BEYOND THE THEME PARKS

ANITA ANSWER
Archives

8/24/09
--Anita's Mini Blog for 8/24/09
--Space Mountain's Seating Configuration: Has It changed?
--Which Direction Was the Wand Set?
--Booking Accommodations for Six Online?

8/17/09
--A Brief History of Castaway Cay
--Name That Restaurant!
--The Morse Code Message in Spaceship Earth
--Answer to the 8/10 Trivia Question

8/10/09
--What Castle Served as the Inspiration for Cinderella Castle?
--The "Hotel" in the Canada Pavilion
--What About the Original Back Lot Tour?
--Anita's Mini Blog for 8/10/09

8/3/09
-- Anita's 8/3/09 Mini Blog
--What Was This Old Ride?
--Backlot Tour Bet
--Base Tickets and Extra Magic Hours
--Answers to Trivia Questions and Doctor Who Challenge

7/27/09
--Anita's 7/27/09 Mini Blog
--What Was the Name of This Ice Cream Shop?
--Square Footage of the New Treehouses
--When Do the Holiday Decorations Come Down?

7/13/09
--2009 Dates for Epcot's Candlelight Processional
--Using Music's Bus Stops When Staying at Movies?
--How Old Is Too Old for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique?
--Answer to the June 29 Trivia Question

7/6/09
--A European Trip Blog
--The Difference Between B and C Tickets?
--A Lounge with Live Music?
--No Car, No Grocery Stop. Where to Get Alcohol?

6/1/09
--Where is the Randy Pausch Plaque Located?
--What Was This Old Store in the Studios?
--Rod Serling and the Tower of Terror Pre-Show
--Answer to the May 25 Trivia Question

5/25/09
--Is Christmas Really That Crowded?
--Adult or Child Ticket When Child Turns 10 in the Middle of the Trip?
--Which Was the First Disney Vacation Club Resort to Open?
--Answer to the May 18 Trivia Question

5/18/09
--Will Pirates and the Haunted Mansion Be Closed In June?
--Where Would Anita Stay and Dine?
--What Are Those Stone Things at Epcot's Entrance?
--Answer to the May 4 Trivia Question

5/11/09
5/4/09
--The Mural in the Contemporary
--Showers at Old Key West's Pool
--A Flashing Light above the Blue Bayou Restaurant
--The Wasps' "Sting" in Tough to Be a Bug
--Answer to the April 27 Trivia Question

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Anita Answers

Hi! I'm Anita!

Got a question about Walt Disney World? I probably have the answer! Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Information Guide is the most comprehensive guide to the World on the Web, but if you still can't find the information you're looking for by using the Search Function, or the Anita Answer Archives, drop me a line and I'll do my best to find the answer for you. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, I can't answer every email I receive - however, I do read every one and try to answer as many as possible.

Check back weekly to see if your answer is waiting, check out my blog, Anita Talk, and be sure to subscribe to All Ears® to read my new Question of the Week featurette! Meanwhile, I'm All Ears!

Stacy writes:

My husband and I and our family will be at WDW next winter for a family vacation. I was wondering if you knew when the band at Raglan Road played. We would like to have dinner when they are playing, so if you could find this out for me I would be very grateful. Thanks and have a magical day!

Hi Stacy!

While it's a little early to predict when Raglan Road's entertainment will begin or even who might be performing during your stay, I can tell you that as of today, the featured entertainment begins at 9:00 p.m. each night. This could change between now and then, so be sure to check with Raglan Road as it gets closer to your vacation time.

Trivia Question:

Whose bronze likeness sits outside of Raglan Road in Downtown Disney, and why is it there? Answer in next week's column!

A.A.

Alan writes:

Anita, knowing what you know, what one thing amazes you the most about Walt Disney World?

Hi Alan!

That's a really big question packed into a deceptively short sentence! I had to think about this one for a while -- there are so many things that amaze me about the World that it's hard to pick just one. That said, I think I have to go with two things, because you can't have one without the other. I'll start with the World's scope:

Where else in the world can you find something that could entertain everyone in your family or group? There are theme parks of course, but there are also golf courses, water parks, nature trails, boating, tennis, Broadway-caliber shows, shopping, beautiful resort hotels, spas, fine dining and wine, sporting events, art shows, garden festivals, classes, tours, fishing excursions, horseback riding, wildlife, concerts, fireworks and night time spectaculars, and on and on and on. If you can't find something fun to do at the World, you're apparently not trying very hard!

Even more than the scope of the resort, the thing that most amazes me about the World is the cast. None of the above would be possible without them. They create and maintain the magic for us, both backstage and onstage. They design and build the attractions, they prepare and serve us our meals, they keep the parks and resorts clean and tidy, they keep us safe, they entertain us -- they do a million other little things each and every day that we never seem to see or appreciate. We tend to take them for granted, so the next time you visit the World, take a minute to think about and appreciate all they do for us, and maybe smile and say "thanks" to a few cast members you see along the way during your adventures.

Great question, Alan. Thanks for asking it!

A.A.

Rich writes:

I was under the impression that one of the restaurants within the Walt Disney World resort was for adult diners only. Is this true and if so what restaurant is it?

Hi Rich!

There is a restaurant in the Grand Floridian Resort called Victoria and Albert's; however, the minimum age to dine there is 10, so you may encounter older children.

Victoria and Albert's features a Prix Fixe menu that changes daily depending on season, availability of ingredients, etc. The current price per guest is $125, tax and gratuity not included, wine pairings extra. (Price subject to change.) Also, note that a dress code is enforced at Victoria and Albert's.

A.A.

Jennifer writes:

Anita, we always visit WDW the last part of May and every time the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station has been closed. This website notes it's open "seasonally." What times of the year is this counter service facility operating? We have had our hearts set on it and are disappointed each time. Thanks.

