Walt Disney World Resort Update

Update for October 1 – 7, 2013

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News and Views

Additional Disability Access Service details | Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade concept art revealed | New food in the parks | Share your Disney Side | Merchandise update | Quick takes | Crowd update

Additional details on the new Disability Access Service

President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations Meg Crofton released an official statement regarding the pending changes to the assistance program for guests with disabilities that was shared in this week's Disneyland Resort Update. The changes are aimed at tightening up the system to curb abuse.

According to details posted online by a Walt Disney World cast member, the policy being implemented in Florida involves guests obtaining a Disability Access Service card at Guest Relations. The cards become linked to the individuals by a photo, with their name entered into a database. Those using wheelchairs, electric scooters, or tagged strollers will not need to get a card, as most queues are accessible.

Different parks may have subtle differences in implementation depending on the accessibility of different areas, but the post appears to be generally accurate from what we have heard.

New concept art for Disney Festival of Fantasy parade

Disney has released additional parade float details for the new Festival of Fantasy parade that is coming to the Magic Kingdom in spring 2014. The parade will focus on the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and Tangled. The new floats released feature characters from The Little Mermaid and Brave. Ariel rides on a clamshell with Flounder surrounded by her sea friends, while Merida stands atop a float shaped like a giant bagpipe with her three bear-form brothers. 

The new parade is replacing the current Celebrate a Dream Come True parade, which ends its daily run on Friday, December 20. Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It then fills in the gap of the daytime parade after the holiday season is complete before Festival of Fantasy takes over in the spring. See the Disney Parks Blog for photos.

New food items at the parks

On a recent trip, we noticed some menu changes at some of the food locations around the parks—so of course we had to try a few.

The ABC Commissary at Disney Studios has replaced the chicken curry with a couscous, quinoa, and arugula salad topped with a choice of protein.

Couscous, quinoa, and arugula salad with salmon is a nice healthier alternative to burgers and fries. Photo by Stephanie Wien.

We chose the salmon, which was nicely prepared and not too dry (as can often happen with fish). The salad, however, contained kalamata olives, which are not listed on the menu description. If you are not a fan of them, you might try requesting that they leave them out. 

The sign shows the two flavors of gourmet cake cups available for $4.19 each: the Mad Hatter Mocha, and the Cheshire Cupcake. Photo by Stephanie Wien.

The Cheshire Cafe at the Magic Kingdom also features a new snack item: the cake cup. The cups have layers of cake and mousse or whipped cream, depending on the flavor of choice.

A cast member holds the Mad Hatter Mocha cupcake. Photo of Stephanie Wien.

Share your Disney Side

Disney has launched a site to encourage guests to share their visits at the Disney theme parks or wherever they show their “Disney side.” The Disney Side site aggregates public posts from Instagram, Twitter, Vine, Google+, and Facebook that are posted with the hashtag #disneyside. This site is another step in the company's embrace of social media as a way to promote its product with the help of users. 

Merchandise update

This week's photo roundup includes more new merchandise from around the resort.

The United Kingdom pavilion at Epcot has a new selection of apparel and other items from popular British television shows. These shirts are aimed at fans of the “Monty Python's Flying Circus” TV show. Photo by Stephanie Wien.

“Doctor Who” fans can pick up a whole range of merchandise, including these mugs and magnets featuring Daleks, a well-known Doctor Who adversary. Photo by Stephanie Wien.

“Downton Abbey” apparel rounds out the the selection. Photo by Stephanie Wien.

Villains have started to pop up in all kinds of places, including this rather chic-looking Maleficent on a scarf. Photo by Stephanie Wien.

Registration now open for MouseAdventure World Explorers

Join us on November 16 and 17 for an exploration of Walt Disney World like no other. Our fifth Florida MouseAdventure event takes players all around Walt Disney World in a two-day challenge that is sure to make you see WDW in a whole new light.

Registration for our two-day MouseAdventure World Explorers event in Walt Disney World is now open online at MouseAdventure.com.

Pricing for this two-day event is $175 for a team of at least two players up to a maximum of four players. Registration does not include park admission (park hopper admission is required; water park admission is not).

The Coast to Coast Challenge

Every team that participated in the Spring 2013 MouseAdventure event in Disneyland and plays in MouseAdventure World Explorers V in Florida, will receive a special recognition of their dedication.

And, for the true competitors, there will be a special prize awarded to the team with the highest combined score for the Spring 2013 MouseAdventure Musical event at Disneyland and MouseAdventure World Explorers V in Florida. This prize will be awarded at the resort results meet in Florida.

To participate in this challenge, teams must have a score from the Spring 2013 MouseAdventure Musical event at Disneyland (Basic or Advanced division) and complete the Fall 2013 event in Walt Disney World. The majority of players from the team must participate in both events.

Quick takes…

…Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is celebrating its 25th anniversary today with a 9:00 a.m. boat parade on Barefoot Bay, as well as a fountain dedictaion at Old Port Royale.

…The Chase Lounge at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival features a Coke Freestyle machine this year, giving visitors a larger selection of Coke products. Here's hoping the lines don't get too long from people trying to decide what to sample.

…The Villains Mix & Mingle show at the Magic Kingdom is now using the castle projectors, creating a dramatic backdrop for its Not-So-Scary Halloween Party show.

…A MyMagic+ kiosk has been placed in the breezeway between Frontierland and Adventureland. Guests can scan their MagicBand to check on existing Fastpass+ times as well as schedule new ones.

A park guest uses the kiosk to check on Fastpass+ times. Photo by Stephanie Wien.

…Good luck to all of the runners and walkers participating in the Tower of Terror 10-Miler weekend events this coming weekend!

