Disneyland debuts a new mobile app as summer begins to wind down

Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary summer is starting to wind down with the first signs of Halloween Time starting to pop up in the parks. Meanwhile, Disneyland has launched a new mobile app that finally gives guests official attraction wait times on their smart phones. In the parks, work continues on Tomorrowland‘s ongoing Innoventions overhaul as Cars Land‘s new ride takes shape.

Don’t miss your weekly Disneyland Resort crowd forecast — provided by our friends at Mouseaddict — in the Weekly News and Information Roundup at the end of today’s update!

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The D23 Expo is this weekend! Plan your visit with our Guide to the D23 Expo 2015 by clicking here.

We’ve got another light end-of-summer update for you today, so let’s get to it.

Welcome to Disneyland!

Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary summer season is slowly starting to wind down as the Resort gets ready for the big D23 Expo coming up this weekend, followed by the start of Halloween Time in mid-September.

A look at wait times Saturday afternoon

A look at wait times Saturday afternoon

Mobile Magic

Last week, Disneyland released a new mobile app for iOS and Android that finally brings official Disneyland information to your mobile device. Disneyland is now advertising the new app at the Central Plaza Information board.

The new app is fully loaded with official attraction wait times, park hours, dining information, and the ability to link Annual Passports and enter the park by having your AP barcode scanned on your phone. For non-passholders, tickets can be purchased directly in the app and converted into paper tickets at theme park entry turnstiles.

I used the new app over the weekend to enter the theme parks and check wait times and it worked like a charm. While the app’s navigation is a bit clunky, the app is speedy and responsive. Being able to enter the park by having your iPhone screen scanned is a delightful 21st century novelty that would only be improved by adding iOS Passbook functionality. Of course, you still need to bring your pass with you if you plan on using FASTPASS or enjoying Passholder discounts.

The app also includes park maps and official wait times for attractions in both parks — something that mobile access to has been long-overdue. The app certainly has room to grow — the addition of restaurant hours and menus would be great as well as the ability to book dining reservations natively inside the app, rather than being directed to your mobile device’s web browser. It would also be great to be able to see live FASTPASS availability listed inside the app. Still, it’s a great first version of a theme park app and if you’re planning on visiting the parks anytime soon, it is absolutely a worthwhile download.

Creeping in…

While Disneyland popular Halloween Time doesn’t start until September 11, the first signs of season have already arrived at the parks — and of course, it’s merchandise.

Shirts and hoodie

Ear hat

Minnie headband

Witch Minnie hat

Light-up ear headband

Women’s hoodie

Women’s t-shirt

Scarf

Men’s boxer shorts

Men’s pajama pants

A super cute new Figaro Halloween plush

Mickey and Minnie plush

Duffy Halloween costume

Light-up Ghost Mickey

Pumpkin Mickey trick-or-treat bucket

Little Candy Corn bags

Lenticular pumpkin decoration

Halloween Countdown decoration

Lantern decoration with neat new Disneyland land-themed decals

Trick or treat candy bowl

LED character candle

Antenna toppers

Nightmare Before Christmas pens

Refurbishment Round-up

A look at some refurbishment projects underway…

Faire Fix
The walkway between Frontierland and Fantasy Faire remains closed for some work.

Changing the Future
The new white paint job for the entire lower level of Innoventions’ exterior is finished. Will Marvel and Star Wars decorations be added?

Re-Tired
While there isn’t much to see from the guest perspective, work does continue at the former home of Luigi’s Flying Tires as the new Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters attraction takes shape. The new attraction will open early next year.

Luigi’s Flying Tires is still painted on the windows at Luigi’s Casa della Tires.

Views from Mickey’s Fun Wheel

Unfortunately there’s still not much to see

Dateline Disneyland Bookshelf

New Disney books are a big deal for me — especially books that are about Disney’s theme parks or Disney history. So I got pretty excited when I recently checked the roster of new Disney books coming out over the next couple months and found several excellent titles celebrating Disney’s theme parks, history, and animation. The line-up of new releases, starting with the recent re-release of the classic “Little Man of Disneyland” Little Golden Book, looks so good that it seemed worthwhile to share it here in Dateline Disneyland. Of course, if you buy any of the titles here using our embedded Amazon links you’ll not only get a great new book but you’ll also help out Dateline Disneyland at no additional cost to you.

Walt Disney’s Little Man of Disneyland Available now Just in time for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary, Little Man of Disneyland is a reprint of the classic 1955 Little Golden Book that tells the story of a leprechaun named Patrick Begorra who lives in the Anaheim orange groves that would become Disneyland. Mickey and Donald convince Patrick to let them build Disneyland in his orange groves after they show him the fantastic plans for the park. The little $5 book is really a just clever vintage marketing piece for the then-under construction park but 60 years later is still wildly charming and filled with spectacular illustrations typical of Disney’s classic Little Golden Books.

The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic Jason Surrell | August 11 The third printing of former Imagineer Jason Surrell’s definitive book on the iconic theme park ride, The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic drops the section on the lackluster 2003 film and fills new pages on more than a decade of new additions to the attraction. This expanded edition will include new information on Disneyland’s Hat Box Ghost, Walt Disney World’s graveyard queue, and more. Also featured is Hong Kong Disneyland’s highly-praised Haunted Mansion surrogate — Mystic Manor.
All Aboard: The Wonderful World of Disney Trains Dana Amendola | September 1 Tracing the influence of railroads throughout Disney history, this book not only showcases the various railway systems enjoyed by guests at Disney’s theme parks but explores Walt Disney’s life-long interest and personal history with trains that has gone on to impact The Walt Disney Company’s storied history. All Aboard! includes rare photographs, concept artwork and more from the Walt Disney Archives in a museum-quality book.
One Little Spark!: Mickey’s Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering Marty Sklar | September 1 The follow-up to his 2013 memoir, Disney Legend Marty Sklar returns with One Little Spark! and goes in-depth on the principles and ideals, called “Mickey’s Ten Commandments,” that serve as the creative foundation for Walt Disney Imagineering. Filled with stories, insights and advice directly from Marty Sklar and the Imagineers, this book is an insider’s guide to what it takes to work at Walt Disney Imagineering.

