I just found out from a WDW Cast Member that the Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot will be open from November 26, 2007 - January 1, 2007!  So, if you’ve been dying to see Cranium Command or ride Body Wars again, this is your chance!

Magic Kingdom

• Splash Mountain will be closed for rehab January 2, 2007 - January 27, 2007
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh will be closed for refurbishment January 28, 2007 - February 11, 2007
• Timekeeper closed permanently

Epcot

• Wonders of Life pavilion open seasonally (read: VERY rarely)
• Living Seas is converting the ride portion of the pavilion to a Nemo themed attraction, complete with “clamobiles”

Disney MGM Studios

• Chronicles of Narnia is closed for refurbishment October 1, 2006 - November 10, 2006
• Fantasmic will be closed for refurbishment November 1, 2006 - November 8, 2006
• Backlot Tour will be closed November 10, 2006 - November 13, 2006

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• “Tarzan Rocks” is closed permanently and will be replaced with “Finding Nemo - The Musical” in late 2006 

All Star Movies Resort

• Fantasmic pool is closed thru mid-December.  Resort guests can use the Mighty Ducks pool or any of the pools at All Star Music and All Star Sports.

Blizzard Beach

• Closed for refurbishment October 29, 2006 - January 6, 2007

Typhoon Lagoon

• Closed for refurbishment January 7, 2007 - March 17, 2007

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL — Disney Vacation Club announced Oct. 11 that it is building a new timeshare resort on Walt Disney World property to meet ongoing strong demand for its unique vacation-ownership program.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas will be part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, which readers of Travel & Leisure Family magazine recently honored with the No. 4 spot on their list of the 50 greatest family resorts in the United States and Canada. The Disney Vacation Club accommodations will feature intricate African-inspired details and home-like amenities, and most will offer sweeping views of an expanded savannah inhabited by a variety of African animals. These new accommodations are scheduled for development in phases with an anticipated opening beginning Fall 2007 and a completion date planned for Spring 2009. The project’s first phase will include 134 remodeled accommodations on the fifth and sixth floors of the existing Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge building, and subsequent phases will include the construction of 324 vacation homes in a new building on the resort property, for a total of 458 Disney Vacation Club homes.

The project also calls for construction of a new table-service restaurant, themed pool and water-play island, fitness center, merchandise shop, sports and recreation facilities and more.

“We continue to see strong demand from families who want to build a lifetime of unforgettable memories by vacationing in ways they never dreamed possible,” said Jim Lewis, President of Disney Vacation Club. “I am delighted to announce that our members will have yet another place to call home with Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. This begins another exciting new era for Disney Vacation Club as we continue to explore future destination possibilities both domestically and internationally.”

Disney Vacation Club, now celebrating its milestone 15th anniversary, is an innovative timeshare program that lets families enjoy flexibility and savings on future vacations at Disney destinations and more than 500 other popular vacation sites around the world. Since 2000, Disney Vacation Club membership has doubled to include more than 300,000 individuals from over 100 countries and every U.S. state.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas will be the eighth Disney Vacation Club Resort, joining five others at the Walt Disney World Resort, one in Vero Beach, Fla., and one in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Disney Vacation Club has sold out of memberships at its first six resorts, and sales remain ahead of schedule at its seventh property, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which opened in May 2004 near the Downtown Disney area at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Source: Disney Vacation Club

There is really neat place at Epcot called Club Cool.  It’s located right next to Innoventions West (by the fountain).  Club Cool is sponsored by Coke and while you’re there, you can drink as much free coke from around the world as you care to!  Anytime you are walking by and happen to be craving some caffeine and carbonation, stop on by!  Here is what the free coke machine looks like (as of September 2006, at least–in October they added 2 new flavors from Mexico and Costa Rica!):

I personally think that the coke drinks from Japan (Vegita Beta) and Germany (MezzoMix) are extremely yummy!  Next time you’re walking by, definitely stop in and try some!  Yes, there really are some cool freebies at Walt Disney World

