All About Kimberly

Sailing Along the Life of Single Parenthood

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Sad Disney News

I’m usually happy to pass on Disney news to you guys, but today I’m really sad to report this news that I just found.  According to a recent press release from Disney, our favorite night time show, Fantasmic, will soon be going to only two nights a week (Mondays and Thursdays)!  This is really sad at our house. Like I said, Fantasmic is our favorite show and we have a tradition to always watch it our first night with a Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Dining Package and then we catch it AT LEAST one more time through regular views. In December, we saw it with the H&V Package, tried the Mama Melrose dining package, and once as general admission!  For our upcoming trip we have reservations at H&V our first night (as tradition dictates), and Cameron plans on us watching Fantasmic the night of her birthday (as she gets to make the plans that day).  And if there are any other evenings that we aren’t happy where we are, we’ll head over to Hollywood Studio and watch it again.  It seems we never get tired of this show – no matter how many times we see it.

Why is this being done? According to a few Disney forums I read, primarily it seems to make room for a new show, American Idol (gag me!!). On a few message boards, I’ve seen it mentioned that it costs $30,000 for each performance of Fantasmic so that has something to do with it also, but Disney hasn’t said that.  On that subject, my theory is that every time I go, they have increased their rates so while that seems like a lot to me, they are continually getting more of my money, and I’d rather it be going towards Fantasmic than American Idol!

Here’s a copy of the news release that is out (please note though that I couldn’t find it on the actual Disney site anywhere):

Walt Disney World Resort Announcment
July 19, 2008

We are continually focused on providing the best possible experiences for our Guests who visit the Walt Disney World® Resort. Within the last six months, we have added significant new attractions and shows at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, including Block Party Bash, Toy Story Midway Mania!, Pixar Place and Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Coming in October 2008 will be the recently announced “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” and later this year, Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ will host the annual Night of Joy event for the first time and welcome back ABC Super Soap Weekend. At the same time, we have continued to update existing offerings such as Playhouse Disney—Live On Stage!

Next year, the park will unveil The American Idol Experience, host the first Grad Nite events at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and welcome back ESPN: The Weekend and Star Wars Weekends.

We regularly evaluate and refine our operations. At the same time we unveil The American Idol Experience in January 2009, we will make an adjustment to our operation by offering Fantasmic! on select evenings each week. Fantasmic! will be performed two times weekly –generally Mondays and Thursdays – and more often during our busiest times of the year.

On nights when Fantasmic! is not performed, Guests (with appropriate ticket media) will continue to have the opportunity to enjoy nightly fireworks spectaculars such as Wishes at the Magic Kingdom® Park and IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot®.

One of My Fav Character Meals – No More?

I’m so sad to report that one of my favorite character meals at Walt Disney World is being reported to be removing the characters in January 2009. According to All Ears.Net, Liberty Tree Tavern will no longer offer the character meal after January 4, 2009. We tried this meal out last December, and it was instantly moved onto our eat here again list. We all enjoyed the food and the themed characters so I couldn’t wait to do this one again. I have to admit to being disappointed in Disney’s decision.  We did really enjoy the food so we may give it a try again still in the future, but I’ll be sad to not see Colonial Minnie.  :(

Daily Contest: Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz Sweepstakes

Today’s contest is for the kiddos out there from Scholastic. It’s a great contest because it encourages your children to read this summer while out of school and because the grand prize is a trip to Walt Disney World!  Four lucky prize winners will be randomly selected and will each receive a family vacation to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, which will include air fare, accommodation and park tickets for a family of four.  To enter, all your child has to do is join the Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz Program.

The Fine Print:

  • One entry per person.
  • YOU MAY ONLY ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES ONLINE.
  • Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the United States who are enrolled in Pre-kindergarten through 8th Grade at the time of entry.
  • Four (4) prize winners will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries on or about September 15, 2008
  • The age groups shall be “Pre-Kindergarten; Kindergarten – Grade 2; Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8.
  • Winners will be notified by e-mail. This message will be sent to the winner’s e-mail address provided at the time of entry.
  • The prize winners will receive: A vacation packages for four (4) persons for three (3) nights and four (4) days at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

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Disney Newsflash: Free Internet to DVC Owners

Starting this month (May 4), DVC owners no longer have to pay for a high speed Internet access when staying in Disney Vacation Club Resorts.

Here’s the exact wording from Member site:

Daily Internet charge to be discontinued effective May 4, 2008
Based on Member feedback, the daily charge for wired high-speed Internet access for Members staying at Disney Vacation Club Resorts at the Walt Disney World® Resort will be discontinued effective May 4, 2008. Guests renting Disney Vacation Club accommodations will continue to pay the daily rate for access, and high-speed Internet access charges still apply to Members staying at non-Disney Vacation Club Resorts.

In related news, plans call for wireless service debut inside vacation homes at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort sometime this year. Look for updates on this Web site as new details become available.

 This is wired Internet. Reportedly, you will find Cat5e patch cables in the closets of your rooms, but if you own one, it probably wouldn’t hurt to pack it along with your laptops. 

Disney Newsflash: The Tea Cup Madness Continues

After the jury found Victoria Walker guilty of misdemeanor battery last month, I thought the madness about a altercation between Walker and Amiee Krause was laid to rest, but it appears I was wrong.  It has now been reported that both Krause and her husband are filing separate lawsuits against Disney. If you have not been following this story, these two women got into a physical altercation in the lines on the TeaCups over skipping in line at Walt Disney World, and Krause filed charges against Walker. As mentioned, Walker was in fact found guilty and sentenced to 90 days in jail and nine months of probation. However, apparently Krause is not satisfied.

It has now been reported that Krause has filed charges against Disney as she says that the employee on duty at the ride that day should have stopped the argument while it was still verbal, that there were not enough security guards on duty, and that the ride line should have been videotaped.   In addition, her husband is suing for “loss of his wife’s support and companionship.”  Disney reportedly is claiming that the suits have no merit, and they are not worried. I have to wonder though…..

I had no problem with the original lawsuit. I’m not sure I would have pursued it, but after reading through the articles, I’ll admit that things did get out of hand and that maybe Ms. Walker did need to be held accountable for her actions, but now I’m wondering if that lawsuit was really just a motive to be able to go after the “big guys” – Disney.  What do Mr. and Mrs. Krause hope to gain from Disney? No doubt the answer to this is money. In today’s society, I feel like they probably think that Disney will just settle (with a large cash amount) to keep from having the bad press. I’m not saying that none of Krause’s complaints have some merit, but with both her and her husband following the Walker trial so quickly with these claims, I admit to being quite skeptical. I have big issues with people using our legal system now just to profit themselves, and this is what my first instinct says about this circumstance. Maybe I will be proven wrong – I will be following this I assure you, and I hope that I can report back to you at some point that the Krauses are in fact not just “gold diggers,” but I do have my doubts. 

What do you think? Do you think Disney is responsible? Do Krause’s claims have merit? Do you think Disney will bother to fight? Or just provide them money to hush this up? I’d love to hear your opinion.

Sources: Local6.com, WFTV9.com, and myfoxorlando.com

Previous Posts Concerning this Topic:

Disney Newsflash: Tea Cup Madness (March 21)
Disney Newsflash: Tea Cup Madness Trial Ends (April 12)
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