Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
THE DISNEY NEWS
January 25, 2006
Copyright © 1999 - 2006 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
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Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - including a possible Disney cruise to
France in 2007!
* The latest news from around the "World" - including
the debut of Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom
* Maria responds to Natina's letter of complaint to Disney
about crowds in the park
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about her recent visit to
Universal
* Kate writes about buying used Disney tickets
* Ludo writes about places in California related to Walt
Disney
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
For Affordable Disney members.... an update!
Beth, our travel agent, writes:
"Disney Cruise Line is still being very hush-hush about their
plans for summer 2007, but I have it on very good authority
that the official announcement (and the ability to book)
will come Tuesday, April 4. While DCL will still not admit
that the Disney Magic is doing anything "special" for the
summer of 2007, rumors about Hawaii, Alaska, and even the
Mediterranean have been around for months.
The truth is that Hawaii would be a very difficult cruise
for Disney to do because of certain restrictions regarding
ports of call. Also, Disney will be continuing the
Adventures by Disney program this summer which includes
phenomenal packages to Hawaii, so they already cover that
market. The real contenders are Alaska and the Med. This is
backed by a June survey that went out to many people asking
them to evaluate the attractiveness of several itineraries,
including a few for both Europe and Alaska as well as a
Mexican cruise from LA, but nothing for Hawaii.
Gut feeling from those in the know: start brushing up on
your French. Tom McAlpin, DCL president, was recently asked
to confirm the French Consulate's report that Disney would
be in a French port eight times during the summer of 2007.
He remained tight-lipped, but there seems no doubt now that
there IS something special coming.
In preparation for the big day, I've started a list of
interested people. That original list was faxed to
inventory control and those individuals will likely be
assigned something to suit their needs either just before
the cruises are released to the general public, or
immediately afterward - thus ensuring the lowest possible
pricing and best possible cabin assignments. If you were
not on that list, Disney has stopped taking faxed requests
now, but you can still send me your information and I'll get
you what I can on the 4th. In either case, you'll be
advised what I'm holding for you and have a few days to
decide whether or not you want to deposit on that cruise."
Affordable Disney Members should log in at our password-
protected site (The Disney Reading Room) for Beth's contact
information and the list of personal details she needs from
you to put you on the list.
If you're interested in finding out more about Adventures by
Disney, the land-based holidays for summer 2007 which last
year included Hawaii and Wyoming, members should contact
Beth and she'll let you know as soon as they release more
information.
--------------------------------
Disney's Halloween Pin Trading Cruise is now available for
booking! Features gifts, games and pin events.
--------------------------------
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
Disney buys Pixar Animation Studios for $7.4 billion!
"With Tuesday's agreement to buy industry pioneer Pixar
Animation Studios, Walt Disney Co. sent a clear signal that
it not only needs to fix its own ailing animation unit but
also that it aggressively plans to be at the forefront of
Hollywood's digital future." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/25/06)
--------------------------------
"On Saturday Walt Disney World brought down the curtain on
the live Tarzan Rocks! show [at Animal Kingdom] that has run
since 1999, the park's second year.
Disney officials said they closed the show to renovate and
enclose the 1,450-seat Theater in the Wild to better shield
against Central Florida weather. However, the show is not
returning. Disney plans to reopen the theater with a new,
yet to be announced, show after the renovations are done
late this year." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/24/06)
--------------------------------
Expedition Everest debuts at Animal Kingdom
"Walt Disney World called it nahtazu in its TV ads --
striving to define its Animal Kingdom as anything but a
plain old zoo.
But now, Disney is about to try a shot of steel-railed
adrenaline to drive home that message in an attempt to
attract more -- and younger -- visitors who want a little
more of a rush along with the lions, tigers, shows and
themed rides.
It's called Expedition Everest, Disney's first large outdoor
roller coaster that opens to annual- and seasonal-pass
holders late this week and other guests intermittently for
the next month." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/22/06)
"The Nepalese Coke bottles, pot-bellied stoves and a few
Buddha statues are real, imported from Asia. The tattered
handbills and intricate woodwork are handcrafted, in some
cases by Himalayan artisans, to meet Disney's needs. The
200-foot-high mountain range and robotic abominable snowman
are designers' dreams brought to reality.
