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.

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.

Disneyland Alert: Space Mountain Closed by Cal/OSHA 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

September has arrived, bringing with it cooler temperatures, smaller crowds, and lengthy rehabs for numerous attractions at Disneyland.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Sunday 9/2 was a 7 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 7.9 and Disneyland Park at 5.7.

Busiest Day: Tuesday 9/4 through Thursday 9/6 was a 1 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 1.1 and Disneyland Park at 1.1.

Subscribe to the TouringPlans.com Disneyland Crowd Calendar for details on predicted crowds for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• The Disneyland Half-Marathon concluded on 9/2 with runner Jimmy Grabow setting a new record time of 1:05:29.
• Glow With The Show illuminated mouse ears now synchronize with nightly performances of both World of Color and Fantasmic!
• Disney released a unique multi-camera video featuring the Red Car Trolley on Buena Vista Street.

• Two horses from Disneyland's Circle D ranch participated in the Labor Day parade in Norco, California.
• Disney announced that a Halloween Carnival will take over the Big Thunder Ranch beginning 9/14 through 10/31, featuring a villains meet & greet and “haunted” performances by Billy Hill and the Hillbillies.

• Registration was announced on 9/5, and quickly filled to capacity, for a “Get Spookier” meet-up of Disney Blog readers in Disneyland on 9/17.
• Disney announced that there will be no after-hours cast member Christmas Parties this year.

Opening, Closings, and Refurbishments

• The Pirates League makeover boutique has temporarily taken over New Orleans Court of Angels, now through Halloween.
• The Haunted Mansion closed on 8/27, and will reopen on 9/14 as Haunted Mansion Holiday.
• Space Mountain is closed today 9/10 through 9/13 for installation of the Ghost Galaxy effects.
• Several attractions, including Indiana Jones Adventure, Casey Jr Circus Train, and Storybookland Canal Boats, closed this week on 9/4 for extensive refurbishments lasting until the holiday season.
• Last Monday (9/3) was the final performance of the Magic, Memories, and You projection show. A new similar show will be introduced at Walt Disney World, but no replacement is expected in Anaheim.
• Toy Story Midway Mania! was scheduled to be closed on 9/5/12 for a computer software update.
• Construction continues on the new Fantasyland Theatre and Princess Fantasy Faire.
• Construction continues on the Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney.
• The former 15-minute parking zone off Harbor Boulevard has been converted into passenger drop-off and taxi lanes.

Last Week at Disneyland Resort (9/2/2012 – 9/8/2012) 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.

The summer tourists have gone home, and the local kids are back in school, making September a spectacular time to visit the Disneyland Resort if you desire short lines. Mid-week visitors can expect the smallest crowds seen since before the June relaunch of Disney California Adventure. Beware, however, that seasonal installations and long-delayed refurbishments will result in several favorite Disneyland attractions being declared off-limits over the next month. Be sure to check the refurbishment list when planning a visit to the parks, so that you aren’t unpleasantly surprised upon arrival.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Most Mondays through Thursdays this month sport wait times in the bottom third of the year. The day after Labor Day is traditionally dead quiet, with Tuesday 8/30 predicted at only 1.1 out of 10 at Disneyland, and 1.8 at DCA.

Busiest Day: Saturdays and Sundays will be moderately busy once the Halloween decor is in full effect. Saturday 9/22 should hit a predicted peak of 6.3 out of 10 in Disneyland, and 6.6 at DCA.

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

Special Events

• The Disneyland Half-Marathon on September 2 wraps up a weekend of fitness events that attracts 17,000 runners. Due to races, there will be no early entry at DCA on September 1, and none at Disneyland on September 2.
• Halloween Time, Disneyland’s annual trick-or-treat-themed decor treatment, officially runs September 14 through October 31, though merchandise is already available in the park.
• Disney’s Happiest Haunts VIP guided tours run every night starting September 14 through October 31
• The season’s first Mickey’s Halloween Party will be held after hours in Disneyland on September 28. Parties continue on select nights through October.
• Disneyland will close early at 5pm on September 6 for an employee recognition event. DCA will remain open until 8pm.
• “Sneak peak” dining events at the the Paradise Pier Hotel of the PCH Grill’s new menu are being offered to Annual Passholders during September 2-20.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

Disneyland

• The final performance of The Magic, The Memories, and You will be held on Labor Day. The version in Florida is being replaced with a new projections show, but there are no plans for the Disneyland version to return after the seasonal lighting display on it’s a small world.
• Haunted Mansion: Closed since 8/27/12 through 9/13/12 for installation of the Nightmare Before Christmas-themed Hauntend Mansion Holiday overlay.
• Indiana Jones Adventure: Closed 9/4/12 through 12/7/12 for a much needed refurbishment.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed 9/4/12 through 11/15/12.
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed 9/10/12 through 9/13/12 to install Halloweentime decor.
• Space Mountain: Closed 9/10/12 through 9/13/12 to install the Ghost Galaxy seasonal overlay.
• Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes: Closed 9/17/12 and 9/18/12.
• Sailing Ship Columbia: Closed 9/18/12 through 9/20/12.
• Mark Twain Riverboat: Closed 9/25/12 through 9/28/12.
• Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.

