Upcoming Disneyland Attraction Closures

• Bank of Main Street – closed through October 2 will reopen into the new Disney Gallery.
• Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years – closed through December 16 when we welcome back Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln to the Main Street Opera House.
• The Enchanted Cottage – closed through November 4 for refurbishment.
• Casey Jr. Circus Trains and Storybook Land Canal Boats – closed through November 19 for refurbishment.
• Gadget's Go Coaster – closed through October 26 for refurbishment.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – closed September 28 to October 2 for refurbishment.
• Blue Bayou Restaurant – closed September 28 to October 2 for refurbishment.
• Columbia – closed October 5–7 and October 12-15
  
• Indiana Jones Adventure – closed October 5–8.
• Disneyland Railroad – closed October 5–8.
• "it's a small world" – closed October 26–November 12 for installation of small world holiday
  

Disney Parks Blog

Did you know that there is now an official Disney Parks Blog? The new blog is DisneyParksBlogs.com

The Disney Parks Blog will feature Cast members from Disneyland Resort blogging from and about Disneyland. There will be a number of other Cast Members from all areas of Disney Parks. The Blog will be a source of information on our destinations that Guests can rely on to learn about new attractions, new programs, and experiences that make a Disney vacation so magical.

You'll also find exclusive video and images, coverage of in-park events and profiles of unique cast members who make magic for our guests every day.

The Disney Parks Blog will allow comments, but like many corporate blogs, they will be moderated. The purpose of the moderation is to keep the conversation clean and on-topic.

20 Years Ago!

Located in the park’s newly dubbed Critter Country, the 87-foot tall Splash Mountain opened in 1989.

It's here!

Besides a long wait time, the verdict is FUN for Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. Crowds rushed to the attraction following the rope drop this morning. Within an hour, the Fast Passes were gone and the standby line was reaching 90 minutes.

Expect long waits for Haunted Mansion Holiday over this weekend, especially. Folks will come out in droves to experience Halloween Screams Fireworks tonight too.

Halloween Time 2009

Each year it gets more and more impressive at Disneyland with Halloween Time. Here are just some more of the things you will find at Disneyland from September 25 to November 1st, 2009.

Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland is again transformed for the Pumpkin Festival, where more than 300 “non-identical” pumpkins will be on display in shop windows.

Visitors to Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland will sometimes find the ranch animals dressed in costume for a seasonal Halloween Roundup, with pumpkin carvers, Halloween décor and activities for youngsters, all presided over by Sheriff Woody. Next door at Big Thunder Barbecue, Miss Chris and the Roundup musicians will add Halloween songs to their repertoire.

Disney villains will gather in “it’s a small world” Mall in Disneyland, while other characters in seasonal costumes greet guests in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland.

Halloween Screams - A Villainous Surprise in the Skies

Also new this year at Halloween Time at Disneyland is “Halloween Screams - A Villainous Surprise in the Skies.”

This new fireworks spectacular will blast through the nighttime sky throughout the Halloween season. To start the show, “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington appears in a flash of fire above Sleeping Beauty Castle. Haunting melodies fill the air and a Halloween pyrotechnics extravaganza explodes into the night.

Classic Disney villains like Maleficent, Ursula the Sea Witch and Oogie Boogie join in the celebration, and even Zero, Jack’s ghost dog, will also appear.

This is one more thing that will likely bring in the large annual pass crowds that fill the park during the Christmas season and summer when the blackout dates are lifted.

Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy

For older kids and adults, Halloween Time at Disneyland offers a new attraction: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland.

The scary new experience will begin as a typical Space Mountain adventure, but will suddenly launch voyagers into an uncharted and haunted section of the universe. Ghosts appear out of the starry darkness and swirling galaxies of Space Mountain, reaching out as if to grab guests as they speed through space.

Along the journey there will be piercing screams, creepy sound effects and haunting music. The Halloween transformation occurs outside the mountain as well, as the sights and sounds of Halloween illuminate the side of Space Mountain.

Halloween Time is almost here

This Friday, September 25th, kicks off Halloween Time at Disneyland. Expect to see the Haunted Mansion Holiday, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Halloween Screams Fireworks, Main Street Pumpkin Festival and Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Roundup.

Tomorrow night, after the park has closed there will be a test-run of the Halloween Screams Fireworks. You will be able to see them from outside the park. When the show opens, expect to see a flying Zero-the ghost dog and an appearance from Jack Skellington on the Castle. Fun times indeed!

Off- Season at Disneyland

There are very few times of the year at Disneyland anymore that can truly be considered "off-season" at the park. With the new Halloween Time emphasis, even the Fall now has become a popular time for guests at the park, especially locals with annual passes. Christmastime will once again be a guaranteed madhouse with long lines and crowds.

Disneyland used to close for most of February each year for major maintenance. That ended in around 1984, shortly after Eisner came aboard.

Well these last two weeks of September will be the last "slow" period at Disneyland until January, just after the holiday season, so get over there and enjoy some breathing room!

