10 Tips For Visiting Disney’s Millenium Celebration

Feature Article

This article appeared in the November 4, 1999, Issue #9 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)

1) Almost all the Millennium activities are located at Epcot. Even though large crowds are expected, Disney has not extended the hours for Epcot. Future World is open 9am to 9pm and World Showcase is open 11am to 9pm. Guests staying at Disney resorts can enter Epcot one hour early on Tuesdays and Fridays. We suggest you take advantage of this opportunity.

2) Millennium Central is the information center for all of Epcot. It's located directly behind Spaceship Earth. Cast members can answer all of your questions here. Epcot guidemaps and attraction waiting times are located here as well. Stop here before beginning your tour of Epcot.

3) The best time to visit Millennium Village is between 11am and 1pm. At this time of day most of the crowds are still in Future World. Millennium Village is located between Canada and the United Kingdom pavilions and opens at 11am. Expect to spend anywhere from 1-4 hours here. This exhibit is a must see!

4) The Tapestry of Nations Parade is really 3 "mini" parades and are all the same. Disney performs the parades at 6:25pm and 8:10pm every night. The parade is longer than other Disney parades (about 20-25 minutes). Parade routes are 1) Mexico to Germany; 2) Germany to Morocco: and 3) Canada to France. The ideal place to watch the parade is either Germany or Italy. The crowds are definitely smaller here.

5) IllumiNations 2000 is the best Disney production ever. The show starts at 9:00pm nightly. The best places to view the show are from the bridges between the United Kingdom and France. Another good spot is the second floor balcony of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Japan. Canada, Mexico, and Showcase Plaza (at the entrance to World Showcase) are the most crowded.

6) Get a map before visiting the Innoventions pavilions. Maps to all the exhibits are located at the entrance to the pavilion. This will help you make the most of your time at these pavilions.

7) Three free souvenirs from Disney. At Innoventions East, guests can send a 10-second, video e-mail message to friends back home (Video D-Mail booth located at the Innoventions Internet Zone). At Innoventions West, guests can send a picture postcard of themselves by e-mail, provided by IBM's Networked Living Exhibit. Also in the west pavilion, guests can have a full color picture and special greeting made at Pixography in the Knowledge Vortex by Xerox.

8) The best place to shop for Millennium Celebration souvenirs is MouseGear. In fact, MouseGear is one of the best places to shop at Walt Disney World. MouseGear is located in Innoventions East.

9) The Leave a Legacy Sculpture is slightly disappointing. The price is kind of high ($35-$38) and your picture is very small (one-inch square). Also, the picture is not really "etched" into the sculpture. It's looks like it's printed in black ink on a steel plate, which is affixed to the sculpture. This causes some clarity problems. For more information go to: www.Disney.com/LivingLegacy

10) Millennium pin trading can be exciting. Disney has created hundreds of keepsake pins. Guests can buy pins at Millennium Central, American pavilion, and at other Disney parks. New and different pins are available each day. Disney cast members will be wearing lanyards filled with pins. If you see a cast member with one you like better, your can trade with them at no charge. Our advice is to buy a couple of pins and then look for cast members to trade with.

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Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.