Walt Disney World will be working with the Florida Health Care Coalition and the University of Florida to conduct a year-long study of diabetes in cast members at the resort. Up to 1,000 cast members (800 with diabetes and 200 with pre-diabetes, at risk for the disease but not officially meeting the criteria) will participate in the study.
Primary care physicians for participating cast members will consult with endocrinologists from the University of Florida in the monitoring and treatment of the condition. The study hopes to find better ways to identify and treat others suffering from, or at risk for, diabetes.
Several external partners including The University of Florida College of Medicine, Florida Hospital, Cognoscenti Health Institute and other health care organizations will provide clinical services and oversight for the study, which will be conducted in accordance with American Diabetes Association guidelines.
Cast members will have the opportunity to voluntarily participate in the study, which will run throughout 2008. Those selected will receive a $200 cash incentive. All state and federal privacy laws will apply, and will protect the identities and personal information of those participating.
The study, which is being funded by six major pharmaceutical manufacturers (Sanofi Aventis, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Daiichi Sankyo) is being conducted with several local and national health care organizations, including Florida Health Care Coalition, University of Florida College of Medicine, Florida Hospital, Cigna Health Insurance, Cognoscenti Health Institute, Orlando Behavioral Health, and PacifiCare Behavioral Health. Reports will be produced in early 2009 by the University of Florida and Florida Health Care Coalition teams.
The Walt Disney Company has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC) filed against it in 2003 over work on the Mission: Space attraction at Epcot. In the suit, ETC alleged that Disney disclosed confidential information about the ride and took credit for ETC's work.
Disney attorney Laurence Shiekman, representing the company at the hearing in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, insisted that ETC has not shown that it was harmed by Disney in any way.
ETC claims that, when Disney took over the work on the attraction in November 2001 due to ETC's inability to finish the work on time or within budget, Disney disclosed confidential information to some of the 20 subcontractors who helped Disney complete the attraction. However, none of the information sent to the subcontractors has been identified as confidential.
With two clutch-free throws by Gavin Grant with one second remaining, North Carolina State University upset 19th-ranked Villanova 69-68 to win the second annual Old Spice Classic at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Third through eighth place went to George Mason, South Carolina, 20th-ranked Kansas State, Rider (the MAAC representative), University of Central Florida and Penn State.
The tournament, run under the auspices of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN2, was won by the Arkansas Razorbacks last year in its inaugural running.
Next year will see Gonzaga, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Siena (the MAAC representative), Tennessee, and Wichita State vie for the trophy in the three-round tourney over Thanksgiving weekend.
Are you coming to MouseFest?We're just a month away from MouseFest, and plans are firming up! We've had loads of people RSVP, but there's room for plenty more! For more information about MousePlanet's events at MouseFest, check out our MouseFest events page (link) or see who's announced that they're coming on the sticky threads on our MousePad discussion forums (link)! |
A new gaming compact signed by Florida Governor Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe of Florida will allow the tribe to begin offering blackjack, baccarat and Las Vegas-style slot machines at its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, just an hour from Orlando. The Florida state House of Representatives is suing to try to fight the compact, however.
Tourist attractions in Orlando, including Walt Disney World, don't want the high-stakes gambling so nearby, partly because of the competition for tourist dollars and partly because its proximity would perhaps allow the adults-only environment to encroach on the family-friendly image of the Orlando area.
We'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
Al Weiss, President of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, will be honored by Junior Achievement of Central Florida with the 2007 Spirit of Achievement Award on Wednesday as three others are inducted into the Mid-Florida Business Hall of Fame. The award is presented to a local business leader who, through daily activities, sets an example for the business leaders of tomorrow. The recipient is to personify a blend of personal, business and civic accomplishment, consistent with the goals of the free enterprise system.
Weiss is following in the footsteps of former Walt Disney Attractions Chairman Dick Nunis, who received the award in 1992. Four Disney representatives have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Walt and Roy Disney (both posthumously), in 1982, Bob Allen in 1988, and Nunis in 1999.
