Walt Disney World Park Update

Update for March 26 – April 1, 2007

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

Laugh Floor gets name shortened, blockout lifted for previews

It appears that the name of the new attraction in the Magic Kingdom‘s Tomorrowland was too much of a mouthful, as the words “Comedy Club” have been dropped from the end of the name. The attraction is now known as the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. Several people have pointed out that the obvious acronym for Monsters, Inc., Laugh Floor is shared by a sexually oriented phrase originally popularized by the movie American Pie (no, I’m not going to explain it). So we’ll be sticking with longer versions of the name here at MousePlanet, even if the abbreviated form would boost our traffic from search engines.

That attraction will be holding a passholder preview this coming weekend, March 30 – April 1, and the blockout has been lifted for the preview dates so that Seasonal Passholders can also attend the special event. The official grand opening will be held next Monday, the same day that the new Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros opens in the former space of El Rio del Tiempo at Epcot‘s Mexico pavilion.

Last chance to vote in Dream Jobs contest

Well, time is running out in the Disney Dream Job contest at CareerBuilder.com. There have been over 1 million page views and over half a million votes cast since voting opened on March 6. If you want to view the candidates and make your selection (you can vote as often as you wish), you’ve only got until this Friday night, March 30, at midnight, Eastern Daylight Time.

There are 20 finalists in each of five categories (Princess-in-Waiting, Pirate, Haunted Mansion Butler or Maid, Jungle Cruise Skipper and Disney Park Parade Performer). Five winners from each cagegory will have the opportunity to actually perform their dream job for a day at Disneyland in June during the grand opening festivities of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.

To view the candidates, go to the contest Web site. If you’d like to know which finalists are MousePlanet readers, check out this thread on our MousePad discussion forums.

Disney Dining Experience to host Boating Party

Disney Dining Experience members have the opportunity to participate in a unique event on Saturday, April 14. The Boating Party will feature a morning catch-and-release bass fishing excursion, followed by an exclusive Boating Party lunch at the Flying Fish Café prepared by chefs Tim Keating and Anthony De Luca. Sara Brewer of the Chalk Hill Estates winery will present their wines during the lunch. After lunch will be a wine reception and private tour of the Wyland Gallery at the Boardwalk Resort, with each guest receiving a lithograph by nature artist Dana Queen. The event will run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Reservations (at $225 per person) open today. For more information or to make a reservation, call Rosa Flores at 407-560-5703. Don’t wait, because there are only 45 spots available.

Another dining event takes place this Saturday, as Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge will be hosting a wine luncheon. A six-course lunch will be paired with wines from the Kestrel Winery in Washington State. Reservations (at $90 per person) may still be available. For more information and reservations, call Keith Gimbel at 407-824-1642.

Unions launch accusations of unfair salary schedule at Disney as contract talks heat up

As contract negotiations continue with Walt Disney World, a new study has been released by the Service Trades Council Union (STCU), a six-union coalition representing 29,000 of the 57,000 workers at the resort. The report (which you can read in PDF format here), written by three college professors, lambastes Disney for instituting a two-tiered wage system in 1998 for costing employees hired on or after December 13, 1998, $19.4 million last year alone.

The report, however, glosses over the fact that the system of reduced wage increases for new employees was negotiated and agreed to by the unions in that year’s contract. An argument can be made that the reductions were forced upon the unions by Disney, as keeping wages down is always a goal in corporate contract negotiations; however, the unions could have certainly fought to avoid the “tiered” system of increases by agreeing to an across-the-board changes. This would have decreased the wage increases for long-time cast members by a lesser degree, but would have allowed all employees to maintain the same schedule of increases.

Now, the STCU wants to gain back parity between its workers by increasing the lowered “tier 2” wage schedule, which they now call “unfair and unexpectedly harsh,” to match the original “tier 1” schedule. The cost for that change will almost certainly be less of an increase for long-term cast members, as Disney most likely has in mind an absolute dollar figure of what sort of increase they will agree to.

So what’s the probable net result of this? Wages will return to a single-tiered system, with long-timers taking a hit and newcomers doing better. Long-term, the tier 1 cast members, whom the unions were catering to at the time of the 1998 agreement, will have gotten more money from Disney over time, and the tier 2 cast members, who had not yet begun to work for Disney at the time of the agreement, will have increased animosity toward the wage scales after having taken the brunt of the agreed-upon reductions.

