Disneyzone Newsletter January 1, 2001 - Text version This version of the newsletter will not include any photos, or special graphs, calendars, etc. This is going to be purely text-only! Many Disneyzone visitors have contributed to this newsletter, and we hope you enjoy it! Please note that Disneyzone is not affiliated with Disney in any way. We are a group of Disney World enthusiasts who want to assist you in making the most of your next Disney World vacation Newsletter and content Copyright © 2000 & 2001 Disneyzone - Please do not alter or copy any or all of this material, or use it on a website, or printed media without prior written permission, from Disneyzone or from the individual article's author Happy New Year from www.disneyzone.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ACTIVITIES for the Younger Crowd There are a few special events for children visiting Disney World. These are hidden treasures, some might say! Pirate Treasure Hunt Cruise at the Grand Floridian Resort Treasure Hunts are held two days a week, (Times and days vary) and lasts approximately 1 1/2 Hours. The object is to follow clues to search Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon for buried treasure. Sail to exotic ports of call to collect treasure! Kids are given clues and a treasure map. During the treasure hunt they will hear the story of Gasparilla the famous pirate from Florida. At the end the children will dock at the final port o' call (back at the Grand Floridian) and split the treasure and have a snack. A visit from Pirate Goofy is sometimes an added bonus! Hosted by Pirates trained in Water Life Saving. Children get a bandana, a snack, and a portion of the found treasure. Meet 15 minutes prior at the Grand Floridian marina. For kids ages 3 to 10 years (must be potty trained) - adults can not stay with the kids. Cost is $22.95 plus tax per child. A credit card must be used to guarantee your reservation. There is a 24-hour cancellation policy. 15 children maximum. This can be booked up to 120 days in advance. Call 407-WDW-DINE or 407-WDW-PLAY NOTE: Send a disposable camera with your child, and ask the Cast Members to take a few photos! Wonderland Tea Party, also at the Grand Floridian Resort. Takes place at the 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort. Its offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm. This is exclusively for kids (ages 3-10 and they must be potty trained). The tea party is hosted by characters from Disney's Alice in Wonderland. It includes lunch (heart-shaped peanut butter and jam sandwiches, apple juice or tea, chocolate-dipped Rice Krispie treats) , cheese and crackers, and cupcakes (which the kids decorate). Alice reads a story. Maximum of 25 children per group. Currently, this event can be booked up to 120 days in advance. You must cancel with 24 hours advance notice, or be charged part of the fee. Cost is $22.95 per child, plus tax, ages 3 through 10. Children must be potty trained. Children must arrive 15 minutes prior to tea time, to check in Suggestion - give your child a disposable camera for this occasion. Special Kids Fishing Excursions: These depart daily from the Boardwalk . The fishing trip lasts approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. There are 5 children per boat, and 2 cast members. One is a fishing guide, and the other a trained lifequard. The children will fish with hot dogs as bait, and can catch small sunfish, or even an occasional bass! The cost is $30 per child, ages 5 through 12. All gear, bait and beverages will be provided. No adults are allowed on this fishing excursion, so send a disposable camera with your child to capture some of the fun! This can be booked up to 120 days in advance. It is suggested that you call as soon as you know which day you would like, these boats fill up quickly! Call 407-WDW-PLAY. A credit card will be required to hold your child's spot. Your child will have a great time whichever event you choose! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Traveling Twosome Tips from Grandma Jeannie and her six-year-old Grandson Lars This is the fourth article in a series about traveling alone with a small child. I took my grandson, Lars, to Disney World in August to celebrate his sixth birthday. What a grand time we had! Even though I have been to Disney World 14 times including a visit in 1971 two weeks before the official opening with my two children, this trip equaled that first experience. There is nothing like seeing Disney World through a child's eyes. This article focuses on the parks. After reading one guidebook, I was perplexed about whether to take advantage of Early Entry (EE) days. I asked at the DisneyZone web site and everyone recommended EE. I would say definitely take advantage of EE if you are staying at a Disney resort. It is so much fun to be in an uncrowded park and when it begins to get too crowded, you can hop to another one or return to your hotel for some fun. As I may have mentioned in an earlier article, I let Lars set the pace in the parks and make all the decisions about what to ride and see. He did not want a stroller so we took it leisurely and did go back to the Grand Floridian each mid afternoon to swim or cool off in our room. I made most of the restaurant decisions since I had to put Priority Seating into effect weeks or days ahead of time. My goal was not how much we could see but how enjoyable we could make the trip. My advice is to plan what you really want to see and think about what you can do the next time you visit. A Memorable Moments Certificate can be picked up at any ride or attraction with a Cast Member writing what birthday, anniversary, or other event you are celebrating. I did not actually know this until we returned, but I pass along the information in hopes that others can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Our first full Early Entry Day in the Magic Kingdom, Lars wanted to head straight for Donald's Boat. This was among his favorite attractions from a previous trip so we spent a good 30 