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ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY 2: SECOND SUNDAY AGENDA

Today you spend the morning completing your visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and then depart for home. You have no scheduled meals.

You should have FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King, Expedition Everest, and DINOSAUR. Your goal today is to see what you did not see First Sunday, including the daylight version of Kilimanjaro Safaris, and if you have time and interest, to see Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

(Note: this is from the 2016 Basic December Itinerary. The itinerary works only for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. See this for other itineraries.)

MORNING

• Check out and note your instructions for Disney’s Magical Express if you are using it.  If you aren’t, for many domestic airlines you’ll be able to check bags and print boarding passes near the front desk or just outside.  This is a tip-based service.  You can also store your bags at the bell stand
• Arrive at Animal Kingdom by 45 minutes before open

AT THE PARK

• Enter the park, go to Africa and see the daylight version of Kilimanjaro Safaris
• If you have time now, see the Gorilla Falls Trail—if not, see it after Festival of the Lion King
• Use your FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King
• Walk to Asia and use your FastPass+ for Expedition Everest. If you like, ride it again—from the single rider line if standby is too long
• Ride Primeval Whirl and/or Triceratops spin if they look like fun
• Use your FastPass+ for DINOSAUR
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch is a minor adventure accessed by the Wildlife Express Train back in Africa. If interested, and you have time (including the train allow at least 45 minutes), see it
• Sadly return home

MATERIAL IN THIS DISNEY WORLD ITINERARY

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: OCTOBER 15 TO OCTOBER 23, 2016

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on October 2016 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/15-10/23/2016

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-12MN 10/15, 8a-7p 10/16 , 8a-12MN 10/17, 9a-7p 10/18, 9a-11p 10/19, 9a-7p 10/20, 8a-7p 10/21, 8a-12MN 10/22, and 8a-7p 10/23

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 10/15, 9a-9p 10/16 through 10/20, 9a-10p 10/21 and 10/22, and 9a-9p 10/23

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-8p 10/15, 9a-7p 10/16, 9a-8p 10/17, 9a-7p 10/18, 9a-8p 10/19, 9a-7p 10/20, 9a-8p 10/21 and 10/22, and 9a-7p 10/23

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-8.30p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/15-10/23/2016

Saturday 10/15 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 10/16 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 10/17 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 10/18 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 10/19 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 10/20 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 10/21 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 10/22 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 10/23  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/15-10/23/2016

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/15-10/23/2016

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p 10/15, 10/17, 10/19 and 10/22

IllumiNations at Epcot: 10p 10/15; 9p 10/16 through 10/20; 10p 10/21 and 10/22; 9p 10/23

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 7.30p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:  8p 10/15, 10/17, 10/19, and 10/21 and 10/22

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/15-10/23/2016

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

TREASURES OF THE BOARDWALK INN AND VILLAS

By Jim Korkis

Alix Beeny was the director of Parker Blake, a Denver, Colorado design company hired by Disney Imagineering division to help explore themes and find artifacts from the glory days of both Atlantic City and Coney Island to add authentic touches to the Boardwalk Inn and Villas.

Hippocampus Electrolier. Hanging directly above the miniature carousel is the Hippocampus Electrolier that supposedly is a one-of-a-kind original and not a reproduction.

The classical hippocampus comes from Greek mythology and is a sea monster with a horse’s forequarters and a fish’s tail, quite literally a seahorse. Poseidon was not only the god of the sea, but also earthquakes and horses. He was often accompanied by hippocampi who pulled his chariot.

Electrolier was the name for a chandelier powered by electric lights, rather than gas or candle, but the term never caught on in common usage. Reportedly, it was inventor Thomas Edison who coined the term.

The Hippocampus Electrolier Chandelier at the Boardwalk Inn weighs 3,000 pounds and is finished entirely in 22-karat gold leaf, hand-cut Austrian crystal, and custom-blown glass. Underneath there is a glass globe that used to be filled with sand and a time capsule to be opened on the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. The globe developed a leak (or fell and cracked depending upon who tells the story) and the sand and the time capsule were removed and are supposedly in safe keeping.

