Walt Disney World Park Update

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News and Views

New spa to open at Swan & Dolphin

Steiner Leisure, which operates the spa facilities aboard the Disney
Magic and Disney Wonder through its Spas at Sea division, has announced
that their Mandara Spa division will create and operate a luxury spa facility
at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel. Mandara will lease the
facilities for 20 years, with Mandara holding the option of renewals.

The spa will have a “contemporary-Balinese” feel to it, and will include
treatment rooms, couples suites, a relaxation tea garden and meditation
garden, lakefront views and balconies, changing rooms, steam rooms, a
nail salon and a hair spa.” Mandara estimates that the $2.5 million facility
will be open this summer.

Pleasure Island celebrates Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day in their own
way

Pleasure Island will be celebrating Parti Gras, their annual take on
Mardi Gras, on February 4, 5 and 8. Feathered banners, fabric swags, purple
and green garland, Mardi Gras masks and more will decorate the Island.
There will be a wide range of special entertainment, featuring Mardi Gras
stilt walkers, jugglers, a unicycle artist, a bead dancer, a yo-yo professional,
a beaded person (a person literally covered with beads), live bands and
more. The outdoor elements of this celebration are free to the public,
but admission to the Pleasure Island nightclubs still requires a ticket.

The Island also plans to become Sweetheart Island, celebrating the romance
of Valentine’s Day, on February 11, 12 and 14. Red and silver decorations
will cover the Island, while streetmosphere entertainers portray “love
prophets” who humorously predict guests’ romantic futures, a “Matchmaker
Matchbreaker” character who pushes her way into everyone’s business, and
a “Lovelorn Loser” who tries desperately to land the love of his life.
As with Parti Gras, the outdoor elements of this celebration are free
to the public, but admission to the Pleasure Island nightclubs still requires
a ticket.

River Country finally officially gone

After years of speculation on the fate of the closed water park, Disney
finally announced on Thursday that the park would never reopen. This puts
to rest the periodic fantasizing of fans that the park would return. It
is unknown why Disney chose now to announce the park’s fate, but speculation
includes the possibility that it might be a favorable time to remove the
park from the company’s balance sheet. In either case, River Country now
officially joins its former partner, Discovery Island, in the annals of
yesteryear.

The Land flips its lid

The refurbishment of The Land pavilion has claimed a (hopefully temporary)
victim. The small glass dome over the entry portico has been removed,
leaving a round hole above the entranceway. In addition, the ramped walkway
leading to the pavilion, as well as the planter full of palm trees that
was under the dome, has been removed. The Land logo sign, as well as the
dedication plaque, are gone. Presumably, much of this will be returned
by the end of the construction work, but that will remain to be seen.

The mosaic murals along the sides of the entranceway, the benches that
are built into the walls, and the sliding glass doors at the entrance
of the pavilion have not (yet) been touched.

We’re also hearing rumors that the pavilion may see the return of a large
mural painting covering the entire ceiling, similar to the blue-sky mural
that was painted over during the 1996 refurbishment.

WDW named one of Top 10 Family Reunion Destinations by Family Travel
Forum

Family Travel Forum has named Walt Disney World a winner of its seventh
annual Top 10 Getaways awards (link).
The awards honor “businesses in the hospitality, cruise and tour sectors
that excel at satisfying the needs of children and adults participating
in a family reunion.”

The Top 10 Getaways For Family Reunions award winners were determined
from more than 100 nominations made by travel experts, contributing editors
and 80,000 site visitors. Walt Disney World was one of three locations
honored in the Top Dream Reunion Experiences category. Other categories
included Top All-Inclusive Resorts for Reunions, Top Mountain Resorts
for Reunions and Top Recreational Resorts for Reunions. Family Travel
Forum specifically noted Disney’s Magical Gatherings program as a useful
travel aid.

I-4 work moves onto the next phase

The next round of construction closures at the intersection of Interstate
4 and U.S. Route 192 will take effect on Sunday, February 6, when the
exit from I-4 westbound to U.S. 192 eastbound will close. MousePlanet
reader teri passes along advice for those who will be affected
by the closure:

If you are traveling from the Downtown Disney area on I-4 toward 192
and Celebration/Kissimmee, you will take the Osceola Parkway east exit
(one sign says Gaylord Center) and turn right on South International
Drive to get to 192 near Old Town and Celebration. You can continue
further down Osceola Parkway if you are going further down 192, but
you may pay a toll depending on how far you go.

If you miss the Osceola Parkway exit for some reason, you can take
the World Drive exit toward Celebration and turn back.

Ears to the ground

…Work is underway on a new monorail load/unload gate system. The
first station to be refurbished is the Magic Kingdom resort line station.
The work on that station is scheduled to be completed on March 11th, with
the other 4 Resort Line stations following afterward. The monorail is
expected to operate during the refurbishment with minimal guest impact.

