Update for August 14 – 20, 2006
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News and Views
Restrictions due to elevated travel threat condition causes carry-on challenges
As pretty much anybody with access to any news source is already aware, in the wake of a foiled terrorist plot to explode several airplane mid-flight the Department of Homeland Security has raised the threat condition to Severe, or Red, for all commercial flights from the United Kingdom to the United States, and to High, or Orange, for all other international flights and all domestic commercial aviation.
The increased security requirements due to this change will affect all air travelers, and since such a large percentage of Walt Disney World visitors are air travelers, we thought that it would be appropriate to discuss some coping strategies here.
For all flights, domestic and international, no liquids or gels of any kind will be permitted in carry-on baggage. Items must be in checked baggage. This includes all beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste, hair gel and other items of similar consistency. The only exceptions to this are baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling, prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger’s ticket, and insulin and essential other non-prescription medicines.
This caused a great deal of confusion and consternation when the change was implemented on Thursday morning, as travelers who were unaware of the changes were forced to discard enough makeup, beverages and toiletries to open a small store at each airport. On Friday, most travelers had heard of the changes, and were able to pack the offending items into their checked luggage before heading to the airport.
Passengers traveling from the U.K. to the U.S. are subject to even more stringent restrictions, as they must comply with a very tightly restricted list of items that they are allowed to carry on the plane. All electronic and battery-operated devices are banned, and must be checked, including laptop computers, mobile phones, noise-cancelling headphones, and portable music players. The only items allowed on flights from the U.K. (preferably within a clear plastic bag) are:
- Travel documents essential for the journey, such as passports and travel tickets;
- Pocket-size wallets and pocket-size purses plus contents, for example, money, credit cards, identity cards, etc.(handbags not allowed);
- Prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight, such as a diabetic kit, except in liquid form unless verified as authentic (you will need a prescription to carry on medicines);
- Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases;
- Contact lens holders, without bottles of solution;
- For those traveling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger), and sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, such as diapers, wipes, creams, and diaper disposal bags;
- Female sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, if unboxed, i.e., tampons, pads, towels and wipes;
- Tissues (unboxed) and/or handkerchiefs;
- Keys (but no electrical key fobs).
In addition, for U.K. travelers, any food purchased in the international departures lounge must be consumed before boarding. All passengers must be hand searched, and their footwear and all the items they are carrying must be X-rayed. Any liquids discovered must be removed from the passenger. Wheelchairs and walking aids must be X-rayed, and only airport-provided wheelchairs may pass through the screening point.
For all flights, beverages purchased in the “sterile” area between the security checkpoint and the gate must be consumed before boarding the plane. If you have anything left in your cup or bottle and they call your flight, chug it and toss it because you can’t take it.
The Transportation and Safety Administration makes the following recommendations to ease your travel:
- Pack lightly, without clutter to facilitate easier screening;
- Check with your air carrier well before your flight departs for information on when you should arrive at the airport;
- Cooperate with TSA personnel at all checkpoints and gates because TSA Security Officers will be checking carry-on baggage at the gate;
- Be attentive and vigilant to any suspicious activity.
The full TSA advisory can be found on their Web site (link).
Many airlines are allowing passengers to check extra bags at no charge when traveling to and from the U.K. due to the additional restrictions. Airlines are posting information about the travel restrictions on their web sites, so please check with your airline regarding any changes to ticketing and baggage policies.
As to planning your travel, you’ll need to rethink your packing strategy if you normally carry beverages and toiletries on the plane with you.
Plan to rely heavily (if necessary) on the in-flight beverage service if you tend to dehydrate. It depends on each airline on whether they offer bottled water, or only provide you with whatever local water is supplied into their reservoir. In addition, don’t plan on purchasing any alcohol or perfume in duty-free shops at the airport, since you can’t take it on the plane with you.
Toiletries provide an additional complication. The liquids and gels in a toiletry kit may have a combined weight of several pounds. With the lowered weight restrictions that most airlines have been implementing, the additional weight may very well put you over the limit, costing you quite a few bucks in overweight charges.
The toiletry restrictions also will affect those who frequently travel with only a carry-on bag. Liquid and gel toiletries will either have to be checked in a separate bag that you’ll now have to wait for, be purchased again at your destination, or done without.
Kelli Grant on SmartMoney.com provides several good tips (link) about traveling with substitutes for liquids and gels that you might normally carry on your flight. For example, bring Wet Ones moist wipes instead of hand sanitizer gel, Oral B Brush-Ups instead of toothpaste, Listerine Pocket Packs instead of mouthwash, caplet forms of Dramamine and Pepto Bismol instead of liquid or gel capsules and so on.
As always, the most definitive information as to what is and isn’t allowed, and what the current policies and procedures are, will come from the TSA, your airline and the airports that you’re traveling to and from. Make sure to check with them before you leave, just to make sure that you have a correct understanding of what you should do.
Enjoy your trip!
Universal raises prices to match Disney
Not surprisingly, on the heels of Disney’s price hike last weekend, Universal Orlando announced on Friday that they would follow suit and increase their one-day, one-park adult ticket to $67 plus tax, matching Disney’s price. The increase also affects standard pricing for two-park tickets, tickets for children, Florida residents, and those purchasing via the Internet. Universal is still providing several online deals, with Florida resident tickets going for $49.95 (vs. $60.30 at the gate) and a one-day, one-park ticket including an additional four free days for $63.
