Update for October 2–8, 2006
Go directly to: News & Views | Coming Soon | Trivia of the Week | Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events | Discounts/Promotions | Park Hours | Events/Entertainment Schedule
News and Views
Year of a Million Dreams/Where Dreams Come True in sharper focus
Some more details are being confirmed regarding the awarding of prizes in the Year of a Million Dreams sweepstakes. The overnight stay in Cinderella Castle will be awarded to a guest in a Walt Disney World theme park or Downtown Disney by early in the afternoon almost everyday beginning January 25, 2007. That prize will be valid for the guest and up to five members of their party. Their evening will begin with dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table, to be followed by a night in the Castle Suite. (The same procedure will be used for those selected to stay at the Mickey Mouse Penthouse at Disneyland Resort, beginning December 1, 2006.)
One of the smaller prizes you can win is a “Dream Fastpass” like this one. It is essentially a front-of-the-line pass for each of the attractoin tabs on the pass. It can be used only once per attraction. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Mail-in entries can win prizes such as the Disney Vacation Club membership, the Grand Marshal world tour, pins and mouse ears. For those prizes requiring on-site attendance, such as stays in the Castle Suite, Fastpass tickets and after-hours events, prizes of comparable value will be awarded. For details and advice on how to enter the sweepstakes via mail, see the post on our MousePad discussion forums by frequent contributor Darkbeer (link). Be sure to read through the whole thread for an update to the rules as originally released.
If you’re in the parks, you may be tapped on the shoulder by a member of the Dream Squad. Those cast members will reportedly be wearing short-sleeved blue shirts, khaki pants and white vests, with a black bag slung across their shoulder. Assignments for those cast members will be very specific, such as “the third person through the exit gate of Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster at 3:04 p.m., and if more than one come through together, take the one on the left.”
In addition to the official sweepstakes prizes, Disney is promoting “an unprecedented number of Magical Moments during this magical year.” Among those moments being pushed are some that have been ongoing for some time, such as leading the countdown to open a park and riding a float in Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade. Other Magical Moments being promoted include being selected as guest of honor in the daily park parade, doing a celebrity-style hand-print ceremony, being Official Wildlife Spotter on Kilimanjaro Safari and finding a Disney princess riding with them on Cinderella’s Golden Carousel.
While the details of the prizes are starting to become clear, things in the parks are still trying to get started. New nametags with the Where Dreams Come True logo are just starting to appear, as is new signage for the promotion. The Dream Squad was out a few days early, giving away some extra low-level dreams to get used to the procedure. Signage is hitting the main entrances to property first, followed by the Magic Kingdom. Streetlamps on Main Street are now sporting their new decor. Basically, while the idea was hatched as a brilliant idea, the actual details are taking a little while to get going as the parks catch up with the visions of the Parks & Resorts top management.
Where Dreams Come True decor is starting to appear in the Magic Kingdom. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Disney Vacation Club rumors take another left turn
Rumors indicating that the Contemporary Resort‘s North Garden Wing could be completely rebuilt as Disney Vacation Club lodgings are still strong, but we’re now hearing that the next DVC resort to be announced will be at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Contemporary DVC building will reportedly not be started until after the first DVC resort is built in California. The California resort would immediately follow the Animal Kingdom Lodge resort. A preview center for the Animal Kingdom Lodge DVC resort is being set up in the theater at the Saratoga Springs Resort.
Disney outsourcing another 125 jobs
Walt Disney World plans to replace another 125 workers with contractors. The employees work in a variety of cleaning positions, including kitchen, carpet, roadway and deep cleaning. Many of the positions are inside the theme parks and at Downtown Disney.
While Disney has said that they would offer the affected workers other positions with comparable hourly pay and number of hours, it is likely that they would not get the same work hours. This will affect those workers on the overnight shift, who would not only have to rearrange their schedules and possibly their childcare arrangements, but would also lose their $1 per hour shift differential pay above the base starting pay of $6.90 per hour.
