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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! Meanwhile, I'm All
Ears!
Emily
writes:
Hi Anita!
Love your column! Very informative and useful! (And fun to read!)
I recently
dined at 1900 Park Fare, with
Cinderella, Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother, and the two Stepsisters.
We couldn't remember if they were the Wicked Stepsisters, the Evil Stepsisters
or just the Ugly Stepsisters. Thanks, Anita!
Hi Emily!
According
to Disney Archivist Dave Smith, they're the "Evil Stepsisters."
Anastasia and Drizella strike me as being more stupid and self-centered
than evil, however. By the way, when Disney remade Cinderella for TV
in 1997, the stepsisters were named Minerva and Calliope, after the
Roman and Greek goddesses -- definitely two very humorous misnomers!
A.A.
Christy
writes:
Thanks
for all the helpful information! My question is regarding the size of
the Moderate resort rooms. I know that the Deluxe resorts offer queen
beds, in comparison to the double beds found at the Moderate resorts,
but how does the actual room size differ? Are all the Moderate rooms
a standard size square footage or are some resort rooms larger than
others? Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi
Christy!
Not all
Moderate resorts are created equal, as you'll see below:
The oldest
Moderate, the Caribbean Beach Resort,
has the largest rooms at 340 square feet. They can accommodate four
persons, plus one child under 3 in a portacrib.
Both Port
Orleans - French Quarter and Port
Orleans - Riverside feature standard rooms at 314 square feet.
They also accommodate four persons plus a child under 3 in a portacrib.
At Riverside, 963 of the Alligator Bayou rooms also feature a trundle
bed, and accommodate five persons plus a child under 3 in a portacrib.
(NOTE: The trundle bed is probably not large enough to accommodate most
adults.)
Coronado
Springs Resort's standard rooms are each 314 square feet, and
oddly only feature one sink instead of two like the other Moderates.
These rooms can accommodate four persons plus a child under 3 in a portacrib.
Coronado Springs, having a large convention center, also has Junior,
1 Bedroom and Executive suites available.
Some Moderate
rooms also feature king beds on a space available basis and at an upcharge.
A.A.
Janae
writes:
I'm curious
when the Disney resort benefit of Extra Magic Hours ends? If I check
out on say Tuesday, can I still do an Extra Magic Hour evening that
night, and use Disney transportation to get there?
Hi Janae!
Although
your Key to the World card will no longer open the door to your room
after you check out, it will still be valid for Resort ID and for room
charges (if you asked for them) until midnight of your checkout day.
This means that you can still go to the parks if you have valid park
admission, you can go to Extra Magic Hours
(NOTE: You must have valid park admission to take advantage of Extra
Magic Hours), and you can take Disney
transportation to get there.
Have fun!
A.A.
MaryAnn
writes:
I just
adore your column. My question is: Are the crocs in the Safari real?
My 9-year-old granddaughter thinks she saw one move. I told her they
were fake. Her response was, "Ask Anita; she knows everything."
Thanks for your help. Gandmom sure does need it.
PS: I just
read an article about the Treehouses being knocked down and rebuilt.
Are there any pictures of what they look like inside? I have seen pictures
of the outside and took a boat ride along the river but would love to
see the inside. Thanks again.
Hi
MaryAnn!
I'm going
to assume we're talking about those large reptiles who live along the
Kilimanjaro Safari route and
not those really popular rubber shoes I keep seeing all over the parks,
right?
Your extremely
smart, beautiful and charming granddaughter (hey, I appreciate a compliment
as much as anyone!) is correct. Those Nile crocodiles are real, and
they are very much alive. You'll never catch Captain Hook setting foot
in this park!
The reason
crocodiles don't move around a lot is that they have to conserve energy
for hunting or defense. They can move pretty quickly when they need
to, but on the Safari, they luckily don't need to.
By the
way, the only fake animal on the safari is Little Red, the baby elephant.
Actually, I don't think you can even see him anymore since they redid
the show last year. Other fake items on the safari include the ancient
Baobab tree, the termite mounds, animal skeletons and the ostrich eggs.
As for
the Treehouses, it's very exciting news that they've finally come up
with a plan to rebuild them again. They've been looking very forlorn
since Hurricane Charley did damage to the area. Most recently, they
were used to house International College Program cast members. They've
all moved out and into local apartments, so the Treehouses sit awaiting
the wrecking ball and a whole new future.
