Mouse Tips. The Unofficial Newsletter of Walt Disney world Volume 17 Issue 2 Spring 2012 MOUSE TIPS, P.O. BOX 383, COLUMBUS, OHIO 43216

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1 Mouse Tips The Unofficial Newsletter of Walt Disney world Volume 17 Issue 2 Spring 2012, P.O. BOX 383, COLUMBUS, OHIO $12.95/YEAR Magic Kingdom Notes The first phase (Storybook Circus) of the new Fantasyland Edition has opened at the Magic Kingdom and more details are becoming available every day. Mouse Tips has learned from an article in the Orlando Sentinel that the Storybook Circus area is set in a mythical place called Carolwood Park. Where did this name come from? It is a sentimental nod to Walt Disney s backyard railroad created at his California home called Carolwood Pacific. The Storybook Circus area also comes with a back story. In the new Fantasyland addition, a wonderful circus has pulled into a new train station. From the station, animal footprints lead guests to the attractions in this area. Guests will see two sets of elephant footprints, a mother and baby elephant, that lead to the entrance of the new Dumbo rides. TIP: Look for other animal tracks, bananas, and peanuts in the walkways as well. The bananas belong to Goofy s new monkey sidekick, which currently does not have a name. You can see a picture of the monkey on a poster while waiting in line for the roller coaster. See if you can identify the tracks in sidewalks of the other animals (giraffes and camels, just to name a few). Disney has promised more trees than ever in the new addition to provide lots of shade during the hot summer months. Currently there are two attractions openone Dumbo ride and the Great Goofini s Roller Coaster. The Dumbo ride now operating is the brand new one. Disney has given it new décor and colors based on the vibrant colors of tin toys from the early 1900s. Gold storks decorate the top of the ride along with a ring of elephants as a tribute to Mrs. Jumbo, Dumbo s mom. The one thing missing is Dumbo s friend Timothy Q. Mouse on the top of the ride. Disney has reassured guests that Timothy will be back in his familiar place before too long. Overall, the ride is a lot more ornate that the original version with elephant trunks and shelled peanuts hidden throughout the ride for guests to search for. Eventually, the ride will have an indoor, interactive waiting area with activities to keep waiting guests busy. The ride cars or elephants also have a new look. They are painted with a lighter shade of gray with new pink accents on the underside of the feet and ears. The old ride is currently being updated with the same décor and will reside next to the new one sometime in the summer of In Storybook Circus, Dumbo is definitely the star of the show. As reported in a previous issue of Mouse Tips, Goofy s roller coaster is essentially the same ride with a new theme. The ride showcases Goofy s many circus talents and was inspired by his cartoons from the 1950s. Disney has added a billboard and tower to the ride. Be sure to check out the new props while waiting in line including a cannon, wheel of peril, and smoking rocket. The rest of Storybook Circus will open later this year and will include Casey Jr s Splash and Soak Station, Big Top Souvenirs, and Pete s Silly Sideshow. Mouse Tips will continue to provide the most up-to-date coverage of all the new attractions in the Fantasyland addition as they become available.