As we discussed in an article about downsizing last year, it is quite likely that these workers would be redeployed into day shift positions in areas where the resort is understaffed. While the effect on the workers being redeployed is disappointing, it may end up helping the resort to get staffing levels up.
UNITE HERE Local 362, the union representing the employees, plans to protest and may file an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. The complaint filed last year by the union over the contracting out of 180 hotel cleaning positions last year is still pending.
Where Dreams Come True banners are now at the main entrances to the resort. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
New Year’s festivities outside the parks to be low-key this year
The New Year’s Eve parties at Atlantic Dance at the Boardwalk Resort and Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney have been well-attended big-ticket events in past years, with the Pleasure Island event in particular drawing big-name acts like Smashmouth, the B-52s, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Blondie, Cheap Trick, Tone Loc, and others.
This year, the festivities at Pleasure Island will have a decidedly lower-key approach. Disk jockeys will be playing Top 40, Latin, Tropical, Hip-Hop, ’70s and ’80s, and Techno music. We’ve heard that Stormbringer and some other regular performers from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Beach Club will appear at Motion, the RNRBC and on the waterfront stage. Food will be available, including lime-marinated chicken, grilled mahi mahi tacos and petite steak sandwiches, and there will be a champagne toast at midnight. There will be fireworks out on Village Lake, as was done for July Fourth, and that seems to be it. Tickets are on sale now (link) for $89 apiece.
Atlantic Dance will apparently have just a disk jockey and drinks, but not even any food. The cover charge looks to be about $28. Cirque du Soleil, which had held special New Year’s Eve performances in past years, will be taking the night off.
Bottom line? It looks like your best bet will be to squeeze in with the masses in the parks.
Help us out!Want to help MousePlanet upgrade our park guides? We’re looking to add menu information for all restaurants to our Walt Disney World Park Guide. Send photos or scans of menus (no fair copying from other web sites) to menus@mouseplanet.com. Please note that there is a 5MB limit on total attachments in a single email. |
Food & Wine Festival Update
Some news from the first weekend of the Food & Wine Festival:
Perhaps in a bow to the fact that the event occurs during hurricane season, the tents previously used for the international marketplaces have been replaced with more solid buildings, similar to the Great Beers of the World installation that has been near the United Kingdom pavilion for some time now. The pavilions appear to be using solar-powered signage.
A number of complaints were overheard regarding portion sizes and prices (for example, a $3 portion of soup being served in a 2 oz. cup, or barely two bites’ worth). Many items were available for purchase as a snack on the Disney Dining Plan, seemingly continuing the trend of getting away with high prices because “it’s all included, anyway.” One good value on the snack credits would be the $6.50 Lobster Roll at the United States kiosk.
Disney is pushing the Disney Gift Cards as a way to pay for your Festival food purchases. They can be used along with cash, credit and debit cards, traveler’s checks and Disney room key cards with charging privileges.
The old international marketplace tents have been replaced by more hurricane-proof buildings. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
More rooms get classified as preferred at Pop Century and All Star Movies
It appears that Disney is looking for incremental increases in revenue from the Value Resorts. The Pop Century and All Star Movies Resorts have increased the number of rooms classified as “preferred locations,” thereby increasing the price wholesale on a block of rooms.
At Pop Century, where the ’60s section had previously been the only preferred location, the courtyard view rooms in the ’50s and ’70s sections have been relabeled as “preferred” and had their nightly rate increased by $10. Over at All Star Movies, fully three-fifths of the resort is now in the preferred category, with 101 Dalmatians and Toy Story joining Fantasia in the higher-priced category. Only The Love Bug and the Mighty Ducks sections are in the lower-priced category.
It’s unknown at this time whether this is part of a plan to decrease the number of rooms available at the base price at value resorts or if it’s just a test to see whether the resorts still fill up at the higher price.
A window for Lee Cockerell
A new window has been dedicated on Main Street, U.S.A., in honor of the recently retired Lee Cockerell, who had been Executive Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World. The new windows reads:
The Main Street Diary
“True Tales of Inspiration”
Lee A. Cockerell
Editor-in-Chief
Castaway Cay menu upgrade
A brand new menu debuted at Cookie’s BBQ on Castaway Cay last week for those aboard the Disney Cruise Line. They have installed rotisserie chicken machines, wood fired grills (for the hot dogs, hamburgers, and fresh fish sandwiches), and a brick oven that they are using for garlic focaccia. MousePlanet staffers who were among the first to try the menu report that the food is outstanding. This is apparently the first of a series of improvements coming to the food on the island.
A brick oven has been installed at Cookie’s BBQ on Castaway Cay. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Quick takes …
…The Oak Manor building in the Magnolia Bend section of the Port Orleans Resort Riverside is closed for refurbishment. The quiet pool in the area is still open.
…The Karuka Acrobats that used to perform in Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have ended their run. They are still trying to negotiate a contract renewal, but for now the show is closed as of September 21.
…We are hearing several reports that the fall love bug infestation has been worse than usual this year. The bugs, which fly as a linked pair, usually descend on Central Florida around May and September. Thankfully, they should be in the process of disappearing again, and won’t be back until spring.
…The Disney Wonder began its two-week drydock upgrades yesterday.
The Flying Dutchman from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest sits anchored off of Castaway Cay. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. Email Mark here.
Talk about these stories and more on our Walt Disney World discussion forum here.
Coming soon
- October 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
- September 29 – November 12, Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
- September 29 – November 12, Eat to the Beat Concert Series.
- October 1–3. Family Stone Experience
- October 4–7, Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas
- October 8–11, Loverboy
- October 12–14, David Sanborn
- October 15–16, The Beach Boys
- October 17–18, Little Richard
- October 19–21, Three Dog Night
- October 22–25, The Four Tops
- October 26–28, Gloria Gaynor
- October 29–November 1, The S.O.S. Band
- November 2–4, The Contours
- November 5–6, Chubby Checker & The Wildcats
- November 7–8, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
- November 9–12, Jon Secada
- October 7, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K.
- October 8, Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K.
- October 12. Cast previews for Nemo’s Undersea Adventure.
- October 13–15. DVC and AP previews for Nemo’s Undersea Adventure.
- October 16–22. Funai Classic at Walt Disney World.
- October 28. Blizzard Beach closes for annual refurbishment.
- October 29 – November 2. Disney Pin Cruise.
Trivia question of the week
This week’s question: What was the first pavilion in Epcot‘s Future World to change its sponsorship? Stay tuned to next week’s park update for the answer.
The answer to last week’s question: “In what order did the three All Star Resorts originally open?” is:
All Star Sports, April 29, 1994.
All Star Music, November 1994.
All Star Movies, January 15, 1999 (first four buildings); all buildings were open by end of April 1999.
All Star Movies opened five years after the other All Star resorts, so it’s not currently scheduled for the refurbishments being done on the other two. File photo by Brian Bennett.
Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Magic Kingdom
- Timekeeper – is closed for good. The Monsters, Inc.-themed The Laugh Floor Comedy Club is expected to open in January, 2007.
- Splash Mountain – will be closed for refurbishment January 2–27.
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – will be closed for refurbishment January 28 – February 11.
Epcot
- Nemo’s Undersea Adventure – will open in late October in The Living Seas, which will be renamed “The Seas with Nemo and Friends.” Annual Passholder previews will be held October 13–15. Cast previews October 12.
- Living with the Land – has returned from refubishment with a new system to deliver automated spiels.
- The Wonders of Life pavilion – is closed for good.
- Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki – will be closed for refurbishment January 15 – May 25, 2007.
Disney-MGM Studios
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster – will be closed for refurbishment January 7 – February 10, 2007.
- Fantasmic – will not be performed November 1–8 while work is done on the island stage.
- Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour – will be closed for refurbishment November 11–13.
Animal Kingdom
- Finding Nemo – The Musical – will open in the Theater in the Wild on November 12, with soft openings slated to begin on November 5..
Resorts
- All-Star Movies Resort – the Fantasia pool is closed for an extensive rehab through December 11. All-Star Movies guests can use the “quiet” pools as well as the main pools at the other All-Star resorts.
- All-Star Music Resort – Conversion of Calypso buildings to Family Suites continues. All work is expected to be completed by October 13. All buildings not containing Family Suites will be renovated between January and June, 2007.
- All-Star Sports Resort – All buildings will be renovated between June and November, 2007.
- 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 later this year. Tahiti is currently being worked on, with an expected completion date in mid-November. Aotearoa and Rarotonga will need to have a brief unexpected shutdown in the next month or so in order to allow some electrical repair to the monorail track. The reconstruction and expansion of Captain Cook’s Snack Company is not scheduled to be completed until early December, though it’s possible that it might soft-open before Thanksgiving.
- Port Orleans Riverside – The Oak Manor building in the Magnolia Bend section is closed for refurbishment. The quiet pool in the area is still open.
- Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa – Phase I’s four buildings and Phase II’s eight units are complete, Construction on the six buildings of Phase III is underway, with the six units expected to be completed in mid-2007. The new buildings will comprise two additional sections, to be called The Carousel and The Grandstand.
Water Parks
- Blizzard Beach – Will close for annual refurbishment October 29, and will reopen on January 7, 2007.
- Typhoon Lagoon – Will close for annual refurbishment on January 7, 2007, and will reopen on March 18, 2007.
Elsewhere
- Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays – Saturdays. Also, no performances November 19–21 and December 31.
Park Events
Ongoing
- Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Oct. 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31. Get your costumes ready. The Disney characters will certainly be wearing theirs. (link).
- Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Sept. 29 – Nov. 12. The 11th annual celebration of things gustatory, plus the Eat to the Beat concert series (link).
October 2006
- Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. Oct. 7. The annual fund-raising event to fight breast cancer will be run at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this year (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).
- 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).
- Disney Pin Cruise. Oct. 29 – Nov. 2. This year’s cruise is themed as “Cruisin’ Through Time” (link).
November 2006
- Festival of the Masters. Nov. 10–12. Disney’s annual arts festival at Downtown Disney’s West Side, now sponsored by Sharpie! (link).
- ABC Super Soap Weekend. Nov. 11–12. Your favorite ABC soap opera stars converge on the Disney-MGM Studios (link).
- Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. Nov. 13 – Jan. 7, 2007. Jennings Osborne’s amazing display returns to the Studios (link).
- Old Spice Classic. Nov. 23, 24, 26. ESPN Regional presents the inaugural 8-team, 12-game tournament, featuring West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Minnesota, Southern Illinois, Montana, Marist and Western Michigan (link).
- Holidays Around the World. Nov. 24 – Dec. 30. Epcot’s World Showcase gets storytellers, special entertainment and crafts for kids, the Lights of Winter and a spectacular Christmas tree (link).
- Festival of the Seasons. Dates TBA. Downtown Disney gets a holiday makeover (link).
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Nov. 13, 17, 27, 28, 30, Dec. 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22. Snow on Main Street, free hot cocoa and cookies. What’s not to like? (link).
December 2006
- Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade. Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2007. The Animal Kingdom Parade trades its Jammin’ for Jingle in this holiday makeover (link).
- Taping of the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade. Dec. 1–3. Regis, Kelly and all those performers arrive, and they run those floats slowly down Main Street again and again, causing traffic jams and much merriment in the search for the perfect shot.
- Pop Warner Super Bowl. Dec. 3–9. Football players and cheerleaders invade the resort for the pigskin championships (link).
