Update for October 30 ? November 5, 2006
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News and Views
Country Bears to skip Christmas this year?
We’ve been informed that the Country Bear Jamboree is not getting its annual conversion to the Country Bear Christmas Special this year. Reportedly, the change was made by management for budgetary reasons. However, we are also hearing that the decision is not yet etched in stone, and that there could be a change of plans “if something big happens, like if the Guests speak out.”
So it sounds as if you may have some say in the matter. If you’re planning to go to Walt Disney World this holiday season and want to see the Country Bears doing their Christmas show instead of the regular Jamboree, write to Walt Disney World Guest Relations (link). We can’t promise that a huge outcry will indeed save the show this year, but we have heard that the Guests may have a voice in this. (And if not, it may change their minds about next year.)
Refurbishment continues at the rear of Epcot’s Japan pavilion. Photo by Cathy Sowa.
Shipping prices take a hike
On October 1, Walt Disney World raised its shipping fees for merchandise shipped from the WDW resort. The fees are still based on the value of your purchase and how quickly you want it delivered, but they have raised shipping rates as much as 400 percent across all tiers and removed the shipping cap for orders over $1000. For orders up to $50, the shipping fee is $8.95 for 14-20 day ground shipping, $23.95 for 4-7 day air shipping, and $33.95 for 3-5 day air shipping. For larger orders, the price climbs to over $150 for orders up to $1000. Orders over $1000 now pay around 15 percent shipping. These fees apply to orders shipped home from the resort, or ordered through Walt Disney World Mail Order.
If your vacation souvenir shopping strategy includes shipping everything home instead of packing it into luggage, be prepared to pay a pretty penny for that convenience. To help reduce your shipping fees, try to make all of your purchases at one store location (the World of Disney in Downtown Disney is the best one-stop shop for many popular souvenir items). You can also wait until the end of your trip and combine smaller purchases into one shipment, rather than shipping each purchase separately. Finally, you can bring your purchases to a UPS, FedEx or Post Office and pack and ship them yourself. We’ve noted the closest full-service locations for each carrier below:
Locations closest to Downtown Disney:
- FedEx
12181 S Apopka Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL 32836
407-465-0085 - USPS
12133 S Apopka Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL 32836-6802
There is also a cut-off in early November beyond which any orders placed after that date must be shipped via the Air methods, and are only guaranteed for delivery before Christmas. So it’s possible that you would order something on, say, November 20, pay for 4-7 day air shipping, and not actually receive it until December 20th.
Hollywood & Vine plans hours change for April
The dinner hours at Hollywood & Vine at the Disney-MGM Studios reportedly changing during the holiday peak next April. From April 9 through April 22, the dinner buffet runs from noon until 9:00 p.m. The dinner buffet does not have character appearances, which means that essentially the lunch character meal will not be served and lunch prices will rise to dinner levels during this time. No other full service restaurants at the Studios will change their hours during this time. Thanks to Matt Hochberg of MGMStudios.org (link) for the information.
A construction wall surrounds the outdoor vending location at the west side of the intersection of Main Street and the hub. Photo by Cathy Sowa.
MouseFest’s Mega Mouse Meet: Call for greeters
One of the special things during MouseFest’s Mega Mouse Meet event (Saturday, December 9 from 1:00-3:30 p.m.) is that we station representatives from participating communities outside the meeting room to greet newcomers. Disney Internet fans are sometimes shy and not sure about this whole “meeting face to face” thing, and having a friendly face greet them and welcome them makes a big difference!
Each participating community is being asked to provide at least three volunteers who are willing to act as greeters. They’ll need to work just one hour each (or less, if we have enough), which will leave them free to enjoy the event the rest of the time. The one-hour time commitment worked well last year, so that’s what we’re planning for this year, too.
In general, greeters do the following: welcome folks to the MegaMouseMeet, make sure each person has a name tag (greeters will walk around with the same label sheets as on the reception table), assist folks finding the webmaster, author, community, or company they may be looking for, hand out Swag Bags and Pocket Guides, and offer general assistance.
If you’re planning to attend the Mega Mouse Meet and would be willing to help out as a greeter, please let me know by sending me an e-mail with your name and e-mail address (so that you can be contacted with further information and they can check you against the list at the volunteer check-in. In order to assure that the volunteer coordinator has enough time to work the scheduling of all volunteers, please sign up by November 8 if you can help us out.
