Taking a cue from Walt Disney World, Disneyland is now testing out a bagless line at the security checkpoints, which basically means that if you do not have a bag, you don’t have to wait in the bag search line. I personally think this is a great idea, & I hope that it becomes more than just a test, & becomes permanent.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for more information.
Just an FYI for everyone, that the Halloween Time Tour is being offered once again this year, from September 26th through October 31st. 2 tours will be held daily, dispersing at 5:15pm & 5:30pm, with 20 people per group. The cost of the tour is $59 per person (Annual Passholders get a discount which takes the price down to $47.50), not including admission. The tour includes rides on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion Holiday, & new for this year, Snow White’s Scary Adventures.
To book a tour, & for more information, you can call 714-481-4400.
According to the OC Register:
You probably figured it was going to happen sooner rather than later, but Disney spokesman John McClintock confirmed today that tickets for Miley Cyrus’ birthday bash at Disneyland sold out this week.
Five thousand fans — or their parents — forked over $250 for the privilege of hanging out with Cyrus in the park Oct. 5, which will be closed to other visitors that evening.
Cyrus, wildly popular among elementary schoolers and pre-teens as a singer and Disney Channel sitcom star, will celebrate her birthday at the park from 6 to 11 p.m. The park closes that night at 5 p.m., and only ticketholders are allowed in during the party. Tickets went on sale at 9 a.m. Aug. 30.
About time in my opinion. Even though I couldn’t care for the event…
John Rick of the Central Jersey Disney Pin Traders & The Disney Pincast attended the Pin Trading University event at Epcot in Walt Disney World this past weekend, & took a couple of pictures of some interesting upcoming pins at the Disneyland Resort. Let’s take a look at them:
Pins for the 15th anniversary of Nightmare Before Christmas, which are being released sometime this month.
Very nice pins for Sleeping Beauty’s 50th anniversary, that I’ll definitely be picking up when they’re released on September 20th.
And some even better pins being released next March for the 20th anniversary of my favorite animated movie, The Little Mermaid.
It was announced at the event that next year’s Summer Pin Festival will be themed to the Haunted Mansion, for its 40th anniversary.
Concept for some of those Haunted Mansion 40th anniversary pins.
Be sure to check out this post on WDW News Today for plenty more pictures from the Pin Trading University event, as well as many more from Walt Disney World this past weekend.
Some sad news from the OC Register:
Hundreds of Disney cast members are spending their first Tuesday at work without a beloved and perennial guest.
Nicki Fotia, 26, of Anaheim, a former cast member at Disneyland, called Around Disney this afternoon to report that Timothy Storms, 48, of Huntington Beach – known around Disneyland as “Mr. Tuesday” – killed himself over the weekend.
Storms spent every Tuesday for years up until this week at the park said Fotia, who worked at Disneyland from late 2002 through 2006. He visited with cast members, took their photos and passed on the photos to the cast members.
“I saw that man hundreds of times,” Fotia said. “Even when I was pregnant and not in costume, he recognized me. I wish I knew why he committed suicide, he was always so friendly and happy.”
Orange County Deputy Coroner Mitchell Sigal confirmed this afternoon that Storms’ body was found Saturday with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
More details to come.
I had a lovely day at the Disneyland Resort yesterday, & there is tons of stuff going on around the Resort. Let’s delve into this enormous photo report:
All of the attractions closed. The Mark Twain wasn’t closed by the way!
The lovely new DCA map cover.
Not a lot of entertainment going on at DCA during the off season.
Not really a lot at Disneyland either.
Halloween Time returns September 26th!
The McDonalds logo is still in the Burger Invasion poster near California Screamin’s entrance.
Mr. Potato Head was broken down when I went to ride Toy Story Midway Mania.
SS Rustworthy is still the same as it has always been.
The big McDonalds logo has been removed from the Burger Invasion facade.
A look at the old menu.
The McDonalds logo is still on the main part of SS Rustworthy.
The Vineyard Room has already been removed from all Golden Vine Winery signs.
I hate deserted buildings.
This sign is in front of the upcoming DCA Preview Center.
Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party advertised at the exit turnstiles of DCA…
… And also the exit turnstiles of Disneyland.
The lovely new Disneyland Park map cover.
Halloween merchandise on sale in the Emporium.
I love that 15th anniversary of Nightmare Before Christmas shirt!
