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Happy New Year! 2012 saw some of the most substantial expansions in the history of the Disneyland Resort; with nothing on the scale of DCA’s reimagination on the horizon, 2013 can be seen as somewhat of a transitional year for the resort. Even so, there are a parade of updates, temporary additions, and notable refurbishments on their way in the coming months. As the signs of the holiday season swiftly disappear over the next week (shortly followed by the heavy crowds), look for some “limited time magic” to light up a historic Frontierland venue.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Weekdays after mid-month should see some of the slowest crowds of the year. Thursday 1/17 is predicted to be a 1 out of 10 at the resort, with 1.2 at Disneyland, and 2.8 at DCA.

Busiest Day: The Tinkerbell Half-Marathon over Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend will bring the biggest crowds since New Year. Sunday 1/20 should be a 10 out of 10 at the resort, with a 9.8 at Disneyland, and 8.1 at DCA.

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

Special Events

• Disneyland’s Holiday season concludes on 1/6/2013, with the Holiday Fantasy daytime parade performing daily until then. Guided VIP tours of Disneyland’s holiday offerings are still available through 1/6.
• A Cars Land themed float was a highlight of the Tournament of Roses parade on New Years Day.
• The Tinker Bell Half Marathon and associated running events will be held at Disneyland Resort on 1/18-1/20. Registration for the races is already sold out. Expect extreme crowds around the resort that weekend.
• New 2013 themed souvenirs are now on sale throughout the Disneyland resort.

• Disneyland will celebrate the Hispanic holiday Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes Magos) with special food and entertainment at Big Thunder Ranch on 1/4-6.
• As part of the 2013 Limited Time Magic promotion, a tribute to the classic Golden Horseshoe Revue will be performed Thursdays through Mondays from January 10 to February 4. No word yet on how admission to the sure-to-be-popular revival will be distributed.
• Also as part of Limited Time Magic, the Year of the Ear will introduce new ear hats for sale each month, begining with Disney Couture designs in January.

• Beginning 1/5, Disneyland Annual Passholders receive one hour early entry into both parks on Saturdays and Sundays through April 14, 2013 (except 1/19, 1/20, & 2/3). Advanced registration is not necessary, and may be used more than once.
• 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. Temporary exclusive viewing areas for Glow With The Show hat holders have been established for Believe, Fantasmic!, and World of Color for the next couple weeks.
• A modest “holiday village” of merchandise and snack vendors continues operating near the ice skating rink in Downtown Disney through 1/6.
• Disneyland Resort is still checking photo IDs for all guests holding multi-day tickets. This results in slow entry procedures; be prepared to arrive extra early (at least 45 minutes pre-opening) to be one of the first people into the park.

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. The Muppets should return after 1/6.
• A Prep & Landing sequence has also been temporarily added to World of Color performances through 1/6.
• Big Thunder Mountain is closed 1/7 through 10/30 for a major refurbishment of the track and scenery.
• Big Thunder Ranch is closed 1/7 through 1/17 for holiday decor removal.
• Haunted Mansion is closed 1/7 though 1/17 for holiday decor removal.
• Fantasmic! will not be performed 1/7 through 2/14.
• The Mark Twain Riverboat is closed 1/7 through 3/28 for refurbishment.
• Grizzly River Run is closed 1/7 through 2/28 for refurbishment.
• Silly Symphony Swings are closed 1/7 through 2/17 for refurbishment.
• World of Color will not be performed 1/28 through 1/31.

This Month at Disneyland Resort: January 2013 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 spooky seasonal spirit is in full swing at the Disneyland Resort, thanks to thrice-weekly Halloween parties in Disneyland Park. Keep an eye out for special snacks and souvenirs offered around the parks until the end of the month, and enjoy the lighter crowds on non-party weekdays.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Tuesday 10/9 was a 3 out 10 at the resort, with crowds at 1.6 out of 10 at Disneyland, and 7.6 at DCA.

Busiest Day: Sunday 10/7 was a 9 out of 10 at the resort, with a 7.7 out of 10 in Disneyland, and 9.5 at DCA.

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

Special Events

• Halloween Time, Disneyland's annual trick-or-treat-themed decor treatment, continues to run through October 31. A variety of “ooey-gooey” sweets are currently available from Disneyland's candy kitchens.
• Disney's Happiest Haunts VIP guided tours continued to be offered every night through October 31.
• Mickey's Halloween Party was held after hours in Disneyland on October 9 & 12, and will continue on October 14, 15, 19, 23, 26, 29, and 31. Disneyland Park closes to day guests as early as 6pm on these nights, greatly increasing attendance in DCA on those days.
• Disneyland cast members Sachiko White and Megan Navarette were appointed the resort's 2013-2014 Ambassadors, and will represent the resort as spokespersons at publicity events around the world.
• Downtown Disney hosted an Octoberfest party with German-themed food and drink on Sunday 10/13.
• A temporary ice-skating rink is being constructed at Downtown Disney near the AMC Theatre. It is tied to the release of the new Tinker Bell film, and will officially open on October 23.
• You can download free desktop wallpaper from the Disney Parks blog to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the beginning of DCA's recently-completed expansion.
• Disney received permission from the FCC to being testing RFID-enabled electronic wristbands than may be used by guests as admission tickets and hotel keys. The “next generation” technology is being rolled out first at Walt Disney World, and is expected to eventually migrate to Anaheim as well.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

• Indiana Jones Adventure is closed through 12/7/12 for a much needed refurbishment.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through 11/15/12.
• Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.
• The Tomorrowland Starcade is closed 10/8-10/18 to install a Wreck-It Ralph meet & greet.
• Muppet*Vision 3D is not running while a Frankenweenie 4D trailer is screened in the theater (end date unknown).
• Decorative tile in front of Carthay Circle in DCA is currently being replaced; the restaurant remains open.
• In Cars Land, new padding has been added to the vehicles at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and temporary telephone poles have be added to support holiday decor.
• In Cars Land, the garage that was originally intended as the Fastpass distribution center for Radiator Springs Racers is being repurposed as an extension of Ramone's gift shop.
• Construction continues on Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney, with no opening date announced yet. The largest rumors suggest it may be open for Thanksgiving.