The construction area fills the entire corner, a much larger area than just the vending location. Photo by Cathy Sowa.
MouseFest is coming!Just a reminder that MouseFest is scheduled for December 3?7 (sea) and December 7?11 (land). MouseFest Sponsor MousePlanet is organizing three events and officially participating in a fourth during the land portion, with a fifth being organized by David Koenig, MousePlanet staff writer and author of the “Mouse Tales” series of books. For more information and to find out how to let us know that you’re coming, visit our MouseFest events page. For more information on MouseFest, visit the MouseFest event site (link). |
31st annual Festival of the Masters on tap next weekend
For those looking for something different to do outside the parks while the Super Soap Weekend is holding fort at the Disney-MGM Studios next weekend, the 31st annual Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney provides a chance to see art in all sorts of media. Awards totaling $40,000 will be presented in 10 categories: clay; drawing, printmaking, and digital art; glass; jewelry; leather, wood, fiber and paper; mixed media and collage; painting; photography; sculpture; and watercolor.
In conjunction with Festival of the Masters, the House of Blues is hosting 40 folk artists for its ninth annual “Where the Art Meets the Soul” Folk Art Festival.
The weekend also features live musical entertainment, chalk art and children’s activities. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. November 10-12.
A decorative scrim covers the construction area over the restrooms adjacent to Peter Pan’s Flight in the Magic Kingdom. The work currently involves remodeling of the restroom stalls and facade maintenance, but no changes to existing structures are being made right now (though that could change in the future). Photo by Cathy Sowa.
New effects to be added to Osborne Lights this year
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights is set to turn on just two weeks from tonight. When it does, it will feature choreographed “dancing” lights that perform in synchronization with a medley of holiday music every 15 minutes. Over 400 dimmers will control the special effects, which are expected to work in a similar fashion to the Lights of Winter at Epcot.
The entire display, from building facades to trees, wreaths to bells, and holiday figures will all “dance” as the “snow” falls. The Spectacle runs nightly from November 13 through January 7.
Construction walls at the Disney-MGM Studios protect the installation work on the Osborne Lights. Photo by Cathy Sowa.
Disney Cruise Line sets holiday celebrations
Special holiday entertainment, decorations and events are on tap for Disney cruises starting late this month and running through the New Year.
Cruisers aboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder will enjoy Thanksgiving dinners with all of the trimmings, along with craft activities focusing on pilgrim hats and turkeys. Mickey and Minnie will also make appearances in Thanksgiving costumes. The Magic sails a special Western Caribbean itinerary over the holiday, featuring two visits to Castaway Cay. The second visit occurs the day after Thanksgiving, and features the debut of the island’s holiday decorations. Some of the decor may be up for the visit of the Wonder on its four-night cruise that stops at the island on Thanksgiving Day.
Castaway Cay will be transformed into a “Magical Wonderland” featuring Christmas trees, carolers, “snow” flurries and more. Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, properly attired for the tropical weather, will tend to a sleigh full of presents, and the island’s tram will be rethemed as a reindeer, complete with antlers and a tail. Kids’ crafts on the island will include candy cane reindeer, paper plate angels and snowflake-mobiles.
Back on board, the ships will be decked out in holiday splendor, complete with a nearly three-deck-tall Christmas tree in the ship’s atrium, “snow flurries” and a tree-lighting ceremony.
Holiday entertainment will include a reading of “The Night Before Christmas” by Mrs. Claus, gingerbread house decorating family crafts, and characters in holiday garb.
For the Christmas cruises, even more special events are planned. The Wonder‘s four-night Christmas cruise departs on December 24, while the Magic‘s special 10-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean itinerary departs on December 16. During the cruises, there will be International holiday caroling by crew members from around the globe, traditional holiday feasts and a Christmas Day visit from Santa Goofy.
Multiple faith and interdenominational holiday services will be celebrated on Christmas and Hanukkah cruises.
The ships will also throw special on-board New Year’s Eve parties, with the Magic‘s seven-night cruise departing on December 30, while the Wonder heads out on a four-night voyage on New Year’s Eve.
Minnie and Mickey have special new outfits for the Year of a Million Dreams. Photo by Cathy Sowa.
Goofy also has a new outfit, while Pluto has a new dog tag. Photo by Cathy Sowa.
