Princess and the Frog” will open in limited release in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 25, 2009, before expanding nationwide on Dec. 11, 2009.

The new 15-minute show is also running daily at Walt Disney World in Florida, and Disney released a video of the new daytime event:



New Orleans Square's Court of Angels is finishing up its refurbishment as it gets ready to host the upcoming Princess Tiana meet-and-greet.





CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
Paradise Bay is half-full, but work continues on the massive World of Color platform and progress is being made on the 9,000-guest Victorian park viewing area.

WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA











































SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS, LITTLE MERMAID, & CARS LAND











The Little Mermaid:





Cars Land:



THIS AND THAT
The Disneyland Hotel continues its multi-year renovation project.











And back inside Disneyland, two Fantasyland classics get ready to reopen on November 19.












DISNEYLAND WEEKLY HOURS AND INFO

THEME PARK HOURS NOVEMBER 2 - 8
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday - 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 - Sunday: 10 am - 9 pm

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed through November 12 to install winter holiday overlay.
• Jungle Cruise: Closed November 16 - 19
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• The Enchanted Cottage: Snack stand closed through November 4.
• "it's a small world": Closed through November 12 to install holiday overlay.
• King Arthur Carrousel: Closed December 8 - 10.
• 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. Expected to be refilled mid-October 2009.
• Disney's World of Color Nighttime Spectacular: New show under construction. Debuts Spring 2010.
• Golden State Park and Amphitheater: Closed. New, larger viewing area for Disney's World of Color viewing under construction in same location. The new viewing area is scheduled to open February 2010 as Paradise Park.

DISNEY UNVEILS DETAILS ON NEW CRUISE SHIP
Disney unveiled details on its new Disney Dream cruise ship, which sets sail in January 2011. The new ship includes a first-of-its-kind water coaster among other luxuries for guests of all ages.

Creativity and Innovation Take the Helm Aboard Disney Dream
CELEBRATION, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2009) – A first-of-its kind water coaster that sends guests racing above the upper decks of the ship. An animated turtle that engages children in conversation about life in the ocean. A sophisticated lounge where the sun sets over the skyline of a different world-famous city each night. When the Disney Dream debuts in early 2011, the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet will bring to life these innovations and more.

The Disney Dream will take family cruising to all-new heights, embracing the spirit of innovation, magical family entertainment and immersive experiences that have made Disney Cruise Line the preeminent cruise of choice for families since 1998.

Disney Cruise Line revolutionized the cruise industry with purpose-built ships designed just for families. With the Disney Dream setting sail on Jan. 26, 2011, preparations are underway to expand the one-of-a-kind family experience, utilizing technology to enhance the world-class entertainment and legendary guest services onboard. From stem to stern, the Disney Dream will offer a cruise experience that caters to the preferences of the whole family.

“For more than a decade, passengers have filled their passports with memories sailing around the world with Disney Cruise Line,” said Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo. “With the Disney Dream joining our fleet, we’ll be able to take families to even more places they never imagined they could visit – in true Disney style.”

The Disney Dream features a remarkable interior design which provides guests with a warm and welcoming feel throughout. The ship’s design offers guests a perfect blend of elegant Art Deco style and fun-filled Disney whimsy to create one of the most spectacular ships afloat. Distinctly Disney guest features aboard the Disney Dream include:

AquaDuck Water Coaster. . .

Disney Cruise Line debuts a cruise-industry first: a shipboard water coaster … AquaDuck! Guests aboard the Disney Dream will get swept away on an exhilarating high-speed flume ride featuring twists, turns, drops, uphill acceleration and river rapids – all while traversing the upper decks of the ship.

• AquaDuck stretches 765 feet in length – more than two and a half times the length of a football field – and spans four decks in height.
• Guests slide 13 feet over the side of the ship in a translucent “swing out” loop allowing them to look down on the ocean 150 feet below.
• Guests experience coaster-like thrills as high-powered water jets push them upwards and forwards at 20 feet per second.
• AquaDuck continues through the forward funnel, encounters a 335 foot stretch of river rapids and splashes down to an end on Deck 12.

A Virtual Porthole for Inside Staterooms. . .

Disney Cruise Line introduces another stateroom innovation with all inside staterooms on the Disney Dream featuring a Virtual Porthole that provides guests with a real-time view outside the ship. High-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each Virtual Porthole.

As guests observe the impressive outside views, they may glimpse a magical surprise: animated characters such as Peach the starfish from the Disney•Pixar hit film “Finding Nemo,” or Mickey Mouse may pop by the Virtual Porthole.


A Magical Oasis for Children. . .

Only on a Disney Cruise Line ship can children become immersed in their favorite Disney stories with the help of caring counselors, beloved Disney characters and a sprinkling of pixie dust. The celebration of children’s creativity rises to a new level on the Disney Dream with nearly an entire deck of youth spaces designed to inspire, entertain and unlock the imagination of children. There are two main spaces for children ages three to 10:

At Disney’s Oceaneer Club, children can:

• Play among larger-than-life characters from Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story” in Andy’s Room
• Explore the Laugh Floor with lovable monsters Mike and Sully from “Monsters, Inc.”
• Dive under the sea with Nemo and friends or visit Tinker Bell’s fairy forest

At Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, children feel as though they are embarking on a great seafaring adventure in a room filled with maps, maritime instruments and swashbuckling artifacts. Here, children can try their hand at animation, become a pop star or navigate ships through digital seas.

Both venues offer magical interactions with the animated characters such as Crush, the sea turtle from the Disney•Pixar motion picture “Finding Nemo” and Stitch, the mischievous alien from “Lilo and Stitch.” The characters chat, play and joke with children in live, unrehearsed conversations from their digital undersea and intergalactic environments via 103-inch plasma screens.

For the full press release, visit: Disneyland News: Creativity and Innovation Take the Helm Aboard Disney Dream

DISNEY BRINGS THEME PARK WAIT TIMES TO VERIZON WIRELESS PHONES
Disney has unveiled details on its new Verizon Wireless applications that track theme park wait times, hours, and other operating information.

Mobile Magic – First Disney Parks Mobile App Details, Screen Shots Unveiled
Earlier this year, we announced our first official Disney Parks mobile application – Mobile Magic. Now, we’re sharing details and screen shots.

You’ll recall that Mobile Magic is bringing attraction wait times, FASTPASS return times, extensive information on character locations and more for Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks to your Verizon Wireless phone. Development work has been ongoing but the team recently offered a walkthrough of the app and it’s looking great.

Attraction wait times on your Verizon Wireless device will be unique. There’s been an investment in the backend infrastructure to support Mobile Magic and offer actual wait times based directly on Disney Parks information.

As for FASTPASS, you’ll be able to check if it’s still available for specific attractions. And if FASTPASS is available, the app will deliver information about the next return time. So, if you can still get a FASTPASS, the application will show, for example: FP: 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Also, mobile maps are GPS-enabled. While wandering the parks, your location will be indicated by a white circle. Then it’s simple to scroll through content and find it on the map via a “getting there” option. The map zooms out and allows you to see your location and exactly where the character greeting or restaurant can be located.

For the full article, visit: DisneyParks Blog: Mobile Magic – First Disney Parks Mobile App Details, Screen Shots Unveiled

Free iPhone app available for Disneyland visits
From the Around Disney blog:

Free iPhone app available for Disneyland visits
Other iPhone app creators boast that you can find Disneyland wait times and navigate restaurants with their products. But a new app founder says his is the only major one that’s free. And it’s the only one hooked up to social-networking sites, including Twitter and Facebook.

MouseWait was made available last week for the first time on the iTunes store, said Kelly Johns, a software creator from Riverside. Other apps sell for $1.99 or $2.99. But Mousewait is free and makes money solely off of advertising.

The app is geared for three types of people: Annual passholders who visit regularly, Disney fans who want to keep an eye on the parks from afar and tourists planning a trip to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Johns said he’s using a new way to figure out wait times. Some apps rely solely on users reporting the wait times that they find. But Johns created an algorithm that also incorporates historical data. MouseWait also uses about 10 beta testers that check out wait times when they are in the parks.

“We’re at the park all the time. We’re kind of crazy, kind of fanatics,” Johns said.
With the social-networking component, users can sign in to Facebook from MouseWait and find other friends that also have the app.

MouseWait also hooks up to a Web cam at the Howard Johnson’s “Mattercam” and includes other Disney blog feeds.

For the full article, visit: Around Disney: Free iPhone app available for Disneyland visits

Alright, that should do it for the November 2 edition of Dateline Disney. Many thanks to all of you for reading, and thanks once again to our excellent guest photographers this week, Fishbulb and MacDaddy. 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! Dateline Disneyland is on Twitter! We now have over 5,100 followers! If you still haven't checked us out on Twitter, head over there now for updates throughout the week with links to breaking news, mini updates, photos, and links to newsworthy MiceChat discussions. Visit Twitter.com/DatelineDisney, or check out the widget to the right to follow us! See you here again soon! -Andy

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Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland Houdini moves onto Main Street California Construction World of Color and Paradise Park Silly Symphony Swings The Little Mermaid and Cars Land This and That Refurbs, construction, and more Around the Park Photos from around the park. Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, Hook's Pointe gets new menu, CHOC Walk 2009.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND
The Main Street Magic Shop is still closed while the new vendor, Houdini, moves in. Until the store reopens sometime this week, new window displays give guests a hint of what's to come and feature a variety of Houdini references in wonderful little details.










CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
Construction continues at Disney's California Adventure as water returns to Paradise Bay to begin the test-and-adjust phase of World of Color construction.

WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA
Water is back in Paradise Bay after a year of being dry for World of Color construction.






Disney released a little internet promotional video of Mickey and Goofy in their construction crew outfits helping to refill the Bay late last week:

16 million gallons begin flowing into Disney’s California Adventure lagoon

Water cascaded today out of a large pipe into Paradise Bay at Disney’s California Adventure, refilling the 16-million-gallon lagoon.

[ . . . ] The water flowing into the lagoon, at 2,800 gallons per minute, was recycled by Disney through the Orange County Water District using its Groundwater Replenishment System.

The same system will be used when the resort drains Disneyland’s 6-million-gallon Rivers of America for refurbishment early next year.

After the lagoon is full, it will be continuously filtered by the park’s system.

Disney officials said that filling the lagoon will take place in installments as they go through a test-and-adjustment period. Filling will continue a few feet at a time depending on how things go during this process, until the lagoon is full; that could take until the end of the year or possibly later.
After the lagoon is full, the Imagineers will begin programming the fountains, lights and projectors to prepare the show for its premiere at the park next year.

For the full article, visit Around Disney: 16 million gallons begin flowing into Disney’s California Adventure lagoon

SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS









THE LITTLE MERMAID & CARS LAND




Cars Land:










THIS AND THAT
Back in Disneyland, the entrance to Village Haus Restaurant in Fantasyland has reopened after installing some automatic doors.





In New Orleans Square, the Royal Street Veranda is open after a refurbishment that included a re-working of the walk-up order windows



The French Market's entrance is still behind walls while that gets an update as well.





The Enchanted Cottage snack stand at the Princess Fantasy Faire is still behind construction walls as the food location continues its remodel.



And "it's a small world" is now closed for two weeks while its annual holiday overlay is installed.


From the OC Register's Around Disney blog:

Disney ride set to close temporarily for holiday makeover
Halloween may not be over yet, but “it’s a small world” dolls are already getting dressed up for Christmas.

Starting Monday, the Disneyland ride is set to be closed so it can be remodeled for the holidays. Sunday will be the last day that the ride is open to guests for about three weeks, said John McClintock, a Disneyland Resort spokesman.

The ride is set to re-open Nov. 13 with special decorations and soundtrack for the holiday season, which begins that same day.

The classic ride features dancing dolls from different countries singing the same song repeatedly in various languages. When the attraction re-opens next month, “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls” will be added to the song mix.

