Update for May 2 – May 8, 2011
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News and Views
Free dining returns | More rooms to get “makeovers” | Halloween and Christmas Party tickets are on sale now | Star Wars Weekends guest list announced | Walt Disney World is hiring | March of Dimes | Construction update | Quick takes | Crowd update
Free dining returns
Last week, a two-tiered free dining package was announced for Disney Visa Rewards cardholders, and the package becomes available to the general public today. The free dining plan is available for stays August 28 through September 24. The deal includes lodging, base Magic Your Way passes (you can upgrade them with any of the available add-ons), a 20-page Disney’s PhotoPass Photo Book, and the free dining plan. Additional pages may be added to your Photo Book, at standard cost, if you wish.
If you choose a Value Resort for your stay, you’ll receive the free Quick Service Dining Plan (two quick-service meals and two snacks per person per night, plus one resort refillable drink mug per person). If you’d prefer to stay at a Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villa Resort, you’ll get the free standard Disney Dining Plan (one table- service meal, one quick-service meal, and one snack per person per night). Those at value resorts can upgrade their Quick Service Dining Plan to the standard plan for the difference in the plan’s cost. The dining plans do not include gratuities or alcoholic beverages.
One thing to note here: Since these dates are already within the 180-day booking window, some table-service restaurants might already be booked solid. Don’t count on having the ability to book any specific restaurant without checking first. Of course, if dining is the most important part of your trip, you can book your dining reservations first to lock in your favorites, then find a resort for those nights. You can always cancel the dining reservations if you can’t get a resort for those dates.
You can book through August 27 while availability lasts, but reservations may go fast. The discount codes for the Disney Rewards Visa package are I25 for Value Resorts and O2M for Moderates and above. The codes for the general public were not available at publication time.
Reservations may be booked through the Walt Disney World website, by calling Walt Disney World at 407-939-7211, or your travel agent. MousePlanet’s preferred Disney travel providers are MouseEarVacations.com and Small World Vacations.
More rooms to get “makeovers”
On the heels of the success of the pirate-themed guest rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, which carry a price tag of $30 above the standard rate for similar rooms at that resort, Walt Disney World will be rolling out two new specialty room types. Health and wellness suites will debut at Disney’s Contemporary Resort this fall, while Royal guest rooms will debut at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort by March 2012.
Halloween and Christmas Party tickets are on sale now
Tickets are now on sale for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The Halloween Party will be held on 23 nights (down from 25 nights last year) on September 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30, October 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31, and November 1. The Christmas Party will be held on 19 nights (up from 18 nights last year) on November 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29, 30, December 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 18.
The Halloween party’s start switches back to the second week of September, with the Night of Joy moving back up to September 9 and 10. Both parties run from 7 p.m. until midnight on each of their nights, with parades (Boo-To-You and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime) taking place at 8:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and fireworks (Happy HalloWishes and Holiday Wishes) going off at 9:30 p.m. While the parties start at 7 p.m., your party ticket should get you into the Magic Kingdom starting around 4 p.m. that afternoon.
The Halloween party carries a variable price tag this year. For events in September, day-of-event pricing is $59.95 plus tax for adults and $53.95 for children ages 3-9. October and November dates have day-of-event pricing of $62.95 and $57.95 for adults and children, respectively, except for October 28 and 31, which carry the even higher price of $67.95 and $62.95, being the last Friday night before Halloween and Halloween night. Advance purchase discounts of $6 per ticket for the general public and $10 per ticket for passholders and DVC Members are available to the general public for all dates except Friday nights in October, plus October 13, 30, and 31.
The Christmas party carries day-of-event pricing of $62.95 plus tax for adults and $57.95 for children ages 3-9, the same as the October and November dates for the Halloween party. Advance purchase discounts of $6 per ticket for the general public and $10 per ticket for passholders and DVC Members are available to the general public for all date,s except November 18 and 27 (the Friday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving), December 2, 9, and 16 (Friday nights in December), and December 18 (the last party). Passholder discounts are also not available on December 7, 11, 13, and 14.
Note: The second annual Wine & Dine Half Marathon takes place on Saturday, October 1, so expect tickets for that weekend (September 30 and October 2) to be particularly popular among those who plan to go to Walt Disney World for the race at Epcot. Also, for those planning ahead, the third annual MouseAdventure: World Explorers game will take place on November 12 (sign up for the mailing list!), so there are likely to be other adventurers attending the party that weekend. Don’t stay up too late the night before the game, though, as exhaustion is not your friend during MouseAdventure!