In addition to the new theme park-related books being released, several must-have titles on Disney Animation will hit shelves soon.

• They Drew As They Pleased (Sept. 8) — From Didier Ghez, the co-author of the wonderful Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality book, this book showcases four early Disney animation pioneers alongside the work they created for the Disney Studio on animated shorts, feature pictures, and various never-realized projects.
• An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg Draws the Disney Characters (Sept. 8) Features over 200 stylized illustrations of famous Disney characters by renowned Disney Animator Eric Goldberg (Aladdin, Fantasia 2000, Wreck-It Ralph).
• The Nine Old Men: Lessons, Techniques, and Inspiration from Disney’s Great Animators (Oct. 8): Famed Disney Animator Andreas Deja takes you into the minds of Walt Disney’s iconic Nine Old Men with in-depth analysis of their work that will help burgeoning animators refine their own skills.
• Before Ever After: The Lost Lectures of Walt Disney’s Animation Studio (Oct. 20) — Get a rare look at the lecture notes, photographs and drawings Walt Disney created to help guide his early animators as they began work on the first feature-length animated film, Snow White.
• Dali & Disney: Destino: The Story, Artwork, and Friendship Behind the Legendary Film (Oct. 20) — A look into the legendary friendship between Walt Disney and artist Salvador Dali with in-depth exploration of their collaboration on the animated short film Destino.

And if you’re a fan of Pixar, there are a couple titles on Pixar Animation worth noting, including The Animator’s Sketchbook (Oct. 13) and Funny!: Twenty-Five Years in the Pixar Story Room (Nov. 17). For theme park fans, it’s worth mentioning that the spectacular but out-of-print Knott’s Preserved: From Boysenberry to Theme Park, the History of Knott’s Berry Farm has received a long overdue second printing with additional content added. Knott’s Preserved can be ordered online at Angel City Press or purchased at Knott’s Berry Farm. And finally, The Progress City Primer — the delayed Kickstarter project by Disney blogger and historian Michael Crawford — is getting ready to be released to its Kickstarter backers and, eventually, to the general public. Get updates on that book of Disney historical essays over at the project’s Kickstarter page.

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Weekly News & Information Round-Up
Weekly Theme Park Hours August 10-16, 2015
[B]Disneyland Park[/B]	[B]California Adventure[/B]
Mon.-Sat.: 8 am – 12 am Sunday: 8 am – 11 pm	Daily: 8 am – 10 pm
[CENTER]For a complete listing of theme park hours, visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar[/CENTER]
[center]Closure and Refurbishment Schedule[/center]
[b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b]
Innoventions: Rumored to reopen in November with new Star Wars exhibit. Starcade: Closed indefintely. Tomorrowland Theatre: Closed indefintely.
[b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b]
Luigi’s Flying Tires: Closed for re-Imagineering into new attraction. Reopening expected in early 2016. Muppet*Vision 3D: Dark indefinitely while theater is used for Frozen-themed show. [B]Blue Sky Cellar:[/B] Closed indefinitely.
[b][center]Downtown Disney and Disneyland Resort Hotels[/center][/b]
None.
August 10 – 16 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Because of D23, hotels are solidly booked beginning Thursday; but rooms are still available at some Good Neighbor Hotels. Even though our meters have been pegging out at maximum from time to time, our projections here give the average for the entire day. Expect a new swell of people to enter the resort in the early evenings. Have you checked out the new Wait Watcher feature in Mouseaddict? When you don’t want to wait in a long queue, just tell us how long you’re willing to wait. Wait Watcher will notify you when the wait time reaches that time. Only in Mouseaddict. The free Mouseaddict app for iPhone and iPad features more than five dozen categories of searchable resort information, weather forecasts, park and show schedules, the latest news and articles from MiceChat, and more. Download free on the App Store or at mouseaddict.com.
[center]Headline Roundup A quick look at noteworthy Disney theme park headlines from around the web.[/center]
60th anniversary celebration helped Disneyland enjoy the highest attendance and profit in any quarter in Disneyland’s history. (OC Register) Disney to release new online-only t-shirts in August, including designs based on Epcot, the Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise. (Disney Parks Blog) Taste of Downtown Disney benefiting CHOC Children’s Hospital returns August 13. (CHOC) Disney quietly acquired more land in across the street from Disneyland. (Slashfilm)

Well, that wraps up this week’s edition of Dateline Disneyland! Stay tuned next week for our coverage of Disney’s D23 Expo! If you’re looking for our Guide to the D23 Expo, click here. Thanks for reading! Special thanks to our Dateline Disneylanders! A very special thank you to all of our Patreon supporters for their monthly support keeping Dateline Disneyland alive, especially our special top-tier supporters: Kendra H., Brian A., Dusty Sage and Benjamin! To help support Dateline Disneyland and get some fun swag in return, visit our Patreon page now! For more Disneyland news, be sure to read MiceChat’s weekly In the Parks blog. And be sure to check out our sister blog, Dateline Disney World – a fantastic weekly photo blog covering Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! Thanks for reading. See you at Disneyland! [B]- Andy[/B]

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FTC-Mandated Disclosure: Promotional consideration for this edition of Dateline Disneyland was provided by the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel & Water Playground.