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From my friend Kelly B:

Did you recently book a Disney World vacation? Are you overwhelmed with the details of planning or just looking to have a little more spending money?

If you booked your vacation directly with Disney (by phone or online) within the past 30 days, you can transfer your reservation to Destinations in Florida and watch the Pixie Dust start flying!

Transferring your reservation to me allows you to work directly with you as your own personal Disney World expert. I’ll be able to provide you with our agency’s many invaluable services including:

• Free Itinerary Planning (valued at $149)
• Free Mouse Perks – Tips, Updates, and Fun Freebies (valued at $199)
• Free Dining Services – Dining suggestions and reservation planning (valued at $69)
• Free FastPass+ Services – FastPass+ planning and reservation assistance (valued at $59)
• Free Future Discount Search – Ongoing searching for future discount to apply to your vacation.

But the magic doesn’t stop there!  You’ll also receive a FREE Disney Gift card of up to $100.

• Package of $2500 – $2999 / Free $40 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $3000 – $3500 / Free $50 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $3501 – $3999 / Free $60 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $4000 – $4500 / Free $75 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $4501 – $4999 / Free $90 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $5000 and up / Free $100 Disney Gift Card

To transfer your Disney Vacation Package, please contact me (Kelly B – Dave’s dedicated Destinations in Florida travel agent) at 980-429-4499, request a transfer online, or email me at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com today.

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Disney World’s 2017 resort hotel prices were released on Tuesday.

You can book them by contacting Kelly B at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499. Or click here to receive your free quote for 2017.

The Disney Word price seasons for 2017 are here.

I’ve been analyzing a sample of resorts since Tuesday, and the upshot is that compared to hefty price increases that we’ve seen for all components of a Disney vacation going back to the 2016 room prices, the price increases for 2017 are quite restrained.

Only Art of Animation, Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside see hefty increases. (Reviews of all Disney World resort hotels mentioned in this pricing round-up are linked to from here–I’ve stayed in more than 125 different Disney World hotel rooms, and my reviews are based on these stays.) Other resorts see just low or moderate price increases–including a whole slew of deluxes that see no increase for most or all of 2017.

Analyzing Disney resort price changes is difficult—there’s more than 20 hotels, many differently-priced room and view types within them, seven to nine different major price seasons over the course of the year, additional weekend and holiday upcharges, and more. As a result, unless you have a LOT of time on your hands you need to sample, and that’s what I’ve done.

In general I sample the lowest-priced rooms at all of the resorts and add one higher-priced room type at each deluxe resort, and then analyze:

• Season price increases across all the major Disney World price seasons—e.g. “Regular” season prices for 2017 compared to 2016
• Changes in the dates covered by price seasons that have an impact on price levels—a lot of that happened in 2016, and it’s mostly maintained in 2017
• Changes in the relative price levels of hotels in a single price class—a lot of that happened in 2016, and it’s largely maintained in 2017

For 2017 I sampled 24 room types across the seven major price seasons at the values and moderates and the nine major price seasons at the deluxes.  This yielded 396 points of comparison between 2017 and 2016 prices. The detailed results follow.

DISNEY WORLD VALUE RESORTS PRICING IN 2017

Price season structure changes

For 2016, price seasons for later August through the end of October changed from the old “Value 2” to “Fall” in later August and earlier September, and from “Fall” to “Regular” from mid-September to almost the end of October.

In both cases the switch was from a lower-priced season to a higher priced season, in effect substantially raising prices for this period.

In addition, for earlier in 2016, two short periods became “Regular” that used to be “Value” or “Value 2”—in early February and mid-August.

2017 largely maintains this new seasonal structure at the values, but with a couple of twists:

• The early February insertion of a few Regular seasons days has been abandoned, and these days go back to being Value season in 2017–in effect a price cut
• The August Regular season goes on a week longer in 2017 than it did in 2016 before Fall season kicks in–in effect a price increase
• A few mid-December dates that in 2016 were Peak season are Regular season in 2017–in effect a price cut

Price level changes

The basic pattern among value resort standard rooms of Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms being most expensive and the All-Stars being least expensive continues in 2017.

Art of Animation rooms show the highest price increases among these standard rooms in 2017, and the All-Stars the lowest, extending this gap, and putting Little Mermaid rooms shockingly close to standard moderate room prices some dates (especially in the Summer season).

