Photo Report From the Christmas Carol Train Tour – 5/24/09

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

Today I went to the opening weekend of the “A Christmas Carol” Train Tour at Los Angeles Union Station. This tour provided a unique look into the creation of the film, which opens in theaters nationwide November 6th, 2009, as well as an 11 minute preview of the movie. Let’s take a look at some of my photos from the tour:

This way to all trains

Yes, the wait really was 3 hours! Even worse is that later in the day, the line got up to nearly 6 hours!

A lot of people obviously wanted to come out and see this thing

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Disney Settles Suit With Woman Who Fell From Tram

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

A Northern California woman who suffered serious head injuries when she fell out of a moving Disneyland tram two years ago has reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the entertainment giant, Walt Disney Co. officials confirmed Wednesday.

Details of the settlement, including the amount of money paid to Zhao, were not released. The agreement came just as a jury trial was finishing in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Qi Zhao, 48, was riding in the Disney tram outside the park with two sisters and a niece in February 2007.

Zhao and her family had spent about 10 hours inside the park and were headed on the tram to their car in a parking lot about 10 p.m., Disney officials said.

Zhao said that as the tram entered a turnaround, one of her sisters – who was apparently sleeping – fell from the tram, prompting Zhao and another sister to react suddenly and also fall out of the tram.

One sister suffered minor injuries. Zhao hit her head on the pavement and suffered serious head trauma, including a fractured skull. It left her in a coma for three weeks and in need of around-the-clock medical supervision, according to the complaint.

She filed her lawsuit later that year, alleging that the tram was moving too fast.

Zhao and her husband were born in China, but were living in Northern California when they visited Disneyland. Zhao is now being cared for in Beijing.

Attorneys for Disney said the tram was moving at a safe speed and that a device attached to the trams limits the top speed to 11 mph. As it entered the turnaround, it was traveling the customary 5 to 7 mph, they said.

Of the 200 guests on the tram, only Zhao and her sisters fell out of the tram.

“This lawsuit stems from a highly unusual and tragic incident,” said Sara Jones, a Disney spokeswoman.

“This incident was caused by the plaintiff and her sisters’ multiple failures to comply with Disneyland’s numerous and repeated safety warnings,” she added.

Attorneys for Zhao could not be reached for comment.

The settlement came just as attorneys had begun their closing arguments in the jury trial. The judge informed jurors of the resolution and dismissed them. Zhao’s two sisters had earlier settled their claims against Disney.

Perfect Photo Opportunity!

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

According to D23:

Disney’s PhotoPass cards for Summer Nightastic! are available now. Check out the back of the cards to find out how guests can receive a $10 discount on a Disney’s PhotoCD online or free shipping on the PhotoCD.

Disney’s Free Birthday Tickets Draw Millions

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

More than 3 million people have signed up for Disney’s free-on-your-birthday deal, but only about 30 percent of the registrants actually have gone to a theme park to celebrate so far.

This year, Disney is allowing guests to get free admission to a park on their birthdays. Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, discussed the popularity of the free birthday tickets as part of a conference call Tuesday about next year’s theme-park promotion: Volunteer for a day and get into a theme park for free.

Guests have taken advantage of the birthday program more heavily at the Disneyland Resort, compared to Walt Disney World in Florida, because the Anaheim parks have a larger, local clientele, Rasulo said.

The birthday promotion has helped drive up attendance at the two Anaheim parks — Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Disneyland Resort attendance jumped 10 percent in the most recent quarter ending in June compared to the same period the previous year, despite the lagging economy, according to Disney’s financial statements.

“Certainly, I think that a program that inspires people and is relevant always impacts our attendance,” Rasulo said.

The free birthday tickets are part of the “Celebrate!” theme underway at Disneyland, including decorations and a parade.

Rasulo said he was unsure how many more people are projected to take advantage of the birthday perk the rest of this year.

In this tough economy, Rasulo said that Disney has offered more promotions to help keep up volume. Walt Disney World has even more deals, such as extended free dining packages. He said he was unsure how the company would balance the promotions from here on out.

