Walt Disney World Resort Update for July 28 – August 3, 2015

Update for July 28 – August 3, 2015

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News and Views

Magic Kingdom worker arrested for alleged rape in Downtown Disney | Dates for 2015 Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights announced | My Disney Experience testing new large group assistance model | Repeat visitors can now refuse duplicate MagicBand | Raglan Road hosting Great Irish Hooley | Views Around the World | Crowd Forecast

Magic Kingdom worker arrested for alleged rape in Downtown Disney

Orange County Sheriffs arrested a man last week connected with an alleged rape outside the House of Blues restaurant/bar in Downtown Disney.

The suspect, Hector Herrera (26), surrendered without incident at his home in Osceola County on Thursday, and police charged him with sexual battery on a physically incapacitated person. He posted a $50,000 bond later that evening and left the jailhouse.

Herrera works as a cook at Magic Kingdom's Backstage Bistro; Disney officials said he was currently on unpaid leave pending investigation results. 

According to the sheriff's report cited by the Orlando Sentinel, a security guard found the alleged victim in shrubbery between the House Of Blues and Cirque du Soleil around 5:00 a.m.; she was naked with her clothes and purse on the ground around her, along with a used condom near the scene. The woman told police she had a lot to drink before heading to the club, including “two bottles of ale and seven or eight shots of vodka before getting to the nightclub.” Beyond that, her statement says she does not recall going to the area where she was found, nor did she remember participating in a consensual sexual relationship that night.

The suspect admitted to officers he had sex with a woman near some bushes, but said she was “out of it” according to the arrest affidavit. He continued by saying the woman stumbled out to his car, but the woman eventually refused to go with him. After the “heat of the moment,” according to arrest records, Hererra said he knew he had “made a mistake.” He then added he tried to get the woman dressed again, but she was “too out of it,” so he left the scene. 

Police released a series of surveillance photos and videos showing who they believed to be the suspect in this crime. Soon after, official received a call from a citizen who identified the man. They went to the man's home in Osceola County and arrested him.

Officials have not posted a new court date as of today.

2015 Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights dates announced

Disney Hollywood Studios published its hours for the 2015 Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, the park's annual holiday showcase on the Streets of America.

This year, the incredible light and music show runs nightly from November 8, 2015 through January 3, 2016.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights came to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 1995 as a gift from the Osborne family of Arkansas, who used to put up the display at their house every year during the holidays. The display got so large, though, that it became a nuisance in the family's town. Instead of getting rid of the display entirely, family patriarch Jennings Osborne donated it to the Walt Disney World Resort.

2014 Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios. MousePlanet file photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The lights and music are programmed through a high-tech computer system to work together to make the buildings practically come to life with light and sound. The soundtrack blends holiday classics and contemporary pieces to make an incredible multimedia display for the whole family. And, there are a few special surprises within the display that never fails to bring the kid out in me (and many others, too!)

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is included with regular Disney Hollywood Studios admission, so everyone can catch the show for no extra cost; reservations are not necessary to enjoy the show.

My Disney Experience testing new large group assistance model

The My Disney Experience website and app has been around for a while now, and offers convenience for trip planning, primarily for smaller groups, such as couples and parents with minor children. However, visitors traveling in large groups often struggled to keep all of their plan together, with challenges such as difficulties coordinating Fastpass+ requests for everyone in the group (whether for when everyone in a large group wants to move together, or a large group wishes to splinter off in different combinations during the day).

Website and app developers began testing a new management system for My Disney Experience that intends to make large group planning easier.

The test begins with an announcement on a traveler's My Disney Experience page:

Making plans with a larger group?
We recommend parties of 10 or more use our complimentary service to set up My Disney Experience. Call (407) 939-7771 from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM EST for assistance. (text courtesy of Laurel Stewart of TouringPlans.com)

A couple of TouringPlans users commented on the story, saying that they called the number Disney provided and a cast member offered to go over an entire travel itinerary to make sure everything was linked up correctly so the visitors could enjoy all of their experiences together. 

For more information, you can read more of Laurel's great post and the comments, which offer insight on how the new test is playing out.

Repeat visitors can now refuse duplicate MagicBand

Frequent Walt Disney World visitors may no longer have to order a duplicate MagicBand for an upcoming trip thanks to another My Disney Experience website update.

Anyone staying at a Walt Disney World Resort can opt out of receiving a new MagicBand when they make a new reservation if they already have an active MagicBand on the account that is current and less than a year old, according to WDWMagic. The bands cannot be older because they contain nonrenewable batteries. 

Previously, anyone making a Walt Disney World resort reservation automatically received a new MagicBand for their trip, no matter how many they may have received over the years. Travelers must opt-out every time they make a new reservation.

You may only make this request via the My Disney Experience website at this time; the opt-out option does not appear on the My Disney Experience smartphone app.

How many MagicBands do you have and what did you do with all your multiple ones?

