Walt Disney World Park Update

Update for November 7 – 13, 2005

Go directly to: News & Views | Refurbishment/Attraction
Closures | Park Events | Discounts/Promotions
| Park Hours | Events/Entertainment Schedule

News and Views

MouseFest is less than a month away!

Just a reminder that MouseFest is scheduled for November 30 – December
5 (land) and December 4–8 (sea). MouseFest Gold Sponsor MousePlanet
is organizing three events and officially participating in a fourth during
the land portion. For more information and how to let us know that you’re
coming, visit our MouseFest events page (link).
For more information on MouseFest, visit the MouseFest event site (link).

Greeters needed for MouseFest’s MegaMouseMeet

During MouseFest’s MegaMouseMeet event on Saturday, December 3, representatives
from participating communities will be stationed outside the meeting room
to greet and welcome newcomers. Each community has been asked to provide
at least three volunteers to act as greeters. These volunteers will work
one hour each, which will leave them free to enjoy the event for the rest
of the time. We are looking for volunteers from the MousePlanet community
who would like to help out. You will be asked to welcome guests to the
event, make sure that everyone has a name tag, help people to find whichever
webmaster/author/community/etc. that they’re looking for, and offer general
assistance.

If you’re interested in helping out at the MegaMouseMeet for an hour,
please contact us (link)
and let us know. We’ll need your name and email address to pass along
to the folks coordinating all of the greeters. If you’ve got restrictions
on when you can be available, let us know that, too. A big thanks to any
potential volunteers out there!

Japan Reminder

As we head into the new year, space is beginning to fill up on MousePlanet.com’s
Japan/Hong Kong Disney Adventure (March 2006).

For only a small deposit ($400-600 depending on itinerary), reserve your
place today. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

We have also been able to secure a FREE half-day sightseeing tour and
a hotel upgrade to the Nikko Hotel in Hong Kong (participation in the
Hong Kong pre-tour is required.) Space is filling quickly so please secure
your spot on this wonderful vacation. See this
page for more details.

No more Hooplas?

A recent rumor that we’ve heard states that days are numbered for the
entire lake side of Pleasure Island. Last week, we reported that “major
enhancements” would be cause the end of the nightly fireworks at
Pleasure Island and demolition of the West End Stage and Hub Stage. It
turns out that there is more to the story.

The story, as we heard it, is that attendance has been down so badly
at the Pleasure Island clubs that, even with extending Cast Member nights
to five nights per week, they were still having trouble getting people
into the clubs. Because of this, everything on the lake side of Pleasure
Island will be demolished, and the area will be repopulated by contracted
restaurants. Contracted restaurants have been the biggest money maker
for Disney in the Downtown Disney area.

The rumor gives some time in early 2006 as the target date for the closure
of the clubs and the beginning of the demolition. Should the rumor prove
out, the only clubs to remain would be Mannequins, 8-Trax and the Comedy
Warehouse. The rumor also states that another restaurant will be built
at the far west end of Downtown Disney, between Cirque du Soleil and the
Saratoga Springs Resort. If anybody has more information about this rumor,
please let us know.

The exterior of Expedition: Everest is nearing completion at Disney’s
Animal Kingdom. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Christmas Parade taping scheduled, extras wanted

On December 2 and 3, the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade
will be taped for national broadcast on Christmas Day. Volunteers are
being requested for crowd shots by the broadcaster, Lightship TV (link).
All slots on Saturday, December 3 are filled, though some spots are still
available for Friday, December 2. Thankfully, the taping is taking place
after MouseFest’s Magic Kingdom day on Thursday, December 1. (Especially
good for MousePlanet readers, as the disruption that the parade causes
in the Magic Kingdom, especially along Main Street, U.S.A, would have
made it nearly impossible for us to conduct our Mini-MouseAdventure on
December 1.

Note that tickets from Lightship TV will not be required in
conjunction with park tickets on park admission on those days, just for
the “crowd reaction shots” area. Mobility within the parks may be limited
for other day guests, though, due to the stop-and-start nature of the
parade filming.

Great audio interview of Joe Rohde available online

The folks over at the CoasterRadio.com podcast have done an excellent
interview (link)
with Joe Rohde, lead designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, about Expedition:
Everest. The interview takes up about 24 minutes of the 44-minute podcast.
Joe’s enthusiasm and excitement for the project are evident, and he gives
a lot of great information about the design philosophy for everest, as
well as a description of what to expect in the queue area and when you
ride the attraction. He also talks a bit about Mission: Himalayas, the
scientific expedition launched by Disney and the Discovery Channel in
conjunction with the attraction. Check it out!

