Walt Disney World Resort Update for October 4-10, 2016

Walt Disney World Resort Update for October 4 – 10, 2016

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News and Views

The countdown to the 50th begins | Great Moments in History | Princesses visit Disney Springs | Disney World expands passholder benefits | 2017 Military Salute details | The Chew comes back to town | Views around the World | This and That | Crowd Forecast

The countdown to the 50th begins

Walt Disney World celebrated its 45th anniversary this weekend with a colorful character-filled celebration at the Magic Kingdom, and a souvenir merchandise release around the resort and through the Disney Store website. While 45 years is certainly something to commemorate, this milestone is really just the start of the countdown to what is certain to be a massive global celebration of the Resort's 50th anniversary.

Walt Disney World Resort Marks 45 Years With Character YouTube video ©Disney

Great Moments in History

“The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History,” debuted this past Sunday, October 2 at the Magic Kingdom. The show takes place in Liberty Square, near the Hall of Presidents, and stars Sam Eagle, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and The Great Gonzo. A human named “JJ” James Jefferson serves as host and narrator.

The new Magic Kingdom show “The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History” debuted on October 2 in Liberty Square with its human host James (call me “J.J.”) Jefferson. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

While Disney's description of the show implied there would be multiple versions of the show performed each day, the Declaration of Independence version was shown each of the performances on opening day. The full rotation of shows may roll out in the coming weeks.

Sam the Eagle is perched high atop The Hall of Presidents during each performance of “The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History.” Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Sam the Eagle calls himself the “Official Liberty Square Historian.” Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Kermit and Miss Piggy play prominent roles in the new ten minute show. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Fozzie Bear is one of the stars of the new Muppets show in Liberty Square. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Gonzo is also one of the stars of the new Muppets show in Liberty Square. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Of course, with Gonzo, some of his chicken friends join in the show too. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Kermit plays the role of Thomas Jefferson in telling the story of the Declaration of Independence. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Fozzie plays the role of Ben Franklin in telling the story of the Declaration of Independence. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Gonzo plays the role of John Adams in telling the story of the Declaration of Independence. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Three windows above the former Heritage House shop next door to The Hall of Presidents serve as the “stage” for the Muppets. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Miss Piggy imposes herself on several roles, including King George, in telling the story of the Declaration of Independence. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

James Jefferson is the “Town Crier” who encourages audience participation in response to the Muppets' storytelling. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The Muppets' costumes are highly detailed. Here Miss Piggy is dressed as George Washington and Kermit is Thomas Jefferson. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The Muppets have a singing finale. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History. Video by Alan Dalinka

Princesses visit Disney Springs

The World of Disney Store in Disney Springs is hosting an interesting “limited-time offering” this month. Now through November 1, visitors can meet a Disney Princess at a special, free meet-and-greet inside the World of Disney store. “A Princess Royal Reception” is hosted inside a newly-created “Royal Hall” inside the store. There is no guarantee of which Disney Princess you'll see during your visit—the list provided by Disney mentions Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora and Tiana, but also leaves room the possibility of meeting “another visiting princess.”

A Princess Royal Reception is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is no Fastpass+ for this experience, and no advance registration required. When you check in at the podium, the cast member will tell you the current wait time, and provide you with a pager so you can wander the World of Disney store while waiting for your royal introduction.

It's unusual for Disney to offer a free character experience outside of the theme parks, and especially one with the very popular Disney Princesses. Disney's announcement notes that PhotoPass photographers are at the location, and says, “these magical moments will be available for guests to purchase or download as part of their Memory Maker product purchase.” That provides one hint as to what Disney may be testing out with this free offering.

Another thought is that Disney will be looking to see how much, if any, additional sales revenue the offering generates for the hosting World of Disney store. We don't know if or how Disney is monitoring the spending habits of people who show up for the meet-and-greet, but added traffic into any retail store is usually considered to be a good thing.

Disney World expands passholder benefits

Walt Disney World last week announced new benefits for Walt Disney World annual passholders, bringing the discounts offered to Florida passholders more in line with the discounts currently available to Disneyland APs.

Some of the perks are pretty straightforward, but one offer has caused confusion for some passholders at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Here's a breakdown of the new offers, and what information we have about the extra-month deal.

