Best Smartphone Apps For Beating Lines at Disney Parks: Part 1

Going to Disney Parks can be fun but sometimes it is headache waiting in those long lines. These apps for iPhone and Android will help tell you which lines are the best to go on during certain times or show you where your favorite rides are.

Disneyland

1. MouseWait

Mousewait for iPhone

MouseWait for Android

                

MouseWait: (iPhone: Free), (Android: Free). MouseWait is the best way to check wait times while you are in any of the parks because it has the largest user base out of any of the Disneyland iPhone apps, which means that the wait times are always accurate. You are allowed to post wait times while you are in the parks and when you do, you get a higher "MouseRank". Some of the features that make this application stand out from all of the others is its special features that are only inside of the app. One of those features is "whatNEXT'; in this feature, it finds out where you are in the park and tells you which ride is the closest with a small wait time. Another feature is the lounge. In the lounge you can see live photos from Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, win prizes, talk to other Disney fans, and find out what celebrities are in the parks at the time. One of the best features that will probably help you in the parks the most are the menus section, where you can view full menus of all restaurants at the Disneyland Resort, and "eventTIMES? GPS", where you can see what entertainment is happening near you at a certain time. I have used MouseWait every time I have gone to the parks and it hasn't let me down yet. It is available on all iPhones and most Android devices.

     2. Disneyland Wait Times

Disneyland Wait Times for iPhone

Disneyland Wait Times: (iPhone: $0.99). This simple iPhone app lets you look at wait times of attractions in both parks. It also lets you see the wait times of attractions near you and lets you post wait times for attractions. 

New Year's Eve Events At Disney Parks

New Year's Eve at Disneyland Photo by Flickr User andycastro

There are many ways to celebrate New Year's Eve at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. Here are all of the special events happening at all the parks.

Walt Disney World

• Magic Kingdom
• Park Hours: 8 a.m.-2 a.m.
• “Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!” Street Party at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. & 5:15 p.m.
• “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” at 12 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.
• “Main Street Electrical Parade” at 7 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
• “Holiday Wishes” fireworks at 8:30 p.m.
• “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks at 11:50 p.m.

• Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Park hours: 8 a.m.-12 a.m.
• “Block Party Bash” parade at 3 p.m.
• “Fantasmic!" nighttime extravaganza at 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.
• Live performances by in-park band “Mulch, Sweat and Shears” at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat at 8, 9, 10 and 11 p.m.
• “Lights, Camera, Happy New Year” fireworks starring “Mulch, Sweat and Shears” at 11:55 p.m,

• Epcot
• Park hours: 8 a.m.-1 a.m.
• Special version of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” at 7:30 & 11:40 p.m.

• Disney's Animal Kingdom
• Park Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
• “Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade” at 3:45 p.m.

• Downtown Disney
• Bay Lake and Seven Sees Lagoon
• “Electrical Water Pageant” at 10:25 p.m
• Cirque du Soleil
• 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. performances of La Nouba
• Special New Year’s Eve champagne toasts
• Guests will receive a limited-edition La Nouba pin created for the New Year’s Eve event
• DisneyQuest
• Party Hours: 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
• Ring in the New Year at DisneyQuest with favorite cyber attractions and games, a DJ Dance Party with a New Year’s Eve countdown, party favors and a coupon for a personal pizza and soda at FoodQuest
• $39 per person, advance/$45 per person, day of
• Disney's Boardwalk
• Party Hours: 8 p.m.-2 a.m., ages 21+
• Dance into the New Year at Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk
• $35 for access to the main floor of the Dance Hall, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight
• $75 for a VIP ticket that adds a private upstairs area with seating; limited viewing for Epcot fireworks with guaranteed seating and coffee, tea or hot chocolate with dessert bar and a premium bar
• Dining
• La Hacienda de San Angel is offering a special six-course prix-fixe menu and live music starting at 9 p.m.
• $199 per person, or $225 with wine and spirits (plus tax and gratuity), $49.95 ages 3 to 9
• Epcot admission required
• Bistro de Paris is offering a special prix-fixe New Year’s Eve menu
• $150 per person, $225 with wine pairings with each course
• Epcot admission required
• California Grill will host a New Year’s Eve party featuring food stations, an open bar, a casino-style  game room, DJ, dancing, Disney characters, live entertainment and a great viewing location for the Magic Kingdom fireworks
• $525 per person, all inclusive

Disneyland

• Disneyland
• Park Hours: 8 a.m.- 2 a.m.
• Three performances of “Fantasmic!” at 9 and 10:15 p.m. and immediately following the midnight fireworks show
• “Fantasy in the Sky” New Year’s fireworks show at midnight
• DJs will encourage guests to dance into the new year at Sleeping Beauty Castle and small world Promenade

• Disney California Adventure
• Park Hours: 10 a.m.- 1 a.m.
• Special entertainment along the Paradise Pier boardwalk
• “Fountains and Fireworks” countdown to midnight in Paradise Park, immediately followed by the first “World of Color” show of 2011
• Earlier New Year’s Eve performances of “World of Color” will take place at 8 and 9:15 p.m.
• ElecTRONica will run from 6:00 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Party Hats and Noisemakers
• Will be handed out at 6 p.m.
• Disney California Adventure: Condor Flats near the vintage airplane just west of the entrance to Soarin’ Over California
• Disneyland: Festival Arena near Big Thunder Ranch

Holiday Crowds at Disneyland Resort

New Orleans Square at Noon. Photo by PrinceCorey on Mousewait

 Today Disneyland and Disney California Adventure closed their gates to visitors as both parks filled to capacity 1:00 P.M. Wait times in both parks were high with wait times up to 125 minutes in Disneyland for Indiana Jones and 110 minutes for Tower of Terror in California Adventure according to Mousewait. Here is a word of advice for people planning to go to the parks today, if you aren't at either of the parks right now, don't go.

Tron Pop Up Shop

Thanks to @lurkyloo for this fantastic photo

  The Tron Pop Up Shop is a good place to go if you have a lot of money and want some very cool Tron items but if you are expecting to get that purse above for $200 this is not the place for you. That purse above is $800. The shop is very small too. It is barely big enough to fit more than 20 people in it so for anyone who is going to the D23 event, be prepared to be crushed while in the store.

No California Food and Wine Festival in 2011 or 2012

  Today Disney announced that they will not be holding Disney's California Food and Wine Festival in 2011 or 2012 due to construction around California Adventure. Here is their full explanation: 

As many of you know, we are in the midst of a multi-year expansion of Disney California Adventure park. Our first key milestone occurred this past June with the premiere of “World of Color,” and next year, we’ll open The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. As we shared with you last Friday, Cars Land is well on its way to opening in 2012, and we’ll continue to share news and take you behind the scenes throughout the expansion here on the Disney Parks Blog.

While we are extremely excited with all of the progress to date, we have had to make some changes to accommodate our growth, and today we want to let you know we will not be hosting the 2011 and 2012 Disney’s California Food & Wine Festivals in Disney California Adventure park. This was not an easy decision, but expansion work over the next two years in some areas of the park present significant logistical challenges around scheduling the hundreds of festival offerings. This work includes transforming the park’s entry plaza as well as the hub area where the event main stage has been located. When the work is completed, it will be reminiscent of the Los Angeles that Walt found when he arrived in the 1920s, complete with Red Car Trolleys. Below is a rendering that we’ve not yet released on the Blog that shows what the area will look like when completed. We realize the festival has been a guest favorite but feel it’s most important to ensure our park experience is the best it can be during this exciting time. After the expansion is completed and we open Cars Land in 2012, we will continue to look at opportunities for special events and festivals. Please stay tuned to the Blog for the most up-to-date information.

Tron Legacy World of Color Ending

Last night, an extended ending for World of Color featuring scenes from Tron Legacy premiered. Here is a video   that CptBingo in youtube took. There is no official ending date for this extended ending but it will most likely be ending as soon as the movie comes out on  December 17th, 2010. 

Disney Dance Crew First Videos

Here are the first videos of the new show "Disney Dance Crew" that takes place at the Hollywood Backlot stage.



via tiffanykwan










via jayaraiza




So did you like the show? Tweet your response to @Themousesreport on twitter.

Halloween Parties at Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Mickey's Boo To You Parade at the Magic Kingdom. Photo ©Disney

Here is the official information for Walt Disney World:

  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – “Boo” has never been uttered in a bouncier, bubblier, “not-so-scary” fashion than during "Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade" … and ghostly apparitions never have been more wistful than they are skittering along the rooftops of Main Street, U.S.A.  When you put it together with a green and orange fireworks spectacular and Land-to-Land trick-or-treating throughout Magic Kingdom, you have a Halloween event like none other: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

         
It’s enough to bring a smile to the face of a Disney villain!  And the special-ticket after-hours party on 24 select evenings between Sept. 14 and Nov. 1, 2010, at Walt Disney World Resort will do just that.  About the only one not wearing a grin is The Headless Horseman as he rides his trusty steed through the park ahead (no pun intended) of the parade.

