Disneyland Resort Update

by Bryan Pugh, contributing writer
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Update for April 1 – 7 , 2013

Go directly to: News & Views | Join our Networks | Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Resort Events | Discounts and Promotions | Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

News and Views

Iron Man 3 exhibit coming to Innoventions at Disneyland | Annual Passholder exclusive viewing of Dumbo | New DVC Add On incentiveGet ready for MouseAdventure MusicalThis and that...

Iron Man 3 exhibit coming to Innoventions at Disneyland

In preparation for the upcoming theatrical release of Iron Man 3, Disney is installing an Iron Man exhibit inside Innoventions in Tomorrowland. Disneyland has long been a platform to showcase upcoming films such as the recent 4D sneak peek of Oz The Great and Powerful and the presentation of the Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition at Disney California Adventure park.

Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries features set pieces from Iron Man 3, and provide guests with the opportunity to view Tony Stark's Hall of Armor, featuring Iron Man suits Mark I through VII. The Innoventions exhibit is also set have an interactive feature to allow guests to "virtually" try out pieces of the Mark 42 Iron Man armor.

The exhibit opens Saturday, April 13, in an upstairs portion of Tomorrowland's Innoventions, and runs through September 2013.

Annual Passholder exclusive viewing of Dumbo

If you're an Annual Passholder, here is your change to attend a screening of a classic Disney animated film. Disneyland is holding a Limited Time Magic event where passholders can attend a screening of Dumbo at the Main Street U.S.A. Opera House on Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Disneyland has held similar screenings in the past few months, showcasing such films as Mulan, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp, and it seems that this trend is going to continue throughout the 2013 Limited Time Magic promotion. The Annual Passholder movie screenings have been well-received, and some attendees have received guest research surveys in their email asking specific questions regarding their experience.

Persons who wish to attend this screening of Dumbo must register in person with their annual passes in front of the Main Street U.S.A. Opera House beginning at 11:30 a.m. on April 4, 2013. The Opera House will open at 4:45 p.m., 15 minutes prior to the start of the film. Dumbo has a running time of just 64 minutes, and Disneyland park will remain open until midnight on that evening.

New Disney Vacation Club Add On incentive

Disney Vacation Club members have the option to receive two Disneyland Resort Premium Annual Passports or four Walt Disney World 5-Day Magic Your Way tickets with a park hopper option when they purchase an Add On equal to 100 vacation points at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas or at Aulani. This special offer also includes a discount of at least $500 on their points purchase.

Disney Vacation Club members can view all of the details on the DVC website.

Get ready for MouseAdventure Musical

Tune up your instruments and get the band together because our next event, MouseAdventure Musical, is scheduled for Sunday, May 19, and will lead you on a music appreciation tour of the Disneyland Resort!

Sold out: Basic Division (competitive) – Disneyland Park

Sold out: Advanced Division (competitive) – Disneyland Resort

Day at the Park (non-competitive) – Disney California Adventure ($90 per team)

Are you a brand-new team wanting to get taste of MouseAdventure or a returning team wishing to play without the stress of competition? Join us for some fun playing a sampling of past quests in Disney California Adventure park. Teams play only for bragging rights and there is no post-event award ceremony—we post the results on the website about a week after the event. The Day at the Park event features an extended sign-in period with a pre-game new-player orientation session. Day at the Park teams are also eligible to participate in the team T-shirt contest before the start of the competitive events.

Day at the Park registration is $90 per team, which does not include theme park admission. Each player on your team needs admission into Disney California Adventure on Sunday, May 19.

Registration online at MouseAdventure.com through Friday, May 3, or until the event sells out. Players must be at least 6 years old and one player on each team must be at least 18 years old.

More information about MouseAdventure can be found at MouseAdventure.com. Be sure to sign up for our MouseAdventure Newsletter for the most recent updates. Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for your chance to win MouseAdventure prizes.

This and that...

... A new Cars Land inspired hat hit Route 66 this morning at Disney California Adventure park. The Cozy Cone inspired cone hat is now availible at Sarge's Surplus.

... Erika Eickman is scheduled to make weekend appearances at the WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney April 67, 1314, 2021, and 2728. In honor of Earth Month, Eickman is showcasing her latest eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind hats, scarves, and home accessories.

Crowd Forecast

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Crowd information and forecasts are provided by TouringPlans.com, the website of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, to help you better plan your trip to the Disneyland Resort. TouringPlans.com gathers wait time data from a team of in-park researchers and users of their Lines mobile phone application, and then predicts crowd levels for the next 365 days. Using a scale from 1 to 10, TouringPlans.com has a 90 percent accuracy of predicting the crowds to within 1 point, helping visitors prepare for their trips so they can "Do more. Wait less."

