Matt Valdez’s 11/17/11 DLR Photo Report

WDWNT on November 25, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!! I would like to welcome Matt Valdez to Disneyland News Today as a staff photographer. Matt already has a photo report to share with us…

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Starting off in Disneyland

Main Street is already decked out for the holidays

The new Disney Gallery exhibit, “Trains of Disney” is now open at the Disney Gallery

The rocks at the front of Adventureland still look strange to me. Bright turquoise was a strange choice.

Work on the Jolly Holiday Bakery continues.

Good day to be at the parks

Not much visible progress on the exterior

Nope, they are still funny looking

Planter work in Adventureland

The Pirates refurbishment wrapped up today

The only changes reported was that now both Blackbeard and Davy Jones are on the waterfall right before the battle scene.

How about a quick look around Santa’s Reindeer Round-up

Awwwwww…

Some LED snow on the castle roof

Wreath in the Small World Mall

Notice that the reefs on the facade are missing this year because of the Magic, The Memories, and You needs a flat surface to project on to

Quick peek at decorations around Toon Town

One of the trees that was imported from Walt Disney World’s Toon Town

No extended queue today at Star Tours

Into DCA

Buena Vista Street Construction

Attempt at decorating the DCA entrance way

Carthay Circle Theater

The Carthay Circle fountain was on

Oooooh….

Ahhhhhh..

Elias & Company Depatment Store

The Pump House

The Backlot entrance showing a little wear

The workwalls along the entrance have been moved around and they are no longer the blue Electronica walls… Interesting

Walking down by Tower…

New work walls at the parade gates

Looks like some executives are getting a VIP look at Cars Land

The giant ornaments have returned to Flick’s Fun Fair

The mural is cracked and faded, wondered what’s going to happen to it

Cars Land

The leaning tower of tires has been constructed

So has the sign for Luigi’s

The mountain side facing pacific wharf has been mostly completed

Looking back the Carhtay Circle Theater

Ahhh….

The Christmas Tree is up in Paradise Pier

Mustache!!!

The Cadillac Range from Paradise Park

Another mustache!!

Decorations on The Little Mermaid

Thanks for Reading

National Thanksgiving Turkey “Going to Disneyland!” To Celebrate Presidential Pardon

WDWNT on November 26, 2008

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 26, 2008) – The National Thanksgiving Turkey will really have something to celebrate following today’s traditional Presidential pardon ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. “Pumpkin” and his alternate “Pecan” are going to Disneyland! It starts with a police escort to Dulles International Airport. Then the birds will “fly” First-Class on United Airlines Flight Turkey-1 to their new home at Disneyland Resort in Southern California.

The turkey’s special Thanksgiving Day celebration is a preview of things to come in 2009, as Disney Parks asks guests, “What Will You Celebrate?” and invites them to mark life’s special moments with a Disney visit.

The trip from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles will mark the fourth consecutive year that the National Thanksgiving Turkey has celebrated his pardon at a Disney Resort. Accompanied by National Turkey Federation Chairman Paul Hill of Ellsworth, Iowa, Pumpkin, a 20-week-old, 45-pound tom turkey, will be the grand marshal in a special Thanksgiving Day parade down Main Street U.S.A.  Following the parade, Pumpkin and his alternate Pecan will find a home at Santa’s Reindeer Round-Up at Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland, where they’ll remain throughout the holidays and the rest of their lives.

Americans nationwide will be able to share the celebration as the turkey enjoys his new Disneyland home.  See photos of the National Thanksgiving Turkey and watch video of this year’s White House pardon at www.disneyparks.com on Nov. 26 and 27.  And, for the first time, watch the turkey LIVE from Disneyland on Thanksgiving Day from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. PST (3 p.m.-7 p.m. EST). Go to www.disneyparks.com, listen for the turkey’s gobble, and then click on the turkey face to access “Turkey Cam” LIVE from Disneyland.

“My family and I celebrate the honor of presenting the National Thanksgiving Turkey to the President of the United States,” said Chairman Hill of the turkey federation. “We’ll also be celebrating the special privilege of flying to Disneyland where the turkey will be the grand marshal in the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day parade.”

Added Captain Vince Kramer of United Turkey-1 and Assistant Chief Pilot for United’s Airbus 320 Fleet, “United is proud to fly our special, feathered guests and to help them achieve every turkey’s dream of flight.  It is a rare treat for turkeys to reach 30,000 feet, and we look forward to getting them to Los Angeles and landing safely and on-time.”

U.S. President Harry S Truman was the first Commander-in-Chief to be presented with a Thanksgiving turkey (in 1947) by the National Turkey Federation. This year’s presentation marks the 61st anniversary of a tradition that has continued through 10 successive White House administrations. The 2008 National Thanksgiving Turkey was raised under Chairman Hill’s supervision on a farm in West Liberty, Iowa.

The National Turkey Federation is the advocate for all segments of the U.S. turkey industry, providing services and conducting activities which increase demand for its members’ products, as well as enhance the ability to effectively and profitably provide wholesome, high-quality, nutritious turkey products.

Refurb Season Is Coming!

WDWNT on August 11, 2008

UPDATED @ 11:00AM

We have a few more updates for you to the attractions refurbishment list. First up, over in Entertainment, for the week of August 25th, both Disney’s Electrical Parade & Fantasmic! will not be offered on the Monday through Thursday, due to a lot of kids being back at school. The following week, both will go on hiatus. Fantasmic! will return on November 7th, & Disney’s Electrical Parade will return in mid December.

August 17th will be the last day for the lovely Ariel’s Grotto meet ‘n greet. Work will then begin on changing over that area to Pixie Hollow for Tinker Bell & her fellow Fairies. So if you want your picture taken with Ariel in her Mermaid form, August 17th will be your last day to do it until 2010!

The New Orleans Square Railroad Station will close on September 2nd for repaving of the station & surrounding area (including the area in front of the Haunted Mansion). Trains will just go straight through that station, & continue on to Toontown. It’s due to re-open on October 17th.

Big Thunder Ranch will be closed from September 15th to the 25th (it originally was planned to be closed until the 27th) so they can add the Woody’s Halloween Round-up overlay. It will then be closed from November 3rd until the 20th for the Santa’s Reindeer Round-up overlay.

The previously planned Pirates of the Caribbean refurbishment that was to of gone from October 13th to November 14th seems to have been completely removed from the list.

A second Mark Twain Riverboat refurbishment will happen in November (the first is from August 25th-29th), from the 3rd to the 5th.

Finally for Disneyland Park, the new store, replacing New Century Timepieces will open September 30th, & the It’s a Small World Toy Shop will open before the attraction on September 28th. And over at It’s a Small World itself, the new flume has been painted.

One quick thing over at DCA, the Hyperion Theater refurbishment that starts on September 2nd, finally has an end date, that being December 18th.

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!

Christmas Comes Early This Year

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

It looks like Christmas is coming even earlier this year, as the Costco Travel site is stating that Holidays at the Disneyland Resort will begin on November 13th, 2009:

Holidays at the Disneyland® Resort begins 11/13/09 through 1/3/10. Celebrate with family and friends as holiday magic unfolds all around you with seasonal excitement, like Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, “Believe … in Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular, “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade and Santa’s Reindeer Round-Up.