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News and Views

Sea of yellow to clear up

Walt Disney World is replacing all yellow ponchos sold at the theme parks

with clear ones. The official reason is that it was difficult for lost

children or others to find their families amid all of the yellow ponchos.

Now, searchers can see the actual clothing that they’re looking for. The

fact that clear ponchos will most likely be cheaper is just an added benefit.

Watch your Keister!

The Keister Coaster at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort will be closed for refurbishment

from October 6 through 29. The 190,000-gallon Luna Park pool remains open

during the rehab. For guests that want a slide as part of their pool experience,

the Stormalong Bay pool at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts will

be available while the Keister Coaster is closed. Shuttle service will

be made available during this time for those wishing to take advantage

of this opportunity. This is a limited-time exception to the pool-hopping

guidelines. Once the Keister Coaster returns to service, Stormalong Bay

will be off-limits for pool-hopping Disney’s Vacation Club members, as

well as any other guests not staying at the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts.

Disney to launch Magical Gatherings

At its big press event on October 8 to 10, Walt Disney World is expected

to announce the new Magical Gatherings program, which is being billed

as a Resort-wide “celebration” in line with the recent trend

of 15-month celebrations every other year (including the 1996 to 1997

25th Anniversary, 1999 to 2000 Millennium Celebration, and 2001 to 2002

100 Years of Magic). The marketing initiative focuses on helping people

stage family reunions or other large group trips by booking large blocks

of rooms next to each other, setting up restaurants for large crowds,

and even reserving large areas for groups to watch parades together.

Disney is hoping to capitalize on the trend of large groups wanting to

get together on vacation, rather than in a local park or other local venue.

Groups have ranged from multi-generational family reunions to large groups

of friends travelling together. The average expected group size is 8 to

30 people, with larger groups also welcome. Disney plans to give trip

organizers free trip-planning tools on DVD and the Internet.

Of course, Disney is not new to bringing in new market segments. Since

the Florida Resort first started promoting itself as a wedding destination

13 years ago, they’ve grown that business to over 2,000 weddings each

year.

[MousePlanet staff member Mark Goldhaber: “We put together a 23-person

trip with a group of friends by ourselves in 1999, and—while additional

assistance would have helped to lessen the workload a bit—we still

had lots of fun.”]

Cranes over Epcot

Construction cranes have been sighted backstage between the Imagination!

and The Land pavilions. An article in the Orlando Sentinel (link)

that includes quotes from our own David Koenig confirms the construction

of Soarin’ expected to open in 2005. The official announcement

is expected at the October 8 to 10 press event.

Celebration golf course sold

Disney-owned The Celebration Co. sold the Celebration Golf Club in the

community of Celebration, Florida, to C.S. Golf Partners, LLC last week

for $6.5 million. The course and downtown Celebration went on the market

back in June, but the downtown property has not yet sold despite several

parties expressing interest. The golf club includes a clubhouse with banquet

facilities along with a par-72 course, a three-hole junior course, a practice

chipping hole, a driving range, and a practice putting green. The new

owner is a partnership that includes a father-son pair of National Hockey

League players. David Creighton, Sr. played for the Boston Bruins, Toronto

Maple Leafs, Chicago BlackHawks, and New York Rangers. His son, Adam Creighton,

played with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders,

Tampa Bay Lightning, and St. Louis Blues. David Creighton, Sr.’s other

son, David Creighton, Jr., is a Celebration resident and a PGA golf pro.

Although he is not a partner in C.S. Golf Partners, he will be on the

Celebration Golf Club staff. The other partners are three members of the

Sherlock family: Bill Sr., Bill Jr., and David. The new owners also own

six other courses in Canada and Florida.

Woman has heart attack on Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure

A 34-year-old mother of two from Jensen Beach, Florida, who appeared

alert in the on-ride photograph taken right before the braking area, was

found slumped in her seat as riders disembarked from the coaster train

at around 2:35 p.m. last Tuesday afternoon. Witnesses said that she had

no pulse when she was removed. Ride operators noticed that she was unconscious

and called park first-aid staff, who used a automatic external defibrillator

(AED) to try to revive her. She was taken in critical condition to Sand

Lake Hospital.

