MintCrocodile’s DLR Pictorial

WDWNT on July 4, 2008

Staff Photographer MintCrocodile is back with a look at the latest happenings around the Disneyland Resort:


A these 2 lines new?


New sign for the Art of Disney at the exit of Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years


The Dream banners are back


Monorail Red is finally taking guests


Speaking of stuff that finally happened… SPACE MOUNTAIN IS CLEAN!


This is where the tree in New Orleans Square that fell was a couple of days ago


Looks like Single Rider is now operating over at Toy Story Midway Mania

You can find more of Mint’s pictures from his latest visit to the Disneyland Resort here!

Monorail Red Will Open to the Public Tonight!

WDWNT on July 4, 2008

From the OC Register:

Disney’s Monorail Red (or Mark VII) will open to the public this evening as part of a “soft opening.”

Disney Spokeswoman Betsy Sanchez said this afternoon that the new monorail train will be open on and off again throughout the weekend.

The Mark VII line of trains (three in all) will slowly replace the current monorail trains. The red monorail is the first to roll-out and the blue train arrived a few weeks ago. No word yet on when the orange train will arrive at the park.

CHECK BACK tonight for an update and photo slide show of the new trains in action.

The public launch of the new red train with blue glass windows was expected to be in late February. But, testing and adjusting the monorail to work perfectly has pushed the opening back again and again.

The biggest change to the monorail trains is in the look: The first electric cars have blue glass and red stripes that change color in the sunlight. The next two cars will be blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass.

Bench seats will face the windows, allowing visitors a full view of the parks, Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel. The capacity and speed will remain the same.

The Monorail started in 1959 as part of Disneyland’s first expansion and the track was extended to the Disneyland Hotel in 1961 to a length of two and a half miles.

For three years, Disney Imagineers have been working on the train upgrades.

Cut-Outs or Virtual?

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

Last night I was watching Toy Story 2, & during the Woody’s Roundup TV show part of the movie, I noticed something I had seen before in Toy Story Midway Mania:


In case you didn’t realize, those are the virtual prizes that you can win in Toy Story Midway Mania

Just an interesting tidbit I thought I’d share with y’all!

More From Screamscape

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

Here’s a little bit more from Screamscape, this time on some Disneyland Park rumors:

2008 – It’s A Small World Rehab – Rumor – (7/3/08) According to Screamscape sources Disneyland is moving ahead with a scaled back plan to renovate Small World by adding in a few Disney character figures into the mix in appropriate scenes. If it’s anything like the new Hong Kong version, I’m sure the changes will be welcomed by the time opens and nothing to worry about.

Late 2009 or Early 2010 – Star Tours 2 – Semi-Confirmed – (7/3/08) The latest buzz on Star Tours 2 is that the project is now looking at a Fall 2009 opening date due to some project delays, but it’s still very possible for it to slip back to early 2010.

Little Mermaid Construction Starting This Fall?

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

From Screamscape:

Late 2010 or Early 2011 – Voyage of the Little Mermaid – Confirmed – (7/3/08) According to the latest rumors Little Mermaid may have been pushed up a bit to either open in mid to late 2010 now. Meanwhile full construction on The Little Mermaid ride is now expected to begin sometime this fall if all goes well.

If all this goes according to plan, they’ll most likely transfer Golden Dreams over to Golden Screams for one last time this Halloween, & then begin construction on Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Changes Coming to the Esplanade

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

From Laughing Place:

Disneyland have approached Rick Caruso of Caruso Affiliated – the developers of the Grove at Farmer’s Market and Americana at Brand in Glendale about developing a new esplanade between Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Park that will also bring the WET Design-conceived fountains from Americana to the Disneyland Resort.

Leg Traders

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

From KABC:

ANAHEIM (KABC) — The Anaheim Fire Department responded to Tomorrowland in Disneyland at 7:21 a.m. after reports that a worker fell from a ladder onto a roof.

Officials said the worker fell while working on the roof of a gift shop near the Space Mountain ride.

Rescuers were able to get the worker off the roof using a crane, and he was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

“A roofing consultant lost his balance and fell approximately 5 feet resulting in a minor shoulder injury. He was transported to western medical center for evaluation,” said Disneyland spokeswoman Betsy Sanchez in a statement.

Authorities said worker is in his 70s and suffered minor injures.

The park was not open at the time of the accident.

Problems, Problems, Problems!

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

We’ve been experiencing a few problems with the site today (what’s new?), meaning that the site had to be re-installed in some aspects. We’ve managed to get the site back to a functioning order, & should hopefully have it completely back to normal tomorrow!

Sorry for any inconvenience this may of caused you, & keep reading!

WDW-Tube??? Sounds Familiar….

WDWNT on July 2, 2008

The Disney Parks have now launched their own Youtube channel, and are already running a contest to promote the new venture:

Who: Walt Disney Parks & Resorts just launched The Disney Parks Channel on YouTube.

What: The “My Favorite Disney Parks Memory Contest” kicks-off the channel’s launch, giving families a chance to win a once in a lifetime Disney dream vacation, including a night in the exclusive Disneyland Dream Suite. To enter the contest, guests simply submit a creative video that captures their all-time favorite memory of visiting Disney Parks.

Ten finalists will be chosen by Disney, and then YouTube visitors will vote on the Grand Prize Winner of the Disney dream vacation. The remaining nine finalists will receive an annual pass to the Disney Park of their choice.


When: The Disney Parks Channel on YouTube launches on June 25, 2008, with official Disney videos and the “My Favorite Disney Parks Memory Contest.”

Mark your calendar with these key contest dates:

  • Contest Submissions: June 25, 2008 – August 5, 2008

  • Disney Judging: August 6, 2008 – August 12, 2008

  • YouTube Voting: August 13, 2008 – September 9, 2008

  • Grand Prize Winner Announced on or around September 20, 2008

Where: The Disney Parks Channel and contest rules are available on YouTube at www.youtube.com/disneyparks

Why: Disney is always looking for ways to spread the magic of Disney and to connect fans. Now passionate guests have a chance to share their most cherished Disney Parks memory with other fans around the world and to win a dream vacation for the entire family.

Mickey’s Fun Wheel Is On Its Way!

WDWNT on July 2, 2008

We’ve just been informed that the Sun Wheel’s re-theme/refurbishment will start on September 11th, 2008. The re-theme will include the new 1930’s style Mickey Mouse face, re-working of the queue, a re-paint, & the new name, Mickey’s Fun Wheel!

Also planned to take place during this time is the re-theming of the Games of the Boardwalk & California Screamin’s queue, but we don’t have any solid information on that just yet.