Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread

[COASTER FREAK 11]

I don't think entering the park will be any more difficult then it is now actually.

 

As for mermaid, the ride isnt done yet inside, it's still a month and a half out. I'd expect soft openings to happen within about two weeks of the ride opening if they have them at all. That's when they usually are held.

[the ghost]

Are soft openings entirely luck based or is there any rhyme or reason in opening?

[COASTER FREAK 11]

The purpose for them is to test the ride operations with real people, so they soft open when they need to test something or go through a procedure. So, yes, there is a reason for them, but we as normal park guests will not know when they happen...unless you know someone who is currently working on the ride I will try and hit the ride for soft openings, cause I don't want to go to the parks on the day everything opens, lol.

[fantasticmrmatthew]

This looks like it is going to be amazing. If only I lived in California, but alas I live in Florida........

[COASTER FREAK 11]

This weeks theme is "Same thing from different angles!"

Three started, one to go!

It was reported a while ago that these forms were sitting behind Tower of Terror waiting to be installed.

Different ANGLE!

See this? Its a wall. A wall for the Carthay Circle Theater. You'll never see this wall again once the theater is built.

Mermaid...almost done. Hopefully soon we will get some soft openings.

But that wont happen at least till the wall is down. DAMN YOU TO HELL WALL!

This will be the Queue Entrance for the ride. Lets look closer.

Not close enough? CLOSER!

Now, lets watch the paint dry. Oooooo. Ahhhhh.

I have the ability to levitate and look at the roof.

Higher! (See, I told you it was a lot of the same)

I think this is as high as we're getting.

Theres that damn wall again!

This is the beer kart as some are calling it, though its clearly a house for beer. Which is fine by me, a house holds more been then a kart!

And a pan from left to right of the new eating area.

Fancy things are happening down there. (Fancy = Trees)

Adding more stuff to Goffy's Sky School.

It seems that they are rebuilding the structure that held the "Road Map" on Mullhand Madness but its a bit different this time.

The entrance of Goofy's Sky School.

Do you see what's changed here? Its not major, but the ride is very slowly being changed over from "Modern Rafting" to "1950's National Park Recreation" In the picture, the paddle has been painted to be wooden instead of yellow plastic.

Mater's hole is big. Really big. And his hole is deep too. Big, deep and moist this week.

I was thinking the other day, in the world of cars, how did they build all their buildings? I want to see a CarsToon that explains this for me, lol.

Prep work for the ground here.

Only two fins left!

Station is still not covered yet.

The new Disney Jr. facade...AT NIGHT!

Fancy doors. (Fancy ≠ Trees)

And the lights change. They seem to be the same lights that are on the Fun Wheel.

GREEN! The different patterns are cool.

BYE!

 

Photos are from Mintcrocodile. Check out his blog for more photos and larger sizes.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Here is a cool update from The Disney Parks Blog

We are just a couple of months away from the official opening of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure park. Walt Disney Imagineers are working hard to make sure you feel transported into Ariel’s world through every detail – the water, the fish, the hair….yes, the hair! Ariel’s hair posed a particular challenge for Imagineers, one they hadn’t encountered before – how do you make hair that’s technically out of the water look like it’s floating underwater? Take a look at their progress.

Edited April 4, 2011 by COASTER FREAK 11

[aimster]

I've been waiting forever to see what the Ariel AA's look like and overall I'm impressed. Was expecting a little more with the hair though. Was hoping it would look more realistic and flowy instead of a kind of bulky, red blob of plastic, but hopefully under the show lighting it'll look much better. As far as the AA overall is concerned, she moves pretty good and looks exactly how Ariel looks in the movie. Bravo on that aspect! This really makes me look forward to the version we're getting in Florida in another year or two.

[The SETGO Guys]

Ursula looks more realistic, I hope this is just early tests!

 

Great Progress as always!

[stricklandCC]

Cars Land is going to look great when finished!

I have a good friend taking his kids there this weekend (11 yr old son, 6 yr old daughter), and had no idea California's Adventure was under such heavy construction. I was curious what attractions are currently operating (or not operating) that would appeal to both kids, or is it not worth their time? Also, what will the crowds be like?

 

Thanks for the picture updates! Hopefully it will be enough to improve the park as much as Disney wanted.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Cars Land is going to look great when finished!

I have a good friend taking his kids there this weekend (11 yr old son, 6 yr old daughter), and had no idea California's Adventure was under such heavy construction. I was curious what attractions are currently operating (or not operating) that would appeal to both kids, or is it not worth their time? Also, what will the crowds be like?