Great Moment's With Mr. Lincoln

At D23, I was able to sit in on the panel with Tony Baxter regarding the return of Mr. Lincoln. The show will bring back the original voice of Lincoln provided by actor Royal Dano and narration from Paul Frees. Imagineering has remastered the original audio and created an entirely new show that incorporates more music, more emotion, and a new, state-of-the-art Mr. Lincoln but feels and looks much like the old show that we love.

The lobby will be divided in half, the first section will feature "The Disneyland Story," and will have an opening that connects it into the new Disney Gallery. The opening-day Disneyland model will return along with additional artifacts of Disneyland's history. The second half of the lobby will be dedicated to Mr. Lincoln. We were promised a return also of the U.S. Capitol Building scale model.

Baxter commented how he hated that the audiences used to be rushed out at the end of the show. In the new program, the audience will be able to sit for a couple of minutes to think about the presentation and watch a slide show of other important Americans. It sounds like it will be big on patriotism.

D23 Expo Announcements

Wall*E

Some exciting updates are coming to Disneyland as announced at the D23 Expo:

• Walt Disney Story and The Disney Gallery open in October 2009
• Great Moment's With Mr. Lincoln will be back early 2010
• Star Tours 2 in 2011
• Captain Eo may return, probably in 2010

Fantasmic Dragon is finally here!

I had the opportunity to catch Fantasmic and the much anticipated new dragon this weekend. Let me just say this- She is absolutely amazing! The crowd went wild with excitement as the dragon made her grand appearance and she did not disappoint. The new dragon who was originally set to appear in the summer nightastic shows has had some pretty major technical difficulties. She is absolutely worth the wait. The addition of the dragon takes Fantasmic to a new dragon. I wanted to include my pictures of the dragon and a video courtesy of the Disneyland Resort.

Catching the Dragon is a great reason to head to Disneyland. You will not be disappointed!

Disneyland Magic Mornings

Did you know that you can enjoy admission to Disneyland on select days before the park officially opens?

On select days, Disneyland offers Magic Morning early admission to the park when you either stay at any of the Disneyland Resort Hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian or Paradise Pier Hotel), purchase a Disneyland Resort Vacation Package or purchase a special Disneyland online ticket that includes the Magic Morning Admission. Magic Mornings are also included with the purchase of a 3-5 day Park Hoppers. Magic Mornings are held only at Disneyland and not at Disney's California Adventure.

Here is how Magic Mornings works. Magic Morning admission allow guests to enter Disneyland one hour before the park opens to the public on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.Guests are allowed to enter Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Select shops and restaurants will be open during Magic Mornings.

If you are planning on heading to Disneyland during one of the busy times of the year(Summer Season, Christmas Season or Spring Break), Magic Mornings would be the perfect option to maximize your visit to the Disneyland Resort.

For additional info head over here.

Taking the kids to D23 Expo- Our review!

Yesterday I packed a bag, stroller and costumes and headed to Disney's D23 expo with the kids. The kids were super excited to head out. I don't really know what they were expecting but they knew it had to do with Disney and they were beyond excited.

We spent three hours but could have easily spent more. I'm not exaggerating here- The kiddos did not want to leave the main exhibition hall floor. We spent hours walking through the Disney Consumer Product Pavilion and the kids couldn't get enough!

My daughter fell in love with the Disney Beauty Booth and begged for a makeover. We didn't have to wait for very long and my princess received the royal treatment. My son, a Toy Story fanatic, could not get enough of the Crayola Animation Booth which featured Andy's Bedroom from Toy Story. An animator will lead you and your kiddos through a 45 minute lesson on drawing your favorite Disney Characters. We had a blast.

The kiddos loved dancing at Radio Disney's booth. They were in their own kiddo dance heaven! Fun music played while Radio Disney stuff handed out Disney "swag" to those on the dance floor.

There is also two rooms that every parent of young children should be aware when heading to the expo. First is the Expo's baby care center located on the second floor and the Baby Einstein Room which is a perfect place to decompress and let the kiddos play and relax. It's the perfect place to hang out with he kids in between events.

There are plenty of restrooms, bathrooms and even a place to rent strollers, if you don't feel like bringing yours.Parking is plentiful and $12. I would bring cash for parking and snacks. Better yet, pack some snacks and save some $.

We had an incredible time and I hope you do too! I will be heading back with the kiddos tomorrow afternoon. If you see me, please stop and say hello. Have an incredible time!

Captain EO returns!

As reported by Miceage.com: Honey I Shrunk The Audience will be closed next week, Tuesday through Thursday. Walt Disney Imagineering will be installing the Captain EO special effects to prepare the theater for Thursday's private performance of the show for Jay Rasulo and other Disney suits in Anaheim for the D23 Expo beginning September 10th. An official announcement of it's return is expected during the convention.

Fantasmic Maleficent Dragon Appears!

Last night's performance of Fantasmic featured the world premiere of the new Maleficent dragon in Disneyland's Fantasmic. Here is some video of the event from youtube: