Walt Disney World Park Update

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News and Views

Saratoga Springs Resort opens and immediately announces expansion plans

With the blare of a bugler’s horn and a splash of Saratoga Springs water, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa heralded its official grand opening on Thursday. Named after Saratoga Springs in New York, almost the entire Saratoga Springs City Council attended. Saratoga Springs mayor Michael Lenz poured a pitcher of Saratoga spring water into the High Rock Spring pool to inaugurate the Disney Vacation Club resort. Cast members were attired in costumes evoking the upstate New York town’s annual Victorian Streetwalk, despite that fact that the temperature was soaring into the 90s. Following a concert by Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), Lenz poured another pitcher of water into a bowl, which launched fireworks and geysers in the lake.

Food products from Saratoga Springs are available at the resort, including Sundaes Best fudge sauce, Saratoga Salsa, Saratoga Water, and the traditional Christmas treat, Peppermint Pigs.

The architecture of the resort received praise from the attending dignitaries. Said Lenz, “They’ve done a really good job of capturing the rooflines and columns.”

“You can see some of the architecture, but there’s nothing like home, nothing like Saratoga,” added City Council member Tom McTygue.

At the ceremonies, Walt Disney World President Al Weiss announced further expansion. With Phase I already three-quarters sold out, Planning has now begun on a third phase, to open on 2007. Phase I, encompassing the public areas and the first four buildings containing 184 units, will be complete by the end of 2004. Only one guest building is now open.

Phase II, which will encompass a group of eight buildings with 368 units, will open during 2005. Phase III, to open in 2007, will include six more buildings with 276 units, and will be built on the current site of the Fairway Villas buildings. The Treehouse Villas buildings will not be demolished, as they are on protected land. However, it is not believed that they will ever reopen to the public.

It was announced at the ceremony that Community Drive, the road off of which the entrances to Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa lie, will be renamed Disney Vacation Club Way. There is no word on whether the BoardWalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, and Villas at the Wilderness Lodge were offended at being left out.

The Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which is the fifth DVC resort at Walt Disney World and will be the largest DVC resort on property, is the seventh altogether, and will be the largest overall when completed.

Resort guests now get free access to fitness centers

Effective today, Walt Disney World guests will be able to use the fitness center at their resort at no additional charge for the duration of their stay. Guests who are 14 years of age and older and are staying at a resort that features an associated fitness center will be able to use the center facilities. Guests who are 17 years of age or younger must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Resorts and fitness centers involved are:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Zahanati Fitness Center)
• Disney’s BoardWalk (Muscles & Bustles Health Club)
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (La Vida Fitness Center)
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort (Olympiad Fitness Center)
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa & Health Club)
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort (R.E.S.T. Exercise Room)
• Disney’s Polynesian Resort (Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa & Health Club)
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Fitness Center)
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Sturdy Branches Health Club)
• Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and Disney’s Beach Club Villas (Ship Shape Health Club)

In addition, Disney Vacation Club members will be allowed to use the fitness center at any Disney Vacation Club resort, as long as they are a guest of a Walt Disney World resort. A $12 fee will only apply if a Disney Vacation Club member visits a fitness center at a non-Disney Vacation Club resort (for example, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort) and are not staying at that resort.

Guests of other resorts (not listed above), or those who wish to use another resort’s fitness center, may do so for $12 per day, based on availability. The purchase of a spa treatment includes use of the adjacent fitness center for the day of treatment.

Gay Days arrive in Orlando this week

Thousands of red-shirted gay and lesbian visitors will converge on Walt Disney World this week for the annual Gays and Lesbian Day at Walt Disney World event. The event, which is not sponsored by Disney, runs from Wednesday night through Monday morning, and will largely be centered at the theme parks, Pleasure Island, and the Wyndham Palace hotel.

