by Brian Bennett
4/29/02
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Q.
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A MousePlanet reader writes:
Hi Brian, Love your site!!! We are planning trip to WDW early
November, how is the attendance then? We've visited in Mid September
and Mid October, October being the busiest, we thought we would
give November a try.
Also how is the weather then? We will
not be attending any water parks, but would love to be able
to swim in our hotels pool.
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A.
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I'd suggest you read through the information on
this
page as it has exactly the information you're asking about!
Also be aware that all of the WDW resorts have heated pools,
so you'll be able to swim even if it's cool outside. |
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Q.
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Alicia asks:
Dear Brian, My friend and I are going to WDW in the middle of
June, and we had heard that the early entry mornings have been
cancelled......is this true? the guides that I have read (Birnbaum,
and the Unofficial) didn't say anything about it, so I was wondering
if it was true or not. Also how busy is WDW in the middle of
June? |
A.
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Alicia,
Yes, unfortunately Early Entry has been cancelled. I'm still
optimistic that it will be reinstated during the busier times
of the year, but there hasn't been any announcement on that.
In MousePlanet's WDW Trip Planning Guide on this
page, you'll find lots of information on the cutbacks
that WDW has instituted since last Fall.
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Q.
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Tony writes: Brian,
This year will be my 4th attendance of Gay Day events at Disneyworld.
It takes place the first weekend of June, and has for over 10
years. I still am amazed by the people who never seem to know
about the events going on. Most, thankfully, are able to handle
it well and seem to enjoy themselves with the many colorful
personalities. There are, however, those that are obviously
not ready to deal with the Gay and Lesbian community on such
a large scale (100,000). So, I am writing you to pass on the
word that Orlando becomes quite busy with the Gay and Lesbian
community the first bit of June (May 29 - June 4). There are
assigned 'days' for us to visit certain theme parks (Thursday/AK,
Friday/MGM, Saturday/MK, Sunday/Epcot). Maybe planning opposite
those days at certain parks will still let your readers who've
spent thousands of dollars to be there have a more 'uninterrupted'
vacation. Just a word of advice. |
A.
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Thanks for the note, Tony. I'll be sure to share
it with my readers. |
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Q.
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Lee asks: I am interested
in DVC information such as costs, availability, etc. Please
send information you think a potential buyer would be interested
in knowing including availability of points at the various Disney
resorts. |
A.
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Lee,
You might want to check out my DVC
pages. You'll probably find more information there
than you really want to wade through. :)
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Q.
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Bradley writes: In
a previous "Notes From the World," Joanne wrote:
"Greetings from Canada! Your
site has been so informative in helping me plan our family
vacation to WDW at the end of March 2002. I'm feeling down
about not knowing to make advance Priority Seating arrangements,
especially at Cinderella's Royal Table until after the 60
day advance date. Wondering what your opinion is on other
meals at Cinderella's Royal Table? We made a Priority Seating
at Cinderella's Royal Table for dinner, hoping to get a
nice meal for our last night and maybe catch the fireworks.
Wondering if there is any chance of seeing even just Cinderella?
OR... if we made an early lunch Priority Seating, would
we have any chance of seeing any characters hanging around
after breakfast? Many thanks for your suggestions!"
Hello! I would just like to say that
my family and I are fans of this restaurant and what you said
was not correct. Every time we come for dinner we are warned
that no characters will be here, then, when we enter the lobby
Cinderella is waiting for us. Due to the new show, however,
last time we saw Snow White and her prince. It is a great
experience and I would recommend this to anyone.
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A.
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Bradley,
Thanks for the note. You said that you saw Cinderella and
Snow White in the restaurant lobby just before dinner. That's
certainly a nice touch, but isn't exactly a "character
meal" as I would describe it (where characters roam about
the restaurant during the meal). Still, it's nice to know
that it's possible to see some characters there all day long.
:)
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Q.
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Cathy writes: Hi
Brian. I am a first time visitor to your site & would like
to let you know how much I have enjoyed it. I did notice you
mentioned something about refurbishment work at the Swan &
Dolphin resort. You say this is due to start in May 2002. This
is the time I am staying there. Do you have any more details
on this? Will my trip be ruined?! My UK travel agent say they
know nothing about this. |
A.
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Cathy,
You can always call the resort and ask exactly what's going
on and whether or not it will affect you personally. For example,
if the work to begin in May will be focusing on the convention
facilities, then it might not affect you at all. In any case,
it never hurts to have a documented phone conversation to
cover the bases (make sure to get the name of the Swan or
Dolphin employee you talk with for future reference, just
in case!)
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Q.
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And in a Follow-up, Cathy
wrote: Hi again Brian, just thought I'd let you know that
I've had a reply from The WDW Dolphin Hotel & from Disney
themselves confirming that there are is no refurbishment taking
place at this hotel in May or any other time this year. |
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Q.
