We here at Disneyland News Today would like to welcome Stephen Thomas as our newest staff photographer! While Stephen won’t be visiting the Resort as much as some of our other photographers, his amazing pictures and video will indeed make up for that. Let’s now get to Stephen’s first photo report:
The state of the Astro Orbitor as of yesterday. They started putting some of the pieces back up today
New Guest restrooms across from Golden Dreams in Disney’s California Adventure will open May 16 after a scheduled reconstruction. The restrooms adjacent to Golden Dreams will close as work continues on one of the premiere attractions in the Paradise Pier area, which is based on the movie The Little Mermaid.
The DCA Project Tracker has some new information on upcoming refurbishments at Disney’s California Adventure:
Construction walls will go up around Golden Dreams on May 26th, as work finally begins on The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure. On June 1st, those walls will spread down to Souvenir 66, Corn Dog Castle, and Dinosaur Jack’s Sunglass Shack, the last of which closes on May 26th and will become an extended queue for Goofy’s Sky School.
After the Orange Stinger closes for its refurbishment on July 27th, the next re-do will be for Mulholland Madness, which is scheduled to close in January 2010. Also scheduled for January 2010 is work finally beginning on Buena Vista Street.
These dates are far from official and are always scheduled to change, so stay tuned to Disneyland News Today and our Refurbishments page for the latest.
The Mickey’s Fun Wheel ride in Disney’s California Adventure is open for business.
Disney Spokesman John McClintock said this week’s opening was a “soft” one, so the ride may be in and out of service through the week as cast members tweak the operations.
The retrofitting of the Ferris wheel in DCA with a big, vintage Mickey Mouse Face to replace the sun that had originally been there is part of the $1 billion California Adventure expansion.
The ride will have a private grand-opening party for cast members early next week, and will be in full service by mid-week, McClintock said.
Mickey’s Fun Wheel will be open to Guests today after a makeover which added five fab characters on the sides of each gondola and a “pie-eyed” Mickey Mouse overlooking Paradise Bay in Disney’s California Adventure Park.
D23 has put up a couple of interesting things today that I want to share with everyone. First up, a great look at the Disney’s California Adventure renovation is provided in the Summer issue of Disney twenty-three magazine:
In the summer issue of twenty-three, Steven Clark and Jeffrey Epstein take readers on an exciting walk into the future of Disney’s California Adventure, revealing what Imagineers have in mind for park over the next four years. As you might expect, spectacular plans are unfolding — everything from a brand-new entryway and the majestic Carthay Circle Theatre to the spectacular World of Color nighttime extravaganza, the calypso under-the-sea beat of the new Little Mermaid attraction and an entirely new themed land that will be home to Lightning McQueen and his four-wheeled friends! Happy browsing!
Secondly, they have an interview with Disneyland Entertainment Productions Senior Show Director John Addis about the upcoming TLT Dance Club coming to the Tomorrowland Terrace this summer as part of Summer Nightastic:
If a hot nightspot inside Disneyland featuring today’s most popular music sounds like a familiar concept, you have something in common with Disneyland Entertainment Productions Senior Show Director John Addis.
“I opened Videopolis back in ’85,” John says, referring to the vibrant video dance club that once stood where the Princess Fantasy Faire now resides. “They packed the place. Kids would go and learn dances together.” John says they wanted to bring the concept into 2009, and the Tomorrowland Terrace, which has frequently featured contemporary performances throughout the years, was the perfect spot for the new TLT Dance Club (skywalkers-in-training, have no fear, Jedi Training Academy will continue during the day — TLT will heat up nightly from 7–11 p.m. starting June 12). “We’re going to have plasma screens in the venue, and you can actually text and your text messages will go up on the screen… I’m not quite sure how they’re going to police that,” he says with a laugh. Guests will also be able to text in their favorite song to a posted number. “At 8 o’clock at night they do ‘Celebrate at 8,’ and they will take all of the songs that everyone wants to hear and they’ll do a countdown to the No. 1 song.”
John also notes there will be a host who will keep the night grooving with games, trivia and trademarked Disney fun. Music, of course, will be the heart of TLT, with DJs from Southern California radio stations and local bands keeping things lively. “The asks are out, as they say,” jokes John about possible performers and DJs. “But I haven’t heard anything definite. I’m excited about the live music. Friday through Sunday we’re going to have live bands.”
The bands, notes Disney Entertainment Productions Producer Ray Coble, may be familiar to Disneyland-ers. “We’re welcoming bands that we use and know are very successful like the 80z All Stars and also looking at some new ones.”
Adds John, “I’d love to expose people to new groups. It’s great to have a new group come in, people follow them and suddenly… they’re Rascal Flatts!”
Does that mean Miley may turn up at TLT? “We’re looking into Hollywood Records and Disney Channel emerging artists — and maybe even some established recording artists — coming down during that Friday to Sunday time,” John hints. “What we’ve done is taken an area that needed to have some fun, and I think it’s going to!”
