Disneyland is just about ready to kick off its big summer season with a variety of big events that will draw plenty of guests during the already-popular Memorial Day Weekend. The weekend will kick-off with a 24-hour party spanning both theme parks and will be followed with a three-day Greek festival in both parks and the debut of a brand new musical stage show at the Fantasyland Theatre. It’ll be a big weekend with plenty going on, but you won’t have to go to the Resort without a plan – we have a full schedule of all the goings-on in today’s update. In addition to schedules and tips for this weekend’s events, we have a full update that takes a look at new and on-going projects in both parks including the Starbucks construction at Disneyland’s Market House and new shade awnings being added to the Carthay Circle Restaurant‘s outdoor dining terraces at Disney California Adventure. There’s a lot going on – let’s get started!

Get a closer look at today’s update! Click on any photo in today’s column for a large, high-resolution version of the image.





Welcome to Disneyland!

Disneyland will officially kick off the traditional summer season this weekend with a variety of



Your Guide to a

Monstrous Summer Memorial Day Weekend

[center]Monstrous Summer All-Nighter

Friday, May 24 | 6 a.m. – 6 a.m.

at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure[/center]

To launch Disney’s “Monstrous Summer” promotional campaign, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will stay open for a full 24 hours starting at 6 a.m. this Friday, May 24. Below is a guide to the day’s events with special menu options, entertainment and more.

Your Guide to Disney’s Monstrous Summer All-Nighter Theme Park Hours

Both theme parks will be open for 24 hours May 24-25, 6 a.m. – 6 a.m. Early Arrival:

Guests can begin lining up for Monstrous Summer All-Nighter theme park admission beginning at 10:00 p.m. on May 23 in the Main Entrance Plaza. Parking

Mickey and Friends Parking Structure and Toy Story Parking Lots will open at 5:00 a.m. on May 24. Guests arriving before 5:00 a.m. can park at the Pumbaa Parking Lot starting at 10:00 p.m. on May 23. Grad Nite at Disney California Adventure

In addition to the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter the theme parks will also be hosting a Grad Nite event on May 24. During the day, Grad Nite attendees can mix-in with regular park guests at both parks throughout the day. At night, certain areas of Disney California Adventure will close and become Grad Nite-only zones. From 11 p.m. until 3 a.m., the following areas will be exclusive to Grad Nite attendees and closed to regular guests: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a bug’s land, Cars Land, Pacific Wharf and Paradise Pier. The rest of the park will be open to regular guests. [center] Special Dining Opportunities [/center] [b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b] [b]Blue Bayou Restaurant[/b] Special menu item offered all day: Roasted Bourbon Shrimp stuffed with Dungenous Crab Mousse served with spinach, saut√©ed angel hair pasta and smoked tomato habanera artichoke sauce.

[b]Cafe Orleans[/b] 11 p.m. – 5 a.m.: Cafe Scrambled Eggs, Creole Eggs Benedict, Bananas Foster French Toast, Frittata with Mushrooms & Asparagus, Seasonal Fruit with Yogurt & Granola

[B]French Market[/B] 11 p.m. – 3:30 a.m.: Chicken Gumbo, Corn Chowder or Louisiana Beef Stew in sourdough bread bowls; French Dip Sandwich with Cajun Chips; Marinated Shrimp Salad Po’Boy with slaw and fruit; Mardi Gras Chicken Sandwich with Cajun Chips.

[B]Bengal Barbecue:[/B] Brownie skewer and krispy skewer.

[B]Candy Palace, Pooh’s Corner:[/B] Monstrous Summer All-Nighter Cupcake

[B]Carnation Cafe:[/B] 6 – 11:30 a.m, / 11 p.m. – 6 a.m.: Steak and eggs.

11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.: Pork chop and apple bourbon sauce.

11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.: Pork chop and apple bourbon sauce. [B]Coke Corner:[/B] Chicago dog with sweet relish, peperoncini, pickle spear, red onion, tomato

[B]Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor:[/B] “Eye Scream” Sundae

[B]Hungry Bear Restaurant:[/B] Funnel cakes with powdered sugar and strawberry topping

[B]Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe:[/B] Ham and cheese on whole wheat croissant

[B]Pizza Port[/B] 11 p.m. – 5 a.m.: Breakfast pizza

[B]Plaza Inn:[/B] Fried chicken and waffles

[B]Rancho del Zocalo[/B] 11 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Breakfast burrito and dessert station.

[B]Stage Door Cafe:[/B] Monte Cristo Bites with jam.

[B]Tomorrowland Terrace[/B] 6 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. / 11 p.m. – 6 a.m.: Breakfast burrito [b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b] Wine Country Trattoria 11 p.m. – 3 a.m.: Wine Country Breakfast, Spinach Frittata, French toast.

11 p.m. – 3 a.m.: Wine Country Breakfast, Spinach Frittata, French toast. Award Wieners: Monster Nacho Dog.

Monster Nacho Dog. Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta: Mac and cheese pizza

Mac and cheese pizza Clarabelle’s Hand Scooped Ice Cream: “Eye scream” sundae

“Eye scream” sundae Cucina Cucamonga: Burritos served with chips and salsa

Burritos served with chips and salsa Flo’s V8 Cafe: Monstrous Open-face turkey sandwich

Monstrous Open-face turkey sandwich Lucky Fortune Cookery: Chicken and vegetable potstickers

Chicken and vegetable potstickers Pacific Wharf Cafe: Loaded baked potato soup in bread bowl

Loaded baked potato soup in bread bowl Taste Pilot’s Grill: Breakfast burritos, Monster bacon double cheeseburger with fried onion ring

Breakfast burritos, Monster bacon double cheeseburger with fried onion ring [B]Trolley Treats:[/B] Monstrous Summer All-Nighter Cupcake [center] Special Entertainment and Character Greetings [/center] [b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b] Monstrous Sleeping Beauty Castle: 12 midnight, 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m.

A special lighting moment with special colors and a Mike and Sulley voiceover.

12 midnight, 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m. A special lighting moment with special colors and a Mike and Sulley voiceover. Royal Swing Ball: 10 p.m., 11 p.m., 12 midnight, 1 a.m.

Swing dancing returns to the former Carnation Plaza Gardens with live music from the Tim Gill All Stars.

10 p.m., 11 p.m., 12 midnight, 1 a.m. Swing dancing returns to the former Carnation Plaza Gardens with live music from the Tim Gill All Stars. Tomorrowland Terrace Dance Club: 12 midnight – 5 a.m.

Dance party with DJ Joe Vinyl.

12 midnight – 5 a.m. Dance party with DJ Joe Vinyl. Mickey’s Toon Town Pajama Party: 12 midnight – 5 a.m.

Featuring characters in their pajamas, Disney cartoon screenings, milk and cookies, more.

12 midnight – 5 a.m. Featuring characters in their pajamas, Disney cartoon screenings, milk and cookies, more. Storm Troopers in Tomorrowland: 2 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Get a photo with a Storm Trooper.

2 p.m. – 11 p.m. Get a photo with a Storm Trooper. Star Wars Characters Meet & Greet: 11 p.m. – 5 a.m.

Featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald in Star Wars costumes. [b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b] Mad T Party: 9 p.m. – 5:30 a.m.

No alcohol during this special Grad Nite mix-in of the popular Mad T Party.

9 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. No alcohol during this special Grad Nite mix-in of the popular Mad T Party. Monsters Inc. Screenings: 9 p.m., 11 p.m., 1 a.m., 3 a.m.

Revisit this Pixar classic at the Muppet*Vision Theater.

9 p.m., 11 p.m., 1 a.m., 3 a.m. Revisit this Pixar classic at the Muppet*Vision Theater. Mike and Sulley Meet & Greet: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Meet with Mike and Sulley from “Monsters University.”

8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Meet with Mike and Sulley from “Monsters University.” “Monsters University” Pop-Ups 11:30 p.m., 12:30 a.m., 1:30 a.m., 2:30 a.m., 3:30 a.m. Take photos with the “Monsters University” float and characters from the Pixar Play Parade. [center] Special Merchandise Offerings [/center] A selection of special merchandise items will be available at select locations in both theme parks as well as World of Disney in Downtown Disney. Monstrous Summer All-Nighter T-Shirt

Mike One-eyed Sunglasses

Embroidered Monstrous Summer Ear Hat

Sulley Ear Hat

[center]Opa! A Celebration of Greece

May 25, 26 and 27

at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure[/center]

Both theme parks will celebrate the Greek culture with special food, entertainment and activities May 25-26. Below is a handy guide to the festivities with special menu information and entertainment schedules. Be advised, any information is subject to change.

Your Guide to Opa! A Celebration of Greece Celebrate the music, dance, tradition, flavors, and fun of Greece at this first-of-its-kind event where you can immerse yourself in an odyssey of authentic Greek experiences that will entertain both children and adults. [center] Special Dining Opportunities [/center] [b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b] Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port: Greek pizza

Greek pizza Carnation Cafe: Sustainable fish served Mediterranean-style with chunky ratatouille.

Sustainable fish served Mediterranean-style with chunky ratatouille. Small World Outdoor Vending Carts: Feta bread with red pepper hummus, Baklava and Melomakarona [b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b] [B]Paradise Garden Grill:[/B] Gyro served with tabouleh and tzatziki.

[B]Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta:[/B] Greek flatbread, Greek salad, Melomakarona.

[B]Bayside Brews:[/B] Meze Plate, Hummus, Tabouleh and Pasta Salad, Mythos Lager, Spanikopita Swirl, Boutari Wine

[B]Paradise Garden Outdoor Vending:[/B] Melomakarona, Spanikopita Swirl, Baklava.

[B]Mendocino Terrace at Golden Vine Winery:[/B] Boutari Wine Selection. [center] Special Entertainment and Character Greetings [/center] [b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b] A variety of special entertainment offerings will be available all weekend in “it’s a small world” Mall. Train with Hercules: 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:20 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. Learn archery and shot put techniques from Hercules.

10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:20 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. Learn archery and shot put techniques from Hercules. Meet Mickey: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Dressed in traditional fustanella attire, meet Mickey at a special Hellenistic Greek backdrop.

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Dressed in traditional fustanella attire, meet Mickey at a special Hellenistic Greek backdrop. The Citizens of Greece: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Interact with the Citizens of Greece as they educate, philosophize and guide you through the festivities.

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Interact with the Citizens of Greece as they educate, philosophize and guide you through the festivities. Cultural arts, crafts and games 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. [b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b] A variety of special entertainment offerings will be available all weekend in Paradise Gardens. Meet Mickey: 10 – 5:30 p.m. Dressed in traditional fustanella attire, meet Mickey at a special Hellenistic Greek backdrop.

10 – 5:30 p.m. Dressed in traditional fustanella attire, meet Mickey at a special Hellenistic Greek backdrop. Live Performances: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:40 p.m., 3:40 p.m.

Live Greek musicians and dancers.

10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:40 p.m., 3:40 p.m. Live Greek musicians and dancers. Wine Seminars: May 25: 11:20 a.m., 12:50 p.m., 2:10 p.m.

May 26: 12:50 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 4:40 p.m.

May 27: 12:50 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 6:10 p.m.

May 25: 11:20 a.m., 12:50 p.m., 2:10 p.m. May 26: 12:50 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 4:40 p.m. May 27: 12:50 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 6:10 p.m. The Citizens of Greece 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Interact with the Citizens of Greece as they educate, philosophize and guide you through the festivities.

10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Interact with the Citizens of Greece as they educate, philosophize and guide you through the festivities. Cultural arts, crafts and games 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Spontaneous circular Kalamatiano line dances Randomly, throughout the day. [center] Special Merchandise Offerings [/center] Limited “Opa! A Celebration of Greece” t-shirts will be available at kiosks at “it’s a small world” Mall and on Paradise Pier. [center] Special Culinary Event [/center] A Culinary Experience with Greek Celebrity Chef Argiro Barbarigou and Greek Winemaker Christina Boutari. May 26, 2013 at 8 p.m.

SOLD OUT.

[center]Mickey and the Magical Map

Debuts Saturday, May 25

at Disneyland Park[/center]

In addition to the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter and the weekend-long Opa! Greek Festival, Disneyland will also debut its major new musical stage show at the newly refurbished Fantasyland Theatre. “Mickey and the Magical Map” is the first proper stage show in the theatre for over seven years and is expected to feature innovative storytelling techniques including a multi-tiered 35,000+ square inch LED screen.



Be aware that May 23 and 24 will host various media events surrounding the new show and will result in various closures and media presence in Disneyland. Possible soft openings could happen for Annual Passholders on May 24. The show officially opens May 25.

Mickey and the Magical Map

at the Fantasyland Theater Prepare yourself for a magical adventure into the heart of imagination as you join Mickey Mouse on a thrilling, live musical show! With a magical map as your guide, you and Mickey will find yourselves in the middle of fantastic worlds of excitement, color, beloved characters and some favorite songs. Daily Showtimes Starting May 25:

11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:25 p.m., 5:40 p.m.

Market House Makeover



Aside from all of the Memorial Day Weekend events, there’s plenty of construction and refurbishment work going on around Disneyland, including the on-going Market House project. The facade refresh at the coffee shop and former Disneyana shop looks to be just about finished. Meanwhile, work continues inside on expanding the coffee shop into the former art store to accommodate the arrival of the new Starbucks location.



The awnings are back up



Refurbishment Round-Up



Elsewhere on Main Street, a door at the Jewelry Shop is behind walls for some work. The shop remains open.



And back across the street, the old Wizard of Bras porch is behind walls for some refurbishment work.



In Frontierland, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment continues…



Guests aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat might spot some flags and ropes up atop the Golden Horseshoe Saloon.



On Tom Sawyer Island, tarps are still up around Tom and Huck’s Tree House thanks to recent DOSH interference.



In New Orleans Square, the railroad station remains closed until Thursday for refurbishment.



Setting the Stage



The new “Mickey and the Magical Map” stage show will begin Cast Member previews this week with its media and public debuts over the weekend.



Nice hand-painted details



The new showtime board for “Mickey and the Magical Map.”



Below, a video clip Disney released of the Fantasyland Theater shows over the years.



Troubadour Tavern, the snack stand at the Fantasyland Theatre, reopened last week after being closed since the Princess Fantasy Faire vacated the space.



Troubadour Tavern now features a new, smaller menu. Gone are the popular baked potatoes that were previously featured here and instead more of a focus on smaller snack foods.



The new menu:



The new apple-cinnamon baton is essentially a different flavor of the pasty twists offered at Maurice’s Treats in Fantasy Faire.



Our friend Guy Selga over at Touring Plans has a great video review of the new Troubadour Tavern menu:



If you’re looking for the baked potatoes, they’re still available at the Harbour Galley in New Orleans Square where they were moved to when the Fantasyland Theatre and Troubadour Tavern closed for construction.



Welcome to California Adventure

Sunshine Circle

At the end of Buena Vista Street, the Carthay Circle Restaurant is getting some new shade structures installed on the outdoor dining terraces. The outdoor terraces, which can accommodate up to 56 guests, stopped being used fairly quickly after last-year’s grand reopening of Disney California Adventure due to guest complaints over the hot sun during the day and the cool temperatures at night.



Apparently the umbrellas that were included weren’t enough to keep guests comfortable during the day, so now the terraces are now being retrofitted with large shade structures.



Hopefully the new structures will blend well with the Carthay Circle Theater’s architecture.



Repaving Radiator Springs

In Cars Land, the Route 66 repaving project appeared to be done when we photographed the area on Friday, May 10. Dateline Disneyland readers let us know on Monday that the road markings had disappeared again over the weekend ‚Äî Apparently, someone at Disney didn’t think the job was good enough and the road got another coat of slurry in the following days and the street markings were repainted. MiceChat’s In the Parks blog discussed this in their Friday, May 17 post.



In any case, Route 66 is now back to normal and Cars Land continues to see big crowds.



Limited Time Magic

[center]Annual Passholder Animation Academy

A Limited Time Annual Passholder Magic Event

at Disney California Adventure

Friday, May 17, 2013[/center]

On Friday, DCA hosted Disney Animator Eric Goldberg for a special Annual Passholder-exclusive version of the Animation Academy at the Disney Animation building.



The event ran four times throughout the day and lasted about 45 minutes each time. Goldberg shared clips of test animation of characters that he worked on including the Genie and Abu from Aladdin and Louis the Alligator from Princess and the Frog.



The presentation wrapped up with Goldberg leading the group in quick sketch classes where he taught the groups how to draw characters like Pinocchio and Phil from Hercules.



This and That

This isn’t anything new, but Disneyland’s outdoor vending team has taken to parking itself in the middle of Main Street in the hours between the Mickey’s Soundsational Parade showings. It’s bad enough a parade of outdoor vending carts make their way down the parade route before each parade showing, but just parking cotton candy and ice cream carts on Main Street between parades? It’s really tacky.



Back in New Orleans Square, you might be able to find some of the latest offerings in the new line of great Haunted Mansion merchandise. So far, the Haunted Mansion merchandise has been rolled out in limited quantities, taking weeks or months to be replenished… so if you’re interested in one of the new pillows or music boxes, you better act quickly!



If you’re looking for some of this new Haunted Mansion merchandise, don’t look in Port Royal or Le Bat en Rouge ‚Äî two New Orleans Square shops with Haunted Mansion themes ‚Äî on Friday, the new Haunted Mansion merchandise could only be found at the merchandise cart near the exit to the ride.



And to end with some great news – you may have noticed that swing dancing is listed as special entertainment for the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter. The good news is that swing dancing will return to the Royal Theatre in Fantasy Faire (the former Carnation Plaza Gardens Stage) with the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter and then regularly throughout summer starting June 15.



The Royal Theatre will lose its seating for the daytime princess shows for the evening swing parties.





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Weekly News & Information Round-Up Weekly Theme Park Hours

May 20-26, 2013 [B]Disneyland Park[/B] [B]California Adventure[/B] Mon.-Wed.: 9am – 9pm

Thursday: 9am – 7pm

Friday: 24 hours

6am – 6am

Saturday: 9am – 12am

Sunday: 8am – 11pm Mon.-Thurs.: 9am – 9pm

Friday: 24 hours

6am – 6am

Saturday: 9am – 10pm

Sunday: 8am – 10pm [CENTER]

visit the For a complete listing of theme park hours,visit the Disneyland.com Theme Park Calendar [center] Closure and Refurbishment Schedule [/center] [b][center]Disneyland Park[/center][/b] [b]Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:[/b] Closed for extensive refurbishment through October 30.

[b]Market House:[/b] Closed for conversion and expansion for new Starbucks location. Opens fall 2013.

[B]Alice in Wonderland:[/B] Expected to close in 2013 to install permanent safety railing on outdoor ride portion.

[B]Fantasyland Theater presenting Mickey and the Magical Map:[/B] New stage show to debut May 25, 2013. [b][center]Disney California Adventure[/center][/b] None. [b][center]Downtown Disney and Disneyland Resort Hotels[/center][/b] None. [center] Headline Roundup

A quick look at noteworthy Disney theme park headlines from around the web.[/center] Cast Members raise $1,800 for Make-A-Wish in 5th Annual “it’s a small world” rubber duck races.

D23, the official Disney fan club, has announced a new free-level for membership debuting in June that will allow access to online content, discounted registration to member events and more.

A custodial worker at a Walt Disney World hotel has been accused of watching child pornography on a work computer, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

CNN reports that Disney World has vowed to take action against wealthy New York families from using hired disabled persons to skip lines at theme parks.

Alright, that should wrap up this monstrous edition of Dateline Disneyland. Are you planning to brave the crowds this holiday weekend to experience all of the events and new offerings? What are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments section below! We’re only here because of generous readers like you. Do you enjoy reading Dateline Disneyland every week? Consider helping us out by donating so we can pay the bills and keep the weekly updates coming! You can donate with a click of a button via PayPal, click here! For more Disneyland news, be sure to read MiceChat’s weekly In the Parks blog. And be sure to check out our sister blog, Dateline Disney World – a fantastic weekly photo blog covering Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! Thanks for reading. See you at Disneyland!

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