Monday in the Parks - Southern California Fires and much more!
Before we get started on the parks, the Southern California Fires have caused some serious issues that are not Theme Park related.
Everyone at MiceAge/MiceChat wants to send their best wishes to all of those who have been affected, and condolences to everyone that has lost their home! (I know of at least one Disneyland Cast Member who lost their residence!)
The Southern California Fires are still going on, and if you do not need to be in the area, please just stay away.
As of 4 AM PDT Monday, Southern California, and especially Orange County still has major fire issues.
Southern California Fires and its effects on the SoCal Theme Parks.
The one park that closed due to the fires was Six Flags Magic Mountain on Saturday, 11/15. While it was not in the main path of the fire, its main access, for both Guests and Employees was closed due to the fire (I-5). There was no need to make the traffic issues any worse than needed (Emergency vehicles need to have priority!), so kudos to SFMM for making the prudent choice.
At the Disneyland Resort, on Saturday, around Noon, they pulled "Non-essential" personal, such as Photo Pass CM's from on stage due to the smoke and ash. Disney did leave CM's that had to run rides, ODV carts, etc. out, but rotated them as much as possible to get them out of the smoke.
Sunday was a lot better, but still smoky. Of course, high winds caused the closure of some attractions and entertainment all weekend.
For the next few days, things should be fairly normal at the Theme Parks, but still, winds might cause things like Fantasmic! at Disneyland to not be offered due to the safety of the guests and cast.
Christmas Season starts Friday!
Should I place my gift list here???
Just kidding, but the Disneyland Resort starts its Holiday season this week, heck, to be honest, they already started, with much of the decorations up, and music loops being played at Disneyland this weekend.
Here is a Disneyland Resort Press Release...
The Merriest Of Holiday Celebrations Make Spirits Brighter Than Ever At Disneyland Resort
ANAHEIM, Calif. (November 11, 2008) - When it comes to celebrating the magic and sparkle of the holidays, there's no place like the Disneyland Resort, the Merriest Place on Earth. From November 21 through January 4, the annual Disneyland Resort holiday celebration will be more dazzling than ever.
Guests will enjoy the return of the holiday's most popular offerings as well as be immersed in new entertainment at both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure parks.
Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle, first introduced in 2007, will be decorated even more elaborately this holiday season with additional snowdrifts and icicles. After dark, a sensational new holiday lighting and special effects show will carry the magic of the holidays from the Castle all the way to the Christmas Tree in Town Square. And, for the first time in 53 years, the Christmas Tree will be completely artificial, which enables Disneyland to present a holiday light show like no other with more than 62,000 energy-efficient LED lights.
The Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle presentation unfolds throughout the evening in three acts, each of them featuring a touch of winter snow on Main Street, U.S.A. The finale of the show includes the legendary "Believe in Holiday Magic" fireworks show, which takes guests on a journey of sights and sounds of the season and ends with a touching rendition of "White Christmas" along with a climactic snowfall swirling down on Main Street, U.S.A., "small world mall" and New Orleans Square.
New this year, just in time for the holidays and for the first time in seven years, guests will walk through the iconic home of Sleeping Beauty. A "reawakened" Sleeping Beauty Castle show tells the story of "Sleeping Beauty" in a style reminiscent of the Disneyland Castle walkthrough of earlier years, but enhanced with 21st-century special effects.
Themed entertainment, sparkling decorations and tasty treats add festive warmth to holiday fun at both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Guests can also book guided holiday tours that provide expedited entry into the "it's a small world" holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday, VIP seating for the Disneyland "A Christmas Fantasy" parade and entertaining information about the history behind Disneyland holiday traditions. For information and reservations guests can visit Disneyland City Hall or call (714) 781-4400.
Other returning holiday favorites at Disneyland park include:
· Santa's Reindeer Round-up, which transforms Big Thunder Ranch into a "West Pole" getaway where Santa can unwind with Mrs. Claus and his team of reindeer. Kids and their families will chat with St. Nick, see real reindeer grazing in a corral, play some reindeer games, create take-home Yuletide souvenirs and join in holiday line dances with music from a Western trio.
