BEYOND THE THEME PARKS

ANITA ANSWER
Archives

12/22/08
--So, What About Leap Year Birthdays?
--Can One Person Get Everyone's Fastpasses?
--What Has Happened to the Yeti?
--What Is That Large Building Behind the Canada Pavilion?
--Magic Kingdom Parade and Show of the '90s?
--What Is This High Tech Dining Room Device?

12/15/08
12/8/08
--What Is This French Toast Dish?
--Park Purchases, Fireworks and Lights
--How Strict Are the "Birthday Rules" for the New "Celebrate" Promotion?
--A New Fairy Ride in the Magic Kingdom?
--What Is This Epcot Ship?
--One Last Time Before Christmas: How to Buy Park Merchandise From Home

12/1/08
--Best Way to Tote Tickets
--Checking In at a Resort for a Southwest Flight?
--What Are the Sci-Fi Dine-In Movie Trailers?
--Nearest Pharmacy to the Wilderness Lodge
--Will MouseFest and Pop Warner Events Affect Crowd Levels?
--Is There an Age Minimum to Purchase Packages?

11/24/08
11/17/08
--Booking a Room Overlooking the Boardwalk
--How to Tell Who Charged What When a Resort ID is Used
--Christmas Day at the Magic Kingdom?
--Why Can't You Go to a Park from Downtown Disney?
--Automatic Gratuities and Counter Service Restaurants
--What Does "BVG" Stand For?

11/10/08
--A Disney "Big Wig" Book?
--Tusker House and Jiko
--Why Aren't We Able to Walk Through the Castle?
--Why Are the Pepper Market's Prices Higher Than Other Food Courts?
--What Are the Alternatives to Free Birthday Admission?
--New Show at the Hall of Presidents

11/3/08
--The Semi-Annual Refillable Mug Question
--Disneyland Disappointment?
--Does This Question Make Scents?
--Dining on a Steamship?
--Was Barbie Ever at Epcot?
--Restaurants with Organic Foods on the Menu?

10/27/08
--The Path between Epcot and the Studios
--It's Holiday Shopping Time! How to Purchase Park Merchandise from Home
--Which Resorts Have Only One Bus Stop?
--What Is That White Plastic Card on a Lanyard?
--Stroller or Pediatric Wheelchair for a Disabled Child?
--Where to Rent a Car on Property

10/20/08
--Dining at Crockett's Tavern?
--Is Changing Resorts Mid-Trip a Good Idea?
--What's Going On When Cast Members Show a Slip of Paper and Switch Places?
--When Does Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Parade Begin Daytime Performances?
--Will Universal Tear Down Dueling Dragons for Wizarding World?
--Who Is the Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrator on Christmas Eve?

10/13/08
--Who Lives Behind the Magic Kingdom?
--License Plates on the Sci-Fi Dine In "Cars"
--Anita's Annual Holiday Crowd Predictions 2008
--If You Knew Sushi...
--The Demise of Pal Mickey/Will He Still Work in the Parks
--Harry Potter Coming to the World?

10/6/08
--Is There a Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge?
--Characters That Can't Sign or Stamp/A Hunchback of Notre Dame Show?
--YoMD: Can You Still Send in Postcard Entries?
--When Are the Summer Crowds Lightest?
--What Is the Difference Between the Dining Experience and the Dining Plan?
--Best Place to Get Sushi at the World?

9/29/08
--Treasure Hunts at the World?
--Is Park Admission Necessary to Dine at Cinderella's Royal Table?
--No More Characters at the Garden Grill?
--How to Get a Christmas Tree for Your Resort Room
--Fort Wilderness Movie Schedule
--Who Is the Voice of Teddi Barra?

9/22/08
--When Does the Holiday Decorating Commence?
--Looking for a Wooden Leg Named Smith?
--More, MUCH More on Those World Showcase OmniBuses
--An Old-Fashioned Phone on Main Street?
--Name of Soap Store at the Grand Floridian?
--Two Tracks at Everest?

9/15/08
--Parking Fees: How Many Times Per Day to Pay?
--Where Is Roy O. Disney's Statue Located?
--Castle Dream Lights for 2008?
--What Happens in Stormy Weather?
--A Mardi Gras Parade at French Quarter?
--Where Is This Hidden Mickey Located Inside the Haunted Mansion?

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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 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!

June 30, 2008

Is A Park Hopper Pass Necessary to Leave and Reenter the Same Day?
Southwest Airlines and Magical Express
Where Were Soarin's Scenes Filmed?
Can You Walk from Shades of Green to the Magic Kingdom?
What Happened to the David Copperfield Project at the Studios?
Buying Fastpasses on Ebay

Phil writes:

If I just want to do Magic Kingdom for the day and want to take a midday break from the park, do I have to buy a park hopper to reenter MK the same day or do I just buy a base ticket?

Hi Phil!

A Magic Your Way base ticket will do. The only time you need a "hopper" ticket is if you want to leave one park and enter another park on the same day. Your base ticket will allow you back into the same park on the same day.