For the full article, visit Around Disney: Disney ride set to close temporarily for holiday makeover

Speaking of the holidays, Christmas merchandise is already lining store shelves throughout the Resort - here's a small sampling of new goodies:

Thanksgiving plush: $14.95 each


Christmas Tree antenna topper


Holiday apron $21.95


Tree topper $26.95


Santa Claus mug and cookie plate $24.95


Jim Shore - Beauty and the Beast ornament set $115


Jim Short - Disney ornament set $75




AROUND THE PARKS
We'll finish up today's photo update with some shots from around the parks:













DISNEYLAND WEEKLY HOURS AND INFO

THEME PARK HOURS OCTOBER 26 - NOVEMBER 1
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday: 10 am - 9 pm
Tuesday: 9 am - 5 pm
Wednesday - Thursday: 10 am - 9 pm
Friday - Sunday: 8 am - 12 midnight

Disney's California Adventure Park
Monday: 10 am - 6 pm
Tuesday: 10 am - 8 pm
Wednesday - Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday - Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 9 pm

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• Disneyland Railroad: Closed through October 28
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed through October 26.
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed November 2 - 12 to install winter holiday overlay.
• Jungle Cruise: Closed November 16 - 19
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• The Enchanted Cottage: Snack stand closed through November 4.
• "it's a small world": Closed through November 12 to install holiday overlay.
• King Arthur Carrousel: Closed December 8 - 10.
• 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. Expected to be refilled mid-October 2009.
• Disney's World of Color Nighttime Spectacular: New show under construction. Debuts Spring 2010.
• Golden State Park and Amphitheater: Closed. New, larger viewing area for Disney's World of Color viewing under construction in same location. The new viewing area is scheduled to open February 2010 as Paradise Park.

HOOK'S POINTE GETS MENU MAKEOVER
Hook's Pointe Restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel recently got a brand new seafood-centric menu. The OC Register's Around Disney blog has details:

Restaurant becomes Disney’s only seafood house
A Disney restaurant became the resort’s only seafood house when it recently revamped its menu.

Hook’s Pointe, inside the Disneyland Hotel, re-branded itself last month with new seafood selections because its generic offerings were failing to draw enough customers.

“It didn’t really have an identity, really,” Chef Jason Martin said. “We didn’t have the traffic we were looking for.”

Martin said he decided to try out the seafood concept because there are no other Disneyland Resort restaurants with that focus. Plus, the previous restaurant in the same location was a seafood restaurant until 1999.

Guests now can order their fish their own way: pick their fish, style of cooking, sauce and side dish. There are 18 combinations, Martin said.

For the full story, visit: Around Disney: Restaurant becomes Disney’s only seafood house

2009 CHOC WALK ATTRACTS MORE THAN 12,000 PARTICIPANTS
And here's video clip from Disney summing up the 2009 CHOC Walk in Disneyland:

2009 CHOC Walk at the Disneyland Resort

Okay, that should wrap up this week's Dateline Disneyland. 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! Dateline Disneyland is on Twitter! We now have over 5,000 followers! If you still haven't checked us out on Twitter, head over there now for updates throughout the week with links to breaking news, mini updates, photos, and links to newsworthy MiceChat discussions. Visit Twitter.com/DatelineDisney, or check out the widget to the right to follow us! See you here again soon! -Andy

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

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Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland Stroller Rental construction, Disney Gallery California Construction World of Color and Paradise Park Silly Symphony Swings The Little Mermaid and Cars Land Back from the Dead Fort Wilderness gaveyard returns to Tom Sawyer Island This & That 55th Anniversary merchandise already?, Closed trains, Dry moat Around the Park Photos from around the park. Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, George Kalogridis named President of Disneyland Resort, Starbucks on Main Street.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND
Vertical construction is now underway at the new central stroller and wheelchair rental center being built in the Main Entrance Plaza, in front of the Disneyland Kennel Club.


[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dustysage/FridayVisions/2009/10-19-09/IMG_5243.jpg[/IMG]


Inside Disneyland, the Disney Gallery got new framed placards for all of the artwork on display. The back room with the Walt Disney Imagineering renderings now has the pertinent information on each piece, including artist name, and what the purpose of each rendering was for.


It's nice to see this information now along with the artwork - for some reason it was missing when the Gallery opened to the public.





CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
Over at the other park, work continues on the various construction projects.

WORLD OF COLR AND PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA


New trees have gone in along the back of Paradise Park.

















































SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS
The old Orange Stinger marquee is finally gone.










The frozen beverage outdoor vending cart has relocated to the new spot across from the Swings entrance. The construction walls evicted it from its previous location next to the Swings entrance. Too bad this thing couldn't have gotten a makeover before they moved it across the walkway.



LITTLE MERMAID AND CARS LAND
The new Paradise Park trees obscure the view of the Little Mermaid construction site from Mickey's Fun Wheel





Cars Land:






BACK FROM THE DEAD
A couple old pathways on Tom Sawyer Island around Fort Wilderness are open again after having closed when Tom Sawyer Island got its Pirate's Lair makeover a couple years ago.


The pathways are open again after the area behind Fort Wilderness lost its long-standing construction walls and brought back a bit of classic Disneyland.


The old Fort Wilderness graveyard is once again back on Tom Sawyer Island after disappearing when Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones invaded the Island back in 2007.


The empty grave is missing, but it's nevertheless nice to have one corner of the Island that isn't making some sort of misguided reference to the Pirates of the Caribbean films.




THIS AND THAT
Sleeping Beauty Castle's moat is still drained





The Disneyland Railroad is down for a brief refurbishment.





Walls are down from in front of Fantasyland's Village Haus restaurant, but on Saturday, guests were still being redirected to alternate entrances.



The Courtyard of Angels in New Orleans Square is closed while the area gets some TLC.





A new line of Disneyland clothing has tags that note "55 Years of Magic" -- are we seeing the first bit of next year's 55th Anniversary merchandise already?









A new holiday version of the popular Dave Avanzino Disneyland shadowbox is available for $95.




AROUND THE PARK
And finally, we'll finish up the photo section of today's update with a few shots from around the park.













DISNEYLAND WEEKLY HOURS AND INFO

THEME PARK HOURS OCTOBER 19 - 25
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 9 pm
Friday - Sunday: 8 am - 12 midnight

Disney's California Adventure Park
Monday- Tuesday: 10 am - 6 pm
Wednesday - Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday: 10 am - 6 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm
Sunday: 10:30 am - 9 pm

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• Disneyland Railroad: Closed through October 28
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed through October 26.
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed through November 19.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• The Enchanted Cottage: Closed through November 4.
• "it's a small world": Closed October 26 - November 12 to insatll holiday overlay.
• King Arthur Carrousel: Closed December 8 - 10.
• 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. Expected to be refilled mid-October 2009.
• Disney's World of Color Nighttime Spectacular: New show under construction. Debuts Spring 2010.
• Golden State Park and Amphitheater: Closed. New, larger viewing area for Disney's World of Color viewing under construction in same location. The new viewing area is scheduled to open February 2010 as Paradise Park.

NEW DISNEYLAND PRESIDENT TALKS
The DisneyParks Blog had an exclusive video interview with Disneyland's new President, George Kalogridis early last week:

Exclusive Video Interview with George Kalogridis, New President of the Disneyland Resort

Longtime Disney executive George Kalogridis was just announced as the new Disneyland Resort President. I sat down with the new president in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel because he wanted to talk to the Disney Parks Blog. George had some interesting stories to share.

For the full story, visit: DisneyParks Blog: Exclusive Video Interview with George Kalogridis, New President of the Disneyland Resort




And the Orange County Register's Around Disney blog talked with Mr. Kalogridis shortly after he was named Resort President on Monday:

Q and A with new Disneyland Resort president
When George Kalogridis left his previous job in Anaheim, Disney’s California Adventure was barely a year old.

On Monday, Kalogridis, 55, toured a torn-up park undergoing a $1-billion renovation - and realized he’s now in charge.

Disney announced Monday that Kalogridis was named the new president of the Disneyland Resort, Orange County’s largest employer with 20,000 employees in two theme parks, three hotels and Downtown Disney.

Kalogridis took over after Ed Grier retired from the company on Friday.

From 2000 to 2002, Kalogridis was here as a vice president, to specifically oversee operations during the resort’s expansion - California Adventure, Downtown Disney and two hotels opened. Kalogridis most recently worked at Disneyland Paris.
On Monday, Kalogridis spoke to the Register in an exclusive interview.

Q. What do you plan to do in your new job?
A. I think in the first week, I’ll just try to make sure I reacquaint myself with the resort. I took a quick ride to Disney’s California Adventure, and I was able to see the new expansion in the works. That’s very exciting. Twenty thousand (employees are) a lot of people and that’s my focus.

Q. How much time do you plan to spend in the resort?
A. I suggest that if you spoke to cast members or guests that I have worked with … (you’ll find) I’m in the parks and hotels more than I’m not. I’m a visible person. I very much believe in, that’s how you operate best - if you are in the park and in the environment and understand what is important to cast members and your guests. My goal is to be very visible. And in my time with the company, that’s always proven to be something that’s doable.

Q. What is your first priority?
A. I think just making sure cast members can (put my) name and face together is really important to me. That will be priority No. 1.

For the full Q&A, visit: Around Disney: Q and A with new Disneyland Resort president

STARBUCKS ON MAIN STREET
From right here on MiceAge, Al Lutz's latest had a bit of news that got the MiceChat boards buzzing: Starbucks might be coming to Main Street. Al's update also includes the latest news on Disneyland Hotel plans, Fastpasses for World of Color, and much more:

Hello George & Starbucks

[ . . . ] If the plan gets its final approvals, and the Starbucks executives in Seattle can be convinced that Disneyland Cast Members can be properly trained and trusted to run the operation, the Market House on Main Street USA would be reconfigured into an old-fashioned coffee house serving up a basic menu of Starbucks espresso and coffee drinks. A similar 1930’s themed Starbucks coffee house would be included on DCA’s new Buena Vista Street main entrance complex that begins construction this winter, and the coffee served at all park restaurants and hotels would be switched to Starbucks brews under the proposal. [ . . . ]

For Al's full Disneyland update, visit: MiceAge: Hello George & Starbucks

Okay, that should wrap up this week's Dateline Disneyland. 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! Dateline Disneyland is on Twitter! We now have over 5,000 followers! If you still haven't checked us out on Twitter, head over there now for updates throughout the week with links to breaking news, mini updates, photos, and links to newsworthy MiceChat discussions. Visit Twitter.com/DatelineDisney, or check out the widget to the right to follow us! See you here again soon! -Andy

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

QUICK LINKS:
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BREAKING NEWS: George Kalogridis has just been named the new Disneyland Resort President: http://su.pr/18ynhv

Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland Disneyland gets ready for Christmas, Castle moat drained California Construction The latest Disney's California Adventure construction photos. Downtown Disney Shops LittleMissMatched and Ridemakerz open in Downtown Disney This and That Villain photo-op, Refurbs around the park, Round-Up Jack-O-Lanterns. Around the Park Photos from around the park. Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, Ed Grier retires, Parking prices go up, Main Street gets new Magic.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND
Sleeping Beauty Castle's moat is getting some work done as Christmas lights start creeping in on nearby bushes and trees for the seasonal Wintertime Enchantment lighting overlay at the Castle.










Meanwhile, over at "it's a small world," Christmas lights are already going up for the attraction's big seasonal overlay.



CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
New lighting for World of Color has been now been installed in the pits around Paradise Bay as work continues on the new Paradise Park viewing area and on the World of Color show platform.







The new centerpiece in DCA's former Christmas Tree Point has gotten some faux stonework applied to it. It's looking pretty sharp.






These lights are huge - as tall as the Imagineers working in the Bay.

















DOWNTOWN DISNEY SHOPS
The new, permanent location for LittleMissMatched opened last week, giving the store a proper home after a few months of using leftover Department 56 shelving and displays. The temporary location is now closed.













And nearby, the new RIDEMAKERZ store has opened up in the other half of the old Department 56 store. RIDEMAKERZ is a build-your-own radio control car store. It's a boy-friendly alternative to the nearby Build-A-Bear Workshop.














