Photo copyright Disney

With heavy lifting recently completed on the reconstruction of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad‘s track, the construction crane near Disneyland’s Big Thunder Trail has been removed, reopening the pathway between Fantasyland and Frontierland full-time and returning the Big Thunder Ranch to daily operation. That’s good news, because that area can expect to see much higher attendance next month when the Toy Story team arrives.

Similar to the Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree held last summer at Big Thunder’s festival arena, Woody’s All-American Roundup will include character meet & greets, carnival games, kids crafts, and specialty snacks. New this year is “Talent Roundup” stage show, featuring Jessie the Cowgirl’s slingshot skills, Woody’s lasso tricks, and the musical stylings of Buckaroo Bob.

Between character shows, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies will perform their “Red, White and Bluegrass!” show on the outdoor stage. Billy was also moved here from their Golden Horseshoe home last summer, with mixed results (read here for more on the controversy). Hopefully the Hillbillies will get a better reception this time.

The Roundup begins on June 14 and runs through the summer season. No ending date is announced yet.

Woody’s All-American Roundup Arriving at Disneyland This Summer is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

It seems a lot of people have questions about tickets at Disneyland! The blog post I did on them last year around this time turned into an FAQ of sorts over the last 11 months. Over time, some things have changed and some have stayed the same. Disneyland tickets are still different than tickets at Walt Disney World in a lot of ways. So I thought now was a good time to update!

1. Prices Usually Go Up Once a Year – and if last year is any indication, that time is probably getting close. Price jumps are usually pretty nominal, but last year a few things, like the Premier Annual Pass, which gets you entry into both Disneyland and Walt Disney World for a one year period, went up quite a lot. The day passes shouldn’t go up much, but if you’re planning a trip later this year, you may save a few dollars buying them now. At Disney World, it’s a tougher decision whether or not to buy tickets before prices go up, because at Disney World, the big discounted packages (free dining anyone?) often require a ticket purchase. At Disneyland, that’s not typically the case. Historically Disneyland discounts are concentrated on room discounts. You can add tickets or not, the discount is the same. There are no guarantees on any of this, but it’s information you may want to take into account.

2. Tickets Are Non-Transferable – Disneyland (and Disney World while we’re at it) tickets are non-transferrable. They are. It’s the rule. You can do it and offer every excuse in the book as to why it was okay, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s against the rule. I know you would save a lot of money if your friends bought 5-day tickets, only used 3 and then gave them to you. Believe me – I know. But that’s just not how it works. Whoever uses the ticket on the first day is who needs to use the ticket on the last day, the middle day, the middle-middle day. Got it? People overlooking that rule caused Disneyland to shorten the length of the tickets they offered.

3. 6-Day Tickets Are Back – Kind of. As I alluded to in number 2, with the exception of Annual Passes, Disneyland now only sells 5-day tickets, much to the chagrin of many guests who would like to stay longer. For a long time, Disney didn’t sell longer tickets, but if you knew to ask, you could add a day or two on to your 5-day tickets at the ticket booths for a great price. But Disneyland still had a problem. Disneyland doesn’t have biometric scanners like Walt Disney World, and they have a real issue with people selling unused portions of their tickets. That’s against the rules! Remember #2? Rather than the seemingly obvious solution of installing biometric scanners, Disneyland tried to curb the problem by taking away the unadvertised option to add days on at the booths. They also started taking pictures of guests with 3-day and longer tickets as they entered the park to make sure it was the same guest using the ticket each time. Well, that’s helping! There are still some websites out there intent on breaking the rules and “renting” those unused days on tickets, but overall it seems to be working, and guests are reporting that the ticket booths will add a day again. Keep in mind, this is not official and if you call and ask, you will probably be told it’s impossible. That’s because the people that answer the phones don’t have anything to do with this one. It’s the people in the ticket booths that do it, and they’ve started doing it again. Hopefully it will continue!

4. Tickets Expire 13 Days After the First Use – When you start using your tickets, they will expire 13 days after your first day. You don’t have to use the tickets on consecutive days though! If you have a 3-day ticket and want to take a break in the middle and go to the beach, do it! Just be back in time to finish using the ticket within those 13 days. There isn’t a No Expiration Option to add on like you can at Disney World.

