Refurbishments on Main Street, new arcades, turnstiles and more as we begin this In The Parks Disneyland update. The Haunted Mansion is celebrating 45th years of scares and we’ll fill you in on what’s in store for you (or should we say “What’s in STORES for you”). We then glide over the empty Finding Nemo lagoon to check the progress there. The Magic Eye Theater will be closing soon to have Captain EO return, find out when. We also get a first look at the newly designed disabled waiting area at the exit of Space Mountain. Let us know what you think. We then close out with a few musings from inside Disney California Adventure, and we share information on the big Knott’s Scary Farm MiceChat meet. Tickets are on sale now too! We won’t get into the new Adventureland Trading Company game as Dateline Disneyland covered it perfectly on Monday with an excellent comparison to its counterpart in Frontierland. Are you ready? Let’s get going.
Front Gate
The rolling refurbishment of the front gates of Disneyland continues as the eastern, center bank of turnstiles goes behind tarps.
Main Street Construction
We see little visible progress on the eastern arcade along Main Street. At the same time the Castle Bros. façade is being touched up.
New Frozen Treats
Some new Frozen themed treats have appeared in the Candy Palace.
Speaking of the Candy Palace, new slushie machines have been installed at the counter closest to Coke Corner.
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Color is being added back to the coral in the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage lagoon. The attraction is supposed to return on September 27th.
The Haunted Mansion turns 45
Saturday, August 9th is the 45th anniversary of the opening of Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion. In development for over 7 years, this amazing attraction has been a wildly popular experience since the day it opened and Disney is not one to miss the opportunity to cash in on this milestone. While many 45th anniversary merchandise pieces are available now in the park, Disney has something even more extravagant planned for next weekend.
The Art of Haunted Mansion Collectables is an event that celebrates artwork inspired by the Haunted Mansion, produced by some of the most popular Disney artists today. Scheduled to appear are artists: Steve Adams, Dave Avanzino, David Bird, Britni Brault, Brian Crosby, Jeremy Fulton, Brian Kesinger, Daniel Killen, Bridget McCarty, Miss Mindy, Mike Peraza, Javier Soto and Yakovetic. You can meet the artists August 16 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Dave Avanzino
Yakovetic
Also debuting as part of the event from our talented team of Ink & Paint artists is the next in the series from our hand-painted cel collection, featuring none other than the Hatbox Ghost. This piece is an edition size of 300 and will be available framed only.
The event happens on August 16 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. For a complete list of artists who have contributed to this 45th Anniversary collection visit DisneyParksMerchandise.com. The Scare LA convention this Saturday is featuring a panel on the Haunted Mansion featuring Alice Davis and Bob Gurr.
Let’s now take a ride through the mansion, enjoy the gardens, and visit the graveyard.
There will also be around 100 new Mansion-themed bits of merchandise for fans to buy starting now. But hurry. Quantities are limited.
Big Hero 6 Coming to the Park
Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is coming to theaters on November 7th, 2014. Disney has recently announced that the characters from the upcoming film will be making appearances at the U.S. Parks. Hiro and Baymax will be flying to both Disneyland and the Walt Disneyland Resort. We will have to wait for further details.
The Magic Eye Theater
The Magic Eye Theater is set to close August 16th and 17th to remove the Guardians of the Galaxy preview. Does this mean we will get a restored print of Captain EO?
Space Mountain Disabled Access
At the exit of Space Mountain the expanded wait area for disabled riders has been unveiled.
The walls inside the Starcade have also been removed.
Today’s Update Sponsored by O-Zell Soda
A portion of every O-Zell purchase supports the restoration of the Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago. Pick up some delicious natural soda AND help a great cause at the same time: O-Zell Soda
With little happening inside Disney California Adventure we offer a few pics and sprinkling of commentary.
Knott’s Scary Farm MiceChat Haunt Meet Tickets On Sale!
Join us, if you dare, in the fog-shrouded streets of Ghost Town for the 8th annual MiceChat Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt 2014. Leave the real world behind and enter a dream-land of spooky fun with fellow MiceChat readers.
There are two ticket types:
MiceChat Knott’s Haunt event ticket (Basic) – $119.99*
- Admission into Knott’s Scary Farm
- Backstage tour of a new maze before the event
- All you can eat Private Pre-scare Boofet dinner
- Special insider presentation during dinner.
- Early entry into Haunt
- Front of the line access to all mazes (excluding the up-charge Trapped maze)
- Skeleton Key access to select mazes
- Priority Seating for Elvira Ring-Mistress of the Park
MiceChat Knott’s Haunt event ticket with TRAPPED VIP Maze – $129.99*
- All of the above PLUS ADMISSION INTO TRAPPED: The New Experiment – special upcharge maze (Purchasing this ticket will gain you admission into the Trapped maze with the MiceChat group. By purchasing this ticket you will be randomly assigned a return time during event check-in at the beginning of the night. If you miss the reservation time you will forfeit your ticket.)
* Plus tax and PayPal processing fees
That’s right. You could buy your own ticket and wander around, aimlessly from line to line, starving to death from hunger, without a single person to hang out with. OR, you could pay one simple price and get an entire night of food, entertainment, friends, frights, and fun and exclusive insider opportunities!
DON’T MISS THE LATEST MICECHAT PODCAST
Summer 2014 is in full swing and theme parks all across the country are preparing their offerings. This month’s show is your guide to the best of what theme parks have to offer you this summer. From Disney to Universal, SeaWorld to Knott’s Berry Farm and all points in between. Slap on some sunscreen and press play to hear our thoughts on where you should spend your hard earned vacation dollars this summer.
Direct Link | MiceChat Podcast on iTunes
We hope that you enjoyed this weeks Disneyland Resort edition of In the Parks. We will be back next week with a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm and a look at the progress of Halloween Haunt and other projects there. See you soon, In The Parks.