Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
THE DISNEY NEWS
January 11, 2006
Copyright © 1999 - 2006 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
To subscribe to Affordable Disney's blog, click the following
icon:
Or copy and paste the following URL into your RSS Reader:
http://affordabledisney.blogspot.com/atom.xml
: My Yahoo! users can instantly add our blog
content to My Yahoo! Add My Yahoo!
: You can also subscribe to our blog at MSN!
Add to My MSN!
=================================================
Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - including great news that Disney has
returned to its former Annual Pass Discount Program!
* The latest news from around the "World" - including an
article about the man who died at the end of the Walt Disney
World Half-Marathon on Saturday
* Misty sends us a trip report
* Kim writes about getting autographs from the Disney
characters
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about her visit next week
to Universal
* Natina shares with us her letter of complaint to Disney
regarding crowds at WDW during her recent vacation
* Jerry asks for advice about staying inside the park with
the elderly
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
WALT DISNEY WORLD:
Disney has returned to its former Annual Pass Discount
Program! Log in for the inside scoop and the latest deals!
--------------------------------
WDW Hotel Discount for Florida Residents!
--------------------------------
A new Walt Disney World vacation contest!
--------------------------------
Discount at SeaWorld and Discovery Cove
--------------------------------
Discount at Wet 'n Wild Water Park
--------------------------------
5 days at Universal for the price of one!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Receive a Disney Cruise Line Onboard credit per each
stateroom booked!
--------------------------------
Win a 3-, 4- or 7-day Disney Cruise!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Kids fly free on this airline!
Substantial discounts at Disneyland and Disney's California
Adventure for local residents.
Discounts at Universal Studios California: An annual pass
for $55!
SeaWorld San Diego: An annual pass for $53!
2006 Discounts on tickets to Knott's Berry Farm, 6 Flags,
SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld Wild Animal Park, and Universal
Hollywood!
--------------------------------
VEGAS
2 RESORT & CASINO WINTER SPECIALS!
Valid December 13, 2005 - January 29, 2006. Rates from:
$79 Sunday - Thursday
$149 Friday - Saturday
Includes:
* Deluxe Upgrade
* 2-for-1 drinks
* $20 FREE PLAY
* and more!
Offer expires January 29, 2006.
--------------------------------
Valid January 8 - 11, 30 - 31 and February 1 -2, 2006 at
these exclusive Sunday - Thursday rates:
* Deluxe Room - $159/Night
* Salone Suites - $249/Night
* Penthouse Suites - $499/night
Upgrade any suite to Lakeview for only $50/night!
Offer expires February 2, 2006.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Members should log in at our password-
protected site (The Disney Reading Room) to access the
particulars about the above mentioned specials.
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"Saturday Night Live's John Belushi. The man in black,
Johnny Cash. JFK. Screen heartthrob Johnny Depp. Monty
Python's John Cleese.
Focusing on celebrities named John may seem an
unconventional way to begin a weekly Bible study based on
the New Testament's Book of John. And 9:20 p.m. on a
Wednesday may seem an equally strange time for worship. But
both appear to work for about 25 college students -- most of
them Disney interns -- who have come for the weekly
gathering of "The Vista" at Lake Buena Vista Baptist Church."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/09/06)
--------------------------------
Shamu Remake at SeaWorld
"The new Shamu show, which will feature new interactions
between the whales and their trainers, is scheduled to debut
in May...
The new show is the product of three years of work now in
the final editing stage and will feature music written
specifically for the whales and their movements as well as
new underwater shots and monitors."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/09/06)
--------------------------------
"Preliminary autopsy results might be released today on the
man who collapsed after crossing the finish line at the Walt
Disney World Half-Marathon on Saturday."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/09/06)
--------------------------------
Downtown Disney's World of Disney Celebrates Its 10th
Anniversary
"the huge store will soon be opening a kiddie salon. The
50,000-square-foot outlet of all things Mousy is adding a
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique -- named for the song that
Cinderella's fairy godmother sings -- for girls who want to
get their hair, nails and makeup done like a princess...