For those looking to avoid—or to be among—the crowds, here is the schedule of park attendance for the event:

• Thursday at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Friday at the Disney-MGM Studios
• Saturday at the Magic Kingdom
• Sunday at Epcot

Evening activities are on- and off-property, with Pleasure Island being a nightly location, and an after-hours party at Typhoon Lagoon on Friday night. A complete schedule of events is available at gayday.com (link).

Disney touts economic impact on Central Florida

Walt Disney World held a press conference to announce the results of a Disney-commissioned study by Florida economist Dr. Henry Fishkind, Ph.D., regarding the impact of Walt Disney World on the Central Florida economy. Among the results of the study:

• Thanks to tax revenue generated by Walt Disney World, the average household saves approximately $476 in local taxes each year.
• Walt Disney World’s gross fiscal output in Central Florida is $5.1 billion annually, representing more than 8.8 percent of the entire Central Florida economy.
• By itself, the company’s annual payroll exceeds $1.3 billion. Other jobs directly supported by Disney generate more than $600 million in annual payrolls. The indirectly supported workers earn an additional $1 billion.
• Direct expenditures by Walt Disney World total almost $2.6 billion in Central Florida. This spending stream generates an additional $2.6 billion in spending for a total economic impact of $5.1 billion per year.

Of course, the fact that Disney is only responsible for less than 10 percent of the economy means that there is still 91.2 percent of the economy that is not due to Disney. However, it still holds tremendous sway overall in the region.

Starring Rolls change at Studios

Starring Rolls Bakery, a quick-service eatery tucked away near the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards at the Disney-MGM Studios, has undergone a makeover and emerged with a new look, menu, and name.

The “new” Starring Rolls Café features sandwiches and salads. plus pastries, desserts, gourmet chocolates and a house-blend coffee that is roasted on-site. House-made sandwiches—including roast tenderloin, turkey on focaccia, vegetarian on flatbread and smoked salmon on a bagel—are offered along with the signature salad of The Brown Derby restaurant at Disney-MGM Studios, the world-famous Cobb salad. Chefs at the adjacent Brown Derby restaurant hand-prepare the Cobbs, which are served in a smaller portion size at the new Starring Rolls Café.

Menu items vary in price from $.99 for mini-pastries to $8.99 for the tenderloin sandwich platter.

Cypress Gardens gets additional rehab money from state

After avoiding a line-item veto by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, additional rehabilitation funds are heading for Cypress Gardens. A $1 million line item for the restoration of publicly owned historical sites will be split between the park and the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. Park owner Kent Buescher said that there are several historical structures in a swampy area of the park that need to be rehabilitated. The botanical gardens portion of the park is owned by Polk County, though Buescher is responsible for its upkeep, according to the operating agreement. Since the land is owned by the county, the park is eligible for the funding. The park is scheduled to reopen later this year.

Ears to the Ground

…The latest rumor on the Stitch’s Great Escape attraction is that it will be ready in late summer or early fall. Early photos of the Stitch animatronic show that he will be wearing his Experiment 626 outfit in the attraction.

…Dinosaur has returned from its rehab, slightly ahead of its revised June 4 date.

…Reports are that revenue is up from the “open access” policy for Pleasure Island, as sales at the on-street bars are jumping. However, lines to enter the clubs are moving very slowly, since now admission passes must be scanned on entry to every club. It will be interesting to see what happens this week when the huge masses of Gay Day participants descend on Pleasure Island at the same time.

…Priority Seatings at Downtown Disney’s Wolfgang Puck Cafe and Wolfgang Puck Dining Room are now available through the Walt Disney World Dining line, 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).

…The glass sphere atop the Tomorrowland entry sign has been whisked away to the future for a rehab.

…There are rumors that a “rain show” has been devised and approved for Fantasmic to allow some brief water effects and blowing off of the already-set pyrotechnics for the evening to a musical soundtrack when the stage is too wet to allow for a full show. This was supposedly put in place since the fireworks cannot be disarmed and must be fired off anyway, and people who had been told that Fantasmic was rained out were complaining that they saw the fireworks from the parking lot so they were certain that the show had run anyway. This has not been confirmed yet.

