Word on the street is that Cinderella Castle is going to undergo a special winter holiday transformation this year by adding thousands of lights to the exterior of the Castle.  The transformation is said to be taking place from mid-September til mid-November, making the Castle all neat and pretty just in time for the first of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties.  I personally welcome the change (as long as it’s temporary! )

On August 31, 2007 L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante (current restaurant in the Italy Pavilion in the World Showcase) will be closing. On September 1, 2007, the restaurant will re-open as Tutto Italia.   I personally welcome the change; I was never impressed by Alfredo’s…their red sauce always reminded me of Chef Boyardee!!

Rumors are flying that the Imagination Pavilion will be getting yet another rehab, possibly to include Dreamfinder again!  Most die-hard Epcot fans (including myself and my husband) are chomping at the bit in hopes of experiencing something similar to the ”original” Journey Into Imagination again. 

Long-time Epcot fans will be happy to hear that current rumors state that a new film will be unveiled in late August 2007, replacing the current “O Canada” film in the Epcot World Showcase.  I personally am thrilled to hear that Canada will finally be getting a new film, the old one is extremely dated.  “O Canada” is currently scheduled for rehab from August 20 - August 24, so we can assume the new film will debut on August 25, 2007.  However, I will definitely miss the theme song, if that goes too! 

As of June 1, 2007 a new smoking policy started at Walt Disney World resorts.  ALL rooms are non-smoking and you can only smoke in designated smoking areas.  If you are caught smoking in your room, WDW reserves the right to fine you and add the fine to your room tab (up to $500, I believe).

Waaay back in November, 2006 I reported about rumors of the giant “Mickey Hand Wand” on top of Spaceship Earth might be coming down.  Well, it looks like I was right!  Latest rumors confirm this rumor (now that’s a lotsa rumors!).  It sounds like the 2008 budget was recently approved and included in this budget is the removal of the giant wand!  Yay!  I can’t wait to see Spaceship Earth in all its naked glory again

Due to its immense popularity, the Pirate and Princess Party will be returning to the Magic Kingdom for select dates in August and September, 2007.  The exact dates are as follows: August 11, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, 31 and September 3!  The price for adults (ages 10+) is $48.94 and the price for kids (ages 3 - 9) is $42.55.  If you’re an AP holder or a DVC owner, you can get a special deal on the pricing (same goes if you order the tickets ahead of time–at least 1 day prior).  The party is similar to that of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, in that there is a special parade and the park is decorated especially for the party.  It’s a super-cute, super-fun event that your whole family is sure to enjoy!!

Ok everyone, the free dining promotion is still available for select dates in September 2007!  You must, I repeat, MUST take advantage of this deal if you are planning a trip to the World any time soon.  It is a fabulous deal.  My husband and I will be staying at All Star Music (our favorite WDW resort believe it or not) for 10 delicious nights.  For every night of your stay, each person in your party gets a free table service meal (including drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert), a free counter service meal (drink, entree, dessert), and a free snack!  FOR FREE!!!!!!!  Run, do not walk, to www.waltdisneyworld.com and book this fantastic deal now before it’s too late (June 24, 2007 is the last day you can book this deal).

Sorry for the delay of updates over the past few months.  Life has gotten a bit crazy (you know how that goes!) but I am going to try to be much more diligent with updating now.  You can expect several new blog entries per week

“Finding Nemo - The Musical” is currently in soft opening at Animal Kingdom.  It is showing daily at 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 12:45 pm, and 3:00 pm.  Be sure to check it out if you are at AK!!   However, please remember that the passholder preview is from December 1 - December 10, so if you’re not an annual passholder, you probably won’t be able to see it on those days.