Walt Disney World Park Update

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News and Views

Cirque du Soleil celebrates five years at Walt Disney World

On June 2, Cirque du Soleil celebrated the fifth anniversary of the debut of La Nouba, a show created for Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney West Side, and performed in a theater built expressly for that show. The show conveys the French phrase “faire la nouba,” which roughly translates to “live it up.” After over 2,500 performances and 3.5 million spectators, what does a show like this do to celebrate? Well, that'll be done over the next six months, and include:

• July – a photo gallery situated inside the theater showcases images from behind the curtain and captivating moments with Cirque du Soleil performers. This photography display was created by accomplished photographers Yuri Maiorov, better known as La Nouba's flying man, and Jean- Francios Bedard, a musician in the show.
• August – La Nouba recognizes its own performers who have competed at world-championship levels, as well as aspiring young performers. Cirque du Soleil coaches will invite Central Florida children to a special workshop training session.
• September – the sounds of La Nouba take center stage. The talented musicians who set the mood for the show with provocative music will stage a jam session at Downtown Disney.
• November – The team shares its artistry with guests attending the annual Festival of the Masters art show November 12–14 at Downtown Disney.

Gay Day events quiet except for feud between event founder, promoters

While the local press appears to be largely not reporting on the Gay Day events at Walt Disney World, the loudest noise appears to be coming from the feud between Doug Swallow, founder of the event and owner of gayday.com, and Tom Manley and Chris Alexander-Manley, who own gaydays.com. Manley and Alexander-Manley run their site as a for-profit business, while Swallow only makes a small profit on T-shirts and event guides. Some event sponsors have stopped advertising on gaydays.com, as the prices have risen too high. Swallow allows all event sponsors to advertise for free. Gaydays.com, which sponsors events and acts as a travel agent for the event, claims that it was the reason why the event has grown to the international behemoth that it is. Crowds this year were expected to reach 125,000–140,000, with total economic impact of over $100 million. Both sides plan to continue their efforts to promote the event.

Share A Dream Come True parade gets update

An updated version of the Share A Dream Come True parade began running in the Magic Kingdom last Thursday, a day later than planned due to rain. Among the changes:

• The former Crystal Castle float has been moved up in the lineup, and will now be referred to as the Peter Pan Float.
• As many characters as possible have been moved off of the floats. Snow White, all Seven Dwarfs, Goofy, Donald and the villains are all walking. Also, for possibly the first time ever in Disney park history, Minnie Mouse is walking, rather than on a float. Many characters, including the Lost Boys, have been removed from the parade indefinitely. With the Lost Boys now really lost, Wendy is now riding on the Peter Pan float with Peter.
• Following the Peter Pan Float, the former Princess Float returns to the parade as a single unit float, renamed the Cinderella Float. The float has been modified to feature only the Fairy Godmother, Cinderella and Prince Charming.
• The Castle Float has become a permanent part of the parade, serving as the finale of Disney Princes and Princesses.
• In addition, several other performer changes have been made to the parade lineup, along with choreography and blocking changes.
• The show stops are not returning at this time, however they are still being considered for a posible return somewhere down the line.

Multi-day stroller/wheelchair rental test

For the next two weeks through Saturday, June 19, all four parks are testing multi-day stroller and wheelchair rentals. With a multi-day rental, you can avoid any wait times in stroller/wheelchair rental queues on subsequent days. All guests purchasing a multi-day rental of two or more days receive a 10 percent discount off of their total rental price. This test does not include ECVs.

Changes in Liberty Square

The Liberty Square Riverboat smoking location closed last Wednesday. The area was located to the right of the landing, before you get to the Riverboat exit, on the Haunted Mansion side.

The Madame Leota merchandise cart will be moved from the exit of the Haunted Mansion to the former smoking location. This should help with guest flow in the area, and will result in additional stroller parking at the Mansion. The smoking location behind the Old Christmas Shop is still available for those wishing to smoke in Liberty Square.