Details:
* Opens April, 2006
* Includes 10 chairs
* Full treatment - gown, hairdo, manicure, cosmetics and
photo: $100
Visitors will also find more princess merchandise and
pirate/superhero related items for boys.
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/04/06)
--------------------------------
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Here are some photos of the repairs going on at Disney's
Grand California Hotel which caught fire recently.)
--------------------------------
Disneyland Resort Calendar
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without
notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message,
search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain
newspapers require a free registration to view their
articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than
one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
Misty sent us this report:
"This past May my husband and I brought our two children,
ages 4 and 6, to Disney World for the first time. I was 27
years old and it was my first time to Disney World as well.
We were all so excited. I probably watched the free video
10 times just trying to plan my whole vacation.
We booked our room at the Pop Century Resort, which was
excellent. We didn't really feel that we needed the park
hopper tickets (especially since it was our first time
there), so we bought 2 adult 10 day tickets with the magic
plus option for the water parks and such. We bought 2
children's 7 day tickets with the magic plus option as well.
I will never forget how excited we all were as we pulled
into the parking lot of our hotel. It was one of the neatest
things I have ever seen. Our room was in the fifties
section, and everything they had done to the outside of the
hotel was wonderful. We got to the hotel before check-in, so
we loaded onto the bus for Magic Kingdom.
It was truly a magical day. My children were so excited to
see all the Disney Characters. And I must admit that I was
pretty excited too. The service at the parks was wonderful.
The Fastpass was awesome. I am so used to standing in line
at amusement parks, so I was surprised how little we had to
wait with the fast pass. However, one of our tickets was
eaten by the fastpass machine. While we were waiting for
someone to come and retrieve it, they gave us a fastpass to
use right then for all four of us, plus when we got our
ticket back we still had a fastpass to use.
We spent the entire day at Magic Kingdom and still didn't
see half of what we wanted to. We spent an entire day at
Animal Kingdom, which was probably my favorite park. I loved
the Safari and trails. Plus, they had plenty of fun rides.
We spent an entire day at Epcot, each water park, MGM, and
another full day at Magic Kingdom. We went to Downtown
Disney 2 nights, and it was so pretty there with all of the
lights. A lot of people told us it wouldn't take us a couple
of hours at Epcot with two kids. No one thought that they
would enjoy it, but we ran out of time. Of course we were
there when they had all of the flowers. The characters cut
into the flowers and shrubbery was one of the most
spectacular things I have ever seen. Next time I come I am
bringing my mother (she's an avid gardener).
Anyway, we did the trip around the world, which our kids
loved. They had to stop at each of the Kidcot stops. We were
also doing the penny presses, and we got a bunch at Epcot.
The new ride Soarin' was awesome. My daughter was just tall
enough for the 40" requirement for most rides. She even rode
the Tower of Terror at MGM.
All in all, it was the best vacation I have ever had. We
can't wait to come back. It will probably be a few years
before we can afford it again, but it was a trip that was
well worth the money it cost."
Thank you, Misty, for the great feedback!
=================================================
Kim writes:
"In all the 4 times we have been to Walt Disney World, my
kids now ages 9 & 14, wanted autographs. We bought our
Disney Autograph books at our local Disney store, and on our
first night we always go to Chef Mickeys where the
characters stop at your table for pictures and autographs.
That way we have quite a few the first night and its not a
big line to get them. Any of the character meals are a great
way to get autographs."
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, writes:
"My husband and daughter have decided to take me to
Universal Studios next weekend as a birthday gift. Now, we
KNOW that it's them that really wants to go, but it's been
awhile for me and I book a lot of Universal, so it's good
that I should go from time to time. You can guess who has to
do all the planning for this gift, but that's OK, too. And
YOU get to take a peek into my thought process as I do it!
Being a travel agent has its benefits. I was able to get us
three nights in a "bay view" at the Portofino Bay, the most
posh of the onsite hotels, for $140 per night + tax.
