If this doesn’t snap you out of your case of the “Mondays,” we’re not sure what will!
For just over a year, Mickey’s Soundsational Parade has been energizing the guests and bringing a beat to the streets of Disneyland® Park. Mickey Mouse kicks off the parade by playing the drum along with a six-member drumline. Each of the parade floats has their own unique rhythm and instruments that tie-in with the particular storyline.
A Disneyland® Park icon since its opening on June 14, 1959, the Matterhorn was part of the first major expansion to take place at Disneyland since it opened in 1955. The Matterhorn recently went through a refurbishment and reopened to guests last month. The refurbishment brought the Matterhorn new ride vehicles and a refreshed look both inside and out. It also brought back for a limited time the mountain climbers who have scaled the slopes intermittently since its opening.
We’ve got a video to share with you of the mountain climbers, but first, a few Matterhorn fun facts:
Off to Neverland Travel is happy to announce that the 2013 Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort vacation packages are now available for booking!
You have been asking for a while now, and the time has finally come! Our Magic Makers® got to work bright and early this morning to start preparing no-obligation quotes for our client’s 2013 travel dates. Magic Your Way® Packages will be valid for travel commencing between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2013. However, due to system limitations, bookings can only be made a maximum of 499 days into the future, so as of today we can only book through Nov. 22, 2013.
Yesterday, we shared the first four of the themed touring plans for Disney California Adventure® Park. Now, here are the remaining four for you to choose from!
The Show StopperYou’ll be ready for an encore when you are done with this itinerary. From “A Whole New World” to “World of Color,” Disney California Adventure® Park features some of the best entertainment the Disneyland® Resort has to offer. Head down the rabbit hole or be immersed in storytelling as nearly 1,200 fountains light up the night with these interactive, immersive shows.
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Nature LoversNature lovers can “branch out” and experience the beautiful horticulture that spreads across Disney California Adventure® Park. More than 450 new trees have been planted in Cars Land alone, and the additon of trees throughout the park adds shade for more guest comfort. From the tall pines around Grizzly Mountain to the small cacti in Cars Land, guests will enjoy all the beautiful surroundings in the park.
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A Shopper’s ParadiseThe additions of Buena Vista Street and Cars Land have given guests even more opportunies to shop to their heart’s content. Whether it’s at Radiator Springs Curios or Big Top Toys, the new shops are a great place to find a souvenir that reflects a day filled with memories. Add that to the classic merchandise experiences of Disney California Adventure® Park and this itinerary will be added to everyone’s shopping list.
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Child’s PlayParents and Grandparents entertaining younger guests will want to focus on this plan. These attractions are fun for all ages and cover the entire Disney California Adventure® Park. Whether it’s floating on air at Luigi’s Flying Tires or playing at bug’s eye-level in “a bug’s land,” there are so many places to make memories together for the entire family.
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The past five years has truly been a magical transformation for the Disneyland® Resort. The expansion project brought new attractions, entertainment and experiences to the parks as well as gave a refresh to a few of the favorites. Most of the work centered in Disney California Adventure® Park creating new adventures for guests of all ages. Young or old, thrill seeker or night owl – there really is something for everyone!
We have eight themed touring plans for you to try on your next visit! Whether you mix, match, add, or subtract, you are sure to have a great time at the new Disney California Adventure® Park. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the final 4 touring plans.
Thrill Seekers AdventureDisney California Adventure® Park could be considered a thrill seeker’s paradise with 6 of the highest rated attractions at the Disneyland® Resort. This touring plan is packed with flying, spinning, screaming, soaring and racing fun that any thrill seeker would love.
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The Night CapWhen the sun goes down, a magical nighttime experience is just beginning at Disney California Adventure® Park. Watch as Cars Land flips the switch from day to night and enjoy the illumination of Route 66 with its amazing neon signs. Don’t miss a twinkling view of the skyline from the top of Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror and catch all the fun, music and games at Mad T Party.
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A Day with CharacterDisney California Adventure® Park is the perfect place to get up close and personal with favorite characters! Enjoy being immersed in the stories of classic Disney characters and Pixar pals, plus there are many opportunities to greet favorite characters. Talk with Crush, sing along with Minnie, and go under the sea with Ariel on this character-filled itinerary.
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A Tour Full of FlavorSometimes you have to make FOOD the star of your vacation! With its new dining locations, Disney California Adventure® Park is a foodie’s paradise. Comfort food, gourmet meals, regional specialties, signature cocktails and even delectable vintages are all available on this tour through the park. From small bites to fine dining, your palates will be met with some of the best food and drink options from around the Disneyland® Resort.
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The Orange County Register is reporting that a father and son duo recently completed the ultimate park hop by visiting all 6 domestic Disney Parks within one day!
