WDW News, Rumors on Dec 9-13 Visit (Long)

I just spent four days at WDW on property, Animal Kingdom Lodge Concierge Level (used my vacation club points to trade). Here is a non-expert's objective observations day-by-day:

Thursday, Dec. 9 & Friday, Dec. 10

AKL is a tremendous place to stay. CMs on the concierge level are more than helpful. The resort looks very clean, very polished and very decorated for the holidays.

Visit to MGM - MGM was fairly crowded on Friday. TOT and RnRC lines were 20 minutes. Both completely operational (although video quality in the pre-show of RnRC appears to be aging (and I don't just mean Aerosmith!) Video looked less sharp than last trip in July. Everything was working in MV 3-D, including all of the t.v.s in the pre-show area. WWTBAM was packed for the 3:00 show. "Dennis" was back at emcee. Catastophe Canyon/Backlot Tour very crowded, the "earthquake" effect in CC was not working and there appeared to be major leaks in the piping system used to recycle the effect's water. Definite need of a rehab. CM said that LMA Stunt Show is ahead of schedule and should be opening "very early next year." Also, same CM said serious but unnamed plans are in the works for the former Superstar Television Television. IJSS looked amazingly fresh given its venerable presence. Theatre was full. Big City Street is an improvement over NY Street; however, too many Osbourne lights to really get a feel for it. Great lunch at Brown Derby - crowded and tasty.

Visit to MVMCP - The event was sold out. Big but manageable crowds, but photos, hot chocalate and cookies went without a hitch. ONE MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT...although I have been collecting them for over ten years, Disney discontinued the keepsake collectible MVMCP buttons this year. Unbelievable! For the cost of about a buck, it really struck the wrong chord with me. Complained at City Hall...CM was very apologetic and knew my complaint before I voiced it. There have been a multitude and CM said that the buttons would likely return next year. Who makes these stupid decisions? The jumping water was not working at SM although everything else was and it looked and smelled cleaner and fresher in there. Huge (45 minute wait) lines for SGE. (There's not much to say about poor SGE...it unfortunately suffers from the same fate as AE...an odd "ride system" that is simply not conducive or encouraging to repeat visits. The concept is, well, boring.) SM appeared darker, faster with more "stars" cast on the coaster track. They do seem to lighten and darken the mountain on occasion...darker is better. COP not operating (alas) and Timekeeper was being used as a photo site only. Dinner at California Grill was again memorable. Server Gary K. is an amazing asset to that restaurant and its worth asking to be in his section.

Saturday, Dec. 12

If you ever get an opportunity to participate in the AKL Sunrise Safari ($49.95) and/or the Evening Wanyama Safari and Jiko Dinner ($149.95), to quote a large shoe company, just do it. Both are first-class up-close and personal safaris where you can basically stare down a giraffe face-to-face and be incredibly educated by a zoologist/animal caretaker. The events are beyond description, but their detail, breadth and quality are everything that makes one love Disney.

Visit to AK - AK was crowded. Dinosaur was running very smoothly and its effects seemed to have been, to quote a famous t.v. chef, kicked up a notch. Spoke to a construction worker at EE on Saturday. He claims that EE will open earlier than 2006 despite the imagineering changes and edits that are taking place on a nearly daily basis. According to the construction worker (hey, a guy in a hard hat who appeared to be a supervisor of sorts) Disney has made a number of significant imagineering and engineering modifications to EE in response to Universal's Mummy and these changes will put "EE is a complete league and class by itself. The Mummy can't touch it." Take it for what it's worth.

Sunday, Dec. 13

Visit to Epcot - Epcot's cleanliness, detail and friendliness has improved over the last year, even since July. M:S is still the most incredible sensatory experience of any theme park attraction (like it or hate it) and, despite rumblings to the contrary, it's obvious that it's a major reason why guests go to Epcot. TT was working great (long lines, as always) and the park had a large number of people in it all day. Off Kilter was packing them in Canada. The American Adventure was down all day (CM said "major technical problems"). Candlelight Processional with Joshua Morrow was a moving and fitting beginning to my holiday season. It's well worth attending. Balloon street performer in France and roving Christmas Carole street performers in the U.K. were incredibly talented and delighted guests. Several effects appeared non-operational on Maelstrom. SE is getting more and more tired. In need of a rehab/redo. Dinner at Chefs de France as part of the dinner package was solid despite the crowds. Illuminations definitely has increased its firepower for the holidays. Bravo!

Sorry for the somewhat confusing stream of consciousness here. Overall, the parks look to be in great holiday shape. I sense a property-wide emphasis on guest satisfaction - extremely friendly CMs and a return to detail. Can't wait for my next visit!