Universal’s best seller, however, will not be affected. A two-day, two-park ticket purchased over the Internet that offers three additional days and offers free admission to children ages 9 and under will still cost $99.95.
At this point, SeaWorld Orlando has said that it does not expect to raise its prices to match the other two resorts.
Many restaurants disappear from 2007 Dining Plan, shared credits may be no more
There are some additional changes to the Disney Dining Plan for 2007 that we did not have time to compile before going to press last week, as the package documents were released just hours before deadline. For starters, the official dining plan brochure now contains a Frequently Asked Questions section that either indicates a tightening of a current policy that is not currently being enforced or just the documenting of that current policy, which may continue to be held in abeyance. The FAQ includes the question “Can adults use child meal entitlements?” The answer is “Sorry, meal entitlements can not be shared between adults and children age 3-9.” Now, you can certainly take your chances at attempting to purchase adult meals with children’s credits in 2007, but this may indeed be the warning shot across the bow that Disney will no longer let guests get away with the current meal plan abuse.
What’s even harsher, though is the surprising development that a large number of restaurants have been discontinued from the plan. While, as we mentioned last week, in-room dining has been added to the plan (at a cost of twp table-service meals per person), there are a great many more subtractions than additions. (Another addition that we did not note last week is the fact that, for those eligible groups of eight or more, Grand Gathering Experiences may also be purchased with the plan, at a cost of two table-service meals per person.)
But let’s take a look at the subtractions.
In the resorts, the Belle Vue Room and the Big River Grille & Brewing Works at the BoardWalk, the Ale & Compass at the Yacht Club and every food service location at the Coronado Springs Resort have been removed from the plan.
At Downtown Disney, Cap’n Jack’s is the only establishment left on the plan. Cooke’s of Dublin, Earl of Sandwich, FoodQuest, Planet Hollywood, Raglan Road, Wolfgang Puck Cafe and Wolfgang Puck Express are all gone.
Over at the Magic Kingdom, Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn is the only place removed. The Disney-MGM Studios only sees the loss of Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will only see the loss of Dino Bites from the dining plan. These changes may actually be nothing. The locations may have just been lumped into the “ice cream carts” category.
Epcot is by far the hardest-hit location. If you enjoyed dining at the various World Showcase restaurants, time to read it and weep. Here is the list of dining locations that have been dropped from the dining plan: Boulangerie Patisserie, Cantina de San Angel, Les Chefs de France, L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante, Lotus Blossom Cafe, Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki Dining Room, Nine Dragons Restaurant, Refreshment Cool Post, Refreshment Port at Showcase Plaza, Restaurant Marrakesh, San Angel Inn Restaurante, Tangierine Cafe, Tempura Kiku and Yakitori House.
As to why the changes have appeared, there are two schools of thought making the rounds. Both circle around the fact that, aside from the ice cream stands and the two resort lounges, all of these locations are run by outside companies. One school of thought involves the fact that Disney may have needed to publish the plan information before dining-plan contracts with the third-party restaurants had been negotiated, and that many restaurants may indeed return to the plan later this year as contracts are signed.
The second possibility is that, while Disney enjoys using the dining plan as a loss-leader to get heads in beds, the third parties owning the restaurants do not get the benefit of income from hotel stays or unused dining credits. It’s possible that they are unwilling to take a reduced payment for food, especially those that were already full on a regular basis. Additional items and alcoholic beverages purchased by diners may have helped to offset some of this deficit, but it may not have been enough.
We’ll just have to wait and see if some of these departed dining locations return to the plan before the end of the year. In the meantime, it’s best to plan as if they will not be available with your dining credits.
Restaurants expected to be crowded through October
With the heavy resort package sales generated by free dining promotion, Disney has circled the wagons to prepare for the influx of guests looking to use those table-service credits for the most value. In addition to adding seatings and dining options, as noted last week, Disney has asked cast members to steer clear of table-service restaurants during dinner from August 13 to October 7. To further discourage cast members from taking seats from bargain-minded guests, Disney has blocked out the 20% cast member discount on those dates.
If you’re looking to eat a sit-down meal during that time and you don’t have your Advance Dining Reservations already made, you will probably want to call the WDW Dine Line, 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463) and see if there’s anything left. Same-day availability will be severely limited, if there’s anything left at all.
New Magic Kingdom entertainment on the way
There is even more live entertainment coming to the Magic Kingdom as part of the Year of a Million Dreams. Four new shows will help to entertain families around the park.
The High School Musical Pep Rally will feature the East High Spirit Committee teaching guests cheers and dance moves from High School Musical’s songs, and everyone will get to participate in a finale version of “We’re All in This Together.”
Making up for the removal of the show stops in the daily afternoon parade, The Main Street Family Fun Day Parade will allow guests to participate in a parade down Main Street, U.S.A. Seven themed units of guests, characters and other performers will head down Main Street, U.S.A. to Town Square, where all guests and performers will participate in a flag-waving patriotic finale.
Taking over the streets of Frontierland, Woody’s Cowboy Camp features Woody, Jessie and Bullseye riding in on a wagon along with Sam the Singin’ Cowboy and other western-themed performers. Sam will lead a hoedown in the street as guests are invited to join the fun.
Finally, replacing the Sword in the Stone show in the courtyard behind Cinderella Castle, the Royal Court Academy will feature Sir Cecil and Lady Cecilia, the Magic Kingdom’s royal image consultants, who will teach guests how to become a royal. The finale features guests being presented to a Disney character prince and princess, and all will have the chance to dance along with those characters.
