Posted by Scott Sevener on December 24, 2008 under Random Blog Stuff | 
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What better way to get feeling all warm and fuzzy on this Christmas Eve than with some memories from the celebrities who have hosted Epcot’s Candlelight Processional over the years?
Posted by Scott Sevener on December 16, 2008 under Disney News | Be the First to Comment
By selecting the payment option, Guests will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied. For example, a Guest purchasing a Southern California Select Annual Passport for $134 would pay $69 at the time of purchase - with the remaining balance of $65 spread out over the next 12 months.
I think this a fantastic idea that’s way overdue and I sincerely hope that it provides the necessary results to warrant a trial here in the east with Walt Disney World as well. Frankly, I’d honestly be really surprised if it didn’t show success, considering that the Busch and Universal parks in our area all already offer payment plans of one kind or another. Running similar assumptions for WDW, one might expect to pay about $75 for that first visit, then split another $175 or so over 12 months for the rest of the pass, thus creating a Florida Resident Seasonal Passholder rate of merely $14.58 / month - four parks for less than fifteen bucks a month!
And even looking to existing passholders as an incentive to buy up to a more expensive level, a full-blown Florida Resident Annual Pass without restrictions would cost $25.41 / month after that first day, which would then not only include parking but also admission on Christmas if one so desired! While it may be tough to come up with the extra $150 to upgrade upon renewal of a seasonal, the monthly rate would sure be a whole lot easier to stomach…
So buy up, So. Cal. residents - give the Mouse a reason to try annual pass payments over in Florida, too!
Posted by Scott Sevener on December 15, 2008 under Random Blog Stuff | Be the First to Comment
Disney’s been putting some really cool behind-the-scenes-type videos online lately about some of their amazing decorations that go up around the parks and resorts during Christmastime - we just saw the things and yet these have me in the holiday spirit all over again! Enjoy…
Posted by Scott Sevener on December 13, 2008 under Random Blog Stuff | Be the First to Comment
Despite how great our little Christmas vacation was earlier this week, I must admit that I did leave the Happiest Place on Earth with one little bee in my bonnet that I feel the need to air my grievances about here. My beef is in regards to all of the extra parties held at the Magic Kingdom for an added admission fee (i.e. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, etc…) and their impact on the rest of the “day guests” that didn’t even dawn on me up until now…
It dawned upon me as I was looking through the park schedule that SpectroMagic and Wishes weren’t on the agenda for that evening, which while somewhat normal for SpectroMagic as of recent, seemed odd for Wishes because it was my understanding that the park always did a fireworks show to wrap up the day. It was shortly thereafter that I realized the reason behind this adapted schedule – Thursday was one of the days for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which resulted in the park closing at 7:00pm for “day guests.”
And to be honest with you, the more I milled about this, the angrier I got. I mean, I’m a huge fan of both of these shows – there are times when aside from dinner and maybe a quick ride on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, enjoying these two shows were our evening highlights at the Magic Kingdom, so to learn that some guests are being “shorted” with regards to these shows if they pick a day that also features a party is just very uncool in my book.
I mean, it’s clear that Disney makes a pretty penny on these parties, hence the introduction of the Pirate & Princess Parties last year for an extra boost during non-holiday seasons, but is the extra $50 / head worth the dissatisfied customers who get shooed out the door at 7:00pm without having enjoyed fireworks over Cinderella Castle? Sure, these Christmas and Halloween parties are great fun for those families willing and able to pony up another big chunk of change outside of their normal park tickets to be able to meet Santa Goofy or go trick or treating down Main Street USA, but what about the rest of the guests who are still paying $75 to get into the park, only be turned away come nightfall?
I’ve got to tell you that this realization really put a damper on my previous thoughts of these events – what seemed like a neat bonus event before now just seems crude to the average guest who won’t be paying extra to stick around for the parade and fireworks. And yes, I know that technically one could just as easily schedule their day at the Magic Kingdom on a day sans party to ensure that they’ll get the full experience, however just as I’m none too thrilled about Fantasmic! being scaled back at the Studios next month, I just think that these shows are an essential part of the Disney magic when visiting Walt Disney World and should be offered every day of the week.
Posted by Scott Sevener on December 11, 2008 under Disney MoBlog | Be the First to Comment
Osbourne Family Spectacle of Lights, uploaded via camera phone by s_sevener
What better way to finish up a holiday visit to Walt Disney World than by checking out more than 5,000,000 Christmas lights in one of the largest displays in the world?!
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Gingerbread Tiki Hut @ Polynesian, uploaded via camera phone by s_sevener
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Seasons Greetings from the Magic Kingdom!!!, uploaded via camera phone by s_sevener
Posted by Scott Sevener on December 10, 2008 under Random Blog Stuff | Be the First to Comment
photo by Jim Hill
See, this is the kind of thing that I would whole-heartedly support introducing into the “new vision” for Downtown Disney - a make your own Muppet shop!
The Muppet Whatnot Workshop is a new partnership between Disney and the legendary toystore FAO Schwarz that allows folks to design their very own Muppet, which will then be built right before their very eyes so they can take their creation home with them! Right now the feature can only be found at the company’s flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City, however their website boasts that by February 2009 you’ll be able to design your Muppet online and have it shipped to you as well.
The only real barrier I see to this is the price - according to that same website, the “kit” that you can order by mail runs $130 which is significantly higher than the $10 - $20 that your average Build-a-Bear creation will cost you. That said, clearly by checking out the photos that Jim Hill recently took in the store, these dolls are considerably more complex than any bear or dino that the kids would build in your local mall. The price may be out of range for the kiddie crowd who just wants something to chew on in between rides, but for a true Muppet fanatic like myself, how cool is this?!
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Just kidding, but that is pretty cool, isn’t it?! I’ve seen a few of these kinds of personalized videos floating around before, but never with this level of detail or even this many instances! I’ve been wondering just exactly how they’re going to market the new What Will You Celebrate? promotion next year and I’ve got to say, this is certainly one of the more creative attempts that I’ve seen as of recent.
So what are you waiting for?! Now that you’ve enjoyed my celebration, be sure to send word of your own star-studded spectacular to plenty of friends and family!