· "A Christmas Fantasy" parade will be presented November 21 through January 4 on Main Street, U.S.A. This ever-popular procession depicts an enchanting collection of holiday scenes, music and a cast of Disney characters and performers in Yuletide vignettes.
· Haunted Mansion Holiday presents a madcap celebration as the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. The ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington from the film Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas has come to the Haunted Mansion to transform it with his skewed vision of the holidays.
· "it's a small world" holiday transforms "it's a small world" into a worldwide celebration of the season, boasting more than 300,000 glittering lights on its facade.
Disney's California Adventure celebrates the season with fanciful park-wide decorations and lively entertainment.
· Guests approaching the park will immediately get in the holiday mood as they encounter the iconic "CALIFORNIA" letters transformed to appear as swirling red and white peppermint sticks.
· "a bug's land" transforms as Flik and his bug buddies spread giant Christmas lights and oversized ornaments throughout their realm.
· The holiday scene at Paradise Bay includes a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, hundreds of sparking lights on nearby trees, and lampposts decorated with seasonal wreaths.
The Downtown Disney District and the Disneyland Resort hotels will join in the merriment with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining.
Just in time for the holidays, new entertainment comes to life in both parks. At Disney's California Adventure, the daily "Pixar Play Parade" is joined three times each day by performances of the energetic, traveling rock and dance concert show, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year - Right Here! Right Now!" Also new to Disney's California Adventure is the Blue Sky Cellar, a Walt Disney Imagineers' workshop that offers guests a preview of new attractions coming to the park over the next few years.
At Disneyland, in addition to the reopening of the doors to Sleeping Beauty Castle, guests have a new opportunity to explore the world of Tinker Bell inside Pixie Hollow, a magical place where visitors meet "Tink" and her pixie friends.
Expanded hours at both Disneyland Resort theme parks will extend the holiday fun. For more information about holidays at the Disneyland Resort, and to send Disneyland Resort e-card holiday greetings to friends and relatives, visit www.disneyland.com/holidays.
Disneyland Resort features two fantastic theme parks - Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney's California Adventure park - plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. The Resort's three guest-welcoming hotels are the luxurious 745-room Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the magical 988-room Disneyland Hotel and the "day-at-the-beach" fun of the 489-room Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. For information on new attractions, "What Will You Celebrate?" and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.
The biggest point is the "Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through", note that the Press Release did not mention an exact date. They are trying to get it open as quickly as possible, but still, a mid-December date is still the expected time of the official opening.
"it's a small world" is on track to open this Friday, in fact, there is a decent chance to check it out early, more than likely starting this Wednesday in "soft openings", but even a slight chance starting this morning (Monday). If you are interested, just walk by the attraction, if the attraction is open, Cast Members will welcome you onto the ride. If not, they really can't say much about "if" it will open, please understand and be courteous to the Cast Members.
As you can see in the press release, not much is going on at DCA, heck, if you start with the decoration of the California letters as the primary Christmas event, well...
Sants's Beach Blast in DCA has been cancelled.
This pretty much makes Disneyland Park THE place to be for Christmas. Hopefully in a few years, BOTH Disneyland and DCA will have great Christmas offerings!
Knott's Berry Farm will start its Christmas events on Thanksgiving, and Universal Studios Hollywood will start on December 6th.
Disneyland's Candlelight Dinner Packages go sale Tuesday at 6 PM PST.
The Disney Choir Members have been informed that John Stamos will be the narrator for both Saturday and Sunday.
For those interested in getting a Reserved seat to one of the 4 performances, don't forget that the Dinner packages go on sale at 6 PM tomorrow (11/18). They usually are sold out within minutes, so if you want a package, make sure you are in front of your computer a few minutes PRIOR to 6 PM.
The website to order is www.Disneyland.com/Candelight .
All orders will have a $10 surcharge, and that you MUST have your "dinner" prior to attending the selected viewing.
