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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, and be sure to check
out my blog, Anita Talk. Meanwhile,
I'm All Ears!
Simon
writes:
My family
and I are planning to visit the Magic Kingdom on New Year's Eve. What
time do you suggest arriving? We will be staying on International Drive.
Hi Simon!
I'm sorry
to have to tell you this, but offsite guests are at a distinct disadvantage
on busy days like New Years' Eve, when parks reach their capacity early
in the day. Your best bet is to arrive one hour prior to park opening,
and not leave the park. Even if you arrive this early, you may be held
at the Ticket and Transportation Center until the park opens. This makes
for a long, exhausting day, but if you arrive too late, you probably
won't get in, and if you leave the park, you may not be able to get
back in.
Keep in
mind that the Magic Kingdom is always
the most crowded park (on any day of the year) and this is particularly
true during Christmas/New Year's week, which is absolutely the busiest
week of the year. Be prepared for more people than you've ever seen
to be crammed into the parks. There may be 2 - 3 hour waits for rides
that typically are 90 minutes or less. The lines in the counter service
restaurants will be extremely long, and the table service restaurants
will be booked to capacity.
Onsite
guests have the advantage on holidays because the parks close in phases.
Phase I is when the parking lots close due to capacity. Since onsite
guests can take Disney transportation, they can still get to the turnstiles.
Depending on what closing phase the park is in when you arrive, you
may not even get near it if you're coming from off Disney property,
so plan accordingly.
A.A.
Kelley
writes:
Which park
out of the four parks will be the least crowded on Christmas Day? I
know Magic Kingdom will be very crowded but which of the other three
will be least crowded? Thanks for your help.
Hi
Kelley!
The least
crowded park will be Animal Kingdom.
This does not, however, mean that Animal Kingdom will not be crowded.
As described in the previous answer, Christmas week is the most crowded
week of the year, and there will be more people in the parks than you
can even imagine. Although the park is physically large in area, Animal
Kingdom's guest areas can feel cramped and more crowded than a park
like Epcot, which has more open areas
for guests, and is able to absorb more of the crowds.
To make
the most of your day, make sure you arrive early, use Fastpass whenever
you can, and have any dining reservations made far in advance. If you
decide to eat at counter service restaurants, try to eat at off times
like 11:00 a.m. for lunch and 4:00 p.m. for dinner to avoid the bulk
of the crowds. Above all, be flexible and ready to change your plans
at the last minute, if necessary. A park hopper pass is imperative at
this time of year so that you can move to another park if you desire.
Also, be aware that Animal Kingdom is the park with the earliest closing
time, so if you're a Disney resort
guest, take advantage of Extra Magic Hours
when you are able to.
Happy planning!
A.A.
Darla
writes:
I have
two questions actually. One, do the park hours change as crowds get
heavier? I have noticed before when we've gone and we've looked on the
Disney website for the hours that they always seem to be different when
we arrive.
Second,
are there any semi-quiet places in the parks to have a snack or lunch?
I love your column!!
Hi
Darla!
Park hours
are determined by attendance projections based on past years and current
reservations, as well as scheduled special events, Extra Magic Hours,
and travel season. If Disney sees an upturn (or a downturn, which is
quite rare these days!) in the number of reservations for a particular
time, they will adjust park hours accordingly. They also track daily
park attendance, and use those figures to adjust hours as necessary.
Quiet places
to dine in the parks are hard to find. Most park restaurants are busy
and crowded at peak meal times. If I'm looking for a relaxing place
to dine, I usually go to a nearby resort hotel. Generally, you'll find
the resort cafes to be fairly empty and quiet during the day. Be aware
that there are a few exceptions, like the popular Beaches
and Cream at the Beach Club, which is always busy due to its
tiny size. To find out which resort restaurants serve lunch, please
read the AllEars Resort Hotel Dining
pages.
A.A.
Leeann
writes:
My family
visits the World regularly and my brother and I were talking about DisneyQuest.
I am sure I visited it (or somewhere similar in the Downtown Disney
area) in February 1990 on my first visit to WDW, while my brother says
it did not open until 1998, so I must have it wrong. Was there a venue
similar to DisneyQuest before 1998 or am I going mad? Thanks!
Hi
Leeann!
Your brother
is correct. DisneyQuest opened in
June 1998, at Downtown Disney Westside.
Westside first opened in the fall of 1997, so there is no way you could
have experienced DisneyQuest in 1990.
As far
as I know, DisneyQuest and its sister DisneyQuest in Chicago were the
only two entertainment venues of this type to be built. Originally intended
to be a chain of "interactive indoor theme parks," there were
plans to build in major U.S. and Canadian cities. The goal was to bring
Disney entertainment to people who couldn't get to the parks as often
as they would like to. The WDW location and the Chicago location were
the only two that opened, and the Chicago location closed in September
2001 due to disappointing attendance figures.
A.A.
Emily
writes:
Back when
we lived in Orlando, my mom remembers walking from the House of Blues
at Downtown Disney to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. This was pre-Animal
Kingdom.
Did the
Rainforest Cafe used to be located at Downtown Disney and then move
to the Animal Kingdom once it was built?
Hi
Emily!
There are
two Rainforest Cafe locations at the World. The first one opened in
August 1996 in the Downtown Disney Marketplace,
just as your mother remembers it. It's in the location originally occupied
by Chef Mickey's, which moved
to the Contemporary. The second
location, at the entrance to the Animal Kingdom
Park, opened in 1998. The menus
for the two locations are identical.
Rainforest
Cafe is owned and operated by Landry's Restaurants Inc, as are Yak
and Yeti and the T-Rex restaurant now under construction in
Downtown Disney.
A.A.
Emily
writes:
This isn't
property-related but I can't find the answer anywhere and you're my
last resort! At the end of "Finding Nemo" it is dedicated
to a Glinda McQueen who passed away in 2002 (I think). Who is this person?
Thanks for all of your wonderful news, tips and information!
Hi
Emily!
"Finding
Nemo" is dedicated to the late Glenn McQueen, who was a supervising
animator at Pixar. Some of the films he worked on include "Toy
Story," "Toy Story 2," "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters,
Inc." He died of skin cancer in October of 2002. In addition to
the "Nemo" dedication, the character "Lightning McQueen"
in "Cars" is named after him.
McQueen's
untimely death at the age of 41 was a huge loss to Pixar and CGI animation.
I'd like to remind everyone to please always wear sunscreen when you
go out in the sun, OK?
A.A.
That's
it for this edition!
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