Expect heavy crowds at Disneyland for most of April. TouringPlans.com can help you navigate the crowds with our per-park Crowd Calendar, Lines App with access to current and estimated wait times, and Touring Plans detailing the best plan of attack for hitting the attractions. Now is a good time to subscribe to TouringPlans.com to plan your strategy to avoid the crowds!

Below are the predicted resort-wide crowd numbers for select days generated by the TouringPlans professional statisticians as measured for the upcoming week. For the access to the full year and per-park crowd level predictions, visit our Crowd Calendar.

Date Overall
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 10 / 10
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 8 / 10
Thursday, April 4, 2013 7 / 10
Friday, April 5, 2013 8 / 10

Here are some quick-hit notes that we hope you'll find helpful as you prepare your visits for the week:

  • Saturday and Sunday are a 8 out of 10.
  • Annual Pass blackouts in effect all week.
  • Thursday is the best day to visit Disneyland
  • Fastpass tickets for Radiator Springs Racers usually "sell out" within the first hour of DCA's regular park hours.

See Disneyland crowds for the next 365 days.
Get Disneyland wait times on your iPhone, Android, or Smartphone.
Do more. Wait less.


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Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Note: Not all of these have been officially confirmed by Disney, and are all subject to change at any time. We recommend checking for updates as you plan your visit.

Disneyland

  • Mark Twain Riverboat – closed through April 17 for refurbishment.
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds – closed April 16–19, 23–26 for testing.
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed through October 30 for a major refurbishment.
  • Cider Mill on Tom Sawyer Island – closed March 22–25; April 19 through May 2, 6–9, 13–16 and May 20–23 for refurbishment. Tom Sawyer Island remains open during the refurbishment periods.
  • Troubadour Treats – closed through May 25 for refurbishment of the Fantasyland Theater. 

Disney California Adventure

  • Muppet Vision 3D – currently on hiatus. The theater is being used to show a 4D preview of OZ The Great and Powerful though March 31, 2013.

Note: Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, call Disneyland at (714) 781-7290.

Resort Events

Check here to see if a large convention, competition or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

2013
  • Grad Nite events – This party for high school seniors graduating in 2013 will be held on 22 dates in 2013: May 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31; June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21. The 2013 event includes admission to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park during regular operating hours, and a private party in Disneyland Park after the park closes to the public for the night.
  • MousePlanet's Mouseadventure Musical – Sunday, May 19. See MouseAdventure.com for details.
  • D23 Expo – August 9–11. Tickets for the three-day convention are now on sale.
  • Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (sold out) – August 30 through September 1 at the Disneyland Resort. Spaces may still be available through charity teams and select travel agencies.

We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it's best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Disneyland prices as of May 20, 2012.

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update. Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the number of days the tickets are valid. Check out the category that best matches the amount of time you plan to spend at the resort, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket-only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.

One Day, One Park Ticket – Regularly $87/$81 One Day Park Hopper – Regularly $125/$119 No discounts currently available to the general public. Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them.
Two Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $170/$158 Two Day Park Hopper – Regularly $200/$188 Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells two-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 2-day Park Hoppers are $197 for adults ($185 for children); 2-day 1/park/day tickets are $168 for adults ($156 for children). Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them.
Three Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $220/$205 Three Day Park Hopper – Regularly $250/$235

Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells three-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 3-day Park Hoppers are $245 for adults ($230 for children); 3-day 1/park/day tickets are $217 for adults ($202 for children).

2012-2013 Disney Military Promotional 3–Day Park Hopper Ticket ($125) – a discounted price offered to Eligible Service Members or their spouses.

Disney Military Promotional 3-Day Park Hopper Tickets may be purchased through September 26, 2013, and are valid through September 28, 2013. Disney defines "Eligible Service Members" as active or retired members of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, Reservists, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Valid military identification will be required for purchase. This discount is available at MWR/ITT offices at your military base or other at participating U.S. military sales outlets. The tickets are not available for sale at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. The price is the same for adults and children, and total of six tickets may be purchased per military member, regardless of who purchases the tickets (the member or their spouse).

Tickets are blocked out through January 2; February 15–17; March 25 to April 5; and July 4. As far as we can tell, there is no "fuse" on this ticket, so you may have more than the standard 13 days from first use to use the remaining two admissions, but we highly recommend you contact your base MWR/ITT office for more details before making travel plans. Please note that this ticket is not a "bonus" ticket, and so does not include an early admission day.

Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if other discounts are available through them.

Four Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $245/$225 Four Day Park Hopper – Regularly $275/$255

Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells four-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 4-day Park Hoppers are $270 for adults ($250 for children); 4-day 1/park/day tickets are $240 for adults ($220 for children).

Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them.

Five Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $260/$240 Five Day Park Hopper – Regularly $290/$270

Get Away Today Vacations – MousePlanet sponsor Get Away Today Vacations sells five-day tickets at a slight discount over the Disneyland main gate price. 5-day Park Hoppers are $285 for adults ($265 for children); 5-day 1/park/day tickets are $255 for adults ($235 for children).

Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them.

Six Day, One Park per Day Ticket Six Day Park Hopper No longer offered by Disneyland – some travel providers may offer tickets for 6 days or longer as part of a package to international customers; residents of Canada, Australia, or the U.K. should check with local travel agencies to see what options may be available.
Disneyland Resort Annual Passports

No discounts currently available for new purchases. California residents can take advantage of the monthly payment plan when purchasing any but the Premier Annual Passport.

  • Premier Annual Passport ($849) – valid at both Disneyland Resort and Florida's Walt Disney World Resort; includes parking.
  • Premium Annual Passport ($649) – includes parking.
  • Deluxe Annual Passport ($469)
  • Southern California Annual Passport ($329)
  • SoCal Select Annual Passport ($269)
  • Parking Add On ($129) – add-on to Deluxe, SoCal and SoCal Select passes; has same blockout days as corresponding pass.
  • Blockout Day Ticket ($70) – grants one-day park-hopper admission to an annual passholder on a blockout day.

Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if other discounts are available through them.

Southern California CityPASS $306/$269 Southern California CityPASS PLUS $339/$294

2013 Southern California CityPASS ($306/$269) – includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket (including one early-entry day), a one-day admission to Sea World San Diego and a one-day admission to Universal Studios Hollywood. The CityPASS expires 14 days after first use at any location, and the first use must occur by January 2, 2014. Purchase CityPASS through the Disneyland website or on-site at the ticket booths of Disneyland Resort or the other theme parks included in the pass. You can also purchase directly from the CityPASS website, though a shipping charge may apply depending on how quickly you need the ticket.

2013 Southern California CityPASS PLUS ($339/$294) – includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket (including one early-entry day), a one-day admission to Sea World San Diego and a one-day admission to Universal Studios Hollywood, plus one-day admission to either San Diego Zoo or San Diego Safari Park. The CityPASS expires 14 days after first use at any location, and the first use must occur by January 2, 2014. This upgraded pass is only available for purchase directly from the CityPASS website.

Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if other discounts are available through them.

Prices listed above are valid from January 1 to December 31, 2013.

Hotel/Travel Packages

Costco Travel Packages – many different travel packages including visits to Disneyland and Disneyland hotels are available through Costco.

Disney's Resort Magic and Good Neighbor Magic Packages – package includes accommodations in one of the three resort hotels or at one of 40 Good Neighbor hotels; Souvenir Park Hopper ticket with voucher for admission to Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness, plus one Magic Morning (early entry) for three-day or longer Park Hoppers; preferred seating at three DCA attractions (Disney's Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, Muppet*Vision 3D, It's Tough to be a Bug!); preferred showing of Turtle Talk With Crush (priority viewing at the first Turtle Talk With Crush show of the day, on any one day—one voucher per guest); Disney Dream coin keepsake (one per package), luggage tag and lanyard with pin; a Downtown Disney Fun Card; and a "Character Call" from Mickey, Minnie, Goofy or Crush. Contact Disney Travel or your favorite travel agent.

Contact a MousePlanet sponsor travel agency for assistance in booking your next trip

Get Away Today

(800) 523-6116 www.getawaytoday.com

Mouse Ears Vacations

www.mouseearvacations.com

Small World Vacations

www.smallworldvacations.com

Other Discounts

Military 3-Day Park Hopper Discount – active and retired U.S. military can now purchase up to six 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hoppers at the discounted price of $125 each, a 50 percent savings off the regular adult price. The tickets may be used through September 28, 2013 with block-out days from March 25 through April 5, and July 4.

Valid only for active duty or retired U.S. Military, including the National Guard, Reservists, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Valid and active U.S. Military (or Military spouse) ID required for purchase and admission. Limited to one (1) purchase of up to six (6) tickets per valid ID and Military member (or spouse) must accompany the persons using these tickets for Theme Park admission.

Annual Passholder offers – Disneyland has once again extended the 20 percent merchandise discount offered to Premium annual passholders. The discount is now valid through December 31, 2013.

Purchase with Purchase offers – Disneyland Resort shops frequently offer a reduced–price souvenir (often a tote bag, watch, or blanket) with a qualifying minimum purchase. These are offered at Disney-operated stores only, and generally can not be combined—you must choose one of the eligible offers. If you're a passholder, the minimum purchase is calculated after your discount, and your discount does not apply to the promotional item.

Character Dining Vouchers – discounted character dining vouchers are available for purchase online, in advance of your trip, through Get Away Travel.