Problems with SoCal parks.
SeaLife Aquarium, part of LEGOLAND, has shut down for some major changes, and is expected to reopen on December 26th.
Brand New Legoland Attraction Shutting Down | NBC San Diego
LEGOLAND is still open and operating as normal.
SeaWorld is still in limbo, since it is part of the Anheuser-Busch sale to InBev....
San Diego Business Journal Online - business news for San Diego, California
As mentioned in the article posted above, November 12th had the Anheuser-Busch Stockholders approving the merger, but on November 14th, the US Government stepped in and has said that A-B would have to get rid of its Labatt USA division prior to the sale.
Selected photos at Darkbeer.Smugmug.com
First, a couple of photos from Veteran's Day (November 11th) at Disneyland. To all of those who have served their country... THANK YOU!
The Disneyland Band, Dapper Dans, and some of the Cast Members who have served the USA in the Armed Forces make their way towards Town Square.
The Gentleman in the middle is Walter D. Ehlers, a Medal of Honor receipient. It was a big honor to have him attend the Disneyland Veterans Day ceremonies! You can find out more about this highly decorated Veteran here... Walter D. Ehlers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
About one-third of the Timon Parking Lot has been fenced off and closed to guests to allow for Construction workers and supplies for the upcoming World of Color.
A couple of workers trying to get rid of the "Sludge" in Paradise Pier. But their boots clearly show that abiut just one more foot of water needs to be pumped out of the lagoon.
A chain link fence has been added to the lagoon. It is to make sure that the construction workers don't get too close to the California Screamin' launch area. Workers are scheudled to start this morning on the project to upgrade DCA.
While the new artwork on the refurb walls looks great, the material it was placed on is warping, and is very noticable.
Orange Stinger at DCA has received 4 "tandem" swings, which allows an Adult and a Child to ride together. (Two adults cannot ride together due to weight issues).
There are PLENTY more photos at Darkbeer.Smugmug.com!
Once again thank you for reading.
But of course, we need to give BIG Thanks to all the Veterans who served, plus ALL the Public Safety Personnel that had their hands full this weekend due tot he fires. Folks recognize the Fire Fighters, but there are MANY more folks, including Police, Animal Control, and many others that make sure in times of disaster, things are taking care off.
Also to those in the Non-Profit and Religious organizations that mobilize for these types of disasters, a BIG thank you for making sure those who are displaced are taken care off!
Everyone at MiceAge/MiceChat wants to send their best wishes to all of those who have been affected, and condolences to everyone that has lost their home! (I know of at least one Disneyland Cast Member who lost their residence!)
The Southern California Fires are still going on, and if you do not need to be in the area, please just stay away.
As of 4 AM PDT Monday, Southern California, and especially Orange County still has major fire issues.
Southern California Fires and its effects on the SoCal Theme Parks.
The one park that closed due to the fires was Six Flags Magic Mountain on Saturday, 11/15. While it was not in the main path of the fire, its main access, for both Guests and Employees was closed due to the fire (I-5). There was no need to make the traffic issues any worse than needed (Emergency vehicles need to have priority!), so kudos to SFMM for making the prudent choice.
At the Disneyland Resort, on Saturday, around Noon, they pulled "Non-essential" personal, such as Photo Pass CM's from on stage due to the smoke and ash. Disney did leave CM's that had to run rides, ODV carts, etc. out, but rotated them as much as possible to get them out of the smoke.
Sunday was a lot better, but still smoky. Of course, high winds caused the closure of some attractions and entertainment all weekend.
For the next few days, things should be fairly normal at the Theme Parks, but still, winds might cause things like Fantasmic! at Disneyland to not be offered due to the safety of the guests and cast.
Christmas Season starts Friday!
Should I place my gift list here???
Just kidding, but the Disneyland Resort starts its Holiday season this week, heck, to be honest, they already started, with much of the decorations up, and music loops being played at Disneyland this weekend.
Here is a Disneyland Resort Press Release...