Amazingly, this was $10 a night less than the Hard Rock, and
Royal Pacific wasn't available at all for our dates. We
won't be arriving until 7-ish Friday night, so it's good
that we are at a great resort. I joined the Loews frequent
guest program so that we will get a free upgrade when we
check in (if available, and if they will honor it for travel
agents). We've already cut out our "free dinner and a movie"
coupon from the Entertainment book, and while we don't plan
on seeing a movie that night, we're hoping to spread a
little pixie dust north of Disney by bestowing our movie
pass on someone else. We may also give away the meal,
depending on how crowded (and expensive) the free meal place
turns out to be. Not sure if all this will work out, but
we're looking forward to trying it.
I've purchased my tickets [to] Universal [in advance]. (See
Affordable Disney for the best places to purchase your
Universal tickets at a discount.) We will be doing "kiosk"
pickup, and it costs nothing extra. You have to use the same
card you used to buy the tickets, and you swipe that card
through something that looks like an ATM machine near the
entrance to either park. Then you have to have photo ID to
use with the tickets at the turnstiles; but before we head
to those, we'll be stopping by the Guest Services window
outside the park. You get one free coupon booklet
(reportedly full of BOGO - buy one get one free - coupons)
per ticket transaction, and I did my ticket order in two
transactions to get two booklets.
Once inside the park we'll be taking a few minutes to go
over the booklet and evaluate the usefulness of the coupons.
I've already printed out the menus (with pricing) of most of
the dining locations in both parks, and we'll quickly be
able to see if the All You Can Eat deal is better for us or
not... (See Affordable Disney for the details on this dining
plan.) I'm thinking that the BOGO coupons wouldn't get us
through three meals each at under $50 total, but I'll do the
math and see once I've gotten a look at those coupons. (I'm
wondering if I can find a list of those coupons online
somewhere. If not, I'll make one when I get home and at
least Affordable Disney readers will be "in the know!")
I've already printed out my Orlando Magic Card to get $5 off
a $20 food and beverage purchase at the Hard Rock Cafe, even
though I don't know that we'll be going there. I'll be in
search of other coupons this week as well. I think I've got
an awesome rate on the hotel, and staying on site has the
bonus or not only convenience, but going to the front of the
line at attractions! I'm happy with the [Universal] ticket
deal... So the food is the challenge now, and we've made a
good start.
Be watching to see how this all turns out!"
=================================================
Natina was not happy with the crowds at WDW during her
recent vacation. She sent us a copy of the letter she sent
to Disney. Here are some excerpts:
"I would like to inform you of our family experience (there
were 12 of us total) that took place at Disney’s Magic
Kingdom located in Orlando, Florida on October 27, 2005. I
am normally not one to complain, nor take the time to sit
and type a letter or to file a complaint about service; but
feel that I can offer you a solution to my complaint which
might be different from other letters you receive...
My children, niece, nephew and little sister had an absolute
blast at Magic Kingdom in spite of the overwhelming
attendance that we drowned in while visiting Disney.
However, it was an absolutely miserable day for us (the
adults). The entire day of constantly fighting the crowd,
and waiting 45-50 minutes at Crystal Palace with the Pooh
characters... and we had 2:15 reservations, only riding a
few rides because of the dreaded long wait in line for the
rides and the hour wait to get on the mono rail just to
leave the park.
My mother had knee surgery, so she had rented a scooter and
that line to return the scooter was about 40 minutes. We
spent a lot of money for tickets just to get in for one day
and my immediate family alone paid $77.00 for lunch that was
very good food, but we were in a corner and the characters
made us feel very rushed just to get a couple pictures. They
didn’t like us taking pictures of the kids by themselves and
wanted us to keep them in a group.
The Parade of Lights was so crowded that we spent 2 hours
not being able to go forward or backwards and push two
strollers through an absolutely unbearable crowd. My mother
was literally trapped on her scooter the entire time of the
parade. We couldn’t turn around even if we wanted to...
