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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 Site Map,
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 and see if your answer is waiting, and be sure to check
out my blog, Anita Talk. Meanwhile,
I'm All Ears!
Vicki
writes:
Hi Anita.
My question is about adding the "no expiration" option to
tickets. I know that it can be added after the original purchase, but
I am sure that I've read somewhere that whenever you decide to add this
option (or any other) the cost is based on the original number of days
purchased for the tickets. My brother told me he recently called and
ordered his tickets from Disney and was told that if he didn't use all
of the days for his 6-day tickets he could add the option and only pay
for the number of days remaining. In his case, he was quoted a total
of $84.00 to add the "no expiration" option for only the 2
leftover days for all 4 of their tickets (2 adult/2child) before they
leave WDW. If this is the case, why would anyone initially start with
the "no expiration" option? Of course, being able to add this
option and only pay for the leftover days certainly would make more
sense, but I am skeptical!
Hi Vicki!
You're
right to be skeptical, because it just ain't so. I double-checked with
our handsome and charming Ticket Expert Guy, Jack M., and he concurs.
Adding the "no expiration" option to unused days on a MYW
pass is calculated using the number of days originally purchased on
the pass. On 6-day passes, your brother would have to pay an additional
$69.23 including tax (price subject to change) on each of the 4 tickets,
both adult and child. That's an additional $276.92, not $84.00. Jack
and I agree that your brother must have spoken to a new CM who wasn't
quite up to speed on the ins and outs of Magic Your Way ticket options.
Promise me you'll break the news to your brother gently. (Kidding!)
For more
information about MYW ticket options, please read AllEars.net's
Ticket pricing comparison charts.
A.A.
Lauri
writes:
I have
a question and couldn't find an answer, so of course I thought of you!
I could have sworn I heard somewhere that the Caribbean Beach Resort
was undergoing an extensive renovation starting in September. Do you
know if this is true? If it is true, do they know when it will be finished?
We are planning a trip in early 2009, and would like to stay at that
resort. Thanks for all your answers! It brightens up the beginning of
each week!
Hi Laurie!
Earlier
last week, Walt Disney World announced that it would begin refurbishing
several resorts this summer, starting with the Caribbean
Beach Resort and the Boardwalk.
No specific dates were mentioned, however. Plans are to paint, and to
replace furniture, carpeting and wallpaper. The refurb isn't expected
to affect current resort bookings, as they'll do the work at CBR one
building or one "island" at a time.
Meanwhile,
work is coming along swimmingly (sorry!) at the new themed pool at Old
Port Royale, and the RUMOR is that the pool is expected to reopen
earlier than originally thought; possibly even early August. The pool
and surrounding area were demolished earlier this year and are being
re-themed and rebuilt. The original target date for reopening was September
16, 2008, so until something is officially announced by the Walt Disney
Company, don't count on an early opening, but CBR guests visiting this
summer may get a nice surprise.
A.A.
Susan
writes:
After more
than 30 visits to WDW, we recently visited Disneyland for the first
time. After riding Pirates of the Caribbean there (which we found to
be far superior to the one at the Magic Kingdom), I wondered about the
length of the larger drop in comparison to the 5-story drop of Splash
Mountain. I realize the angles of the drops may be different, but can
you tell me how the lengths compare? Thanks for your time. Reading your
column is always a highlight of my Monday mornings!
Hi Susan!
At Disneyland,
PotC's first drop is 52 feet long, and the second one is 37
feet long.
At WDW, PotC's only drop
is also 52 feet long.
Disneyland's
Splash Mountain's big drop is 52.5 feet long.
WDW's Splash Mountain's big
drop is also 52.5 feet long.
The longer
drops' lengths are pretty much equal on all four attractions, and as
you mentioned, only the angle of the drop differs.
Trivia:
Ever wonder why Disneyland's Pirates ride is longer, and why it has
two drops?
The answer to the former is that it was the original version; the last
project overseen by Walt Disney himself. It opened in DL in March 1967.