A new Operating Participant, the Historical Research Center, has been added to the Heritage House. The employees of the Historical Research Center (HRC) research family names and Coats of Arms, and will reproduce them on-site for guest purchase. HRC also reproduces hand-crafted family heirlooms in the form of hand-painted shields or hand stitched Coats of Arms, which can be custom framed upon request.

The Gallery where guests could get a painting of themselves, located under the white gazebo next to the Hall of Presidents, will be moved to Main Street, most likely Center Street. The outdoor food market, right next door, will be now moved under the roof to fill that space.

Epcot beer update

While the large-sized beers are no longer available at carts around the World Showcase Promenade as reported last week, you can still get them in some sit-down restaurants, including the Biergarten.

The reason that Lowenbrau has replaced Beck's is that Beck's decided to drop its sponsorship money, and Lowenbrau quickly agreed to a deal.

The disappearance of Ringnes is also due to corporate maneuvering. After Carlsberg Breweries bought out Orkla, they decided to stop exporting Ringnes to the U.S. because so few locations were importing it (the Norway pavillion being one of them). Oddly, they decided to replace it with Carlsberg, which is a product of Denmark, not Norway. Apparently, they know how bad Americans are at geography.

Animal Kingdom returns elephant to Pittsburgh Zoo

Jackson, a 26-year-old African bull elephant, has been returned to the Pittsburgh Zoo after a three-year stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The elephant, nicknamed Jack, is prized for being the only bull in the United States who can mate naturally. Jack's stay in Florida was quite fruitful, as he impregnated one cow elephant. A second may be expecting, as well. A third cow may be pregnant from Jack, though semen from Jack and another bull was used to artificially inseminate her—so genetic testing will be required to determine the father.

Ears to the Ground

…Timekeeper opens for the summer season from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., from June 13 to August 14.

…There is a rumor that Jungle Cruise will open with the rest of the park for the summer, instead of at 10a.m. It would happen from sometime around mid-June to mid-Aug.

…The Never Land Club at Disney's Polynesian Resort is being refurbished May 31 to June 30, 2004. Operations were moved to the Tangaroa Terrace during this time.

…A new Figment meet-and-greet is rumored to open early next year. You'll be able to get your photo taken with a larger-than-life-size Figment, and buy photos of your character encounter, as well. The latest word is that they are apparently still working on the design of the Figment costume.

…The “Disney Bear,” which debuted in July 2002 at the grand opening of Once Upon a Toy at Downtown Disney Marketplace, is now doing meet-and-greets inside the store. This month, the bear with the mouse-shaped markings on its face and paws can be seen Wednesday through Saturday evenings between 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

..."A Taste of Fantasmic," the Fantasmic "rain show," had its first performance last Thursday when the regular "Fantasmic" show was rained out. About 5,800 people watched the abbreviated show of water screens and fireworks set to music. Since the pyrotechnics cannot be stored again once it got wet and had to be fired off anyway, it was decided to allow guests to watch a shortened show in order to avoid complaints from people who left a rained out performance of Fantasmic only to see the fireworks being shot off as they rode the trams back out to the parking lot.

…MousePlanet reader Kari Coil writes that the Yacht club is under construction. The back side is covered in awnings and tarps and there is a lot of hammering going on under it.

