Category — p. News and Changes

SPLASH MOUNTAIN AT THE MAGIC KINGDOM CLOSED FOR REHAB IN EARLY 2013

Disney World rides can close for re-dos at any time, but the winter “ride closure season” from early January though mid-February is the most common for Disney World rides to close for rehab and refurbishment.

Splash Mountain is the major attraction that most commonly closes in this period, and Disney World’s website now has Splash Mountain as down for refurbishment from January 2 through March 19, 2013.

Neither the close, nor the length of the rehab, is a surprise.

First, Splash Mountain did not have its usual rehab this year, because Disney was concerned about losing so much capacity in Frontierland while Big Thunder Mountain was down for a multi-month refurbishment. And second, a number of effects at Splash Mountain have broken down or become unreliable, and need sustained attention.

With the added capacity coming in the Fantasyland expansion, it’s as good a time as any to shine Splash up!

DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKS AND WALT DISNEY WORLD

You can see lots of hobbies and crafts intersecting with Walt Disney World.

For example, lots of families take a ton of photographs while they are at Disney World, so you can find plenty of discussion on the web about using high-end photographic techniques and equipment for the best shots—particularly shots with challenging light, such as photos in dark rides, and photos of fireworks.

Whether or not you use high end tools and techniques, you’ll still end up back home with lots of images.

What then?

For many, the next craft to intersect with Disney World is making digital scrapbooks. [Read more →]

Sometime today–likely around 4p eastern–one of you will land on this site, or click on a link, and the site’s ten millionth pageview (as measured by Google Analytics) since opening will happen. [Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD PACKAGE DEAL FOR EARLY JANUARY THROUGH EARLY MARCH

Walt Disney World announced two deals yesterday, one a discount on room rates of 15-35% (see this) and the other a package deal promising savings at, in Disney’s example, around $125 a night at eligible moderate resorts and about $80 a night at eligible value resorts. [Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD DEALS OF 15% TO 35% OFF NOW AVAILABLE FOR EARLY 2013

Disney World has released a new discount for early 2013.  Most arrival dates from January 2 through January 17, and January 21 through March 7, are eligible.

Discounts vary by hotel, and some hotels and room types are not in the program.  For the details, see this page on Disney’s website.

This deal needs to be booked by December 31.

Note that Disney released another, package, deal the same day, and it looks like for most families using this site for guidance, it will save them more than the room rate deal.  See this for more on this other deal.

I got an email at 10.35a this morning from Disney with the following message:

“We are experiencing technical difficulties with the Annual Passholder New Fantasyland preview sign-ups that have made it necessary to delay the sign-up date one week. The Walt Disney World Annual Passholder New Fantasyland preview sign-ups will now begin on Monday, October 15 at 12:00pm ET.”