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! )

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).

“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.

The WDW Official site is now reporting that the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor Company will be opening in January 2007.

“Help Mike Wazowski, your “Monster of Ceremonies,” and his wild and crazy pals power the city of Monstropolis — with laughter! Mike and his buddies have transformed the Laugh Floor at Monsters, Inc. into a comedy club for visiting humans. You won’t have the exact same experience twice as Mike invites his furry and funny friends to the digital stage to trade jokes with audience members like you. And don’t miss the wise-cracking Roz, who isn’t sure Mike is up to the task!”

The Laugh Floor will be taking the place of the Timekeeper in Tommorrowland at the Magic Kingdom.

From Disney’s Annual Passholder email:

“To celebrate the premiere of Finding Nemo—The Musical at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, we’ve set aside each day’s first seating between Dec. 1–10 for valued Passholders like you!”

Please note that advance sign-up is required; you can sign-up online at the WDW Passholder site:

https://secure.disney.go.com/wdw/passholder/passholdersGate?id=PassholdersGatePage