THIS AND THAT
A new villain photo op has sprung up in Small World Promenade for Halloween Time.




Back in Mickey's ToonTown, Gadget's Go Coaster is out from behind tarps after a fresh coat of paint.






The attraction reopens later this month.





The French Market entrance is still getting work done


And construction continues at the Disneyland Hotel as it undergoes a major multi-year remodel.






More and more blue glass is replacing the old sliders and faux balconies.



Big Thunder Ranch's Halloween Roundup always has amazing carved pumpkins during Halloween Time






Enchanted Tiki Pumpkins



AROUND THE PARK
And finally, we'll finish up the photo update with a few photos from around the park.
















DISNEYLAND WEEKLY HOURS AND INFO

THEME PARK HOURS OCTOBER 12 - 18
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday: 8 am - 11 pm
Tuesday - Wednesday: 9 am - 9 pm
Thursday: 9 am - 11 pm
Friday - Saturday: 8 am - 12 midnight
Sunday: 10 am - 12 midnight

Disney's California Adventure Park
Monday: 10 am - 8 pm
Tuesday - Wednesday: 10 am - 6 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday: 10 am - 6 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm
Sunday: 10:30 am - 9 pm

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• Sailing Ship Columbia: Closed through October 15.
• Disneyland Railroad: Closed October 13 - 28
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed through October 26.
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed through November 19.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• The Enchanted Cottage: Closed through November 4.
• "it's a small world": Closed October 26 - November 12 to insatll holiday overlay.
• King Arthur Carrousel: Closed December 8 - 10.
• 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. Expected to be refilled mid-October 2009.
• Disney's World of Color Nighttime Spectacular: New show under construction. Debuts Spring 2010.
• Golden State Park and Amphitheater: Closed. New, larger viewing area for Disney's World of Color viewing under construction in same location. The new viewing area is scheduled to open February 2010 as Paradise Park.

ED GRIER RESIGNS AS DISNEYLAND RESORT PRESIDENT
News that Ed Grier retired starting hitting the Disney blogosphere late Monday morning, with MiceChatters discussing the news on the boards and Al Lutz here at MiceAge/MiceChat giving details in his Editor's Note. The Orange County Register's Around Disney blog confirmed the news shortly thereafter.

Disneyland president’s last day is Friday
Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier plans to retire effective Friday after three years of leading a major theme-park expansion and weathering a stormy debate over housing near theme parks.

Grier today announced he would leave his job overseeing Orange County’s largest private employer with about 20,000 workers at two theme parks, three hotels and a retail-entertainment complex. A replacement has yet to be named, said Lisa Haines, vice president of Disneyland Resort communications.

“I have been humbled and honored during the past three years as I’ve watched your hard work create smiles and laughter, and delight our Guests. The power of Disney magic never ceases to amaze me, and your passion will always be a source of inspiration,” Grier wrote in a memo to employees.

He declined interview requests today (To learn more abut Grier, click here for a short bio).
The Disneyland Resort job concludes a 28-career with the company, where he started as a senior auditor at Walt Disney World and ended up working in nearly every Disney theme park.

Grier, 54, stated that he has been considering the move for about a year in the memo. Haines said Grier has been discussing the possibility over the last few months with his superiors.

“One defining moment came when my wife and I moved our youngest son into his dorm at Stanford this fall. It was an opportunity to reflect on the past and consider the next chapter of our own lives,” said Grier, who has three sons. “I have had a long and rewarding career with the Walt Disney Company, and am excited to explore what’s next.”

Grier plans to help his son, Michael, who is in film school at Chapman University, with a post-production company that he recently started in Orange.

For the full story, visit the OC Register's Around Disney blog: Around Disney: Disneyland president’s last day is Friday

RESORT PARKING PRICES GO UP
Also from the Around Disney blog:

Disney parking prices increased by $2 or $3
Motorists had to start paying $2 or $3 more per vehicle to park at Disneyland Resort lots this week.

Disney increased its parking prices for its theme-park lots effective Sunday, said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman.

Here are the old and new prices:

• Cars: $12 to $14.
• RVs and oversized vehicles: $17 to $20.
• Buses and tractor trailers: $22 to $25.

Brown released this statement: “As part of the normal course of doing business, we regularly evaluate and adjust our pricing.”

Despite the slumping economy, Disney has increased both parking and ticket prices in recent months. In July, theme-park tickets went up by $3 per person.

The Disneyland Resort has nearly 29,000 parking spots for its two theme parks, shops and hotels, according to city documents.

Disney recently started construction on a new parking lot on Harbor Boulevard across from the Anaheim Convention Center. The lot for overflow parking is expected to be completed sometime this winter, Brown said.

For the full article, visit DisneylandNews.com: Around Disney: Disney parking prices increased by $2 or $3

HOUDINI MOVES INTO MAIN STREET MAGIC SHOP
And news about the Main Street Magic Shop's new vendors, also from the Around Disney blog:

Magic returning to Disneyland magic shop
The tricks and magicians are set to return to the classic Main Street Magic Shop at Disneyland next month.

Houdini’s Magic Shop is slated to take over as a private operator of the retail outlet when it re-opens in about a month, but it will keep the same Main Street Magic Shop name, Disney announced this week.

The shop closed Sunday so the store could be remodeled for Houdini’s takeover.
But even before it closed, the shop had lost its magic. Only generic Disney merchandise sat on the shelves in recent months, blogger Sally French reported.

Magic shops have a long tradition in Disneyland.

The first one — Merlin’s Magic Shop — opened near the Sleeping Beauty Castle on the park’s first day in 1955. The Main Street Magic Shop opened two years later. After Merlin’s closed in 1983, the Main Street location remained. Actor Steve Martin got his start at Merlin’s and briefly worked at the Main Street shop.

While Disneyland has run the Main Street shop since 1965, it was previously run by an outside operator.

Houdini’s was selected because of its strong reputation and the fact that it holds rights to key magic tricks, said David Gill, a Disneyland spokesman. Plus, Houdini’s will employ certified magicians to do tricks for guests inside the shop.

For the full article, visit DisneylandNews.com: Around Disney: Magic returning to Disneyland magic shop

Alrighty, that should wrap up this week's Dateline Disneyland. Thanks again to our amazing guest photographers this week: Abominable Snowman, CaptPhoebus, and Matt "2DieFR" Gottula. And of course, 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 4,900 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

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

QUICK LINKS:
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Inside Dateline Disneyland

Give a Day, Get a Disney Day A look at the 2010 DisneyParks marketing campaign Welcome to the Disney Gallery! The new Disney Gallery opens in the former Bank of Main Street The Disneyland Story "The Disneyland Story" exhibit opens in the Main Street Opera House lobby California Construction The latest Disney's California Adventure construction photos. World of Color & Paradise Park Viewing Area The Little Mermaid and Cars Land This and That Downtown Disney gets new stores, Tomorrowland repaving, Ghost Galaxy lighting Around the Park Photos from around the park. Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, Man arrested for selling fake Disneyland tickets, Grand Californian expansion opens.

GIVE A DAY, GET A DISNEY DAY
Disney unveiled its 2010 DisneyParks marketing campaign in a flurry of press releases, television spots, and YouTube clips on Tuesday. The new campaign focuses on volunteerism, and rewards guests who volunteer for a day in their community with a free ticket to a theme park ticket for either the Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort. Desperate Housewives stars Teri Hatcher and James Denton were on hand with Disney CEO Bob Iger and the Muppets to announce the new campaign at a Habitat For Humanity site in Los Angeles.


The Disney Press release explains the new campaign in detail:

Give a Day of Volunteer Service in 2010, Get a Day of Disney Theme Park Fun - Free
Disney Parks is launching a program that celebrates the spirit of volunteer service with a simple proposition: “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.”

Disney hopes to inspire families to volunteer in their communities during 2010 through this first-of-its-kind program. One million people who perform volunteer service for a participating organization will receive a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park.

While the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program kicks off Jan. 1, right now guests can learn more about the program and how to get their free one-day admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park by visiting Disney Parks | Travel & Vacations | Family Vacation Getaway | Disney (for the United States and Puerto Rico) or Disney Parks / Where Dreams Come True / Dream Family Holidays (for Canada).

In the past year, guests have been celebrating all sorts of special moments in their lives at Disney parks – from birthdays and anniversaries to reunions and graduations – as part of the “What Will You Celebrate?” campaign.

“In 2010, we want to recognize and add one more reason for celebration: the contributions people make to their communities every day,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We want to inspire 1 million volunteers – people who will invest time and energy to make their own communities and neighborhoods a better place.”

To enable people to sign up for an eligible volunteer project, Disney is working with HandsOn Network, the nation’s largest volunteer network. Part of Points of Light Institute, HandsOn Network has 250 on-the-ground volunteer action centers across the country and connects volunteers to more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies that need their help.

“Wherever we live, our communities need our hands-on help to thrive,” said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light Institute. “We are thrilled at this unprecedented effort by Disney Parks to help mobilize 1 million volunteers into action. ‘Give a Day, Get a Disney Day’ has the potential to reach so many families and instill the volunteer spirit in a new generation.”

Bob Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said, “‘Give a Day, Get a Disney Day’ fits perfectly with our long history of supporting and participating in volunteer efforts. It’s a great way to honor guests who are making a positive contribution to their communities.”

Starting Jan. 1, 2010, guests can go to Disney Parks | Travel & Vacations | Family Vacation Getaway | Disney for the United States and Puerto Rico or Disney Parks / Where Dreams Come True / Dream Family Holidays for Canada to search for volunteer opportunities available in those areas through HandsOn Network and sign up for a day of volunteer service. Many of the opportunities will be for projects that entire families can participate in together.

To raise awareness for grass-roots community volunteerism and the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program, Disney VoluntEARS and volunteers from Southwest Airlines are joining with local volunteers on projects coordinated by HandsOn Network in cities across North America this fall and winter. Southwest Airlines also is providing transportation for the initiative.

“Southwest Airlines strives to make a positive difference in the communities we serve, from protecting the environment to supporting a local cause,” said Linda Rutherford, vice president of Communications and Strategic Outreach, Southwest Airlines. “Southwest employees give back both locally and nationally through volunteerism, with individual and personal efforts, serving together as teams or through companywide efforts. The opportunity with Disney unites two companies that are devoted to the spirit of volunteerism.”

The new television spots feature the Muppets and celebrities James Denton and Taye Diggs






WELCOME TO THE DISNEY GALLERY!
It wasn't a slow week in the parks, either. The Disney Gallery opened its doors in its new home in the former Bank of Main Street on Friday, after being evicted from its charming New Orleans Square location back in 2007.




A nearby lamppost banner advertises the current Gallery exhibit





At first, you might think that the Gallery is just another gift shop. Afterall, the signage out front says "GIFTS" and the first thing you see upon entering is retail space.






A couple remaining teller windows from the former Bank have been repurposed as a cash wrap.


The popular Disneyland Olszewski miniatures are all on display (and for sale) here.


The old vault from the Bank is still here, and is now accessible to guests. It's rather tiny, though, and is used to display "featured" art pieces for sale. Currently, two original paintings by Shag are on display, leftover from the Haunted Mansion's 40th Anniversary.







Disney says the new Disney Gallery had roughly the same amount of space as the former Disney Gallery above Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square. It seems hard to believe, though, with only two exhibit rooms as opposed to the New Orleans Square location's three exhibit rooms. In any case, the new Gallery's inaugural exhibit focuses on enhancing classic attractions. The first half of the show, however, is spent showing pieces by past and present Disney artists and Imagineers based on favorite Disneyland attractions.




It's a nice enough display, but with the merchandise display cases in the middle of the room, and the price tags on every piece on display here, it isn't hard to be a cynic and see the new Gallery as less of an art gallery and more of an excuse to push high-end art and collectibles.


Sure, the old Disney Gallery had plenty of pieces on sale as well, and had a gift shop, too. But it always seemed like the art on display actually stuck to the exhibit's theme, even if it was for sale.