Last Week at Disneyland Resort (10/7/2012 – 10/13/2012) 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 Halloween celebrations continued last week at Disneyland, as an extraterrestrial celebrity made a farewell flight over the Happiest Place on Earth.

Crowd Calendar

Busiest Day: Sunday 9/16 was a 6 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 7.5 and Disneyland Park at 4.7.

Quietest Day: Tuesday 9/18 was a 1 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 1.9 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

• Halloween Time, featuring special “haunted” versions of Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, continues through October 31.
• The Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted on the back of a 747, made a farewell flyover of the Disneyland resort on its way to retirement at a Los Angeles science center.
• Disney announced that characters from Wreck-It Ralph will appear in the Tommorrowland Starcade starting in November.
• Amusement Today awarded the “Golden Ticket” for “2012 Park of the Year” to Disney California Adventure.
• Collectible “artist sketches” depicting iconic park attractions are now for sale at the Disney Gallery on Main Street USA.
• A “Get Spookier” meetup for Disney Parks blog readers was held on 9/17 in New Orleans Square, featuring a panel with members of Disneyland's Halloween creative team.
• Tinker Bell's sister Perriwinkle is now appearing in meet & greets at Pixie Hollow in Disneyland.
• A time-lapse video depicting the transformation of Haunted Mansion into Haunted Mansion Holiday was relaxed by the Disney Parks blog.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

• Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through 11/15/12.
• Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes: Closed 9/17/12 and 9/18/12.
  
• Sailing Ship Columbia: Closed 9/18/12 through 9/20/12.
• Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.
• Soarin' operated at 50% capacity on September 18 and 19 as its two theaters were each serviced on successive days.
• The Frankenweenie exhibit is now on view in DCA's Disney Animation building.
• Construction continues on Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney, with no opening date announced yet.

Last Week at Disneyland (9/16/2012 – 9/22/2012) 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.

If you head out on Disney vacations with school-age children often enough, eventually the inevitable will happen. Someone’s going to lose a tooth. In my family, this has happened twice. My oldest daughter, Charlie, wiggled out a floppy tooth during a stage show on the Disney Wonder. A few years later, her younger sister Josie bit into a frozen Mickey bar at Disney’s California Adventure, looked down and found her tooth embedded in the chocolate and the vanilla ice cream tinged with blood. (Needless to say, we got her a new bar once the bleeding subsided.)

Just after biting into a Mickey bar.

Of course when this kiddie rite of passage happens, you can handle it as you would at home; just pop a quarter/dollar/fiver/sawbuck under the pillow and move along. But perhaps this is an opportunity for some Disney magic to spice up your routine.

In our case, Charlie was worried that the Tooth Fairy wouldn’t find her. After many reassurances that fairies have special access to the GPS coordinates of every ship at sea, we were able to settle her down for the night. At this point my husband dashed down to the gift shop and purchased a Tinker Bell themed Disney Cruise pin, which we slipped, along with the requisite dollar, under her pillow. With the loot, Charlie also found a note “from the Tooth Fairy” explaining that special fairy legislation gave Tink dominion over all Disney venues, thus the inclusion of the pin.

Since the note became part of family lore, when Josie lost the tooth at Disneyland, we also had to get her a Tinker Bell gift for under her pillow. Luckily there is no shortage to Tink merchandise in the parks, so we were able to score a special fairy pin to commemorate her tooth loss as well.

Tink can provide reassurance that fairies of all kinds can handle lost tooth situations.

• Use Disney Dollars in place of real dollars under the pillow.
• Sprinkle the bed/pillow with Mickey-shaped confetti
• Put a Disney pressed penny or quarter under the pillow – maybe one with Tink, if you can find it
• Visit the Tinker Bell meet and greet at WDW and ask Tink herself about tooth protocol – apparently she’s very supportive during these discussions
• Use a Sacagawea gold dollar, but call it a Pocahantas dollar
• Leave a small plush fairy under the pillow
• Have the Tooth Fairy or Tink leave a note on a pretty Disney postcard
• Put a Disney-themed toothbrush under the pillow (often found for sale in the parks)
• For a girl, buy a small fairy-themed jewelry box in which to deposit the cash

As with most things Disney, special treatment is not guaranteed, but it never hurts to speak up when something special happens on your vacation. Tell the front desk of your hotel, your waitress, the nice lady at the gift shop, and anyone else who will listen, that your child has lost a tooth. Occasionally this will result in some sort of perk like a free ice cream (always makes me feel better) or having a free card or balloon delivered to your room.

Also, it never hurts to be prepared for special circumstances. If your child has a loose tooth just prior to your trip, you may want to plot out your strategy or acquire a special treat in advance “just in case.”

On a related note, if somehow during the confusion of vacation, the tooth fairy does end up missing you on her appointed rounds, you can always blame the circumstance of being away from home – and then follow up with a REALLY good surprise later.

Has your child lost a tooth during your Disney vacation? How did you handle this? Anything you did right, or wish you had done differently at the time? Let us know in the comments below.

Does Tinker Bell Know the Tooth Fairy?: Losing a Tooth on Your Disney Vacation is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.