Blue Sky Cellar Featuring Buena Vista Street Opened Today

WDWNT on September 23, 2011

From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

Red Car Trolley Poster

After a short closure, Blue Sky Cellar opened again today with new sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes looks at the continuing transformation of Disney California Adventure park. Guests will be able to view new videos, models and renderings to learn even more about the exciting changes coming to the park. Among the new artwork, you’ll also find three new attraction posters, including the one above featuring the new Red Car Trolley, coming to Buena Vista Street when it opens next year.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Poster

Also featured in Blue Sky Cellar are posters for current guest favorites – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Soarin’ Over California.

Soarin’ Over California Poster

Be sure to stop by Blue Sky Cellar and keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog for updates on Cars Land, Buena Vista Street and more.

If you would like to see more photos, our good friends over at SoCal Thrills have a detailed photo report covering the new exhibits.

 

First Look at “Piratepalooza”

WDWNT on September 22, 2011


From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

Piratepalooza Dance Party at Mickey’s Halloween Party, Disneyland Park

If yesterday’s Disney Parks Blog pirate takeover got your pirate flag flying, you should check out the new Piratepalooza Dance Party during Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland park.

Piratepalooza Dance Party at Mickey’s Halloween Party, Disneyland Park

Each night of Mickey’s Halloween Party, “Pirate” Goofy and his pirate pals will take over Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante and enlist guests into their pirate crew. Dance a pirate jig, join in a “yo ho” sing-along, and play swashbuckling pirate games. Young pirates-in-training can take home a special Pumpkin Pirate souvenir coloring sheet. It’s a pirate’s life for everyone! Arr!

“Boo-tiful” New Looks Coming to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

WDWNT on September 21, 2011

From Michelle Harker the Disney Parks Blog:

Can you believe it? Halloween is just a month away. The questions of what kind of treats to buy, what costumes to wear and how to make your home décor look more spook-tacular this year are starting to fill the air. Get your “To Do List” ready and let me give you a few tips on how you can make this Halloween more fun and less frightful.

Many locations throughout Disneyland Resort are set to meet all of your Halloween needs including World of Disney Store in the Downtown Disney District and Disney Showcase in Disneyland park. Make your way to Port Royal if your Halloween should suddenly turn into a “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Visiting Disney California Adventure park? Then consider Treasures in Paradise as your one-stop shop for costumes and Halloween accessories.

Princess Package at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disneyland Park

Just in time for Mickey’s Halloween Party, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disneyland park, best known for their princess dresses, tutus and tiaras, will offer an assortment of Halloween headwear that can be added to any transformation package. With a little Disney magic and a Halloween touch, your princess can have a “boo-tiful” new look. Cool Knights are in this Halloween season, too, ready for battle with a sword and shield in hand.

‘Mini’ Character-Inspired Hats at Studio 365

If your inner rock star is crying out, don’t let the ghostly spirits haunt you away from Studio Disney 365 in the Downtown Disney District. Experience “Stage Fright” on an entirely different level with a selection of “mini” character inspired hats, including Tinker Bell, Cheshire Cat or the Mad Hatter. Add a braid, a twist and a pop of color, and voila! Your rock star makeover is complete. Not only are you ready to make your debut, but you’ll dazzle other trick-or-treaters with your super star looks.

Let us “transform” you from head to toe this Halloween season. Halloween treats at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Studio Disney 365 will debut September 30, while other offerings are available in stores now. Cross a few things off your “To Do List” and plan on having fun this Halloween!

Blue Sky Cellar Updates On The Way

WDWNT on September 15, 2011

From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

Throughout the Disney California Adventure park transformation, Walt Disney Imagineering has kept guests updated on the expansion at Blue Sky Cellar – a space dedicated to special sneak peeks of the new experiences coming to the park. Beginning Monday, September 19, Blue Sky Cellar will close in order to be updated once again. When it reopens on September 23, guests will find new videos, models and renderings of the latest additions coming to Buena Vista Street, Cars Land and more.

Last week, we showed you the topping off of the Carthay Circle Theatre with the arrival of its 17-foot, 5,000-pound cupola. I know that many of you have commented on how much you enjoy the time lapse construction videos we show from time to time on the Disney Parks Blog. Below is a peek at one of the items to be featured in the updated Blue Sky Cellar – a time lapse video of Carthay Circle Theatre construction through last week.