Have any interesting news or rumors? Let us know.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• “it's a small world” – closed for rehab through March 18, 2005. The work is expected to be for upgrades to the lighting, audio, and electrical systems, rehabs to sets and Audio-Animatronic figures, asbestos abatement, roof repair, regular water maintenance (draining and refilling), replacement of boats, and the rumored swapping of the entry and exit queues for better traffic flow and more stroller parking. The audio upgrade will include a return to a cleaned-up copy of the stereo soundtrack heard at the 1964 World's Fair, which has been very well received when it returned to Disneyland a couple of years ago.
• 20,000 League Under the Sea lagoon - has been walled off to “clear the land as well as add landscape for future use.” The work is expected to run through November 21.
• The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter – closed for good. It is now undergoing a major rehab and reopens in fall 2004 as Stitch's Great Escape. The official opening of the new attraction now appears targeted to October 1.
• Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress – expected to remain open for the duration of the Stitch's Great Escape construction.
• Timekeeper – returned to seasonal operation. The attraction will be open for the summer season from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., from June 13 through August 14.
• Adventureland – now opens again with the rest of the park daily with the exception of the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management, which still open at 10 a.m. There is a rumor that the Jungle Cruise will open with the rest of the park for the summer, from mid-June through mid-August.
• The Hall of Presidents and the Country Bear Jamboree also open at 10 a.m. every day.
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway - remains open during its rehab, which will continue through August 8.
• Tom Sawyer Island - will be closed from July 25 through Sept. 25.
• The Enchanted Grove – rehab for replacement of the floor and serving windows extended to last through June 11.
• Mickey's Toontown Fair train station – will be torn down and rebuilt between May 10 and June 18. The only stops made by the Walt Disney World Railroad during that time will be Main Street, USA and Frontierland, though the train will stop to take on water in Toontown once every three trips around the park. Guests will not be allowed to board or exit the train during that time.
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin – down for rehab Sept. 13 - Oct. 15.
• Ariel's Grotto – down for rehab Sept. 22 - Nov. 19 for theme-matching with the 20,000 Leagues Lagoon reclamation.
• Astro Orbiter – down for rehab Jan. 2 - Feb. 16, 2005.
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant – down for rehab Jan. 10 - Feb. 10, 2005.

Epcot

• The Universe of Energy – may close for a short rehab at any time to remove the ExxonMobil signage now that its pavilion sponsorship has ended.
• Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room – the pub portion is closed until just before July 4. The rehab is rumored to include a complete rebuild on the pub portion and the building of a divider between the pub and the restaurant.
• Food Rocks – closed permanently to make way for the entrance to the new Soarin' Over California attraction.
• 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'. The tours are expected to resume upon completion of the construction.
• 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 will now be open when the pavilion is open.

Disney-MGM Studios

• Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios – closed and demolished and construction is 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.
• Star Tours will be closed for rehab from July 16 - August 1.
• The Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure – rehab has been extended through July 12.
• New York Street – undergoing a great deal of construction to change some facades to represent Chicago and San Francisco. The Chicago facades appear to be complete, while San Francisco is underway. The target completion date for the rest of the newly-titled Big City Street is October 2.
• The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights – is now confirmed to be returning this year on Big City Street, from November 24 through January 2.

Animal Kingdom

• No currently reported rehabs.

Resorts

• Port Orleans Resort – A two-year extensive rehab of this resort's rooms is ongoing. For Phase I, French Quarter has reopened. Phase II is underway, and involves Riverside going through a phased rehab. The Magnolia Bend mansions will go down one by one, 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. Rarotonga is the last remaining longhouses currently scheduled to undergo rehab, and was tentatively scheduled through May 2. However, it appears that the rehab on that longhouse has not been completed yet. There is currently no completion date available. Tokelau, Tahiti, and Rapa Nui have not yet been refurbished, but they have not yet been scheduled, either.
• The Never Land Club at Disney's Polynesian Resort - will be refurbished May 31 - June 30, 2004. Operations will be moved to the Tangaroa Terrace during this time.
• Disney's Old Key West Resort – The main pool will be closed from September through the end of the year for construction of a new water slide.
• Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (a new Disney Vacation Club resort) – now open. 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.

Water Parks

• No current water park rehabs underway.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – to performing Tuesdays through Saturdays, but will be closed June 20-July 5, August 22-25, October 17-20, and December 5-13.
• The All Star Cafe at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex – now closed Monday-Wednesday. It is open Thursday-Sunday, from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Park Events

Ongoing

• Star Wars Weekends (link). Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, May 14 – June 13.

