Walt Disney World Park Update

Update for January 29 – February 4, 2007

Go directly to: News & Views | Coming Soon | Trivia of the Week | Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events | Discounts/Promotions | Park Hours | Events/Entertainment Schedule

I’m just back from the Walt Disney World press event, and there’s so much information that it’s hard to fit it all into the Update. There’ll be more articles coming with more details, including about the press event. I’ve also got an amazing amount of great audio from interviews that I was able to conduct while there. Listen to the MouseStation podcast this week for the first installment. (It’s going to take weeks to bring it all to you, unless you’d like an 8-hour podcast.)

News and Views

Castle stays are underway as first family wins a night in the Magic Kingdom

Brad Fouch (age 16) of DeWitt, Michigan, was sitting in row 2, seat 8 of simulator 4 at the Disney-MGM Studios’ Star Tours attraction at 9:50 a.m. last Thursday, thinking that he had the bad seat because he was sitting on the end. His opinion soon changed, as sitting in that particular seat at that particular time earned Brad and his family the distinction of being the first people in the parks chosen to spend the night in the Royal Bedchamber inside Cinderella Castle. That was the randomly selected criteria set by the computer system set up to award all prizes.

The Fouches—Brad, parents Jim and Lisa, and sister Hannah (who had celebrated her eighth birthday just three days earlier)—enjoyed the full royal treatment, including serving as honorary grand marshals of the Disney Dreams Come True parade that afternoon, dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table and arriving at the castle that evening in Cinderella’s carriage for their role in a stage show at Thursday night’s press event.

For Hannah, it was even more special. Before the family had set out on their vacation, she had seen a Disney commercial in which Cinderella dances with a little “princess” and told her mother that that was what she wanted to do. And amazingly, she was able to do just that.

And yet, that was not the first win for the family. On their way into the attraction that would eventually win them the castle stay, they won Dream Fastpasses that would allow them to use the Fastpass queue once for each attraction at the Disney-MGM Studios that day.

When mom Lisa exclaimed “I never win anything!”, son Brad responded, “Mom, you can never say that again.”

Lisa, Hannah, Jim and Brad Fouch wave while serving as grand marshals of the afternoon parade. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Hannah and Brad Fouch join Cinderella and her prince in welcoming the press to an after-hours party in Fantasyland. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Disney announces Dream Jobs promotion

On Thursday morning in front of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom, Disney Parks & Resorts President of Worldwide Operations Al Weiss and CareerBuilder.com Vice President of Consumer Marketing and Senior Career Advisor Richard Castellini announced a new contest designed to spark job applications from those interested in working for Disney. Contest entrants will submit a video audition online to win one of five positions at a Disney park: Haunted Mansion butler, Jungle Cruise skipper, princess-in-training, pirate, or parade performer.

“Applications” are being accepted through February 20 at the CareerBuilder.com site. Up to 20 finalists will be selected for each job and their auditions posted online. Rankings based on the number of times each audition is viewed will be combined with the judging done to select the finalists to determine five winners for each job. Winners and up to three guests will receive a four-day, three-night trip to the Disneyland Resort June 9 to 12, and will have the opportunity to perform their “dream job”. If the winner cannot travel on those dates, another winner will be chosen in their place.

In an interview after the event, Weiss noted that the promotion will “give people a chance to have that once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity to have some great fun in one of those roles… but I think more importantly it’ll also give people an opportunity who maybe dreamed about working for Disney that chance to motivate them, put their resume online and actually get hired to come to work for us and, you know, the neat thing about that is that they can start in one of those jobs we talked about but they can also move up into management positions over the years, just like I did.”

Al Weiss speaks at the announcement of the Disney Dream Job contest. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

“Wish Lounge” opens for visiting “Disney wish families”

To help provide support for those coming to Walt Disney World as part of a wish fulfillment by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and other wish-granting agencies (Disney fulfills over 5,000 wishes per year for children with life-threatening illnesses), Disney dedicated a new “Wish Lounge” last Thursday, with the first Make-A-Wish child to use the lounge being named Princess of the Day at the Magic Kingdom. After being crowned as Princess, Katie Justice (known on Thursday as “Princess Katherine”) presided over the ribbon-cutting for the lounge, along with Michael Moloney of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (who later told me that he had not actually participated in the design of the lounge). Katie also was treated to lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table and had a special pre-parade before the Disney Dreams Come True parade.