…There are rumors that 32-ounce beers are no longer being sold at Epcot, with the largest size now being 20 ounces. In addition, the yard of ale at the Rose & Crown is gone, though the half-yard is still available. Other reports have certain beer brands being replaced. In Norway, Ringnes is gone, to be replaced with Carlsberg. We’re also hearing that Beck’s has disappeared from the Germany pavilion, with Lowenbrau being the only brand available. As with the previous item, this has not yet been confirmed.

Have any interesting news or rumors? Let us know.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• “it’s a small world” – closed for rehab through March 18, 2005. Work is expected to be 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 audio upgrade includes a return to a cleaned-up copy of the stereo soundtrack heard at the 1964 World’s Fair that includes the children singing in their native languages, and which has been very well received when it returned to Disneyland in February last year.
• 20,000 League Under the Sea lagoon – walled off to “clear the land as well as add landscape for future use.” Work is expected to run through November.
• 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 official 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 again with the rest of the park daily with the exception of the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management, which still open at 10 a.m.
• The Hall of Presidents and the Country Bear Jamboree also open at 10 a.m. every day.
• El Pirata y el Perico – now reopened from a rehab for addition of another food service line.
• Sunshine Tree Terrace – completed its rehab.
• Merchant of Venus and Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies – reopened from installing a new floor and adding another food ordering podium at Auntie Gravity’s.
• Tom Sawyer Island – closed from July 25 – Sept. 25.
• The Enchanted Grove – rehab to replace floor and serving windows extended to last through June 11.
• Mickey’s Toontown Fair train station – to be torn down and rebuilt from May 10 – June 18, when the only stops made by the Walt Disney World Railroad will be Main Street, USA and Frontierland, though the train will stop to take on water in Toontown once every three trips around the park. Guests will not be allowed to board or exit the train during that time.
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin – down for rehab September 13 – October 15 (projected).
• Ariel’s Grotto – down for rehab September 22 – November 19 (projected) for theme-matching with the 20,000 Leagues Lagoon reclamation.
• Astro Orbiter – down for rehab Janurary 2 – February 16, 2005 (projected).
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant – down for rehab January 10 – February 12, 2005 (projected).

Epcot

• The Universe of Energy – may close for a short rehab at any time to remove the ExxonMobil signage now that its pavilion sponsorship has ended.
• Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room – the pub portion to be closed until just before July 4. The rehab is rumored to include a complete rebuild on the pub portion and the building of a divider between the pub and the restaurant.
• 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 have been removed, while the Body Wars, Cranium Command, and The Making of Me attractions will now be open when the pavilion is open.

Disney-MGM Studios

• Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios – closed and demolished. Construction well underway to turn site into the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, an American version of the popular Moteurs… Action! stunt show from the Walt Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris.
• Star Tours – closed for rehab from July 16 – August 1.
• The Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure – rehab extended through July 12.
• 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, while San Francisco is underway. The target completion date for the rest of the newly titled Big City Street is October 2.
• The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights – now confirmed as returning this year on Big City Street. November 24 – January 2.

Animal Kingdom

• Dinosaur – returned from rehab. The problematic Fastpass merge point has indeed been redesigned to improve crowd flow.

Resorts

• Port Orleans Resort – Ongoing extensive two-year rehab of resort rooms. For Phase I, French Quarter reopened March 21. Phase II is underway, and involves 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. Rarotonga is the last remaining longhouses currently scheduled to undergo rehab, and was tentatively scheduled through May 2. However, it appears that the rehab on that longhouse has not been completed yet. There is currently no completion date available. Tokelau, Tahiti, and Rapa Nui have not yet been refurbished, but they have not yet been scheduled, either.
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort – The main pool to be closed from September through the end of the year for construction of a new water slide.
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (a new Disney Vacation Club resort) – held its grand opening ceremony last Thursday. Construction continues on the rest of the resort; the other three buildings of Phase I are due by the end of the year, the eight units of Phase II are due in 2005, and the six units of the newly-announced Phase III are due in 2007. Phase III will involve the razing of the old Fairway Villas.

