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Hi Everyone! We've received questions about the effects of the recent hurricanes on WDW. Disney writes: "Walt Disney World® Resort and Disney Cruise Line® are fully operational and open to all guests. The state of affairs around Central Florida and the surrounding tourism corridor is also back to normal, and Disney Cruise Line® is once again sailing out of Port Canaveral." Due to the damage Grand Cayman suffered from Hurricane Ivan, Disney Cruise Line will stop at Costa Maya instead in its western cruises. Now... Lean back, prop up your feet, and take a Disney break!
Deals and Updates as of September 25, 2004 We continuously update our information and you can find the latest additions in our Addenda:
WALT DISNEY WORLD:
OTHER VACATION SPECIALS:
Log in today for more details. Not a member? Join our Disney family here.
4-Day Park Hopper Pass Special Purchase Get them for $10.00 less than Disney charges at their site! It comes with all the bells and whistles of a normal 4-Day Park Hopper, but it expires 14 days from its first use. However, for people who plan on going just 4 days, it's a great deal. This pass is only available for advance order purchasing. 4-Day Park Hopper Plus Pass Our ticket agent writes: "I have acquired the new Disney 4-Day Park Hopper Plus Pass. It is not sold at the gate or AAA. You get 1 "plus" day for the Water Parks or Pleasure Island. It has no expiration date." You must purchase this pass in advance. So order early! Our agent also has great prices on tickets to other popular attractions in Florida. "I thought I knew all the tips for saving money at WDW, even being a member of the Magic Kingdom Club for over 15 years, but just learning about [your ticket agent] saved our family over $300!!! Thanks." Janet Handy, Bel Air, MD Details on how to purchase these special passes will be provided with your Disney access codes as soon as you join our Disney family.
Krista writes: "Hi John, My family and I are taking a Walt Disney World Resort Vacation in November. We are so excited! This is the first trip for us with our son. He is actually a little souvenir from our last trip in November 2001! I just wanted to say thank you for your great newsletter that I get weekly. It keeps me well informed for my up coming trip. Thank you John." Thank you, Krista, for your kind comments! Have a safe and fun vacation. Send me a trip report when you get back!
Disney's Visa® Credit Card from Bank One®
Disney's Visa Card -- a way to take your family on the vacation they've been wishing for sooner and even more affordably than you ever thought possible! For more details, click here. |
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News From Around The "World" Death At Universal "Jose Valadez, 39, of Apopka died Wednesday morning after surgery at Orlando Regional Medical Center, a day after falling from the Mummy's loading platform onto the tracks 4 feet below while boarding the ride." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 09/23/04) For the rest of the story, click here. Story Follow Up: "The death of an Apopka man who fell from a ride at Universal Studios was an accident, the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office ruled after an autopsy Thursday." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 09/24/04) For the rest of the story, click here. Entertainers scheduled to perform at Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival Oct. 1-Nov. 14:
Oct. 1-5 Kool and the Gang Closed for rehab: Frontierland Shootin' Arcade: 09/18/04-10/09/04 "Bon Sang! Bikkuri! Halloween in Paris? Tokyo? Ask any native of those regions and they will tell you that less than 10 years ago, Halloween was non-existent. But that did not stop the Disney Imagineers and entertainment specialists from producing elaborate Halloween events in those countries that today are one of the biggest drivers of visitation to the Disney resorts." (Source: Disney Theme Parks, 09/20/04) For the rest of the story, click here. Halloween Horror Nights will take place at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure October 1-2, 8-10, 13-17, 21-24, and 28-31, 2004. It runs from 7:00 PM until 2:00 AM Fridays and Saturdays; until midnight other nights. Park visitors may wear costumes. Separate admission required: $54.75 plus tax or $30.75 plus tax if you already paid for admission to a park on the same day. Buy your tickets in advance since they sell out quickly. Universal's Holidays will run December 10, 2004 through January 8, 2005. Guests will see the Macy’s Holiday Parade, Meet the Grinch, and celebrate the WHOlidays at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. No separate admission charge required. Universal will celebrate Mardi Gras every Saturday February 5 through April 9, 2005. Festivities will include a Mardi Gras parade with floats. No separate admission charge required. Win a five day/four night vacation for eight at WDW! Look for game pieces in McDonald's Chicken Selects 3-piece, 5-piece and 10-piece packages. The game piece has a code that you enter at the Magicfor8 website. Ends 10/26/04. For more details, click here. "SeaWorld Orlando is closing its dolphin show so workers can begin renovating the stadium for a new show... A new show featuring "a revolutionary and creative design that encompasses both sea and sky" will take its place in summer 2005..." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 09/18/04) For the rest of the story, click here. NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message, search the newspaper's archives for the story.
