Guests Select Ingredients at The New Lucky Fortune Cookery

The colorful new Lucky Fortune Cookery, debuting Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, is the newest addition to the variety of dining options at Disney’s California Adventure park. Located in the Pacific Wharf section of the park, Lucky Fortune Cookery offers guests the opportunity to create their own Asian Rice Bowl meals and enjoy them in an outdoor plaza.

  • Lucky Fortune Cookery can be found in the location previously occupied by Cocina Cucamonga, which has relocated directly across the Pacific Wharf outdoor dining plaza.
  • The quick-service restaurant features colorful décor, paper lanterns, oversized pots filled with bamboo and iconic dragon designs.
  • Guests are served at the quick-service windows of Lucky Fortune Cookery and they dine at tables under festive umbrellas in the outdoor plaza at Pacific Wharf. The environment allows for a pleasant and flavorful break in the day at Disneyland Resort.
  • The Menu: Customized Asian Rice Bowls are the specialty of Lucky Fortune Cookery.  It starts with a bowl of steamed white and brown rice and seared Asian vegetables. Guests select chicken, beef or tofu, plus a sauce of their choice: Mandarin orange, spicy Korean, Thai green curry or teriyaki.
  • The spicy Korean sauce is actually based on an old family recipe provided by Gloria Tae, chef de cuisine at the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. All the sauce options were researched and taste-tested by Disney chefs as well as by cast members from diverse cultural backgrounds so that the final products would appeal to the broad variety of guests dining at Lucky Fortune Cookery.
  • The Price: Each customized Asian Rice Bowl, regardless of ingredients, will cost $9.49. A kid’s meal of teriyaki chicken and rice, including fruit cup and choice of beverage, is available for guests age 9 and under for $6.49.

Disney Characters Celebrate a Small Christmas

Disneyland will be releasing an It’s a Small World Holiday mystery pin set, featuring the recently added Disney characters with some holiday decorations as backdrops.

This is the first glimpse we’ve seen at what they’ll be doing with the Disney characters during the It’s a Small World Holiday overlay this year. The mystery pin set will be released on October 1st, containing 4 random pins of the 10 in the collection for $25. Also, It’s a Small World will be closed from October 27th to November 12th for the addition of the holiday overlay.

New Fantasmic Dragon to Finally Debut Tonight!

Exciting news from our good friend Brady MacDonald over at the LA Times Travel Blog:

After months of false starts and frustrating anticipation, the Fantasmic dragon will finally take the stage at Disneyland tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009) at 8:15 p.m., according to park officials.

Despite top billing, the oft-delayed dragon failed to appear during the Anaheim theme park’s Summer Nightastic promotion.

Expect big crowds along the Rivers of America tonight as the news spreads via the blogosphere, Twittersphere and Disneysphere.

During the rest of the week, Fantasmic plays at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. over the four-day Labor Day Weekend (Friday-Monday). On high attendance days, Disneyland often adds a third Fantasmic show.

After Labor Day, Fantasmic switches to a weekend-only schedule (Friday-Sunday) until the Christmas holidays.

New Treats at This Year’s Halloween Time

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 1, 2009) – Spooky new fireworks and ghoulish screams at Space Mountain add to the fun when Halloween Time returns to Disneyland Resort Sept. 25-Nov. 1. Halloween Time offers families a chance to celebrate the season as they interact with some of Disney’s most beloved characters decked out in seasonal costumes at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. Guests will also enjoy a unique opportunity to experience some spooky fun with Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney villains. In addition, Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party returns for 12 special nights in October.

For older kids and adults, Halloween Time offers a new attraction: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. The scary new experience will begin as a typical Space Mountain adventure, but will suddenly launch voyagers into an uncharted and 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. The Halloween transformation occurs outside the mountain as well, as frightening images, audio and lights illuminate the Space Mountain exterior.