minutes here. (We also played in the two water fountains at Downtown Disney.) He took off everything except his shorts and I brought dry shorts and underwear in my small backpack. The baggies or larger plastic bags hold the wet stuff. Just don't let your little one wear jean shorts this day. They become very waterlogged and heavy! Yes, I learned the hard way. Lars' favorite Magic Kingdom attraction heading into this trip was Goofy's Barnstormer. It moved to the number two slot and the Haunted Mansion became his favorite. Other favorites included the Grand Prix and Pirates of the Caribbean. At six, he was passed the Pooh stage and Small World. At the Studios his favorites were Doug Live, Star Tours, Honey I Shrunk the Adventure Zone and The Great Movie Ride. I did not know anything about Doug but was glad to be cool and sitting in the front row. We went on the Star Tours ride three times and I think this comes in second overall to favorites just behind the Haunted mansion. I really like this one too. We were in the front row twice. It helps to be in a twosome sometimes. Related to the Great Movie Ride, he had never seen Indiana Jones, but picked up the line, "Snakes, why did it have to be snakes" and repeated it over and over to make us laugh. He wanted to know the meaning. It became a code and joke between us. He was on the side of the fire and had to be reassured several times that it was just staged and not real. The first time he was worried about our driver, a woman, who disappeared and the cowboy who took her place. The second time we had a male driver so he began to see the reality of some of the theatrics and how this attraction operated with different people. Using te FastPass (FP) gives thinking time about the bigger roller coasters and scarier rides. We got a FastPass for Splash Mountain at 11:30, went to lunch at Cinderella's Castle and could have been back to use the FP by 12:50. During lunch Lars decided it was too scary and we would ride that one on the next trip. We gave our FP to a mom and daughter at the table next to us and they surprised us with a glass sourvenir Cinderella Royal Table mug. Nice trade. We were very happy. Lars was fascinated with pie-eyed Mickey and the early Disney cartoon characters as we waited for Mickey at the Toontown Fair. He had never seen them before. As we waited to see Judge Mickey, this kept him plenty entertained. I plan to expand on that interest and make it an educational experience. Those of you planning your trip could talk about the earlier characters and cartoons before you arrive. We ended each day with those special Disney magical events. One night it was the Water Pageant from the launch pier of the Grand Floridian. It does not matter how many times I see this, I am always intrigued. Lars saw this for the first time and he was intrigued too. Our second night, we were very lucky arriving about ten minutes before the Main Street Electrical Parade began and climbing to the balcony of the train station. This is a perfect viewing place if the parade begins at the train station of the Magic Kingdom. Our final night we arranged the dinner package for Fantasmic! This is a show to top all shows and one that should not be missed. Next time, the fifth article will be about restaurants, snacks, other activities, miscellany, and interesting people. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kids Favorite Characters are… Ashley, 7, from New York, likes is Ariel, the Little Mermaid Tyler, 4, from Alabama, likes Buzz Lightyear Ricky, 8, from Michigan, likes Mickey Mouse Taryn, 5, from Florida, likes Cinderella Mere, 2, from Florida, likes Tigger Kyle, 3, from Iowa, likes Donald Duck Adam, 4, from Illinois, likes Goofy Christa, 6, from Texas, likes Cinderella Jamie, 8, from Texas, likes Tigger Alexandria, 7, from Ohio, likes Pooh Michaela, 10, from Ohio, likes Roger Rabbit Ryan, 8, from Florida, likes Beast! WHO is your favorite?? Send them to us at: dznew@disneyzone.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Restaurant Review By Tina, Carl and Jared This review is for our favorite restaurant, Rose and Crown in the England Pavilion at Epcots World Showcase. This is a very authentic looking restaurant, from the décor to the cast members to the Bass Ale. We were impressed that everyone working there seemed to be from the UK which was really a great addition to everything else. The atmosphere is so wonderful, you feel like you are in England. We have been there for lunch and dinner and had a great time each visit. For lunch we recommend their Fish and Chips, its very fresh tasting and not greasy. A late lunch is great here, because during that time its not very crowded & It's a great spot to pop in and have some Ale and cool off. For dinner we each ordered something different and shared. Everything was wonderful,. For an appetizer you must try their garlic mushrooms. They are out of this world. We enjoyed the English Sausages which were served with yummy mashed potatoes, and the chicken pot pie type thing was delicious, too. Cant remember what the third thing was, maybe a steak of some sort. For dessert try the Chocolate Guiness Cake and you will think you are in heaven! This restaurant is lots of fun, and its in a good location to watch Illuminations if you hit the right time frame. We missed it but were told that if you are eating there at the right time you can sit in the restaurant and watch. Make reservations for this restaurant as there is usually a wait of at least 30 minutes if you don't. The prices here are not outrageous, but note that salads do not come with the main meal. Must be purchased seperately. 4 out of 5 stars! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What does DZ have to Offer?? DZ staff receives many emails each day asking various questions about resorts, restaurants, ticket options and how to plan the perfect vacation. This article will show some of the site highlights, but there is so much more than what is listed! Take the time to really explore the site, you will be glad you did! DZ has answers to all these questions, and more-online! There are various ways to find the information you are looking for. The most straightforward way is to viist the Table of Contents, at the following link: www.disneyzone.net/contents.htm There is also an entire section dedicated to Resort Information. You will find maps, photos, phone/fax numbers, descriptions, and so much more. www.disneyzone.net/resortbios.htm DZ also has the famous Walking Tours! These tours are fantastic. They describe in detail, the various areas of the resorts, what amenities are available, the flavor of each resort and much more. More tours are coming all the time, so if the resort you are interested in is not listed, just check back again! www.disneyzone.net/walking.htm Another popular section is the ticket information section. Disney's ticket system is very confusing. This section of the site explains the different tickets, and shows current prices for each option. www.disneyzone.net/tickets.htm One of the things that DZ visitors enjoy are the maps. We have maps of the entire resort area, the theme parks, and others of the resorts. Entire resort: www.disneyzone.net/map.htm Theme park maps: www.disneyzone.net/parkmaps.htm Resort Maps are listed with each resort bio, at the link mentioned above. They can also be found at this link: www.disneyzone.net/resort.htm Restaurant Reviews are another great part of DZ. These reviews are submitted by visitors to the site, and are good honest experiences of the various restaurants. It's a great way to get an idea whehter or not you would like to eat at each restaurant. Read the reviews before you make reservations for your next trip! And post your reviews when you return! www.disneyzone.net/reviews.htm Disney World has many activities just for kids, and the most fun child care facilities around! Check the link below for that info: www.disneyzone.net/wdwkids.htm Ever wonder where the characters are located? How can you get that coveted autograph from Eeyore? This page has a list of the character meals, and which characters host it: www.disneyzone.nat/char.htm For those of you into scrapbooking, there is an entire section dedicated to Scrapbooking Disney Style! From page layout ideas, to links to other scrapbooking sites, to Tara's wonderful articles-there is something for everyone! www.disneyzone.net/scrapbooks.htm You may search the site, or search the message boards, too! I don't think many people realize that you can do that. It will pinpoint the pages with exactly what you are looking for. To search the site, go to the main page, and 1/2 way down is the box to search! To search the message boards, select SEARCH (one of the options under posting a new message) and it will search through all the past messages for your info! Post a message on the message boards and have access to MANY different opinions! The boards are a great place to get differing opinions! www.disneyzone.net/boards.htm Have fun exploring the site! There is so much information, chances are-whatever you are looking for is there! If not, we can help you find the info! Thanks to everyone who contributes and helps with the site!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have you visited the Message Boards? It's a great way to get invaluable vacation planning tips and advice, make new friends, and hang out! Don't miss out on all the fun-visit today, and visit often! www.disneyzone.net/boards.htm See You There ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kids Views Dear Disneyzone. I just got back from a good trip to Disneyworld. We were there for 9 days and had a blast. My family has been there 3 times before but this time was the best. I am 14 and was able to go off with my brother alone which was great. We went on many rides several times especially the ones my parents didn't like. We all met for meals but didn't stay together for most of the day. We did go to the Mickeys Christmas Party together and that was really fun. They have a great parade and the Magic Kingdom is decorated very festively. They even have fake snow. We had a room overlooking the castle in the contempray hotel tower which was very nice. This hotel had a great arcade too. My brother spent most of his free time in it. Another great place we liked was Disney Quest. They have so many great games there. I think its almost as good as a theme park. I hope we can go back again soon. From Mona ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Travel Survey There is a Poll on the DZ Resort Biographies Page on the site. In December it asked which resort type you have planned for your next Disney World vacation Here are the results : Disney Deluxe : 29% Disney Moderate: 29% Disney Value: 25% Off-site: 12% Undecided: 5% We'll have a new Poll for Feb! The more people who participate, the more accurate the poll will be-so visit the link below TODAY and submit your vote! www.disneyzone.net/resortbios.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DZ Contests Decembers contest was another easy one. All you had to do is submit your Disney-related New Years Resolution! Winner was selected by a random drawing! Some of them were very creative! The winner, Kathy Dalton of Frackville, PA won a Millennium Celebration Computer Screen Saver program. It looks really cool-I am sure she will enjoy it! DZ Contest Page: www.disneyzone.net - click on the NEW contest link to play! All prizes for the contests are donated. A sincere Thank You to the generous contest sponsors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey Kids… Complete this sentence: My favorite Disney movie is ….. Send your replies to us, and some of them will be included in the next, and future newsletters! Include first name and age! Send your replies via e-mail to kids@disneyzone.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Newsletter and content Copyright © 1999 & 2000 Disneyzone - Please do not alter or copy any or all of this material, or use it on a website, or printed media without prior written permission, from Disneyzone or the article's author..