 

 

The Carthay Circle Theater Gets Topped Off

WDWNT on September 9, 2011

From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

Late Wednesday night, Walt Disney Imagineering topped the new Carthay Circle Theatre at Disney California Adventure park with its crowning feature – a cupola modeled after the one which sat atop the historic theatre which was the site of the 1937 world premiere of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The Disney Parks Blog video team was on hand to catch some great footage of the cupola as it was raised into position on top of the theatre – take a look!

 

 

 

We’ll have more details on the Carthay Circle Theatre and Buena Vista Street as the area continues to take shape at Disney California Adventure park, so keep checking back!

Sneak Peak At This Years Haunted Mansion Gingerbread House

WDWNT on September 9, 2011

From Pam Brandon on the Disney Parks Blog:

We caught up with “Pumpkin King” Brian D. Sandahl, Senior Designer for Disney Entertainment Creative Development, and the whiz behind the annual Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house.

This is the tenth year a “freaky gingerbread house” has been the centerpiece on the table in the Haunted Mansion ballroom, says Brian.

Disneyland Park Haunted Mansion Gingerbread House Sketch

Brian shared with us a quick color sketch that was used to inspire pastry chef Jean-Marc Viallet to create the edible overlays.

The foundation is wood and wired for animation, then the house goes to the Disneyland Resort Central Bakery for a 3-week layover to apply more than 500 lbs of gingerbread, ten yards of fondant and miles of frosting and oversized candies. Because the six-foot house stays on display through Christmas, the design is a blend of the holidays, inspired by Jack Skellington and the animated film, “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”

“Imagine if Jack Skellington had landed on the Haunted Mansion and decorated it with his vision of Halloween and Christmas,” says Brian. “The two holidays collide with pumpkins, freaky presents, a dead Christmas tree and more.”

This year’s house is more pastel, done with light orange and purple. But the cuteness gives way to a “freaky twist” when the house opens to reveal evil teeth, red eyes that light up, a “happy cookie” that revolves to a “mean cookie.”

There is so much to see in the ballroom scene, says Brian, including that dead, 25-foot-tall Christmas tree. It takes several trips through the attraction to take it all in.

Work on the gingerbread house started at the end of 2010, with construction beginning in spring 2011. Opening day is September 16!

Halloween Time Starts Sept. 16 At The Disneyland Resort

WDWNT on September 8, 2011

NAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 7, 2011) – The spirit of Halloween Time will invade Disneyland Resort this fall with Disney villains, Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes, along with  the seasonal transformations of Haunted Mansion into Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain into Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort begins Friday, Sept. 16, and will continue through Halloween, Monday, Oct. 31.

The after-hours Mickey’s Halloween Party, a separate-ticket event* which has become an annual highlight of Halloween Time for trick-or-treating families, will take place in Disneyland park on 10 special Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights: Sept. 30 and Oct. 3,7,11,14,18,21, 25, 28 and 31. Tickets are available at Disneyland.com/halloween.

Mickey’s Halloween Party invites adults and children to dress up in costume and trick-or-treat at the resort. These party participants can also “mix in” with regular Disneyland guests for three hours prior to the start of Mickey’s private bash. Highlights of Mickey’s Halloween Party include:

  • Newly themed dance party: Guests can mix, mingle and dance with some of their favorite Disney characters at the new “Piratepalooza” at Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante. The popular “Buzz Lightyear’s Intergalactic Space Jam” returns to the Tomorrowland Terrace for more dancing fun.
  • New character photo locations: Guests will meet Stormtroopers at Tomorrowland, Phineas & Ferb at Plaza Gardens Stage, and Duffy the Bear in his pumpkin attire at Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A.  Eight additional photo locations feature princesses, Disney villains and more Disney and Pixar pals.
  • The special opportunity to play in Disneyland for three hours before the party starts
  • Trick or Treating – candy and healthy treats ­- in the ultimate Disney neighborhood
  • The “Halloween Screams” fireworks spectacular, hosted by “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington (presented exclusively for guests of  Mickey’s Halloween Party)
  • “Mickey’s Costume Party” cavalcade, performed twice nightly
  • An opportunity for everyone in the family to attend the park in costumes
  • 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 $59.  All tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party on Friday, Oct. 28, and Halloween Night, Monday, Oct. 31, are $64.