Katie Justice is crowned “Princess Katherine” during the dedication of the Wish Lounge at the Magic Kingdom last Thursday. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

The lounge is comfortably furnished as a place for those “wish families” to take a break during the day when they need to rest during their visit to the park. They can take advantage of the games and TV, have the attendants make dining and other reservations for them, or consult with the medical staff at the First Aid station next door.

The Wish Lounge is furnished as a place for “Disney wish families” to take a break during the day. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Toy Story Mania confirmed as attraction title, details emerge

Walt Disney Imagineering Executive Vice President and Senior Creative Executive Tom Fitzgerald confirmed Friday that Toy Story Mania will be the name of the new attraction under construction at the former site of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It at the Disney-MGM Studios and along Paradise Pier at Disney’s California Adventure.

Opening at the same time on both coasts in 2008, the attraction features a virtual shooting gallery where, through the use of special goggles, riders will shoot varying types of ammunition in each room of the attraction, and experience a ride personalized to their abilities.

Guests arriving at the attraction will find a six-foot-tall Mr. Potato Head acting as a carnival barker, interacting with the guests. This next product of the Living Creatures initiative will be able to remove and rearrange body parts while chatting with (and perhaps teasing) those in line. Once inside, guests will board eight-person ride vehicles that seat four riders on each side, sitting back-to-back. Riders will wear glasses that will enable them to see all of the 3-D projections on the attraction.

The ride consists of several rooms, each set up as a different carnival booth hosted by a different Toy Story character. Each features a different kind of ammunition. In the target practice room, for example, riders will throw pies at targets on a fence, behind which the Toy Story characters are standing. In HAMMnEGGS, the piggy bank tells how to throw eggs at hens and a henhouse. Bo Peep’s Baa-a-alloon Pop has riders throwing darts at balloons. The Little Green Men have you throw rings around the aliens, and if you score high enough in that room, you could become “The Chosen One.”

To match the 3-D effects, wind, water and other effects used in the current 3-D movies at the parks will be employed to put you more into the action.

But those without extensive game experience need not worry; Toy Story Mania will adapt to players’ skill, making it easier for those experiencing difficulty, while making it more difficult for those who are scoring quite highly.

Since the attraction will be mostly virtual, Disney will be able to modify the game at will. For example, some of the hidden targets will not be revealed on opening day but will be added, “[S]o there’ll always be this buzz about what’s being added and what are the super-secret targets that give you a high score,” said Fitzgerald.

Look for the attraction to open some time summer 2008.

In this concept art, Toy Story Mania players get a practice round before going into the rooms where their score counts. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Lots of Epcot updates

In an interview that we’ll run on this week’s MouseStation podcast, WDW Vice President for Epcot Brad Rex confirmed and revealed quite a bit of information. Here are some of the items of most interest to readers, based on e-mail that we’ve received.

While it’s been known that Turtle Talk with Crush is closing today for its move to the remaining former Living Seas pre-show theater, we now know that the pod that’s now closed (the one that hosted the “Find Nemo” display) will become the queue for the new theater. Once the move has been accomplished, the old Turtle Talk theater will be converted to become exhibit space, and will have some form of the displaced display.

The post-show area for Spaceship Earth, set up to promote new attraction sponsor Siemens, will open in the spring timeframe.

For the first time that I’ve seen or heard by a Disney official, Rex confirmed on the record what we first reported last year: that the El Rio del Tiempo attraction’s refurbishment will include a retheming to the Three Caballeros. Rex also gave a time from on another item that we first reported in that same story last year. The new CircleVision film for the Canada pavilion will premiere in the summer or fall timeframe.

Also, 45 seconds of additional footage have been shot for the Golden Dream film segment at the end of the American Adventure attraction.

