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Park News - (6/22/09) The DisneyGeek crew sent in some new pictures (see sidebar) from the park this week, including a look at the Little Mermaid site, the World of Color lagoon install and even some new Electrical Parade floats. You can see even more here.
  (6/15/09) MouseTimes has posted a video showing off the new Electrical Parade float.
  (6/11/09) The latest word on the update to the Blue Sky Cellar is that new content isn’t expected to be added until mid July or so. When they do update it, expect most of the new stuff to act as a preview for the new World of Color show. Meanwhile the LA Times has posted a first look at the new Tinker Bell float for the Electrical Parade.
  (6/9/09) DLR Today has posted a new construction update starting with a bunch of great pictures from California Adventure.
  (6/3/09) While I thought about this myself a bit, a reader has informed me that all that “track” looking stuff going into the lagoon is nothing more than a giant matrix of cable trays to house all the wiring needed for this complex show.
  (6/2/09) A great construction update from all around the park has been posted to Westcoaster this week. Includes is our first look at the all new construction walls and signs for the Little Mermaid ride, opening in 2011. They’ve also put in a ton of “track” looking stuff into the lagoon, twisted over and around itself to the point that it’s starting to look like the inside of a FedEx or UPS sorting facility. I’ve got to wonder what all that is for...
  (5/20/09) A Screamscape reader tells us that during a tour of the parks taken not long ago the tour guide mentioned that the displays up at the Blue Sky Winery will be changed out next month. So see what you want to see now, before it’s too late.
  (5/19/09) Westcoaster has posted a new construction update from the park this week.
  (5/14/09) A fun video showing off Mickey’s Fun wheel at night with the lighting effects on can be see at YouTube.
  (5/12/09) All new pictures of the construction in the lagoon have been posted to Disneyland News Today as well as other improvements around the resort.
  (5/11/09) A video showing off the highlights of the rethemed Mickey’s Fun Wheel as well as other construction projects in Paradise Pier has been posted to YouTube here.
  (5/7/09) Our friends at DisneyGeek sent in a few interesting pictures late last month that I had misplaced until now. Included in the mix was a piece of artwork (see sidebar) showing off the new Tinker Bell float being added to the Electrical Parade this year.
  (5/6/09) A new construction update from California Adventure, with a look at the Grand Californian’s progress as well, has been posted to Westcoaster this week. Meanwhile I've been told that Disney soft opened the new Mickey’s Fun Wheel attraction on Monday, with the plan being to open it daily from now on. You can see pictures of it along with a great look at all the fountains being installed to the platform for the World of Color show at MouseTimes.
  (4/29/09) While I haven’t heard much lately, I did manage to collect a few dates floating around that will give you a general idea of what the construction timetable for various park projects is looking like right now. It sounds like the reopening of Mickey’s Fun Wheel is still on schedule for the second weekend in May, however we likely wont see the Orange Stinger close down for it’s own transformation until the end of the summer. You can expect to see a change in the construction walls around Memorial Day Weekend as the new bathroom building should be ready to open, allowing them to finally wall off the Golden Dreams theater for it’s transformation into The Little Mermaid. Don’t look for any changes to take place over at Mulholland Madness for awhile however, as I’ve been told the plan now is to wait to reopen that as Goofy’s Sky School around the same time as they open the new Mermaid ride
  (4/2/09) New general construction reports from around the park has been posted to MouseTimes and Westcoaster this week. It also seems that the park is getting ready for the start of their own Food & Wine Festival which will run from April 24th through June 7th. In addition to the lake construction, they’ve got a good look at Mickey’s Fun Wheel and all the new colors on the wheel and gondola cars which are each decorated with the face of a famous Disney character. As for me... I can’t wait until they peel that damned Orange. I never really cared for that little decoration.
  (4/18/09) According to a post at MouseTimes, Mickey’s Fun Wheel now finally has a big Mickey Face and I’ve got to say that it looks nice and bright too. Keep scrolling through it all to see the rest of the very nice construction update from around the park which includes a look at the new themed midway games.
  (4/15/09) All new construction pictures of the Pier, Lagoon, Sun Wheel and all the other little things under construction in the park has been posted to Westcoaster this week. The outline of Mickey’s face is now up on the former Sun Wheel for example, lots of dirt in the lagoon area and much much more.
  (4/9/09) According to a Screamscape source, the published April 23rd opening date for Mickey’s Fun Wheel was sent to the press before a development caused the opening to be pushed back to May as we had previously stated. Last date posted on the official Disenyland website was May 8th.
  (4/8/09) According to an annual pass newsletter, the opening date for Mickey’s Fun Wheel is listed as April 23rd.
  (3/24/09) A new general construction update from DCA has been posted to Westcoaster this week. Lots of construction walls everywhere... and Black Pepper Popcorn? There are also lots of great shots of the platforms and lifts being installed into the bottom of the lagoon.
  (2/25/09) I’ve got to correct my statement yesterday about how the Main Street Electrical Parade will almost be ‘whole’ again this year. I missed over the fact that the parade will actually be removing a few more segments this year, namely the circus segment that includes the Dumbo float and large organ with King Richard and the clown floats. Rumor has it that the elimination of this segment will save quite a bit in the labor department.
  (2/24/09) A few of your have pointed out that the “new” Seven Dwarves Mine float and Pinnochio’s Pleasure Island float being added to the Main Street Electrica Parade this season were actually created and put to use for the Disneyland parade years ago before being shipped off the Paris in 1997, after the parade was “retired” from Disenyland at the end of it’s 1996 run. So essentially, this will be the homecoming event that will make the parade “whole” again, except for the dropping of the Blue Fairy in favor of a new Tinker Bell float.
  (2/23/09) Blue Sky Disney has posted a report a few weeks ago about the changing coming to the Main Street Electrical Parade this season, confirming most of the rumors we posted back in August (scroll down). The Blue Fairy is out and will be replaced by a new Tinker Bell float. Two more two floats will be brought in from the old Paris parade, confirming our rumor of the Diamond Mine float to carry the Snow White and the 7 Dwarves. If the rest of our rumor holds true, the other new float will be a Pinnochio float of some kind. Read all the details after the jump.
  (2/12/09) A reader has send in a few pictures (see sidebar) showing off the current work taking place around the Orange Stinger and in the central lagoon.
  (2/4/09) I’ve added a couple of new pictures (see sidebar) of the Sun Wheel transformation into Mickey’s Fun Wheel.
  (2/3/09) One of our readers has sent in a ton of pictures (see sidebar) taken all over the park showing off the World of Color work, the Sun Wheel rehab, construction walls up around the long-closed The Fortune Cookie restaurant as well as a bunch of new pictures of concept artwork taken inside the Blue Sky Cellar showing off future park map artwork, the main gate and red car trolley.
  (1/29/09) One of our readers sent in a few really good close-up pictures of Mickey’s Fun Wheel (Sun Wheel) getting repainted. I’ve added these (see sidebar) along with a piece of photo-shopped concept artwork sent in by another reader showing off what the ride will likely look like once they finish the repaint and put the giant Mickey head in place.
  (1/27/09) This week Jim Hill Media takes a look at the changes we can expect to see unfold at the entrance area to California Adventure over the next few years. This includes a few interesting items about how the pencil pushes are really hoping that the changes will drive up business at the gift shops. For example… there is a good reason for those bright red new trolley cars that will run up and down the street, and it’s not just because they are nostalgic. Much like on Main Street at Disneyland, the concept is that the ever present trolleys running down the middle of the street will force guests up onto the sidewalks and the into the shops.
  (1/12/09) Thanks to the Disney Geek crew for sending in a couple of new pictures (see sidebar) of the Sun Wheel construction taken last week.
  (1/7/09) New update full of DCA construction updates and New Years Eve pictures has been posted to OriginalD and WestCoastThrills. This includes a look at the official announcement banners in the park for the new Disney’s World of Color show for Spring 2010. In other news we’ve heard that once the Bakery goes down for rehab, the movie will be changed out for one with new “stars” and free samples may be a thing of the past.
  (12/26/08) Screamscape sources tell us to expect the major construction work to begin in the lagoon in a couple of weeks. As for the giant Mickey face going onto the Sun Wheel, apparently this wont happen until they are all done repainting the rest of the ride first.
  (8/3/08) Some improvements are slated to be made to the Electrical Parade for Summer 2009. First off it seems that the California parade will import a couple of floats from the old Paris parade, namely a new Pinnochio float and the Diamond Mine float. Meanwhile we’ve heard that the Blue Fairy float is likely to be on the way out and will be replaced with a brand spankin’ new Tinker Bell float that will serve as the new lead float for the parade. Apparently the float itself will still use the old-school style lights like the rest of the parade, but Tink herself will be covered in new LED lights instead. Speaking of LEDs… apparently the plan is to install a few new LED effects in all the floats so that Tink can create some kind of magic effect at the start that will travel back through the rest of the floats in the parade.

Ride Rehabs - The following information is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
King Triton’s Carousel – NOW CLOSED through ????
Paradise Bay – Drained and Under Construction NOW through July 2009

2009/2010 - Silly Symphony Swings - In Development - (7/4/08) We’ve got a little more information to share today about the new Silly Symphony Swings restoration plans. According to our sources the remodeled attraction will have a Band Conductor Mickey on top of the tower who will move around to the music. The center pole will be remodeled to allow for the painting of scenes from the Silly Symphonies.
  (6/17/08) According to the LA Times, The Orange Stinger will be rethemed to better match the new Victorian themeing that is now set to take over Paradise Pier, as seen on the new Toy Story Mania buildings. The giant orange peel will be removed along with the bumble bees, and if the rumors are true, it will be given a Silly Symponies theme tied to the short film, The Band Concert, complete with a tornado theme applied to the central shaft, smoke effects and a “Conductor Mickey” standing on top.

Early 2010 - Toy Story: The Musical - Rumor - (8/8/08) Anyone interested in seeing just what the new Toy Story Musical may look like, then click here for a preview of the version created for the Disney Cruise Line. You’ll have to log in to Disney’s website to see it.
  (8/3/08) While I don’t know what the short-term plan is for the Aladdin show, we’ve heard that Toy Story: The Musical is now scheduled to open in early 2010 as a replacement. So I guess the question remains as to when exactly the current Aladdin show will close down.
  (7/21/08) A strong argument against the possible replacing of the Aladdin show came in over the weekend with this link to an official audition Disney is holding today seeking performers for the show. Of course it also is confusing why they would be looking for new performers when the show theater is listed as officially closing down on September 2nd and listed as being closed through to at least the end of October or longer since Disney hasn’t posted their calendar for anything beyond that yet. 
  (6/17/08) According to one Screamscape source, Aladdin: The Musical may actually be at the end of it’s run. From what they tell us the show may be replaced with a new Toy Story: The Musical show in time for the Winter Holiday season, which is apparently already starting rehearsals somewhere. Previous rumors stated that a Tarzan musical was also being considered once upon a time but has since been dropped.
  (12/5/07) The musical Aladdin show at California Adventure may end it’s run sometime in mid 2008 and will likely be replaced by a new Broadway version of Tarzan instead before the end of the same year.

2010 - Disney’s World of Color - (6/30/09) A new construction update showing off the World of Color lagoon area has been posted to Westcoaster this week. Boy that platform out there is getting incredibly crowded with stuff. They also had one last look at at the big Dinosaur figure which is now coming down, with what’s left covered by a tarp.
  (6/16/09) A new construction update from the World of Color lagoon can be found at Westcoaster today.
  (6/11/09) Check out some new construction photos sent in the other day by Staff Member Mark!
  (5/18/09) Special thanks to the DisneyGeek crew for sending in new pictures of the World of Color construction site, meanwhile you can see even more at their main site. Meanwhile a bunch of other pictures from California Adventure were posted to the latest photo report at MouseTimes this weekend.
  (4/17/09) Today we received a micro-burst transmission from one of our deep undercover spies which contained some juicy new information about Disney’s Wonderful World of Color show. All along we’ve heard the goal for this show was to make it the “Fantasmic Killer”… the much needed “Killer App” for DCA to lure in and keep the crowds after dark. Up front they knew that to do this, the show was going to need cutting edge technology, something that would “Wow” people today the same way that Fantasmic did in the ‘90s. They also knew, from past experience with Pyro on the lake, that the show simply couldn’t rely on adding more pyro to make it flashy due to all the smoke problems. Lets go over briefly some of the technology I’m told we’ll see put to use in the show.
  First up is a little something they called the Water Whip, which is a moving water fountain unit that is able to rotate and tilt up to 55º in any direction. I’m going to guess that this is the water equivalent of a theatrical “moving light” fixture. From what I understand the show will use somewhere near 2,200 water fountains total in the lake, with each hooked up to a “LED light ring” to create extremely bright vivid colors in the water. If that wasn’t cool enough, I understand that they have also created a little something called a Flame Whip, which will work in much the same fashion as the Water Whips, but with a flame thrower unit. I’ve also been led to believe that these flame units may also be able to create different color flames through the injection of specific chemicals into the mix.
  Now anyone who has seen the construction pictures lately has got to be wondering just what that huge stage-like structure is they are building in the middle of the lake. From my basic understanding, the various show elements will be mounted to this surface, which will be divided up into over 170 different “table” units, each able to rise to the surface and lower again as needed on an individual basis.
  Now while we’ve covered all the “next gen” technology to be used for the water and fire effects, lets talk a bit about the video side of things. Like Fantasmic this show will feature projections onto several large water screens, but that’s where the similarities end. The largest water screen in this show will shoot water an amazing 100 feet into the air, and fan out to form a surface approximately 280 feet wide. For a quick mental visual comparison, remember that Mickey’s Fun Wheel is approximately 150 feet tall and wide. If that wasn’t big enough, I’m told that this massive central screen will link up with two smaller water screens on either side, to increase the overall size of the screen space to 400 feet wide.
  To ensure the bright crisp images, I’m told that they will use a pair of video projectors for each section of the screen, with a total of 6 of the double-stacked rigs put to use at once to be housed inside some kind of lighthouse themed structure. In addition to these, though the use of some of the moving water fountains, they will be able to create a moving “screen” of water that will be projected upon by some separate projectors that will move in sync with the screen. I’ve also heard something about how they will use a 50 foot tall Chernabog figure, where the entire head area will be created with a mist screen. Overall, this show seems set to do just what they planned and become DCA’s much needed Killer App.
  (4/7/09) A ton of new park updates have been posted to Westcoaster this week with a great look at the Ginormica sized floating stage installed for the World of Color show.
  (4/6/09) Thanks to our friends at DisneyGeek, we’ve got a great look at the construction work in the lagoon for the World of Color show, as well as a peek at the new earless backdrop for the California Screamin’ which now features a large Paradise Pier logo behind it instead. You can see even more pictures posted at the above link.
  (3/16/09) Screamscape’s Staff Member Mark dropped into California Adventure over the weekend to snap up a few good shots of all the steel that has been put up at the bottom of the lagoon for the World of Color show. Whatever effects this show is going to have, there sure is going to be a lot of stuff hidden beneath the waves during the daylight hours.
  (3/10/09) Lots of new construction pictures from the empty World of Color lagoon site have been posted to WestCoaster this week. They are starting to set up some really heavy-duty steel structures in there now.
  (3/4/09) A construction update for California Adventure has been posted to Westcoaster this week. Lots of walls are up in the park and lots of holes have been dug all over the empty lagoon and shore areas for the World of Color show project.
  (3/1/09) Special thanks to Disney Geek for sending in pictures of the World of Color lagoon work taking place as well as a look at the now ‘earless’ California Screamin’, and you can see their website for more photos as well as in the latest Westcoaster update.
  (2/17/09) A good construction update showing off the progress on the World of Color show has been posted to Westcoaster this week. This includes a look at the ground being torn up for some new seating areas as well as the rest of the park’s other construction sites being worked on.
  (1/29/09) I’ve added two more pictures showing off the work going on in the lagoon from earlier this month.
  (1/27/09) Westcoaster has posted an extensive series of photos looking all around the World of Color construction site, as well as a look here and there at the Sun Wheel’s transformation. They’re also rehabbing Grizzly River Run and started to remove one of the giant Mickey ears from California Screamin.
  (1/23/09) This week Jim Hill Media has posted a good report about just what we can expect to see from the new Disney’s World of Color night show currently under construction in the park’s massive dry lagoon area.
  (1/16/09) Today we’ve got a collection of new construction photos from the DCA lagoon where they have begin breaking up the concrete and digging to install new show elements.
  (1/12/09) Thanks to the guys at DisneyGeek I’ve added a couple of new pictures showing off the construction status in the dry lagoon area.
  (11/18/08) Some great new pictures of California Adventure have been posted to West Coast Thrills showing off the new Christmas decorations now in place as well as a look into the now nearly empty lagoon. If you’ve ever wondered just how deep it was, now you know.
  (11/17/08) A reader snapped off a couple of pictures in the Blue Sky Cellar showing off artwork for the upcoming World of Color show.
  (10/14/08) 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.
  (8/2/08) Sometime in very early 2009 I’ve heard that we may see the park drain the lagoon to do some of the extensive work needed for the upcoming World of Color night show.
  (2/12/08) According to the latest entry at Blue Sky Disney, the World of Color show wont open until 2010. Previously I had been assuming it was on deck for 2009.
  (10/17/07) Disney has confirmed the new World of Color nighttime spectacular that will offer a 9,000 person viewing area along the waterside. The nightly show will bring Disney animation to life with “a panorama of spectacular water effects, colorful lighting and music”.
  (8/29/07) Local area spies spotted some testing in the lagoon this week, claiming they saw what looked like a Fantasmic style water screen set up and they were testing several different sets of colored underwater lights (blue, purple, red, etc…). Just thinking out loud here, but if they’re going to do a show called the Wonderful World of Color, then they really must include Professor Ludwig von Drake singing the Spectrum Song.
  (4/26/07) If the latest rumors are true, final budget approval for the Wonderful World of Color show project had been given and it may be around the range of $65 million right now. One interesting aspect of the project however is a rumor that they may need to remove the Golden Zephyr and replace it with a massive themed Lighthouse tower that will serve as the show control center for the show.
  (3/16/07) Screamscape sources tell us that the current budget for the Wonderful World of Color nighttime spectacular was set at $50 million and we’ve heard that the show will feature some new style projection concepts never seen before. One interesting rumor going around is that California Screamin may be covered with LEDs to turn it into a bright color changing background surface for the show. There has also been some research done into next generation water screen technology but no promises into that making it’s way into the show for sure due to various reasons and concerns. For example the show can be seen around the lagoon… and you can really only project images onto water screens in one direction, so it would have a weird affect for those viewing on the wrong side. You could use a ton of them around the lagoon’s viewing area, but then the close proximity can create problems where you add a little wind and end up soaking your audience, as fans of Fantasmic can certainly understand.
  (3/12/07) We’ve heard that the current name being tossed about for the new lagoon show is Wonderful World of Color and according to a report about it’s development at MiceAge, the goal is to create something that will be the park’s Fantasmic! killer... something so good that people would rather see it instead. That’s going to be quite an epic task to accomplish, but it may also be an indication of just how much dedication and money is being thrown into this project.

2010 - Spectromagic Parade - Rumor - (12/5/07) Screamscape has heard that the Spectromagic parade from Walt Disney World may move into California Adventure for 2010 as part of the resort’s 55th Anniversary celebration.

2010/2011- Goofy’s Sky School - In Development - (10/20/08) The LA Times has posted an article about the transformation of Mulholland Madness into Goofy’s Sky Skool along with a new piece of artwork I’ve never seen before. I’m a bit confused however, as they mention as how this transformation is supposed to add new themeing and remove the current tacky theme, but looking at the artwork, I still an even more unthemed coaster with a couple of red flags on towers here and there. Unless part of Goofy’s training is to blindfold the riders before the test flight, I’m not sure how this minimalist concept will be any different than what is there now. I’m thinking that the money may be better spent elsewhere until they are ready to just replace the entire ride with something better.
  (7/7/08) According to another source Disney will use the Goofy’s Sky School name and not “Flite School” as we had heard last week.
  (7/4/08) We’ve heard that plans for Goofy’s Flite School are moving forward, and yes that is the correct spelling. From the sound of things it may take on a similar look to Goofy’s Barnstormer in Florida as it will now look like an old giant barn has been converted by Goofy into a make-shift airplane hanger… while apparently leaving all the old chicken coops intact.

2011 - Voyage of the Little Mermaid - Confirmed - (2/12/08) According to the latest entry at Blue Sky Disney, they have confirmed that not only with the SF area bathrooms be move across the street to give Little Mermaid more room to grow, but that once the new dark ride is finished, there wont be a trace of the San Francisco theme in this area at all. Instead there may be long term plans set aside for a future project to turn the Wharf area into a new San Francisco themed zone, but don’t look for that to happen anytime soon. They also mention that the new ride likely wont open until 2011 now, a year later than I had previously thought.
  (2/6/08) We’ve heard a bit of good news about the new Little Mermaid ride on the way. It seems the scope of the attraction has grown to the point that not only will it take up all of the old Golden Dreams theater area but the entire connected San Fransisco themed restroom building and possibly even borrow a bit of the forest from the Redwood Creek play area. Apparently Disney will be building a replacement restroom facility in another nearby building area that is currently unused.
  (10/29/07) If you want to sneak a peek at what the new Little Mermaid dark ride may be like, take a look at this animated run-through Disney made for a previous proposal that would feature an inverted Peter Pan style ride system that was posted to YouTube. From the description, this was captured from Disc 2 of the Special Edition Little Mermaid DVD released back in 2006. While we’re on the subject, I’ve also heard that just because the concept art released so far features an Omni-Mover style ride system, the final decision has not yet been made between that and a ride system possibly more like what we see in the video here.

  (10/17/07) Disney has confirmed the new Little Mermaid dark ride that will be added to Paradise Pier. Guests will enter various scenes and hear the songs from the hit film in the dark ride, which looks like it will use an Omnimover style ride system in the artwork. A new Mermaid Grotto play area with a fountain and sand castle will also be added for children to play in.

2011 - Walt Disney Plaza - Confirmed - (1/27/09) This week Jim Hill Media takes a look at the changes we can expect to see unfold at the entrance area to California Adventure over the next few years. This includes a few interesting items about how the pencil pushes are really hoping that the changes will drive up business at the gift shops. For example… there is a good reason for those bright red new trolley cars that will run up and down the street, and it’s not just because they are nostalgic. Much like on Main Street at Disneyland, the concept is that the ever present trolleys running down the middle of the street will force guests up onto the sidewalks and the into the shops.
  (7/8/08) We’ve heard a bit more about the Walt Disney Plaza area, confirming that the Carthay Theater building will simply be an empty shell for the time being. However we have heard that the upstairs section may be used as another exclusive Club 33 style VIP Room. It was also mentioned that there may be some kind of Disneyland fireworks viewing area from here as well. We’ve also got a little more information about Hollywood Land, the new name likely to be used for the Hollywood Pictures Backlot. When the renovations are complete this area of the park is supposed to hold the majority of the track for the new Red Car Line trolley system, running guests from here to the new main gate area. The cars are said to hold only about 20 people each.
  (6/22/08) I haven’t heard too much about this yet, but according to an email sent my way, Disney may have canned The Walt Disney Story attraction planned for the Carthay Theater building. The building is still going in as part of the remodeling of the main entrance pathways, but it will instead be used for something else. In other redevelopment news, our same source claims that they may eventually rename the Hollywood Pictures Backlot into something more simple… like Hollywoodland.
  While we’re talking about all this new construction work set to tear apart the current main gate area, it also sounds like the old plan of building a temporary entrance through the old Who Wants To Be A Millionaire building may be scraped. Instead they may shift the flow of traffic in and out of the park to run through a service entrance pathway that runs between Soarin’ and the Grand Californian Resort. I’m really not sure why they would want to do this unless there is a good reason they need to keep all that foot traffic out of the Hollywood area.
  (11/2/07) To clear things up a bit about the construction of the Walt Disney Plaza, we’ve heard that the final time frame has yet to be determined and much about the length of time it will take may depend on if they try to do it all at once, of if they build it up in phases over the next three years.
  (11/1/07) It sounds like the construction of Walt Disney Plaza and the entire new entrance area of the park may take more time that I had thought, because they may not be ready to open this new area until February 8th, 2011 as part of the park’s 10th Anniversary celebration. Of course this three year long timeline just seems abnormally long to me since you could build an entirely new theme park in three years.
