Mouse Extra

For those of you who do not listen to WDW Today, and I can’t think of one good reason why you wouldn’t, I wanted to cover a subject I called in about during last night’s live show.  Earlier in July, a listener emailed the show asking which resorts have the best bars to grab a drink at after a night in the parks.  Since Mouse Extra seems to be the only website that devotes a section just to Disney World’s taverns, I thought I would give the listener my two cents.

Every resort has a bar, and they are usually open at the time the listener is speaking of.  Most of them are pool bars, or your typical lobby bar.  Only a few of them offer much in the way of great atmosphere or even a typical Disney theme.  But there are a few exceptions…

Crew’s Cup at the Yacht Club- Located next to the Yachtsman Steakhouse, this place has the feel of an upscale New England tavern.  The wood work is inviting and the atmosphere and detail is well done.  For the beer drinker, the Crew’s Cup offers one of the best beer selections on property.  There is also a small appetizer menu if you are looking for a late night snack. 

Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge- Everything about the Wilderness Lodge is impressive, and the Territory Lounge is as well.  There is a great Lewis and Clark theme here and bar is a warm and inviting place.  Great place to unwind at night.

Scat Cat Club at Port Orleans French Quarter- This may not be as relaxing or as well themed as the others, but the Scat Cat offers some great live entertainment.  If you are staying at the French Quarter, check it out.

The Boardwalk- Nothing can top the Boardwalk when it comes to resorts with great places to drink after park hours.  It has a very nice bar in the Inn itself called the Belle Vue Room, but it’s just a short walk outside the lobby to find to some great choices.  The ESPN Club, the Big River Grill brewpub, and even a piano bar named Jellyrolls are all different and fun. 

Finally, I think it is important to mention the worst bar at the resorts, and so far the worst I have found is the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs.  This is only a bar by name and really isn’t worth the time.

Here’s a quick FYI for those of you who are pin collectors.  This morning begins DisneyShopping.com’s semi-annual pin sale.  I don’t like to promote Disney’s various retail outlets, because let’s be serious, they don’t need my help.  But this is a great sale for the casual collector.  Many of the pins are half-price and there is usually some nice choices.

The reason why I am telling you is because I want our readers to know about it early.  The best pins can go very fast and you’ll be shut out.  So if you’re a pin collector, go check it out.  But come back to Mouse Extra as we have some more to talk about later today.

Would you pay $71 dollars for a day at a Disney park?  According to Friday’s Orlando Sentinel, that is what the price of a one-day one-park adult pass will increase to as of tomorrow, Sunday, August 5.  And to be sure, other multi-day pass prices will be increasing as well.

Disney on Friday announced a whole range of new ticket prices that take effect Sunday. The price changes also affect the discount packages that still can push the per-day cost below $23 for adults who want to commit to as much as a 10-day run at Disney’s four theme parks.

The natural tendency is to react negatively, and that is completely understandable.  But a few things need to be taken into consideration here.  First, the price of nearly everything under the sun goes up annually at around this sort of percentage.  So to think Disney would not do that because they love us so much is a bit wishful. 

Also, the price of entertainment is enormously high right now, and not just theme parks.  At $71 dollars a day, they are still less expensive then many professional sporting events and certainly top-flight concerts.  And I would argue that a ten hour day at a Disney park is a better value than a 3 hour baseball game that could be a blow-out and often essentially over in the second inning.

But most importantly of all, when people say that this is just too much, I need to ask, “Too much for whom, exactly?”  By all accounts, Disney World is not suffering at the ticket counter.  In fact reports indicate they are doing very well.  So people are not turning away from a vacation to the Mouse, instead they are going in droves.  Only when that trend changes will these ticket prices adjust accordingly.

Please don’t think that I am for this.  I, like most, think this is getting somewhat out of hand.  But I have adjusted my habits and have found other ways to make it affordable.  My Disney Vacation Club membership, Annual Pass, and Disney Dining Experience card have all combined to make going to Disney World a more affordable venture than it has ever been.  However, I do feel for those who can not do these things.  Soon, the person who goes only once every few years will start to turn to other options due to price, but until that happens expect these increases to keep occurring.

For more in-depth information about this price increase, check out Mousesavers.com.  They have included multi-day changes in their report.

All of us here at Mouse Extra are now officially back from a near two week vacation.  Over the next couple of days, I’ll do my best to get everyone up-to-date and what we’ve missed.  Thnaks for you patience.  Dave