|
|
|
|
AllEars® is published by Deb Wills, a recognized Walt Disney World expert who also publishes one of the worldwide web's most popular sites, AllEars.Net, which receives more than 7 million page views per month from visitors around the globe. Find out more about Deb by clicking here! BEHIND THE EARS
Debra Martin Koma
Kenny Cottrell
Jack Marshall
Michelle
Brian Martsolf
|
WELCOME TO THE HOME OF Established September 1999 |
Click here to start receiving AllEars®, the FREE weekly electronic newsletter with the most current, accurate and comprehensive information for folks interested in Walt Disney World. Each AllEars® is chock full of facts, helpful tips and, of course, the latest Walt Disney World news, as well as restaurant and resort reviews, previews, interviews, snippets of timely information and insightful guest columns. Once you've subscribed, don't forget to set your preferences to receive our special promotional mailing called EARS THE DEAL™. Once or twice each month, we'll send you a bonus email with money-saving offers and promotions for Walt Disney World and the Orlando area, exclusive to you, our AllEars® subscribers! (Click HERE for instructions on subscribing to Ears the Deal™!) AllEars® (available in plain-text or HTML format) is delivered each week to more than 102,000 subscribers who share an interest in the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida. You should be one of them! Sign up today!
Tips Archives AllEars® Celebrates 400 Issues! PIXIE DUSTED! 300 Issues of AllEars®! Celebrating 100 Issues of AllEars®!
Visit AllEars.Net, Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Information Guide! A
complete planning resource with more than 5,000 pages of information, 300 menus and 3,000 photos.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
To get a taste of what AllEars® has to offer each and every week, click on the links below -- these tidbits are from our September 2008 "WDW Bits and Bites" issue: |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ever wonder what Walt Disney World was like way back when? Each month we visit a time gone by in Walt Disney World history. This month we go to the early years of Epcot and the Land pavilion. The Land opened in Epcot on October 1, 1982, with Kraft as the sponsor. The pavilion has certainly evolved over time, from its early days with Kitchen Kabaret and later Food Rocks, to today, with what is now one of Epcot's most popular attractions, Soarin'. Did you know that in 1982, the restaurant we all know as the Garden Grill was called the Good Turn Restaurant? I recall my first visit to the restaurant in the early '90s and was amazed at how it turned ever so slightly. The Harvest Theatre originally hosted Symbiosis, a movie about the relationship between humankind and the land. The current movie, "Circle of Life," still explores that delicate relationship between us and our environment, but now with familiar characters from the Lion King, such as Timon and Pumbaa. Finally, the boat ride, the Living with the Land. The highlights of this attraction have pretty much stayed the same over time. The showcase of innovative techniques has been slightly updated but you are basically riding through the same areas of land and sea farming. See Deb Wills' blog for complete report with photos! |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
EVENTS Disney's Hollywood Studios Night of Joy moves to the Studios this September 5-6. One-night advanced purchase tickets are $44.95; tickets are $49.95 on event day, if available -- event often sells out! A two-night ticket is available in advance for $75.95. Four For A Dollar (known as Return 2 Zero when performing off Disney property), the a cappella group that has performed the preshow at Disney's Hollywood Studios' Beauty and the Beast show for many years, will have their last performance on September 20. Epcot Disney's Pin Celebration 2008 takes place in Epcot September 5-7 in World Showplace. This is an extra ticket event. www.disneypins.com Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: September 26 - November 9. http://allears.net The tentative schedule for the "Eat to the Beat" concert series, featured during Epcot's Food and Wine Festival is as follows: -- September 26-27: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Shows are performed at the America Gardens Theatre nightly at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. (Note the earlier show times!) Magic Kingdom Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party will be held the following dates in September: 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 28, 30. "Royal Quinceanera Weekend", for Hispanic girls celebrating their 15th birthdays. (In Latin America, a girl's 15th birthday, or quinceanera, marks the transition to becoming a young woman.) Several special events will be held at Epcot August 29-September 5. Packages for the weekend will include stays at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. For more package details, visit http://www.disneyworld.com/quinceanera -=-=-=-=-=-=- Don't forget to check our Events
