Walt Disney World Park Update

Go directly to: News & Views | Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events | Discounts/Promotions | Park Hours | Events/Entertainment Schedule

News and Views

Stitch’s Great Escape: needs work

or, Mike, Brian & Len’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure

As we promised last week (link), we’ve got more of MousePlanet columnist Mike Scopa’s first impressions of the sneak preview of the Stitch’s Great Escape attraction that he attended with MousePlanet’s Brian Bennett and The Unofficial Guide’s Len Testa on Saturday, October 23:

The first thing that strikes you as you approach the Magic Kingdom’s new Stitch’s Great Escape attraction is the bank of eight, count ’em, EIGHT Fastpass distribution machines. Hoo boy, the imaginers must be pretty proud of what they’ve done. That can get a guest truly excited about experiencing a new attraction.

Eight Fastpass machines await the opening of Stitch’s Great Escape. Photo by Mike Scopa.

That’s what I was when I recently had a chance to test drive this attraction. I’m not excited anymore.

Okay…so when did WDI lower their standards? Because frankly, Stitch’s Great Escape (SGE) is quite the disappointment. Maybe we’ve been conditioned to expect home runs like Mission:Space, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and Mickey’s Philharmagic. If that’s the case, do we give these guys a mulligan on this one? Maybe before going any further I should recap my SGE experience.

As we enter the first chamber, everything looks very similar to the old Alien Encounter (AE) attraction. Hmmm… we are new recruits in this Intergalactic Federation Prisoner Transport Center and our job is to help transform prisoners from naughty to nice. At least that’s what the animated film is telling us. Okay, so far so good.

This attraction has some promise. We will be dealing with only level 1 and level 2 prisoners today because level 3’s would be too much for us. That was a clue that a three was in our immediate future. Okay, sounds good so far.

We go into the second chamber and hey there’s Skippy — a familiar member of the AE entourage. He’s in the same tube he occupied when SGE was AE. However, AE’s S.I.R. is long gone, replaced by what looked like a Timekeeper clone?very robotic. We are to witness a test but a few things go wrong causing the clone to “oil himself” and confuse the children in the audience as to what that really means. We are then herded into the main chamber because there’s a level 3 prisoner (guess who?) being transported to the facility.

Sneak preview crowds queue up for Stitch’s Great Escape. Photo by Mike Scopa.

Ah yes, the old Mission to Mars attraction always comes to mind when I enter this chamber…and the uncomfortable seats that guests had to endure. But hey, this was a new attraction. I could see everyone a bit excited as we all knew we were about to see something new and fresh using the latest theme park technology. Our harnesses came down and we sat back to wait for the show to begin. We probably should have treated this chamber like the theater following the Maelstrom attraction in EPCOT’s World Showcase. It was too late now.

Spoilers? It’s tough to figure out how any of us who have witnessed this attraction can be accused of providing spoilers. SGE is very close to what AE offered Magic Kingdom guests…except it does not have as strong a script or deliver a storyline that partners well with the attraction’s technology. The results? Let’s take a look:

• First confusion: Why is Stitch coming here? What terrible act has labeled him as naughty?
• Also, should we be on Stitch’s side? If so, then why does he spit on the audience? Must be one of those animatronics snafus.
• Stitch manages to short-circuit the facility and sends the whole chamber into mass confusion. What’s that? Do I hear a child crying? It can’t be. This is supposed to be a kid-friendly attraction.
• The real star of the show, the harness, resting on our shoulders, is reduced to cheap and predictable binaural trickery similar to what was seen in AE. This includes Stitch escaping from his transportation tube and roaming around the chamber in the dark. How original.

I’m a little fuzzy on the ending but I do know that it involves transporting Stitch to WDW and specifically to Astro-Orbiter. Next thing I know the harness is off my shoulders and I’m making my way out to the Merchant of Venus to subliminally purchase a stuffed Stitch or Pleakley doll. That’s a joke folks…because Stitch’s Great Escape is a joke.