This closeup of a sign on the construction wall offers hints as to the
appearance of the Yeti. Photo by Brian Bennett.

In other Everest-related news, it’s looking firmer that the attraction
will soft-open in the February-March timeframe. Annual Passholder and
Disney Vacation Club Member previews will be held during the soft-open
period leading up to the April 22 grand opening.

Is Joe Rohde the Yeti? You be the judge. Photo at left by Brian Bennett.
Photo at right © Disney.

Magical Express greeters banished to first floor

In a story that we’ve been following, Orlando International Airport did
follow through on their promise to ban Disney’s Magical Express greeters
from the third floor in the terminal. But they didn’t just stop there.
Last Tuesday, when the greeters were supposed to be removed, Disney moved
them down to the second floor, where all of the other taxi, limo and shuttle
drivers can meet prospective passengers. But on Wednesday, lawyers for
the airport told Disney in an e-mail that the greeters had to move again.

The DME workers are now restricted to the ground transportation area
on the first floor of the terminal. Employees of Mears, the contractor
that is supplying the buses and drivers for DME, will be allowed to meet
travelers using DME on the second floor, at baggage claim, but the Mickey
hand-wielding DME folks have to wait until you’re heading to the bus.

Clear signs up 10,000th customer

Over the summer, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
started several different “known traveler” programs at airports
in cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, Minneapolis and Washington,
D.C. Orlando also participated, using Clear from Verified Identity Pass,
Inc. as the program of choice. While all of the other programs have been
shut down, Clear is still running, and just signed up its 10,000th customer.

In exchange for paying an annual fee of $79.95, providing various personal
information and agreeing to have their biometric data kept by Verified
ID, travelers can bypass most of the wait at security checkpoints at Orlando
International Airport. Verified ID is hoping to expand into other markets
in the near future, though that may be up to the TSA.

Planting of landscaping around the base of Expedition: Everest is proceeding
quickly. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Goodings in Celebration has closed

As expected, the Goodings location at Celebration’s Water Tower Place
closed its doors on Sunday. The store’s owners have filed a lawsuit against
their former landlord for breach of contract, alleging that Unicorp National
Developments Inc. blocked visibility of the store by building other structures
around the store and by not providing enough signage or lighting, all
in violation of the lease. The two companies met informally yesterday
to discuss the suit. Goodings is now down to two stores, including the
one at the Crossroads Plaza near Downtown Disney.

New PhotoMovie service in beta test mode

Disney is conducting a “sneak preview beta release” of Disney’s
PhotoMovie (link),
the next step beyond PhotoPass. Guests can upload their own photos, use
photos from PhotoPass, or use a combination of both. Once photos are uploaded,
they will be integrated into footage of the parks and characters to create
a video scrapbook for each park, and a full-screen slideshow at the end.
During the beta release, PhotoMovie DVDs are available for $49.95, with
additional copies costing $19.95.

Guests can use up to 68 photos for the tour, broken down by location
(16 for Magic Kingdom, 14 for Epcot, 16 for the Disney-MGM Studios, 15
for Disney’s Animal Kingdom and seven for the resort at large). The finished
DVD will run around 20 minutes in length. Visit their Web site for more
information.

A close-up of the paint work on the temple shows an excellent job of “weathering.”
Photo by Brian Bennett.

Marathon/Half-Marathon course changes

The Disney Marathon and Half-Marathon have undergone some changes to
their courses. One major change is that there will now be two starting
lines for the Marathon. Marathon participants will be split between two
starts areas: Marathon Blue or Marathon Red. Starting locations will be
determined by the runner’s assigned corral. You can check the updated
Marathon and Half Marathon course maps at the Disney Marathon site
(link). [Note: The
full- and half-marathons are now held on separate days. Read our WDW
Marathon Guide.]

Turf Club at Saratoga Springs Resort to expand offerings

Responding to complaints that guests at the Saratoga Springs Resort are
paying for a top-level resort but don’t even have a full-service dining
location, Disney is expanding the dining options at The Turf Club. To
start, the menu will be expanded this month to include items such as crab-cake
bites, barbecued chicken tenders, hamburgers and a grilled salmon BLT.
Eventually the location will be renamed to The Turf Club Bar & Grill
by next summer, when construction and furnishing of an expanded table-service
dining area is completed.

