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Disneyland Hotel Deals

March 14, 2013 by 1 Comment

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Looking for Disneyland Hotel Deals? Now is the time to book! You can 20% off a room-only reservation most Sunday to Thursday nights, or save 15% off a room-only reservation most Friday toSaturday nights with a two-night minimum stay, at the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa or Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel.

You can book this offer between March 12 and April 27, 2013 for arrivals April 7 – May 22, 2013. Travel on this offer must be completed by May 24, 2013.

There are so many benefits to staying at a Disneyland hotel. The most obvious benefit is location, location, location! You can easily walk to the Disneyland and California Adventure parks from any of the resort hotels. This is a huge benefit as you have more time (and energy)! to visit the parks.

Each Disneyland hotel has it’s very own distinct personality. The Paradise Pier has a light hearted seaside vacation theme. The rooms are nicely decorated and spacious enough for a family of 5. The rates at Disney’s Paradise Pier are the lowest of the 3 resort hotels.

If you are looking for something magical then consider a stay in The Disneyland Hotel. With the best swimming pool of all the resort hotels, and we think, the best rooms, this is an excellent choice for a stay at Disneyland Resort.

You can’t beat Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa for sheer elegance and luxury. Even if you don’t stay here make sure you take a look at the amazing Craftsman influenced lobby with it’s huge welcoming fireplace. This is one of our very favorite places – it is a relaxing haven away from the theme parks, but yet only a few steps away with it’s private entrance to Disney’s California Adventure park. If you are looking for luxury then this one is the one to choose.

Here are some detailed guides to the hotels of the Disneyland Resort for you:

Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel

Disney Paradise Pier

Disneyland Resort Hotel Benefits

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Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Ride Closures March 2013

February 25, 2013 by 1 Comment

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What are the Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Ride and Attraction closures for March 2013? To keep the parks in great condition Disney has to close select rides and attractions for refurbishment from time to time. Always check before you leave home which of the attractions are scheduled to be refurbished during your Disneyland visit.

The major closure right now in Disneyland is Big Thunder Mountain which is undergoing a big refurbishment and will not reopen until October 30th 2013. Disney has confirmed that Big Thunder Mountain will get new ride vehicles, track will be replaced. Big Thunder Mountain fans need not worry that the changes are going to be too significant – there are no changes to the current course of the track. The refurbishment is reportedly costing $4 million.

There are some other scheduled ride closures for March 20133 at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Park:

Disneyland Closures

Now – May 22, 2013: Troubadour Tavern is closed.
Now – Big Thunder Trail will be closed most weekdays through early April for refurbishment. Big Thunder Ranch Complex will be closed as well.
Now – March 7, 2013: Goofy’s Playhouse will be closed for refurbishment.
Now – March 28 2013: Main Street Station will be closed for refurbishment.
Now – March 28, 2013: Mark Twain Riverboat will be closed for refurbishment.
Now – March 28, 2013: Main Street Train Station will be closed for refurbishment.
Now – March 28, 2013: Pioneer Mercantile will be closed for refurbishment.
Now – Oct. 30, 2013: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed for refurbishment.
Now – January 2014: The Plaza Gardens will be closed for the construction of Castle Fantasy Faire.
Now – January 2014: Fantasyland Theatre will be closed.

Disney’s California Adventure Park

Now – March 31st the MuppetVision 3D Theater will be presenting “Oz The Great and Powerful” 4D Experience – a sneak peek of Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful movie. No presentations of Muppet Vision 3D shown at this time.
Now – March 14th Silly Symphony Swings will be closed for refurbishment.
Now – March 22nd Disney Junior-Live on Stage will be closed for updating. There will be new characters when the show returns. “Hanny Manny” and “Little Einsteins” will no longer appear but will be replaced with “Sofia the First” and “Doc McStuffins”. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Jake and the NeverLand Pirates” will remain in the show.

At first glance this seems like a big list but really the only major attraction which is out of action is Big Thunder Mountain. Personally I am not too pleased by the closure of MuppetVision to show a promotion for Oz The Great and The Powerful but recognize that this is a great way for Disney to easily (and relatively inexpensively) promote this movie which cost a whopping $200 million to make!