An window into an interesting faux office is part of the Gallery's second room/first exhibit room. A nice thematic touch.









The third room in the Gallery, or the second exhibit room finally gets to the point and stops trying to sell you souvenirs. This room features original and new concept art for attractions recently enhanced, including the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean.








There isn't too much here that diehard Disneyland fans haven't already seen, but it's a nice display anyway. The only thing missing are placards explaining which pieces were original concept art and which were done for the recent enhancements.


Oh, and it would be great to see the names of the artists for these pieces.








The Gallery features really great wood work throughout, and the third room even has a couple benches. A great touch.




After it's all said and done, it's nice to once again have a Disney Gallery open to guests in the park. It's a great opportunity for Disney to display a sample of its incredible selection of artwork for park fans to enjoy. Is the new location a suitable alternative to the original? It's a beautifully-designed space, and Kim Irvine and the rest of the Imagineering team who brought it to life did an outstanding job well done. The leftover Bank of Main Street references are questionable, thematically, but generally insignificant to the experience. For longtime fans of the Disney Gallery, it's far too easy to go in the new location with a bad attitude. It is without question that the new location pales in comparison to the original location. There is simply no way to recreate special magic of climbing the graceful, curved stairways to the old Gallery and looking at rare artwork in the rooms that Walt Disney had designed for himself as his own personal in-park retreat. How could the new Gallery possibly live up to that? Simply put, it can't, and if you expect it to, you're going to be sorely disappointed.


THE DISNEYLAND STORY
Next door to the new Disney Gallery, half of the Main Street Opera House lobby has reopened with the new "The Disneyland Story" exhibit. The Disneyland Story is part of the new pre-show for the upcoming (December 2009) return of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" and tells the history of Disneyland in wall displays, scale models, and the 50th Anniversary film starring Steve Martin that was previously shown in the main theater.


The 50th anniversary mural with Walt and Mickey is gone from the Opera House foyer, and in its place, the bench from Griffith Park, where it's said Walt originally came up with the idea for Disneyland.










The exhibit discusses the park's history, from Walt's days to present-day.










The "New Generation of Dreamers" wall showcases artwork from modern classics like Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure and Star Tours. It's kind of funny how all three of those projects, and just about everything else on this wall are projects largely credited to Imagineer Tony Baxter, the man who is also responsible for bringing back "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" here in the Opera House.




The "Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years" movie starring Steve Martin now plays on a continuous loop on a small screen at the back of the Disneyland Story exhibit.


The small alcove that previously had a video montage of Disneyland Cast Members through the years has been closed off to accommodate the huge Opening Day model of Disneyland, which is now propped up at an angle behind glass for guests to see. A clever way to keep the model on display without sacrificing valuable space on the lobby floor.


A display called "Living in Disneyland" shows photos of Walt Disney's firehouse apartment on Main Street, as well as photos of the Disneyland Dream Suite, which evicted the original Disney Gallery. It probably isn't meant to be a slap in the face, but with the smaller Disney Gallery now open next door, and the Disneyland Dream Suite off-limits to park guests, it does sting a little.







Conveniently, the new Disney Gallery is accessible from the Opera House lobby via a new doorway.





CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
A look at the latest construction progress at Disney's California Adventure...

WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA
Construction continues on the new Paradise Park area, which will accommodate up to 9,000 guests for the new World of Color show. The project was scheduled to finish later this December, but was recently pushed back to February 2010.


















Looks like some cosmetic work is being done on the new World of Color light houses. Not a bad idea, these things look very plastic-y right now.
















The railings along the new Paradise Park waterfront are being painted dark green.



Over by the former Orange Stinger, half of the tacky S.S. rustworthy water play area has been completely removed. Good riddance!







THE LITTLE MERMAID & CARS LAND
The pit being dug for the new Little Mermaid ride continues to get deeper...







And work continues prepping the space for Cars Land in the former Timon parking lot.







THIS AND THAT
Walls have come down near the Paradise Pier parade gates.


Looks like the work was to carve out some space for outdoor vending that was displaced by the Silly Symphony Swings construction across the walkway.



Out in Downtown Disney, a new tenant is moving into the former Department 56 space





And work on the permanent location for Little Miss Matched is coming along nicely. The new signage looks all finished and ready to go.




Back inside Disneyland, Tomorrowland has finished up its latest round of repaving.





And construction walls have come down from the Frontierland entrance. Some some TLC on the fort facade.





And we missed it last week, but if you make it to the Resort for Halloween Time this year, be sure to check out the mesmerizingly cool lighting makeover they've given to Space Mountain for its Ghost Galaxy overlay.




It's pretty impressive


Disneyland's publicity department put up a preview of Ghost Galaxy on the DisneylandNews YouTube channel. It includes a glimpse of the snazzy nighttime lighting.


The DisneylandNews YouTube channel also released a preview video of the new Halloween Screams fireworks show on Monday, after we had already "gone to print," as it were. The new show is great, visually, especially if watched from the hub and features some excellent effects, but that soundtrack is unbelievably obnoxious and annoying (not to mention, has a terrible Jack Skellington voice actor). Hopefully they'll rework it next year.




AROUND THE PARK
And finally, we'll finish up the photo update with a few photos from around the park.

THEME PARK HOURS OCTOBER 5 - 11
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday - Wednesday: 10 am - 8 pm
Thursday: 9 am - 10 pm
Friday - Sunday: 8 am - 12 midnight

Disney's California Adventure Park
Monday - Tuesday: 10 am - 6 pm
Wednesday - Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday: 10 am - 6 pm
Saturday - Sunday: 10 am - 10 pm

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• Sailing Ship Columbia: Closed October 5 - 7, Closed October 12 - 15.
• Indiana Jones Adventure: Closed October 5 - 8.
• The Enchanted Cottage: Closed through November 4.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed through October 26.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• "it's a small world": Closed October 26 - November 12 to instll holiday overlay.
• 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 scheduled to open February 2010.

FREE BIRTHDAY OFFER GIVES DISNEYLAND ATTENDANCE BUMP
From the Orange County Register's Around Disney blog:

Disney’s free birthday tickets draw millions
More than 3 million people have signed up for Disney’s free-on-your-birthday deal, but only about 30 percent of the registrants actually have gone to a theme park to celebrate so far.

This year, Disney is allowing guests to get free admission to a park on their birthdays. Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, discussed the popularity of the free birthday tickets as part of a conference call Tuesday about next year’s theme-park promotion: Volunteer for a day and get into a theme park for free.

Guests have taken advantage of the birthday program more heavily at the Disneyland Resort, compared to Walt Disney World in Florida, because the Anaheim parks have a larger, local clientele, Rasulo said.

The birthday promotion has helped drive up attendance at the two Anaheim parks — Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Disneyland Resort attendance jumped 10 percent in the most recent quarter ending in June compared to the same period the previous year, despite the lagging economy, according to Disney’s financial statements.

“Certainly, I think that a program that inspires people and is relevant always impacts our attendance,” Rasulo said.

For the full story, visit the OC Register's Around Disney blog: Around Disney: Disney’s free birthday tickets draw millions

CAST MEMBERS LOSE WEIGHT FOR GOOD CAUSE
Also from the Around Disney blog:

Disney employees lose weight for charity
Disney employees’ loss was the Orange County Food Bank’s gain this week.

On Monday, the Disneyland Resort gave $10,000 to the food bank as part of its Weight Loss Challenge. The resort agreed to give the donation in conjunction with employees’ participation in the program to lose weight and pursue healthy lifestyles, according to Disney.

At the conclusion of the 10-week programs, about 1,400 employees ended up losing a total of 2,658 pounds. Employees participated in a wellness walk in Disney’s California Adventure before the check ceremony.

For the full press release, visit DisneylandNews.com: Around Disney: Disney employees lose weight for charity

That should wrap up this week's Dateline Disneyland. Many thanks again to MacDaddy from the MiceChat boards for help with his great Disney Gallery photos. To see more of MacDaddy's Disney Gallery shots, check out his 10/2 Photo Update on MiceChat. And of course, 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 4,800 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

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

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Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland! Tram route work, Halloween Time billboards and banners, Main Entrance Plaza work Happy Halloween Time A look at this year's Halloween festivities Main Street Pumpkin Festival Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy Dia de los Muertos, Big Thunder Halloween Roundup Haunted Mansion Holiday Candy Corn Acres and Tower of Terror "Halloween Screams" Fireworks California Construction The latest Disney's California Adventure construction photos. World of Color & Paradise Park Viewing Area Silly Symphony Swings This and That Edelweiss Snacks, New Orleans Square stores move around, Frontierland work. Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, Man arrested for selling fake Disneyland tickets, Grand Californian expansion opens.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND!
Some repaving work greets guests at the Mickey and Friends tram stop.


New tram stop billboards and Downtown Disney banners promote Disney's Halloween Time








The drainage issues have been fixed in the Main Entrance Plaza, clearing walls from in front of the CALIFORNIA letters.



HAPPY HALLOWEEN TIME
New Halloween Time park maps





MAIN STREET PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
Halloween Time has hit the parks.


Fab 5 jack-o-lanterns greet guests at Disneyland


The Mickey floral still sports the "Celebrate Today" design, but Mickey's party hat and the floral balloons are now in fall colors.


Pumpkins line Main Street


Mickey balloons get a Halloween touch






SPACE MOUNTAIN GHOST GALAXY
Space Mountain has reopened with the new Ghost Galaxy overlay. The ride is essentially the same, with some changes in lighting in the launch tunnels, new projections throughout, and a new soundtrack. Is it worth a special visit to the parks for out-of-town guests? Not really, but if you were planning a trip anyway, it's worth checking out.


Signs notify guests that the experience is scarier than usual


The queue is mostly unchanged.


The screen showing images of outer space is the only thing that hints at what's to come. At times a green glow can be seen warping the video feed, static wipes out the visual, and other times the "signal" is lost completely.






Ghostly aliens like this guy are seen throughout the ride, attempting to interrupt your trip through space.


On-ride photos have a "Ghost Galaxy" border.


The OC Register's Around Disney blog spoke with Walt Disney Imagineer Steve Roach, show producer for Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy:

Behind Space Mountain’s Halloween makeover at Disneyland
Space Mountain visitors will know something’s gone awry right after they begin their ascent in the Disneyland ride.

The climb through a tunnel starts normally with stars drifting past the rocket and a swirling galaxy awaiting at the top. But about half way through the tunnel, white stars turn orange and red, swirling into a skull-like face and skeletal arms extend. Spiny hands grab out, shooting crackling lightning past riders. The creature roars.

This is just the beginning of the new Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy that debuts to the public today at Disneyland. The seasonal makeover of the roller-coaster marks the first time that Disneyland has redone Space Mountain for Halloween Time, which begins today.

“It’s classic Space Mountain with a whole new look,” said Steve Roach, the ride’s show producer.

Disneyland Resort usually tries to keep the mood light for the Halloween season, but this ride is slightly different.

“For the first time, it’s something actually very frightening for Halloween,” Roach said. “I don’t think we’ve done anything this scary before.”

A sign will warn guests that the ride may be too scary for young children, Roach said.
Ghost Galaxy’s back story is that Disney wants recruits to explore unknown phenomena during a deep-space research trip, but then something goes wrong. Guests are detoured into an unknown galaxy with cosmic phenomena at every turn, Roach said.

Throughout the ride, guests can see morphing ghosts reaching out toward guests. One arm grabs above riders. Another ghost chases riders alongside the carriage. A creepy eye blinks in front. And one final surprise ghost pops out at the very end. (We know because we got to ride it early.)

For the full article, visit the OC Register's Around Disney blog.


DIA DE LOS MUERTOS &
BIG THUNDER RANCH HALLOWEEN ROUNDUP
Frontierland is once again celebrating Dia de los Muertos in Zocalo Park.






And author Ray Bradbury's Halloween Tree is back.





Over in Big Thunder Ranch, Woody is no longer the host of the Halloween Roundup. Instead the offering has been renamed the Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Roundup. Not much else has changed though.




