Refurbishment Update

Since I was checking schedules for our trip in a couple of weeks, I thought I'd share a list of upcoming attraction closures and refurbishments around Walt Disney World.

Magic Kingdom

• The Magic, The Memories, & You ended yesterday, but another castle projection show will be making its debut in November.


• Enchanted Tales with Belle isn't scheduled to open to the public until December 6, but they are already testing the experience with a select few guests. (Here's hoping we get selected in September!)


• The big crane will be making its appearance for the Christmas "Dreamlights" installation on Cinderella Castle, beginning September 16. (Boo, that's the day after we arrive...for once, I'd love to see the castle without anything obscuring the view. That's one of the downsides of a fall trip.)


• Country Bear Jamboree remains closed for refurbishment, re-opening October 17.


• A one-day refurb will close Pirates of the Caribbean on October 9, with it reopening October 10.


• Aladdin's Magic Carpets close October 18 through 25, reopening October 26.

Epcot

• Test Track remains closed until December 1.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure will undergo a brief refurbishment, closing on September 10 and reopening on September 15. (It is unclear whether this is in place of, or in addition to, the previously-scheduled refurbishment for October 8 through November 17.)

Animal Kingdom

• Other than the changes being implimented in Kilimanjaro Safaris, which are not expected to close the attraction at this point, there are no scheduled refurbishments in AK at this time.

Happy Labor Day!

So, it's Labor Day...the day my mother labored to bring my older brother into the world, and the day that so many of us take the day off from labor (but not the parents...there are no days off for parents). But I digress. We decided to spend the holiday at the local botanical gardens taking in the final day of an exhibit of treehouses. They were all very unique and had connections with literature too (making this the perfect homeschool field trip!), and we were especially excited to see the pirate-themed "Jolly Roger" treehouse that borrows from J.M. Barie's Peter and Wendy for its theming--a round-about Disney connection. What we didn't expect to find was a truly magical Disney connection in "The Rainbow Fish" treehouse.





You may not be able to tell from this photo, but the house is basically a shell of chicken wire with various CDs attached with wire ties. My youngest daughter spotted this on the fish's chin area:



Why, yes, that IS a 2009 Disney Vacation Planning DVD. I'd recognize that anywhere...and apparently so would my children.  Now that's a great Hidden Mickey find!

Friday Photo

Hey, gang! (At least I hope there are enough of you to call a "gang.") I'm sorry that my posts have been a bit sparse this week. Big things are afoot in our world--we are moving! Well, we're not actually moving this week, but we did accept an offer on our house and made an offer that was accepted on another one, all in one day! So things have been a bit crazy around here. If this tells you anything, we leave for WDW in 2 weeks and I have yet to pack a thing...that is just SO unlike me! I hope to be more disciplined next week and get back on track. For now, since I have houses on the brain, here's a throw-back photo of Mickey's former home in Toontown:

 

Fairytale Shoes: I Want These!

I have a birthday tradition of buying myself a new pair of shoes. Now these can't be just any shoes--they must be seemingly impractical, and I must pledge to actually wear them despite this fact. Some of my past shoes include hounds-tooth plaid pumps with peep toes and laces, platforms with beige animal print, and--my favorites!--pink and black leopard print heels with straps that go up your ankles like ballerina shoes. (I am not making this up.)

All that to say, I think I may have found my next pair of birthday shoes! Check out these fabulous designs in The Glass Slipper Collection:



Two of my favorites, Disney and DSW, have teamed up for these fabulous shoes that range from $59.95 to $89.95 (not too bad, considering how lovely they are!). With all the embellishments of crystals, jewels, and lace, these will especially appeal to brides, but they're great for evening wear too. (Already fits my "seemingly impractical" rule!)

Check out the full press release on the shoe line here.

 

Fall Room Discount Releases to Public

There is a new room-only discount available to the general public for travel dates September 30-December 22,  with November 17-23 blacked out for Thanksgiving weekend. Discounts range from 5-30% off rack rates, depending on the Resort (generally, the more expensive the Resort, the better the percentage off) and the dates you choose.

Call the Disney Reservation Center (407-939-0429) or click here to book online.

Hidden Mickey Monday

I'm not sure where we found this Hidden Mickey. (I saw it on my husband's iPad...I'm sure I asked him to take a picture of it at some point and he forgot to email it to me.) It was in some sort of  home goods store...maybe Kirkland's?

Free Wi-Fi Makes It to Epcot

It's happening in stages, but expect Walt Disney World to roll out the free wi-fi in all Resort and Parks areas in the near future. It's already up and running in the Resorts and in the Magic Kingdom. And now, Epcot is on board. Since I might be the last person on earth who doesn't own a SmartPhone, this makes me very happy. My iPod Touch and I appreciate this!