 

Thanks for the picture updates! Hopefully it will be enough to improve the park as much as Disney wanted.

 

The only attraction thats closed currently is Goofy's Sky School, everything else is open excluding Mermaid which opens June 3rd. So if your judging the visit off the number of attractions, then yes, its worth the time.

 

As for crowds, its spring break, so it will be busy...very busy. Even during the week, theres no escape from the crowds.

[DJeXeL]

As someone who works in attractions at DCA, I can say yes crowds will be heavy at the resort for the next 3 weeks.

[stricklandCC]

^, ^^, Thank you, and Thank you. I guess my next question would be how to work the Flash Pass system to its entirety between both parks. I've think I've heard others talk about a strategy behind it. I'm pretty sure I understand how the FP system works, but what is the best way to fully utilize and capitalize on the Flash Passes?

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Get there early when the return times are shorter, and collect as many as possible, and save them for later in the day when its more busy for those popular attractions. The laster you wait, the longer the later the return time gets and the harder it is to get the passes. You have to wait tile the return time to get another FP, so in the morning when the return times are only 20 minutes out, you only have to wait 20 minutes to get another FP!

 

So:

 

Get a FP for Space, and ride Buzz (or whatever)to pass the time till you can get another FB.

Get a PF for Indy and ride pirates (or whatever)to pass the time till you can get another FB.

 

Get it? Save them and use them later in the day.

 

Then later when its super busy, you've done a lot and still have a lot you can do cause you have FPs for the rides that are super popular.

 

Though it says you need to return between 9 and 10 am, they don't actually expire and you can return any time after the first time.

 

So:

 

Its says come back at 9-10 am, but you wait till 3 pm and use it then, as long as its after 9am you're good.

 

This is the simplest way to do it really.

[stricklandCC]

^Perfect, thank you. I (for some dumb-a$$ reason) thought you could only get 1 FP at a time. I also didn't know that FP's don't actually expire.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

They expire at the end of the day, and are usable at any time after the return time

 

And you can only get one at a time. But you can get another one after the current one's return time.

 

I dont think you're dumb, I just want to make sure you understand it. Id hate for you (or them) to go and have my instructions confuse you. lol

 

And you're very welcome!

[ahecht]

For more information that you every need to know about getting the most out of Fastpass at Disneyland and DCA, read through the link at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29092-c3632/Anaheim:California:Disneyland.Fastpass.Tips.html

 

It's updated pretty regularly with the latest changes to the system.

[DJeXeL]

^Perfect, thank you. I (for some dumb-a$$ reason) thought you could only get 1 FP at a time. I also didn't know that FP's don't actually expire.

 

I strongly recommend that you get to Disneyland as close to opening as possible. Space Mountain Fastpasses are always first to be gone very early in the day around 1 or 2.

[the ghost]

^Perfect, thank you. I (for some dumb-a$$ reason) thought you could only get 1 FP at a time. I also didn't know that FP's don't actually expire.

 

Space Mountain is a good idea to fastpass first. I also recommend that if you go to DCA early you go the long way to paradise pier, get a fastpass for Soarin on the way to paradise pier then hop in line for mania. Those will get crowded pretty fast. After that just hang out at the park or do whatever and fastpass tower of terror on your way out of the park as Hollywood is the land closest to the entrance. At least, thats my usual game plan.

 

Also dont forget to get WOC tickets if you haven't seen it yet.

[rosscoe]

Grab Space Mountain first, that line can hit three hours.

[fatdaddy]

WOC was kinda awesome, I would rate it as good as Fantasmic, but I'm not really into shows. Of course, the fact that my kids loved it, means that I will have to see it again. Did not dig the whole line up and wait thing.

[DevilSaint]

Grab Space Mountain first, that line can hit three hours.

 

Three hours? Maybe during Ghost Galaxy, but even on the busiest of Summer days, I never see that line over 2 hours MAX. Space and Indy are the two that I would never ride without FP, especially on warmer days. Those hour long, outdoor, switchback queues are brutal.

[jedimaster1227]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/04/the-music-behind-the-little-mermaid-ariels-undersea-adventure/

 

For those who saw “The Little Mermaid” back in 1989, you know the music in the movie was just as magical as a mermaid falling in love with a prince and living happily ever after. Remember “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and “Kiss the Girl”? You’ll hear all these classics throughout the new attraction, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, set to open at Disney California Adventure park in June.