Tony and Andrew Spittell, from Brea, California, started their coast-to-coast adventure at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. After their plane landed at 6:46pm at LAX, they headed to the Disneyland® Resort to finish their adventure.
While this isn’t the first time this type of adventure has been completed, it still makes for an awesome family memory! The Spittell’s rode a unique ride inside each of the six parks as well as took time for a snack.
The summer peak season has hit Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, so we wanted to remind you of several early admission opportunities that are available. With the newly opened lands and attractions at the Disneyland® Resort, this early admission can make a huge difference in your wait times and touring plans!
All guests staying at a Disneyland® Resort hotel can take advantage of Extra Magic Hour* – early admission to either Disneyland® Park or Disney California Adventure® Park – every day of their stay (with valid theme park admission and active hotel room key card) before it opens to the general public.
Extra Magic Hour will allow registered Disneyland® Resort hotel guests admission into select attractions at:
Annual Passholders have the opportunity to register for Annual Passholder Early Entry, which allows a valid Passholder early admission to select attractions at a Disneyland® Resort Theme Park beginning one hour prior to scheduled opening between June 18 and September 13, 2012.
Annual Passholder Early Entry is offered to registered passholders on the following days:
Passholders must register in advance for Annual Passholder Early Entry by visiting disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/early-entry/. Availability is limited each morning, and Annual Passholders may only use the privilege once at each park. Must be at least 18 years old to register and must have an Annual Passport that is valid for Theme Park admission at time of registration and on the date of the event. See disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/early-entry/ for more details.
Disneyland® Resort guests who purchase 3-Day, 4-Day or 5-Day theme park tickets prior to arrival at the resort and those with valid 2012 Southern California CityPass can choose one day during the duration of their Theme Park ticket or Southern California CityPass to enter Disneyland® Park one hour prior to scheduled opening on any of the following days. This offer is valid on:
Please contact your Magic Maker® for additional information on Early Entry opportunities at the Disneyland® Resort!
As they say, “the show must GLOW on!” Ok, maybe that isn’t how the saying goes… But, now guests of the Disneyland® Resort can light the night thanks to new Glow with the Show Mickey ear hats that change colors in sync with shows at Disney California Adventure® Park.
These new hats feature iridescent lights that change to compliment the imagery and beat of the World of Color and Mad T Party shows. The fun doesn’t stop at the shows though. When not activated by one of the shows, the ears glow with other settings magically placed around Disney California Adventure® Park. Outside of the park, the ears will put on a show of their own!
Glow with the Show Ears are available at select locations inside Disney California Adventure® Park for $25. Walt Disney Imagineering is currently looking at opportunities to expand the programmed Glow with the Show interaction into Disneyland® Park.
Enjoy this video of the new Glow with the Show ears interacting with World of Color:
Disney California Adventure® Park has a new show performed daily on Buena Vista Street. Inspired by the spirit and style of Disney’s movie and stage musical Newsies, the Red Car News Boys perform tunes authentic for the 1920s – 30s time period like “California, Here I come” and delivers the news from the Buena Vista Daily Bugle. Of course the show wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from Mickey Mouse, the cartoon star who got his start in that period!
The Red Car News Boys perform several shows daily. Please refer to your Times Guides for the daily schedule.
by: Chet McDoniel, Owner, Off to Neverland Travel
The story of our visit to Cars Land in Disney California Adventure® Park began a couple of weeks prior to the media event scheduled for June 13th and 14th. I was sitting at my computer doing the everyday work of running a travel agency when an unexpected email arrived. I opened that email to find an invitation for my wife and me to “Inside Track” which was to be the media/VIP preview of Cars Land. Of course, it did not take long to accept that invitation and soon we were off to Disneyland® Park for the event.
Wednesday night began with a travel industry reception. We were treated to a live interview with the Imagineers who designed Cars Land along with a preview of the new Red Car News Boys show performed on the all new Buena Vista Street. Buena Vista Street is a re-imagined entrance to Disney California Adventure® Park, and it is designed to resemble what Los Angeles looked like when Walt Disney arrived in 1923. This new street feels like a Main Street, U.S.A.® Area but for Los Angeles in 1923. Buena Vista Street also features a brand new restaurant, Carthay Circle Theatre. This restaurant is modeled after the theatre where
Walt Disney premiered Snow White. The chef from the ever popular Napa Rose restaurant has moved over to Carthay Circle Theatre, and the restaurant is already getting rave reviews.
Soon, the reception ended, and we were walked over to Cars Land. Entering Cars Land for the first time is nearly indescribable. The town of Radiator Springs has been brought to life in such a way that you immediately feel sucked in. I lost all feeling of being in a theme park, and truly believed I was in Radiator Springs. Cars Land at night is by far the best way to view the town. The neon lights and attention to detail will dazzle you.
