Walt Disney World Park Update

Update for December 27, 2005– January 2, 2006

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

News and Views

The tree at the Disney-MGM Studios features globe, star, candy cane and Santa-face ornaments. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

We here at MousePlanet would like to wish all of our readers a Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Festivus, or whatever holiday you might be celebrating at this season. We’d also like to thank you for making us part of your Disney Internet experience. During the events at MouseFest, held at Walt Disney World earlier this month, we were again gratified and astonished by the number of people who told us that they were devoted readers and looked forward to starting their week with these weekly round-ups of news, changes and rumors.

As the Walt Disney World Park Update enters its fourth year, we’d like to thank you for making these possible. By sending us news items, alerting us to rumors, sharing your photos, or even correcting errors, you’re helping us to make the updates even better for all of our readers.

Thank you for your continued support and readership. As the Walt Disney Company enters 2006, there is much new to come: its first full year with Robert Iger at the helm, reorganization of the Parks and Resorts division with Al Weiss moving from heading up Walt Disney World into a global leadership role over all park operations, the opening of Expedition: Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and so much more. We look forward to sharing it with you.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights is again thrilling guests at the Disney-MGM Studios. Note the Mickey and Minnie silohuettes above the building at right. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

And then there were three; another elephant successfully gives birth at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

As we had mentioned a couple of weeks ago (link), an African elephant named Donna was expected to give birth this month. Early last Monday morning, Donna gave birth to a healthy female calf after 21 months gestation and a very short 16 minutes of labor. The 233-pound calf has not yet been named.

The animal program managers are cautiously optimistic about the prognosis for the calf, despite the high mortality rate of the first offspring of elephants, whether in captivity or in the wild. The new calf is the half-sister of Kianga, both having been fathered by Jackson, a bull elephant on breeding loan from the Pittsburgh Zoo. Jackson has since returned to Pittsburgh. Donna is on permanent loan from the Albuquerque Zoo.

Tufani, a male calf, was born in May 2003, and the female Kianga was born in July 2004, so the new birth represents the third successful birth in just over two and a half years. Another calf died during birth in late April 2005. Our congratulations go out to Donna and the animal program staff at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

A building front has been transformed into a glowing hearth this year at the Osborne Lights. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

WDW podcast online, moves to Thursdays this week

The new Walt Disney World podcast, officially entitled “Walt Disney World Resort: Plugged In” went online on Christmas Day (link), and features interviews with participants in this year’s Christmas Parade. It also includes a chat with the designer of the new Narnia exhibit at the Studios, as well as the four child stars of the Narnia film. The final segment is a teaser for the next podcast, which features an interview with Joe Rohde, executive designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the new Expedition: Everest attraction.

The lit carolers are back at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at the Disney-MGM Studios. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

The next podcast will debut on Thursday of this week, and Disney’s goal is to put a new show up every Thursday, pending changes due to special events. The podcast page will always include a teaser for the next show. They also hope to have a special iTunes page up for the show soon.

According to show host David Brady, Thursday’s podcast interview with Joe Rohde will allow the Imagineer to tell the entire story of Expedition: Everest and to talk about the complex work from the different disciplines at Walt Disney Imagineering that created the attraction. Future episodes will feature interviews with Imagineers on many different aspects of the project, with lots of great details. I know that I’ll be listening.

Jewish guests once again get a Star of David and a dreidel at the Osborne Lights to help them to not feel left out. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Magic Kingdom again tops list as world’s most visited park

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom was again the most-visited theme park in the world in 2005, as it has every year since 2003 when it passed Toyko Disneyland, with estimated attendance of over 16.1 million guests, according to Amusement Business magazine’s annual ranking of the world’s top 50 parks. The Magic Kingdom was followed by California’s Disneyland, repeating last year’s second-place finish with 14.5 million visitors. In fact, Disney parks took the top eight places worldwide, with Disney’s California Adventure and the Walt Disney Studios Paris just slightly behind. Hong Kong Disneyland, open for less than four months this year, will likely jump up the rankings next year.

The spinning “Peace on Earth” globe and flying angels once again sits above the courtyard at the Disney-MGM Studios. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

In North America, Epcot (9.9 million), the Disney-MGM Studios (8.6 million) and Disney’s Animal Kingdom (8.2 million) filled the third through fifth slots, giving Disney the top five positions on the domestic chart. Disney’s California Adventure was in seventh place, following Universal Studios Orlando. With Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood in eighth through tenth place, the top 10 parks in North America are again all located in the Orlando and Los Angeles areas. If you add in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (12th place), SeaWorld San Diego (13th) and Knott’s Berry Farm (15th), 13 of the top 15 parks are in the two main tourism corridors.

While all of the Walt Disney World theme parks showed increases (of 5 to 6.5 percent), the Happiest Homecoming on Earth celebration at Disneyland created a huge 8.5 percent increase at Disneyland and a 5.8 percent increase at Disney’s California Adventure. The Universal parks, however, suffered drops of 6 percent in California and 8.5 percent at both parks in Florida, while SeaWorld Orlando stayed mostly unchanged, up only 0.2 percent.