Thanks for the Off Kilter mention!! I am having a bit of withdrawl!!! I was there last week and they were awesome on all three days that I saw them. Did you happen to notice if the guitar player was the regular guy, Randy a lighter haired gentleman or the substitute Jordan, a darker haired gentleman?? Either way I Am glad to see you had a great time!!!! Belle

Great report! I also agree with SSE. This is one of my all time favorite attractions, and it makes me so sad to see it in such disrepair. They should redo it with State-Of-The-Art effects. Great to hear about E:E! Hope you had a good time.

wannabeBelle said:

Thanks for the Off Kilter mention!! I am having a bit of withdrawl!!! I was there last week and they were awesome on all three days that I saw them. Did you happen to notice if the guitar player was the regular guy, Randy a lighter haired gentleman or the substitute Jordan, a darker haired gentleman?? Either way I Am glad to see you had a great time!!!! Belle

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Well, Belle, my recollection is that the lead guitarist was Randy, and not Jordan. Although I cannot be 100% certain, I remember a big contrast in hair colors between the lead guitarist and the bass player (salt and pepper black).

There were quite a large number of guests who sang along/knew the words of all the Off Kilter songs. Although I was previously unfamiliar with them (but for some references on these boards) I was thoroughly impressed and bought their live album CD that was on sale there. They are clearly as talented as the British Invasion, my personal Epcot favorite band.

ImaginEAR said:

Great report! I also agree with SSE. This is one of my all time favorite attractions, and it makes me so sad to see it in such disrepair. They should redo it with State-Of-The-Art effects. Great to hear about E:E! Hope you had a good time.

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SE, in its day, was a technological and innovative marvel. It is still very enjoyable, but its flaws are now noticeable. Walter Cronkite will always be my favorite host; however, the current version was skipping and at times inaudible, making Walter's look even that much better. The newsboy was not shouting "extra, extra and I could not hear the Greek actors' voices in the theatre scene. It is also depressing when you exit the ride and see nothing but an empty, dark post-ride area. Hopefully, there are some budget $$ set aside for a rehab/redo.

I don't think a rehab will come until a sponsor comes. And many people are afraid of the rehab because of the previous rumors.

I was mad about the button thing too, they gave us a dang postcard!!!

Empress Room said:

"Dennis" was back at emcee.

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Who? And what is emcee?

COP not operating (alas) and Timekeeper was being used as a photo site only.

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Ah, too bad it's not open during the Christmas party. Oh well.

Spoke to a construction worker at EE on Saturday. He claims that EE will open earlier than 2006 despite the imagineering changes and edits that are taking place on a nearly daily basis. According to the construction worker (hey, a guy in a hard hat who appeared to be a supervisor of sorts) Disney has made a number of significant imagineering and engineering modifications to EE in response to Universal's Mummy and these changes will put "EE is a complete league and class by itself. The Mummy can't touch it." Take it for what it's worth.

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I find that very interesting. Let's hope he's right. Glad to hear about the early opening too, but I think it's too soon to say that is set in stone.

The American Adventure was down all day (CM said "major technical problems").

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Ben Franklin attack Thomas Jefferson with his cane again? LOL

Excellent report!

Empress Room said:

Well, Belle, my recollection is that the lead guitarist was Randy, and not Jordan. Although I cannot be 100% certain, I remember a big contrast in hair colors between the lead guitarist and the bass player (salt and pepper black).

There were quite a large number of guests who sang along/knew the words of all the Off Kilter songs. Although I was previously unfamiliar with them (but for some references on these boards) I was thoroughly impressed and bought their live album CD that was on sale there. They are clearly as talented as the British Invasion, my personal Epcot favorite band.

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Hey there, The Bass Player, Mark has salt and pepper type hair. The last time I was there I complimented him on having hair as he usually has a buzz type of cut. He had said he was going to shave it again!!! I also belong to a fan club of sorts for Off Kilter which is at the following site: http://groups.msn.com/OffKilterShrine
Randy has a light brown hair and hazel eyes, Jordan has black hair and green eyes. Both of them are great guitar players, Randy of course being the regular guy for the band is familiar with all of Off Kilter's songs. Jordan wasnt exactly a slouch in that area either, which surprised me. I thought we would have a far more limited play list than we did for the days I was there. On the Live Tracks CD you can hear Randy singing Sweet Home Alberta and Thank God I Am a Country Boy during Good Bye Mursin Durkin!!! They are always a great band to see and I am really glad you enjoyed them!!! Belle

I was annoyed at the lack of buttons at MVMCP as well!!!! How cheap. One CM told me to glue a pin on the back of it & wear it to the party next year as a reminder to upper mgmt of disatisfaction.

Gucci65 said:

I was annoyed at the lack of buttons at MVMCP as well!!!! How cheap. One CM told me to glue a pin on the back of it & wear it to the party next year as a reminder to upper mgmt of disatisfaction.

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LOL! We, too, got the cheap little postcard. I cannot believe that the profit margin on MVMCP hinges on the difference in cost between a postcard that costs 2 cents versus a pin that costs 25 cents to manufacture. If it does, then they should just increase the ticket price by a buck or by a few tons less of sugar cookies.

To many of us, we like the keepsake nature of the pin - it's a great rememberance and it's fun to wear one's collection of pins to each year's event. For some reason, I just don't think wearing the postcard on my sweatshirt will have as much meaning!!

FamilyMan said:

Who? And what is emcee?

Excellent report!

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Dennis is one of the regular game show hosts (emcees) for WWTBAM. He's part of the rotation and, to those of us who have seen the different hosts, he has the most polish and professionalism in his delivery of the questions. He hadn't been seen for a while (leading to premature rumors of his departure!) but he was back in action on Friday.