page for periodic updates. REHABS AND CLOSINGS Animal Kingdom Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends will have its last show September 27, 2008. Primeval Whirl will be closed for refurbishment from September 2 - November 15, 2008. Disney's Hollywood Studios Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show will be closed September 11 - September 24, 2008. High School Musical 2: School’s Out! will have its final performance on September 13, 2008. The new show will be based on High School Musical 3: Senior Year and debuts on October 24, 2008. Once Upon a Time, Mouse About Town, and Sunset Club Couture shops will be closed for refurbishment September 2 - November 22, 2008. Epcot Nine Dragons Restaurant in China is closed until November 27, 2008 for rehab. Look for major renovations, including an exhibition kitchen where diners will be able to interact with the chefs. Morocco's Gallery of Arts and History in Epcot's World Showcase closed for refurbishment July 14 until September 24, 2008. Magic Kingdom Country Bear Jamboree will be closed for refurbishment from September 28 - October 31, 2008. Liberty Square Riverboat in the Magic Kingdom will be closed September 6-12, 2008. Downtown Disney MarketPlace Stage is closed for rehab July 7 - November 30, 2008. Pleasure Island - Clubs close for good September 27. Portobello Yacht Club will be closed September 27 through October 12 while it undergoes renovations. The Walt Disney World restaurant will be known simply as "Portobello" once the transition to resemble an Italian trattoria is complete in December. The menu will shift from traditional Italian fare to food inspired by regional Italian destinations such as Milan, Tuscany and Rome. The restaurant is operated by Chicago-based Levy Restaurants. The transition is expected to be completed by December 31, 2008. Blizzard Beach Blizzard Beach will close for annual refurbishment September 28, 2008 through October 25, 2008. Typhoon Lagoon Surfing School Changes at Typhoon Lagoon: Surfing classes and private surfing events at Typhoon Lagoon are not available until sometime in 2009. Maintenance needs to be performed on the wave mechanisms during the regularly scheduled winter rehab. The wave pool will continue to operate for guests. It's only the surfing waves that will be offline until 2009. Animal Kingdom Villas and Lodge Disney Vacation Club has announced that Phase I of the Kidani Village will open on May 1, 2009. Members who call Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas "home" began making reservations as of August 10, 2008. "As the development of Kidani Village continues at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, crews are preparing to complete the new savanna and acclimate the animals to their new habitat. To accommodate this important process, animals are not scheduled to be on Sunset Savanna from January 15-April 15, 2009. As development work continues on Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, Disney's Animal Care team has reached a key milestone, welcoming okapi to the resort's animal population. The new animals are becoming acclimated to their new surroundings and will be visible to Members and Guests when the new Pembe Savanna opens as part of the second phase of Kidani Village (currently scheduled for September 2009). Caribbean Beach Resort The themed pool, Old Port Royale Caribbean Beach is closed for refurbishment until September 15, 2008. Small, child-size, pool slides have been temporarily added to the pools at Villages of Jamaica and Barbados. Contemporary Resort Construction Update: Although there has been no OFFICIAL announcement, the Orlando Sentinel continues to report that the new construction at the resort will be a DVC site and has been renamed Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort. The Wave restaurant is now open on the first floor. The Outer Rim lounge will close and become a storage area. A new quick service area will take the place of the now closed Contemporary Steakhouse while a new entrance and seating area is being building for Chef Mickeys. Tempo Grab and Go and Chef Mickeys will remain open during this time. Saratoga Springs The High Rock Springs Pool Slide will be closed for refurbishment from September 8 - 26, 2008. The pool remains open. -=-=-=-=-=-=- Bookmark our frequently updated list of Rehabs. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Year of a Million Dreams, which began Sunday, October 1, 2006, has been extended through 2008, and as part of that celebration Disney cast members are not just dispensing "dream" prizes, but are also creating an unprecedented number of "Magical Moments." These include guests being tapped to help with the pixie-dusted opening of Magic Kingdom, getting the star treatment at a celebrity-style handprint ceremony at Disney's Hollywood Studios, or being named Official Wildlife Spotters at Disney's Animal Kingdom. We have some reports of guests at Walt Disney World and Disneyland receiving "dreams" from the Dream Squad and some of these Magical Moments: -=-=-=-=-=-=- Jim and Diane from Ohio: My husband and I enjoy pin trading. On our May trip we decided to pin trade for the Hidden Mickey Pins 2008 set. We had traded for most of the pins in the set, but we could not find a few and our time at Disney World was running short. We stopped to check a lanyard on a cast member with a light blue shirt (Jackie was her name) and had a long visit with her. We learned that she was a member of the Dream Squad and was very interested in pins. She wrote down the pins that we were looking for and asked where we would be later in the day. We were seeing the Flower Power concerts and told Jackie that we would be in line for the show. Never expecting to see her again we were really surprised while waiting in line to see Jackie looking for us, and adding to our surprise -- she had a couple of the pins we were looking for. -=-=-=-=-=-=- Stephanie Smith: My daughter and I were at WDW in June 2008. We had just gotten off the Safari ride at Animal Kingdom when all of the people in our "jeep" were stopped by a Disney team and given an extra hour at Animal Kingdom that night after it officially closed to the public. This included a special performance of the Lion King, a street party with Goofy and friends, and of course unlimited access to Everest and a few other rides. It was so much fun! We didn't even know what Disney was doing with "The Year of a Million Dreams" until then and we enjoyed trying to find others at the other parks with their passes around their necks who had earned special privileges. What a great concept and definitely a memorable experience for us first-time visitors. We can't wait to go back! -=-=-=-=-=-=- mtsmpeake: My husband, daughter (12), son (10) and I visited the World this past June. After riding Star Tours, I was met by the Dream Squad who informed me that I had been sitting in the right seat at the right time. I had won a Star Wars Weekend package. My 10-year-old son is an avid Star Wars fan, so this prize was really special. We met all three stars that were present there that weekend (got pictures and autographs), received VIP seating to several shows (including Indiana Jones, and High School Musical School's Out), several Disney pins, and dinner. Our dream team cast members consisted of Patrick and Al. These two guys were the nicest, most generous people I have ever met. We were treated like royalty. -=-=-=-=-=-=- Victoria: My twins are obsessed with The Chronicles Of Narnia. My son pretends he is Peter and my daughter is Susan... my husband is Edmund and I am Lucy. The cat is of course Aslan. That is why when given the chance to meet a character we had to make the trip to Hollywood Studios. A last minute reservation to AKL and off we go... once we arrived we looked at the meet and greet schedule and kept them easily entertained until the time. We stood patiently in line as well as two 4-year-olds can do. My daughter was shy at the prospect of a kiss (since she was Susan) so she chose to stand back and let her brother do the talking. My son was in awe -- he had his sword and boots on and asked all the questions. He got the pictures and then would not leave. He lingered and watched... it was time for Prince Caspian to go and this is the true Magic! He knew my son was not a normal fan, so he came over and KNIGHTED HIM! It may seem small to some, but he had my son get down on one knee and gave him the chivalry to be a great knight of Narnia, he explained the responsibilty and the importance of this job. My son will never forget that moment. Five minutes of time for that cast member was a lifetime memory for my son. I could have left and been fully satisfied with our trip. For those who have not felt the magic they have to open their hearts and give their children a chance to believe... it is wonderful! Thank you to Prince Caspian. -=-=-=-=-=-=- Finally, for a very special Magical Moment, see our latest Wandering Around the World! =-=-=-=-=-=-=- EDITOR'S NOTE: If the Dream Squad bestows a "dream" upon you, or if you receive an official "Magical Moment," please let us know! We'd love to hear what you won, how you were chosen, and don't forget to send any photos if you have them! Email us at allearsnet@yahoo.com |
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Editor's Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.
  Subscribe to AllEars®.Net's RSS feedNew to RSS? Click HERE for more info. We respect your right to privacy. Please take a moment to review our complete PRIVACY POLICY and TERMS OF USE. Copyright © DWills, All Rights Reserved, 1996-1999 As to Disney artwork/properties: © Disney. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are proprietary to Disney Enterprises, Inc., its subsidiary, affiliated and related companies, as the case may be. AllEarsNet.com, Allears®.net, All Ears® Newsletter and any other properties owned by RYI Enterprises, LLC are not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with, The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates. Read more ABOUT US or ADVERTISE with us. For official Disney information, visit http://www.disneyworld.com |