The Scaredy Crow Shack is always a fun place to check out and take some photos in.











HAUNTED MANSION HOLIDAY
Haunted Mansion Holiday is back for its seasonal run through the New Year holiday.







CANDY CORN ACRES & TOWER OF TERROR
Candy Corn Acres is back in California Adventure's Sunshine Plaza.






And despite being advertised on the guide map as a Halloween offering, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror doesn't feature ANY of its usual Halloween Time decorations. It's sad, because they were the best Halloween decorations in California Adventure. No bat arch. No lamppost decorations. No lobby decorations.



"HALLOWEEN SCREAMS" FIREWORKS
The new Halloween Screams fireworks is getting pretty good reviews on the MiceChat boards.






Zero flies!







CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
A look at the on-going California Adventure remodel and expansion:

WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA
The walls for the Paradise Park construction have been pushed out narrowing the walkway between the new viewing area and the upcoming Little Mermaid dark ride even more.




The walls will continue to be pushed out as far as they are now until construction concludes on the new viewing area.







The new rock work next to the California Screamin' launch is coming along nicely...
















SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS








THIS AND THAT
The new Edelwiess Snacks quick service turkey leg and frozen drink stand is open for business across from the Matterhorn Bobsleds queue chalet.


The new building clears out two prominent outdoor vending carts from the area, and makes the area much more aesthetically pleasing in the process.


The theming is really top notch here. It looks great and appropriate for the area.


It's just a shame the menu is turkey legs and corn on the cob. What a missed opportunity.


The back of the new Edelweiss Snacks





The entrance stockade to Frontierland is getting some TLC.





New Orleans Square has switched around a couple stores. Port Royal (which took over the former home of Le Bat en Rouge a couple years ago) has once again become Le Bat en Rouge, but not officially. The store is now fully stocked with Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise, and even some Haunted Mansion goodies, too. Meanwhile, Port Royal's displaced stock of trendy character tees, Vinylmation figurines, and other odd-n-ends has moved over to the current Le Bat en Rouge store.






Haunted Mansion action figures!






The popular Jack, Sally, and Maleficent photo op is back out in front of Port Royal.





Over at the current Le Bat en Rouge, the old Nightmare Before Christmas and Haunted Mansion decor has been swapped out with glass bottles and other items that you might find in a store like the Fortuosity Shoppe.






Trendy character tees line the shelves


Some windows in the back of the store are blacked out as some work goes on behind them in the Courtyard of Angels





Nearby, the former Christopher Radko Christmas ornament shop is still closed as it undergoes a remodel, but it has been renamed "Le Bayou Magique."



And finally, Disneyland has its seasonal baked goods out for sale now for those of you with a sweet tooth.

THEME PARK HOURS SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 3
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

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

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

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• Pirates of the Caribbean & Blue Bayou Restaurant: Closed September 28 - October 2.
• The Disney Gallery: Opens October 3, 2009 in the Bank of Main Street
• Sailing Ship Columbia: Closed October 5 - 7, Closed October 12 - 15.
• Indiana Jones Adventure: Closed October 5 - 8.
• The Enchanted Cottage: Closed through November 4.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed through October 26.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• "it's a small world": Closed October 26 - November 12 to instll holiday overlay.
• 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.

LOCAL MAN ARRESTED FOR SELLING FAKE DISNEYLAND TICKETS

Man arrested for selling fake Disneyland passes
A man accused of selling fake Disneyland passes on Craigslist is being held in jail as police search for more victims.

Vaughn Michael Hutchins, 24, was arrested last Wednesday as he was selling phony Disneyland Park Hopper tickets at the Santa Ana Train Depot, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

Santa Ana police believe Hutchins is the same man who advertised the sale of theme-park tickets on Craigslist.

The advertisement usually gave a price of three tickets for $125.

A one-day, park hopper ticket for an adult sells for $97. It’s valid to go to both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

For the full story, visit the OC Register's Around Disney blog: Around Disney: Man arrested for selling fake Disneyland passes

DISNEY UNVEILS GRAND CALIFORNIAN HOTEL EXPANSION
The Grand Californian Hotel expansion finally opened last week and is now welcoming guests.

Disneyland Resort Unveils Expansion of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 23, 2009) – Disneyland Resort today unveiled a stunning new addition to its Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, including 203 new guest rooms and 50 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas, the first Disney Vacation Club property on the West Coast. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa immerses guests in the magic of the Disneyland Resort by capturing the spirit of early California through design and architecture. Many of the new vacation villas offer guests spectacular views into Disney’s California Adventure Park.

“This expansion reinforces Disney’s long-term commitment to investing in Anaheim’s Resort District,” said Ed Grier, president of Disneyland Resort. “Since opening in 2001, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa continues to impress our guests with its timeless sophistication and exquisite service. The new villas and hotel rooms will give more guests the opportunity to enjoy the immersive vacation experience Disney is known for.”

The 2.5-acre addition to Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which increases accommodations by more than 30 percent, is part of ongoing resort expansion work. Currently underway is a multiyear expansion of Disney’s California Adventure Park, which will add new attractions, entertainment experiences and an entirely new 12-acre Cars Land. In addition, the resort’s historic Disneyland Hotel also began a major three-year renovation last month.

“We are so fortunate to have a wonderful partner in the Disneyland Resort,” said Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle. “Disney’s continued investment in Anaheim benefits the entire Resort District as well as the surrounding community. This grand addition to the city’s only four-diamond hotel will encourage even more visitors to come to Anaheim and experience a vacation in our great City.”

The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa mark the 10th property for Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s innovative vacation-ownership program. As with all Disney Vacation Club properties, guests are able to experience the comforts of home, such as a fully equipped kitchen, living area, dining area, washer and dryer, whirlpool tub and other amenities, depending on the size of the accommodations. Guests can choose from four different room categories including a studio (sleeps 4), one-bedroom villa (sleeps up to 5), two-bedroom villa (sleeps up to 9) and the three-bedroom, two-story Grand Villa (sleeps up to 12).

“It is exciting to witness the incredible growth of Disney Vacation Club, because not only are we creating new accommodations here in Anaheim, we are creating new experiences,” said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. “Now Disney Vacation Club is part of the place where it all started, a place known worldwide as the Happiest Place on Earth.”

Other new amenities at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa include the Mariposa swimming pool, the Grizzly Game Arcade, a guest laundry facility, two gas barbeque grills, the Paradise View Terrace on the 6th floor overlooking the Paradise Pier area of Disney’s California Adventure Park, underground valet parking spaces and an expanded Pinocchio’s Workshop – a licensed child activity center. The hotel now boasts 948 guest rooms, which includes 44 guest suites as well as 50 Disney Vacation Club two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas.

For the full press release, visit DisneylandNews.com: Disneyland News: Disneyland Resort Unveils Expansion of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

That should wrap up this week's Dateline Disneyland. Get out and get to the parks! 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

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

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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

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

QUICK LINKS:
| | |

• The Future of Disney Parks and Resorts by Jay Rasulo
• Disney Parks and Resorts area and Cars Land
• New Pictures of Cars Land and Radiator Springs Racer models
• Hong Kong Disneyland Expansion Preview
• New "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" Presentation by Tony Baxter
• An Afternoon with Imagineering Legends
• Disney's Hawai Ko Olina model
• The Live Auction Preview
• The LOST Exhibit
• The Gorgeous Nautilus Limited Edition by EFX

Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to the D23 Expo! Welcome!, Food drive, MiceChat booth Parks and Resorts Cars Land, Mr. Lincoln, Ko Olina, Hong Kong Disneyland This and That Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, Live Auction, Imagineers. Disneyland Round-Up A quick look at new construction at Disneyland. Around the Parks Photos from around the parks

WELCOME TO THE D23 EXPO!
The D23 Expo took over the Anaheim Convention Center with a four-day event promised to be the ultimate Disney fan experience.








The MiceChat booth stole the show on the Collectors Forum with vintage attraction posters, a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride vehicle, and thousands of prizes given away over the four day event.







PARKS AND RESORTS
If there was one thing that was a must-see at the D23 Expo, it was undoubtedly the Parks and Resorts pavilion. The Blue Sky Cellar at Disney's California Adventure looks like child's play after seeing the Parks and Resorts exhibit which including huge Cars Land models, beautiful Hong Kong Disneyland expansion models, and loads of concept art.










Another Cars Land model:














The huge new Radiator Springs Racers E-Ticket, which will offer approximately four minutes in ride time and include six acres of new hand-carved rock work.








Mr. Lincoln was out on display




The costume for President Obama's Audio-Animatronics likeness at Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents show



The new Ko Olina Resort in Hawaii will be an exceptional family getaway.





Lucky the Dinosaur and WALL-E were out to take photos with guests



The exhibit offered a incredible look at the upcoming Hong Kong Disneyland expansion.















Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, led a presentation on the Future of Disney Parks and Resorts to a packed arena Saturday morning.




Jay's first point of business: addressing internet rumors. "I don't know where they come from... but they're true," he said to the arena as he announced the expansion of Fantasyland in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

From the LA Times Funland blog:

Fantasyland to get extreme makeover at Disney World by 2013
By 2013, Disney World will transform Fantasyland into a magical fairy tale forest with new and upgraded rides, character meet-and-greet areas and a themed restaurant, Disney announced today.

The centerpiece of the expansion, the largest in Magic Kingdom history, will be a new Little Mermaid dark ride that will take visitors on a musical journey under the sea with Ariel and her friends. Disney’s California Adventure in California will get an identical version of the ride in 2011.

Located behind Cinderella’s castle, the new Fantasyland will also include:

– A new circus tent theme for the existing Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride with interactive elements.
– Themed meet and greet areas for Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Tinker Bell.
– A Beauty and the Beast-themed restaurant inside the Beast’s castle.

Alleged blueprints of the Fantasyland project were leaked online in July, leading some Internet pundits to suggest Disney was launching a preemptive marketing offensive in anticipation of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opens at Universal Studios Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park in 2010.

Rasulo gave the audience sneak peek at an Imagineering pre-viz CGI mock-up of part of Radiator Springs Racers, opening at California Adventure in 2012.









The big announcement from Rasulo was finally, and officially, confirming Star Tours II, coming to Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida in 2011.


Rasulo originally announced the ride would reopen in 2014, but Darth Vader demanded an opening no later than 2011.





The revamped ride will be in 3D and will significantly overhaul the entire ride experience. The Arena audience was given a 3D preview

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo Unveils New Attractions and Experiences at First D23 Expo
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 12, 2009) – Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo detailed plans for future lands, attractions and adventures that will be delighting Disney guests for years to come, at the first D23 Expo. Most notable among the announcements were the confirmation of an all-new Star Tours attraction and the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

“Storytelling is the DNA of Disney dreams and we’re always exploring new ways to tell new stories in new places,” Rasulo told a crowd at the Anaheim Convention Center in California before taking them on a "behind-the-magic" tour of their favorite Disney destinations.

Rasulo announced that a new 3-D version of the tremendously-popular “Star Tours” attraction will debut at the Disneyland Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2011. Based on the iconic Lucasfilm “Star Wars” films, the attraction will include immersive new elements that will take guests to many familiar places in the Star Wars galaxy.

For Walt Disney World in Florida, Rasulo outlined plans for the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom, vastly increasing the size of Fantasyland by 2013. Guests will soon be able to:

• Visit their favorite Disney Princess in her castle, cottage, or chateau to share a dance with Cinderella; celebrate Sleeping Beauty’s birthday with the Good Fairies; or join Belle in an enchanting story performance in the Beast’s castle library.
• Be Our Guest and dine in one of three enchanted rooms inside the Beast’s castle.
• Fly with Dumbo high above brand new circus grounds, twice the size of the existing attraction with a new interactive, three-ring circus tent.
• Journey under the sea with Ariel, The Little Mermaid, in her very own attraction – also opening at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim in 2011.
• Meet Tinker Bell and her friends in the magical world of Pixie Hollow.