You may also like:

Disneyland Resort Hotel Benefits

Radiator Springs Racers

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Disneyland Annual Passholder Hotel Discounts

February 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

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Disneyland Annual Passholders are offered discounts on rooms at any Disneyland Resort Hotel when they visit between February 1 and March 15, 2013. These savings are valid for weekdays and weekends.

Weekday Savings (Sunday — Thursday)

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel: 25%
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa: 25%
Disneyland Hotel: 20%

Weekend Savings (Friday, Saturday)

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel: 20%
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa: 20%
Disneyland Hotel: 15%

All of the Disneyland Resort Hotels offer great accommodation and you can’t beat the location!

In addition to these great savings this offer include one (1) FASTPASS ticket valid for one (1) showing of World of Color per registered Guest in your reservation. You pick up your FASTPASS tickets when you check-in at your hotel. Whilst I do enjoy World of Color (and a Fast Pass is a great thing) I wish they would repeat the offer of a couple of Fast Passes for any attraction that they did last year. Now that would be great for Radiator Springs Racers!

Remember too that even if you are not a Disneyland annual passholder there is still time to get a discounted Disneyland ticket. Through February 26, guests may save up to $30 per ticket when they purchase a 3-Day Park Hopper ticket for just $220 ($205 for kids ages 3 to 9). This discounted ticket expires 13 days after the first day of use or on March 11, 2013. So hurry if you want to get this offer!

Photo by Disneyland.com

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Disneyland Offers Annual Passholders Extended Hours in the Park in February

January 30, 2013 by 1 Comment

Disneyland has just announced that annual Passholders will have the extra benefit of an additional 2 hours after regular park closing to enjoy most attractions, dining and store locations in Disney California Adventure Park.

The dates for Disneyland Annual Passholder Extended Hours are:

Thursday, February 7, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013

Disney California Adventure park closes at 8pm to regular guests for most of those days (except 21st when it is 9pm). So annual pass holders will be able to enjoy the attractions until 10 pm or 11pm on 21st.

You will need to check in for the event and get a wrist band. Of course an annual pass will be required and photo id may be required.

From noon to the start of the event you can get your wristband inside the Main Entrance of Disney California Adventure Park to the right of the turnstiles. Once the event has started you get your wristband at the Main Entrance turnstiles to Disney California Adventure Park.

It is great to see Disneyland offering more benefits to pass holders and I am sure we will take advantage of this! Radiator Springs in the dark is one of my new favorite experiences.

Are you a Disneyland Annual Passholder? What benefits would you like to see? Leave me a Comment below.

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Disney’s Aladdin A Musical Spectacular at California Adventure Park

January 21, 2013 by 1 Comment

One of the highlights of a visit to Disney’s California Adventure Park is the amazing Aladdin A Musical Spectacular show. This amazing Broadway quality show is staged most days, several times a day, at the Hyperion Theater. If you are visiting California Adventure the Disney’s Aladdin really ought to be on your must see list. It is a Broadway quality show which is suitable for all ages.

The show is based upon the 1992 Disney Aladdin movie. Of course there are short cuts in the story but it is an excellent adaptation and works well as a self contained show which lasts 45 minutes. It has been in the California Adventure Park for many years now and recently celebrated it’s 10 Year Anniversary!

The quality of the acting, singing, stage sets, costumes and effects is spectacular. The star of the show is the Genie. No matter how many times you see the show his performance is excellent and although everything else is scripted his topical jokes and asides add a fresh element to the show each time you see it.

Disney recently published some interesting facts at Disney parks blog. The Aladdin show has more than 100 performers in the show’s company and as many as 35 cast members perform in the show each day. There are 18 scene changes and 48 pieces of scenery needed for the show.
The Hyperion Theater houses more than 600 conventional light fixtures and 90 moving lights. Aladdin truly is a spectacular show!

You do have to wait in line outside for the show. There are 2,000 seats in the theater but they are often filled to capacity. At busy times to get the best seats you would be wise to arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the show starting. In the summer it can be hot standing in line and although there is shade under the trees near the front of the line, the further back you get the less shade there is. So bring a hat! And remember that there are no restrooms in the theater so plan accordingly!