Quote:
The Merriest Of Holiday Celebrations Make Spirits Brighter Than Ever At Disneyland Resort
ANAHEIM, Calif. (November 11, 2008) - When it comes to celebrating the magic and sparkle of the holidays, there's no place like the Disneyland Resort, the Merriest Place on Earth. From November 21 through January 4, the annual Disneyland Resort holiday celebration will be more dazzling than ever.
Guests will enjoy the return of the holiday's most popular offerings as well as be immersed in new entertainment at both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure parks.
Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle, first introduced in 2007, will be decorated even more elaborately this holiday season with additional snowdrifts and icicles. After dark, a sensational new holiday lighting and special effects show will carry the magic of the holidays from the Castle all the way to the Christmas Tree in Town Square. And, for the first time in 53 years, the Christmas Tree will be completely artificial, which enables Disneyland to present a holiday light show like no other with more than 62,000 energy-efficient LED lights.
The Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle presentation unfolds throughout the evening in three acts, each of them featuring a touch of winter snow on Main Street, U.S.A. The finale of the show includes the legendary "Believe in Holiday Magic" fireworks show, which takes guests on a journey of sights and sounds of the season and ends with a touching rendition of "White Christmas" along with a climactic snowfall swirling down on Main Street, U.S.A., "small world mall" and New Orleans Square.
New this year, just in time for the holidays and for the first time in seven years, guests will walk through the iconic home of Sleeping Beauty. A "reawakened" Sleeping Beauty Castle show tells the story of "Sleeping Beauty" in a style reminiscent of the Disneyland Castle walkthrough of earlier years, but enhanced with 21st-century special effects.
Themed entertainment, sparkling decorations and tasty treats add festive warmth to holiday fun at both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Guests can also book guided holiday tours that provide expedited entry into the "it's a small world" holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday, VIP seating for the Disneyland "A Christmas Fantasy" parade and entertaining information about the history behind Disneyland holiday traditions. For information and reservations guests can visit Disneyland City Hall or call (714) 781-4400.
Other returning holiday favorites at Disneyland park include:
· Santa's Reindeer Round-up, which transforms Big Thunder Ranch into a "West Pole" getaway where Santa can unwind with Mrs. Claus and his team of reindeer. Kids and their families will chat with St. Nick, see real reindeer grazing in a corral, play some reindeer games, create take-home Yuletide souvenirs and join in holiday line dances with music from a Western trio.
· "A Christmas Fantasy" parade will be presented November 21 through January 4 on Main Street, U.S.A. This ever-popular procession depicts an enchanting collection of holiday scenes, music and a cast of Disney characters and performers in Yuletide vignettes.
· Haunted Mansion Holiday presents a madcap celebration as the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. The ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington from the film Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas has come to the Haunted Mansion to transform it with his skewed vision of the holidays.
· "it's a small world" holiday transforms "it's a small world" into a worldwide celebration of the season, boasting more than 300,000 glittering lights on its facade.
Disney's California Adventure celebrates the season with fanciful park-wide decorations and lively entertainment.
· Guests approaching the park will immediately get in the holiday mood as they encounter the iconic "CALIFORNIA" letters transformed to appear as swirling red and white peppermint sticks.
· "a bug's land" transforms as Flik and his bug buddies spread giant Christmas lights and oversized ornaments throughout their realm.
· The holiday scene at Paradise Bay includes a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, hundreds of sparking lights on nearby trees, and lampposts decorated with seasonal wreaths.
The Downtown Disney District and the Disneyland Resort hotels will join in the merriment with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining.
Just in time for the holidays, new entertainment comes to life in both parks. At Disney's California Adventure, the daily "Pixar Play Parade" is joined three times each day by performances of the energetic, traveling rock and dance concert show, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year - Right Here! Right Now!" Also new to Disney's California Adventure is the Blue Sky Cellar, a Walt Disney Imagineers' workshop that offers guests a preview of new attractions coming to the park over the next few years.
