April 25th Weekend News Roundup

WDWNT on April 25, 2009

A lot of news has popped up over the last couple of days, so I thought I’d post some of these smaller pieces into one big news update:

–D23 reports:

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.

-According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

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.

Hat tip to the DCA Project Tracker for some of this information.

–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.

Round-up The Games Bullseye!

WDWNT on March 26, 2009

One of our readers was kind enough to send us what is undoubtedly the first picture of one of the actual new Games of the Boardwalk:

This picture is of the Bullesyes Stalion Stampede game. A sign not seen before is bellow the Paradise Pier logo, and a tagline is off to the right.

Roll-Up Early!

WDWNT on March 24, 2009

Contrary to rumors that the Games of the Boardwalk are behind schedule, we have now received word that they are in fact ahead of schedule, and they will now open about 3 weeks earlier than originally planned on April 7th, 2009. For information on the new games themselves, check this post from back in October here on DLNT.

Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as we continue to track the progress of the on-going changes at Disney’s California Adventure.

Walls Under the Sea

WDWNT on March 3, 2009

Well, we’ve know about this refurbishment for a while, but now we finally have solid dates. King Triton’s Carousel will be closed from March 9th to May 20th. While there are no official details on what will be done to this attraction, models in the Blue Sky Cellar show that a covered structure will be added, as well as similar architecture to Toy Story Midway Mania and the Games of the Boardwalk.

Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for more information on this upcoming refurbishment.

Walls, Walls, and More Walls…

WDWNT on October 25, 2008

We received some very interesting new refurbishment dates, & I want to take the time here to go through some of them. First up, the walls around the Plaza Pavilion are scheduled to come down on November 7th, so we’ll finally see something nice in that corner of Main Street. It’s a Small World will now re-open on November 29th, as opposed to the previously scheduled November 21st, as they probably still have quite a bit of work left to do on the attraction. Finally for Disneyland Park, Fantasy Faire Gifts over at the Princess Fantasy Faire will be closed from October 27th, through November 21st. Being closed for a month, they must be doing something pretty extensive, seeing as it’s just a small outdoor shop.

Over at DCA, the Midway Games close on Monday for their conversion over to the new Games of the Boardwalk. Both the Games & Mickey’s Fun Wheel will re-open on April 24th, 2009. The really interesting thing, is that Burger Invasion is now scheduled to be closed all the way through May 7th, 2010! That pretty much confirms that they’re doing much more than just ripping out the kitchen, & are probably re-theming it to the Beer Garden during this time. The Vineyard Room is listed as closed through October 3rd, 2009, so there’s a pretty good chance it could re-open around that time. Finally, the Orange Stinger will be closed just for November 4th, most likely so that Imagineers can look at what they’re going to do with it when time comes for the Silly Symphony Swings.

As always, keep an eye out on our Attractions Refurbishments page, as we’ll update it with any new information we get, when we get it!

Roll Up, Roll Up! New Games Coming to Paradise Pier!

WDWNT on October 19, 2008

According to various sources, the Midway Games over at Paradise Pier will in fact close down on October 27th, 2008 for their conversion over to the new Disney character themed games. The buildings housing the games will be re-themed into a similar Victorian style as that seen with Toy Story Midway Mania. The 4 games are going to be Casey at the Bat (based on a 1950’s Disney cartoon), Bullseye’s Stalion Stampede (from Toy Story 2), Dumbo’s Bucket Brigade, & Goofy About Fishin’.

Here’s some concept of the games from inside the Blue Sky Cellar, courtesy of our very own Myrna Litt:

There’s no word yet on how long this refurbishment will last, or if it will even start on October 27th, so stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for the latest.

Mickey’s Fun Wheel Is On Its Way!

WDWNT on July 2, 2008

We’ve just been informed that the Sun Wheel’s re-theme/refurbishment will start on September 11th, 2008. The re-theme will include the new 1930’s style Mickey Mouse face, re-working of the queue, a re-paint, & the new name, Mickey’s Fun Wheel!

Also planned to take place during this time is the re-theming of the Games of the Boardwalk & California Screamin’s queue, but we don’t have any solid information on that just yet.

New & Upcoming Attractions Transfer Into Awesome Pins!

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

There are a lot of very interesting upcoming pin releases at the Disneyland Resort, showcasing attractions opened in the past year, and attractions yet to open. Let’s take a look at some of these pins:

This pin commemorating the grand opening of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will be released on March 29th and will retail for $12.95.

April’s Piece of Disney History pin looks to be the best Disneyland one yet, commemorating the still around Rainforest scene in It’s a Small World. It will be released on April 5th and will retail for $14.95.

Another It’s a Small World character pin (with an odd facade) will be released on April 10th and will retail for $10.95.

I believe this is the first Pixie Hollow pin (based on the meet ‘n greet itself, not the movie). It will be released on April 24th and will retail for $10.95.

The first pin featuring Mickey’s Fun Wheel, coming out on April 24th. It will retail for $10.95.

Also comes the first pins featuring the new Games of the Boardwalk (Goofy About Fishin’, Casey at the Bat, Bullseye Stallion Stampede, and Dumbo Bucket Brigade). This pin set will be release also on April 24th, and will retail for $22.95.

“Just a Dream Away”, the motto of the Blue Sky Cellar, also featuring a possible new logo for Disney’s California Adventure. It will be released on April 24th and will retail for $8.95.

The final pin I wanted to mention here is the 1 year anniversary pin for Toy Story Midway Mania, being released almost 3 months before the actual anniversary (June 17th) on April 24th. It will retail for $10.95.

To keep up with all the latest Disneyland Resort pin releases, check out the only podcast dedicated to Disney Pin Trading, WDWNT’s The Disney Pincast.