The whole Star Tours outside queue is under construction walls, to be repaved.
What a lovely term!
The walls spread all the way from the entrance of Star Tours to the main entrance of the Star Trader.
What an amazing wait time for Space Mountain, especially as this was around 2pm!
I have never seen Space Mountain’s wait this short, this late in the day!
While waiting in line for the Matterhorn, I saw Monorail Purple being towed off the track. It returned to the tracks later in the day.
New color scheme on the It’s a Small World attraction sign.
A peek through a whole in the construction wall.
A peek inside the It’s a Small World Toy Shop.
I went to the Princess Fantasy Faire to see if Ariel in her human form was there. While in line for the Princesses, I heard her being announced as part of the Royal Coronation Ceremony. Oh well, better luck next time!
One track of the Matterhorn was not being used all day.
Now a look at construction on Ariel’s Grotto/Pixie Hollow.
The Ariel’s Grotto sign is still in place.
A peek through a whole in the construction wall.
I spy with my little eye- Disney Executives!
You should be able to see a fountain still running just above the construction wall.
Yep, definitely Disney executives!
You cant see it all that well in this picture, but there is some sort of image planted in the ground.
It’s construction wall chaos in New Orleans Square right now!
To get to Critter Country, you have to use the lower walkway right along the Rivers of America.
The whole area from the French Market, past the New Orleans Square Railroad Station, & through to the Haunted Mansion is completely walled off to guest access!
There’s that beautification term once again.
After one day, the French Market is already covered in scaffolding.
I don’t think anything has yet changed over at Harbor Galley.
The Secret of the Stone Tiger show sign has already been removed.
I’m not completely sure, but I think someone was taken ill here right outside Aladdin’s Oasis.
Now let’s take a mini tour of Golden Dreams, which closes permanently to the public this upcoming Sunday.
A look at construction on the Grand Californian DVC expansion.
DCA closed at 6pm yesterday. That’s crazy early if you ask me.
The stores at the Disneyland Resort have special offers on the 2 newest Disney DVD releases, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning…
… And the amazing new Nightmare Before Christmas special edition DVD.
Halloween decor inside Marceline’s Confectionery at Downtown Disney.
A look at the Halloween decorations in the Toontown room of the World of Disney store.
The horrible looking Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie being advertised on the exterior of the World of Disney.
It seriously can’t take this long to fix a billboard!
That’s going to wrap it up for this gigantic photo report. Be sure to check back later today as I’ll be uploading bigger versions of these pictures, plus many more to our lovely Image Galleries.
Let’s take a look at a couple of the latest happenings through-out the Disneyland Resort, brought up in this week’s Monday in the Parks article on MiceAge:
Finally, here is a press release released yesterday by Disney on the Half Marathon:
John Lucas of Eugene, Oregon, Wins Third Annual Disneyland Half Marathon, Setting New Record
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 31, 2008) – Course records were broken in Men’s, Women’s and Master’s divisions in the third annual Disneyland Half Marathon, Sunday at Disneyland Resort.
John Lucas, a marketing specialist for a sports apparel company in Eugene, Oregon, crossed the finish line first with a Disneyland Half Marathon record time of 1:08:05 (exactly two minutes faster than the 2007 winning time), leading the field of an estimated 13,500 participants.
“It’s a very meaningful place for me,” Lucas said of Disneyland. After qualifying for the Olympic trials in the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon, Lucas took his girlfriend Molly to Disneyland and proposed to her in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. The couple also honeymooned at the Resort after their wedding in 2007.
“My favorite moment (in today’s race) was coming back through Disney’s California Adventure and seeing Mrs. Incredible and Sully cheering us on,” Lucas said, referring to Disney•Pixar characters who lined the course.
Lucas said he liked the competitive field and “the flat course really helped me keep a rhythm.”
Placing second overall was Mark Batres, 23, of Rowland Heights, Calif., with a time of 1:09:55. Chokri Dhaouadi, 36, a Tunisian runner who trains in Las Cruces, New Mexico, finished third with a time of 1:12:14.
Mary Akor, 31, of Gardena, Calif, was the women’s half marathon champion. Akor finished with a Disneyland Half Marathon women’s record time of 1:19:24, despite losing her race chip and having to start from the back of the pack. She caught up with the women’s leader at approximately the five mile mark, in the 13.1-mile event.
