Walt Disney World Resort Update

Update for March 18 – 25, 2014

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News and Views

Save up to 35% at select Walt Disney World Resorts June 15 – August 28 | This week at the 2014 Flower & Garden Festival | Anna and Elsa to appear at the Magic Kingdom starting April 20 | FastPass+ and MagicBand testing expands to all passholders | Construction update | runDisney changes packet pickup rules | Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party debuts at Epcot | Quick takes | Crowd update

Save up to 35% at select Walt Disney World Resorts June 15 – August 28

A new offer was released to Disney Visa cardholders last week, and is now available to the general public. This offer covers arrivals between June 15 and August 28, 2014, and is tiered by resort and length of stay, with a 5% bonus for stays of 6 nights or longer.

Mary Kraemer, Vacation Travel Consultant with MousePlanet sponsor MouseEarVacations, notes, “One of the interesting things about the packages with this offer is the ability to have room and dining; usually, you have to have room and tickets to add a dining package. So, it's pretty nice for folks who have annual passes or if people in the same room want different types of tickets.”

Other terms:

• Room-only reservations require a one-night deposit at time of booking.
• Package require a $200 deposit at time of booking.
• Offer excludes the following resorts and/or room types:
  • Little Mermaid rooms at the Art of Animation resort
  • Campsites
  • All Star Movies
  • Port Orleans French Quarter
  • Bay Lake Tower
  • Grand Floridian Villas
  • All 3-bedroom Villas

This week at the 2014 Flower & Garden Festival

If you're stopping to smell the flowers at the Flower & Garden Festival this weekend, take along our guide to the scheduled presentations and entertainment offerings.

Tour information:

• The Gardens of the World Tour –  is a three-hour tour led by a Disney Horticulturist. Theme park admission required and not included. Tickets are $64 per person, plus tax, and guests must be age 16 and up. Call 407-WDW-TOUR to make reservations, or check at Epcot Guest Relations for availability.
• The English Tea Garden Tour  – is a no-cost 20-minute tour presented by Twinings of London. Sign up at the Tea Caddy. Space is limited.

Anna and Elsa to appear at the Magic Kingdom starting April 20

A few folks online picked up on what appeared to be a early update of the FastPass+ system last week, but Disney has now confirmed that the Anna and Elsa meet-and-greet is relocating next month from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom.

Starting April 20, Anna and Elsa appear at the Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland, appearing together “until the early evening,” with Cinderella and the other princesses staying until the attraction's scheduled closing each evening.

The good news is that Fastpass+ eligible visitors eligible can schedule their meet-and-greet using the system to avoid having to wait to meet the popular princesses in a line that can be as long as three hours on busy days.

Anna and Elsa continue to appear in Epcot's Norway pavilion through April 19, then move to the Magic Kingdom on the April 20. Fastpass+ reservations are live now.

FastPass+ and MagicBand testing expands to all passholders

If you are a Walt Disney World passholder and have not yet been invited to order a MagicBand or participate in Fastpass+ testing, your time has come. We reported earlier this year that some annual passholders who did not have Walt Disney World resort hotel reservations had been invited to order a MagicBand wristlband and begin testing the Fastpass+ service. Disney has now opened the “test” to all Walt Disney World passholders who register through the passholder website.

To participate:

• Create or log in to your account on WaltDisneyWorld.com
• Complete your account profile and link your annual pass to your profile.
• Customize and order your MagicBand at least 10 days before your next theme park visit.