2 2 For those of you who love Snow White s ride, you better get over there and ride it fast. Snow White s Scary Adventures will officially close on May 31 st, It was originally thought that the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Roller Coaster would be located here. However, the coaster will reside in the new Fantasyland addition. Snow White s ride will be replaced with Princess Fairytale Hall. This will be the new meet and greet location for the Disney Princesses who currently reside on Main Street. The Seven Dwarfs ride will be one of the last rides to open in the new Fantasyland addition sometime in late 2013 The Magic Kingdom has been testing a new type of FastPass for evening entertainment. During the month of March, Disney randomly gave some guests FastPasses for the Main Street Electrical Parade or the Wishes Fireworks Show. The way these FastPasses will work is guests must return to the hub in front of the castle at the time indicated on the pass. From there, cast members direct guests to special viewing areas for these activities. This type of FastPass is still in the testing phase, but is a very interesting idea. This will prevent guests from lining-up 2 hours in advance just to get a good spot. Mouse Tips also feels that this will also improve traffic and crowd control on parts of Main Street. Stay tuned to see if this becomes a permanent addition to the FastPass lineup The Sorcerer s of the Magic Kingdom gaming experience was opened to the public on February 22 nd. Disney had been testing the game with a soft-opening for several weeks and worked out the last few kinks. On our last visit, we saw several guests playing. Everyone seemed to be having fun and the lines at the magic symbols were not long at all. If you are looking for something different to do at the Magic Kingdom, we suggest you give it a try Restaurants at the Magic Kingdom are adding some new children s menu items. The Plaza Restaurant has added a grilled chicken strips with cous cous and fresh fruit entrée. Cinderella s Royal Table has added a chicken pot pie topped with biscuits, chicken drumette with rice and broccolini, and grilled beef skewers with mashed potatoes and corn. A barbecue chicken flat bread is being served at the Liberty Tree Tavern and Tony s Town Square is selling a steak kabob with sweet potato fries and fresh fruit. If your child is looking for something different to eat, this may be just what you are looking for Disney has had problems in the last several years deciding what to serve at the Tomorrowland Terrace. Many of its ideas have failed. However, Mouse Tips thinks Disney may have finally found the right menu. The counter service restaurant is serving pasta primavera with or without shrimp, pasta alfredo with chicken, a lobster roll, fried chicken sandwich, and 1/3lb cheeseburger. The best part is all of these entrees are under $10. TIP: The restaurant is not open all the time, so be sure to check with a cast member before planning on eating here Finally, on our last visit to the magic Kingdom we decided to try a new spot for viewing the fireworks. In the past, we have always watched them from a location where we could see the front of the castle. The castle does make a nice backdrop for the fireworks. This time we watched them from behind the castle in Fantasyland and there was hardly anyone there. We stood between the carousel and Mickey s PhilharMagic. What an awesome spot! It felt like the fireworks were exploding right above and in front of you. In fact it was more like a 360 degree fireworks experience when those on top of the Fantasyland buildings were ignited. If you have never watched the fireworks from Fantasyland, you will be amazed at what you will see. We highly recommend it. Epcot Update The Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure at Epcot is finally being replaced. The new, interactive game will be based on the popular animated Disney show Phineas & Ferb. The new game, Disney s Phineas & Ferb: Agent P s World Show Adventure, will feature the character Perry the Platypus. For those not familiar with the show, Perry aka Agent P is in a constant fight with his nemesis, the notorious Dr. Doofensmirtz. Participating guests will be

