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News and Views
Mission: Control
Q: What do Mission: Space and an airplane have in common?
A: They both have air sickness bags.
Epcot’s newest thrill ride has begun placing motion-sickness bags in
various spots on the ride, including in front of a seat, and on the restraint
devices. Apparently, maintenance on the ride has become extremely difficult
with frequent shutdowns of one or more centrifuges for “protein spills.”
Estimating that less than one percent of all riders get sick, Disney spokeswoman
Rena Langley has been quoted as saying, “The majority of guests have
no problems on the attraction. And we don’t expect a lot of people to
use the motion sickness bags.” Of course, with the attraction shuttling
through 160 riders every four minutes, that’s better than one incident
per cycle. The bags are apparently in a test mode, and there is no decision
yet on whether or not they will be there permanently.
The laundry room by the bowling alley-themed pool at the new
Pop Century Resort is themed as a bowling shoe rack. Photo by Brian Bennett.
Living Seas rehab underway
Phase I of the rehab of the Living Seas pavilion appears to be underway.
A new rock structure is under construction between The Living Seas and
The Land, which appears—although unconfirmed—to be a background
for a meet-and-greet. The hydrolators appear to be getting some work as
well.
The major work, however, is taking place inside Seabase Alpha. The lower
level is now completely walled off. It appears that all of the carpet
has been ripped out and several of the tube aquariums are empty. It appears
that Phase I of the rehab will be running through late March or early
April. After the Universe of Energy goes down for a short rehab to remove
the ExxonMobil signage in March, The Living Seas will likely close down
for Phase II of the work, this time on the upper level. [Since the upper
level is the location of entrances and exits, it would be hard to work
and keep the pavilion open.]
Pleasure Island celebrates the real New Year’s Eve
Pleasure Island will host a giant New Year’s Eve street party counting
down to 2004 with Blondie, Sugar Hill Gang and Jeff Kashiwa. The 8 p.m.-to-2
a.m. event also features desserts, salty snacks, a champagne toast and
a midnight fireworks display plus the usual eight nightclubs with a variety
of themed entertainment. Tickets are $79 plus tax; guests must be 21 or
older.
Giant 8-track tapes hide the stairwells in the ’70s section of the new
Pop Century Resort. Photo by Brian Bennett.
Restaurants offer another New Year’s alternative
High atop the Contemporary Resort, the California Grill will be offering
a special New Year’s Eve party with a menu that includes dozens of the
restaurant’s popular dishes, from sushi to oak-grilled beef tenderloin,
and a great view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. California wines are
paired with the creations, and there is an open bar. The party starts
at 8 p.m. Cost is $395 per person, $250 ages 3 to 11 (with a special children’s
menu). At midnight, a breakfast buffet will be served.
Other dining options along Seven Seas Lagoon include Narcoossee’s at
the Grand Floridian Resort, which includes a six-course meal. Cost is
$104.10 ($52.05 ages 3 to 11). Wine pairings are available. Seating is
limited for dining options.
Marathon weekend approaches
Disney’s Health & Fitness Expo will be presenting a number of seminars
(link)
featuring celebrity guest speakers. Each talk will take place during the
Expo at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex and will include a question-and-answer
session as well as an autograph session.
The Official All Star Cafe at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex will
be offering Marathon and Half Marathon participants a high-energy, all-you-can-eat
Spaghetti & Meatball Marathon Meal. The meal includes: a side salad, bread
& butter, chocolate cake, a soft drink, and, of course, all the carbs
and protein that you can pack away. The meal costs $8.99 plus tax and
tip, and is available all day Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January
10, 2004. For priority seating and hours of operation, call (407) 827-TEAM
(407-827-8326).
The newly-opened Pop Century Resort is decorated for the holidays. Photo by Brian Bennett.
Snow temporarily joins sand on Castaway Cay
The Disney Cruise Line has added a new decor package to Castaway Cay for the holidays. Guests sailing in December are discovering “snow” on Disney’s private island. With flurries of fake snow (similar to that found on Main Street U.S.A for special holiday events) to Christmas trees, Mr. and Mrs. Snowman (with shell noses and tropical shirts), carolers and a sleigh full of presents, as well as Disney characters, dressed in holiday island styles, it’s enough to give a surreal feel. Even the island’s tram has been decorated to resemble a reindeer, complete with antlers and tail. Scuttle’s Cove, the children’s programming area at Castaway Cay, hosts holiday-themed children’s activities all day long.
