MouseStation 74 – MousePlanetWatch news
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Walt Disney World News
- Advocates for
the disabled are fighting to
convince Disney to allow those who use Segways to get around to use
them in the theme parks. - The contract for the 8,000 part-timers represented by the Service Trades
Council Union was settled
much more quickly and quietly than that for the 21,000 full-timers
represented by the union. - Kerri MacPherson and Tameka Chianti Newman have been selected as the 2008
Walt Disney World Ambassador team. - The lineup of celebrities
for the Super Soap Weekend at the Disney-MGM Studios on November 10-11 has
been set. - Five pairs of red-cockaded
woodpeckers were released into the Disney Wilderness Preserve as part
of an effort to help the birds recolonize Central Florida. - Construction Updates:
- Demolition and reconstruction of the interior of the Main Street Cinemas
seems to spell the end for the Virtual Magic Kingdom center. - New parade storage facilities are being built at the Magic Kingdom
and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. - New kitchen equipment is being installed at Tamu Tamu Refreshments.
- New pizza ovens are being installed in the second floor kitchen at
Columbia Harbour House. In Monday’s Park Update, we wondered what Harbour
House was doing with pizza ovens when they don’t serve pizza there.
We subsequently received information that the pizzas were for sale at
the Liberty Square Market, with further information that Mickey waffles
are now available at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments.
- Demolition and reconstruction of the interior of the Main Street Cinemas
- Quick takes:
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party sold out on Halloween night.
Other nights are going fast, so get your tickets soon. - Both Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining opened at the Japan pavilion last
week. Make your reservations now. - The quick-service portion of Yak & Yeti Restaurant will be called
Yak & Yeti Market. - Ground has been broken on the T-Rex Restaurant location at Downtown
Disney. - Brian Piasecki is following Anette Grecchi Gray as executive chef
at Jiko – The Cooking Place. Grecchi Gray left to take a position with
Carlson Cos., owner of T.G.I. Friday’s and other brands.
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party sold out on Halloween night.
- In news breaking since Monday’s Update, we received answers (or, largely,
non-answers) to the questions that we had posed to the Disney Vacation Club
regarding the lease extension at the Old Key West Resort.- Can those who elect not to extend their ownership interest change
their mind and repurchase their extra 15 years from DVD later on? Members
are being give the option to add on to their membership or not at this
time. We do not have plans at this time to extend the offer again. However,
we reserved the right to do so. - If they don’t extend, what will that do to the resale value of the
points? We cannot speculate on the resale value of points. - Why is Old Key West the only one receiving this offer? This is
our flagship resort and this offer was in celebration of our 15th anniversary. - What about the rest of the 2042-class resorts (Hilton Head, Vero Beach,
BoardWalk, Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge)? Disney’s Old Key West
Resort is the only property where this offer is being extended at this
time. - Why are they forcing this decision on DVC members (who have about
five months to make up their minds, complete their financing and pay
in full) 35 years in advance? It is a Member’s choice to add on or
elect not to do so. Members are able to finance the extension amount
through Disney Vacation Development the same terms we offer for financing
of new purchases. - Since we recorded the podcast, we received an answer to our follow-up
question: While DVC can’t speculate on what might happen to resale values,
you should be able to speculate on the dollar level at which you’d exercise
your right of first refusal, which does have an impact on resale values.
Can you project what impact extending vs. not extending might have on
the point at which you’d use ROFR to buy the ownership interest back?
We really can’t speculate on resale value or the dollar level. - So there you have it, for what it’s worth. We’ll have that information
in next Monday’s Park Update.
- Can those who elect not to extend their ownership interest change