Star Wars Weekends guest list announced
We now have an official list of celebrity guests for this year’s Star Wars Weekends, running Fridays through Sundays from May 20 through June 12, though there may be one notable name missing from the list that may make an appearance. Each weekend will feature celebrity hosts James Arnold Taylor (the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in
strongly rumored to appear is Star Wars creator George Lucas. Lucas will reportedly be at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the first Star Wars Weekend to help launch Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, which officially opens on May 20, the first day of the event. In anticipation of the demand to ride the attraction during its first weekend of operation, park hours for May 20-22 have been extended to 8 a.m. to midnight. Rumors persist that Disney is considering actually opening the gates even earlier than 8 a.m. to deal with the expected influx, but that may end up being an on-the-spot decision with guests only being allowed to walk to the Star Tours attraction, with the rest of the park remaining closed.
Send us your menu photos!We’ve recently completed a major update of the park restaurant menus from Walt Disney World. Click on the “Dining” section from our Walt Disney World Guide to see the list. Please help us keep the menus up to date! Send photos or scans of park menus to menus@mouseplanet.com to help us keep our listings updated! |
Walt Disney World is hiring
With the summer season rapidly approaching, Walt Disney World’s seasonal hiring process is under way. An online job fair started on Saturday, and runs through this coming Sunday. The site is promoting full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs available throughout the resort in such positions as Quick Service Foods, Character Look- alike Performers, Attractions, Lifeguards, Merchandise, Character Performer, and Custodial.
According to the site, most entry-level positions start at $7.55 per hour for full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions. Some areas have higher starting pay rates, ranging from $8.05 to $11.78 per hour. The site also lists the various benefits available to cast members, as well as the Disney Look guidelines. You can apply and interview online through Sunday if you’re interested.
A Personal Appeal
There is nothing more heartbreaking than a baby who is born too soon having medical complications that leave them with medical difficulties for life, or worse, that never let them leave the hospital alive. On May 15, I will once again be walking to raise money for the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Over the last five years, through the generosity of MousePlanet readers, friends, family, and co-workers, we have raised nearly $19,000. This year, let’s do something really special. My personal goal is to raise $5,000 this year, but you can help in ways other than donating to my walk. This year, you can walk with me. Even if you aren’t in the Albany, N.Y., area, you can virtually walk with me by joining Team MousePlanet and walking at the March for Babies site near you. If you join me in walking, money that you raise will help babies in your area to get a fighting chance to survive!
For more information about why I’m walking, or to donate to my walk, please go to my fundraising page. To sign up to join Team MousePlanet, please go to the team page. Let’s show those struggling babies how much MousePlanet readers care!
Construction update
Here is the listing of interesting items from paperwork filed with Orange County in the last week:
- Magic Kingdom Tiki Room – construction work.
- Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland – construction work.
- Epcot marina – construction work.
- Epcot Magic Music Days power distribution – electrical work.
- Epcot American Gardens Theater stage – electrical work.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Yak & Yeti Restaurant – shade structures.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Tamu Tamu Refreshments – shade structures.
- Downtown Disney West Side Green – electrical work.
- STOLport site – installation of STOLport trailer compound.
- Grand Floridian Resort – roof repairs.
- Contemporary Resort South Garden Wing entrance – general contractor conditions.
- Fort Wilderness loop pool area – pool & deck rehab.
- Caribbean Beach Resort Customs House – carpentry work.
- Port Orleans French Quarter Resort – vine removal & finishes.
- Port Orleans Riverside Resort bridge from commercial building to Ol’ Man Island – finishes.
- Port Orleans Riverside Resort bridge from Ol’ Man Island to Magnolia Bend – finishes.
- Art of Animation Resort – construction work.
- Art of Animation Resort – front entry power service.
Quick takes …
…Adventures by Disney is providing a special offer for those who book select North American itineraries from now through May 25 for travel between June 14 and September 24. You can receive $300 off a non-discounted regular rate. Destinations include Wyoming; Montana and Canada; Arizona and Utah; Mid-Atlantic; and Alaska. For more information, go to the Adventures by Disney website.