Disney California Adventure

• Soarin’ will run at 50% capacity on September 18 and 19 as its two theaters are each serviced on successive days.
• Toy Story Midway Mania! is closed on 9/5/12.
• Muppet*Vision 3D is closed 9/10/12 through 9/13/12.
• The Art of Animation lobby will be closed 9/10/13 through 9/13/13 to install a Frankenweenie exhibit, but the other attractions inside will remain open.

Downtown Disney

• Construction continues on Earl of Sandwich, with no opening date announced yet.

This Month at Disneyland Resort: September 2012 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

The masses of annual Passholders that were anticipated to invade the Anaheim attractions after blackout dates were lifted last week didn't quite materialize. So if you've been avoiding Disneyland all summer, now is a great time to visit as preparations begin for the Halloween season.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Friday 8/17 was a 5 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 4.7 and Disneyland Park at only 3.1.

Busiest Day: Sunday 8/19 was an 8 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 8.9 and Disneyland Park at 5.7.

Subscribe to the TouringPlans.com Disneyland Crowd Calendar for details on predicted crowds for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• On Thursday 8/23 an unannounced screening of The Lion King was held inside the Main Street Opera House exclusively for annual Passholders. The event may be repeated in the future.
• Registration was closed for the Fantasmic! Glow with the Show annual Passholder viewing on 8/28.
• Concept art was released of the elaborate Gingerbread House being added to the Haunted Mansion for Halloween. The ride closes this week for the installation of the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay, and will re-open in mid-September.
• A recipie was published for the Apple Crisp served at Napa Rose in the Grand Californian hotel.
• Disney announced that Frost Perriwinkle will soon join her sister Tinker Bell in Pixie Hollow to promote their new animated film.

Opening, Closings, and Refurbishments

• Disney announced that the Magic, Memories, and You show will have its final performance on Labor Day.
• Construction continues on the new Princess Fantasy Faire, with new concept art recently added to the construction walls. The former Fantasyland Theatre is also being turned back into an entertainment venue.
• Progress continues on Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney.
• Speakers were installed outside Space Mountain for the Ghost Galaxy Halloween effects, which debut on September 14.
• The Court of Angels in New Orleans Square is currently closed, and will become a temporary Pirates League dress-up boutique.
• Owen the Horse made his debut pulling the Main Street USA streetcars, and was honored with an online video.

Last Week at Disneyland Resort (8/19/2012 -8/25/2012) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

The Magic Kingdom closed to guests today. Waits at Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain reached 120 minutes. FASTPASSes for Space were nearing running out around 1:20 pm.

Update: The park is open to resort guests and annual passholders as of 3:30 pm.  Thanks to Jeff T. for the details.

Magic Kingdom Reaches Capacity And Closes To Guests is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Many of you are wondering how next month’s closure of Tomorrowland’s popular Space Mountain will affect our Magic Kingdom touring plans. We’ve been testing many alternatives including everything from just skipping Space Mountain to moving almost all of Tomorrowland’s attractions to later in the day.

For most plans the most effect strategy seems to be simply to skip Space Mountain and continue with the rest of the plan as written. This is especially true if Buzz Lightyear is also visited within a couple of steps of Space Mountain in the plan. The problem with most alternative routes is that Buzz’s standby wait times can be very long during days with large crowds, and FASTPASSes can run out. Thus, it’s best to visit Buzz in the morning, regardless of whether Space Mountain is operating.

Many thanks to the Unofficial Guide research team who slogged through the parks testing every wacky idea we could think of for this change.

How Space Mountain’s closure will affect Magic Kingdom touring plans is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

We’ll be updating the Studios touring plans over the next week to include the new American Idol Experience attraction. Our in-park testing indicates Idol will fit in best sometime in the late afternoon or evening, which will minimize backtracking. It also gives you a good chance at seeing the day’s final show, which includes winners from performances earlier in the day.

We’ve also been testing Magic Kingdom touring plans without Space Mountain, in preparation for that attraction’s April refurbishment. Two options we’ve been focusing on: (1) Simply skipping Space Mountain and continuing with the rest of the plan; (2) Re-arranging the plan to visit Tomorrowland later in the day, to get a jump start on the rest of the park.

Our early test results for those options shows that skipping Space Mountain in the existing plans results in lower overall waits throughout the day, especially when crowds are high. Those are preliminary results, and we’ll continue testing throughout the spring.

Studios and Magic Kingdom touring plan updates coming soon is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Space Mountain will be closed starting April 19, 2009. It will reopen sometime in late 2009 at the earliest. There is currently no announced end period for the renovation.

Space Mountain closure and rennovation is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

We’re anxiously awaiting an official note from Disney about Space Mountain’s refurbishment. To date, it appears to have been pushed back from a January start date but is reportedly still on track for 2009 with a closure of 6 to 9 months. We’re hoping this seemingly short refurbishment will do the ride justice.

Space Mountain Refurb update is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.