A PoTC attraction was never planned for Florida at all, and it was necessary
to add it rather quickly after numerous angry guests demanded to know
why there wasn't a PoTC in WDW, too. This is how WDW ended up with an
abbreviated version -- Well, that and budget constraints, combined.
The Magic Kingdom opened its very own PoTC in December 1973.
The answer
to the latter is that in Disneyland, they aren't blessed with wide open
spaces, so the only way to build the PoTC attraction properly was to
erect the show building outside of the park's berm. "OK, so how
do we get guests past the railroad tracks and the berm?" they asked
themselves. Answer? Go under them! So, DL has two drops out of neccessity
to get under the tracks and the berm to the lower area of the show building.
The WDW version's show building is also outside the tracks, but only
requires one drop to get under them and into the show building.
Yeah, yeah...
I know. Once again, when asked for the time, I had to tell you how the
clock was built. Sometimes I just can't help myself!
Big thanks to my friend Rob for his help with corrections and additional
information on this answer.
A.A.
Cory
writes:
Hi Anita.
We're planning a trip to the World this fall, and another one in winter.
Given the number of nights we'll be staying (7 or 8 days each trip),
we are sure that the Annual Pass makes the most sense for us.
The Annual
Pass prices listed on AllEars.net are higher than the ones we've found
on the Canadian Disney website. For instance, an adult AP is showing
on Disney's website as $395.00, while on AllEars it is $477.12. I know
the AllEars price includes the 6.5% tax, but that still translates to
a before-tax price of $448.00. Why is Disney's price $53 cheaper? Are
there other hidden fees associated with the Annual Pass that Disney
is not listing? Does it matter that we live in Canada? I notice that
when I go in through disney.com (instead of disney.ca), the quoted price
is indeed $448.00. Thanks!
Hi Cory!
I checked
both the US Disney.com site and the CA Disney.com site, and you're correct.
The price on the Canadian site is considerably less, even with exchange
rates taken into consideration. Unless for some reason the Canadian
site hasn't been updated recently (unlikely) it appears that Disney
is offering the passes at a deeper discount to Canadians, probably as
an incentive to bring more people into WDW. If you can get them at $395.00
plus tax, I'd grab them now. The only discount better than that is the
Disney Vacation Club discount, which
prices AP's at $370.62 including tax. DVC rates are only available to
DVC members, however. By the way, Annual Pass prices tend to go up in
early August, so hurry!
For more
information about the perks and benefits of Annual Passes, click
here.
A.A.
Judi
writes:
My daughter
and her dance troupe will be competing at the National Dance America
Competition over the Fourth of July. They won't be in the parks on that
day but would like to see some fireworks. Their hotel is by Downtown
Disney. Can they see any of the parks' fireworks from there and if they
can, where from? Thanks for all your wonderful advice and help.
Hi Judi!
Your daughter
and her friends are in luck. Although you can't really see any of the
parks' fireworks very well from that area, Downtown Disney will have
its own fireworks show on July 4th at 10:30 p.m. Anywhere around the
lake would be a good spot to watch from.
For more
information about the World's special Fourth of July activities, click
here.
A.A.
Heather
writes:
Hi Anita,
I love your column and look forward to reading it each week. I worked
at the World as a part of the College Program back in 1992. I really
think I remember a dinner show that was at the Contemporary, possibly
where the California Grill is now, called something like "Top of
the Town." I attended the Hoop-De-Doo Revue and the Polynesian
Luau, but I never made it to this one. Did it really exist or am I crazy?
Hi Heather!
You didn't
imagine it; it really existed! The show was Broadway at the Top, and
it was performed at the Top of the World restaurant, which you correctly
remembered as being where the California
Grill is located now. Two shows were performed nightly, featuring
a group of performers singing Broadway classics. Top of the World was
open from October 1971 until September 1993. Broadway at the Top was
performed there from June 1981 until September 1993 when it closed to
make way for the California Grill, which opened in May of 1995.
My friends
Mickey and Donald and I have often talked about this show, so thanks
for jogging some fond memories.
A.A.
That's
it for this edition!
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