Where are the best seats in the Aladdin show? There really aren’t any bad seats as the theater is very cleverly designed to offer great views from most seats. I prefer to sit near the front of the Orchestra so that we can be up close but that is probably not the best seat if you are visiting for the first time. I have lost count of the amount of times we have seen the show and I prefer to be up close so I can see the finer details rather than the best view of the overall picture. Many would feel that the best view is in the middle, close to the front of the Mezzanine. You also get a great view from the balcony, particularly of the flying carpet.

To get to the Balcony and the Mezzanine there are a lot of steps, particularly to the balcony. The steps are outside and if you don’t like heights you aren’t going to like the balcony. And even when you get up there you will probably have to climb down some steep stairs to access your seats. The balcony and the mezzanine are the best places to see the flying carpet. Sitting in the Orchestra and looking up is not the best way to see this stunning effect.

If you have seen the show where is your favorite place to sit? Your favorite moment? Leave me a comment to let us know what your favorite part of Disney’s Aladdin A Musical Spectacular is!

Photo by armadillo444

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Disneyland Resort Hotel Benefits

December 2, 2012 by 4 Comments

What are the benefits of staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel? There are many hotels to choose from which are close to the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park but none is quite as special as the hotels of the Disneyland resort. Here is a discussion about the benefits of staying in a Disney hotel so that you can decide if it is the right choice for you and your family.

Disneyland Resort Hotel Choices

There are 3 Disneyland Resort Hotels. The Paradise Pier, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. They are all very different in character and price range. The lowest prices are generally found at the Paradise Pier and the highest at the Grand Californian.

The Paradise Pier is a great choice for families who want to stay close to all the action for a reasonable price. Disneyland Hotel offers much larger rooms and the best pool complex for children of all of the Disneyland hotels. The Grand Californian is a very luxurious hotel which is just steps away from the California Adventure Park.

All of the Disneyland Hotels offer the following benefits:

Location

Location and proximity to the parks is a huge benefit of staying in a Disneyland Resort Hotel. You can easily walk to the parks. The Grand Californian is closest, but the Paradise Pier and Disneyland Hotel are both within very easy walking distance to Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney.

The advantage of location, as well as the obvious one about saving your energy, is that it saves you time. You can be up and out in the parks quickly in the morning. If you stay elsewhere it is likely you will either have a long walk to the parks, or you will have to use the Disney parking lot. It takes quite a bit of time to access the parks from the parking lot – this is time which of course could be better spent in the park!

Disney Resort Extra Magic Hour

This is a huge reason to stay in one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. The Extra Magic Hour lets guests access into the parks for one hour prior to the general public opening. This is a significant benefit.

The schedule does vary throughout the year but usually there is early entry to Disneyland on 3 days of the week and to California Adventure park for 4 days of the week. We find early entry into California Adventure Park particularly beneficial as it can allow you to ride Radiator Springs Racers twice or sometimes even three times before the general public arrives!

Our advice is to arrive early for the Extra Magic Hours. Lines were starting to form around 45 minutes before early entry. The early bird gets the most rides!

Disneyland Resort Guests Exclusive Entrance

There is an entrance which is reserved exclusively for guests of the Disneyland Resort which is located in the Grand Californian Hotel. This is a huge benefit as it gets you quickly into the California Adventure park. It makes the entrance and exit from the park even more convenient if you are staying in either the Grand Californian Hotel or the Paradise Pier.

Key to the Magic and Package Express

Your Disneyland Resort room key allows you to charge all your Disney purchases to your room account. This is not a huge benefit but is a nice to have convenience.

The Package Express gives resort guests the opportunity to have any purchases in the parks and Downtown Disney delivered to their hotel. We have rarely used this facility as often we forget about it – but on our last visit we used it quite a bit and found it very convenient. Much better than having to carry your purchases around the parks.

The Disney Theme

All Disney hotels are special. The themes are all very different and we have our favorite elements of each hotel but all of them are wonderfully themed.

For us the most magical rooms are in the Disneyland Hotel. We love the nostalgic pictures of Walt Disney on the walls, and the new magical headboard which has the Disneyland Castle on it and plays A Dream is a Wish Your Heart makes. Paradise Pier has it’s own beach, very laid back style with lots of Disney touches. The Grand Californian Hotel feels as though you have stepped into another world entirely. The Disney theme is there but is very subtle – it is more like the ambience of a nostalgic, grand but welcoming, national park hotel. One of our ver favorites of all of the Disneyland and Disney World hotels.