Watching the guests exit out the attraction I did not see one child jumping up and down and cry out, “Can we do it again?” Nor did I see any giddiness on any adult face. Sure there were some smiles but there was no enthusiasm. Most of the young children looked confused as they exited the attraction. That’s not the reaction I would have been shooting for.

I was fortunate to be present for soft openings for such attractions as Tower of Terror and Splash Mountain and there were immediate beelines made to the rear of the line after the initial ride. True this is a different type of attraction but you would think that a fresh and new attraction would have a bit of that repeat appeal.

The new Stitch signage hangs off of the Tomorrowland Transit Authoriy track. Photo by Mike Scopa.

What’s especially sad is that this attraction seems to be marketed as kid-friendly. This is part of the effort, along with Buzz, top make Tomorrowland a more warm and fuzzy place for children. Sorry, missed the boat here. I did hear that what I witnessed was a trial run and that they are still tweaking the attraction. “Please visit us in a few weeks!” was the party line.

As I walked out of the Merchant of Venus (with neither a Pleakley nor a Stitch doll), I glanced over to the Carousel of Progress and thought to myself, “Egad, they are closing the wrong attraction.”

Thanks, Mike. We hope to have another report next week from MousePlanet’s resident Stitch fan.

Man claims Fastpass was his idea, sues Disney

Robert Keyes, of Kingsport, Tennessee, is suing Disney over the invention of the Fastpass system. Keyes claims in a lawsuit filed on October 13 that he had proposed the idea to Disney eight years before they began testing the new system. In 2001, the same year the Disney received a patent for the system, Disney’s Fastpass won the Themed Entertainment Association’s Thea award for Breakthrough Innovation.

In the lawsuit, Keyes alleges that in January 1991, he sent two letters to Dick Nunis, then President of Walt Disney Attractions, and Bob Mathieson, then Executive Vice President for Theme Parks at Walt Disney World. In those letters, Keyes purportedly explained his ideas for a system that would allow theme park visitors to bypass long waits in a standby queue by using a ride reservation system. The suit claims that Greg Emmer, then head of Disney’s EPCOT Center theme park, replied on behalf of Disney in early February 1991, claiming that the idea would not work and would result in “more guest inconvenience.”

The lawsuit goes on to allege that, while Disney’s legal department responded to him on February 25, 1991, stating that Disney did not accept outside ideas, and that the policy would not allow Disney to accept or review the idea, even though they had already replied to him on the substance of the idea. They returned to him all of his original correspondence with Disney, except for the original letter, which was returned as a fax copy only.

Keyes’ suit goes on to claim that copies of his letters continued to circulate within Disney, and that a copy was given by Mathieson to Bruce Laval, one of the credited inventors of Fastpass. Keyes claims that the system that he proposed to Disney contained the same critical elements that Disney used in patenting the Fastpass system.

Keyes is asking for the addition of his name to the patent as co-inventor and payment of damages arising from Disney’s unjust enrichment from his idea.

The main lift (far left) and one of the helixes are now visible at the Expedition Everest construction site. Photo by MousePlanet reader Don Jones.

Labor negotiations drag on, leafleting continues

The Service Trades Council, an umbrella organization handling coordinated bargaining for Walt Disney World employees covered by six unions, again went public with their complaints against Disney’s contract offers. Last Tuesday, the group distributed leaflets to people arriving at Orlando International Airport, complaining about Disney’s proposals.

The two sides appear to be mostly separated by one major issue, health care costs. Disney wants rank-and-file union members to eventually pay the same premiums as their executives pay. The union claims that the cost will cause many employees to go without health care at all because of the cost and, in turn, jeopardize their health. Disney claims that their offer is competitive with the contracts being offered by their competitors.

The old contract, which expired in March, has been extended through this coming Thursday. Contract negotiations resumed last Wednesday.

Expedition Everest is nicely framed by the trees along the walkway from Dinoland, U.S.A. Photo by MousePlanet reader Don Jones.

