One of the best loved, most popular and fastest rides in all of Walt Disney World is Test Track, found in Future World of Epcot. This unique experience puts guests in the “driver’s seat” of a test vehicle.
Originally opened on December 19, 1998, the attraction sponsored by General Motors replaced the previous World of Motion in the same basic structure. Many delays were experienced before the ride became operational owing to its complex nature and troubles encountered before it went live.
With one of the more elaborate queue lines in Disney, those waiting are given an indication of some of the testing that is done on vehicles and their parts before they are put in to use. Examples include electric windows, seat wear, tires, braking systems, drive-trains, etc. [click to continue…]
With all the emphasis on the Free Dining Special from Walt Disney World (which is extended well into next year), it might be of interest to many that Disney is also offering a couple of other specials.
While these specials are nothing new, it should be noted that at times, some may want to consider them instead of the free dining. This is not to say that free dining is not an extraordinary discount for many, it is just a fact that at times, the special is not available, or is not the best deal available for certain situations.
The first special Disney is offering in addition to free dining is a room only discount. This special would apply to those who are not booking a package, but instead are just reserving a room at one of the many Disney resort hotels. [click to continue…]
In a turn-about from what was expected to be the new Disney position, Walt Disney World has recently announced that the Free Dining promotion will be offered for many time-slots well into 2011.
This comes after Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger announced late last year that the Disney discounts would be fewer and farther between in response to investor concerns that the Disney Parks were not making much money. Lackluster profits were somewhat of a surprise since attendance in the parks and room reservations remained at acceptable levels. Disney, however, blamed the poor returns on the necessity to discount.
“We’ll be able to continue to dial that back over the latter part of 2010,” said Disney Executive Bob Iger about the stream of Disney discounts the company had been offering.
“We’re not concerned about weaning ourselves and the marketplace of the discounts,” Iger continued.
Evidently, as with many good plans, the reality of the market-place must not have been conducive to the new philosophy. Disney has continued to offer several discounts since Iger made his statements and this latest Free Dining option is just another example. [click to continue…]
One of the more quirky but still entertaining attractions to be found in Walt Disney World is Journey Into Imagination With Figment, located in the Imagination Pavilion of Epcot.
“Journey” has actually been through three major incarnations since it first appeared in Epcot in 1983, just months after the theme park opened itself. The first version involved guests in an omnimover ride system which took them on a trip with an old man named Dreamfinder. Dreamfinder collected dreams and ideas and uses them to create new things. He did this along with the help of a “figment of his imagination” which resembles a winged dragon or alligator.
The original attraction was around for many years but closed in 1998 to allow for a major renovation which introduced the second version of “Journey.” Known as “Journey into YOUR Imagination”, the re-imagined attraction was based on the new 3-D film/show playing next door called Honey: I Shrunk the Audience. Accordingly, guests were now “touring” the Imagination Institute from the “Honey, I Shrunk…” world and served as test subjects for new inventions. [click to continue…]
For those planning a trip to Walt Disney World this holiday season, August 26th may be a very important day for you. It marks the first day in which Disney will be offering the 2010 Candlelight Processional Dinner Packages.
The free Candlelight Processional has come to be a favorite Christmas-time tradition for many who go to the world during this time. It combines holiday music with narration (usually performed by a well-known individual). In fact, the Processional has become so popular that it is difficult to find a seat during most showings.
One way to combat the limited seating is to book a dinner package at one of the participating restaurants in Epcot. Those who book such a package are given seating in a special reserved section of the American Gardens Theater in which the Processional is held. Package holders are also entitled to pre-arranged fireworks viewing. [click to continue…]
It’s official – Walt Disney World has raised its ticket prices for theme park admission to the four on-property parks as of today, Thursday, August 5, 2010.
The increase is not unexpected by most. Disney has been raising these prices in the first part of August for the last several years. Still, some thought that given the recent economy in the United States and the fact that Disney is having to resort to discounts to keep its resorts full, perhaps the theme park giant would forego an increase this year.
That is not the case, however. Disney raised park entry anywhere from 2.3% up to 7.8% depending on the number of days purchased. For example, a one-day base ticket (which allows entry into only one park) went from $79 to $82 – a $3 increase which equates to a 3.8% increase.
The complete list of the old prices compared to the new prices is shown below:
2010 Walt Disney World Ticket Prices
Old Price
New Price
% Change
New Cost Per Day
1-Day Ticket
$79
$82
+3.8%
$82
2-Day Ticket
$156
$162
+3.8%
$81
3-Day Ticket
$219
$224
+2.3%
$74.67
4-Day Ticket
$225
$232
+3.1%
$58
5-Day Ticket
$228
$237
+3.9%
$47.40
6-Day Ticket
$231
$242
+4.8%
$40.33
7-Day Ticket
$234
$247
+5.6%
$35.29
8-Day Ticket
$237
$252
+6.3%
$31.50
9-Day Ticket
$240
$257
+7.1%
$28.56
10-Day Ticket
$243
$262
+7.8%
$26.20
As the chart shows, the biggest increases actually occurred for those ticket purchases with the most amount of days on them. This is a slight departure from normal Disney operations which usually tend to favor those who opt to make their trips longer at the world. Still, when one compares the cost per day the longer stays really highlight the value that can be had at Disney.
Walt Disney World has released the Park Hours for February 2011. These hours will be appreciated by those planning their early 2011 trips to the World and are ready to book their dining reservations – remember 180-days out!
Hours are posted below for all four of the Walt Disney World Parks – [...]
Perhaps one of the most over-looked experiences in all of Walt Disney World is located in the Land Pavilion in Epcot. Known as “The Circle of Life”, this twenty-minute film uses an entertaining perspective to show the damage we can do to the environment.
In the film, we are treated to the main characters from Disney’s [...]
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is on the threshold of offering a new experience to willing guests of the park who would like to participate in a more immersive look at Harambe Reserve.
This is the same reserve as guests get to ride through on the wildly popular Kilimanjaro Safaris. However, the new experience is touted to be [...]
Walt Disney World has opened their reservation systems for the special events at the upcoming 15th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
Held each year during the fall, the Food and Wine Festival has continually grown to become a favorite time of the year for many Disney fans. During the festival, special stands are set-up [...]