Detail is what people get for the kind of money Walt Disney
World spent building Expedition Everest, the new mega-ride
at Disney's Animal Kingdom." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/25/06)
"I'd call it a pumped-up mix of Space Mountain and Big
Thunder Mountain Railroad with a furry audio-animatronic
Muppet lurking somewhere inside. A ride that blends
disorienting darkness with dizzying heights and speed
thrills for a trip that's equal parts 'ooh-ahh' and 'woo-
hoo.'" (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/25/06)
--------------------------------
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue attraction opened
Monday at Disney's California Adventure:
"...when an errant little girl nicknamed 'Boo' accidentally
enters the child-averse world of Monstropolis, fun and
mayhem ensue.
For the new attraction, guests climb aboard waiting taxis
and hit the streets of Monstropolis to follow the film's
stars Mike and Sulley on their mission to safely return Boo
to her bedroom." (Source: ocregister.com, 01/23/06)
--------------------------------
Smoking Policies
Six Flags: no smoking except at designated areas
Disneyland in Anaheim: no smoking except areas:
* outside the main gate
* by Big Thunder Trail and Frontierland
* by the Spanish fountain (entrance to the Haunted Mansion)
* Disneyland railroad station walkway
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park: no smoking except at
Camp Snoopy, eateries and stores.
(Source: ocregister.com, 01/20/06)
--------------------------------
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.
=================================================
Maria responds to the letter we published last week from
Maryann, who took Natina to task for complaining about the
crowds during her October, 2005 vacation at WDW in issue
#302 (See The Disney News Archive for that issue):
"I totally agree with Maryann about Natina's letter. My
family went down to WDW last July in the midst of the crowds
and heat and managed to have a wonderful time because of the
planning I did on your site along with a few others. Thanks
for all of the helpful information."
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, visited Universal last week and sent
us a trip report:
"Universal Orlando - A Disney Lover's Review
We arrived at the Portofino Bay Resort after dark, so my
first impression of the resort was of a dimly lit parking
garage. Happy that my 6'4" husband was in tow, we lugged our
small amount of luggage through the area to the elevator -
only to realize as we waited for the doors to open that the
signage we'd followed to get to it also told us we'd need to
bring our parking ticket inside.
Yet again I was thankful my husband was with us! He ran back
to the car while my daughter and I loaded the elevator and
then held the doors. When they opened again, we found we had
to drag our bags past the convention entrance and over to
the main doors. Not a long walk, but we were already tired
from the drive. The idea of valet parking had occurred to
me, but even self- parking is $10 a day at this resort (more
for those not registered as guests) so with wallet in mind,
we opted for the walk.
We quickly found the front desk, and the lengthy line in
front of it. There were three desk clerks checking in the
main line and one checking in members of the chain's
frequent guest program. There was no one in the Loews First
line other than the couple being helped, so we went to the
head of the line and waited, glad that I'd joined the
program awhile back. It turned out that we'd have been
checked in faster waiting in the much longer regular line.
Live and learn.
When it was finally our turn, the first thing the person
behind the counter told me was that they would not honor the
Loews First perks for me because we were on a travel agent
rate. Now, I am truly not one of those agents always trying
to squeeze favors and benefits out of suppliers. In fact, I
don't really have to try because most of them bend over
backwards trying to impress agents without being asked. Not
this resort, though. I have to say that it's the first time
that my frequent guest benefits have been denied by ANY
chain just because I was traveling on a discounted rate.
Well, it took less than 10 minutes to check us in. Although
the reservation was for two adults and a child, they'd
failed to notice the "child" part of it. Nonetheless, we'd
been assigned a room with two beds so that was fine. The
verbal instructions we were given to the West Wing sounded
more like instructions for walking to Montana. No map was
used, so I did my best to memorize the instructions on
finding the arch marked West Wing.
It was dark, though, and there were a LOT of arches out
there. After asking two employees for directions (they
didn't know) and wandering around for about 20 minutes, we
finally stopped a couple walking their dog. (Many guests
were taking advantage of the pet-friendly rules.) We asked
if they'd seen the West Wing on their travels around the
property, and it turned out their own room was there. They
said it was too hard to explain where it was, so they led us
there. If we'd arrived before the sun went down we'd have
probably seen it pretty easily, but at night especially, the
resort needs to use printed maps.
So up to the third floor we went, down the hall, and into
our room. The bay view room was really very lovely. It's
about the size of a Yacht/Beach Club room with a BIG
bathroom. There were two queen beds, and the resort has
rollaways available. Although the window was large, it did
NOT open out to a balcony as the Disney deluxe resort rooms
do. I have to say that I missed that feature.