Whichever one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels you choose you will be sure to have a very magical stay. The benefits of the Disneyland Resort Hotels are well worth it will make your visit to the parks even more special.

All photos courtesy of Disney

Filed Under: Disney Tips, Disneyland, Hotels, Hotels Tagged With: , ,

Win a $25 Disney Gift Card!

December 1, 2012 by 144 Comments

Who wants to win a $25 Disney Gift Card? This $25 Disney Gift Card will go to one lucky winner and is redeemable at DisneyStore.com, Disney Store locations in the in the U.S., participating locations at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, Disneyland® Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line®, ClubPenguin.com, and DisneyPhotoPass.com

How to Enter: Simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions below….

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Radiator Springs Racers

October 23, 2012 by 4 Comments

Radiator Springs Racers is the newest attraction to be opened in Disney’s California Adventure. It is an amazing thrilling but not scary ride throughout the world of Disney Cars. Something for everyone Radiator Springs Racers is one of the best new Disney parks attractions in years.

It is thought that it cost around $200 million to create the Radiator Springs Racers ride. That was a huge chunk of change out of the $1.1 billion budget Disney allocated to revitalize California Adventure. But it certainly seems to be money very well spent as Radiator Springs Racers is one of the best Disney theme park attractions in the world. It really takes you into the world of Disney Cars with Lightning McQueen and friends.

The theming is breathtaking. We had watched the attraction being built since 2009 but nothing had quite prepared us for our first sight of the completed Ornament Valley. It is huge. And spectacular. It really does feel as though you have stepped right into Radiator Springs.

There may be some disappointed younger guests as the height requirement is 40″.

With a popular attraction comes the inevitable line. Thankfully Disney have immediately put in the Fast Pass System. The Fast Pass kiosk is located close to the entrance to Bugs Land. Ride either first thing in the morning (get to the park very early and walk very very quickly to the line) or go straight to the Fast Pass Kiosk.

The Radiator Springs line design certainly got something right. A lot of it is shaded. Very important however long you are going to be standing in line but absolutely crucial for an attraction where lines of 2 hours are the norm in the baking hot California sun. The line design was meant to evoke feelings of the old Route 66. Whilst we can see that this obviously fits in perfectly with the theme, we did want just a little bit more Disney Cars theming in the line. Maybe even just the music would have helped instead of the rather dull soundtrack which plays.

Once you make your way to the front of the line you will be directed to your 6 passenger vehicle. They design is exactly the same as those for Test Track but of course with the Disney Cars theming. We have been on the ride many times and our preference is for the front row, but every seat is good. Our of the 2 tracks we really can’t decide as they do give a different experience – we probably would choose the outside lane if we could pick!

Your journey starts at a slow pace with a scenic drive through Ornament Valley. You will drive past the spectacular bridge and water fall just like on the Disney Cars movie. Then you head inside and meet a variety of characters from the movie. Once again the attention to detail is amazing.

Depending upon which side of the track you are on you will then go Ramone’s House of Body Art or Luigi’s Casa della Tires. Both are fun but we think we prefer Ramones.

You then pause for a moment and realize that this must be the part where you are about to start to race! Another car lines up along side you and then before you know it you are racing around the track!

One tip for those of you with long hair. Tie it back! It gets windy out there and the first time I rode Radiator Springs Racers I spend most of it with my hair all over my face blocking my view. The ride gets to speeds of up to 40 mph (so no where near the speed of Test Track). It is thrilling, not scary, so most people really should enjoy it. The element of a race is a lot of fun too. We think that one side wins more often than the other – but we guess it is meant to be random.

The Radiator Springs Racers rides is one of the very best attractions in any of the Disney parks. Truly Disney at it’s very best.

You may also like:

Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Guests

Disneyland Dream Suite

Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel

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Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Hotel Resort Guests

October 3, 2012 by 2 Comments

There are many reasons to stay in a Disneyland Resort Hotel and one of the very best is that you get to spend an extra hour in the parks in the morning before they open to the general public!