Also, we witnessed several verbal feuds among your guests
complaining about the Fastpass. It seems like it’s a nice
feature, but really needs to be modified or someone is going
to get hurt; people were getting so frustrated waiting in
lines and those others would walk up and get directly on the
rides.
We all looked so forward to visiting Disney. However, if you
would have told me that Disney was over 100% of their
capacity to hosts guests...WE WOULD NOT HAVE WENT!! We could
have taken the $1000.00 (just my family, which is 4 of us)
we spent at Disney and done several other family fun
vacation events that would have been just as fun for us All.
My proposal to Disney to perhaps correct some of the above
mentioned problems is as follows. Disney can post a capacity
% at the gate, or give a number for guests to call and hear
an estimate on the capacity % of the park. For example, the
particular day we went was probably 130% capacity which
would have caused us to call upon another park and check its
capacity. If it was at 75%-85% we would have went inside to
Magic Kingdom. We live in Indiana, and our Dome for Sporting
events and concerts can be estimated on its capacity. If
Indiana can do it; Disney can do it!
The Parade of Lights was only viewed by children that are in
the front row and there were many children present that did
not get to see any lights. Perhaps Disney can create
portable bleachers for a lot of the guests to rise up in
layers instead of the way it is currently done. I can’t
think of a better way to enhance your Fastpass feature, but
maybe Disney can rethink that one.
I could only hope this was an isolated incident because of
Hurricane Wilma and is not a normal course of business. If
so, it’s not one that I want to do business at."
We understand your frustration, Natina. Please let us know
if and how Disney responded to your letter.
=================================================
Jerry writes:
"We are planning to bring our 84 year old great-grandmother
with us. Do you have any insight/suggestions for staying
inside the park with elderly parents (65 y/o) and our great-
grandmother?"
I would follow our advice in the book for young children. Be
sure to get a room near the bus stop, keep cool, leave the
parks during the day to rest and relax, and return in the
evening, and take a day off now and then to skip the parks
and shop, swim and relax. Rent a wheelchair or scooter if
necessary. Be sure to follow our Customized Tours of the WDW
Theme Parks, paying particular attention to our comments on
the suitability of certain rides for those with physical
limitations.
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Don't Leave Home Without It!
Universal offers special deals to Universal Entertainment
MasterCard cardholders. Apply now and receive a movie ticket
with your first purchase! For more details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Books
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price.
Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have
been marked down to $1.99! To check out the bargains, click
here.
--------------------------------
Got Coupons?
With the Orlando Entertainment Book, you can save big on
travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more!
Coupons in the 2006 book are valid through 11/01/06. Save at
hotels and restaurants near Walt Disney World, on car
rental, airfare, admission to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld
Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa! For details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Accommodations
Get the guaranteed lowest prices at the Downtown Disney
Resorts as well as at hotels, condos and vacation rentals
outside Disney property. Plus! Receive up to a $100.00 rebate! For hotels, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Car Rental
Just enter in your travel dates, select the kind of car you
want, and receive a list of car rental prices at over 12
companies starting with the cheapest price! Click here.
Cheryl writes: "I saved over $200.00 on my mini van rental!!!"
--------------------------------
Affordable Airfare
This service delivers as many as 230 flight options in a
single search - more options than any other travel site.
It's possible to save as much as 80%! To compare prices, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Luggage
Save up to 60% on Luggage, Backpacks, and more! Donna and I
bought a beautiful 5-piece set of Samsonite luggage for our
daughter for Christmas for $144! Click here.
--------------------------------
Own a piece of the Magic Kingdom
Disney framed stock certificates are works of art. They
feature Walt Disney and the Disney characters. Unlike stock
brokers that require you to purchase several shares of
stock, OneShare sells one share of stock and mails you the
certificate. You can frame the stock certificate yourself or
OneShare will frame if for you at a nominal cost. Click here.
=============================================
See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information
contained in THE DISNEY NEWS. Always check to be sure. The
views and opinions expressed by others in THE DISNEY NEWS do
not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com.