The woman, a district sales manager for Godiva Chocolates, and some co-workers were

at the park during an afternoon off from a three-day meeting in Orlando.

The Orlando Sentinel quoted the hotel cardiologist treating the

woman as saying that the cardiac arrest would have likely happened at

some point, whether she was on the ride or not. The article also said

that her companions stated that she had complained about jaw pain earlier

in the day, and quoted an Orlando Fire Department deputy chief as saying

that “sometimes cardiac pain can radiate to the jaw.” Universal

Orlando President Bob Gault said that this type of incident has never

happened before at the ride (link).

The ride, which opened in 1999, lasts two minutes and 15 seconds and reaches

a high speed of 65 miles per hour. Signs posted near the ride entrance

warn pregnant women and people with health problems, including heart conditions,

not to ride. The ride reopened on Thursday.

Cypress Gardens rescued

Cypress Gardens has been purchased by a nonprofit environmental group

for $22 million five months after the park closed down on April 13. The

Trust for Public Land has reached agreement with the park’s owners to

take over the 60-year-old park. This will enable the group to preserve

the park while searching for a permanent owner and operator. Several options

have already been proposed by potential buyers, including turning the

site into a historical park and adding amusement park rides.

For a complete article on the April closure of Cypress Gardens, see our

article by Todd Regan.

You can still run (at) Disney!

Registration is still open for the 2003 Disney’s 10K Classic presented

by Foot Locker (link)

on Sunday, October 12. The fifth annual event starts at 7:00 a.m. at Epcot,

winds through the World Showcase, past the Disney’s Boardwalk Resort,

through the Disney-MGM Studios, and finishes at Disney’s Wide World of

Sports Complex. Races for kids at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex

take place immediately following the event, at 8:45.

Entry fees are $25 if received by October 3, and $30 if received by October

12. Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Kids races are

open to ages 11 and under and are free of charge. If you are a Disney

cast member, and would like to receive your discount, please do not

register on-line. Cast members can pick up a registration form at Company

D or call (407) 938-3398.

Time is running out to sign up for the Walt Disney World Marathon, as

well. As of September 25, registration for the Marathon reached 97% of

its capacity, registering over 15,050 participants.

Ears to the ground

…The Main Street Gallery in the Magic Kingdom will be open again

in its former location from noon until the park close as of Friday, October

3.

…There is a rumor that the Canada Pavilion at Epcot will soon have

meet-and-greets with Kenai and Koda from the upcoming movie Brother

Bear. They will most likely first appear around the beginning of November.

…We are now hearing that Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress and

Timekeeper will be open during the Alien Encounter-to-Stitch rehab, but

this has not yet been confirmed.

…The new on-ride photo opportunity for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger

Spin opened to guests on Friday, September 26. Apparently, they are not

putting riders’ scores on the photo, as originally rumored.

…A Spanish-speaking Pal Mickey makes an introduction on October

5. He functions exactly as his English-speaking counterpart does, sharing

Park tips, fun facts, jokes and playing three different games. Spanish

Pal Mickey is available for rental or purchase at the Main Street Cinema

at the Magic Kingdom.

…It seems that there’s now a Nemo meet-and-greet going on outside

The Living Seas. There may be an interesting announcement regarding the

rumored Nemo overlay at that pavilion at the October press event.

…The painting of the rockwork in Tomorrowland has been completed.

…Adventureland will be opening at 10 a.m., one hour after park opening,

on almost every day except high attendance days. So far, the only days

that have been identified for a 9 a.m. opening are October 11, 17, 18,

and 25, except for Jungle Cruise, which will still open at 10:00. In addition,

Bwana Bob’s, Island Supply, Agrabah Bazaar, Pirates Bazaar, and Crow’s

Nest will all be closing one hour before park close, but no later than

9:00 p.m.