5. Unused Tickets Expire at the End of the Calendar Year – Disneyland tickets expire at the end of the calendar year. There’s some wiggle room if you start using your 2013 tickets on December 31st of course, but as a general rule, they expire. At Disney World, if you buy tickets today and don’t use them at all, you can save them and use them 3 years from now. UNUSED tickets at Disney World don’t expire. That is not the case at Disneyland. Don’t buy tickets now to save money, and save them for 3 years. They expire. There are some reports that Disneyland will let you apply the value of the unused ticket to tickets that don’t expire until the next year, but don’t count on it.

6. You Can Use Disney World Tickets at Disneyland – It’s unadvertised, but true! You don’t do this at the ticket booths; this is done at the turnstiles. When you get to the turnstile with a Disney World ticket, the cast member will take your ticket, deduct a day, and give you a 1 day Disneyland ticket back. You can’t do this for multiple days at the same time. If you have more than 1 day left, you’ll have to repeat this process every day. I wouldn’t recommend doing this to save money, but if you’ve got unused days on a Disney World ticket that hasn’t expired, try it. This won’t work with annual passes (other than the Premier Pass mentioned in #1) or complimentary tickets. It’s also another one of those things that the cast members on the phone can’t (won’t?) confirm and it could change, but it works for now!

7. Check Online Prices – If you’re not traveling on a package and are buying tickets separately, check the prices online. There isn’t an advance purchase discount of any kind right now, but they do show up from time to time. Just keep an eye on the Disneyland.com tickets page.

8. Some Tickets Are Mailed – If you are on a package and are staying in a Good Neighbor Hotel, your tickets are usually mailed with your documents. The documents aren’t mailed until 30 days, or less, before you travel. If you booked through a travel agency, they’re going to them first, so you can see how easy it is for delays to happen. If you’re getting close to your trip and they haven’t shown up, track them down! You don’t want to arrive at your hotel expecting them to be there and they’re not!

9. Some Tickets Give You Early Entry – Disneyland has Extra Magic Hours at both of their parks for guests staying in one of their onsite resorts. If you’re staying offsite are you out of luck? At California Adventure – yes. But not at Disneyland! You can get a Magic Morning at Disneyland if you buy the right kind of ticket. What is a Magic Morning you ask? If you have a 3 day or longer ticket you can get into Disneyland one hour before it opens on either Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. There are some exceptions like Military tickets and tickets for other special days, but most other tickets of 3 days longer will work. If you are purchase your ticket at the ticket booth, you may have to add the Park Hopper option to be able to take advantage of Magic Morning.

10. You Can Upgrade Any Ticket That Hasn’t Expired – Did you decide you don’t want to go home? Did you decide you want to come back several times this year? Or did you just realize you want to park hop between parks during the same day? It’s probably not too late! You can upgrade any ticket to a more expensive one before the end of your last day.

Hopefully that helped! Do you have questions? Tips to share about tickets? Next week we’ll talk Annual Passes!

10 Things You Should Know About Disneyland Tickets – Updated! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

©Disney

It is the event that we’ve been waiting for to officially kick off a great summer at Walt Disney World and at Disneyland. The weekend is officially almost here.

Guests who visit on May 24 will have the opportunity to spend 24 hours in either the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World or Disneyland and Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort.

Walt Disney World

Those attending at Disney World will have the opportunity to see Mike and Sulley take part in the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It Street Party. In addition, before the two performances of the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade, a special pre-parade will take place featuring the duo plus a cheer squad, a marching band playing the MU fight song, and flag corps.

In Tomorrowland, from 4 – 9 pm, guests will be able to boogie down at the Monster Mania DJ Dance Party over at the Rockettower Plaza Stage. From 11 pm – 5 am, that same area will feature back to back showings of Monsters, Inc. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet and greet Mike and Sulley.

Over in front of Cinderella Castle, from 2 am – 5:45 am, take part in the Disney Up All Night Dance Party.

Disneyland Resort

Are you visiting the Disneyland Resort’s version?

First, at Disneyland get ready with your jammies because after midnight in Mickey’s Tootown a Disney Character Pajama Party will take place. Party with your favorite Disney characters! In addition, there will be Disney cartoons, a Mickey Mouse Party Zone with activities for kids, and a DJ. And goodies like hot chocolate, milk and cookies, and other treats will be available for purchase.

