Mouse Extra

I need to point you all today towards an absolutely terrific article found on DVCNews.com.  It is a follow-up to yesterday’s announcement from Disney about building a resort in Hawaii and it speculates on the scope of the project and how it may include the Disney Cruise Line as well.

Could this new arrangement between Disney and Ko Olina result finally give both parties what they have long sought-after?  On the surface, the project combines many elements of Ko Olina’s desire for cruise ship traffic with Disney’s vision for an expanded cruise line and regional entertainment centers.  The framework is already in place for a Castaway Cay-type, beachfront facility catering to hotel guests, Disney Vacation Club members and even Disney Cruise Line day guests.  

Could this prove to be the 21st Century version of Port Disney?

The article makes so much sense that I will now be more surprised if Disney does NOT build a cruise dock at this location than if they do.  All credit is due to DVCNews.com for posting this well researched story.  To be fair, many have been speculating that the Disney Cruise Line, with its two brand new ships, would be making Hawaii a destination, but this goes beyond that.  Disney was predictably short on details in their press release, but the brilliance of this story is the way it opens our eyes to what this new project might actual involve. 

The most popular destination among Disney Cruise Line guests is Castaway Cay.  Those who have not been there may not understand how great it really is.  The only problem is Disney can not use this property for anything beyond the cruises.  With this location in Hawaii, they can create an even more amazing cruise destination, and take it beyond the constraints of Castaway Cay.

The drums have been beating this rumor for a long, long time.  Many people thought it was a fantasy, but now we find it will soon be reality.  Disney plans to build an 800 room hotel and Disney Vacation Club property on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu.  You can read the entire press release over at the Disney Blog, but here is just one paragraph that says it all…

The property, located on the island’s western side in the picturesque Ko Olina Resort & Marina, Honolulu’s premier resort destination, will be home to Disney’s first mixed-use family resort outside of its theme park developments. The expansive resort, scheduled to open in 2011, will have more than 800 units including hotel rooms and villas for Disney Vacation Club, which is Disney’s rapidly growing timeshare business.

For those of us in the Disney Vacation Club, this is certainly good news.  DVC has already offered off-site destinations at Hilton Head, SC and Vero Beach, FL.  But those destinations just do not compare with Hawaii, no offense to those who love those resorts.  Plus, this resort seems to be much more than just a collection of time-share units.  I think we can expect a lot more Disney fun here than found at the other off-property DVC resorts.

In an article by Jason Garcia of the Orland Sentinel, he draws a conclusion as to what this annoucment might mean to the company at large.

But the decision to build a stand-alone resort could also be a sign that Disney expects growth to flatten at its traditional theme parks. Disney, after all, is increasingly focusing on vacations beyond trips to Walt Disney World and its other signature resorts in Anaheim, Calif.; Paris; Tokyo; and Hong Kong.

I too have been hearing grumblings along these lines.  Are the domestic Disney Parks really coming close to hitting their attendance potential?  Would a fifth gate in Florida or a third in Anaheim make a difference in how many people travel their for vacation?  Or is this the sign that Disney realizes they need to expand their horizons?

In the same article, we also find that Imagineers are far from completing the plans.  One plan they have decided on, however, is that character involvement will be minimal.

The company said its Imagineering unit is still finalizing designs but that it intends to begin construction on the resort next year with a goal of opening by 2011. An artist’s rendering depicts a lush, tropical setting with palm trees, thatched roofs and Tiki torches — and not a Disney character in sight.

Disney spokeswoman Lisa Haines said any use of the company’s iconic characters at the resort will be limited to those “that fit the authenticity of the area,” such as figures from the 2002 animated movie Lilo & Stitch, about a Hawaiian girl who befriends an alien.

Characters are “not going to be a prominent part of this,” Haines said.

We’ll see how long this idea lasts.  Once the market researchers determine that kids want to see Mickey, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Mouse will be there.  But for now, at least the intentions are good.

Please feel free to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or  come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.

So have you seen Disney’s new tool for promoting the Year after Year after Year of a Million Dreams?  Now they have released on online catalog that has all the latest and greatest giveaways Disney is doing to support the current marketing tool.  Take a look.  It is really very nicely done.