…We have been informed that the Disney resorts have been told to
no longer accept any room requests that are phoned or faxed in directly
to the resort. To have a request met, it should be noted on your room
reservation. If you made your reservation through the Disney Reservations
Center, call them to have your request noted. If your reservation was
made through a travel agent, the request should go through your agent.

…The West End Stage at Pleasure Island is not quite dead yet. Jamie
Bergeron and the Kickin’ Cajuns will be performing there on 2/4 during
the Parti Gras celebration. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Beach Club will be closed
that night.

…The gallery next to Reflections of China is closed off and boarded
up to make way for the new exhibit advertising Hong Kong Disneyland.

…France is boarded up around the Boulangerie Patisserie for refurbishing.

…We’re hearing that the California Grill is about to become much
more strict about their business casual dress code.

…The Wolfgang Puck Café at Downtown Disney will be holding a ?Wolfgang
Puck Makes It Easy? Wine Dinner on January 31 at 7 p.m. in their second-floor
dining room. Puck and Executive Chef Eric Kelly have designed a special
menu for the event, highlighting seasonal favorites from Puck’s new book,
?Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy,? paired with specialty wines. Prior to the
wine dinner, Wolfgang Puck will be signing books, posing for photos and
signing autographs from 5:00?7:00pm in The Cafe.

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

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• “it’s a small world” – closed through March
  18, 2005 for rehab (info).
  
• 20,000 League Under the Sea lagoon – currently being transformed
  into a Hundred Acre Wood-themed meet-and-greet. Reopening date unknown.

• Astro Orbiter – closed December 20 – March 12, 2005.
  
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress – scheduled rehab has
  now been postponed until after completion of work on the Astro Orbiter.
  
• Cinderella’s Royal Table – closed for rehab January 17–27,
  2005. Lunch and dinner resume on January 28, while character breakfasts
  return on January 29.
  
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant – closed January 10 – February
  12, 2005.
  
• Liberty Square Riverboat – will not be operating January
  23 – February 8.

• Timekeeper – opens seasonally.
• Jungle Cruise, the Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New
  Management, the Hall of Presidents and the Country Bear
  Jamboree – open at 10 a.m. every day.

• The Hub area in front of the castle – undergoing more
  refurbishing in preparation for the Cinderellabration show coming later
  this year. Reopening date uncertain.
  
• Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration – last performance on
  February 26, 2005. Expected to return after the 18-month “Happiest
  Homecoming on Earth” celebration (commemorating the 50th anniversary
  of the original Disneyland Park in California) ends.
  
• Cinderellabration – begins preview performances in March
  2005. Expected to run until the end of the 18-month “Happiest Homecoming
  on Earth” celebration.
  

Epcot

• Soarin’ – is officially scheduled to open in May 2005,
  but may have an earlier soft opening.
  
• The Behind the Seeds Walking Tour of the greenhouses at The
  Land – discontinued construction of the queue area for Soarin’.
  Expected to resume upon completion of the construction.
  
• The Land pavilion – closed January 2 – March 31,
  2005 for completion of the Soarin’ attraction.
  
• The Wonders of Life pavilion – open seasonally. The Pure
  and Simple eatery and the Well and Goods Limited shop have
  been removed, while the Body Wars, Cranium Command, and
  The Making of Me attractions now open when the pavilion is open.
  The pavilion will be open February 12–26.
  

Disney-MGM Studios

• Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, an American version
  of the popular Moteurs… Action! stunt show from the Walt
  Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris – is officially scheduled to
  debut in May 2005. Rumor has it that the show will soft-open on March
  13.
  
• Fantasmic – will not be performed January 24-26.
  
• The Imperial Walker in front of Star Tours – will receive
  a rehab from January 4 – March 11.
  
• Mickey Avenue – will undergo work on an expansion from
  January 4 – March 11.
  
• Stunt Show merchandise cart – will undergo some work from
  January 9 – February 25.
  

Animal Kingdom

• Lucky the Dinosaur – is scheduled to appear in May and
  June, 2005.
  
• Expedition Everest – is scheduled to open in Spring 2006.
  

Resorts

• Port Orleans Resort – Ongoing two-year extensive rehab
  of its rooms. Phase I’s French Quarter has reopened. Phase II is underway,
  and involves Riverside going through a phased rehab. The Magnolia Bend
  mansions appear to be completed. Alligator Bayou will close in sections.
  
• Polynesian Resort – nearing completion of the refurbishment
  of longhouses. Rapa Nui and the suites in Tonga are currently being
  worked on through April 1. Still scheduled: Tahiti April 24 – August
  17, and Tokelau May – September. Work on the Great Ceremonial House
  also appears to be underway. We hear that all of the stores will be
  moved to the main lobby area, and that Captain Cook’s Snack Company
  will be expanded to fill the rest of the rear of the building.
  
• Caribbean Beach Resort – The Trinidad North quiet pool
  is closed from January 4 – February 7.
  
