Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JANUARY 11 TO JANUARY 19, 2020

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

For more on January 2020 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/11-1/19/20

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-10p 1/11, 9a-8p 1/12 through 1/16, 9a-9p 1/17, 8a-11p 1/18, and 9a-9p 1/19

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 7a-8p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 9a-8p 1/11 through 1/17, 9a-9p 1/18, and 9a-8p 1/19

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/11-1/19/20

• Saturday 1/11 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none
• Sunday 1/12 Morning: none Evening: Hollywood Studios
• Monday 1/13 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none
• Tuesday 1/14 Morning: none Evening: Epcot
• Wednesday 1/15 Morning: none Evening: Magic Kingdom
• Thursday 1/16 Morning: Epcot Evening: none
• Friday 1/17 Morning: Magic Kingdom Evening: none
• Saturday 1/18 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none
• Sunday 1/19 Morning: none Evening: Hollywood Studios

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/11-1/19/20

Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/11-1/19/20

Happily Ever After  at Magic Kingdom: 8p every day

Epcot Forever at Epcot: 9p every day

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8p every day

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8p every day

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 6.30 and 7.45p 1/11 through 1/14; 6.30p 1/15; 6.30 and 7.45p 1/16 through 1/19

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/11-1/19/20

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

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

This morning Walt Disney World released a room rate deal that covers stays April 1 through September 12, 2020.  It needs to be booked by February 26.  Saving range from 10% to 25% off standard rates per night, varying by both hotel and time period.

Also this morning Disney World released a free dining for kids three to nine years old offer that covers some–but not all–of the same resorts, for a shorter time frame–May 25 through August 28.

And a few days ago Disney World released a very limited free dining deal.

With some dates seeing as many as three different offers, your best bet is to work with a travel agent to see which of these deals–if any–is best for you. A contact form for my travel agent partner, Kelly, is at the bottom of this page.

DISNEY WORLD ROOM RATE DEAL FOR APRIL 1 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12

The room rate offer needs to be booked February 26th (note that Disney’s website has some confusion on this point, so it may change*), and includes in rates for three different periods:

• April 1 through April 25, 2020
• April 26th through July 9, 2020
• July 10th through September 12th, 2020

2020 ROOM RATE DEAL AT THE DISNEY WORLD VALUE RESORTS

At Disney’s value resorts all room types are in the deal–including Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation, which is quite unusual. Savings are low, but better after late April.

2020 ROOM RATE DEAL AT THE DISNEY WORLD MODERATE RESORTS

At Disney’s moderate resorts all resorts are in the deal, but the Port Orleans options–especially French Quarter–see the lowest savings.

2020 ROOM RATE DEAL AT THE DISNEY WORLD DELUXE RESORTS

At Disney’s deluxe resorts, all are in the deal, but savings are quite varied.

2020 ROOM RATE DEAL AT THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS

At Disney’s DVC resorts all the options except the Villas at the Grand Floridian are in the deal, at substantially varying savings.

Kelly, the long term travel agent partner of this site, can book you into this or another 2020 deal after figuring out which is best for your circumstance.

Contact her using the form below!

*Disney’s “offer details” page says book by February 26th, but as you can see in the screenshots above, there is lingo that says, for example, that a room you stay in April 20th can be booked at deal rates through July 9…

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

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

THE DISNEY INSTITUTE

By Jim Korkis

CEO Michael Eisner and his family visited the Chautauqua Institution in 1985 in upstate New York. Chautauqua offered lectures, performances, recreation, and, most specifically, classes designed for adults to enhance their education during the summer months. Eisner felt this would be a great idea to build at Walt Disney World and would attract older, more affluent guests who were not interested in the theme parks.

In order to save on costs on the venture, it was decided to convert the already existing Lake Buena Vista villas and townhouses into housing for what would become the Disney Institute, and just build the additional classroom facilities there.

The new structures were designed by Tom Beedy and given the look of a small, friendly New England town. Facilities at the 457-room lakeside resort were designed to accommodate about 900 people at its peak, a fairly modest number considering the other resorts and attendance at the theme parks.

New structures included a 38,000-square-foot two-story sports and fitness center with a full basketball court, indoor pool, and a full-service spa with seaweed facial or an “aroma therapy” massage; a 225-seat Performance Center that was acoustically perfect and featured side boxes in the audience; a 400-seat movie theater without a balcony; and a 1,150-seat uncovered amphitheater (which proved to be a huge mistake when it rained, or the Orlando heat was too intense so could not be used).

