DAPs Magic Disney News – PRESS RELEASE
New Attractions, Shows and Venues Open at Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney
In 2013, “Fantasy Faire” Princesses Move to a Magical New Location
ANAHEIM, Calif. (June 13, 2012) – There’s always something new to entertain guests throughout the Disneyland Resort. In addition to the spectacular new Cars Land, Buena Vista Street and Carthay Circle Theatre premieres in Disney California Adventure Park, summer 2012 features an exciting array of new and refreshed shows, restaurants and shops at Disneyland Park and Downtown Disney, with even more magic on the horizon for later this year and 2013.
AT DISNEYLAND:
Matterhorn Bobsleds: This thrilling attraction, a Disneyland landmark since 1959, reopens June 15 following a five-and-a-half month project which refreshed the mountain inside and out, including glistening, new paint and “snow caps” on the outside and new lighting on the menacing Yeti inside. New three-person bobsleds allow guests to be seated individually.
In addition, mountain climbers will thrill guests as they scale the Matterhorn slopes. Unseen on the Matterhorn for several years, they return this summer.
Not far from the Matterhorn lies magical Pixie Hollow, where the weather will be changing this October when a new friend arrives to visit Tinker Bell. Frost fairy Periwinkle, from the upcoming Disney video “Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings,” joins Pixie Hollow as it is adorned with frost and ice. Tinker Bell will be clothed in winter gear, too, and her ingenious snow-making machine will help keep Periwinkle cool.
Another new face at Disneyland is Merida, the adventurous, red-headed heroine of the upcoming Disney•Pixar movie “Brave.” The brave and impetuous visitor from the Scottish Highlands can be found in an interactive meet-and-play experience near “it’s a small world” where young guests can test their skill with a bow and arrow, be part of a Scottish clan, and enjoy the silly antics of Merida’s three wee bear cubs.
In Frontierland, the newly premiered Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree brings music, dancing, crafts, pin trading and plenty of Disney characters (in Western wear) to the space previously known as Festival Arena. Guests may join in and kick up their heels with Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at an old-fashioned Cowboy Roundup or gather to enjoy live performances by visiting schools and community groups, presented by the Disney Performing Arts Program.
Main Street, U.S.A., Enhancements;
From Center Street to the Central Plaza at the entrance to Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, the west side of Main Street, U.S.A., now features an array of refreshed shops and restaurants, their turn-of-the-century interiors newly redecorated with period signs, lighting fixtures and woodwork.
- Carnation Café now features indoor as well as outdoor seating and some new menu items, including apple-granola pancakes and huevos rancheros for breakfast, plus fresh fish and Walt Disney’s favorite beef-and-pork meatloaf for dinner. Beloved Carnation Café cast member Oscar Martinez continues to greet guests as he has for more than five decades.
- Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor has expanded its scooping space and added registers, all the better to serve guests. The menu includes classic sundaes and new ice cream floats.
- The Penny Arcade has returned with vintage games and silent movie Mutoscope viewing machines, plus the mystical fortune-telling Esmeralda and the classic Welte Orchestrion organ-and-percussion music machine, purchased for Disneyland by Walt Disney himself.
- The Candy Palace has an expanded kitchen that invites guests to watch two kinds of candy being prepared at the same time. Favorites include caramel and gourmet candy apples, toffee and fudge, not to mention the extremely popular handmade candy canes made each holiday season in the Candy Palace kitchen.
- Jolly Holiday Bakery Café, which opened in early 2012, has become a hugely popular stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner on Main Street, U.S.A. The menu features baked goods, sandwiches, salads and beverages (including, of course, tea) and the whimsical décor of “Mary Poppins” adds to diners’ enjoyment.
In the Main Street Opera House, the Voices of Liberty, an a cappella vocal group inspired by the popular Voices of Liberty at The American Adventure attraction in Walt Disney World, Florida, will perform patriotic songs to entertain guests awaiting the “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” presentation.
A New Disneyland Tour: Disneyland fans, dedicated gardeners and admirers of the Disneyland landscape will all want to experience the“Cultivating the Magic” Tour, which explores Disneyland horticulture. Presented by a Resort Tour Guide, the tour covers landscaping highlights of the park from the “Flower Mickey” at the Main Gate to the spectacular plantings in the Jungle Cruise and Storybook Land. This is one of several tours guests can book through www.disneyland.com
Watch the Disney Parks blog, www.disneyparksblog.com, for word on other new Disneyland Resort guided tours planned for later this year and for 2013.
