Walt Disney World Park Update

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News and Views

Say it ain’t so, Tigger!

Walt Disney World cast member Michael Chartrand was arrested last week for allegedly fondling a 13-year-old girl and her mother while portraying the character Tigger in the Magic Kingdom’s Toontown Fair. On February 21, Chartrand was posing for a photograph with the two with his arms around their waists, when he allegedly lifted his right hand up and massaged the girl’s breast as the picture was being taken. According to the police incident report, the girl “became very embarrassed and ashamed of the incident and claims that she did not say anything to her mother until they left the park.” At that point, [the girl] found out that Tigger did the same thing to her mother with his left hand. The incident was reported to police by the girl and her father on February 29 at the Pop Century Resort. The girl’s mother was not present when the girl and her father filed the charges. Police then followed up with Magic Kingdom management, who determined that it could only be one of two people, both relatively new hires. Subsequent to an investigation, it was determined that the Tigger in question was Chartrand.

According to the charging affadavit, when Chartrand met with police on April 1, he admitted that he may have “inadvertently” touched the girl’s breast. He also told police, “I have dyslexia, which affects some of my ability to remember everything past and present.” Chartrand agreed to write an apology letter to the girl when asked. He also said that he was very sorry for everything that had occurred, and hoped that the girl would forgive him for what he had done.

According to one former cast member who has also portrayed Tigger, the costume gloves have varying amounts of padding, but have approximately the same dexterity and sense of touch as oven mitts.

Chartrand was arrested Friday morning, and was released on $2,500 bond later that day. Background checks conducted by the Orange County sheriff’s office and the Orlando Sentinel did not show any criminal record for the British-born Chartrand, matching the results of the background check done by Disney when he was hired.

According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel (link), Disney officials first became aware of the situation on February 24, when the girl’s mother sent e-mail to WDW’s guest communications department. When a Disney representative called the mother a few days later at her workplace, the mother said that she did not want to discuss it at work and would call back on her day off. At the time that the girl and her father filed charges with the police against Chartrant on Feburary 29, Disney had not yet heard back from the mother for further discussion.

The walkway from Asia to Dinoland USA at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is now open to guest traffic. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Universal hikes prices again

For the first time in its history, Universal Orlando has raised prices twice in the same year. After raising its one-day adult ticket price on January 9 from $51.95 to $53.95 to match SeaWorld Orlando’s Janurary 2 price hike, they raised it again to $54.75 on April 3 to match Disney’s March 28 move. According to a SeaWorld spokeswoman, the park has no plans to join the other two parks by raising prices again this year.

The open walkway from Asia to Dinoland USA includes the completed bridge across Discovery River. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Peak season adjustments

In order to accommodate the size of crowds expected for the Easter-related peak season, Walt Disney World has made several adjustments.

Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny make a special Easter Sunday visit to the Magic Kingdom. Here’s where you can find the egg-toting pair:

8:25 a.m., 9:25 a.m., 10:25 a.m., and 11:20 a.m. on the Welcome Trolley
1:35 p.m. Grand Mashalling the Dream Come True Parade
Continuous Meet and Greet at Town Square (except when on the trolley or in the parade)

During April, Mannequins at Pleasure Island lowers its minimum age requirement to all guests age 18 or older (with proper ID), Sundays through Wednesdays. The minimum returns to 21 and over Thursdays through Saturdays. Drink specials will be available on Mondays for those ages 21 or older.

The Disney-MGM Studios’ Playhouse Disney Live! show will feature Fastpass April 4 through 13.

The “blow-in and blow-off” backstage route involving the Galaxy Palace Theater gate in Tomorrowland, the Plaza Restaurant gate and the gate next to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in Town Square that diverts guests away from the crowds, will be opened daily April 4 to 17 one hour prior to SpectroMagic—or sooner if needed—to assist in moving guests past the crowds staking out their seats along Main Street in the Magic Kingdom

Also, in another sign of either a recovering economy, the attractiveness of the Disney theme parks or the pent-up demand for travel following the abrupt stop after 9/11, every Disney hotel is reportedly sold out on certain nights during the holiday season.