Construction appears to be complete on the village of Serka Zong at the
entrance to Expedition: Everest. Photo by Brian Bennett.

New package special announced for January – March

There is a new special offer for Magic Your Way packages from January
1 through March 8 whereby you buy a package with a base Magic Your Way
pass and it would be upgraded to a Premium pass for free, adding the Park
Hopper and Water Park Fun & More options at no charge. For more information,
check out MouseSavers.com (link).

Busy weekend ahead at Walt Disney World

This coming weekend will see a number of events occurring at the same
time. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is in its final
week, concluding for the year on Sunday. At Downtown Disney, the Festival
of the Masters runs from Friday through Sunday, turning the shopping and
entertainment district into a huge art gallery. And over at the Disney-MGM
Studios, the “10th Diamond Anniversary” edition of the Super
Soap Weekend event runs Saturday and Sunday, and the Osborne Family Spectacle
of Lights debuts next Monday.

Correction: Cinderella’s Royal Table meals

Last week, we stated that guests would be given the chance to purchase
a photo package for $29.95 when dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table. It
turns out that we misinterpreted what our sources were telling us, and
that the photo package (given a value of $29.95 by Disney) would be included
in the cost of the meal (one per party), and that guests would be given
the option of purchasing additional photos. We regret the error.

The standby entrance and Fastpass return doorways await the first riders
of Expedition: Everest. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Ears to the ground

…Length-of-Stay stroller rentals will be halted on December 23 due
to an inability to guarantee the availability of stroller when hopping
between parks during the busy holiday week. It has not been confirmed
when those rentals will resume after the holiday.

…We have been able to get confirmation that Club Cool will open
later this month (in the location of the former Ice Station Cool in Epcot),
rather than in December. That will come as good news to all MouseFest
attendees hoping to trick newbies into trying the Beverly.

…We have heard a rumor that the Prime Time Cafe at the Disney-MGM
Studios will be closing in late January for refurbishment.

…The AutoShow in Motion, the GM traveling car show, once again visited
Epcot’s overflow parking lot over the weekend, closing on Sunday.

…No announcement has been made yet, but we hear that the Four Seasons
property in Celebration looks like it’s going to see construction finally
start after several years, with a golf course, 425-room hotel, homes and
a vacation club property all expected to be built.

This authentic Nepalese mandir, or pagoda, near the entrance to Expedition:
Everest is dedicated to the story of the Yeti. Photo by Brian Bennett.

…The speedboat Breathless, used for Illuminations cruises
and other trips around Crescent Lake from the Yacht Club marina, needs
some transmission work and will be out of service for a couple of weeks.
To cover the demand for Illuminations cruises in the interim, another
pontoon boat will be added during that time.

…The Western Caribbean itinerary of the Disney Magic has
changed for the current cruise and the November 19 cruise due to the need
for recovery and repair efforts on Cozumel. It is hoped that work will
be completed before the December 3 Western Caribbean cruise.

…We’re hearing that the next Disney Vacation Club resort may be
built away from the Disney theme parks, in the mold of the DVC resorts
at Vero Beach and Hilton Head Island. Nobody’s giving any hints as to
where, though. Also, the next on-property DVC resort is likely to be near
a theme park, as the Saratoga Springs Resort is generating a lot of comments
that it’s too far removed from the action.

Everest has a commanding presence in the view from the Asia section of
Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Photo by Brian Bennett.

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

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress – refurbishment of
  seats and carpeting occurring on a rolling basis; the attraction remains
  open. However, the Carousel has been returned to the list of “seasonal”
  attractions, so its open status may change at any time.
• Main Street Railroad Station – under refurbishment through
  December 20. Guests will still be able to board the train at the station,
  though the entrance and exit may be relocated during the work. The locker
  rental stand area is being converted to stroller rental, with the lockers
  moving elsewhere. In addition, the curb in front of the station will
  be disappearing to allow easier transit for newly-rented and about-to-be-returned
  strollers. The station is also slated to receive new glass, canopies,
  paint and so forth.
• Liberty Square Riverboat – is not operating due to refurbishment
  through April 1, 2006.
• Haunted Mansion – is closed for minor mechanical refurbishment
  through November 15.
• Donald’s Boat – is closed for refurbishment through November
  18.
• Splash Mountain – will be closed November 17 and 18 for
  a minor technical refurbishment.
• Timekeeper – open seasonally.
• Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration – reportedly returns
  after the 18-month “Happiest Celebration on Earth” festivities
  end.

