We chat with three ride operators from the earliest days of Splash Mountain at Disneyland. Plus, we catch up on current events at the Disneyland Resort, as always.
***Disney Resort Updates***
Check back daily as information is changing rapidly.
Please be sure to follow CDC and your State's guidelines during this crisis. We will get through this.
Shanghai Disneyland • OPEN. Be sure to check their reservation system which requires everyone, including infants, to have a reservation. You must go to Shanghai's web page for advance reservations. Please visit their site for details.
Walt Disney World • All 4 Walt Disney World theme parks are open.
• Theme parks, Disney Resort Hotels, restaurants and other offerings may be modified, limited in capacity and subject to availability or closure. You must have an advance reservation and valid ticket.
• Face masks are no longer required in "Outdoor Common Areas" and "Pool Decks". You may temporarily remove your face covering while actively eating, drinking or taking an outdoor photo, but you must be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing during this time. Masks must be worn at all other times.
• Park Hopping is allowed within strict rules:
1. You must make a reservation at one of the Parks. They do still require this as a private company.
2. You must go to that Park first.
3. Park Hopping does not start until 2PM.
4. Access to Parks is still limited to their maximum occupancy. Check the Park you want to go to before traveling to it to make sure it is accepting Hopping guests.
5. Check the Walt Disney World Park Hopper web page for updates to Park Hopping rules.
Disneyland • Disneyland is OPEN!!!!!!! Face coverings are required for unvaccinated guests while indoors except while eating (see Disneyland's web page for complete details).
• Like Walt Disney World, you must have a valid ticket AND make a Park reservation for the day you are interested in attending. Park reservations can only be made 60 days out at the present time. Be sure to check availability of the dates you are interested in before purchasing tickets.
• Disneyland Park President Ken Potrock announces there will be a new form of annual passes. Detail will be announced later this year. "Legacy" Pass holders are still getting dining and merchandise discounts.
• All Hotels are open.
• The Downtown Disney District is open. Some table service is available following state and local rules.
• The State of California are working on new guidelines for amusement parks. The state has also announced that if conditions continue to improve as they are now, the state will do away with its tier system. Changes to mask requirements, capacity, etc. are in the works and will be announced. It is anticipated that the California residence requirement will also be eliminated.
Hong Kong Disneyland • OPEN. Advanced reservations with names and contact numbers are required. The Park will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays except major holidays. Please visit their web site for current requirements.
Disneyland Paris • OPEN. Please visit their web site for up to date information on COVID restrictions and Parkavailability.
Disney Cruise Lines • UPDATE 3/9/2021 SHARE HOLDERS' MEETING - CEO Bob Chapek Just said he has no date for the Cruise lines, but hopefully if trends continue to be positive, maybe next Fall or later.
• Disney Cruise line has suspended US cruises at least through July 2021 and European cruises through October 9, 2021.
• They will be begin accepting bookings for Summer 2022. Early booking May 17th and general booking May 27.
Aulani Resort • OPEN. The state of Hawaii has strict travel requirements which include a 10 quarantine or negative test within 72 hours of your arrival. Please visit HERE for the latest details.
Walt Disney Family Museum • The Walt Disney Family Museum is open but you must have reservation to enter the building. They will not admit you after 4p, even if you have a reservation. Please see their Welcome back page for details. They continue to provide virtual content. San Francisco County was recently moved into the Orange Tier, so please check their web page for current status. The World War II Special Exhibit opened March 19th in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall. See web page for availability and restrictions.
INFORMATION CORRECT AS OF July 24, 2021. Please check individual Resorts web pages for restrictions, requirements, and changes.
Disneyland Resort Current Event
Disneyland seamlessly blends in new Jungle Cruise scenes while erasing ride’s troubled past
Review: The long overdue updates to Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise attraction have as much to do with changing times as they do with corporate synergy.
By BRADY MACDONALD
UPDATED: July 19, 2021
“Walt Disney Imagineering has done a masterful job of seamlessly integrating playful new scenes into the Jungle Cruise while stripping the boat ride of racist tropes just as Disney prepares to launch a new film franchise based on the opening day Disneyland attraction.
“The Jungle Cruise attraction officially reopens on Friday, July 16 after undergoing a major makeover to remove outdated cultural depictions and add a woman of color at the center of the revamped backstory of the attraction. The Disneyland boat ride has been in ‘soft opening’ mode for about a week”
...
“Mouseheads will marvel at all the new details and storytelling elements that have been added to the river journey while infrequent visitors might not even notice what’s been added or removed.
“And that’s the point. Imagineering refreshed the ride in a way that perfectly fits the updated backstory by adding just enough to please Disney die-hards always on the lookout for the tiniest changes without altering the frozen-in-amber memories of visitors who want things to remain just as they remember them — even if those memories can sometimes be a bit fuzzy and tinted with nostalgia.”
...
“A sunken tramp steamer boat has been introduced to the hippopotamus scene, followed by a half-sunken second boat taken over by five audio-animatronic chimps and a third scene featuring monkeys catching butterflies.
“A new culturally diverse animatronic safari troop is stuck up a pole by a rhino and hyenas. The updated backstory of the ride now centers on Alberta Falls — a free spirited adventuress and woman of color.”
Orange County Register
Details – Mickey’s PhilharMagic Reopens With New Scene from Disney-Pixar’s “Coco”
Jul 17, 2021
“In celebration of the 66th anniversary of Disneyland we stopped by the resort to see the updated Mickey’s PhilharMagic at Disney California Adventure, which now features a scene based on Disney-Pixar’s Coco.”
Laughing Place
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Reopening Winter 2021
Jul 14, 2021
“Guests looking to explore the depths of the ocean will once again be able to when the attraction reopens in the winter of 2021. Although not an exact date, it is nice to see that the subs will be back by the end of the year if everything stays on track.”
Laughing Place
Disney moving 2,000 Southern California workers to Florida campus
They mostly work in digital technology, finance and product development.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: July 15, 2021
By Mike Schneider | The Associated Press
“Walt Disney Co. said Thursday it planned to build a new regional campus in central Florida to house at least 2,000 professional employees who will be relocating from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development.
“In a letter to employees, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said the move would allow creative and business teams to be better integrated. “
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“The new Disney campus will be located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the east of Disney World, in a neighborhood by Orlando International Airport.”
Orange County Register
Union workers plan protest against ‘corporate greed’ outside Disneyland
'It is a sneaky way to get you to sign away your seniority and benefits,' laid off workers said of part-time job offers from Disney
By TERI SFORZA
PUBLISHED: July 14, 2021
“As Disneyland and California Adventure get back to full operations, 40% of the workers laid off during the pandemic have yet to be called back, Huerta said. And in contract negotiations currently underway, Disney is still coming to the table with ‘poverty wages,’ he said.”
...
“A 2018 union-commissioned survey of 5,000 Disney employees — about one-sixth of the Anaheim resort’s workforce — found many who said they didn’t make enough to pay for food, housing and medical care. The coalition of 11 unions called on Disney to raise base wages to $20 an hour.
“That hasn’t come to pass.”
...
“The Disneyland Resort’s lowest starting wage is $15.45 per hour, higher than the state’s minimum wage of $14 an hour, park officials said. It also has been paying for health benefits for furloughed workers for more than a year.”
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“Custodial workers — the folks who keep walkways free of fallen popcorn, sanitize the park and are charged with cheerfully answering visitors’ questions — said they’ve been offered work in part-time, rather than their previous full-time, positions, at slightly lower pay and without health care and other benefits.
“According to labor agreements signed last year by Disney and unions, laid-off workers have a two-year ‘right to recall’ — meaning they get first crack at their old jobs and attendant benefits through the end of 2022. Disney must offer them the work before it can hire outsiders.
“In a private Facebook group, some rejoiced that rehiring was underway — until they were warned that taking part-time positions offered might nullify their ‘right to recall’ to their old, full-time jobs.”
Orange County Register
Disneyland Update – You’ll Get The Point In The End
By Dusty Sage -July 12, 2021
“It was another big week for Disneyland with the reopening of a beloved attraction with major updates, details on plans for Halloween parties and festivities, the launch of discounted park tickets, and the return of more entertainment. Unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine in paradise…”
MiceChat
Disneyland Update – Two Steps Forward and Two Steps Back
By PhotoMatt -July 19, 2021
“Another milestone for Disneyland has come and gone. After a missed 65th anniversary last year that left untold thousands of special merchandise items unsold, Disneyland celebrated a quiet 66th birthday on Saturday. For this year’s anniversary, there was a simple character cavalcade and some special treats for sale. While we were hoping to see something with a little more wow-factor, we were there anyway to celebrate the theme park that started it all and bring you the views and news from the Happiest Place on Earth.“
You can listen to show 314 on iTunes or go to Libsyn service here.
Show Notes for Episode 314
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Disneyland’s Splash Mountain Opening Crew