…The Levy Restaurant group, current operators of Fulton’s Crab House and

the Portobello Yacht Club, will be taking over the management of Wolfgang

Puck’s Grande Cafe, and will operate it under Puck’s name. It seems that

the entire staff was asked to reapply for their positions this week by

the new management team.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Big Thunder Mountain is closed for refurbishment through Saturday,

  November 22.

• The Swiss Family Treehouse is closed for refurbishment through

  Friday, October 24.

• Mickey’s PhilharMagic is currently doing hit-or-miss sneak

  previews, and may not have time for a soft open before the official

  grand opening on Wednesday, October 8.

• Wishes: a Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams, the new fireworks

  show for the Magic Kingdom, will debut on Thursday, October 9 at 9:00

  p.m. The final showing of Fantasy in the Sky will be Monday,

  October 6 at 7:30 p.m.

• The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter closes for good on October

  12. It will then undergo a major rehab and reopen in mid- to late-2004

  as Stitch Escape!

Epcot

• Mission: Space is now in soft opening status, with the official

  grand opening slated for Thursday, October 9. Epcot will close to the

  public at 3:00 p.m. on that day.

Disney-MGM Studios

• Magic of Disney Animation closes for refurbishment September

  30 to November 23.

• Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios has been closed

  and is undergoing demolition to prepare the site for a new “E-ticket

  stunt-show attraction” believed to be an American version of the

  popular Moteurs… Action! stunt show from the Walt Disney

  Studios at Disneyland Paris.

• Due to the loss of Residential Street, the Osborne Family Spectacle

  of Lights will not be presented this holiday season. It is expected

  to return in some form for 2004.

• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will receive a lot of rehab

  work from September to November—reportedly on the ride control

  system and cable replacements—but will only be closed from October

  13 through 18. One side of the tower will be closed from September 18

  to October 12. Both sides will be down from October 13 to 18, and the

  Tower opens again running one side only from October 19 to November

  17. Capacity will be decreased during the rehab, but should be offset

  by smaller off-season crowds smaller crowds.

• Sets from the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie are scheduled

  to open in the old Backstage Pass soundstage on October 6.

Animal Kingdom

• Tarzan Rocks closes from September 29 through October 1.

Resorts

• Boardwalk Resort – The Keister Coaster slide will be closed

  from October 6 through October 29 for refurbishment. During this time,

  the 190,000 gallon Luna Park pool will remain open, and guests will

  also have the option of using the Stormalong Bay pool complex at the

  Yacht & Beach Club Resorts.

• Pop Century Resort officially opens on December 14.
• Port Orleans Resort is in the middle of a two-year extensive

  rehab. For Phase I, French Quarter closed May 4, 2003. Phase II involves

  Riverside going down in sections. We have not yet heard a date for completion

  of Phase I.

• Polynesian Resort is refurbishing its longhouses one by one.

  Each longhouse under rehab is walled off and isolated during its rehab.

  There are only a couple of longhouses remaining. Hawaii is currently

  in rehab through October 17, and Concierge has been moved to Tahiti

  during this period. Tonga is scheduled for rehab through December 20.

  Niue is the only other longhouse currently scheduled to undergo rehab,

  and is tentatively scheduled for January 18 to May 2, 2004. Rarotonga

  has not received a rehab yet, but is not on the current schedule.

• Shades of Green is undergoing a major construction and rehab.

  The resort, run by Morale, Welfare & Receation for members of the

  U.S. military, is currently expected to reopen in March 2004.

• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (a Disney Vacation

  Club resort) has a tentative grand opening date of May 1, 2004.

Water Parks

• Blizzard Beach undergoes refurbishment beginning October 26.
• Typhoon Lagoon undergoes refurbishment beginning in late December.

Elsewhere

• The All Star Cafe at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex

  is now closed Mondays through Wednesdays, and is open Thursdays through

  Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Park Events

October

• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.

  October 3, 5, 10, 14, 16, 19, 24, 26, 30 and 31.

• Disney’s 10K Classic (link)

  October 12.

• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – Included

  with park admission, sample wine and food from 25 countries (link).

  October 18 to November 16.

• The Funai Classic at Walt Disney World Resort features many

  of the world’s top golfers, including Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Jim

  Furyk, Scott Hoch, Lee Janzen, European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer,

  PGA champion Shaun Micheel, 2003 Hall of Fame inductee Nick Price and

  Scott Verplank. Tiger Woods is also expected, though he has not formally

  committed. The tournament takes place on the Magnolia and Palm courses.

  October 23 to 26.

• 999 Happy Haunts Ball at the Magic Kingdom. October 27,

  28, and 29.

November

• Festival of the Masters presents 150 artists and their creations

  on display at Downtown Disney’s West Side. November 7 to 9.

• ABC Super Soap Weekend at the Disney-MGM Studios. November

  8 and 9.

• Pin Trading Cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. November

  16 to 20.

• Festival of the Seasons at Epcot features lighting displays,

  fun window displays, and more. November 28 to December 24.

• Holidays Around the World at Epcot lets you celebrate holidays

  in the style of the World Showcase countries. November 28 to December

  30.

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. Order

  by phone at (407) W-DISNEY (934-7639). November 30, December 2, 4,

  5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 19.

December

• Doll & Teddy Bear Weekend. December 7.
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort opens. December 14.

January 2004

• Disney’s Health and Fitness Expo (link).

  January 9 and 10.

• FamilyFun Magazine Family Fun Run (link).

  January 10.

• Disney Marathon and Half-Marathon. January 11.
• Annual Passholders’ Cruise (4 nights) on Disney Magic.

  January 25.

April 2004

• Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. April 16

  to May 30.

May 2004

• Walt Disney World Inline Marathon (link).

  May 2.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Winter Dream Maker Package

Mousesavers.com

is reporting that there is a special Disney Visa Winter Dream Maker package

starting at $99 per adult per night. The package includes a room at a

Disney Value resort and an Ultimate Park Hopper ticket. For example, you

can save about $230 on a three-night stay for two adults at the All-Star

Movies resort, specially priced at $661 (including taxes). The package

also includes a $50 bonus in Disney Dollars. Dates are November 2 through

December 25, with blackout dates of November 25 to 27, and you must

book by October 14. To book this package, contact a Disney Specialist

travel agent and ask for booking code ZXBL for a Value resort or ZXBM

for Moderate, Deluxe or Home-Away-From-Home resorts.

Free continental breakfast at Celebration Hotel through MouseSavers

Mousesavers.com has an exclusive offer (link)

of a free daily continental breakfast for two at the Celebration Hotel,

along with special rates, for stays from now through December 31. Reservations

must be booked by October 15.

Great rates at the Swan and Dolphin

Are you planning a trip this fall? Check out this offer from the Swan

and Dolphin:

• WDW Annual Passholders can book rooms as low as $139 per night, plus

  tax and resort fee, through the end of 2003, including a free

  upgrade. Rates include a free upgrade, and are subject to availability.

Get more details and the discount codes at MouseSavers.com.

Free 5-day Park Hopper for Active Military

Disney is offering a special for active duty military — a free five-day

park hopper ticket, as well as discounted companion tickets. Offer valid

through December 19, 2003 and includes all active military personnel,

including Coast Guard, as well as activated National Guard and Reservists.

See their official

Web site for more information.

Plan ahead and save a few bucks

The Walt Disney World Resort is encouraging visitors to buy their theme

park tickets before they even leave home, by offering a slight discount

on advance purchases. You can save as much as $22 per adult, per ticket

with the ‘Advance Purchase Savings’ program.

You can also receive these Advance Purchase Savings with packages purchased

through AAA.

Annual Passholders

Receive 10% off the price of their lunch meal at selected Walt

Disney World Resort hotel restaurants, and the discount is good for up

to three guests. The offer is valid Mondays through Fridays. Call 407-WDW-DINE

(407-939-3463) for locations and reservations.

Park Hours

Entertainment Schedule