In my opinion, the unions must take a big share of the blame for the tiered salary scales, as it was likely in their power to trade the tiered system for smaller reductions across the board (I do not believe that the tier 1 wage schedules were mandated by law). By not wanted to anger their long-term members at the expense of their future members, they cost themselves some degree of goodwill from newer cast members, who have increasingly become the majority as cast member turnover rates continue to climb.

That’s not to say that the report doesn’t highlight any causes for concern. The next-to-last section of the report indicates how the starting wages paid at Walt Disney World have declined in comparison with its chief competitors, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando. (It doesn’t discuss Disney wages as compared to area fast-food locations.) Disney employee starting wages have been declining compared to the competition since late 1998. That fact, combined with the low level of unemployment in Central Florida, does not bode well for the ability of Disney to fill all of its positions. In fact, it is likely that some of the recent deals to contract out jobs at the resort were to allow Disney to move people into other jobs that they were having trouble filling.

Regardless of how the tiered-pay issue is addressed (and it becomes less and less significant as more of those hired before 1998 leave the company), the overall compensation issue will likely be a major sticking point in this year’s negotiations. The two sides are scheduled to meet every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between now at the contract’s expiration at the end of Saturday, April 28. It will be interesting to see how contract negotiations progress. [Note: The contract currently under negotiation covers the 21,000 full-time STCU employees. The 8,000 part-timers represented by the union are covered under a separate contract that expires on September 29.]

Wide World of Sports celebrates 10 years

Happy birthday to Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, which celebrates 10 years on Wednesday. The complex opened on March 28, 1997, with an exhibition game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds in front of a capacity crowd of 10,000. The Braves have used the complex as their spring training home every year since then. The Braves will actually be out of town on the date of the anniversary, playing the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.

But baseball is not the only sport played at the complex, with over 30 other sports also sharing the facilities. Football, basketball, paintball, martial arts and even wheelchair rugby. Next weekend will see the fifth anniversary running … er … rolling of the Walt Disney World Inline Marathon. The complex continues to expand, as the Jostens Center – an 80,000-square foot fieldhouse complex – is expected to open in the summer of 2008.

Quick takes …

…If you’ve installed the DisneyLiNK desktop widget, be aware that—even though it says that you can make reservations now for the 2007 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival special events—reservations probably won’t open until this summer. We expect that the message will be corrected soon.

…The Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management is getting a wait time clock with a rotating number face that will show the range of 2-18 minutes between shows.

…The Walt Disney World Company’s “Strive for Five” energy reduction program was named the winner of the second annual Florida Energy Achievement Award for its company-wide program designed to reduce overall energy consumption by 5 percent by involving everyone from management to cast members. The award is presented by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) to a company, organization or individual that has made a significant achievement in the efficient utilization of energy, energy conservation, energy education or renewable energy in the state of Florida.

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

• Feb. 15 – Mar. 29. Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
• Mar. 31-April 8, May 25-28, June 30-Jul. 7, Aug. 31-Sept. 3 and Nov. 19-25, 2007; and Dec. 16, 2007-Jan. 2, 2008. No pool-hopping for DVC members.
• April 1. Walt Disney World Inline Marathon and Half Marathon.
• April 2. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club both open.
• April 5 – June 3. Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival [park guide page].
• April 20, 21, 27, 28. Disney Grad Nite.
• April 21–22. USASF Cheerleading & Dance Worlds.
• April 27. Mickey’s Pin Trading Night at Contemporary Resort.

Trivia question of the week

This week’s question: Where can each of the following water slides be found: Sand Castle Slide, Shipwreck Slide, Rudder Buster, Runoff Rapids, Keister Coaster? Stay tuned to next week’s park update for the answer.

The answer to last week’s question: “Where at Walt Disney World would you find a sign saying “Warning! Do Not Pull Rope” with the work “Not” crossed out?” is:

Next to the well in front of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.

Do you have a trivia question that you’d like to share? If we choose to use your question, we’ll give you credit in the Update. Email us here.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Haunted Mansion – closed for refurbishment from June 6 through September 12.
• Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse – closed for refurbishment from April 30 through May 18.
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor – is holding occasional test shows and will have its official grand opening on April 2. Annual passholder previews will be held March 30 – April 1.

