Mickey’s Fun Wheel is Now Soft-Opened

WDWNT on May 6, 2009

According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

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.

It’s Wheel-y Fun!

WDWNT on May 4, 2009

According to D23:

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.

DLR Photo Report :: 4/21/09

WDWNT on April 22, 2009

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

Read More about DLR Photo Report :: 4/21/09

Mickey Gets a Facelift

WDWNT on April 18, 2009

According to D23:

Opening early May, Mickey’s Fun Wheel (previously known as the Sun Wheel) is the 150-foot-diameter Ferris wheel inspired by Coney Island’s famous “Wonder Wheel.” Located on the Paradise Pier boardwalk, Mickey’s Fun Wheel sits high above the water’s edge and is dominated by the smiling face of its namesake, Mickey Mouse. Though the attraction itself has not changed (Guests can still choose between boarding a standard or swinging gondola), the gondolas present colorful images of the Fab Five: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald and Pluto. At the entrance to the queue, Guests are now greeted by a smaller version of the image on the wheel.

A Paradise of Fun, Under the Sun

WDWNT on April 9, 2009

Disneyland News Today reader Stephen Thomas was nice enough to send in pictures he managed to grab from the HoJo Anaheim’s Mattercam of the progressing work on the California Screamin’ sunburst, as well as work that has finally begun on the Mickey face for Mickey’s Fun Wheel:

The sunburst looks to be pretty much done. Just a little bit left to paint in the middle.

A white backing of Mickey’s head has been put up. His facial features will either be put up on top of that or painted on.

Thanks once again Stephen!

Mickey’s Face-lift Postponed

WDWNT on April 2, 2009

Some of our sources have reported that Mickey’s Fun Wheel is a couple weeks behind schedule, and is now scheduled to open on May 8th, as opposed to the originally scheduled April 24th date. We’re not exactly sure on the reason of the delay, but it’s most likely due to the Mickey face, as it hasn’t even arrived at the Resort yet.

Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for the latest on the Paradise Pier make-over.

On the Spot at Paradise Pier

WDWNT on December 31, 2008

One of our spy reporters was at Disney’s California Adventure yesterday & noticed 2 very interesting developments in Paradise Pier:

It’s kind of to make out, but the eyes & mouth of the sun face have been removed. We’ll have a closer up picture of this for you on Friday.

Secondly, this lenticular panel has been put up on the bridge to Paradise Pier instead of construction walls to let guests know what the construction is all about, which of course for World of Color.

Myrna Litt’s 11/5 Photo Report

WDWNT on November 7, 2008

It’s once again time for a photo report from Mrs. Myrna Litt. She visited the Disneyland Resort yesterday as Christmas decorations have started to be put up:

Anyone know why there was a conductor in this restaurant’s train?

 Christmas decorations have started to be put up in Sunshine Plaza.

Scaff-holding is up around the Sun Wheel.

I absolutely love these construction walls at the bottom of the picture! An absolutely fantastic design choice.

Read More about Myrna Litt’s 11/5 Photo Report

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!

MiceAge Disneyland Update

WDWNT on October 8, 2008

A treat I look forward to every other month is a Disneyland Update from MiceAge‘s Al Lutz. Al knows his stuff very well, & the articles always feature interesting information that usually comes to pass. Let’s take a look through some of the things spoken about in today’s update:

  • DCA’s upcoming re-do has been split in to 4 phases of sorts. Here’s how the phases pan out:

    World of Color, Paradise Pier     makeover, completed spring 2010
    Main Entrance     makeover, Red Car trolley, initial Hollywood work, completed mid 2011
    Little Mermaid     pavilion and E-Ticket attraction, completed late 2011
    Cars Land     attractions, shops, restaurants, completed mid 2012

    Al says that the current financial crisis in this country shouldn’t have any affect on DCA’s re-do. The first phase will actually start in just 2 weeks, with the closing of the Sun Wheel. Around Thanksgiving, the Paradise Pier lagoon will be drained in preparation for the World of Color nighttime show.

  • Plans just keep expanding for The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure. This attraction is going to be so extravagant, that Ariel’s hair will actually be a seperate animatronic from Ariel herself, due to her hair flowing, as we are supposed to be “Under the Sea”. The various Ariel animatronics in the attraction are said to be some of the most sosphicated ever produced by WDI.
  • While it’s too much to explain in a short recap, Al does have a complete listing of what you will be able to find in the Blue Sky Cellar once it officially opens on October 20th. Check the second page of the linked article for that.
  • Get ready for the controversy to start. The Disney characters & the American scene (this scene replaces the old Rainforest scene before the Grand Finale scene)have both been installed in It’s a Small World. But don’t expect to see them when the attraction re-opens as It’s a Small World Holiday on November 21st. For they will both be hidden from view until the original version of the attraction debuts sometime in February (yes, there will be a 1 month long refurbishment in January, beginning January 5th).
  • Sometime this winter, all 3 Mark VII Monorails will go under the knife to fix the horrible problems that they are currently faced with. The windows will be completely ripped out, & replaced with windows like those seen on the Mark V’s.
  • An idea being thrown around for next year’s What Will You Celebrate? campaign is to “plus” a couple of attractions in the Resort, with some Celebration themed things. One such idea is for some new elements added to the Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh attraction, with similar decor around Critter Country.

There’s plenty more to be found in this article, including Disney possibly buying both the Anaheim GardenWalk & SeaWorld San Diego (of all places). Be sure to check it out.