Additionally:

• Once registered, passholders who are not staying at a Disney hotel can make up to seven days of Fastpass+ selections within a rolling 30-day window. The seven days need not be consecutive.
• Disney seems to be testing a program allowing some passholders to book up to 60 days in advance. Although the Walt Disney World website still states that reservations can be made 30 days in advance, some passholders can book 60 days in advance, while others are still restricted to the three-day window.
• If your next visit is closer than 10 days, you can still make Fastpass+ reservations online, and use your annual passport to enter the Fastpass+ line.
• Like everyone else using the system, passholders can only make Fastpass+ reservations in one park per day, and are limited to three Fastpass+ reservations per day.
• Unless you are staying at a Walt Disney World hotel and have enabled room charging privileges, you cannot use your MagicBand wristband to make purchases at Walt Disney World yet. Look for that option to become available to passholders in the not-too-distant future.
• If your annual pass includes parking or discount benefits, you still need to bring your physical annual pass with you to obtain those benefits; the MagicBand devices do not store that information.
• If you already have a MagicBand device from a past visit, you need not order another one to use Fastpass+. Just log into your Disney account, make sure the MagicBand device is still linked, and you can use that one the next time you visit.
• Disney currently will replace a lost or stolen Magic Band device at no charge, but expect to pay for replacements once the program opens to non-resort guests.

Construction update

As Disney begins the expansion and renovation of the Magic Kingdom's Central Plaza, Jeff Kober shares photos of some of the work. Already complete is the project to enclose the dining patio around Cosmic Rays, adding more much-needed air-conditioned seating to the popular restaurant.

Magic Kingdom

The expanded outdoor seating area at Casey's Corner is now open at Magic Kingdom. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

The moat around the hub has been emptied of water and construction has commenced in adding perimeter walkways around the hub. Here we see that the old Swan Boat veranda has been removed. Also, the outdoor seating at Cosmic Rays has been converted to indoor seating. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Silver waterproof coating is applied to the turrets of Cinderella Castle during refurbishment, prior to re tiling. In the foreground, worker drain the moat around the castle in preparation for renovation of the central plaza. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Work on widening the Liberty Square parade walkway has been completed. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

More of the track and forest of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is revealed as workers remove construction walls. The Seven Dwarf cottage, still uncompleted, sits in the background. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Much of the load/unload area of the ride has been completed. Walkways to and from are still under construction. Above the station, flowering meadows are added to the landscaping. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Downtown Disney and Disney Springs

The Disney Springs expansion project claims more Downtown Disney parking this week, as a portion of lots E, F, and G close today. You can still catch a taxi from these three lots, but expect to find new pedestrian and vehicle routes while the demolition begins.

Work continues on a pedestrian bridge under construction in Downtown Disney. The barge in the front holds what remains of the old boat shuttle dock that was located next to the Rainforest Cafe. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Construction moves out in the lagoon on the new Boat House restaurant coming to Disney Springs. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Work continues on the new Starbucks adjacent to the World of Disney store. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

The West End Park is temporarily being turned into a Food Truck Park, slated to open in summer 2014. The photo in front of the wall is what is expected to eventually happen to the park space. The new Starbucks for that area is in the background. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Construction on the new Downtown Disney parking garage has moved to the second level. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Work continues along not only I-4 but also in the exit that turns onto Epcot Center Drive up until Typhoon Lagoon. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Also, much of the space between Typhoon Lagoon and Buena Vista Drive is being torn down as part of the entire area development. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

runDisney changes packet pickup rules

runDisney quietly changed a rule regarding race packet pickup for the upcoming Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend events, and runners who relied on the old policy are not happy about the new requirement. Sometime last week, a new statement appeared on the runDisney website:

YOU MUST PICK UP YOUR OWN PARTICIPANT PACKET (WHICH INCLUDES YOUR EVENT-ISSUED BIB NUMBER AND TIMING DEVICE) DURING REGULARLY SCHEDULED HOURS.
Individuals will no longer be able to pick up participant packets on behalf of others.

Disney is not offering race-day bib pickups. What this means is that now, participants must attend a race expo in person on a different (earlier) day to get their racing bib and event shirt. In the past, those who could not attend a race expo in person were allowed to have another person collect their race bib. This itself was not a simple process—runners had to give a copy of their photo ID and a signed race waiver to their designated representative, who themselves had to show photo ID and sign for the race materials. But for many participants, this was the only way they could participate in a runDisney race. For example:

• Local friends picking up bibs for out-of-town runners whose travel plans prevented them from getting to Orlando before the expo closed.
• One member of a family collecting bibs for everyone, avoiding the need for every family member to change their schedules to attend in person.
• One spouse or partner picking up a bib for the other, saving their partner the trip.
• Captains of charity teams picking up bibs for their members.