3 3 transformed into secret agents and work with Agent P to thwart the evil plots of Dr. Doofensmirtz. Guests will use a device similar to the one in the Kim Possible Adventure. The adventure will take guests through seven different countries (UK, China, Japan, Norway, France, Germany, and Mexico). Along the way you will receive different clues and Evil Inators from each country to help Agent P complete his mission. Look for the new adventure to begin sometime in the summer of 2012 On our last visit, we were hoping to catch a glimpse of the newest addition to the Innoventions pavilion, Habit Heroes. This exhibit is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield and was supposed to be an interactive exhibit on making healthy lifestyle choices and fighting bad habits. The goal was to convey a positive message about healthy living in a fun and empowering way. However, during the soft-opening and testing some guests became very upset about some of the content. Guests criticized Disney for stigmatizing overweight children. The show features two animated fitness buffs, Will Power and Callie Stenics. They take up to 12 guests through a series of interactive rooms to fight bad habits such as watching too much television and eating too much junk food. Cartoon villains in the attraction include Lead Bottom and Snacker. The attraction has been chastised for negatively stereotyping childhood obesity. The bad habits in the attraction were portrayed by obese people. Critics would like to see people of all body types and sizes portrayed exhibiting these bad behaviors. There is one character, Sweet Tooth, who represents anyone who has a strong desire for sweets. What we do know is that the exhibit is closed indefinitely while Disney and Blue Cross decide what to do. We think their intentions were good, but the execution of the idea just needs to be tweaked. There is also a website that is a companion to the attraction at The website is currently down as well. Mouse Tips thinks that when the website is up the attraction should open soon thereafter Disney really needs to give the Imagination Pavilion a major facelift. The post ride area is virtually empty and the interactive elements after the ride have been changed yet again. Guests can now make their own Figment character on a computer and it to themselves. This is now the big attraction here and it s not even very fun. Our 9 year old lost interest very quickly. Most of the area is just empty and looks neglected The House of Innoventions at the Innoventions pavilion has closed. Disney is replacing it with the Vision House Go Green. This new house will focus on ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your own home. Expect to see some new technology never seen before In the Outpost section of World Showcase (between China and Germany), the Bead Outpost has opened. Disney ships its old, used guidemaps and discarded paper to people in Uganda. These craftsmen use the paper to make colorful beads, which are then made into jewelry. The bracelets sell for $10, necklaces $20, anklets $12, and earrings $7. They are a great way to support the local people of Africa and the items make unique gifts Almost every guest agrees that the best part of the France pavilion is the bakery. Well get ready for some changes. Disney plans to almost double the size of the bakery to about 3,000 square feet. The new bakery will be more like a modern French bakery. It will feature homemade sandwiches made with fresh baked bread right there on site. The new bakery will not open until spring Restaurant Review: Katsura Grill - Japan, World Showcase EPCOT Epcot is our favorite theme park at Walt Disney World, but I have to be honest and say that it is not one of our favorite places to eat. There are plenty of very nice and very expensive restaurants to enjoy here (and we have) but if you want an uncomplicated, counter service dining experience your choices are limited. If you want to eliminate hamburgers, chicken fingers and French fries as options, your choices become even slimmer. So we continue with our quest to find a new counter service restaurant that we enjoy.

4 4 The Katsura Grill is the reincarnation of the old Yakatori House and is tucked back into a quiet corner of the Japan pavilion. In fact, you have to climb 2 sets of stairs to reach it as it is perched on a small hill behind the giant pagoda as you enter the pavilion. TIP: For guests with wheelchairs or strollers, there is a gently winding pathway to the left of the stairs that will take you up to the restaurant. The pathway itself follows a quiet, meandering stream that starts at a small waterfall located in the outdoor seating area of the restaurant. TIP: If you decide to eat outside, beware of the ducks. While they were less aggressive than the seagulls at other parks, guests have obviously fed them. They are always on the prowl for a hand out. TIP: Even if you decide not to eat here, the outdoor seating area is a nice place to take a break and enjoy the shade. There is also a very nice set of restrooms up here as well. The interior of the restaurant is very plain with dark wood decor and not a lot of seating. You can tell that this is an older restaurant that did not have a lot of room to expand during the renovation. Guests proceed to the counter and can order from a wide variety of Japanese cuisine. The menu selections include three different types of Sushi: California roll ($8.50), spicy tuna roll ($8.99) and a Tokyo sushi sampler ($9.99). Also on the menu were Japanese curry rice with beef and vegetables ($8.99), a curry udon bowl topped with beef curry ($9.99) and a curry chicken cutlet