Rasulo provided updates on the multi-year expansion of Disney’s California Adventure including the new “World of Color” attraction slated to open in the spring of 2010 and the addition of the 12-acre Cars Land scheduled to open in 2012 where guests will literally step into the town of Radiator Springs and its six acres of hand-carved rockwork.

Rasulo noted the progress of several other recently-announced projects including the three new lands coming to Hong Kong Disneyland by 2014; the Disney Dream, the new ship being built by Disney Cruise Line; the many diverse itineraries being offered by Adventures by Disney that take guests on 19 unique, once-in-a-lifetime guided vacation experiences; and Disney’s first family destination resort on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

Also on Saturday, Imagineers Tony Baxter and Josh Shipley gave a talk about the upcoming return of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" opening this December at Disneyland.


If anyone had any worries about this show, which has undergone many changes and reincarnations over the years, rest assured that the new version of the show is in extremely capable hands. The show will bring back the original 1964 narration provided by actor Royal Dano. Imagineering has gone back to the archives and remastered the original audio and created a riveting new show that incorporates more music, more emotion, and a new, highly-advanced, Mr. Lincoln Audio-Animatronics figure. Below: a hand-sketched storyboard of the Gettysburg Address scene by Tony Baxter.












The Opera House's lobby will be divided in half, the first dedicated to "The Disneyland Story," which will also be connected to the new Disney Gallery, next door in the Bank of Main Street. The opening-day Disneyland model, which was part of the 50th Anniversary show, will be present alongside new exhibits chronicling Disneyland's history. The second half of the lobby will be dedicated to Mr. Lincoln. The impressive and fan-favorite U.S. Capitol Building scale model will return in a room rich with details. Baxter noted that Imagineer Kim Irvine has designed a new fireplace for the Lincoln lobby which will feature a portrait (seen below) hanging above the mantle, which will gradually, and subtly, transform before guests eyes as they wait for theater doors to open.




The new show will feature restored artwork from Imagineering legend Sam McKim projected in high definition on theater screens in such clarity that McKim's brushstrokes will be visible. The show will aim to evoke emotional reactions from theater audiences, utilizing more music to do so, including the return of the popular "Two Brothers" song which can currently be heard at The American Adventure in Epcot.



THIS AND THAT
The D23 Expo was more than just Parks and Resorts, though... The Walt Disney Archives had an fascinating exhibit featuring artifacts, costumes, and props from the Archive.















And the D23 Expo Auction featured some great items including the replica of the infamous Hat Box Ghost from Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

From the OC Register's Around Disney blog:

Auction generates big purchases among Disney fans
“Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Would you bid two?” auctioneer Bill Menish asked at the first-ever D23 Expo auction.

At stake was a package fit for a princess –- including a Disneyland Hotel stay, carriage ride from Main Street U.S.A. to Sleeping Beauty Castle, a private party and makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disneyland. For one lucky bidder, the princess package was sold for just $2,500 –- a low price in comparison to its estimated $4,000 to $6000 price tag.

The rest of the items at tonight’s auction, part of a Disney convention, experienced a similar trend of relatively low bidding.

A Kirstie Kelly Disney Bridal gown valued at $2,000 sold for $900. A 5-foot-tall Mickey Vinylmation sculpture package estimated at up to $8,000 sold for only $4,500. And a private cooking lesson and dining experience with Napa Rose chef Andrew Sutton estimated at $10,000 did not meet its reserve and could not be sold.

That’s not to say that there was a lack of surprising, large purchases at the auction.
Disney fans were eager to bid on nostalgic memorabilia and unique experiences. A Walt Disney-signed, personal check sold for $6,900 and a piece of Minnie’s Yoo Hoo sheet music, circa 1930, sold for $1,300. One bidder paid $13,000 for a tour of the Disney archives. [ READ MORE ]

Costumes from High School Musical and Hannah Montana



And panel discussion proved to be huge draws for fans of theme parks and Imagineering. Crowds began queuing up two hours ahead of time for popular panel discussions, including Friday's "An Afternoon with Imagineering Legends" featuring (L-R) X. Atencio, Alice Davis, Blaine Gibson, Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, and Don Iwerks.








DISNEYLAND ROUND-UP
As promised, we'll take a quick look around Disneyland. The full Disneyland Resort update will return next week.

No, they aren't tearing out California Adventure's big CALIFORNIA letters yet. Just some maintenance work in the area immediately in front of them.




Directional signs help guests get into the park.




With all those construction walls inside (and outside!), they better be thankful you're visiting!



The construction walls in front of the Kennel Club have been expanded.




Stroller rentals. Soon.


Inside Disneyland, the couple short weeks of off-season before HalloweenTime kicks into gear is being taken advantage of all over the park. Tomorrowland is continuing with its repaving project that was seen earlier this year.


The Plaza Inn restrooms are closed during the repaving.






Space Mountain is closed as it receives its new Halloween overlay.





The new building in Fantasyland will be a turkey leg stand.

From the LA Times' Funland blog:

Disneyland: Get your turkey legs at new food kiosk
There’s not a whole lot of extra space at Disneyland, so it’s always surprising when a new building pops up at the 54-year-old Anaheim theme park.

A new food kiosk, wedged next to the Matterhorn roller coaster and the Monorail track, has been designed to look like a Swiss chalet in order to blend in with the surrounding mountain village theme.

Edelweiss Snacks, currently under construction and scheduled to open Sept. 25, will serve lunch, dinner and snacks.

Among the offerings:
* Turkey legs
* Chimichanga fried burritos
* Corn on the cob (buttered or chili lime)
* Frozen carbonated beverages (i.e. Slurpees or Icees by another name)
* Soft drinks

Don't let the walls fool you, the Village Haus is still open while its front gets some work done.


The Haunted Mansion closed after its September 9th 40th Anniversary event to get its annual Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay installed. Halloween Time starts at the Resort September 25.


The French Market is open, but the main entrance is currently closed for work. Guests must enter through the dining patio exit for the time being.


The Royal Street Veranda is closed, however. If you need some clam chowder, head on over to the Harbor Galley across from the Haunted Mansion.



AROUND THE PARKS
We'll finish up today's column with some shots from around the parks...

Alright, that wraps it up for this week's Dateline Disneyland. Thanks, as always, for reading. Be sure to visit Alain Littaye's Disney and More blog for even more D23 Expo coverage by yours truly. MiceChat's D23 Forum is also loaded with Expo coverage and discussion, so head on over there as well. Many thanks to all of you for reading. Jump in and discuss this week's update in the comments section below! Your help is integral in keeping 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 4,600 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

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

QUICK LINKS:
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Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland! Disney Gallery details, Fantasyland construction Finally Fantasmic! The impressive new Fantasmic! dragon kicks its stage fright. California Construction The latest Disney's California Adventure construction photos. The Lucky Fortune Cookery opens World of Color & Paradise Park Viewing Area The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure & Cars Land Silly Symphony Swings This and That Pushing Halloween, Disneyland Hotel remodel. Around the Parks Photos from around the parks Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, D23 Expo Guide, Captain EO testing, Tiana's Showboat Jubilee concept art, Disneyland Half-Marathon winners, Disney buys Marvel.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND!
Work continues at the former Bank of Main Street as it is turned into the new home of the Disney Gallery. At this point, all outer signage for the Bank is gone (except for one and the mural on the side of the building), including the "Annual Pass Center" sign that used to be in the window above the entrance.


It's been replaced with some scrollwork, similar to the Disney Gallery logo design.


But while the Bank loses it's identity, the Disney Rewards Visa kiosk that was added last year remains, even with the "Bank of Main Street" still on its signage.


Is it a bank or an art gallery?



Over in Fantasyland, the new structure that quickly started going up last week is showing some more progress.









IGNITING THE NIGHT — FINALLY
By now, the troubled tale of the new Fantasmic! dragon is a familiar story. But to recap, after three months of dragon drama, the new dragon who has come to be known as Murphy, has finally made her debut.


The dragon was supposed to debut early morning on Monday, August 31 at a special press event scheduled for 5 am. But again, stage fright got the best of Disneyland's reluctant dragon and the media preview was scrapped, prompting LA Times blogger Brady MacDonald to call the dragon debacle a "big black eye" for Disneyland. Disney went on to release publicity photos and video of the dragon later that morning, but gave no word on when the dragon would actually debut.


Finally, after months of anticipation, Disney officially announced the dragon would publicly debut Tuesday, September 1 at the 8:15 pm showing of Fantasmic!


Disneyland loyals turned out en masse and gave Fantasmic's new dragon a proper welcome.


But the menacing new dragon wasn't immune to first night jitters. The dragon failed to spew fire during its debut, but the effect functioned as intended the following night.








MiceChat's Fishbulb has amazing opening-night photos of the new dragon available in MiceChat's Fantasmic Dragon Photos, Videos, and Reviews thread.



CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
The latest photos and info on Disney's California Adventure's on-going $1 billion remodel and expansion.

THE UNLUCKY FORTUNE COOKERY
California Adventure opened its newest eatery on Friday, in the former location of Pacifc Wharf's Cocina Cucamonga. More accurately, the two restaurants switched places, but the process took months to complete, finally giving Cocina Cucamonga expanded options for its Mexican grill-style menu, and re-opening the Lucky Fortune Cookery after years of abandonment.


The Lucky Fortune Cookery's menu is pretty small, offering basic Asian rice bowls that guests can customize with their choice of protein and sauces.


The Disneyland press release explains the new menu:

Customize Your Asian Rice Bowl! Guests Select Ingredients at New Lucky Fortune Cookery in Disney’s California Adventure
The colorful new Lucky Fortune Cookery, debuting Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, is the newest addition to the variety of dining options at Disney’s California Adventure park. Located in the Pacific Wharf section of the park, Lucky Fortune Cookery offers guests the opportunity to create their own Asian Rice Bowl meals and enjoy them in an outdoor plaza.

• Lucky Fortune Cookery can be found in the location previously occupied by Cocina Cucamonga, which has relocated directly across the Pacific Wharf outdoor dining plaza
  
• The quick-service restaurant features colorful décor, paper lanterns, oversized pots filled with bamboo and iconic dragon designs.
  
• Guests are served at the quick-service windows of Lucky Fortune Cookery and they dine at tables under festive umbrellas in the outdoor plaza at Pacific Wharf. The environment allows for a pleasant and flavorful break in the day at Disneyland Resort.
  
• The Menu: Customized Asian Rice Bowls are the specialty of Lucky Fortune Cookery. It starts with a bowl of steamed white and brown rice and seared Asian vegetables. Guests select chicken, beef or tofu, plus a sauce of their choice: Mandarin orange, spicy Korean, Thai green curry or teriyaki.
  
• The spicy Korean sauce is actually based on an old family recipe provided by Gloria Tae, chef de cuisine at the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. All the sauce options were researched and taste-tested by Disney chefs as well as by cast members from diverse cultural backgrounds so that the final products would appeal to the broad variety of guests dining at Lucky Fortune Cookery.
  
• The Price: Each customized Asian Rice Bowl, regardless of ingredients, will cost $9.49. A kid’s meal of teriyaki chicken and rice, including fruit cup and choice of beverage, is available for guests age 9 and under for $6.49.

The idea isn't bad. An Asian-style dining location with a simple and fresh menu. The problem is that the execution leaves much to be desired.

Sauces can be ordered on the side, and you can ask to try more than one for no additional cost, although, it'll be interesting to see if that courtesy will last for long. The Mandarin Orange sauce was overwhelmingly orange in flavor, so much so that it was inedible. The Spicy Korean sauce tasted more like a typical teriyaki sauce than it did Korean BBQ and the term "spicy" is used very loosely here, as it was quite hard to discern much of a kick at all. The teriyaki sauce was bold in flavor, so much so that a few drops of water were needed to make it less overpowering. The Thai Coconut Curry sauce was the surprise hit of the meal. It was the most mild of the sauces, and agreed with the rest of the bowl's ingredients. The sauce was saltier than it probably should have been, but it was flavorful and rich without being terribly overpowering like the rest of the sauces. Still, the curry wasn't enough to save the meal.