Track work on the Expedition: Everest attraction continues. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Mars Rover team at Mission: Space tomorrow

NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers team and Administrator Sean O’Keefe will be at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on Tuesday, April 6, to discuss the latest Mars findings and take part in space-related ceremonies. The team will be at Epcot in front of Mission: Space to be honored in a ceremony unveiling a new space quote plaque to add to the permanent historic quotes located in the courtyard of Mission: Space. The plaque ceremony will pay tribute to the famous quote made by O’Keefe: “We’re back… and we’re on Mars.”

In addition to O’Keefe, NASA representatives will include Orlando Figueroa, NASA Mars Exploration Rovers mission director; David Lavery, NASA Solar Systems Exploration program executive; and Dr. Catherine Weitz, NASA Mars Exploration Rovers mission scientist.

Perhaps while checking out the new buildings in Asia, you can check out MousePlanet at this Internet cafe. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Orlando Sentinel story causes maintenance flap

On March 27, the Orlando Sentinel published an article that described Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom as showing signs of wear and tear (link). A certified building inspector, a horticulturist, and a longtime Disney fan were taken to the Magic Kingdom to inspect the condition of the park.

The three noted that the parking lot at the Transportation and Ticket Center is in sore need of repaving and repainting, cracked and peeling paint on many surfaces in the park, rust on metal surfaces, improperly pruned trees, poorly fertilized bushes, and lawns marred by fungal diseases and weed infestations. The fan further noted that painting was being done during park hours, and that many themed trashcans had been replaced with plain brown cans.

Disney wasted no time in fighting back. The newspaper ran an opinion column by Al Weiss, President of the Walt Disney World Resort on March 30, entitled “The Magic of Disney has never been better” (link). In his letter, Weiss refuted many points made in the original article, stating that Walt Disney World is doing more than ever before for maintenance, and claiming that guest satisfaction surveys show that 90 percent of guests said that the upkeep and cleanliness of the Magic Kingdom was either excellent or very good.

Weiss’ letter, which is an abbreviated version of a letter released on the cast portal to cast members from Magic Kingdom Vice President Phil Holmes a day earlier, pointed out that Disney spends more than $100 million per year on maintenance in the Magic Kingdom alone. The original article quotes Vice President of Public Affairs and Community Relations Bill Warren as saying that the brown trash cans are temporary; the vendor who made the themed cans had gone out of business. Of course, the cans are made in the MAPO (Manufacturing and Production Organization) shop behind the Magic Kingdom, which makes Warren’s statement worrisome. The letters from Weiss and Holmes correct that assertion, saying, “We have more than 100 intricate designs for our trashcans to ensure that they match the themes of our theme parks. These trashcans have their very own refurbishment cycle to be repainted, and this is an elaborate process given the detailed designs of each and every trashcan.”

Walt Disney World Vice President for Engineering Trevor Larsen is quoted in the article as saying, “Paint needs a temperature of at least 70 degrees to dry properly, so painting must be done during the day.” This neglects the fact that daytime painting was not seen until contractors who would not work at night were brought in to do painting. Larsen also said, “We’re spending more money on the Magic Kingdom than ever in the past. The pot is bigger, but more is being spent behind the scenes than ‘on stage.’” This, in a nutshell, would seem to indicate that Walt Disney World is beginning to succumb to the same problems that afflicted Disneyland, where the money was spent on backstage projects that had no bearing on the park, while the park suffered. Hopefully, this will change.

The sign on this hotel hopes to be prophetic. However, the village may not be open “next season.” Photo by Brian Bennett.

Unofficial Not-So-Scary and Very Merry dates released

Tentative dates for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party have been released. While these dates have not been officially announced yet, they have appeared in multiple places, so it’s a good bet that they’re on the books. However, they are always subject to change, even after officially announced.

