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! Meanwhile, I'm All Ears!

May 25, 2009

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

Robyn writes:

Our family has always wanted to go to Walt Disney World at Christmas. Is it really that crowded?

Hi Robyn!

Christmas week is always, bar none, the busiest week of the year at Walt Disney World. Imagine the largest crowd of people you've ever seen in at the World, multiply it by three, and it will give you some idea of just how crowded it can be. As my favorite hero, the Tenth Doctor [Who] says, "Think of the worst it could possibly be, and then add a whole suitcase full of 'bad' to that."

That said, the good news is that the parks will have extended regular hours, plus extended Extra Magic Hours (EMH) for Disney Resort guests, so if you plan it right, you can still beat the crowds. My family uses the Vampire Touring Plan, for instance. We don't usually go to the parks during the day, and instead go after dinner and stay for those very late EMH. We sleep in the next day, hang out by the pool, shop or rent a boat, and then do the parks again that night. The Vampire Touring Plan obviously will be more difficult for families with very small children, but if you're creative, you too can conquer the holiday crowds. For instance, you can try early EMH instead of late, or at least plan to arrive at park opening to get a head start. Staying at a Disney Resort is a must. Even when the parks start their daily phased closing due to capacity, resort guests can still get into the parks, plus only Disney resort guests can use EMH privileges. Eat meals outside of the parks, or if you eat inside the parks, eat at odd hours like 11 a.m. for lunch or 4 p.m. for dinner. If you want to dine in table service restaurants, make sure you have dining reservations well before you leave home. The key is to not be afraid of the crowds, but to plan wisely and learn how to work around them.

Have fun planning your trip!

A.A.

Michelle writes:

Hi Anita, I'm from the UK. On our next visit to Walt Disney World, my daughter will celebrate her tenth birthday. We plan to buy our 14 day Disney passes [Ed. Note: these are only available to residents of the UK] as she turns 10 halfway through the holiday. Will the child's pass be okay, or will we need to buy an adult pass? We plan to visit the parks before and after her birthday. Thank you.

Hi Michelle!

As long as your daughter is under 10 years old at the beginning of your trip, the child's ticket will be fine for your entire stay. For more information about Disney parks ticket media and how it can be used, please click here.

A.A.

John writes:

Hi Anita. Do you know which resort was the first Disney Vacation Club (DVC)? I told my friend that I was a charter member of the Vacation Club when we bought a membership at Old Key West around the early- to mid-90s. He says I'm wrong and that the Boardwalk Villas was a Vacation Club before that. I remember at the time there was talk of another vacation club opening somewhere around the Florida Keys, but to my knowledge Old Key West was the only one at the time we purchased our membership.

I also remember Disney provided our entire group (six) with length-of-stay passes every time we stayed on club points. These were park-hopper passes that also included the water parks and Disney Quest. Those were the days! Please tell my friend that I'm right and he's wrong so the world can go back to being normal. Thank you!

Hi John!

Tell your friend that you are correct. The very first DVC resort was Old Key West, which in those days was actually called "The Disney Vacation Club" and opened in October 1991. The next DVC resort to open was Vero Beach, in the fall of 1995, followed by the Hilton Head Resort in the spring of 1996. The Boardwalk Villas were fourth, opening in the summer of 1996. The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge opened in the fall of 2000; Beach Club Villas in the summer of 2002; Saratoga Springs in spring of 2004; and Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) in 2007. Opening soon are the Tree House Villas and Bay Lake Tower, and then the Hawaii resort in 2011.

Early purchasers of OKW were given length of stay passes as an incentive. That incentive ended several years ago, however.

Trivia Question:

What year did the Vacation Club Resort change its name to Old Key West? Answer will appear in the June 1 column.

A.A.

Last Week's Trivia Question:

Which of the Disney parks worldwide calls the Haunted Mansion by a different name, what is the name it's called, and in which land is it located?

Answer:

In Disneyland Paris, the Haunted Mansion is called Phantom Manor, and it's located in Frontierland.

Either you've all stepped up your Disney Geek game, or this week's question was too easy again, since I received 93 correct responses and 31 partially correct responses! Once again, that's far too many names to list here, but give yourselves a nice pat on the back and walk around holding your geek head high this week. Congratulations! I did want to give reader Neil from Wales a special shout out this week, however, and thank him for the lovely note he sent along with his correct trivia answers. Thanks, Neil!

See you next week,

Anita

That's it for this edition!

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