Also new this year is “Halloween Screams – A Villainous Surprise in the Skies.” The new fireworks spectacular will haunt the nighttime sky throughout the Halloween season. To start the show, “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington appears in a flash of fire above Sleeping Beauty Castle. Thanks to Jack’s ghoulish charm, haunting melodies fill the air and a Halloween pyrotechnics extravaganza explodes into the night. Such classic Disney villains as Maleficent, Ursula the Sea Witch and Oogie Boogie join in the “spirit” of the celebration, and even Zero, Jack’s faithful ghost dog, will make an appearance. Spectators in Disneyland are encouraged to participate in a bone-chilling Halloween Scream-Along during the show.

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 40th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion 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.

For not-so-frightful fun, Halloween Time offers special pleasures for children and parents.

  • Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland is again transformed for the Pumpkin Festival, where more than 300 “non-identical” pumpkins will be on display in shop windows.
  • Visitors to Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland will sometimes find the ranch animals dressed in costume for a seasonal Halloween Roundup, with pumpkin carvers, Halloween décor and activities for youngsters, all presided over by Sheriff Woody.
  • Next door at Big Thunder Barbecue, Miss Chris and the Roundup musicians add Halloween songs to their repertoire.
  • Meeting favorite Disney characters will be easier than ever as Disney villains gather to plot Halloween mischief in “it’s a small world” Mall in Disneyland, while other characters in seasonal costumes greet guests in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland and Sunshine Plaza in Disney’s California Adventure.
  • Also available throughout both parks are special Halloween treats, including menu items such as Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash served in a dog dish in honor of Zero.
  • Special Halloween Time gifts are offered in Disneyland Resort shops. Gifts include jack-o-lantern mouse ears and collectable pins depicting Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends in Halloween costumes.

More spine-tingling fun can be found in Disney’s California Adventure at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.

Also at Disney’s California Adventure, Sunshine Plaza becomes Candy Corn Acres, with Mickey’s pal Goofy up to his tricks again – attempting to wow the world with his unusual candy corn treats. Candy corn carrots, candy corn pumpkins and candy corn grapes are just a few of the candy corn items Goofy is harvesting.

Back by popular demand is Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party, a one-of-a-kind celebration that returns to Disney’s California Adventure for 12 nights in October (2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and 31). Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party lets adults and children alike dress up and trick-or-treat in the ultimate Disney neighborhood. Highlights this year will include:

  • 25 Treat Stops located throughout Disney’s California Adventure
  • All your favorite Disney’s California Adventure rides and attractions
  • A Hollywood Bat-Lot Bash in Hollywood Pictures Backlot
  • A nightly “Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat on the Street” cavalcade
  • Character photo locations featuring Disney villains, princesses and other favorites
  • Pirate’s Wharf, a transformation of the Pacific Wharf area into an entertainment area, photo location, craft area and games area

This separate-ticket nighttime event gives children and their families a chance to dress as their favorite princesses, goblins or heroes and trick-or-treat throughout the park. Tickets purchased in advance are $32 most days, while tickets purchased on the event day are $39. For Oct. 30 and 31, all tickets to Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party are $42. Favorite Disney characters, including Mickey himself, will be in attendance 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 more information about Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort, see disneyland.com/halloween. This site will be updated as frightfully fun details become available.

Value-minded vacationers can celebrate Halloween Time with a special travel offer this fall: savings of $400* at the Disneyland Resort. From Aug. 12 through Dec. 19, 2009, guests will save $400 when they book a 4-Day/4-Night Disneyland Resort vacation package, featuring Disneyland Resort hotel accommodations – Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier – and park hopper tickets. The offer is valid for arrivals through Dec. 20, 2009, with a final booking day of Dec. 19. Details are at disneyland.com/Save400.

First Official Pictures of New Fantasmic Dragon!

Disney has finally given us our first real look at the new dragon in Fantasmic, after 3 months of waiting:

You’ll be absolutely stunned once you watch this video

There’s still no word on if “Murphy” will debut tonight or not, but stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as we keep up with the latest on Fantasmic’s new dragon.

Bank On It!

The Disney Gallery set to open this Fall in the former Bank of Main Street Building!

Like most, you’ve probably missed visiting The Disney Gallery on your recent trips to Disneyland® park. Well, good news! the hotspot for viewing original and one-of-a-kind Disney artwork and artifacts is ready to re-open in the fall at its new location – in the former Bank of Main Street, right next to the Disneyland® Opera House.