The three Family Suite areas at Art of Animation—Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King—had the same prices until 2016. In 2016, Finding Nemo suites became more expensive than the other two, which are priced the same. This price structure among the family suites stayed the same in 2017.

Season price increases

Prices in the All-Stars in 2016 showed no to very low increase compared to 2015. For 2017, average prices in the All-Stars are up a little less than 3%,  with the lowest increases in the Summer and Fall seasons and the highest in the Value and Easter seasons. Family Suites at Music are up a little less but show the same seasonal patterns.

Pop Century standard rooms showed no price increases for the Summer or Fall seasons in 2016, and increases of 2-4% in the other 2016 seasons. Increases are higher in 2017, averaging 5.5%, with only the Summer season not showing a moderate or substantial increase.

Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation increased 3-5% in the major seasons in 2016, and show much higher increases in 2017–an average of almost 9%, with increases of more than 7% in every major 2017 price season.

Art of Animation Family Suites at Cars and Lion King are up on average 7% for 2017 after low increases in 2016. Peak and Summer prices are up less than 4%, with all other major seasons up 7% to 9.5%. Finding Nemo Suites show an average increase of 9%, with 7% to 10% increases in all major seasons.

DISNEY WORLD MODERATE RESORTS PRICING IN 2017

Price season structure

The moderates saw the same price season structure changes in 2016 as the value resorts did, and the same minor changes to them for 2017. See the material above for more on this.

Price level changes

Until 2016, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Port Orleans Riverside standard rooms had the same prices, while Coronado Springs tracked them some nights and other nights was $3-5 more.

In a major change, in 2016 Riverside and French Quarter became the most expensive moderates. In 2017, after the price changes noted below, Riverside and Port Orleans became even more expensive than the other moderates, and Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs most seasons are priced the same.

Season price increases

Coronado Springs shows average price increases of 2.5%, with the biggest increases in the Fall and Summer Weekend rates.

Caribbean Beach prices increased an average of 3.8%, putting its rooms at the same prices as those at Coronado Springs in all seasons except the Value and Peak season, when Coronado Springs remains higher.

Prices at Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside rocketed up 7-9% across all the major seasons, with an average increase of 8%, widening the price differential with the other two traditional moderates that we first saw in 2016.

DISNEY WORLD DELUXE RESORTS PRICING IN 2017

Price season structure

The deluxe resorts run to a different price season calendar than the values and moderates, especially from early July through mid-November.

They did not have the major seasonal date changes that the values and moderates had in 2016. Rather, in 2016 they had only two small seasonal changes, with a few days in early February shifting to Regular instead of Value, and a week in early November shifting to Regular instead of Fall.

2017 shows

• The brief period of Regular prices in early February has been abandoned, in effect a price cut
• There are two extra weeks of Value 2 in August before prices shift to Value, in effect a small price increase
• A few mid-December dates that in 2016 were Peak season are Regular season in 2017–in effect a price cut

Price level changes

There’s a bewildering plethora of price points at the deluxes—many view options, with “Club” service options as well. I only sampled the full set of price changes in fifteen deluxe room types, and based on that saw no material change among the overall resort price standings.

The Grand Floridian is still the most expensive, and standard rooms at the Wilderness Lodge are still the least expensive.

Season price increases

Price increases at the deluxes are shockingly restrained for 2017, so much so that I initially wondered if they were typos.  But, at least as of yesterday, these low increases still stand, and people are booking at these rates (Kelly B at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499 can book them for you).

Of the 15 deluxe room types I analyzed, the average price increase was less than 2%. Six had average increases of 1% or less, and only one (Wilderness Lodge Standard View rooms, which saw hardly any increases last year) showed average increases greater than 3.5%.

Polynesian Village standard view room prices are unchanged all major seasons except for a 1% increase in the Fall Season. Poly Theme Park view prices are up an average of 1%–prices are unchanged in many seasons, up 1% in a couple, and up 3% in the Easter and Fall seasons.