Epcot

• The Living Seas pavilion, including the popular Turtle Talk
  with Crush attraction, is closed for refurbishment through November
  22. Rumors indicate that another new Finding Nemo-based attraction
  may be added.
• Ice Station Cool – closed through late this year for refurbishment.
  It will reopen as “Club Cool.” There are new rumors indicating
  that it may reopen as early as November 17.
• Norway’s Stave Church – closed through November 14 for
  refurbishment. When it reopens, it will feature a gallery focusing on
  the Viking explorers.
• Test Track – will be closed for refurbishment January
  9 – February 14, 2006.
• 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 is currently closed, and has been removed from park maps.
  Its future is uncertain.

Disney–MGM Studios

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe movie sets – are
  officially scheduled to open on December 9.

Animal Kingdom

• Expedition Everest – is scheduled to open in Spring 2006.
  The likely official opening date is April 22, which is both Earth Day
  and the park’s birthday, but previews may start as early as February
  2006.

Resorts

• Polynesian Resort – Work is now underway on the complete
  refurbishment and upgrading of rooms and hallways in all buildings,
  which is expected to be completed by June, 2006.
• Contemporary Resort – The South Garden Wing is closed
  for refurbishment through September, 2006. Rumors indicate that the
  buildings may be completely gutted and rebuilt as Disney Vacation Club
  villas. However, another rumor states that new DVC lodgings will be
  built on the current site of the Disney Tennis Center at the resort,
  and there is no confirmation of the either rumor yet. Renovations on
  the rest of the resort are also underway, with the tower building being
  done one floor at a time, and are expected to run through November,
  2007.
• Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa – Phase I’s four buildings
  and Phase II’s eight units are complete, Vertical construction for Phase
  III’s six units is underway, with the six units expected to open between
  June and December, 2006.
• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (DVC Resort) – Roof repairs
  due to hurricane rehabilitation are ongoing and scheduled to run through
  late November.

Water Parks

• Blizzard Beach – Closed for its annual refurbishment through
  December 24.
• Typhoon Lagoon – Will close for its annual refurbishment
  on December 25, and is expected to reopen on February 26, 2006.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays –
  Saturdays. Also dark November 13–15 and December 4–13.

Park Events

Ongoing

• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Through Nov.
  13. The annual celebration of things gustatory, plus the Eat to the
  Beat concert series (link).

November 2005

• Festival of the Masters. Nov. 11–13. Artists display their
  works at Downtown Disney (link).
• Super Soap Weekend. Nov. 12–13. Daytime stars descend
  upon the Disney-MGM Studios (link).
• Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. Nov. 14 – Jan. 8,
  2006. Millions of lights bombard the eyes at the Disney-MGM Studios
  (link).
• Holidays Around the World. Nov. 25 – Dec. 30. Epcot celebrates
  the season, including the popular Candlelight Processional (link).
• Festival of the Seasons. Nov. 19 – Dec. 24. Downtown Disney
  celebrates the season (link).
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Nov. 27, 29, Dec. 1, 2,
  4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20. Snow on Main Street, free hot cocoa
  and cookies. What’s not to like? (link).
• MouseFest 2005. November 30 – December 3. Meet your favorite
  Disney Internet and guidebook authors (including some of us!) at a gathering
  of the Disney Internet community around the World (link).

December 2005

• MousePlanet presents a mini-MouseAdventure
  at MouseFest. Dec. 1. Meet at the outdoor seating area by Casey’s
  Corner in the Magic Kingdom at 10:00 a.m. for this event. This is a
  shortened version of MousePlanet’s signature event (link), and marks the first time that the event has been held
  in Florida.
• MousePlanet presents the second annual
  Mike Scopa Dole Whip Meet at MouseFest. Dec. 1. Meet at the Aloha
  Isle take-out window in Adventureland at noon.
• MousePlanet presents the first annual
  Shocolate Mousssse Meet at MouseFest. Dec 3. Meet at Boulangerie
  Patisserie at Epcot’s France pavilion at 5:00 p.m. following the Mega
  Mouse Meet for this event. For more on the origin of the Shocolate Mousssse
  phenomenon among MousePlanet readers, please see this thread on our MousePad discussion forums.
• Pop Warner Super Bowl. Dec. 4–10. Football players and
  cheerleaders descend on the resort for the annual championships (link).
• Pleasure Island New Year’s Eve. Dec. 31. Pleasure Island celebrates
  the actual New Year (link).
• New Year’s Eve at Cirque du Soleil. Dec. 31. Cirque puts on
  special New Year’s performances (link).
• Atlantic Dance Hall New Year’s Eve. Dec. 31. Ring in the New
  Year at the BoardWalk’s own dance club (link).

