What to expect for DL's 60th anniversary in 2015 (Starting May 22)

[thmcdonald1]

I talked to a representative from customer service after sending a nice (I swear I was nice!) email about being disappointed in the hours. He confirmed the hours as currently posted and also said there were no plans for "exclusive events" that would provide early access for the 60th anniversary stuff.

Not sure what "exclusive events" refers to, but I would assume that includes AP previews.

 

[figment_jii]

I wonder what normal nights will look like in time's will F, woc, and paint the night all be about the same time?

The schedules for Sat and Sun after the 24-hour day are up on the Australian website, and it looks like the schedules are fairly similar to the 24-hour day, except no 1:00 am Paint the Night and 3:00 am WoC. The second Paint the Night is at 11:00 pm and there is no third WoC. While there is always the chance the schedule will change, I would use that as a frame of reference for the summer at this point.

Truthfully, I think fireworks are the harder one to predict where the "good" viewing spots will be located. At this point, no one really knows how much things will have changed from the previous "good" viewing spot. My guess is that the parade will largely be "good" from any spot along the parade route. I'm sure there will be folks at the 24-hour day and Memorial Day weekend that will report back where they watched the shows and how were the views.

I talked to a representative from customer service after sending a nice (I swear I was nice!) email about being disappointed in the hours. He confirmed the hours as currently posted and also said there were no plans for "exclusive events" that would provide early access for the 60th anniversary stuff.

Just remember that CMs on the phone can be wrong or not have all of the information. So, while I do not doubt that is what he told you, it's possible that things will change. There may be no plans to do an AP event at this point, but that could change. There could also be events slated for the non-general-public (e.g., Club 33, D23, etc.); we just don't know for sure about anything at this point.

 

[figment_jii]

They've announced a sweepstakes at today's media event and via the Parks Blog:
Disneyland Diamond Days Sweepstakes to Give Away Dazzling Prizes During Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration

 

[Sherry E]

I was waiting for someone to post that info ^^ in this thread (so that we don't have 50,000 Diamond Celebration-related threads, which is already slowly becoming the case!).

 

[Sherry E]

And sparkly new garb for the First Family of Disneyland:

"Mickey Mouse and Friends to Wear Sparkling New Ensembles for Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on April 14th, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


And sparkly new grub too!

"A Taste of the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on April 14th, 2015 by Rachel Brent, Food & Beverage Marketing Communications Coordinator



From Disneyland News (it's a press release site for media, and the releases often have a lot of the same verbiage and info that the Parks Blogs have, but occasionally -- if you read closely -- you will find extra little details and nuggets o' info in the press releases that the Parks Blog does not disclose until later. For example, it was through Disneyland News that I first learned about the gingerbread house in the GCH lobby last year -- not from the Parks Blog):


"Disneyland Diamond Days Sweepstakes Will Give Away Diamonds, Stays in the Disneyland Dream Suite and Daily Prizes During Dazzling Diamond Celebration" -- Disneyland News; posted on April 14th, 2015


"Unique Dining, Shopping and Interactive Street Entertainment Add to the Fun of Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration"-- Disneyland News; posted on April 14th, 2015


"Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Adds Disneyland Diamond Days Sweepstakes and Dazzling, New Nighttime Spectaculars Beginning May 22"-- Disneyland News; posted on April 14th, 2015

​

More from Disneyland News:


"60 Amazing Facts about Disneyland Resort For the Diamond Celebration of 60 Magical Years" -- from Disneyland News; posted on April 14, 2015

​

 

[sydangel68]

I've been reading that they expect the 24-hour event to be get to a lock out situation. Can anyone tell me how this works?

We are arriving from Australia on 22 May won't be able to get to the parks till at least 6pm. Staying at GCH, does that make any difference? Also have dining reservations at Blue Bayou for 840pm on 22 May, does that make a difference?

I am worried we won't be able to get into the park. We are only there for 4 days - park hoppers and can't move our dates due to DCL Alaskan cruise etc.

Appreciate any advice and guidance around what to expect if lock out occurs.

Cheers
Angela

 

[Sherry E]

I've been reading that they expect the 24-hour event to be get to a lock out situation. Can anyone tell me how this works?

We are arriving from Australia on 22 May won't be able to get to the parks till at least 6pm. Staying at GCH, does that make any difference? Also have dining reservations at Blue Bayou for 840pm on 22 May, does that make a difference?

I am worried we won't be able to get into the park. We are only there for 4 days - park hoppers and can't move our dates due to DCL Alaskan cruise etc.

Appreciate any advice and guidance around what to expect if lock out occurs.

Cheers
Angela

sydangel68 --

If Disneyland reaches capacity and completely stops letting guests into the park at a certain point, it won't matter if you're a GCH guest or not. They'd have to wait until some guests have left the park before they could let anymore in.

By the time you get to Disneyland, I don't know what the crowd situation will be like, but I can only imagine that there will be many, many, many people arriving after work and/or school to be in the park when the sun comes up, and to see the nighttime events.

I'm not sure how it's handled when you have a reservation for a restaurant and the park is at capacity -- I never seem to read too many accounts of that specific scenario happening, but it surely must happen in the crazy busy week between Christmas and New Year's (when Disneyland often reaches capacity).

That weekend is going to be very busy due to the 24-hour event, Memorial Day weekend, the start of the Diamond Celebration and the 3 brand new nighttime shows, the new Diamond Days sweepstakes (prize giveaways to people on the Disneyland Resort premises), etc. There is no getting around the fact that it will be a madhouse. It will still be fun, and I think it will be a great time to be at Disneyland Resort in general -- lots of happy, excited people and good energy -- but everyone should go in with the knowledge that it will be crowded.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Just reading the press releases brings a tear to my eye. The new entertainment is going to be beautiful. Thanks for sharing links to the articles above.

 

[thmcdonald1]

The disneyland news press release says the Disneyland Forever fireworks show will be projected onto the rivers of America, so theoretically, I should be able to watch that show from the Fantasmic BB reserved seating.

Now: what are the odds that Paint The Night will march past the Fantasmic reserved seating?

 

[Sherry E]

Just reading the press releases brings a tear to my eye. The new entertainment is going to be beautiful. Thanks for sharing links to the articles above.

You're welcome! It's fun reading about all of the exciting things happening -- it looks like even the Mad T Party is going to get in on the "Diamond" action, from what one of the press releases says.

I think that this is all only the tip of the iceberg. I think that there will probably be more special one-day events and surprises throughout the rest of the year. Someone I know who works at DLR said that there were recently a lot of new leads brought in to work the Special Events at DLR (which would include something like the Cars Land tailgate party prize mentioned by Disney in their Diamond Days Sweepstakes media), and there are probably going to be even more new leads brought on in the fall, indicating that there will be more Special Events happening than usual, all year long. That could mean some sort of expansion of Mickey's Halloween Party, a special holiday season event, or it could just mean random 1-night parties and Diamond Celebration-related pop-up events.

 

[apple9117]

So excited for this, can't wait!

 

[imajinable]

It seems like they are starting to post up the event schedule for the 22nd on Disneyland.com They have WOC up for 9p and 10:15 showings so far.

 

[figment_jii]

Now: what are the odds that Paint The Night will march past the Fantasmic reserved seating?

Unless they've changed the parade route, it's highly unlikely you'll be able to see any of it from the Fantasmic reserved viewing areas. The Fantasmic viewing area has been a known fireworks viewing area for quite a while (I think that's why there is "snowfall" in that area during the holiday season, along with Main Street and Small World Mall), so adding the Disneyland Forever projections to the Rivers of America area makes sense.

It seems like they are starting to post up the event schedule for the 22nd on Disneyland.com They have WOC up for 9p and 10:15 showings so far.

More of the schedule has been available for a few days on the Australian website (no idea why the US one isn't being updated at the same rate as the Australian site). WoC is slated for 9:00 pm, 10:15 pm, and 3:00 am.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/au/calendar/#/default/2015/05/22

 

[gottalovepluto]

Now: what are the odds that Paint The Night will march past the Fantasmic reserved seating?

I'm gonna have to vote zilch. The Aussie calendar has paint the night running at 11pm and Fantasmic at 10:45 in the days following Memorial so the parade really can't swing by Fantasmic without totally interrupting the 2nd show.

 

[Sherry E]

What do we think of Mickey's and Minnie's new outfits for the 60th (Parks Blog with photo is linked above, in post #365)? I noticed comments on MiceChat and under the actual Parks Blog to indicate that people are not digging the new ensembles. The colors seem to be confusing, as the red doesn't really fit with a Diamond theme.

I think the outfits are fine in general, but I'm not sure I think "diamond" and "dazzling" when I see them either. They look more "4th of July" to me. I keep thinking that there will be other special outfits worn by the characters that we haven't seen yet -- maybe outfits that shimmer and shine at night? Or maybe these outfits shown in the photos will look better in person. I am optimistic that there is a method to the madness, but some folks seem to really be bothered by the new attire!

I am guessing that the characters will have daytime garb at their meet & greet spots, and then they will have totally different, shimmery outfits during the Paint the Night parade.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I was just reading another site where some were saying the new outfits look like a throwback to a rejected bicentennial design from the 70s. I personally like the new costumes, but would have preferred silver and blue since it would feel more diamond-y.

 

[mom2rtk]

What do we think of Mickey's and Minnie's new outfits for the 60th (Parks Blog with photo is linked above, in post #365)? I noticed comments on MiceChat and under the actual Parks Blog to indicate that people are not digging the new ensembles. The colors seem to be confusing, as the red doesn't really fit with a Diamond theme.

I think the outfits are fine in general, but I'm not sure I think "diamond" and "dazzling" when I see them either. They look more "4th of July" to me. I keep thinking that there will be other special outfits worn by the characters that we haven't seen yet -- maybe outfits that shimmer and shine at night? Or maybe these outfits shown in the photos will look better in person. I am optimistic that there is a method to the madness, but some folks seem to really be bothered by the new attire!

I am guessing that the characters will have daytime garb at their meet & greet spots, and then they will have totally different, shimmery outfits during the Paint the Night parade.

Sherry, I hadn't even clicked on the link. I assumed they would look like what I have seen on the artwork and merchandise.

That really seems to have come out of nowhere.

Count me as "not a fan". We'll still seek them out for photos of course but I wouldn't be sad if they changed by the time we get there in October.

 

[mrsskehan2013]

I like the outfits but agree they could be more diamondy. When I showed my dh he was like, " Wheres the diamonds?" Lol.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I was disappointed the outfits didn't look like the ones in the previously released concept art, with Mickey in the dark blue suit and Minnie all bedazzled in that shimmery white/silver outfit. It was all so wonderfully coordinated. And a quick image search in bing shows other renderings for the 60th where Mickey and Minnie are in the blue-silver-white colors. What's with all the red now?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

I like the new outfits but I agree that it didn't seem diamond like to me.