The dates for this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are scheduled to be October 1, 3, 8, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29 and 31.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is slated to run November 28 and 30, December 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 17.

On-sale dates for the up to 25,000 tickets per night have not yet been announced.

Work continues on cleaning the glass-and-steel facade of the Imagination pavilion. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Shades of Green officially reopens

After reopening to visitors at the beginning of March while construction tasks were completed, the Shades of Green Resort held its official grand re-opening on March 31. The newly completed resort has 599 guest room, a new 600-space parking garage, and a new restaurant. The military-only resort (an Armed Forces Recreation Center) is booking up quickly, and reports are that the rebuild was a great success, though they’re apparently still working on getting the bus service to work correctly. If you happen to stay at the new Shades of Green, don’t forget to leave a review on our review pages (link).

Animation Tour to be overhauled?

Following its lengthy rehab (over two months) last year, it appears that the Magic of Disney Animation tour is going down again this fall. Fairly strong rumors suggest that the attraction will be undergoing a complete rebuild, to emerge as an Animation attraction similar to those at Disney’s California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Paris. Areas inside the attraction would include the Beast’s Library and Ursula’s Grotto.

Flower & Garden Festival daily events

Daily events at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival include:

11 a.m. Butterfly Release (Wildlife Garden at Innoventions East)
11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Tips from the Pros (Festival Center at Innoventions West)
12:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. Lade Bug Release (Wildlife Garden at Innoventions East)
5:45 p.m., 7 p.m., & 8:15 p.m. Flower Power Concert Series

Indoor prep work for the Flower and Garden Festival is taking place. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Ears to the Ground

…The entire parking lot at the Transportation and Ticket Center is being resurfaced. It is uncertain why this is being done during peak season.

…A reminder: When in the parking lots, please stay behind the white poles while waiting for a parking tram. There have reportedly been two incidents in the last month where drivers took turns too quickly in the TTC parking lot and sideswiped the poles.

…The main entrance to Epcot now has a “no bags” line for those entering without any bags. This has been an issue, as the bag check is directly in front of the turnstiles instead of further away, as with the other three theme parks.

…The Atlanta Braves’ 16-game spring training schedule in Cracker Jack Stadium at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex had a total attendance of 136,446, smashing the previous record of 129,883 set in 2000. The attendance is expected to be the highest of all 18 teams who conduct spring training in Florida.

The facade of Mission: Space is already in need of a touch-up. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Have any interesting news or rumors? Let us know.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

“it’s a small world” – rumored to be going down for rehab from June 7 of this year through March 18, 2005 for upgrades to the lighting, audio, and electrical systems, rehabs to sets and Audio-Animatronic figures, asbestos abatement, roof repair, regular water maintenance (draining and refilling), replacement of boats, and the rumored swapping of the entry and exit queues for better traffic flow.
The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter – closed for good. It is now undergoing a major rehab and reopens in fall 2004 as Stitch’s Great Escape. The opening of the new attraction now appears targeted to September 1.
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress – expected to remain open for the duration of the Stitch’s Great Escape construction.
Timekeeper – returned to seasonal operation.
Adventureland – now opens at 10 a.m. on non-peak days, but opens with the rest of the park (except for the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management) on Sundays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The upcoming schedule of peak days shows that the land will open at 9 a.m. every day from now through May 1. In addition, the Jungle Cruise and the Tiki Room will open at 9 a.m. from April 4 through April 17.
El Pirata y el Perico – open for the holiday season, from April 1 through April 24. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from April 4 – 10, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. the other days. It will then close from April 25 through May 14 for a rehab.
Splash Mountain – open at noon from May 10-14 for final work related to the rehab that caused late openings earlier this year.
The Hall of Presidents and the Country Bear Jamboree also open at 10 a.m. every day.
Snow White’s Scary Adventures – closed for refurbishment from April 19 through May 21.
The Enchanted Grove – closed for rehab from April 18 through May 23.
The Sword In the Stone show – no performances through the spring break season, and will begin its return on April 25.