Menus wanted!Want to help MousePlanet upgrade our park guides? We're looking to add menu information for all restaurants to our Walt Disney World Park Guide (link). Send photos or scans of menus (no fair copying from other Web sites) to menus@mouseplanet.com (link). Please note that there is a 5MB limit on total attachments in a single email. |
This week's listing of interesting items from paperwork filed with Orange County was very light in the last week:
…"May" and "Flower," the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, safely arrived in Florida last week and rode in the Thanksgiving Day parade before heading off to their temporary quarters in the back yard of Mickey's Country House in Mickey's Toontown Fair to spend the season. They'll then head off to live out their lives at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
…Walt Disney World will be installing an additional 200 Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) across the resort. Thousands of cast members have been trained in how to use them.
…The dates for the curtain replacement at The American Adventure appear to be set for January 7 to February 3.
…The changeover of the cast of characters at Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! will take place right after the new year, with the attraction closed January 2 to 27 for changes to the sets.
…The Journey Into Narnia: Creating The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe walkthrough attraction will be closed for refurbishment from January 2 to May 23. It is expected that this work will also involve a changeover to support the second Narnia movie, Prince Caspian, which opens on May 16.
Get your MousePlanet gear!The MousePlanet.com store is now open for business (link)! You can get shirts, mugs, hats and even a Teddy Bear! Check it out and show your MousePlanet pride! |
This week's question: Which two animated characters had their original lead animators return to develop their appearance in 3-D for Mickey's PhilharMagic?? Stay tuned to next week's park update for the answer.
The answer to last week's question: "How much produce grown at The Land pavilion is served in Walt Disney World restaurants each year?", is:
More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables.
Do you have a trivia question that you'd like to share? If we choose to use your question, we'll give you credit in the Update. Email us here.
MousePlanet sponsor Hotel Royal Plaza, in the Downtown Disney resort area, has enhanced its deal for MousePlanet readers. From now through the end of the year, anyone booking their stay through the MousePlanet Web site has been able to receive discounted rates up to 20 percent off on all room types. Now, for a limited time, you can get even more! The discounted rates now include free breakfast for two in the Giraffe Caf!. Plus children 10 and under always eat breakfast for free! (Two children 10 and under eat free from the kids menu when accompanied by an adult dining from the regular menu.)
The completely-remodeled 394-room resort is located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, just a few minutes' walk from Downtown Disney. Bus service to all Walt Disney World theme parks is included with your stay. Their Giraffe Caf restaurant, Giraffe Tavern sports bar, Marketessen deli-style caf and Sips Pool Bar are ready to serve you.
We'd like to invite you to try their hospitality!
Disney has released discounted room rates for passholders and Florida residents for the end of September through md-December. Discounts are available for select resorts for most nights from September 30 through December 23. (The nights of November 21-24 and November 30-December 7 are excluded at non-DVC resorts, most likely due to Thanksgiving weekend and the Pop Warner Super Bowl invasion, while only the Thanksgiving dates are blocked at the DVC resorts.) There are two effective rate periods for this discount, with September 30-October 3, November 25-29, and December 8-19 carrying passholder rates of $59 per night in value resorts and $164 per night in a DVC studio. The remaining dates in the promotion period (except for the nights of November 21-24, which have no discounts due to Thanksgiving weekend) have nightly passholder rates starting at $79 for values and $194 for DVC studios. Florida resident rates are $5 higher than passholder rates.
Minimum stay requirements apply for Friday and Saturday arrivals. All rates can be booked up until the date of arrival. Passholders and Florida residents can book via your respective Web sites, by calling your travel agent (Small World Vacations is MousePlanet's preferred Disney travel provider) or by calling 407-560-7277 for passholders or 407-560-7722 for Florida residents.
An interesting twist on this deal is that, for certain check-in dates, you can get a Disney Dining Card with $20-$100 per room with your minimum 2-night reservation. This perk is available for stays with check-in dates between October 21 to November 3, November 11 to 17 and December 9 to 15. The card can be used toward food & beverage only, and not toward merchandise.
Rooms available at these rates are very limited, and they're going quickly!
(Send an email to Mark Goldhaber)
Mark (@MPMark) is a veteran of dozens of trips to Walt Disney World starting in 1972, with a few Disneyland trips thrown in for good measure. As a Disney stockholder and a Disney Vacation Club member, Mark is always in touch with what's going on with The Mouse. Mark serves as MousePlanet's Walt Disney World content coordinator. Mark is a senior information technology manager working for the State of New York. He lives in the suburbs outside Albany, New York, with his wife and son.
