It’s appears that the Sun Wheel did not in fact close down on September 11th. We had announced that the refurbishment was pushed back to start on September 29th, 2008, however the start & end date this time have both been pushed back. The refurbishment will now start on October 13rd, & last all the way through May 13th, 2009.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as things start happening over at the Sun Wheel, or should I say Mickey’s Fun Wheel…
We’ve have just received official word on when the Sun Wheel refurbishment will end. It will start (as previously reported) on September 11th, & will go all the way through February 26th, 2009! This pretty much confirms that Mickey’s Fun Wheel is coming, & with the amount of time they’re spending on it, this going to be pretty impressive.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as construction on Mickey’s Fun Wheel starts!
Disney officials have confirmed 3 new “attractions” for the Disneyland Resort, according to the OC Register. Mickey’s Fun Wheel (the re-theme of the Sun Wheel), Silly Symphony Swings (the re-theme of the Orange Stinger), & Pixie Hollow (replacing the Ariel’s Grotto meet ‘n greet) are all now officially coming to the Resort!
MICKEY’S FUN WHEEL: A Disney Imagineering official confirmed tonight that the Sun Wheel will join the attractions being changed in the Paradise Pier area of Disney’s California Adventure. The main change expected will be removing the current sun face in the middle of the wheel and replacing it with a Mickey Mouse face. The Mickey Mouse face is planned to be a classic wide-eyed Mickey Mouse.
SILLY SYMPHONIES: The Orange Stinger will join in planned changes for the pier-area — expected to change from the current Orange Stinger theme to a Silly Symphonies theme. Currently, the attraction is a swing ride inside a giant orange sitting lakeside and plans show that the building’s foundation will remain the same, while the orange and even round building are planned to change. The attraction will be based on the classic “Silly Symphonies” animations done by Walt Disney’s animation studio in the 1930s. The band leader, Mickey Mouse, is expected to be part of the ride.
TINKERBELL: A change is also planned for Disneyland, the Imagineering official said tonight. The current Little Mermaid meet and greet next to the Tomorrowland entrance is planned to be replaced by a fairy and Tinkerbell meet and greet. The area, as currently planned, will make guests feel like they’ve shrunk down to fairy-size and the path will be filled with pixie dust.
Disney did not give any official dates on when these refurbishments/additions are planned to take place. However rumors going around show that the Sun Wheel will close on September 11th, to be re-opened by the end of the year as Mickey’s Fun Wheel. Ariel’s Grotto should also close in September, & be re-opened as Pixie Hollow by mid-October, in time for the Tinker Bell DVD release. No strong rumors have surfaced yet on when the Orange Stinger re-theme will take place, but it should be sometime next year.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for the latest up-to-the-minute information on these & all new refurbishments & attractions!
A whole load of new refurbishments during September & October have been announced. There’s so many, that I’m just gonna bullet them bellow:
It’s interesting to note that all 3 McDonalds locations in the Resort (Conostoga Wagon, Harbour Galley, & Burger Invasion) will be closed starting September 2nd, for an undetermined amount of time. Could this be the end for McDonalds at the Disneyland Resort?
Also, the Hyperion Theater refurbishment has been pushed back to start on September 29th, instead of September 2nd. We still have no information on when it will end, but it should be in time for the Christmas season.
Finally, I just want to remind everyone of the already announced refurbs:
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for updates on all attraction refurbishments. And for up-to-the-minute information on the various refurbishments, be sure to check our Attraction Refurbishments page!
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.
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.
It’s now time for my latest photo report from the Disneyland Resort:
Some of the pieces have started being put back up on the Astro Orbitor
This shade of purple, as well as a dark gold and dark blue will be the new color scheme for the Astro Orbitor
Read More about DLR Photo Report – 5/17/09 :: Featuring Video of Mickey’s Fun Wheel
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!