         
Guests wanting to join in the spirit (no pun intended) of the party are welcome to don their favorite Halloween costumes for the 7 p.m.-to-12 midnight event. "Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade" takes place at 8:15 and 10:30 p.m. and the “Happy HalloWishes” fireworks spectacular at 9:30 p.m.

         
In addition to trick-or-treating, meet and greets with characters and entertainment unique to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, many popular Magic Kingdom attractions – including, of course, The Haunted Mansion – are available to experience (but beware of hitchhiking ghosts).

Party dates in 2010 are: Sept. 14, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30; Oct. 1, 3, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31; and Nov. 1.

         
Prices are $59.95 (ages 10+) and $53.95 (ages 3-9) for all dates except Oct. 29 and Oct. 31 when tickets cost $64.95 (ages 10+) and $58.95 (ages 3-9).  Advance purchase (prior to event day) savings of $6 per ticket are available for the parties on Sept. 14, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30; Oct. 1, 3, 7, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26; and Nov. 1.

Additional information is available at www.disneyworld.com/halloween.  Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 407/W-DISNEY.

Disneyland: 

Event Dates

• October 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 and 31

Times

• Tuesday Nights: 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Fridays and Halloween Night: 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Advance Purchase Ticket Prices*

• $49 Special Discount for These Dates
  October 1, 5, 12, 19 and 26

Day-of-Event Ticket Prices*

• $54 If Purchased and Used on These Dates:
  October 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22 and 26
• $59 If Purchased and Used on These Dates:
  October 29 and 31

All Dates

• Ages Two and Under: No Charge!

Mickey's Halloween Party promises lots of fun for the littlest trick-or-treaters as well as adults! Throughout the spookiest month of the year, Disneyland Park hosts an exciting event where you can experience Disney's unique spin on Halloween.

Don't miss out on:

• Exclusive viewing of the boo-tiful Halloween Screams fireworks spectacular
• Exclusive access to nearly all Disneyland Park attractions, including all the Halloween-themed attractions such as Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion Holiday
• Earlier access to the Park beginning at 3:00 p.m. for Tuesday 6:00 p.m. events and 4:00 p.m. for Friday and Halloween 7:00 p.m. events
• Lively music so your bones can boogie
• Even more special treat stations offering both candy and healthy goodies
• Creepy crafts and activities for the whole family
• Plenty of costumed Characters to meet and greet
• Plus, lots more entertainment for little boys and ghouls!

Costume Information

All event attendees — including adults — may dress in their favorite Halloween costume and must follow these and other guidelines as determined solely by Disney:

• Costumes should be child-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive or violent.
• Guests may wear masks. However, masks must not obstruct vision and eyes must be visible at all times.
• Guests who dress like Disney Characters may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
• Costumes should not drag on the ground.
• Costumes should not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
• Costumes should not contain any weapons which resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
• Guests of all ages may only wear costumes to the Disneyland® Resort Halloween event to which they have valid tickets.
• During normal Park operating hours, costumes are permitted only for Guests ages 9 and younger.

Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into the event unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards.

Posts That Are iDevice Friendly

What the latest post looks like on an iPhone

All blog updates after today that have * in the post means that the post is iDevice friendly. iDevices are iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches. Most of the posts should have * in them but some won't including the Disneyland Live Stream page. I will try and work on getting Ustream to work without flash but in the mean time just look for the *s on the blog.

Halloween Time at Disney Parks Around the World

Here are just some of the Halloween events happening at Disney parks around the world.

Disneyland: Halloween Screams


Tokyo DisneySea: Mysterious Masquerade


Disneyland Paris: Rêves d'Halloween




Hong Kong Disneyland: Nightmare in the Sky


Walt Disney World: Boo To You

Epcot Food And Wine Festival

Photo ©Disney

The 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival has started. Here is more information:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Like a fine wine that improves with age, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival celebrates 15 years Oct. 1-Nov. 14 with an unrivaled global tasting experience.

Where on the planet can foodies sample the cuisine, culture and entertainment of more than two dozen countries during a 1.3-mile stroll around a picturesque 40-acre lagoon?  Only at Walt Disney World Resort, where more than 25 international marketplaces around the World Showcase promenade at Epcot invite guests to taste tapas-sized portions and sip wines, beers and spirits from six continents.

This year, Disney and celebrity chefs are teaming with winemakers and brew masters from around the world to commemorate 15 years of Delicious Discoveries.  During the six-week festival, guests will discover:

§ Three new tasting marketplaces – Belgium, South Korea and Singapore – plusnew menu offerings at popular returning marketplaces including Argentina, Chile, Poland, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Australia, U.S.A., Spain and others.

§ Celebrity chef appearances starring top culinarians like Warren Brown, Cat Cora, Todd English, Gale Gand, Robert Irvine, Art Smith, Andrew Zimmern and more.

§ A complimentary Marketplace Discovery Passport to be stamped at each international marketplace visited for the perfect scrapbook souvenir.

§ Daily wine seminars, bottle signings, author events and culinary demonstrations at the Festival Welcome Center.

§ Eat to the Beat! concerts three times nightly at America Gardens Theatre.

§ Two Epcot restaurants grand opening just in time for the festival: Via Napoliauthentic pizzeria at the Italy pavilion and La Hacienda de San Angel at the Mexico pavilion.

New Sips, Fresh Bites

Whether sampling steamed mussels with roasted garlic cream at the new Belgium marketplace or sipping the trendiest wines from South Africa and Chile, festival guests can make a day of grazing their way around the World Showcase promenade.  Tapas-sized portions of regional specialties run $3-to-$8 each, and recommended wines and beers make perfect pairings at each marketplace.  To make grazing simpler and more fun, guests can purchase a festival-themed mini-Disney Gift Card that can be loaded and reloaded at several park locations.  The card comes attached to a band that can be worn conveniently on the wrist and used for purchases at park marketplaces, restaurants and shops.

Live regional entertainment includes music, acrobatics and improv performances along the promenade.  Evening Eat to the Beat! concerts at America Gardens Theatre feature acts from many musical genres.  Appearing for the first time on the Eat to the Beat! stage are: Sugar Ray, Air Supply, Howard Jones, 38 Special, Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp,) Hanson and Rick Springfield.  Kicking off the festival Oct. 1-3 is fan-favorite Taylor Dayne, and wrapping the event Nov. 12-14 is crowd-pleaser Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

          
Each fall, the festival attracts a diverse audience of more than 1 million guests ranging from wine connoisseurs and epicures to novices wishing to boost their culinary IQs.  Special culinary programs showcase a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.

Festival highlights include:

·         The Festival Welcome Center, with a Wine Bar, Authentic Taste Seminars, Authors Without Borders weekend conversations and more.

·         More than 270 chefs including Disney chefs and guest chefs from across the country conducting culinary demonstrations and hosting dinners and tasting events.  Guest chefs on tap include Debbie Gold, Rock Harper, Jeff Henderson, Robin Miller, Jamie Deen and many other culinary stars.

·         New events that include 3-D Disney’s Dessert Discovery and a festival preview night, First Bites Opening Reception, on Sept. 30.

·         Popular returning events that include Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen, Epcot Wine Schools, Mexico Tequila Tastings and Food and Wine Pairings.

·         The weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting event with tempting bites from eminent chefs, more than 50 wines and beers, and live entertainment presented by Cirque du Soleil.

Festival guests can enjoy fresh Epcot experiences including the latest Future World high-tech fun at Innoventions and the celebrated return of "Captain EO," the classic musical 3-D production starring Michael Jackson in a rare big-screen performance.  They also can go “under the sea” at The Seas with Nemo & Friends, “up in the air” at Soarin’ in The Land pavilion or “out of this world” at Mission: SPACE.  In World Showcase, new and updated restaurants welcome guests at the Italy, Japan, Mexico and China pavilions.

Included with Epcot Admission

Authentic Taste seminars and Authors Without Borders programs with special book signings at the Festival Center, Eat to the Beat! concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Discovery Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation

          
The Party for the Senses grand tasting events and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission.  Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information and to make reservations for special events and programs.  Festival details are available at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

ElecTRONica at Disney California Adventure

Videos from youtuber Asianjma123.

Disneyland Update: Halloween At Disneyland

A cloudy day at Disneyland.

First Off Haunted Mansion Holiday

These two pictures are the least blurry photos out of 36 that I took.

No Pictures from inside Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy due to the outcome of pictures in Haunted Mansion holiday.

Thanks For Reading This Update!