March 2014 Walt Disney World Bits and Bites

Feature Article

This article appeared in the February 25, 2014 Issue #753 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)

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STEP BACK IN TIME
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by Deb Wills

Each month, we rummage around in our archives for this featurette, which indulges in a bit of nostalgia, taking you back in history for a glimpse of Walt Disney World and The Walt Disney Company through the ages. This month, we take a look at the history of Walt Disney World ticket price increases.

As you have probably read by now, Walt Disney World ticket prices increased on Sunday, February 23. An adult one-day ticket to the Magic Kingdom increased by $4, to $99. Tickets to the other three theme parks increased by $4 also. In addition, there were a number of other ticket price changes around the resort.

This latest ticket price increase caught folks a bit off-guard, as most price changes in recent years have occurred in June. Of course, March has seen its share of ticket price changes as well.
(Source: http://allears.net/tix/tixincrease.htm)

Back in March 1986, the price of a one-day ticket, valid at all the theme parks, increased from $21.50 to $23.

In March 1994, a one-day ticket went from $35 to $36.
http://allears.net/tix/94-1daytype2.jpg

In March 1997, a one-day ticket went from $38.50 to $39.75
http://allears.net/tix/97-lumiere.jpg

In March 2004, one-day ticket jumped from $52 to $54.75.

And so this year, a one-day ticket to the Magic Kingdom has gone up to $99. A one-day ticket to Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios or Epcot, is now $94.

Check out the comprehensive AllEars.Net Walt Disney World Ticket History pages created and maintained by Jack Marshall:
http://allears.net/tix/tickethistory.htm

And please take a look at the ticket scans we have — if you have any that we are missing, please let us know!

EDITOR'S NOTE: AllEars.Net's Deb Wills was quoted in an item on the ticket price increase on CNN.com the other day:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/24/travel/disney-magic-kingdom-price-increase/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10

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HIDDEN MICKEYS ALERT
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Steve Barrett, author of the Hidden Mickeys books and webmaster of www.HiddenMickeyGuy.com, highlights below a few Hidden Mickeys at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. Put on your walking shoes and check them out!

1. Inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion at Epcot, in the waiting room for Turtle Talk with Crush, an upside-down classic Mickey is above the left side of the "eyebrow" of "Peach" the starfish. Peach is at the upper left of the second window to the right as you enter the room. (Thanks to Donna McMurrey and Stephanie.)

http://allears.net/btp/images/hidden-mickey-423.jpg

2. A classic Mickey is in the mosaic mural on the right wall outside as you enter The Land Pavilion. To the upper left of the word "LAND" is a cluster of grapes. A classic Mickey, tilted to the right and almost upside down, is formed by three grapes. This grape Mickey image is partially beneath the translucent signboard. (Thanks to Jeff Love.)

http://allears.net/btp/images/hidden-mickey-424.jpg

3. Shields are propped at the sides of the bridge from Adventureland toward Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. Two classic Mickeys with smiley faces for "ears" are on the shields, one with white ears at the bottom of a shield and another (shown in the photo) upside-down classic Mickey with blue ears at the top of a second shield. (Thanks to Daniel Hadden and the Benson Family.)

http://allears.net/btp/images/hidden-mickey-425.jpg

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You can find a selection of past Hidden Mickey Alerts here:
http://allears.net/btp/hiddenm2.htm

And check out our Searching Disney with Steve blog:
http://land.allears.net/blogs/stevebarrett/

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RATE & REVIEW SPOTLIGHT
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Compiled by AllEars® Editor Deb Koma

In this monthly featurette, we take a look at comments made in the AllEars.Net Rate & Review section about a particular restaurant, resort, event, etc. With the annual Epcot Flower and Garden Festival right around the corner, we thought we'd share comments from last year's event to help you with your planning!

The Flower and Garden Festival Topiaries have an average rating of 9.6 (out of 10) and are recommended by 100 percent of AllEars.Net reader/reviewers.

The Garden Marketplaces introduced last year (which will be known as Outdoor Kitchens this year) have an average rating of 9.2 and are also recommended by 100 percent of AllEars.Net reader/reviewers.

About the Topiaries and Festival itself:

— "I really enjoyed walking through Epcot and would consider coming back for this."

— "I would much rather be in Epcot during the flower festival than any other time of year. I thought the displays this May were the most stunning I have seen, and I love all the developed ideas for little ones!"

— "While the park is beautiful during this time, not much seems to change from year to year. Many of the topiaries there this year were there last year, albeit perhaps in a different location. Some variety would be appreciated!"

— "Even my wife who is not at all into plants very much enjoyed it."

— "We visit the Epcot Flower & Garden Show every year. This year was better then ever with the awesome themed kid play areas to the new Marketplaces. We picked up a passport in the Festival Center my daughter loved it, she was eager to make her way around the park getting it stamped, they also have numerous kid activities along the way. We had a blast!"

— "We have been to the festival 4 years in a row now and we still enjoy it as much as the 1st time. I can't believe that topiaries could be so much fun. We couldn't wait to see the next one as we moved along. All of our favorite characters were represented, as well as some newer ones that the younger kids will love… The gardens are beautiful and the exhibits are fun and educating. Wish there were a better selection of Flower and Garden souvenirs, though."

