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ANITA
ANSWER 12/22/08 12/15/08 12/1/08 11/24/08 11/10/08 11/3/08 10/27/08 10/20/08 10/13/08 10/6/08 9/29/08 9/22/08 9/15/08
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Hi! I'm Anita! September
8, 2008
Hi Anita. How does it work if you go to a theme park on your last day, and you are on the dining plan and have checked out of your room already? Do your charging privileges stop the minute you check out? Hi Sam! No worries! Your charging privileges and dining plan credits expire at midnight of the day you check out of your Disney resort. If you have leftover dining credits, you may use them for the rest of the day. If you charge food or merchandise to your room after check-out, it will be added to your credit card bill separately. Have a magical vacation! A.A.
Hello! Every time I go to Walt Disney World, I always wonder how many Mickey ice cream bars they average selling per day, how many turkey legs per day, etc. Is there a book with info of that nature? Thanks! Hi Kelley! Although they may not supply you with exactly the information you're looking for regarding food consumption at the World, there are two great books chock full of WDW trivia questions and answers. Those books are, "The Walt Disney World Trivia Book: Secrets, History & Fun Facts Behind the Magic" and "The Walt Disney World Trivia Book Volume 2: More Secrets, History and Fun Facts Behind the Magic." They're both written by All Ears' friend Lou Mongello, and can be purchased at book stores or online. Lou also runs a great website and forums dedicated to the pursuit of WDW Trivia at www.disneyworldtrivia.com. A.A.
We currently have plans to visit WDW in December but due to a move it looks like we'll have to postpone our trip until next year. We have been tossing around dates so we can change our airline tickets and have decided that seeing the Halloween decorations would be great! Since we'd be coming from Colorado, I'm a bit concerned about the weather (ie: hurricanes) in October! Obviously, I understand that the weather is unpredictable. Historically have there been any hurricanes/severe weather that has caused any shutdowns at WDW? We're looking at the beginning to middle of October timeframe. Thank you! Hi Heather! Many readers have been asking similar questions, so I'll just compile the answers using your questions. The reality of living along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico is that hurricanes and tropical storms can and do occur. Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30; however, tropical activity has occurred before and after those dates. Peak times for tropical activity are August through mid-October, but as I noted, it isn't limited to this time. The majority of storms occur in August and September. As you noted, no one can predict a hurricane a year in advance, so my advice to you is to choose the dates that suit you the best, and worry about storms later. I personally have been through Hurricane Charley and now Tropical Storm Fay at Walt Disney World. The resort is well prepared for these storms, and it's very interesting to watch their plans go into action when a storm threatens. Buildings at WDW are built to withstand very high winds. I felt very safe there. So what happens at WDW during a major weather event? Well, that depends on many factors, like how severe the storm is, how close it will come, what time it will arrive, and other things. I can only speak from my own experience with Charley and Fay. Hurricane Charley was supposed to hit the area around 7 or 8 p.m. if I recall correctly, but the outer bands arrived around 3 p.m. That day, the parks were open to resort guests only -- all other day guests were turned away at the parking lots. At Saratoga Springs, we were informed by telephone, a typed letter in our room, and at the parks, by signs and announcements that they would be closing promptly at 1 p.m. The Magic Kingdom was like a ghost town that morning. Cast members were busy tying down things that could fly and moving anything that would move indoors. We saw carts being shrink-wrapped and signs being secured, for instance, and no, for those who are wondering, they do not (actually CANNOT) remove Cinderella Castle's turrets for hurricanes. At the stroke of 1 p.m., announcements were made to clear the parks. We all walked in an orderly fashion (a surprisingly orderly fashion, actually!) to the transportation areas for transport back to our resorts. The buses seemed to be moving in and out very quickly, and we were back at SSR at 1:30. Inside our studio, there was a note asking us to please bring in our patio furniture so that it wouldn't blow away, and to stay inside our studio during the storm, and we complied. There was also a flashlight and some batteries. It turned out that this was unnecessary, since the lights never even blinked, even during the height of the storm. We watched movies piped in on closed circuit TV, and stayed in the comfort of our air conditioned, lit room. The following morning, we received phone messages saying that Epcot would open, albeit a bit late, so we went there. Along the way, there were many downed trees and a lot of debris on the roads, although nothing impassible. It turned out that teams of cast members had been out all night after the storm clearing trees and branches from the roadways. At Epcot, most things were operating as usual, although dining service was very slow due to personnel shortages. I believe all parks but Animal Kingdom were open again by that evening. Cell phone service was spotty, however, so I assume a tower or two were down. Tropical Storm Fay was different. Fay never really scored a direct hit on the area, but did cause some wind gusts and lots and lots and lots of rain. The day before Fay was supposed to arrive, it was believed that it would be a much more direct hit than it turned out to be. We were informed that all parks would open an hour early, but as it turned out, none of the parks had to close early, and I don't recall much, if anything being canceled because of Fay other than fireworks at the parks. The worst part of Fay was the constant rain. We were quite tired of rain ponchos by the time we left for home, but it didn't really slow us down. The storm held the crowd levels down, as well as supplying us with pleasant temperatures. You can see from my experiences that WDW adapts to each situation depending on need. So, what should you as a guest do when weather threatens? You really don't need to do that much. First and foremost, pay attention to what WDW wants you to do, and do it without complaining about it. Disney does not control the weather, but they can control your well-being. Safety is the number one thing on CM's minds during these times. When attractions have to be canceled or parks have to be temporarily closed, it's for good reason, not just to ruin your trip. Please follow whatever instructions you are given. Second, make sure you have some snacks or food and lots to drink in your room in case it takes a while to get back to normal after the storm. Have extra medication with you. A deck of cards or games are helpful to pass the time. Don't forget extra baby supplies. If you have a car, make sure it has a full gas tank before the storm arrives. Although it's extremely unlikely you'd have to evacuate the area, you may not be able to find gas easily after the storm passes, which could affect your trip home or the cost of returning a rental vehicle. Now that you are armed with this knowledge, it doesn't sound so scary, does it? Have a wonderful time planning your future adventures at the World! A.A.
