Walt Disney World Park Update

Update for April 3 – April 9, 2006

Go directly to: News & Views | Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events | Discounts/Promotions | Park Hours | Events/Entertainment Schedule

News and Views

Expedition Everest finally gets official opening

Three years ago, Mission: Space had a huge official opening ceremony at Walt Disney World's annual October press event, after two months of regular soft openings. Expedition Everest is following that same playbook. Following a month of private testing runs, a preview weekend for Disney Vacation Club members and passholders and two months of soft openings, the new blockbuster attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom will finally have its official grand opening at the annual April press event on Friday. We are hearing that at the ceremonies, Disney will preview a song from the new Finding Nemo-themed musical that will open in the rebuilt Theater in the Wild late this year.

MousePlanet readers meet for a ride on Expedition Everest during DVC/passholder previews. The attraction officiall opens Friday. Photo by John Friedman.

Bibbidi Bobbidi open

Wednesday will see the official grand opening of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, the Princess Room and the Adventure Room at the World of Disney store in the Downtown Disney Marketplace. The new themed areas, which we first mentioned back in September (link) and then gave more information in February (link), will provide new "retail-tainment" ways to separate you from your money. The rooms are currently in a soft-open status. For more on these areas, you can check out the official Walt Disney World podcast (link) from March 23, where Dara Trujillo of Walt Disney World Merchandise describes the facilities in detail.

Free dining plan back, for a limited time

Perhaps the best-received package in recent Disney history, the "Stay, Play and Dine" free dining plan is back. Packages purchased by June 4 for stays from August 13 – September 30 will receive the Disney Dining Plan for free. Essentially, it's the Magic Your Way Plus Dining package for the price of a standard Magic Your Way package. That's a savings of $37.99 per night per adult (ages 10 and up) and $10.99 per night for children (ages 3-9). Add it up and a family of four with kids ages 3-9 will save $97.96 per night, and a family of four with kids over age 9 will save a whopping $151.96 per night.

This offer is currently only open to Disney Visa cardholders. They should request code YWL when booking. It will reportedly be available to the general public starting tomorrow.

Thanks to MousePlanet sponsor MouseSavers.com (link) for this information. For updates, including the code for the general public to use when it becomes available, check out their information on this promotion (link).

2006 Not-So-Scary dates available, tickets in a few weeks

The dates for this year's Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are now available. The Party will be held in the Magic Kingdom on the nights of September 29 and October 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30 and 31. Tickets are expected to go on sale at the very end of this month or the very end of next month. Dates for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party will hopefully be released soon.

Pirates refurb information on WDW podcast

On last week's Walt Disney World: Plugged In podcast (link), Imagineer Kathy Rogers reveals and confirms some details about the changes to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Rogers notes that Captain Barbossa will now be the captain of the Wicked Wench pirate ship, and will be the one dunking the mayor, demanding "Tell me where that Jack Sparrow and the gold be, or I'll be sending you to Davy Jones." Captain Jack Sparrow will be hiding in that scene, listening to the commotion. The new subplot will be Barbossa and Sparrow both racing to find a treasure before the other. Sparrow will also appear with the pooped pirate, who will be holding the treasure map and the key to the treasure, thinking that he's keeping them safe from Jack. The Imagineers are trying to make it look like the characters have always been there.

Also on the podcast, Imagineer Jason Surrell discusses the history of the attraction, from 1954 through construction, reviewing the significant points in the determination of how the attraction would be built and telling the story of how Pirates ended up being added to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. He also weighs in on the Cah-rih-BEE-un vs. Cuh-RIB-be-un debate.

Seasonally Open is the same as Seasonally Closed

In the last few weeks, we have received quite a large number of emails along the lines of "The Wonders of Life pavilion isn't closed for good! The Operational Updates section of the Disney Web site says that it's going to be OPEN during <insert month here>!!" Unfortunately, that's not the case. First of all, the Disney site does indeed say that Cranium Command and The Making of Me (and why not Body Wars, too?) are "open seasonally." However, that doesn't mean anything. They have been "open seasonally" for a very long time, and were rarely open.

The fact is that the pavilion is no longer listed on the park maps (yes, the image of the pavilion may still be there, but there is no text for it) and the pavilion and its attractions are no longer listed on the Walt Disney World web site. The pavilion is sometimes used for cast member and other private events, but it is not expected to reopen to the public again. Sorry to burst that bubble.

The Wonders of Life pavilion is not reopening any time soon. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Breakfast and Beyond – not gonna happen?