 

More than 20 years ago Alan Menken wrote the movie score that won an Academy Award, and he collaborated with Howard Ashman on the songs. For the attraction, the music needed to be arranged somewhat differently, so well-known musical arranger and orchestrator Danny Troob, who has worked often with Menken, took on the challenge. In this video, we go into the music studio and give you a front row seat in a session with Troob and a 65-piece orchestra, as they recreate the amazing Little Mermaid music we all know and love.

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=disneyparks_745_k6a6[/coastertube]

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/04/look-for-new-film-images-in-the-art-of-animation-show-at-disney-california-adventure/

 

Here’s a tip for the next time you visit Disney California Adventure park – visit the Disney Animation Building on Hollywood Boulevard. There’s no line, it’s cool inside and “The Art of Animation” show recently expanded its unique display of Disney and Pixar animated films. You can see it on the array of screens that surround you inside the Courtyard Gallery, just inside the main entrance.

 

Several new releases are now featured, including images and songs from “Tangled” (2010) and “Toy Story 3” (2010).

 

Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president for Walt Disney Imagineering, described it this way: “’The Art of Animation’ show celebrates the art and music of our animated classics – from Disney and Pixar. The show has been a highlight of the Animation attraction at Disney California Adventure park since opening day. Now, we’re updating the show to include many of the classic films which have been created in the past decade.”

 

Here are some of the films featured in “The Art of Animation” show:

• “The Little Mermaid”
  
• “Beauty and the The Beast”
  
• “Fantasia“
  
• “Bambi”
  
• “Finding Nemo”
  
• “Cinderella”
  
• “Mulan”
  
• “Lilo & Stitch”
  
• “Alice In Wonderland”
  
• “UP”
  
• “Lady and the Tramp”
  
• “Dumbo”
  
• “The Lion King”
  
• “Cars”
  
• “Aladdin”
  
• “Peter Pan”
  
• “Pinocchio”
  
• “The Princess and the Frog”

 

What’s your favorite activity in the Disney Animation Building?

[COASTER FREAK 11]

The Hollywood Pictures Backlot sign is gone!

Photo from Jim Disney

Original post.

[DJeXeL]

Wow! Looks a lot more open now. I knew it was coming down just didn't know when.

[jedimaster1227]

http://ocresort.ocregister.com/2011/04/19/nighttime-entertainment-boosts-disney-business/75417/

 

The company is keeping Disney California Adventure open late every night for the first time because visitors are staying longer for new nighttime entertainment, the Disneyland Resort president said.

 

Last summer, Disney debuted the “World of Color” water-and-light show and Glow Fest, a street party and performances — the first major nighttime entertainment features at California Adventure. Glow Fest since has been replaced by ElecTRONica, based on the “Tron: Legacy” movie.

 

Since the nighttime entertainment started, visitors now are staying at the park an average of 90 minutes later, said George Kalogridis, the resort president, in a speech earlier this month. That’s the same as building three major rides, he said. “Because of this, for the first time since it opened over 10 years ago, we have committed to keep Disney California Adventure open late every night of the year,” Kalogridis said in his State of the Resort speech April 8. “This, in turn, increases stays at the Resort and means more jobs and more economic activity for the entire area.”

 

Disney expected “World of Color” to be popular: The massive fountain show is part of a major $1 billion makeover of the park. Click on the photo, above right, to see pictures of “World of Color.” California Adventure’s attendance went up about 20 percent during the summer season, a boost that Disney credits with “World of Color. More than 2 million visitors have watched the show since its June debut.

 

But the company decided to add Glow Fest shortly before the summer season as a way to give something for visitors to do at night before or after “World of Color” on the other side of the park.

 

Glow Fest turned out to be so popular that Disney created a similar concept — ElecTRONica to promote the “Tron: Legacy” movie. ElecTRONica began in October, about two months before the movie debuted in theaters. Disney is keeping ElecTRONica through the summer.

 

“With Glow Fest, we took a risk and it paid off,” Kalogridis said. “Glow Fest has now evolved into ElecTRONica, which has been equally successful.”

 

ElecTRONica’s success also spurred the development of sneak peek events of the upcoming “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″ movie at Disneyland. Visitors can see a live show and an 8-minute clip of “Pirate of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” through May 30. The movie debuts in theaters May 20. Read more about the “Pirates of the Caribbean” sneak peeks.