Walt Disney World Park Update

We’ll post the rest of the dates as they’re released.

A heartfelt “thank you”

I celebrated my birthday yesterday participating in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica

to help prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Last

year, through your generosity we raised $2,525 in just four weeks. This year,

while we did not reach our ambitious goal of $4,000, we did get very close,

raising over $3,700 (pending arrival of the last few checks). I am proud to

say that MousePlanet readers and MouseStation and MousePlanetWatch podcast

listeners came through with over $1,600 of that total! Thank you all so much!

It’s very fulfilling to know that our MousePlanet community can work together

to do such good things.

According to event organizers, the day’s event raised somewhere between $160,00-$170,000.

If you were planning to donate but ran into the capacity problems that the

WalkAmerica site had last week, my fundraising

page should still be taking donations for another couple of weeks or so.

You can also just check it out for more information on why I walk, even if

you don’t plan to donate. Thank you again for your support!

MousePlanet reader and podcast listener Matt Flannery, who was also walking

for March of Dimes, stopped by to wish Mark a happy birthday. Thanks, Matt!

Photo courtesy of Mark Goldhaber.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Castle Boutique

The second location for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will open inside Cinderella

Castle on September 10. The location’s current tenant, The King’s Gallery,

will close on July 15 and all merchandise will be moved to the several other

Arribas Brothers stores around property. Construction is to take place from

July 5 through September 1, and the Boutique will officially open on September

10. (Of course, it’s entirely possible that there will be a soft opening from

September 2-9.)

As with the current location, reservations are highly recommended (407-WDW-STYLE/407-939-7895),

and can be made up to 180 days in advance. Reservations for the new Boutique

are now available.

Zagat releases WDW “Insider’s Guide”

Zagat Survey has released the first edition of its Walt Disney World Insider’s

Guide. Based on the opinions of almost 5,000 reviewers, the guide covers attractions,

restaurants, shops and hotels. Not surprisingly, the survey’s audience—which skews toward the high-end of the income spectrum–found Victoria

& Albert’s to have the best food and the Grand

Floridian to be the resort with the best service.

While Expedition Everest ranked as the

#1 attraction for adult appeal and Wishes

ranked as tops for child appeal, Soarin’

took the overall attraction title. Others popular across age lines include

Festival of the Lion King, Kilimanjaro

Safaris and Splash Mountain.

The book is now

available, though those used to planning their trips with more extensive

guides such as the Unofficial

Guide or Passporter

are likely to be disappointed by the length and depth of the content. However,

for its target market of regular Zagat readers, it will probably be just fine.

Disney Cruise Line officially signs contract for two new ships

On February 22, we reported that

Disney had signed a letter of intent with the Meyer Werft shipyard to negotiate

a contract for the construction of two new ships. That negotiation has been

completed, and Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin and Meyer Werft Managing

Partner Bernard Meyer signed the contract in front of several hundred cheering

cast members last Monday.

“Expanding our fleet will give us the flexibility to offer a variety of itineraries

in the future,” McAlpin said. “We are looking forward to taking our guests

on new adventures to different parts of the world with Disney Cruise Line.”

The ships are scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012.

Vertical construction of the new restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has moved out toward the construction wall. Photo by Stephen Kropf.

Disney tries out “8th Grade Grad Jam”

Disney is trying out a new program called the “Disney 8th Grade Grad Jam.”

Patterned after the Blast-Off parties held prior to the start of Grad Nite

at the Magic Kingdom, the Disney

Youth Groups site proclaims:

Graduating Middle School Can Be Quite A Ride…

Give your 8th Grade graduates a magical night to remember at Disney 8th

Grade Grad Jam. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at the Walt Disney World®

Resort is exciting new territory for graduates to unite with friends and

celebrate their journey from middle school to beyond!

The event, which runs from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on May 4, includes access

to Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Primeval Whirl, Triceratops Spin

and Dinosaur; a DJ dance party in Dinoland; and refreshments including burgers,

hot dogs, garden salad, chips and lemonade.

Tickets cost $35.95 for both students and chaperons, plus tax when applicable.

Groups get 1 free ticket per each 10 purchased.

The event takes place after the park’s normal closing time, so there will

be no effect on regular park operations. While it seems that Disney is searching

for every little oppportunity to create special events, it’s certain that

there will be many who are thrilled at the opportunity to go play in a theme

park after-hours without their families and then stay overnight at a Disney

hotel before heading back home. We’ll have to see how this one plays out.

To be called the Anandapur Yak & Yeti Restaurant, it’s scheduled to open

later this year. Photo by Stephen Kropf.

Quick takes …

…The new Game Station arcade on the north end of the Contemporary

Resort‘s concourse officially opens today. Early reviews of the soft opening

over the weekend have been less than glowing. If you happen to visit the new

arcade, please let

us know what you think.