I was lucky enough to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on September 22, 2006.  If you’ve never been, then let me tell you, it is a FUN time!  Some highlights include:

•  Boo To You Parade - This is a special Halloween-themed parade that starts off with the Headless Horseman gallopping down the parade route (nearly impossible to get a decent pic of him–trust me, haha).  All of the floats are themed really well and a lot of the characters have special Halloween costumes on (Piglet is a flower–awww).  The Haunted Mansion part of the parade is really cool.  There is this whole bit with Haunted Mansion dudes dragging shovels on the pavement that creates all these neat sparks–hard to describe, but it’s awesome.  The music to the Boo To You parade is AWESOME too.  You’ll be singing it all night, lol.

• Hallowishes - This is a special Halloween version of the Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks show and it’s super-cute as well.  A highlight occurs at the end of the show during which fireworks simultaneously explode ALL AROUND you.  Really, really, really neat.
• Trick Or Treat! - Regardless of if you’re wearing a costume or not, you get to trick or treat your way around the Magic Kingdom and collect your goodies in free orange bags that you get when you arrive at the party. Free candy is always fun
• Special Halloween Decorations Around the Park - It’s magical how quickly the Magic Kingdom turns into a Halloween wonderland when the party begins.  You’ll find Jack-O-Lanterns on Main Street, orange and green lights everywhere (even on Space Mountain), special Halloween signs throughout the park, Mickey ”ghosts” being projected on the pavement in various places, and TONS more!  It’s amazing how much detail they put into this stuff!!  Even the Castle gets the orange treatment!

Overall, it’s a really, really fun party that you should definitely check out if you happen to be in the World during September or October.

There is a new shop at Downtown Disney called Goofy’s Candy Company and they have the coolest snack there…you get to Create Your Own Treat!

You get to choose a base (i.e. marshmallow, pretzel, rice krispy treat, caramel apple, etc.), choose what to dip it in (i.e. dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dark chocolate), and choose what to top it with (i.e. oreos, sprinkles, m&m’s, pecans, etc.).

 After you turn your card in, just wait 5 minutes or so and when your custom treat is ready, your name will be called over the intercom!

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Here is a tip for resort guests who are on the Disney Dining Plan…most of the treats (most everything except the apple) count as a snack credit!!!  IMO, it’s one of the best snack options on property!  SUPER-YUMMY!!

There two individual miniature golf spots at Walt Disney World: Winter Summerland and Fantasia Gardens.  It costs $10.75 adults and $8.50 for kids, ages 3 - 9 (TIP: WDW annual passholders are usually eligible for a discount).  It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon when you’re taking a day off from park hopping.  But be careful on those hot summer days because in my experience, there is not a huge amount of shade available.

Winter Summerland is located near Blizzard Beach and it is themed as Santa Claus’s off-season retreat!  There are 2 separate courses here, one is themed similarly to Blizzard Beach (think snow in Florida) and the other has a tropical Christmas theme.

Fantasia Gardens is located near the Epcot Resort area.  I’ve personally had the pleasure of playing here with my Mom and husband and I can assure you that it’s very cute   There are also 2 courses here and both have a Fantasia theme with classical music from Fantasia playing throughout (who’d a thunk it?).  HINT: the Gardens course is MUCH easier than the Fairways course.

Did you know that WDW Cast Members use the term “protein spill” to refer to the act of a guest…ummm…losing his lunch (to put it nicely!)?

Every fall, the International Food and Wine Festival takes place at Epcot.  It’s a wonderful event in which you can eat your way around the World Showcase lagoon as you snack on (or drink) various treats from around the world.  I’ve been there many times so I can tell you first hand that this is a really, really fun and yummy event!!  Definitely try to plan your vacation to WDW around it at some point, if you can.  This year, the event will take place from September 29, 2006 - November 12, 2006. 

For more information on the Food and Wine Festival, check out these informative links:
http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/ep/foodwine.htm
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/index.htm

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