served with rice ($10.99). We saw a few people ordering these and they looked very good. We decided to try the teriyaki offerings. Guests can choose from chicken ($8.99), beef ($9.99) or salmon ($11.99), which are served with steamed rice and vegetables. If you don t want to settle on just one, you can order the Tonosama combo with beef, chicken and salmon for $12.99 or the Shogun combo with chicken and beef for $ We tried the Shogun combo. The chicken was really good and the rice and vegetables were fresh and well seasoned. The beef, however, was a little too thinly shaved for our tastes, but it still had a good flavor to it. The udon noodle bowls are the other popular favorite here. Udon noodles can be described as extremely thick spaghetti noodles with a very soft texture about them. We decided to try the plain udon bowl, which is basically a seasoned beef broth with a few green onions for $7.99. You could also order this with beef ($9.99) or tempura shrimp ($9.99). It was very good and our daughter really enjoyed it. It was plain enough for her not to object about too many vegetables, but exotic enough that she could use chop sticks and still was able to pick up the extra thick noodles. Additional menu offerings include a Tsukemen salad, which is a cold ramen noodle salad with shredded crab meat and a sesame soy dressing for $6.99, a cup of miso soup for $3.28 or a side of edamame for $3.99. A limited kids menu is available and includes teriyaki chicken with rice, vegetables, udon noodles, choice of a drink and a cookie for $6.99. Beverage available were the standard soft drinks, juice and milk, as well as, Kirin beer and plum wine. Desserts were limited to a cookie ($2.50), a green tea swirl cake, Macha ($4.29) or green tea, azuki, or strawberry ice cream for $3.99. TIP: If you are on the Disney Dining plan and must get a dessert, the Macha looked like the best option. If you are not on the plan, save those dessert calories for something more worthy from around World Showcase. So while the food was good, it didn t blow us away. We don t think it will become a must eat for us on every visit. I m sure we will be back at some point, but our quest continues. The atmosphere of the outdoor eating area was wonderful and it was a nice break from a parade of hamburgers and chicken nuggets. The next time you find yourself hungry and at Epcot give Katsura Grill a chance, or at least rest your feet in its serene outdoor setting. Outside the World Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida has added four new attractions including the first zip line roller coaster. The Rattlesnake zip line coaster has guests gliding along a steel rail that zigs and zags through the trees at a height of about 65 feet. The Panther Pounce is a 70 foot tower in which guests jump off and rapidly descend to the

5 5 ground. The Swooping Crane is a swing that releases guests from 55 feet in the air to glide over the brush below. Finally, the Peregrine Plunge is a 1,300 foot zip line that traverses over the conservation areas of the park. This ride has two side-by-side lines. These four attractions were added to two existing ones, the Zip Line Safari and Cypress Canopy Cycle. The price for all six attractions is $135. Reservations are recommended. For more information call (407) or visit Universal CityWalk has opened two new miniature golf courses. The complex is called the Hollywood Drive-In Golf. It features two distinctly different courses based on drive-in movies of the 1950s. The first, The Haunting of Ghostly Greens, is based on the old-school horror shows. At this course, guests play through a grave yard, pet cemetery, and other spooky obstacles. The second, Invasion of Planet Putt, is sci-fi themed. This course has an alien invasion and psychedelic lighting. Both courses have great sound effects and lighting. Planet Putt has more stairs and multilevel challenges. The courses are open from 8am to 2am. The cost to play is $13.99 for adults and $11.99 for children For those of you who don t know, Disney bought Marvel Entertainment for over $4 billion back in With the purchase came the portfolio of more than 5,000 characters. Disney has done some preliminary design and concept work to incorporate some of these characters into its theme parks. However, don t expect them to appear in the Magic Kingdom or other parks anytime soon. However, Disney is introducing a new show on Disney XD called Ultimate Spider- Man. This may be the beginning of a block of programming on this channel as Disney seeks to add new characters and shows to its stable of networks. The question remains, what will happen to the Marvel characters and rides at Universal Orlando s Super Hero Island? That park has the rights to use these characters for a very, very long time, so Disney will just have to bite its tongue and tolerate the competition Anyone who has been to Walt Disney World knows that it is impossible to get the theme