Month: August 2008

Mr. Al Lutz of MiceAge.com has put up another of his fabulous Disneyland Updates. Here’s a run-down of the juiciest things he talked about:

• As previously reported here on DLNT, McDonalds will be leaving the Disneyland Resort on September 2nd. The refurbishments of Harbor Galley & the Conostoga Wagon will entail the entire replacing of the kitchens inside the mini-restaurants, as the current ones in there are owned by McDonalds, & leased to Disney. The same will happen with Burger Invasion, & once it re-opens, it will only remain for about 6 months, for in the fall of 2009, work will begin on the Beer Garden. Also, all McDonalds references will be removed from the SS Rustworthy, which should also be bulldozed in fall ’09.
• One of Disneyland’s age old sponsors, Stouffers (owned by Nestle) have pulled out of their 45 year long sponsorship of the French Market. This is just part of Nestle slowly leaving Disneyland.
• It seems written complaints are no longer accepted at Guest Relations in either Disneyland or DCA. It’s a long & complicated reason as to why, so I suggest you check the update for more info.
• The Indiana Jones Adventure has long been due for a rehab, & unfortunately it still wont be getting one. However, many of the technical issues with the vehicles themselves have been fixed, so the attraction is operating slightly better. However a refurbishment really should happen.
• This September, the slurry pavement out by the Haunted Mansion will be replaced with new, themed, concrete pavement.
• The new DCA Preview Center in the old Seasons of the Vine building is currently planned to open up the second week of September, but as seen before, the date could change. It will open up with mainly concept, models, etc. for the Paradise Pier & Walt Disney Plaza re-dos. About every 8 to 10 months, the displays in there will be switched around to have anything from the Little Mermaid, to World of Color, & Cars Land.
• Fantasmic! will be getting new HD projectors during its refurbishment this fall, that will vastly improve the clarity of the videos projected on the mist screens. Apparently these new projectors will be used on a much grander scale with World of Color when it debuts late 2009/early 2010. Also coming to Fantasmic! will be Flotsam & Jetsam from the Little Mermaid jetting around on jet skis during the Ursula section of the show. They will be 7ft tall, & 33ft long. Also, this January & February, Fantasmic! will be performed 7 nights a week due to Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams not showing due to the re-paving of Main Street.
• Disneyland’s planned new parade, World of Wonder, has been pushed back from a 2009 debut, to a 2010 debut for the 55th anniversary. This is due mainly to the designs of the parade, which have similar, but grander scale, acrobats as used in the Pixar Play Parade. Because of this, Disneyland will be keeping Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams for one more year once it returns in March 2009, & Walt Disney World will also be keeping Disney Dreams Come True for one, maybe 2 more years.
• As previously rumored, Tinker Bell should be a new addition to Disney’s Electrical Parade, as she’s due to replace the Blue Fairy as the opening float. Also scheduled to come to the parade is return of the Dwarfs Mine in the Snow White section, & potentially the whole Pinocchio section.
• Finally, construction should begin this September on the replacement for Ariel’s Grotto, Pixie Hollow, this fall. 5ft tall blades of grass will shoot up in that area, & along the path you’ll get to meet each of the 5 Disney Fairies.

Be sure to check the update for many more news, rumors, & other interesting details from through-out the Disneyland Resort, & even the Anaheim GardenWalk!