ElecTRONica, a New Dance Party Coming to DCA This Fall

WDWNT on September 1, 2010

From the Disney Parks Blog:

ElecTRONica Concept Art

As they say in the digital world of TRON, “Greetings, Programs!” Today, we’re sharing concept art that gives you a first look at the new party we’re calling ElecTRONica. I’m told it’s the greatest nighttime dance party to ever rock Disney California Adventure park.

Beginning October 8, the interactive, digital world of “TRON: Legacy” will light up Hollywood Pictures Backlot as we gear up for the film’s release on December 17. This will be a cool opportunity to peek inside the world of this movie, and it’s available only to visitors of Disney California Adventure park.

ElecTRONica Concept Art

It’s an “electrifying” experience for the entire family, filled with music, lights and some of your favorite food and beverage, all set amidst the captivating world of “TRON: Legacy!” From a dazzling dance club under the stars to an authentic recreation of Flynn’s Arcade to some radical gaming, it’s like nowhere else on the grid! Each night, we’ll feature live entertainers, complete with lasers, glow accessories and the hottest music ever to rock the grid. ElecTRONica is “the” place to dance the night away in a fantastic world that only Disney can create. Highlights for the entire family will definitely be Flynn’s Video Arcade, face painting and the TRON: Evolution video game area.

ElecTRONica will transform Disney California Adventure park Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this Fall. TRON fans and families can also enjoy the party seven days a week during Thanksgiving week and Christmas week.

Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog, as we’ll be sharing additional details soon, and if you want to stay up-to-date with the latest happenings on ElecTRONica, follow us on Twitter, @Disneyland.

Halloween Time Returns to The Disneyland Resort Sept. 17

WDWNT on August 24, 2010

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 19, 2010) – Disney villains will invade Disneyland park along with Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes when Halloween Time returns to Disneyland Resort Sept. 17 through Oct. 31.  Highlights of the Disneyland Halloween season include the return of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy – the thrillingly “haunted” version of the popular Tomorrowland attraction – and the longtime favorite Haunted Mansion Holiday, in which Halloween and Christmas collide for an attraction inspired by “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”  Guests also will enjoy the new, nighttime water spectacular “World of Color,” performing nightly at Disney California Adventure park.
Halloween Time offers families a chance to enjoy seasonal attractions and décor, as well as interact with beloved Disney characters decked out in whimsical Halloween costumes.  Guests also will experience spooky fun with Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney Villains.  In addition, the private-party celebration that has been so popular with guests will return for 10 special nights in October as Mickey’s Halloween Party.

Moving to Disneyland this year with a new name, Mickey’s Halloween Party is the separate-ticket event that invites adults and children to dress up in costume and trick-or-treat at the resort.  This nighttime celebration is scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays in October (1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 and 29) plus Halloween night itself, Sunday, Oct. 31.  Highlights include:

·         Trick or Treating in the ultimate Disney neighborhood, with even more treats along “Mickey’s Hide-and-Go-Treat Trails”
·         New dance parties – at Tomorrowland Terrace and the French Market
·         The “Halloween Screams” fireworks spectacular, hosted by “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington (presented exclusively for guests of Mickey’s Halloween Party)
·         New surprises in “Mickey’s Costume Party” cavalcade, performed twice nightly
·         Character photo locations featuring Mickey and his pals, princesses and other favorites
·         The opportunity to arrive three hours before the party starts to play in Disneyland
·         Nearly all the favorite Disneyland rides and attractions
Tickets purchased in advance for Mickey’s Halloween Party are $49 most days, while tickets purchased on the event days are $54.  For Oct. 31, all tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party are $59.
Favorite Disney characters, including Mickey himself, will dress up in their favorite costumes.  It’s the ideal environment to have fun, eat special holiday treats, play interactive games, listen to “spirited” music and watch a nightly character cavalcade that celebrates the season.

For Halloween fun at Disneyland, guests will enjoy Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland.  The experience begins as a typical Space Mountain adventure, but suddenly launches voyagers into a haunted section of the universe.  Ghosts appear out of the starry darkness and swirling galaxies of Space Mountain, reaching out as if to grab guests as they speed through space.  The exhilarating drops and curves of the journey are punctuated by piercing screams, creepy sound effects and haunting music.

Jack Skellington also returns to take over the Haunted Mansion and bring back Haunted Mansion Holiday to New Orleans Square in Disneyland.  Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by the classic animated film “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”  Jack and his friends provide plenty of havoc and surprises as they celebrate the holidays in their unusual style.  Jack’s return to the Haunted Mansion includes the traditional Halloween/Christmas gingerbread house in the Mansion Ballroom, with some special spooky surprises in this year’s design.

Halloween Time offers frightfully delightful fun for children and adults.

·      For spine-tingling fun, drop in at The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure park, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.
·      Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland is transformed for the Pumpkin Festival.  More than 300 pumpkins will be on display in shop windows and none of them are the same!
·      Visitors to Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland will find ranch animals, pumpkin carvers, Halloween décor and activities for youngsters, all presided over by Sheriff Woody.
·      Meeting Disney characters will be easier than ever as Disney villains gather to plot Halloween mischief at “it’s a small world” Mall in Disneyland, while other characters in spooky attire greet guests in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A.
·      Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland will honor Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead with traditional skeleton figures on display Sept. 19 through Nov. 2.
·      Special Halloween treats will be available in Disneyland, including menu items such as Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash, served in a dog dish in honor of Zero.
·      Halloween Time gifts are offered in Disneyland Resort shops.  Gifts include jack-o-lantern mouse ears and collectable pins depicting Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes.