This new location offers roughly the same amount of area as the gallery’s previous home above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (which is now occupied by the Disneyland® Dream Suite). And, just as before, The Disney Gallery will be made up of three separate rooms – two exhibit rooms and a gift shop. “This will allow us to tell on continuous story, or three separate stories, as we used to in the former gallery,” said Kim Irvine, Walt Disney Imagineering and Art Director for this project. She also told us that the unique qualities of the building have been incorporated into the gallery’s theme: “We’ll maintain the bank look and architecture and visually tell the story that this was an old bank that has been turned into an art gallery.  Guests will still see remnants of the old bank influence – like the vault!”  So be sure to stop in and visit this longtime favorite attraction and store in its new digs.

Please continue to watch for the opening date and a list of exhibits, events and Disney inspired artwork!

Artwork shown: Madame Leota by Yakovetic and Haunted Mansion by George Scribner

Summer Nightastic Comes to a Close, Still With No Dragon

According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

The image of a giant glowing dragon spitting fire graces most promotional material — billboards, flags, fliers — for Disney’s Summer Nightastic events.

But the theme park’s official summer season will end this weekend without any appearance of the dragon in the water-and-light Fantasmic show because of technical difficulties.

Still, Disney officials promise that fans should get ample time to see the dragon, once it’s ready, because the Fantasmic show will be extended until the end of the year, said John McClintock, a Disneyland spokesman. Disney recently decided to add extra time for the show. On busy days, a third show is added at 11:30 p.m.

But a firm date for the dragon’s debut has yet to be released.

The dragon was supposed to emerge as the centerpiece of a revamped Fantasmic show, stretching 35 feet high in 17 seconds as “Sleeping Beauty” character Maleficent transformed into a dragon in the water and light show. The dragon then was to ignite the Rivers of America for 25 seconds, according to Disney’s press materials.

The dragon was designed to be 40 feet tall by 28 feet wide, weighing about 10,000 pounds.

But the dragon has yet to get off the ground in public, prompting much debate and discussion among Disney fans online. Fans even gave the dragon the nickname of Murphy after Murphy’s Law.

Disney has continued to release the same official statement about the dragon:

“Our goal is to exceed our Guests’ expectations every day. Because the dragon is technically complex and the largest and most fully animated Disney character ever created for a live stage show, we want it to be perfect before adding it to Fantasmic! However, Fantasmic! is a summer tradition at Disneyland, and we’re glad we have been able to offer the show throughout the summer. We’re happy so many Guests have been able to experience it.”

Al Lutz, editor of Miceage.com, a Disney watchdog blog, said he has heard that the dragon may be up soon, but he isn’t sure he believes it after so many delays. Lutz has monitored the behind-the-scenes problems on his blog.

“I’ve never seen so much attention on one thing,” Lutz said of the fans. “I find it fascinating.”

The Summer Nightastic season officially runs June 12 through Sunday, although some features will go beyond this weekend.

Here is the schedule for some promotions:

  • Disney’s Electrical Parade in Disney’s California Adventure will go on for the last time Sunday.
  • Sunday is the last day for Southern California residents to buy three day passes for $99. The first visit must be made on Sunday at the latest.
  • The fireworks show, called “Magical,” will go on nightly through Labor Day and on weekends until Sept. 20. A special Halloween fireworks show is set to begin Sept. 25.
  • Fantasmic shows will be nightly through Labor Day and on weekends through the end of the year.

Luke Manning’s 8/17/09 Photo Report

Hey everyone, Luke Manning here. I visited the Disneyland Resort yesterday on what easily was the busiest day I have ever seen at the parks. But anyway, let’s get to my photo report:

The line at the Downtown Disney Monorail station was 3 switch-backs long, which meant a wait of over half an hour. Only Monorail Blue was running

Here you can see work on the permanent home for LittleMissMatched, which will be right next to its current home

All guests, even Annual Passholders, were required to get their hand stamped

Some of the merchandise from the recent SHAG Haunted Mansion 40th anniversary event is still available in the Disneyana Store

Read More about Luke Manning’s 8/17/09 Photo Report