- MouseFest 2006. Dec. 3–11. The annual gathering of the Disney Internet community takes place at sea from Dec. 3–7 and on land from Dec. 7–11 (link).
- Pleasure Island New Year’s Eve. Dec. 31. Pleasure Island celebrates the actual New Year (link).
- Atlantic Dance Hall New Year’s Eve. Dec. 31. Ring in the New Year at the BoardWalk’s own dance club (link).
January 2007
- Walt Disney World Half-Marathon. Jan. 6. Registration is full. [Read our WDW Marathon Guide.]
- Walt Disney World Marathon. Jan. 7. Registration is still open (link).
- College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship. Jan. 12-14. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
- Disney’s Pirate & Princess Party. Jan. 22, 26, 29, Feb. 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 23, 26, Mar. 2, 5, 8. A new hard-ticketed event celebrates the the pirates and princesses in all of us (link).
February 2007
- National Dance Team Championship. Feb. 2-4. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
- National High School Cheerleading Championship. Feb. 9-11. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
- Twirlmania. February 16?19. Twirlers, auxiliary guard, pom, and dancers descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
- Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. Mid-February ? late March (link).
- Cheer & Dance National Championships. February 24?25. School & Youth Rec Cheer February 24, All-Star Cheer & Dance February 25 (link).
March 2007
- Cheer & Dance National Championships. March 2?4. All Star/Studio March 2, School Dance March 2?4 (link).
- ESPN – The Weekend. March 2–4. Synergy strikes again as Disney’s flagship cable network returns to the Disney-MGM Studios (link).
- National All Star Cheerleading Championship. March 9-11. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
April 2007
- Walt Disney World Inline Marathon and Half Marathon (link). April 1. Strap your skates on to race from the Wide World of Sports Complex to the Disney-MGM Studios and Epcot, and back again.
- Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. April 4 – June 3. Epcot comes alive with topiaries, other floral displays, gardening demonstrations and the ?Flower Power? concert series at the 14th annual event (link).
- USASF Cheerleading & Dance Worlds. April 21-22. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports (link).
May 2007
- Disney’s Minnie Marathon Weekend 5K and 1 Mile (link). May 5. The short runs of the ladies-only running weekend take place at and near Downtown Disney. Registration is now open (link).
- Women Run the World 15 K (link). May 6. The course starts at Animal Kingdom, goes through the Studios and ends at Epcot. Registration is now open (link).
Current Discounts & Promotions
Passholder, Florida resident room rates for October through December
Annual passholder rates have been announced for October 1 through December 23. Of course, there will be no AP rates during peak Christmas Week dates of December 24-31. The rates very by season (the period covered spans regular, value and holiday seasons), but they’ll give you approximately $20 off per night at Value resorts, $40 off per night at Moderates, and $71-$80 per night at Deluxe resorts. The booking code for these rates is FBZ. (The passholder Web site says FCB, so I would guess that both would work.)
Florida Residents have their own discounts, using booking code FBY. Availability dates are October 5 through December 23, and rates are $5 more than the AP rates.
Both of these rates can be booked up until December 23.
Special offer for Super Soap Weekend travel from Small World Vacations
Small World Vacations, a MousePlanet sponsor, has announced a special offer for those traveling during this year’s Super Soap Weekend event. The travel agency will give one free One Life, Many Voices CD with each qualifying Disney Magic Your Way Vacation package that falls during 2006 Super Soap Weekend (November 11 and 12) booked with Small World Vacations (link).
The One Life, Many Voices CD is an independent fundraising effort with 100% of net proceeds going directly to aid 2005 Hurricane Disaster Relief, created by the stars of the ABC soap One Life to Live.
The free CD will be mailed with final travel documents. If the guest cancels their Super Soap vacation reservation, the offer is null and void. Small World Vacations’ minimum night stay policy applies. Small World Vacations has donated to the One Life, Many Voices Hurricane Relief Fund on behalf of their guests.