Martha writes: "Hi John, Your book is so helpful and loaded with so many tips. I'm glad I invested in it and really saving a lot money! We're going to Disney and Universal for next week. I know the strollers at Universal are $10.00 for a single and $16.00 for a double. We plan on hitting the parks in the morning and coming back to the hotel midday for a rest and then going back at night. I plan to rent strollers. Do you know if Universal does the same as Disney where you don't have to pay for the stroller again if you plan on returning the park that same day if you show them your receipt? And do you know if I paid for a stroller in Universal and decided to hop to Islands of Adventure that same day would I have to pay for another stroller? Thanks for your help and time." Martha, thank you so much for your kind comments. Since the parks are so close to each other, you rent the stroller once and take it from Universal to IOA and vice versa! Universal has published no details about showing your receipt to get another stroller the same day at no extra charge. However, since they charge by the day, I can't imagine they would charge you again if you have a receipt.
Are You Suffering Withdrawal From WDW? You know ... that empty feeling you get when you arrive back home from your vacation at WDW and realize it may be a while before you experience that Disney magic again? We have had that feeling ourselves many times. Yet, we always seem to feel better when we read about the experiences of others who share their trip reports with us. It's almost like being there again. We invite you, our readers, to send us some feedback about your experiences during your latest vacation at WDW. Reports on Disney weddings, honeymoons, cruises, and resort vacations on and off Disney property are all welcome. Send your email to: johngross@affordabledisney.com . Thanks!
Kim visited WDW in June, 2004. Here is part four of her trip report: "The next day we went to Typhoon Lagoon. Wow, what a water park. I think that my family barely got through 1/4 of it and we were all exhausted. Definitely Typhoon Lagoon was well worth it. My 5 year old daughter wouldn't leave the wave pool area. She thought that it was great!! We finally convinced her to try the lazy river. She tried the lazy river, but the entire time on it she kept asking, "When do we get off of this and go back to that wave thing??" That evening the family went to the Polynesian Resort for The Aloha Poly Luau. My daughter really enjoyed this. She was able to get on the stage twice at the beginning of the show. First the cast asks if any children would like to come up and dance with the cast. And then they asked if there were any June birthdays that would like to dance. Boy, did she think that she was all that!! The Hawaiian dances were nice, but the best part by far was the fire twirler. He was truly amazing!!! I don't know wether we would go back to the Luau though, it was just so expensive. But I am glad that we went once. (Oh, words of caution. ARRIVE EARLY!!!!!!) My family was running late and we just barely made our priority seating. They stated that they were about ready to give the table to another family. The next day was MGM. Very nice!! We ate breakfast in our room. (we packed a suitcase full of breakfast materials and snacks before we went. We were also able to use the "snack suitcase" for souvenirs when we were coming home.) For lunch we ate at one of the many express food places. By this time my husband and I learned to eat light at the noon meal and have a bigger supper meal. For supper we ate at Hollywood and Vine. Both my husband and I thought that this was a nice place to eat, but it was a bit busy and not very clean. But I do think that they were trying, it was just VERY BUSY. The reason why I chose Hollywood and Vine is that it is on the list for the Fantasmic Dinner Package. This package was great. You are able to bypass all of the regular lines to Fantasmic. I will definitely do this again!!!! And then there was Fantasmic!! Wow, what can you say? You definitely don't see that very often in the corn belt of Illinois!!!!" KIM'S TRIP REPORT CONTINUES NEXT WEEK We invite all our readers to share their experiences at WDW or anywhere else in Florida. Email your comments to johngross@affordabledisney.com and we'll be glad to publish them in The Disney News.
Money Saving Tip Race Rock Restaurant: 8986 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819. 407/248-9876. Receive a free draft beer, house wine, soft drink, coffee or tea with the purchase of any entree with this coupon.
YOU CAN AFFORD DISNEY WORLD! If you THINK a Disney vacation costs too much ... WE AGREE! That's why we created the ULTIMATE Disney savings site. Save up to 40% on your total trip. Learn about discounts on tickets, food, Disney merchandise, hotels ON Disney property, travel, parking, and MUCH more. Too much to list here. See it all at here. "We just got back from a great trip ... and thanks to you and your great advice, [we] saved money and time! ... In total we saved about $3,000.00 for our group of 6. We are going back within a year to use our passes again, and think our per person cost will be in the $150-200 range, flights and all." Michael Barrett, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
All for the price of a fast food
Well, that's it for now. THE DISNEY NEWS is a free service provided by
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See You Real Soon! John
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Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information contained in The Disney News. Always check to be sure. The views and opinions expressed by others in The Disney News do not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com. Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and other companies mentioned on our site and in our newsletter are registered trademarks of their respective companies. The use of these trademarks is for editorial reasons only. No endorsement by the Walt Disney Company or any other company is implied.
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