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Steven writes: Hi
Brian, Just to let you know, I just called the WDW main number
and the Disney Club number and both stated that there are no
"E" ride nights scheduled for the month of April.
They both said that the next one will be held on May 6th.
Just thought you might like to know.
Thank you for the information you gave
me before, keep up the great work.
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A.
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Thanks, Steven. I'm a bit surprised that no April
dates were made available, but I was glad to see them coming
back in May and June.
Unfortunately, though, all of the May dates were cancelled
as well, as reported here
on MousePlanet on this page.
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Q.
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Janet asks:
Ok, well first of all, you had me going w/ your April Fool's
update!!! I was shocked and excited to see the return to Early
Entry but as I read on, I realized you were being tongue-in-cheek.
Boo hoo!!!!! Bet you'll get a lot of mail on THAT one!
(Editor's Note: I haven't had so much email ever in the history
of my site except for the weeks immediately following the service
cutbacks announcement last Fall.)
Our Disney trip is almost here! Thanks
to your site it has been very fun and easy to plan for this
trip. Couple last minute questions:
- We will be bringing our stroller
from home. I know you mention tying something on the handles
so it is easily identifiable. My question, do you have to
completely empty it when you leave it at a ride? Of course
we'd take the small bag that has our valuables (cameras,
etc.) with us on the rides, but what about leaving a diaper
bag/backpack that contains nothing but diapers, wipes, maybe
some juice and a few snacks?
- I recall hearing about a walkway
from the Dolphin to MGM and Epcot. I know at Epcot you enter
thru the International Gateway. How long does it take to
walk from the hotel to each park? Is the route to MGM well
marked? I'm just wondering if we might be better off doing
that instead of waiting for the boat if we missed a launch.
- Seven Seas Lagoon show. Is it still
going on? Do you recommend it? Where best to view?
- Fantasmic -- Sounds like you need
to get here VERY early to secure seating....are all seats
good?
- We will be staying at 2 different
Disney properties during our stay as my husband has a conference
to attend. Do you know anything about switching hotels?
Will Disney transfer our luggage for us? We aren't planning
on renting a car.
As always, thank you very much!
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A.
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Janet,
Sorry that I didn't get your message before today, but I
was out of town for the past week or so. Hopefully,
you'll get this response before you leave tomorrow!
I think your strategy for dealing with the stroller is sound.
You're proposing to do just about what we do. We take our
cameras, but leave the diaper bag behind. You do NOT have
to empty your stroller, but just beware that whatever you
leave behind (including the stroller itself) is at risk if
some one decides to be less than ethical. :(
The walk from the Dolphin to the Studios is via the Boardwalk.
The walk from the Dolphin to the Boardwalk is, maybe, three
or four minutes. The walk from there to the Studios would
be more like fifteen or twenty. It's a decent hike. You may
want to do it early in the trip, but after a few days of pounding
the pavement in the parks, I'm sure you'll want to wait for
that next boat instead. :)
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by a "Seven Seas
Lagoon Show," unless it's the Electrical Water Pageant
that you're talking about. This
page, in MousePlanet's WDW Trip Planning Guide, tells
all about it. It's a decent show, but nothing like Fantasmic!
or Reflections of Earth. If you're in the neighborhood when
it's coming around the lagoon, by all means enjoy it... but
personally, I wouldn't make special plans to see it.
Fantasmic! is shown in a huge amphitheater with lots of good
seats. The best seats are front and center, of course, but
none of the seats are poor. At this time of the year, crowd
levels will be moderate, so I don't think you'll have too
much problem getting to the show in plenty of time.
Finally, about moving from one resort to another... Disney
will, indeed, move you from one DISNEY resort to another.
However, you mentioned the Dolphin earlier in your note. If
you're staying there you may be out of luck as the Dolphin
is not operated by Disney. You can always ask, and since the
Dolphin is a premium property you just may be accommodated,
but don't be surprised if no mechanism exists for transferring
your belongings for you. If it was me, though, I just use
the rental car and not worry about it. If you use bell services
at each end of the transfer, it can still be very easy to
deal with (although with lots of kids stuff, I can understand
the wish to just have the resorts handle the transfer if possible).
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Q.
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A MousePlanet reader
writes: Boy do I need your help. I haven't been to
WDW since 1992. I planned a 6 night stay at the Contemporary
"standard view" this coming November. Can you tell
me what exactly is Standard View. Also can you give me any hints
as to how to upgrade our room (with a better view). Also, can
you tell me if the Contemporary offers lactose-free milk. One
more thing, can you tell me if they canceled the "E"
rides nights. |
A.
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"Standard View" at the Contemporary
means you'll be staying in one of the garden wings stretching
from the main tower building (the big A-frame) toward Bay Lake.
The only sure-fire way to upgrade your view is to call and change
your reservations. You can always request an upgrade at check-in,
and you may get one if it's available, but there's never a guarantee
unless you reserve the upgrade (and are prepared to pay for
it).