For many participants, the ability to have a friend pick up their bib was the only way they could commit to the race. However this change—made after registration took place—has put a number of runners in a bind. For example, some friends and MousePlanet readers were encouraging our own Stephanie Wien, now a California resident, to register for November's Wine and Dine Half Marathon in Walt Disney World. If Stephanie signed up, she would have flown out on Friday evening, in plenty of time to get to Orlando for the race itself—but too late to attend the expo. For this reason, several people offered to collect her bib for her. The race sold out before she had a chance to register, but had she registered, she would have immediately booked her flight, and been directly impacted by a rule that didn't even exist at the time she registered. We can only wonder how many registered participants for this race are also impacted.

If this policy change impacts you for the upcoming Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend and you absolutely cannot attend the race expo in person, call runDisney directly to explain your situation, and ask for an exception for this race. You can reach runDisney by phone at (407)-939-iRun (407-939-4786), or via email through its Contact Us page.

runDisney has not directly addressed the reason behind the policy change, and a spokesman did not respond to our email. Runners have noted that other races, including the recent L.A. Marathon, have implemented similar policies, and suggest that the new rules are part of heightened security measures implemented in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

Members of our Team MousePlanet discussion forum are sharing their views on the new policy—come join the discussion and tell us how this may change your plans to participate in a future Disney race.

Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party debuts at Epcot

Epcot introduced last week a new Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party. The party features a reserved viewing area in Showcase Plaza for Illuminations, with desserts and sparkling wines from the World Showcase pavilions:

Italy: Tiramisu
France: Vanilla Pot de Crme
United Kingdom: Shortbread Cookies
Morocco: Traditional Baklava
American Adventure: Sugar Dusted Cronis with Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream
Disney Parks ice cream novelties
Lemonade, coffee, teas
Sparkling wine from Washington State and Prosecco from Italy

Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 7:45 p.m. to 9:20 p.m.

Tickets are $49.99, including tax and tip. Child tickets (age 3-9) are $29.

Reservations can be made 180 days in advance by calling (407) WDW-DINE. Online booking is not yet available.

Quick takes…

…Once Upon A Toy at the Downtown Disney Marketplace will be hosting a Frozen DVD launch party on Tuesday, March 18 at 10:00am. Launch party highlights include:

• DJ dance party (outside facing Earl of Sandwich)
• Photo ops
• Frozen trivia
• Hula hoop contests
• Olaf magnet giveaways
• Frozen DVDs on sale

…Registration opens tomorrow morning for the new Disney Sports Disney Fit Challenge, but no further details have been released since the initial announcement. The new competition is scheduled for September 26–28, 2014. Disney has promised that athletes of all levels can compete against others “of similar age and skill level,” giving everyone from recreational to elite athletes a challenge suited to their level. Points earned in the first two days of competition will determine which finalists advance to compete on day three.

…The 2014 Tower of Terror 10-Miler is now sold out through Disney. Space in the 10K is still available through travel partners and charity groups – check the runDisney website for a list. Registration is still open for the Disney Happy Haunted 5K Trail Run and the runDisney Kids Races.

…Tickets are still available for the Rebel Rendezvous, a separately ticketed merchandise event that kicks off the 2014 Star Wars Weekends. The event is Thursday, May 15, from 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Rebel Rendezvous gives attendees access to Darth's Mall and the Star Wars Weekend merchandise one day before the event opens to the general public. Attendees also have access to meet-and-greet opportunities with Disney and Star Wars characters, Disney artists, and performers like Ashley Eckstein (from Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Register via the Disney Parks Merchandise website.

…You can still enter to win a trip to both Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort in the Disney Side of Summer Sweepstakes. Enter via Twitter once per day now through March 31. Full details and complete rules are on the Disney Parks blog.

The MousePlanet Newsletter is here!

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Crowd Forecast

Join our networks
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

2014

• Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival – March 5 through May 18
• Easter services at Walt Disney World – Sunday, April 20.  Fantasia Ballroom of Disney's Contemporary Resort.
  • Catholic Mass: 8:00 a.m.
  • Protestant Service: 9:00 a.m.
  • Catholic Mass: 10:15 a.m.

  Parking at the Contemporary Resort will be restricted to guests with hotel reservations only, and all others must take Disney transportation to reach the Contemporary Resort. Guests staying at a hotel on the Monorail line (Grand Floridian or Polynesian Resorts), or who will park at the Transportation and Ticketing center can take the Resort Monorail to the Contemporary Resort. All other resort guests can take a bus from their Walt Disney World hotel to the Magic Kingdom, and from there transfer to a shuttle bus to the Contemporary Resort.

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train media event – April 30 through May 2. This may indicate the ride will open to the public May 1 or 2.
• Expedition Everest Challenge – May 3
• Star Wars Weekends Rebel Rendezvous – May 15, 2014
• Star Wars Weekends
  • Weekend I: May 16–18, 2014
  • Weekend II: May 23–25, 2014
  • Weekend III: May 30 to June 1, 2014
  • Weekend IV: June 6–8, 2014
  • Weekend V: June 13–15, 2014
• Car Masters Weekend – June 14–15 in Downtown Disney.
• Epcot International Food and Wine Festival – September 19 through November 10
• Disney's Night of Joy 2014 – Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6.
• Disney Fit Challenge – September 26-28. Registration opens Tuesday, March 18. More information on the Disney Sports website.
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend – October 3–4
• Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic – October 31 and November 1. Tickets and packages now on sale.
• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 7–8
• Destination D: Attraction Rewind – November 22-23. Additional details expected to be released this spring. The event was originally announced for July 26-27, but was rescheduled.
• Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party – 2014 event dates not yet announced.
• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party – 2014 event dates not yet announced.

2015

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 7–11, 2015.
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 19–22, 2015.

runDisney events

If 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.

2014

• Expedition Everest Challenge – May 3
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend – October 3–4
• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 7–8

2015

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 7–11, 2015. Registration opens April 22, 2014. No additional details available at this time.
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 19–22, 2015. Registration opens July 15, 2014. No additional details available at this time.

For current information on registration dates and capacity, see Lorree Tachell's runDisney Race Capacity Updates in the Team MousePlanet forum.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Splash Mountain – closed through March 22 for refurbishment.
• Pinocchio Village Haus – closed through March 30 for refurbishment.
• Swiss Family Treehouse – closed March 17 through 28 for refurbishment.
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed April 7–9 for refurbishment.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – closed April 28 through May 1 for refurbishment.
• Astro Orbiter – closed May 3 through August 20 for refurbishment.

Epcot

• No known refurbishments at this time.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• No known refurbishments at this time.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

• Festival of the Lion King – closed for move to its new theater, currently under construction. Estimated to be closed until July/August 2014.

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.

• Polynesian – Never Land Club Children's Activity Center closed for refurbishment through January 1, 2015.
• Polynesian – Refurbishment of the lobby is slated to begin March 14.
• Polynesian – Captain Cook's closed for refurbishment March 14 through June 14.

Water Parks

• No known refurbishments at this time.

Elsewhere

• The Resort and Express monorail beam closes between 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday – Friday starting on January 21 due to construction work at the Polynesian Hotel. The construction site is near the Monorail beam.
• Disney Osprey Ridge Golf Course – permanently closed to play.
• Downtown Disney Lots H, I, J, and K (in Westside area) closed until further notice for Disney Springs construction.
• Downtown Disney Bridge 4 and restrooms on Pleasure Island are temporarily closed for ongoing construction work.
• Cirque du Soleil La Nouba – performs Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Walt Disney World Resort Update. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the intended audience. Check out the category that best matches you, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

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