For more information about WDW admission, please read AllEars.Net's comprehensive Ticket FAQ.

A.A.

Are you aware of any discussions about making Southwest Airlines part of the Magical Express group of participating airlines? On our last visit this past spring, we were given to understand that Disney was in "talks" with Southwest, but haven't seen or heard anything since.

Also, if Southwest is not participating, is it still possible to take advantage of the transportation from the airport to our Disney resort (Old Key West) if we take care of our own luggage? Thanks!

Hi Ed!

The last I heard, the talks with Southwest had stalled out over SWA's concerns over luggage handling. Since I heard that in April, there have been no updates, sorry!

But all is not lost. If you are booked on Disney's Magical Express, when you check in at your home airport on your way to Orlando, use the yellow luggage tags provided in the packet you'll receive from DME. They're marked with your name and your resort destination. Disney's luggage handlers will retrieve your yellow-tagged luggage for you from the baggage area, and take them to your resort for you. You should go directly to the DME desk in Terminal B (SWA arrives in Terminal A) to meet your bus.

NOTE: Keep all valuables, medications, eyeglasses or whatever you may need during the day with you, as luggage delivery can sometimes take several hours.

On the way back to the Orlando airport, you will have to handle your own luggage on DME, because SWA is not participating in the Resort Airline Check-In Program and its accompanying luggage service.

Have a wonderful time at the World!

A.A.

Michael writes:

Can you tell me where the scenes from Soarin' were filmed, besides the obvious San Francisco and Yosemite? My wife and I would like to visit California and I thought it would be neat to see these places in real life.

Hi Michael!

I hope you have several weeks planned for your trip, as you'll have quite a bit of ground to cover! Soarin's scenes were filmed in: San Francisco, Redwood Creek, Napa Valley, Monterey, Lake Tahoe (my favorite!), Yosemite National Park, the PGA West Golf Course at La Quinta near Palm Springs, Camarillo, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego, Malibu, Los Angeles, and of course, the finale is at Disneyland in Anaheim.

Have a great time exploring California!

A.A.

I will be staying at Shades Of Green this summer. They say you can walk to te Magic Kingdom. How do we get there?

Hi Jennifer!

I'm not sure who "they" may be, but I'm positive you can't walk to the Magic Kingdom from Shades of Green, as there isn't a complete path to follow. At one point north of the Grand Floridian, you'd have to go cross-country and then swim across a canal. Sound like fun? I didn't think so!

What you can do is walk to the Polynesian Resort and catch the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, or walk a little farther to the TTC and get the ferry boat. No canal swimming necessary!

Have a magical time on your trip!

A.A.

Hello! Back when Disney-MGM Studios first opened, I recall an advertisement on the billboard directly outside the main entrance for an upcoming David Copperfield attraction or show. However, I've been to the Studios many times since and have never seen or heard of such an attraction. I am confused, or was there really an idea to bring some sort of David Copperfield attraction/show to the parks? Thanks!

Hi Darrin!

Now, there's a really interesting story! Back in 1997, Michael Eisner and David Copperfield announced plans to open two themed restaurants in late 1998 called "Copperfield's Magic Underground." The flagship was to open in NYC's Times Square, during Disney's revitalization project, and the other was to be located just in front of the Studios theme park. A large billboard was erected approximately where the restaurant was supposed to be built. Along with the two restaurants, a store called "Copperfield's Magic Underground-The Store" was planned for the newly added Downtown Disney West Side, which some accounts say opened in November 1997 for a brief time. I never actually saw it myself, so I'm not able to verify that the store ever opened.

After construction started on the Times Square location, things began to get ugly. There were artistic differences, construction problems on the NY project and then, according to the New York Times, $34 million dollars of investors' money disappeared into thin air. The Walt Disney Company canceled the leases on the restaurants, and poof -- no more Copperfield's Magic Underground.

A.A.

Hi. Looking at all the great information on your site. Very informative. I have a question about Fastpasses. I noticed VIP Fastpass tickets for sale on eBay. We will be going to Disney for the first time next week and I wondered if you knew anything about these tickets. Thanks!

Hi Everyone!

Once again, this is one of those subjects that is worth repeating every now and then, so that you readers don't get ripped off. First of all, what I see on eBay are not Fastpasses. They're attraction reentry passes. These are given to guests for various reasons, such as bad weather, ride breakdowns, and other circumstances. They are NOT FOR SALE. It is illegal to resell them. Recently, to curtail this abuse, WDW has begun making changes to the passes. The ones I see on eBay are older ones without the changes. If you try to use these, you run the risk that they will be confiscated, and you'll most certainly be embarrassed and out of a sum of money, at the very least.

Secondly, Fastpasses are available free of charge to any guest with a valid admission. Why would you pay a large sum of money for something you can get free, and then run the risk of having them confiscated anyway? My advice: Don't do it. It's not worth it.

You can read more about how Fastpasses work on AllEars.Net's Fastpass page.

A.A.

That's it for this edition!

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