There was a frig, but it was already full of every beverage
imaginable. Fortunately, it's not the sort or frig with
those nasty sensors. We removed a bunch of the stuff so that
we could put our self-provided water bottles inside. The
prices on the frig items as well as a number of munchies and
other things (sewing kit, rain poncho, etc.) in a drawer
were as expensive as you'd guess they would be, so we
reminded our daughter not to even think about eating or
drinking anything... most especially the $7 bottles of
water! Free of charge, though, were some nice lotions,
soaps, and shampoos, coffee to use in the 4-cup coffee
maker, and some small packages of q-tips and cotton balls.
A sign on the bathroom counter advised that there was a long
list of things they'd loan us - a belt, a bow tie, a reading
light, a portable CD player, etc. - if we found ourselves in
need. The TV had a DVD player hooked up, and the alarm clock
had a CD player built in, so I have to say that the resort
gets high marks on their attempt to think of everything you
might need.
Off to find food. There was no shortage of dining locations,
but many were serving a bigger and more formal dinner than
we were after. We ended up at a deli which also made pizza.
It was very crowded and understaffed, but they said they
were unexpectedly hit hard (sort of like the front desk when
we checked in) and it did quiet down pretty quickly. After
12 minutes in line and another 15 minute wait at the table,
the pizza finally came. $18 got us a very good - but small -
pizza and three iced teas. (Maybe the size of a Dominoes
medium.) Still hungry, but too tired to care, we strolled
back across the piazza and enjoyed the cool evening on our
way back to the West Wing for a little TV and a great
night's sleep. (More later.)"
=================================================
Kate writes:
"Hi John,
love your newsletter! we're flying again to Orlando at the
end of January, flights and villa already booked, now we're
wondering about attraction tickets. Last time we were there,
some folks from our rental came over and offered us a deal
to "share" tickets with other families staying in their
rentals. This meant 1) getting the 7 or 10 day price for
just one day (plus a small commission of course) and 2) the
possibility to park hop though we were visiting the park for
just one day. We were really happy to have been offered this
deal though it probably was less than kosher... Have you
heard of this kind of thing? Do you guys do any kind of
family matching up perhaps?"
Disney now scans your fingers when you activate your ticket.
They will then scan your fingers each time you enter a park
so they know you are the one who bought the ticket! If the
tickets you want to buy have already been scanned, Disney
will confiscate your ticket when your scan doesn't match the
scan that goes with the ticket you bought.
Moreover, you have to trust the seller that there are days
still left on your tickets. There is no way to be sure
unless Disney scans your ticket. The only loophole I've read
about is Disney does not scan the fingers of children under
10. But you still don't know if the child ticket has any
days left on it.
=================================================
Ludo writes:
"I followed your advice and booked a very interesting offer
via the Disneyland website... I started searching and found
the following locations [relating to Walt Disney] which we
all visited."
DISNEY LOCATIONS LOS ANGELES
Walt Disney Studios
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91505
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Studios/DisneyStudios.shtml
First Disney Studio
2719 Hyperion Avenue (near Los Feliz Boulevard)
East of Downtown LA
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center (where Walt died)
(opposite the Walt Disney Studios)
501 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91505
Walt Disney home
355 Carolwood Drive
Beverly Hills
Forest Lawn Glendale (where Walt is buried)
1712 South Glendale Avenue
Glendale
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Buried2/ForestLawnGlendale.shtml
Will Rogers State Park (where Walt played polo)
1501 Will Rogers State Park Road (at Sunset Boulevard),
Pacific Palisades
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Live/WillRogersPark.shtml
LA Steamers - Carolwood Pacific Historical Society (Walt’s Barn)
Griffith Park LA
5202 Zoo Drive
Beverly Hills
http://www.carolwood.com/
Gordon R. Howard Museum (history of the Studio and Disneyland)
1015 West Olive Avenue
Burbank, CA 91506
http://www.burbankhistsoc.com/new.htm
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90012 (Downtown)
http://www.musiccenter.org/wdch/
El Capitan Theatre
6838 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan/index.html
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Awards/ChineseTheatreCeremonies.shtml
ABC Television Centre Studios
4151 Prospect Avenue
Hollywood
Hollywood Walk of Fame
6925 Hollywood Boulevard: Mickey Mouse
7021 Hollywood Boulevard: Walt Disney
Thank you, Ludo, for sharing the results of your search with
us!