The latest information that I've been given about the Breakfast and Beyond meal is that it won't be happening. Word is that the previously reported friction with Pixar may have been much stronger than thought, and that they canned it completely. In its place is now tentatively going to be a Playhouse Disney-themed breakfast. No further details at this time. We'll let you know if we hear more.

The Goofy filling up

If you're planning on signing up for the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge during next year's Marathon Weekend, here's some added incentive not to delay signing up. The Challenge will be capped at 3,000 participants and is already 35 percent full. According to the event Web site, "Even if you register for both races after the spots are filled, you will not be considered a part of Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge and will not receive a Goofy Medal." The cap is about 26 percent above last year's number of participants, but given its popularity, it would not be surprising for the event to sell out. To register or to check the status of the event, go to the race Web site (link). [Read our WDW Marathon Guide.]

College Program cast member arrested on child porn charges

Theodore Wendin, a College Program cast member from Virginia, turned himself in for arrest Thursday morning after being charged with possession of child pornography. Wendin, 20, had allegedly left a laptop computer running on his bed on February 22 with an image of two pre-teen girls on it. It was found by two of his roommates, who notified the manager of their apartment building at Chatham Manor, who informed Disney investigators. The investigator brought in the Orange County Sheriff's Office, who interviewed the roommates, got a search warrant for Wendin's belongings and obtained his laptop. Authorities found 72 images of child pornography. There is no further information available on the status of the case at this time.

New route to Disney opens tomorrow

When the section of the new Western Beltway opened from Winter Garden to U.S. 192 last December (link), we noted that Disney would be opening a new road in the spring that connected the highway to Buena Vista Drive. The 2.5-mile Western Way, which we first reported on back in January of 2004 (link), opens tomorrow. Travelers approaching Walt Disney World from the north via Interstate 75 and Florida's Turnpike will be able to pick up the Western Beltway at an interchange near State Road 50 in Winter Garden and travel south to the new interchange at Western Way, completely bypassing U.S. 192 and Interstate 4. The new road heads east and then south and meets West Buena Vista Drive near Blizzard Beach and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Nibbling away at Walt Disney World

Disney has been nibbling away at the borders of its Florida property selling off two parcels since December, with a third tract under contract. The three properties combined make up a total of 130 acres, only a tiny fraction of Disney's 27,000-acre holdings, yet it signals a change in Disney's approach to the land accumulated by Walt Disney back in the 1960s.

After selling 47 acres on Reams Road, north of the Magic Kingdom, to Centex Homes for $4.8 million in December, Disney sold another 53 acres on Sherberth Road, south of Disney's Animal Kingdom, to Sherberth Development Partners for $15.4 million. Centex isn't sure yet what it's going to do with the property, but Sherberth will work with Resorts Development Group to combine their purchase with 40 adjacent acres and expand their already-planned development of vacation homes and timeshares.

Another 30 acres a little further west along U.S. 192 from the Sherberth Road property is under contract, but Disney will not say with whom. They have asked the Reedy Creek Improvement District to de-annex the property. That will mean that Disney's governmental arm will no longer be reponsible to provide services to the parcel, which will then come under the purview of Osceola County.

An interesting side note is that the 100 acres already sold brought in about four times as much money as it originally cost to buy all 27,000 acres of property. The last time Disney sold off a peripheral property (not counting Celebration's downtown area) was in 2000, when it sold the 20-acre Crossroads shopping center near Hotel Plaza Boulevard for $15.8 million. Disney retained certain rights over the use of the property in that case. It is believed that the latest sales do not have that caveat.

It is not known at this time whether Disney will sell off any further properties.

Quick takes …

…Demolition is under way at Pleasure Island. The West End and Hub Stages, as well as the building to the left of the Hub Stage (the former location of DTV, Zen Zone, Missing Link Sausage Company and the Harley-Davidson store) are coming down. The Harley store will soon reopen across the street, in the former location of Reel Finds and Changing Attitudes.

…Typhoon Lagoon will be the first water park to close for annual refurbishment this winter, closing on October 29. In December, will reopen and Blizzard Beach will close for its refurbishment. For the last two years, Blizzard Beach was the first to close.

…Last week, Walt Disney World announced 38 Helping Kids Shine grants totaling a record $700,000. The grants, given to children's groups and other community charities throughout Central Florida, are given to "community organizations that demonstrate such a deep dedication to improving the lives of children in Central Florida." For more about the Helping Kids Shine program, which is under the auspices of Disney Worldwide Outreach (DisneyHand), check out their web site (link).

A window on Main Street, U.S.A., honors retiring Imagineer Joyce Carlson. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

…Passover meals will be available at selected locations on 24 hours notice from April 12–20. Call the WDW Dining Line at 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463) for more details.