Nanny Chairs. Placed on either side of the fireplace are the scary “nanny chairs” that were originally found on 19th century European carrousels. They were intended for adults to rest upon while their children rode the moving animals. From this concept developed the more traditional “chariot” benches. It would have been inappropriate for female nannies to even ride side saddle on a carousel horse. These reproductions were cast from circa 1889 originals, hand painted and highlighted with gold leaf. In a moment of cleverness, the two Imagineers involved in the reproductions printed their names on the back of each chair: Todd and Paul.

Flip Flap Railway. In the lobby is a glass encased model of the Flip Flap Railway which was located in Sea Lion Park at Coney Island. (This park site was later bought and transformed into Coney Island’s Luna Park.)

Built in 1895, this early ride featured a 25-foot loop and was the world’s first inverted (upside down loop-the-loop) roller coaster. Because of its design (and no seatbelts), there were neck and back injuries among other discomforts.

Atlantic City had its own version of the Flip-Flap (sometimes called the Looping the Loop) on Young’s Pier from 1902-1912. So, once again, both Coney Island and Atlantic City shared similar attractions.

The Coney Flip-Flap produced 12 Gs, enough to knock riders out. To put this in comparison, Epcot’s Mission: Space produces about 2.5 Gs for 45 seconds. Even the high-flying aerobatics of the Blue Angels only produces 9-11 Gs maximum. It is my understanding that this model was produced by Imagineering using extensive resources.

Swan Ride. On a table in the middle of the room is an authentic two-headed “Swan Seat.” According to the nearby sign, it “is of European origin from the period of large-themed carousels dedicated to one species of animal, bird or fish. These grand rides had dispensed with rocking gondolas or spinning tubes in favor of these more fanciful creations. Giant baskets carried the passengers on a “Manege des Cochons” (ride of pigs). This swan seat originally hung from chairs and rocked on the carousel floor from the shifting weight of the children inside. Iron and tin with hand painting and gold leafing circa 1890.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! There’s more on the BoardWalk Inn here, and come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, and The Vault of Walt: Volume 4, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: OCTOBER 8 TO OCTOBER 16, 2016

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on October 2016 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/8-10/16/2016

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-12MN 10/8 and 10/9, 8a-7p 10/10 and 10/11, 8a-12MN 10/12, 9a-7p 10/13, 8a-7p 10/14, 8a-12MN 10/15, and 8a-7p 10/16

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 10/8, 9a-9p 10/9 through 10/13, 9a-10p 10/14 and 10/15, and 9a-9p 10/16

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-8p 10/8 through 10/12, 9a-7p 10/13, 9a-8p 10/14 and 10/15, and 9a-7p 10/16

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-8.30p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/8-10/16/2016

Saturday 10/8 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 10/9 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 10/10 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 10/11 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 10/12 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 10/13 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 10/14 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 10/15 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 10/16  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/8-10/16/2016

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 9 and 11p 10/8 and 10/9

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/8-10/16/2016

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p 10/8, 10/9, 10/12 and 10/15

IllumiNations at Epcot: 10p 10/8; 9p 10/9 through 10/13; 10p 10/14 and 10/15; 9p 10/16

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8p 10/8 through 10/12; 7.30p 10/13 through 10/16

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:  7.30p 10/8, 10/10 and 10/12; 8p 10/14 and 10/15

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/8-10/16/2016

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/8-10/16/2016

See this for forecasts.

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Kelly let me know that Disney World released today new discounts for 2017. Here’s the scoop:

Disney World Winter Discounts are Here. Book today to take advantage of some wonderful Disney World discounts that were just released:

• Play, Stay, Dine – save off of your entire room, ticket and dining package. Stay most nights 1/1/2017 – 1/7/2017 when you book by 12/21/2016
• Gift of Magic Room, Kid-Sized Gift of Magic Package and Gift of Family Magic Offers – save up to 25% on rooms for stays most nights 12/15/2016 – 12/23/2016 and 1/1/2017- 4/8/2017 when you book by 12/21/2016

By booking early, with Kelly B and Destinations in Florida – Dave’s fans were able to rely on our free future discount search and as of 7:00AM this morning had already saved a total of $2,285.