=================================================
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 25, 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 a possible Disney cruise to
France in 2007!
* The latest news from around the "World" - including
the debut of Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom
* Maria responds to Natina's letter of complaint to Disney
about crowds in the park
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about her recent visit to
Universal
* Kate writes about buying used Disney tickets
* Ludo writes about places in California related to Walt
Disney
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
For Affordable Disney members.... an update!
Beth, our travel agent, writes:
"Disney Cruise Line is still being very hush-hush about their
plans for summer 2007, but I have it on very good authority
that the official announcement (and the ability to book)
will come Tuesday, April 4. While DCL will still not admit
that the Disney Magic is doing anything "special" for the
summer of 2007, rumors about Hawaii, Alaska, and even the
Mediterranean have been around for months.
The truth is that Hawaii would be a very difficult cruise
for Disney to do because of certain restrictions regarding
ports of call. Also, Disney will be continuing the
Adventures by Disney program this summer which includes
phenomenal packages to Hawaii, so they already cover that
market. The real contenders are Alaska and the Med. This is
backed by a June survey that went out to many people asking
them to evaluate the attractiveness of several itineraries,
including a few for both Europe and Alaska as well as a
Mexican cruise from LA, but nothing for Hawaii.
Gut feeling from those in the know: start brushing up on
your French. Tom McAlpin, DCL president, was recently asked
to confirm the French Consulate's report that Disney would
be in a French port eight times during the summer of 2007.
He remained tight-lipped, but there seems no doubt now that
there IS something special coming.
In preparation for the big day, I've started a list of
interested people. That original list was faxed to
inventory control and those individuals will likely be
assigned something to suit their needs either just before
the cruises are released to the general public, or
immediately afterward - thus ensuring the lowest possible
pricing and best possible cabin assignments. If you were
not on that list, Disney has stopped taking faxed requests
now, but you can still send me your information and I'll get
you what I can on the 4th. In either case, you'll be
advised what I'm holding for you and have a few days to
decide whether or not you want to deposit on that cruise."
Affordable Disney Members should log in at our password-
protected site (The Disney Reading Room) for Beth's contact
information and the list of personal details she needs from
you to put you on the list.
If you're interested in finding out more about Adventures by
Disney, the land-based holidays for summer 2007 which last
year included Hawaii and Wyoming, members should contact
Beth and she'll let you know as soon as they release more
information.
--------------------------------
Disney's Halloween Pin Trading Cruise is now available for
booking! Features gifts, games and pin events.
--------------------------------
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
Disney buys Pixar Animation Studios for $7.4 billion!
"With Tuesday's agreement to buy industry pioneer Pixar
Animation Studios, Walt Disney Co. sent a clear signal that
it not only needs to fix its own ailing animation unit but
also that it aggressively plans to be at the forefront of
Hollywood's digital future." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/25/06)
--------------------------------
"On Saturday Walt Disney World brought down the curtain on
the live Tarzan Rocks! show [at Animal Kingdom] that has run
since 1999, the park's second year.
Disney officials said they closed the show to renovate and
enclose the 1,450-seat Theater in the Wild to better shield
against Central Florida weather. However, the show is not
returning. Disney plans to reopen the theater with a new,
yet to be announced, show after the renovations are done
late this year." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/24/06)
--------------------------------
Expedition Everest debuts at Animal Kingdom
"Walt Disney World called it nahtazu in its TV ads --
striving to define its Animal Kingdom as anything but a
plain old zoo.
But now, Disney is about to try a shot of steel-railed
adrenaline to drive home that message in an attempt to
attract more -- and younger -- visitors who want a little
more of a rush along with the lions, tigers, shows and
themed rides.
It's called Expedition Everest, Disney's first large outdoor
roller coaster that opens to annual- and seasonal-pass
holders late this week and other guests intermittently for
the next month." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/22/06)
"The Nepalese Coke bottles, pot-bellied stoves and a few
Buddha statues are real, imported from Asia. The tattered
handbills and intricate woodwork are handcrafted, in some
cases by Himalayan artisans, to meet Disney's needs. The
200-foot-high mountain range and robotic abominable snowman
are designers' dreams brought to reality.