At Disneyland, in addition to the reopening of the doors to Sleeping Beauty Castle, guests have a new opportunity to explore the world of Tinker Bell inside Pixie Hollow, a magical place where visitors meet "Tink" and her pixie friends.
Expanded hours at both Disneyland Resort theme parks will extend the holiday fun. For more information about holidays at the Disneyland Resort, and to send Disneyland Resort e-card holiday greetings to friends and relatives, visit www.disneyland.com/holidays.
Disneyland Resort features two fantastic theme parks - Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney's California Adventure park - plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. The Resort's three guest-welcoming hotels are the luxurious 745-room Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the magical 988-room Disneyland Hotel and the "day-at-the-beach" fun of the 489-room Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. For information on new attractions, "What Will You Celebrate?" and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.
"it's a small world" is on track to open this Friday, in fact, there is a decent chance to check it out early, more than likely starting this Wednesday in "soft openings", but even a slight chance starting this morning (Monday). If you are interested, just walk by the attraction, if the attraction is open, Cast Members will welcome you onto the ride. If not, they really can't say much about "if" it will open, please understand and be courteous to the Cast Members.
As you can see in the press release, not much is going on at DCA, heck, if you start with the decoration of the California letters as the primary Christmas event, well...
Sants's Beach Blast in DCA has been cancelled.
This pretty much makes Disneyland Park THE place to be for Christmas. Hopefully in a few years, BOTH Disneyland and DCA will have great Christmas offerings!
Knott's Berry Farm will start its Christmas events on Thanksgiving, and Universal Studios Hollywood will start on December 6th.
Disneyland's Candlelight Dinner Packages go sale Tuesday at 6 PM PST.
The Disney Choir Members have been informed that John Stamos will be the narrator for both Saturday and Sunday.
For those interested in getting a Reserved seat to one of the 4 performances, don't forget that the Dinner packages go on sale at 6 PM tomorrow (11/18). They usually are sold out within minutes, so if you want a package, make sure you are in front of your computer a few minutes PRIOR to 6 PM.
The website to order is www.Disneyland.com/Candelight .
All orders will have a $10 surcharge, and that you MUST have your "dinner" prior to attending the selected viewing.
Problems with SoCal parks.
SeaLife Aquarium, part of LEGOLAND, has shut down for some major changes, and is expected to reopen on December 26th.
Brand New Legoland Attraction Shutting Down | NBC San Diego
LEGOLAND is still open and operating as normal.
SeaWorld is still in limbo, since it is part of the Anheuser-Busch sale to InBev....
San Diego Business Journal Online - business news for San Diego, California
As mentioned in the article posted above, November 12th had the Anheuser-Busch Stockholders approving the merger, but on November 14th, the US Government stepped in and has said that A-B would have to get rid of its Labatt USA division prior to the sale.
Selected photos at Darkbeer.Smugmug.com
First, a couple of photos from Veteran's Day (November 11th) at Disneyland. To all of those who have served their country... THANK YOU!
The Disneyland Band, Dapper Dans, and some of the Cast Members who have served the USA in the Armed Forces make their way towards Town Square.
The Gentleman in the middle is Walter D. Ehlers, a Medal of Honor receipient. It was a big honor to have him attend the Disneyland Veterans Day ceremonies! You can find out more about this highly decorated Veteran here... Walter D. Ehlers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
About one-third of the Timon Parking Lot has been fenced off and closed to guests to allow for Construction workers and supplies for the upcoming World of Color.
A couple of workers trying to get rid of the "Sludge" in Paradise Pier. But their boots clearly show that abiut just one more foot of water needs to be pumped out of the lagoon.
A chain link fence has been added to the lagoon. It is to make sure that the construction workers don't get too close to the California Screamin' launch area. Workers are scheudled to start this morning on the project to upgrade DCA.
While the new artwork on the refurb walls looks great, the material it was placed on is warping, and is very noticable.
Orange Stinger at DCA has received 4 "tandem" swings, which allows an Adult and a Child to ride together. (Two adults cannot ride together due to weight issues).