Onboard, there are more holiday events and decor. A nearly three-deck-tall tree is lit in the atrium lobby, where “snow” magically falls as part of the ceremony. Santa Goofy will visit on Christmas Day, with surprises for all the kids. Special family craft projects, traditional holiday feasts,
and a Disney Cruise Line rendition of T’was the Night Before Christmas
with a reading by Mrs. Claus and caroling by the main stage performers
round out the cheer. Multiple faith and inter-denominational holiday services
will be held on board. After Christmas, the celebration continues. A ship-wide
party will ring in 2004, to be followed by a New Year’s Day tailgate party.
Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade airs Thursday
The 20th annual Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade will air
Thursday morning on ABC stations. Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa once again
serve as hosts. The parade was taped back on the weekend of December 5-7.
In the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade, to be
broadcast on Thursday morning, Aladdin and Jasmine ride a carriage instead
of a magic carpet. Photo by Brian Bennett.
Ears to the ground
…Construction of a single riders line at Space Mountain appears
to be confirmed.
…The post-rehab Animation Tour is a shadow of its former self, and
combined with the resignation of Roy E. Disney, does not bode well for
the future of Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, which will be made
public after a Janaury 14 meeting with animators.
The new Animation Tour, featuring the animator-talking-to-Mushu
segment already in place in Paris and Anaheim, is a mere shadow of its
former self. Photo by Brian Bennett.
Refurbishments and Attraction Closures
Magic Kingdom
- The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter has closed for good.
It is now undergoing a major rehab and will reopen in fall 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 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for the duration of the
Stitch’s Great Escape! construction. - Country Bear Jamboree is currently running its Christmas show.
It will close January 12 to 16 to return to its usual program. - Adventureland now opens at 10 a.m. on non-peak days, but opens
with the rest of the park (except for Jungle Cruise) on Sundays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays. Special holiday hours follow: Through Saturday, January
3, ALL attractions in Adventureland, including the Jungle Cruise, will
open at the same time as the rest of the park. Hours are subject to
change. Also in Adventureland, as reported before, El Pirata Y el Perico
Restaurante has the following special holiday operating hours: Now through
Tuesday, December 30: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday, December 31: 10:30
a.m. – 9 p.m.
Epcot
- The Wonders of Life pavilion will be closing on January 5.
The Pure and Simple eatery and the Well and Goods Limited
shop will remain closed, while the Body Wars, Cranium Command,
and The Making of Me attractions will now be open on a seasonal
basis. No word yet on the Frontiers in Medicine, Sensory Funhouse,
Goofy about Health, and Sports Fitness Areas. - It is expected that the Universe of Energy will close for a
short rehab in March to remove the ExxonMobil signage after their pavilion
sponsorship ends. - It appears that the Living Seas pavilion will closing for a
rehab in the April time frame. Rumors are strong that Audio-Animatronic
characters from Finding Nemo will be added to the pavilion. - Food Rocks closes on January 3 to make way for the entrance
to the new Soarin’ Over California attraction. - The Behind the Seeds Walking Tour of the greenhouses at The
Land has been officially discontinued during reconstruction of the Food
Rocks area into the queue for Soarin’. However, the tour may be given
on an unannounced basis until Food Rocks officially closes on January
3. The tours are expected to resume upon completion of the construction. - The Eiffel Tower structure has returned from rehab and is once
again looming over the France pavilion.
Construction of the new automobile stunt show will cause the
Backlot Tour to close from January 4 through April 1. Photo by Brian Bennett.
Disney-MGM Studios
- Fantasmic! will be closing from January 26-30 for a regular
maintenance rehab. - Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios has been closed
and demolished and construction has begun to turn the site into 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 reported
to return on New York Street/Big City Street for 2004. - New York Street is undergoing a great deal of construction
to change some facades to represent Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington,
DC. We do not yet have a target completion date for the newly-titled
Big City Street yet. - 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. - The Backlot Tour will be closed from January 4 through April
1 to allow construction vehicles free access to the stunt show construction
site. - The Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage show at the Theater
of the Stars will be closed for refurbishment February 2 – 6, 2004.