Detail is what people get for the kind of money Walt Disney
World spent building Expedition Everest, the new mega-ride
at Disney's Animal Kingdom." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/25/06)
"I'd call it a pumped-up mix of Space Mountain and Big
Thunder Mountain Railroad with a furry audio-animatronic
Muppet lurking somewhere inside. A ride that blends
disorienting darkness with dizzying heights and speed
thrills for a trip that's equal parts 'ooh-ahh' and 'woo-
hoo.'" (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/25/06)
--------------------------------
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue attraction opened
Monday at Disney's California Adventure:
"...when an errant little girl nicknamed 'Boo' accidentally
enters the child-averse world of Monstropolis, fun and
mayhem ensue.
For the new attraction, guests climb aboard waiting taxis
and hit the streets of Monstropolis to follow the film's
stars Mike and Sulley on their mission to safely return Boo
to her bedroom." (Source: ocregister.com, 01/23/06)
--------------------------------
Smoking Policies
Six Flags: no smoking except at designated areas
Disneyland in Anaheim: no smoking except areas:
* outside the main gate
* by Big Thunder Trail and Frontierland
* by the Spanish fountain (entrance to the Haunted Mansion)
* Disneyland railroad station walkway
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park: no smoking except at
Camp Snoopy, eateries and stores.
(Source: ocregister.com, 01/20/06)
--------------------------------
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.
=================================================
Maria responds to the letter we published last week from
Maryann, who took Natina to task for complaining about the
crowds during her October, 2005 vacation at WDW in issue
#302 (See The Disney News Archive for that issue):
"I totally agree with Maryann about Natina's letter. My
family went down to WDW last July in the midst of the crowds
and heat and managed to have a wonderful time because of the
planning I did on your site along with a few others. Thanks
for all of the helpful information."
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, visited Universal last week and sent
us a trip report:
"Universal Orlando - A Disney Lover's Review
We arrived at the Portofino Bay Resort after dark, so my
first impression of the resort was of a dimly lit parking
garage. Happy that my 6'4" husband was in tow, we lugged our
small amount of luggage through the area to the elevator -
only to realize as we waited for the doors to open that the
signage we'd followed to get to it also told us we'd need to
bring our parking ticket inside.
Yet again I was thankful my husband was with us! He ran back
to the car while my daughter and I loaded the elevator and
then held the doors. When they opened again, we found we had
to drag our bags past the convention entrance and over to
the main doors. Not a long walk, but we were already tired
from the drive. The idea of valet parking had occurred to
me, but even self- parking is $10 a day at this resort (more
for those not registered as guests) so with wallet in mind,
we opted for the walk.
We quickly found the front desk, and the lengthy line in
front of it. There were three desk clerks checking in the
main line and one checking in members of the chain's
frequent guest program. There was no one in the Loews First
line other than the couple being helped, so we went to the
head of the line and waited, glad that I'd joined the
program awhile back. It turned out that we'd have been
checked in faster waiting in the much longer regular line.
Live and learn.
When it was finally our turn, the first thing the person
behind the counter told me was that they would not honor the
Loews First perks for me because we were on a travel agent
rate. Now, I am truly not one of those agents always trying
to squeeze favors and benefits out of suppliers. In fact, I
don't really have to try because most of them bend over
backwards trying to impress agents without being asked. Not
this resort, though. I have to say that it's the first time
that my frequent guest benefits have been denied by ANY
chain just because I was traveling on a discounted rate.
Well, it took less than 10 minutes to check us in. Although
the reservation was for two adults and a child, they'd
failed to notice the "child" part of it. Nonetheless, we'd
been assigned a room with two beds so that was fine. The
verbal instructions we were given to the West Wing sounded
more like instructions for walking to Montana. No map was
used, so I did my best to memorize the instructions on
finding the arch marked West Wing.
It was dark, though, and there were a LOT of arches out
there. After asking two employees for directions (they
didn't know) and wandering around for about 20 minutes, we
finally stopped a couple walking their dog. (Many guests
were taking advantage of the pet-friendly rules.) We asked
if they'd seen the West Wing on their travels around the
property, and it turned out their own room was there. They
said it was too hard to explain where it was, so they led us
there. If we'd arrived before the sun went down we'd have
probably seen it pretty easily, but at night especially, the
resort needs to use printed maps.
So up to the third floor we went, down the hall, and into
our room. The bay view room was really very lovely. It's
about the size of a Yacht/Beach Club room with a BIG
bathroom. There were two queen beds, and the resort has
rollaways available. Although the window was large, it did
NOT open out to a balcony as the Disney deluxe resort rooms
do. I have to say that I missed that feature.