  (10/18/07) Some of you have been wondering how California Adventure is going to build the Walt Disney Plaza as the new main entrance area while still leaving the park open the guests. It seems sometimes the best solutions are the simple ones… and in this case I’ve been told in early 2008 it seems that they will just close the entire current entrance of the park and route everyone through a new temporary entrance next to the closed Who Wants To Be a Millionaire soundstage building, which will be used to house the other typical front gate necessities like Stroller and Wheelchair rentals and the customer service desk. From the sound of things, nothing will be left of the old entrance by the time it reopens… not even the Golden Gate Bridge set for the monorail track, which is kind of a shame since I liked that myself, but I understand how it wont fit the new “Hollywood” look they are trying to create.
  Any major rehab work and new projects that have been rumored for the Hollywood Backlot section of the park (like Philharmagic) will obviously be put on hold until the new entrance area is complete. I don’t have a timeline for this of course, but if they begin work in January 2008, I would hope they could have it finished by Summer 2009 at the latest. Don’t hold me to that of course, that’s just a normal person’s thinking that 18 months should be more than enough time… but sometimes things move a little more slowly in the house of the mouse.
  (10/17/07) Earlier this morning Disneyland made a huge announcement about the future of the Disneyland Resort, with a heavy focus on how they will improve California Adventure. For starters guests will enter Walt Disney Plaza, a new gateway experience that will introduce them to a world of historic California streets just as Walt experienced as a young artist. This area will include a new visual icon in the form of a traditional LA style theater inspired by the design of the Carthay Circle Theater building where Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs premiered back in 1937. Inside the theater will be a n all new version of the Walt Disney Story attraction. Outside in the streets, Red Car trolleys looking much like the old Pacific Electric Railway, will travel up and down the main street. A bevy of new restaurants and shopping opportunities will also be added to Walt Disney Plaza.

2012 - Cars Land - (5/26/09) A silent video playing in the Blue Sky Cellar that shows off a lot of artwork dealing with Cars Land has been found on YouTube and embedded below. Of interest is a bit of footage that comes in at about 1:48 mark that shows off what seems to be a prototype vehicle for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.

  (5/19/09) It’s amazing how much confusion and fuss has come up about the Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree ride. Several of you have pointed out that it can’t be that simple Figure-8 style kiddie flat because Disney has already used it at the nearby Ladybug Boogie ride. By contrast, I’ve also heard that the Mater version may be a bigger and more complex version, where the cars will move in the same figure-8 style pattern, but around 4 large circle platforms instead of just two.
  Adding to the mystery of that Whip style concept ride is semi-blurry photo floating around showing off what is said to be John Lassiter being pulled around a parking lot somewhere by a tractor, riding in what looks like a two-seater mock-up ride car that appears to be built to slide around corners Whip style. Meanwhile another source also backs up that story, claiming that the ride experience will be almost ‘Whip’ like. I’ve got to admit, I’m leaning towards the Whip style ride myself, especially after going back to take another look at the old article on the LA Times. You’ll see artwork that fits the basic concept I described… a two-seat car being pulled by a tractor.
  (5/18/09) If your curious what to expect from Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, then take a look at this video from Walt Disney Studios Paris, where they already have a smaller version of the same basic ride in place. In essence, it’s just a series of turntables where the “cars” will make a figure-8 path through a pair of the turntables. Nothing too spectacular I’m afraid, and unfortunately it wont be that MegaWhip ride concept we saw earlier this month.
  (5/3/09) One of our readers made a very interesting observation that I failed to make myself. Upon seeing the new concept artwork posted in Saturday’s update of the new MegaWhip ride, it’s amazing what a similarity there is to it and the concept artwork posted for the Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree ride for CarsLand. While it would work as a great ride concept for it, I have to wonder how it will work, as Whip rides (and eve this new concept, from the look of things) don’t have independently powered cars, but rather all of the cars move at the same time to maintain their proper distance from each other. The Cars’ themed ride looks more like a dark ride experience, but built outside, where each car would be loaded and unloaded one at a time, instead of all of them at once.
  (1/14/09) While I still don’t know too many details, Screamscape sources have indicated that Disney may be working with AMEC, the same company who did the awesome job of rebuilding Space Mountain a few years ago, to build the custom ride hardware needed for the Radiator Springs Racers attraction.
  (10/16/08) It’s been months since we’ve heard any kind of update about Cars Land, but the latest rumor sent in this week is a doozy. One of the big assumptions about the Radiator Springs Racers ride, based on the concept artwork, is that the ride was assumed to be using a new version of the same ride system Disney first put to use on Test Track in Epcot years ago. That alone was enough to make some people cringe because the Test Track ride system was far from perfect and caused the opening of the ride to be delayed for many months. Even when it did open, the system was flawed and the ride was well known for frequent and prolonged breakdowns. California natives also introduced to a stripped down even more troublesome branch-off of the same general concept that was used to great Disneyland’s biggest attraction failure, Rocket Rods. To be fair Disney Imagineers did use the Test Track ride system again, and fixed the problem, to create the Journey To The Center of the Earth attraction at Tokyo DisneySea. However if the latest rumors for the Radiator Springs Racers are true, we may be seeing an entirely new ride system being created, one based more on the concept of using a tried and true roller coaster track system that Disney will attempt to hide from view. Apparently Disney is said to be working with one of the major coaster design companies on this concept right now. Anyone know more?
  (7/8/08) We’ve got some new rumored details about the whole Cars Land area of the park, though keep in mind that as the last of the big projects set to go in, lots of changes can still be made before it opens. From what info is being leaked right now, there is a plan to make Flo’s V8 Café a functional quick service restaurant for the land and Fillmore’s Organic Fuels will likely end up being a drink and smoothie stand. While not much else has come to the front about the main Radiator Springs Racers ride, we did hear that Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree may be themed to fit the whole tractor tipping theme, so I’ve got to wonder if Frank will be involved somehow. I’m also not certain exactly what kind of ride this will be as some believe it will be another spinning flat ride while others thing it could be some kind of custom track ride.
  (6/23/08) An overview of all the changes taking place at the Disneyland Resort parks at About.com adds in a few new details about DCAs future project timeline. It mentions that ground would break soon for Cars Land (2012) the ride experience will feature a race between two cars where the riders wont know until the very end which car will win.
  (11/20/07) The LA Times Travel & Deal Blog has been running a series of articles looking into the new attractions that will be part of Cars Land when it opens. You can read about Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, Luigi’s Roamin’ Tires and the big one… Radiator Springs Racers.
  (11/2/07) If you’ve been wondering about how Cars Land will fit into the park, we can tell you that the current plan is that pathway in front of Tower of Terror will continue on into Cars Land on that side, filling up most of the parking lot in that area and eventually lead you back into the existing section of the park though a gate next to the Mission Tortilla Factory building. Sources are not sure if there will be a way to access Cars Land from A Bug’s Land or not.
  (10/17/07) Cars Land is now official and will be realized in the form of a huge 12 acre expansion of the park as they bring Radiator Springs to life, complete with three new Cars themed attractions. This will include a major E-Ticket attraction where guests will receive a quick briefing from Doc and Lightning before heading off into their own race around hairpin turns and steep banks. The other two rides were described as family rides, one themed to Mater and the other to Luigi.

2013-2017 - Future Attraction Concepts - Rumor - (2/12/08) Blue Sky Disney talks quite a bit about many future attractions that have been talked about for the next round of changes and improvements for DCA. In addition to a possible San Francisco theme being added to the Wharf area, they mention the Golden State will be modified to replace the current “Extreme Sports” concept near the Grizzly River Rapids into a more classic Yosemite national park look. The concept would also include a new E-Ticket attraction to replace the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. No one proposal has been locked into place yet, but ideas range from a “natural adventure” style attraction to a locomotive ride concept. The later of which sounds familiar to the idea we had previously heard about adding a train ride to Grizzly Mountain along with an assortment of animatronic animal figures that would be interwoven with the rapids ride. They also mention some possible reworking of the Hollywood area of the park that may focus more on the 1930’s era of Hollywood and at least one unknown new E-Ticket attraction for the area. From there they mention that even Carsland, which will open with three attractions, is being designed to accommodate two additional attractions (a D and C-Ticket) to be added in a future expansion. As for the pier… more new attractions are being talked about as well. One ride may go near the entrance of California Screamin, inside the final helix while room will be made for another at the other end of the ride sometime after the Maliboomer has been removed. Apparently there is also talk of an eventual replacement for Goofy’s Sky School, the new theme in the works for Mulholland Madness. Of course all of this is long term planning and approval will be based on how well received the current set of changes are over the next five years. By then there may be all new ideas for all new project concepts competing for approval, but it’s nice to know the general direction that Disney is thinking about for the future.