Epcot

• El Rio del Tiempo – closed for refurbishment through April 1, including the addition of a Three Caballeros-themed overlay.
• Maelstrom – closed for refurbishment from April 30 through May 24.
• Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki – closed for refurbishment from April 15 through August 25.
• Le Cellier Restaurant – closed for refurbishment May 14–18.
• Lotus Blossom Cafe – closed for major refurbishment. End date for the work is TBA.
• The Wonders of Life pavilion – has again closed, perhaps forever and perhaps just until next Thanksgiving weekend.

Disney-MGM Studios

• No known refurbishments at this time.

Animal Kingdom

• No known refurbishments at this time.

Resorts

• All-Star Music Resort – Conversion of Calypso buildings to Family Suites continues. All work had been expected to be completed by October 13, but that date has not been met. All buildings not containing Family Suites will be renovated between January and June.
• All-Star Sports Resort – All buildings will be renovated between June and November.
• Caribbean Beach Resort – The feature pool is closed for renovation January – June, 2008. Exact dates have yet to be announced.
• Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – Building 6 (Concierge) is closed in September for a full refurbishment.
• Port Orleans Riverside Resort – The Riverside Mill food court is closed for refurbishment through mid-April.
• 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 all six units expected to be completed in late 2007. The new buildings will comprise two additional sections, to be called The Carousel and The Grandstand. The two buildings in The Carousel have been completed, and the four in The Grandstand are well underway.

Water Parks

• No known refurbishments at this time.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays – Saturdays. No performances May 20–June 4, July 29–31, September 23–October 1, November 25–27.

Park Events

Ongoing

• Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex (link). Feb. 15 – Mar. 29.

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 (link). April 5 – June 3. Epcot comes alive with topiaries, other floral displays, gardening demonstrations and the ?Flower Power? concert series at the 14th annual event.
• Disney Grad Nite (link). April 20, 21, 27, 28. Graduating high school seniors have a huge party in the Magic Kingdom.
• USASF Cheerleading & Dance Worlds (link). April 21–22. Teams descend on the Wide World of Sports.
• Mickey’s Pin Trading Night at Contemporary Resort (link). April 27. The popular 3-hour event returns to Fantasia Ballroom G.

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).
• Muddy Buddy (link). May 12. Athletes get down and dirty in this competition. Registration is now open (link).
• Danskin Women’s Triathlon (link). May 12-13. Athletes compete in a 400 yard swim, a 9 mile bike ride and a 2 mile run. Registration is now open (link).
• Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (link). May 15-17. Regular-season Major League Baseball comes to The Ballpark at Disney’s Wide World of Sports for the first time.
• Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend (link). May 18-20. The annual event features over 30 artists displaying their wares.
• Walt Disney World 70.3 Ironman Triathlon (link). May 20. Athletes compete in a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. Registration opens soon (link).
• Pirates of the Caribbean Adventures on the Seven Seas Lagoon (link). May 21-24. Disneyland may get the movie premiere, but Walt Disney World gets a three-day, multi-tiered event on open water.
• Gay Days 2007. May 31 – June 3. The 17th annual gathering of the GLBT community at Walt Disney World (link1 | link 2).

June 2007

• Star Wars Weekends (link). June 1–24. The popular event returns to the Studios in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Star Wars film.

July 2007

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp (link). Late July – Mid-Aug. The Bucs return to Disney for another year’s training camp.

August 2007

• Disney’s Pirate & Princess Party (link). Aug. 11, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, 31 and Sept. 3. A rerun of this past winter’s new hard-ticketed event celebrates the pirates and princesses in all of us.
• Tom Joyner Family Reunion (link). Aug. 31 – Sept. 3. The radio host’s annual gathering returns for another year.

September 2007

• Night of Joy (link). Sept. 7–8. Disney’s annual Christian music festival.
• Disney’s Pin Celebration (link). Sept. 7–9. This year, the event’s theme is “Where Dreams HapPin”. Registration opens May 9.
• Walt Disney World Triathlon (link). Sept. 23. Athletes compete in a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride, and a 10K run. Registration opens soon (link).
• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (link). Sep. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 1, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 (dates tentative). Get your costumes ready. The Disney characters will certainly be wearing theirs..
• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (link). Sep.28 –Nov. 11. The 12th annual celebration of things gustatory, plus the Eat to the Beat concert series.

October 2007

• Race for the Taste 10K (link). Oct. 7. The annual October classic steers runners through the Disney-MGM Studios and Epcot. Registration is now open (link).