There was a frig, but it was already full of every beverage
imaginable. Fortunately, it's not the sort or frig with
those nasty sensors. We removed a bunch of the stuff so that
we could put our self-provided water bottles inside. The
prices on the frig items as well as a number of munchies and
other things (sewing kit, rain poncho, etc.) in a drawer
were as expensive as you'd guess they would be, so we
reminded our daughter not to even think about eating or
drinking anything... most especially the $7 bottles of
water! Free of charge, though, were some nice lotions,
soaps, and shampoos, coffee to use in the 4-cup coffee
maker, and some small packages of q-tips and cotton balls.
A sign on the bathroom counter advised that there was a long
list of things they'd loan us - a belt, a bow tie, a reading
light, a portable CD player, etc. - if we found ourselves in
need. The TV had a DVD player hooked up, and the alarm clock
had a CD player built in, so I have to say that the resort
gets high marks on their attempt to think of everything you
might need.
Off to find food. There was no shortage of dining locations,
but many were serving a bigger and more formal dinner than
we were after. We ended up at a deli which also made pizza.
It was very crowded and understaffed, but they said they
were unexpectedly hit hard (sort of like the front desk when
we checked in) and it did quiet down pretty quickly. After
12 minutes in line and another 15 minute wait at the table,
the pizza finally came. $18 got us a very good - but small -
pizza and three iced teas. (Maybe the size of a Dominoes
medium.) Still hungry, but too tired to care, we strolled
back across the piazza and enjoyed the cool evening on our
way back to the West Wing for a little TV and a great
night's sleep. (More later.)"
=================================================
Kate writes:
"Hi John,
love your newsletter! we're flying again to Orlando at the
end of January, flights and villa already booked, now we're
wondering about attraction tickets. Last time we were there,
some folks from our rental came over and offered us a deal
to "share" tickets with other families staying in their
rentals. This meant 1) getting the 7 or 10 day price for
just one day (plus a small commission of course) and 2) the
possibility to park hop though we were visiting the park for
just one day. We were really happy to have been offered this
deal though it probably was less than kosher... Have you
heard of this kind of thing? Do you guys do any kind of
family matching up perhaps?"
Disney now scans your fingers when you activate your ticket.
They will then scan your fingers each time you enter a park
so they know you are the one who bought the ticket! If the
tickets you want to buy have already been scanned, Disney
will confiscate your ticket when your scan doesn't match the
scan that goes with the ticket you bought.
Moreover, you have to trust the seller that there are days
still left on your tickets. There is no way to be sure
unless Disney scans your ticket. The only loophole I've read
about is Disney does not scan the fingers of children under
10. But you still don't know if the child ticket has any
days left on it.
=================================================
Ludo writes:
"I followed your advice and booked a very interesting offer
via the Disneyland website... I started searching and found
the following locations [relating to Walt Disney] which we
all visited."
DISNEY LOCATIONS LOS ANGELES
Walt Disney Studios
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91505
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Studios/DisneyStudios.shtml
First Disney Studio
2719 Hyperion Avenue (near Los Feliz Boulevard)
East of Downtown LA
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center (where Walt died)
(opposite the Walt Disney Studios)
501 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91505
Walt Disney home
355 Carolwood Drive
Beverly Hills
Forest Lawn Glendale (where Walt is buried)
1712 South Glendale Avenue
Glendale
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Buried2/ForestLawnGlendale.shtml
Will Rogers State Park (where Walt played polo)
1501 Will Rogers State Park Road (at Sunset Boulevard),
Pacific Palisades
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Live/WillRogersPark.shtml
LA Steamers - Carolwood Pacific Historical Society (Walt’s Barn)
Griffith Park LA
5202 Zoo Drive
Beverly Hills
http://www.carolwood.com/
Gordon R. Howard Museum (history of the Studio and Disneyland)
1015 West Olive Avenue
Burbank, CA 91506
http://www.burbankhistsoc.com/new.htm
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90012 (Downtown)
http://www.musiccenter.org/wdch/
El Capitan Theatre
6838 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan/index.html
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Awards/ChineseTheatreCeremonies.shtml
ABC Television Centre Studios
4151 Prospect Avenue
Hollywood
Hollywood Walk of Fame
6925 Hollywood Boulevard: Mickey Mouse
7021 Hollywood Boulevard: Walt Disney
Thank you, Ludo, for sharing the results of your search with
us!
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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=============================================
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 7:02 AM
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