See, for example, late August through early November 2016 and 2017 standard view room prices at the Polynesian:

…and Theme Park view prices:

You see across these five seasons (Value, Regular 2, Columbus Day, Fall, and Regular) no change to tiny changes in prices…

Contemporary Resort Tower Bay Lake view rooms are unchanged for 2017 in most seasons, showing only a small (<1%) uptick in the Holiday season.  Theme Park view Tower rooms here are up more substantially, averaging 3.4%, with the Peak, Summer and Value 2 seasons showing the lowest increases of around 1% and the Fall and Holiday seasons showing the highest increases of 5.5% to 7%.

Grand Floridian standard view rooms show an average increase of 1.3%, with no or low increases most seasons and 3% to 5.5% increases in the Easter and Holiday seasons. Theme Park view rooms at the Grand Floridian are up an average of 3.4%, with the lowest increases of around 1% in the Peak, Summer and Value 2 seasons, and the highest increases of 5.5% to 7% in the Fall and Holiday seasons.

Wilderness Lodge standard rooms, after next to no increases in 2016, are up an average of 5.4%, with 5% to 6.5% increases across the board except for the Value 2 season, when increases are about 2.7%. Courtyard view rooms here average a 1.3% increase, with most seasons seeing no or less than 1% price increases, but prices up 2.5% to 5.5% in the Value and Fall seasons.

BoardWalk Inn standard view room prices are largely unchanged in 2017, with only the Fall Season seeing a slight increase. Water view rooms here show the same pattern–unchanged in all seasons except for Fall.

Standard view rooms at the Yacht Club and Beach Club are up 3.2% on average. There’s no price changes in the Easter and Holiday seasons, a <1% increase in the Value 2 season, and increases of 3% to 6% in the other seasons. Water or Lagoon View rooms here are up on average less than 1%, with no price increases in the Value, Regular, Peak, and Holiday seasons, and ~1% increases in the Summer, Value 2, and Fall seasons. Only the Easter and Regular 2 seasons see price increases above 1%.

Animal Kingdom Lodge standard room prices are up an average of 2%.  The Regular, Peak, Easter, Summer, Fall and Holiday seasons show no changes to less than 1% increases. Value and Value 2 prices are 4% to 7.5%, and weekday prices in the Regular 2 season also increased at that level. Savanna view rooms are up on average almost 3%, with some seasons seeing low increases but the Value, Easter, Value 2, Fall and Holiday seasons seeing increases of 2.7% to (most of the remaining seasons) 5%.

MORE ON THE DISNEY WORLD RESORTS

I’ve stayed in more than 125 different Disney World rooms, suites, villas, and such. Reviews resulting from these stays are linked to here.

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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.

JOE ROHDE AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

By Jim Korkis

Disney guests are quite fond of locating Hidden Mickeys, usually three circles that seem to resemble the face front silhouette of Mickey Mouse. There are other more clever variations including Mickey’s foot peeking out at the bottom of a poster in the Great Movie Ride.

Some Disney guests are so observant that they spot the names of people who worked on the parks, often hidden on props like crates, signs and barrels. Near the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom, there are references to Disney Legends Bill Evans, Wathel Rogers, Winston Hibler, and Harper Goff among others.

When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened, there were hidden references to various Imagineers throughout the park. The Shields hot air balloon trips refer to landscape planner John Shields. The architectural restoration company Mjafari is a shout-out to architect Ahmad Jafari.

(c) Disney

However, as might be suspected, the most prominent name found throughout the park is that of Joe Rohde, who was the Imagineering executive designer and creative director for the project.

Rohde joined Imagineering in 1980 during the development of Epcot, contributing specifically to the Mexico pavilion. He was later significantly involved in other projects inlcudng among others the Adventurers Club on Pleasure Island, Disney Vacation Club Aulani Resort and the Norway Pavilion.

Rohde commented in 2008 at the park’s tenth anniversary celebration:

“My favorite memory of designing Disney’s Animal Kingdom was walking and riding my bike in the African savanna in the days before we put the African animals in. The whole environment was completed and fully grown in. It went on forever and really looked, even smelled like Africa.

“There were thousands of frogs in the evening, and by day there were huge flocks of little grey doves that would burst out of the grass when I walked by. Sometimes after work, I would just walk out and sit in the grass and it would be perfectly quiet.

“My favorite parts of the park are the big savanna views of Kilimanjaro Safaris, the quieter parts of Maharajah Jungle Trek and the Expedition Everest queue line.