I have
never found interior pictures of the originals, although I'm sure some
do exist. From what I understand, the interiors were unremarkable and
un-themed, and featured woodsy-type furnishings similar to the Fort
Wilderness Cabins. If any readers have or know of interior photos
of the Treehouses, I'd love to see them.
A.A.
Tim
writes:
I know
a lot of people start their query with "I bet you never heard this
one before," but I really do bet you never heard this one before!
This is
a weird one. I heard that all the bathrooms at Walt Disney World (you
are already wondering where this is going aren't you?) are equipped
with automatic flushers. Is this true? The reason I ask is that my 4-year-old
is terrified of them! We have been trying to get him used to using them
at the local mall, etc., but are not having much luck. Do you or your
bathroom scouts have any insight?
Fearing
the Flush,
Tim
Hi
Tim!
Believe
it or leave it, I've already answered this question. It seems that your
little guy isn't the only Fearful Flusher at the World! Now, it just
so happens that you came to the right place, because Ditto and I have
the dubious distinction of having intimate knowledge of every potty
on property. No, really. We don't like to brag, but it's an interesting
and useful talent to possess.
Although
most of the property potties do flush themselves automatically, there
are still a few of the old-fashioned, do-it-yourselfers scattered about
property. The bad news is, as older bathrooms get refurbished, these
are being removed and replaced by the Power Potties of Doom.
Now, I
could tell you where the old ones are, but that's not going to help
you when Junior announces he has to go NOW and the nearest one is a
mile away. To that end, I offer up another solution; one which was taught
to me by wise parents of other flush-fearing families.
It's simple,
yet elegant. Carry a pad of those yellow sticky notes with you. (Well,
you can use any color, I suppose, but yellow seems appropriate, somehow.)
The adult, upon entering the Stall of Fear first, covers the electric
eye on the Potty of Doom with the sticky note. Put the Fearful Family
Member on the Potty of Doom, and when finished and off the hot seat,
as it were, remove the sticky note from the electric eye. The Potty
of Doom will then flush with ferocity when Junior is safely out of range.
Oh, by
the way, to locate the nearest restroom, consult your theme
park map or ask the nearest cast member.
Unsolicited
Tip: Do also watch out for the automatic hurricane-strength hand dryers
that have begun appearing around the parks. I think they may be powered
with surplus jet engines, and could possibly blow an un-anchored child
or small adult across the room.
May the
flush be with you.
A.A.
Alyssa
writes:
In the
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, is the video in the queue area from an
episode? If not, how did they get Rod Serling's voice in the video?
Hi Alyssa!
You have
a keen eye (and ear!). The video in the preshow is from an episode of
the Twilight Zone called "It's a Good Life," originally aired
on November 3, 1961. The lines that the late Rod Serling spoke in this
episode were similar but not exactly the same, so the pre-show film
is actual footage of Serling, but the voice has been dubbed (AKA "looped")
by voice actor Mark Silverman. According to Silverman, he was chosen
by Serling's widow from a pool of several voice actors who auditioned
for the part.
Tower Trivia:
The lobby
contains a reference to "Anthony Fremont," the name of the
creepy kid who could control the world with his mind in "It's A
Good Life."
The entire
hotel features props used in various episodes of the "Twilight
Zone" TV series. These are too numerous to list here.
At 199
feet, the Tower of Terror is
the second-tallest structure at WDW. It used to be the third-tallest
until the "wand" was removed from Epcot's Spaceship
Earth last year. The tallest structure is Animal Kingdom's Expedition
EVEREST at 199.5 feet.
"Lightning"
struck the Hollywood Tower Hotel at 8:05 p.m. on October 31, 1939, during
a party at the Tip Top Club. This is where that glamorous couple in
the elevator was headed. The evening's entertainment was provided by
the Anthony Fremont Orchestra. Hmmmmm...
The exterior
of the Hollywood Tower Hotel was designed and painted to blend in with
the Morocco Pavilion at Epcot
because, from certain vantage points in Epcot,
the HTH can clearly be seen behind the pavilion.
In the
lobby, between the libraries, is a directory with removable lettering.
At one time, the fallen letters appeared as a message in the bottom
of the glass case covering the directory. It spelled out "evil
Tower UR doomed." The message disappeared in late 2001, but reappeared
again last year. I've heard that it has since disappeared again. The
way it comes and goes, you'd think the place was haunted or something!
A.A
That's
it for this edition!
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