Downtown Disney Anaheim, located at the Disneyland Resort, will be discontinuing valet service on September 10th, 2016.
Disney is not giving any reason for the change, although it is likely related the the expansion of the resort, including a new resort hotel being constructed nearby. The space is rumored to be home to a new parking structure shared by the hotel and Downtown Disney.
The Haunted Mansion Holiday opens today at Disneyland Park, this year featuring a new but familiar face!
An all-new Sally figure has been added to the graveyard scene, as seen above. Also new this year …
This year’s all-new gingerbread house – a Haunted Mansion Holiday tradition – and today guests will be able to see this monstrous masterpiece for themselves!
Over the weekend, the 2016 version of Haunted Mansion Holiday debuted at Disneyland Park as part of the HalloweenTime festivities. New for 2016, guests will find a new gingerbread house, as well as a new moving Sally figure in the graveyard scene. Enjoy:
Last week, the original World of Color nighttime spectacular returned to the Disneyland Resort after an 18-month hiatus. The replacement show, “World of Color – Celebrate!” never really connected with guests during the Diamond Celebration, leading Disney to restore the original with some minor modifications.
Changes to the show include:
Of course, you can compare the current version to the original with the below video (as we were there for the very first show ever back in 2010):
What do you think? Are you happy to have the original World of Color back at Disney California Adventure?
From the Disney Parks Blog:
The most wonderful time of the year returns to the Happiest Place on Earth with Holidays at the Disneyland Resort, November 10 through January 8! The festive season will bring jolly new experiences plus returning festive favorites.
At Disney California Adventure park is the all-new nighttime spectacular, “World of Color – Season of Light,” celebrating the warm and heartfelt spirit of the holidays. “World of Color – Season of Light” will take guests through a sparkling winter fantasy, combining classic holiday songs with memorable moments from treasured Disney animated films to create an experience filled with magic.
Also new for 2016, the Festival of Holidays invites guests to celebrate the season like never before at Disney California Adventure park. The entire family will delight in diverse cultural holiday celebrations, including the popular Disney ¡Viva Navidad!, and the global sounds of special guest musical groups will ring throughout the festival. Guests will enjoy delicious, internationally inspired food and beverage at 14 themed festival marketplaces, and the young and young-at-heart will celebrate with some of their favorite Disney Characters. Princess Elena of Avalor will make herDisneyland Resort debut during Festival of Holidays, and after Holidays at the Disneyland Resort conclude January 8, she will remain at Disney California Adventure park to continue visiting with guests.
Over at Disneyland park, the holiday season brings the return of fan favorites including the popular Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, featuring magical snowfall moments that conclude with “Believe … in Holiday Magic” fireworks. Also returning for Holidays at the Disneyland Resort this year will be “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, “it’s a small world” Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Looking for Santa Claus? He and his sleigh full of mischievous elves will visit Redwood Creek Challenge Trail for this holiday season, where guests will join the festive fun with a series of holiday-themed activities along the trail. And when Santa visits Disneyland park, guests will be able to find him in a special location in Critter Country.
If you ever wanted to train to be a Jedi like Luke Skywalker, you may want to take a look at the latest Disney patent…
Disney Patent for Interactive Star Wars Lightsaber
“An entertainment environment has a user with a faux light saber that interacts with a drone flying through the air or operated with hidden rods to appear as if its flying through the air. The faux light saber has LEDs attached thereto to provide IR light to the drone. As an LED is turned on, an invisible light sensor built into the drone captures an image of the field of view with a bright spot at the position of the activated LED. A visible light source built into the drone then projects light through particulate matter toward the faux light saber. As a result, the uses is provided with the illusion that the faux light saber has deflected a laser beam. Multiple LEDs can be activated in sequence at various times to give user the impression that the movement by the users of the faux light saber is deflecting multiple laser beams.”
While sometimes these patents mean nothing, rumors have suggested that the Star Wars lands coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland would be full of role-playing experiences like this. Could you imagine being able to train to be a Jedi just as Luke Skywalker was by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode IV, deflecting lasers with your weapon?
Could guests get to be Jedi knights?