June 2004

• National Kidney Foundation 5K for Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness (link) . June 12.
• Family Pride Coalition Weekend (link). June 17 – 20.[Not official WDW events.]
• E-Ride Nights at the Magic Kingdom. June 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30.

July 2004

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex (link). July through mid-August.
• E-Ride Nights at the Magic Kingdom. July 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 30.
• “ESPN The Weekend” (link). July 31 and Aug. 1.

September 2004

• Tom Joyner Family Reunion Weekend (link). September 2-5.
• Nights of Joy (link). September 9 – 11.
• Disney's International Distance Triathlon (link). September 26.

October 2004

• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (link). October 1 – November 14.
• Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (link). October 1, 3, 8, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29 and 31.
• 2004 Komen Central Florida Race For The Cure 5K (link). October 9.
• Disney's 10K Classic (link). October 10.
• Funai Classic at Walt Disney World (link). October 21 – 24.
• 999 Happy Haunts event. Dinner, October 25. Gathering, October 27.

November 2004

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

December 2004

• 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

• Atlanta Braves Training Camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex (link). Dates in February through April TBA.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Special at Radisson Resort Parkway

Rates at the Radisson Resort Parkway were just reduced for dates of 5/31/04 – 6/13/04 to $75.95. A free upgrade to Deluxe Pool view still applies with “UPGR” promo code on reservation. Click here (link) for more information about deals for MousePlanet readers and to make reservations!

Florida Resident Cirque du Soleil La Nouba special

Florida residents can receive 20 percent off Category Two tickets at Cirque du Soleil in Downtown Disney's West Side from June 1 – September 30, 2004. Blackout dates are June 20 – July5 and August 22–25. Proof of residency and advance purchase are required. The discount is not available at the ticket window, and there is a limit of four tickets per transaction. To order call 407-939-1282.

June discounts for Georgia residents

Disney has announced a discount for Georgia residents for the month of June. Discounts are for room-only reservations. Visit MouseSavers for more details.

7-for-5 package now available

While not as deep a discount as last year's 7-for-4 package, this year's buy-five-get-two-free package is still a good deal. The package—officially called “Disney's Five Plus Two Dream Maker Package”—is available for stays from July 5 through November 18, but must be booked by June 28. A Disney Visa version of the package that also includes 25 Disney Dollars is available. Visit MouseSavers for more details.

Discounts for hotel-only and Dream Maker packages now available

Discount rates for stays from July 5 through August 28 are now available. Packages must be booked by June 15. Visit MouseSavers for more details.

Gaylord Palms to pay for gas

Guests of the Gaylord Palms Resort will receive a $75 credit to cover the higher cost of gasoline for stays of at least three nights from June 15 through Sept. 6. The Orlando-area resort will provide the room credit to guests who make a reservation using the promotion code FREEGAS. It is not a requirement that guests drive to the resort in order to get the discount.

Disney's Summer Price Slice returns

Summer Price Slice is back with special-value greens fees on tee times after 10 a.m. daily from May 17 through Sept. 30 on Disney's five championship courses.

Golfers can test the premier Osprey Ridge course after 10 a.m. for $65 (compared to a normal seasonal greens fee of $119) or Eagle Pines for $50 (compared to a normal seasonal fee of $109). Post-10 a.m. rounds on the Magnolia, Palm or Lake Buena Vista courses are $45 (compared to a normal seasonal fee of $99). Cart is included.

Disney's Summer Price Slice also gives golfers the opportunity to play afternoon rounds late into the day. Golfers can take on Osprey Ridge after 3 p.m. for $35 ($30 after 5 p.m.). Eagle Pines, Magnolia, Palm and Lake Buena Vista start at $30 after 3 p.m. ($25 after 5 p.m.).

For tee times, guests may call 407/WDW-GOLF (407-939-4653). For information on the Walt Disney World golf courses Web site (link).

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 July 2004.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through July 2004.

Theme Park Events

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)