Our first ride was on Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree a gentle spinning style ride. I would term it to be a “light” version of the Mad Tea Party in Disneyland® Park. Mater sings the square dance song as you ride around in “baby tractors” that travel in figure-eight circles. It is a great family ride, and Mater will have you laughing as he tells his jokes. He invited us to grab all of our “junk” before leaving the attraction and we headed deeper into Cars Land.
All of the shops and restaurants in Radiator Springs have been re-created in Cars Land, and it somehow makes it much more enjoyable to shop and eat when you are in a place you have seen in a movie. Grabbing a milkshake at Flo’s V-8 Cafe was a blast, and the Cozy Cone Motel sports many snack options in each cone.
Our journey further into Cars Land finally took us to Radiator Springs Racers, the main attraction in the new land. We jumped in line, and meandered our way to the loading dock. I will warn you that this line continues on for quite a long way. Our wait was about an hour, and that was without the FASTPASS® Service up and running, so wait times could be very long. Finally it was our turn to ride.
***** SPOILER ALERT ******
Our Radiator Springs Racers journey began by progressing through several seat belt checkpoints, and then we left the dock to head out into the ride. The first section of the ride is a very peaceful journey through the twists and turns of the area just outside of Radiator Springs. This section felt much like the scene in the movie Cars where Lightning McQueen and Sally take a drive through the same area. The music reached a crescendo just as a beautiful waterfall came into view, and then we entered through a cave to go into the “ride building.”
Our car then took on the characteristics of a hot rod by narrowly missing Mack (the eighteen wheeler), two other cars and a train. After we got caught by the Sheriff, he asked us to head into town with Mater. Mater came out to get us, but first, he wanted to take us “tractor tipping,” one of his favorite activities. Of course, we were too loud, and Frank (a very large, overprotective tractor) saw us and gave chase. After successfully leaving Frank in the dust, we arrived into town. Many of the characters of Radiator Springs were there, and spoke to us as we drove by. Sarge made sure to call Fillmore a “hippy” as we continued through the town, and Red the fire truck was watering his precious flowers. It was then that we arrived to the prep area for the big race, in which we were to compete.
At this point, Lightening and Sally will send you one of two ways. The door to the left leads to Luigi’s where your tires get changed. It is a very creative process during which your car feels like it is raised up for each tire to be changed. At the end of the process, a curtain is opened to show that you now have whitewall tires since Luigi believes those to be the best. The door to the right leads to Ramone’s where you get a new paint job. This option isn’t quite as innovative in our opinion as it is simply the same robot from the “corrosive test” in the Test Track® Attraction in Epcot® at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. Either way you go, you come out to meet Doc Hudson up on a car lift giving you instructions for the race.
You enter the starting line area and notice that you are now side-by-side with another car full of riders. Luigi begins the race with a countdown, and off you go. The ride dramatically speeds up at this point as you whip around tight corners and speed over little hills. During the race portion, you jockey for position with the car next to you, and as the on-ride camera flashes in your face, you cross the finish line. If you win, Doc Hudson congratulates you on your win, and if not, he still tells you how you ran the course very well. The ride comes to a conclusion as you enter the unload area where Lightening and Mater tell both cars how fast and well you ran the race.
***** SPOILER END *****
All-in-all, this ride is absolutely incredible. It is a family ride, a dark ride, and a thrill ride all at the same time. Disney really outdid their selves on this ride, and we continued to get back in line over and over again as it was so incredibly fun. For the foreseeable future, though, be sure to utilize FASTPASS® Service for this attraction as soon as the park opens as we are currently hearing about the stand-by line being over three hours long.
We concluded our evening by riding Luigi’s Flying Tires. This ride is a great concept of a mixture of bumper cars with flying saucers. You ride on a large tire that is lifted off the ground by air coming out of the attraction’s floor. Imagine riding on a giant air hockey table and you will have the right idea. Unfortunately, the concept simply is not very fun as the tires often bunch up in one corner of the attraction leaving the riders with nothing to do until others get out of the way. Also, the ride depends on you leaning in the direction you want to go, and this poses a learning curve that lasts for much of your first ride. Overall, while a neat concept, skipping this attraction won’t cause you to miss much.
Cars Land is a wonderfully detailed creation of the town of Radiator Springs, and you will want to devote several hours to not only riding the attractions, but also to simply walking through the land itself. You’ll find many hidden hints to Cars the movie and to other Pixar movies. I rarely say this, but you NEED to visit Cars Land. It is a game changer for Disney California Adventure® Park, and along with the new Buena Vista Street, you’ll want to spend more than one day in this park.
So, plan a visit today with a Magic Maker® so that you don’t miss a minute of the fun of Cars Land.