Disney Gallery Reopens at Disneyland on Main Street

Here is a picture from Disneyland.com of the newly reopened Disney Gallery at the former Bank of Main Street. It reopens today at Disneyland.


Bank of America was one of the original park sponsors and had one of the only seven day banks open in America, right at Disneyland. In the early 90s, the sponsorship ended and the space became an annual passport processing center. After the closure of the Disney Gallery above the Pirates of the Caribbean for conversion to the Dream Suite, the gallery needed a new location. It is very fittingly now found on Main Street. The Walt Disney Story portion next door has also reopened and connects to the Gallery.

Upcoming Disneyland Attraction Closures

• Bank of Main Street – closed through October 2 will reopen into the new Disney Gallery.
• Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years – closed through December 16 when we welcome back Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln to the Main Street Opera House.
• The Enchanted Cottage – closed through November 4 for refurbishment.
• Casey Jr. Circus Trains and Storybook Land Canal Boats – closed through November 19 for refurbishment.
• Gadget's Go Coaster – closed through October 26 for refurbishment.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – closed September 28 to October 2 for refurbishment.
• Blue Bayou Restaurant – closed September 28 to October 2 for refurbishment.
• Columbia – closed October 5–7 and October 12-15
  
• Indiana Jones Adventure – closed October 5–8.
• Disneyland Railroad – closed October 5–8.
• "it's a small world" – closed October 26–November 12 for installation of small world holiday
  

Great Moment's With Mr. Lincoln

At D23, I was able to sit in on the panel with Tony Baxter regarding the return of Mr. Lincoln. The show will bring back the original voice of Lincoln provided by actor Royal Dano and narration from Paul Frees. Imagineering has remastered the original audio and created an entirely new show that incorporates more music, more emotion, and a new, state-of-the-art Mr. Lincoln but feels and looks much like the old show that we love.

The lobby will be divided in half, the first section will feature "The Disneyland Story," and will have an opening that connects it into the new Disney Gallery. The opening-day Disneyland model will return along with additional artifacts of Disneyland's history. The second half of the lobby will be dedicated to Mr. Lincoln. We were promised a return also of the U.S. Capitol Building scale model.

Baxter commented how he hated that the audiences used to be rushed out at the end of the show. In the new program, the audience will be able to sit for a couple of minutes to think about the presentation and watch a slide show of other important Americans. It sounds like it will be big on patriotism.

D23 Expo Announcements

Wall*E

Some exciting updates are coming to Disneyland as announced at the D23 Expo:

• Walt Disney Story and The Disney Gallery open in October 2009
• Great Moment's With Mr. Lincoln will be back early 2010
• Star Tours 2 in 2011
• Captain Eo may return, probably in 2010