Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread

My older brother actually rode the original Flying Saucers at Disneyland with my Mom way back when, but they could never get their saucer to move very well. Looks like, after five decades, they've finally licked that problem.

I think I might have pictures of my brother riding it too. I only remember it through pictures though.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/12/new-years-eve-adventures-await-at-disney-california-adventure-park/

Still looking for a place to ring in the new year? The party will be rocking at Disney California Adventure park until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve! Guests will enjoy some of their favorite attractions like Toy Story Mania! and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and special New Year’s Eve entertainment:

 

Countdown to the New Year just before a special midnight showing of “World of Color”

Midnight countdown during ElecTRONica, featuring DJ Michael Paul

Live band, champagne bars and midnight countdown in Paradise Garden area

 

Take a look at some of the fun we had last year!

 

The fun continues across the Esplanade, where Disneyland park will be celebrating with dance club locations, DJs and countdown moments throughout the park.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/one-more-disney-day/

What Would You Do With One More Disney Day?

 

Take a full 24 hours to create as many memories as you can — because on Leap Day, 2012, Disney Parks are celebrating like never before!

 

For the first time ever, both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park will be open for 24 hours of wonder, imagination and magic starting February 29 at 6:00 a.m.

 

Plus, beginning January 1, 2012, Disney Parks.com is giving away a vacation package every day until February 29, 2012 and has an exciting special offer!

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=DP_Hero_OMDD2_US_qu5i[/coastertube] http://disney.go.com/memories/

This announcement includes a new sweepstakes that gives entrants the chance to win a trip to the Disneyland Resort or the Walt Disney World Resort for 4 days/5 nights!

We love to celebrate the good life! Families spending time together, sharing hugs, giggles, smiles, and magical moments they will treasure forever in their hearts.

 

In 2012, we're celebrating Leap Day with One More Disney Day. For the first time ever, we're giving away a vacation every day from January 1 through February 29.

 

Enter each day for a chance to win a 5-day/4-night vacation at Disneyland Resort in California or Walt Disney World Resort in Florida!*

 

You're one more day closer to realizing a vacation dream come true for your family if you win.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/leap-year-2012-brings-one-more-disney-day-to-disney-parks/

Happy New Year from Disney Parks!

 

As you may have just heard on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, we’re kicking off 2012 with a special announcement – an extra day of magic for you called “One More Disney Day.” For the first time ever, both Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland park will stay open for 24 hours straight. That’s right, from 6 a.m., February 29 to 6 a.m., March 1, 2012, local time, you can fill the extra day of leap year with a marathon of Disney Parks fun.

 

We’re also launching our new OneMoreDisneyDay.com site this morning with a few surprises. Beginning today through Feb. 29, one guest per day can win a memory-making Disney Parks vacation. You can find details about the sweepstakes opportunity as well as information about a special package offer for guests of Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts on the site.

 

So, what would you do with “One More Disney Day?” Let us know in the comments and be sure and follow the conversation on Twitter. You can get involved now using the Twitter hashtag #Disney24.

I don't see what the big deal is with the park staying open 24 hours. Just a way to pull people in mid week!

Yeah, I mean it's a cool promotion and all, but I didn't think it warranted a giant lead up and NYE Time Slot ad space. Like others have said, all the parks have done this at one point or another, I think they only new thing is that both 'Magic Kingdoms' are doing it at the same time.

I actually think this is going to backfire on the parks: a night without the 3rd shift to clean/fix stuff, restaurants having to stock 24 hours worth of food because delivery trucks can't drive through the park, staffing the park for 24 hours straight, and all the other logistical challenges are surely going to cost them a fortune! A fortune that most annual passholders will probably not give them back.

^You realize that Disneyland does this exact thing every year right? Grad nights do this, and they only kick guests out of the park for one hour to set up some quick props before the schools get let in. They are open basically the same amount of time as this, its just open to the public instead of it being schools exclusive. I don't think this will be any more of a challenge to pull off then any normal grad night is.

^The difference is that during Grad Nights/special events, the checks have already been cashed/tickets all already sold at a high price.

I'm sure the "foamers" will love this, but the question is how many people will come and spend money that day?

It's not a blockout day for any of the passes.. I'm assuming it's going to be insane?

^The difference is that during Grad Nights/special events, the checks have already been cashed/tickets all already sold at a high price.

 

I'm sure the "foamers" will love this, but the question is how many people will come and spend money that day?

I think, like all special events, if they make it unique enough, people will come, stay and spend. Its a matter of making the event something that you cant normally do and selling things you will never normally be able to buy. And even if the park broke even on the nights festivities, I think there is more going on here then just trying to make some extra cash. These seem to be weird social experiments, haha.

^Chris, I hope you are going to this so you can tell us how busy it really is.