“My favorite memory of opening day was when Jane Goodall thanked all of us Imagineers for all of our dedication and hard work. The most unique contribution of DAK is the ongoing conservation program. This puts the idea of love of animals into real action in the real world.”

Many advertisements in Harambe village are for Jorodi Masks & Beads. The name “Jorodi” is pronounced “Joe Rohde”. Rohde supplied many exotic masks for the now defunct Adventurers Club.

Rohde would laugh that he traveled the world looking for artifacts for the club but couldn’t find any that he felt would work so that all the Adventurers Club artifacts like masks were obtained at swap meets in the Pasadena, California area.

In the Adventurer’s Club main show room, the crooked picture on the side of the stage had a caricature of Rohde as an adventurer in the right hand side of the picture. It was just one of several Rohde references in the club.

The actual storefront for Jorodi Masks & Beads business is hidden away on the second floor of the main room of the Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House, over the hallway leading to the restaurant’s restrooms. A sign there emphasizes the business specialized in earrings, a reference to the distinctively huge ones Rohde wears on his left ear that he gathered on his many travels.

The final sign in the queue for Expedition Everest states “The Yeti Museum gratefully acknowledges the following individuals and organizations for their contributions of photographic material”. Halfway down the second column on the left is the name Joe Rohde.

The signs for Cap’n Bob’s Super Safaris in hot air balloon feature a cartoon caricature of Bob that looks very much like Rohde.

So Rohde’s presence is everywhere in the park he designed, and maybe in some areas yet to be discovered by curious explorers.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! I walked behind Joe Rohde’s ear in April at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!

And come back next Friday for even 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 First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JUNE 25 TO JULY 3, 2016

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

Note that typos happen, and schedules change! If something seems odd, or if you want to double check, use the calendar links near the bottom to get the latest official Disney World scoop.

For more on June 2016 at Disney World, see this, and more on July, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 6/25-7/3/2016

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-11p 6/25 and 6/26, 8a-11p 6/27, 9a-11p 6/28 thorugh 7/2, and 9a-1a 7/3

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-10p 6/25 through 7/2 and 9a-9.30p 7/3

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-11p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 6/25-7/3/2016

Saturday 6/25 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 6/26 Morning:  Hollywood Studio  Evening: none

Monday 6/27 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 6/28 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 6/29 Morning:  none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 6/30 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 7/1 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 7/2 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 7/3  Morning: none Evening: Magic Kingdom

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 6/25-7/3/2016

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p 6/25 through 7/2; noon and 3.30p 7/3
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 9 and 11p 6/25 through 7/2; 5p and 12.15a 7/3

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 6/25-7/3/2016

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p 6/25 through 7/2

Special Fourth of July Fireworks: Magic Kingdom 7/3 at 9p

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p every night

Star Wars Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9.45p 6/25 through 7/2; 9.15p 7/3

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 6/25-7/3/2016

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

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 6/25-7/3/2016

See this for forecasts.

DISCLAIMER

Everything is subject to change and typos! Check the Disney Calendars for updates and official schedules. These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

• Magic Kingdom Calendar
• Hollywood Studios Calendar
• Animal Kingdom Calendar
• Epcot Calendar

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Disney World has released its hotel prices for 2017 and made the year available for booking!

I’ve spent most of today updating the 2017 price seasons (image below) and also gathering the data to analyze 2017 price changes.  I still have to re-check my analyses, but so far I am seeing many lower increases than last year, especially at the deluxes.

Meanwhile, friend of the site Kelly B can book your 2017 vacation!  Here’s the scoop:

It’s Finally Here….Disney just released its 2017 Disney Vacation Packages! Now is the time to book your next Disney vacation!!

I’m Kelly, the dedicated Destinations In Florida travel agent for yourfirstvisit.net.  It would be my privilege to help you plan your 2017 Disney vacation.