Mount Everest continues its rise at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Photo by Brian Bennett.
Animal Kingdom
- No known closures at this time.
Resorts
- Pop Century Resort has officially opened.
- 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 – This 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 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 MWR-run resort for the military. 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 27, 2004. Reservations
will be taken starting on January 5. DVC members can reserve using points
on January 5 (home resort) or February 4 (other resorts).
Water Parks
- Typhoon Lagoon is closed for refurbishment through February
28.
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
Ongoing
- Celebrate Mickey… 75 InspEARations showcases 75 very special
interestingly decorated Mickey statues to celebrate Mickey’s 75th birthday
throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. Through April 2004. - Festival of the Seasons at Epcot featuring lighting displays,
fun window displays, and more. Ends December 24. - Holidays Around the World at Epcot lets you celebrate holidays
in the style of the World Showcase countries. Ends December 30.
December
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort opened 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.
- National College Cheerleading and Dance Team Championship (link)
January 16-18. - Annual Passholders’ Cruise (4 nights) on Disney Magic.
January 25. - National Dance Team Championship (link)
January 31 to February 1.
February 2004
- National High School Cheerleading Championship (link)
February 7 & 8. - Atlanta Braves training camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports
complex (link)
February 15 to April 2.
March 2004
- National Cheerleading and Dance Championship (link)
March 13 & 14.
April 2004
- Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. April 16
– May 30.
May 2004
- Walt Disney World Inline Marathon (link).
May 2. - Disney Vacation Club Member Homecoming event. May 25 to
27.
October 2004
- Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. October 1
to November 14.
Current Discounts & Promotions
Deep discount codes announced
Walt Disney World has announced new discount codes for Annual Passholders,
Florida residents, and the general public for check-ins January 1 to February
11, 2004. General public rates start at $55 per night, while AP and Florida
rates start at $49 per night. These rates are also available with DreamMaker
packages. Visit disneyworld.com
or MouseSavers
for more details.
Mousesavers announces special Celebration Hotel rates
MouseSavers has announced special rates at the Celebration Hotel
for readers of its web site. (If you haven’t visited the site yet, please
check it out!)
Get more details and the discount codes at MouseSavers.com.
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 Disney’s Kids Free Web page (link)
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.
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.
| Multi-Day Tickets | Gate Prices | Advance Purchase Price | Savings |
| 4-Day Park Hopper: Adults | $208 | $192 | $16 |
| Children ages 3 – 9 | $167 | $152 | $15 |
| 5-Day Park Hopper: Adults | $239 | $217 | $22 |
| Children ages 3 – 9 | $192 | $172 | $20 |
| 5-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults | $269 | $247 | $22 |
| Children ages 3 – 9 | $216 | $197 | $19 |
| 6-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults | $299 | $277 | $22 |
| Children ages 3 – 9 | $240 | $222 | $18 |
| 7-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults | $329 | $307 | $22 |
| Children ages 3 – 9 | $264 | $247 | $17 |
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
Sun | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat |
12/22 | 12/23 | 12/24 | 12/25 | 12/26 | 12/27 | |
MK 8a-11p | MK 8a-10p | MK 8a-11p | MK 8a-12a | MK 8a-12a | MK 8a-12a | |
12/28 | 12/29 |
| ||||
MK 8a-12a | MK 8a-12a | |||||
Entertainment Schedule
Magic Kingdom | Epcot World Showcase | Disney-MGM Studios | Animal Kingdom |
| Monday 12/22 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 1p, 4p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
Tuesday 12/23 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 2p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
Wednesday 12/24 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 2p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
Thursday 12/25 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 2p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
Friday 12/26 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 2p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30p, 10p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
Saturday 12/27 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 2p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30pm 10p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
Sunday 12/28 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 1p, 4p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30p, 10p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
| Monday 12/29 | |||
Mickey’s Very Merry Holiday Parade 1p, 4p SpectroMagic 8pm, 10:15pm Wishes Fireworks 9p | Illuminations! 9:30p | Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade 3p Fantasmic 6:30p, 8:30p, 10p | Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade 3:45p |