November 2007

• Disney Golf Classic (link). Nov. 1–4. Joe Durant returns to defend his 2006 title.
• Festival of the Masters (link). Nov. 9–11. Disney’s annual arts festival at Downtown Disney’s West Side.
• ABC Super Soap Weekend (link). Nov. 10–11. Your favorite ABC soap opera stars converge on the Disney-MGM Studios.
• Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (link). Nov. 12 – Jan. 6, 2008. Jennings Osborne’s amazing display returns to the Studios.
• Old Spice Classic (link). Nov. 22, 23, 25. ESPN Regional presents the second annual 8-team, 12-game tournament, featuring George Mason, Kansas State, North Carolina State, Penn State, Rider, South Carolina and Villanova.
• Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade (link). Dates TBA. The Animal Kingdom Parade trades its Jammin’ for Jingle in this holiday makeover.
• Holidays Around the World (link). Nov. 23 – Dec. 30. Epcot’s World Showcase gets storytellers, special entertainment and crafts for kids, the Lights of Winter and a spectacular Christmas tree.
• Festival of the Seasons (link). Dates TBA. Downtown Disney gets a holiday makeover.
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (link). Nov. 13, 15, 16, 26, 27, 29, 30, Dec. 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21 (dates tentative). Snow on Main Street, free hot cocoa and cookies. What’s not to like?.

December 2007

• Pop Warner Super Bowl (link). Dates TBA, expected to be Dec. 2–8. Football players and cheerleaders invade the resort for the pigskin championships.
• MouseFest 2007 (link). Dec. 2–10. The annual gathering of the Disney Internet community takes place at sea from Dec. 2–6 and on land from Dec. 6–10.
• Pleasure Island New Year’s Eve (link). Dec. 31. Pleasure Island celebrates the actual New Year.
• New Year’s Eve at Cirque du Soleil. Dec. 31. Cirque puts on special New Year’s performances.
• Atlantic Dance Hall New Year’s Eve (link). Dec. 31. Ring in the New Year at the BoardWalk’s own dance club.

January 2008

• Walt Disney World Half-Marathon (link). Jan. 12. Registration opens January 8, 2007.
• Walt Disney World Marathon (link). Jan. 13. Registration opens January 8, 2007. [Read our WDW Marathon Guide.]

Current Discounts & Promotions

Florida resident and AP room rates through March 30

Disney has announced room-only discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida Residents for mid-February through the end of March. Room-only discounts are available for Annual Passholders and Florida residents for most night from February 15 through March 30. Discounts are up to $40 off per night at Value resorts, $61 off per night at Moderate resorts and $131 off per night at Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts. These rates can be booked up to the night of arrival, depending on availability. Discounts are priced off of rack rate. To book the rates, call Disney directly or your travel agent (Small World Vacations is MousePlanet’s preferred travel agency) and request booking code FCR (Passholders) or FCT (Florida residents).

Passholders and Florida Residents get six months’ admission to Pleasure Island for the cost of one night

From January 1 through March 31 of this year, Annual Passholders and Florida residents can purchase a multi-club Pleasure Island ticket for the regular price of $21.95 (plus tax) and get unlimited visits through June 30. Guests must be over 21 years of age to purchase the tickets, and proof of age, proof of an annual pass or Florida residency, and a valid photo ID are required at the Pleasure Island box office when purchasing a ticket or redeeming a certificate from an online purchase. The offer cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, and is not valid for single-club tickets. Guests must be 21 years of age to enter any of the dance clubs (basically anything other than the Adventurer’s Club and the Comedy Warehouse), and must show proof of age at the time of entry.

Magic Your Way ticket price guide

Walt Disney World’s entire ticket price structure changed as of January 2, 2005, to the new “Magic Your Way” passes, and prices increased on January 1, 2006, and again on August 6, 2006. Advance purchase discounts are only available on tickets above the base ticket of at least 4 days, with higher discounts on those tickets with both options. Prices do not include 6.5% Florida sales tax.

Park Hours

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through September 2007.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through September 2007.

Theme Park Events

Fort Wilderness movie schedule for March 2007

Through March 10, Movies begin at 7:40 and (on Friday and Saturday only) 9:15, and are preceded by a campfire at 6:30 and a singalong at 7:00. Starting March 11, movies begin at 8:40 and will be preceded by a campfire at 7:30 and a singalong at 8:00.

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)

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