Theme Park Update Feb 1 – 7, 2010

NEWS UPDATE

Complete theme park news, updates, schedules and info for February 1 – 7. 2010.

CaliforniaGuideBook.com

Latest News

Updated entries on Attraction Closures and Project Watcher!

Disneyland Park

Continuing this week Disneyland Park is seeing almost as much construction as Disney’s California Adventure. With the Holiday crowds gone, now begins the business of preparing the park for the spring and summer crowds. With that, several attractions are down for refurbishment, including The Haunted Mansion and Main Street Cinema. Over in Tomorrowland, “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” has closed today as work begins to convert The Magic Eye Theater back to its intended use as showplace for the Michael Jackson 3-D film, “Captain E.O.” On the west side of the park, the Rivers of America will be drained, affecting all river-based attractions through May. Coupled with this, Frontierland’s Big Thunder Ranch and Golden Horseshoe Stage are also closed for refurbishment. See our Attraction Closures page for full dates and details.

Off-season entertainment will be sparse on most days, with no parades, fireworks or Fantasmic! performances during the week. Friday-Sunday will offer up return showings of “Celebrate – A Street Party!” along the parade route and “Remember … Dreams Come True” over the skies of Disneyland.

The Main Street Opera House has re-opened with The Disneyland Story, featuring “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”. This version of the attraction does away with the annoying binaural sound headphones from the previous incarnation, restoring the show to its original 1964 New York World’s Fair glory. Once again, the opening narration is provided by Disney legend Paul Frees (voice of the Ghost Host in The Haunted Mansion), with Lincoln being voiced by actor Royal Dano. The Lincoln figure is of the latest technology, utilizing the most sophisticated Audio-Animatronics developed to date. This is the second installation this year to Town Square, joining the recently re-located and re-opened Disney Gallery next door.

After months of speculation and rumors, Disney officially announced the temporary return of “Captain E.O.”, the 3-D music video space adventure starring Michael Jackson and Anjelica Houston. The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by George Lucas, originally ran in Tomorrowland’s Magic Eye Theatre from 1986-1997. The film was removed in preparation for the Tomorrowland ‘98 makeover and replaced with “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience”. The “Honey” film will be removed by mid-January, with “Captain E.O.” opening in February 2010. Hints at the future of “Honey” indicate the attraction will not return; the theater will likely open with a new show at the conclusion of Jackson’s run.

Troubadour Tavern, a new counter-service dining facility in Fantasyland, is now open.

Disney’s California Adventure

Construction walls are now up in Hollywood Pictures Backlot to lay track for the Red Car Trolley. The Red Car, part of the park’s $1.2 billion renovation, will be a one-way only transportation service between the soon-to-come Buena Vista Street (in the current location of Sunshine Plaza) and the far end of Hollywoodland/Hollywood Pictures Backlot, right in front of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The attraction is based on the classic red car trolleys that were found in abundance throughout Los Angeles.

To ease the burden of Hollywood Pictures Backlot construction, a new temporary walkway has opened up, connecting Hollywood Pictures Backlot and “a bug’s land”. The former backstage path takes guests from just beyond The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to Flik’s Fun Fair.

In Paradise Pier, the Paradise Lagoon is now completely refilled after the months-long draining for World of Colorconstruction. The exposed black fountain platform is still raised to “maintenance level”, and will soon be lowered to invisibility below the water.

On December 3, 2009, Disney announced the permanent closure of “Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular!” at The Hyperion Theatre on August 15, 2010. It will be replaced by “Toy Story – A Musical” in Spring 2011. See our Project Watcher page for more information.

In The Golden State, The Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar was recently updated with new models and conceptual artwork focusing on The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventureand Disney’s World of Color.The former exhibits, focusing on Toy Story Midway Maniaand Mickey’s Fun Wheel, have been removed. The Cellar will be continually updated through 2012 to focus on various elements of the park’s $1.2 billion renovation.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Work on the massive Backlot Rebuild continues, as new sets are built to replace the ones destroyed in the massive June 1, 2008 fire (which also destroyed the King Kong attraction). Trams are beginning to make their way through the new set areas, adding some elements to the tour that have previously been missing. The new elements aren’t daily, however, as the tram tour must give way to filming and ongoing construction.

A new teaser poster for the tram tour’s upcoming King Kong installation has been placed along the tram route. The new Kong will be based off the recent Peter Jackson film, and be titled Survive Skull Island: King Kong 3-D 360. Details are loosely being leaked from Universal, but are said to involve ground-breaking technology and a massive fight between Kong and a T-Rex. The new experience opens Summer 2010.

The closing of Backdraft has been delayed yet again; while a favorite attraction of many, Backdraft needs to be removed in order to make way for the upcoming Transformers ride-through attraction. While the opening of Transformers: The Ride has been moved back to 2011, Backdraft will remain in place at least through Spring Break 2010. The neighboring Special Effects Stages are open on sporadic days through Spring.

This week’s header image is Copyright 2010 The Walt Disney Company. All rights reserved.