For more from Brad Rex, listen to the podcast on Thursday.

This clock in the lobby of the Cinderella Castle Suite is always at one minute to midnight, because it’s never allowed to strike midnight there. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

New Disney marketing campaign features images by Annie Leibovitz

As part of the new Year of a Million Dreams promotion, Disney commissioned famed photographer Annie Leibovitz to create a series of images where celebrities take on the role of a Disney character. Each of the images includes a tagline related to the image.

“Where every Cinderella story comes true.” As Cinderella, Scarlett Johansson is seen running down a flight of stairs as the clock strikes midnight with her glass slipper unknowingly left behind. Photo provided by Disney.

Scarlett Johansson portrays Cinderella, fleeing the ball without her slipper. New L.A. Galaxy star David Beckham rides to save the day as Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty. In the third image, Alice (Dreamgirls star Beyonce), the March Hare (Lyle Lovett) and the Mad Hatter (Oliver Platt) take a spin in an out-of-control tea cup.

“Where Wonderland is your destiny.” Beyonce appears as “Alice in Wonderland,” twirling in a teacup, accompanied by Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter and Lyle Lovett as the March Hare. Photo provided by Disney.

Look for these three debut images to appear in a special insert in the March issues of Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, W, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler, and Cookie, with other images to follow as the Year of a Million Dreams continues.

“Where imagination saves the day.” David Beckham plays the part of the gallant Prince Phillip from “Sleeping Beauty,” atop his trusted steed fighting the evil dragon. Photo provided by Disney.

Laugh Floor previews to press to mixed reviews, to open in spring

Two nearly identical shows during sneak previews for the press got very different reactions, pointing out the difficulties in getting the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club attraction ready for the public. While the 1:00 show last Thursday saw members of the press sitting on their hands, the 5:00 show had them laughing loudly. Show writers are trying to find a way to ensure that the show hits the mark every time. While progress is being made, much work still remains to be done. Technically, the show appears to be ready. Now it’s just up to the writers to get the show up to a point where it gets consistent reactions of laughter.

A bulletin board at the Laugh Floor Comedy Club shows reviews of the club. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Quick takes …

…When the Concourse Steakhouse eventually vacates its current location and moves down to the current location of the Food & Fun Center, it will reportedly be renamed “The Wave” and may switch its cuisine to Asian food.

…Labor talks are now underway between Disney and the Service Trades Council Union (STCU) on a new contract to replace the three-year contract (for 2004-2007) that was finally agreed to in 2005.

…The new restaurant at the Swan hotel, replacing Palio, will be Il Mulino, an Italian restaurant from New York’s Greenwich Village. Palio closed last September.

Work continues on the Yak and Yeti restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Photo by Brian Warneke.

Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. Email Mark here.

Talk about these stories and more on our Walt Disney World discussion forum here.

Coming soon

• Jan. 29, Feb. 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 23, 26, Mar. 2, 5, 8. Disney’s Pirate & Princess Party.
• Feb. 2-4. National Dance Team Championship.
• Feb. 9-11. National High School Cheerleading Championship.
• Feb. 16?19. Twirlmania.
• Feb. 15 – Mar. 29. Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
• Feb. 24?25. Cheer & Dance National Championships.

Trivia question of the week

This week’s question: What prop modeled after an item in Disney’s Aladdin can be found inside the newly opened Disney Wish Lounge? Stay tuned to next week’s park update for the answer.

The answer to last week’s question: “What famed location are the rock formations of Big Thunder Mountain inspired by?” is:

Monument Valley. The rock formations at California’s version of the mountain are inspired by Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club – is holding occasional test shows and will have its official grand opening this spring.
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – closes for refurbishment, including the installation of paddle fans in the queue area, January 28 – February 11.
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway – closes for refurbishment January 31 – February 15.
• Liberty Square Riverboat – closes due to refurbishment February 27 – March 1.