Crowd Forecast

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Facebook MousePlanet MouseAdventure	Twitter @MousePlanet @MouseAdventure @MPMark (Mark Goldhaber) @MousePlanetAVP (Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix) @MPSteven (Steven Ng) @MPStephanie (Stephanie Wien) @MousePlanetJeff (Jeff Kober) @MPMox (Jeffry Moxley) @MPAdrienneK (Adrienne Krock) @MPDocKrock (Kevin Krock) @MPLaniT (Lani Teshima) @MousePlanetJen (Jennifer Rich)

Don't keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. Email Stephanie here.

Talk about these stories and more on our Walt Disney World discussion forum here.

Resort Events

2013

• Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party – October 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31; November 1.
• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – through November 11
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend – October 4–5
• Holiday Time at Walt Disney World – begins November 8
• Opening night for Osbourn Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – November 8
• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party – November 8, 11, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22; December 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20.
• Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 8–9
• MouseAdventure World Explorers V – November 16–17. Keep an eye on our MouseAdventure Facebook page, and register for our MouseAdventure Newsletters for more details as they are announced.
• Candlelight Processional – November 29 through December 30. Dining packages on sale now.
• Pop Warner Football – December 6–14. Participants are staying at Disney's All-Star Resorts, Caribbean Beach Resort, Coronado Springs Resort, and Pop Century Resort.

2014

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 9–12
• Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 21–23

runDisney events and capacity updates

2013

• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend – October 4–5.
  • October 5 (a.m.): Happy Haunted 5K Trail Run – Sold Out
  • October 5 (a.m.): runDisney Kids' Races – 82%
  • October 5 (p.m.): The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler – Sold Out
  • October 5 (p.m.) – 6 (a.m.): Disney Villains Hollywood Bash – 89%
     
• Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 8–9.
  • November 8 (p.m.): Wine & Dine Pre-race Taste – 94%
  • November 9 (a.m.): runDisney Kids' Races – 60%
  • November 9 (a.m.): Mickey's Jingle Jungle 5K – Sold Out
  • November 9 (p.m.): Wine & Dine Half Marathon – Sold Out
  • November 9 (p.m.): Finish Line Party – 93%

2014

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 9–12.
  • January 9: Family Fun Run 5K – Sold Out
  • January 10: 10K – Sold Out
  • January 11: Half Marathon – Sold Out
  • January 12: Marathon – Sold Out
  • January 11-12: Goofy Challenge (half and full) – Sold Out
  • January 9–11: runDisney Kids' Races – 53%
  • January 9–11: Pasta Party in the Park – 51%
  • January 9–12: Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half, and full) – Sold Out
     
• Disney's Princess Half-Marathon Weekend – February 21–23.
  • February 21: Disney Royal Family 5k – 50%
  • February 21–22: runDisney Kids' Races – 50%
  • February 22: Enchanted 10k – Sold Out
  • February 23: Disney's Princess Half Marathon – Sold Out
  • February 22–23: Glass Slipper Challenge (Enchanted 10k and Disney's Princess Half Marathon) – Sold Out

Do you participate in (or are considering signing up for) runDisney events? Visit our Team MousePlanet forum on the MousePad discussion board, where you can join our community of health-minded readers and staff.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Peter Pan – closed through November 13 for refurbishment.
• Walt Disney World Railroad – closed through November 20 for refurbishment.
• Splash Mountain – closed January 6, 2014 through March 22, 2014 for refurbishment.

Epcot

• No known refurbishments.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground – closed through November 19 for refurbishment.
• Both parades (Disney Channel Rocks and Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade) have ended their run. No new parades have been announced.
• Disney Hollywood Studios closes at 6 p.m. on October 26 for a private event.

Animal Kingdom

• No known refurbishments.
• Festival of the Lion King scheduled to move to a new theater—currently under construction—sometime in 2014. No dates have been announced.

Resorts

As reported in July, some refrigerators in non-Disney Vacation Club rooms at Walt Disney World are being replaced due to a product defect. All Walt Disney World Resort rooms with the exception of DVC Villas, the family suites at the Art of Animation and All-Star Movie resorts, and the cabins at Fort Wilderness are impacted. Disney says “the schedule for replacing the refrigerators at these Resorts is expected to last several months.”

In the interim, if you have a reservation at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel and need a refrigerator for medical reasons,we recommend contacting your resort directly to inquire about availability during your trip. The hotel should be able to arrange for one if your room does not yet have a new refrigerator, but supplies may be limited while they work to replace all of the malfunctioning units. Remember, Value resorts do not include in-room refrigerators.

• All-Star Sports
  • Arcade closed for conversion into a temporary grab-and-go food location. Expected to reopen in December.
  • Food court closed through mid-December for refurbishment. During this time, snacks and drinks will be available from a grab-and-go location in the former arcade. Hot food will be available from the All-Star Music Food Court, and Disney will offer bus service between the resorts.
• Polynesian – Access to the east portion of the Polynesian Beach (closest to the Transportation and Ticket Center), as well as Sunset Point will be unavailable due to a scheduled refurbishment. Some rooms in certain room categories in impacted buildings have been taken off the market during the renovation period. No completion date given at this time.

Water Parks

• Typhoon Lagoon – closed October 27, 2013 through January 4, 2014 for refurbishment.

Elsewhere

• Disney Palm Golf Course – closed through mid-November for refurbishment.
• Disney Osprey Ridge Golf Course – permanently closed to play.
• Downtown Disney Lots H, I, J, and K (in Westside area) are closed until further notice for construction of Disney Springs.
• Cirque du Soleil La Nouba – performs Tuesdays through Saturdays. Will not be performed on the following 2013 dates: November 5–6

Current Discounts & Promotions

Don't keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. Email Stephanie here.