On April 29, for the first time in history, two people will receive a window on Main Street, U.S.A. on the same day. The windows will honor Disney Legends and former Walt Disney Imagineers Rolly Crump and the late Don Edgren. Look for Rolly and Don’s names over the porch of the old bra shop and above the Silhouette Studio.
Plans have been unveiled for a new shop coming to Downtown Disney; this one will replace the recently closed Club Libby Lu.
Titled Studio Disney 365, it will be another salon and merchandise location. It sounds similar to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, which opened last week in Fantasyland, but this one has a Hollywood theme and is geared more towards the “High School Musical” crowd.
Studio Disney 365 will open this summer. Check Around Disney for more details over the next week or so.
Disneyland.com also has information on Studio Disney 365:
Lights, Camera, Action! Studio Disney 365 – Coming Summer 2009
Ever wish you could rock out like some of your favorite Disney Channel stars or become a huge superstar and have paparazzi waiting to snap your picture… Now you can! With your star quality you can ride the wave of success to Hollywood, and have your 15 minutes of fame. First, determine your level of star quality from fabulous & famous to secret star with a transformation that will not only make you look but also feel like your favorite celebrities.
Next meet your fans and have your picture snapped by our waiting paparazzi and give them a glimpse of what a true superstar looks like. Finally get in touch with your inner “fashionista” by choosing from a wide array of fashion apparel and accessories that will complete the look. And that’s a wrap!
-In Disney’s California Adventure re-do news, Dinosaur Jack’s Sunglass Shack is scheduled to close permanently on May 26th, 2009, however we’re not sure if this means it will be completely removed or just re-themed. The structure itself doesn’t really lend itself all that well to being re-themed, so time will have to tell on this one. We also have a new name for the Souvenir 66 stand. It will become Seaside Souvenirs. Finally in DCA news, the Golden Zephyr unexpectedly closed for a refurbishment yesterday. We currently have no idea when it will re-open, but stay tuned to our Refurbishments page for the latest.
–According to the Disneyland.com calendar, there will be an Up Pre-Parade running in front of the Pixar Play Parade at Disney’s California Adventure beginning Friday May 8th, 2009. Pre-Parades usually run about 10 minutes before the main parade, so be sure to plan your time accordingly.
-Finally, the Disneyland Resort released a few press videos on YouTube yesterday looking at some of the latest additions to the Resort:
Join the fun at Disneyland with Celebrate! A Street Party, an exhilarating spectacle of music, dance and guest participation along Main Street USA. This daily street show features an energetic cast of dancers (including stilt-dancers) and Disney characters who invite guests to join them in the kind of dazzling celebration that can be found only at Disneyland Resort. Its part of the exciting, new entertainment that invites guests to Celebrate Today!
The ideal venue for a Disneyland celebration can be found in Frontierland, at Celebration Roundup & Barbecue. Guests will enjoy a hearty, ranch-style barbecue meal with a surprise dessert. The non-stop entertainment includes traditional western music and appearances by Sheriff Woody, Jessie the Yodelin Cowgirl and Bullseye the Fastest Horse in the West, from Toy Story. Open for lunch and dinner, this family-favorite location seats groups up to 24 people.
Guests will enjoy a new lineup of Disney-themed games at the Paradise Pier Midway, inside Disneys California Adventure park. After riding through the interactive attraction Toy Story Mania!, guests can stroll on down the boardwalk to play these games: Goofy About Fishin, where everyone is a winner; Casey at the Bat, a ball pitch; Bullseye Stallion Stampede, a rolling ball race; and Dumbo Bucket Brigade, a water-spray contest with clowns and ladders.
Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival will celebrate the international cultures, people, food and traditions that have made California one of the most diverse culinary destinations in the world. With a theme of World Celebration, the Festival runs from April 24 through June 7, featuring daily complimentary demonstrations and premier ticketed events at Disneys California Adventure park and throughout the Resort. Details and tickets for the premier events are available at www.disneyland.com/foodandwine.
Spring has sprung and it’s time to celebrate at the Disneyland Resort. There’s a new parade in town, “Celebrate! A Street Party.” Jump into the action with nearly 100 performers dancing from ‘it’s a small world” down Main Street U.S.A. In Frontierland, catch up with Woody, Jessie and Bullseye while eatin’ some chicken, ribs and beans at the all-new Celebration Roundup and Barbeque at Big Thunder Ranch. And in Fantasyland, girls and boys are being transformed into royalty at the new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. For some hands-on fun, head over to Disney’s California Adventure and give “Games of the Boardwalk” your best shot. And don’t miss the 4th Annual Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival – the cork pops April 24.
D23 has even more information on Disneyland’s new Summer Nightastic promotion:
Disneyland Resort will glow like never before this summer as it debuts an all-new fireworks show, Magical, along with beloved characters and sensational new effects that will brighten the Summer Nightastic!