Favorite Disney characters, including Mickey himself, will dress up in fun, fall costumes.  It’s the ideal environment to 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’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 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.
  • 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. 16 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.

A Look at This Year’s Disneyland Half Marathon

WDWNT on September 6, 2011

From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

On Sunday, we hosted the sixth annual Disneyland Half Marathon at the Disneyland Resort. I joined more than 15,000 athletes on the race course to bring you the following report (and to earn my first Coast to Coast Challenge medal). I’m no Paul Hiffmeyer, but I hope you’ll enjoy some shots that I took along the way.

In the pre-dawn starting area, amid all the bouncing, anxious athletes, I found a group of Team in Training participants from the San Diego/Hawai`i chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Team in Training participants raise funds for the society while training to complete endurance events. At the race, I spoke to Sue, who was running her first half marathon, and Kendra, who was completing Disney’s Coast to Coast Challenge – a special award for completing runDisney events at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts in the same calendar year.

“I’m in it for the bling,” said Kendra. And who could blame her? The finisher medals are pretty awesome.

Special Thanks to My Finish-Line Photographer, Will

At the start line, fireworks marked the beginning of the race as the athletes stepped onto the course. Drew Carey and 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon female winner Rachel Booth were among those in the crowd, along with Judy and Denise – two ladies from San Diego dressed in sparkly Minnie Mouse costumes.

When I asked them what they liked best about runDisney events, their answer was a resounding “everything!” Judy said that she likes the Disney characters, the fireworks and the energy.

“It’s kind of empowering. There’s a can-do attitude,” she said. And Denise added, “Everyone feels like a kid at Disneyland. You get to dress up and have fun.”

There was no shortage of costumes on the course – hundreds came dressed as their favorite characters. I saw plenty of princesses and Tinker Bells – and even a trio dressed as Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear.

Mile 2 of the Disneyland Half Marathon

After running through Disney California Adventure park, we headed into Disneyland park as the sun was rising. We spotted plenty of Disney characters, but my favorite moment was seeing Princess Aurora riding King Arthur Carrousel with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather just before we ran through Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Disneyland Half Marathon - Angels Stadium

The course then left Disneyland Resort and headed out to Angel Stadium. Racers got to step right out onto the field and round home plate. As we left the stadium, I stopped to chat with Dawn, a first-time race volunteer handing out drinks at an aid station just outside. Dawn and her 13-year-old son, Bryce, woke up at 3 a.m. that morning to make it to the race from Corona, Calif. Despite the early morning, Dawn said they both agreed they’d volunteer for a runDisney event again.

“It’s awesome event,” she said. “It’s a lot of people – amazing to see. It’s inspiring.” When I asked Dawn what her favorite part of volunteering for the race had been, she said, “knowing you’re doing something good – giving back.”

Disneyland Half Marathon Finish Line

After 13.1 miles, I crossed the finish line to the clank-clank of finisher medals hanging from my fellow athetes’ necks. Long before I finished, male finisher Humberto Rojas came in at 1:08:14 and Booth finished as top female again at 1:18:01.

I want to send a special congrats to my fellow Disney Parks Blog author, Betsy Sanchez, who completed her first half marathon Sunday. And congratulations to everyone who completed the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon!

Cars Land Ready to Become a “Radiator Springs Reality”

WDWNT on August 31, 2011

Time to hit the road for the D23 Expo and an exciting, high-octane look at one of the largest projects ever created for the Disney Parks!

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

In this presentation, John Lasseter and Roger Gould from Pixar and Kathy Mangum, Kevin Rafferty, & Jennifer Mok from Walt Disney Imagineering take us on a in-depth exploration of the upcoming Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. It is a fascinating look at the project and a rare opportunity to hear the creative forces behind the project talk for over an hour about every last detail of next Summer’s blockbuster addition to the Disneyland Resort. Enjoy!

 

A Good Look at Buena Vista Street

WDWNT on August 28, 2011

One of the great panels presented by Disney Parks and Resorts at the D23 Expo was “A Good Look at Buena Vista Street”. In this presentation, we were shown never before seen concept art and progress photos of the new entry way coming to Disney California Adventure next summer.