Loyal readers of Mouse Extra will already know my feelings on this promotion.  I have never been a fan of it, and extending it is truly something I was not rooting for.  Besides the tacky decorations, and the way it turned the broadcast of the Christmas Parade into a marketing train wreck, I just never got behind the idea of a sweepstakes.  This catalog is fun to read, and the idea of staying in Walt Disney’s Disneyland apartment or touring Imagineering is certainly exciting.  But to me, everyone should share in an event at a Disney Park.  Everyone who traveled from all over the country should get to be part of a Disney Dream, not just a select lucky few. 

In the interest of full disclosure, I have never won anything in all of my time at Disney World during the Year of a Million Sweepstakes.  Perhaps those who have may feel a little more positive on the subject.  While it certainly doesn’t turn me off to the parks, I just wish they could do something the rewards everyone who takes the time to come and see the Mouse.

We urge you to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or feel free to come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.

The Magic Kingdom is a place of wide-eyed wonder and excitement for 4 -5 year youngsters. There is nothing like capturing a child’s first glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle as they ride the monorail from the TTC to Main Street.  And more than any other park, the Magic Kingdom exemplifies what Walt Disney World is to most visitors. This especially rings true for young kids. Today’s article will touch upon the highlights of this park for the Pre K crowd.

Two attractions that set the Magic Kingdom apart from every other non-Disney park are the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Both take a light hearted look at fairly dark topics; rampaging pirates and spirits from beyond the grave. Many kids are able to take these rides in stride, grasping the fun tone of them. Our son loved Pirates. He easily handled the skeletons, explosions and creepy plunge into the dark. The Haunted Mansion, however, was a different story. He was terrified from the get-go. We were greeted by the eerie butler to the mansion who instructed us to drag our corpses to the dead center of the room and observe the stretching walls. While waiting in this door-less chamber and watching the walls “stretch”, the butler approached our terrified son to reassure him that, he in fact, was just a cast member and this was all a joke. We had hoped the ride portion would improve things but he covered his face the entire time. So be warned, you may need to make a hasty retreat. Fortunately, the cast members are prepared to leave character and console the younger generation if need be.

Another attraction that many young kids may find frightening is Snow White, which features the creepy witch more than Snow White or the dwarves. Our kids were OK with it, but did not find it as enjoyable as the other Fantasyland offerings such as Winnie the Pooh or Peter Pan. This is also a good age for Mickey’s Philarmagic as these kids tend to keep their 3-D glasses on. Then there is the famous Dumbo, one of Fantasyland’s signature rides. At the risk of sounding blasphemous, our kids were just as happy to ride Aladdin. The lines are generally shorter and many kids today are more familiar with Aladdin than Dumbo.

Like Fantaslyand, Tommorrowland has plenty to do for the Pre-K crowd. Astro-orbiter was a big hit as was the relaxing Tommorrowland Transit Authority (which will always be the Wedway People Mover to us). The best ride in the land for this age is probably Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Not only is the character very popular, but the video game style of the ride has additional appeal. This is also a good area for lunch as my kids loved Sonny Eclipse, an animatronic alien lounge singer with a long running gig at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.

And we’d be remiss not to mention the Mountains, the hallmarks of the Magic Kingdom’s thrill rides. Most 5 year olds and many 4 year olds meet the height requirement of Big Thunder, Splash and Space Mountain, the question is should they ride them? I would certainly say yes to Big Thunder which is the tamest of the three. Although our child loved Splash Mountain, many children might have a problem with the height of the ride or show some trepidation as they watch others take the watery plunge. We decided not to try Space Mountain for two reasons. The ride is completely in the dark and was designed to seat one person per row, which can be a bad combo for the Pre-K age.

Other events at the park also can make your day very special. For our son, the pirate tutorial with its dead-on Jack Sparrow impersonator was a huge hit. Toontown is also a cool place for younger kids who might be interested in seeing where Mickey and Minnie live. Goofy’s Barnstormer, a kiddie coaster, is a good test ride for kids who have never tried a thrill ride since it is the shortest ride in the park. Oddly, characters don’t seem to appear for meet-and-greets as much as you would think. We found it easier to mingle with characters at the other parks. We also found Wishes to be slightly inferior to Fantasmic and Illuminations as the day ending event. Still, it is a good show and a nice way to end a magical day.

Today’s touring tip is by Mike and Brooke, contributing writers to Mouse Extra.

