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News and Views

Bullet train route to Walt Disney World chosen

The Florida High Speed Rail Authority (FHSRA) voted 7 to 1 to select
the route that passes through Walt Disney World as the preferred choice
for the planned statewide bullet train route from Orlando to Tampa. The
route will run along the Central Florida GreeneWay and stop at a station
at Walt Disney World before continuing on to Tampa. The competing proposal
would have had the train run along the Bee Line Expressway to the Orange
County Convention Center before continuing along its route.

Part of the reason for the choice is simple: money. Disney guaranteed
2 million riders per year for the route, by promising to discontinue its
use of Mears bus shuttles and route WDW guests to the resort via the bullet
train. Disney has pledged a 50-acre parcel of land near the main entrance
to the property at the intersection of Route 192 and World Drive. It is
expected that Disney will expand bus service to run from the bullet train
station to and from all of the resort hotels.

At the same meeting, the FHSRA selected the Fluor Bombardier alliance
as the preferred supplier of the trains. The companies beat their only
competitor, an alliance of approximately 30 companies, on the basis of
their experience and financial stability. However, the FHSRA has requested
that Fluor Bombardier change their planned train set to use some of the
features proposed by the other alliance. As of this writing, there is
no word on Fluor Bombardier’s response to the request.

Don’t start planning your train trip yet, though. Construction could
take quite a while once begun, and the start of work is not guaranteed.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush is against the proposal, and has already vetoed
funding once. In addition, rights of way must be secured for the entire
route, and a Federal environmental impact study must be completed, as
well. There are also the negotiations with Fluor Bombardier on the train
set change to be ironed out

We will keep you abreast of any further developments in this story as
we receive them.

Reservations Center changes coming, and not for the better

The Disney Reservations Center system is in the process of being restructured
into running on a “salary plus incentive” program. This process
is expected to be complete by the end of January. New reservation specialists
are being hired based on past sales background rather than customer service/call
center experience as in the past.

Beware: If you call in to modify your reservation, it’s possible that
you may get an agent who cancels your original booking and rebooks it
in order to get it recorded under their name. This means that mistakes
could be made in the rebooking of your trip, not to mention major animosity
between the agents.

The new agents are also being started at a salary above that of the
agents already working there. Between that and the fact that the agents
have been working large amounts of mandatory overtime, things appear to
be less than happy at the Reservations Center. Don’t be surprised if you
start noticing a change in the demeanor of the agents you get on the phone
after January.

Candlelight Processional narrators set

Narrators are now set for all dates of the Candlelight Processional. Some
have already signed their contracts, others are finalizing now. Narrators
are scheduled as follows:

• Nov. 28-30 Andy Garcia


• Dec. 1-3 Ben Vereen


• Dec. 4-6 Rita Moreno


• Dec. 7-9 Ericka Dunlap


• Dec. 10-12 David Ogden Stiers


• Dec. 13-15 Steven Curtis Chapman


• Dec. 16-18 Edward James Olmos


• Dec. 19-21 Sandi Patty


• Dec. 22-24 Robby Benson


• Dec. 25-30 Gary Sinise

The previously announced Marlee Matlin had to bow out due to a conflict.

Reservations are still available for the Candlelight Processional Dinner
Package. This gives you a fixed-price dinner at one of many restaurants
at different price points and reserved seating for a Processional performance.

The Wine Walkabout at the Australia: Discover Down Under exhibit takes the space occupied last year by Discover Andalucia, Spain. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Australia area at Food & Wine Festival nothing like last year’s
Andalucia, Spain mini-pavilion

The space occupied last year by the Discover Andalucia, Spain mini-pavilion
is held this year by the Australia — Discover Down Under display.
Unlike last year’s impressive structure, the Australian Wine Walkabout
consists of a large tent, a small faux-rock performance area, and a series
of upright wine casks with umbrellas. Traffic was still good, however,
with the place gathering a good crowd even before noon.

The Australia exhibit has a small presentation/performance space made to resemble rock outcroppings. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad locomotive smokestacks to return after
rehab

It seems that the smokestacks will return to the front of the engines
when they return from rehab in late November. They had been removed over
a year ago, as they had deteriorated and were posing a safety hazard.

New Year’s Pleasure Island entertainment set

On New Year’s Eve, Pleasure Island will present performances by Blondie,
the Sugar Hill Gang, and Jeff Kashiwa. Tickets are $79 per person, or
$69 for Annual Passholders (and up to one guest). Prices do not include
tax. Meanwhile, Cirque du Soleil will have a special performance to celebrate
both the New Year and La Nouba’s fifth anniversary. Ticket prices have
been bumped up by $18 per ticket, but also include a glass of champagne
and a limited edition show program including an insert autographed by
the performers.

This tent covers a large percentage of the total space for the Australia display. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Ears to the ground

…Most of the demolition work inside the Alien Encounter chambers
have been completed. Both Aliens have been dismantled and removed. The
chambers have been hacksawed out and removed. Skippy’s skin has been removed
and sent to George Lucas. All of the X-S Staff Only signs have disappeared.
No word on the start of construction for Stitch’s Great Escape yet.

The “stands” used for wine tasting actually appear to be small wine casks standing on end. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

…Port Orleans Resort French Quarter, which closed in May for a major
renovation, will be getting the complete makeover treatment. All furniture,
carpets, wallpaper, and so on will be replaced. The interior of every
single room will be all new when it reopens.