Those in Tomorrowland will be able to meet Star Wars characters, plus be sure to take advantage of the TLT Monstrous Dance Club found at Tomorrowland Terrace starting at midnight and lasting until 5:30 am.

In addition, at the Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre, a Royal Swing Ball will take place from 10 pm – 1:40 am.

Over at Disney California Adventure, check out the Hollywood Viewing Party of Monsters, Inc. playing inside the Muppet*Vision 3D theater starting at 9 pm. The Mad T Party will also take place in Hollywood Land at 9 pm. Also found in Hollywood Land will be the Monsters University dorms. Make sure not to miss the new Monsters University themed float for the Pixar Play Parade, and stop by for a meet up where you can greet Mike and Sulley.

Merchandise and Food

©Disney

Lots of great new merchandise and food options will be available that evening. For example, there will be a special t-shirt featuring Mike Wazowski and special ear hats featuring designs specific to Mike and Sulley. These can be purchased at The Emporium at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as at Elias and Co. at Disney California Adventure.

©Disney

For the foodies, special food options will include blue and green cotton candy, candy apples, cake pops, and specialty cupcakes like the one show at the left, to name a few.

If you’ll be there attending the event on either coast, make sure to check out the special meets that TouringPlans is hosting.

The parks will be open from 6 am on May 24 until 6 am on May 25.

Limited Time Magic For Walt Disney World and Disneyland – Monstrous Summer All Nighter is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All-nighters at Disneyland are tough, but TouringPlans is here to help you. I’m happy to announce that we will be having three meets during the Monstrous 24 hour event on May 24!

Meet #1: Good Morning Meet
10 AM to 11 AM – Pacific Wharf seating area – Disney California Adventure
We will all meet in the morning at provide you with some snacks (bagels, danishes, muffins, fruit) to fuel up for the day.

Meet #2: TouringPlans Hospitality “Lounge”
4 PM to 5 PM – In a to be announced hotel room – Grand Californian Hotel
For 1 hour on Friday we will open up the TouringPlans staff hotel room for our friends so they can come and relax before the madness of that evening begins. We will provide soda, water, and snacks as well as some nice prizes for those in attendance. This isn’t a traditional meet; we’ll have the room open for one hour, and people can come and go as they please. The room number will be announced in Disneyland Lines Chat and on our Twitter account.

Note: We don’t foresee this being a problem, but we may turn away people if the room becomes too crowded. Please check the TouringPlans Twitter account at the time of the meet.

Meet #3: Midnight Meet
12 AM to 1 AM – Jolly Holiday Bakery – Disneyland
Join us at Jolly Holiday Bakery, where we will provide coffee or hot chocolate. Disneyland should be in full-on insanity mode at this hour; if for some reason the hub becomes gridlocked (like it did during the leap day 24-hour event), this meet will be moved to a lower traffic area. Again, please check Disneyland Lines chat and the TouringPlans Twitter account at the time of the meet.

See you on May 24 at Disneyland Resort!

Pull an All-nighter with TouringPlans at Disneyland on May 24! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

On May 24, 2013, Disney Parks will host a Monstrous Summer 24-hour event at Magic Kingdom in Orlando and Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim. Just like at One More Disney Day last year, there will be special t-shirts and other merchandise available for the event. We were sent a picture of some of the items that will be available.

The button in the picture below is supposedly the free button all guests will receive upon entering the park (while supplies last, just like those given out for other special events). The special desserts pictured will likely be available for the rest of the summer but will debut on May 24. We don’t have any information about pricing or sizing of the merchandise but will provide updates as we know more.

Sneak Peek At Monstrous Summer Merchandise For May 24, 2013 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Do you have a podcast that discusses Disney or Universal theme parks? If so, we would like a word with you to discuss the development of the TouringPlans.com Podcast Network.

We are looking for a number of various podcasts to possibly form a new network which would combine the wonderful content that already exists in the podcasting world with the reach of a popular site like TouringPlans.com. No matter the style, format, or topics of your podcast, we would love to hear from you.

We’re looking toward the future…well okay, the Italy pavilion.

Very, very little would need to change about your podcast yet you would get the backing of a website that gets a few million hits a year (yes, this one). The basic idea is that your podcast, along with a handful of others, would be available via the TouringPlans.com Network feed. Listeners would get the benefit of finding great content all in one place and you would get the benefit of a very wide audience.