Disney Gift Card website now allows combining lower denominations

Many people like to pay off their Walt Disney World vacation with Disney gift cards, which you can buy in my retail outlets that sell gift cards. The issue most have is that the cards are in smaller denominations ($25, $50, $100, etc.), so the task of using them to pay for thousands of dollars worth becomes long and complicated. 

Last week, the Disney Gift Card website made some changes to help customers combine multiple cards into one to make large sum payments easier. 

With a simple transfer, shoppers can combine all of their small denomination cards into a single card, up to a $1,000 value per card. This should help making payments to travel agents and Disney representatives much easier.

Raglan Road hosting Great Irish Hooley

Ever been to an Irish Hooley? Do you know what one is?

Downtown Disney's Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant invites visitors to its fourth annual Great Irish Hooley running from September 4–7 at the pub.

The Great Irish Hooley celebrates the halfway mark to St. Patricks Day. People get together to enjoy the festivities of the day. Entertainment for this year's party includes Irish stepdancing, traditional Celtic music, and face painting. Performances begin Friday at noon and run all weekend long. Some of the musical entertainers include:

• Screaming Orphans
• The Raglan Roots Coalition
• JigJam
• The West Coast Trio
• The Blarney Stones
• Cooney & Ryan

Four limited-edition craft beers will also be on tap for the weekend-long celebration, and traditional Irish fare prepared by chef Kevin Dundon is on the menu.

Views from Around the World

As summer winds down, Disney construction crews continue to work feverishly on their many expansion projects around the resort area. And, while it may not thrill everyone to see so many construction walls and equipment at the parks and in the Downtown Disney area, their presence demonstrates Walt's desire for progress to continue within his theme parks and attractions. This week, we take a peek at the progress being made at Downtown Disney and Epcot.

Downtown Disney

DisneyQuest will close sometime in 2016 to make way for a new NBA themed experience on the West Side of what will then be called Disney Springs. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The upper-most level of the new Orange Parking structure on Downtown Disney's West Side is now partially open though the connecting ramps to I-4 are still under construction. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Construction cranes beyond Fulton's Crab House and T-Rex Restaurant are assisting in the construction of the new parking structure on the former Downtown Disney Marketplace parking lot. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Transformation of the former Pleasure Island area of Downtown Disney continues as architectural elements of The Landing at Disney Springs rise. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

As Downtown Disney's transformation into Disney Springs continues, signage now points to “The Landing” which is being constructed in the area formerly known as Pleasure Island. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Amphicars have become a common sight on Village Lake near the Marketplace at Downtown Disney. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Epcot

The construction crane is not topping off one of the pyramids of the Imagination pavilion; it is assisting in the construction of the new theater for Soarin' backstage. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Even on evenings when Epcot's Future World officially closes at 7 p.m., the popular Test Track attraction remains open. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Automated External Defibrillators like this one near Mission: Space at Epcot are installed in many places throughout the Walt Disney World Resort to assist in emergencies. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The base of Epcot's Canada pavilion is one of the few places along the World Showcase Lagoon where none of the construction taking place backstage for the new Soarin' theater can be seen. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

A Half Moon rises above Epcot's Spaceship Earth. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

…The MousePlanet Newsletter is here! The newsletter contains a recap of the week's articles (in case you miss a day), news that may have developed since the weekly Updates were published, and tips about what's happening at the Disney theme parks for the coming weekend. We'll also include a fun MouseAdventure bonus, such as an Eye Spy or a trivia question. To subscribe to our free newsletter, just enter your e-mail in the box below.

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Crowd Forecast

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

Resort Events

2015

• 2015 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party – September 15, 18, 20, 22, 25 and 27; October 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31; November 1
• 2015 Epcot Food & Wine Festival – September 26 to November 16.
• 2015 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party – November 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20 and 29; December 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 18.
• 2015 Epcot Candlelight Processional – November 27 to December 30

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.

2015

• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 6–7. Most events are sold out.

2016

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 6–10, 2016. Many events are sold out.
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 18–21, 2016. Registration opens July 14.

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

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Pirates of the Caribbean – closed through September 26 for refurbishment.
• Liberty Tree Tavern – closed July 6 through November 21 for refurbishment
• Dream Along with Mickey – closed July 19 through August 22 for refurbishment
• Liberty Square Riverboat – closed August 4–10 for refurbishment.
• Walt Disney World Frontierland station – closed September 29 through November 5 for refurbishment.
• Walt Disney World Main Street U.S.A station – closed September 29 through November 5 for refurbishment.
• Walt Disney World Fantasyland station – closed September 29 through November 5 for refurbishment.

Epcot

• Captain EO – closed through July 19.
• Living with the Land – September 8–18.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• Voyage of the Little Mermaid – closed September 7–10 for refurbishment.

Blizzard Beach

• Entire park closed from October 25, 2015 through January 3, 2016 for refurbishment

Typhoon Lagoon

• Entire park closed from January 3 through March 13, 2016 for reburbishment.

Resorts

• Polynesian – ongoing refurbishment of the lobby and pool area.

Elsewhere

• Disney Osprey Ridge Golf Course – permanently closed.
• 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 – 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 Marie here.