Some upgrades to the Lake Buena Vista living accommodations were made, but most of these were merely cosmetic, so for example there were few outlets to plug in and recharge any devices like a computer. The prices were going to be the same as the premium resorts on property but without the same amenities.

The Disney Institute opened on February 9, 1996 with the motto “You won’t believe what you can do!”

Too often guests stayed at other resorts and simply drove in to attend classes or performances. The classrooms were designed to be small for an intimate experience but even with a full classroom it was not enough to cover the cost of the overhead for instructors, materials, maintenance and more.

When Disney Institute opened in 1996, guests could choose from more than 80 programs in nine different program track areas, including Entertainment Arts (which also encompassed all the animation classes), Sports and Fitness, Life Styles, Story Arts (with classes like As Walt Would Tell It), Culinary Arts, Design Arts, Environment (including a class where guests could make their own mini-Mickey Mouse topiary), Performing Arts (with a radio and television studio) and Youth Programs. Within six months many of these classes were cut, with only the more popular ones surviving and another round of massive cuts happening later in 1997. The Disney Institute in its first year of existence had the highest guest satisfaction ratings on all of WDW property.

Individual classes were each offered generally twice or three times a week (usually every other day) and were roughly two to three hours long. There was a morning session and an afternoon session. There was a two hour break for lunch and in the evening there were events either in the Performance Center or the Cinema.

Eventually, the guest enrichment programs slowly disappeared entirely and Disney Institute closed as a physical location in 2002. The Disney Institute still exists today in name offering expensive business classes on location to corporate clients throughout the world from their cubicles in Celebration.

Many things on the physical site were gutted and razed when the area was transformed into the Saratoga Springs resort that opened on May 17, 2004.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, Disney Never Lands, and about planned but unbuilt concepts, and Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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

Update: Disney WOrld has also released a room rate deal that covers April 1 through September 12.

This morning Walt Disney World released a free dining offer for 2020 that covers certain arrival dates in late June, early July, and late August through early September.

In some ways similar to last year’s initial free dining offer (more November, and December dates were released in mid-July of last year), it is much more restrictive in terms of both “book by” dates and eligible arrival dates.

The 2020 offer needs to be booked by January 16th, and includes the following sixteen arrival dates:

• June 27 and June 28
• July 5th through July 7
• August 29th through September 8th.

(In 2019, the January 2, 2019 offer had a book-by date of 2/10—almost a month longer– and had eligible arrival dates of July 5th through September 30—almost 6 times as many eligible arrival dates. Note that Disney can always extend the “book-by” dates, and also both re-open and add additional eligible arrival dates.)

A room rate deal that covers all these dated (and many, many more!!!) was released January 6. See this for the details of the room rate deal. Typically, a room rate deal will be better for many smaller families in more expensive rooms, and free dining will be better for many larger families in less expensive rooms who had already planned to purchase park hoppers—although you or your travel agent need to do the math.

(For more on the dining plans, see this.)

2020 FREE DINING AT THE VALUE RESORTS

The 2020 Free Dining deal at Disney’s value resorts entitles you to the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan for free, which otherwise would cost you $55/night for those ten and older, and $26/night for those three to nine.

Absolutely excluded from the deal in the value resorts are All-Star Movies and the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation. Otherwise, expect limited availability of the lowest priced room options.

2020 FREE DINING AT THE MODERATE RESORTS

The 2020 Free Dining deal at Disney’s moderate resorts entitles you to the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan for free, which otherwise would cost you $55/night for those ten and older, and $26/night for those three to nine.

All of the moderates are included in the deal, but expect limited availability of the lowest priced room options.

2020 FREE DINING AT THE DELUXE RESORTS

The 2020 Free Dining deal at Disney’s deluxe resorts entitles you to the Disney Dining plan for free, which otherwise would cost you $78.01/night for those ten and older, and $30.50/night for those three to nine.

All of the deluxes are included in the deal, but expect limited availability of the lowest priced room options.

2020 FREE DINING AT THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS

The 2020 Free Dining deal at Disney’s DVC resorts entitles you to the Disney Dining plan for free, which otherwise would cost you $78.01/night for those ten and older, and $30.50/night for those three to nine.

All of the DVC resorts except the Villas at the Grand Floridian are included in the deal, but expect limited availability of the lowest priced room options.

Kelly, the long term travel agent partner of this site, can book you into this 2020 free dining deal—and  help you figure out which of the various deals out now would be best for your circumstances.

Contact her using the form below!

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

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JANUARY 4 TO JANUARY 12, 2020

Update: on Sunday 1/12, Hollywood Studios now opens at 7a.

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

For more on January 2020 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/4-1/12/20

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-11p 1/4, 9a-9p 1/5, 9a-8p 1/6 through 1/10, 9a-10p 1/11, and 9a-8p 1/12

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 7a-9p 1/4, 8a-9p 1/5, 7a-8p 1/4 through 1/12

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-10p 1/4, 9a-8p 1/5 and 1/6, 9a-6p 1/7, and 9a-8p 1/8 through 1/12

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/4-1/12/20

• Saturday 1/4 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Evening: none
• Sunday 1/5 Morning: none Evening: Hollywood Studios
• Monday 1/6 Morning: Epcot Evening: none
• Tuesday 1/7 Morning: none Evening: Epcot
• Wednesday 1/8 Morning: none Evening: Magic Kingdom
• Thursday 1/9 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none
• Friday 1/10 Morning: Magic Kingdom Evening: none
• Saturday 1/11 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none
• Sunday 1/12 Morning: none Evening: Hollywood Studios

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/4-1/12/20

Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/4-1/12/20

Happily Ever After  at Magic Kingdom: 8p every day

Epcot Forever at Epcot: 9p every day

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8 and 9.30p 1/4; 8p 1/5 through 1/12

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8p 1/6 through 1/12

Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p 1/4 and 1/5

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 6.30 and 8p 1/4; 6.30 and 7.45p 1/5 and 1/6; 6.30p 1/7; 6.30 and 7.45p 1/8 through 1/12

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/4-1/12/20

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

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

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

YOUR PERSONAL DISNEY LIBRARY (24)

By Jim Korkis

• Walt Disney’s EPCOT Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow by Richard Beard

While there have been many impressive recent books about Walt Disney World, it is also important to consider adding some older editions to your personal Disney library.

Walt Disney’s EPCOT Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow is historically fascinating and still valued by Disney fans for its text and illustrations, despite much of the information being outdated by all the changes that have taken place over the decades. It really is a time capsule for a park that no longer exists and will disappear even more with the new changes that have been recently announced.

Published by Harry Abrams Inc. in New York, it had the full approval and cooperation of the Walt Disney Company. Originally written just before Epcot opened so it could encourage guests to visit Disney’s newest theme park, it was hugely popular.

The earliest edition features beautiful concept art that was replaced with color photos in the second edition. In fact, the book resembles the high-end art books being produced by Harry Abrams Inc. at the time, including even fold-out pages for some of the illustrations.

There are four distinct versions of the book.

The first edition was simply called Walt Disney’s Epcot. The second edition after the park opened was entitled Walt Disney’s Epcot Center with the addition of the five interlocking circles logo and the official Epcot Center lettering on the front cover.

Both editions are huge, roughly 9.5 inches wide and 12 inches tall and 239 pages long. Other than changing some of the concept art and models for photographs of the finished park, the text and the layout remains pretty much the same in the second edition.

The book traces the design and construction of the park but avoids discussing why Walt’s original dream failed to materialize. The wonderful artwork and photos make the book a priceless addition to a collection especially for a fan of Epcot.

Two other smaller, thinner editions were issued that measure roughly less than 9 inches wide and 11 inches tall and contain only 127 pages. They have a stiff board cover rather than the dust jackets on the two larger editions.

These smaller versions were less expensive and meant to be sold as a souvenir edition at the Disney theme parks. Like the larger editions, one was published just as the park was opening and the other had updated photographs after the park had opened.

I point out these differences because it is important to know which edition you are purchasing. I have all four editions so that I can use them for reference when I write my articles and books, but you may just want one of them to add to your collection.

The larger volumes have an almost twenty page introduction by Marty Sklar that is trimmed to roughly four pages in the smaller editions. When I talk about concept art, it is not just the paintings shown in the American Adventure section or Bob McCall’s paintings for Horizons, but material like three pages of artwork for Japan’s Meet the World attraction that never opened at Epcot.

Unlike some other older books, this is not a difficult or expensive book to obtain. I definitely wish similar volumes had been produced for the other Disney theme parks, but it is great that this one was.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, Disney Never Lands, and about planned but unbuilt concepts, and Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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