The What’s HapPINing official Disney pin blog put up a preview of a pin being release next year, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Monorail system:
It should be safe to say that Disneyland will somehow be celebrating the 50th anniversary of not only the Monorail, but also the Submarine Voyage & the Matterhorn next summer.
We now official confirmation, in the form of pictures of construction walls, that Ariel’s Grotto is indeed closed. Here are a few pictures of construction, as well as a couple of other things from around the Disneyland Resort, off of the lovely SmugMug page of David “Darkbeer” Michael:
Not sure how well you can tell in this picture, but the King Triton & Ariel figurines have already been removed
The walls start by, & run right along with the line for Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
On the path towards the Matterhorn
The Ariel’s Grotto sign is still in place as of yesterday
And here’s where you originally got in line to meet with Ariel… This is obviously where the walls end
Moving away from Ariel’s Grotto… The cars on the Casey Junior Circus Train that originally had just a cloth coverings as opposed to doors now have real functioning doors
A ceremony was held yesterday, giving Bruno Serato, the owner of the Anaheim White House restaurant, the eighth star in the Orange County Walk of Stars, which is located in the path next to the 15 minute parking lot on Harbor Boulevard
If there’s ever been a time to stay away from Disneyland, this is it! Entertainment Tonight reports:
ET breaks the news that Miley Cyrus will celebrate her Sweet 16 birthday during a once-in-a-lifetime bash at the Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland!
The “Hannah Montana” star is also sharing the spotlight during the private party with some deserving young people from Youth Service America who’ve been making a difference in their communities.
And ET has learned that Miley’s fans are going to be able to join in the fun too! A limited number of $250 tickets to the exclusive event, “Miley’s Sweet 16 — Share the Celebration,” go on sale on August 30 at 9am PDT.
Watch ET tonight to hear what Miley has planned for the big celebration on Oct. 5!
Let’s take a look through some of the latest happenings through-out the Disneyland Resort, brought up in both pictures & words in this week’s Monday in the Parks on MiceAge:
Traffic is going to be severely effected due to the Disneyland Half Marathon this upcoming Sunday… For information & tips on how to beat the traffic, check the Monday in Parks article
Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party being advertised at both the Disneyland turnstiles…
… And DCA’s turnstiles
A water pump has been added to the It’s a Small World flume
Over at Ariel’s Grotto, this is what has become of the turntable of sorts where you would meet Ariel
According to the Monday in the Parks article, Ariel has replaced Pocahontas over at the Princess Fantasy Faire. No word if you’ll still be able to greet with Pocahontas anywhere… The picture shows that Ariel is in the same dress as used in the Ariel’s Grotto restaurant in DCA
Here are a few of the more interesting happenings from the week, that have popped up on the internet while I was in Las Vegas:
Be sure to check back tomorrow, as we still have tons more catching up to do!
Let’s take a look at a couple of the latest happenings through-out the Disneyland Resort, brought up in this week’s Monday in the Parks article on MiceAge:
Finally, here is a press release released yesterday by Disney on the Half Marathon:
John Lucas of Eugene, Oregon, Wins Third Annual Disneyland Half Marathon, Setting New Record
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 31, 2008) – Course records were broken in Men’s, Women’s and Master’s divisions in the third annual Disneyland Half Marathon, Sunday at Disneyland Resort.
John Lucas, a marketing specialist for a sports apparel company in Eugene, Oregon, crossed the finish line first with a Disneyland Half Marathon record time of 1:08:05 (exactly two minutes faster than the 2007 winning time), leading the field of an estimated 13,500 participants.
“It’s a very meaningful place for me,” Lucas said of Disneyland. After qualifying for the Olympic trials in the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon, Lucas took his girlfriend Molly to Disneyland and proposed to her in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. The couple also honeymooned at the Resort after their wedding in 2007.
“My favorite moment (in today’s race) was coming back through Disney’s California Adventure and seeing Mrs. Incredible and Sully cheering us on,” Lucas said, referring to Disney•Pixar characters who lined the course.
Lucas said he liked the competitive field and “the flat course really helped me keep a rhythm.”
Placing second overall was Mark Batres, 23, of Rowland Heights, Calif., with a time of 1:09:55. Chokri Dhaouadi, 36, a Tunisian runner who trains in Las Cruces, New Mexico, finished third with a time of 1:12:14.
Mary Akor, 31, of Gardena, Calif, was the women’s half marathon champion. Akor finished with a Disneyland Half Marathon women’s record time of 1:19:24, despite losing her race chip and having to start from the back of the pack. She caught up with the women’s leader at approximately the five mile mark, in the 13.1-mile event.