Epcot

• Turtle Talk with Crush – closes January 29 – Febuary 16 while it is moved to the remaining former pre-show theater at Seas pavilion. The Find Nemo display pod becomes the queue area for this new location and the exhibit may be relocated to the old Turtle Talk theater location.
• El Rio del Tiempo – closes for refurbishment through April 1, including the addition of a Three Caballeros-themed overlay.
• Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki – closes for refurbishment from March 11 through July 14.
• Rose & Crown Dining Room – closes for refurbishment from February 21 through March 14.
• Le Cellier Restaurant – closes for refurbishment May 14–18.
• The Wonders of Life pavilion – has again closed, perhaps forever and perhaps just until next Thanksgiving weekend.

Disney-MGM Studios

• No currently known refurbishments.

Animal Kingdom

• Kali River Rapids – closes for refurbishment February 5–9.

Resorts

• All-Star Movies Resort – the Fantasia pool is closed for an extensive rehab through February 18. All-Star Movies guests can use the “quiet” pools as well as the main pools at the other All-Star resorts.
• All-Star Music Resort – Conversion of Calypso buildings to Family Suites continues. All work had been expected to be completed by October 13, but that date has not been met. All buildings not containing Family Suites will be renovated between January and June.
• All-Star Sports Resort – All buildings will be renovated between June and November.
• Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – Building 6 (Concierge) closes in September for a full refurbishment.
• Polynesian Resort – The Nanea Volcano pool closes for the installation of safety equipment from January 13 – February 28.
• Port Orleans Riverside Resort – The Riverside Mill food court closes for refurbishment through mid-April.
• Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa – Phase I’s four buildings and Phase II’s eight units are complete, Construction on the six buildings of Phase III is underway, with all six units expected to be completed in late 2007. The new buildings will comprise two additional sections, to be called The Carousel and The Grandstand. The two buildings in The Carousel have been completed, and the four in The Grandstand are well underway.
• Wilderness Lodge – The Silver Springs feature pool and hot tub closes from January 29 through March 2. The children’s pool will close on February 12 and also reopen on March 2.

Water Parks

• Typhoon Lagoon – Closed for annual refurbishment , and reopens on March 18.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays – Saturdays. No performances March 18–20, May 20?June 4, July 29–31, September 23–October 1, November 25–27.

Park Events

January 2007

• Disney’s Pirate & Princess Party. Jan. 29, Feb. 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 23, 26, Mar. 2, 5, 8. A new hard-ticketed event celebrates the the pirates and princesses in all of us (link).

February 2007

• National Dance Team Championship. Feb. 2-4. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
• National High School Cheerleading Championship. Feb. 9-11. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
• Twirlmania. February 16?19. Twirlers, auxiliary guard, pom, and dancers descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
• Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. February 15 – March 29 (link).
• Cheer & Dance National Championships. February 24?25. School & Youth Rec Cheer February 24, All-Star Cheer & Dance February 25 (link).

March 2007

• Cheer & Dance National Championships. March 2?4. All Star/Studio March 2, School Dance March 2?4 (link).
• ESPN – The Weekend. March 2–4. Synergy strikes again as Disney’s flagship cable network returns to the Disney-MGM Studios (link).
• National Kidney Foundation 5K for Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness. March 3. Another race for a great cause (link).
• National All Star Cheerleading Championship. March 9-11. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).

April 2007

• Walt Disney World Inline Marathon and Half Marathon (link). April 1. Strap your skates on to race from the Wide World of Sports Complex to the Disney-MGM Studios and Epcot, and back again.
• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. April 5 – June 3. Epcot comes alive with topiaries, other floral displays, gardening demonstrations and the ?Flower Power? concert series at the 14th annual event (link).
• USASF Cheerleading & Dance Worlds. April 21–22. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).

May 2007

• Disney’s Minnie Marathon Weekend 5K and 1 Mile (link). May 5. The short runs of the ladies-only running weekend take place at and near Downtown Disney. Registration is now open (link).
• Women Run the World 15 K (link). May 6. The course starts at Animal Kingdom, goes through the Studios and ends at Epcot. Registration is now open (link).
• Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (link). May 15-17. Regular-season Major League Baseball comes to The Ballpark at Disney’s Wide World of Sports for the first time.
• Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend (link). May 18-20. The annual event features over 30 artists displaying their wares.
• Walt Disney World 70.3 Ironman Triathlon (link). May 20. Athletes compete in a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. Registration opens soon (link).
• Pirates of the Caribbean Adventures on the Seven Seas Lagoon (link). May 21-24. Disneyland may get the movie premiere, but Walt Disney World gets a three-day, multi-tiered event on open water. Details to be announced on December 20.

July 2007

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp (link). Late July – Mid-August. The Bucs return to Disney for another year’s training camp.

September 2007

• Walt Disney World Triathlon (link). Sept. 23. Athletes compete in a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride, and a 10K run. Registration opens soon (link).

October 2007

• Race for the Taste 10K (link). Oct. 7. The annual October classic steers runners through the Disney-MGM Studios and Epcot. Registration is now open (link).

November 2007

• Disney Golf Classic (link). Nov. 1–4. Joe Durant returns to defend his 2006 title (link).
• Old Spice Classic (link). Nov. 22, 23, 25. ESPN Regional presents the second annual 8-team, 12-game tournament, featuring George Mason, Kansas State, North Carolina State, Penn State, Rider, South Carolina and Villanova.

January 2008

• Walt Disney World Half-Marathon (link). Jan. 12. Registration opens January 8, 2007.
• Walt Disney World Marathon (link). Jan. 13. Registration opens January 8, 2007. [Read our WDW Marathon Guide.]

Current Discounts & Promotions

FL resident and AP room rates through February 14

Disney has announced room-only discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida Residents for January through mid-February.

Room-only discounts are available for Annual Passholders and Florida residents from January 1 through February 14. Discounts are $23 off per night at Value resorts, $46 per night at Moderate resorts and $80 per night at Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts. These rates can be booked up to the night of arrival, depending on availability. Discounts are priced off of rack rate. To book the rates, call Disney directly or your travel agent (Small World Vacations is MousePlanet’s preferred travel agency) and request booking code FCC (Passholders) or BRL (Florida residents).

Thanks to MousePlanet sponsors Small World Vacations and MouseSavers for this information.

Florida resident and AP room rates through March 30

Disney has announced room-only discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida Residents for mid-February through the end of March. Room-only discounts are available for Annual Passholders and Florida residents for most night from February 15 through March 30. Discounts are up to $40 off per night at Value resorts, $61 off per night at Moderate resorts and $131 off per night at Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts. These rates can be booked up to the night of arrival, depending on availability. Discounts are priced off of rack rate. To book the rates, call Disney directly or your travel agent (Small World Vacations is MousePlanet’s preferred travel agency) and request booking code FCR (Passholders) or FCT (Florida residents).

Passholders and Florida Residents get six months’ admission to Pleasure Island for the cost of one night

From January 1 through March 31 of this year, Annual Passholders and Florida residents can purchase a multi-club Pleasure Island ticket for the regular price of $21.95 (plus tax) and get unlimited visits through June 30. Guests must be over 21 years of age to purchase the tickets, and proof of age, proof of an annual pass or Florida residency, and a valid photo ID are required at the Pleasure Island box office when purchasing a ticket or redeeming a certificate from an online purchase. The offer cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, and is not valid for single-club tickets. Guests must be 21 years of age to enter any of the dance clubs (basically anything other than the Adventurer’s Club and the Comedy Warehouse), and must show proof of age at the time of entry.

Magic Your Way ticket price guide

Walt Disney World’s entire ticket price structure changed as of January 2, 2005, to the new “Magic Your Way” passes, and prices increased on January 1, 2006, and again on August 6, 2006. Advance purchase discounts are only available on tickets above the base ticket of at least 4 days, with higher discounts on those tickets with both options. Prices do not include 6.5% Florida sales tax.

Park Hours

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through July 2007.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through July 2007.

Theme Park Events

Fort Wilderness movie schedule for January 2007

Movies begin at 7:40 and (on Friday and Saturday only) 9:15. Movies are preceded by a campfire at 6:30 and a singalong at 7:00. The schedule for February was not available at press time.

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)

Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. Email Mark here.