On October 1, Magic Kingdom began celebrating its 45th anniversary. An email to Passholders and the official DisneyWorld.com website provided details of new Passholder discounts available to celebrate. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

20% off at 45 participating restaurants

Now through September 30, 2017, annual passholders receive 20% off food and non-alcoholic beverages at 45 selected locations inside the theme parks, in Disney Springs, and at the Resort hotels. This list includes mostly counter-serve and quick-service locations, but some surprising table-service options like the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen at the Magic Kingdom, Jiko, and Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the newly refurbished Flying Fish at the Boardwalk are also on the list.

Another nice surprise about this offer is that there are no day, date, or mealtime restrictions. So many of the prior AP offers were only good for specific meals—say, lunch after 2:00 p.m. and only on Tuesdays—but this discount is available whenever the restaurant is open.

These new discounts may not be all good news for passholders who also have the Tables in Wonderland discount card. The Tables in Wonderland program offers discounts at all of the table service restaurants that are now part of the 45th anniversary program, plus another 50 or so locations around Walt Disney World. The program has an annual fee of $150 or $175 depending on eligibility. Now that all passholders can get many of the same discounts without the added $150 fee, Tables in Wonderland is likely to see its membership drop significantly as renewals come up.

Still, the Tables in Wonderland program does offer additional perks that aren't offered to passholders under this new deal, including discounts on alcohol, free valet parking, and invitations to member-only events and meals.

Expanded 10% discount at table-service restaurants

Effective immediately, the day, date, and/or mealtime restrictions are lifted from the table service dining discounts offered at participating table service restaurants in the theme parks and Resort Hotels. Annual passholders receive 10% off food and non-alcoholic beverages at selected locations inside the theme parks, in Disney Springs, and at the Resort hotels. As mentioned above, many of the AP offers were only good for specific meal times, and this is a welcome change.

The policy change does not apply to the non-Disney restaurants in Disney Springs, but most still offer a 10% discount during selected meal times. Visit the passholder discount page for details.

20% off merchandise

Walt Disney World has now surpassed Disneyland in the area of merchandise discounts with this next offer of 20% off selected items at Disney-operated stores regardless of pass type. At Disneyland, the base merchandise discount is 10%, with a 20% discount offered only to Signature Passholders, and only through the end of the year.

On the other hand, the Disneyland Resort offers merchandise discounts 365 days a year, regardless of blockout dates. The language on the Walt Disney World website indicates that merchandise discounts are subject to the same blockout dates as the corresponding annual pass. If enforced, that seems a strange way to encourage passholders to come and shop even on days when they can't enter the theme parks.

There is a ton of fine print for the merchandise offers, and you can read it all on the Walt Disney World website. In general, the discount is valid only at Disney owned-and-operated merchandise locations, and highly collectible items are often excluded.

13 months for the price of 12

This is the deal that is causing the most confusion, partly because of the wording of Disney's announcement:

“Starting tomorrow, Oct. 2, guests who are purchasing a 12-month annual pass will be able to enjoy an extra month. That’s right, 13 months for the price of 12! New passes must be purchased between Oct. 2, 2016 and Jan. 3, 2017.”

This announcement didn't address some very common situations for potential passholders. Many visitors purchase annual pass vouchers well before their trip in order to take advantage of the My Disney Experience tools to make dining reservations or select Fastpass+. The future passholders want to know if eligibility for the bonus month is based on when the voucher was purchased, or when it is activated at the theme parks.

Likewise, passholders with passes that expire during the Oct. 2, 2016 and Jan. 3, 2017 offer window, but who have already responded to the renewal notice sent by Disney want to know if they will receive the thirteenth month on their new pass.

As is usually the case, the Premier Annual Pass, which is valid at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, was not mentioned at all in the bonus month announcement. One reader reported that a Walt Disney World cast member said that the extra-month-free offer is valid on Premier Annual Passports purchased and activated at Walt Disney World, but not if the pass is purchased and activated at Disneyland.

We will reach out to Disney to request clarification of these issues, and will share what we learn in a future update.