=============================================
January 11, 2006
Copyright © 1999 - 2006 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
To subscribe to Affordable Disney's blog, click the following
icon:
Or copy and paste the following URL into your RSS Reader:
http://affordabledisney.blogspot.com/atom.xml
: My Yahoo! users can instantly add our blogcontent to My Yahoo! Add My Yahoo!
: You can also subscribe to our blog at MSN! Add to My MSN!
=================================================
Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - including great news that Disney has
returned to its former Annual Pass Discount Program!
* The latest news from around the "World" - including an
article about the man who died at the end of the Walt Disney
World Half-Marathon on Saturday
* Misty sends us a trip report
* Kim writes about getting autographs from the Disney
characters
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about her visit next week
to Universal
* Natina shares with us her letter of complaint to Disney
regarding crowds at WDW during her recent vacation
* Jerry asks for advice about staying inside the park with
the elderly
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
WALT DISNEY WORLD:
Disney has returned to its former Annual Pass Discount
Program! Log in for the inside scoop and the latest deals!
--------------------------------
WDW Hotel Discount for Florida Residents!
--------------------------------
A new Walt Disney World vacation contest!
--------------------------------
Discount at SeaWorld and Discovery Cove
--------------------------------
Discount at Wet 'n Wild Water Park
--------------------------------
5 days at Universal for the price of one!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Receive a Disney Cruise Line Onboard credit per each
stateroom booked!
--------------------------------
Win a 3-, 4- or 7-day Disney Cruise!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Kids fly free on this airline!
Substantial discounts at Disneyland and Disney's California
Adventure for local residents.
Discounts at Universal Studios California: An annual pass
for $55!
SeaWorld San Diego: An annual pass for $53!
2006 Discounts on tickets to Knott's Berry Farm, 6 Flags,
SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld Wild Animal Park, and Universal
Hollywood!
--------------------------------
VEGAS
2 RESORT & CASINO WINTER SPECIALS!
Valid December 13, 2005 - January 29, 2006. Rates from:
$79 Sunday - Thursday
$149 Friday - Saturday
Includes:
* Deluxe Upgrade
* 2-for-1 drinks
* $20 FREE PLAY
* and more!
Offer expires January 29, 2006.
--------------------------------
Valid January 8 - 11, 30 - 31 and February 1 -2, 2006 at
these exclusive Sunday - Thursday rates:
* Deluxe Room - $159/Night
* Salone Suites - $249/Night
* Penthouse Suites - $499/night
Upgrade any suite to Lakeview for only $50/night!
Offer expires February 2, 2006.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Members should log in at our password-
protected site (The Disney Reading Room) to access the
particulars about the above mentioned specials.
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"Saturday Night Live's John Belushi. The man in black,
Johnny Cash. JFK. Screen heartthrob Johnny Depp. Monty
Python's John Cleese.
Focusing on celebrities named John may seem an
unconventional way to begin a weekly Bible study based on
the New Testament's Book of John. And 9:20 p.m. on a
Wednesday may seem an equally strange time for worship. But
both appear to work for about 25 college students -- most of
them Disney interns -- who have come for the weekly
gathering of "The Vista" at Lake Buena Vista Baptist Church."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/09/06)
--------------------------------
Shamu Remake at SeaWorld
"The new Shamu show, which will feature new interactions
between the whales and their trainers, is scheduled to debut
in May...
The new show is the product of three years of work now in
the final editing stage and will feature music written
specifically for the whales and their movements as well as
new underwater shots and monitors."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/09/06)
--------------------------------
"Preliminary autopsy results might be released today on the
man who collapsed after crossing the finish line at the Walt
Disney World Half-Marathon on Saturday."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/09/06)
--------------------------------
Downtown Disney's World of Disney Celebrates Its 10th
Anniversary
"the huge store will soon be opening a kiddie salon. The
50,000-square-foot outlet of all things Mousy is adding a
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique -- named for the song that
Cinderella's fairy godmother sings -- for girls who want to
get their hair, nails and makeup done like a princess...