The reported conversion of the AT&T Global Neighborhood to the Time Racers post-show is underway. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Epcot

The Universe of Energy – expected to close for a short rehab in March to remove the ExxonMobil signage after its pavilion sponsorship ends.
The Living Seas pavilion – appears to be 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 for Phase II of the Nemo rehab.
Food Rocks – closed permanently 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 – discontinued during reconstruction of the Food Rocks area into the queue for Soarin’. The tours are expected to resume upon completion of the construction.
The Wonders of Life pavilion – open seasonally. 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 when the pavilion is open. Note: New information indicates that Pure and Simple will be open with the pavilion during the Spring Break 2004 season.
Restaurant Akershus – open for the Princess Character Breakfast only from April 18 through May 10, but not open for lunch and dinner during that time.

The Sassagoula Floatworks Factory has reopened with the Port Orleans Resort’s French Quarter. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Disney-MGM Studios

The Backlot Tour – reopened to guests, with new restroom facilities available as well.
Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios – closed and demolished and construction is well underway to turn the site into Lights, Motors, Action!, an American version of the popular Moteurs… Action! stunt show from the Walt Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris.
Sets from the Haunted Mansion movie – now open in the old Backstage Pass soundstage and is open through April 2004.
The Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure – closed for rehab May 3 to June 30.
New York Street – undergoing a great deal of construction to change some facades to represent Chicago and San Francisco. The Chicago facades appear to be complete. The target completion date for the rest of the newly-titled Big City Street is October 2.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights – reported to be returning on New York Street/Big City Street for this year, though some doubt has been cast on that, saying that it might not be until next year after the Lights, Motors, Action! stunt show opens.

The Doubloon Lagoon pool has also reopened to guests. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Animal Kingdom

Dinosaur – closed for refurbishment from April 19 through June 1. Rumor has it that the problematic Fastpass merge point will receive some attention to improve crowd flow.

Resorts

Port Orleans Resort – A two-year extensive rehab of this resort’s rooms is ongoing. For Phase I, French Quarter closed May 4, 2003 and reopened yesterday. Phase II will involve Riverside going through a phased rehab. The Magnolia Bend mansions will go down one by one, followed by Alligator Bayou closing in sections.
Polynesian Resort – nearing completion of the refurbishment of longhouses. Each longhouse under rehab is walled off and isolated during its rehab. Niue and Rarotonga are the last remaining longhouses currently scheduled to undergo rehab, and are tentatively scheduled through May 2. Tokelau, Tahiti, and Rapa Nui have not yet been refurbished, but they have not yet been scheduled, either.
Shades of Green – officially reopened.
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (a Disney Vacation Club resort) – an announced grand opening ceremony date of May 27, however guests may stay at the Resort beginning May 17. Reservations are now available.

The Sassagoula ferry has increased its schedule with the reopening of Port Orleans Resort’s French Quarter. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Water Parks

No current water park rehabs underway.

Elsewhere

World Drive – to undergoing a repaving project from late April through the end of May. Watch for delays and lane closures along this main route into the resort.
Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – to performing Tuesdays through Saturdays, but will be closed June 20-July 5, August 22-25, October 17-20, and December 5-13.
The All Star Cafe at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex – to now closed Monday-Wednesday. It is open Thursday-Sunday, from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Park Events

April 2004

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (link). April 16 – June 6.
Grad Nights (link). April 23, 24, 30, May 1.

May 2004

Walt Disney World Inline Marathon (link). May 2.
Danskin Women’s Triathlon (link). May 16.
Florida Half Ironman Triathlon (link). May 23.
Disney Vacation Club Member Homecoming event/Saratoga Springs opening. May 25 – 27.
Star Wars Weekends (link). Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, May 14 – June 13.

June 2004

Gay Days (link). June 3 – 6.[Not official WDW events.]
Family Pride Coalition Weekend (link). June 17 – 20.[Not official WDW events.]

July 2004

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex (link). Dates in July and August TBA.