“I had to make my way through all the other runners,” she said. “But it was a great race with so many people out there cheering us on. That really made it special.”
The women’s second place finisher was Mary Kate Bailey, 33, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:19.33. Suzy Schumacher, 39, of Phoenix, Arix. – last year’s winner of the women’s Disneyland Half Marathon – took third place with a time of 1:25:12.
Kevin Broady, 45, of Brea, Calif., who finished first overall in the 2007 Disneyland Half Marathon, earned a notable Master’s Division (age 40+) victory this year with a division record time of 1:13.26 and a fourth place overall ranking.
Edith Martinez, 40, of Brea, Calif., was the top women’s Master’s finisher with a division record time of 1:28:29.
In the men’s Half Marathon wheelchair division, Ralph Pieplenbos, 55, of Monrovia, Calif., crossed the finish line with a time of 1:19:27.
Last year’s winner of the women’s half marathon wheelchair division, Kristen Messer, 21, of Austin, Texas, repeated this year with a winning time of 1:37:42.
Approximately 13,500 runners from 50 states and 16 countries registered for the magical 13.1 mile Disneyland Half Marathon this year. The field included first-time half marathoners as well as veteran runners. The course traveled through two Disneyland Resort theme parks and along Anaheim streets with landmarks such as Angels Stadium and Honda Center, while colorful Disney characters and festive music inspired them along the way.
Runners who completed the half marathon received a commemorative Sleeping Beauty Castle medal, the signature medal of the Disneyland Half Marathon and one in the Disney endurance series collection.
The Coast-to-Coast medal, a new award, was presented to nearly 1,000 runners who completed either the Walt Disney World Marathon or Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January and then completed Sunday’s Disneyland Half Marathon. The Coast-to-Coast medal showcases the iconic “Partners Statue,” of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
The 2009 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend will be held Sept. 4-6, with the Half Marathon being held on Sunday, Sept. 6. Registration for the 2009 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend opens on Monday, September 1, 2008.
For more information and to view complete searchable race results visit www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com.
This weekend is the weekend for the Disneyland Half Marathon, & tons of preperation work has been going on through-out the Disneyland Resort, & a couple of smaller events were held yesterday morning. So here are pictures of the preparation & events (plus a few other things) as taken by David “Darkbeer” Michael:
Special park hours are in effect today
The Health & Fitness Expo was held in one of the ballrooms at the Disneyland Hotel
This is where you would of signed in for the various races
Concept art for the DVC Villas coming to the Grand Californian, as seen at the Health & Fitness Expo
The starting point for the Half Marathon
And the finish point
A few smaller races were held yesterday morning
They made use of the old Green Army Men stand that used to be outside the Esplanade promoting Toy Story Midway Mania
The starting point for most of these smaller races was the Timon parking lot
One of the few times that Heelys are welcome in Disney parks
Signs directing people to each of the different races inside DCA
The finish point in Paradise Pier
The Toy Story characters were there to celebrate
This basically looks like a crawling race for very young kids… A bit stupid if you ask me!
Now moving away from the Half Marathon… Halloween Time is now being promoted before the security tents
Filming of some sort going on in New Orleans Square
Construction walls in front of the old Fantasyland Skyway Station
This sign is up in front of the upcoming DCA Preview Center
Finally, auditions were held yesterday at the ESPN Zone, for the ABC show Wipeout
Here are a few of the more interesting happenings from the week, that have popped up on the internet while I was in Las Vegas:
Be sure to check back tomorrow, as we still have tons more catching up to do!
Let’s take a look through some of the latest happenings through-out the Disneyland Resort, brought up in both pictures & words in this week’s Monday in the Parks on MiceAge:
Traffic is going to be severely effected due to the Disneyland Half Marathon this upcoming Sunday… For information & tips on how to beat the traffic, check the Monday in Parks article
Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party being advertised at both the Disneyland turnstiles…
… And DCA’s turnstiles
A water pump has been added to the It’s a Small World flume
Over at Ariel’s Grotto, this is what has become of the turntable of sorts where you would meet Ariel
According to the Monday in the Parks article, Ariel has replaced Pocahontas over at the Princess Fantasy Faire. No word if you’ll still be able to greet with Pocahontas anywhere… The picture shows that Ariel is in the same dress as used in the Ariel’s Grotto restaurant in DCA