Guests staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel have an Extra Magic Hour — early entry to either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park every day of their stay. You need to show your room key and valid theme park ticket for entry.

Extra Magic Hour will allow registered Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests admission into select attractions at Disneyland Park on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Guests will have early entry to Disney California Adventure Park on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, before that Park opens to the general public.

The Extra Magic Hour at Disneyland is a huge perk – particularly for Disney California Adventure Park right now. On our recent visit we managed to ride Radiator Springs Racers 3 times in a row in the early morning. As soon as the park opened to non Disney resort hotel guests the line went up to at least 60 minutes after opening time. Later in the day that line was 120 minutes!

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disneyland, Disneyland

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland

July 25, 2012 by 2 Comments

What is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland? This is one of those great Disneyland traditions that is one of our favorites at EverythingMouse! It is a separately ticketed event around Halloween from the end of September to October 31st when guests can celebrate special Halloween events after the park is closed for general admission.

Photos by harshlight

What is Disneyland’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?

What can you expect from Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland? The costs of attending do add up so you need to be sure that you know exactly what the event features!

Disney Villains Meet and Greet The Disney villains can be surprisingly difficult to see on a normal day at Disneyland – not so of course at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Mickey’s Costume Party’ Cavalcade

Halloween Dance Parties: These are a lot of fun! Party with Goofy at Piratepalooza (Rancho del Zocalo) or with Buzz Lightyear at his Intergalactic Space Jam (Tomorrowland Terrace).

You Can Wear A Costume: Disneyland usually doesn’t allow anyone over the age of 9 to wear a costume at any of their parks. Make sure it is tasteful though – Disney has very high standards and will not let you in if you are wearing anything questionable!

Halloween Screams: A Villainous Surprise in the Skies Fireworks
: This runs exclusively during the Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party. As you would expect there are lots of references to Disney villains and Nightmare Before Christmas characters also feature. It is similar to HalloWishes which is shown at Disneyland, but for us, probably not quite as good as that one.

Mickey’s Hide-and-Go-Treat Trails: There will be candy and healthy snacks available on these fun trails which aim to take guests to parts of the park that they don’t usually explore.

Access to Most of the Disneyland Attractions: Most of the Disneyland attractions are open for the Halloween Party. Particularly worth a visit are the Haunted Mansion Holiday (which runs from September 14th through January 6th 2013) and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy.

Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Worth It?

As with all Disneyland events it depends upon what your expectations are. This is a great time to see the special Halloween events, but don’t go expecting that the lines will be short for the attractions. Whilst this can sometimes be the case, on busy nights tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party do sell out and there will be plenty of other guests in the park celebrating with you. Go for the Halloween atmosphere and not for the shorter lines.

We like both the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. For most people though we would suggest that you really have to be a big Disney fan and be looking for a different experience. It is a great event but of course the costs do add up. We think it is something that you want to do at least once!

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland Dates and Ticket Prices

The dates for the Disneyland event in 2012 are September 28th and October 2nd, 5th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 19th, 23rd, 26th,29th and 31st

The event times vary according to which day of the week that you attend. Monday/Tuesday Nights and Halloween Night: 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm – admission begins at 3pm.

Friday Nights: 7:00 pm to midnight – admission begins at 4pm

The ticket prices for Disneyland’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween night vary according to the date and whether you have purchased in advance. Disneyland Annual Passholders also get a discount. Children 2 and under do not need a ticket.

Day of Event Prices : $69 on October 29th and 31st. Tickets are $64 on all other nights of the party. Be aware that tickets do sell out in advance so it definitely is the best idea to buy before the date of the party.

Advance Purchase Prices for the general public are available for select dates only $54 for September 28th, October 2nd, 5th, 9th, 13th and 23rd. Other dates can be purchased in advance but the price is $64 or $69 for October 29th and 31st.

Disneyland Annual Passholders Advance Purchase Ticket Prices: $46 for September 28th, October 2nd, 5th, 9th, 13th and 23rd.

You can buy tickets for Disneyland Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the park ticket booths or online at Mickey’s Disneyland Halloween Party

We hope you have a magical time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland!

You may also like:

Disneyland Dream Suite

Best Disneyland Rides for Toddlers

Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel

Filed Under: Disney Tips, Disneyland Tagged With: , ,
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