Details:
* Opens April, 2006
* Includes 10 chairs
* Full treatment - gown, hairdo, manicure, cosmetics and
photo: $100
Visitors will also find more princess merchandise and
pirate/superhero related items for boys.
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/04/06)
--------------------------------
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Here are some photos of the repairs going on at Disney's
Grand California Hotel which caught fire recently.)
--------------------------------
Disneyland Resort Calendar
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without
notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message,
search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain
newspapers require a free registration to view their
articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than
one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
Misty sent us this report:
"This past May my husband and I brought our two children,
ages 4 and 6, to Disney World for the first time. I was 27
years old and it was my first time to Disney World as well.
We were all so excited. I probably watched the free video
10 times just trying to plan my whole vacation.
We booked our room at the Pop Century Resort, which was
excellent. We didn't really feel that we needed the park
hopper tickets (especially since it was our first time
there), so we bought 2 adult 10 day tickets with the magic
plus option for the water parks and such. We bought 2
children's 7 day tickets with the magic plus option as well.
I will never forget how excited we all were as we pulled
into the parking lot of our hotel. It was one of the neatest
things I have ever seen. Our room was in the fifties
section, and everything they had done to the outside of the
hotel was wonderful. We got to the hotel before check-in, so
we loaded onto the bus for Magic Kingdom.
It was truly a magical day. My children were so excited to
see all the Disney Characters. And I must admit that I was
pretty excited too. The service at the parks was wonderful.
The Fastpass was awesome. I am so used to standing in line
at amusement parks, so I was surprised how little we had to
wait with the fast pass. However, one of our tickets was
eaten by the fastpass machine. While we were waiting for
someone to come and retrieve it, they gave us a fastpass to
use right then for all four of us, plus when we got our
ticket back we still had a fastpass to use.
We spent the entire day at Magic Kingdom and still didn't
see half of what we wanted to. We spent an entire day at
Animal Kingdom, which was probably my favorite park. I loved
the Safari and trails. Plus, they had plenty of fun rides.
We spent an entire day at Epcot, each water park, MGM, and
another full day at Magic Kingdom. We went to Downtown
Disney 2 nights, and it was so pretty there with all of the
lights. A lot of people told us it wouldn't take us a couple
of hours at Epcot with two kids. No one thought that they
would enjoy it, but we ran out of time. Of course we were
there when they had all of the flowers. The characters cut
into the flowers and shrubbery was one of the most
spectacular things I have ever seen. Next time I come I am
bringing my mother (she's an avid gardener).
Anyway, we did the trip around the world, which our kids
loved. They had to stop at each of the Kidcot stops. We were
also doing the penny presses, and we got a bunch at Epcot.
The new ride Soarin' was awesome. My daughter was just tall
enough for the 40" requirement for most rides. She even rode
the Tower of Terror at MGM.
All in all, it was the best vacation I have ever had. We
can't wait to come back. It will probably be a few years
before we can afford it again, but it was a trip that was
well worth the money it cost."
Thank you, Misty, for the great feedback!
=================================================
Kim writes:
"In all the 4 times we have been to Walt Disney World, my
kids now ages 9 & 14, wanted autographs. We bought our
Disney Autograph books at our local Disney store, and on our
first night we always go to Chef Mickeys where the
characters stop at your table for pictures and autographs.
That way we have quite a few the first night and its not a
big line to get them. Any of the character meals are a great
way to get autographs."
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, writes:
"My husband and daughter have decided to take me to
Universal Studios next weekend as a birthday gift. Now, we
KNOW that it's them that really wants to go, but it's been
awhile for me and I book a lot of Universal, so it's good
that I should go from time to time. You can guess who has to
do all the planning for this gift, but that's OK, too. And
YOU get to take a peek into my thought process as I do it!
Being a travel agent has its benefits. I was able to get us
three nights in a "bay view" at the Portofino Bay, the most
posh of the onsite hotels, for $140 per night + tax.