Looking at the pictures from the Caribbean Beach pool rehab from Linda Mac's blog, it looks like this is a zero-entry pool. Can you confirm this? Thanks for the help. I look forward to your column every week. Thanks! Hi Angie! Yes, I can confirm that the new pool at the Caribbean Beach Resort is a zero-entry pool. All new pools built to be used by the public at WDW will be zero-entry pools to meet requirements for guests with disabilities. "Zero-Entry" means that one entrance to the pool must be graduated (like a beach would be) for easier accessibility. As of this past weekend, finishing touches like lounge chairs have been added to the pool area, so it may be re-opening at any time now. It is scheduled to open in mid-September, but it may open a few days ahead of schedule. And speaking of pool rumors, this one is fresh from the Rumor Mill: According to the RM, the Contemporary will be the next resort to receive a pool makeover, possibly starting after the first of the year. Remember, this is only a RUMOR, and nothing official has been announced by the Walt Disney Company.
Hi, Anita! First of all, I'd just like to say "thank you" for a great weekly column. It's the first thing I check every Monday morning! Here's my question. My husband and I just returned from a week's vacation in San Diego where we spent a day at the Hotel Del Coronado. As we walked onto the property, my husband turned to me and said, "This looks like Walt Disney World." Sure enough, the Victorian styling of "the Del" looked just like Disney's Grand Floridian, right down to the white siding and the red shingles on the turreted roofs. (I'd attach our photos if I could -- you won't believe the similarity!) When I checked the Disney site, it said that the Grand Floridian was fashioned after the great hotels of Palm Beach, but I'm wondering if the Disney Imagineers made a trip to the Hotel Del Coronado for some Victorian inspiration. Do you have any further insight? Thanks. Hi Elaine! Although for some odd reason Disney never says so, it's obvious to anyone who sees both hotels that they are extremely similar on the outside. The interiors, however, are completely different. While the Grand Floridian is bright, light and airy, the Hotel Del is dark and mysterious with lots of exotic wood paneling and brass. I had the pleasure of staying at the Hotel Del about 18 months ago, and when I walked into the lobby to check in, instead of thinking "Grand Floridian," the Tower of Terror popped into my head! Each hotel is stunning in its own right, though. The Hotel Del also has one thing the Grand Floridian does not: a resident ghost named Kate Morgan. Besides resembling the Hotel Del on the outside, the Grand Floridian also features elements of several of Henry Morrison Flagler's Victorian-era Florida hotels such as the Belleview-Biltmore in Bellair, FL, the Royal Poinciana in Palm Beach, and the Ponce de Leon, which is now part of Flagler College in St. Augustine. In fact, Flagler's personal home in Palm Beach, "Whitehall," also had a white exterior and a red roof. White beachside hotels with colorful roofs were definitely the style at the time, which may explain why that type of structure was found on both coasts. The Ponce De Leon and the Hotel Del were under construction at the same time, and opened in the same year. It's possible that Flagler's hotels were influenced by the Del Coronado, or vice versa. Henry Morrison Flagler, for those who aren't familiar with Florida history, is credited with bringing the railroad to south Florida, thus making him the "Father of Miami." Flagler has a Florida county named for him, and during the Grand Floridian's early years, the restaurant now known as Citricos was named "Flagler's." Citricos replaced Flagler's in November 1997. A.A.
Hi Anita, I've always wanted to get a mention on your page as I love reading it when it's raining here in the UK. It makes me count down the days till we arrive in the World! Will Portobello Yacht Club in Downtown Disney be open when we go to the World in late November? I've made a reservation for then and the cast member I spoke to didn't say anything about it being closed. I've just read in the newsletter the third shift of redecoration is from now until December 31 so I'm a little confused. If you could help, that would be excellent! Great column as well! Hi Cara! Portobello (the new name) will close for a brief period from September 27, 2008, until October 12, 2008, for part of its refurbishment. After it reopens, any remaining work will be done during the third shift -- that is, overnight. It shouldn't interfere with guests' dining plans. Have a wonderful trip to the World! A.A.
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