…The Disney Reservations Center is receiving many complaints from
Guests using Mears Motor Shuttle for their airport transfers. Some people
are experiencing 2-4 hour waits for a bus at Orlando International Airport,
and one guest even reported that their bus drove circles around the airport
for 45 minutes before leaving, causing her to be late for her priority
seating at Narcoosee’s.

…Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will start taking reservations
starting January 5 for stays starting in late spring.

The Piedmonte Chocolate Festival at the Italy pavilion offers free samples, including Gianduja. Yum! Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Big Thunder Mountain is scheduled to be closed for refurbishment
  through Saturday, November 22.


• The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter closed for good on October
  12. It is now undergoing a major rehab and will reopen in mid- to late-2004
  as Stitch’s Great Escape!


• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress opens from park open to
  park close for the duration of the Stitch’s Great Escape! construction.


• Timekeeper opens from 10am-6pm for the duration of the Stitch’s
  Great Escape! construction.


• Country Bear Jamboree closes November 17 to 21 for installation
  of the Christmas show, and closes again January 12-16 to return to it’s
  usual program.


• Adventureland now opens at 10 a.m. on non-peak days. It opens
  with the rest of the park (except for Jungle Cruise) on Sundays, Thursdays,
  and Saturdays through early December, plus every day of Thanksgiving
  week (11/23-11/29) including Jungle Cruise.

Epcot

• Food Rocks closes on January 3 to make way for the entrance
  to the new Soarin’ over California attraction.

Food Rocks will be closing on or around January 3 for installation of the queue area for the new Soarin’ Over California attraction. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

• The Eiffel Tower structure at the France pavilion is due to
  return from rehab in December.

The strangely barren France pavilion will see the return of the Eiffel Tower in December. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Disney-MGM Studios

• Magic of Disney Animation is closed for refurbishment through
  November 23.


• Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios has been closed
  and is undergoing demolition to prepare the site for 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 is continuing to receive
  a lot of rehab work through November, reportedly on the ride control
  system and cable replacements. The Tower will be running one side only
  through Monday, November 17. Capacity will be decreased during the rehab,
  but should be offset by smaller off-season crowds.


• Sets from the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie are now
  open in the old Backstage Pass soundstage and will be open through
  the end of the year.

Animal Kingdom

• No known closures at this time.

The Lion King theater is much more comfortable now that the side walls have been permanently enclosed. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Resorts

• Pop Century Resort officially opens on December 14.


• Port Orleans Resort – a two-year extensive rehab of this
  resort’s rooms is ongoing. For Phase I, French Quarter closed May 4,
  2003. Phase II will involve Riverside going down in sections. We have
  not yet heard a date for completion of Phase I.


• Polynesian Resort is seeing the longhouses refurbished one
  by one. Each longhouse under rehab is walled off and isolated during
  its rehab. There are only a couple of longhouses remaining. Tuvalu is
  scheduled for rehab October 20, 2003, through January, 2004. Niue and
  Rarotonga are the only other longhouses currently scheduled to undergo
  rehab, and are tentatively scheduled for January 18 to May 2, 2004.


• Shades of Green – Major construction and rehab is ongoing
  at this military-run resort. It 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. Reservations
  will be taken starting on January 5.

Water Parks

• Blizzard Beach is undergoing refurbishment through December
  13.


• Typhoon Lagoon will undergo refurbishment beginning on December
  14.

Elsewhere

• The All Star Cafe at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex
  is now closed Monday-Wednesday. It is open Thursday-Sunday, from 11:30
  a.m. to 9 p.m.

Park Events

November

• Festival of the Masters –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
  16-20.


• Celebrate Mickey… 75 InspEARations will showcase 75 very
  special interestingly decorated Mickey statues to celebrate Mickey’s
  75th birthday throughout the Walt Disney World Resort from November
  18, 2003 through April, 2004.


• Festival of the Seasons at Epcot featuring 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 & 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
  – May 30.

May 2004

• Walt Disney World Inline Marathon (link).
  May 2.

Current Discounts & Promotions

New Disney Visa Dream Maker Package – Kids Stay Free!

That there is a new Disney’s Visa “Kids Stay and Play Free”
Package, available most nights January 4 through June 12, 2004, where
when you buy a full-price Walt Disney World Dream Maker Package with your
Disney?s Visa card, for each adult on the package, one child (3-9) gets
a free Ultimate Park Hopper pass for the length of stay. 4-night
minimum. Plus you receive $100 in Disney Dollars per package at
check-in! Go to www.disney.com/kidsfree
for more information, or call your travel agent and book using package
code ZXFA. You must book your package by January 2.

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.

Military Salute hotel and cruise discounts available

Active U.S. Military personnel or spouses are also eligible for a 40%
savings per night (based on the non-discounted price of the same room)
at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, and special rates on Disney
Cruise Line sailings. This offer is available most nights through December
19, 2003 at Walt Disney World, and for most sailings through December
18 on the Disney Cruise Line. Hotel rooms and staterooms are limited at
this special rate.

For more information, call (407) 939-7424 for Walt Disney World, and
(800) 951-2659 for the Disney Cruise Line. You must be 18 or older to
call these numbers.

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.

Annual Passholder and Florida resident rates available

WDW Annual Passholder and Florida resident rates are available at select
Walt Disney World resorts for check-ins October 2 through November 24,
and November 28 through December 26. Discounts range from approximately
30-45% off regular rack rates.

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