The San Francisco Street on the Streets of America Backlot still once again has its canopy of lights above the multi-colored building fronts. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Delta dropping gates at Orlando airport, seeking new agreement

Delta Air Lines, up until recently the largest air carrier at Orlando International Airport in terms of market share, has filed court papers to shut down 16 of its 24 gates at the airport. The airline had wanted to decrease the number of gates for some time, but had been unable to do so due to the terms of its 30-year lease, which runs through 2008. However, with the airline in bankruptcy under Chapter 11, Delta can now back out of that lease. A judge will rule on the filing in New York bankruptcy court on January 5. If the petition is approved, the gates would be closed by January 18.

Until the work on the Main Street Railroad Station is completed, stroller rentals are temporarily available at the newsstand to the left of the tunnels under the station. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Delta claims that they have much more gate capacity at the airport than they currently need. The gates comprising three-fourths of Airside 4 on the terminal’s B side, are used by Delta and its Comair and Song subsidiaries. The airside was built nearly 20 years ago, as Delta’s influence at the airport was on the rise during its tenure as the official airline of Walt Disney World. This year, low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines passed Delta as the top airline at the airport.

At the same time that Delta is trying to shut down their gates, Southwest, JetBlue Airways and AirTran Airways are celebrating completion of construction on six new gates at their airside, which will allow them to add more flights.

While the stroller rentals are not yet under the railroad station, strollers are already being stored there. The clock is not really that big, it’s just much closer than the stack of strollers. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Delta plans to fly an current average of 113 daily flights by February 2006, down from 124 daily flights in February 2004, but close to the current average of 115. As the airline moves to smaller planes, average capacity on those flights will be reduced to 98 passengers, down from the current average of 103 and from the February 2004 figure of 113 passengers.

This is not the first time that an airline has dropped gates at the airport. US Airways closed 11 gates in 2003 while under bankruptcy protection. As with the US Airways gates, the airport expects that other airlines will eventually take over the Delta gates.

The lockers at the Magic Kingdom have been relocated to the former stroller rental area, next to the wheelchair rental location. There appear to be many fewer lockers available than there were under the Main Street Railroad Station. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

So-called “signatory airlines,” which assume some of the financial responsiblity for the airport in exchange for a share of budget surpluses and some control over its budget, will have to share the cost of the lost revenue from Delta, which will be on the scale of millions of dollars. Delta, which will lose its long-time chairmanship of the signatory committee when it drops its agreement, will look to sign a new agreement with the airport and resume its signatory status.

The Italy pavilion at Epcot is decked out with garlands for the season. Photo by Brian Bennett.

TSA loosens restrictions on carry-on items

The United States Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) changed rules on articles that may be carried on airplanes last Thursday. Passengers can now carry metal scissors onto the plane as long as they do not have pointed tips or blades longer than four inches. Screwdrivers and other tools will no longer be confiscated, as long as they are seven inches or shorter. Lighters, box cutter and knives (except for plastic or round-bladed, non-serrated butter knives) are still prohibited. The complete updated list is available online at the TSA web site (link).

The TSA says that it is trying to shift its focus from searching for rogue cuticle scissors to looking more closely at shoes and carry-on bags, as well as the people coming through, in order to better keep an eye out for explosives and components of explosives. Travelers, however, will most likely notice increased wait times on security lines.

The fortress-museum at the rear of Epcot’s Japan pavilion is shrouded in tarps for refurbishment. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Disney cast members and Imagineers help out children’s hospital

The 16-year-old Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando has unveiled a major lobby renovation, thanks to Disney Imagineers and other cast members. Disney Imagineer Joni Van Buren created sixteen detailed sculptures of Disney characters for the lobby’s atrium. Cast members and Imagineers put in 3,500 hours of their time over the last year to help with the project.

The hospital, along with Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida, was also the beneficiary of the record $167,000 raised by this year’s Helping Kids Shine Ride-A-Thon for the Children’s Miracle Network. The event had cast members, employees of the two hospitals and their families ride Magic Kingdom attractions as many times as possible to raise money from folks that sponsored them.

A construction wall keeps guests from the area under refurbishment. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Great Outdoor Games taking 2006 off

ESPN announced last week that the Great Outdoor Games, hosted at Walt Disney World this year, would not be staged in 2006. The network plans to resume the games in 2007 with “fresh ideas and approaches that will improve it for our fans, viewers and participants,” according to Christine Godleski, vice president and general manager of ESPN Outdoors, in a story on the network’s Web site.

One of the factors being re-evaluated is site selection, so it is unknown whether or not the games will return to Walt Disney World.

The area surrounding Sportsman’s Shoppe at Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion is largely traffic-free before the arrival of holiday crowds. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Ears to the ground

…The Magic Kingdom was closed to new entries for a few hours on Christmas Day for capacity reasons, but the gates reopened at 12:25 p.m. (Yes, the reopening was at 12:25 on 12/25.)