We urge you to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or feel free to come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.

So the day has finally arrived, October 1.  In case you’ve been on Mars for the past few months and just returned, today is the 25th Anniversary of the opening of Epcot Center.  If it is possible for something as benign as an Anniversary to stir up controversy and anger, this one did it with ease.  I am certain that everyone in Disney World’s management must be thrilled that this milestone is soon to be in the rear-view mirror.

As usual for Scott Powers, he had a great story in yesterday’s Orlando Sentinel covering the birthday of Disney’s first non-Disneyland-style theme park.  He gives a wonderful and concise history of the concept known as “Epcot” and even guides us a bit into the future of where this concept may evolve. 

“In the beginning there was a lot more historical review of how we got to where we are. . . . I think we’re now presenting that ‘discovery’ is an experiential thing,” said Eric Jacobson, Walt Disney Imagineering’s senior vice president for creative development. “So you can soar over the Earth; you can dive into an undersea environment; you can go back in a time machine; you can be shrunk to the size of an ant; you can go to Mars; you can experience what it’s like to be in a test vehicle.”

Baker and others suspect the pure “world’s fair” concept is losing appeal for 21st-century sponsors and crowds.

Epcot has had a strange and evolving history in my heart.  As a teenager in the 1980’s, Epcot held very little appeal for me.  The first time I went, I remember being amazed by the sights and smells, but soon after I found it…well…somewhat boring.  The rides all seemed similar and the last thing a teenage boy wants to do at a theme park is go shopping or sit down for a long dinner at someplace that surely doesn’t have chicken fingers or pizza.  I used to hop the monorail by myself and head to the Magic Kingdom to have some fun while my parents did the boring stuff at World Showcase.

Now, 20-plus years later, I find myself strolling the World Showcase Promenade on my trips to the Mouse far more than any other place on property.  Soarin’ is one of my favorite rides in Walt Disney World and the Rose and Crown is where I like to pass the time.  The park that I couldn’t leave fast enough is now the one I hate to leave.

Some of the reasons for the turnaround are clearly a maturing of tastes on my part.  What appealed to my parents then, appeals to me now.  But that is not the only reason for the change.  Epcot itself has evolved into something it wasn’t in the first half of the 1980’s.  Future World has become a place to not only “discover” but to “thrill” as well.  If Future World was then what it is today, I would never have hopped that monorail.

We urge you to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or feel free to come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.

This year is the 12th annual International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot’s World Showcase. Every Fall Epcot throws a culinary party at its lagoon featuring cuisines from around the globe. It was launched on September 28th and will close on November 11th just before Walt Disney World busts out their Christmas decorations.

This year’s festival, like many before it, features many special events. The dining programs can be expensive. For example, you can partake in a specially cooked three course meal from a well-known cookbook author for about $150 per person. To be a part of a PBS kids’ cooking show runs about $165. There is also an event called Exquisite Evenings where a team of celebrity chefs prepares a five course meal based on a region’s cuisine, such as Tuscany or the Pacific Northwest. This event costs more than $200 but unlike the others does not require theme park admission. Most of these events take place in the old Odyssey restaurant.

But don’t forget about the wine part of the Food & Wine Festival. There are talks from wine makers and several wine tasting events, as well. Many of these, however, take place at one of the resorts.

The real highlight of the Festival is the food booths located throughout the World Showcase lagoon. Nations represented by permanent pavillons have booths showcasing things such as pizza from Italy and quesadillas in Mexico. A popular treat is the cheddar cheese soup in Canada. But make sure you hit those countries not ordinarily a part of the World Showcase. From Spain, there is papas con chorizo (a potatoe/spicy sausage combo). The spicy beef empanadas of Argentina are great. You can sample cold potatoe soup from Ireland or butternut squash soup from India. New this year are two Oklahoma booths. One called “Route 66″ features pecan pie and another called “Native America” has three sister soup and seared buffalo.

This is the kind of event that I like at Walt Disney World. It does not require the park to be shut down so another group of tickets can be sold. Its also now an established tradition at Epcot, much like the Flower festival or the Star Wars Weekeneds at MGM. I personally love walking around the lagoon after dark sampling all the different appetizer-sized dishes from Peru, New Zealand and Turkey. Definately spend a meal time there if you’re at WDW in the fall.

Today’s post is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra.