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.

All photos copyright Disney

Looking to take a quiet stroll around the Disneyland Resort to check out the Christmas decor? Better get there quickly, because the busiest season the Anaheim resort has seen in years is rapidly approaching with the winter solstice! And while you're add it, be sure to take a spin on the “wildest ride in the wilderness” while you still can…

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Tuesday 12/11 was a 3 out of 10 at the resort, with 2.6 at Disneyland, and 2.0 at DCA.

Busiest Day: Saturday 12/15 was an 8 out of 10 at the resort, with a 8.1 at Disneyland, and 5.0 at DCA.

Subscribe to the Touring Plans Disneyland Crowd Calendar for full details on predicted attendance for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• Disneyland announced that Big Thunder Railroad will close January 7 through Fall 2013 for a major refurbishment. The trains and track will be replaced, and scenic elements will be refreshed, though the ride experience is expected to remain essentially the same.
• Disneyland's Holiday season continues through 1/6/2013, with the Holiday Fantasy daytime parade performing daily.
• The Candlelight Processional at Disneyland Park began on 12/1 and runs every day until 12/20. All tickets have already been distributed to VIPs and Annual Passholders, but limited standing-room-only viewing is available around Town Square. Due to stage equipment for the show, access to the Main Street Train Station is currently through the exits. Expect crowd congestion entering and exiting the park after 5pm on show nights.
• Have a sweet tooth? Check out the Santa Mickey cupcakes now on sale at Jolly Holiday Bakery, or use this recipe to make your own Big Thunder Ranch-approved s'mores.

• For a fun free craft, print out an assemble this paper toy soldier inspired by Disneyland's holiday parade.
• The Disney Moms Panel released another video documenting the “different magic” found around the Disneyland Resort during the holiday season.
• This photo blog reviews Disney's 75-year association with Pasadena's Tournament of Roses parade, which will continue on New Year's Day with a Cars Land-themed float.

• The Disney Gallery on Main Street USA was quietly updated with a new “Realms of Fantasy” exhibit featuring Fantasyland designs from Disney parks around the world.
• Imagineering recently conducted “play tests” of an interactive improvisation show at DCA. No word yet if the limited-time experiment will evolve into an actual attraction.

• Guided VIP tours of Disneyland's holiday offerings are available now through the end of the season.
• Now through 1/6, the Believe…In Holiday Magic fireworks show at Disneyland Park interacts with Glow With The Show light-up mouse ear hats.
• Check out this video of the entertainment available at Big Thunder Ranch's Jingle Jangle Jamboree through the end of the season.
• Holiday decor, seasonal songs, and nightly “snowfalls” have been added to DCA's Mad T Party now through New Years.
• Fresh hand-made candy canes were prepared at Disneyland's Candy Palace on Monday and Friday, and at DCA's Trolley Treats on Tuesday and Saturday. Arrive at park opening to secure a wristband and be prepared for a long, long, wait if you want one of the $13 sweets!
• Santa Claus posed for (paid) photos in the mornings at the Paradise Pier hotel, and in the evenings at the Grand Californian and Disneyland hotels.
• A modest “holiday village” of merchandise and snack vendors continues operating near the ice skating rink in Downtown Disney.
• Disneyland Resort is now checking photo IDs for all guests holding multi-day tickets. This results in slow entry procedures; be prepared this holiday season to arrive extra early (at least 45 pre-opening) to be one of the first people into the park.
• Smartphone users can now enjoy the free official Disneyland Explorer app on their iPhones, and interact with the park through the new @DisneylandToday Twitter feed.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

• Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.
• MuppetVision 4D has been temporarily replaced with the Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice 3-D short film for the holiday season.
• A Prep & Landing sequence has also been temporarily added to World of Color performances.

Last Week at Disneyland Resort (12/9/2012 – 12/15/2012) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch may not draw as much demand as the similarly-named roller-coaster next door, but it's always been one of my favorite places in the resort for catching a quiet moment.

Best known as home to the Happiest Petting Zoo on Earth (featuring a herd of friendly pigmy goats) the Ranch is currently in the clutches of Santa Claus and his elf-managing Mrs.

This year's Jingle Jangle Jamboree features photo-ops, DIY craft stations, and seasonal performance by Billy Hill and the Holiday Hillbillies on the arena stage. But this year, you may notice certain long-running VIP guests are absent.

For starters, even though the kids can still play carnival-style “reindeer games,” Santa's tradition transportation have taken the season off. Live reindeer, who formerly livened up “Santa's Reindeer Round-Up” are nowhere to be found in 2012.

Furthermore, the park's long time turkey population was taken away a few weeks before their favorite festival. In case you weren't aware, Disneyland's turkeys had a prestigious lineage, as key participants in the Presidential pardon Thanksgiving tradition.

The true origin of the United States President commuting the death sentence of a ceremonial fowl is fogged in myth, with Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy commonly cited as instigators. The modern tradition began with George H.W. Bush in 1989, and in 2005 his son W. started sending his pardoned poultry to Disney. For five consecutive Thanksgivings, the nation's officially exonerated birds were immediately escorted via airplane and motorcade to either Disneyland or Walt Disney World, where they starred as Grand Marshall in the park's Thanksgiving Day parade before retiring to a pampered life at the ranch.

Unfortunately, as the modern turkey is bred to gain weight quickly and have a short lifespan, the birds sent to Walt Disney World in 2007 died swiftly of natural causes, as have their more recent successors. Happily, the three turkeys at Disneyland have lived remarkably long lives, attributed in part to a special diet the park veternarians developed.

Courage and Carolina, the last governmental gobblers given to Disneyland, were granted clemency by Barack Obama in 2009, the final year Disney participated in the ceremony. In 2010, Disney representatives explained the tradition's end as resulting from their focus on the then-new “Let the Memories Begin” marketing campaign. Since then, Presidential turkeys have taken wing to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate in Virginia.

Until recently, the remaining turkeys were allowed to live out their retirements in the pen provided for them at Big Thunder Ranch. They were pulled from public view before the Christmas decor was revealed, and while there is no official acknowledgement of their fate, according to MiceAge's Al Lutz they should now be happily housed in backstage facilities. While it's gratifying to know their oversized drumsticks won't be greasily gracing the park's vending carts, that corner of Disneyland will forever feel a little less colorful to those who notice the birds' absence.

As you dig into your Thankgiving repast, take a moment to say a belated bye-bye to our dearly departed feathered friends. Then please pass me the stuffing!

Goodbye Gobbler Gallery: A Thanksgiving Tribute to Disneyland’s Ex-Turkeys is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.