Hi Jennifer!

I like to refer to the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station as the Brigadoon of counter service restaurants. Broadway fans will remember that Brigadoon is a fictional Scottish village that appears for one day every hundred years. Well, OK, that may be an exaggeration comparison-wise, but it does seem like it's never open.

In Disney Speak, "seasonally" pretty much means "whenever it gets really busy and we need to have it open." Recently, I've seen it open during major holiday weeks like Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and sometimes in September it becomes a makeshift table service restaurant to accommodate the overflow of Free Dining program guests. I wish I had a better answer for you, but outside of those busy times, it's impossible to predict when it will be open.

Hope you have a delicious time at the World anyway!

A.A.

Tracee writes:

Can you tell me what happened to the Mickey's hand and wand that used to sit on the side of Spaceship Earth at the entrance of Epcot? I loved this addition and was sad when I returned and it had been taken down.

Hi Tracee!

The wand was erected in 1999 as a temporary embellishment for the Millennium Celebration at the World, and actually stayed up quite a bit longer than was originally planned. By the time it was dismantled and pieces of it could be seen closely, it was obvious that it was in very rough shape. After it was dismantled, it was taken to a remote area backstage to await sale as scrap metal. I haven't been back there to look, but I assume that was its ultimate fate. I have heard, but can't verify since I didn't see the contract with my own eyes, that when Siemens took over sponsorship of Spaceship Earth in late 2005, the company requested the removal of the wand as part of the deal. While the wand added a touch of fun during the Millennium Celebration, I think that Spaceship Earth is absolutely beautiful now that it's been restored to its original unembellished condition.

A.A.

Lynda writes:

I just heard the most upsetting news and was hoping you would know what was going on. My husband said he heard that GM will no longer sponsor Test Track due to their financial problems and they might have to close the ride. My family and I will be so upset about this, as this is our all-time favorite ride. I hope you can clear this up for us!

Hi Lynda!

If the Orlando Sentinel is to be believed (and it usually is!) the rumor about GM pulling out may be true, although no firm decision has been reached yet. Even without a sponsor, it's extremely unlikely that the popular ride will close, however.

GM's sponsorship of Test Track is due to expire at the end of March 2009, and as you know, GM is in deep financial trouble. Taking billions in bailouts from the US government and then spending millions on a theme park sponsorship probably won't sit well with GM's creditors, so my gut feeling is that GM will end its sponsorship soon. There are rumors of other car manufacturers taking over the sponsorship, but those are only RUMORS and nothing has been announced by the Walt Disney Company as of this writing. We'll all have to wait and see what GM decides to do in the coming days, but as I said, it's unlikely the ride itself will close.

A.A.

Dear Readers:

It seems that my weekly trivia questions have generated quite a bit of interest in their short lifespan! I'm so glad you're all having so much fun with them and learning a lot as you look for answers. This week, I'm kicking it up a notch in the fun department with a new occasional trivia feature. Before I get to that, a little background is necessary:

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to Flo on the phone about ways to make this column more interesting. The conversation wandered to discussions of my two favorite things, Disney and Doctor Who (post-2005 reboot). I'm a big fan of British television in general, but Doctor Who is my absolute all-time favorite. My passion for it rivals and sometimes surpasses my passion for Disney, believe it or not. Anyway, as we talked, Flo uttered the fateful words, "So, why don't you have some fun and combine the two somehow, then?" Now, I suspect she only said this because a) She was trying to steer the conversation away from all things Ten, TARDIS, Tennant and Temporal because she's not a fan and tends to go comatose when I speak of them, and b) I'm pretty sure she didn't really believe I could do it. I've never been one to walk away from a challenge, and especially not from one as interesting as this one! Since Flo and I often laugh about the fact that we can work Disney into any conversation or situation, she should have known that I could work Doctor Who into something Disney, right?

Out of her challenge grew an idea for a new sort of trivia feature -- one that looks for the connections between something non-Disney and Disney. On that note, I present to you Uber Disney Geeks possibly the craziest trivia crossover ever, "What Does That Have to Do with Disney #1: Disney Meets the Doctor." I'm not sure how many crossover fans there actually are of the Doctor and Disney besides myself and my dear friend Kev, but I think I'm about to find out! Hope you have as much fun with this as I did!

Allons-y! (That one's for you, Kev!)

WDTHTDWD #1 Disney Meets the Doctor

1. The Doctor quotes something from a well-known Disney film in an early episode from Series Two. What is the name of the film he quotes, and which episode is it from?

2. In the Season Two episode "Love and Monsters" a very well-known celebrity makes an extremely brief appearance. Who is it, and what is the celebrity's connection to Disney?

3. In the Series Four episode "Fires of Pompeii," someone mentions a Disney theme park. Which park is it, and who mentions it?

Answers in next week's column!

Anita

Last Week's Trivia Question:

In the Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror, there is an elevator inspection certificate in the load zone. It's signed by a "Mr. Cadwallader" and numbered 10259. Who is Mr. Cadwallader and what is the significance of that number?

This week, yet another record number of correct answers; over 80 of them to be precise! Space does not allow me to list all of you (Ditto would have my head on a platter, for one thing!) so this week's Disney Geeks of the Week are the first nine of you to answer correctly within an hour of the question being published. Congratulations to Kevin, Lynn, Alex, Alissa, Kendall, Lee, Kim, Margaret and Ken!

The correct answers to last week's questions are, "Cadwallader" was a devilish character from the Twilight Zone TV episode "Escape Clause," and "10259" is significant because it represents the broadcast date of the very first Twilight Zone episode on 10/2/59.

See you all next week!

Anita

That's it for this edition!

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