Again, this could be nothing, but guests could in fact be wielding an interactive lightsaber at Disney Parks someday.
AP Days will return this Fall at Disney California Adventure to celebrate Annual Passholders with special experiences and giveaways. The various events will take place over two phases from September 6 –October 2, 2016.
AP Days, Fall 2016 at the Disneyland Resort
Part 1, taking place Sept 6-18 will be themed to Halloweentime and will include:
Button designs for phase 1 of AP Days, Fall 2016
AP Days Exclusive Merchandise
AP Days, Fall 2016 at the Disneyland Resort
Part 2 taking place Sept 19-Oct 2 will focus on Fall Holidays and Thanksgiving:
Button designs for phase 1 of AP Days, Fall 2016
Buttons guests can receive for carpooling
There is also a carpooling incentive for annual passholders during this period:
While AP Days for Fall 2016 have not yet been announced by the Disneyland Resort, a formal announcement should be coming later this week.
Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters at DCA
The pass will be sold only through Costco. The cost will be $329.99.
Disney California Adventure is hosting a special celebration of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror leading up to its final check-out on January 2, 2017. The salute kicks off during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort, September 9 through October 31.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Farewell
Each night, beginning after twilight, Disney California Adventure park guests will be treated to “Late Check-Out.” Experience The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror as you never have before … in complete darkness!
In addition to “Late Check-Out,” guests will find commemorative merchandise as well as special food and beverage items throughout the celebration. You’ll also get the chance to picture yourself “checking out” with a special photo location in front of the Hollywood Tower Hotel marquee, complete with vintage luggage and other nods to the landmark’s story and the glitz and glamor of a bustling young movie town.
Each day during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort, the Hollywood Tower Hotel will host special performances by Buena Vista Street’s own Silver Lake Sisters. Dolly, Dottie and Ethel Bounds, veterans of the vaudeville circuit known professionally as Fiddler, Fifer & Practical (or the Silver Lake Sisters) performed throughout their glittering career at the rooftop lounge of the famous hotel. The sisters went on to open Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café on Buena Vista Street, where a wall inside the restaurant features photos, posters and memorabilia from their many performances. They will make their return to the Hollywood Tower Hotel to join fans during this farewell tribute.
Further events leading up to the closure of the ride, to make way for Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, will be announced at a later date.
UPDATE: While no official word has been made as of yet, it does appear that Rohde and Fitzgerald may have not been among those let go in the massive layoffs. Once the dust actually settles on the WDI restructuring, we will provide you with more information.
Please keep in mind that WDWNT takes great strides to be among the first to bring you information as we hear it, so when a post says “RUMOR”, it should be taken as such. We are plugged into the fan community all-day, everyday to find the best information, and from time to time, a news tip from a reliable source may not end up being what is true. In the end, unless we confirm a story, or the Walt Disney Company has, we are trying our best to relay information to you and keep you “in the know”. I apologize to anyone who may have been offended by or takes exception to us running this story.
While normal following the completion of large projects from Walt Disney Imagineering, rumors suggest that over 200 Imagineers were let go in layoffs this week as part of a division-wide reorganization. With the completion of Shanghai Disneyland the design phase for upcoming large projects such as the Star Wars themed land, Disney Parks and Resorts would have no need for so many Imagineers to fill out a more limited list of projects. Apparently, some of the higher level layoffs were voluntary, but some of the bigger names in the WDI repertoire may be exiting when the dust has settled. Among the names rumored for exit are Tom Fitzgerald and Joe Rohde, two of the most prolific Imagineers of the last 30 years.
Rohde was instrumental in the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Aulani, and the upcoming Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Rohde was most recently put in charge of Marvel projects and is heading up Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout for Disney California Adventure. Joe’s resume most notably includes work on Captain EO, Epcot’s Mexico pavilion, Maelstrom, Disneyland’s New Fantasyland, the Adventurer’s Club, and Expedition Everest, just to name a few. His exit from the company will not be immediate as he will complete the AVATAR project before what should be an earlier-than-expected retirement.
As always with rumors, they are not official in any way until confirmed, and it is possible that Rohde and Fitzgerald are not involved in the layoffs.