The chicken was mostly flavorless thigh meat, and the portion of chicken wasn't enough for the amount of rice, nor justifiable with the bowl's $10 price tag.

The seared vegetables varied in their success. My bowl had more carrots than anything else, all of which were undercooked, but the bok choy and onions were overcooked and not worth eating.

Furthering the trend of inedible ingredients was the rice. Perhaps in an effort to give you a sense of increased value for an otherwise overpriced meal, the rice is a combination of steamed white and brown rices. No, you cannot get one or the other; your only option is to get the mixture, which is mostly white rice anyway. Either way, the rice isn't worth eating. I'm hoping it was a fluke, but the rice was incredibly overcooked, to the point of nearly unrecognizable mushiness. It's a mystery why it was allowed to be served at all.

So is the Lucky Fortune Cookery a viable dining option? I daresay it has the potential to be. The sauces need to be reworked, and the cooks need to work on serving properly cooked rice. It could also just be the luck of the draw that I visited at the the wrong time, after all, there are a couple MiceChatters giving the place favorable early reviews. For me, I'll give the place a couple months to get its act together before giving it a second try. If anything, the Thai coconut curry sauce is worth tasting again.

Spare Mad Tea Party lanterns decorate the area.



WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA
Construction continues on the huge World of Color and Paradise Park viewing area projects. The new Paradise Park fountain/sculpture continues to take shape behind construction walls.




The new Paradise Park stage can be seen coming together...





Mickey's Fun Wheel gives great aerial views of park construction






The new stage:
















The exposed steel around the edge of the new Paradise Park boardwalk was painted green a a few weeks back, and now have these bronze rosetta accent pieces... I hope this isn't the extent of the themeing for this.













THE LITTLE MERMAID: ARIEL'S UNDERSEA ADVENTURE & CARS LAND
Work continues preparing the land for the upcoming Little Mermaid dark ride:









Similarly, the former Timon parking lot has a lot of groundwork to get through before Cars Land begins to take shape.








Backstage buildings are coming along...








SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS
The concrete foundation of the new Silly Symphony Swings covered boardwalk queue has gotten a treatment to appear more like wood.













Nearby the Swings, walls have gone up near the Paradise Pier parade gates.







THIS AND THAT
Billboards at the Disneyland and Main Entrance Plaza exits are pushing the special-ticket Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party event at California Adventure.





Outside of the parks, over at the Disneyland Hotel, work continues on the multi-year renovation.




Half of the Dreams Tower is now closed to guests.





AROUND THE PARK
We'll finish up our photo section this week with some shots from around the park.

THEME PARK HOURS SEPTEMBER 7 - 13
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday: 8 am - 12 midnight
Tuesday - Thursday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday: 9 am - 12 midnight
Saturday: 8 am - 12 midnight
Sunday: 9 am - 11 pm

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

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• The Enchanted Cottage: Closed through November 17.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through November 19.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed through November 19.
• Mark Twain Riverboat: Closed September 8 - 10.
• Space Mountain: Closed September 8 - 24 to install "Ghost Galaxy" Halloween overlay.
• Minnie's House: Closed September 9
• The Haunted Mansion: Closed September 10 - 24 to install Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed September 14 - 24 to install Halloween overlay
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed September 14 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.
• 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. West tower currently closed.
• 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.

D23 EXPO COMES TO ANAHEIM THIS WEEKEND!
Disney's huge D23 Expo comes to Anaheim this weekend! The event is bringing out every segment of the Disney company so there's something for every kind of Disney fan. Here are some helpful and interesting links to plan your visit to the D23 Expo:

• D23 Expo Official Website
  The official D23 Expo web site has all the info you need to get ready for the big event!
• Buy Tickets!
  Tickets are still available, so if you still need your four-day D23 Expo pass, now's the time to buy!
• D23 Expo Schedule
  A complete listing of all four days of events. Includes link to downloadable and printable D23 Expo Guidebook.
• Map of D23 Expo
  This Expo is going to be huge! Acquaint yourself with the layout of the convention before getting there.
• Disney Legends Awards Ceremony Honorees
  The 2009 Disney Legends Awards ceremony will be open to the public for the first time ever at the D23 Expo. Here is a complete list of this year's honorees, including actor/comedian Robin Williams, Golden Girls actress Beatrice Arthur, and Imagineer Leota Toombs Thomas.
• D23 Expo Live Auction
  The D23 Live Auction will offer an array of unique Disney collectibles up for auction. Interested bidders must purchase a $40 Auctioneers Package, tickets are limited. More information and a complete auction guide can be found at the link.
• D23 Expo Attendee Discounts: Downtown Disney — Anaheim area
  D23 Expo attendees will have exclusive discounts available to them at area merchants and dining throughout the four day convention.
• Visit MiceAge/MiceChat at the D23 Expo!
  Your favorite Disney site will be at the Expo, so stop on by and say hello, see some friends, get some swag, and meet some of your favorite MiceAge columnists!

The D23 team begins expo set-up last week at the Anaheim Convention Center
in this MiceChat exclusive first-look photo. Join the discussion HERE.

CAPTAIN EO PREPARATION SET FOR LATER THIS WEEK
Al Lutz shared news of a temporary "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" closure to allow WDI to install effects for a Captain EO test run with Disney execs this week before the big D23 Expo.

Editor's Note 9/4-5: Captain EO Update - Honey I Shrunk The Audience will be closed next week, Tues thru Thurs. WDI will be installing the Captain EO special effects to prepare the theater for Thur's private performance of the old show for Jay Rasulo and other bigwigs in Anaheim for the D23 Expo. Assuming Rasulo can find Tomorrowland (turn right in front of the castle) and no one in the audience has any objections to the show, Rasulo should then announce EO's Jan return during his Expo presentation on the 12th. - Al Lutz

For more information keep an eye on the MiceAge.com homepage

DISNEYLAND ANNOUNCES HALF-MARATHON WINNERS
The Disneyland half-marathon took place over the weekend. Disney issued a press release announcing winners late Sunday afternoon.

Jaeyung Hyung, of Las Cruces, N.M., Wins Fourth Annual Disneyland Half Marathon
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 6, 2009) – Jaeyung Hyung, 38, of Las Cruces, N.M., celebrated his first-place finish at the fourth annual Disneyland Half Marathon Sunday, crossing the finish line with a time of 1:10:44 to lead the estimated field of nearly 12,000 participants.

“I really enjoyed running the race here,“ Hyung said. “There were so many people, and Disney made it a lot of fun.”

Placing overall second was Benjamin Gomez-Gutierrez, 32, of Jalos, Mexico, with a time of 1:12:46. Dennis Hong, 17, of Chino Hills, Calif., finished third with a time of 1:13:10.

Mandy Grantz, 23, of Pasadena, Calif., celebrated as the women’s champion with a time of 1:26:00. Grantz, a second-year graduate student at California Institute of Technology, was running her first Disneyland Half Marathon.

“I’ve never been the winner of any race before,” Grantz said. “And I’ve never been to Disneyland before, so running through the parks was so much fun.”

For the full press release, visit Disneyland News: Jaeyung Hyung, of Las Cruces, N.M., Wins Fourth Annual Disneyland Half Marathon

TIANA'S SHOWBOAT JUBILEE ART RELEASED
A Photoshop rendering of the upcoming Tiana's Showboat Jubilee!, which will run daily along the Rivers of America this fall has found its way online. The piece is actual Disney concept art, and boy, it kind of makes you wonder what happened to the real artists and show designers at Disneyland. MiceAge's Al Lutz first broke news of the New Orleans Square-based show back on May 19.

To join discussion and see a full-size version of this image, visit MiceChat: Tiana's Showboat Jubilee Concept Art!

DISNEY BUYS MARVEL COMICS FOR $4 BILLION
Disney shook up the entertainment world on Monday when it announced the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment for an estimated $4 billion. The move opens a lot of doors for Disney in film, television, consumer products, and even theme parks with over 5,000 established characters to add to the Disney fold.

Disney to buy comic book powerhouse Marvel Entertainment
The Walt Disney Co. today announced that it had agreed to acquire comic-book giant Marvel Entertainment, creator of such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man, in a cash-and-stock deal worth an estimated $4 billion.

The acquisition would give Disney access to a library of more than 5,000 characters -- several of whom have inspired major films for other Hollywood studios. Marvel, meanwhile, gains the clout of Disney's ability to take a popular character and make money on it through films, television and licensed merchandise.

"We believe that adding Marvel to Disney's unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation," said Disney President and Chief Executive Robert A. Iger.

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel, including its more than 5,000 characters. Ike Perlmutter, the comic-book company's chief executive officer, will oversee the properties and work directly with Disney to build and integrate Marvel's properties.

For the full article, visit LA Times: Disney to buy comic book powerhouse Marvel Entertainment




Marvel creative mastermind Stan Lee called the deal "a very pleasant surprise" and expects the companies to "integrate perfectly" in a phone interview on Fox Business:

Stan Lee on Disney-Marvel Deal

For more, visit Fox Business: Stan Lee on Disney-Marvel Deal





LA Times Funland blogger Brady MacDonald cleared up the news on how the Disney-Marvel deal will impact Universal Orlando theme parks, which currently feature Marvel characters:

How the Disney-Marvel deal affects Universal Studios theme parks
Disney’s acquisition of Marvel is expected to have no effect on Universal Studios Florida, where visitors ride on attractions themed to Spider-Man and pose for photos with the Incredible Hulk at the Islands of Adventure theme park.

“Our agreement with Marvel stands for as long as we follow the terms of our existing contract and for as long as we want there to be a Marvel Super Hero Island,” said Universal Studios Florida spokesman Tom Schroder.

Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, across town from Walt Disney World in Orlando, includes the Incredible Hulk roller-coaster and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man simulator ride as well walk-around characters such as Wolverine and Captain America.

Universal Studios Hollywood, which in the past featured a Marvel stage show, themed restaurant and walk-around characters, ended its relationship with the comic book company in 2007.

Around the world, Universal theme parks planned for Singapore (2010) and Dubai (2012) have no plans for Marvel attractions or characters, officials said. Universal Studios Japan has a Spider-Man ride similar to the Orlando attraction. Universal’s intellectual property rights are limited geographically to the use of the Marvel brand in Orlando and the Spider-Man brand in Japan.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger promised to honor existing agreements between rival theme parks and the comic book giant, but expects to “use Marvel where we can on Disney platforms and in Disney places.”

For the full article, visit LA Times: How the Disney-Marvel deal affects Universal Studios theme parks





MiceAge's Kevin Yee chimed in on the acquisition and how it could affect theme parks as well:

Spider-Mouse: Disney buys Marvel, Marvel-ous opportunity?
[ . . . ] The question on almost every theme park fan's lips, including my own, is what this all means for the existing theme park Marvel properties, presently situated at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure: the phenomenal Spider-Man simulator ride, the sublime Hulk roller-coaster, the Doctor Doom freefall ride, and smaller locations such as the Fantastic Four restaurant and an eatery dedicated to Captain America.

The answer? Probably not much. Iger has said that Disney will honor existing Marvel contracts, and Universal's original filings indicate it has a long-term lock on using the Marvel characters in theme park attractions. It's still early in the game, but Universal has already issued a statement that its rides are not going anywhere: "Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal's Islands of Adventure and the Marvel characters are an important part of the Universal Orlando experience. They will remain so. Our agreement with Marvel stands for as long as we follow the terms of our existing contract and for as long as we want there to be a Marvel Super Hero Island."

Then, Universal sent this missive to their own employees: "You may have seen reports this morning that Disney intends to acquire Marvel Entertainment. Naturally, Team Members and guests may wonder how this will impact Islands of Adventure. Marvel Super Hero Island and the Marvel characters are a beloved and important part of the Universal Orlando experience and will remain so. Our guests are still going to be able to meet Spider-Man and all our other Marvel characters. We believe our agreement with Marvel stands and that the Disney/Marvel deal will have no impact on our guest experience."