2017 Military Salute details

Disney has released details of its 2017 Military Salute offer for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The new offer is once again based on the 2017 calendar year, and not the Disney fiscal year. According to the folks over at Military Disney Tips, Disney made the change to calendar-year operation in 2016 so that military personnel would have time to receive their tickets in time to make Fastpass+ reservations at Walt Disney World when the 60-day window opens.

We've summarized the offers below, and you can find all of the detailed terms and conditions on our MousePad discussion forum.

The Chew comes back to town

The hosts of ABC's “The Chew” are heading back to Epcot this week to film five episodes of the daytime talk and cooking show during the 21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The tapings take place this Wednesday through Friday, October 5–7. Look for the shows to air October 10–14 on ABC.

The Mickey Mouse and barbecue topiaries stand in front of the newly installed stage for this year's episodes of ABC-TV's The Chew. Last year, as the recording dates approached, the topiaries were turned to face the other direction for the TV cameras to capture them along with Spaceship Earth. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The television show also provided the name and menu inspiration for The Chew Collective, one of the food and wine booths scattered around Epcot. The Chew Collective is located in the Next Eats pavilion in Future World. In addition to food offerings, the booth serves the Epcot-exclusive Festival chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.

ABC-TV's The Chew will again be recording a week of episodes (in three days) at this year's Epcot International Food & Wine Festival from October 5 to 7. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Views Around the World

TTC and Magic Kingdom

The expanded Magic Kingdom parking lot at the Transportation and Ticket Center (located on some of the footprint of the former Walt Disney World Speedway racetrack) appears soon to be receiving permanent lighting fixtures. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

A single new (possibly prototype) tram was parked in the Magic Kingdom parking lot this past weekend. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

And, speaking of experiments, Cast Members say that the boxes recently installed over the Monorail boarding area at the Transportation and Ticket Center are counting passengers on a test basis as part of the future automation of Monorail operations. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Magic Kingdom ferry dock renovations are underway, but the ferries were still operating this weekend. However, watercraft currently are not operating between Magic Kingdom and Disney's Contemporary Resort; watercraft continue to operate from Disney's Wilderness Lodge and the Wilderness Campground. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The Main Street Trolley Show now has a Fall theme. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

As the new Tomorrowland rock work paint scheme approaches completion, new landscaping is taking shape on the “island” that marks the entrance to Tomorrowland from the Central Plaza (hub). Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

As the new Tomorrowland rock work paint scheme appears to approach completion, new landscaping is taking shape on the “island” that marks the entrance to Tomorrowland from the Central Plaza (hub). Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Central Florida weather may approach from any direction on the compass. Here, the rainbow to the east of Tomorrowland indicates that rain was heading toward Walt Disney World. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

And for those folks that want to see it rain at Magic Kingdom, here is a photo that captures that (taken from the cover provided by the Carousel of Progress exit area). Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

On October 2, Stich's Great Escape began its new seasonal hiatus from daily operation. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment is scheduled to continue until November 18. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment is scheduled to continue until November 18. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

A temporary stop of a Doombuggy provides an opportunity to closely view The Haunted Mansion's (apparently murderous) ghost bride and her wedding cake. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Bay Lake & Wilderness Lodge

Construction believed to be DVC expansion continues near the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge along Bay Lake. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Vertical construction believed to be further DVC expansion of Disney's Wilderness Lodge is underway along Bay Lake's channel to the water bridge to the Seven Seas Lagoon. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Vertical construction believed to be further DVC expansion of Disney's Wilderness Lodge is underway along Bay Lake's channel to the water bridge to the Seven Seas Lagoon. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Disney Springs

The Disney Springs Marketplace Co-Op's window is decorated for Halloween. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Fall and Halloween themed banners hang from light posts around Disney Springs Marketplace. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The Fall themed photo backdrop in the Town Center area of Disney Springs has a less-than-subtle shopping motif. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

World of Disney now has several new window displays. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The next major release from Marvel Studios provides the current photo backdrop outside the Disney Springs AMC 24 Fork and Screen Theaters. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

This and That

Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse refurbishment continues. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

…During the Food & Wine Festival, Disney PhotoPass photographers can create a “Magic Shot” photo of you with Remy, the rodent chef from Ratatouille. Ask for a Remy Magic Shot when you spot a PhotoPass photographer in World Showcase.