…Plenty of tickets are still left at all price levels for the first

regular-season Major League Baseball games to be held at Disney’s

Wide World of Sports Complex. The Texas Rangers will be visiting the Tampa

Bay Devil Rays at The Ballpark May 15-17. Ticket prices range from $15 lawn

seats to $119 seats behind the dugouts.

…Work began Friday on refurbishment of the Calypso pool at the All

Star Music Resort. The accessible chair lift and transfer station will

be replaced, along with other general touch-up work. Similar work on the Fantasia

pool at All Star Movies took about five

months. In the meantime, All-Star Music guests may continue to use the “quiet”

pools as well as the main pools at the other All-Star resorts.

…Blizzard Beach will be the first water

park to be closed for refurbishment this year, closing on October 28.

Typhoon Lagoon will close for its annual refurbishment when Blizzard Beach

reopens in late December or early January.

…Progress is being made as negotiations continue between Disney and

the Service Trades Council Union. The two sides are coming to tentative agreements

on many areas, and they have agreed to extend the existing contract until

midnight Saturday. Negotiations continue tomorrow.

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

• Apr. 5 – June 3. Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

  [park guide page].

  • Flower Power Concert Series
    • April 29?May 1: Peter & Gordon
    • May 2?3: Jose Feliciano
    • May 4?5: Petula Clark
    • May 6?10: Nelson
    • May 11?15: Davy Jones
    • May 16?19: B.J. Thomas
    • May 20?22: Grass Roots featuring Rob Grill
    • May 23?25: The Guess Who
    • May 26: The SOS Band
    • May 27?30: Gary Puckett
    • May 31?June 3: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
  • Themed Weekends
    • May 4?6: Cinco de Mayo Weekend
    • May 11?13: Mother’s Day Weekend
    • May 18?20: Characters in Bloom Weekend
    • May 25?28: Memorial Day Weekend
    • June 1?3: Festival Farewell Weekend
• May 5. Disney’s Minnie Marathon Weekend 5K and 1 Mile.
• May 6. Women Run the World 15 K.
• May 12. Muddy Buddy.
• May 12-13. Danskin Women’s Triathlon.
• May 15-17. Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• May 18-20. Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend.
• May 20. Walt Disney World 70.3 Ironman Triathlon.
• May 21-24. Pirates of the Caribbean Adventures on the Seven Seas Lagoon.
• May 31-June 3. Gay Days 2007.
  • May 31 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  • June 1 – Disney-MGM Studios
  • June 2 – Magic Kingdom
  • June 3 – Epcot
• May 25-28, Jun. 30-Jul. 7, Aug. 31-Sept. 3 and Nov. 19-25, 2007; and Dec.

  16, 2007-Jan. 2, 2008. DVC members may not pool-hop on these dates.

Walt Disney World trivia question of the week

This week’s question: Who was the original narrator of Spaceship

Earth? Stay tuned to next week’s park update for the answer.

The answer to last week’s question: In honor of last Sunday being

Earth Day, “what is Disney’s environmental conservation program called,

and who is its mascot?” is:

The mascot of the Environmentality

program is Jiminy Cricket.

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.

Epcot

• Maelstrom – closed for refurbishment

  from April 30 through May 24.

• Spaceship Earth – closed for refurbishment May 7–10, June 22–23

  and July 9 – at least October 31, if not longer.

• Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki – closed

  for refurbishment through August 20.

• Le Cellier Restaurant – closed

  for refurbishment May 14–18.

• 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 – Work began

  Friday on refurbishment of the Calypso pool. The accessible chair lift and

  transfer station will be replaced, along with other general touch-up work.

  Similar work on the Fantasia pool at All Star Movies took about five months.

  In the meantime, All-Star Music guests may continue to use the “quiet” pools

  as well as the main pools at the other All-Star resorts. All buildings not

  containing Family Suites are being renovated between January and June.

• All-Star Sports Resort – All buildings

  will be renovated between June and November.

• Caribbean Beach Resort – The feature

  pool will be closed for renovation January – June, 2008. Exact dates

  have yet to be announced.

• Grand Floridian Resort & Spa –

  Building 6 (Concierge) will be closed in September for a full refurbishment.

• 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

• Blizzard Beach – closed for annual refurbishment October

  28 – late December.

• Typhoon Lagoon – closed for annual refurbishment late December

  – late winter.

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

April 2007

• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (link). Apr. 5 – June 3. Epcot

  comes alive with topiaries, other floral displays, gardening demonstrations

  and the ?Flower Power? concert series at the 14th annual event.

May 2007

• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (link). Apr. 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’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

• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (link). Apr. 5 – June 3. Epcot

  comes alive with topiaries, other floral displays, gardening demonstrations

  and the ?Flower Power? concert series at the 14th annual event.

• Gay Days 2007. May 31 – June 3. The 17th annual gathering of the

  GLBT community at Walt Disney World (link1

  | link 2).

• 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

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp (link).

  Late July – Mid-Aug. The Bucs return to Disney for another year’s training

  camp.

• 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

• 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.

• 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, 30, Oct. 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28,

  30, 31, Nov. 2. 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

• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (link).

  Sep. 14, 21, 28, 30, Oct. 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28,

  30, 31, Nov. 2. 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.

• 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).

• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K and 6.5K (link).

  Oct. 27. Disney’s first night-time endurance event is Halloween-themed,

  and concludes witha big after-party. Registration is now open (link).

November 2007

• 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.

• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (link).

  Sep. 14, 21, 28, 30, Oct. 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28,

  30, 31, Nov. 2. Get your costumes ready. The Disney characters will certainly

  be wearing theirs.

• 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.

• Pirates of Castaway Cay pin cruise (link).

  Nov. 11-15. Pirates, pins and a Disney cruise, all rolled into one.

• Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (link).

  Nov. 12 ? Jan. 6, 2008. Jennings Osborne’s amazing display returns to the

  Studios.

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (link).

  Nov. 12, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29, 30, Dec. 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18,

  20, 21 (dates tentative). Snow on Main Street, free hot cocoa and cookies.

  What’s not to like?

• 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.

December 2007

• Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (link).

  Nov. 12 ? Jan. 6, 2008. Jennings Osborne’s amazing display returns to the

  Studios.

• 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. 12, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29, 30, Dec. 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18,

  20, 21 (dates tentative). Snow on Main Street, free hot cocoa and cookies.

  What’s not to like?

• 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

• Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (link).

  Nov. 12 ? Jan. 6, 2008. Jennings Osborne’s amazing display returns to the

  Studios.

• 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.]

June 2008

• Gay Days 2008. June 6 – 9. The 18th annual gathering of the GLBT

  community at Walt Disney World (link1

  | link 2).

Current Discounts & Promotions

Free dining plan is back for late August–September

Disney is offering a new free dining package for trips beginning August 26

through September 22. Minimum stay will be three nights and a minimum one-day

theme park ticket per person is required to get the free dining package for

the length of your stay. Just remember that this is during peak hurricane

season, which is why Disney needs to offer this promotion to get people to

visit the parks and stay on property. While the odds of a hurricane interrupting

or cancelling your vacation are low, you may want to take advantage of the

trip insurance offered by Disney, just in case. Packages must be booked by

June 24.

Passholder and Florida resident rates

Annual passholders and Florida residents have discount codes for room-only

and package stays for mid-April through late May, available for booking through

the end of the promotional period, subject to availability. Passholder and

resident discount dates are for most nights through May 24. Passholder rates

start as low as $74 per night for value resorts, while Florida resident rates

are as low as $79 per night for values. Full hook-up campsites for RVs start

at $55 per night for passholders, $60 per night for Florida residents.

Hotel Royal Plaza offers discounts to MousePlanet readers

We’d like to welcome the Hotel Royal Plaza as a new MousePlanet sponsor.

As part of our new relationship, the Royal Plaza has created a special offer

just for MousePlanet readers! From now through the end of the year, anyone

booking

their stay through the MousePlanet web site will receive discounted rates

up to 20 percent off on all room types.

The completely-remodeled 394-room resort is located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard,

just a few minutes’ walk from Downtown Disney. Bus service to all Walt Disney

World theme parks is included with your stay. Their Giraffe Café restaurant,

Giraffe Tavern sports bar, Marketessen deli-style café and Sips Pool Bar are

ready to serve you. And children 10 and under eat breakfast for free!

And so we’d like to thank the Hotel Royal Plaza for joining the MousePlanet

family, and invite you to try

their hospitality.

Disney’s Price Slice golf rates are back

Disney’s popular summer golf discount program, Disney’s Price Slice, will

return from May 14 through September 27. During that time, a round of golf

at any of the Walt Disney World courses

will be less expensive after 10 a.m. daily, due to the heat of the summer

season. The Magnolia, Palm, Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge courses will carry

a fee of $55, while the Lake Buena Vista course will cost $45. Rates include

the use of an electric cart, and are $34-$44 cheaper than regular rates.

The rates include the use of an electric cart and are discounted from the

before-10 a.m. prices of $99 for resort guests/$109 for day visitors (Magnolia

and Osprey Ridge), $89 for resort guests/$99 for day visitors (Palm and Eagle

Pines) and $79 for resort guests/$89 for day visitors (Lake Buena Vista).

To reserve a tee time, call 407-WDW-GOLF (407-939-4653) or go to the Disney

Golf Web site (link).

Note that the site’s front page still appears to have difficulty with browsers

other than Internet Explorer. Once you get past the front page, you should

be all right.

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 April/May 2007

Movies begin at 8:40 and will be preceded by a campfire at 7:30 and a singalong

at 8:00. The May schedule was not available at press time.

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)

Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors,

and comments. Email Mark here.