“Clearly this past year, with the state of the economy, we know where families are. We know the situation they are facing. And clearly, we responded with promotional programs,” Rasulo said.

Hail to the Chief!

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

George Kalogridis, who previously oversaw Anaheim theme parks’ operations, today took over as the new president of the Disneyland Resort — the largest private employer in Orange County, Disney announced today.

Kalogridis, 55, is replacing Ed Grier, who announced his retirement last week and had his last day Friday.

Kalogridis most recently worked as the chief operating officer for the Disneyland Resort Paris.

But he served at the Anaheim resort at a crucial time — serving as senior vice president of Disneyland Resort operations from 2000 to 2002 when Disney’s California Adventure and Downtown Disney opened.

Kalogridis was brought in specifically for the addition. Now, California Adventure is in the middle of a $1-billion expansion, which began two years ago.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Disneyland, particularly during this exciting time of significant expansion,” said Kalogridis in a prepared statement.

“I look forward to working with the cast who make the magic for our guests every day and partnering with the Orange County community to ensure the Anaheim Resort Area continues to thrive,” he said.

For 38 years, Kalogridis has worked at the company, starting as a busboy at the opening of the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida and rising up to EPCOT’s vice president. He has also served as a general manager of the Grand Floridian Beach Resort, in human resources at Walt Disney World and on the development team for the Paris park.

“George is a proven strategic thinker whose operational expertise and strong leadership skills will serve him well in leading the Disneyland Resort,” said Al Weiss, president of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in a prepared statement. “We are excited to welcome him back to California and look forward to his leadership as we continue to expand and grow this beloved place.”

About 20,000 employees work at the Disneyland Resort, which includes two theme parks, Downtown Disney and three hotels on 560 acres in Anaheim. The resort contributes about $3.7 billion annually to the local economy, according to a Disney press release.

The folks at the Around Disney blog also have a Q&A with George up.

Going to the Disney Parks? There’s an App for That

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

The Disney Parks Blog has unveiled the first official information on the long awaited phone applications that Verizon customers will soon be able to purchase, making it easy to conquer lines for attractions, meet and greets, and much more:

Earlier this year, we announced our first official Disney Parks mobile application – Mobile Magic. Now, we’re sharing details and screen shots.

You’ll recall that Mobile Magic is bringing attraction wait times, FASTPASS return times, extensive information on character locations and more for Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks to your Verizon Wireless phone. Development work has been ongoing but the team recently offered a walkthrough of the app and it’s looking great.

Attraction wait times on your Verizon Wireless device will be unique. There’s been an investment in the backend infrastructure to support Mobile Magic and offer actual wait times based directly on Disney Parks information.

As for FASTPASS, you’ll be able to check if it’s still available for specific attractions. And if FASTPASS is available, the app will deliver information about the next return time. So, if you can still get a FASTPASS, the application will show, for example: FP: 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Also, mobile maps are GPS-enabled. While wandering the parks, your location will be indicated by a white circle. Then it’s simple to scroll through content and find it on the map via a “getting there” option. The map zooms out and allows you to see your location and exactly where the character greeting or restaurant can be located.

It’s important to note that actual wait times, FASTPASS return times and detailed character appearances are only available in the park you are in. When you’re out of the park or on the soon-to-be-launched mobile Web site, you’ll see scaled-down wait time descriptions (now – moderate – high demand) FASTPASS availability (yes – limited availability – not available) and the list of character appearances will be limited.

If you are not a Verizon Wireless subscriber, you can still use your mobile phone to access select information via text and on the Disney Parks Mobile Web site. It’s just better from our friends at Verizon Wireless.

There’s more to this offering but we wanted to share these screen grabs and let you know that the app is coming soon. So, how’s it looking?

Of course, there are some official details you should know about: The downloadable Mobile Magic application for Verizon Wireless subscribers is available for purchase. Message and data rates also may apply. Coverage not available everywhere. Availability subject to handset limitations. If you’re under 18, get your parent’s permission first.