Disney Visa – cardholders have access to a private character meet-and-greet photo opportunity at Disney California Adventure, and receive one free 5x7 photograph per visit. Cardholders also receive 10 percent off qualifying merchandise purchases of $50 or more from Disney-operated retail stores, 10 percent off at selected Disneyland Resort restaurants, (Big Thunder Ranch, River Belle Terrace, French Market, Cocina Cucamonga, Steakhouse 55, PCH Grill and Storyteller's Café), and 20 percent off the "Welcome to Disneyland," "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps," and "Discover the Magic" guided tours. See the Disney Visa website for terms and conditions.

Landry's Select Club – members of the Landry's Select Club get priority seating at the Rainforest Cafe when available (which makes a huge difference on busy days), and a 10 percent discount on retail purchases. This club replaces the former Rainforest Cafe Safari Club as of March 31, 2012. If you are already a Safari Club member, you can migrate your membership to the new Landry's Select Club at no charge, and start to earn points in the new program. The new Select Club eliminated the entree discount and free appetizer offer that was included with the Safari Club, replacing them with a point-based system that gives you a $25 gift certificate after you spend $250. If you are not yet a member of either the Safari Club or the Landry's Select Club, you can pre-purchase your membership before your trip. Membership now costs $25, but comes with a $25 reward.

ESPNZone MVP Club – membership in the MVP Club does not offer any discounts on food. However, once a member you can make an online reservation for your party up to three days in advance and will get a 25 percent increase in points purchased when playing games in the Sports Arena (and 40 bonus points at activation). You must register online and your membership card will then be mailed to you within two weeks. The card must then be activated at any ESPNZone by the person who signed up for the card and ID will be required (link).

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

  • DL: Disneyland
  • DCA: Disney California Adventure

Annual Pass blockouts:

  • SL – Southern California Select Annual Pass
  • SC – Southern California Annual Pass
  • DX – Deluxe Annual Pass
Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website):
  • MM – Magic Mornings for 3-plus day ticket holders, promotional "bonus" tickets, and Southern California CityPASS
  • EMH – Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests
  • AP – Annual Passholders Early Entry on most weekends
Disneyland Resort Special Events:
3/31 4/1 4/2 4/3 4/4 4/5 4/6
DL: 8a-12a
EMH/MM

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SC/SL

Events: None
DL: 8a-12a
None

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SC/SL

Events: None
DL: 8a-12a
EMH/MM

DCA: 8a-10p
None

AP Blockouts:
SC/SL

Events: None
DL: 8a-12a
None

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SC/SL

Events: None
DL: 8a-12a
EMH/MM

DCA: 8a-10p
None

AP Blockouts:
SC/SL

Events: None
DL: 8a-12a
None

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SC/SL

Events: None
DL: 8a-12a
EMH/MM

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH/AP

AP Blockouts:
SL/SC/DX

Events: None
4/7 4/8 4/9 4/10 4/11 4/12 4/13
DL: 8a-12a
EMH/MM/AP

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SL

Events: None
DL: 9a-9p
None

DCA: 9a-9p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 9a-9p
EMH/MM

DCA: 9a-9p
None

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 9a-9p
None

DCA: 9a-9p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 9a-9p
EMH/MM

DCA: 9a-9p
None

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 9a-11p
None

DCA: 9a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SL

Events: None
DL: 9a-11p
EMH/MM

DCA: 9a-10p
None

AP Blockouts:
SL/SC/DX

Events: None
4/14 4/15 4/16 4/17 4/18 4/19 4/20
DL: 8a-11p
None

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SL

Events: 
None
DL: 10a-8p
None

DCA: 10a-9p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 10a-8p
EMH/MM

DCA: 10a-9p
None

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 10a-8p
None

DCA: 10a-9p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 10a-8p
EMH/MM

DCA: 10a-9p
None

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: 
None
DL: 9a-11p
None

DCA: 9a-11p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SL

Events: None
DL: 9a-11p
EMH/MM

DCA: 9a-11p
EMH/AP

AP Blockouts:
SL/SC/DX

Events: 
None
4/21 4/22 4/23 4/24 4/25 4/26 4/27
DL: 8a-11p
None

DCA: 8a-10p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
SL

Events: 
None
DL: 10a-8p
None

DCA: 10a-9p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 10a-8p
EMH/MM

DCA: 10a-9p
None

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 10a-8p
None

DCA: 10a-9p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 10a-8p
EMH/MM

DCA: 10a-9p
None

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: 
None
DL: 9a-11p
None

DCA: 9a-11p
EMH

AP Blockouts:
None

Events: None
DL: 9a-12a
EMH/MM

DCA: 9a-10p
EMH/AP

AP Blockouts:
SL/SC/DX

Events: 
None

Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland. As always, specifics are subject to change without notice (or occasionally, without us noticing) so when information conflicts between what is presented here and that presented by Disney, it is best to assume Disney's information is correct. Visit the Park Hours section of our Disneyland Park guide for additional details about Magic Morning and Toontown Morning Madness, including available attractions. Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.