Amazingly, this was $10 a night less than the Hard Rock, and
Royal Pacific wasn't available at all for our dates. We
won't be arriving until 7-ish Friday night, so it's good
that we are at a great resort. I joined the Loews frequent
guest program so that we will get a free upgrade when we
check in (if available, and if they will honor it for travel
agents). We've already cut out our "free dinner and a movie"
coupon from the Entertainment book, and while we don't plan
on seeing a movie that night, we're hoping to spread a
little pixie dust north of Disney by bestowing our movie
pass on someone else. We may also give away the meal,
depending on how crowded (and expensive) the free meal place
turns out to be. Not sure if all this will work out, but
we're looking forward to trying it.
I've purchased my tickets [to] Universal [in advance]. (See
Affordable Disney for the best places to purchase your
Universal tickets at a discount.) We will be doing "kiosk"
pickup, and it costs nothing extra. You have to use the same
card you used to buy the tickets, and you swipe that card
through something that looks like an ATM machine near the
entrance to either park. Then you have to have photo ID to
use with the tickets at the turnstiles; but before we head
to those, we'll be stopping by the Guest Services window
outside the park. You get one free coupon booklet
(reportedly full of BOGO - buy one get one free - coupons)
per ticket transaction, and I did my ticket order in two
transactions to get two booklets.
Once inside the park we'll be taking a few minutes to go
over the booklet and evaluate the usefulness of the coupons.
I've already printed out the menus (with pricing) of most of
the dining locations in both parks, and we'll quickly be
able to see if the All You Can Eat deal is better for us or
not... (See Affordable Disney for the details on this dining
plan.) I'm thinking that the BOGO coupons wouldn't get us
through three meals each at under $50 total, but I'll do the
math and see once I've gotten a look at those coupons. (I'm
wondering if I can find a list of those coupons online
somewhere. If not, I'll make one when I get home and at
least Affordable Disney readers will be "in the know!")
I've already printed out my Orlando Magic Card to get $5 off
a $20 food and beverage purchase at the Hard Rock Cafe, even
though I don't know that we'll be going there. I'll be in
search of other coupons this week as well. I think I've got
an awesome rate on the hotel, and staying on site has the
bonus or not only convenience, but going to the front of the
line at attractions! I'm happy with the [Universal] ticket
deal... So the food is the challenge now, and we've made a
good start.
Be watching to see how this all turns out!"
=================================================
Natina was not happy with the crowds at WDW during her
recent vacation. She sent us a copy of the letter she sent
to Disney. Here are some excerpts:
"I would like to inform you of our family experience (there
were 12 of us total) that took place at Disney’s Magic
Kingdom located in Orlando, Florida on October 27, 2005. I
am normally not one to complain, nor take the time to sit
and type a letter or to file a complaint about service; but
feel that I can offer you a solution to my complaint which
might be different from other letters you receive...
My children, niece, nephew and little sister had an absolute
blast at Magic Kingdom in spite of the overwhelming
attendance that we drowned in while visiting Disney.
However, it was an absolutely miserable day for us (the
adults). The entire day of constantly fighting the crowd,
and waiting 45-50 minutes at Crystal Palace with the Pooh
characters... and we had 2:15 reservations, only riding a
few rides because of the dreaded long wait in line for the
rides and the hour wait to get on the mono rail just to
leave the park.
My mother had knee surgery, so she had rented a scooter and
that line to return the scooter was about 40 minutes. We
spent a lot of money for tickets just to get in for one day
and my immediate family alone paid $77.00 for lunch that was
very good food, but we were in a corner and the characters
made us feel very rushed just to get a couple pictures. They
didn’t like us taking pictures of the kids by themselves and
wanted us to keep them in a group.
The Parade of Lights was so crowded that we spent 2 hours
not being able to go forward or backwards and push two
strollers through an absolutely unbearable crowd. My mother
was literally trapped on her scooter the entire time of the
parade. We couldn’t turn around even if we wanted to...