January 2006

• Disney’s Health and Fitness Expo. Jan. 5–7. Check in for
  the weekend’s races and check out the vendors (link).
• FamilyFun Magazine Family Fun Run. Jan. 7. The shortest run
  of the weekend (link).
• Walt Disney World Half-Marathon. Jan. 7. Registration closed
  (link). [Note: The
  full- and half-marathons are now held on separate days. Read our WDW
  Marathon Guide.]
• Walt Disney World Marathon. Jan. 8. Registration closed
  (link).
• College Cheerleading and Dance Team Championship. January 13–16.

February 2006

• National Dance Team Championship. February 3–6.
• National High School Cheerleading Championship. February 10–13.
• Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex
  (link).
  Dates in February ? March TBA.
• Twirlmania. February 17–20. Twirlers, auxiliary guard,
  pom, and dancers descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
• Cheer & Dance National Championships. February 25–26.
  School & Youth Rec Cheer February 25, All-Star Cheer & Dance
  February 26 (link).

March 2006

• Cheer & Dance National Championships. March 3–5. All
  Star/Studio March 3, School Dance March 3–5 (link).
• ESPN The Weekend. March 3–5. Corporate synergy brings
  the cable channel back to the Studios for its third go-round (link).
• National All Star Cheerleading Championship. March 10–13.

April 2006

• Disney’s All-Star Kids Classic. April 1. Registration is now
  open for the kids’ inline race (link).
• Walt Disney World Inline Marathon. April 2. Registration is
  now open (link).
• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. April 21
  – June 11. Epcot comes alive with topiaries, other floral displays,
  gardening demonstrations and the “Flower Power” concert series
  (link).

May 2006

• Disney’s Minnie Marathon Weekend 5K and 1 Mile (link).
  May 6. The short runs of the ladies-only running weekend take place
  at and near Downtown Disney.
• Women Run the World 15 K (link).
  May 7. The ladies-only run starts at Animal Kingdom, goes through the
  Studios and ends at Epcot.
• Star Wars Weekends. Dates TBA. The popular event is slated
  to return to the Studios in 2006 (link).
• Epcot Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend. May 18–21. Collectible
  bears and dolls at Epcot (link).

September 2006

• Tom Joyner Family Reunion. Dates TBA. The annual gathering
  hopes not to be cancelled by hurricane again this year (link).
• Night of Joy. Dates TBA. Disney’s annual Christian music festival
  (link).
• Walt Disney World Triathlon. Sept. 24. Athletes compete in
  a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride, and a 10K run (link).
• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Sept. 29 –
  Nov. 12. The annual celebration of things gustatory, plus the Eat to
  the Beat concert series (link).

October 2006

• Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K. Oct. 8. The annual Disney
  10K race continues its association with the Epcot Food & Wine Festival
  (link).

January 2007

• Walt Disney World Half-Marathon. Jan. 6. Registration now open
  (link). [Note: The
  full- and half-marathons are now held on separate days. Read our WDW
  Marathon Guide.]
• Walt Disney World Marathon. Jan. 5. Registration now open
  (link).

Current Discounts & Promotions

Passholder Best Rate Program extended through April 13

The Passholder Best Rate program is now accepting reservations, online
only, through April 13, 2006. In addition, some rates have dropped even
lower, with value resorts going for $49 most nights from January 16 –
February 4, 2006.

Radisson Resort Parkway releases rates through the end of 2006

Radisson Resort Parkway, a MousePlanet sponsor, has announced their rates
through the end of 2006. Note that the resort has allocated some rooms
as low as $77.00 weekdays and $87.00 weekends now through December 22.

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

Plan ahead and save a few bucks

Walt Disney World’s entire ticket price structure changed as of January
2, 2005, to the new “Magic Your Way” passes. Advance purchase
discounts are only available on tickets above the base ticket of at least
5 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 December 2005.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through December 2005.

Theme Park Events

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)