I agree wholeheartedly with you that one cannot place too much reliance upon the comments of a guy in a hardhat working on EE - on the other hand, he's certainly more of an insider than the rest of us!

Thanks for the nice response.

Empress Room said:

LOL! We, too, got the cheap little postcard. I cannot believe that the profit margin on MVMCP hinges on the difference in cost between a postcard that costs 2 cents versus a pin that costs 25 cents to manufacture. If it does, then they should just increase the ticket price by a buck or by a few tons less of sugar cookies.

To many of us, we like the keepsake nature of the pin - it's a great rememberance and it's fun to wear one's collection of pins to each year's event. For some reason, I just don't think wearing the postcard on my sweatshirt will have as much meaning!!

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I'll wear the postcard along with my buttons in order to make a statment. :lookaroun

I thought the price of the event DID go up a couple of bucks, that's why I was even more annoyed.

Nothing went right for MK the night we went to MVMCP. Only complaints were lack of buttons & Wishes being delayed 20 mins after the 8:15 parade being delayed until 8:45pm (lady busted her head open which delayed the parade). The CMs kept insisting Wishes would start on time regardless. Try again......

Gucci65 said:

I'll wear the postcard along with my buttons in order to make a statment. :lookaroun

I thought the price of the event DID go up a couple of bucks, that's why I was even more annoyed.

Nothing went right for MK the night we went to MVMCP. Only complaints were lack of buttons & Wishes being delayed 20 mins after the 8:15 parade being delayed until 8:45pm (lady busted her head open which delayed the parade). The CMs kept insisting Wishes would start on time regardless. Try again......

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aaaaaaaawwww c'mon wasnt that fun?? I swear they need to start requiring people who are going to be using an ECV to get a license to drive one!!! I wasnt thrilled about the lack of button either but my keepsake is always my holiday photo. In this one I will be joined by Static-X, Foxfire and DisneyTati. What a way to remember a great night and great trip!!!! Belle

wannabeBelle said:

aaaaaaaawwww c'mon wasnt that fun?? I swear they need to start requiring people who are going to be using an ECV to get a license to drive one!!! I wasnt thrilled about the lack of button either but my keepsake is always my holiday photo. In this one I will be joined by Static-X, Foxfire and DisneyTati. What a way to remember a great night and great trip!!!! Belle

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Last Friday's MVMCP was also fabulous, notwithstanding the absence of the collectible button. The crowds were very manageable despite the fact that the event was sold out. The photos, hot chocolate and cookie distribution were very organized, the "snow" on Mainstreet always sends a chill up my spine, the Christmas parade festive and the special holiday happenings memorable. Disney did a great overall job with the event; it was well worth the ticket price (but it was cheap that the button was not part of the night)!

FYI....Rob at the California Grille is pretty amazing too. He's another good bet if you want to ask for a specific server.

I had completely forgotten about the button....I feel really cheated now..Its been 2 years since I have been to MVMCP and I forgot about the button

For the price they charge they should give you a whole outfit nevermind a button.

Ah, memories.

Everything you talked about was how it was when I was there, even at Mickey's Christmas Party. Exactly the same. Huge lines for SGE. (Except I love SGE, but i digress).

I love the Osborne Lights, I had tears in my eyes the last night in MGM just watching those lights and thinking about the fact that I'd be going home soon. I never wanted to leave.

Epcot was a mission of discovery this last visit. Barely touched the park in July. Really explored it this time and ALMOST managed to do everything! :lol: but still missed Maelstrom and Reflections of China. Did everything else.

Tell me you stopped at Patisserie for a treat!


Geeze, only been home a week. I wanna go back.

wannabeBelle said:

aaaaaaaawwww c'mon wasnt that fun?? I swear they need to start requiring people who are going to be using an ECV to get a license to drive one!!! I wasnt thrilled about the lack of button either but my keepsake is always my holiday photo. In this one I will be joined by Static-X, Foxfire and DisneyTati. What a way to remember a great night and great trip!!!! Belle

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Yea it was fun. I just felt disappointed, especially since I had 7 people with me who had never been to this event before and had to tell them sorry, but hey you can BUY a MVMCP pin.......They enjoyed everything regardless.

Too bad I couldn't find you guys. We were sitting on the curb at the end of Main Street USA across from Casey's for the 8:15 parade.

Did you get run over by an ECV or did the poor woman who got injured fall out of one?

Gucci65 said:

Yea it was fun. I just felt disappointed, especially since I had 7 people with me who had never been to this event before and had to tell them sorry, but hey you can BUY a MVMCP pin.......They enjoyed everything regardless.

Too bad I couldn't find you guys. We were sitting on the curb at the end of Main Street USA across from Casey's for the 8:15 parade.

Did you get run over by an ECV or did the poor woman who got injured fall out of one?

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She was already on the floor when we showed up, so it wasnt her, however later me, Foxfire, Static-x and Disney Tati almost did get run over by someone else!!!! Dangerous I tell ya!!! The party was beautiful as always though!!!! Belle