Last Week at Disneyland Resort (5/20/2012 – 5/26/2012)

Welcome to the final May 2012 installment of “Last Week at Disneyland Resort,” as we race towards the Disney California Adventure relaunch next month. Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Here’s what just happened at the Happiest Place on Earth:

Crowd Calendar

Last week was the final “slow” week before the big buildup to the June 15 grand openings. Don’t expect to see lines that short again until long after summer.

Quietest Day: Tuesday May 22 (3 out of 10)

Busiest Day: Saturday May 26 (predicted 8 out of 10, actual 9)

Subscribe to the TouringPlans.com Disneyland Crowd Calendar for full details on projected wait times for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• The final after-hours Passholder parties for Fantasmic! were held on May 21 and 22.
• Grad Nights were held on May 23-25.
• New television commercials, depicting Buzz Lightyear detecting “high levels of happiness” at Disneyland Resort, were released.
• Disneyland Resort announced it would offer Extra Magic Hours early theme park entry to on-site hotel guests beginning June 18. The program is similar to the current Magic Morning early entry, which will still be offered to purchasers of “bonus” parkhopper tickets. Extra Magic Hours will allow guests at Disneyland’s 3 hotels to enter Disneyland Park on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and Disney California Adventure on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, one hour before the official opening time.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

Disneyland Park

• Matterhorn Bobsleds remain closed until June 15.
• Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition reopened after a month-long refurbishment. The game is essentially unchanged.
• The special summer edition of The Magic, The Memories, and You! debuted May 25 on the it’s a small world facade. Images of sandcastles and surfing Sport Goofy are now integrated into the nightly video projection show.

Disney California Adventure

• Construction walls came down around the Carthay Circle theatre and fountain in preparation for DCA’s June 15 relaunch.
• More photos were released depicting life-sized Mater and Lightning McQueen characters amid the neon lights along Route 66 inside the under-construction Cars Land.
• New entertainment offerings featuring Chip and Dale, Goofy, and Cars characters were announced.
• Soft opening was held for the Mad T Party, a “hip” dance party inspired by Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, featuring costumed performers, a live band, specialty drinks, and custom games and merchandise.
• The Cove Bar reopened at Ariel’s Grotto.

Downtown Disney and Hotels

• Construction continues on WonderGround art gallery and Earl of Sandwich.
• The newly refurbished LEGO store held a Master Builder Event to celebrate their grand reopening. Guests could help assemble a model of “Brickley the Sea Serpent.”
• New souvenir cocktail glasses are available at Trader Sam’s at the Disneyland Hotel.

Elsewhere

• Transformers: The Ride officially opened at Universal Studios Hollywood. The 3-D dark ride/simulator hybrid has received rave reviews.

All photos copyright Disney