This could be a great opportunity for you as well as us and the theme park community as a whole. If you are interested in hearing all the details, please email Brian at Brian@TouringPlans.com by no later than Wednesday, May 22. Your email should include:

• The name of your podcast
• A brief description of what the podcast is about
• Any other details we should know (is your podcast only 20 minutes long, do you only record once a month, is it dirtier than George Carlin’s stand up, etc.)
• The name and email of at least one person from the podcast that we can contact
• A link to a fairly recent episode that you would like us to review for consideration

Simply applying is not a binding agreement so you can send us an email simply if you want to hear more about it and you can remove your application at any time. When we get all of this information we will review your podcast and give you all of the details about what we would expect and what you can expect from us should we decide to partner up. We are very excited to be starting this and we look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

We Are Looking For Theme Park Podcasts! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Photo copyright Disney

As we shared back in March, Disneyland Resort is planning to celebrate Greek culture with an Opa! festival later this month. The event be held at both Disneyland Resort parks over the weekend of May 25 to 27.

This week Disneyland released details on the food and entertainment that will feature at this event. Activities will take place daily from 10am to 6pm in the small world mall area of Disneyland Park and Paradise Gardens at Disney California Adventure. You’ll find line dancing, wine seminars, and food tastings at Disney California Adventure; Hercules will conduct “Olympic training” games at Disneyland Park.

The above events (excluding food and drinks) are included in regular park admission. In addition, Executive Chef Christine Weissman, Greek celebrity Chef Argiro Barbarigou, and Greek winemaker Christina Boutari will present “Celebrate Greece: A Culinary Experience,” a 4-course dinner at DCA’s Golden Valley Winery on May 26 at 8pm. Tickets are $150, including tax, gratuity, and reserved World of Color viewing (park admission separate); click here for reservations and tickets.

Disneyland Reveals Details of Opa! A Celebration of Greek Culture is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Limited Time Magic for next week will help honor that special lady in your life: the one you call mom.

On May 12 (Mother’s Day; this is your reminder to make sure you have a present for your mom!), guests who enter one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks or one of the two Disneyland Resort theme parks will receive a special flower to mark the occasion.

For those who are looking for the perfect gift, take mom shopping. Disney will be offering some special watches for the occasion. At Walt Disney World, they can be found at Tren-D or World of Disney in Downtown Disney. On the west coast, they will be available at both World of Disney in Downtown Disney and Fortuosity Shop at Disneyland Park.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Limited Time Magic For Walt Disney World and Disneyland – Mother’s Day is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Have you ever seen a very pregnant lady at Disneyland fighting the crowds, pushing a 2-year-old in a stroller, and sweltering in the heat and thought, “She looks miserable?” Have you ever been that very pregnant lady at Disneyland? Well, whether you’ve been that Mom-to-be before, will probably be her in the future, or just love someone who’s been pregnant (or will be!) at Disneyland, this article is for you.

Now let me say right up front, going to Disneyland when you’re pregnant may not be the perfect time to go, but it doesn’t have to be a bad time! You can still have a great vacation. Here are a few ideas for you, in honor of mothers and mothers to be. And, if you remembered that this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day, you get a gold star (metaphorically speaking of course)!

1. Consult Your Doctor – The first and most important tip should be the most obvious – talk to your doctor before you go. Make sure he’s/she’s okay with the walking, the standing, the heat, and everything else that’s typical of a Disneyland vacation. You’re not the first person to ask, and they know what you need.

2. Listen to the Ride Restrictions – If a ride says it’s not for expectant mothers, it’s not for expectant mothers. Don’t do it. You may be fine, but it’s not worth it. The ride will still be there the next time you visit. You won’t be pregnant forever, even though it may feel like it.

3. Ride Some Rides – Don’t worry, there are some rides you can ride! As long as you can get in and out of the vehicles safely, there are several rides that offer no drops, sharp terms or jarring of any kind. In the Disneyland Park, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and it’s a small world all come immediately to mind. In Disney California Adventure, The Little Mermaid-Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is your tamest option there. But again, carefully look at those ride restrictions each time before boarding a ride!

4. See the Shows – Disneyland has some excellent shows. Shows that no guest should miss, pregnant or not! Disney’s Aladdin-A Musical Spectacular is my favorite show in any park. World of Color is an incredible nighttime show that’s worth going to bed a little late for. Everybody likes the Enchanted Tiki Room, and Billy Hill and the Hillbillies will have you laughing until your sides hurt. I think laughing is safe, right? So go to the shows! There are a lot of options. You could spend a whole day just seeing the shows!

5. Walk Through Attractions – There are several attractions that you walk through. No climbing in vehicles, just walk right through! The Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough has stairs, but if you can handle that, it’s worth some time. Tarzan’s Treehouse is another one with a lot of stairs, but it’s fun. The Disney Gallery is an art gallery where I always enjoy spending a lot of time browsing. Speaking of browsing, take some time to shop. You don’t have to buy, although my husband will agree that I’ve never mastered that ability; just take some time to walk through. There are stores everywhere! Hello, Mickey baby clothes!

6. Street Entertainment – Stop and see some of the more informal shows, otherwise known as Street Entertainment or Atmosphere Entertainment. It’s not quite as spontaneous as it may seem, the street entertainment options are listed in your times guide. You can catch the very popular barbershop quartet known as the Dapper Dans on Main Street, U.S.A., or the newer, excellent Five & Dime on Buena Vista Street. Check your times guide!

7. Resort Activities – At the onsite resorts, there are probably some resort activities going on during the day like Storytelling by the Hearthside Lounge at the Grand Californian. Maybe even an animation class! Or, just take a break by the beautiful fireplace in the Grand. Relax in one of the rocking chairs and take a (big) load off.

8. Swim – If your doctor didn’t restrict you from swimming, and you don’t mind putting on a swimsuit, a swim is a great way to relax and rejuvenate. One of my friends told me swimming in the resort pool was the most wonderful thing at the end of the day. She said the feeling of a “weightless belly” after all that walking was just glorious. I must say I laughed at the image of a weightless belly. I’ve had two children, I’m allowed to laugh at that by the way.

9. Take Breaks – This is important. You cannot wear yourself out and still enjoy yourself. Not to mention, I’m sure it’s not good for you or the baby. No, I’m not a doctor, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before (OK, that’s an old joke, but I’m really not a doctor…). On this trip more than ever, you must take breaks! Go to the room and nap. Find a shady spot and kick your heels up. Have a relaxing meal at a sit down restaurant. There are a lot of options, just make yourself do it!

10. Take care of yourself – In addition to resting, listen to your body. Take care of it. Stay hydrated with lots of water. Wear the most comfortable walking shoes ever. If your feet have grown, splurge and get a bigger size making sure to break them in before you arrive at Disneyland. Better yet, get two pairs so you can alternate. If you’re worn out, don’t be embarrassed, get a wheelchair. There’s no shame in needing to be off your feet when you’re pregnant! Do what you need to do.

Bonus – Don’t pick baby names at Disney. No matter how much you loved Maleficent in Fantasmic!, it’s not a good baby’s name. Wait at least two weeks after returning home before deciding. You may need some distance from the Magic to get an honest perspective.

So, have you done Disney pregnant? What worked or didn’t work for you?

10 Things to Do When Pregnant at Disneyland is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

As we reported late last month, the Disneyland Resort recent shuttered some major E-Ticket attractions following inspections from California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA). Most of the rides, including Soarin’ Over California and California Screamin’, swiftly returned to service, but the iconic Space Mountain remained off-limits to guests for the past 3 weeks.

Happily, Space Mountian returned to service on Friday night (May 3) and resumed normal operating hours as of Saturday, May 4. To clarify earlier coverage, Disney was fined $234,850 after a contract employee was injured in a fall last November while cleaning the exterior of Space Mountain, but the current closure was a voluntary action (not mandated by Cal/OSHA) intended to ameliorate related safety issues that had previously been “grandfathered” approval. Disneyland has not yet announced whether it will appeal the fines, or if further safety modifications to Disneyland attractions (or similar rides at Walt Disney World) will be made.

In a related note, similar employee fall protection issues have led Disneyland to change watering procedures for the Disneyland Railroad. The steam-powered locomotives are currently receiving water on every trip using a firehose, instead of the overhead watering systems used for the past six decades. Guest rides in the tender car have also been suspended for the time being. The impact on most visitors who aren’t steam-engine authenticity experts should be minimal.

Space Mountain Reopens but Disneyland Still Faces OSHA Issues is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.