Contact Kelly@DestinationsInFlorida.com today to take advantage of these great Disney discount offers.

The room rate deal is a little complicated, so, trying to help, I built the following table of discounts (click it to enlarge it):

Note that in the room rate deal the values and moderates have a different calendar than the other hotels, and note the various different discount levels and exclusions.

The best choice among these deals will vary by family.  If you use Kelly as your travel agent to book the deal, she will figure this out for you!! Contact her Kelly@DestinationsInFlorida.com!

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

BACK TO THE FUTURE IN TOMORROWLAND

By Jim Korkis

Walking down the main street of the Avenue of the Planets in Tomorrowland, guests find themselves in the central hub of Rockettower Plaza. The names are a playful reference to New York’s famous Rockefeller Plaza and the Avenue of the Americas.

It is a bustling area that allows easy access to all areas of the Tomorrowland “city” and is home to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority that was renamed the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in 2010 in homage to its original 1975 name of WEDWay PeopleMover.

This attraction serves as an urban mass transit system for the citizens and visitors to this popular space port. The Blue Line provided intra-city service to destinations throughout the city from a beauty parlor to a merchandise shop. It was also the delivery method for businesses like Earth Crust Pizza.

The unseen Green Line was for commuting to the Hoverburbs above the city and the unseen Red Line took riders off the planet to other destinations in the galaxy.

One of the treasures on the attraction is a small glimpse of the past representing Walt Disney’s vision of the future.

It is the display model of Walt Disney’s original concept for an Epcot-like city that was on the upper level post show for Disneyland’s Carousel of Progress for many years. This is only a small part of Walt’s model which was originally 115 feet wide and 60 feet deep with 2,500 moving vehicles, 20,000 trees and 4,500 structures. Walt insisted the interior of the buildings be finished, furnished and lit.

In 1994, the Star Jets attraction was updated along with the rest of the area and renamed Astro Orbiter. The huge central rocket was replaced by a highly stylized iron-work tower along with various planets on the outside of the attraction so it seems like the rockets were weaving between the planets.

The new storyline is that the League of Planets was giving inexperienced pilots an opportunity to learn how to fly their own rocket ship.

Nearby is an actual Metrophone booth from the Galactic Communications Network (GCN). As it states on the phone: “Bringing the World Closer Together. Toll Free From Anywhere in the Galaxy.”

Since 1999, punching several numbers at random will bring up one of nine possible hilarious one-sided conversations from Rocket Realty, Sonny Eclipse’s agent Johnny Jupiter, Earth Crust Pizza (delivering anywhere in the Solar System in less than two light years or your order is free), Intergalactic Movie Line (with information on the movie “Attack of the 50 Foot Earthling”), Psychic Robots Network and more.

By the entrance to the TTA PeopleMover, is a robot newsboy selling his newspapers. The Robo-Newz vendor is always up to minute and supposedly guests can get their daily paper printed “while u wait”.

The main case shows that the latest physical newspaper is a copy of the Galaxy Gazette with its headline: “Stitch Escapes!”

The Thirst Rangers in their red and white (the colors of Coca-Cola) rocket ship are perched high on a landing platform to deliver refreshment to a Thirsty Galaxy. The Disney Imagineers created this spaceship out of the hull of the Trimaxian Drone Ship from the 1986 Disney film, Flight of the Navigator, that was originally on view for several years in the boneyard on the backstage tour at Disney MGM Studios.

At the bottom of the platform are gray crates with images of a Coca Cola bottle and amusing shipping labels.

Tomorrowland is an example of inventive, clever and humorous storytelling that immerses guests into a future that never was but was what several generations hoped would happen.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! Come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, and The Vault of Walt: Volume 4, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!