Disneyland (CA) - 2/28 - TouringPlans.com Blog

Have you ever been to Disney with a large group of people? Family, friends? People you hope are still family, friends after you vacation together? Well, believe it or not, you actually can have fun with your extended family. I lied; I don’t know your extended family. It’s entirely possible that you cannot have fun with them. So think of a large group of friends! Let’s talk about a vacation with them! I love going to Disneyland with big groups. The more the merrier for me. So here are some things I’ve learned over the years.

1. Choose Whom You Invite Wisely – First, you need to decide who is going! This may be decided for you by family obligations, but if you can pick, pick people you think you’d have a great time with. Keep in mind that Disney considers 10 or more rooms travelling together a group. Group means group discount! Discounts on rooms and tickets! So you may want to reach out to even more friends and family!

2. Designate a Leader – I confess, I like to be the leader on a big trip to Disney. My husband, who after 20+ years in the Air Force has no room to talk himself, might say I like to be bossy. I admit it, there’s a fine line between being a leader and being bossy (but I assure you, I’m firmly on the leader side of the line!). For planning purposes though, having a leader helps immensely! One person as the main contact is so much easier than constant Reply All emails!

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Disney

Guests at Disneyland will get to experience a special way to see the nighttime spectacular “Magical.”

Glow With The Show ear hats (which blink different colors in unison with the performance) will be incorporated into performances starting on May 5.

On select nights, guests will be able to find special reserved viewing areas on Main Street U.S.A., where all the Glow With The Show ears will be able to blink together. Special viewing area dates are May 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19. They will be on a first-come, first-served basis due to the limited capacity.

Disney

May The Fourth Be With You…Star Wars…Disneyland Resort…

The west coast resort will also be taking part in the awesome Star Wars fun.

On Saturday, May 4, Disneyland Resort will offer special edition Star Wars themed pins and t-shirts. These merchandise pieces will be emblazoned with two different logos: “May the Fourth Be with You” and “Revenge of the Fifth.”

Guests who want to get their hands on this merchandise will have two different locations to do so: Disney Pin Traders in Downtown Disney or Little Green Men Store Command in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. Keep in mind, supplies are limited.

The Force is strong with this one.

So you’ve planned a trip to Disneyland! What’s the hardest thing now? The waiting of course. Haven’t you heard the song? Well, trust me it is. So I thought it would be fun to share some ways to pass the time. Some fun ways for your kids to visualize how long they have to wait, some fun ways for adults to rub it in their friends noses I mean celebrate how quick it’s coming!

Heather’s Countdown Chain

1. Chains – No, not the metal kind. I’m talking about the kind your children made in elementary school with construction paper. Yes, construction paper probably clued you in that this one is for kids. I’ve seen some really cute ones with a Disney theme. The idea is pretty simple. Take a bunch of paper strips (red, black and yellow?) and staple the first one into a circle. Then staple the next one into a circle that interlocks with the first one. Do this until you’ve arrived at your desired countdown number. Every day, take one off! Your kids will know, the shorter that chain gets, the closer they are to the Happiest Place on Earth!

2. Advent Calendar – This is my favorite way to countdown! Do your kids get these at Christmas? The kind where every day they open a little window and get something like a piece of chocolate. Or, if you’re a really cool parent, a little Lego Star Wars Figure! Well, these work for Disney too! I wouldn’t necessarily save one from Christmas though. That chocolate may be a little scary in September. I’d recommend finding an empty Advent calendar and filling it with fun Disney type things. I saw quite a few this year at Christmas, so grab one during an after-Christmas sale and have fun filling it! Or buy a shadow box! Or, if you’re a scrapbooker, you’ve probably found something similar to this set of drawers or this one. It’s great to decorate (or leave plain) and fill. If you’re pin traders, my suggestion is to fill those calendars or drawers with pins! Buy an inexpensive lot of them on eBay and plus up your collection for trading before you go.

It’s happening again!

Due to the massive success of last year’s One More Disney Day, where guests spent Leap Day in the Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland, getting a full 24 hours of park time, Disney is doing it again!

Guests will be able to take part in the Monstrous Summer All Nighter from May 24-25 (during Memorial Day Weekend). This event will be taking place on both coasts yet again. This time the event will happen at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and both Disneyland AND Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort. The parks will stay open from 6 am on Friday, May 24, to 6 am on Saturday, May 25, 2013, local time.

During the event, at the Magic Kingdom, a Monsters University theme will take place where Mike Wazowski and Sulley will be the grand marshal’s of the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade. They will also make appearances in Tomorrowland. In addition, there will be extra entertainment throughout the day and night, including characters found in their pajamas in Town Square during the late night and early morning, along with late-night dance parties in and around the courtyard of Cinderella Castle.

Over at Disneyland, a Monsters University TLT Monstrous Dance Club, plus Star Wars characters will be found in Tomorrowland. In addition, a late-night Character Pajama Party will be held in Mickey’s Toontown. The new Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre will become a Royal Dance Hall late at night with a live band and dancing. Guests of Disney California Adventure park will find photo opportunities with new Monsters University “Dorms” in Hollywood Land and a new Monsters University float leading the Pixar Play Parade.

In addition, on both coasts, special food and drink options will be available, as well as specialty merchandise.

This is set to be the kick off for a great summer with Disney.

In recent weeks, I’ve shared some my favorite ways to begin my day at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, as well as top picks for finishing a DCA visit, and even places to pause at mid-day around the Resort.

Today, I’m concluding this series with a look at the best options for ending your evening at Disneyland Park. While Disneyland is magical at any time of day, there is something particularly special about those final hours before closing at the original Magic Kingdom. Any one of the following activities (or combination thereof) should guarantee a fitting finale to your day at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Fireworks and Fantasmic!

No one does explosive spectaculars better than Disney, and there is no better one-two punch among theme park pageants than Disneyland’s fireworks and Fantasmic! Whether the show is Remeber…Dreams Come True, Magical, or one of the special seasonal displays, Disneyland’s pyrotechnics are not-to-be-missed. And Disneyland’s Fantasmic! is the ultimate assemblage of animated characters, action stunts, and enormous animatronics. On nights when both shows are performed,first watch the fireworks from the hub near Frontierland, the head immediately towards the river for a seat. Alternatively, stake out a spot early for Fantasmic and you’ll still have a fine view of the overhead sky bursts (though not effects on the castle or Tinker Bell’s flight).

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Starting May 9 for reservations on or after June 24, 2013, Disneyland Resort will charge a $10 per person fee to no-shows for dining reservations. We confirmed with Disney that this rule will apply to all Table Service restaurants in Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and the three resort hotels. The fee will also apply to cancellations at Bibbidi Bobbidi  Boutique in Fantasyland.

A valid credit card will be required when making reservations. Guests must cancel at least 24 hours in advance of their reservations to avoid the new fee. Disneyland Dining may be reached at 714-781-3463 or dine@disneyland.com.

Photos by Seth Kubersky

Recently, I shared some of my favorite ways to start a morning at Disney California Adventure. Today, let’s look at the flip side of the operating day. While crowds are arriving early every day at DCA’s front gate since Cars Land‘s arrival, some of the park’s highlights can only be experienced after dark. Here are my top five ways to finish off an evening at DCA:

Drinks With a View

One distinct advantage DCA has over its older brother across the Esplanade is the ability to imbibe alcoholic beverages as you tour. You’ll find spots to whet your whistle all around the park, from Carthay Circle’s swanky downstairs lounge to the imported beer kiosk near the Paradise Garden Grill. Nothing beats having a finely crafted cocktail in the night air, enjoying the park’s cleverly Imagineered aesthetics, and DCA has a couple of ideal evening watering holes.

I’ve already extolled the romantic virtues of the Alfresco Lounge at Golden Valley Winery, which has a second-story view down Route 66 to the stunning Cadillac Mountain range. Another great spot for a beverage is the Cove Bar behind Ariel’s Grotto; simply cut through the restaurant lobby to reach this often-overlooked gem. In addition to the standard extensive drink list, the Cove offers a small menu of large appetizers; the lobster nachos are big enough for four or more to share. Best of all, the bar recently rescinded its policy of levying a $10 cover charge during World of Color performances, making it a great place to watch the show, provided you don’t mind an obtuse perspective of the water screens.

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Photo by Seth Kubersky

As you may have heard, the Disneyland Resort has been having serious issues with some of its headlining E-Tickets lately. On April 12, inspectors from California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (following up on an incident from earlier this year in which a Space Mountain maintenance worker fell and was injured) issued a citation to Disneyland for safety violations in the Anaheim parks, with proposed penalties totaling nearly a quarter million dollars.

At one point earlier this week, Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Soarin’ Over California were all simultaneously shuttered, in addition to Big Thunder Mountain which is closed for an extensive refurb. Then, on Friday (April 19) California Screamin’ was added to the list of forbidden rides, following a review of emergency evacuation procedures. Note that these closures are not related to guest safety, but to fall protection and other safety measures for employees cleaning and servicing the attractions after hours.

At press time, the Matterhorn and Soarin’ Over California have both been reinspected and returned to service. California Screamin’ was also reopened late on Friday, and is expected to operate on Saturday. However, according to reports on MiceAge, Space Mountain may be out of service for the rest of April.

If you are visiting Disneyland in the immediate future and using our Lines app to optimize, your touring plan should automatically adjust to accommodate any closed attractions. Check back on our Refurbishment page for updates on what is operating at the resort on any given day.

You’re going to Disneyland!! And unlike the latest Super Bowl MVP, you probably have more than one evening to plan. So what should you do to get ready? Disneyland isn’t really a show-up-with-no-plan kind of a place. You certainly can do that, and I know people who have, but trust me, it’s better to have some idea of what you’re getting into. Let’s adopt the Boy Scout motto! Be prepared! Prepared is good!

1. Get Your Unofficial Guide – The absolute first thing you need to do is to get a copy of the Unofficial Guide! There’s a reason the series has sold millions of books. It is the perfect planning guide for Disneyland. It’s not a sugar coated view of Disney. It will help you appreciate the highs, and avoid the lows. Do you want to know which rides are going to scare the pants off your kids? The Unofficial Guide will tell you. Do you want to know the best restaurants? The best hotels? Or, more importantly maybe, the worst hotels? Again – the Unofficial Guide. And get it quick! Have you seen them recently? They’re behemoths! Not a quick read! A great read, maybe even an essential one for planning, but not a quick one.

2. Exercise – My husband may or may not have just busted his gut laughing when he saw that I was recommending exercise, but it’s (sadly) true. The amount of walking you do at a Disney park is not for the faint of heart. You can easily walk more than 10 miles in one day. Yep. 10 miles. If exercise is a dirty word to you, that number may scare you a little. It does me! But it doesn’t have to. We’re not talking about running a half marathon here. We’re talking about walking. Walking a lot! But walking. You don’t have to go into serious training. A few weeks of some evening walks with the family will help immensely! Oh yeah, and wear comfortable, worn-in shoes! There’s nothing worse at Disney than realizing your shoes are burning blisters into your feet.

3. Order the Vacation Planning DVD – This one is mostly for fun if you’re a frequent visitor, but if you’re a newbie, the DVD can give you a good overview of Disneyland and what it has to offer. Your kids will probably love it by the way!

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