Remember when you book with Destinations in Florida you will get our agency’s many invaluable services including:

• Free Itinerary Planning (valued at $149)
• Free Mouse Perks – Tips, Updates, and Fun Freebies (valued at $199)
• Free Dining Services – Dining suggestions and reservation planning (valued at $69)
• Free FastPass+ Services – FastPass+ planning and reservation assistance (valued at $59)
• Free Future Discount Search – Ongoing searching for future discount to apply to your vacation
• Give Kids The World – Our agency is proud to support one of Orlando’s local organizations called Give Kids the World.  This organization is a 70 acre storybook village in Kissimmee where children with life-threatening illnesses are treated to a cost-free fantasy vacation. For every package booked with our agency, a donation goes to Give Kids the World. Thank you for helping support this wonderful organization.

Click here to receive your free quote for 2017

Did you know you can reserve your whole vacation to Walt Disney World, including resort room, tickets, Disney Dining Plan and even the Memory Maker with just a $200 deposit? The final amount must be paid 30 days prior to your check in date.

And as a fan of yourfirstvisit.net, all qualifying reservations will receive a FREE copy of Dave’s The easy Guide to Your First Disney World Visit.  Contact me today at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

Thanks, Kelly! And more to come on the price changes for 2017 soon!

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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.

FROZEN EVER AFTER AND EPCOT’S NORWAY PAVILION

By Jim Korkis

On September 12, 2014, Disney announced the Maelstrom attraction would be closed on and renovated as a new attraction called Frozen Ever After.

Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, trolls and Marshmallow (the giant snowman) join guests on their boat journey on a “summer snow day” through the frozen willow forest, past Troll Valley and up to the North Mountain to Elsa’s ice palace. The attraction ends in the Bay of Arendelle.

Along the way, state-of-the-art audio-animatronics including Sven the reindeer are in the new scenes as well as elements from the animated short Frozen Fever (2015) including the Snowgies, the mini-snow creatures created from Elsa’s sneezes.

Composers Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez created new lyrics to the original Frozen (2013) film songs they wrote, and all of the original voice talent from the film returned and recorded new dialogue and songs for the attraction.

“The original animated film was heavily influenced by Norwegian culture and the filmmakers conducted extensive research in Norway,” stated Imagineer Wyatt Winter who worked on the new attraction. “Our team began our process in the same manner, visiting places in Norway that heavily influenced our work. While there’s clearly a Frozen twist to our story, honoring the culture and traditions of Norway was always among our guiding principles.”

The official dedication of the Norway Pavilion was on Friday June 3, 1988 but because of glitches in its feature attraction (including drenching passengers in the North Sea scene), Maelstrom itself did not open until about a month later on July 5th.

An Epcot press release at the time described the attraction: “Visitors take a fantasy voyage that departs a modern-day village on a Norwegian fjord and journeys up a cascading waterway into the Norway of old. The trip is aboard small ships patterned after the dragon-headed craft of Eric the Red and his fellow explorers.”

The boats were some of the first concept art work done by Imagineer Joe Rohde for Walt Disney World. It was also some of the last work done by famed Imagineer Jack Ferges who built the model for the ride vehicle ship which was replicated in fiberglass copies used in the attraction.

Originally, the attraction was to be called “SeaVenture” and the concept was more mythological in tone. Guests would be riding along a 946 foot water flume encountering trolls and gnomes and the legends about them. Another proposal was Vikings on their way to the Rainbow Bridge to Vallhalla.

The Norwegian sponsors (NorShow) disliked the concept and wanted the attraction to be more of a travelogue to encourage increased tourism.

NorShow gave the Imagineers a list of items they wanted shown in the attraction that they felt uniquely related to the story of Norway including Vikings, a fishing village, a polar bear, a fjord, an oil rig and perhaps, if there was room, a troll or two.

Attraction Designer Bob Kurzweil came up with the new approach– that it would be a time travel experience through the history of Norway beginning with the earliest folklore and ending in modern day Norway to incorporate everything that the sponsors wanted.

In the first full year of operations over 5.7 million guests rode the popular Maelstrom attraction.

NorShow sold back its interest in the pavilion at a loss to Disney in 1992 but the Norwegian government continued to support the pavilion with a contribution of $200,000 a year for the next ten years. However they dropped all financial support in 2002.

Becoming the sole support of the pavilion, the Disney Company looked for a way to increase revenue and attendance. The unexpected success of the movie Frozen (2013) followed by the over four hour wait by guests to meet Elsa and Anna in the pavilion spurred the idea of an animation overlay similar to the ones done for the Mexico and Living Seas attractions.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for even 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 First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

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