Scene By Scene Preview Of Radiator Springs Racers

WDWNT on August 22, 2010

From The LA Times:

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

What’s better than an E Ticket ride? How about an F Ticket?

Radiator Springs Racers promises to redefine our expectations of an E Ticket attraction by combining a classic dark ride with a thrilling head-to-head drag race.

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

Currently under construction at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, the $200-million ride, scheduled to make its debut in 2012,  will take passengers on a four-minute journey through stalactite caverns, around hairpin turns and along high-speed straightaways. Each side-by-side race ends with a randomly selected winner.

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

On-site ride tests this summer revealed a prototype vehicle based on Epcot’s Test Track technology that moved like a giant slot car along a banked and undulating course. The sleek red sports car, with anthropomorphic headlight eyes and smiling bumper, looked like one of the animated characters from the Pixar movie “Cars.”

Crews continue to construct six acres of rockwork resembling the desert buttes and bluffs of the 2006 film’s iconic Ornament Valley, which will take a year to carve and another year to paint.

Spoiler Alert

What follows is a scene-by-scene breakdown of the Radiator Springs Racers ride:

You can read on over at The LA Times Website…

Disneyland to Host 2nd “Meet-Up” at California Adventure

WDWNT on August 19, 2010

From The Disney Parks Blog:

'World of Color'

You asked for it! After our first successful meet-up back in May, we’ve been planning our next event. We’ve had a lot of requests for a “World of Color” Meet-Up, so next Thursday we’ll be making that wish come true for 300 guests. If you’re a true “World of Color” fan, you will have the opportunity to hear from some of the show’s creators, including two Imagineers.

We’ll be hosting a panel discussion with Steven Davison, Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Sayre Wiseman, Director of Show Production, and Mary Niven, Vice President of Disney California Adventure park and Guest Services.

The event will be a rare opportunity for a personal, behind-the-scenes look at the show and its creators. Fans will have a chance to ask questions and to hear the show’s creators talk about some of their favorite memories since they started working on this project in 2005.

As if that weren’t enough, for this very special event, we will have reserved viewing in Paradise Park at the 9:00 p.m. performance of “World of Color” for this exclusive group.

The event will take place from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2010, and check-in will close at 7:15 p.m.

To attend, please RSVP to meetups@disney.go.com, beginning at 11 a.m. PT, today, and you must include “RSVP to World of Color Meet-Up” in your subject line. The event is subject to capacity of 300 people, so we recommend that you RSVP quickly.

Here are a few things you should know:

  • Valid RSVPs must include the following information:
    • Subject line must read “RSVP to World of Color Meet-Up.”
    • Your name must be included in the body of the email.
    • If you are bringing one guest, you must note that in the body of the email. We do not need the name of your guest, but if you do not request a guest at the time you send your RSVP by email, you will not be permitted to bring a guest. RSVPs that include missing information (e.g. incomplete names, incorrect subject line) or request more than one guest will not be accepted and will not be considered valid.
  • Valid photo I.D. will be required at check-in.
  • All guests who RSVP for the event must be 18 years or older, but your guest is not required to be 18.
  • The event is subject to change or cancellation.
  • We will send an email to respondents who sent their valid RSVP via email before we reached capacity to confirm their attendance for August 26. We plan to send this email at approximately 2:00 p.m. PT today, and we will also post a link on the Disney Parks Blog that will include a list of names of all attendees. If you do not receive an email from us confirming your reservation and your name does not appear on the list of attendees, your RSVP was not accepted.

UPDATE: We’re thrilled with the great response to the “World of Color” Meet-Up! We have reached capacity. At approximately 2:00 p.m. PT, we will send the meet-up attendees a confirmation email. By 5:00 p.m. PT, we will post a link to the complete list of attendees. If you are on the list and did not receive a confirmation email, please contact us at meetups@disney.go.com. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for additional meet-ups in the future.

The Madness is Almost Over…

WDWNT on August 6, 2010

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Exciting changes continue at Disney California Adventure park. In June, “World of Color” began making a nighttime splash at the park and Silly Symphony Swings began offering a musical ride in Paradise Pier.

While you might have heard about the attraction, I know there’s one thing I know you haven’t seen … and that’s Goofy dreaming about the new attraction that’s being created in his honor. Take a look at this video and let us know what you think in the comments.

In order for Mickey and Goofy to get ready for this transformation, Mulholland Madness will close October 12, and the last time guests can go for a spin on Disney’s version of Mulholland Drive is October 11.

We’ve also shared news here on the Blog about the 12-acre Cars Land expansion due in 2012. You might be interested in knowing that Bountiful Valley Farms will close on September 7 to help pave the way for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.

As excited as I am about seeing “World of Color” now and thinking about all that’s coming to Disney California Adventure park, I want to know what your favorite thing is to do in the park today. Please let us know in the comments.

As you might already know, Goofy’s Sky School will add even more fun to Paradise Pier in 2011. The attraction is inspired by the 1940 cartoon short, “Goofy’s Glider.” It’s a flying academy that follows Goofy’s attempts to teach a group of novice pilots how to fly.

Cars Land

For all the news you need to know about the changes at Disney California Adventure park, visit disneycaliforniaadventure.com or stop by the Blue Sky Cellar next time you’re in the park.

The area that is now The Bountiful Valley Farms will become the entrance to Cars Land. That includes PT Fleas, the “Water Wonderland,” and The Farmers Market Restaurant.  Also announced, The Maliboomer’s last day of operation will be on September 6, 2010.