Disneyzone News - February 2001 Issue - TEXT VERSION This is the text-only version of the DZ News. This version will not include any photographs, special charts, calendars, or graphs. 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.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Main Street Electrical Parade is Leaving It's sad to say, but the Main Street Electrical Parade is going to be leaving Walt Disney World on April 1, 2001. Starting Feb. 16, the parade will run nightly, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to catch it one more time! The original Main Street Electrical parade premiered in Disneyland June 17, 1972. - From Disney Literature: Longtime fans will recognize some of the units of the original Disneyland "Main Street Electrical Parade," including the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio as the "grand marshal" aglitter in a winged gown of more than 10,000 lights. Dopey drives a train load of shimmering gems. Peter Pan and Captain Hook duel on the deck of a pirate ship while Tinker Bell flits above around the mast, and Mr. Smee rows about in his dinghy off the stern. The story of "Dumbo" is recalled in thousands of lights. Butterflies and dragonflies join the critters dancing and spinning around Alice as she enjoys a mushroom-cap view of the Magic Kingdom Disney characters in costumes lined with lights joins the procession following the huge, 122-foot-long, 80,000-light patriotic finale. The main musical theme used throughout the parade was adapted from a synthesizer piece known as "Baroque Hoedown," written in 1967 by Gershon Kingsley and Jean-Jacques Perrey. It was discovered by Disney entertainment creators, who produced a recording of the main tune interwoven with Disney themes suitable for the various parade segments. A troupe of more than 100 parade entertainers, technicians and other support personnel -- plus batteries capable of enough amperage to light up a street of 32 homes -- brings the parade to life for each performance. The fanfare music and Blue Fairy herald a 20-minute spectacle of parade segments based on Disney themes -- "Alice in Wonderland," "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Dumbo," "Snow White" and "Pete's Dragon." The "signature" unit for the parade, the Casey Junior Circus Train (from "Dumbo"), has Goofy at the controls of the engine, pulling a huge bass drum that announces in lights, "Magic Kingdom Presents The 'Main Street Electrical Parade.' " The memorable float finale honors America with a flowing red and white field of lights, fireworks and a golden eagle. It is rumored that the parade will be going back to Disneyland, but no Disney cast member could confirm that ! Spectromagic will replace the parade @ WDW! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disney Checks are now available Visit the site at: www.disneyzone.net and click on the link! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Traveling Twosome Tips from Grandma Jeannie and her six-year-old Grandson Lars This is the fifth 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! This article focuses on restaurants and snacks. Our first day at WDW I made priority reservations for Chef Mickey's for dinner. Lars and I give the experience four thumbs up. We went early, at 5:15, and avoided any crowds. I got so many good pictures from this event and lots of autographs: Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale, Goofy, and Donald. One picture that I enlarged to a 5 X 7 of Lars and Minnie is on my desk at work. I did not want to take my camera with me every day so this character dinner was a perfect way to see lots of characters and get all of the pictures at one time. With only two, be sure to ask a person at a neighboring table or a cast member to take pictures of both of you with some characters. The food is good at Chef Mickey's buffet, but there is so much excitement you don't spend much time concentrating on eating. Desert making is so much fun for the little ones. They can get ice cream from a machine and decorate it with sprinkles and they can decorate their own cupcake. I took a picture of Lars' ice cream creation. He was so proud of it. When I made our reservation, I mentioned his birthday so they brought a cupcake with a candle in it during the celebration song. At the table next to us, five people were also celebrating a birthday or anniversary and got a large cake. Lars asked whey theirs was so big. When I explained they had more people he was fine with that. They tended to get a little more attention, which is one of the downsides to a twosome sometimes. You have to create your own "big party atmosphere" or shrug it off. Our waitress, Michelle, was so sweet and we never felt rushed. I did not plan a big, elaborate meal for each day but sprinkled them throughout so we could enjoy some simple, more kid friendly food too. Two days after our arrival was a Monday early entry day at the Magic Kingdom. I had tried and tried to get lunch reservations by phone before we left home so we could eat at Cinderella's Royal Table. I didn't and I could not get a priority seating through Guest Services at our hotel so I had about given up. Then on the early entry day, we were walking into the Magic Kingdom about 7:50 through the castle and I saw the reservation desk with only one guest in line. I thought I would give it a shot and BOOM! I got the exact time I wanted, 11:30. One of those magical Disney happenings. Now this whole event fooled me. For a boy who was not into Small World and definitely not into princesses, this was his FAVORITE restaurant!! He liked the way everyone talked. I was called "Princess" (like my dad called me when I was Lars' age) and "M'Lady" and Lars was called "M'Lord" and referred to as the "Prince". He was delighted with the elevator that took us to the second floor. The boys' bathroom was just across the dining room and down a few stairs. Lars could go there by himself and I didn't worry. He liked that. Lars ordered a hot dog and I had a chicken Caesar's salad. We did not do any birthday activities here. The food is very good, however, it wasn't the food but the atmosphere that captivated us with a special feeling. Our last evening we had priority seating at the Brown Derby for the Fantastic! package. This would not be my first choice again if I had children with me. I would probably choose Mama Melrose's. The Brown Derby is modeled after the one in Hollywood with pictures of movie stars all over the walls. It is more of an adult atmosphere. I had never been to either restaurant so it was like throwing a dart to decide. The waitress was a little bent out of shape that I ordered two appetizers for my meal until I explained my recent gall bladder surgery and a need for small meals. Lars ate a lot at this meal. I did mention his birthday this time. The Brown Derby birthday cake for him was a nice size, set on a triangular plate decorated with chocolate icing with chocolate Mickeys in the corners. Three of the waitresses and the man center stage at the piano sang "Happy Birthday". Lars thoroughly enjoyed the attention. I was concerned that he would not be able to make it to 10:30 through Fantasmic! He doesn't drink coke (makes him hyper) but I recommended that he take a little and I would drink some coffee, which I never drink at night (makes me hyper) in order to stay awake. We were both giddy at the end of the meal, telling jokes, counting the pictures of Hollywood stars, and laughing a lot. We sure did stay awake for Fantasmic! and it was so worth it! I highly recommend the dinner package. When you do it this way, the wait is approximately 30 minutes and that is sitting down! We got there 45 minutes ahead & got front row seats! Often for breakfast at the Grand Floridian we ate at Gasparilla's Grill, their little buffet restaurant. Lars loved getting his own cocoa puffs with chocolate milk and carrying his own try outside to the tables by the marina to eat. This is a breakfast only a grandmother would tolerate. (My own mother used to let my children have M & Ms for breakfast!) I did always include fruit at this meal to get something healthy into us. Our last day we visited Downtown Disney leaving the Grand Floridian by bus at 10:45 and walking right to a table at the Rain Forest Café by 11:30. That is the fastest I have ever been seated there. The tropical fish, white monkeys in our area intrigued Lars. He didn't think the elephant was so neat. He loved hearing and seeing the volcano erupt inside and outside. And thought the gorillas in another section were awesome. He ate almost all of his cheese pizza. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Restaurant Review By the Rinaldi Family Roaring dinosaurs! Volcanoes spewing forth fake lava! Lots of really big, ugly bugs flying over your food! Not! Not at Donald's Breafastosaurus restaurant at the Animal Kingdom, that is. Our family had a really great time with Donald and his friends there. We made priority seating reservations for a breakfast while we visited Disney World this past November. We even got into the park before the park opened! The food was great - eggs, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, hash browns, fresh fruit, cereal, among other selections - we loaded up on as much good grub as we could. But the cast members who served us were one of the best things about the place. Talk about goofy! They play practical jokes, crack bad jokes, and generally just joke around with the guests. The characters at the restaurant included Goofy, Pluto, Donald, and Mickey. All of them but Mickey came to our table. To meet the Big Mouse, we had to go wait in line for about four minutes. Donald was my personal favorite. Now that's a duck with attitude! He signed my children's autograph books with "Donald Duck - #1!" The tables themselves were fun, too. All the silverware is stashed in a jumble in a box in the middle of the table. A little fend for yourself never hurt anybody. The theme of the Donald's Breakfastosaurus is that of an archaeological dig camp. A little rustic, but without the dust, dirt, and bugs. Before they seated us, they took a family portrait to commemorate our visit. For a price, of course. We splurged anyway, because we seldom get all six of us in front of the camera. And they were available before we left the park, which was a sweet surprise. Of the all the character meals we went to, this was one of the best. The food was great, the atmosphere fun, it wasn't crowded, we didn't feel rushed, and the place is not overwhemingly big inside. All in all, we give it six thumbs up! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disney World Trip Tips These tips were submitted by some DZ visitors during a recent contest on the site. Hope these tips help YOU in planning your trip! Debbie, from NY, wrote: Have everyone in your family make a list of their "must see" attractions, characters, etc. and incorporate it into your itinerary for each park. Give everyone a copy and try to get to those things you really want to see first. Michelle, from Florida, wrote: My tip is...don't do a theme park on your first day at WDW. Relax, get to know the resort you are staying at. You're paying enough money to stay there, so see what it has to offer. Linya, from Louisiana, wrote: Plan ahead. Take a backpack with you to the park everyday (easy on the back) throw in some first aid supplies (bandaids and Neosporin, etc.), a couple of bottles of frozen water and some snacks for the kids Becky, from South Carolina, wrote: I type an itenerary which includes which park we plan to visit each day along with PS numbers. This is all on one sheet which you can easily carry in your camera bag or fanny pack. Kelly Anne, from CT, wrote: If traveling with children, keep in mind their daily routine and schedules. The vacation will run more smoothly if you try to have a similar schedule to what they are familiar with. Patricia, from Oklahoma, wrote: Prepare for the unexpected - jacket,rain-gear, antibotics and label everything. Alisa, from Ohio, wrote: . Take laundry soap in a ziploc baggy, and bring quarters too. Allison, from Maine, wrote: Bring your own umbrella stroller if you have a young child. Otherwise you will not have a stroller for around your resort and waiting for the buses and everything. Plus the ones in the park are not as comfortable. Samantha, from Iowa, wrote: 1. preaddress sticker labels for postcards and have them ready. 2. Pack a fun pack of new little toys and books for kids on the airplane Larry, from Wyoming, wrote: call and confirm your flight, your car rental and your hotel room 2 days prior to leaving. Make sure the dates and times and special requests are as you planned. Monika, from Texas, wrote: My tip has to do with packing- put each days clothes in a seperate ziplock bag. Every morning each person just grabs a bag and gets dressed without alot of hoopla. The clothes do not get wrinkled in the suitcase and everything stays organized. The empty bags can then be used for wet stuff at the parks, and to keep dirty clothes seperate from clean when re-packing for your trip home. Tommy, from Kentucky, wrote: Be patient. You won't see everything, so don't rush but take your time and enjoy. William, from PA, wrote: schedule a character meal early in your trip so you can photos and autographs and spend some time with the characters. If you have little kids it is good to get them use to the characters first. There are tons more great tips on the site at the link below: www.disneyzone.net/triptips.htm Submit your own tips, to help others! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey Kids… Complete this sentence: If I owned Disney World, I would ….. 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kids' Favorite Movies! Cailyn, 8, Mary Poppins Megan, 9, Little Mermaid II Kayla, 8 1/2, Santa Who? Mike, 6, Toy Story 2 Brendan, 3, Bugs Life Aiden, 3, Tigger Movie Rochelle, 9, Cinderella Cody, 5, Peter Pan Erick, 11, Fantasia 2000 Mariella, 7, Bambi Todd, 4 1/2, Toy Story ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kids' Views My name is Cary. I am 14. I want to work at Disney when I get older. My sister is 19 and she works at Epcot. I hear so many cool things from her. I would like to work on one of the rides and maybe help design a ride. I live in Florida and I get to go there a lot so I have a lot of good ideas. We don't stay at the hotels or anything but we do eat at the restarants and we go to the parks almost every week. Disney World is great and I don't think I will ever be too old to love it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fun Contests The current contest is a fun one. You just submit your favorite Disney character! The winner, on Feb 14th, will win a Disney Days Desk Calendar, and a special bonus prize! Some of the contest entries will be listed in next month's newsletter! Make sure you enter the contest, or you can't win! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DZ Contest Page: www.disneyzone.net-click on the contest link to play! All prizes for the contests are donated. A sincere Thank You to the generous contest sponsors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Travel Polls There is a Poll on the DZ Resort Biographies Page on the site. In January it asked how many Disney sites you visit on a regular basis. Here are the results : Only DZ : 17% 2-3 Disney sites: 45% 4-7 Disney sites: 12% More than 8 sites: 11% None: 15% We'll have a new Poll for March! 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tell your friends about Disneyzone! They can get their own copy of the Disneyzone News emailed to them each month, all they have to do is go to the site and register. They will automatically be put on the list. If you would rather, you may print it out or forward it. Newsletter and content Copyright © 1999, 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.