There are PLENTY more photos at Darkbeer.Smugmug.com!
Once again thank you for reading.
But of course, we need to give BIG Thanks to all the Veterans who served, plus ALL the Public Safety Personnel that had their hands full this weekend due tot he fires. Folks recognize the Fire Fighters, but there are MANY more folks, including Police, Animal Control, and many others that make sure in times of disaster, things are taking care off.
Also to those in the Non-Profit and Religious organizations that mobilize for these types of disasters, a BIG thank you for making sure those who are displaced are taken care off!
Total Comments 16
Comments
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Thanks for the update.Posted 11-17-2008 at 07:57 AM by WheresMickey
- My heart goes out to all who have lost thier homes in the recent fires. Being a flatlander wild fires are not something that we have to deal with but leaving the parks on Saturday due to ash and smoke then getting stuck on the 91 fwy. for an extended amount of time my wife and I got a very small taste of how chaotic a fire can be. We were stuck in the east bound Fast Track lanes when huge flames shot up the middle divider singeing the cars ahead of us. The panic that we felt and the crazy lane changes that occured from all the cars around us was an experience I won't soon forget. This was on the relative safety of the freeway, I can't imagine what it would be like to be in the center of a raging fire.
May God bless all the wonderful fire fighters who march into danger to save life and property. They are truly impressive and a blessing to us all.Posted 11-17-2008 at 08:13 AM by RikiTiki66 - To all that lost homes and to those that have lost faith also my heart goes out to you!As my husband who is a Cal Fire captain I have seen through pictures firsthand that the distruction is horrible.& those of you that have loved ones fighting the fires as I do hats off to you.We were to come down but...he's doing his job so another time.Bless them all those that lost,and those that are still trying to stop the fires.Posted 11-17-2008 at 09:11 AM by bdchung@mlode.com
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Thanks for the update and all the info. To all those that have been affected by the fires, many prayers have been said and will be said for you. Our hearts go out to you.
With the removal/discontinuation of the Beach Blast, is there a Santa Claus meet and greet or photo op anywhere in DCA?Posted 11-17-2008 at 09:50 AM by FREQDUDE -
Nicely done.Posted 11-17-2008 at 11:41 AM by mickeyandme67 -
Thanks for the updatePosted 11-17-2008 at 12:08 PM by b236en -
thanks for the updatePosted 11-17-2008 at 12:27 PM by MickeyMousePal -
great update!Posted 11-17-2008 at 01:53 PM by Kritter -
As a proud veteran I would like to take a moment to say a very big you're welcome. While the war may not be popular please never forget those who are serving and those who have paid the ultimate price.
Great update & thanks againPosted 11-17-2008 at 06:59 PM by hadesthecat -
I love how Disneyland is so proud of their first ever artificial tree in 53 years. That is something to be really proud of.(sarcasm)Posted 11-17-2008 at 07:10 PM by HMF -
I don't know where you heard that Disney pulled Photopass CM's because of the air conditions/ash. My girlfriend works in that dept. and was out in the ash all day Saturday...Posted 11-17-2008 at 10:10 PM by mainstreetcm -
Possibly we'll all feel differently about the artificial tree once we see the new "lights" show. You certainly can see the difference, it looks plastic/rubber up close, but still, maybe the greatness of the show will compensate for it not being live. Hey kritter...justasuckerPosted 11-17-2008 at 10:17 PM by jmnycrkt -
Great upodate, as usual. Thank you very much.
As for the artificial tree issue isn't it a good thing to have a tree that can be reused year after year? Just my opinion, mind you...Posted 11-17-2008 at 10:17 PM by gawama -
Great update! Thanks Darkbeer!
Posted 11-17-2008 at 10:25 PM by Mac Daddy -
I appreciated the objective reporting about the fire issue and the caring sentiments. You really are a good reporter, Darkbeer.Posted 11-18-2008 at 01:56 AM by nemopoppins -
Another wonderful update, thank you!Posted 11-18-2008 at 09:54 AM by DonDuck
