On the Spot at Paradise Pier

WDWNT Author on December 31, 2008

One of our spy reporters was at Disney’s California Adventure yesterday & noticed 2 very interesting developments in Paradise Pier:

It’s kind of to make out, but the eyes & mouth of the sun face have been removed. We’ll have a closer up picture of this for you on Friday.

Secondly, this lenticular panel has been put up on the bridge to Paradise Pier instead of construction walls to let guests know what the construction is all about, which of course for World of Color.

Drain That Lagoon Baby!

WDWNT Author on October 15, 2008

We now finally have a rough date on when the draining of the Paradise Pier lagoon (due to construction for World of Color) will begin, thanks to the guys over at Screamscape:

As the park prepares to do construction work for the new World of Color show, I’ve been informed that they will begin to drain the lagoon starting on October 31st. This will be a slow process however that is not expected to be finished until mid to late November. The real demolition and new construction work will begin the first week of December.

Amazing New DCA Concept Art

WDWNT Author on October 14, 2008

Posters with some lovely concept art have sprung up on the back side of the Blue Sky Cellar building, & there are some lovely pictures up on the DCA Project Tracker on MiceChat. There are 3 posters, one for Buena Vista Street, one for Paradise Pier, & one for Cars Land. At least one piece of new concept art is revealed on each poster, like an overall map of Cars Land, an amazing overview map of the park as of 2012 (much like the original map for Disneyland), & much more. There are also descriptions of the lands on the posters. And what may be the new logo for the park is revealed on the overall map, which actually uses Walt Disney’s real handwriting.

Be sure to check it out, you won’t be dissapointed!

MiceAge Disneyland Update

WDWNT Author on October 8, 2008

A treat I look forward to every other month is a Disneyland Update from MiceAge‘s Al Lutz. Al knows his stuff very well, & the articles always feature interesting information that usually comes to pass. Let’s take a look through some of the things spoken about in today’s update:

  • DCA’s upcoming re-do has been split in to 4 phases of sorts. Here’s how the phases pan out:

    World of Color, Paradise Pier     makeover, completed spring 2010
    Main Entrance     makeover, Red Car trolley, initial Hollywood work, completed mid 2011
    Little Mermaid     pavilion and E-Ticket attraction, completed late 2011
    Cars Land     attractions, shops, restaurants, completed mid 2012

    Al says that the current financial crisis in this country shouldn’t have any affect on DCA’s re-do. The first phase will actually start in just 2 weeks, with the closing of the Sun Wheel. Around Thanksgiving, the Paradise Pier lagoon will be drained in preparation for the World of Color nighttime show.

  • Plans just keep expanding for The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure. This attraction is going to be so extravagant, that Ariel’s hair will actually be a seperate animatronic from Ariel herself, due to her hair flowing, as we are supposed to be “Under the Sea”. The various Ariel animatronics in the attraction are said to be some of the most sosphicated ever produced by WDI.
  • While it’s too much to explain in a short recap, Al does have a complete listing of what you will be able to find in the Blue Sky Cellar once it officially opens on October 20th. Check the second page of the linked article for that.
  • Get ready for the controversy to start. The Disney characters & the American scene (this scene replaces the old Rainforest scene before the Grand Finale scene)have both been installed in It’s a Small World. But don’t expect to see them when the attraction re-opens as It’s a Small World Holiday on November 21st. For they will both be hidden from view until the original version of the attraction debuts sometime in February (yes, there will be a 1 month long refurbishment in January, beginning January 5th).
  • Sometime this winter, all 3 Mark VII Monorails will go under the knife to fix the horrible problems that they are currently faced with. The windows will be completely ripped out, & replaced with windows like those seen on the Mark V’s.
  • An idea being thrown around for next year’s What Will You Celebrate? campaign is to “plus” a couple of attractions in the Resort, with some Celebration themed things. One such idea is for some new elements added to the Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh attraction, with similar decor around Critter Country.

There’s plenty more to be found in this article, including Disney possibly buying both the Anaheim GardenWalk & SeaWorld San Diego (of all places). Be sure to check it out.

Goodbye Golden Dreams! Good Riddance HSM2!

WDWNT Author on September 9, 2008

Let’s take a look at some of the lovely photos of David “Darkbeer” Michael from yesterday, that include the last showing of both Golden Dreams & High School Musical 2: School’s Out, among other things:

The Hyperion Theater is now listed as closed on the DLR Information Board near at the security check-points (albeit being spelled wrong).

The Information Board at the Downtown Disney Monorail Station has a much more precise listing of the closed attractions in Disneyland Park.

You gotta love pins with purchase.

The area surrounding Fowler’s Harbor, the place where the Sailing Ship Columbia is docked, has walls up.

The latest Backstage Pass, Annual Pasholder newsletter offers you a free pair of sunglasses, which you can pick up at at the exit of Innoventions.

Filming of some sort going on in Paradise Pier.

Yesterday had the last ever performance of High School Musical 2: School’s Out!. There will be no High School Musical show until late October, when High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now! debuts.

Goodbye Golden Dreams, We Will Miss You!

Little Mermaid & World of Color Rumors

WDWNT Author on July 24, 2008

Here are a few juicy rumors concerning the Little Mermaid attraction & World of Color:

  • The Paradise Pier lagoon will be drained at the end of the year in preparation for World of Color.
  • Some of the fountains that will be used for World of Color reportedly will be able to shoot higher than the Maliboomer! Because of this, is the Cove Bar at Ariel’s Grotto may be have to be enclosed.
  • The control booth for World of Color will be on top level of the Little Mermaid building, which will be 3 stories tall.
  • Underneath the Little Mermaid will be the Parade Guest Control offices, as well as offices for the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
  • And speaking of Redwood Creek, it will be cut almost in half for an expansion to the building that will become the Little Mermaid attraction.

Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for updates on these & any rumors involving the DCA Expansion!

Let The Good Times Roll!

WDWNT Author on July 21, 2008

Construction is about to begin at Disney’s California Adventure, according to Blue Sky Disney. Come this August, construction walls will be up all through-out Paradise Pier & other area of the park will follow.

Also while construction is underway in Paradise Pier, the parade route will be shortened & will only run from Sunshine Plaza to the gate in between the Mission Tortilla Factory & the Bountiful Valley Farmers Market.

Let The Good Times Roll!

Mickey’s Fun Wheel Is On Its Way!

WDWNT Author on July 2, 2008

We’ve just been informed that the Sun Wheel’s re-theme/refurbishment will start on September 11th, 2008. The re-theme will include the new 1930’s style Mickey Mouse face, re-working of the queue, a re-paint, & the new name, Mickey’s Fun Wheel!

Also planned to take place during this time is the re-theming of the Games of the Boardwalk & California Screamin’s queue, but we don’t have any solid information on that just yet.

Darkbeer DLR Picture Update

WDWNT Author on June 18, 2008

Let’s take a look at the preparations for today’s opening ceremonies, with pictures taken yesterday from David “Darkbeer” Michael:


Signs were up through-out Tomorrowland directing guests to the attractions while the Innoventions Dream Home opening ceremony was taking place


A couple of attractions were closed as well


I presume the train was still operating, but just went straight pass the Tomorrowland Train Station


Moving over to Toy Story Midway Mania’s opening ceremony preparations


I think this is where the ceremony stage went up


A second stage was also up right by the attraction


Filming by Mr. Potato Head

And now a couple of non-ceremony related pictures:


The temporary stage in Pacific Wharf is gone


The It’s a Small World sign is now behind tarps too

Orange Stinger To Get New Disney Theme

WDWNT Author on June 16, 2008

The Orange Stinger swing ride will get a new Disney theme and back story as part of the planned $1.1-billion Disney’s California Adventure makeover, Walt Disney Imagineering officials confirmed.

Gone will be the 40-foot-tall orange peel that surrounds the 48-seat spinning swing set and the Disney-free buzzing bumble bee theme, Imagineering officials said.

In its place: a Victorian architectural style more akin to the remade Paradise Pier section of the Anaheim theme park represented by the new Toy Story Mania attraction.

Imagineering officials declined to elaborate on the new “Disney theme.”

The Blue Sky Disney fan site reported the Orange Stinger will be redubbed…… “The Silly Symphonies Swings,” with a theme based on “The Band Concert” 1935 cartoon short featuring the first colorized Mickey Mouse.

The made-over 1 1/2-minute ride would feature a twirling tornado mast with smoke-spewing special effects, an orchestral score and a “Conductor Mickey” on top, according to Blue Sky.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer