May Check In - Food & Wine Festival, trip planning info, meet & greets

[mechurchlady]

Harbour Galley is going to reopen soon, LittleMissMatched is open, Pixie Hallow is free of walls and has an improved pond, bathrooms are open at San Francisco street so bye bye Golden Dreams, Astro Orbitor will be returning, Rancho Zocalo will get new rocks with drinking fountains, Sun Wheel has returned, and last chance to say goodbye to the DCA dinosaur.
http://micechat.com/forums/blogs/da...d-californian-expansion-more.html#comment8007

April 28th to May 1st = prettyprincessbelle = Menage Hotel
April 30-4 = Brian_WDW74 = Hojo
May 3-8 = kerickson = GCH
May 3-9 = redsox721 = Candy Cane Inn
Nay 5-8 = jemilah = Hojo
May 5-10 = renegade7 = DHL and doing Sweet Sunday, Winemaker Dinner
May 8-17 = SmoothDisneyH2O = Anabella Hotel
May 9-10 = toocherie = GCH
May 9-13 = OregonDisneyFanatic = Worldmar Anaheim
May 10-14 = ksdisneyfan = Residence Inn Maingate
May 11-13 = DisneyMomma81 = undecided
May 17 = toocherie = local
May 20 = mechurchlady = local for Food and Wine Event
May 20 = toocherie = GCH
May 22-25 = Princess Row = GCH
May 24-31 = Disney Princess = Hilton
May 24-26 = Pixiewings
May 27 = toocherie = local
May 28-31 = PrincessMira = Hilton
May 29-31 = Psymonds = Carousel

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June check-in! Start of summer season!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2093909

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Events
May 27th: poke Bumpershoot and reminder about the pre-parade at DCA.

• May 3rd: For every purchase of $25 or more (before taxes) on pins and/or pin accessories receive a free pin.
  http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/event?id=41521
• Bats Day in the Fun Park (unofficial event) – Sunday May 3, 2009
  http://www.batsday.net/home/home.html
  I was there and they were a swell group of people.
• CHOC Food & Wine Festival at Downtown Disney – Thursday, May 7, 2009
  This is at 6:00 pm in Downtown Disney and costs $100 per person including valet. I listed this as it may affect your Downtown Disney plans or may not.
  http://www.choc.org/events/event_detail.cfm?id=597
• Second Electrical Parade Miniature Sculpture Release & Signing on May 9
  The Disneyana Shop will host Miniaturist Robert Olszewski from 9a - 11a for the release and signing of the second sculpture set from the Main Street Electrical Parade and a Splash Mountain Gallery of Light piece.
  http://psc.disney.go.com/eventservices/artofdisneyparks/event/dlr_olszewski_signing_may2009.html
• Mother's Day is on May 10th and there is a special Mother's Day brunch at the Disneyland Hotel.
• Magic Music Days is scheduled for the month of May at the following venues: Carnation Plaza Gardens Stage, Disneyland parade route, DCA parade route, and Hollywood Backlot Stage. Off and on all day bands, dance, and musical youth groups will be playing.
  http://disneylandyouthprograms.disney.go.com/dlyp/index?id=MMD_HomePage
• Monthly DLR Pin Trading Night is May 17 from 3 PM - 6 PM in the Pacific Ballroom at the Paradise Pier Hotel.
  
  
  
• May 15 is the start of advanced sales of Halloween event tickets. Disney Chase Visa members can also get advanced tickets.
  
  http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...=AP_MickeysTrickOrTreatParty_SpecialOfferPage
• LittleMissMatched is open in a temporary location in DownTown Disney and will move to a larger spot next door. It is in the north side toward the middle.
• May 22-25 is the free Garden Grove Strawberry Festival which has booths, rides and lots of berry good things to do.
  http://www.strawberryfestival.org/
• Memorial Day weekend[/B] is a federal holiday and is May 24th to May 26th. Expect heavy crowds. This is a patriotic holiday for Americans.
• Grad Night
  May 14, 21, 28
  June 4, 10, 11, 18, 2009

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Schedules

• Celebrate! A Street Party 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm weekends and 7 PM weekdays, times may vary.
• Fireworks are at 9:25 pm dand check the schedule for days it is running as they vary. Wind and bad weather can cancel fireworks.
• Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular is dark on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays part of the month. Schedule is usually: 12:10 p.m. 1:50 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 5:50 p.m.
• Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage! - Lines on Sunday after noon for April 26th was up to an hour long at least and in the sun. Shows run from about 10:30 am to 4:15 pm daily.
• HSM 3: Right Here! Right Now! - Days vary and are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sundday from about 11:30 am to 4:00 pm.
• Pixie Hollow opens one hour after opening or 10 am. Sunday April 26th I saw a 45 minute wait at 9:30 am and it was growing to 90+ minute waits according to a CM there.
• Billy Hill & the Hillbillies is dark Tuesday and Wednesday and runs usually from 11:15 am to 4:5:15 pm. Laughing Stock does a show on days that Billy Hill & the Hillbillies is not playing and is inside the Golden Horseshoe Saloon.
• Pixar Play Parade is at about 5:40 pm. Starting May 8th is the Up preparade which starts 10 minutes earlier and will probably just be a float. Dark on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Closures and refurbishments

• Illuminations will be closing its final candle shop on April 30th, 2009. They are not taking phone or email orders. Everything is for sale form 75% and up. Store fixtures also. They have no more online site and the DTD shop is the last in existence.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – closed April 27-30 for refurbishment. It is not listed on the current schedule as being down in May.
• Hook's Point may be closed but I have not seen anything official or online.
• Star Tours is closed May 5 and May 6. This is a new development
• Hungry Bear Restaurant – closes May 4-15 for refurbishment.
• Pixie Hollow pond is walled over and is closed to the public. Pixie Hollow meet and greets are on the north side on the path to the Matterhorn. It returned pretty fast.
• Sun Wheel – closed through May 7
  
  CURRENT
• Sorry but no more fireworks until the June 12 event.
• Cosmic Waves is currently closed and in for a major overhaul. This is that giant rotating marble ball and play area that has not gotten guests wet for ages. This is not on the schedule for refurbishment and is not really of importance so would not make the refurbishment schedule of DLR. It is a major project involving digging around the marble ball and end date is not known.
• Astro Orbitor – closed April 20- June 12 for refurbishment.
• Fantasmic closed all of May
• Peter Pan closed May 4 to June 7, 2009
• Opera House is closed until the mid December return of Mr. Lincoln.
• King Triton's Carousel – closed March 9 – May 21, 2009 for refurbishment.
• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – closes May 18 – 22 for refurbishment.
• Dinosaur Jack’s Sunglass Shack is scheduled to close permanently on May 26th, 2009. It does not fit the new theming and while cute may be history.
• I was at DLR on April 24th and the Golden Zephyr was down for unscheduled maintenance. The reopening is not known at this time and I will check later to see its status.
• Souvenir 66 and Corn Dog Castle close June 1, 2009 and may not be back until 2011. You can still get a corn dog fix at the red wagon near Plaza Inn.
• The Vineyard Room is closed until October 3, 2009
• Orange Stinger is closing July 27 for a year as they retheme, add a covered walkway and other stuff.

Special Savings
http://www.disneylandnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=408
3-Day Summer Fun Pass is here and remember the first use of the pass must be between June 1 and August 23, 2009

ANAHEIM, Calif., April 24 — Just in time for summer, the Disneyland Resort announces a valuable ticket offer – the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass, available exclusively for residents of Southern California and Northern Baja.

With this special ticket, local residents can play at the Disneyland Resort for three days within a 45-day period, for just $99. Guests who live in zip codes 90000 through 93599, and 21000-22999, will be able to enter both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, enjoying three days of fun for only $33 per day.

The 3-day Summer Fun Pass is available for sale at Disneyland.com, Disney Stores and at the Disneyland Resort box office. Resident ID is required. To skip ticket lines and enjoy straight-to-the-gate convenience, the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass is also sold at local supermarket and retail chains such as Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Stater Bros., Food 4 Less, Gelsons, Dearden’s and Toys ‘R’ Us.

http://www.disneylandnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=401
June 3, 2009 is the last date to get 2 Fer tickets.
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Other links
http://adisneyland.disney.go.com/me...lendar/specialEvents/foodWine/FoodWineMap.pdf
Food and Wine map

Food & Wine information from Disneyland site
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...specialEvents/detail?name=FoodWineLandingPage

* In accordance with California state law, Guests must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please bring valid identification. Absolutely no one under age 21 may enter any wine, beer or spirit seminar, event or venue, including children or infants accompanied by an adult.

WARNING
Management is not handling the lines properly so on April 26th people got in the wrong line and were not told they were in a different show line. Meanwhile the Robert Irvine line was formed then it was decided that the line should be in the other side of the way. Some people were there since 11 am for a 2:20 pm show and yes I waited for 3 hours for the show.

For Guy Fieri expect his one show line to close at about 3 hours before opening. Wine and beer walks can at times be very crowded. Wine and beer seminars are often 1 to 2 hour waits. If you do plan for one of these events expect rain, sun, and wind.

The wine walks give the guest a passport with for places to stamp and each guest gets one drink per stamp. Cost is $10 from what I heard.

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Just before you enter DCA you should see on your right or is it left, sigh, an area where you can pick up wine purchases at package pick up and the check in area for the paid special events.

Sunshine Plaza will have on your right a welcome center. There will also be a gift shop for the event. Times vary and it is first come first seated for the Sunshine Stage which will have demonstrations from 10:30 or 11:00 am to 5 pm or 6 pm each day. 1:15 pm on Sundays is an autograph session with a famous chef.

Bountiful Harvest will have Jr. Chefs which is first come first served and ages 11 and under. It is only on Friday to Sunday from 11 am, 12:30 pm, and 2 pm. At 11 am is the Festival Wine Walk - California Classics. Bountiful Harvest will have a stage where they hold Kitchen Conversations demonstration kitchen and times will vary from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm daily and on a first come first seated policy.

Pacific Wharf will have at 11 am the Festival Beer Walk. 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm weekday and 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm weekends is the beer and spirits seminars.

At Golden Vine Winery the lower patio will have seminars daily and times vary from 11 am to 5:30 pm. First come first served. The Lounge opens at noon and has wine flights. At 11 am is the Festival Wine Walk - Wines of the World.

The Animation Courtyard and Studio 17 will have $100+ per person events, check that section for more detail. Some restaurants will be adding new items for the event. The even will be through the whole month of May.

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Meet and Greets
May 3rd meet and greet, time and place not known, yet.
Around the 8th would be good and on on about the 27th also, please imput.
MAY 14TH how about a meet and greet at about 11 am at partners or at DCA in front of Taste Pilots. If anyone is interested please post here or privately set up your own meet and greets. Some people only want to meet a few people and others like me are party animals, lol.

Current Meet and Greet dates possible

May 20th is the next Dining event for me so I am up for a meet and greet.
Feel free to pm me if you decide you want to meet me or if you need this updated.
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Other stuff

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

I'll be there on just the 1st (my birthday!). We're actually going to be there April 28th to May 1st and we're staying at the Hotel Menage.

 

[SmoothDisneyH2O]

We'll be at DL May 8th-17th. Staying at the Anabella.

 

[pixiewings71]

Huh, I'm sure we already have a May thread going...I know I posted on it that we would be there Mem. weekend for my bday.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Huh, I'm sure we already have a May thread going...I know I posted on it that we would be there Mem. weekend for my bday.

You know what? I think you're right, Kerri!

I remember posting in it too, I believe.

 

[mechurchlady]

I checked and nobody was making a list and it was three pages ago. I am offering a list with the option to post meet and greets and cab shares plus links. I update the other one also so that people see exactly who is going when. I checked the main meet and greet page also and there is no link.

If a moderator wants to use that then they may do so. Pokes Mary Jo. I looked for another May thread beside the one you mentioned and there seemed to be none being kept up to date.

IF I sound cranky it is the heat killing me and mom. Who was the idiot who put the bookcase in front of the window? Moi of course.

 

[pixiewings71]

Oh sweetie, you had to go much farther back then just 3 pages. LOL Last post on the thread was done in March. Here it is.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2093656&highlight=pixiewings71

 

[jemilah]

I will be there with my 2 sons May 5-8 at the Candy Cane Inn driving in from Vegas.

 

[redsox721]

I will be there with my DH celebrating our 25th anniversary from May 3-9 also staying at the Candy Cane Inn. (this is after 3 days in San Diego)

 

[mechurchlady]

I have updated this, added some events that may affect your trip, and ride closures. The big addition was the Choc event in Downtown Disney. The Bat Day will probably only see heavy crowds at their in park meetings on Sunday like at the Haunted Mansion and a minor increase on Sunday in crowds.

 

[pixiewings71]

Thanks for doing that for us Laurie. We appreciate having all the info readily at hand.

 

[jemilah]

I changed hotels got the ent rate!


April 28th to May 1st = prettyprincessbelle = Menage Hotel
May 3-9 = redsox721 = Candy Cane Inn
Nay 5-8 = jemilah = hojo
May 8-17 = SmoothDisneyH2O = Anabella Hotel
Various days - mechurchlady- local

 

[jemilah]

Hey redsox will I see that Celtics jersey while I am there? Me and my 2 boys will be wearing ours if we are still in the playoffs........we will be!

DS12 wore his last June during the Championship and got lots of dirty looks and push the trash can argued with him.He enjoyed it so much we had to was it in the sink so he could wear it twice

 

[Disney Princess]

Hooray for May!! We'll be there May 24th-31st at the Hilton.

 

[ksdisneyfan]

We are counting down and extremely excited for our first trip! We will be at Residence Inn Maingate from May 10-May 14.

 

[redsox721]

Hey redsox will I see that Celtics jersey while I am there? Me and my 2 boys will be wearing ours if we are still in the playoffs........we will be!

DS12 wore his last June during the Championship and got lots of dirty looks and push the trash can argued with him.He enjoyed it so much we had to was it in the sink so he could wear it twice

I myself am a devoted Red Sox fan (guess you could tell my my screen name), so I will be wearing those.

You will see my DH in his Bruins and Celtics shirts. Since the Bruins won last night, he's trying to convince me we need to "schedule" time to watch the games. Maybe I'll leave him home.

I see you changed hotels. Weren't you originally at the Candy Cane? I think its funny because we were originally at the HOJO.

 

[OregonDisneyFanatic]

We will be there May 9th-13th. We are staying at Worldmark. I am getting excited

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I'll be there April 30 - May 4, staying at HoJo.

 

[jemilah]

I got the ent rate so I switched to hojo. DS12 likes the sox's too ! Last year we did have to go to the room to watch the Celtics.....who knows about this trip!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

We'll be there! Booked our airfare this afternoon! 5/11-5/13 for us, staying at HoJo's or somewhere using Priceline.