• BoardWalk Resort – Conversion of the previous Disney Vacation
  Club sales center into 19 additional villa-style accommodations will
  continue through June. The second floor villas located directly above
  the project area will not be available for booking during the construction.
  In addition, a major pipe replacement project is underway in corridors
  outside guest rooms daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through summer 2005.
  No work is scheduled inside guest rooms.
  
• Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa – Construction continues
  on the rest of the resort; the four buildings of Phase I are complete,
  the eight units of Phase II are due in 2005, and the six units of Phase
  III are due in 2007. Phase III will involve the razing of the old Fairway
  Villas.
  
• Yacht and Beach Club Resorts – An overall refurbishment
  of the Stormalong Bay pool area is running through early 2005. Certain
  sections of the pool will be unavailable at various times during the
  project. Those parts of the main pool not immediately being worked on
  will remain available for use. The main Flying Jib slide will be closed
  from January 3 to February 25, 2005, due to a painting project in that
  area. During the work on the slide, Yacht and Beach Club guests may
  use the Keister Coaster slide and Luna Park pool at the BoardWalk Resort.
  
• Yacht Club Resort – A siding renovation project is expected
  to continue through mid-2005.
  
• Beach Club Resort – The Sandcastle Club child care center
  will be closed from January 1 – March 31 to allow for the refurbishment
  of the Atlantic Wear & Wardrobe Emporium. The Harbor Club at the BoardWalk
  Resort will resume operations for that three-month period, with operations
  returning to the Sandcastle Club on April 1.
  
• Coronado Springs Resort – Construction continues on the
  86,000-square-foot exhibit hall that is scheduled to open in spring
  2005. Construction noises may be audible throughout the Casitas section
  of the resort during the daytime construction.
  

Water Parks

• Typhoon Lagoon – is closed for its annual refurbishment
  from December 12, 2004 – March 12, 2005. It reopens with a new
  water coaster, the Crush ‘N’ Gusher.
  

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays through
  Saturdays.
  
• The All Star Cafe at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex
  – now closed Monday–Wednesday. Open Thursday–Sunday,
  from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  

Park Events

February 2005

• Twirl Mania – The Twirler’s Championships (link).
  February 18–21.
  
• Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports
  complex (link).
  February 17 – March 31.
  
• Contest of Champions Cheer, Studio, and Dance/Drill Nationals
  (link).
  February 25–27 and March 4–6.
  
• ESPN The Weekend (link).
  February 25–27.
  

April 2005

• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (link).
  April 15 – June 5.
  
• Walt Disney World® Inline Marathon (link).
  April 30 – May 1.
  

May 2005

• Star Wars Weekends (link).
  Fridays – Sundays, May 20 – June 12.
  

June 2005

• Gay and Lesbian Day at Walt Disney World (link1
  | link2).
  June 2–5.
  

September 2005

• Night of Joy (link).
  Dates TBA.
  
• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (link).
  September 30 – November 13.
  

October 2005

• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (link).
  Dates TBA.
  
• Funai Classic at Walt Disney World (link).
  October 20–23.
  

November 2005

• Super Soap Weekend (link).
  Dates TBA.
  
• Festival of the Masters (link).
  November 12–13.
  
• Holidays Around the World (link).
  November 25 – December 30.
  
• Festival of the Seasons (link).
  Dates TBA.
  

December 2005

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (link).
  Dates TBA.

• Pleasure Island New Year’s Eve (link).
  December 31.

• New Year’s Eve at Cirque du Soleil (link).
  December 31.

• Atlantic Dance Hall New Year’s Eve (link).
  December 31.

January 2006

• Disney’s Health and Fitness Expo (link).
  January 6 & 7.

• FamilyFun Magazine Family Fun Run (link).
  January 7.

• Walt Disney World Half-Marathon (link).
  Registration now open. January 7.

• Walt Disney World Marathon (link).
  Registration now open. January 8.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Discounts for early 2005 are out

Resort discounts valid through April 16, 2005 have been announced. Room-only
and Magic Your Way packages are available. See the Walt Disney World web
site (link)
or MouseSavers (link)
for more information.

Radisson Resort Parkway announces rates through 2005

Radisson Resort Parkway, a MousePlanet sponsor, has announced their rates
through the end of 2005.

Click here
for more information, or here
to make reservations now.

Plan ahead and save a few bucks

The entire price structure has changed as of January 2 to the new “Magic
Your Way” passes. See the summary in the December 6 WDW Update (link)
for more details. Advance purchase discounts will only be available on
tickets above the base ticket for at least 5 days. Discounts for adults
are $7 (5 days), $9 (6 days), $11 (7 days), and $12 (10 days). Child (ages
3-9) discounts are $6 (5 days), $7 (6 days) and $9 (7 or 10 days).

Annual Passholders

Receive 10 percent off the price of their lunch meal at selected
Walt Disney World Resort hotel restaurants, and the discount is good for
up to three guests. The offer is valid Mondays through Fridays. Call 407-WDW-DINE
(407-939-3463) for locations and reservations.

Park Hours

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently
available through March 2005.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently
available through March 2005.

Theme Park Events

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)