I'm not certain that the resort offers lactose-free milk.
I do know that WDW restaurants tend to be flexible on special
dietary needs, but you may want to call ahead to make sure
that your needs can be met (and that applies to all WDW restaurants
at which you plan to dine).
E-Ride nights are alive and well. I understand that the next
one won't be happening until May, but they have been offered
several times this year already.
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Q.
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Deanna asks: Brian,
I am a WDW annual passholder and I noticed in some of the hotel
reviews that hotels are available at WDW annual passholder rates...
can you please tall me how I can make such reservations with
the discounted room rates...? Is there a phone number or web
site that you can inform me of? Thank you for your time. |
A.
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Deanna,
When you call Disney's central reservations office to make
your reservations, just ask for the AP rate. You will need
to show your AP at check-in time, but the rates -- depending
on the time of year -- can be very good ones!
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Q.
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Another MousePlanet readers
writes: We are going to Disneyland tomorrow and have been
to Disneyworld many times. we will go to California Adventure,
but would also like to the original part of Disney. we were
wondering which of the rides are only at Disneyland and not
at Disneyworld. do you know? |
A.
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Sorry I missed you note as I was out of town.
Obviously, you've already left for your visit. For future reference,
though, here's the
page you're looking for. |
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Q.
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Fran asks: What is
up with River Country, Will it be closed permanently, used for
something else?
Was your whole 4/1/02 news release
all a April Fools Joke or just the part about the Russian
Resort? I hope the Early Entry was not a joke.
Thanks for a super web site. I love
it.
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A.
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Fran,
River Country always closes for the first couple of months
of the year for refurbishment and due to weather conditions.
However, this year's closure might be more long term (see
the next letter for more on this).
Yes, the entire "update" was an April Fool's joke.
Sorry. :)
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Q.
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Mary-Ellen writes:
At least part of your April Fool's joke appears to be true!
On another web site, a number of folks are reporting that PORFQ
will be open again May 31st and that they have switched their
reservations from the All Stars to PORFQ. |
A.
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Mary-Ellen,
You and a few other folks caught me on that one. I put the
April Fools "update" together a few weeks ago in
preparation for my own personal vacation (not to WDW this
time) and the re-opening (which isn't really a surprise now
that the Summer season is almost upon us) was announced while
I was out of town.
In any case, I'm glad because Port Orleans, in my opinion,
is one of the most well-executed themes of all of the WDW
resorts.
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Q.
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Tim writes: Brian,
I recently saw an article on the Orlando Sentinel's web site
that says that River Country is closed for good. I had not seen
any other reports of this. Is it true? If so I am really disappointed.
I normally go to Disney in November and River Country is closed
for the season. I changed my vacation to May this year because
I had never been to River Country. If it is closed is there
any chance of reopening in the future? |
A.
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I've not seen any other reports on this, either.
I don't know what the reason is for the closure, but if it's
"for good," as the paper says, I don't think it would
be reopening.
However, there has been rumors of a third water park being
in the works for a long, long time. Perhaps those plans are
being moved forward and the smaller, River Country, just isn't
worth keeping open any more. I guess I'm just looking for
a silver lining. :)
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Q.
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Jay writes:
Did you happen to see this
article in the Orlando Sentinel? Quoting from the piece:
"The new attraction, Primeval
Whirl, is a coaster all right, but it reaches a top speed
of only about 25 miles mph. Primeval Whirl has 13 cars on
two tracks that navigate through flying asteroids and --
in the words of Disney's press release -- "corny depictions
of dinosaurs that spin and pop up along the track."
Kind of sad isn't it? In Disney's own
words "corny."
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A.
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Yes, Jay, it is sad. :( |
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Q.
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Matt writes: Hey,
Brian, just thought I'd chime in on something I saw in your
last update.
As far as discounts go, we just got
back from a WDW vacation, and if you use your American Express
card and are staying onsite, you get discounts on merchandise
from Downtown Disney. I'm not sure about food, because we
used a different card so we wouldn't overspend on the AmEx
one. The discount we got was between 10-15% each time.
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A.
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Thanks, Matt! I'll share your note on the site
ASAP. |
Well, I hope you enjoyed the reader feedback
for the WDW Trip Planning Guide! Feed free to send more questions
or comments to brian@mouseplanet.com!
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Brian Bennett's Disney Trip Planner
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Click here to see
some awesome WDW pieces that have run on MousePlanet recently!
Click
here to check out the rest of Brian's Archive, including all of the previously
published "Notes From the World" pieces!
I've
always gotten email about the WDW Trip Planning Guide, but since we added
the feedback
form to the site several months ago, the number of questions has increased
dramatically! I do my best to answer each and every question personally,
but I've noticed that a lot of the questions are asked again and again.
The question that one person asks might very well be the question that
someone else is wondering about. Thus this page!
So...I'll post
reader email and feedback every once in a while, because the question
someone else asks might be the same one you're thinking about yourself!
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