…You can register early to ensure that you get into the special “Presenting Pixar” speaker series for Pixar’s 25th anniversary weekend at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. As we reported last week, the sessions, on May 14 and 15, feature “Cars Franchise Guardian” Jay Ward at noon each day, followed by Pixar producer Jonas Rivera at 2 p.m. and composer Michael Giacchino at 4 p.m., with a special presentation featuring all three at 6 p.m.. You can sign up at the Pixar Weekend website.
…Downtown Disney will be hosting Car Masters Weekend May 13-15 (yet another event that weekend). Families can visit with Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Finn McMissile, as well as check out dozens of classic cars on display. In addition, the original Cars will be playing all weekend at the AMC Pleasure Island 24, and you can also check out the new Cars 2-themed Ridemakerz models.
…If you’re a fan of both Vinylmation and the space program, be sure to stop by D Street in Downtown Disney West Side to check out two special one-of-a-kind 3-inch Vinylmations, which actually flew on board Space Shuttle Atlantis as part of STS-132 in May 2010. A version of the Park Series 3 “Mission: Space” Vinylmation customized by a Disney artist for the mission, as well as a “Create-Your-Own” figures customized by the astronauts themselves were brought on board the ship by mission Commander Ken Ham. Ham was also the pilot for STS-124, which brought a 12-inch Buzz Lightyear action figure into space for a 15-month stay. The two figures are located in a special display case in the front window, along with the certificates commemorating their flight.
…Starting Tuesday, The British Airwaves will begin appearing at Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion, replacing The British Invasion, whose last performance was over the weekend. The new act, which will perform four to five 20-minutes shows per day, will perform British roll ‘n’ roll from the 1960s through the 1980s, featuring the Dave Clark Five, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Who.
…If you’re looking to purchase commemorative merchandise from the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, be sure to stop by the Tea Caddy Shop in Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion, which offers a selection of items.
…Traffic will be disrupted at the northern end of Bonnet Creek Parkway for the next two Sundays, as the Danskin Women’s Triathlon (May 8) and the Rohto Florida Ironman 70.3 Triathlon (May 15) will be taking over the southbound lanes from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. each day. If you need to get to the Best Friends Pet Care Center (the only facility located on the southbound side of the road) during the races, follow the signs to a tented area in the Port Orleans Riverside Resort parking lot, where they will be providing a shuttle service.
…The Disney Dream‘s private dining room at Remy now has a name: Gusteau’s Room. The room includes scenes of Paris on the walls, and a “view” of the kitchen from Gusteau’s (as seen in Ratatouille) decorates the back wall. The room accommodates eight guests.
…Following the successful experiment with two evening showtimes for stage performances aboard the Disney Dream (and one afternoon showtime for the more popular shows), Disney Cruise Line has decided to offer the same performance schedule aboard the Disney Fantasy, with showtimes at 6:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., when it sets sail next year.
…The art galleries aboard the ships of the Disney Cruise Line have been taken over by Disney, replacing West End Gallery, the former third-party manager. The shops will follow the art gallery model used at the Art of Disney stores at Walt Disney World. Guests can either taken their purchased art home with them or have it shipped to them at the end of the cruise.
…While the negotiations for their full time contract were a long, protracted affair, the Service Trades Council Union have quickly come to agreement on a contract for Casual Regular (part-time) employees in less than a month. A tentative agreement has been reached on the main body of the contract, and voting information will be announced once the addendums for the individual council member unions has been completed.
…Registration for the Expedition Everest Challenge, scheduled for May 7, is now sold out. Registration for the event’s Kids Races is 70 percent full.
…Registration is now open for all races during the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend. Sign up now for the Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay, Disney Family Fun Run 5K, and Disney Kids’ Races. Registration for the individual half marathon is now 55 percent full!
…Registration for the events for the Walt Disney World Marathon 2012 is now open. Note: Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge is now 60 percent full!
Crowd update
Advertisement Crowd information and forecasts are provided by TouringPlans.com, the Web site of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, to help you better plan your trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. TouringPlans.com gathers wait time data from a team of in-park researchers and users of their Lines mobile phone application, and then predicts crowd levels for the next 365 days. Using a scale from 1 to 10, TouringPlans.com has a 90 percent accuracy of predicting the crowds to within 1 point, helping visitors prepare for their trips so they can “Do more. Wait less.”
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