song to It s a Small World out of your head sometimes. Now guests can enjoy the song and the attraction from their iphone or ipad. The It s a small world app uses the iconic theme song to take users on an interactive journey that promotes the ideas of experiencing new places and interacting with people of different cultures. Users can learn new ways to say hello in different languages. The app is clearly targeted towards children but some adults find it entertaining as well. The app s animation and graphics are outstanding. It sells for $3.99 at the itunes store Sea World is about to open a brand-new attraction called Turtle Trek. This attraction will reside in the location formerly occupied by the Manatee Rescue attraction. This 3-D film will chronicle the 25 year life of a turtle in about 7 minutes. The action will unfold all around the guests including the domed-ceiling. This will be a standing-only attraction. The special effects are described as spectacular. Turtle Trek will also house live turtles and manatees. The attraction is set to open on April 27 th. Studios Scoop The next time you are in the back lot area of the Studios, be sure to stop by the Phineas and Ferb character greeting spot. This is more than just your normal character greeting location. A cast member (Cletus Filmore, Director) picks guests from the line to dance to popular songs such as Backyard Beach and to act out scenes from the show. Guests seemed to have a great time while waiting in line to meet the characters. If anyone in your group is a big fan of Phineas and Ferb, you must take some time and stop by Disney has added a new display to the Magic of Animation Tour. Guests can get a sneak peek at the new animated feature Brave. A lot of art work and scale models are on display The Brown Derby restaurant is testing a new interactive menu for guests will special dining issues/diets. Guests are given a special ipad where they can indicate special dining instructions or food allergies. Once the bugs are all worked-out, Disney plans to roll this out to all its table-service dining

6 6 establishments. For guests that need even more in-depth dining considerations, the chef will come to the table and speak with the guest personally. This is just one more way Disney is trying to accommodate its guests with special medical considerations. Animal Kingdom Korner Sometime in the spring, Kilimanjaro Safaris will undergo some minor changes to make the animals more visible to guests in the safari vehicles. Specifically, the viewing of the zebras will be enhanced. Disney will create a new habitat for the zebras on the savanna section of the ride. This will bring them closer to the safari vehicles. Disney will also remove the Little Red Capture piece of the ride and the poachers chasing the baby elephant. One our last visit, the poachers zooming by in their jeep shooting at the safari vehicles was not operating. It may already be gone. The truck with Little Red inside is next to go. This is where the new zebra savanna habit will be located, complete with a new watering hole for them. The ride will continue to be open during this construction, which should be completed by the fall of Shopping.Shopping.Shopping The current gifts with purchase at Walt Disney World is a black or blue Mickey tote bag for $13.95 with a $25 purchase, a 1971 Mickey Mouse watch for $17.95 with a $40 purchase, a large duffle bag for $16.95 with a $25 purchase, or a Cinderella s Castle blanket for $17.95 with a $40 purchase. The castle blanket is blue and silver and captures the castle in a shimmering display. Mouse Tips feels it is the best gift with purchase ever offered by Disney. You should definitely consolidate your purchases and buy one Disney has begun selling its version of the popular Pillow Pets. Disney themed ones sell for $25 and are available in the following characters: Pluto, Eeyore, Mickey, Tigger, Minnie, Simba, Stitch, and Dumbo. They are available all over Disney property Remember the old Kitchen Kabaret attraction in the Land pavilion? To commemorate this attraction, Disney has released a 6-piece VinylNation set for $ It will be sold at the D-Street shop at Downtown Disney. The next VinylNation to be released is a Dole Whip one. I ll bet they will be lining-up to buy that one. Speaking of VinylNation, Disney introduced professional and college sports team VinylNation figures. There are more than 20 different teams to choose from. Around the World Disney has decided to try and increase the presence of live entertainment found around the resort. This is most evident at Downtown Disney. On our last visit, we caught several of these acts. The classical trio (violin, cello, and electric clarinet) performing outside of the Portobello Restaurant was excellent as were the Irish step dancers at Ragland Road. Pleasure Island also has two, new outdoor stages in front of the old Comedy Club. On one stage was an awesome guitar player and