COMING TO DISNEYLAND IN SPRING 2013:
Disney princesses will greet their admirers in a new Fantasy Faire, a magical place nestled near the moat of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Aspiring princesses and knights of all ages may enjoy a visit with a Disney Princess, play a special role in a charming storytelling experience, or visit a merchandise shop filled with royal costumes and accessories. And as the Princesses settle in their new home in 2013, plans will be underway for an all-new show at the Fantasyland Theatre near “it’s a small world.”
AT DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE:
In addition to the exciting opening of Cars Land, Buena Vista Street and Carthay Circle Theatre in summer of 2012, Disney California Adventure offers guests an array of new entertainment, including the nightly “Mad T Party” in Hollywood Land, new shows in Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, and the return of the “Pixar Play Parade.” (See more details about all that’s new at www.disneycaliforniaadventure.com andwww.disneyland.com/carsland).
“World of Color,” the stunning water, laser and animation spectacular on Paradise Bay welcomes Merida, the adventurous heroine of Disney•Pixar film “Brave,” in a new “World of Color” sequence starting June 15. She’ll be seen racing across the highlands, bow and arrow in hand, on her faithful horse Angus, all to the accompaniment of composer Patrick Doyle’s stirring Scottish score for the movie.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company joins the excitement of the Disney California expansion with the newly opened Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in the Pacific Wharf area. Similar to the Ghirardelli location in Downtown Disney at the Walt Disney World Resort, and located for the first time inside a Disney theme park, the new chocolate shop offers world-famous hot fudge sundaes and chocolate products. In a Ghirardelli tradition, each guest will receive a complimentary sample of its signature Ghirardelli Squares chocolate.
AT DOWNTOWN DISNEY:
- La Brea Bakery Cafe has reopened with an expanded, comfortable outdoor seating area and a redesigned interior highlighted by an exhibition baking area with a state-of-the-art wood stove to give guests a view of the chefs in action. New menu items include signature focaccia dishes, artisan flat breads, baked pastas and, for breakfast, brioche French toast and Croque Madame sandwich made with gruyere cheese and topped with fried egg.
- A completely remodeled LEGO Store features a new, interactive outdoor play area along with new play areas inside the store and new custom-build models, including Maleficent the dragon breathing fire on Prince Phillip (from “Sleeping Beauty”), Buzz Lightyear and Woody aboard a rocket, and Aladdin and Jasmine on their Flying Carpet.
- A new and rather uncommon gallery space, WonderGround Gallery, has opened in the heart of Downtown Disney, featuring works from more than 25 local and domestic up-and-coming artists, inspired by Disney and Disney•Pixar films, characters and icons including, of course, the one and only Mickey Mouse.
- Coming to Downtown Disney in late summer 2012 is Earl of Sandwich, located next to the AMC Theaters. Earl of Sandwich has proven extremely popular at Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and the Disneyland Resort restaurant will be the only Earl of Sandwich in California. Signature hot sandwiches include The Original 1762 – freshly roasted beef, sharp cheddar and creamy horseradish sauce on freshly baked artisan bread. Soups, salads, wraps and desserts are also on the menu along with an array of hot and cold beverages include The Earl’s Grey Lemonade.
AT THE DISNEYLAND HOTEL:
The multi-year renovation of the Disneyland Hotel is now complete, featuring 973 remodeled rooms in re-themed hotel towers, and a unique collection of themed suites including the Mickey Mouse Penthouse, Pirates of the Caribbean, Adventureland, Big Thunder and Fairy Tale suites. The AAA Four Diamond hotel also is home to a new, immersive water play area and courtyard featuring a replica of the original Mark I Monorail Car at the entrance of two water slides. New dining locations include Tangaroa Terrace, featuring Island-inspired fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, serving a mix of signature cocktails and creative appetizers along with live music performed on the patio each evening.
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About the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure Park – plus three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. The Resort’s hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical, newly renovated, 969-room Disneyland Hotel – both AAA Four Diamond properties – and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun. For information on attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort, visitwww.disneyland.com, call (866) 43-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.