…A new building has opened near Expedition: Everest, featuring a new beverage location—called the Royal Anandapur Tea Company—as well as a new Disney Vacation Club booth.

…This may be the last week of operation for the Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot. After closing following the holidays, the building is not expected to open to the public again.

…We now have several indications that Expedition: Everest will have its official grand opening press event on April 7. The new attraction’s Web site (link) goes live on January 16.

The upside-down waterfall runs in front of the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience theater at the Imagination pavilion. Photo by Brian Bennett.

…We are hearing that Pirates of the Caribbean will close for refurbishment in May, and will reopen in mid-September. We have heard from a couple of sources now that there will be three Jack Sparrow animatronics added, as well as a couple of other changes based on the movie that was inspired by the attraction. (Will they then inspire more movies that will inspire more changes that will inspire more movies that will inspire more changes ad infinitum?) The changes will not be on the scale of those expected for Disneyland’s version of the attraction, however.

…The new trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is now available at Keep to the Code, the official unofficial site for the movie (link). Other interesting news tidbits are also available there.

…We’re hearing that, when it reopens around October or so, the new name of the sea cabs ride at The Living Seas will be Nemo’s Undersea Adventure.

A monorail glides past Epcot’s Future World, with the Imagination pavilion behind it. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. Email Mark here.
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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 to the former stroller rental area outside of the right-hand tunnel. In addition, the curb in front of the station has disappeared to allow easier transit for newly-rented and about-to-be-returned strollers. The station is also receiving new glass, canopies, paint and so forth.
• Liberty Square Riverboat – is not operating due to refurbishment through April 1, 2006.
• Country Bear Jamboree – is closing January 3–7 for its return from the Christmas Special to its regular Jamboree show.
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – is closing January 4 – February 8 for refurbishment.
• Splash Mountain – is closing January 23 – 27 for refurbishment.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – is expected to close from May through mid-September for the addition of characters from the movie that was inspired by the ride.
• Timekeeper – open seasonally.
• Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration – reportedly returns after the 18-month “Happiest Celebration on Earth” festivities end.

Epcot

• Test Track – is closing 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. It is now open one final time through the end of the year, then it is expected to close for good.

Disney–MGM Studios

• 50s Prime Time Cafe – is closing for refurbishment January 7–28, 2006

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 DVC, Annual Passholder and Cast Member previews start January 26, 2006.
• Tarzan Rocks – scheduled to close on January 21, 2006. Its rumored replacement is a show based upon Finding Nemo, which would debut in November 2006 after the Theater in the Wild gets a complete makeover. The stage, lighting and sound system will all be gutted and the theater will be completely enclosed, as with the Lion King theater in Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Resorts

• All–Star Movies Resort – The Fantasia pool is closing January 3 – early February for refurbishment. Guests can use the Mighty Ducks pool or take a complimentary shuttle service (10 a.m. – 10 p.m.) to the other All–Star resorts to use the pools there.
• Wilderness Lodge – Roaring Forks Snacks is closing January 9 – late March for refurbishment. Whispering Canyon Cafe and Artist Point will remain open, and grab-n-go items will be made available elsewhere during the refurbishment.
• 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 partially-open during 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 the North Garden Wing to follow, and are expected to run through October, 2006.
• Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa – Phase I’s four buildings and Phase II’s eight units are complete, Construction on Phase III is underway, with the six units expected to open between June and December, 2006.

Water Parks

• Typhoon Lagoon – Closed for its annual refurbishment through February 26, 2006.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays – Saturdays.

Park Events

Ongoing

• Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. Thru Jan. 8, 2006. Millions of lights bombard the eyes at the Disney-MGM Studios (link).
• Holidays Around the World. Thru Dec. 30. Epcot celebrates the season, including the popular Candlelight Processional (link).

December 2005

• 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). February 15 ? March 29.
• 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).
• World Baseball Classic. March 3-11. Baseball’s best players from Australia, Domincan Republic, Italy and Venezuela square off in the first round of the international tournament (link).
• National All Star Cheerleading Championship. March 10–13.
• National Kidney Foundation of Florida Gift of Life 5K Run/Walk. March 19. The seventh annual event to raise money and promote organ and tissue donation awareness (link).

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. Sept. 1–4. The radio host’s annual gathering returns for another 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

• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Dates TBA. Get your costumes ready. The Disney characters will certainly be wearing theirs. (link).
• Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K. Oct. 8. The annual Disney 10K race continues its association with the Epcot Food & Wine Festival (link).
• ABC Super Soap Weekend. Dates TBA. Your favorite ABC soap opera starts converge on the Disney-MGM Studios (link).
• Funai Classic at Walt Disney World. Oct. 16–22. Lucas Glover will try to defend his title at the 36th annual fall golf classic on the Palm and Magnolia courses (link).

November-December 2006

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Dates TBA. Snow on Main Street, free hot cocoa and cookies. What’s not to like? (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 $59.95 through December 22, $79.95 for December 23-25 and $139.95 for December 26-31..

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 May 2006.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through May 2006.

Theme Park Events

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)