Bullet train on ballot tomorrow

The future of Florida’s high-speed rail initiative will be decided tomorrow at the ballot box. The initiative, added to the state constitution as an unfunded mandate on Election Day in 2000, effectively faces a re-vote. Amendment number six on the ballot (there are seven proposed amendments on the ballot this year) would undo the mandate to create a statewide high-speed rail system. Somewhat confusingly, a “yes” vote would mean no to rail, and a “no” vote would mean yes to rail. Given Florida’s election history, it is hoped that people will understand the counterintuitive ballot.

Development of the system has proceeded extremely slowly as Governor Jeb Bush and other drag their heels on what they believe is an ill-advised project. The route for the initial stretch of track would go from downtown Tampa to the Orlando International Airport along Interstate 4 and State Route 417, making a stop at Walt Disney World. Many groups, including Disney competitors SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando, as well as homeowner associations from communities located along the proposed track, have contributed money to the campaign opposing the rail project.

If the amendment passes, it is likely that high-speed rail in Florida will not be heard from again for some time. If the amendment fails, it will be increasingly difficult for Governor Bush to delay the funding and progress of the initiative.

Angels fill the air as the Osborne Lights go up on the Streets of America at the Disney-MGM Studios. Photo by Mike Scopa.

World Series champs go to Walt Disney World

Almost unavoidable at the conclusion of a major sporting event, three members of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox were chosen to participate in the “I’m Going to Disney World” campaign. This year, in an attempt at multiculturalism, pitchers Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez and designated hitter-first baseman David Ortiz were selected to participate in the program. This second set of commercials to feature Boston players this year (New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady was featured after February’s Super Bowl) is notable as the first commercial to be produced and aired in both English and Spanish.

The Sox broke “the Curse of the Bambino” last Wednesday night by beating the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games after coming back from a 0-3 deficit to the rival New York Yankees in the American League Championship series. Schilling had his day in the Magic Kingdom on Thursday. Martinez and Ortiz were honored the following day.

The angels criss-cross the plaza near the entrance to the upcoming Light, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Spectacular. Photo by Mike Scopa.

NYC World of Disney redux

Last week, we ran a report from MousePlanet reader Gregg Jacobs (link) indicating that the new World of Disney store in New York City was not much different from its Disney Store predecessor. Drew Hackney responded that, while the decor may be similar, the merchandise is not:

While the decor and fixtures are largely the same on the first two floors, the merchandise is a far, far cry from a Disney Store. In fact, the only vestige of a normal Disney Store is the counter where you can pick up a free Disney Catalog. The rest of the store is outfitted with brand new World of Disney NYC logo merchandise, the Disney Vintage line of apparel, home decor, a princess/hero room, and a humongous slew of Parks & Resorts merchandise lines (kitchen, pins, collectibles, etc). They carry watches, ties, jewelry…tons of stuff the Disney Stores dropped a long time ago. Not to mention the free character greetings on the third floor…the World of Disney NYC may not be decorated like its Downtown Disney counterparts, but the merchandise is extremely familiar.

That’s about as much back-and-forth as we’re going to publish on this topic. Any further discussion should be directed to our MousePad discussion forums (link).

Crowds enjoy the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Photo by Brian Bennett.

Cypress Gardens passes go on sale

The return of Cypress Gardens from bankruptcy is almost complete. On Saturday, sales of Annual Passes for the park began. According to MousePlanet reader Josh Hallett, the line at one point was estimated to be up to two hours long for the $64.95 passes. Over five thousand people had arrived by 12:30 p.m. The park will have a soft opening on November 19, and the grand reopening will take place on December 9.

Ears to the ground

…We’re hearing rumors about some major changes to the Hub area for the upcoming Cinderellabration show that’s scheduled to soft-open in March. When the hub goes down in January for refurbishing, we hear that the high planters surrounding the Partners statue will be replaced with low planting beds, similar to those in Town Square, which will allow guests to see the show from all around the entire Hub area.

The balloons, the banners, the Sunshine Season Food Fair and the fountain will all disappear from The Land during the remodeling to convert the pavilion to a travel agency theme. Photo by Brian Bennett.