…The Orlando Sentinel has a nice article about retiring Imagineer Joyce Carlson, who was responsible for designing the dolls for "it's a small world" at every location it has ever been installed, at the New York World's Fair, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. She is honored with a window above Main Street U.S.A. reading "Dolls by Miss Joyce; Dollmaker for the World; Shops in New York, California, Florida, Japan & Paris; Owner and Founder Joyce Carlson."

…The refurbishments at the Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts must be almost done, as the Orlando Sentinel just published a story on the changes (link).

Coming soon

• April 5, Official grand opening of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Princess Room and Adventurer's Room at World of Disney
• April 7, Official grand opening of Expedition Everest
• April 8–16, May 26–29, DVC members may not pool-hop on these dates
• April 21 – June 11, Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
  • Flower Power Concert Series
    • April 21–24, The Nelsons
    • April 25–27, The Buckinghams
    • April 28–May 1, Gary Puckett
    • May 2–4, The Grass Roots starring Rob Grill
    • May 5–8, Paul Revere & The Raiders
    • May 9–11, The Association
    • May 12–15, Davy Jones
    • May 16–18, The Tokens
    • May 19–22, B.J. Thomas
    • May 23–25, Felix Cavaliere's Rascals
    • May 26–29, The Guess Who
    • May 30–June 1, Tony Orlando
    • June 2–5, Arlo Guthrie
    • June 6–7, The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie
    • June 8–11, Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone
  • Themed weekends
    • April 28–30, Party in the Garden
    • May 5–7, Art In The Garden
    • May 12–14, Mother's Day
    • May 19–21, Characters in Bloom
    • May 21, Teddy Bears and Dolls, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
    • May 27–29, Memorial Day
    • June 2–4, I Dig Bugs

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Trivia question of the week

What conglomerate was the original sponsor of The Living Seas pavilion?

(Beginning with this week's question, answers will be posted in the following week's Park Update.)

The Living Seas – who originally sponsored it? Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

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

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

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress – has been returned to the list of "seasonal" attractions, so its open status may change at any time.
• Liberty Square Riverboat – is not operating due to refurbishment, and will return to service on July 1.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – is closed through July 6 for the addition of characters from the movie that was inspired by the ride. The attraction will reportedly reopen briefly for the peak Easter crowds (we are hearing April 8-30) before closing again to complete the refurbishment. Remember that this brief reopening is subject to timely completion of the scheduled refurbishment work.
• Timekeeper – is closed for good.
• Cinderella's Surprise Celebration – reportedly returns after the 18-month “Happiest Celebration on Earth” festivities end.

Epcot

• The Wonders of Life pavilion – is closed for good.

Disney–MGM Studios

• No current refurbishments.

Animal Kingdom

• Expedition Everest – is scheduled to officially open on Friday. Soft openings for the general public are now underway.

Resorts

• Polynesian Resort – Work is now underway on the complete refurbishment and upgrading of rooms and hallways in all buildings, which is expected to be completed this summer.
• Contemporary Resort – Work is now underway on the complete refurbishment and upgrading of rooms and hallways in the tower building and both garden wings, and is now expected to be completed this summer.
• Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa – Phase I's four buildings and Phase II's eight units are complete, Construction on Phase III is underway, with the six units expected to be completed in 2007.

Water Parks

• Typhoon Lagoon – Will close for annual refurbishment October 29, and will reopen some time in December.
• Blizzard Beach – Will close for annual refurbishment when work on Typhoon Lagoon is complete, and will reopen some time in Feburary or March.

Elsewhere

• Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – performs Tuesdays – Saturdays.

Park Events

April 2006

• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. April 21 – June 11. Epcot comes alive with topiaries, other floral displays, gardening demonstrations and the “Flower Power” concert series (link).
• Grad Nite. April 28-29, May 5-6. High school seniors take over the Magic Kingdom after an early closing and party all night (link).

May 2006

• Disney's Minnie Marathon Weekend 5K and 1 Mile (link). May 6. The short runs of the ladies-only running weekend take place at and near Downtown Disney. Registration is now open (link).
• Women Run the World 15 K (link). May 7. The course starts at Animal Kingdom, goes through the Studios and ends at Epcot. Registration is now open (link).
• Danskin Women's Triathlon. May 13-14. Athletes compete in a 400 yard swim, a 9 mile bike ride, and a 2 mile run (link).
• Epcot Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend. May 18–21. Collectible bears and dolls at Epcot (link).
• Star Wars Weekends. May 19-21 and 26-28, and June 2-4 and 9-11. The popular event is slated to return to the Studios in 2006 (link).
• Gay Days 2006. May 31 - June 4. The 16th annual gathering of the GLBT community at Walt Disney World (link1 | link2).