About the Garden Marketplaces:

— "I greatly appreciated this addition to the F&GF this year! It was perfect for allowing me to snack around World Showcase at my leisure without purchasing a big meal. I stopped at several different booths. I enjoyed the Watermelon Passion Fruit Cocktail very much."

— "We really enjoyed all the garden food kiosks around the world. We tried every one of them and our favorites were the pork tacos (Mexico) and the Trifle Trio (between England and Canada). The pork had an excellent flavor and the trios (one chocolate, one berry, and one green tea) were a tasty combination of custard and cake. It was a lot of fun to try food options that are out of our comfort zone without spending a lot of money for each item."

— "We visit the Epcot Flower & Garden Show every year, so the addition of the marketplaces was great. The lines were short, we tried about five different food and drinks and all were great, portions were big also. Pick up the passport for the kids it will keep them busy while you make your way around the countries."

— "The addition of food and wine to an already good event reminded me of the first years for the fall Food and Wine festival. The lines for this event were short, the portions large (compared to the F&W festival) and no loud, drunk crowds. Overall a very positive experience."

If you visit the Flower and Garden Festival this year (it starts Wednesday, March 5!), don't forget to leave your thoughts in our Rate and Review Section, too!

http://land.allears.net/reviewpost/showcat.php?cat=202

And don't forget to check out all of our Rate & Review section here: http://land.allears.net/reviewpost/

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MONTHLY REMIND-EARS
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EVENTS

Animal Kingdom

Epcot

Downtown Disney

ESPN Wide World of Sports

On March 15, the limited edition release of "Off the Page – 25 Years," featuring Sorcerer Mickey will be released at the Animation Gallery at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Several of the Ink & Paint artists associated with this piece will be on hand for a special appearance and signing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. The limited edition 1000 cel will be available in several formats including: Unframed, Black Framed Cel, Black Frame with Pin and Cel, Black Frame with Pin, Postcard and Cel as well as a Gold Frame. Disney Event Services is currently taking pre-orders for this piece, but all orders must be placed no later than Thursday, March 13, at 5 p.m. (Eastern). For more information, visit: http://www.disneyparksmerchandise.com/events/last-resort-cel-release/?instance_id=

The 2014 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine, now in its seventh year, is slated for March 6-9. Annually, 100 U.S. high school students, ages 13-19, selected from thousands of applications, embark on an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort for a four-day program with motivational speakers and celebrities sharing their stories on how to achieve success. Dreamers have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with other students from across the nation while they gain firsthand knowledge from Disney experts and world-renowned entrepreneurs and executives.

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Don't forget to check our Events page for current updates: http://allears.net/pl/events.htm

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REHABS AND CLOSINGS

Animal Kingdom

Magic Kingdom

Downtown Disney

Villas at Wilderness Lodge

Bay Lake Tower

Blizzard Beach closed December 22 for its annual refurbishment. It is scheduled to reopen March 16, 2014.

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A complete list of rehabs can be found here: http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm

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MAGICAL MOMENTS
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James Newman: Just returned from our latest visit to Walt Disney World. Had our usual good time, but had to comment on one thing in particular. Lonnie, from West Virginia, the greeter at the American Adventure at Epcot, gave us one of the most magical moments we have ever experienced at Disney. We were celebrating a 50th Anniversary and totally enjoying all of the very friendly greetings that came with our "Anniversary Buttons". As we entered the American Adventure, Lonnie stopped us. He asked our names and where we were from then said that we were the ones he had a message for. He led us to the office, picked up the phone and handed it to us. Next thing we know, we were listening to a anniversary greeting from Mickey himself. As we left the office, Lonnie asked us how we wished to be addressed. He then proceed to make out a beautiful handwritten Magic Moment certificate.. O.K. we thought, this was really a neat and remarkable memory we now had. Only thing is, this was not over. As we left the theater after the performance, Lonnie was waiting for us at the bottom of the ramp. He said there is one more thing I want to do. We followed him as he led us next door to the Liberty Inn. As we entered, Lonnie, in his best voice, announced to the totally full Inn, "Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Today is the 50th Wedding Anniversary of James and Karen." But that was not all. After the applause from the crowd, Lonnie proceed to the counter, got a piece of the brownie and gave it to us with his compliments. I just had to share that even though our trip was memorable up to that point, this was the best memory we have ever experienced and it is all due to Lonnie. Thanks to a wonderful Lonnie and a THANK YOU to the Disney culture that allows and encourages special moments such as these. That's why we keep coming back.

Lori Smyser: My youngest daughter, at the age of 3, was on her first trip to Disney World and wanted to meet Cinderella. This was the only thing she would talk about and she asked constantly, "Where is Cinderella ?" I told her Cinderella was in her castle. After we were there a few days we had a dinner planned at Cinderella's Royal Table, knowing our daughter would see her princesss at dinner. While waiting in the lobby of the castle to be called to dinner, my tired 3-year-old fell asleep. Next thing we knew, the elevator doors opened and Cinderella walked out to greet the guests in the lobby. Our daughter woke up and the expression on her face was priceless when Cinderella walked right over to her! We could not have timed that any better. What a priceless magical moment.

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We just bet you have a story to tell about an unforgettable moment during your Disney vacation! Please send your favorite memory for inclusion in a future AllEars® to: [email protected]

Thank you all for sharing!

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Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.