…Confirming the closure dates for The Land pavilion’s retheming to accommodate the new Soarin’ attraction, the Garden Grill Restaurant is not accepting reservations and will be closed for refurbishment from January 2 through April 4, 2005.

…Reports from Castaway Cay indicate that the island is back up and running just fine after its recovery from hurricane hits. According to MousePlanet’s Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix, “Pretty much all of the taller palm trees were toppled by the hurricanes, so they have been busily replanting trees for the past few weeks. You can absolutely see where the foliage was stripped by the wind – some bushes have 6″ – 8″ of bare branch at the top. They lost a decent sized chunk of the pier, and the rubble is still visible. They had to re-pour some cement walkways, and they aren’t done – we saw lots of work while we were in port. None of the buildings are visibly damaged, although some of the locations lost their fiber optic connection to the ship, and were processing sales using hand-written slips. Some areas are less shaded, but there seem to be a LOT more umbrellas than I remember, so it probably all works out. A cast member said that the coral reefs were pretty badly raked by the storm, but I had a blast snorkeling anyway.” We hope to have a photo tour of the island in the next few weeks.

…Disney’s PhotoPass has a new launch date. Starting on Thanksgiving Day, theme park guests will be able to use the system to download, print and buy official Disney photos from your trip online. So if you decide after you return from your trip that you should have bought that photo that was taken of your group in front of the Tree of Life after all, now you’ll be able to do it.

Have any interesting news or rumors? Let us know.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• “it’s a small world” – closed through March 18, 2005 for rehab (info).
• 20,000 League Under the Sea lagoon – walled off to “clear the land as well as add landscape for future use” through November 19, with the walls tentatively coming down on November 11.
• The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter – closed for good to be replaced with new Stitch’s Great Escape. Latest word is AP/DVC previews November 5-7, official grand opening press event November 16, soft openings TBA.
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress – expected to remain open for the duration of the Stitch’s Great Escape construction, then will go down for major rehab.
• Timekeeper – opens seasonally.
• Adventureland – opens with the rest of the park daily with the exception of the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management, which open at 10 a.m.
• The Hall of Presidents and the Country Bear Jamboree – open at 10 a.m. every day.
• Ariel’s Grotto – closed September 13 – November 11 for theme-matching with the 20,000 Leagues Lagoon reclamation.
• Cinderella’s Carousel ? will not be operating November 9–11.
• Country Bear Jamboree – will not be operating November 15–20.
• The Hub area in front of the castle – undergoes more refurbishing in January 2005 in preparation for the Cinderellabration show coming later in the year.
• Cinderella’s Royal Table – will be closed for rehab January 17–27, 2005. Lunch and dinner will resume on January 28, while character breakfasts will return on January 29.
• Astro Orbiter – closed January 2 – February 16, 2005.
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant – closed January 10 – February 12, 2005.
• Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration – last performance on February 26, 2005. Expected to return after the 18-month “Happiest Homecoming on Earth” celebration ends.
• Cinderellabration – begins preview performances in March 2005. Expected to run until the end of the 18-month “Happiest Homecoming on Earth” celebration.

Epcot

• The Universe of Energy – may close for a short rehab at any time to remove the ExxonMobil signage that has remained for an inexplicably long time since its pavilion sponsorship ended.
• Food Rocks – closed permanently to make way for the entrance to the new Soarin’ attraction, which is officially scheduled to open in May 2005, but may have an earlier soft opening.
• 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’. Expected to resume upon completion of the construction.
• The Land pavilion – will close January 2 – April 6, 2005 for completion of the Soarin’ attraction.
• 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 now open when the pavilion is open. The pavilion did not open this summer, which does not bode well for the future. However, it is expected to be open next January – March during the closure of The Land pavilion.

Disney-MGM Studios

• Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios – closed and demolished and construction well underway to turn the 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. The show is officially scheduled to debut in May 2005.
• New York Street – undergoes construction to change facades to represent Chicago and San Francisco. Previously believed to be renamed Big City Street, the newly confirmed name of the area is the Streets of America Backlot.
• The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights – returns this year on the Streets of America backlot, November 24 – January 2.

Animal Kingdom

• Lucky the Dinosaur – is scheduled to debut in Spring 2005.

Resorts

• Port Orleans Resort – Ongoing two-year extensive rehab of its rooms. Phase I’s French Quarter has reopened. Phase II is underway, and involves Riverside going through a phased rehab. The Magnolia Bend mansions are being worked on one by one, and will be 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. Room refurbishments are resuming. Scheduled: Rapa Nui January 3 – April 1, 2005, Tahiti April 24 – August 17, 2005. Tokelau, not yet refurbished, is not yet scheduled.
• Old Key West Resort – The main pool is closed through mid-December to construct a new themed water slide.
• BoardWalk Resort – portions of the resort will see work on the piping system take place in corridors outside guest rooms daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through summer 2005. No work is scheduled inside guest rooms.
• Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa – 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.
• Yacht and Beach Club Resorts – An overall refurbishment of the Stormalong Bay pool area at the Beach Club is running through early 2005. Certain sections of the pool will be unavailable at various times during the project. Those parts of the main pool not immediately being worked on will remain available for use. The first portion of the work should be completed by December 23. The main Shipwreck Slide will be closed only from January 3 to February 25, 2005, due to a painting project in that area.
• Coronado Springs Resort – Construction continues on the 86,000 square foot exhibit hall that is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2005. Construction noises may be audible throughout the Casitas section of the resort during the daytime construction.

Water Parks

• Blizzard Beach – undergoes its annual refurbishment from October 24 – December 11.
• Typhoon Lagoon – will close for its annual refurbishment from December 12, 2004– March 12, 2005. It is expected to reopen with a new water coaster.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays through Saturdays, but closes December 5–13.
• The All Star Cafe at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex – now closed Monday–Wednesday. Open Thursday–Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (a Disney Vacation Club resort) – still closed due to hurricane damage. The resort will “soft open” on November 8, but some common areas may remain closed for repairs, including Sonya’s and the Tiger Lily wet deck.

Park Events

Ongoing

• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (link). Through November 14.

November 2004

• Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney (link). November 12–14.
• Super Soap Weekend (link). November 13-14.
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (link). November 28 & 30, December 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, & 17.
• Festival of the Seasons at Downtown Disney (link). November 26 – December 24.
• Holidays Around the World (link). November 26 – December 30.

December 2004

• Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships (link). December 5-11.
• Join MousePlanet at MouseFest (link). December 9-13.
• Disney’s Soccer Showcase (link). December 27-January 2, 2005.
• 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

• Twirl Mania – The Twirler’s Championships (link). February 18 – 21.
• Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex (link). Dates in February – April TBA.

April 2005

• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (link). April 15 – June 5.
• Walt Disney World® Inline Marathon (link). April 30 – May 1.

May 2005

• Star Wars Weekends (link). Weekends in May – June TBA.

June 2005

• Gay and Lesbian Day at Walt Disney World (link). June 2–5.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Discounts for early 2005 are out

Resort discounts for the first part of 2005 have been announced. Annual Passholder & Florida Resident discounts are valid for January 2 through February 16, while general & Canada Resident discounts are good for January 2 through April 16. Room-only and Dream Maker packages are available. See the Walt Disney World web site (link) or MouseSavers (link) for more information.

Play 4 Days is back

The Florida Resident Play 4 Days Ticket allows Florida residents four days of play in Disney’s four theme parks through November 21, 2004 for $119 per person ($126.74 including tax). Park-hopping is permitted on the days used. The ticket is available at Disney theme parks, Florida Disney Stores, and other locations such as Florida AAA offices. Proof of Florida residency is required.

Radisson Resort Parkway announces rates through 2005

Radisson Resort Parkway, a MousePlanet sponsor, has announced their rates through the end of 2005, and has reduced their rates for much of the rest of this year. Guests can receive a complimentary upgrade to deluxe pool view accommodations for the remainder of 2004 simply by typing in the code of “UPGR” in the promotional field of the reservation.

Click here for more information, or here to make reservations now.

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 December 2004.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through December 2004.

Theme Park Events

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)