September 2004

Nights of Joy (link). September 9 – 11.
Disney’s International Distance Triathlon (link). September 26.

October 2004

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (link). October 1 – November 14.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (link). October 1, 3, 8, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29 and 31.
Disney’s 10K Classic (link). October 10.
Funai Classic at Walt Disney World (link). October 21 – 24.
999 Happy Haunts event. Dinner, October 25. Gathering, October 27.

November 2004

Super Soap Weekend (link). Dates in early November TBA.
Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney (link). November 12–14.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (link). November 28 and 30, December 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 17.
Festival of the Seasons at Downtown Disney (link). November 26 – December 24.
Holidays Around the World (link). November 26 – December 30.

December 2004

New Year’s Eve celebrations at Pleasure Island (link) and Atlantic Dance (link). December 31.

January 2005

Disney’s Health and Fitness Expo (link). January 7 & 8.
FamilyFun Magazine Family Fun Run (link). January 8.
Disney Marathon (link) and Half-Marathon (link). January 9.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Students get “Spring Price Break” at Pleasure Island

College or university students 18 years of age or older with a valid student ID can take advantage of a 25 percent discount on admission tickets to Pleasure Island. Students must ask for the special discount at the Downtown Disney Pleasure Island box office. The offer is valid until April 16, 2004.

All-guests discounts for hotel-only and Dream Maker packages now available

Discount rates for Annual Passholders, Florida Residents, and general guests for stay from April 18 through July 4 are now available. Visit MouseSavers for more details.

Disney Visa hotel-only and Summer Dream Maker discounts announced

MouseSavers has posted prices and rate codes for hotel-only reservations and Dream Maker packages. The rates are now available for booking. Vacations must be taken between April 18 and July 4. Reservations must be made by April 17. Visit MouseSavers for more details.

Florida resident Play Four Days pass returns

Disney’s Play 4 Days pass for Florida residents is again on sale. The special pass is essentially a four-day park hopper pass for Florida residents that is available for $109 plus tax. The pass is good for theme park visits from January 4 through June 4, with blockout dates April 3-15 for the peak Easter week season. Passes are available at Walt Disney World theme parks, Florida Disney Stores, AAA offices. The cost of a Play 4 Days pass may be applied to a Florida resident Annual or Seasonal pass. For more information, either visit the Play 4 Days Web page (link) or call 407-WDW-4DAYS (407-939-4329).

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 $26 per adult, per ticket with the “Advance Purchase Savings” program. These prices are before the 6.5 percent Orange County sales tax.

You can also receive these Advance Purchase Savings with packages purchased through AAA.

Multi-Day Tickets	Gate Prices	Advance Purchase Price	Savings
Multi-Day Tickets	Gate Prices	Advance Purchase Price	Savings
4-Day Park Hopper: Adults	$219	$202	$17
Children ages 3 – 9	$176	$162	$14
5-Day Park Hopper: Adults	$249	$230	$19
Children ages 3 – 9	$200	$184	$16
5-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults	$282	$259	$23
Children ages 3 – 9	$226	$208	$18
6-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults	$312	$288	$24
Children ages 3 – 9	$250	$231	$21
7-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults	$342	$316	$26
Children ages 3 – 9	$274	$253	$21

Annual Passholders

Receive 10 percent 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

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through June 2004.

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
	4/5	4/6	4/7	4/8	4/9	4/10
	MK 8a-12a EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p	MK 8a-12a EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p	MK 8a-12a EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p	MK 8a-12a EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p	MK 8a-12a EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p	MK 8a-12a EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p
4/11	4/12	MK = Magic Kingdom EF = Epcot, Future World EW = Epcot, World Showcase MGM = Disney-MGM Studios AK = Animal Kingdom BB = Blizzard Beach Water Park TL = Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
MK 8a-11p EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p	MK 8a-11p EF 9a-9p EW 11a-9p MGM 9a-10p AK 8a-7p BB 9a-7p TL 9a-7p

Entertainment Schedule