Disney Springs has at least two fall themed photo backdrops, and Disney PhotoPass photographers are often available at these locations. 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 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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Resort Events

Check here to see if a park event might fall during your next trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

2016 Resort events

• Star Wars Experiences – Opened December 1, 2015
• 2016 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – September 14 through November 14, 2016.
• Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic – Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30.
• Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party –September – 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 29, 30; October – 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31
• D23's Sip & Scream – Wednesday, October 5. The event is sold out
• D23 Behind-the-Scenes Experience: A Midnight Soirée at the Tower of Terror – Wednesday, October 5. The event is sold out.
• “Jersey Week” – November 6–13. Expect larger crowds this week as New Jersey students and families take advantage of a Fall Break created by their school's participation in the New Jersey Teachers Convention.
• Dapper Day at Epcot (unofficial event) – Saturday, November 12, 2016. More information at the event website.
• Destination D – November 19-20, 2016. D23 Members are invited to join the excitement of D23 Destination D: Amazing Adventures, a celebration of Disney adventures of the past, present, and future. More details at the event website.
• Holidays at Walt Disney World – November 7 through December 31, 2016
• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party – November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29; December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22
• Holidays Around the World at Epcot – November 25 through December 30, 2016
• Candlelight Processional at Epcot – November 25 through December 30, 2016

2017 Resort events

• MouseAdventure – Saturday, March 4, 2017

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.

2016

• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 3–5. All races are sold out, with the exception of the runDisney Kids races. Proof of time deadline has passed.

2017

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 4–8, 2017. Registration is now open. Proof of time must be submitted by October 4, 2016.
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 24–26, 2017. Registration is now open. Proof of time must be submitted by November 15, 2016.
• Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side Weekend – April 20–23, 2017. Registration is now open. Proof of time must be submitted by January 17, 2017.

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.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Events

Check here to see if a sporting competition might fall during your next trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. We don't list all events here, but focus on the larger sport and cheer events that might result in extra visitors to the theme parks, and make it harder to secure a hotel room. The All-Star and moderate resort hotels are often the home base for these larger events, so it's worth avoiding those properties if possible.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex events

2016

• Special Olympics Florida Fall Classic – November 11–12.
• 2016 Pop Warner Super Bowl – December 3–10.

2017

• Pro Bowl week festivities – take place the week prior to the 2017 game on January 29. Additional schedule information to be released.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

2016

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed August 8 – November 18 for refurbishment.

Epcot

Permanently closed:

• Sum of All Thrills – closed permanently on September 14.
• Storm Struck – closed permanently on September 14.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

2016

• Pizza Planet restaurant – closed for refurbishment. Will reopen in Fall, 2016 as PizzeRizzo
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster – closed for refurbishment October 27 though November 9.

Permanently closed:

• Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure
• Studio Catering Co.
• Meet & Greet: Mike and Sulley at Streets of America
• Magic of Disney Animation

Disney's Animal Kingdom

• Dinosaur – closed for refurbishment July 25 – Fall, 2016

Blizzard Beach

• Closed October 23 – December 24 for seasonal refurbishment.

Typhoon Lagoon

• Closed December 24 – March 11, 2017 for seasonal refurbishment.

Disney Springs

• Fulton's Crab House – closed for refurbishment. Scheduled to reopen in Fall 2016 as Paddlefish
• Planet Hollywood – closed for refurbishment and transformation into a Planet Hollywood Observatory.
• Disney Quest – scheduled to close sometime in 2016.

Resorts

• Wilderness Lodge and Villas – Hidden Springs pool, resort beach, playground, and Recreation fire pit closed. No opening date provided, but the pool is expected to be closed through 2017. Expect construction-related closures and noise due to construction of the as-yet-unannounced Disney Vacation Club cabins.
• Disney's All-Star Sports – the Grand Slam Pool closes October 10 for refurbishment, and is expected to reopen by December 2. The Surfboard Bay Pool will remain open.
• Disney's Pop Century Resort – the Computer Pool closes October 31 for refurbishment, and is expected to reopen by December 23. The Hippy Dippy Pool will remain open.

Elsewhere

• Disney Osprey Ridge Golf Course – permanently closed.

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.