Guests can see Disneyland Resort in a whole new light as Summer Nightastic! brings nighttime shows and parades to life — bigger, better and brighter. A huge new dragon and other special effects enhance the magestic Fantasmic!. Explosive surprises will illuminate the night sky in the all-new fireworks spectacular, Magical. Guests can rock the night away at a new dance club in Tomorrowland. And sparkling new magic comes to Disney’s Electrical Parade, as well as to Pixie Hollow, the enchanting home Tinker Bell inhabits with her fairy friends.
“When the sun goes down, things are going to light up!” says Jill Estorino, senior vice president, Domestic Parks Marketing. “This summer, we’re piling up the magic even more.”
A BOLDER FANTASMIC!: New thrills galore will arrive at the popular Fantasmic! on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. The evil Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty transforms into a brand new, 40-foot tall, fully animated, fire-breathing dragon —. She’ll have flapping wings, a moving head and mouth and at 10,000 pounds she had to be helicoptered in to the Park! Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid will introduce her pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, who slither into the show with new power. “They come right up to the sea wall and look you right in the eye!” says Show Director Carla Carlile. And with the help of HD technology — high definition, not Huge Dragon! — the Fantasmic! video projections practically leap off the giant mist screens. During the Captain Hook pirate ship scene, look for a newly animated crocodile, who now even snaps at Captain Hook!
AN EXPLODING CELEBRATION IN THE SKY: Magical is a new Disney fireworks spectacular created especially to celebrate Summer Nightastic! at Disneyland. Tinker Bell is once again your host, waving her wand to ignite the brilliant color, stunning special effects and charming music. But she won’t be alone in the sky this summer. Dumbo will make his surprise airborne debut in the new show. Tink’s sparkling touch awakens a fantastic array of Disney’s most magical characters, from Pinocchio to Mary Poppins to Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, and the Three Good Fairies from Sleeping Beauty (wait ’til you see Flora and Merryweather engaged in colorful overhead battle between their signature colors pink and blue!). Powerhouse vocalist Eden Espinosa, a longtime signer at Disneyland who starred in the Broadway production of BKLYN and also played Elphaba in Wicked, sings Magical’s theme song as well as classic Disney tunes like “Baby Mine.” Other songs included in this extravaganza include “Second Star to the Right” from Peter Pan, “Hi-diddle-dee (An Actor’s Life for Me)” from , “Jolly Holiday” from Mary Poppins and “So This is Love” from Cinderella. Longtime Disneyland composer Greg Smith supplies the score.
NEW FLOATS BRING FRESH MAGIC TO DISNEY’S ELECTRICAL PARADE: Everything about Disney’s Electrical Parade will have a new glow as Tinker Bell leads the way, waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new opening parade float. “A fairy’s magic lights the way,” reveals Denny Newell, senior show director. The parade’s beloved music and floats will feature electrifying audio and lighting technologies, with sparkling pixie dust added to all the parade floats. Returning to the parade this summer as well, after several years’ absence, are Snow White’s Diamond Mine float and two Pleasure Island floats from Pinocchio. “Because of LED technology,” explains Denny, “we can do a lot more fun programming.” In fact, thanks to LEDs, the Cheshire cat will disappear just like in the movie. Though the Blue Fairy float that used to open the parade has gone on hiatus, Guests with a keen eye will notice that the center mast of Captain Hook’s pirate ship is now a foot-and-a-half taller.
AN EXCITING NEW DANCE CLUB ‘IGNITES THE NIGHT’ IN TOMORROWLAND: Tweens, teens and families will be drawn to the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Dazzling décor will include an illuminated DJ console where the TLT Dance Club DJ will spin the hottest dance tunes, guaranteed to keep Tomorrowland rockin’ all night. Live bands and the hottest Southern California radio stations will appear on select nights throughout the summer.
PIXIE HOLLOW ENCHANTMENT: Tinker Bell and her friends have been welcoming guests into their Pixie Hollow home, tucked into the glen near the entrance to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, since fall of 2008. This summer, for the first time, nighttime visitors will find magical surprises as Pixie Hollow and the nearby pond come to life in iridescent light shows. Pixie dust cascades across the landscape and radiates down into the pond. Even the water becomes enchanted as playful fountains spring to life, water jets perform with whimsical precision, and sparkling strobes shine throughout Pixie Hollow. For those who haven’t visited the Hollow before, as guests enter Tink’s domain, they will notice the flora around them growing bigger and bigger — as they shrink to the size of a fairy. “We call the effect, ‘the Monsanto tunnel,’ laughs Denny, referencing the now-defunct Disneyland Journey Thru Innerspace attraction.
My parents visited the Disneyland Resort today while I was unfortunately in school. The reason for this visit was my father’s birthday, and he of course got his Birthday Fun Card. Here’s some photos they were able to get for us:
Monorail Orange pulling into the Downtown Disney Monorail Station
Food and Wine Festival banners in Downtown Disney
A tent has been set up in the middle of Sunshine Plaza for the Festival Welcome Center
Disneyland Resort will glow like never before this summer as it debuts an all-new fireworks show, Magical, along with beloved characters and sensational new effects that will brighten the Summer Nightastic!