Also, we witnessed several verbal feuds among your guests
complaining about the Fastpass. It seems like it’s a nice
feature, but really needs to be modified or someone is going
to get hurt; people were getting so frustrated waiting in
lines and those others would walk up and get directly on the
rides.
We all looked so forward to visiting Disney. However, if you
would have told me that Disney was over 100% of their
capacity to hosts guests...WE WOULD NOT HAVE WENT!! We could
have taken the $1000.00 (just my family, which is 4 of us)
we spent at Disney and done several other family fun
vacation events that would have been just as fun for us All.
My proposal to Disney to perhaps correct some of the above
mentioned problems is as follows. Disney can post a capacity
% at the gate, or give a number for guests to call and hear
an estimate on the capacity % of the park. For example, the
particular day we went was probably 130% capacity which
would have caused us to call upon another park and check its
capacity. If it was at 75%-85% we would have went inside to
Magic Kingdom. We live in Indiana, and our Dome for Sporting
events and concerts can be estimated on its capacity. If
Indiana can do it; Disney can do it!
The Parade of Lights was only viewed by children that are in
the front row and there were many children present that did
not get to see any lights. Perhaps Disney can create
portable bleachers for a lot of the guests to rise up in
layers instead of the way it is currently done. I can’t
think of a better way to enhance your Fastpass feature, but
maybe Disney can rethink that one.
I could only hope this was an isolated incident because of
Hurricane Wilma and is not a normal course of business. If
so, it’s not one that I want to do business at."
We understand your frustration, Natina. Please let us know
if and how Disney responded to your letter.
=================================================
Jerry writes:
"We are planning to bring our 84 year old great-grandmother
with us. Do you have any insight/suggestions for staying
inside the park with elderly parents (65 y/o) and our great-
grandmother?"
I would follow our advice in the book for young children. Be
sure to get a room near the bus stop, keep cool, leave the
parks during the day to rest and relax, and return in the
evening, and take a day off now and then to skip the parks
and shop, swim and relax. Rent a wheelchair or scooter if
necessary. Be sure to follow our Customized Tours of the WDW
Theme Parks, paying particular attention to our comments on
the suitability of certain rides for those with physical
limitations.
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Don't Leave Home Without It!
Universal offers special deals to Universal Entertainment
MasterCard cardholders. Apply now and receive a movie ticket
with your first purchase! For more details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Books
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price.
Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have
been marked down to $1.99! To check out the bargains, click
here.
--------------------------------
Got Coupons?
With the Orlando Entertainment Book, you can save big on
travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more!
Coupons in the 2006 book are valid through 11/01/06. Save at
hotels and restaurants near Walt Disney World, on car
rental, airfare, admission to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld
Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa! For details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Accommodations
Get the guaranteed lowest prices at the Downtown Disney
Resorts as well as at hotels, condos and vacation rentals
outside Disney property. Plus! Receive up to a $100.00 rebate! For hotels, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Car Rental
Just enter in your travel dates, select the kind of car you
want, and receive a list of car rental prices at over 12
companies starting with the cheapest price! Click here.
Cheryl writes: "I saved over $200.00 on my mini van rental!!!"
--------------------------------
Affordable Airfare
This service delivers as many as 230 flight options in a
single search - more options than any other travel site.
It's possible to save as much as 80%! To compare prices, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Luggage
Save up to 60% on Luggage, Backpacks, and more! Donna and I
bought a beautiful 5-piece set of Samsonite luggage for our
daughter for Christmas for $144! Click here.
--------------------------------
Own a piece of the Magic Kingdom
Disney framed stock certificates are works of art. They
feature Walt Disney and the Disney characters. Unlike stock
brokers that require you to purchase several shares of
stock, OneShare sells one share of stock and mails you the
certificate. You can frame the stock certificate yourself or
OneShare will frame if for you at a nominal cost. Click here.
=============================================
See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information
contained in THE DISNEY NEWS. Always check to be sure. The
views and opinions expressed by others in THE DISNEY NEWS do
not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com.
=============================================
posted by AffordableDisney.Com at 6:03 AM
<< Home