In other words, the Hulk and Spider-Man rides get to remain there, at least for the time being. Some online reports indicate Universal may have essentially perpetual rights to use those characters in the theme park rides, so long as the same rides remain open. That having been said, it's a sure bet that the lawyers on both sides of the equation are about to go over everything with a very fine-toothed comb. One is especially struck with the less-than-certain phrase "we believe" that the agreement will stand. [ . . . ]

For the full article, visit MiceAge: Spider-Mouse — Disney buys Marvel, Marvel-ous opportunity?

Alright, that wraps it up for this week's Dateline Disneyland. Now, time to get ready for the D23 Expo! Many thanks to all of you for reading. Be sure to discuss this week's update in the comments section below! Your help is integral in keeping 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 4,500 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

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

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Inside Dateline Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland! Updated park maps, Fantasyland refurbishments and construction 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 & Mickey's Fun Wheel Disneyland Hotel remodel The Disneyland Hotel begins its multi-year remodel Grand Expansion Grand Californian Hotel expansion nears completion, a look at Vacation Club model rooms This and That iPhone Mania!, Gone Hollywood goes Halloween, Carnation Plaza Gardens bridge, Downtown Disney construction. Around the Parks Photos from around the parks Weekly News and Information Weekly theme park hours, closures and refurbishments, Fantasmic! dragon to debut this week, Julie Andrews signing, MiceChat nominated for best Disney forum.

WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND!
With the Summer Nightastic! promotion finally over, theme park maps have gone back to Fab 5 characters in party hats to coincide with the still on-going Celebrate Today! promotion.


The inside flap promotes recent additions, including the Big Thunder Barbecue, which changed its name from the Celebration Roundup and Barbeque after the continuous stage show was cancelled and prices were lowered.


A quick look in the California Adventure map shows that the park's parade route has been cut in half, as more and more construction walls line the previous route, cutting back on guest viewing space. Also cut from the map - the Orange Stinger, which has been completely removed as it undergoes its transformation into the Silly Symphony Swings.


The Silly Symphony Swings are now listed as a "coming soon" attraction. We'll check in on California Adventure construction later in today's update. First, let's head into Disneyland park.



Construction walls have gone up around the Casey Jr. Circus Train and the Storybook Land Canal Boats as the two attractions get a routine refurbishment through mid-November.











Across from the Matterhorn queue, in front of the old Motorboat Cruise dock (currently Fantasia Gardens smoking area), a new building has gone up over the last week. Likely for a more permanent outdoor vending location, the new structure has gone up relatively quickly.









CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION
Over in Disney's California Adventure, construction continues on a various projects in the park's big $1 billion makeover.

WORLD OF COLOR & PARADISE PARK VIEWING AREA
Work seems to be moving slow at the new 9,000-guest Paradise Park viewing area, but in reality, things are changing in the area constantly, as construction teams turn the space into a multi-leveled Victorian-styled seaside park.















Work continues on the massive World of Color show platform





The new wooden railing alongside the California Screamin' launch has been painted and weathered.




THE LITTLE MERMAID: ARIEL'S UNDERSEA ADVENTURE & CARS LAND
It doesn't seem like there's enough space for a big new Little Mermaid E-Ticket dark ride, but the Imagineers sure think so.





Work continues on the acreage that will become Cars Land over the next couple years.





SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS & MICKEY'S FUN WHEEL
Work continues on the old Orange Stinger, as it becomes the Silly Symphony Swings by Spring 2010.





Mirrors continue to be removed around Mickey's Fun Wheel.







REMODELING AN ICON
The multi-year remodel of the classic Disneyland Hotel has begun, and rooms are now being gutted in the Dreams tower.










The Dreams tower is set to be fully remodeled by June 2010, with the whole Hotel remodel to be finished by 2012.







GRAND EXPANSION
As the Disneyland Hotel begins its big remodel project, the Grand Californian Hotel's expansion is winding down as the new wing featuring the first West Coast Disney's Vacation Club rooms prepares to open on September 23.


The pool and spa areas look ready for guests.



A look inside the Disney's Vacation Club Grand Californian model units gives a sneak peek at what DVC members staying in the new wing can expect later next month in the 1-bedroom suite.















...And a look at the Studio unit:











THIS AND THAT
The new Toy Story Midway! iPhone game ($4.99) was recently reviewed by MiceAge's Kevin Yee who had great things to say about the new pocket version of the popular California Adventure ride. The game is advertised in the iTunes App Store as including a special bonus feature that is unlocked when iPhone users launch the game while visiting the attraction at California Adventure in California or Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida.


The bonus feature is simply a set of iPhone wallpapers that you can only get if you unlock them at the theme parks.


It's not worth making a special trip to the park for, but I guess it's a nice touch.



Over in DCA's Hollywood Pictures Backlot, the Gone Hollywood shop has been converted into a Halloween costume shop for the fall season.








Work continues on the new storefront in Downtown Disney.


And back in Disneyland, the bridge near Sleeping Beauty Castle, across from the Carnation Plaza Gardens stage has reopened after some much needed TLC.




AROUND THE PARKS
And we'll finish up the photos this week with some shots from around the parks...

DISNEYLAND WEEKLY HOURS AND INFO

THEME PARK HOURS AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 6
For a complete listing of theme park hours, please visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar

Disneyland Park
Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 9 pm
Friday: 9 am - 12 midnight
Saturday: 9:30 am - 12 midnight
Sunday: 9 am - 12 midnight

Disney's California Adventure Park
Monday - Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Friday: 10 am - 10 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 10:30 am - 8 pm

CURRENT ATTRACTION CLOSURES & REFURBISHMENTS

Disneyland Park

• The Enchanted Cottage: Closed through November 17.
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed August 24 through November 19.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats: Closed August 24 through November 19.
• Mark Twain Riverboat: Closed September 8 - 10.
• Space Mountain: Closed September 8 - 24 to install "Ghost Galaxy" Halloween overlay.
• Minnie's House: Closed September 9
• The Haunted Mansion: Closed September 10 - 24 to install Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed September 14 - 24 to install Halloween overlay
• Gadget's Go Coaster: Closed September 14 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.
• 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
• Lucky Fortune Cookery: Food service location opens in original Cocina Cucamonga location with new Asian-style menu September 3.
• Jumpin' Jellyfish: Attraction remains open while towers rotate through refurbishment. West tower currently closed.
• 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.

D23 EXPO UNCOVERED! PART 3

The folks at D23 have released the third, and final, installment in their "D23 Expo Uncovered" series as the big D23 Expo rapidly approaches.

FANTASMIC! DRAGON DEBUTS MONDAY, AUGUST 31!

---

UPDATED 8/31 - 3:40 am: The 5 am media preview of the new Fantasmic! dragon was cancelled around 3 am PST. As of this posting, details are still emerging. Please check the MiceAge.com homepage for the latest information.

---

Finally, after a summer-long promotion featuring its flame-spewing face, the brand new Fantasmic! dragon will finally debut today, Monday, August 31 at the 8:15pm showing of Fantasmic!, following an early-morning press preview at 5 am. MiceAge's Al Lutz broke the news late last week in an MiceAge.com Editor's Note:

Editor's Note 8/28-29: Murphy the Dragon UPDATED - With my last note, I was trying to defer to traditional media invited to the top secret 5 AM performance of Fantasmic on Mon, but the boards started buzzing with leaks from the Entertainment Dept.. Murphy will debut at the early morning media event for invited guests, then generate buzz all day on SoCal TV, radio and newspapers, and finally make his first public debut 15 hours later at the 8:15 PM show. Expect extended park hours and a second show each night through Thur, with a 3rd show added over Labor Day weekend. - Al Lutz

CAPTAIN EO, HAT BOX GHOST, AND TINK
In case you missed it, Al Lutz shared a lot of new info and behind-the-scenes plans for Disneyland in his August 25th column on MiceAge, including updates on Captain EO, the return of the Haunted Mansion's Hat Box Ghost, and a possible new Tinker Bell dark ride.

Hat Box Ghost - as seen in big figure form,
designed by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily for Disneyland's 50th Anniversary.

The Reluctant Dragon: Expo Expectations
[ . . . ] There's already a short list of things in final design and approval stages for Disneyland that would put fans in a frenzy at D23, such as Captain EO being shoehorned back into the old Magic Eye Theater for a limited run. There's also the imminent return of the Hat Box Ghost to the attic in Haunted Mansion (after this year's Holiday overlay is removed in January), with slick digital technology improving the clunky mechanical effects of 1969 that evicted that ghost and his hat box from the house in the first place.

Assuming that Consumer Products and the Studios can keep the momentum going on the young Fairies franchise, a Tinker Bell and Fairies themed dark ride is now slated for the old Motor Boat Cruise lagoon early in the next decade. And this winter when the Rivers of America is drained for several months, Tony Baxter is looking forward to adding back a lot of the animatronic wildlife and storytelling drama that has slowly been removed from Frontierland over the last two decades. [ . . . ]

For the full article, visit MiceAge: The Reluctant Dragon

DISNEY CHANNEL STAR MITCHELL MUSSO TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS IN DOWNTOWN DISNEY
From Around Disney: Disney Channel star Mitchell Musso of Hannah Montana fame will be signing autographs in Downtown Disney on Thursday, September 3. Julie Andrews also visited the Resort on Saturday for a book release event.

‘Hannah Montana’ star, Julie Andrews heading to Disney
[ . . . ] Mitchel Musso, an actor and singer, will sign autographs of his album in Downtown Disney. Musso plays Oliver Oken in the “Hannah Montana” show on the Disney Channel and movie. Musso also is set to perform that night at the House of Blues Anaheim.

Musso’s appearance is set for 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3 at Studio Disney 365.

For the full article, visit Around Disney: ‘Hannah Montana’ star, Julie Andrews heading to Disney

DISNEYLAND HALF-MARATHON SELLS OUT
The popular Disneyland Half Marathon returns this weekend for its fourth annual run through the resort, and continues to grow in popularity. The event is sold out for the fourth year in a row.

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Reaches Capacity Fourth Consecutive Year
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 24, 2009) - A full field of more than 18,000 participants is gearing up for the fourth annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Sept. 4-6. The weekend features activities for the whole family, including a Health & Fitness Expo, Mickey's Main Street, U.S.A. 5K, Kids' Races and the main event -- a 13.1-mile half marathon affectionately dubbed "The Happiest Race on Earth."

Participants from all 50 U.S. states and 13 countries are set to compete in weekend races. More than 13,500 are registered to participate in the Half Marathon Sept. 6, and 5,000 are registered in the Family 5K and Kids' Races Sept. 5.

The Disneyland Half Marathon features a course unlike any other in the world. Passing through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks - Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure - and the streets of Anaheim, participants will experience a race full of inspiration only Disney can provide. There are flaming cannons at the start, live entertainers along the route and Disney characters as cheerleaders. Many participants come dressed in costume, and some might even stop mid-race to pose with their favorite Disney characters.

"We've had tremendous success with the Disneyland Half Marathon, reaching capacity months before the race for the fourth year in a row, said Ed Grier, president of the Disneyland Resort. "In partnership with the City of Anaheim, we provide a unique and entertaining Half Marathon course, giving participants another reason to celebrate during this year's 'What Will You Celebrate?' initiative."

In 3 1/2 hours or less, runners will pass Disneyland icons such as Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Matterhorn, and Anaheim landmarks such as the Anaheim Convention Center, Honda Center and the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, before finally crossing the finish line in the Downtown Disney District.

For the full press release, visit Disneyland News: Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Reaches Capacity Fourth Consecutive Year

Alright, that wraps it up for this week's Dateline Disneyland. I'd like to thank MiceChat's Fishbulb for his generous assistance with this week's column. And of course, thanks to all of you for reading. Be sure to discuss this week's update in the comments section below! Your help is vital in keeping 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 4,400 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

Love reading Dateline Disneyland? If so, consider donating so the updates can keep coming through a quick and safe PayPal donation. Thanks for your support! Click here!

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