I don't see the logistics being a big deal for Disney. In the Summer aren't they open like 18 hours at least once a week with early morning entry and staying open until 1:00 A.M. on weekends?

As for stocking of food and merchandise, I would expect that they probably sell more on a busy Summer day then they will mid week in February even if they are open 24 hours.

I will definitely be going, I dont know how long I will be able to stay though. But if there are any special events (which there kinda needs to be, 24 hours is a lot of time to fill if they want people to actually stay) I will be there for those.

If it's successful they'll do it again and if it's not they won't.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/update-jolly-holiday-bakery-cafe-and-main-street-u-s-a-at-disneyland-park/

As we told you last August, some exciting changes are coming for Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park – and the first of those changes is almost here! On Saturday, January 7, Jolly Holiday Bakery Café will officially open its doors. The new bakery, located at the top of Main Street, U.S.A., will feature your favorite bakery and coffee items in addition to a new menu of sandwiches and salads.

 

And tomorrow, January 5, we will begin the next phase in the transformation of the area when Carnation Café, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and the Candy Palace will close temporarily to receive their own expansions and updates. Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and the Candy Palace will re-open in the spring, both with expanded indoor space. Carnation Café will re-open in the summer, when it will once again offer indoor seating to Disneyland park guests.

 

We’ll keep you updated here on the Disney Parks Blog as these expansions continue to take shape.

Disney Parks Blog gives a nice peek inside the construction walls. Things are coming together nicely.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/behind-the-wall-cars-land-at-disney-california-adventure-park-2/

It’s time again to take another look behind the wall and into Cars Land at Disney California Adventure park! As you can see in the photos below, Radiator Springs Racers and the mountain range through which the attraction will, well…race, are continuing to take shape. Stay tuned for more updates!

Wow! Things are really starting to look stunning. I'm really excited to see the finished product for Cars Land!

Looks good..

I never really took a liking to the Cars movies - even though I'm a big time car guy.

I like the land for what it is.. Regardless of its connection with the movie, I think RSR should be a fun ride.

Back in August, we shared photos of the new 3-seat Matterhorn Bobsleds ride vehicles that were being tested on the roller coaster, replacing the old lap seating configuration. After months of off-and-on testing, Disney has finally announced today that these new vehicles will indeed be the standard when the ride reopens this summer.

 

The Matterhorn Bobsleds is temporarily closing on Monday, Jan. 9, just a few days from now, and will remain closed until mid-June, reopening with the new vehicles and seating installed. Trains will feature two connected cars of 3 independent seats each, much like Space Mountain’s vehicles at Walt Disney World in Florida (but not side-by-side seating like Space Mountain at Disneyland). So those who want to snuggle up close with friends aboard one of the world’s first steel coasters will want to hop on the ride this weekend for one final close encounter with the Yeti.

Source

And yet another post from the blog!

Disney parks Blog

On Monday, Jan. 9, the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland park will close so we can ready the iconic mountain for a new fleet of bobsleds. Featuring a new, sleek design, the vehicles will have three seats in each bobsled with two bobsleds linked together for a total of six guests.

So get your last-minute bobsledding done this weekend and the attraction will re-open this summer.

Oh wow, that last shot of the Racers...that looks fantastic!

Lame. Way to take all of the fun out of a ride that's been around for over 50 years..

Is this just to make some lawyers happy, or are people too big to share one compartment in each train?

I don't think these are for larger folks - I've heard these will be more confining than before, and possibly too small for some.

Not sure if they have new restraints, but if so, they could help with loading times and lawyer happiness. It looks like these will be basically the same as the current trains on Disney World's Space Mountain (which makes sense, since they're mostly the same coasters), so I wouldn't be surprised if they have lapbars. I personally found Space Mountain's trains to be pretty comfortable, so I'm fine with the change.

The new seating arrangement might allow for an increase in capacity. The old trains would hold 4-8 people, depending on whether people sat double or single. With the new arrangement everyone will be sitting single, so it should always get 6 people per train, which might be better than what they averaged before.

They also probably just needed some new trains. I believe their current trains were the original trains from Disney World's Space Mountain, which would make them 37 years old.

Lame. Way to take all of the fun out of a ride that's been around for over 50 years..

 

Is this just to make some lawyers happy, or are people too big to share one compartment in each train?

A small part of me just died seeing the new 'sleds' with the individual seating and lap bars.

For me, my first trip on Matterhorn was with my (now) husband a few years back, and I for one loved the ability to 'canoodle' on the lift hill (Kids, go look the word up.) Not to mention how the ride operated for 52 years without incident with seat belts, and conventional systems.

Progress. But at what cost?

I really want to grab one of those trains...any word as to whether or not they're going to sell a few cars to the general public?

I'm not quite sure about the new trains, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Wait, Matterhorn is closing AGAIN!? Dammit, it was closed when I went there this summer and I was hoping to ride it next weekend.