July 2006

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex (link). July 29 – August 17. The NFC South champions prepare for the 2006 campaign, with practices open to the public.

September 2006

• Tom Joyner Family Reunion. Sept. 1–4. The radio host's annual gathering returns for another year (link).
• Night of Joy. Sept. 8–9. Disney's annual Christian music festival (link).
• Disney's Pin Celebration. Sept. 8–10. This year's event is themed as "It All Started With … Walt" (link).
• Walt Disney World Triathlon. Sept. 24. Athletes compete in a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride, and a 10K run (link).
• Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Sept. 29, Oct. 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31. Get your costumes ready. The Disney characters will certainly be wearing theirs. (link).
• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Sept. 29 – Nov. 12. The annual celebration of things gustatory, plus the Eat to the Beat concert series (link).

October 2006

• Disney's Race for the Taste 10K. Oct. 8. The annual Disney 10K race continues its association with the Epcot Food & Wine Festival (link).
• Funai Classic at Walt Disney World. Oct. 16–22. Lucas Glover will try to defend his title at the 36th annual fall golf classic on the Palm and Magnolia courses (link).
• Disney Pin Cruise. Oct. 29 – Nov. 2. This year's cruise is themed as "Cruisin' Through Time" (link).

November-December 2006

• Festival of the Masters. Nov. 10–12. Disney's annual arts festival at Downtown Disney's West Side, now sponsored by Sharpie! (link).
• ABC Super Soap Weekend. Nov. 11–12. Your favorite ABC soap opera stars converge on the Disney-MGM Studios (link).
• Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. Dates TBA. Jennings Osborne's amazing display returns to the Studios (link).
• Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade. Dates TBA. The Animal Kingdom Parade trades its Jammin' for Jingle in this holiday makeover (link).
• Holidays Around the World. Dates TBA. Epcot's World Showcase gets storytellers, special entertainment and crafts for kids, the Lights of Winter and a spectacular Christmas tree (link).
• Festival of the Seasons. Dates TBA. Downtown Disney gets a holiday makeover (link).
• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Dates TBA. Snow on Main Street, free hot cocoa and cookies. What's not to like? (link).

December 2006

• Pleasure Island New Year's Eve. Dec. 31. Pleasure Island celebrates the actual New Year (link).
• New Year's Eve at Cirque du Soleil. Dec. 31. Cirque puts on special New Year's performances (link).
• Atlantic Dance Hall New Year's Eve. Dec. 31. Ring in the New Year at the BoardWalk's own dance club (link).

January 2007

• Walt Disney World Half-Marathon. Jan. 6. Registration now open (link). [Read our WDW Marathon Guide.]
• Walt Disney World Marathon. Jan. 7. Registration now open (link).

Current Discounts & Promotions

Magic Your Way package with free ticket upgrades available through June 3

Disney has announced a special offer for vacations between April 23 and June 3, that will include free upgrades of base Magic Your Way park passes. The passes will be upgraded with both Park Hopper and Water Parks & More options at no charge. When booking on the Disney Web site, make sure to click the "Special Offers" tab on the left side of the page, or the offer may not appear.

Passholder discounts now available through June 3

Passholders discounts are now available on the passholder Web site for vacations from April 23 through June 3. When calling by phone, use booking code EZN or EZO. Florida resident discounts for the same dates are available on the resident Web site, using booking code BOR. Passholder rates start at $74 per night for value resorts, resident rates start at $79 per night for the values.

Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration releases rates through the end of 2006

The Radisson Resort Parkway is now the Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration! The resort, a MousePlanet sponsor, has announced their standard rates through the end of 2006. Note that the nightly rates do not include a $7 per night resort fee.

Click here for more information, or here to make reservations now.

Magic Your Way ticket price guide

Walt Disney World's entire ticket price structure changed as of January 2, 2005, to the new “Magic Your Way” passes, and prices increased on January 1, 2006.. Advance purchase discounts are only available on tickets above the base ticket of at least 4 days, with higher discounts on those tickets with both options.

Park Hours

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through October 2006.

Entertainment Schedule

Hours and entertainment schedules are currently available through October 2006.

Theme Park Events

Fort Wilderness movie schedule for April 2006

Movies begin at 8:40. Movies are preceded by a campfire at 7:30 and a singalong at 8:00.

Downtown Disney Entertainment

(Separate admission required)