“I had to make my way through all the other runners,” she said. “But it was a great race with so many people out there cheering us on. That really made it special.”
The women’s second place finisher was Mary Kate Bailey, 33, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:19.33. Suzy Schumacher, 39, of Phoenix, Arix. – last year’s winner of the women’s Disneyland Half Marathon – took third place with a time of 1:25:12.
Kevin Broady, 45, of Brea, Calif., who finished first overall in the 2007 Disneyland Half Marathon, earned a notable Master’s Division (age 40+) victory this year with a division record time of 1:13.26 and a fourth place overall ranking.
Edith Martinez, 40, of Brea, Calif., was the top women’s Master’s finisher with a division record time of 1:28:29.
In the men’s Half Marathon wheelchair division, Ralph Pieplenbos, 55, of Monrovia, Calif., crossed the finish line with a time of 1:19:27.
Last year’s winner of the women’s half marathon wheelchair division, Kristen Messer, 21, of Austin, Texas, repeated this year with a winning time of 1:37:42.
Approximately 13,500 runners from 50 states and 16 countries registered for the magical 13.1 mile Disneyland Half Marathon this year. The field included first-time half marathoners as well as veteran runners. The course traveled through two Disneyland Resort theme parks and along Anaheim streets with landmarks such as Angels Stadium and Honda Center, while colorful Disney characters and festive music inspired them along the way.
Runners who completed the half marathon received a commemorative Sleeping Beauty Castle medal, the signature medal of the Disneyland Half Marathon and one in the Disney endurance series collection.
The Coast-to-Coast medal, a new award, was presented to nearly 1,000 runners who completed either the Walt Disney World Marathon or Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January and then completed Sunday’s Disneyland Half Marathon. The Coast-to-Coast medal showcases the iconic “Partners Statue,” of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
The 2009 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend will be held Sept. 4-6, with the Half Marathon being held on Sunday, Sept. 6. Registration for the 2009 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend opens on Monday, September 1, 2008.
For more information and to view complete searchable race results visit www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com.
Myrna has sent in 2 short videos from her trip 2 days ago that I want to share with everyone. The first is a clip of the Halloween displays along the Mickey & Friends tram route:
And the second is of the Year of a Million Dreams Mickey Mouse Floral, with Halloween decorations on the Main Street Train Station in the background:
As promised, here is the second part of Myrna Litt’s 10/16 photo report:
Earlier than expected, the Paradise Pier lagoon has started to be drained. And as you can tell from the picture, another testing barge for World of Color is in the lagoon.
The Sun Wheel is now closed for its conversion over to Mickey’s Fun Wheel.
Ray Bradbury’s Halloween Tree in Frontierland all lit up at night.
The Halloween Tree’s dedication plaque.
A couple of shots of Haunted Mansion Holiday at nighttime.
Pumpkin Mickey winks you goodbye as you exit Disneyland.
To cap off this photo report, the 3rd billboard at the Mickey & Friends Tram Station has FINALLY returned! It took 4 months!
Myrna Litt was at the Disneyland Resort today to participate in the annual Choc Walk. Now I’m not really an expert on this event, so before we get to the pictures, here is Myrna’s description of what happened:
I did the Choc Walk at Disneyland this morning. It was an early morning for me with the day starting at 4am and arriving at the Mickey and Friends parking lot at 5:30am.
We walked from the parking structure to the main entrance. The Disney Voluntears had a group picture taken at 6am in front of the train station and the walk started at 7:15. This was the 18th walk in the park.
It was a fun morning starting on Main Street and through Frontierland. Up past Woody’s Halloween Round, up to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Then we went backstage though the cast member security and fire department area coming out at Main Street again. We then crossed over to DCA and wrapped around the the backside towards the back lot and behind the Tower of Terror for cast members only. Back into the park through Bugs Land and down to Paradise Pier to the Grand Californian Hotel. We entered Downtown Disney though a cast member walkway and ended the walk just past Department 56.
It was a lot of fun and for a great cause. You also have a rare opportunity to see the backside of Disneyland. All the cast members and characters cheering you along the way.
Now on to the pictures:
Cast Members and Disney Voluntears helped out the event along the way.
As Myrna said, the walk started in Town Square.
A security car behind Space Mountain.
Some of the Voluntears posing with security CM’s.
If I’m not mistaken, this shot was taken from backstage.
What do you know… It’s The Incredibles float from the Pixar Play Parade!
The walk ended in Downtown Disney by Department 56.
The latest Disneyland Update on MiceAge as always provides a great look at what could possibly be coming to the Disneyland Resort in the near future. Let’s take a look through some of the more interesting details brought up in this update:
