As the continued process of re-themeing and enhancing takes place in Disney’s California Adventure park, Mulholland Madness is next on the list of attractions to receive an update. The family coaster, which has been called “unimaginative” in the past, will get a Goofy’s Sky Skool “refreshing” as part of the $1.1-billion effort to add a heavy dose of Mickey Mouse and friends to the under-performing theme park.

While not a horrible ride, Mulholland Madness is simply a stock “wild mouse” ride with little appeal beyond the typical wild mouse ride experience. The attraction has been blamed as part of the problem that earned Disney California Adventure its “on-the-cheap” reputation.

The new themeing will get its inspiration from the 1940 cartoon short “Goofy’s Glider” where the storyline follows the clumsy anthropomorphic dog’s attempts to teach a group of novice pilots how to fly in which things go awry, Goofy style.

Riders will climb to the top of the 55-foot-tall coaster through clouds festooned with Goofy-shaped holes and pass a series of step-by-step billboards explaining how to fly before finally exiting through an airplane hangar façade.

The Mulholland Madness cars themselves, which hold four riders, will get a modest makeover, replacing the automobile theme with a new paint job, Goofy graphics and a small winglet on the nose.

Scheduled to debut in 2011, the complete makeover will be the third attraction that Disney has retooled in the last three years in an effort to add more classic Disney characters to the California Adventure park, the other two being Mickey’s Fun Wheel and the Silly Symphony Swings.

Concept artwork courtesy of L.A. Times.

I just love all the great content that Disney Parks Blog puts out. Today they released a short video demonstrating the massive control room that controls over 18,000 active points in the “World of Color” show at Disney’s California Adventure. It is indeed one of the biggest show control systems ever built.

Of special interest is the fact the the actual control room is tucked away in one of the parade rooms, out of view of the lagoon itself. That certainly doesn’t hinder them from being able to completely see what is going on as you will see in the video.

The video also shows the telemetry for what Disney Imagineering calls “subs” which are comprised of three giant rooms, each about the size of a semi-trailer, which contain all the electrical distribution for the show.

Now with no further ado, enjoy this behind-the-scenes peek at the World of Color control room.

If you have been waiting for the official announcement as to when Disney’s “World of Color” show is scheduled to open at Disney’s California Adventure, wait no longer. The official date is June 11th when water, lights, fire, music and even animation will come together like never before allowing guests to experience their favorite Disney stories in a magical, new way.

“World of Color” is brilliantly choreographed as it combines nearly 1,200 powerful fountains, Disney music, larger-than-life projections, lasers, fire, fog, surround sound and stunning images. On top of that, the magnificent, moving fountains are capable of reaching enormous heights — from 30 to 200 feet -– while maintaining their dazzling colors.

Disney Parks Blog released one of the latest videos related to this new attraction which features a special introduction from the man behind the magic, Steve Davison from Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment. Enjoy and mark your calendars for June 11!

If you have been to Disney’s California Adventure lately, you no doubt have seen a myriad of construction projects all going on at once. This is all part of a revamping of the park as well as the biggest expansion project the park has seen since its initial opening in 2001.

Disney Parks Blog has released a new 4 minute video highlighting some of the changes that are coming over the next couple of years. It is one of what they promise to be many more as the expansion progresses.

In the video below is hosted by Steven Davison who is Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars at Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment. He is in fact the first Imagineer to join the Disney Parks Blog and when it comes to one of the new attractions being added to the park – “World of Color,” Steven is the man behind the magic. Enjoy!

“Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular’s” long run at the Hyperion Theatre in Disney’s California Adventure will come to a close on August 15, 2010 to make way for “Toy Story – The Musical” which is scheduled to debut in 2011. The Toy Story characters and playful plot will come to life before your eyes in a dazzling, musical stage spectacular where viewers will be treated to a unique “toys’ eye view” of life in Andy’s room.

The 50-minute musical aims to preserve the humor and heart of the original film and will explore the true meaning of friendship as Buzz Lightyear and Woody transform from jealous adversaries to best friends with an unbreakable bond. The stage show is to feature a larger-than-life set design, all-new songs, vivid projected backgrounds and elaborate costumes.

“When we first thought of bringing Toy Story to the stage, there was a great deal of excitement about the project,” said Anne Hamburger, Disney Creative Entertainment executive vice president. “Everyone on our team could immediately see how the heart and comedy of these characters could come alive in a memorable way that is unique to musical theater.”

To make way for this addition to Disney’s California Adventure park, the long-running “Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular” will have its final showings on August 15, 2010.

So if you haven’t see Aladdin yet or want to see it one more time before it closes forever, be sure to visit California Adventure before its summer closing date.

Oh and if you want to ge a sneak peek of what the Toy Story show might be like, there is a video of the show as it appeared on Disney Wonder cruise ship on 10-03-08, filmed and uploaded to YouTube by  mousepal1980.

As work continues on the 1 billion dollar revamping of Disney’s California Adventure theme park, the OC register has put together a very cool interactive map of what the park will look like once everything is complete (some time in 2012).

Here is the map itself. To enjoy the interactive version which will allow you to mouse over the various lands and attractions and learn more details, simply click on the still image below.

Map source: www.ocregister.com/ocregister/multimedia/article_2246900.php.

Games of the Boardwalk, located in the Paradies Pier section of Disney’s California Adventure, reopened this weekend two weeks ahead of schedule. The four midway-style games received a facelift during the lengthy remodel with each of the four games has a new, Disney-inspired theme.

MousePlanet reports that the games now utilize Play Card kiosks which located near the games. They accept cash or credit cards, and issue rechargeable cards that are scanned or swiped at each game. Play Cards start at $5 for 500 points with games costing at least 250 points each.

Cast members say the cashless system makes it much easier to manage the games and that they prefer not to have to handle cash. Four different styles of Play Card are available, each featuring artwork from one of the rethemed games.

Along with the new games come new prizes, most matching their new Disney themes. Goofy About Fishing awards winners their choice from a selection of plush fish with every player being a winner and size of the prize depends on the fish caught in the game. Bullseye Stallion Stampede awards winners plush horses and farm critters. Players who excel at Dumbo Bucket Brigade can win a plush circus animal. The only prize that doesn’t match is the neon-colored plush monkey awarded to the winners of Casey at the Bat.

Now for some photos of the re-themed games.

Games of the Boardwalk re-open

Play Card Kiosks

Goofy About Fishing now offers a prize to every player

Bullseye Stallion Stampede

Casey at the Bat

Dumbo Bucket Brigade

Games are wheelchair accessible

All photos by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix of MousePlanet.

Blue Sky Cellar is scheduled to open Monday, October 20 and will be a preview center of what is new and what is in store for the expansion of the Disneyland Resort. It is to be located in the former Seasons of the Vine Theater in the California Adventure theme park located in Anaheim, California. Guests will be able to view working models as well as dozens of concepts and sketches from Disney Imagineers, the creative minds behind the design and construction of Disney theme parks and attractions.

Blue Sky Cellar will allow guests to preview for the first time works in progress at Disneyland Resort by immersing themselves in a facsimile of an Imagineering workspace. Based on the belief that idea gathering is best when “the sky’s the limit,” the Blue Sky Cellar is designed to resemble an Imagineering “charette,” an extended creative idea development meeting. Guests receive an inside-look at how Imagineers take “blue sky” ideas and refine them into the classic storytelling that characterizes Disney Theme Park attractions and adventures.

Guests will view several new attraction models, including the newly envisioned Paradise Pier area with its turn-of-the-20th-Century look, ride vehicle maquettes from Toy Story Mania!; and the new character overlays to the Games of the Boardwalk. Special features include updates and character additions to attractions such as Mickey’s Fun Wheel (an enhancement of the current Sun Wheel) and Silly Symphony Swings (a refreshed and rethemed Orange Stinger).

Additionally guests will see sketches and artwork line the walls including images of the new entrance area, soon to be known as Buena Vista Street, which will bring to life a nostalgic look at Los Angeles from the 1920s and 30s when Walt Disney first arrived in California; a Red Car trolley, reminiscent of the Pacific Electric Railway; and a new central plaza area including a replica of the Carthay Circle Theatre, where Walt premiered Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The “coming soon” area features images of Disney’s World of Color and The Little Mermaid attraction, and looks even further ahead to Cars Land, a 12-acre expansion of the Park which will bring to life the town of Radiator Springs from the Disney?Pixar animated film Cars, complete with three new attractions for the whole family. Guests in Blue Sky Cellar will have fun testing their knowledge of Disney trivia at one of the interactive workstations.

If that was not enough, there’s more. A screening room will feature Imagineers describing the approach and vision of the Disney California Adventure expansion. Guests will see footage of model-making, sculpting, blue sky meetings and all the aspects of bringing a Disney concept to life.

To get just a small glimpse of what you might expect, check out the three videos below.

Imangineer’s Presentation

Video in Screening Room

Paradise Pier Model

Related: Book your dream Disney vacation at Expedia.com!

Now that the Toy Story Midway Mania attraction is open at both Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando and California Adventure at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Magical Mountain.net has come out with some very interesting fun facts surrounding this new Disney attraction. I’ll provide a few that I thought were most interesting below but be sure to visit the original post at Magical Mountain.net for the full list.

• This is the first time that Walt Disney Imagineering has created an attraction for two Disney Parks simultaneously. Toy Story Midway Mania! opened May 31 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida followed by a June 17 opening at California Adventure in Anaheim.

• It has been estimated that, each day, guests could break more than one million virtual plates playing the games with the spring-action shooters.

• In each of the Midway games, there is at least one “Easter egg” – a target that can trigger the appearance of bonus, high-value targets and other changes in the scene.

• This is the first attraction designed by Walt Disney Imagineering that required the Imagineers to wear 3-D glasses to art direct all the black-light paint elements.

• It takes more than 150 computers communicating over multiple networks throughout the attraction to create the show that responds to every pull of a guest’s spring-action shooter and to every move of their midway tram.

Regarding the Mr. Potato Head Audio-Animatronic figure you encounter in the ride queue:

• Mr. Potato Head is able to say more lines of dialogue than any Audio-Animatronics figure ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering.

• Mr. Potato Head is the first Audio-Animatronics figure that can remove a body part and re-attach it (he does this with his ear).

• The Mr. Potato Head Audio-Animatronics figure has new, highly-expressive and animated eyes that can look directly at a particular guest in the queue when speaking to him/her.

• Mr. Potato Head is the first Audio-Animatronics figure whose mouth appears to form words and vowel sounds as it moves.

I can’t wait to visit this attraction. I’ll most likely experience it first in Florida as I am planning a trip to Walt Disney World in October. That is if I don’t get the itch to drive to neighboring California when it gets cooler and the kids return to school. For now I’ll have to settle for this one of many YouTube videos as well as this excellent review I found at MousePlanet.

Toy Story Midway Mania is like the Buzz Lightyear ride in that it offers an inter-active experience where riders can shoot at targets, earning points as they go along. However, it appears that the Toy Story attraction includes giant video walls as opposed to the traditional three dimensional dark ride environment Buzz Lightyear offers. In the YouTube on-ride video, riders move from video screen to video screen and shoot at targets in what is representative of a state of the art midway games.

Related: Get Disney park hopper tickets at LA Fun Tickets.