Water Parks

• No current water park rehabs underway.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – to perform 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 – now closed Monday–Wednesday. It is open Thursday–Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Park Events

Ongoing

• Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (link). April 16 – June 6.
• Star Wars Weekends (link). Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, May 14 – June 13.

June 2004

• Gay Days (link). June 3 – 6.[Not official WDW events.]
• National Kidney Foundation 5K for Organ & Tissue > Donation Awareness (link) . June 12.
• Family Pride Coalition Weekend (link). June 17 – 20.[Not official WDW events.]
• E-Ride Nights at the Magic Kingdom. June 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30.

July 2004

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex (link). July through mid-August.
• E-Ride Nights at the Magic Kingdom. July 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 30.
• “ESPN The Weekend” (link). July 31 and Aug. 1.

September 2004

• Tom Joyner Family Reunion Weekend (link). September 2-5.
• 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.
• 2004 Komen Central Florida Race For The Cure 5K (link). October 9.
• 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.

February 2005

• Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex (link). Dates in February through April TBA.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Special at Radisson Resort Parkway

Rates at the Radisson Resort Parkway were just reduced for May 31 to June 13 to $75.95. A free upgrade to Deluxe Pool view still applies with “UPGR” promo code on reservation. Click here for more information about deals for MousePlanet readers and to make reservations.

Florida Resident Cirque du Soleil La Nouba special

Florida residents can receive 20 percent off Category Two tickets at Cirque du Soleil in Downtown Disney’s West Side from June 1 to September 30, 2004. Blackout dates are June 20 to July5 and August 22 to 25. Proof of residency and advance purchase are required. The discount is not available at the ticket window, with a limit of four tickets per transaction. To order call 407-939-1282.

June discounts for Georgia residents

Disney has announced a discount for Georgia residents for the month of June. Discounts are for room-only reservations. Visit MouseSavers for more details.

7-for-5 package now available

While not as deep a discount as last year’s 7-for-4 package, this year’s buy-five-get-two-free package is still a good deal. The package—officially called “Disney’s Five Plus Two Dream Maker Package”—is available for stays from July 5 through November 18, but must be booked by June 28. A Disney Visa version of the package that also includes 25 Disney Dollars is available. Visit MouseSavers for more details.

Discounts for hotel-only and Dream Maker packages now available

Discount rates for stays from July 5 through August 28 are now available. Packages must be booked by June 15. 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).

Gaylord Palms to pay for gas

Guests of the Gaylord Palms Resort receive a $75 credit to cover the higher cost of gasoline for stays of at least three nights from June 15 through September 6. The Orlando-area resort will provide the room credit to guests who make a reservation using the promotion code FREEGAS. It is not a requirement that guests drive to the resort in order to get the discount.

Disney’s Summer Price Slice returns

Summer Price Slice is back with special-value greens fees on tee times after 10 a.m. daily from May 17 through Sept. 30 on Disney’s five championship courses.

Golfers can test the premier Osprey Ridge course after 10 a.m. for $65 (compared to a normal seasonal greens fee of $119) or Eagle Pines for $50 (compared to a normal seasonal fee of $109). Post-10 a.m. rounds on the Magnolia, Palm or Lake Buena Vista courses are $45 (compared to a normal seasonal fee of $99). Cart is included.

Disney’s Summer Price Slice also gives golfers the opportunity to play afternoon rounds late into the day. Golfers can take on Osprey Ridge after 3 p.m. for $35 ($30 after 5 p.m.). Eagle Pines, Magnolia, Palm and Lake Buena Vista start at $30 after 3 p.m. ($25 after 5 p.m.).

For tee times, guests may call (407) WDW-GOLF (407-939-4653). Visit the Walt Disney World golf courses Web site (link) 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 $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.

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 July 2004.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through July 2004.

Theme Park Events

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)