on the other was a band playing top 40 music. Entertainment alternated between the two stages. Disney also had a couple of bars open next to the stages as well. While watching the live music, we noticed one of the living statues in front of the old Adventurer s Club. This is similar to the one that used to reside outside the France pavilion. Finally, at the bottom of the bridge from Pleasure Island to the Westside, another acoustic guitar player had a large crowd around him as well. If you like live music, be sure to take a leisurely stroll around the entire Downtown Disney complex and see what you can find The Courtyard Package has been added to the menu of services at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. This package includes glistening makeup, nails, an exclusive hairstyle, sash, face gems, T-shirt, tutu, and small princess purse. The cost is $ The Boutique has also changed its prices for the Coach Package to $54.95 and the Crown Package to $ Speaking of makeovers, The Pirate League at the Magic Kingdom has added two new makeovers. The

7 7 Jake and the Neverland Pirates Package transforms a child into the character Jake from the show. The package includes a Jake facial effect, bandanna with fake hair, Pirate s League sword, treasure bag, and pirate coin necklace. The price is $29.95 plus tax. Disney is also doing a Mermaid Package for $ This includes mermaid makeup, face gems, hairstyling, color changing hair clip, nails, mermaid sash, and color changing necklace Several years ago, Disney introduced buses on demand, a Disney innovation that rerouts buses to the theme parks and resorts with long bus lines. To further help with congested bus stops and increase capacity, Disney may begin using double buses. These look like two buses joined together with an accordion-like structure. Disney hopes to use these buses at resorts that are extremely crowded and to ferry guests around after a theme park closes In our last issue, we talked about how many cast members will let guests use their FastPass after their window has closed. This common courtesy is gone. Signs are now posted to alert guests that they must return during their ride window. This text has also been added to the FastPass tickets as well. Mouse Tips has learned a little more about the X-Pass and how it will work. Disney may roll this out sometime in We also think that X-Passes will be free. X-Passes can be accessed before the guest even leaves home with set times to ride certain attractions. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about these new passes. Mouse Tips will keep you posted of any new developments Complimentary Wi-Fi is now available at all Walt Disney World resorts. Guests can access the system from their rooms, main pools, bus stops, restaurants, and lobby areas. TIP: This does not include the Fort Wilderness Campground for obvious reasons. To access the free Wi-Fi, search for the Guest-Access Unsecured signal. Once that is selected, open your Internet browser and accept the terms and conditions. Free Wi-Fi for your cell phone is available for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS. Guests who are having trouble connecting can call (407) for technical support Disney has finally added small refrigerators to the value resorts (All-Stars and Pop Century). All rooms should have these refrigerators by the end of April. Mouse Tips Tweets 1) America Pavilion - pumpkin spice funnel cakes 2) Mission Space Green Mission no centrifuge or spinning 3) Ask a cast member about Constance s ring at Haunted Mansion 4) End of Buzz Lghtyr ride photo op in jail with Emp Zurg 5) Merchant of Venus at MK big selection of Phineas & Ferb stuff 6) Main St. Cinema at MK Lots of WDW railroad merchandise 7) FastPass for Pooh ride in front of PhilharMagic 8) New tip board in Future World wait times and more 9) AK margarita kiosk outside Flights of Wonder ($5 cheaper than Epcot s) 10) Downtown Disney Marketplace dance party from 7pm to 10pm 11) Cooke s of Dublin at Dwntwn Disney- deep fried hamburger 12) New Harley Davidson location Dwntwn Disney Westside 13) D-Street shop at Westside VinylNation headquarters 14) New sunglass store at Westside awesome, new styles 15) Westside Splitsville bowling set to open ) VinylNation Jrs 1.5 inch key chains for $8.95 Questions, Comments, Suggestions should be directed to: Mouse Tips, Don & Amy Sullivan, Editors P.O. Box 383, Columbus, OH Mouse Tips is in no way connected to The Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries. Walt Disney World is a registered trademark of The Walt Disney Company. Some rides, attractions, parks, resorts, etc., mentioned in this publication are registered trademarks of The Walt Disney Company. The use of these trademarked names is strictly for editorial purposes only and not for commercial use. Reproduction of Mouse Tips without the permission of the editors is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2012