The Wonderful World of Cellar

WDWNT on July 15, 2009

From Brady MacDonald and the LA Times Travel Blog:

Disneys-California-Adventure-World-of-Color_48064190

Disney’s California Adventure will unveil new concept art this week at the Blue Sky Cellar preview center for the World of Color water show debuting in 2010.

In the “Alice in Wonderland” sequence from World of Color, the Cheshire Cat’s face will be projected on a fan mist screen while water whips create his body and tail. In the foreground, a diminutive Alice falls into a bottle floating on a psychedelic sea of color amid rising and falling fountains.

World of Color, which blends the nighttime spectacle of Disneyland’s Fantasmic and the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, is the first major addition of a $1.1-billion makeover planned for Disney’s California Adventure through 2012.

The 18-minute World of Color will feature an array of dancing fountains, movie projections and lighting effects all tied to the original Sherman Brothers musical score from the 1960s television show.

Walls of water that take the shape of virtually every recognizable Disney character and skyrocketing fountains will shoot so high they’ll obscure the newly renovated 16-story Mickey Mouse Ferris Wheel.

The Blue Sky Cellar preview center is scheduled to reopen Thursday with new artwork of the planned California Adventure expansion.

Halloweentime 2009 Spans The Universe

WDWNT on July 14, 2009

Two new additions have been added to the Disneyland Resort’s Halloween Time line-up according to our good friends over at the LA Times Travel Blog:

Disneyland will add a “haunted” overlay to Space Mountain and a fireworks “spooktacular” for the Halloween season, theme park officials said.

The “Halloween Time” event, which runs from Sept. 25 through Nov. 1, is included in the price of admission to the Anaheim theme park.

The “Ghost Galaxy” Space Mountain overlay, which originally premiered at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2007, features a new soundtrack and ghostly and ghoulish projections inside the darkened roller coaster building, according to Screamscape.

The Halloween-themed fireworks show, hosted by “Master of Scaremonies” Jack Skellington of “Nightmare Before Christmas” fame, will include nods to Disney villains.

Many of those villains — Cruella de Vil (”101 Dalmatians”), Captain Hook (”Peter Pan”) and Queen of Hearts (”Alice in Wonderland”) — will also be wandering the theme park, signing autographs and passing out treats.

Across the way at Disney’s California Adventure, “Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party” will run on Oct. 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 and 28-31. The separate-admission event — which includes games, music and a Disney character parade — lets costumed children trick-or-treat throughout the park.

Time to Peel the Orange!

WDWNT on July 14, 2009

The Orange Stinger is now closed, and its makeover to Silly Symphony Swings will begin very soon. According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

The spiral-peeled orange that marks the skyline of Disney’s California Adventure will soon be gone. The Orange Stinger swing ride closes for good beginning Tuesday.

It will be re-born as the Silly Symphonies Swings, featuring characters from the first colorized Mickey Mouse cartoon: “The Band Concert,” from 1935.

The attraction will remain a ride in which guests are suspended in swings that twirl around in circles.

The short features an orchestra made up of farm animals and conducted by Mickey Mouse, heckled by Donald Duck and his copious flute collection and finally swept up in a tornado – all the while playing variations of “William Tell Overture.”

Disney Spokesman John McClintock said that though the dismantling of the Stinger will start immediately, workers won’t start “peeling the orange” until sometime next week.

The newly themed swing ride will feature Mickey as the conductor on the top, and the cows, horses, dogs, pigs and other animals making up the band’s musicians will decorate the rest of the ride.

McClintock said Disney officials expect the Silly Symphonies Swings to open in spring of 2010, at around the same time the World of Color water and light show opens.

The refurbishment is part of Disney’s $1-billion expansion and re-theming of California Adventure.

Disney hopes to make the park more attractive after several years of lackluster attendance. Part of the strategy is to link the attractions there more closely with Disney and Pixar movie and character themes.

The World Famous Jungle Cruise Music Video

WDWNT on July 13, 2009

It looks like the very talented Weird Al Yankovic has produced yet another masterpiece, this time a song and video that I think all of us will enjoy. His latest single is titled “Skipper Dan” and revolves around Disneyland’s classic attraction, the Jungle Cruise. This song will eventually be released on his next album, believed to be on the way in 2010. Enjoy:

“Skipper Dan” by Weird Al

Celebrate the 54th Anniversary of Disneyland!

WDWNT on July 12, 2009

Disneyland will be celebrating its anniversary as always this July 17th with a small little show in Town Square. From D23:

On July 17 at 4:45 p.m., there will be a special 54th anniversary rededication moment on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, with the Disneyland Band, the Mayor of Main Street, Mickey and Minnie Mouse joining in on the festivities. The Dapper Dans will take part in a pre-show leading up to the rededication moment.

Conner Purzycki’s 6/29-7/1/09 Photo Report

WDWNT on July 1, 2009

For our first photo report in over a week (probably a record for us), we go to Conner Purzycki’s 3 day trip to the Disneyland Resort:

Main Street is all decked out for the July 4th holiday weekend

The Monorail awning by the Tomorrowland Terrace has been replaced

It’s now a much shinier, and nicer awning

As of today, the Plaza Pavilion is the new Annual Passport Processing Center, as the Bank of Main Street will soon begin its transformation into the new Disney Gallery

Read More about Conner Purzycki’s 6/29-7/1/09 Photo Report

Celebrate Mom!

WDWNT on June 27, 2009

Moms from every state took part in the biggest Celebration of Moms in the history of Disney Parks. Winners of the Macy’s “Celebrate Mom” Sweepstakes traveled coast-to-coast on this magical adventure which began Monday June 22, 2009 with a sunrise breakfast on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Resort in California and ended Thursday June 25, 2009 with a sunset dinner at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Disneyland Resort Roundup

WDWNT on June 24, 2009

Here is a quick bit of news to hold you all over while Luke Manning is away on vacation. Justin “The Mayor” Heyman is here to keep you up to date on everything happening around the Disneyland Resort:

  • It would appear the new Dragon isn’t the only thing experiencing some issues. During Monday’s performance the new Fantasmic, the Marc Twain caught fire. Luckily no one was hurt, but Disney had this to say about the accident:

During a showing of Fantasmic last night, exhaust from the Mark Twain caught on fire from a show element in which flames ignite on the Rivers of America. The Disneyland Fire Department noted that such a minor fire typically would extinguish itself, but that they were on scene to assist. There was no damage.

  • In Celebration of the Matterhorn’s 50th anniversary, the OC Register has an interesting article and look inside the mountain here.
  • Finally, though Studio Disney 365 did hold some very limited cast member previews today, it look like the earliest any guest will see it may be this Friday.

As always stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as we will keep you up to date with the latest news and information from around the Disneyland Resort!